With a beautiful day ahead, the anglers of the River Road’s Junior Bassmasters were anxious to get on the water for the 3rd time this summer. June 30th marked the event of our double header, with a tournament in the morning running from 7-11:00 with a picnic for family, club members, and boaters between the first tournament, and our second, which ran from 12:30-4:30. Our tournament today ran out of goose island, and I think everyone had a blast. for the first tournament, everyone weighed in a fish!
I personally had a blast, and got paired with 2 great guys from the River Road Bassmasters. For the first tournament, I was with Jim Johnson, who I learned a TON from, and the second, I was with Ben Portracke, Who I also learned a great deal from. Without Ben and Jimmy, I don’t think I would be feeling the power of the SWAMP DONKEY right now 
The first tournament, I had planned to Run north, fishing grass points with current on them. However, the water had dropped since I last fished, Last Monday, and I figured that the flow would be close to nothing on those points. So I needed a quick game plan which involved fishing areas that I haven’t fished in over a year! 
With the heavy fog this morning, I knew we would have a great topwater bite until the sun got up. I had not planned to fish slop, or even a frog for either tournament in practice, but that all changed when I pulled up to my nothing bank and just that happened..nothing. It was frustrating to be at one of your best spots but nothing is home!
Instead I fished the inside turn of the slough which is all lily pads. This is where all my fish were and I put 4 keepers in the box by 7:30. we did some running around and I was able to put together a pattern and managed to catch a small, but good enough limit of close to 11 lbs which gave me the win for the first tourney. This limit was anchored by a 3-07 largemouth but the rest were 14-16″ fish and not very heafty.
The second tournament proved to be very enjoyable. Fewer fish were brought to the scales, but in Ben’s boat, it was the opposite. Jared Larue and I followed a similar pattern as the morning bite..just deeper in the pads and slop to catch our fish in this tournament. I actually caught a 3 lb largemouth off the same spot I caught my first 4 in the morning, but we soon beat feet to the south end of pool 8, where we found fish stacked in the same kind of stuff. From the sounds of it, most everyone in the club had success in slop both morning in afternoon.
I threw a spro all morning, and part of the afternoon, before I finally switched to a new frog. I might need to retire that gnarly old rojas frog 
anyway, switching to a swamp donkey, I finished my limit, and started culling. My last keeper of the day turned out to be the biggest. It was nearly 4 lbs and it felt great to horse that pig which must have been 19+” long out of the heavy pads.
I ended up with 12.44 lbs for 5 fish and also got big bass of the tourney.
Justin Panno also had a solid 2nd place finish and bigbass as well with a 3.42 largemouth in the first tourney. Congrats to everyone, like I said, everyone caught fish and it was a great time had by all!
Special thanks to Jimmy and Ben for being such great guys, and so open minded to all of my questions. I wouldn’t be asking them if I didn’t have such great respect for you guys!
Here are some pictures of the outing.
My two best from the first tourney
Carson D. With two keeps from the first tourney.
Justin had 3 fish for 6 something. Pictured here is the big bass, and 1 other keeper. I’m hoping Todd or somebody else could post the OFFICIAL results, as I have a hard time remembering everyones’ weights…
Left to right: Big bass-Justin Panno, 11-14 winner-Broc Bina, 15-18 winner-Cade Laufenberg
The group
Cory with a keeper from the second tourney
Carson found these two keepers in round two..
Broc with a good one!
A solid three and nearly 4. I think it would have been four if it wouldn’t have unloaded all over my shorts! 
j/k
2nd tourney left to right: 1st place 15-18/bigbass-Cade Laufenberg, 1st place 11-14-Jared Larue
That’s all from us for now. We are looking forward to our next tourney on July 15th, and State at Lake Nagawika on the 28th.
Thanks,
Cade Laufenberg
