Had the TBFRI State Qualifying Tourney on Great Sacandaga last weekend and it was brutal. The smallies were still in that post-spawn transition phase and were not schooled up at all. The were scattered and most people had to cover a lot of water to find them. Most people actually fished shallow grass in 5' of water or less with frogs and flipping baits to catch the smallies.

I fished pilings in 40-70 feet to get mine. The first day I did ok (dropped a smallie that was a solid 3 pounder and I had a 13" fish in the livewell I never got rid of). I had only 8.4 and was in 4th place, leading was 9.5 pounds. The next day I pull up on the pillings and there are 6 local boats fishing for trout and walleye but all of them said the crushed the smallies earlier...wonderful :

My third drop with the drop-shot into a pillion in 47 feet I have a 4 pound smallie eat the bait on the drop. When she comes up I see the bait and hook are 14" above her mouth and she ate the weight. She came off a few seconds later. Then I pull a solid 2 pounder out of 67' and the bait was on the bottom. Then the wind kicks up and there was a 100 boat party on one of the islands so I was getting hammered with waves. I lost another fish around 2 pounds because I never really felt her and couldn't get that little hook to pinch. So trying to fish the drop-shot that deep just wasn't happening. Even with a 3/4oz weight. So I resorted to the shallower pillings and pulled off 3 small 12-14" fish and called it a day. I only weighted in 5 pounds day 2 but it was good enough to qualify for the TBF Eastern Divisionals next year. It only took 15 change to win the tourney, so I clearly had the fish on to win it but oh well. There is next year, and I probably couldn't dedicate the time it would require to be the State Team captain so it's all good to me.

A little note, almost every fish hit the bait when it was on the bottom being worked in that 40-70 foot zone. And in seconds the fish would rocket up, I never gut hooked one, and I never had to to fizz one because I brought it out of too deep of water too fast. If not this tournament I don't know when I would ever have to fizz them. :-?

I am in awe of your awesomeness.

Nice job again on a solid finish Tin.  One day I hope to follow you in a big tournament on the Mississippi!  Keep it going kid!

I am in awe of your awesomeness.

Just start eating those Bustinut Bars and you can be awsome too.

I am in awe of your awesomeness.

Just start eating those Bustinut Bars and you can be awsome too.

I think you're both special

So Mike, not the usual bags from the Sacandaga,eh?

I am in awe of your awesomeness.

Just start eating those Bustinut Bars and you can be awsome too.

They just were not schooled and up and it seemed as though most fish were concentrating more on craws than smelt. Give it a month a the grass gets up it would take 25 over 2 days. But then again, weights have been down in the past year.

I think you're both special

So Mike, not the usual bags from the Sacandaga,eh?