November 2024 - Apache Lake
President’s Report
What a fantastic tournament to wrap up the year! Apache Lake always offers a unique challenge, and this year was no exception. The competition was tough, and I’m thrilled to see the camaraderie and sportsmanship that make our club so special. Congratulations to all the anglers who participated and to those who managed to crack the code and bring in impressive bags despite the challenging bite.
A special shoutout to our winners, Don Blume and Dennis Theil, who brought in an incredible 19.09-pound bag. Their success in finding and targeting deeper fish with spoons in 30–35 feet of water was a testament to their skill and persistence. It’s always exciting to see someone figure out a pattern that works so well. Well done, gentlemen!
Beyond the fishing, one of the highlights of this event was the amazing cookout we enjoyed together. I want to take a moment to thank the board members who made it possible. Mitch Vitkovitch went above and beyond in cooking for us all, and [Patrick Buckner’s edited] beans were a hit—even though he had to deal with the messy job of cleaning his open pot! Joe Michels’ potato salad was another standout addition to the meal, and of course, thanks to everyone who brought the delicious desserts that rounded out the feast.
Our weigh-in crew also deserves a round of applause. Their hard work ensures that our events run smoothly, and they’re an essential part of what makes this club so great. Thank you for your dedication and effort.
As for the fishing, it was a grind for many of us, but it’s clear that persistence and adaptability paid off. Whether it was finesse techniques like drop shots and Flick Shake worms or reaction baits like crankbaits and chatterbaits, everyone brought their best strategies to the table. It’s always inspiring to see the creativity and determination of our anglers.
To those who brought in big weights or even just managed to land a few fish on a tough day, congratulations on your hard work and success. And to everyone who participated, thank you for being part of this incredible community. Your enthusiasm and support make this club what it is, and I’m already looking forward to the next season.
Let’s take what we learned from Apache and carry it into next year. Tight lines, everyone, and here’s to an even better 2025 season!
Tournament Summary
Apache Lake proved to be a challenging yet rewarding venue for the anglers. Many teams struggled to find consistent reaction bites, with most success coming on finesse techniques like drop shots and Flick Shake worms. However, the winning team cracked the code by targeting deeper fish with chrome jigging spoons, capitalizing on shad schools in 30–35 feet of water.
Prefishing was a mixed bag, with some anglers identifying productive areas and others unable to establish reliable patterns. Reaction baits such as crankbaits, chatterbaits, and jerkbaits produced sporadic results but rarely led to significant upgrades. Instead, most teams relied on patience and persistence with drop shots and other finesse approaches to build and improve their bags.
The tournament also highlighted the value of teamwork and adaptability. Teams that adjusted their strategies during the day—whether by switching baits, exploring new areas, or returning to promising spots—saw the best results. Despite the tough bite, several standout catches, including a 5.57-pounder and a 6.65-pounder, provided thrilling moments for participants.
Key Takeaways
• Deep Water Strategies Were Key: Chrome jigging spoons played a pivotal role for the winners, particularly in areas near Burnt Coral with shad schools. Fishing vertically and focusing on subtle movements like the fall was highly effective in 30–35 feet of water.
• Finesse Techniques Dominated: Drop shots with worms like Robo Worms and Morning Dawn were reliable producers across the board. Flick Shake worms and Texas rigs also accounted for multiple catches.
• Reaction Bites Were Sparse: Although crankbaits, chatterbaits, and jerkbaits yielded occasional big fish, these techniques weren’t consistent. Teams had to grind to capitalize on these bites, often with little success.
• Adapting to Conditions: Anglers who remained flexible in their approach—switching baits or revisiting spots that produced earlier—tended to fare better. For instance, returning to promising areas mid-day paid off for multiple teams.
• Key Areas Produced Results: Productive zones included rocky banks, points, and small coves with shad activity. Teams reported success near the marina and Burnt Coral, especially when focusing on specific structural features.
• Teamwork Made the Difference: Strong communication and shared decision-making allowed partners to maximize their efforts. The most successful teams complemented each other’s strengths, with one angler often keying in on the best bait or presentation.
Apache Lake challenged even the most experienced anglers, but the event highlighted the importance of perseverance, experimentation, and adapting to tough conditions. For bass anglers, it’s a reminder that success often comes from combining finesse with strategic adjustments.
Tournament Reports
First Place - 19.09 lbs
Don Blume and Dennis Theil
Don Blume
I would like to start off by thanking the board and the weigh-in crew for running a top-notch club. The BBQ on Tuesday night was excellent—thanks to everyone who cooked and contributed to the dinner.
I had the pleasure of fishing with Dennis Thiel. The Monday before the tournament, I prefished with a friend. It started off cold and very windy, and we managed only small bites using jerkbaits and drop shots. Within about an hour, we had a small Bartlett limit, so we decided to head over to Roosevelt for a fun day of fishing. Roosevelt turned out to be just that—fun. We caught mostly fish under 2 pounds but managed to reel in around 50 to 70 fish overall.
Returning to Apache, Dennis and I prefished on Tuesday and caught about 20 fish using jerkbaits and drop shots. Most of our catches were under 2 pounds, except for one 3-pounder we found in the river. Around 3 p.m., we went about a mile past Burnt Coral, where we found a large concentration of shad with fish feeding around them. I tried a Kastmaster spoon and caught a 3-pound fish just before we headed in for the BBQ.
On tournament day, Dennis and I decided to start off by beating the banks with jerkbaits and drop shots to get a small limit, then head to the river to upgrade our fish. The day began with me catching a 1.5-pounder on a jerkbait, followed shortly by Dennis landing another 1.5-pounder on a Flick Shake worm. A little while later, Dennis got our third fish, another 1.5-pounder, on a drop-shot worm.
We moved around to a few spots but couldn’t catch another fish. Around 9:30 a.m., we decided to hit our river spot to see if the spoon bite was on. After spooning for about 40 minutes, I caught our fourth fish, which weighed close to 5 pounds. Approximately 30 minutes later, I landed our fifth fish, a 3.59-pounder. That brought our total to about 14 pounds by 11:00 a.m., and we felt like we had a solid chance of placing in the money—or even winning the tournament.
Dennis switched to a spoon similar to mine, and we continued wearing out our arms vertically jigging. Over the next four hours, we culled our two 1.5-pound fish with 2.5-pounders, pushing our total to about 16 pounds. We felt increasingly confident.
At 3:40 p.m., I caught our biggest fish of the day—a 5.57-pound bass—bringing our total weight to 19.09 pounds. At that point, we were sure we had done everything we could. We headed to the ramp at 4:00 p.m. feeling great about our performance.
All our spoon fish came from an area about a mile past Burnt Coral in 30 to 35 feet of water. We used 1/2-ounce chrome jigging spoons (I’m not sure of the brand or name). We worked them up and down under the boat, fishing into the wind on Spot Lock while slowly moving down the lake. The fish were tight to the bottom and not visible on LiveScope. Most bites came on the fall, with the fish grabbing the spoon as we lifted it off the bottom.
It turned out to be one of those special days where everything comes together. I had a great time fishing and getting to know Dennis.
Finally, congratulations to Mike Bidak and John Schramer for their big fish—a 6.65-pound beast—and their second-place finish. Well done!
Dennis Thiel
Big thanks to Don Blume for a great couple of days on Apache Lake! Don and I prefished on Tuesday, throwing just about everything we had and connecting on jerkbaits, Flick Shake worms, drop shots, and Texas rigs. We caught around 20 fish mid-lake, but none had much size.
Around 2:30 p.m., Don mentioned that he hadn’t spent much time fishing in the river or up near the dam. So, we decided to take a boat ride to check out the area, stopping to fish a few spots along the way. At our final stop, we marked a large concentration of shad and fish in about 35 feet of water. I stuck with my drop shot, but Don switched to a spoon and landed a 3-pounder. It was already 4:00 p.m., so we headed back in for the cookout, unaware that this 3-pounder would be the key to our eventual victory.
On tournament morning, we started in the same mid-lake spots, catching a few familiar 1.5-pound fish. By 9:30 a.m., we realized we needed to take a chance and see if that 3-pounder from prefishing was part of a larger pattern or just a fluke. Off to the river we went.
We stopped in the same area and, while we didn’t see as many shad as before, the fish were still showing up on the screen. I dropped down a spoon and immediately caught a fish over 2 pounds. Shortly after, Don hooked one of our two 5-pounders. By 10:00 a.m., we had a solid bag and looked at each other, realizing we still had six hours left to fish. There was no doubt—we’d be jerking spoons for the rest of the day.
Throughout the day, we continued to upgrade our bag. With about 20 minutes left in the tournament, Don yelled for the net, and we landed our biggest fish of the day—our final upgrade.
Huge thanks to the Midweek weigh-in crew and everyone involved in organizing the cookout. It was a fantastic experience all around.
Tight Lines
Second Place 15.92 lbs
Mike Bidak & John Schramer
Third Place - 14.99 lbs
Manny Madrid Bryan Colby
Manny
Congratulations to Don Blume and Dennis Theil on an incredible bag of fish! This will be short since I’m sitting in Sheep Camp for the next few weeks.
I had the pleasure of fishing with Bryan Colby, and it was a great experience. We were able to prefish together for one day, identifying a few spots that seemed to be holding better fish.
Tournament day arrived, and we started on a small flat where we stayed for the first few hours of the morning. I was throwing a chatterbait, while Bryan worked with a crankbait. Our first fish of the day came on the chatterbait and weighed a little over 5 pounds. Although the flat produced a few more bites, none were noteworthy.
We made a few moves throughout the day, and Bryan was able to boat our third fish. We bounced on and off the flat several times, and when we returned later in the morning, Bryan managed to fill out our limit. Unfortunately, one of our fish was a 1.5-pounder that we desperately tried to cull over the remaining five hours, but we just couldn’t find the right bite.
Bryan worked hard and caught several fish, but we couldn’t upgrade that smaller one. Nevertheless, his efforts in finishing out our limit secured us a 3rd place finish. All the credit goes to Bryan for his persistence and skill!
I’m looking forward to the 2025 season and wish everyone the best of luck!
Fourth Place - 12.09 lbs
Joe Michels and Bill Pfeifer
I had the distinct pleasure of fishing with Bill Pfeifer, an experienced angler who has been fishing Arizona waters for decades. I was glad to draw him as my partner because he caught our biggest fish of the tournament—a 4.21-pounder. That fish turned out to be the largest caught between pre-fishing and the tournament itself.
I pre-fished a total of four days, one of those with Bill. Out of the five days on the water, tournament day was by far the best. Before the tournament, our best day yielded a modest 9.5 pounds, and it was challenging to catch anything over 2 pounds. Patterning fish that size or bigger felt nearly impossible. Here’s how we managed it.
During practice, I discovered a crankbait bite, but the fish tended to weigh between 1.5 and 1.9 pounds. To get a single bite, I had to crank through hundreds of yards of shoreline. Even then, the bite would shut down by 11 a.m., and I couldn’t establish a consistent pattern. The bites were random. Bill and I concluded that the best approach was to simply cover as much bank as possible and hope to run into an active bass willing to bite. Once I accepted that randomness, it became easier to just focus on fishing.
We also found, like everyone else, smaller fish on drop shots and free rigs during practice. These fish were mostly in the 1 to 1.3-pound range. I could also catch fish on a jerkbait, but they were small as well. However, there were always exceptions, so we didn’t rule out any technique that produced bites.
When pre-fishing with Bill, we both started with crankbaits. Within the first hour, Bill landed three keepers, including a 2-pounder right behind me. We hypothesized that his shallow-running squarebill crankbait was more effective than my deeper-diving round bill crankbait, as his bait ran above the fish, which naturally feed upward. Acting on this insight, Bill tied on a spinnerbait in addition to his squarebill, which turned out to be a smart move. It was his spinnerbait that landed the 4.21-pounder early in the morning, giving us hope for a solid limit.
Oddly, my deeper-diving crankbait started catching fish better than Bill’s squarebill, though the fish were smaller—mostly around 1 pound instead of the 1.8-pounders I had caught during practice. That trend held until I hooked into a 3-pounder. At that point, we had a solid limit consisting of the 4-pounder, the 3-pounder, and three 1-pounders. After that, both the crankbait and spinnerbait bites shut off.
We then moved to a spot where I could reliably catch fish on a drop shot and free rig. There, we upgraded our 1-pounders to 1.4-pounders, finalizing our limit around 2 p.m.
A couple of side notes: we stumbled upon a school of fish that were willing to hit a jerkbait. Together, we caught about seven fish in a 40-yard stretch. We hit the spot twice, hoping for bigger fish, but none showed. Interestingly, while the crankbait bite had stopped, fish would still hit a jerkbait sporadically.
We also tried fishing with jigs in search of a better bite. However, our results were inconsistent—either small fish or none at all, depending on the day.
I want to congratulate the top three teams for upholding the reputation of Midweek Bass. A special shout-out goes to Don Blume and Dennis Theil for their blowout win—great work, gentlemen!
Fifth Place - 9.85 lbs
Laron Porter and Steve Tinsley
Wow, another tournament—and another tournament year—has come and gone. I really look forward to fishing with Midweek each month, and I’m bummed that the season is over. I had high hopes for Apache Lake but found it pretty tough to get the bigger fish to bite.
I was fortunate enough to draw Steve Tinsley as my partner, someone I’ve come to consider a good friend. Steve stuck our biggest fish of the day on a jig, which really helped us boost our weight. Great catch, Steve! Unfortunately, we only caught two fish on jigs—the second being a small one. The majority of our fish came on drop shots and jerkbaits, with most of them schooled up on points.
On tournament day, we managed to catch around 10 fish, which was a big improvement over our practice. Hats off to the teams who brought in big weights—someone always figures it out! Nice job to all the top finishers.
There’s no replacement for time on the water, especially when we can learn from each other. I truly appreciate everyone in the Midweek Club. The camaraderie and support from everyone have been amazing. Thanks for another awesome year!
Sixth Place - 9.26 lbs
Joe Beaty & Greg Prather
First off, a 19-pound bag is impressive anywhere, but even more so with a tough bite. Congratulations to the winners!
I arrived on Saturday and had four days to figure things out. This was my first time bass fishing at Apache Lake. During practice, I managed to catch one nice largemouth weighing 6.2 pounds. Unfortunately, my reaction bite was nonexistent, and by tournament day, drop-shotting was the only reliable technique I had going.
At our first stop, Greg Prather and I fished an area just past the marina where I’d had multiple bites during practice. We caught four fish there before moving on to another spot, but that second location didn’t produce anything. We decided to return to spot one, and after a few minutes, Greg hooked a solid 3.3-pound largemouth, giving us a limit.
Throughout the day, we culled three times, with every fish coming on Robo Worms. I had a great time fishing with Greg, even when the trolling motor died during the final hour of the tournament. Despite the setback, we kept fishing until the end.
Seventh Place - 8.52 lbs
Roger Root and Dim Duel
I had the pleasure of being the co-angler with Roger Root. We decided to prefish separately, and Roger found better fish than I did. On tournament day, we started at his best pre-tournament spot. Unfortunately, as often happens, the fish weren’t there any of the three times we went back.
Roger had another spot past the marina on the roadside of the lake. It was a small cove with a cliff wall, no longer than 5 or 6 boat lengths and maybe 35 feet wide. Roger managed to pull out 4 or 5 fish from that spot using a Tequila Sunrise worm.
My only fish that made it to the scales came while drop-shotting a rocky bank during the jet flyover, using a straight Morning Dawn worm.
As always, the weigh-in crew did a fantastic job. Thanks to everyone for their hard work!