Old Story, New Board...lol
In 2004 i went to shanee bend to fish a cat tournament. Weatherman had 'claimed' it would be sunny and warm with a slight chance of a shower or two.(Yeah righhhtttt!)
Anyway the stars were out as i loaded up about 4 am for the trip up. About half way into the trip the cloud bank that had been laying off to the southwest decided to cover the sky like a blanket covering a light. As i turned into the access a light rain was falling but no worries, the weatherman claimed it would clear off.
Well we set up a cover for the weigh in point and started to get the boats ready as the sky started to lighten a bit as the sun 'thought' about comeing up.
A KC Bass Club was launching on the ramps so we stood around debateing how well the cats would bite and if we would get any measurable rain.
Nasty bassers got out of our way and we launched about 10 boats for the local tournament. The appointed time rolled around and we scattered like a bunch of chickens under a hungry red tailed hawk.
Me and my partner flew up one arm of the lake heading for our favorite shad cove skipping across the top of the waves at about 80 mph with the light drizzle spattering us like sand in a storm.
About the time we got to the cove the sun popped out and we 'thought' it's going to turn into a decent day.
Boy were we wrong, BAD wrong! The kind of "Hey Y'all, watch this" WRONG!
As we're tossing the cast net and watching the sonar for bait and cats ominous clouds recover the sun like a kid grabs a lost penny.
We keep looking for shad.
A slight breeze kicks up and then changes course by about 180 degree's and i think Uh Oh as i turn to tell my partner we're going to get some rain.
About this time he turns to me and says better get our rain suits on as he was faceing the direction the WALL of water was comeing from. You could see it comeing but it still did'nt look REAL bad, just WET.
Well we went for the record in digging out rain suits from under the seats and getting them on as a speeding wall of water approached us from about 200 yards.
In hind sight we probably looked like a couple of drunken monkeys with two left feet trying to put on a pair of 2 sizes to small jeans with the legs sewed shut at the time!
Anyway we had about enough time to slip on our jackets and grab our pants before it started to lightly rain. Then it got heavier, and heavier, and heavier. Visibility was down to maybe a 1/4 mile by now. We continued to fish. Big Mistake.
As we watched a boat with an actual cabin on it make for dryer parts we noticed the rain was getting even heavier.
We were still relatively dry(as fish) in our rain suits so we stuck it out. That is until GOD decided to make things REALLY interesting!
With a crack boom thunder started in about this time.
Hmmmm, might be time to think about moveing. With a bright flash, nice sizzle and a thunderous boom the tree on the point gave up the ghost as we decided elctrified flying splinters were a good sign to move to a better spot.
By now the visibility has dropped to about 200 yards as the rain just keeps getting heavier.(Who knew the air could hold so much water?) As we crank up the motor and go flying out of the cove it REALLY starts to come down.(Where's the frigging bank larry?)
As we exit the coves mouth the sky opens up in biblical terms and we have to slow to a crawl as we can see about 50 yards in front of us. What we can see is a solid wall of water. No lake, no bank, no sky. We know where we are and where the nearest dock is and inch our way along at warp turtle speed.
About this time i relise for some odd d@mn reason water seems to be pouring into my rain pants from the sides.
After a bit we find the marina and jockey our way through the number of boats seeking dry storage.
During the mad dash at a snails pace to the marina at some time i noticed the bilge pump was contemplateing suicide as water started circleing the drain. By the time we hit the marina it was spitting up like a baby eatting mashed peas!
We soggily make our way inside seeking a dry spot and some warm food while we wait out the deluge.
As we enter the packed diner we wonder if we would'nt be better waiting outside as we notice water running, not dripping but running from several light fixtures inside over the tables. These happened to be on at the time! Lightening obliterated a tree on the far side of the cove and we decided to take our chances with the light fixtures!
About the time we finsh our ham n eggs and a couple of cigarrettes we notice the rains let up to a toad strangeler stage. Time to go fishing again.
We head out as the other patrons(which included most of the previously mentioned bass club in their high dollar rain suits) sat and watched us with wonder and amazement. Of course it would of been wonder and amazement about how dumb we was going back out in the rain to!
We do a lil drifting around KK island and watch fog start to lift off the water even as the wind kicks up. It now feels like febuary and looks like some ocean scene from an obscure horror movie with us as the shipwreck castaways in the lonesome lifeboat.
So we decide to run ALL the way back down this arm of the lake and most of the way up the other arm thinking we can find a more sheltered spot to fish.
As we skip along across the top of what are now about 2 foot waves with rain spattering off our faceplates(yeah we got helmets on now) like a flat stone we relise just how COLD it has really got.
We drift a big flat on the edge of the river channel as the rain lets up somewhat to just a steady down pour. I catch a lose a monster of a cat by a large rock right on the edge of the river channel hence forth known as Mobys Rock.
We land one cat about 4lbs and as the checkin time fast approaches we decide there's no way one fish will place so we release him. Being as we have about a 30 minute run we take off with just enough time to get back figureing everybody will be ready to take out at 4pm.
As we approach the ramp we notice there's no other boats jockeying for access to the ramp. What the
??.
Then we notice it looks like most of the boats are already loaded and setting in the parking lot. Was our watches slow?
We pull in and i soggily walk to the truck and back down the ramp thinking this is the dryest ive been all day. With thoughts of dry clothes and a heater turned on HIGH we load the boat then check in.
It seems most folks gave up a good hour or more before we did and made the run in to the ramp and loaded.
Woes of rain and cold abounded and come to find out the tournament was won with 3 fish for a total of about 15 lbs of fish. One other boat turned in one fish...lol
Everyone decided to give us the third place trophy for being last boat off the lake due to our perseverance during adverse conditions( read stupidity and stubborness in there).
Soon as it's all done everyone chats for a few minutes about possible sightings of a large wooden boat in the lake crewed by a multitude of animals standing two by two on the deck.
Hence forth this torunament is and will be remembered as Noahs Second Comeing.
After handshakes and fare thee wells we all scatted to our vehicles as the sky decided to try and drown us once again.
Finaly out of the rain i decide to change clothes as i start the engine and turn the heater on high.
You know how hard it is to undress when your clothes are soaked when your standing in the bathroom.
Well imagine stripping off your rainsuit and your clothes in the cab of a truck half filled full of fishing gear. It's an experiance best not repeated.
Then you get to try and work the dry clothes on over your wet n clammy skin. Not an easy task at the best of times.
But except for my hair, at last im finaly dry and nearing a state of relative comfort as the heater warms the cab.
A quick stop in town for a large hot cup of coffee and a hot sandwich and it's a two hour drive for home and a warm dry bed. Glorius warm dry bed...lol
Well, thats one trip...lol