SouthEastSamRayburn2005

ICE Fishing with CAST Southeast!!!

by John & Grace Watts

The first stop on the CAST Southeast Region tournament schedule was February 19th at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. The weather was absolutely freezing with temperatures in the low 30’s and ice all over everything, but the competition was hot. The CAST Southeast folks showed how tough they are by enduring probably the worst fishing conditions they could possibly imagine. Ice formed on anything and everything that wasn’t close to the ground. Ice covered boat seats, carpeted decks became skating rinks, and rod guides filled with ice on almost every cast.

Fishing conditions for humans may have been bad, but big Sam’s bass didn’t notice. Our couples braved this blast of artic weather and managed to bring in 45 bass weighing 147.25 lbs.

Tom and Sherry Arnall, new members to CAST Southeast this year, came to the scales with 20.57 lbs. of fish including the Big Bass of the tournaemnt, a huge goggle eyed, catfish eating, monster of a bass weighing in at 9.60 lbs. This ravenous beast hit Tom’s rattle trap while still trying to swallow the catfish in its throat. Don and Sandy Jeane, CAST veterans, and Sam Rayburn experts came in second with a nice stringer of fish weighing in at 12.61 lbs. Can you believe Don wanted to know if we were still going to fish due to the weather, what a joker he is!!! It was a day for the new members though because 3rd place went to Heath Moody and Amanda Piatkowski with a nice limit of fish weighing in at 11.66 lbs. Finishing just out of the money but collecting the “CAST cash”, were Larry and Carol McMinimy.

Next Tournament Information

Our next tournament will be at Lake Conroe with registration being held at Stowaway Marina on Saturday, March 18th at 5:00 p.m. and the tournament on Sunday, March 19th. The ramp at Stowaway is a great ramp; well protected, plus they have a nice store with plenty of ice, drinks, and food items. The restaurant is great with nice folks and good food. Please help support the local folks who support us. Come on out on Saturday and visit with other CAST members, enjoy some good food, and who knows maybe you’ll win a nice door prize. We hope to see all of you there and bring another couple along who you think may enjoy fishing with us as much as you do. Until then…

God Bless and Good Fishin’

John & Grace

C.A.S.T. / Southeast region would like to thank all of our sponsors for their help in making these tournaments possible. Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Eagle Claw, Mr.Twister, Mepps Lures, J-Ann Awards, World of Fishing, Luxor Custom Jewelers, and the Denison Chamber of Commerce.