Be Careful About Mislabeling a Bass, Lest Ye May Have to Pay a Price

That's the overriding lesson Rob and I learned today during our day on the water.

It happened early this morning, during our first stop in Blackwater Creek. I was on the trolling motor, and just as I came around a grassy bend, I saw some stakes in the water and tossed my Bang-o-Lure up next to them. I hadn't taken but two or three turns on the reel handle when a fish unloaded on the bait. As I set the hook, Rob asked if I needed the net, and that's when the problem started.

I opened my mouth (which has been getting me into a fair amount of trouble here lately--just ask my wife, if you don't believe me) and said, "Naw, it's only a small one. And besides, I don't really think it's a bass. It's acting too much like a grindle." And with that statement, it appeared for a while as though I had sealed our doom for the day.

It wasn't so bad that I said it probably was a small one. Initially, that's the way the fish acted. As I got him near the boat, though, the fish suddenly shifted into high gear, put my rod in a serious bend, and started taking drag. At that point, I knew it wasn't a small fish, but calling it a grindle was a whole different matter. As Rob was sliding the net in the water, the fish came up, revealing for the first time that it was none other than a nice, big bass. In a split second, the fish bid us "adios," and that was the extent of our action for a good spell.

Eventually, we both got on track and managed to catch a few fish, but that bass I lost was our best of the day. In the final analysis, Rob (as best I remember) came up with 5 bass, 1 big grindle, and 1 pickerel. My tally was 6 bass and 1 nice white perch. Most of the bass were keeper-size but nothing more.

We both pretty much owed our success to two lures: a spinnerbait in firetiger and the Yo-Zuri SS Minnow in a couple different colors.

I reckon Rob and I will remember this day, not so much for the fish we actually caught but for learning what happens when you call a bass a grindle. I urge you to think twice before you make the same mistake.

A West Neck Marina Management Update

For all of you anglers who frequently launch at 0-dark-30 and have been asking about a lockbox, Steve has heard and fulfilled your requests. There's a shiny, new lockbox installed next to the door to the marina store for you early-risers to tuck your launch fees into. To all those Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Tourney Series anglers, though, I would urge you to continue paying your launch fees to me on tourney morning, just to keep the paperwork straight. I, subsequently, will turn all those fees over to Steve.

Something else is coming soon to West Neck for your pleasure. Steve is running a water line parallel to the bank-fishing shoreline. He plans to install three or four spigots alone that line, so that you can wash your hands and/or feet during the day. Of course, I can't imagine why any right-minded fisherman would want to wash away part of the stink from livebait fishing--I always thought that was a necessary part of the game. I'm only joking, folks, so please don't get upset with me.

Steve also is adding picnic tables and other amenities for everyone's use at an ever-increasing pace. So, if you haven't stopped by lately, I urge you to drop in and have a look for yourself the next time you're out that way. I think you may be surprised at all the changes taking place. And while you're there, don't pass up a chance to try some of Steve's barbecue or brisket.

The Yo-Zuri SS Minnow Let Me Down Today

For a couple weeks now, the SS Minnow had been my fail-safe. When I couldn't catch fish with anything else, it always saved the day for me. Today, though, was a different story. I had one fish slap at it, but that was the extent of the action.

This 1-10 bass was my best of the day, and it fell for a 3/8-oz. spinnerbait in firetiger. The only other productive lures today were a Bomber Square A in chartreuse with black back, and a Bagley's Bang-o-Lure in gold with black stripes. The final tally was a total of 4 bass, 3 grindle, and 1 white perch. I had one other bass hooked up twice today--both times the same fish, I think, 'cause it was in the exact same spot each time but 30 minutes apart. It kept going after my spinnerbait, but both times leaped and spit the lure.

The grindle, as usual, were mean, and one did a pretty fair number on my spinnerbait, but with a little patience, I was able to reform it into a usable bait. Unlike most days, I let all three swim free when I got the hooks dislodged.

All my fish again came out of Albright's. As long as the water stays high, I'll be spending a lot of time down there. I'm beginning to figure out a pattern that seems to put me on at least a few fish every time I visit there. That could all change tomorrow, but I plan to milk the plan until it lets me down--much like the SS Minnow did today.

Tomorrow I'm hitting the water with my friend, Rob, and we plan to run a little farther south than Albright's to an area I haven't been to in a good spell. Hopefully, we'll find a few fish.

A Tip That Did the Trick

Justin and his buddy, James, were working their way up West Neck Creek this past Friday morning when Justin received a text message with a photo attached from another friend on the creek. The photo showed a nice little bass the friend just had caught on a topwater plug.

"I looked at James and said, 'If you have any topwater baits, give them a try,'" explained Justin. For a while, both were throwing topwater lures, and they caught a few fish. Justin boated a couple of bass, and James caught a nice, big bluegill. The action died off after a while, though, so Justin switched to a crankbait. James, however, stayed faithful to the frog-colored Jitterbug he had been throwing.

Justin was in the process of switching baits when James tossed his Jitterbug right up against a stump. Not even two seconds later, the water exploded as the bass in this picture suddenly snatched James' offering. The battle only lasted about a minute, but the memory of it likely will last James for a lifetime. You just don't forget big fish when you catch one.

Unfortunately, neither angler had a set of scales in the boat to weigh this beauty. Justin originally estimated the fish at about 6 bs. when he first told me about it Friday. He asked for my thoughts, but it's really hard to tell from a photo. I will say that the fish definitely looks like it might be 6 lbs.

Justin said James stuck with his Jitterbug the rest of their time on the water Friday after catching this bass. Can't say that I blame him, either. It's only natural to keep hoping for another one just like it. Here's bettin' you that James will be tossing a Jitterbug for a long time to come.

In describing this event in an email, Justin said "James erupted with excitement" when he hooked this fish. Here's hoping he has many more such moments in the years ahead.

Taking Up the Sport Early

Here is a picture of Jerry's grandson, Liam, who will turn 3 years old in July. "He's already on his way to becoming a third-generation bass fisherman," says the proud Jerry. And I couldn't agree more.

Take note: The eager young angler has a Bass Pro Shops hat, a zipped and buckled life jacket, and his very own rod and reel in one hand. What more do you need?

Jerry tells me this photo was taken Saturday, May 25, during a fishing trip to Moyock Creek with his son. The little fella here didn't catch anything, but he still was very excited to be out there.

I thank you, Jerry, for sharing this with me and all my readers.

A Vacation Gone "Holey" Wrong

This is Jim Bauer, a man who loves his bass fishin' as much as anyone possibly can. Most of the time, he is content to scour the nooks and crannies of West Neck Creek on a weekly basis in search of largemouth. And while there are some seasoned anglers who undoubtedly have equal knowledge about the creek, I feel it safe to say that very few probably know it any better, especially those stretches above the bridge.

Every once in a while, though, this retired Navyman and retired postal employee likes to get away from the local scene and sample other water. He used to spend a week or so each year on both Lake Anna and Lake Gaston. Nowadays, however, he is content just to visit Lake Gaston--usually in weekly increments, about three times a year.

Some time back, Jim got hooked up with a Lake Gaston homeowner who rents her place on Pea Hill Creek year-round, and what a sweet deal it is. The place comes fully furnished, so all Jim has to do is stroke a check, then pack up what food he wants, hook up the boat, and go. When he gets there, he has full access to everything in the house (and I'm here to tell you that this lady spares nothing--I've seen it firsthand), as well as a covered slip for his boat. What more could you ask for?

Anyway, Jim recently had gone to Lake Gaston for his first vacation week of 2013, and things weren't going too well. To start with, there had been a problem with one of the homeowner's neighbors helping himself to use of the covered boat slip for one of his boats. There also was the matter of bad weather. Suffice it to say, "...and the rains came."

Then, just as it looked like everything was getting right--the neighbor had moved his boat, the rain had stopped, and Jim had gotten to fish a whole day--disaster struck. He was running Pea Hill Creek when, all of a sudden, there arose such a clatter, he had no choice but to pull back on the throttle to see what was the matter. There was no denying it. He knew that the 200-h.p. HPDI Yamaha on the transom of his Skeeter just had given up the ghost, and his vacation just had gone bust.

This picture shows what the old Yamaha head looked like the other day when Jim went to the shop to pick up his boat, which is ready to run again. He said he also picked up the old piston and wrist pin, which were melted.

As Jim told me in an email, the service technicians put the replaced head through an on-the-water test before turning the keys over to him. They let him know they had opened it up to nearly 80 mph, and it hadn't missed a beat. My advice to Jim upon hearing that bit of info was that he'd better use a little more wax on his handlebar mustache before he "lets it rip" the first time, or there'll probably be a lot less curl at the ends when he gets back to the dock.

All kidding aside, here's wishing you well, Shipmate. Tight Lines!, too, on that complimentary week to Gaston that the homeowner has tossed your way. Catch a big 'un for me while you're at it.

The Snakes Had Me Turning in Circles Today

They were everywhere--sometimes in bunches of two and three. As a result, I repeatedly found myself spinning completely around on the pedestal seat just to make sure one of them didn't decide to try and crawl into my boat. It may have been my birthday, but I wasn't looking for a party--not one with any snakes in attendance anyway.

I launched about 7:15 or 7:30 this morning and headed straight to the back of Albright's Creek. The water was so high I couldn't even see the water-level gauge, so that made the decision to run down there an easy one for me.

I had three bass come unbuttoned before I was able to put this nice 4-6 in the boat. She hit but missed my Yo-Zuri SS Minnow once, and I started to move on. It had been two weeks since I had a fish give me a second chance, so I figured I'd just be wasting my time.

As luck would have it, though, I got the SS Minnow even closer to the target stump on my second cast than I did the first one. I let it sit for just a couple seconds, then turned the handle of my Lew's baitcaster ever so slightly before she got the whole enchilada on the second pass. After she had showed me some acrobatics, I slid the net under her, checked her weight, took this pic, and let her swim out of the net.

In the next three hours or so, I boated three more bass on the SS Minnow. It didn't matter what color I threw; they'd hit all three colors I had equally well. In the same time span, I missed at least a dozen strikes before they seemed to lose interest in my offering.

It was at that point I shifted to a chartreuse/white, 3/8-oz. spinnerbait with a frog trailer. On my first cast, I saw a grindle coming for it in high gear, and despite my best efforts to get it back before he could catch up, I failed. He smashed the spinnerbait and then proceeded to destroy it. I made him a permanent present of the bait, rather than battle the ornery critter for it.

Fortunately, I didn't see another grindle, but three nice white perch found my spinnerbait enticing enough to grab it.

That was the extent of my day, but I received a couple of email reports from other anglers, too. Jerry told me that he launched at West Neck at 9:20 this morning and stayed north of the bridge. He didn't have any bass activity but did manage to boat a nice white perch before calling it a day. He said he talked to a couple of bream fishermen who had six or seven, plus a catfish. He also met up Eddie Sapp at the ramp and learned that he had caught five or six small bass today.

Charlie spent the period from 6:30 this morning to 1 o'clock this afternoon in Nanny Creek, where his luck was limited to a turtle that he snagged. He ran into three guys in a johnboat who said they had caught three white perch.

That's about all she wrote for this time. I likely won't get on the water again until a couple of days next week. With the Pungo Strawberry Festival and the long holiday weekend, I plan to avoid the crowds and get my licks in after everyone has gone back to work.

A Tribute to Some Hurting Folks

Having spent my entire childhood in the tiny southeastern Kansas town of Oswego, I'm feeling nothing but sympathy for all those folks in the Midwest who have been and continue experiencing the devastating tornados we currently keep hearing about on the TV news reports. Fortunately, my family and I never suffered the direct effects of one of those disasters. We, however, did have a number of close calls.

Nothing was more eerie for me as a young boy than to watch those horrible black clouds building across the sky on a hot afternoon, then have the wind suddenly die off to nothing and all sounds of nature become silent. It was as though night had descended upon us. And then would come that unnerving whaling of the town's siren atop the McKinney Ford Motor Company building, warning everyone of impending danger--usually that a tornado had been spotted, and it was heading in our general direction.

Mom, my brother, and I would wait nervously for Pop's ol' pickup to come down the road and turn into our driveway. Once he arrived, we would all hustle inside the house and take refuge in what we considered the safest spot. And in the years after we all became Christians, we would join in prayer for everyone's safety. Eventually, the all-clear siren would sound, and we would come out of our refuge spot and wait for the weather to calm.

I remember one occasion when a tornado passed through the farm belonging to one of Pop's good friends. The friend ended up with a lifelong memento from the tornado: an egg with a piece of straw driven through the middle of it by the force of the wind.

In later years, after my brother and I had grown up and moved away, our folks would keep telling us about other close calls they had experienced. One that I'll never forget was the time Mom and Dad decided to get on the floor and turn the sofa over on them for protection. The only problem was that they both were so elderly at the time that they couldn't climb out from under the sofa afterward. It was only because some neighbors came checking on them that they finally were freed from their predicament.

Mom and Dad no longer have to worry about tornados and such--they've both been gone for several years. However, I still have relatives and friends who reside in the Midwest, so I do get concerned about their safety during these times, just like they get concerned about us if a hurricane starts this way. And I can't begin to tell you how sorry I feel for those folks who lost children today in the tornado that flattened a Moore, Oklahoma elementary school. The same sentiment goes for anyone who has lost family members and/or friends of any age in such disasters. My heart goes out to all of them.

Our Best Turnout So Far This Year

I figured those raindrops falling on my head in the wee hours this morning as I prepared to go to West Neck Marina and set up for the day's tourney, our seventh event this season, might dampen a lot of the anglers' desires to chase bass. However, I couldn't have been more wrong. We ended up with 19 hearty souls in 12 boats--by far, our best participation this year.

Claiming first-place money today with a five-fish limit weighing 14.32 lbs. was the team of Bob Glass (pictured right) and his partner, Randy Conkle. Their day's lunker was a hefty 5.64-pounder, which, in most cases, would have been big enough to capture the big-fish pot, but not today.

That prize was reserved for Jim Wilder (pictured below), who weighed a dead fish that tipped the scales at 6.01 lbs. Jim also brought a five-fish limit to the weigh-in today. His total weight was 13.47 lbs. before a 0.50 penalty was assessed for weighing two dead fish. That penalty dropped his official weight to 12.97 lbs., which still was good enough to claim second-place prize money.

Here is how all the other participants finished in today's contest:

     * The team of Skip Schaible and Chris Vitovich, five fish, total weight 12.70 lbs., didn't weigh big fish.
     * Duane Kessel, five fish, total weight 12.28 lbs., big fish 4.22 lbs.
     * Gary Coderre, five fish, total weight 11.61 lbs., big fish 3.76 lbs.
     * The team of Paul Starcher and Shawn Thompson, five fish, total weight 9.60 lbs. (after a 0.25 dead-fish penalty), big fish 3.59 lbs.
     * The team of Nelson Anderson and David Dozier, five fish, total weight 9.29 lbs., didn't weigh big fish.
     * The team of Ronnie McLaughlin and Jonathan Cohen, five fish, total weight 7.74 lbs., didn't weigh big fish.
     * The team of John Matyiko and Mark Cable, five fish, total weight 6.55 lbs., didn't weigh big fish.
     * The team of Rob Chatham and Mitch Portervent, three fish, total weight 6.24 lbs., didn't weigh big fish.
     * Ken Testorff, three fish, total weight 5.82 lbs., didn't weigh big fish.

Chris Fretard didn't bring any fish to the scales today.

Those 18 anglers who participated in the weigh-in accounted for a total of 51 bass weighing a grand total of 109.12 lbs. Those figures translate into an average weight of 2.1 lbs. per fish.

There were no new names added to the list of those anglers eligible to fish the season-ending two-day Classic as the result of today's tourney.

For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, June 1. Start time will be safe light (or approximately 0600). Weigh-in will be at 1400.

Color This Eyesore Gone

For a very long time now, this old boat has enjoyed a prominent berth at West Neck Marina. It was moored directly across from the marina store and was among the first things your eyes usually settled on as you came around the corner of the store. That all ended this afternoon, though, when a crew in a Boston whaler and a jonboat showed up to push/tow the old craft away.

According to Steve, the boat was being taken downriver to that business located on what I've always referred to as the "grain canal." The plans then call for it to be lifted out of the water with a giant crane and dismantled. As you can tell by this first photo, Steve was anxious to get rid of the old eyesore--so anxious that he dismantled the platform in his hand from the stern so that the pusher jonboat could get close enough to attach lines.

What follows is a pictorial display of the operation as I captured it in the lens of my camera.

The tow/pusher boats start attaching lines.

The tow/pusher boats maneuver into their initial positions.

The old eyesore starts moving for the first time in who knows how long.

 



Oops! The bow is grounded.

 



Free at last!

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Clearing the ramp area.

 

Momentary loss of control.



Back in control.



 

Turned and heading up and out of the creek.

 

I know at least one person who is saying, "Good riddance!"

Nothing Big, But Still a Good Day

I don't often hit the water on back-to-back days, but when other priorities are at play, I take what I can get, and that's why I'm filing this second fishing report on the heels of yesterday's report.

My day started with this 1-8 in an area where I lost a decent fish during last Saturday's tourney. He picked up right where the fish yesterday left off--hitting my Yo-Zuri SS Minnow. And like all of my fish yesterday, this one and the seven other bass I boated today came out of Albright's.

Unlike yesterday, though, most of the fish today were about as far back in cuts and coves as I could get my boat. Yesterday, they were parked out front on little grass clumps that stood out a little ways farther than the rest of the shoreline. The difference in wind speed and direction may have had something to do with this change.

The next fish I swung aboard was this 1-10. My only other two keepers both weighed 1-1. The remaining four bass were approximately 10-to-12-inchers. I also missed three or four hits today on the SS Minnow.

Besides these eight bass, I boated two big white perch on a perch-colored crankbait that Charlie painted and gave to me recently. Yesterday, I had to keep jerking his bait away from the gar. A couple of them got it stuck in their snoot for a few minutes, but they were able to shake free before I had to deal with the problem.

I saw a couple of other trailers in the parking lot when I returned this afternoon but didn't see either boat on the water.

Once I was off the water, I quickly gassed up, flushed the outboard, wiped the boat down, and headed home. I'm always toast after two consecutive days on the water.

FYI: The water was over the top of the gauge when I got back to the ramp, and it still was coming in when I left.

Seems Like Everybody Caught Fish Today

I only can speak for three anglers, but all of us managed to catch some fish today while fishing out of West Neck Marina.

This photo of a nice 2-lb. 1-oz. bass came to me by email today from Jerry. He said he launched at 7:20 this morning and  fished north of the West Neck Bridge until 10 a.m.. He had two hits and boated both of them, one of which was this fish that fell for a beetlespin. The other was an 11-inch bass that nailed a junebug worm.

Jerry's next stop was Pocaty, which proved to be a mistake. "The water was like chocolate milk," he explained. He spent only an hour there before calling it a day. The water level when he left was 3.3 feet, and the water temp was 61 degrees. He said everyone he talked to was struggling, just as he was.

The other angler I had an email from is Charlie, who spent today on the water with his friend, Ray. They began their day by sampling the muddy water in Pocaty but quickly returned to West Neck, where the water was good and clear.

Said Charlie, "We fished several spots below the bridge and got bluegill, white perch, and a few small bass." Above the bridge was more of the same, with one major exception.

That exception was Charlie finally breaking that long-elusive 5-pound barrier with this fish that went for a Texas-rigged 4-inch Chigger Craw. The bass tipped the scales at a hefty 5 lbs. 3 ozs.

I don't reckon any of us have to question why Charlie has such a big smile on his face. Fish like this one just don't come in the boat every day. As Charlie will tell you, he has put in a lot of long hours reaching this plateau. The real beauty of this catch is that Charlie had his friend, Ray, to celebrate the event with.

In Charlie's words, "This is turning out to be a banner year" for him. I hardly can wait to see the video of his catching this lunker.



Meanwhile, I just about had given up on my day as being a lost cause when I at last boated this 3-3 bass at 1 o'clock. I had been on the water since about 8 o'clock with only one small hit on a plastic craw and one swirl at a Yo-Zuri SS Minnow to show for my efforts. And then, just as swiftly as it took me to alter my retrieve of the SS Minnow, this bass jumped on it. In quick succession, I also boated a 2-11 and a 2-5, along with a couple of 12-inchers and one about 10 inches. All the fish went for the SS Minnow.

 

Maybe there's something to be said after all for Mike Iaconelli's popular refrain, "Never give up." 

Got It in Before the Downpours Started

Eleven anglers in eight boats motored out of the boat basin at West Neck Marina this morning, knowing they might get wet before the day was over. As it turned out, most of us did encounter a few showers before weigh-in, but all of us got off the water before the deluges started coming in waves late this afternoon.

Money winners today included (from left) Steve Bailey, who captured big-fish honors with a bass weighing 3.77 lbs.; Tim Ackal, who claimed 2nd place with five bass weighing 13.84 lbs.; and the team of Chris Fretard and Mike Miller, who walked away with the first-place envelope for a five-bass limit weighing 13.87 lbs.

Here is how all the other participants finished the day's competition:

     * Steve Bailey, five fish, weighing 12.50 lbs.
     * Duane Kessel, five fish, weighing 10.74 lbs.
     * Gary Coderre, five fish, weighing 9.88 lbs.
     * Team of Bob Glass and Randy Conkle, five fish, weighing 8.07 lbs.
     * Team of Rob Chatham and Ken Testorff, four fish, weighing 5.84 lbs.

Bryan Dear didn't weigh any fish today.

Those 10 anglers who participated in the weigh-in accounted for a total of 34 bass weighing a grand total of 74.74 lbs., for an average of 2.1 lbs. per fish.

The only addition today to the list of those qualified to compete in the season-ending two-day Classic tournament was Randy Conkle.

For planning purposes, our next tourney is scheduled for next Saturday, May 18. Start time will be safe light (or approximately 6 a.m.), and weigh-in will take place at 2 p.m.

I just have to say something about Rob Chatham, the man who partnered up with me for the first time today. I've been in the boat with a lot of different anglers over the years, but I've never seen anyone demonstrate such whisper-smooth casts time after time. His casts literally were touching down so softly I couldn't hear them half the time. When I asked him how he achieved such expertise, he told me it came from spending a lot of time practicing in the backyard pool. My hat is off to Rob. His ability with a rod is second to none.

He wasn't part of our tourney, but Morris W. did fish out of West Neck Marina on Saturday. He ended up catching five bass that he estimated at a total weight of about 11 lbs. His best fish was a nice 4.2-pounder. When asked what he caught them on, Morris identified an Ike finesse jig and white mini-spinnerbaits. "The wind was definitely a plus," he said. I always like a "little" wind, but what we had Saturday was a bit more than I care for.

Not Much Difference in the Final Analysis

After I had turned in last night, an email showed up in my inbox from Jim Bauer, who has been on Lake Gaston since last Saturday. He was giving me a report on his fishin' day yesterday. His totals were 5 bass and 1 pickerel.

His best fish of the day was this 2.5.

His next best fish yesterday was this 1.5.









He also boated a bass that tipped the scales at an even pound. The remaining two were dinks. Everything fell for the French fry, Jim's "old reliable" for Lake Gaston. Isolated stumps were the ticket to his success.

I hit the local water today and could only muster a total of 7 fish, including 5 bass and 2 nice white perch.

My only decent fish of the day was this 1-14 that went for a Bandit Footloose in firetiger. Three of the other four bass were 12-inchers, and the other one went about 8 inches.

I made the mistake of thinking that, since the water looked pretty decent in West Neck this morning, I would find even better looking water in Albright's. Unfortunately, I instead found a lot of muddy water, with only a few stretches of decent water.

Before the day was over, I checked out a small area on the opposite side of the river from Albright's, but it wasn't any better looking. I stayed put, though, and it was there that I boated the bass in this photo.

I don't have any plans to get back on the water until the next tourney this Saturday. Given the lackluster success I had today, I'm likely going to be trying a different location then.

Something New for Boaters at West Neck

Call me a killjoy if you want, but after I detailed some of the hazards of trying to launch boats in as little as 1.5 feet of water there at West Neck, the marina manager, Steve Winfree, applied this strip of pink paint to the bulkhead. It's a warning to boaters that they should not try to launch fiberglass boats when the water level is any lower than 2 feet on the measuring stick, which also is on the same bulkhead.

There's nothing new about this policy. Steve's predecessor, Dewey Mullins, often secured the ramp to all boat traffic when the water level was extremely low. On more than one occasion, Dewey told me not to try and launch my boat, and that's with knowing I had been patronizing West Neck since 1977. And I'm certain at least some of the boaters I and others have watched launching this past week weren't even born yet in 1977.

When for whatever reason people fail to police themselves, it becomes necessary for responsible management to do it for them, and that's exactly what Steve has done with this warning paint.

West Neck Marina to Host DU Kids' Fishing Tournament

In an email exchange I had with Bryan Jarrett of the Virginia Beach-based Global Heavy Equipment Corp., I learned that the purpose of this event is to get kids, age 16 and under, involved in Ducks Unlimited (DU) to carry on wildlife preservation for future generations. The $15 fee will cover a Green Wing membership for one year, and as stressed by Jarrett, "There will be NO additional charges for anything."

Prizes for the kids will include knives, T-shirts, gift certificates, and more. A youth shotgun also will be given away--to the child's guardian with an FFL check. In addition, free food and drinks are on the menu. Finally, a retriever demo is planned.

If you have questions or want more information, please don't hesitate to contact Bryan Jarrett (email: dukhunter1@yahoo.com), or check out the DU website.

Pulled the Plug on This One

The water level generally has sucked all week, thanks to those persistently strong northeast winds, and, too, some of the guys wanted to go fish the Wounded Warrior Benefit Tourney out of Bob's Fishing Hole tomorrow, so I decided to call off our May 4 tourney at West Neck Marina. For those interested, it's now rescheduled for next Saturday, May 11. Fishing hours will be 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The photo of this 21-footer that launched at West Neck about 3 o'clock today perhaps makes some people wonder why I cancelled this Saturday's tourney, but if you look closely astern of the boat, you'll see a stretch of muddy bank showing, and that's just a small portion of what you saw everywhere you looked today at West Neck. The water level stood at 2.3 feet, exactly one-tenth of a foot higher than it was Thursday when I fished out there all day. And when I recovered my 17-foot bass boat, my trailer wheels were only 2 or 3 inches from the end of the ramp.

The four young guys and one girl--and their "abundant" supply of beer and ice--that I watched launch this boat today did it without a hitch, but with the rear wheels of their tandem-axle trailer hanging off in no-man's land. I wasn't around when they returned, so I don't know how the recovery operation went. But this much, I do know, from watching about a 19-footer make its way up the channel to the marina store for supplies a bit later. Most, if not all, the way from just aft of the ramp, up to the store, that boat's outboard was kicking a generous supply of mud, and that was with the motor trimmed up. That scene was all it took for one angler to tell me that I wouldn't see him for any tourney tomorrow.

Why am I telling you this? you may be asking. Simply because some of you may not be familiar with what it's like trying to maneuver a boat in water this low and with all the submerged stumps, logs and other obstructions that line many stretches. And it's not enough just to know where those obstructions are today, because they often move around during storms that blow through our area.

And most assuredly, if you decide to take your boat out when conditions are like they've been all this past week at West Neck, I would suggest that you leave the booze at home in your refrigerator. Besides, the last time I checked the rules, they told me that people who drive boats also get tickets for being under the influence.

Boating safety is just as important as driving safety--and, yes, I know a little bit about which I speak. I spent the period from November 1988 to January 2010 as a magazine editor for the Naval Safety Center, where I read many mishap reports and wrote many stories about people who learned their lessons the hard way when it came to both boating and driving safety.

If you'll take a look at the water-level-report photo on the right-hand side of this blog's homepage, you'll see that it's standing at not quite 1.5 feet as of 1:13 p.m. today (Saturday, May 4), compared to 2.3 feet when the boat in the photo above launched yesterday. Nevertheless, as I've been informed by two different eyewitnesses, there's a tandem-wheel trailer in the West Neck Marina parking lot for a Gambler bass boat. How this angler even was able to launch is a mystery to me, but how he'll ever recover that boat today is a bigger mystery. For me, it gives new meaning to that old saying: "Where there's a will, there's a way."

A Bump Here, a Scrape There...

That's what I experienced throughout my time on the water today. I expected it, though, because the water level was at 2.6 feet when I pulled away from the ramp this morning at 7:15, and it had fallen to 2.2 feet by the time I returned at 3:15.

This was the first time in a very long while that I've been on the water when it was this low, and I had forgotten what West Neck Creek looks like under these conditions. If it gets any worse (and it probably will, if the forecast is right), there's a high likelihood this Saturday's scheduled tourney may not happen, but there will be no official call on that until Saturday morning.

Despite the skinny water, I managed to boat a half-dozen bass and one white perch. The bass in this picture was my fourth fish of the day and tipped the scales at 4 lbs. 1 oz. It and the other five, as well as the white perch, all hit my Bandit Footloose.

Once I set the hook on this fish, she made two fantastic leaps but stayed buttoned until I slipped the net under her. At that point, the lone hook in her lower jaw fell out--guess my luck isn't quite as bad as I sometimes make it out to be.

One of the other bass weighed 1 lb. 7 ozs., but  the rest fell in the 10-to-12-inch range. I also missed four or five strikes today by not being able to distinguish between a strike and bumping a submerged stump with the bait. And, too, I was just a little slow in pulling the trigger a couple of times.

I forgot to check the water temp when I came in this afternoon, but at 7:15 this morning, it was only 61.8 degrees.

I saw Mark London on the water this afternoon, and we chatted briefly as he was heading up the creek to fish, but I haven't heard how he did. If I do later, I'll add an update to this post with his results.