There Are Plenty More Where These Came From

Maybe you fancy plain ol' white...

or perhaps tan is more to your likin'...








Or maybe you're partial to bright colors--like, say, orange and chartreuse. Whatever your pleasure is in T-shirts, it's highly likely Steve and Kim at West Neck Marina have something you'll like.

The tees come in all sizes, too--small, medium, large, extra large and 2X large. There even are some that'll fit the kiddies. The price: $17 for adult sizes, $15 for kiddie sizes.

And, in case you're interested, you'll find a supply of T-shirts in various colors bearing the name "Blackwater Trading Post," which Steve also owns.

Stop in now and get your tees, and while you're at it, try one of their BBQ or brisket sandwiches. And in case you want to do a little fishin', they can fix you up in that regard, too.

High Water Last Time, Low Water This Time

Learning to adapt to dramatic water-level fluctuations is a must when you fish the North Landing River. For example, we had water completely over one of the catwalks at West Neck Marina when we launched boats on tourney day last Saturday. With the water more than a foot lower today than it was then, anglers weren't able to get anywhere close to a lot of the water they fished last weekend. Nevertheless, most of the 13 fishermen in eight boats found fish today.

Leading the pack today was this team, comprised of Mike Miller (left) and Chris Fretard, who brought a sack of five bass to the scales weighing a total of 13.05 lbs. The fish Chris is holding weighed in at 5.27 lbs., which was good enough to lay claim to big-fish honors for the day, too.

Second place today went to the team of Bob Glass and Randy Conkle. While Bob holds up a couple of their nicer fish...

Randy accepts the envelope containing the winnings for their five-fish limit that tipped the scales at 9.05 lbs. Their big fish weighed 2.04 lbs.







Here is how everyone else finished today:

     * The team of Tim Ackal and Matt Ennes, five fish, total weight 6.97 lbs., big fish 1.59 lbs.
     * Jim Wilder, five fish, total weight 6.36 lbs., big fish 2.16 lbs.

     * The team of Al Lemieux and Noah Alford, four fish, total weight 6.18 lbs., big fish 2.88 lbs. Seen here is Noah, holding up two of the nicer fish, including the 2.88 that he and his grandpa boated today.






     * Ken Testorff, four fish, total weight 4.83 lbs., big fish 1.66 lbs.

The team of Bill Zink and Walter McGraw didn't weigh any fish. The same was true of Gary Coderre.

Those 10 anglers who participated in the weigh-in accounted for a total of 28 bass weighing a grand total of 46.44 lbs, which translates into an average weight of 1.6 lbs. per fish.

Five more anglers qualified today to fish our season-ending two-day Classic on Oct. 12-13 by virtue of having fished four tourneys this season. Included are Al Lemieux, Gary Coderre, Chris Fretard, Mike Miller, and Bob Glass.

For planning purposes, our next tourney is scheduled for Saturday, May 4. Fishing hours will be safe light (or approximately 6 a.m.) to 2 p.m. Please note that these hours are different than what we've been fishing.

His Biggest Channel Catfish to Date

That's how Joe V., another one of my regular readers whom I just heard from today, described the fish in this picture. He caught it this past Sunday afternoon while fishing for four hours in the lake behind his house in the Indian Lakes section of Kempsville. The 10-lb. cat was so strong it took Joe about 10 minutes to land him on bass spinning gear.

The 55-year-old Joe says his dad got him hooked on fishing as a kid. "When I was old enough, he would take me, spring and fall, to Mill Dam Creek, Snake Creek, Blackwater River, and various spots in Back Bay," he explained. "I got the bass-fishing bug early and, until my late teen years, spent almost every spare moment bass fishing." He went on to say that he almost stopped fishing altogether during college and his early married years. He eventually picked it back up again but lacked a boat to get to the waters he really wanted to fish.

For the past five years or so, Joe has become an avid carp fisherman. "I'm trying to break the 20-lb. barrier but, so far, only have made it to the 15.5-lb. mark," he said. Why carp? "Because they are plentiful, large, and a lot of fun to land on bass tackle or lighter gear."

Last summer, Joe visited West Neck Marina a couple times and bank fished. As he related to me, "I caught 20 to 30 bluegill and other small fish in just a couple hours of fishing that point near the boat launch."

Like a lot of other folks, Joe also reads Charlie's blog and has been talking to him about the possibility of getting a kayak this summer so he can get out to some of those spots he fished as a kid. He especially would like to be able to check out a canal in Southern Shores, just off the Currituck Bridge at Nags Head, where he once boated a 6-lb. 12-oz. bass--his biggest one to date--on a Mepps minnow spinner.

Joe said he anxiously checks both Charlie's blog and mine daily for new posts.

Here's wishing you "Tight Lines!" no matter what species you're after, Joe. And good luck in saving up for that kayak, too.

Wow! How Time Flies!

May 9th will mark the first anniversary of this blog. It was on that date in 2012 that my good friend and fellow blogger, Charlie Bruggemann, started me on this journey. So before I go any farther, let me thank Charlie, my followers, and all my readers everywhere. I sincerely appreciate your support.

It's truly a joy doing this blog because it affords me an opportunity to deal with two of my most favorite things in the whole world at the same time: bass fishing and writing. And when I receive email like the note I got last night, it just puts the icing on the cake. This particular note came from William Z., a young Sailor stationed locally. He wrote:

"I would just like you to know I enjoy reading your blog. My friends and I are active duty at this time, and we are in our mid-20s. Due to our constant deployments, we haven't fished since we joined the military, so our fishing abilities have significantly degraded. We enjoy reading your blog to help us figure out how we can catch a few more fish.

"Recently I purchased an old Bass Tracker for us to putt around in at West Neck. We have gone out there four times to fish in the last week and a half. On our first trip in the boat, just to make sure it didn't sink, we caught a nice 4-lb. largemouth within 10 minutes of setting up. Since then, we pretty much haven't caught anything, except for today. We went out in the rain and caught a pickerel.

"We enjoy your blog and look forward to reading more posts."

I didn't realize it until I sat down to start this post, but William and his friends were just exiting the marina yesterday as I turned in to get a photo of the water-level stick at the ramp. I remember seeing a Bass Tracker with a Mercury outboard hooked behind a pickup--they stopped until I had completed my turn. That's OK, though, 'cause I'm sure our paths will cross again one day soon, and I'll get to shake their hands.

As I read William's email last night, my mind drifted back to the time when I was about the same age as him and his friends. I, too, was in the Navy at the time, stationed aboard the old Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer USS Stormes (DD-780), homported in Norfolk. I related this info in a response to William and included details of something that happened during what was supposed to be a two-week training evolution.

I was married to my first wife at the time, so was living ashore. When our ship pulled out of port that morning, I had only enough dungarees and other gear to last me for the two weeks. As luck would have it, though, we got diverted to the coast of Cuba to participate in the missile crisis, and it was months later before we got back home. Between ship's store and some shipmates who didn't mind sharing, I got through the cruise with minimal problems. And I never left port again after that without having my full seabag in tow--including the old "flat hat" that still was part of the standard issue back then.

Please forgive me for getting off track there. Hopefully, I didn't bore you too badly with that old sea story. My Navy days still and always will rank right up there with my love for bass fishing and writing.

In any event, I just hope I'm around for a lot more years and maintain my sanity so I can keep writing for this blog. And thanks again to Charlie, my followers, and all the readers. In a sense, you're all taking this journey with me.

We Need Your Help...

 

That's the message Robert Stamey wants to emphasize about this monthly tournament series being held at Bob's Fishing Hole. "We aren't getting the necessary participation for this series to be self-sustaining--meaning without the need for sponsorship," he said.

 

"We established the AOY program to encourage more involvement," he continued, "but it drew very little interest, so we recently pulled the AOY for that reason. We added a guaranteed payout for the April tournament but found this incentive also did little to boost participation."

 

Another aspect that has to be considered here is the fact that this series must be worthwhile for the ownership of Bob's, who, in the beginning, agreed to urge regular clientele to stay away on Wounded Warrior tourney dates. That way, there would be room for the anticipated 50 rigs per event. The problem, however, is that this series isn't drawing anywhere close to 50 rigs.

 

As Robert pointed out, "We will make a decision on the future of this series after our May 4 tournament." Hours for that event will be safelight to 2 p.m., and the payout will be based upon 50 percent of the entry fees collected.

 

Robert hinted that hosting monthly charitable events may be asking too much. "We may have to look into an annual event, instead," he said.

Within a Few Hundred Yards of the West Neck Ramp...

That's where Monte Pursifull found some nice bass yesterday.

As related to me in an email this morning, he didn't get on the water until 1045. On his third cast, a dink took his buzzbait, and two casts later, a 4-lb. 2-oz. largemouth did the same thing. An hour after that, a 2-pounder decided his artificial frog was the right medicine.

Said Monte, "All these fish were taken from the edge of tall, flooded grass within a few hundred yards of the ramp. Although I was on the water slightly less than four hours, it was a good day."

I can't imagine anyone taking exception to that statement.

No Problem Finding Fish Today

It was our smallest turnout to date in the current season, but I expected reduced numbers. Six boats with a total of nine anglers motored away from the boat basin this morning in a light rain.

The man walking away with all the "marbles" today was Mark London (pictured here), who weighed five hefty bass that totaled 15.59 lbs. He also had big fish at 4.22 lbs.

The other participants today finished as follows:

     * The team of Lenny Hall and Gary Coderre, five fish, total weight 14.37 lbs., big fish 3.52 lbs.
     * The team of Bob Glass and Randy Conkle, five fish, total weight 9.29 lbs., big fish 2.36 lbs.
     * The team of Chris Fretard and Mike Miller, five fish, total weight 9.21 lbs., chose not to weigh their big fish.
     * Ken Testorff, five fish, total weight 8.16 lbs., big fish 3.35 lbs.
     * Steve Bailey missed weigh-in by a few minutes. However, he had fish in his livewell.

Those eight anglers who participated in the weigh-in accounted for a total of 25 bass weighing a grand total of 56.62 lbs., which translates into an average of 2.26 lbs. per fish.

Thus far, Ken is the only angler to have fished the required four tourneys necessary to participate in the season-ending two-day Classic contest. This list will grow considerably before the season ends.

For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for next Saturday, April 27. Start time will be safe light (or approximately 6:30 a.m.). Weigh-in will be at 2:30 p.m.

When You're Catching a Few, Stay Put

I can't count the number of times over the years when I've been in an area where I was catching a few fish, only to pick up and run to a new spot and end up fishless for the rest of the day. Such was my misfortune today.

I originally ran a tiny bit farther south this morning than I went on Tuesday and had boated six fish by 12 noon--on the same two Bandit Footloose I had used Tuesday, along with a Yo-Zuri SS Minnow. The best fish was my first one, which weighed in at 1-3.

My next stop was the back of Albright's Creek, but the fish there wouldn't have a thing to do with any of the baits I had used all morning. It wasn't until I tied on a super noisy topwater bait that I saw any signs of life. Immediately, I had three fish swat at the lure, but all of them missed it. From then until I quit at 3 o'clock, there was absolutely no action at all, other than my fighting the wind with the trolling motor.

When I got home today, I had an email from Jerry, who launched right behind me this morning. Given the 3.8-foot water level, good clarity, and a water temp of 69 degrees, he said he figured he was in for a good day of fishing. Unfortunately, the fish wouldn't cooperate.

"Obviously, my tackle box isn't big enough," said Jerry, "because I couldn't find anything in it that would draw a strike from a bass. The only thing that saved the morning from being a total skunk was a nice bream I caught on a beetlespin."

Jerry said all his fishing was done north of the West Neck Bridge. He talked to a guy in a 16-foot Carolina Skiff that had caught two bass and two panfish. By 10:30 this morning, Jerry had had enough. He pulled his boat out and headed home.

A Change in Plans

Robert Stamey has made a change to this tournament series, effective with the tournament scheduled this coming Saturday, April 20. In lieu of serving lunch and offering door prizes, he is going to use those funds for prize money.

As originally announced, 50 percent of all proceeds still will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. The rest will be used to pay 1st, 2nd and 3rd places, as well as big fish. First place will be a guaranteed $500, regardless of the turnout. With big fish, the winning team will earn around $700 total.

Said Robert, "We hope this change will encourage more participation and thus allow us to send more funds to a worthy cause."

In closing, Robert asked everyone to please note that launch time is 6 a.m. or safelight this Saturday.

Getting Footloose with a Bunch of Small Bass

As I left West Neck Creek this morning and turned south, I figured it was going to be another spinnerbait day, but that wasn't the case at all. One by one, I went through the three models I had tied on to no avail. I then tried to tempt the fish with a Bagley's Bang-o-Lure, but they weren't buying that either.

It wasn't until I picked up one of the two rods with a Bandit Footloose tied on that things started happening. By the time I quit at 3 o'clock and headed back to the marina, I had boated 16 fish, including 14 bass, 1 pickerel, and 1 yellow perch. My best three bass of the day were a 1-3, 1-7 (pictured here) and a 1-0. Most of the others fell in the 12-to-14-ounce range.

Everything went for the two Bandit Footloose, and all the fish came from the same small, shallow spot down south. Besides the fish I boated, I easily missed a dozen more that hit a bit quicker than I could react.

All in all, it was a relaxing, fun day that I wouldn't trade for anything in this world. I've always just enjoyed that tug on the line, whether it be a 2-incher or a 2-pounder.  Don't get me wrong--I enjoy setting the hook on a big fish as much as the next guy, but when I'm out like I was today, the size honestly doesn't matter.

A Day When Big 'Uns Ruled

With the ever-increasing water temperatures, I knew it would only be a matter of time before some fellas started hitting the mother lode of big bass. Today's third event in this 2013 series marked the beginning of that annual phenomena. Seventeen anglers in 10 boats were part of the story.

The Money Winners and Their Fish

 

(From left) Mike Evans and his partner, Jeff Garnes, weighed this fantastic five-fish limit that tipped the scales at 20.47 lbs., anchored by the 5.70-lb. bass in Mike's left hand. They walked away with both first-place and big-fish prize money. It's worthy to mention here that participants in four other boats weighed fish bigger than 4 lbs. today.

Chris Fretard and his partner, Mike Miller (not pictured), laid claim to 2nd place with these two fish, plus three more, that weighed a total of 16.17 lbs.

Some of the Other Nice Fish Weighed Today 



J. P. Twohig and his partner, Bobby Moore (not pictured), weighed a five-fish limit, including these two, that totaled 12.67 lbs.

Eddie Sapp holds up two of the five fish weighed by him and his partner, Paul Celentano (not pictured). Their total weight was 9.29 lbs.

 Others Who Weighed Fish

 

Bob Glass was the only other angler today to weigh a five-fish limit. His catch tipped the scales at 11.09 lbs.

 

Duane Kessel weighed three fish totaling 6.16 lbs., and the team of Al Lemieux and Noah Alford weighed four fish totaling 4.30 lbs.

 

Those Who Didn't Weigh Fish

 

The short list here included the team of Rob Peppers and Don Carter, the team of Al Napier and Phil Glennon, and Ken Testorff. All of these individuals caught keeper fish today but chose not to weigh them.

 

Today's Totals

 

Those 12 anglers who participated in the weigh-in accounted for a total of 32 bass weighing a grand total of 80.15 lbs. These numbers translate into an average of 2.5 lbs. per fish.

 

For Planning Purposes

 

Our next tourney is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, 2013. Fishing hours will be safe light (or approximately 6:30 a.m.) until 2:30 p.m.

 

Some Participants in Today's Parade of Bass Boats

 



The Catfish Must Be Bitin'...

Or so you would be led to believe by this photo of the proud angler, Jim (left), along with the 3-lb. channel cat he landed at West Neck Marina earlier today. On hand with his congratulations for the catch is Steve, the marina manager.

The man behind the camera here is my kayaker buddy, Charlie, who was at West Neck to meet one of his blog readers. It seems Charlie is going to be giving this reader a fishing lesson tomorrow. I can't think of a better guy to be your angling teacher for the day.

My hat's off to Jim on his catch today--Well done! And thanks, Charlie, for sharing Jim's happy moment with me and all my blog readers.

Incidentally, Charlie tells me the water level is over the top of the measuring stick at the West Neck Marina ramp today--he estimates it at 4.3 feet. With the winds supposedly turning to the northwest tonight, though, that level likely will have retreated a little bit by daybreak.

Dock Chatter: "There's No Fool Like an Old Fool"

Having heard that saying since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, you'd think I would have learned my lesson well. Guess what, though--I haven't. And now I'm paying for it.

For the first time in ages, I decided to try fishing all winter, and as a result, I've been fighting a certain amount of arthritis in my left arm and right shoulder for the past few months. By pacing my fishing days, I've been able to deal with that pain, but I ruined the whole thing this past Monday, when I decided to trim some trees in the backyard. That activity aggravated the arthritis and messed up some neck muscles, too. I then proceeded to cook my goose royally by spending all day Tuesday on the water. The result: I couldn't even lie down and sleep last night. I instead had to spend the night dozing in a recliner.

The worst blow of all, though, came this morning, when I realized I wasn't going to be able to keep that second appointment this week with my Skeeter bass boat parked at West Neck Marina. Oh, I probably could have pressed the issue and gone, but with a tourney slated for Saturday, I knew it was in my best interests to take today off and rest my ol' bones. With the help of a heating pad, which saw some serious action last night, I should be able to get everything under control by Saturday morning. One way or the other, you can bet I'll make that 0-dark-30 muster Saturday, 'cause I know a whole chorus of fishin' friends who wouldn't ever let me live it down if I didn't show.

The irony in all of this is that I remember an occasion about 10 or 12 years ago--or maybe longer--when I had made a trip back home to Kansas to help Mom and Dad get ready for winter. One of the last things I did while there was to help Pop cut down an old tree that stood alongside the driveway. We'd only work about 15 or 20 minutes before he'd say, "Son, let's take a breather."

I couldn't understand this such short burst of wind coming from a man who, in his prime, often would work 8- and 10-hour days shingling a roof in the hot summer sun. I'd watch him carry a whole square (three bundles) of shingles up a ladder at one time all day long, while I struggled with a single bundle. And only rarely would he pause for a drink of water and to wipe the sweat away from his eyes.

The lesson in all of this is that Pop had learned he wasn't the man he used to be, nor was he foolish enough to even try. After this most recent incident, I think I've come to terms with my own shortcomings. I've decided that, if/when there are any more trees that need trimming, I'll just pay someone else to do it for me. I'll also have to think seriously about whether I want to try fishing all next winter. I truly need to apply some of that risk-management philosophy we always were preaching to the troops throughout the last years I worked at the Naval Safety Center.

It Was a Spinnerbait Sort of Day

Today began the same way Saturday's tourney ended--slow. I spent the first couple of hours in Godfrey's Creek, where I had what felt like some bream hits on a crankbait. The bass, though, were just thumbing their noses at everything I threw. Determined not to waste my day in seemingly unproductive water, I buttoned down everything and went for a boat ride to the back of Albright's Creek.

The first sign of  real life came shortly after I tied on a 3/8-oz. Booyah spinnerbait with a chartreuse and white skirt. A 12-incher jumped on it almost right away, followed by a 1-6 and a 1-4. My last and best fish of the day was this 2-5 that put on a pretty decent acrobatics show before I got him in the boat. Fortunately, I had gotten a good hookset with the spinnerbait in the roof of his mouth.

I found some fish prowling really skinny water today. However, those fish didn't seem to be interested in any of my offerings. The hits I was getting were coming in a little deeper water. I had multiple instances of fish swirling under my spinnerbait throughout the day but never making any contact. I tried to coax some hits on different topwaters, but they wouldn't even splash at them.

I ran across a couple other boats in Albright's today. There also were plenty of vehicles in the parking lot at West Neck when I returned. I recognized a couple of them but never stopped and talked to anyone on the water, so I don't have a clue what kind of day any of them were having.

The water temp this morning as I motored away from the ramp showed 64 degrees. However, I forgot to check it when I came in this afternoon. For a couple of days now, the water level has stood at about 3.7 feet on the measuring stick at the ramp, and the color remains good.

As I've said before, if any of my readers are getting out and catching some fish, all you have to do is send me the details, along with any photos you take, and I'll be happy to give you some space on my blog.

What's a Fish Story Without a Fish?

In response to that fish-story question, here's Mark London with the 3.77-lb. bass he caught today to claim the big-fish pot in this second event of the current 2013 Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Tourney Series. This bass also gives him the season lead.

Anyone who fished this tourney likely will be quick to tell you that, while it wasn't as cold as our March 23 tourney, it certainly still felt like anything but a typical spring day. When those strong northeast winds kicked in early this morning, it made all of us dig for the warmest clothing available to us. The winds also made us wonder if there would be enough water at the ramp at quitting time to recover our boats. Fortunately, there was, but not with a lot of room to spare.

Thirteen anglers in 10 boats showed up for today's competition. Here's how everyone finished:

Accepting first-place money on behalf of himself and his partner, Jared Allbritten, is Chris Napier. This team finished the day with 5 bass weighing a total of 10.99 lbs.

Holding up the envelope with second-place money is Bob Glass, who, along with his partner, Randy Conkle, weighed in 5 bass totaling 8.59 lbs.

Here is Mark London again, who added to his day's winnings by capturing third-place with  5 bass  weighing a total of 7.70 lbs.

Claiming fourth-place prize money was Jim Bauer, who brought 3 fish to the scales, with a total weight of 5.38 lbs.







A couple other anglers also weighed fish today but finished out of the money. They included Al Napier with 3 bass weighing 4.33 lbs. and Gary Coderre with 2 bass weighing 2.47 lbs.

Those who didn't weigh any fish were Ronnie McLaughlin, the team of Mike Evans and Jeff Garnes, Al Lemieux, and Ken Testorff.

One of the 10 boats in today's competition motors back toward the ramp for recovery.





The day's grand totals are thus: 23 fish weighing a combined total of 39.46 lbs.

For planning purposes, our next tourney is scheduled for next Saturday, April 13. Start time will be safe light (or approximately 0630). Weigh-in will be at 1430. Hope you can join us.

I would like to take this opportunity to again thank the marina owners, David and Teresa Winfree, for their donation of bonus prize money to each of our first two tourneys this year. I also would like to thank marina manager, Steve Winfree, and Kim for having hot coffee and biscuits available each tourney morning. They also get a "2 thumbs up" from me for the new light that is trained on the parking lot and ramp areas. This light indeed is a welcome addition.

You Never Know What To Believe These Days

With all the ways there are to doctor photos and videos anymore, red flags routinely go up for nearly everybody when they see something that looks the least bit suspicious. That never was more true for me than a day or so ago when my friend Jim Bauer sent me the following link: http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/excursions/post/angler-lands-two-big-bass-at-once-including-one-trying-to-swallow-the-other/. Once you check out this link, I think you'll understand why I said what I did.

Turns out, though, that other evidence exists to suggest that what you see in this video clip very well may be the "real deal" and not some slight-of-hand-trick performed by somebody trying to generate a little publicity for himself/herself. While the event captured in the above video link appears to have occurred sometime in the last few days at Lake Austin in Texas, I found another link to the same sort of event, supposedly filmed back in 2009. Here's the link for that clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKBmONt_dds. Thus far, I haven't been able to track down where this event occurred.

If you do a search of Google images, you'll find still shots from the two referenced videos in this post, as well as other photos showing two fish locked mouth-to-mouth. I've never witnessed such an event, but I have seen a bass chase down a snake, so I can't rule out any or all possibilities in the realm of nature.

At least, the bass in the two video links here were released alive. Whether they learned their lesson, though, likely will remain a mystery.

Looks Like Everybody Kicked My Butt Today, But What's New?

Given the little success I had Monday in the back of Albright's Creek, I decided to make another trip there today. I had it all to myself--the fella I saw in the Ranger on Monday evidently had to work today, went somewhere else, or perhaps just took the day off.

Following my usual custom, I started the day with the same bait that proved to be my best producer Monday--the Yo-Zuri SS Minnow in gold with black back. The fish just thumbed their nose at it today, though. My next choice, was a Strike King 1XS in firetiger, which put a dink and the 1-2 fish pictured here in the boat. The only other fish I boated was a 12-incher, which fell for a 3/8-oz. Booyah spinnerbait.

I had 3 better fish on very briefly today but didn't get any of them in the boat. Two of them went for a pink Pop-R. The other one smacked my spinnerbait. This latter one felt the best of all 3 fish. He was taking drag throughout the battle. I just had gotten him alongside the boat when he charged aft, and that was all she wrote. The hook tore out, and I didn't even get a look at him.

That was the extent of my day. Others, though, did much better, starting with Rob and Mitch, who launched at 7 o'clock and only got to fish three hours before Rob hit a submerged stump with his trolling-motor prop and snapped off two of the three blades. He and Mitch were motoring back to the dock as I just was leaving. I stopped to ask why there were quitting so early and learned that they had enjoyed a very productive three hours on the water. Their tally was 4 bass, with a combined total weight of about 9 lbs.

Then, as I was getting my boat on the trailer, a fella in a Tracker came in and told me he had caught 6 fish today--didn't tell me what size, though. The only thing I know for sure is that he had been fishing the front end of Albright's at least part of the day because we hit the cut-through at the same time this afternoon.

The final report came to me in an email from Charlie. He fished Godfrey's Creek today, where he boated 30 bass, 2 pickerel, and 3 white perch. He said several bass were in the 1-pound category, and all the others were dinks. The high point of his day came between 2:30 and 3:00, when he found a school of fish in a feeding frenzy. "I had as many as 4 on 4 casts in a row," he said. "They wanted a beetle spin on ultralight to start with, then only would take a swim bait." He also got a few on a fly rod. The action turned off at 3, and he quit a half-hour later.

My hat's off to all these folks--well done!

Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick

With a day like we had today, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to slip my boat into the water and go fishing for a while. I expected there would be others taking advantage of the nice weather, and for that reason, I decided to take my leave of West Neck Creek and find a spot where I might avoid company. The back of Albright's Creek seemed like a good option, so that's where I headed this morning.

Early on, I had a short strike on the pineapple-colored Bandit Footloose and one on a black spinnerbait. I also fished a red craw Mann's Baby 1-Minus and a firetiger Bomber Square A to no avail. It wasn't until I tied on a Yo-Zuri SS Minnow that things picked up enough to peak my attention.

In a span of about 30 yards, I had a half-dozen swirls under the SS Minnow but no takers. The swirls continued for about an hour and a half before a 12-incher finally got a little too close to the hooks, and I boated him for my first fish of the day. The next fish to come aboard was the 1-10 bass pictured here. I also boated a 1-2 before my day ended about 3 o'clock. All three fish came on the SS Minnow in gold with a black back.

I was fishing this bait a little different from the standard retrieve. I was making a cast, then just twitching it back to the boat across the surface with the rod tip. I tried some other "true" topwater baits, but none of them produced a single strike, so I went back to the SS Minnow and stayed with it the rest of the day.

While I had a great deal of enjoyment from a basically topwater type of day, the highlight came while I was watching a fella in a Ranger, who was sharing the back of Albright's with me. It was my watching him play a big fish that helped me come up with the title for this post.

I happened to be catching a glimpse of this fella over my shoulder when I saw him set the hook on a nice fish. The rod bowed hard, and then he started tippy-toeing fore to aft and back, occasionally circling the perimeter of his boat's deck, all the while keeping his rod tip down and wearing the fish out. For a good 5 minutes or better, I watched this man fighting his fish. Finally, I saw him grab a net, but then just as fast as he picked it up, he put it back down, and started circling the boat's perimeter again with the fish. I was starting to wonder just what he had hold of when I got my answer.

The fella got down on his knees, picked up a fish "tranquilizer" from the bottom of his boat, and started whacking one of the biggest grindles I've seen in a while. He still was beating it in the noggin' when I wheeled around and went back to fishing. I couldn't help but smile a little as I reflected on all those times when I've found myself in the same situation. I think there's probably quite a few of us who can relate to the letdown this fella undoubtedly felt after fighting the fish for so long, only to see that face full of ugly teeth staring back at him once he got the fish up far enough to see him.