IDA Tourney Weekend!

Just got back from the tourney, I’ll have the final standings, payouts and point standings for all teams updated as soon as I can. Here is a quick recap from this weekend:

First, thanks to all who fished this weekend. And a huge thank you to everyone who helped out. Especially Jen who scribes all the weights and has legible handwriting for the scoreboard!

Saturday: 25 teams. Paid down 4 places.

1. Mathees / Nesbitt 5 fish for 27.46 pounds. Big fish was 7.46

2. Marshall / Stephenson. 5 fish for 20.14 pounds. Big fish 8.72 * Winner of big fish pot

3. Bealieu / Rehberg. 5 fish for 15.52 pounds. Big fish was 5.14

4. Chapman / Blanchard. 5 fish for 15.18 pounds.

Sunday: 19 teams. Paid down 3 places.

1. Mathees / Nesbitt. 5 fish for 31.90 pounds. Big fish was 9.74 pounds * Winner of big fish pot

2. Schommer / Schommer. 5 fish for 29.94 pounds. Big fish was 7.38

3. Chapman / Blanchard. 5 fish for 27.56 pounds. Big fish was 8.26

Fun weekend with a lot of big fish coming to the scales. We saw 3 saugers over 5 pounds! As soon as I have time, I’ll get everything up on the site.

Thanks for the update Jon. Sure can tell the whole pool 4 is ice free and runable to down south by the winners weights on both days. Wow, some great fish weights guys. Congrats.
Thanks, Bill

Might not be as far south as you might think!

i will second chappy’s reply

Then I bet I know where but will keep my mouth shut so I don’t get hung. Alot of good fish came from above the weekend before.

Nate know’s…….. Ask him. All the big weight’s came from the same “General” area.

Wow! Those are some pretty impressive weights. 27.56 lbs on Sunday only took 3rd place. Could you tell how many of those big fish had spawned yet? I caught a couple of males (17″ & 20″) on P3 Sunday morning and they were leaking milk.

Are Mathees or Nesbitt regular posters here at IDA? They sure seem to do great. Didn’t they win a couple of the IDA tournaments last year too?

Boone

Mr. Mathees and Mr. Nesbit have won the last 5 IDA Tourneys and the Freeze your but this spring and the IDA Team of the Year Title last year.

I think IDA should have an award for the first team to beat MATHEES and NESBIT

These two guys are INCREDIBLE fisherman no matter what time of year or conditions these two always seem to find fish.

but hey thats alright were all getting used to fishing for 2nd place.

I also think we are just going to start congradulating them on there first place finish before the tourney starts now. Just incase we do not see them after the tourney.

again Good job guys.

also a congrats goes out to Team Schommer you guys are another one of those teams that are always on the top.

good job to everyone who fished it was a ton of fun.

and a big thanks to JON J and the crew you guys always run a great tourney.

Looked to me that most of them had spawned.Not really big belly’s on them either. Only saw one that had spawn coming out of her. Fishing should be getting better soon down stream!

Chappy,

Looks like better weights on sunday. Did everbody figure out how to refine their presentations and locations, or where the fish biting better on sunday? Slightly less wind might have helped too? Nice work Guys.

Some rifining ,Luck, Colors,Size……. They made a difference. We knew if we wanted to be “in” the top 3 we needed to be where we were Sat. I don’t think the wind had effect on the bite as much as it affected where you could fish decently! And hopefully had a full charge on the batteries cuz you needed to be on the trolling motor all day! We stumbled accross our spot for pitching,looked like the classic seams and eddies that have been talked about for the last couple weeks.

You aren’t supposed to tell people that Chappy.

I must say paying attention to the fishing reports over the years and listening to what the river rats say as to what to look for definitely played a part in finding the spot we did. It was the little things like a subtle current seam and being very close to deep water other than that it was just any old stretch of shoreline. I don’t know that it would have even warranted a second glance unless you had a pretty good idea what to look for.

It was a great day but it was a lot of work on Sun…we fished 6-7 hours in that spot looking for 5 bites we had 7 one came unbottoned and one bite off.
The key was we knew there were fish using that spot and we just stuck with it….we had one span of over 2.5 hours without action….that really tries your patience but then we caught a pair 8 pounders 20 minutes apart.

Quote:

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You aren’t supposed to tell people that Chappy.

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What???? I did’nt say anything bad! It’s all gonna change this week anyway’s!

I meant the part about “stumbling” in to the spot where we found our fish. You are supposed to say we knew exactly what we were doing.

Ahhhhhhh..Yeah, What Buckshot said! We knew exactly where we were going and doing!

Mr. Chappy didn’t happen to lose a fish right at the end on Sunday, did he?……then get a bit upset…..yell out an explitive perhaps

Just wondering about tournament fishing? If a tournament has a seperate contest on consecutive days is it fair game for anyone with the possibility to beat the previous days winner to the spot in which they caught there fish? Also wondering given the same circumstances and you are a team on big fish do you have the right to inform another participant in the contest? I know there are tournament fisherman on this site and would be interested in any insight. I feel that when ever money is involved each team should be responsible for finding there own fish and not allow another team to “tailpipe” them and take some of the fish they found. I am new to tournament fishing and am probably way out of line, but became very frustrated with the situation on Sunday, because if that did occur it could cost a team money. I hope not to offend anyone and will take any information given into future tournaments.

well lets see how to start this first I will answere your questions and then relate to this weekends tourney.
as far as beating someone to their spot on the 2nd day it happens all the time but if you want to stay Respected on the river you better have been there the day before or prefished that spot.
as far as this weekend goes no one beat Mr. Mathees to their spot and not to mention he was one of the slowest boats in the tourney. all though I did see about 10 boats pull in on that shoreline that were not there the day before but as I watched thru the day everyone gave Mr. Mathees his respect and stayed a fair distance away.

Now as far as sharing information after the tourney there is no rule against that in fact it happens all the time alot of teams NETWORK so to speak they share prefishing information and might as well share after the tourney. this happens in some of our small tourneys down here on the river but is mainly used on the larger circuits like the PWT or RCL I know of networks as large as 12 guys.
sharing info on the water is yes against the rules but off the water if the winner wants to share with his buddy then so be it.
as far as this weekend goes I can almost Guantee that this did not happen.

as far as tail piping goes I do not know of one case of this in the past weekends tourney especially becuase not many people seen mr. Mathees and Nesbit catcht there fish on Sat.
I hope I answered your questions and if you would happen to have anymore please feel free to ask.
but one more comment you stated you felt frustrated on Sunday becuase you thought some of this stuff happend.
the best advice I have for you there would be do not get frustrated. just look at as well what did I learn from this and what could I or should I have done differently and make sure to keep a log of all this stuff it comes in handy down the road in future years in future tournys.

Who me???? I might have said golly gee darn and wrapped my pole on the water a few times!!!! If that was a walleye like I tend to beleive it was.. It may have cost us the tourny!!! We had to weight 2 fish in the 5# range and if this fish was over 7 or 8 like the 2 we pulled out of there earlier.it could have been a different ending,That’s why i got .let’s say…Miffed!!!!

All pictures courtesy of Greg “ReefRunner” Vandemark

Buckshot/Chappy. Day one Saturday. 2 Fish that put them in the money.

Day one Saturday – Jim Beaulieu with a 5.14 pound “Saugzilla”!

Another 5 pound sauger. I’m sorry, I don’t recognize this team member. Nice fish!

Bill Ahlbrecht with a 8.72 pounder! Nice fish Bill.

Lee Nesbitt with a 9.74 and annother one close to 9 lbs. The 9.74 is the current big fish of the year!

Buckshot with a day 2 hog that put them in 3rd place. This one went 8.26 lbs.

Hey Chappy,

We were still a ways away when you “drew our attention” ……When we got closer and I figured out it was you two making all that ruckas, ya pulled up and left

you musta smelled me coming or something

Nice fish by the way

Ok, last one tonight. Here is Chappy with a day 2 fish to back up Buckshot.

More photos to come. I know Greg has a few more to post when he gets the time.

I thought something was beginning to smell, But I thought Buckshot “Let one go”! That was the last cast as we had to get to the weigh in! Did’nt want to be late with that kind of bag! Like I said Jake, It could have changed the tournament!

I like to say it was a great time at the IDA Tourney.
The weather was fine and the fellowship was superb.
I have some more photos to follow….. here is one of the roller gates at the damn

another of Terry Noor with a fine walleye.