Congrats to Brandon Kirby. 15#'s is a good sack on a tough lake! Sadly Lake Concodia is not the lake it once was.. Each year it gets harder and harder to catch a 5 bass tournament limit. Conditions this day were geat for at least a few heavy limits and some big kickers... but it didn't happen. At cast-off the water temp was 49 warming to 54/55 by noon...AND IT'S LATE FEBRUARY. Perfect for a good jig bite...Where did the big bass go?

I say You Cannot Catch What Is Not There"...Lake Concordia's bass population continues to fade away each year>>>> since the slot was removed. We need the slot limit back and we'll see those 30 to 40 bass days of the 1990's again and the 9 though 13# bass pound bass of yester-year.

When the spawn does kick off we will of course see some heavy weights but I'm guessing, like last year, the spawn will be short lived and the fishing on this small 1100 acre lake will continue to spiral downhill

Each year the life span of the spawn continues to get shorter. The size of the bass and numbers decrease and this year is shaping up to be no exception...And could someone tell me where all that pretty coontail moss went? We need moss and the slot limit back or some type of regs. When the slot was removed (I think 2001 or '02) Concordia was a free-for-all....Now we are paying the price...Regardless of today's conditions which were, in fact, perfect for pre-spawn BIG Bass, we should have caught some 6's, 7's maybe even a 9.....and some good sacks should have been weighed. Kirby did great with that 15# limit but in years past that would not even place in the money....Lake Bruin and St. Johns total weights of all recent events is walking all over Concordia...

We caught huge bass and heavy limits in the 1990's from Concordia during these conditions when the slot was on....Only two five bass limits were weighed in during the E Open and no limits in the River City Club deal....Being anti slot was not a good thing..Many went 8.5 hrs>>>fishless that day.. 

Big bass in the E Open was only 4.61..That's very weak for what was once a fine "trophy" bass fishery loaded with double digit bass...The River City Club big bass of the day was a great, big huge 3.69!....In that club a 9# sack won it, 9# was 2nd, 7.30 3rd was 6....and a whole 3.89 sack took 4th....ZERO 5 bass limits weighed with River City...

Lifting the slot and the lack of moss has took it's toll on Concordia's bass. Out-of-state visitors no longer come here. All the clients I was successfully guiding on Concordia do not come here anymore...What a dumb move that was....to remove the slot....Rigging for LSJ now. I'm willing to bet there will be many limits caught and some 15 to 18 pound sacks....Miss-Lou fishes in the morning. Look like rain...

report and pic by Doug S...

On Feb. 20th the Eddie's Marine Open found 20 anglers on Lake Concordia under a very warm bluebird calm 67 degree afternoon. The water was dingy and 46-55. Brandon Kirby of Wisner had one of the 2 limits for 15.80 and the 4.61 lunker on jigs. George Prince of Lake St. John had a solid 13.46 limit with a 4.05 quality bite for an easy 2nd while Matt Ingram fooled 3 for 9.09 to grab 3rd. Others with fish were Randy Pitre (3 for 7.33), Alan Brumfield (3 for 5.60), Mark Cifero (2 for 2.67), Scott Smith (1 for 3.79), Greg McVey (2 for 3.73), Doug Schexnayder (1 for 3.68), Buddy Smith (2 for 3.55), Matt Smith (2 for 3.36), James Mullins (1 for 3.01), Eddie Roberts (2 for 2.97) and Johnny Davis (1 for 2.38). Also fishing were Travis McElwee, Sam Morse, Greg Myers, Jr. Book, Michael Smith and Greg Rabb.