My 2007 tournament season is underway. With a little fund raising warm up tournament ( Brian Brecka's Great River Team tournament) to help raise money for the Wabasha area youth. It was nice just to get back down the old muddy. Learning where you can run and how to run it changes every year down there and that's what makes it such a special place to fish. Though this is what also deteirs alot of guys who are scared to scratch there boats. Guess I didn't buy mine to look pretty in the garage or only use it in the middle of the lake.

Well I'm back now from my 9 day stay at the mighty Mississippi, what a great body of water. I left Friday morning the 27th to get one day of practice in for the MN Fishers of Men tournaments on Saturday. They combined both MN divisions the West and East together down there. You had the option to fish just one or both and chose to put my money in both, heck I was already there what was another $150. I'm glad I did I wieghed 5 fish for 12.61lbs, good for 5th in the West and 6th in the East division and received a check in both.

Friday I stayed up around Red Wing and the North end of the lake. It was more to eliminate water than to actually find a spot to fish. That is exactly what I did. Though I have taken some nice fish up there and didn't want to have in the back of my mind what if, I didn't catch anything that made me want to go back. In fact the only two keepers I caught were 15 inchers out on the lake with a jerkbait. The FLW walleye tour and series were holding tournaments all week up there and they had the water covered!

Saturday arrives and I am boat 58 of 72 and my first spot was taken so I ran to a shallow wing dam usually good for one or two fish. Starting with a pearl white jerkbait I caught my first keeper on the second cast 15 3/4". After fishing it with different baits for about 45min. I notice a fish chasing baitfish. I missed the first two bites on a  Outkast Tackle mustard 4"tube before catching my second keeper 15 1/2". Next cast was the jerkbait again and that landed another 15 3/4" fish. Things aren't looking to bad. The next cast was with the tube with a 3.45lb smallie eating that and now I'm feeling really good, only an hour into it and I have 4 fish. Though that was it for that, as fast as it happened it was over. Time to run and with no practice I just went checking out old and new areas. I came across a beaver house that just looked right around 2pm. Now throwing a 3/8oz red/wht blade I caught a 3lb lrgmth. This fish really helped with less than an hour left it was my limit fish and the rest is history.

Sunday through Friday was spent practicing for the St.Judes tournament. It consisted of being on the water at 8 and pull out at 8. I should have been on the water by 6 though this time of year the after noon bite is generally much better considering that is when it warms up the most. For the most part it was a tough practice with the exception of Wednesday on pool 5. Brent Carlson came down and fished pool 4 and found some fish also Wednesday. We both went back to 5 on Thurs. and 4 on Friday. We caught some quality fish but never nothing of numbers.

Saturday day one of the Dick Hiley/St. Judes tournament greets us with 40+ mph south winds. We decided last night to spend day one in pool 4. We started midway up the lake and let just say WOW!!! them some big wages. We made it dry all the way there till the last one we filled the boat full up, nice way to start the day. We managed 3 small keeper smallies on tubes. After a couple of other unproductive spots on the lake we headed back towards the river. Pulling into a small cut we managed 4 good green ones on Outkast Swim jigs and are feeling a little better now. Deciding we need a couple big bites we ran to some back water sloughs only to manage a small keeper smallie. Day one total is 8 fish for 17+lbs and middle of the pack placing.

Sunday day two brings more wind, in fact there are gusts recorded around the area at 60+mph. Today we made the run south and not sure what is worse the lake or narrow river channel.  The waves aren't nearly as tall in the river but very jagged and unpredictable. Fishing the south end for the better part of the day we had one large mouth on the swim jig and 5 smallies on a variety of baits to show for it. 2 clock we decided we should make sure we get through the lock. Once through we fished a stretch of rip rap that produced another smallie and a couple that we lost. Day two total is 7 fish for 15+lbs. Any normal year 32-33lbs will get you a check down here and that's what we had. Problem is everyone caught them this year and you needed 37+lbs to checks but the winners (Joe Hall and Aaron Larouqe) still had avg. winning wieght of 46lbs.