Colburn:Fishing

The water clarity in Sabine Lake is still on the dingy side for this time of the year, but it is improving on a daily basis.The river is in very good shape and we are now seeing more shad and finger mullet in the bayous than we have seen in months.Add to that the fact that the wind has even backed off a little and area anglers just might catch a break with three tournaments coming up in the next two weeks!

The Triangle Tail Chasers fished their final qualifying tournament last weekend and posted some very impressive weights on a miserably hot day.In spite of the heat and difficulty in locating good numbers of slot fish, Eddie Roberts and Brian Quebodeaux topped the field with three reds that weighed a most respectable 21.77 pounds.

While it seems almost impossible due to the fact that they carry total weights out to the hundredths, there was a tie for second place.The team of Kevin and Michael Vaughn tied the team of Steven Havard and Kory Earp with identical 21.68 pound catches. Jerrod Broussard and Spencer Wommack cashed the third place check with a weight of 18.19 pounds.

The door prizes alone are a good reason for fishing these events as the winners received everything from Yeti ramblers provided by the Tail Chasers Club to $100 gift certificates provided by Jorgensen Marine.Darin Johnson, representing Del Papa, gave away a pop up tent and Neches River Wood Works gave away a very nice rod rack as well. The championship tournament is scheduled for August 15^th and aside from the money, there will be some super prizes up for grabs as well!.

The big event this weekend is the 6^th annual Cops Helping Kids saltwater Tournament sponsored by the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Association.The Captain’s meeting will be held at the Pt. Arthur Civic Center Friday night with the tournament weigh-in set for Saturday out of Dick Dowling Park.

This is a charity event that you do not want to miss.The Captain’s meeting includes a steak dinner, beverages, live and silent auctions and door and raffle prizes.Food will also be provided for contestants at the final weigh-in.First place money in the redfish, trout and flounder divisions is $1500 and each division pays five places.There are also numerous bonus categories and side pots that you can enter.

This is a Captain’s meeting and tournament that caters to the entire family. For more information call 409-284-7934.Tony Viator will be at Daley’s in Nederland this Thursday for their monthly afternoon fishing seminar.Tony can answer any and all questions and even get you signed up on the spot.Local guides will also be on hand discussing lures, colors and what the fish are doing on Sabine.It all starts around 4 p.m.

Also on the 25th, right here on the Sabine River, Simon Outfitters and Bass Kandi Baits will host a team bass tournament out of the Public Boat Launch on Simmons Drive.All contestants must fish with Bass Kandi products only.The payback is 100% and the prize money will be dependent on the total number of entries.

You can sign up and get more information at Simon Outfitters located on MacArthur Drive in Orange.The following Saturday the OCARC will host its 28th annual fishing tournament out of the City of Orange Public Boat Ramp.I’ll have more about that popular tournament in next week’s column.

Louis Moore also called to remind me that the Orange County CCA Chapter Banquet is less than a month away.They kick things off at 6:00 p.m. on August 20th at the Orange County and Convention Expo Center on Hwy. 1442. As of right now they still have sponsor tables and individual tickets available.

This is yet another enjoyable event that has just exploded in popularity due to the tireless efforts of the Orange Chapter members.The meal and socializing is worth the $50 ticket alone, but that one price also includes your yearly membership in CCA.The bidding in the live and silent auctions should also be lively this year with everything from custom firearms to guided trips on the block.

A lot of folks found out a little too late last year that the tickets to this event sell out very quickly.I would recommend calling Louis at 988-4845 or Scott Bandy at 988-3637 this week to purchase tickets in advance.They can also help you reserve a corporate table for eight or sixteen of your guests.