Lake James Results: Jul 17, 2010
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The fourth tournament of the year was held in Angola Indiana at Lake James, on July 17. Since this is July the weather was what one would expect for Indiana. Hot and humid, but on the bright side there was a slight breeze.
Sonlight Community Church graciously opened their doors for our meal and meeting so we could get some relief from the weather. I would like to extend a big thank you to Auntie V’s Restaurant. They provided an awesome catered meal. If you went away hungry it was your own fault. Our director, Sharon Tighe, felt led to give the message that night. Sharon shared with the anglers from I Samuel. This passage had to do with leadership and listening to the Lord. We all know the work that she does to get out tournaments scheduled but Sharon also is in prayer about the entire FOM division. She confessed that she was not as faithful in praying for this tournament, as things have always fell into place. July 4 she realized things for Lake James were not ready and she had lapsed in her prayers for FOM. As we all know, with prayer all things are possible and sure enough the Lord came through and things all fell into place.
Saturday morning arrived and the 24 teams were staged in the canal and ready to go. After the morning prayer, and the driver of boat 1 putting on a soft shoe display to stay in the boat, the teams hit the water looking for a quick bite before the boat traffic really made things interesting. At 3:00 the teams returned to see who had figured things out. Reports from practice had everyone on small fish. At the conclusion of the weigh in the Triton owner team of George Diehl and Ken Synesael topped the leader board with a 5 fish limit that weighed 12.4 lbs. Their catch was anchored by a 3.17 lb bass that was also good enough for third big bass of the day. Terry and Brody McWilliams brought in a limit that weighed 10.77 lbs to claim second place. They also had the big bass of the tournament with a 4.52 lb fish that Brody put in the boat. Third place went to the local team of Quinn Hoyer and Jeff Noll with 5 fish that weighed 10.12 lbs. I need to take a minute to recognize both of these anglers. I met Quinn at the ramp as I was putting in my boat and Jeff ate dinner with us. They were both very open about how the lake fished and also provided information on other lakes that may be suitable for tournaments in the future. Thank you both for fishing with us and your willingness to talk about the area. Fourth place went to the team of Charlie Monds and Steve Estridge with a limit of fish weighing 9.34 lbs. I actually chatted with these two at the pre-tournament meeting trying to find some dirt to write about but I still can’t do it. Don’t worry fellows I’ll come up with something, even if I have to make it up. The final team in the money was the team of Steve and Kyle Neal. They finished the day with an 8.81 lb limit. Second big bass of the tournament went to the team of Thomas and Daniel Wheeler with a 4.24 lb fish.
Once again it seemed like there were multiple ways to catch fish. Mike Zerrien was complaining that I never write about him so I want to take a minute to recognize Mike and say thank you for suggesting this body of water…..and you know exactly what I mean. I also need to thank all of the teams for their patience at the ramp. It was a very tight canal and a small ramp. I think our attitudes reflected positively on FOM. We also need to thank Kirk Bowers at the Corner Landing. He went out of his way to ensure we had the provisions necessary to hold the tournament at his place. I need to recognize one more angler from this weekend. Tony Goff. Tony did not have a great day on the water yet he came in, grabbed his tools and fixed Gary Straber’s trailer without hesitation. The only thing I heard him say was “Is there any water in that cooler…..I’m hot over here.” I am continually amazed at how our entire group takes care of each other.
Our next tournament will be held on the St. Joe River August 14. With two points separating first and second place for the point’s title, and two more teams within striking distance it should prove to be an interesting race to the finish. For the rest of us, just remember that our date with Ky. Lake is drawing near.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the fine companies that make Fishers of Men possible; Triton Boats, Mercury, Strike King Lure Company, Markel Marine Insurance, Abu Garcia, Power-Pole, Nester Hosiery, Marshall’s Marine Lake City SC, Keelshield, Solar Bat, Kistler, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Berkley, Lowrance, Spot Remover, Stanley Jigs, Jacobs Glass, Rejuvenade, Dual Pro Charger, MotorGuide, Mizmo Baits, and Keep Alive Oxygen Infusers.
We would also like to thank our fine local sponsors. Please be sure to thank them each time you enter their place of business. Denny’s Marina, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Gator Grip, Reaction Strike, Cap N Hook, Angler’s World, D & S Lures, and West Side Bait and Tackle.
