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Water
temp-56
to 62
Sky-
Bluebird
Wind-
5 to 10
Air Temp- 82
Boji’s Big Blue Bays Bring Bucket of
Bucks to Green and Thomsen
Okoboji Chain of Lakes, Arnold’s Park, Iowa, Saturday, May 20,
2006: The Iowa Division anglers brought back a total Largemouth Bass
creel today on one of the prettiest May days that you could image.
It is seldom at this time of the year, that you catch the Big Boji
with calm skies as blue as the storied waters within it’s shores,
especially when “Coldfront” is present. These waters hold some
of the best smallmouth action in the world, but these big bruisers
were just not accessible on this day. Fishing was generally great
for all, however some teams had some difficulty locating the bigger
fish and were stuck on patterns working the smaller buck bass who
were tending or preparing the spawning nests.
Steve Green and John Thomsen of Creston, Iowa brought a beautiful
bag of largemouth bass to the scales here today to win the Iowa
Division of the Fishers of Men National Tournament Trail’s Okoboji
Lakes’ tournament. Steve and John weighed in a 5 fish limit of
16.29 pounds with a big fish of 3.87 lbs. .to win first place and
retain the season points championship lead. The Creston duo caught
most of their fish in the upper end canals area of the West Lake.
They caught fish all day using black ½ oz. jigs in 62 degree water,
near green weeds and culled 2 keeper fish out of the 30+ that they
caught.
Rising to second place in the season points race are Robert Thomsen
and his son David Thomsen who was serving as a legal substitute for
Bob’s regular partner Shawn Holly of Council Bluffs, Iowa. This
father son duo captured second place with a creel of 5 fish and
15.86 lbs, in the rocks and grass around and under docks which are
so plentiful on the Big Boji. Dave and Bob also had the Tournament
Big Bass of 5.51 lbs.
The Thomsens were jigging brown/pumpkin, soft plastics in 5-7 ft. of
water in around 58 degree water. With winds at about 10 m.p.h. clear
skies, clearer water and 80+ degree air temps it was a beautiful day
to be in the boat with your son. About 60 fish were brought to the
boat during the day from 10” to 21” in length culling to the 5
that they scaled. The fish they targeted were feeding on crayfish.
Third place fell to Chris Calkins of Marshalltown, Iowa and new
partner Wes Mahan of Sioux City, Iowa who had a limit bag of 14,70
lbs. and the tournament Second Big Bass of 4.36 lbs. With the weight
they now rise to a tie for third in the season points race with
Battani/Locker and Meyerdirk/Hunnefeld. Chris and Wes targeted docks
and the banks of the upper canals. They found emerging cabbage weeds
in shallow cooler water. They culled 4 keepers from stained water,
tossing brush hogs and jig and pig in black and pumpkin flavors.
It took13.87 pounds in the weigh bag for Mike Langford and Dave
McCoy to take fourth place with a 3.42 pound kicker. The weeds were
the key for Mike and Dave who were aiming around rocks and boulders
with slowly worked, watermelon and black B.P.S. Stick-O’s and
B.P.S. Spinnerbaits. Most of their fish were from 6-10 feet deep in
slightly stained water. They said that they caught close to 100 fish
to cull for their limit of 5 keeper fish. There was an abundance of
small bluegill in their chosen area.`
Brian Kennedy Jr. (filling in for big brother Richard Kennedy, who
had a National Guard drill) and father Brian Kennedy Sr. bagged
fifth place with 12.48 lbs. with quintuplet bass as their big one
was 2.58 pounds (do the math; 12.48 / 5 =2.5). This father/son duo
were sight fishing spawning beds in the super clear 4 ft. deep water
and were in an area where ‘Paw’ said the swarming fish reminded
him of a test pattern on TV. They caught their fish in the clearing
in weeds. Catching 75-80 fish of which 7 were keeper size. Most of
the fish came on brown/green plastic rigged trick rig style early,
and Texas style later in the day.
Shane Battani and Tim Locker netted sixth place with a limit of
11.47 lbs.by throwing Senkos in the canals. Shane and Tim have now
advanced to the third position in the season points race, tied with
Calkins/Mahan and Meyerdirk/Hunnefeld.
Kenneth Peterson III and Kenneth Peterson IV of Burlington, Iowa
snagged seventh place with 5 Largeheads weighing 11.12 lbs. They
were cruising the lake and worked the Millers Bay area heavily.
Hooking eighth position and climbing to eighth in the years points
race is the newcomers this year to FOM, Mark Evenrud and Brent
Arment who brought 10.82 pounds and 5 fish to the scale, despite
having to modify fishing plans due to engine troubles all day.
The Friday night pretournament meeting was as always the highlight
of the weekend with the ladies of the First Presbyterian Church of
Spirit Lake providing a great meal of homemade meat, vegetable and
salad dishes. All the anglers remarked about how really great it
was. Director Ken Callison opened the meeting with comments about
his connection to Fishers of Men and how the 12 Disciples got to
walk, live and fish with the living breathing Christ for over three
years, comparing it to having the greatest bass fishermen in the
world in the boat with you for three years, but that you have the
chance to be with Jesus for eternity.
Then Roger Botine got up and spoke about being two near death
experiences. Ken Peterson closed the evening with the admonition
that anyone who has questions about the Christian life could contact
him, either in person, by phone or anonymously by e-mail to discuss
it, and without pressure of any kind. Following the messages, 3
anglers made professions of faith and 11 men rededicated their lives
to a closer walk with our Lord and Savior.
We would like to thank our National sponsors: Triton Boats, Mercury,
Kistler, Strike King, Diamond Cut Jeans, Gary Yamamoto, Marshall's
Marine, Solar Bat, Spike-It, Castrol, V & M, Motor Guide,
Keelshield, Lowrance, All-Terrain Tackle, The Spot Remover, Hot
Rods, Stanley Jigs, Dual Pro Charger, X Tools, Deka Marine
Batteries, Jacobs Glass, Bass Rx, Keep Alive Oxygen Infusor, River
Bottom Lures, Motorguide, Hooah Energy Bars, Sospenders, Diamond Cut
Jeans.
Divisional Sponsors: Pamida of Winterset, IA; Winterset First
Baptist Church; Reed’s Laundry and Dry Cleaning of Urbandale, IA;
Yo-Yo.com fishing nets of Esterville, Iowa ; Pure Fishing, Abu
Garcia, Berkley (Trilene, Power Bait, Gulp), Fenwick, Stren,
Spiderwire, Fisherman’s Factory Outlet, of Spirit Lake, IA;
Interstate All Battery Stores (Clive, IA); Ambush Lures , Tony
Sunken’s Brushy Creek Lures. Coca-Cola Bottlers of Ottumwa, Iowa,
Chris Calkins of Marshalltown, Iowa and Jim Lee Meyerdirk of Spirit
Lake, Iowa.
Tournament Sponsors for the Okoboji Tournament: First Presbyterian
Church of Spirit Lake, Pizza Hut, Wal-Mart, Kentucky Fried Chicken,
Triggs Bay Resort, Spirit Lake Hatchery of the Iowa D.N.R..
The next tournament for the Iowa Division is on the Mighty
Mississippi River at Clinton, Iowa, June 3, 2006, check out the
WWW.fomntt.com website for further information.
God Bless,
I’m caught in His net!
Ken “Coldfront” Callison
PLEASE
VISIT IA
FISHERS OF MEN
FOR COMPLETE
RESULTS, STANDINGS AND UPCOMING EVENTS.
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