A terrible fish at the Chin SAWT tourney

nicemustang · #1 06-07-2010, 03:42 PM

It was our first tournament and we had a great time. Learned lots and meet a lot of nice people. The bite was horrible though. Too much rain leading up to the tourney mixed with really high water levels and a 70 km/hr wind thursday made the water like mud. Barely 12" of vision at the top in the sun, probably worse underneath. We ended up catching a few fish but nothing of legal size. I guess only 25 legals caught all weekend. Probably the worst 3 days of fishing that I've ever had. Oh well, looking forward to the next one I get to.

Who else was there? Did you do better than us?

whitetail Junkie · #2 06-07-2010, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicemustang

It was our first tournament and we had a great time. Learned lots and meet a lot of nice people. The bite was horrible though. Too much rain leading up to the tourney mixed with really high water levels and a 70 km/hr wind thursday made the water like mud. Barely 12" of vision at the top in the sun, probably worse underneath. We ended up catching a few fish but nothing of legal size. I guess only 25 legals caught all weekend. Probably the worst 3 days of fishing that I've ever had. Oh well, looking forward to the next one I get to.

Who else was there? Did you do better than us?

My cousin Drop-Tine was there,he got 9th??? i think.Even Traver's was slow,not a good start to the SAWT tourneys!

npauls · #3 06-07-2010, 06:33 PM

Ya the bite was super slow. I ended up hooking one legal on the first day and we were tied for 10th. We didn't end up landing anything legal on day 2 but were still in the top 20 over all I think. Hopefully ridge is better then both tourneys so far. Pre fishing for ridge starts thursday with some new gear on the boat and a new prop strapped to the back of it.

Nate

floppychicken · #4 06-07-2010, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicemustang

It was our first tournament and we had a great time. Learned lots and meet a lot of nice people. The bite was horrible though. Too much rain leading up to the tourney mixed with really high water levels and a 70 km/hr wind thursday made the water like mud. Barely 12" of vision at the top in the sun, probably worse underneath. We ended up catching a few fish but nothing of legal size. I guess only 25 legals caught all weekend. Probably the worst 3 days of fishing that I've ever had. Oh well, looking forward to the next one I get to.

Who else was there? Did you do better than us?

Hey NM,

Great meeting you there at the Tourney! Too bad the fishing was absolutely BRUTAL! My fishing Partner and I both agree that it was the WORST 3 days of Fishing that we have EVER had...bar none!

For those who were not there on the Thursday before the pre-Fish, the wind was blowing 60+ with Gusts up to 85 KMS! When we showed up in the AM the water was a Green-Blue in the very middle and about the Color of Chocolate Milk on 'both sides' the entire length of the reservoir. There were 4+ foot rollers at one point and we couldn't even think about launching in that kind of water. Even walking down the Dock was an 'experience' and I was 'slightly' airbourne a couple of times.

. By the evening TABER had a mild to moderate breeze so we decided to go back out to CHIN and have another look. At the top of the hill we could see that the ENTIRE Reservoir was brown and when we checked clarity, it was about 4 to 6 inches... It was unbelievable.

Kudos to all those that placed as it was VERY well deserved!

Cheers,

/FC...

dennisb · #5 06-07-2010, 07:37 PM

I heard the wind was officially clocked at 107km/h on Thursday. It was my first time at Chin and well lets say its a good thing theirs no drinking allowed.
Saturday was really action packed for me, almost went through 2lbs of leeches with my personal best of a 49.5cm....I know if had stepped on him really good i could have got another cm or 2. Oh Well

Who's going to Milk Ridge.

npauls · #6 06-07-2010, 09:34 PM

I will be a ridge and hopefully we can get a really good turnout of boats again and maybe some better fishing. Hopefully by the time the tourney rolls around the water temp will be up and the clarity will be alot better then chin was. I will be out there on thursday night, saturday afternoon, and all day sunday hopefully. Then I will head back out there on thursday night after work for the whole tourney.

Nate

walleyechaser · #7 06-07-2010, 09:39 PM

ridge is not fishing too well yet... but hopefully soon

nicemustang · #8 06-07-2010, 09:43 PM

Dennis, if you put that 49.5 in your live well it would relax and would have counted. Probably about 1 cm or so.

Some people said they caught lots of fish...we did not. Wonder what we were doing wrong lol.

nicemustang · #9 06-07-2010, 09:44 PM

I am not fishing the ridge, maybe st. marys.

Douglar · #10 06-07-2010, 10:54 PM

If it makes anyone feel better i pulled out an 11lb hog out of chin today! One day after the tourney!

floppychicken · #11 06-07-2010, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglar

If it makes anyone feel better i pulled out an 11lb hog out of chin today! One day after the tourney!

Yep, makes me feel all 'warm and tingly inside' !

LOL....

Good Job!

Cheers,

floppychicken · #12 06-07-2010, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicemustang

I am not fishing the ridge, maybe st. marys.

Was thinking the same....

#13 06-08-2010, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglar

If it makes anyone feel better i pulled out an 11lb hog out of chin today! One day after the tourney!

I love Mondays on the lake.

huntsfurfish · #14 06-08-2010, 05:48 AM

Will be at the last two as well.

We were lucky to have finished in the money though. Real tough finding weighable fish.

Putting a 49.5 in your livewell not recommended (would be an illegal fish). Could get you a ticket and or DQed. But that was why at one time the lengths at SAWT were 50.5 and 55.5 (depending on the lake limit). The extra acted as a little buffer to see if they would relax without breaking the law.
However under the current rules putting a fish in the boat under 50 is illegal.

Hope you had fun all.

dennisb · #15 06-08-2010, 09:00 AM

I was told after the fact that walleye could relax and you can get up to a cm out of them, however it is under size going into the box...not a really big deal though.

Just wondering if anyone at chin was even marking fish???

the only fish i marked all weekend was after the tournoment waiting to load my boat in about 28' of water.

nicemustang · #16 06-08-2010, 09:04 AM

Huntsfurfish: I agree with you 100%. Tell me then, at the rules meeting why are you allowed to "ask for a measurement". There are many differences between all the boards out there, mine is actually a little short. I don't really think it's a great idea, but I thought that kind of funny how they would allow that at the tourney.

Dennis: We were marking fish, trouble get hook ups. Quite a few very light nibbles as well and they'd never come back to take it again.

whitewolf · #17 06-08-2010, 11:04 AM

well all i can say is me and floppy tried every thing in the boat and i even contemplated throwing him in to swim down and get them...but i changed my mind as i was rideing in his truck and boat...it was a tough go...sunday was a hot day as i came back home sunday night looking like a piece of burnt toast...all and all we had alot of laughs tho.....i guess that is why they call it fishing...oh and i am looking for a new partner next tourney....lol...jk

Big Animal · #18 06-08-2010, 11:41 AM

Hey Douglar my buddy phones last night around 8:30p and tells me he took a picture of a couple of young bucks that smacked a big pig on a red and white was that you?

floppychicken · #19 06-08-2010, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitewolf

well all i can say is me and floppy tried every thing in the boat and i even contemplated throwing him in to swim down and get them...but i changed my mind as i was rideing in his truck and boat...it was a tough go...sunday was a hot day as i came back home sunday night looking like a piece of burnt toast...all and all we had alot of laughs tho.....i guess that is why they call it fishing...oh and i am looking for a new partner next tourney....lol...jk

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... ya Bastid' !!

TJG · #20 06-08-2010, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicemustang

Huntsfurfish: I agree with you 100%. Tell me then, at the rules meeting why are you allowed to "ask for a measurement". There are many differences between all the boards out there, mine is actually a little short. I don't really think it's a great idea, but I thought that kind of funny how they would allow that at the tourney.

U probably know this, but if u measure with thier board, u know 4sure
u ar legal, like u said, ur board was shorter than thiers. Im looking 4
a new board because of that. nothing like getting to weight-in and
being DQed because of an undersized fish. Ur rite thought, no other
trail lets u measure a fish before the weight-in.

nicemustang · #21 06-08-2010, 12:57 PM

Ya, I did compare and mine was a bit short. So if we got a 50 cm fish, it would have been .5 cm more on their boards.

huntsfurfish · #22 06-08-2010, 04:40 PM

Hi nicemustang!

One reason would be if you didnt check your board against theirs it would be wise to ask for the use of their board to double check your fish.

Fish often relax in the live well, but they also sometimes tense up in the well also! Another reason to check a close fish.

See you at St Marys.

PS For me if it doesnt touch the 50 or 50+ it goes back in the water. Any other than that would still be illegal. Again thats why I liked the .5cm buffer.

Drop_Tine · #23 06-08-2010, 08:17 PM

Hey boys , i will be heading to ridge love that lake lots of nice fish , hopefully the bite turns around, anyways Brian the president of the trail ordered 20 measuring boards so give his a call to reserve yours, i think they are 40$ a small price to pay to ensure you fish is legal .....after all we all spend 40$ on a pound of leaches and basically throw them to the fish. lol ...good luck guys

npauls · #24 06-08-2010, 09:37 PM

Me and my partner both have one of those judge boards reserved. The perfect board to have on the boat at all times. Just leave it in the livewell until you find fish that can be dropped in there and then just lay it in a corner. That is by far the nicest weigh boards I have seen so far.

Nate

gramps73 · #25 06-08-2010, 10:37 PM

Nate
where can you order them online....looked for a few days now and can't seem to find them.
thanks
g73

floppychicken · #26 06-09-2010, 12:18 AM

I just recently made my own! I should really check it again, but it seemed to be 'right on the money' from my measurements. I make mine out of aluminum Diamond plate (tread is on bottom for traction) and make it 41" long and about 5 inches wide so that I can EASILY hold onto it AND the fish at the same time. It also has a 4" 'stop' at the front of the board to butt the fish against.

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about when it comes to these measuring boards. Like they said at the tourney, a 500mm (50cm) piece of 'STRAIGHT' wire will tell you whether or not your board is accurate.

cheers,

Douglar · #27 06-09-2010, 03:16 PM

Here's the hog I caught the day after the tourny.

sorry about the photo... didnt want to give away the location of my secret hole lol

30" long 17 1/2" girth

Douglar · #28 06-09-2010, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Animal

Hey Douglar my buddy phones last night around 8:30p and tells me he took a picture of a couple of young bucks that smacked a big pig on a red and white was that you?

Yup that was me.... my buddy is 31 but he appreciates the "young buck" compliment lol

iliketrout · #29 06-09-2010, 07:09 PM

Nice fish!