Fishing with Randy and Wanda
Dateline 02/22/99
For a March, 1999 Georgia Outdoor News article, I fished with Randy and Wanda Gabriel at Lake Sinclair on Thursday, February 11th. We had a beautiful day but the bass did not cooperate, although both of them caught keepers.
Randy and Wanda won the March 1998 Guys and Dolls tournament at Sinclair. They showed me the pattern of fishing grassbeds and blowdowns with Strike King spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Zoom lizards they use to win last year. .
Randy and Wanda Gabriel
photo by Ronnie Garrison
We started fishing grassbeds before the sun got on the water and then moved to blowdowns. This is the pattern they follow in tournaments, looking for five or six good quality fish for a limit. Randy fishes a spinnerbait or crankbait and Wanda follows with a Carolina rig. Together they seine the water for bass!
Randy says cast the spinnerbait to every cut and point in the grass, and fish it slowly. Work the bait out several feet from the grass for bass holding there. Make several cast with the spinnerbait, then try the crankbait. Wanda works the worm slowly and probes for any hidden cover. If she feels rocks or brush, she tells Randy and they stop and fish it carefully.
At the blowdowns Randy tries to run the spinnerbait thru the tree several times, then buzz a crankbait thru it, bouncing it off limbs. He says the bass with hit it when it bounces and then stops, so he pauses after hitting a limb. A crankbait that will suspend, and one with lots of rattles, is best.
Couples fishing tournaments is a great way to send quality time together! Wanda and Randy reminded me of other fishing partners, kidding and cutting up with each other. It was easy to see they tried to help each other out, too, and both wanted the other to catch fish.
What do you think? Do you fish as a couple? Any interesting trips lately? Tell me about it. If so, you can also post information about it for others on my message board - you must register to post but can read the board as a guest. Also, if you have thoughts you want to share about this topic, let me know about it at fishing.guide@about.com. for a "Fishtale"or discuss it in the chat room on every night at 8:00 EST. Tell others what you like.
ONE YEAR AGO THIS WEEK - 02/23/98
- Knot Tying
Learn to tie a good knot, tie it right every time, and don't lose fish.
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