cross lake Results: Aug 18, 2012
August 20, 2012- I think there is a saying that goes something like, "If you can not be perfect, then be as close to it as possible." Something like that anyways.
That is exactly what Perry Hixson and Jason Maxwell did this season. They had one hick-up, one bad day, at Onondaga Lake. But the rest of season, they were dominating. Jason and Perry tasted victory in four of the five divisional tournaments we hosted. They won Big Bass at all of the events they won. They were able to put together a five fish limit in every event for the entire season. They were not perfect, but they were about as close as you can be.
The Friday night meeting for the last divisional tournament of the season was hosted by the Amour of Light Baptist church in Victory, NY. We thank them for their hospitality and wonderful mean they had prepared for us there. Pastor Settles was out of town during the meeting, so Brother Jason from the church brought us an outstanding inspirational message about salvation through grace.
Launching on Saturday morning from the beautiful Cross Lake Marina in Cato, NY; the table was set. Perry and Jason had to finish one spot better then last place and the AOY title was theirs no matter what rest of the field did. Glenn Smiley and Lynda Sheehan, the only other team in the AOY race, needed Jason and Perry to finish last and they HAD to win the event to force a tie, and push it to the tie breaker. Glenn and Lynda would have won the tie breaker based on total weight for the whole season if it came down to it.
Perry and Jason were not about to let that happen though. The two teams started in the same area, a large water-chestnut bed in the southern part of the lake. Shortly after, both Hixson/Maxwell and Smiley/Sheehan left the area. Both teams had two fish at the time. That would be the last time we saw Glenn and Lynda until the weigh in.
Jason and Perry moved around the lake quite a bit throughout the day. They focused on a lot of laydown logs, docks, and patches of weeds they could find around the small lake. Perry stuck to throwing a white spinnerbait and weightless senko while Jason used a texas rigged beaver and a black n blue jig. They did not catch many fish, and they did not catch any big fish. But all they needed was to not come in last place. Instead, their efforts yielded them a five fish limit weighing 9.93 pounds. Good enough to win the event at Cross Lake and slam the door on the AOY race. They also brought in the big bass of the tournament, a smallmouth bass weighing 2.73 pounds. The fish hit late in the day in the area that they started. Perry caught the fish on the white spinnerbait. The division Anglers of the Year award is all theirs and whats most important about it, they earn a trip back to Fishers of Men national championship next Spring. They have not decided of they will fish the National Championship tournament, it depends on far they would have to travel for it.
Finishing in second was again this season is Frank and Ryan Frisca. They brought in 5 fish, mixed limit weighing 9.02 pounds.
Third place belonged to Jeff and Julie Raner. The defending AOY champs fell out of the running this season after Black Lake two weeks ago. They brought in 5 fish weighing 8.22 pounds.
They needed to win the event to have a chance. Unfortunately for Glenn Smiley and Lynda Sheehan, their worst performance of the season came when they needed their best. Unable to find any fish with weight to them, they brought in 5 fish weighing 8.18 pounds.
