Post by pinkrules19 on Jan 14, 2013 20:04:03 GMT -4
First I want to CONGRATULATE and THANK Jamie and Scott on another OUTSTANDING tournament. Also, Mr. & Mrs. Vladyka for all they do. Shirley the plaques are absolutely beautiful. I also saw a few others who I apologize that I don’t know your names pitching in to help any way they could. Thank you to ALL who work so hard for us to enjoy ourselves so much. A special thanks also, to Dave Gentz who takes time to come to our tournament and be such a strong supporter to VERMONT SPORTSMAN HARDWATER TOURNAMENT SERIES. The chance to make new friends, see old ones, or introduce someone new to the sport of Tournament Ice Fishing is the reason we come back again and again. With the close of each tournament we anxiously wait for the next. But we keep very busy getting ready for these tournaments.
Having never been to Mallet’s Bay to ice fish we made our plans. Brian went first to do some scouting and a bit of pre-fishing. He found a jig in his box that he had bought on a whim and decided to give it a shot because of its color and weight realizing he needed something to get him thru the weeds. He came home with a report that was encouraging and Ricky and I couldn’t wait to get over there the next day. So across the lake we headed. I immediately tried the jig Brian gave me and had immediate success till Ricky made me move with his warning of “Stop trying to win practice!” Happy to say hook set was perfect and every one went back to swim hoping that they would remember what my jig looked like and would come back to bite again for the tournament. We did catch some little ones and a few bigger ones, none of us ever were lucky enough to catch a Crappy on any of our practice days. Content with what we found all we could hope for now was that the ice would still be there. Ricky, Brian and I were bringing a newbie to the tournament. Dan Crean who is the boyfriend of Brian’s mother-in-law came from just north of NYC to fish the tournament. We got him hooked on ice fishing last year and he had been so anxious to do the tournaments that he had been shopping for all sorts of new gear for nearly a year now. This was going to be a fun ride the waves were rocking the ferry and we joked about having to ride it to go ICE FISHING!
Once we are on the ice and the tournament began I was so excited yet disappointed. The weather was perfect to be out and about hole to hole but I didn’t get to use my new Clam Trap that Ricky got me for a Christmas present. I sat and stood and moved and chatted and watched. All of us were catching fish but no one was telling anybody what they had or if any size. All anyone would say is, “I got a couple of ok ones.” When I felt a tug on my line and started to pull it in I thought sure I had a crappy then I saw the big sunfish. I yanked him out like I was sliding a crappy out and scooped him up and threw him in the cooler as fast as I could. I wanted to surprise them all with my big fish. I just didn’t know it was THE BIG FISH! It kind of went like that the rest of the day always catching one that would replace one of my early morning fish. Culling was fun. As we walked off the ice together and stood there for the weigh-ins none of us were thinking about where we would end up in the tournament just who beat who amongst the 4 of us. Our little friendly family competition which gives someone bragging rights till the next tournament. Well, Brian and Ricky both beat me with total weight, but I caught the BIGGEST…and Dan he was very content to catch his limit for his first tournament, finish about the middle of the pack, and come home with some great prizes. Really does it get any better than that? I don’t think so matter of fact I know it doesn’t . For me I get to spend quality time with a grown son and my husband. We get to introduce friends to a sport that we all love and strengthen friendships that we have found last longer than winter.
Having never been to Mallet’s Bay to ice fish we made our plans. Brian went first to do some scouting and a bit of pre-fishing. He found a jig in his box that he had bought on a whim and decided to give it a shot because of its color and weight realizing he needed something to get him thru the weeds. He came home with a report that was encouraging and Ricky and I couldn’t wait to get over there the next day. So across the lake we headed. I immediately tried the jig Brian gave me and had immediate success till Ricky made me move with his warning of “Stop trying to win practice!” Happy to say hook set was perfect and every one went back to swim hoping that they would remember what my jig looked like and would come back to bite again for the tournament. We did catch some little ones and a few bigger ones, none of us ever were lucky enough to catch a Crappy on any of our practice days. Content with what we found all we could hope for now was that the ice would still be there. Ricky, Brian and I were bringing a newbie to the tournament. Dan Crean who is the boyfriend of Brian’s mother-in-law came from just north of NYC to fish the tournament. We got him hooked on ice fishing last year and he had been so anxious to do the tournaments that he had been shopping for all sorts of new gear for nearly a year now. This was going to be a fun ride the waves were rocking the ferry and we joked about having to ride it to go ICE FISHING!
Once we are on the ice and the tournament began I was so excited yet disappointed. The weather was perfect to be out and about hole to hole but I didn’t get to use my new Clam Trap that Ricky got me for a Christmas present. I sat and stood and moved and chatted and watched. All of us were catching fish but no one was telling anybody what they had or if any size. All anyone would say is, “I got a couple of ok ones.” When I felt a tug on my line and started to pull it in I thought sure I had a crappy then I saw the big sunfish. I yanked him out like I was sliding a crappy out and scooped him up and threw him in the cooler as fast as I could. I wanted to surprise them all with my big fish. I just didn’t know it was THE BIG FISH! It kind of went like that the rest of the day always catching one that would replace one of my early morning fish. Culling was fun. As we walked off the ice together and stood there for the weigh-ins none of us were thinking about where we would end up in the tournament just who beat who amongst the 4 of us. Our little friendly family competition which gives someone bragging rights till the next tournament. Well, Brian and Ricky both beat me with total weight, but I caught the BIGGEST…and Dan he was very content to catch his limit for his first tournament, finish about the middle of the pack, and come home with some great prizes. Really does it get any better than that? I don’t think so matter of fact I know it doesn’t . For me I get to spend quality time with a grown son and my husband. We get to introduce friends to a sport that we all love and strengthen friendships that we have found last longer than winter.
