CAST Couples blasts off 2008 with the Coleman's taking the win
By Lynn Atkinson ~ srayburn@rayburncountry.com

Jackson Hill Marina was the site for the first Cast Tournament of 2008. The marina came to life early with everyone getting ready to get out on the water and start the day. Directors John and Jennifer Anderson were busy getting the couples registered and setting up the weigh in site. There was hot coffee and breakfast ready as the anglers milled around. Some sat down to eat and others snagged a quick taco and headed for the big fire outside to warm up. The weather had been pretty cold all week with the water temperature dropping almost 10 degrees. A few of them had fished on Friday with little luck. The rain, wind and temperatures in the 30s put a crimp in their style. Saturday looked a little better with temperatures starting in the low 40s, predicted to rise into the 50s with a light fog hanging around. Bless them all because the temps never got above 48.

Some of the couples trailered down south while others put in at Jackson Hill and fished the mid lake area. John and Jennifer Anderson, Directors of CAST Southeast Region, came rolling in from the south end where they had elected to fish and had four keepers in the live well. There were tales of having broken a few nice size fish off. As the weigh in begin it soon showed it would take 5 fish to win here. There are a lot of dedicated couples here that fish hard and don't give up easy. If you haven't fish a CAST tournament now's the time. There was a lot of talk around the weigh in as the couples lined up with the catch of the day. When the splashing was over and the totals were being tallied up some of the folks took time for a hot bowl of Gumbo to warm the insides.

Larry & Joyce Coleman win 1st place in the CAST 2008 kick-off event

1st place went to Larry & Joyce Coleman with an im- pressive 19.31 lbs. They caught the first two keepers around 7:15 off the first spot. With no other bites they moved to the next spot and picked up two more keepers. Their third fishing spot gave up enough fish to allow them to start culling. They only fished in three places and came in with the winning sack. Way to go! They had the best bites on Carolina rig worms.

2nd place went to Johnnie & Crystal Fountain with 18.39 lbs

2nd place went to Johnnie & Crystal Fountain with 18.39 lbs. The first fish was caught around 7:30 and after boating a few more fish the bite just died. They tried several other spots till noon with no luck at all. After returning to their first spot they found the bite was on and ended up culling from there. This lucky duo got best results with a Texas Rig.

3rd Place went to Landan & Anne Ware with 17.75 lbs. They put two keepers in the boat around 7:20, and made a move. Their second and third spots gave up nothing. Another move gave them one more keeper, and their next spot rounded out a limit. After that they had the luxury of culling the rest of the day. Carolina Rig was the best bait.

Big Bass went to Anne & Landan Ware with 8.48 lbs monster. Anne was pretty excited about the big fish. "We were fishing a place when the line just got heavy. As I pulled on it I felt a little pull back and then the fight was on with the reel singing for some relief. I fought the fish as best as I could trying not to lose her, as my partner scrambled to help me get her in. What a relief it was to get her in the boat, we were both thrilled to have her."

Anne Ware caught the biggest bass of the tournament, fishing with Landan Ware. This big chunk weighed 8.48 lbs, a big help to securing a 3rd place overall win.

C.A.S.T. Southeast would like to thank the following sponsors for making C.A.S.T. couples the best couples tournament trail: Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Academy Outdoors, Howard Etue with E2baits.com, Castaway Rods, Strike King Lures, Just Keepers Zip Bag, Doug Hannon Wavecast fishing reels, Lynn Atkinson with Reel um N Guide Service, The Lakecaster, fishingworld.com, Pella Doors, Genesis HomeCare and Hospice, Save Phace, and Insidermaps.

We want to thank Terry & Connie Sympson, Gary and Mary at Jackson Hill Park and Marina for being so friendly and all their hard work having breakfast and a great lunch ready for the couples. These folks are the best. The marina is fixed up nice inside you really have to come down and see it. There are fishing cabins to rent and camping spots along with RV Places. Give them a call for a place to stay on your next fishing trip.