Webster Report
Fished Webster on 5/12 from 5:00-8:00 (Hoosiertucky time). Water was clear to slight stain weeds were good on most flats and breaks, some milfoil but mostly curlyleaf pondweed. Water temp was 66-68 degrees. Moved fish on a glide baits and some real nice fish, moved about 12 fish in three hours, three ended up in the net (33.5, 39, 36). Cool – we're on fish and have a hot pattern bring on the Classic!

Indiana Muskie Classic Report
5-13-05 – Barbee Chain 7:00-3:30
Weed growth normal for this time of year and water temps of 57-60. Little did we know this would begin three of the most frustrating days of fishing we have ever experienced. We were moving fish immediately but couldn’t get them to eat, by lunch we had moved about 20 fish and a number of them 40” or better but they wouldn’t eat. We put two rods out (one per person) to troll while we made sandwiches and ate lunch. Ten minutes later we’re fighting a 34-35” fish. As I bring it to the boat we can see that there is one hook in a very small piece of skin on its cheek. I say that I don’t think I can put enough pressure to get it in the net. I pull as hard as I think I can the fish pulls back and the hook tears out. We finish lunch and start casting again, ten minutes later I have a 31-32” fish eat a crank 5’ from the boat. I set the hook it shakes its head twice and is gone. We finished the day back on the fish we were originally moving only to have them continue to follow and not eat. Day one total: 30+ follows/2 fish lost/none in the boat.

5-14-05 – Webster 7:00-3:30
After storms Friday afternoon and into the early hours of Saturday the water temp had dropped 6-7 degrees. We stuck with the pattern from Thursday and about 15 minutes into the day I have a 40-41”fish eat, I get the rod bent there’s a big boil and the fish is gone. A few minutes later I have a 48-49” fish follow and turn away. Now’s it’s getting a little frustrating but there’s still some hope. We’re moving nice fish that want to eat and if we can put a few in the boat we have a chance. The frustration was only beginning, over the next few hours we had four more fish eat that didn’t stay hooked and our tournament chances are going down the drain. Now we have to think about just placing in the top five and not about winning… Totals after day two: 50+ follows/7 fish lost/none in the boat.

5-15-05 – Tippecanoe 7:00-1:30
Go big or go home… Water was clear and temp was 54-59, weeds were a little behind for this time of year. We took a quick shot at a numbers spot on James and moved some small fish but it didn’t pan out. We needed a couple big fish just to place so we spent the rest of the day on Tippy. We fished two areas without moving a fish then found an area that had the fish we needed. In the first 2 hours on the spot we moved 6 fish and the smallest was 42-43” with the biggest in the 48” range. The 48 came charging in and stopped on a dime, I twitched it she lunged at it with her mouth closed then spun away. GRRR!!!!! This spot had the right fish we just needed to keep on them until we got one to go. We didn’t find the right lure and ended our day on Tippy having seen some big fish but never getting one to go – at least we didn’t loose any!

Tournament totals:
60+ follows/7 fish lost/none in the boat.
Number of 48”+ fish raised – 2
Number of 40”+ fish raised – 20

I believe this is corect for the top 5:
#1 Barryhill/Lundberg w/ 67.75 pts
#2 Hulbert/Bette w/ 63.75 pts
#3 Siggelko w/ 46.5 pts
#4 Richardson/Kachman w/ 44 pts
#5 Weirrick/Mackel w/ 35 pts