Daylight Has Dawned on a New Year...

And with the arrival of 2013 have come a couple emails from my contacts. As I announced in an earlier post, a special New Year's Day bass tournament was scheduled at Bob's Fishing Hole. It turns out, though, that only two fishermen showed up this morning. One of them decided to go fishing; the other decided to turn around and go home. I don't know if the sprinkles falling at scheduled launch time had anything to do with the situation or not.

In an email from Bob Glass, I learned that he was out testing a boat motor one day about two weeks ago when he caught the biggest fish of his life. He described the event like this:

"I had decided to take along a rod with a perch-colored crankbait attached. I fished about 50 yards of bank, with nothing but a 10-incher to show for my effort. So I moved across to a point, and on my first cast, I thought I had grabbed a stump, but then the line started moving.

"The way this big guy was pulling, I was sure it was a huge striper. I was wrong, though. It was the largest bass I've ever caught. I didn't have any scales with me, but I would estimate the fish in the 9-plus-pounds range. Holding it to my side, with the mouth about 3 or 4 inches above my waist, the tail hung 3 to 4 inches below my knee.

"It was a beautiful fish."

These are the kinds of reports that will continue coming your way this year, along with, of course, results of all the Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Tourneys held out of West Neck Marina. I also plan to cover various Region 7 events, not the least of which will be the 2nd annual Wounded Warriors bass tourney. And I plan to be on hand for some of the Stateline Bass Anglers events, too. The one definite new addition this year will be coverage of the 11th annual Cancer Classic scheduled for Sunday, June 9, out of West Landing Marina. I've already promised founder Chris Vitovich I'll be there to photograph and report on this fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in memory of his late close friend and fishin' buddy Steve Gambill.

I only can hope readers enjoy seeing the material presented here as much as I enjoy putting it together. This blog has been one of the best things that has happened to to me since I retired.

Although I didn't launch the endeavor until this past May, I already encounter a few folks who stop and ask me, "Are you the fella with the West Neck blog?" So, I certainly don't feel like my efforts have been in vain.

Here's hoping I'm giving all of you something you enjoy. Have a great New Year.