20-Pound Bag
Rustin made a cast near the shoreline and connected with 4-pound bass. After getting the fish to boat, the 15-year-old netted it and the team started casting again. Within 10 minutes, Rustin repeated with another 4-pound fish. The team continued to ride the momentum and fish fast, casting and retrieving. After 15 minutes passed, Rustin started adding up what their total weight might be. The thought was interrupted by two words from his son. “He must have turned the handle eight times and then said - big’un! big’un!,” Rustin said. Within 2 seconds the bass made a jump and went horizontal in the air. “That thing looked like it was 4-foot long at the end of a 60-foot cast,” Rustin said. “At that point it was like a Chinese fire drill on the boat,” he said. Rustin scrambled for the net as Cristian slowly reeled the fish in. As the fish approached, it made a hard deep lunge underneath the boat and Cristian said, “Dad, I don’t think I’m gonna get this fish.” Rustin replied with, “Just be easy with her and bring her back up slowly.” The fish came up and was at the side of the boat when it tried to make another jump.
Fortunately, Rustin was able to slide the net underneath as it came out of the water. The fish weighed 6.5 pounds and was enough to send the Beaudette’s back to the launch early. “After that one I just wanted to make sure we got back to the launch,” said Rustin. In the end the father and son team won the tournament with a whopping 20.11 pounds. “It’s not everyday you catch a 20-pound bag off the river,” he said.
Tournament Results
The Double Nickel Bass Club fished the East Pearl River on a hot sunny day. As the 23 anglers who fished the tournament blasted off they were greeted with high, clean water. In the end it was James Harris who ended up in first place with a 3-fish tournament limit that weighed 6.53 pounds. In second place was Ralph Williams with a limit that weighing 5.64 pounds. Rob Roberts took third place with a 3-fish bag that weighed 5.45 pounds. Roberts also won the big fish pot with a bass that weighed 3.47 pounds.
Fall brings some of the most beautiful weather and colors, but more importantly, the season brings much needed relief from the summer heat. Bass Assassins fished Bayou Bonfouca and while the weather was cool, the fall transition presented a problem for most of the anglers who fished the event as only six anglers weighed in fish. Jimmy Dorris’ familiarity with Bayou Bonfouca proved to be the deciding factor as he managed a 5-fish tournament limit weighing 8 lbs. 9 oz. Jimmy also weighed in a 4 lb. 7 oz. bass that won big fish of the day. In second place was Steve Hadley with a 7 lb. 15 oz. limit of fish. John Seghers won third place with 6 lbs. 11 oz.
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I created NFR.com in the spring of 2012. Since then it has helped link Northshore fishermen to valuable information and has filled the void of absent information on the web about fishing on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Northshore Fishing Report has morphed into a brand name and can be found not only on the web, but on radio and newspaper. As NFR grows I will continue to work hard at keeping NFR local focusing on local anglers, reports, seminars, and fishing tournaments in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parish. I hope you enjoy the website and If you have any questions please email me at: Keith@NorthshoreFishingReport.com
Look for the Northshore Fishing Report publication every Thursday in The Slidell Independent Weekly Newspaper!
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Andy Jones of Wicked Charters joins Keith at the NFR Spring Seminar to talk about his latest fishing trips to Lake Pontchartrain.
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