Ramey wins second straight Bassbusters event

John Ramey of Cape won the Bassbusters of Southeast Missouri bass fishing tournament Nov. 7 on Lake of Egypt in Southern Illinois.

The victory was Ramey's second straight.

Like the previous week, the event took place under tough fishing conditions. A strong cold front moved through the area, leaving blue skies and strong, cold north winds. The usually strong matted grass pattern was not working for Ramey or the balance of the field. Anglers reported a lot of strikes but no hook-ups, most likely due to the cold front.

Ramey abandoned the grass around 10 a.m. and moved to deeper main lake points, where he caught his winning bag of fish using a 200 series Bandit crankbait. Ramey also took big bass honors with a 4-pounder that fell for the Shad Pattern Bandit crankbait.

Kevin Bryant of Cape took second place using a 1/2-ounce Lunker Lure Buzzbait in white to catch his fish. Bryant focused on the edges of the grass mattes in the backs of the coves and creeks. This is a typical late fall location for both baitfish and bass in this area.

Most of the anglers struggled to catch fish in this event.

The weather was cool and post-frontal with winds from the north at 10-20 mph. The water temperature near the power plant was 70 degrees and 58 degrees in the balance of the lake.