My first kayak bass tournament

BY Kris Hampton   

It was a warm spring morning, and I was gonna get my first taste of 'RAMP CAMPING'. My husband and I both got off work late, got a late start and didn't even leave the house until midnight. It was an hour and a half trip to the lake with only one ramp. We pulled in about 1:45 in the morning. We timidly introduced ourselves to the 3 or 4 guys who were standing out by their trucks, then got back into the truck and tried to catch a few hours of sleep. I had made myself a clear spot in the backseat of the truck to nap, knowing full well I just don't do well sleeping in a truck.  We woke up hours later, tired and excited. I had brought a small coffee pot that I thought I could plug into the truck and at least have coffee. At this point I realize some of you are already laughing. No, it didn't work. We waited on everyone to leave to ramp so we could launch. It was a power plant lake and the water was 103 degrees. The water was clear and hydrilla was everywhere. And this lake was deep! I made a feeble attempt at fishing the weeds, with no success. I was just out of my element. I rode around the lake, not wanting to get near other boaters. I didn't know the etiquette, and I didn't want to make a mistake.  There was a gathering at the end and we met a few people who could finally put a face to the name of the person asking a thousand questions. The guys were really wonderful. They chatted a bit, handed out awards and we left. At the end of the day, I was just thankful that my husband had caught two fish. I had learned so much, mainly no more ramp camping, lol.