Back from Clear Lake...(long).

[Kelly Ripa]

So I made it up to Clear Lake and fished different weather every day for four days. I prefished for the team in my boat while my partner prefished in his. I took the back deck for the team on my boat during the tournament but we were both comfortable passing it off as the situation arose. I'm good at figuring out other possibilities while the team stays focused to it's plan I was to be the “other” rod the one my partner would be using if he wasn't doing what he was. The weather of the two day Konocti Vista Team Tournament was low pressure one day and high skies and Clear the second day/falling water/widely varying water visibilities/full moon/the list of variables for this tournament was pretty impressive. I can hold my head up as the wheels may have come off the cart when it came to game plan but I just dug down into my ( This is how I catch a bass where I come from mode) bag of tricks and pulled in 16 pounds of our first day 21 pound limit. We were in 12th but based on the fact that I had a new back up pattern the team felt confident about the overall chances of improving on that standing. The next day the wheels started to come off the cart. After fishing for less than a few casts on our first spot of the day 6 otters came out of the back of our spot. Me I woulda left then but we fished through and visited 3 more spots where the water had changed overnight to tanic brown and without a fish in the live well buy 10:30. My partner missed one and dumped another( it just went ape on his flip'n stick) He was sick about that fish (as it did ultimately cost us at our final placement about 5 places.) I caught our first fish a 4 pounder which was what I averaged with this bait. He looked at me I looked at him and we took off to try and get a limit on just my back up pattern. We did with 5 minutes to spare but the hindsight on this day showed a team that did not change as fast as the weather so we dropped to 13th place with 4 good fish and a 13 inch squeaker. I was happy enough as I only left 5 bucks on the table and fished with some great talent that had their woes too. ….That's better than my first outta the money average. Well run tourney we all agreed but as an inaugural event for your Casino it was not promoted. It was run top notch with results in minutes but most us who attended the Dinner felt the Casino could have done more to attract some more anglers. It was a shame cuz the food was great but I can't imagine the doggie bag they needed.

[Yoz]

Way to rock it Rip. Change on the fly is always difficult, but you seem to manage well. I may try that tourney next year. Nice job

Yoz

[John Barron]

Good job Kelly, who ran the tournament? I love Celar Lake and I didn't hear about this one.
jb

[Kelly Ripa]

Konocti Vista Casino. 160.00 all in for the team, big fish 1000 per day, No fees to join a circuit....100 teams was the dream they got half that but I still had to fish aginst all those local sharks...I was hope'n to get some of my gas money back.....500 bucks for me to tow from Ojai up and back plus the boat and a little driving around Lakeport. Prolly won't be do'n that again real soon....Coulda gone on a nice 4 day on the RedRooster III outta San Diego for the whole tab at Clear Lake.

[John Barron]

Sorry to hear that but you had a good time though right?
jb

[Kelly Ripa]

I love that lake I lived there in the mid 70's in Glenhaven for 3 years....I'll write up how I was welcomed home by the Casitas staff. .Clean and Dry or B.S. plain and simple!...Anybody need a backseat I can get to Clear Lake and back with all my tricks in my VW Diesel for about 80 bucks...


Rip

Actually I have a lot of home projects I'm look'n down the barrel at a few months of upgrades to the house.

[Ralph]

So I guess you won't be fishing Casitas anytime soon Kelly? What's been the latest? Anyone catching any big fish? I had a great time at Big Bear over the Easter vacation with the family.Please read the Big Bear report I posted,the weather was perfect! I'll be going out Sunday to Casitas and then after that I too will have home projects

[Kelly Ripa]

I will be on Casitas May 7th with John Younce if he isn't busy...

[Yoz]

Let me do a kitchen check and make sure its okdokie with the little lady...but yeah.

Yoz

[Yoz]

Kitchen pass granted.......lets go fishin.
Yoz