Lake Oologah CAST Tournament

[Crappie Reaper]

Key Violins........
I went ahead and entered the tournament. It was a brand new experience for me. I fished alone and had to work all week prior to it and didn't get a chance to prefish it the day before.
Since I had not been catching anything in Talala Creek my last three trips there, and last weekend I caught some nice fish off Rogers point and Skull cove, I decided to put in at Hawthorne ramp. Hawthorne was also the weigh in spot. I almost trailered to Talala to try it first because my 50hp can only go so far on 6 gallons and didn't want to waste too much time traveling. Hawthorne it was. I caught dinks by the dozen. We had a maximum fish turn in of 7 that had to be at lest ten inches.
Spot #1, produced a 15" and a 14" fish for me last weekend. Score 0 for Tourney.
Spot #2, produced non stop fish with occasional decent keeper last weekend. Score 3 fish, 2 @ 12" and 1 @ 10 1/4".
Spot #3 I spent most the day working this area as the fish always seem to be there, but also seem to be moving from brush pile, to brush pile. I usually work this spot from 16' to 30' in depth, and a path of about 100'. I lost many jigs and nice fish in here, it could have been walleye or catfish that cut the line, or let the zebra mussles cut it for them.
Score 4 fish, 2 @ 11" and 2 @ 10 1/2". At least I could turn in the Max amount allowed now. Time to catch and cull.

I had two hours left till weigh in. I decided to check out spot #2 again as the afternoon bite was very good there last week. Went back and caught another 3 at a little over 10".

I was very dissappointed I didn't come across better fish. I was embarassed to even weigh in.
The winners were a couple of guys from out of state by the names of Thompson and Thompson. They weighed in 9.44 lbs with big fish of 1.80.
The second place team was a husband and wife team and they won the big fish with 1.89.
I think there was one other "lone" fisherman that turned in less than I did. My total weight was 5.44 lbs. Like I said, I was embarrassed to weigh them.

Three of the top 5 teams caught their fish in Talala creek or close to it. (Someone slap me, PLEASE!)

All in all, I learned that if I am going to fish tournaments, I am going to need to increase my knowledge on locating the bigger fish. I don't know, maybe the quality of electronics has alot to do with it when it comes to locating. I will probably only enter tournaments that are within 100 miles, but not anytime soon.
I came in 15th out of 20 boats and am still ticked at myself for not doing better. Tournament fishing seems to be an expensive sport and one must be willing to kiss their expenses goodbye at first, and hope for the best at the outcome.
Perhaps if I get enough habitat out, I might stand a chance to at least place come the next tourney on Oologah.
Hats off to those who caught nice fish, their knowledge is greater than mine and I am humbled.
CR

[anchorpuller]

I'm impressed. To have entered and fished by the seat of your pants, I'd say you did great!
What impresses me more is that you have a lot of knowledge, and while believing in yourself, you continue to learn and build on that.
Once you get it all figured out (and I don't think you ever do), it's no fun anymore.
Ya never know, the next one may put you in a new boat or something!

Glad you got to fish!

[Big George]

Hey Reaper dont be discouraged by what you weighed in my first tournament I caught one keeper. I did prefish up there and didnt do that much better than you I caught fish at every spot but not the big ones This tournament thing requires making the right decision first as what and where to fish I caught bigger fish at another spot friday anbd choose to take a chance that it wasnt gonna be found I still dont know if it was or not but we caught lots of fish out of it and what we thought was the bigger fish hung us up and broke off in all we must have caught 150 fish just not the big ones Dont give up just keep learning like I have the last 2 years

[Crappie Reaper]

Thanks for the encouragement BG. I would like to be able to blame it on my boat for being so limited as to where I could fish. But, the bottom line is, I have been fishing Oologah for the last three months at least 1-4 trips a week. I learned that I spent too much time fishing areas that were producing, but not enough big fish. My freezer is full of Crappie. I will probably enter the next tourney on Oologah, only IF and When I learn how to locate them better. As far as traveling to a lake out of state, I just don't see it happening within the next 10 years. I think I would do better taking my money to the Texas Holdem tables at the local Casino.
I definately gained alot of respect for those who travel the tourney circuits. One must be one hell of a crappie fisherman to even come close to winning/placing. The only way I can see myself possibly doing good in a future tourney on Oologah, is to start placing the habitat like a mofo. Maybe then, I might at least stand a chance to place.

Anchor, I didn't fish at all "by the seat of my pants". I thought I knew my home lake good enough to at least come in one of the top ten boats. I actually thought I would be able to place within the top three and win at least part of my entry fee back. How silly it was for me to think that now. lol I have alot to learn. Thanks for trying to cheer me up. Now it's time to pull up my britches and move forward.
CR

[horseshoer]

I think you are being too hard on yourself. I have never fished a competitive $ tourney
but if I think of the times I went on Lake Somerville TX which I knew well & fished alot
and made the choice of fishing what turned out not the spot even if I'd killed em there
2 days prior, saw at the ramp the mess of fish caught where i had ALMOST gone,..etc.
I understand you were after size not numbers but still....you couldn't have got to be
where you figured to be in the top 10 or even higher without a bum day along the way. If you can afford and want to do it I would try again. Just my .02
Jeff

[J White]

I'm new to this too - but if that was the worst I ever did - I would be
overjoyed! Nothing to be ebarrassed about at all there. If I can just catch
7 keeper fish every tournament, I'll be surprised, and happy

[David Waters]

look, the knowledge you gained from that tournament is priceless. Easier said than done, I know. Just think about now how diffrerent you would fish it know. Don't second guess yourself. The same thing happened to me at Grenada last year. I left so mad I couldn't see straight. My whole goal was to qualify for the regional that was going to be on my home lake. Was so mad, I didn't even weigh in my few fish. Come to find out, that would have qualified me.

That knowledge really got me thinking. Now, I try to go after big fish. I don't fish for numbers relaly anymore, unless of course I am lacking fish.

Now, you just need to fish and remember where you catch your bigger fish. Figure out why they are there. The more time on the lake, the better you will be.

Hang in there, you will get them next time. I plan on fishing 4 CUSA tournaments this year. I am sure I will have my rear end handed to me several times, but I have a goal. Qualify for the regional, then qualify somehow for the classic. The classic this year is on Wilson and Pickwick, my home lakes.

[Tim The Lippa Rippa Mon]

Don't get discouraged Reaper. For fishing in your 1st tourny, you did great! Even if it was on your home waters, you didn't come in last, so you beat the odds by far. The guys that won the tourny have been at it a looong time! They stole 1st place in the points teams race from Bart and I this year as a matter of fact. They really know Crappie! We placed behind them on 2 different lakes that neither of our teams had fished before this year, and they won both of those events too!

Tournament experience teaches hard learned lessons. The important thing is that you learned some things by taking part in the event. Keep as detailed of a journal as you can. Only time, experience, and a little bit of luck will put that "W" next to your name.

I'm sure I'll bump in to you down there next year. I look forward to meeting you sometime. BTW - I am still carrying around the "hard lesson" I learned fishing that lake down there this year - a broken tail bone! Every time I sit down, I remember the poor choices I made during that tournament this year!

Full baskets to ya!

<,"}/>{ Rippa

[crappieseeker]

I have a question. I have never fished a crappie tournament before. How many fish do you weigh in and are the rules similar to those of a bass tournament?