FM Bass Fishing Event

[Deitz Dittrich]

As Ray said..Thanks for all the kind words.. Its the members of FM and the Bass forum that make this site and putting on the tournament so much darn fun!

[Matt Johnson]

Sounds like everyone had a great time. Sure wish I could have made, but I got stuck at the shop. With guide trips and three weddings coming up in the next month I had no choice guys

If there is one in the fall then I'll do my best to make.

And congrats to Ray and his dad! Nice weights!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Ray and his brother.. LOL.. not his Dad.. my dad fished.. and congrats to him.. he beat me.

[Central Bassman]

Like everyone else I would also like to say thanks to everyone and the sponsors. All the new Gamma line I got will be put to work soon Thanks to Gamma for the line... I'm really starting to like the Copolymer... It was a good time and im glad I can put faces to names... Looking forward to Big Marine... I have never fished it before and love learning new lakes... Pressure is off us now and on you Deitz!!!

[bassNspear]

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Pressure is off us now and on you Deitz!!!

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I second that little bro

[Deitz Dittrich]

Bring it on.. I love Pressure!!!!!!!!!!

[bassNspear]

I think u have it now!!!

[2fish]

Just wanted to let you know how much fun we had at the tournament. It was my partner Jason's first ever bass tournament and he really enjoyed it and would like to do it again. I'll be in another tournament when you have your next FM tournmanet so I'm sorry I won't make that one but I'm sure it will be a fun event. Coming in 5th was certainly lucky for us - both our bags had the Gamma Fluorocarbon. I started using Gamma last year and it's the best. Sorry we left early and missed who won East or West. As it turns out we lost and owe $2. Hopefully,Dietz, I'lll see you Tuesday on Chisago for the fun league & pay you there & you can pass it on. Thanks for all the hard work putting this together. It was a lot of fun.

[basmastermatt]

Why such low weights? Fishing must have been tough!? Glad to hear everyone enjoyed. Would have loved to join, if it wouldn't have been for Tonka practice. Oh, yeah that reminds me. There were two huge bags out there in yesterdays Super 30. 32 and 31.3. Neither of which did I catch. We ended the day with 21 pounds.

[Ray Esboldt]

Though I know a bigger sack is possible on Waconia, I don't know that the top three weights were terribly low on any body of water. 3+ a fish is still pretty decent.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Was going to say the same thing Ray... Low weights?.. Cripes... 20+ lbs on 5 fish Thats a 4 lb average...Heck, I would have been happy with one 4 lb fish.. LOL

[bassNspear]

Cant agree more. A 4lb average is a great average to have.

[basmastermatt]

It was 6 fish from what I gather, that math breaks it down to the top bags being 3+ average. It was supposed to be for funnies, come on fellas. Just wanted to make your blood pressure rise.

We all know what potential Waconia has. When 5 fish tourneys take 23-25 pounds to win out there. Actually 25 pounds was second last year, on five.

[ole matty]

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We all know what potential Waconia has. When 5 fish tourneys take 23-25 pounds to win out there. Actually 25 pounds was second last year, on five.

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gee thats like 5 lb avg!!! what was the first place lbs after 25 lbs second place if u know?

[Central Bassman]

I would take a three or four pound average on any tournament day!!! Matt, to bad you couldn’t have came and show us how it's done

[Ray Esboldt]

bassmastermatt,

You're coming to Big Marine on August the 11th right?

[ikeslayer]

if i am not mistaken mister fluker had 19 pounds for 5 fish in his club and only finished 4th. YIKES those are some big fish.

[Bullwinkle]

Ray,

We never did get to hear what techniques you used to take home first place. Or are they secret?

[Ray Esboldt]

No secrets here, Mike (I wish I had one on that lake).

We caught half our fish on 1/2 oz. black/some-other-color jigs with a Zoom Superchunk and half our fish with Mister Twister Comida on an 1/8 oz. mushroomhead. That really was it.

We only fished two "spots" in 6 hours. They were big areas, but the one area we just kept working over for more than 4 hours. The boat generally sat in 17 feet of water and we could easily cast to 10 feet. Some fish were right on the edge of the weeds and some were well outside the weeds. However, that statement is a little misleading because you could find clumps of curlyleaf in areas out to 18 feet. The more defined edge seemed about 13 feet.

Waconia probably is my current favorite lake. It fishes the way I like to fish. In fact, there's a little of everything in there, so it could fit anyone's favorite way to fish bass. And, 30 pounds on 6 fish is a reality on this lake. If you're in the right school of fish when they turn on, 6 five pounders can happen (in 6 casts). Bassmastermatt and I can agree on that, no doubt.

[bassNspear]

funny how you say you like it, when at 9:30 am, you were about ready to pack it up and leave

[Ray Esboldt]

That's true! Load and Leave thoughts started flashing through my head early in the day.

But, then two pukes in a white Ranger cut us off on the weedline 100 feet a head of us, and we got angry. I always concentrate and fish harder when I'm angry. So, that kept my head in it until we finally started catching fish. Then I loved the lake again.

[bassNspear]

Whatever it takes!!!

[basmastermatt]

I agree with everyone of you guys. Waconia is a unbelievable fishery and really has a lot of different stuff you can fish. Whether you are a shallow guy or a deep guy you can catch jumbos on this lake. 30 pounds on 6 is capable any time out there and could happen in less than 10 casts when you find them.

26 1/2 pds won on five fish out there last year and 25 plus was second. Two bags of fish like that to come on the same day is pretty amazing. Not to mention both of these guys threw back 20 plus fish in the 3 1/2 to 4 pound range through out the day.

Growing up on the lake I have been very spoiled. This lake has been a diamond in the rough for years. I also believe that becuase it is so close to Minnetonka, for years people have just gone to Tonka.

This lake is a perfect example of how effective slot limits can be. For more than 15 years the lake had a slot on all bass. 16"-21" had to be immediatly released. That did a couple of things. It kept many anglers from going there and it kept all of the tournaments away. As we all know the slot was lifted three years ago and ever since there has been many tourneys out there. The weights brought in at these tournaments show how healthy of a fishery it is. I speculate that with more fishing pressure and more tournament pressure we will see the fishery decline a bit. The lake has great vegetation and great spawing grounds. If we as anglers continue to manage this lake we will have a GEM for many years to come.

I will not be able to fish Big Marine. Next time you guys make it out this way I hope to join you all. Until then, Fish On!

[Coach Dog]

Matt,

Those are some nice bags of fish. You are right, Waconia is a gem. As long as we keep letting these fish go, it will stay a gem. I haven't been able to get out yet this year, but hopefully soon. Have the fish moved deep yet? Or what is your recommendation right now?

Thanks,

Coach Dog

[bassNspear]

There out in the deep water.