Lake Somerville Recap TXKBL Event # 1 02/04/2023 The first TXKBL Event of the 2023 season on Lake Somerville is in the books. I’m a big fan of baseball, so let me make an analogy for you. If this was a baseball game, Lake Somerville just threw a complete game shutout against us, with a few infield base-hits, maybe a couple hard-hit doubles. Most of the field either struck out, popped up, or grounded out weakly. It wasn’t a no- hitter, though. Some of us had some impressive catches, but no one could put together a five- fish limit. That’s almost unheard of in a field of 120+, but it happened on Lake Somerville last Saturday. I have several theories, plus the ones I heard at the weigh-in/awards ceremony. After a cold snap such as the one Texas had just experienced, with Somerville’s stained and muddied, frigid, mid 40’s degree water, the bass just weren’t in the mood for much, other than eyeballing whatever bait was being thrown their way. A few of us figured it out. From what I gather, success was mostly on smaller-profile baits, worked painstakingly-slowly or dead-sticked. Not exactly the stuff a power fisherman typically has in his repertoire, but sometimes finesse-y is the way to go. So, let’s get into it: The day started out very foggy, cold, and disorienting. The only blessing was that the wind wasn’t blowing and it wasn’t raining sideways. From the stories I’ve heard and from personal experiencing, the first hour in the thick pea soup of a fog caused a bunch of kayakers to travel in circles as they attempted to reach their spots. That was my experience, too. It was like something out of a bad horror movie – you’d see an image looming in the fog, and it might be another kayak, it might be the shoreline, or it might be a very amused coot. In my case, it took me an extra hour to find my spot, and once there, I pretty quickly hooked up with my only bass of the day, a 14.75” fish sent from the Fish Gods themselves as a reward for some previous good deed. At least that’s the story I’m telling myself, because skill wasn’t much a factor. It just came down to making enough casts that eventually generated a bite. Or not. If there was a pattern, it was indecipherable to the field, although fish eventually started to make their way onto the leaderboard. The fog and the cold were pretty disconcerting, especially when you’d hear the roar of a powerboat coming closer and closer. No mishaps, other than an angler taking an early-morning unexpected dip, but that’s why Kris Morales is insistent on every kayak having a 360 light, and one that’s positioned high enough that it’s visible from every angle. I’ve been in kayak tournaments where 360 lights weren’t used by everyone, and heard at least one kayaker get loudly cussed out by a powerboater for not being visible. We don’t need that. We all represent a part of a larger community of kayak bass anglers and it’s imperative that we follow all the safety protocols – PFD’s, 360 lights, whistle/airhorn - and that we’re courteous and respectful on the water. Speaking of which, 120 kayak anglers on a lake, even a lake as large as Somerville, was going to generate some tight-quarters fishing. I heard absolutely no complaints or grousing about being crowded, so y’all must have worked that out yourselves, which is absolutely an action that should be applauded. The obvious spots were getting hammered, and our guys and gals worked those areas with any number of different presentations. But for all that, and the general lack of success, no one got their nose bent out of shape over “their” water. At least, I didn’t hear about it, and I’m usually pretty keen for a story of that kind. By mid-morning and by noon, if you were following the leaderboard, it became very obvious that it wasn’t going to be a smash fest. A few anglers were putting together decent sacks, but it was anyone’s game, down to the very last cast. That’s why it’s always important to keep going, despite lack of success. The bass could turn on, and they did, to some extent, as the sun burned off the fog. The conditions could’ve changed in the blink of an eye and the bite could’ve switched on. With so few fish being caught, every bite mattered, every fish landed or lost was meaningful. Staying focused and not being spun out by lethargic bass was key. The few anglers who got on them and scraped together multiple fish won money. Single catches didn’t, with one BIG exception. It was that easy, in the end. Catch two scoreable bass, cash a check. Size was somewhat less important than volume. This was true, despite some absolute giants being caught. Of the 40 fish caught during the 8-plus hours of the tournament, 8 bass 20” or over were landed. Consider that for a moment. A full 20% of the bass caught, photographed, and released to live another day were quality fish, 5 lb’ers or more. That’s an amazing ratio. More on that, later. Suffice to say, Somerville is the Land of Giants. As the day came to an end, a merciful end for some, it was clear that the lake had won that day, but the anglers were still upbeat and positive as they staggered into the awards ceremony at Yegua Creek Landing. The presentations, expertly handled by Kris Delgado, with the support of his wife Christina and his mom (awesome hot sauce, btw), went off without a hitch.... erm... almost without a hitch. Y’all will get those fancy plaques and awards later. The pitching contest was a success, and went into triple overtime. Food was eaten, raffle prizes were handed out, and the mood, a bit somber after a day of non-catching for the majority of the field, started to brighten. Thanks so much to everyone behind the scenes who makes it all happen – the sponsors, the cooks, the folks who donate time to make this the crazy good time that it is. Special thanks to the man himself, Kris Morales, for running the show. A few folks were still salty about the lack of fish, but really, is it the fish that we’re after? To me, it’s the camaraderie and the chance to talk to good people who share a deep, abiding passion for the sport we love. It’s about the only time I feel like I’m around people I can talk to about fishing, and not feel like I’m talking to someone who’s only progressed to the kindergarten level. Y’all my people. Y’all know your stuff. I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. When we get together, it’s a celebration, as much as it is about awarding prizes or giving out money. Those raffle prizes were fantastic, too. Thank you, sponsors. We couldn’t do it without you. A great raffle takes the sting out of a tough day on the water, just a bit. Let’s talk about the prizes. First up, Big Bass. Wow, did we have some great competition for Big Bass. Nick Wytinck, the Canadian Greg Blanchard, had his 9.5lb behemoth narrowly nosed out, literally, by winner Cody Afinowicz. Cody A to Z sacked a monster 23.75” donk of a bass, just missing a ShareLunker by a ¼". That quarter inch is what separated him from Nick’s fish, too, with 23.5”. Take a look at Nick’s video of his weigh-in at the Overlook Marina. It’s special. Monalisa Garcia is having a big bass season to remember, with an honorable mention 22”-er. Fish like a girl? Hell, yeah. Well done, Lisa. Cody cashed a check for $1,000. Not a bad day, I’d say. Cody also took 10th place and was handed a virtual check for $100. One fish, $1,100. Outstanding. The rest of the money-winners were as follows: Michael Morgan, male model and Big Booty winner, took 9th place with two fish measuring 25.75”. I’d make a joke, but the joke would be on me and the rest of the field. College Station’s own 2022 AOY winner Jeff Isham also took home $100 with an 8th place finish with 29”. I saw Jeff sack one of his two fish right next to me, so obviously, he was doing things that I wasn’t. In 7th place, we had Reggie Godeaux, with two fish and 31.25”, taking home $200. Now that’s a fine Cajun name if ever I saw one. Who came in 6th? Pinche Morgan! *ahem* y’all. Pinche means “helper” in the Spanish, or so my wife keeps telling me, so get your minds out of the gutter. Nice sack from Morgan Cardenas, who won $250 with 32.75”. Morgan’s a good dude - best around. Always smiling. Next up, we’re getting into those cool-looking (rumor has it) awards we were talking about. In 5tth place, last-year’s runner-up AOY Jacob Moeller came in with 34.25”, winning $350. Jacob and I have dueled it out in KATS for over half a decade, so that 5th place win was no fluke. Or if it was a fluke, it was a precisely-cast fluke on an underspin, because nobody knows or practices their craft the way that Jacob does. He’s a flat-out stick. Who took 4th? That’d be Nick Wytinck, eh? Ya, sure, you betcha! The Canadian was at home in the sub-artic temps and won 500 loonies...er... dollars and another award to add to his growing trophy case. I don’t want to get political, but shouldn’t we be worried about the northern border crisis? *cough* Okay, forget I said that. Next up, in 3 rd place, with a monster two-fish sack of 41.75”, is Brandon Villanueva. Only two fish, but talk about quality! Brandon caught a 20.25” and a 21.50”. That netted Brandon $800. Well done, sir. The only angler to catch three measurable bass on the day was Ramiro Perez. Those three fish, measuring 50”, won him $1,200. Woah, payday, baby! Not often that you see a second-place finisher take home a check worth over a grand. Lastly, the big winner on the day was none other than “The Good” John Allen, who caught four fish, all from the same general area, all around the same time of day, 65” worth of bass, cashing a check for $2,200. Nice, dude. Very, very nice. Quality catch from a quality guy. So that wraps it up, folks. Somerville is in the rearview mirror. It may have been a day some of us would like to forget, but don’t let it get you down. It was a tough, tough day. The rest of the season is ahead of us and as the temperatures warm up, so will the fishing. We’ll take our lumps, learn our lessons, and come back next time for the upcoming event on Ladybird/Lake Austin. The Central guys know these BOW’s pretty well, but there are always twists and turns, what-have-you’s, and mysteries to sort out, so it’s anybody’s game on The Bird and on Lake Austin, especially this time of year. One thing that can’t be argued: Both kick out absolute giant bass. Lake Austin, prior to the grass carp fiasco, was the best bass fishing lake in the country, not just the state of Texas. There are still some donkeys in LA, and it’s the larger of the two lakes, allowing anglers to spread out a bit. The Bird is The Bird. She can be kind, she can be cruel. If its sunny and warm, the recreational kayaks, canoes, and paddleboarders will both become a distraction, a nuisance, and a show, all at once. The rowers will want us to move out of their way, as we should, so keep your head on a swivel out there. They’re fast and pretty silent. Watch yourselves around bridges and choke points, especially. Whatever happens, it’ll be an event to remember. Looking forward to having y’all join us for Episode Two: The Kayakers Strike Back. Let’s sack ‘em up. See you there.