Lake Harding Results: Feb 20, 2010
The Hooch Continues to be Ruthless with Cold Muddy Waters.
In the week before the Harding tournament, reports were trickling about some really good fishing going on. It was starting to look like the anglers might be in store for some revenge fishing...a chance to get back at the Chattahoochee for being very difficult a month earlier on West Point.
Something else started happening too. Everyday, the hi temps started slowly creeping up, and the water temps soon followed. The higher temps were welcomed by most anglers, but the slightly warmer water reeked havoc on the fishing. A lot of fish seemingly stayed in the shallows, but they scattered, big-time. Many of the spots where anglers were tearing it up the week before, were now just giving upone or two fish.
Royce Railey and Michael Smith figured it out early enough to try and take advantage of the new situation. They turned to bright colored crankbaits to try and help the fish see the bait in the muddy water, and fished a whole lot of water anywhere from 1 foot to five feet deep.
With the fish scattering, the bites came slowly. The one exception was a spot were they were able to catch 3 fish in about ten minutes. They wound up catching about ten fish in all, and the one that made the biggest difference was the five-pounder that Royce caught a little before noon. He thought that he had hung into a striper, but was quickly convinced by Smith that is was a nice largemouth, and he hauled it to safety.
Royce and Michael finished off the day with 5 fish totaling 12.36, and the kicker was a nice 5.25#s Don Stephens and Mike Akers finished 2nd with 10.79, just 1.57 pounds behind them and their biggest was 3.91 pounds. As is often the case at Lake Harding, the 5-pounder clinched the tournament for Royce and Michael, and over $1200 in prize money.
2009 Defending Lake Champions Steve Strickland and Stephen McCord fell weigh short this year with only 2 fish weighing 9.21 pounds, but did manage to net the biggest fish of the day, a 5.59 pound beauty, and a nice check worth over $850.
It's a little early in the season to be thinking a whole lot about points, but the 1st place finish did move Railey and Smith up to 3rd place, only 6 points out of first.
The first two stops on the 2010 Trail have been very difficult. The Hooch has been muddy for what seems like three months, and the cold winter seems to have a big effect on where the bass are, and how they are feeding. A good spring grass bite on Eufaula next month would seem a just reward for the challenges the competitors have faced early this year!
Thank - You!! to 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. And for local sponsors; Masterbuilt Outdoors, Navionics, Big Bear Rods, Highland Marina, Heath Outdoor Products, and Heat Max, and many others.
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www.fomntt.com/division.php?id=12
