Published: July 06, 2009 10:48 am      

Ford, Moore win tourney on Lake Jacksonville

Twelve members of the Jacksonville Bass Club competed against one another in their monthly bass tournament on Lake Jacksonville this month.

The team of Mark Ford and Barry Moore captured first place with four bass totaling 15.63 pounds. Ford also weighed in the largest bass weighing 5.24 pounds. The duo caught and released bass throughout the day, but their keeper bass came out of shallow water next to retainer walls. Ford said that two of their keeper bass came back to back earlier that morning.

Moore was fishing a one-half ounce black nickel spinner bait with a black skirt when he landed his first bass. Immediately after Moore landed an 18-inch keeper, Ford cast his Nichols Hologram Shad Pop-u-lure next to some concrete steps on a retainer wall. Ford said, “I could see the big bass swim up to the lure and stop within inches of the bait. I waited until the bass started to turn away from the bait before popping the lure. The bass instantly turned and inhaled the bait.”

Moore caught one more keeper bass on his black spinner bait, and Ford enticed another 31⁄2 pound bass on a Rapala, mossy green shiner, XRap.

Second place went to Jerry Beasley and his partner Aubrey Underhill. This team started off their day targeting bass near brush piles in 12 feet of water. Beasley likes to use a short 12” to 15” Carolina Rig tipped with a Gambler 10” clear water, red ribbon tail worm.

The first brush pile these two targeted produced four keeper bass in a row.

Later in the day they fished as deep as 20 feet searching for one more bass. Beasley and Underhill weighed in five bass that totaled 14.41 pounds. Beasley likes to use the shorter Carolina rig because he can feel the bite better and it handles much better when fishing through brush.

Ford reported that almost everyone caught a lot of bass in the 15 to 17 inch range. Several bass were caught on a Lake Fork Fluke.

One thing I have noticed about bass that are weighed in is how their weights from previous years seem to be declining. A few years ago most 18 inch bass that were weighed in averaged close to four pounds. Now I’m seeing several bass that measure 18 inches only weigh about three pounds. I’m not sure what causes this.

I asked Richard Ott, who is the Project Leader of Inland Fisheries, in Tyler, Texas, for an explanation. Ott said, “The standard weight for an 18-inch bass is 3.3 pounds. An 181⁄2 inch bass should weigh 3.6 pounds.” To get this into perspective, you have to factor in when these weights are estimated. The relative weights are determined in the fall when bass have had all summer to put on weight. Ott said, “This is when we estimate standard weights. Prior to spawn the weights are inflated. After the spawn weights are lower than expected. Males go for a long time without eating.” Due to the rigors of spawning, female bass go between two to three years to spawn. In other words, they skip a year or two between spawns. When bass spawn it takes them all summer to make up their weight. That’s why they (Parks and Wildlife) wait until fall before they begin estimating standard weights.

The club’s next tournament will be a paper tournament held on Lake Nacogdoches. The hours are from 2:00 o’clock a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Mark Ford is leading the club in total points. Ford has caught 35 bass so far this year and has accumulated 119.81 points. The largest bass weighed in so far this year was caught by Bob Faulkner out of Lake Tyler that weighed 8.92 pounds.

Vice President Mark Ford told me that the club membership dues have dropped from $30 per year down to $15 for anyone wanting to join up for the remainder of the year which ends in October 2009.



Jerry Miller can be contacted at: gonefishing@suddenlink.net