Like anyone who had been forbidden to indulge in their passion during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bret Cunningham was pleased to just get out and do again last Sunday.
"It was great to be back on the water," he said.
Cunningham, 43, the Seymour city councilman who operates a dry cleaning business, and partner Keith Lucas took second place in the Indiana Slab Masters Tournament.
It was the first day tournaments were allowed this year following widespread shutdowns of areas to prevent too close social mingling.
The weather was sunny, beautiful and not too hot.
"We had quite a turnout," Cunningham said.
Forty-three teams weighed in 228 fish. The rules called for weighing in seven fish. The combined weight of the seven fish belonging to Cunningham and Lucas was 10.45 pounds. That ran second to another team’s total of 10.99 pounds.
The largest Cunningham/Lucas fish was 1.84 pounds with a second one at 1.82 pounds. The big fish of the tournament weighed 2.06 pounds.
"Catching big fish just adds to it," Cunningham said of lake fishing on a good day again.
Cunningham has been competing for 11 years on the circuit. He works regularly with Nothead Tackle of Seymour in developing his baits and lures for tournament competition.
Of course, each species rates differently on the size scale, so fish to fish, the definition of a big one weighed in a tournament varies.
"A 2-pound crappie is a giant fish," Cunningham said.
Crappie look bigger being hauled in than after they are caught because they are slender with little muscle mass. Hence, the nickname slabs.
Surprisingly, in what was predicted to be a nearly perfect weather day, the anglers got soaked for a short period of time.
"The fish didn’t mind," Cunningham said. "They were already wet."