Lake Palestine Tournament

What a day this past Saturday fishing the Palestine Tournament. Prepared to fish but not prepared for I Angler ap. Had new phone that I only know how to answer some of the time. Didn't even have email set up at 5:00 a.m before the captain's meeting, didn't remember password for e mail, couldn't install ap. Thankfully I met Joey Montgomery who set me up with everything. No way I could have done it without him.

Launched at Flat Creek and headed to the fishing grounds. Catch my first fish quick and realize I have forgotten my reading glasses. No time to make the paddle back to jeep to retrieve them. Take picture of fish on measuring board, can't hear if camera is taking pictures as I must have sound of shutter turned off or so low I can't hear it and don't have any idea how to turn it up. Must have taken five or six pictures.. Release fish. That's about the same time I realize I have forgotten to have my identifier in picture. Scratch first fish. Start catching some good fish a little later, all on 5 inch Fringe Tackle hollow belly swimbaits. Sun getting high as I reach for sun block stick, grab fish (scent) stick (identical size tubes) instead and almost wipe it on my face before realizing they don't smell the same.

Have my limit around 11:30 and start fishing my way back to truck as I need to get to tournament weigh in with reading glasses to figure out what length fish I've caught. Load up at ramp and head to tournament headquarters.. my day is done very early as I'm afraid something else will go wrong. Get Duc to help me enter the pictures, all is well. About 30 minutes later I'm rested and feeling pretty good when I find out I still have another hour to fish if I want. I'm in 4th place with the real time scoring of IAngler available for everyone to see at scoring tent. Decide to launch kayak again, this time from JB RV Park. It was the launch from he77. Had to carry kayak on my head for about a 100 yards, down a steep embankment and through a mud pit to get to the water. Had to make 3 trips to get all my gear down there as well. Make a quick paddle under the bridge and start fishing. Thirty minutes of nothing biting when I find an area holding fish. One, two, three, .. I catch 7 legal fish, the last one at 2:53, with 7 minutes to get it loaded into I angler ap. It's 16.75 inches and will get me a third place paycheck. Seemed like a done deal, nope.. I worked on it for 6 minutes trying to remember what my new passcode was. Couldn't think straight.. gave up with a minute to go. Just wasn't my day when I couldn't remember that my passcode was my name. smile emoticon Congratulations to Joey Montgomery for helping me set up my phone and him winning the tournament.. couldn't have happened to a better guy in my opinion!

Found out later that even had I entered the last fish I would have been a quarter inch short for third place. Oh well.

It was great to see so many new faces and all the old ugly ones.

For those that aren't familiar with Lake Palestine, I fished the south end of the lake yesterday, Chimney Creek. Was curious to see the water clarity compared to the north end of the lake where I fished the previous day. Launched at the small public ramp near the bridge and spent the afternoon up the creek. If it were any clearer it was only marginally so, was hoping for much better.

Managed to get four for the afternoon as I dodged the rain and high winds that came through. The highlight of the day was the fish that got away. A lot of folks fish this area for crappie and I had it on my mind as well. Was pulling my bait through the reeds, paused at the ambush point and felt the quick thump and set the hook into something solid. The fish flashed on its side in stained water and I'm thinking biggest crappie I've ever caught, maybe a lake record. It slowly moves out to deeper water and I've changed my mind... big catfish. My rod is doubled over fish shoots back at me and I'm reeling like crazy to catch back up. Fish goes right back into thickest vegetation bulldogging me then under kayak to the opposite side and back to deeper water. I've got about 6 feet of line out and rod about to get snapped if I don't do something quick as I'm highsticking. Jam rod into shallow water at same rate rod is bending as it is bent around hull and loosen drag. I'm not breaking my rod over any one fish. Fish comes out of water, head shaking and half wallowing. Holly Molly, its a monster bass.. thank you Jesus. Get rod around and out from under hull and continue the fight.. two more jumps as I'm also getting my net. Fish pulls off before I could make a stab at it. Haven't any idea what it would have weighed but it had to be an over. Just laughed at so much excitement packed into 10 seconds.


The trail to Chimney Creek






Couldn't believe how much different this one looked from the other pale colored fish. Guess it might have just moved up from deeper water.




Nice little area to fish if you want to try something different on Palestine.. Lots of docks near very deep water if you go towards main lake. I hate docks.

Very good read Louis. You did really well for coming in early. I think we have it figured out if you're in a rush and your I-Angler App is not co-operating. See you at the next Trail!!!

Duc

Louis I actually prefished in chimney last friday after starting the day in Ledbetter/Highsaw.. Was hoping to find cleaner water but it wasnt really any different than anywhere else like you said. The back is great looking cover-wise. I caught fish but they weren't as big as I'd caught in Ledbetter. They weren't 20 plus inchers though...

Good to see you last week Louis... always enjoy your reports so keep em coming! Will we see you at Ray Bob? Those big fish love swimbaits over there you know!

Great report Louis. Was good to see you brotha. Hope to see you at Raybob!