Eight Annual Lake Lanier (2012) Bass Fishing Tournament Results

Another year, another beautiful day, with the same small results marked the eighth LLBFT on May 5th, 2012.  We had high expectations as the bass caught and spotted this spring had been larger than past years.  This year we had 10 boats with nineteen folks fishing. The low count and lack of large bass could have been due to a variety of reasons.  The early spring had brought out more people fishing recently and maybe the bass were in hiding because of the increased fishing pressure on Lake Lanier.  The “Super Moon” that day did not help and may have thrown the bass to the depths.  The increased weed growth all over the lake is good for the fishing, just not good for the motors. 

As the tournament started at 7:30 AM, it was slightly cool, but the day warmed up fast with the sunshine, and then it cooled occasionally as the clouds increased.  The two person teams of seasoned fishermen were in search of Bass exceeding the tournament’s minimum length of twelve inches for the noon weigh in. The intent was for each boat to bring four bass to the weigh-in, a stringer of three and one big one. 

Daron Strub and myself headed “up the creek” of the third basin to no avail, then followed Bob Jutzi and Mike Wiley’s boat after they woke up the fish on the Camp Firewater side of the basin.  We caught one tournament eligible bass near the Bickelhaupt’s and placed it in a cooler filled with water.  As more boats arrived on the third, we moved on to the second basin and followed the Jones boys.  The lake was alive with boats and spectators on the shores wondered what was going on. 

Fishing was tough, Daron threw a Zara Spook in open water, and we both skipped a Zoom “Trick” Worm under docks and boathouses.  A nice two plus pound bass spit my worm as it danced near my old boathouse on the 2nd basin.  We did land another keeper there and our third as we approached basin one.  We boated about a dozen and a half bass in four and half hours, down from past years, but at least had the three keepers.   

At the High Noon Weigh-in, one larger bass was produced.  Mike Rathburn and his son Doug won first prize ($50) with a bass just shy of two pounds.  Daron and I were the only boat with three bass, we took 2nd place ($30) as they weighed two and a half pounds.  Brian and Andy Dykes had two that tipped the scales at just over two pounds ($20).  Ed Justice and Charlie Miller had two about a pound and a half as did John Prass and Brian Suddeth.  Tim Johnson fishing solo had the same weight.  Last year’s winners, Bill and Dan Jones took the “booby” prize for the smallest fish, but kept it in a very heavy bag of water.    Bradley Rathburn and Dustin Green could have put everyone to shame by bringing in a seven pounder they’d hooked on a jig, but it escaped.  Other teams included Lillian Webb and Bob Owens, plus Fisherman Bob Jutzi and Tennessee Mike Wiley. 

The tournament was fun as always; we’ll do it again next year. We all look forward to it, I just wish the fish would cooperate, as we catch and release.  Hopefully the undersized fish will continue to grow.    The rules, results and photos of this and past years tournaments are the Internet, click here.

Good Fishing, Stu Davidson