Sports and Outdoors

 Lake Info

Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 322.10
Water Temperature:
56 degrees - top
56 degrees - bottom

Eustace knocks off Mabank, 7-2
Monitor Staff Reports
EUSTACE–Taking advantage of four Mabank errors and a fourth-inning home run by Braden Strickland, the hosting Eustace Bulldogs defeated the Mabank Panthers 7-2 March 20.
Mabank was scheduled to visit Ferris Tuesday, and will host the Crandall Pirates Friday, March 28. Next Tuesday, April 1, the Panthers will visit the Kemp Yellowjackets.

Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Eustace’s Rusty Hart (1) safely slides into second base as the cutoff throw to Mabank shortstop Cory Janicke (5) is too high. Also shown is Mabank second baseman Davis Kiker (6). Eustace scored on the play and went on to beat the Panthers 7-2.

Eustace was scheduled to host the Pirates Tuesday, and will visit Kaufman Friday. Next Tuesday, the Bulldogs will host Ferris. District 13-3A baseball varsity contests are set for 6:30 p.m. each evening.
Last Thursday’s contest was originally scheduled to be played in Mabank, but was moved to Eustace because the Panthers’ field was still too wet after thunderstorms rolled through the area March 18.
Under flawless blue skies, the Bulldogs rolled up 10 hits, most of them coming against the Panthers’ ace, junior lefty Kolton Browning, who took the loss.
Strickland got the win for Eustace, scattering seven hits as he improved his record to 4-1 on the season.
Strickland’s two-run shot over the left center fence in the fourth inning gave the Bulldogs a 6-1 lead, and ended the day for Browning, who was replaced by Joey Martin.
Browning had a double in the contest, along with Bulldog Ryan Compton.
 

Fishing unfamiliar waters
By Boyd Duckett
Special to The Monitor
These days, it’s pretty rare when pros get a chance to wet a line in a body of water that they have never fished before, though it still happens to vets and rookies alike.
Though we may fish for a living, we still find ourselves from time to time in the same position many of you find yourselves in on a regular basis – on the verge of fishing a lake that they know nothing about.
Hiring a guide is not an option come tournament time, and the same bodes true for a lot of people whose budget just doesn’t allow the added expense.
There are a few tried-and-true tricks that can make your first trip to a lake more successful and efficient.
First of all, get a good map of the lake. There are even lake maps on CD that you can use on your computer. Even an old map from the local marina can be a good start.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask other people at the marina and boat ramp.
If you are like me and bass is the species you are after, the first place that I always look is the classic spots. Deep, rocky points, humps and bars will probably have a resident population of fish.
If you can find some trees that have fallen into water that’s deeper than five feet, there’s a good chance that the area is holding fish – especially if the area offers quick and easy access for the fish to reach deep water.
Once you’ve found your area, set some limits for yourself. Even if you think the fishing might be better 30 miles away, limit yourself to the reasonably sized area that offers the characteristics you are looking for.
If your chosen spot has some weedbeds that grow below the surface, start with a spinnerbait or buzzbait on some medium-heavy tackle. By doing this, you entice those fish that hang out on the edges of the vegetation to feed.
If the weedbeds are deeper, try a shallow-running crankbait. These baits, in addition to enticing strikes, allow you to cover a lot of area quickly to determine the presence and behavior of the fish.
If you find an area with more trees and stumps than vegetation, and the bass aren’t responding to the quickly retrieved buzz, spinner and crankbaits, slow down your presentation with a Berkley PowerBait Classic Jig and a PowerBait Chigger Craw trailer, or a Texas-rigged Berkley PowerBait Power Worm.
Don’t give up on a bait too quickly – otherwise, you will set yourself into a pattern of switching rigs every other cast. Just like running to different spots on the lake every 15 minutes, constantly switching baits makes for a frustrating day on the water.
Being able to size up a body of water in a short amount of time under varied conditions is what makes or breaks a professional angler. It takes practice and patience, so don’t expect to fill your livewell with a bushel basket full of eight- and 10-pounders the first time out.
But, if you pay attention and take the time to record some simple notes for yourself, your next trips are bound to be even better.
Boyd Duckett, from Demopolis, Ala., is the 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion and currently fishes the BASS Elite Series.