Day 1

Fishing was tough the first day. I got to my first spot and saw fish everywhere very shallow but they didn't want to bite anything, i threw a senko and jig and craw but nothing. I back off little, not to scarce and started dropshoting and i got my first fish 3+ pounds underneath Russo. I decide to follow the tide and drop-shot out the dock point down to franks tract opening and pick a fish at shade down point. I got 5 fish for 6 bites.

Day 2
I again decide to follow the tide and started throwing a senko with no luck but dinks. I got down couple house and pulled my first 5lb out of a fallen tree behind a house boat of on again drop-shot!:). I picked up 3 more keepers at the edges of docks as i made my way to bethel harbor. I got 3/4 quarter of the way down to a spot that i always caught fish out of and got my second 5 LB on a swamp crawler. I then fished my way to pole i like to fish on the entrance of franks tract and pick up 8 or 9 more fish. I lost another 5 LB right at the boat by pole.

Had a great time, i really enjoyed watch Steve pounding back the beer.

I don't usually enjoy the taste of beer...any beer. Beer is my LAST drink of choice. But it sure tasted good Saturday night with the pizza.

"If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles".

Well figured I've give mine also. Day one went up to my usual area around bethel harbor and didn't get bit for around 2 hours finally got a few on a jig one on a popper and two on a senko. Had a nice power hour with rob while we both smashed them up till dark just no big ones. Ended up getting portholed that night with rob, Jeff , Wayne and Steve.

Day 2 opened eyes to see everyone gone @7:30. Phone died and alarm didn't go off. I was shocked that no one had woken me up. Anyway got rob up scrambled to the ramp showed Jeff my empty livewell and off I went. Nothing to report caught 3 fish quick and that was it. After rowing to my spot I only had 2 hours to fish. Ended up in 3rd.

So in closing I will vent. I have always made sure that people were up and going to make it to the launch if they weren't up. I know it's my problem that I stayed out to late but thought we all helped each other in this club. So IMO it was pretty chicken #### to leave 2nd and 3rd in the campground and not wake us up. That was after a 85 hour work week for me and getting a call that I needed to drive 45 minutes the wrong way so there would be a scale and plaque for the tournament. I did it with no problem but was disappointed when NONE of u bothered to walk 30 seconds to wake me up. So anyways there u go my 2014 open report

Congrats to Jeff and Taylor on what was a tough bite for all.

First of all congrats to Jeff for locking up the win also Pepito and Scott for rounding out the top 3.

Day 1:
Made my way to Bethel. Got my first bite punching a reaper near the second opening, BF day one. Had one more in the boat until the final hour. Scrounged out a limit on senkos and was sitting in 2nd going in to day 2.

Day 2:
Portholed!, went to bed at 3a.m... Briefly woke up to a knock on my window (Thank you Gil for trying) and shut my eyes again because I knew I had two alarms set. Slept through the alarms some how and woke up at 7:30 to Scott pounding on my window. The frustration for getting a late start quickly turned in to motivation as I was getting ready to get in the water. I still felt like I had a chance to win, that was until I relized the back plate where my livewell sits was MIA. Several trips back and forth to the campsites, retracing my steps, produced nothing. Kinda hard to fish in a tournament with out a livewell. I drove home with my tail between my legs and took a nap.
Woke up to take the boat out of the truck only to find that leaving it fully inflated in 105' heat busted the seam and had the bladder popping out like a F*$&#^# up PIECE OF $#!T! So there goes that. I'll be finishing the remainder of my final full season with one yellow and one blue pontoon. Thanks to Pepito for lending me his old ones.

Now, I know where Scott is coming from because I was also part of that scenario and honestly, I felt the same way for a short time, more dissapointed than angry. What pisses me off the most though is that I screwed myself out of AOY , and that is nobodys fault but mine.

I had another great time at the Port Hole with the other brave souls who I had the pleasure to share drinks with.

p.s. Since I was acting tournament director and every body launched with out checking in with me, they were not aware that I changed the launch and weigh in times. If they did wait for me then they would all not be disqualified. Therefore I win by default!!! Mitch please update the AOY standings accordingly. t(._.t) ;-)

Scott,
Sorry man! I will have to take the heat for this one. I called the blast off so it is all me. I don't know what to say, I'm not gonna make any excuses. It could and should have been handled differently and for that I apologize to both you and Rob.

Still friends? :+

MT

Why is this post making me laugh. Flashbacks to u wanna camp and someone falling on top if their tent. Cooking food on the motor block. Naci in February by float tube (margaritas). Sleeping on the sandbar at rod mans. Bnt forever. :D

Great times Rob,but me and my brother weren't there.:o

Who what?

My worst oversleeping story... College. Before people had cell phones. Won bass teams. Got hooked up with some guy named randy macabee. Before he won like 8 boats on clear lake. Overslept. Woke up to the sunrise. No way to get in touch. He fished by himself and caught 22lbs doing what we'd talked about. 7 in stocker trout. Which would have won. But he didn't know I was already entered and all he had to do was tell the TD. I felt like an everlasting turd.

Sorry to the guys who overslept.