27th Annual Billy Westmoreland Memorial Invitational....

[elnutsmalljaws]

CHAMPS ARE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah I am a little stoked STILL. 4am and I am awake on Day 2 after the tourney. Working on a few hours sleep since and all day on the water yesterday and more today.

I have received a LOT of PM's, Phone Calls and Emails congratulating myself on the win in the most prestigious Smallmouth Tourney on the PLANET but want to make sure that everyone knows that Catchemall, John Robertson, deserves the same amount and maybe more. One good thing about a TEAM tourney is it is a TEAM tourney and all fish count together. He caught the big one that got big fish and put us in the running and my 15 3/4 inch fish got us enough to win the event. HUGE thanks to John for not only wanting to fish the even but being a great partner. I don't fish tourneys very much and a team tourney is not easy especially for me when John will admit he does not know a lot about the lake and he says "Your the Captain" when I am trying to get some ideas but it worked out. We pre fished Friday and I ran probably 30 spots or more looking for a pattern. We had 14 and I broke off on the hookset do to some bad line 4 times, which is another story in itself, and we left fish. Could have had 25 fish that day if we sat on the spots and hammered them and John caught a 5-1 over fish plus we had 4 unders. Saturday it was narrowed down to really about 10 spots that we worked, caught 11 fish with 3 unders and 8 slots. Weighed in and had a fish kicked that we measured 4 times on 2 Golden Rules turning her over every time and we knew she was close and by the rules could not touch the 16 line and she did not up to a half hour before weigh in which was the last time we checked her. Big let down and it felt like all of our wind was out of the sails. That fish cost us from being in 6th place after day one. Sunday it was narrowed down to 1 spot and we fished it to death. Second cast and I catch a 4 pound under, then shortly thereafter John catches the twin and so it is on. I catch the under that we weighed and put her in the livewell so we need 3 bites and then we keep catching slot fish. Had 4 fish that went between 18 1/2 and a bit over 20 but they are no good in this event but GREAT TO CATCH. With a bit over an hour left, mind you it takes my old heap 25 minutes to get back to the scales, I set the hook on a fish that is coming at me and I am reeling up as fast as I can and think it is an under fish so I am trying to get her to the net as fast as I can. The fish never jumps and is coming right at the boat when she decides to do a 180 and snap, break off city. This fish was a GOOD fish and I think I just blew the tourney on OPERATOR ERROR. 110% my fault BUT..............my fishing ringer that I brought to the tourney comes thru and as I am letting out a little frustration sets the hook. He first thinks it is another slot and then the big girl decides to make an appearance about 15 yards from the boat and this fish is a monster. I look back at John the second the fish breaks water and he looks at me with one of the best faces I have EVER seen in the boat. the look of fear, terror, scared, excited, oh my gosh what do I do with that on the end of my line faces but he fights her like a champ. I am saying she is an over take your time and he is saying I don't know but this fish is visibly bigger than what we have been catching plus I have seen a few more this size break water than John has in my life, not bragging just the facts. I play netboy on this pig and it is now a whole new ballgame. We spent the next 30 minutes trying to catch either an over or an under on our number one hole and I took us to a spot close for a few cast, then make the run close to the ramp to another spot for a few cast then to the scales. I thought I had my black weigh in bag and sure do wish I did because this is the kind you want pulled out in front of 50 people for all to see, but it was the clear bag we had to use. John came around the corner to weigh her in and you could see the amazement on the faces of all standing there. My buddy Steve Headrick, Punisherlures.com - The One Stop, home of the Duck Feather Red and Chartreuse or Duck Feather Purple and Chartreuse 1/16 oz FNF jigs that caught EVERY fish we caught this weekend, was standing there and he looked at the sack, looked at me, looked at the sack, looked at me with the biggest grin on his face. He not only knew we caught them but he knew what we caught them on, his jigs. They weighed in the fish and we now are board watching. There was only about 7 boats or so that had weighed in and none of the Day 1 leaders had anything written by there name on Day 2. We are now the clubhouse leaders and it is just past 11am when around the corner comes another pig in a clear bag. He walks right by us and John is about ready to have a heart attack. He puts his hand on my shoulder and says "oh my gosh", I said don't worry yours is bigger. I really thought his was a good half pound bigger but she weighed 5.2 and Johns went 5.3. I asked him what boat and he said 50 and I could not move fast enough to see what his day one total was, but he did not have enough to beat us out for first place. Thomas, who runs Horse Creek, got on the bullhorn and announced last call for fish, gave them time and closed the lid on the fish tank. I shook John's hand and knew that we had just won the Billy Westmoreland Tourney.

Unbelievable feeling, thought I was about 10 feet tall and bulletproof. I don't think any airplane on earth could have gotten me higher then. Steve Headrick shook our hands and put his arm around me and said that with all I had been thru and as much as I love this lake and these Smallies nobody deserves is more and Billy would have been proud to hand you the trophy. Pretty cool to be mentioned FOREVER in the same breath as Billy Westmoreland. The money could be gone today but at least for one 2 day stretch in 2009, John Robertson and Elwood Lumpkins were the best 2 Smallmouth fisherman on the water and we beat out 72 other boats with some really good fishermen. The money could be gone today but the plaque that sits in my possession and the same that John has will be on our walls FOREVER. I don't want anyone to think I am bragging on my behalf or ours but for the fellas that really know me personally and really know the time and dedication I have spent to learning Smallies, learning to Winter fish and learning Dale Hollow know how special this is to me and I know John as well.

Billy Westmoreland was the greatest Smallmouth fisherman that ever lived and ever will live. To have our names mentioned in his honor in his tournament is pretty cool. I talked to Bobby Westmoreland at the One Stop Sunday afternoon and he said "Billy would have like you and would have liked the fact that you won his tournament". That meant a lot and I will go to my grave remembering this weekend, how we fished every cast like it was THE ONE, John's look on his face when the big girl broke water, the weigh in, Thomas making a speech about the winners of...... with a total weight of..... and day 2 big fish of....... Elwood Lumpkins and John Robertson. We could not even smile in the pictures because I think we were both still in shock. Great experience and I hope we can show up next year and give a good showing for ourselves again.

THE CHAMPS ARE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jwp]

I got goosebumps reading this. Congrats to Elwood and John! Dang, I guess I'm gonna have to buy ANOTHER fishing pole and tackle and learn this F-N-F thing...

[Tim_T]

That is an awesome story Elwood, congrats to both you and John.

[mhall]

That is an awesome story Elwood, congrats to both you and John.

Yea, Crow all you want Big fella, you guys deserve it. I'd be beating my chest like a dang Male Silverback Gorilla bout now, tell it brother tell it!

Hey Woody ever think that with all the health adversity and other things associated with it that The Big Man upstairs wanted you to win this deal.... I truely believe things happen for a reason sometimes and I'm glad this one happened for you boys..

[roadrunner]

I will say it one more time Elnut I do not know anyone who deserves it more than you, and believe me it was not luck; you have put in your time on this lake at this time of year and I know how you loved Billy Westmoreland and his accomplishments. What a fitting tribute to you and your talents.

With that said ---------I'm still envious.

Beep Beep

[thebassman30]

I'm not sure you're giving yourself enough credit. There are some great fisherman in that tourney. There were probably only 5-10 boats doing what you were doing and nobody nows the lake for that technique better except maybe a guide.

I have to admit when we met up at the dinner Friday, I was VERY surprised you were catching the size fish you were. Definitely had me switch gears 4 sho.

Even better than the win is that fact that you helped us when we were fishing against each other. Talk to you soon friend!
M

[thebassman30]

As I was rereading, I just remembered you beat out Drew Sadler and Jarod Seasor. Drew posts here and is a fantastic jig fisherman.

[Bonefish]

Elwood, thank you for sharing your experience. It is refreshing to see someone who loves fishing so much and puts the effort to be as skilled as you are. For most unless they have done it, it is truly hard to understand what it takes to win such a tournament under winter conditions. Your enthusiasm is infective and maybe this joy of fishing will influence others. I know it has me. Thanks.

[mhall]

As I was rereading, I just remembered you beat out Drew Sadler and Jarod Seasor. Drew posts here and is a fantastic jig fisherman.

He's a beast on Cumberland to.

[thebassman30]

He's a beast on Cumberland to.

So I've seen.

[CATCHEMALL]

I am like Elwood and I dont think it has sunk in. The last 2 days at work every so often I think of what happened and I get this grin from ear to ear. I can close my eyes and still picture the whole thing from hookset till she was in the net. At one time she was straight under the boat and the sun was out and she looked like a submarine in the water. When she was finally in the net I think I could have walked back to the dock and not got my feet wet. I look back at it now and think about what we have accomplished and all I can say is wow! If this tournament goes on for 100 more years I can say that I have done something that very few people have did. I would have settled for just being able to put my name on the list on winners and been the happiest man in the world but the money just makes it that much better. So yes I plan on pounding my chest to anyone that will listen and can't wait till next year.

[Bonefish]

Merry Christmas, Catchemall! Christmas came early for you guys.