Austin Christian Bass Club

Hi Everyone,

The March newsletter is attached.  I look forward to seeing all of you next Thursday at the club meeting.  Before the meeting I will be sending out a current roster based upon members who have paid their dues for the current year.  Please let me know if you have any trouble with the attached file and/or the current roster that I will be sending out soon. 

Darryl Smith

ACBC Secretary

Austin Christian Bass Club

March Newsletter

Darryl Smith, Secretary

Tournament Overview:

Our February tournament at Fayette County Lake was like many others, chilly with light wind at day light and warming throughout the day with winds steadily increasing. Twenty-one of 28 participants caught a limit of 5 fish. Vince Martin and Paul Barger took first place with 40.59 pounds. Harold Barnett and Gary Burnham took second place with 34.78 pounds and Brooks Griffith and Brian Kitchen took third place with 33.66 pounds. Tom McVan caught the biggest bass at 23.5” and Vince Martin had the largest stringer; 5 fish totaling 24.63 pounds.

Top Ten Standings for 2008:

Vince Martin- 34.83 pounds Tom Clark- 24.46 pounds

Darryl Smith- 33.85 pounds Carlton Yarbrough- 24.34 pounds

Gary Burnham- 31.51 pounds Bob Duda- 24.26 pounds

Mike Wiles- 30.57 pounds Jim Pollard- 22.78 pounds

David McClung- 28.79 pounds Tom McVan- 22.14 pounds

Tom McVan has the lead for Biggest Bass of the 1^st Quarter with his 23.5” bass caught during the February tournament at Fayette County Lake.

March Meeting and Tournament:

Our next meeting will be Thursday, March 13th, at 7:00 pm. Our March tournament will be on Saturday, March 15, 2008. Tom Morelock and Harold Barnett have volunteered to bring refreshments to the next meeting.

Annual Garage Sale:

We haven’t picked a date, but remember our annual garage sale will be held in April or May to raise funds for the club. It has been very successful in the past due to your efforts to donate items to be sold. Keep this in mind when you are doing your Spring cleaning.

Spring Travel Tournament:

At the last meeting, it was suggested that we have a travel tournament in the spring. Many members present supported this suggestion and a decision was made to explore the availability of lodging at Choke Canyon and O.H. Ivie. Due to a Bass Champs tournament on Choke Canyon on March 15^th, this would not be a good day to have a club tournament on that lake. Continue to think about this matter so we can make a decision and select a lake and a date for a spring travel tournament if we want to have one early in the year.

Couples Report:

The ACBC Couples Club held its first tournament of the year on March 1st at Fayette County Lake. The day started with an early breakfast at the Texas Café in Bastrop and everyone was on the lake by around 8 AM. Five couples participated and weighed in 25 fish for a total weight of 70.34 lbs. Lots of fish were caught. Bob and Peggy took first place with a great total of 20.33 lbs. Peggy had big bass of the tournament (and for the year so far) with a 24 incher. Phyllis had a nice 19”, Gib and Nita each had an 18.5 and Bob and Jim each had a 20.5. Most of the fish came on soft plastics. They finished up the day with a 2 PM lunch and weigh-in at the Fishes and Loaves Restaurant on Hwy. 159. Everyone had a great time and encourage other fishing couples to join us in the fun and fellowship. The next couples tournament is April 5^th on Lake Buchanan.

Team # Fish Weight Total Weight/Year Current Standings

Peggy & Bob 5 20.33 20.33 1

Phyllis & Gib 5 16.33 16.33 2

Nita & Jim 5 15.77 15.77 3

Patsy & Art 5 09.52 09.52 4

Melba & Ken 5 08.39 08.39 5

Fishing Report:

March is a great month to be on the water. I just wish the weather would stay warm for more than a day. I’ve read good reports concerning Lake Bastrop where the grass is in good shape and the spawn has been underway for awhile. Lake Travis is producing fish although the water temperature is still 58 to 59 degrees and the fish are still in deeper water. On Saturday, March 8^th, Dale White and I caught 14 bass in the afternoon and early evening. Eight of the 14 were over 14”, with the biggest going 18 inches. Most of our fish were located near docks and were caught on a drop shot rig or a small jig. The water temperature at Decker Lake is a little cooler than Travis and there is almost no visible grass. Bass hit crankbaits on the dam early and spinnerbaits and worms thrown at the reeds. Fishing slowed down around 10:00am after the sun got up. Biggest bass were caught early on crankbaits. I look forward to seeing you all at the next meeting.