Decatur Heritage Christian Academy Fishing Eagles Coaches Tournament

Ride Along with a student team

Ingalls Harbor, Wheeler Lake, April 11, 2015 – As a matter of pride and just to see how good they really are, the Coaches of the Decatur Heritage Christian Academy Fishing Eagles held a “Coaches Tournament” on Wheeler Lake in which pitted themselves against their student anglers.

In 2013, the student anglers slayed the coaches so bad they did not come back for a repeat in 2014. However, over time their courage built up and they once again issued a challenge to their charges for Saturday, April 11, 2015.

In the early morning hours three boat loads of coaches and three boats of student anglers showed up at Ingall’s Harbor in Decatur for a six hour tournament on Wheeler Lake. Some tall talk could be heard as the boats were launched but this soon faded at the bass rigs lifted up on plane and charged up and down river.

Boat captain Don Gowen with student anglers Brianna Tucker and Mitchell Gowen got the “hole shot” and made it as far down river as the State Docks channel. Coaches Norman Brown and Blake Gowen were determined to beat the students to the “honey hole”.

Taking a left off the main channel toward the back channel cut, the student’s ride climbed the wake of the coach’s boat in the right turn down the back channel and went airborne a couple of times with screams and yells from the kids with the rollercoaster ride. The rough ride left Brianna sitting in Mitchell’s lap as the boat captain held the boat between the buoys. They made a beeline toward another spot but noted that the slough was already occupied by another coach’s boat. Coach Norman Brown cut the student’s boat off from the entrance to the slough. Gowan left a little wake for coach’s Brown and Blake Gowen as the student’s boat did a 180 degree turn back upstream past Ingall’s Harbor. Mitchell and Brianna were headed on a wild ride to another honey hole. A wild ride and we burnt some fuel, but had a little fun in the process.

First stop was a shelf below the railroad bridge where the boat captain had caught a hawg or two over the years. The student anglers were eager and had lines in the water before the boat settled down in the water.

Mitchell and Brianna had worked all night to get ready to fish but change lures first thing at the honey hole. Twenty minutes later you can’t walk in the boat with rods and tackle bags scattered covering the deck of the boat. Brianna scored the first bass boated for the day. Mitchell casting everything but the tackle box Then, Brianna scores bass number two. Next, was a fast run up river to the power lines.

Boat captain Gowen next move was into Flint Creek where Mitchell started putting bass in the boat.

Back down river to the honey hole with one hour to go and the student team needed weight. A Little Critter Craw was the final lure of choice. Brianna ended the day with a 4 lb. 6 oz. largemouth. Incidently, boat captain Gowen had caught and released a 4 lb. 6oz. largemouth at the exact same spot March 24, 2014.

The time to go back to Ingalls Harbor for the weigh-in had come.

Brianna and Mitchell finished with a five bass limit weighing 9 lbs. 4 oz. Students Luke Bolan and Jonathan Cimino came in with 7 lbs. 8 oz. Jonathan scored a 4 lb. 6 oz. largemouth. Coaches Norman

Brown and Blake Gowen finished with a limit weighing 10 lbs. 7 oz. in largemouth bass. Coaches Stacy Brown and Jimmy Bolan had a nice string of largemouth going 11 lbs. 6 oz. Stacey and Bolan tied for the big bass of 4 lbs. 8 oz. Coach Jamie Smith earned a “honorable mention for his whopping 2 lb. 7 oz. bag.

Congratulations to the coaches for their 2015 win. The DHCA student anglers total was 21 lbs. The coaches total was 25 lbs.

There’s always next year.