Smallie Tourney in Anoka!!

[Mark Christianson]

Per Ricks approval, I am posting this tourney.
Waters are from the inlet of the Crow River into the Miss all the way down to the Coon Rapids dam.(6.5 miles of river) and also the Rum River up to the dam in Anoka.(Approx 1/2 mile)
Limited to 50 boats.
Live or artificial bait.
It is being run by the Anoka Legion.
Anoka Legion for an entry form and details 421-0883

[This message has been edited by biglakeba$$ (edited 03-01-2004).]

[BigMike]

I might be interested but I don't have a partner and more importantly, I don't have a boat . Anyone with a boat interested in a partner?

Biglake, I'm just wondering what the winning and average weighins have been over the last few years (or the years you've participated)? I'm just wondering just how hard the competition really is - aka go for the big hawgs first or worry about getting a good limit before whipping out the big guns.

[Mark Christianson]

Like I am going to give out my big secrets.....

Average winning weights for 5 fish have been 10+ to 12+ pounds over the last few years of the tourney from what I remember.

[HawgTide]

BigMike, Don't forget I'll have a good bass boat for sale this spring You can do it!

[Lunker]

I think me and my bro might throw our towel in if I can get some smallie tactics perfected by then...

[Mark Christianson]

I have a hunch this thing will fill up very soon, so be sure to decide. There are not many spots left as it stands.

[BigMike]

from the sounds of it...I'm going to have to say count me out.

Hawgtide, thanks for the boat offer, but the tourney is in July and you'll probably have it sold by then and I'm not going to put up $300 for a tourney without having a boat (or partner) for sure. I wish I could come up with the $$$ for the boat, it sounds perfect, but probably not this year . Oh well, maybe next year.

I guess what I could do is just come up that day and fish from shore and still show you guys up, then you'll be wishin' I was on your team LOL. I might be willing to sell those 19.5 inchers I'm going to catch for a piece of the winnings

[Daze Off]

EBass,

Both clubs are essentially the same deal - location is the difference as well as their choice of dates/lakes for tournaments. They are competitive but also interested in having fun so not cut-throat and they share info and techniques freely (they say). I was looking to get my feet wet (not literally) in tournaments and these were the least expensive and closest match I found.

The deal is that it runs about $160/year including dues and tournament fees. Each club runs 6 tournaments/yr on mostly local lakes. Members can fish all 6 and throw away their worst outing or just fish 5. Clubs are open to boaters and non-boaters. Tournaments have little, if any, prizes except a side-pot for big fish. Top hooks for year (#) participate in state tournament and club picks up expense. All tourneys are 1-day, 8 hour, best 5 bass. Can fish alone or with non-boater but non-boater gets control of spots for 1/2 the day if you fish with one. Non-boaters are expected to contribute $$ for expenses.

Each club also does one conservation activity and one youth-oriented activity annually. One club does a fund-raiser too.

One club starts in WI (Deer, early May) and then fishes Tonka, Whitefish Chain, Horseshoe Chain, Waconia, and finishes with Clearwater in late Sept. This club meets monthly in Richfield in the winter.

Other club is more north metro guys - fishes Medicine, Waconia, Rabbit and Serpent near Crosby (one weekend), Bald Eagle, and finishes on whatever lake the 2005 state tourney will be held on (TBA). They meet at Gander Mountain in Fridley in the winter.

One club has you pay for membership up front and then $5/tourney and the other gets it all up front.

I'll likely do the north metro but am going to meetings of both to meet the other guys - I've met both club presidents.

There are loads more clubs out there affiliated with BASS but these are the two I am checking out.

I'm sure I will have the slowest boat in either club (I only have a 75 hp) but what the heck!!!! The club in the southern metro has only 8 members and only 4 have boats and the other club has 20 members with about 14 boats.

They tell me that winning weights are usually around 12-14 # so I figure I can compete with that.....will know more after I attend their meetings within the next week or so.

Let me know if you have other questions.

Daze Off

[EBass]

Dang, I need a boat with a live well.

Oh well, thanks for all the info and it looks like I'll have to fish the Smallie Magnet tourney and be happy with that 1st place finish. I mean... D'oh!

[Daze Off]

This sounds like loads of fun - not sure yet if the date is open for me - I'm talking with two BASS clubs about joining them and participating in their summer tournaments and one of them has a tourney that day on Waconia. If I go with the other club (which is much more likely) I would be interested and likely have an open seat.

Daze Off

[EBass]

DAZE OFF,
Please tell me more about those Bass clubs. I want to get into one.

[Daze Off]

EBass,

I know EXACTLY how you feel - it was my predicament until last year too. It's all about livewells and kill switches.

You could join a club as a non-boater - it doesn't mean that you don't have a boat, just that it doesn't qualify. In fact, they told me that I could fish as a non-boater if I wanted so that I could learn how they operate without the pressure of being the boater.

It is a great way to meet other bass fisherman.

Finally....I wouldn't claim that smallie trophy too soon <g>.

Daze Off

[EBass]

Well first off I need to get my 25H fixed. it leaks gas like a sive (bad gasket) and still has that squeal thing going on. After that we'll see. I paid 2200 for it and put on a better trolling motor. I like it still, but we'll see.

What kinda boat do you have Hawgtide? Oh yeah I need a digi camera to.

I did just buy a new auger though last night. I know it doesn't mean jack on this forum, but say that to the Tonka walleyes?

I wouldn't mind hooking up with ya'll for a bass club kinda like a softball league but different. Gotta fish some lakes though like Medicine. Big hogs in there!!

[BigMike]

I liked Ebass's boat, but with the squelling and leak I don't think that would work. I'd save the extra cash to get Hawgtide's. It sounded like it was in great condition and exactly what I was looking for, but then again, probably won't happen this year! Although, I almost forgot...tax returns. Come on BIG tax returns!!! Cross your fingers!

Whether I have a boat this year or not, I'm excited to just get out again. I'll have more time and money to devote to my new found love for smallies.

Can you believe the handful of us that talk about smallies all started on a little thread "smallies on Ole' Miss." I can't wait to resurrect that thread! It was practically my home page over summer and fall!

I think Hawgtide is on to something. We need our own NW Metro Smallies club with outtings every week or two and an occasional tourney (maybe do different sections for each tourney) St. Cloud, Monti, Elk River, Anoka...and if you get desperate my stomping grounds (sad to say) downtown LOL!!! I think I'm going to be doing a lot of shore walking/wading this year up the 'sippi. Can't wait

[Mark Christianson]

Open that darn Smallies on the Ole Miss back up.

You're cuttin into the real topic at hand here!

[EBass]

My Merc will rise again, I can assure you that! (I'll get it fixed while there's still Did you say downtown? Hey OOooooo! Heck ya let's do that forsure. Say from Nicollet Island to Coon Rapids Dam? That's my stomping grounds too.

But yeah, I like our own little bass club idea. Just no submerged cages biglakeba$$

What's a good day for everyone? Weekday or weekends? I like the every other week deal. I think that's more flexible with families and g-friends.

[Mark Christianson]

Weekday evenings. But it can't interfere with my fishing league. So you have to work around MY schedule.

[EBass]

GOD has spoken!

[BigMike]

LOL Ebass you always crack me up! Biglake was starting to sound a little selfish...

Sorry biglake to intrude on the tourney thread... I may have to post a new "brother topic" to smallies on ole miss... maybe "smallies on ole miss-north" until the bass season opens up!

[HawgTide]

EBass, weekends work best for me, but I'm taking a lot of fridays off this summer, so that might work too. My wife knows I'm going to golf and fish on Sat and Sun mornings during season. She has me all winter!

BTW, my old boat is a 16' Lund w/ a 20hp Johnson (souped up to a 30hp). Starts first pull every time. 2 trolling motors (front and back). Depth finder. High pedestal seat (and the original lower pedestal included), trailer. It's in storage now, but when I take it out and clean it up, I'll take some photos and post on the for sale forum.

For some of you big lake largemouth pro's, I want to swap a day of worldclass smallie fishing for a day on your lake. I've never fished Tonka or Medicine or any other big Largemouth lakes in the region. I wouldn't know where to start on those lakes.

BigMike, if I see you on the shore, I'll pick you up I'll be hitting the river after work almost daily!

[Mark Christianson]

What kind of truck do you have Hawg?

I saw one at the launch in Monti an awful lot last summer after work.

[Kevin Turner]

This should be a lot of fun. Reducing the tourney to 50 boats will make for a much more enjoyable day.

[HawgTide]

EBass, your problem is solved if you buy my old boat

We could just start our own Smallie club in the NW Metro area. Just use digital cameras/laptops to "weigh-in", no live wells needed.

[Mark Christianson]

...and Big Mike can buy Ebass' boat!!!!

[Mark Christianson]

I totally agree K T.
100 boats was just too much out there.

[HawgTide]

I have a white dodge ram. I didn't go that much last year during the week. This year will be different.

Looks like we'll be competing against the pro's!

What are your opinions on the rule where you can't fish with 5 fish in the boat? Most of the tournaments that I've fished let you cull when you catch the 6th. It has been several years since I've fished tournaments and they were in the South for Largemouths, so maybe things have changed. I would think that rule would be hard to enforce and would just invite cheating.

[Mark Christianson]

Well, thats interesting.
In all the years past you could fish with 5 in the well. I have the regs right here, and it specifically states, that if you have 5 fish in the livewell, and you are caught fishing, you are DQ'd.(No, not getting a certificate to Dairy Queen). Disqualified.
I swear it was legal in all past years to cull from your livewell with 5 fish in there. Maybe I am wrong though.

[HawgTide]

BLB,
I guess when you have 4 3lb'ers and 1 2lb'er in the boat, you have to decide then and there if you are going to call it quits or if you are going to release the 2lb'er and hope you catch something at least that big again. It's a risky move and i was wondering if that's just a wrench they threw in just to add a twist or if this was the norm. I know I'm not going to quit fishing at noon, unless they are all over 3lbs.

[BigMike]

What about if you had only four in the boat and culled out all the smaller ones as you pulled in larger fish? Basically just save that 5th fish spot for the end of the afternoon and cull all the smaller fish as you catch bigger ones until that time...

It doesn't matter to me really because I won't be fishing the tourney but for future reference...

[Mark Christianson]

That's the way it will be done, but kinda sucks to have to gamble on which one to keep for your 5th fish. It could be 11am in the morning, you are culling fish with 4 in the boat, hoping that at 2pm or later you can bag a biggun for number 5.
What if you get no more fish for the day at that 11am time. You go in with 4.
Oh well, rules are rules. Some will come in with only 4 fish this year, whereas years past we had many 5 fish limits. Its a gamble.