FISH HOOK LAKE TOURNAMENT

[WAL~LEE]

Park Rapids Forum-
I am a first time angler in the Fish Hook lake tournament and would like some ideas to abide by for the event. I know there's a website(http://www.parkrapidscvb.com/html/Event%20Pages/derby.html) and what the prizes are, yet are there any good spots to try, or any bad spots to be? I have fished the brainerd tournament three years, so I know how sickening the crowds can get, but I can't help myself from having a good time. Any ideas would be a plus. Thanks,

Wal~Lee

[chart1444]

A lot of the people stake out their places when the gates open, 10;30 or 11:00 AM.

The parking, most of the people have to park in a field and ride school buses to the lake.

I always tried to get to the outside of the fishing area, but never caught anything to win a prize.

Good luck and bring different kinds of bait, you never know, even the biggest crappie wins a nice prize.

[WAL~LEE]

chart1444-
I have tried to use a flasher at the brainerd tourney and have had little performance due to the high amount of interfearnace. In the past have you seen many flashers? And I am not talking about the Janet Jackson style either. Or should I just leave mine at home and use the trusty weight bomb?

[chart1444]

I seen a lot of people use them.

Myself, I still fish the old fashioned way.

With that many people most of the time it's just luck you catch a fish, but who knows, your first time might be the charm.

[moby1]

I use my vex,. I was skunked last year but managed 5th in the rock bass category and 9th in the crappie category the year before.

[Highlander]

Chart1444,
It definately is by luck if you catch anything of size at the torney! Fished the torney three years ago, got there right at 1pm, a guy pulled up a nice pike the next row over, practically in the middle of the crowd. That's about as close as I got to catching a fish at any tournament! When I looked down the hole I could see weeds at about 4ft and bottom at about 10ft.

If a person wanted to better his/her odds of catching something where would you suggest they go??

Thanks for the insight!!

[chart1444]

Did you have any luck in the tourney?

I had to go to lovely Grand Forks on Thursday to visit the grand kids.

[WAL~LEE]

I caught a small snake that didn't place, for people all around me were catching them. My Dad caught a 3.84 pound walleye to win second place for a $1,000.00 dollars. He was happy yet it was bitter sweet because the guy in first place won a 4 wheeler, and the guy in third place won $500.00 cash and a polaris ranger 4 wheeler with a box on it.(grand prize) I think that they need to restructure the catergories and eliminate the perch or rock bass and create a walleye catergory since a .60 pound perch won more than a 3.84 pound eye. The snakes were a dime a dozen, so why lump them in with bass and eyes? I had a great time and the tourney was way less stressfull than the Brainerd tourney.

Thanks Park Rapids!