my stren story

[RipnRog]

This was my first stren event and I was pumped ever since I received my email confirmation. My story starts when I got off of work Wednsday and loaded up my gear and headed to Oroville. I arrived in Oroville and headed straight to check in.... Walking thru the line I ran into Gary Bradford who I have not seen in years and he works for FLW talked with him for a few and grabbed a free Ranger hat. So I am checked in with an hour to go before the partner so I call Marty to see if I can go to the place he set me up to stay at. He happened to be across the street eating chinese food so I went and met him and the other three guys I was staying with. Ron Johnson, Mike Lavallee and James Miller. Great Guys.

So we stood around talked for a bit and headed in to the partner pairing. They explained all of the rules and told us that they will definately be back next year. Good news because I want to fish all of these next year. Anyway the partner pairing goes really fast and as soon as your name is drawn you are supposed to head outside to talk to your pro.....

My first day pro was JIM GIANCOLA very nice guy told me to meet him in front of the bathrooms at 5:45 and we exchanged phone numbers just incase we didnt find each other in the morning.

I left with Marty to our digs and man was I impressed we were staying at a hunting lodge that slept 14..... this place had everything pool table, pinball machine and full kitchen.... marty and I shared the loft it had 8 beds in it..... anyway talked for a while then went to bed......

the alarm went off at 4 am and it was go time..... got up loaded my truck and drank a red bull..... went to the store got a few gatorades and off to the launch ramp..... Met up with my partner and we went and launched the boat.... took a while to launch as there was long line....

My partner tells me when we get in the boat that he has been catching bigger fish on a spinnerbait so he is going to fish fast a lot during the day.... I say cool and think to my self that I will throw a fluke while he tosses a spinnerbait.... we were boat number 41 and they called our number and we were off....... pulled up to our first spot 15 minutes later and I grabbed my fluke rod...... I waited for him to make the fiirst cast and my day had begun.... it did not take my partner long to boat his first fish... I missed the first fish that attacked my fluke but I didnt look like that big of a fish so no biggy..... My pro caught another and then nothing for about 15 minutes..... we moved about a half mile and I noticed my pro grabbed a tube so I grabbed my senko..... he tosses out and so do I and I am hooked up.... boat a nice little 1.8 fish tag it and write the weight down.... cool 5 minutes later I catch a 1.5 and on the next cast a 1.4..... cool he suggests we move when we work to the point ahead of us...... I arrange a few things and I am ready when we get there.....


Our next spot is a place I fish a lot so I know it well I notice that my pro has grabbed his spinnerbait rod so I grab my fluke..... I toss up to a limb and a nicer looking fish misses it.... I say nothing and toss back in there and I am hooked up I ask for the net and I boat a 1.14 largemouth...... I like this fish not huge but for Oroville right now it is.... cool I catch a few dinks and we move to the other side..... I catch a 1.5 and I have a limit.....we keep fishing I catch five more fish but they are 1.1 to 1.3 and dont help me.... we move to another spot and I catch a 1.6 cool I have culled. all this time my pro is tossing a spinnerbait and not have much success but he feels if he gets a bit on it the fish will be a good one.... well He did get that bite but the fish took him into the rocks and broke him off..... we keep fishing and I cull one more..... we go to his last spot and I catch two more fish that I cull with....... time is almost up and we pull up close to the check in area and fish one lost point and I cull one more time upgrading 2 ounces.....


Cool we check in on time and then we wait in the parking lot for them to call our flight to the weigh in tanks.......

I hear our flight called we bag our fish and walk up to the tanks..... The tanks are cool as they are full of water that you can add to your bag and they have aerator lines you put in your bags so the fish get oxygen... well I am called forward and they dump my fish put them in a bag and I am called to the stage..... I hand my fish and they guy is talking to me and then he says hey nice bag...... your in third place..... he hands me my slip and I am off.....


I am thinking wow 3rd is cool.... I know there are 3 more flights behind me and I know I will go down..... My slip had my day two boaters name and phone number so I was good to go for day 2. I went back to the house and enjoyed some of Ron Johnsons excellent BBQ chicken...... I then get my rods ready for day 2 and I eliminate a few things and leave a few rods at the house as I only needed four rods for the next day...... everything is packed and I am off to bed


Day 2 I meet up with ALBERT AZEVEDO at the bathroom area..... we are off to the launch ramp but not in a big hurry as we are boat 71 out today...... We blast off and he tells me during our run that we are fishing boat docks for suspended fish..... In my head I am thinking that this is going to be tough as he has first cast at everything... Oh well..... we pull up and I can see a few smaller fish around..... we fish the docks and he catches 2 fish and I have three my three weigh less then 3 pounds and his two weigh under two pounds plus we each have lost two fish..... I suggest we go fish the other side of the area before the sun gets on the bank and he agrees so I immediately catch two that are 1.5 and 1.6.... the sun got on the bank and that bite was gone..... My pro asks what I might want to do and I tell him I have a spot I want to go to...... ( NOTHING MY PRO AND I FISHED FROM DAY ONE) he agrees and we go there.... My first cast I catch a 1.11 sweet as I cull a .15 big upgrade.... I also catch a 1.3 and toss a 1.0 and I catch a 1.5 and toss a 1.0.... he wants to move so we do..... nothing at the next spot.... we move to another one of my areas and I catch anoth 1.6 toss a 1.3...... I give my pro one of my baits and he catches two more fish at the next spot and fills his limit.....


we fish around for a while and cath a few that do not help us...... we have a 3:40 check in and I am watching my watch...... I tell my partner that it is time for us to go with 15 minutes to go and so we get buttoned up and the boat will not start....... I am a little panicked as I am sitting there.. he changes the fuel tanks and it still will not start I am like oh no my worst nightmare..... after 4 minutes it starts and we are off....... we are not that far and get there with 2 minutes to spare....... I am relieved....



I weigh in and I am in 18th place with 2 flights to weign and I am told they are paying down to 27 places...... I stand around and wait and wait and I am keeping track of guys that weigh in and have more weight than me and there are not many and I am in 23rd place overall and cash a check for $508.00...... wow I am stoked.....


I am not a great or even good writer and I am sorry if I mis spelled anything......

I want to thank Phenix rods for being my sponsor in my opinion they are the best rods on the planet........


Rodger

[rip555]

Congrats Rodger!

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Outstanding recap of your event Rog..Reading it, made me feel like I was there watching..You had an outstanding first event and it paid off..Great job..

mac

[Ricky-S]

Great write up Rog. I thought for a moment that we had a chance at fishing with each other. That would have been way cool. We were in the same flights each day.

Maybe next time.

PS-Where did you get the red bull

[RipnRog]

Thanx guys I didnt re read what I typed I am exhausted as I had to come home right after this event get my stuff ready and go run ABA Folsom on Sunday...... been very very busy...... but I do have the next two weekends off....... Ricky I got a secret connection for Red Bull.... I can hook you up if you want...... and if I would have drawn you on the second day I would have made the cut I think.....your second day co caught them good ...... so I might have as well.....

[PapaJohn454]

Thanks for the post! Enjoyed reading it.

[Tin Can]

Congrats Rog, good read too.

[Kevin Evans - Kap]

Great job on your finish and a thanks for the good read too.

Kap

[MIKE TREMONT]

Great read Rodger. I really enjoyed it and felt your excitement and was not with bombarded products I should buy, until the end

Congrats and keep it up at the next one!

[RipnRog]

Great read Rodger. I really enjoyed it and felt your excitement and was not with bombarded products I should buy, until the end

Congrats and keep it up at the next one!

remember mike it was my opinion on the rods.......

[MIKE TREMONT]

Just clowning you Rodger, I know yous can take it.

I sent you a PM.

[5bass4cking]

Thanks for the read Rodger, I felt like I was fishing with you. I wish a lot more of this would go on.

[ash]

Thanks for writing your experience Rodger. I enjoy when guys are excitied about their trip and it comes through in your writing. Congrats on your first Stren event = first check ! Way too cool....

[N.A.R]

I am kicking myself for not signing up for this event! It seems like it was anyones game. Being from So Cal really wouldn't have mattered much at this event.....

[RipnRog]

I am kicking myself for not signing up for this event! It seems like it was anyones game. Being from So Cal really wouldn't have mattered much at this event.....

there were a few things working better than other things and a few inside tricks but yeah it was anyones game....

[Sean Graf]

This was my first stren event and I was pumped ever since I received my email confirmation. My story starts when I got off of work Wednsday and cloaded up my gear and headed to Oroville. I arrived in Oroville and headed straight to check in.... Walking thru the line I ran into Gary Bradford who I have not seen in years and he works for FLW talked with him for a few and grabbed a free Ranger hat. So I am checked in with an hour to go before the partner so I call Marty to see if I can go to the place he set me up to stay at. He happened to be across the street eating chinese food so I went and met him and the other three guys I was staying with. Ron Johnson, Mike Lavallee and James Miller. Great Guys.

So we stood around talked for a bit and headed in to the partner pairing. They explained all of the rules and told us that they will definately be back next year. Good news because I want to fish all of these next year. Anyway the partner pairing goes really fast and as soon as your name is drawn you are supposed to head outside to talk to your pro.....

My first day pro was JIM GIANCOLA very nice guy told me to meet him in front of the bathrooms at 5:45 and we exchanged phone numbers just incase we didnt find each other in the morning.

I left with Marty to our digs and man was I impressed we were staying at a hunting lodge that slept 14..... this place had everything pool table, pinball machine and full kitchen.... marty and I shared the loft it had 8 beds in it..... anyway talked for a while then went to bed......

the alarm went off at 4 am and it was go time..... got up loaded my truck and drank a red bull..... went to the store got a few gatorades and off to the launch ramp..... Met up with my partner and we went and launched the boat.... took a while to launch as there was long line....

My partner tells me when we get in the boat that he has been catching bigger fish on a spinnerbait so he is going to fish fast a lot during the day.... I say cool and think to my self that I will throw a fluke while he tosses a spinnerbait.... we were boat number 41 and they called our number and we were off....... pulled up to our first spot 15 minutes later and I grabbed my fluke rod...... I waited for him to make the fiirst castand my day had begun.... it did not take my partner long to boat his first fish... I missed the first fish that attacked my fluke but I didnt look like that big of a fish so no biggy..... My pro caught another and then nothing for about 15 minutes..... we moved about a half mile and I noticed my pro grabbed a tube so I grabbed my senko..... he tosses out and so do I and I am hooked up.... boat a nice little 1.8 fish tag it and write the weight down.... cool 5 minutes latter I catch a 1.5 and on the next cast a 1.4..... cool he suggests we move when we work to the point ahead of us...... I arrange a few things and I am ready when we get there.....


Our next spot is a place I fish a lot so I know it well I notice that my pro has grabbed his spinnerbait rod so I grab my fluke..... I toss up to a limb and a nicer looking fish misses it.... I say nothing and toss back in there and I am hooked up I ask for the net and I boat a 1.14 largemouth...... I like this fish not huge but for Oroville right now it is.... cool I catch a few dinks and we move to the other side..... I catch a 1.5 and I have a limit.....we keep fishing I catch five more fish but they are 1.1 to 1.3 and dont help me.... we move to another spot and I catch a 1.6 cool I have culled. all this time my pro is tossing a spinnerbait and not have much success but he feels if he gets a bit on it the fish will be a good one.... well He did get that bite but the fish took him into the rocks and broke him off..... we keep fishing and I cull one more..... we go to his last spot and I catch two more fish that I cull with....... time is almost up and we pull up close to the check in area and fish one lost point and I cull one more time upgradin 2 ounces.....


Cool we check in on time and then we wait in the parking lot for them to call our flight to the weigh in tanks.......

I hear our flight called we bag our fish and walk up to the tanks..... The tanks are cool as they are full of water that you can add to your bag and they have aerator lines you put in your bags so the fish get oxygen... well I am called forward and they dump my fish put them in a bag and I am called to the stage..... I hand my fish and they guy is talking to me and then he says hey nice bag...... your in third place..... he hands me my slip and I am off.....


I am thinking wow 3rd is cool.... I know there are 3 more flights behind me and I know I will go down..... My slip had my day two boaters name and phone number so I was good to go for day 2. I went back to the house and enjoyed some of Ron Jhnsons excellent BBQ chicken...... I then get my rods ready for day 2 and I eliminate a few things and leave a few rods at the house as I only needed four rods for the next day...... everything is packed and I am off to bed


Day 2 I meet up with ALBERT AZEVEDO at the bathroom area..... we are off to the launch ramp b ut not in a big hurry as we are boat 71 out today...... We blast off and he tells me during our run that we are fishing boat dock for suspended fish..... In my head I am thinking that this is going to be tough as he has first cast at everything... Oh well..... we pull up and I can see a few smaller fish around..... we fish the docks and he catches 2 fish and I have three my three weigh less then 3 pounds and his two weigh under two pounds plus we each have lost two fish..... I suggest we go fish the other side of the area before the sun gets on the bank and he agrees so I immediately catch two that are 1.5 and 1.6.... the sun got on the bank and that bite was gone..... My pro asks what I might want to do and I tell him I have a spot I want to go to...... ( NOTHING MY PRO AND I FISHED FROM DAY ONE) he agrees and we go there.... My first cast I catch a 1.11 sweet as I cull a .15 big upgrade.... I also catch a 1.3 and toss a 1.0 and I catch a 1.5 and toss a 1.0.... he wants to move so we do..... nothing at the next spot.... we move to another one of my areas and I catch anoth 1.6 tos a 1.3...... I give my pro one of my baits and he catches two more fish at the next spot and fills his limit.....


we fish around for a while and cath a few that do not help us...... we have a 3:40 check in and I am watching my watch...... I tell my partner that it is time for us to go with 15 minutes to go and so we get buttoned up and the boat will not start....... I am a little panicked as I am sitting there.. he changes the fuel tanks and it still will not start I am like oh no my worst nightmare..... after 4 minutes it starts and we are off....... we are not that far and get there with 2 minutes to spare....... I am relieved....



I weigh in and I am in 18th place with 2 flights to weign and I am told they are paying down to 27 places...... I stand around and wait and wait and I am keeping track of guys that weigh in and have more weight than me and there are not many and I am in 23rd place overall and cash a check for $508.00...... wow I am stoke.....


I am not a great or even good writer and I am sorry if I mis spelled anything......

I want to thank Phenix rods for being my sponsor in my opionion they are the best rods on the planet........


Rodger

WOW!

Send this rough draft to Dean Sault and have a book made, dayum!

[tunaman]

Great job Rip - glad you had a good tourney, and thanks for the recap!

Roger

[brambo0311]

Thank phoenix?

All your shakey heads, jigs, and dart heads just went barbless.....

[MIKE TREMONT]

brambo0311

Thank phoenix?

All your shakey heads, jigs, and dart heads just went barbless..... Laughing

The stuff you hooked me up with was top notch quality.

Taking orders?

[brambo0311]

Yeah limited stuff. Not allot of time. But your welcome to come over anytime and make what ya need. Its easy or I couldnt do it. I have some stuff I need to get done for cooch for the pro-teen but thats about it. Then I can get to making some jigs.

I have shaky heads football and regular. Football jigs, Arkies, poison tails, shad blades, dart heads, about 30 molds I guess.

[RipnRog]

Thank phoenix?

All your shakey heads, jigs, and dart heads just went barbless.....

Sorry Brambo I didnt want Tremont getting mad at me for advertising.......