chautauqua tourney pics

[zach]

was a cold nasty rainy day- took time to figure them out, we did good but no tourney winners. lex hung in like a champ w/ the rain and cold! all fish that i got were on perch colors all on baits i make.

it really felt like fall time and the water temp was around 62 degrees. all of our fish came from the same area and all hit in a 1.5 hour time frame. crazy how picky they can be sometimes. of course the one we lost was the biggest of the day. lol. oh well.

Once again i would like to give a big thumbs up ( ) to Cpt Larry Jones for all his hard work setting this thing up. we had people from all over once again but the weather kept the crowds away. can't wait to sign up for the next one!

[zach]

i almost forgot a pic of our monster- i think it was attempting to spawn w/ the lure. lol.

this is my best tough guy face.

[mostlymuskies]

Zach,When I return from New York City I will give your two crankbaits a good workout!

Thanks,Capt. Larry

[tcon]

Thats Awesome Zach, the lures that you make are producing! I know they look Awesome!

wtg,

Tom

[zach]

thanks TCON- i styled them after one of my favorites but feel i still have lots to learn. just when i think i got it, i get an issue. the first fish i got a plug i made was the coolest though. the first time i made a plug and it got hit in its first hour of running i knew i was on to something. from there its been a huge learning process. so far this year i have yet to be skunked running my stuff and thats no lie. when we struggled this weekend running big baits i put on my smaller ones and started getting banged. thought that was neat.

http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/f ... 33&start=1 (if that link doesn't work its on muskiefirst under basement baits if you scroll down)

i put a post up on muskiefirst and have had orders off of it but the absolute coolest thing is talking to Stan Durst every other day on line and through p/m's. i never knew that Mr. Durst's first custom jobs were for Cpt Larry back in the day. Stan Durst and Mr Vince B were also very close. i guess Vince gave Stan an all white boxer back in the day and they were friends and the dog is still around but Vince is not. Mr. Durst also has nothing but great things to say about Cpt Larry and we share ideas and such about painting and colors. Stan is sending me a custom he did and i am doing the same for him w/ the ugly green foiled bait. I can't believe i am going to paint a lure and give it to one of the best lure artists in the country b/c he said he like my work. what a freaking complement! i put up a link if anyone here has any time to look at it. it is titled a walleye for the tourney. thanks guys and i am sorry i have sort of taken over this section w/ lures but things are going so much better than i could have dreamed. at the tourney 2 friends from ohio asked me to make them 20 after they bought one from the happy hooker b/c they liked it and thought it would work back home on leesville. i am more busy now than ever before and the baits will only get better and better. thanks to everyone for supporting your local wood baitmaker trying to make it in a business run by big bait makers pumping out plastic at cheap prices. there are lots of you that have helped me and my family and to each one- thanks! honestly, things are taking off and i owe most of it to good friends willing to give me a try! even though the season is starting to wind down i am finding myself more backed up than ever. i couldn't have even got this far w/o you guys! for that i am so thankful! zach baker

now if i can just get larry to like them......lol

[zach]

just looked at the waneta lake webcam and nobody is out, off to give it a try and i am only taking 1 rod. i am going to live and die by the jerkbait today for the first time in 10 years. lets see how it goes. my trolling rods will be mad at me but my jerkbait rod needs some love also. i have trolled a couple hundred miles summer and its time for a break.

[NitroMusky]

good luck dude!

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[BlueEye]

Zach -

That's what I like to hear! Let me know when you start making jerkbaits...... I will be your biggest customer!

Chad

[zach]

i just talked to stan durst and both of us are doing something for donation to the hatchery. he is painting the first ever color larry and him worked on and i am doing a foil or two. its all to get $$$$$$ for the future stockings to make sure my little guy has a lake full of muskies to fish. larry will post them on ebay and i hope this not only promotes my lures but also raises much needed $$$$ for next year. bty i died w/ the jerkbaits at waneta. i couldn't believe i pulled pub b/c everything seemed perfect to get bit. anyways i pulled hoosier handmades, suicks and weighted reef hawgs and not even a hit in 8 hours chuckin' wood or trolling suicks. i guess thats fishin' for you.

[Pike Hunter]

Great work on the muskies! Awesome pictures!

Thanks for sharing.