Well, one of the local sites had is annual Spring Tournament yesterday, after being postponed back on the 28th. Somehow or another, we merged it with a benefit tournament that was planned for yesterday as well, to help gain them a number of people. And, because of the fact we were with the benefit tourney, we used a different ramp than we normally would for a T. Anyway, I had an exam I had to take yesterday morning, so I offered to help in any way I could to set up the weigh in/raffle. The guy in charge told me to go get a box of 2000 senkos out of his truck, and bag them in quantities of 10, to give as raffle prizes. No problem. Weigh in is at 3, my test ends at 12, so after grabbing a bite to eat with a couple buddies, I should be over there by 1. Bag senkos for an hour, and I should be able to fish 1.5 hours before the weigh in. It should be over by 4:30, so I can fish for 40 more minutes, then run down to the other end of the lake, where a local crappie fishing group was having a get together at 5:30, then later run back to the ramp.
Well, I tow the boat to the test with me, and then over to lunch. The test ended at 12:30, instead of 12, and I have never seen Taco Bell so crowded. Then, one of my buddies parents was almost 30 minutes late to pick him up, and I decided to wait with him, so I ended up at the ramp at 1:45. The ramp parking lot is PACKED, as is the day use area, as they were having some other festival there as well. I couldn't even turn the boat around in the loop around parking lot, and had to back to the street. I then run up to another ramp, and it to is packed, and due to people parking in no parking areas, I had to back the boat, still strapped in place, down the ramp to turn around. So, I then drive a good ways back to the highway (which is away from the lake), and head towards another ramp, which as the crow flies isn't far, but you have to go around the friggen world to get there. People don't like it much, as you have to go through a long no wake zone around a marina to get to the main lake. Good. Only half full.
So, I put the boat in the water, and make the run over to the first ramp. Now, it is 2:45, and I was told the Senko bagging task would take around an hour, and weigh in is at 3. Tie up on the shoreline, and go to find the right truck. Uh. Where is his truck. I ask one of the guys cooking hot dogs for the weigh in cookout, and he says he saw the guy when they launched, but he too doesn't see his truck now. I call another guy who is also fishing the tournament, as I don't have the phone number of the first guy with me. He tells me that Mike's engine decided to die, so he had to put it on the trailer, and take it to the marina, and will be back for the weigh in. Apparently, the senkos are still in his truck. Well. Nothing for me to do. I ask the guy cooking dogs if he needs any help, since I now have nothing to do, and he says he is good until about 3:15, when he will set up the scales.
So, I hop in the boat, and fish for 30 minutes, right around the ramp. Second cast, produces this guy.
Nothing more. Back at the ramp, I help set up the scales, then yak with a few of the guys I know there. The ramp is not set up in a way that is ideal for pulling 50 boats out, like some are, so it was tough. A couple of times, we had to get 6 guys to pick up the back of a trailer, and move it over to allow the guy to back out. Throw in a Hummer pulling a Bayliner who hasn't a clue how boat ramps work, and blocked everybody, and pulling folks out took a bit. Then, the raffle and cookout went pretty uneventfully. I won a quart of Royal Purple 2 stroke oil. Probably be the nicest stuff my engine ever has and ever will see, considering I run whatever TC-W3 oil is on sale at a given time.
Then, I had to choose if I should run up lake, put the boat on the trailer, and drive to the crappie meeting, or if I should run down there. Once seeing the 4 foot waves the cruisers stirred up in the main lake, I decided to put it on the trailer, and drive down there, only showing up about 45 minutes late.
When we are leaving, I notice what looks to be some schooling hybrids, so I decide to put in at the ramp that is about 1/4 mile down the road. Now, this ramp is closest ramp that is easily accessible from the interstate to Atlanta, so it is always crowded in the summer, but I figured by 8:00, I could get in pretty quickly. Well, I did. I only sat in the launch line (3 lane ramp, don't get me wrong) for 20 minutes (some people need to learn how to launch). At least the line to launch wasn't 1/4 mile down the road, like I have seen it before.
Well, I fish for another hour, going to both the areas I saw schoolers, and the pumphouse (where Acworth city pumps its water) that has lots of lights shining in the water with nothing. Finally head home around 9:15.
Well, I tow the boat to the test with me, and then over to lunch. The test ended at 12:30, instead of 12, and I have never seen Taco Bell so crowded. Then, one of my buddies parents was almost 30 minutes late to pick him up, and I decided to wait with him, so I ended up at the ramp at 1:45. The ramp parking lot is PACKED, as is the day use area, as they were having some other festival there as well. I couldn't even turn the boat around in the loop around parking lot, and had to back to the street. I then run up to another ramp, and it to is packed, and due to people parking in no parking areas, I had to back the boat, still strapped in place, down the ramp to turn around. So, I then drive a good ways back to the highway (which is away from the lake), and head towards another ramp, which as the crow flies isn't far, but you have to go around the friggen world to get there. People don't like it much, as you have to go through a long no wake zone around a marina to get to the main lake. Good. Only half full.
So, I put the boat in the water, and make the run over to the first ramp. Now, it is 2:45, and I was told the Senko bagging task would take around an hour, and weigh in is at 3. Tie up on the shoreline, and go to find the right truck. Uh. Where is his truck. I ask one of the guys cooking hot dogs for the weigh in cookout, and he says he saw the guy when they launched, but he too doesn't see his truck now. I call another guy who is also fishing the tournament, as I don't have the phone number of the first guy with me. He tells me that Mike's engine decided to die, so he had to put it on the trailer, and take it to the marina, and will be back for the weigh in. Apparently, the senkos are still in his truck. Well. Nothing for me to do. I ask the guy cooking dogs if he needs any help, since I now have nothing to do, and he says he is good until about 3:15, when he will set up the scales.
So, I hop in the boat, and fish for 30 minutes, right around the ramp. Second cast, produces this guy.
Nothing more. Back at the ramp, I help set up the scales, then yak with a few of the guys I know there. The ramp is not set up in a way that is ideal for pulling 50 boats out, like some are, so it was tough. A couple of times, we had to get 6 guys to pick up the back of a trailer, and move it over to allow the guy to back out. Throw in a Hummer pulling a Bayliner who hasn't a clue how boat ramps work, and blocked everybody, and pulling folks out took a bit. Then, the raffle and cookout went pretty uneventfully. I won a quart of Royal Purple 2 stroke oil. Probably be the nicest stuff my engine ever has and ever will see, considering I run whatever TC-W3 oil is on sale at a given time.
Then, I had to choose if I should run up lake, put the boat on the trailer, and drive to the crappie meeting, or if I should run down there. Once seeing the 4 foot waves the cruisers stirred up in the main lake, I decided to put it on the trailer, and drive down there, only showing up about 45 minutes late.
When we are leaving, I notice what looks to be some schooling hybrids, so I decide to put in at the ramp that is about 1/4 mile down the road. Now, this ramp is closest ramp that is easily accessible from the interstate to Atlanta, so it is always crowded in the summer, but I figured by 8:00, I could get in pretty quickly. Well, I did. I only sat in the launch line (3 lane ramp, don't get me wrong) for 20 minutes (some people need to learn how to launch). At least the line to launch wasn't 1/4 mile down the road, like I have seen it before.
Well, I fish for another hour, going to both the areas I saw schoolers, and the pumphouse (where Acworth city pumps its water) that has lots of lights shining in the water with nothing. Finally head home around 9:15.
