Day, Kirkpatrick Win J-BAIT On Juliette

The Jonboat Bass Association collected this year’s State Jonboat Club Championship title. Team members are (Top row, from left): Josh Combs, Judy Standridge, Mike Standridge and Randy Steward. (Bottom row, from left): Chris Day, Daniel Standridge and Randall Kirkpatrick.

With 20.76 pounds, Randall Kirkpatrick and Chris Day, with the Jonboat Bass Asso­ciation, dominated the competition in the eighth-annual Anglers Warehouse J-BAIT, the state’s jonboat championship tournament. This year’s tournament took place Oct. 8, 2011 on the clear waters of Lake Juliette.

“We had 28 teams competing for Georgia’s jonboat state championship, with six clubs battling for the State Jonboat Club Championship,” said Terry Lee, tournament director.

Teams wondered just how the fishing would be on Lake Juliette. On Oct. 8, the winds were high, which made it tough for jonboats to get out on the main lake. Also, the lake was 10 feet low. However, Chris and Randall’s 20.76-lb. limit proved some bass were willing to bite somewhere.

Merrick McClure, president of the Small Water Angler Teams, caught this 5.72-pounder with 15 minutes remaining in the J-BAIT. It was big fish in the tournament and paid out $198.

“It turned out the fishing was great,” said Terry. “There was a strong frog bite early. Several teams said they lost several big bass on buzz-style frogs before the winds got up.”

Even with a strong frog bite, Chris and Randall struggled in the early hours of the tournament. They tried to catch a limit on plastic worms.

“At 8:30 a.m., Randall picked up his swimbait rod, which was loaded with a High Power swimbait that he designed,” said Terry. “Boom, he catches a 4-pounder. Randall then handed Chris a swimbait rod that he had brought along for Chris to use. It also had a High Power swimbait attached to it. Chris immediately hooked up on another 4-pounder.”

The swimbait craze that has exploded all over North America continues, and it’s obviously just as effective whether you’re powered by a 225 Mercury or a trolling motor. Chris and Randall caught all of their winning fish on the swimbait.

Randall Kirkpatrick (left) and Chris Day (right) ran away with this year’s J-BAIT, Georgia’s jonboat championship. They competed in a field of 28 of the state’s top jonboat teams on Lake Juliette on Oct. 8. Their limit weighed 20.76 pounds, nearly a 9 1/2-lb. difference from second place.

For more information on competing in jonboat tournaments, do a Google search for the teams listed in the box score below.