This past weekend a little magic took place on the Yough. While most fishing reports were frankly poor one small tournament went unnoticed. Frankly a lot of people just didn't have success. The Yough can do this to most people. I few friends fishing this weekend didn't catch a single bass fishing for two days. Reports were not even better when one tournament ended with 5 pound of bass taking first place. Even the high priced technology of livescope, mega live and active target failed to produce bass. Over thinking probably didn't help as fishermen tried to copy techniques now popular on you tube channels. The crazy rip jig, hair jig let's fish deep water to up the river is the place to go all failed.

But there was hope. The first indication I got that simple old fashion non technical fishing was the way to go was when a friend told me he caught 10 bass. No live anything, no new fancy baits just using common sense and his ability to use his knowledge of the Yough. I can not recall what he said his top 5 fish would have weighed.


Now for the magic. There was a smaller club tournament held this weekend. I know most of them, in fact one of them is my very good friend and fishing partner. The facts. The top three place caught 5 bass with the following weight totals, 15.63, 15.58 and 14.52. Remember this is a weekend that saw another tournament won with a 5 pound total and many others not boat a single bass. What's makes this even more interesting the second and third place anglers fished out of the same boat. No they did not have livescope, mega live or active target. My good fiend came in third, I joked that 30 pounds of bass in his live well should have sunk his boat. So you ask what did they do? Well they simply used what I call old-school fishing along with their knowledge of the Yough. Wow it sounds the same as my buddy who caught 10 that day.