Lake Shelbyville Results: Jul 10, 2010
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Busches fish bushes (and grass) for victory
A spinnerbait in the willows and grass was the answer for Mark and Mike Busch during the Fishers of Men tournament at Lake Shelbyville the weekend of July 9.
The event kicked off with a pre tournament meeting Friday at Peterson Park Pavilion in Mattoon, IL where the anglers were treated to delicious deer burgers and a message from division director Carl Parks. The message focused on how we as Christians must act as God would want us to so people will recognize us as believers, much like a fruit tree would not be recognized as a fruit tree if it didn't bear fruit. Part of that message was what may have led to the Busch brothers' victory. After heading to their first spot and not being able to catch anything, they went on to a second spot and were catching some short fish. Soon after they arrived another boat pulled up withing casting distance on the same grassy point they were fishing. Instead of becoming angry and lashing out at the discourteous anglers the brothers decided to show some grace and not say anything.
“When they pulled up on us I was about to say something when I remembered Carl's message about showing grace,” Mike Busch said. “So I kept my mouth shut and we left.”
The team then went up to another grassy point they had not fished during the practice day.
It paid off.
All four of the keepers they weighed came off that point which led to their win.
“If those guys hadn't pulled up on us and forced us to leave we probably would have never fished that new spot,” Mark Busch said. “Maybe we were being rewarded for showing some grace. Paying attention to the message Friday really paid off for us.”
Much of the talk at the ramp Saturday morning before blast off was about how tough this tournament was going to be. Blue bird skies, high water, and heavy boat traffic on Lake Shelbyville made those predictions come true. No limits were weighed but Mark and Mike Busch managed four keepers with a weight of 11.56 pounds, including second big bass which netted them a total $933.50. Second place went to the team of Derek Coon and Jacob Bowers with 6.51 pounds, and in third place was Cecil Dickson and Brett McCully who weighed in 6.2 pounds including the big bass of the tournament weighing 3.92 pounds.
The next tournament is on Lake Decatur August 7. It should be an interesting one as the race in the point standings to determine the division champions is really heating up. The team of Marlin and Debbie Brown currently have a one point advantage over Coon and Bowers.
We would like to thank "Time on the Water Outdoors" Illinois' best Triton boats dealer for their support of our division. If you are looking for a new or used boat give Frank Hyla a call at 815-663-1000.
We would also like to thank Poor Boys Baits for their donations.
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.
