Mission Bay OEX Tournament Report

[robertyak]

I would like to start off by saying thanks to OEX for keeping the tournament trial going again this year. Unfortunately, due to other commitments this year I had to miss the first event and I am going to miss the Dana event. Thanks to Tommy for donating the fish for the tacos they were great. Thanks to Ed Howerton!!!
I decided at 8:00 pm on Friday night that I was going to throw some stuff together and fish the event. While I was in my garage looking at tackle and what line I had on reels I decided the my best bet would be to fish blades and cranks having fished the SWBA event in March I knew that unless things had drastically changed I could probably get a limit in Fiesta or Sea World Passage but not win there. With that in mind I decided I was going to Mariners and Quivaras basin. I had not been in Quivaras for more than 10 minutes or so when I got a legal spottie, after that (3) barracuda and then nothing for a couple of hours I did not have a lot of other options being that I did not have any other tackle so I just kept at it and then much like flipping a light switch things turned on. In a matter of 15 minutes or so I boated (4) more legal fish hit the weigh boat and got right back to it caught (4) more legal fish only one that was going to help my overall weight so I released (3) and weighed (1). About 11:45 I called it quits and headed back for the Sailing Center I wanted to get in and loaded up so I could hit the road. Grabbed a few tacos and watched everyone land took few minutes to say goodbye to some of the guys and hit the road. My wife was waiting for me to get home so we could head up to Big Bear we have a couple projects we are working on in our cabin.
I was surprised as I could be with Hobie Tom sent me a text saying “you won”. I knew I was just over 8 pounds I just did not think that going to be enough to win. A special thanks to Mike Bomemeke for picking up my winnings for me. It was really nice to see everyone today and to see a lot of new faces in the crowd as well.
Robert Yakemonis
"Team LK Lures"
"Team Uni Goop"

[bigderel]

Right on Robert!

[Margarita Mike]

I would also like the think everyone at OEX, Tommy, and the weigh boats for another great day.

I got to stand in for Robert as he had to leave early, thinking I only had to listen for his raffle # to be called out. WOW, little did I know, I would be standing up to accept his tourney win. Thata be as close as I will ever get to a win

I didn't get close to the weights the top 5 put up, but I had a great day being with friends, being on the water, and taking Sonny's $5
See ya at the next one
Great job Robert

[landwhale]

Congratulations Robert well deserved




dosen't that make 2 160s

[Socalrobt]

Great job!

Well this was my first bass tournament and it was a blast. I cannot wait for the next one. Thank you to OEX. The food was awesome and the people were great. Also a big Thank You for Steve and Andy for giving the tips on fishing the bay.

[Oside]

Awesome Job Robert!! Congrats!

[LEGEND KILLER]

F'N trollers . It is the classic can't beat them join them............only I've made a personal decision based on nothing that I would never fish Quivera. Congrats on the win Robert. It's nice to see that someone other that Eddie can win in Quivera once in a while .............be it by a few ounces, a win is a win.

Thanks to the weigh boat crews, Steve, Andy, Brent, and the OEX staff for putting this together.

Thanks to the sponsors of the event, Kerry Peeler for donating BUGZ jigs, and Tommy Gomes for the fish tacos.

[ortiznsd]

A BIG thank you to OEX: Andy, Brent, Steve G., Nate, Rick, Tommy G. for the food, Margarita Mike, the weigh boat crew, and everyone else that volunteered their time and energy.
Congrats to Robert and the top ten!!
I had a great time seeing everyone out on the water and it is always great seeing new faces. Winning some swag makes the day a little brighter.... We are fortunate to have the sponsors step up to the plate....SO A BIG THANKS TO THEM TOO!
As the scores show that fishing is not as easy as we all think it is, but thats fishing. The areas that were holding fish two weeks ago were vacant...I didn't know that fish went on Spring Break too anyways that just teaches us to have plan B and plan C. Thanks again Chuck and Marg. Mike for helping me out.

Firecracker

[kobra]

Congratulations Yaki on the win and the rest of the top ten. Thank you very much to the entire OEX crew for putting on the tourney, all the weigh boats, and all the sponsors.

[flatinfifth]

Wow.........what can I say..........GREAT TOURNAMENT!!!

It was great seeing everyone again. It's been too long. Thanks to the tournament sponsors like Nancy said; without them it would be an entirely different scene. The weigh boat folks went out of their way to make this tournament a success; a great applause for them and THANKS. Congratulations go out to the top ten folk; GREAT JOB.

Here is my tournament: I concentrated on a deep bite because I hate to troll and I am too much of a freshwater bass guy to fish any other way; that's me. Even though I had found shallow fish at a prefish a few weeks ago, the deeper fish proved to be better so I concentrated on those. It was S-L-O-W and you needed patience. I caught a ton of little fish right off the bat on the blade; all 11 7/8 inches. Moved around a bunch fishing shallow until I finally ended up in my deep water hole. A dozen casts an I had my 2-plus pound fish. I was so excited that on the next cast I had a backlash. While plucking out the backlash I get bit, swing and my finger is stuck in the spool, swing swing, ouch ouch!! pull my finger out of the backlash, bring it up and inches from the boat, it opens it's mouth and the bait just come out.....WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Easily bigger than the previous fish!!!!!!!!! Ok.......put it together.....you just farmed like a pro.......concentrate on the next one.........ish!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing .............. forty-five minutes later and a couple of dinks later.........I'm out of here. What to do.............. next spot. Moved about a mile and found my second deep water spot as someone else is leaving.........hope they didn't burn it.................fished for fifteen minutes and BANG ......1.4 pound fish. Another five minutes and another 1 pound and then the bite dies. Had four and rushed back to Bahia, fished there for nothing and then smoked back to the weigh in. While fishing outside on the point I'm talking lots of bs with Mike M. and pow I get bit, ski that thing in and I'll be damned if it isn't 11 and 7/8 inches long. Tried like hell to make it go but no cigar. Had to weigh in four. I found out Mike hates me.

All in all for me it was super fun. Met a bunch of people out on the water and gabbed a bit. It was a tough bite. My brother gave me another lesson in fishing; Al is in the ZONE. It's competitive fishing at its finest. The people are first class, the sport is fantastic and I can't wait for the next one. Steve, Andy, Nate et al..............THANK YOU.


Angel Figueras
Team Southwind Kayak
Dobyns Rods