Off to a good start

The first tournament of the year is in the books and I would have to say it was a success.  No Chris and I didn't take the first place prize but we did finish 16th out of 72 teams of the best fisherman.  When you look at the guys fishing the river you quickly realize they are the best fisherman because they know how to adjust and understand what the fish are doing, that is the only way to be successful on the river.  During practice the water dropped 10 degrees over night.  Think that changed the fish and the bite?  The river anglers are able to adjust and find where they go and how to get them to bite.  Being that I am not a die hard river guy I had to stay open minded and pay utmost attention to detail. If I caught a fish I had to figure out why they were there, what they were doing there, and how to catch more of them.  The current comes into play, the water temps, the bait, and lastly the depth.  The fish are getting ready to spawn so they were looking for areas that were warm. 

On the first day of competetion Chris and I weighed 16 1/2 pounds, on the second day we sacked a big bag and weighed 21 1/4 pounds.  When all the dust cleared we had finished 3/10ths of a pound out of the last place money (15th).  Tough to swallow but a fun few days of fishing by all standards. 

As a whole group, all 72 teams; we raised over $130,000 for St. Judes Childrens Hospital.  It was amazing considering we are in a recession. 

I want to say thank you to all of you that supported this great cause in my name.  I can reassure you I have never fished so hard in my entire life. 

Now onto this weekend, it is finally fishing opener here in MN!  Stay here for all the early season updates.  It is lining up to be a great opener.