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Friday, June 16, 2006
 


Lake Charles, LA. While most OWAA members and guests arriving yesterday and today were unpacking their luggage or complaining about the hot, muggy weather they knew would await them here, Jason Mitchell, a new member and fishing guide from Devil's Lake, ND attending his first conference, bought a 5-day fishing license, a Zebco 202 and rod and a bucket of shrimp, and had a ball catching about a hundred redfish, speckled trout and other species today, right from the beach about 12 miles from the hotel. Most fish weighed several pounds, but one red drum may have tipped the scales at 20 pounds or more.

"He burned out the drag on my Zebco 202," Mitchell said.

Mitchell waded in shorts and sandals, and reported finding not only good numbers of feisty fish, but also plenty of evidence of Hurricane Rita.

"I bumped into stoves, refrigerators, high chairs, just about everything you'd find in a house," Mitchell said. "I ran out of bait three times and had to buy more."

Well, he didn't have to, he wanted to because he loves to fish, and the brackish waters here are teeming with reds (channel bass) and specks (weakfish, or speckled trout). Rita, it seems, brought in the salt water, and these ocean species came with it. Lake Charles is teeming with shrimp, too, reported South Dakota TV and radio personality Tony Dean, and that has given the fishing a boost.

"Most of the commercial fishermen can't work because they lost their docks," Dean pointed out. "They have nowhere to put their boats, so no one's catching the shrimp, and the fish are just going nuts! One of the locals also showed Jason how to catch crabs, and he's got a cooler full of them."

Some folks just know how to get a conference off to a rousing start. Mitchell is one green-ribbon member who will be going home with more than just a story.

Mitchell almost didn't get to tell that story, however. He was literally swept off his feet by a passing freighter that sent a wave over his head. Fortunately, he regained his footage and continued fishing.

Later...

11:59:23 PM    comment []


LAKE CHARLES, LA. June 16, 2006.

Heavy rains held off long enough for all teams to finish the 8th Annual OWAA Golf Scramble, held here today at Mallard Cove Golf Course. Claude Bain, D.A. Ray and Chris Nelson won the 18-hole best-ball event with a scorching 8-under par score of 64. Skip Jernigan, Bruce Brown and Dan Small placed second, with a respectable 4-under par score of 68.

Merchandise prizes were awarded to first- and second-place teams and to individual golfers as follows:

Closest to left bunker on drive: Dan Small
Closest to pin, hole 4: Skip Jernigan
Longest drive: Claude Bain
Closest to tree in fairway: Bruce Brown
Closest to pin, hole 16: Claude Bain

Bain, of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, is already planning next year's golf tournament, to be held June 15, 2007, at the Roanoke conference. Roanoke's more temperate climate may allow next year's event to be scheduled in the afternoon, which Bain hopes will encourage more golfers to participate.

Keep checking this site for more news from the OWAA conference, being held here at l"Auberge du Lac, June 17-20.

Later...

6:16:40 PM    comment []


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