A Friend Has a Decent Half-Day

Earlier today, I received an email from my friend, Skip Schaible, who had eased down to West Neck, intent on trying to find a few fish to give him the joy of feeling a tug on the line.

He was justly rewarded for his efforts with two dinks, plus the one in this picture, which weighed in at just under 3 lbs. Unfortunately, he didn't share any information about the bait he was using or the location where he found his fish.

If I had to venture a guess, though, I feel pretty certain I would say he probably scored with a Lake Fork soft plastic. He's been throwing that bait for a good spell now, and I can't blame him. My philosophy is that you're a fool if you don't go with what has been working for you. Anytime I find something that's putting fish in the boat on a regular basis, I wear it out--unless it wears me out first.

I was out to West Neck myself earlier today but only to check on my boat and take care of a couple things. As I was leaving, I saw a couple more of my friends, in the person of Lenny Hall and Gary Coderre, launching. I regret, however, that I didn't get a report from either one of them.

The West Neck parking lot today already was pretty full, and I have every reason to believe that, with Labor Day here upon us once again, it'll just get worse as the weekend wears on. Anyone who happens down that way and catches a few fish are welcome to email me with a report about your success.

Tight Lines! to one and all.

When Skip read what I had posted, I received a short note back from him with this additional info:

"Stayed in West Neck. Caught one on fluke, one on homemade green/blue Senko, and one on a homemade purple Senko. My Lake Fork could not dredge up any takers, but it has been good to me this year."

The Most--Albeit Unfulfilled--Excitement I've Had in a Long Time

With the low water this morning, I didn't even consider running south to fish. Instead, I stayed in West Neck.

My day started with a feisty 6-inch bass that I caught about 8 o'clock. Between then and 3 o'clock, I only managed a couple more dinks, along with a 4- or 5-lb. bowfin. All the fish came on a worm or a Bill Norman or Strike King crankbait. I tried a chatterbait and jerkbait to no avail.

The excitement I referred to in the headline came about 10 o'clock, when I was fishing a bend in the creek. I just had started tossing a Bill Norman crankbait--one that I usually only throw in winter months. I decided to use it because a friend recently told me he had caught a few fish on the same bait.

The lure just had splashed down, and I had taken less than a full turn on the reel handle, when a fish slammed the bait hard. Wasting no time, he immediately high-tailed it toward the middle of the creek, taking drag at will, despite the fact I had it cinched down pretty tight. Glancing down at my reel, I saw that I only had 10 or 15 yards of line left--if that much--and I was concerned about that, as well as the fact I knew I'd be in trouble if another boat came by.

Fortunately, I was wearing a leather glove on my left hand and decided to apply more pressure to the spool with my left thumb. I was lucky enough to stop the run and to turn the fish and start him back toward the boat. At that point, though, my luck ran out. Suddenly, my line went limp. The lure still was attached, and the hooks all were OK when I got the crankbait back, so I only could assume the hooks had pulled out.

I never saw the fish, but I feel certain it was a big striper. I've caught others in the same bend--even the same spot--over the years, so I know they sometimes hang out there.

Once again, I failed to execute on getting the big one in the boat, but I certainly had the enjoyment of feeling his power at the end of my line. I honestly don't remember the last time I had a fish take that much line. Perhaps one of these days, the stars and planets all will line up just right, and I'll bring one of these big boys over the side. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Our Best Turnout of the Current Season

A total of 16 boats and 25 anglers showed up to fish today's tourney at West Neck Marina. Equally important is the fact that all but one boat weighed a five-fish limit.

Leading the parade of winners was this team of (from left) Bob Glass and Randy Conkle. Their limit totaled 15.98 lbs., anchored by a 4.73-lb. bass, which gave Bob big-fish honors.

Finishing in 2nd place was the team of Jared Allbritten (left) and his partner, Chris Napier (not pictured). Their limit weighed a total of 14.17 lbs., anchored by a 4.39-lb. bass.

Claiming 3rd place today was Mark London (right), whose limit weighed 11.32 lbs. He didn't have a big fish.

Winner of 4th-place money today was Steve Bailey (left), whose limit totaled 10.77 lbs. after a 0.25 deduction for one dead fish. His big fish tipped the scales at 3.11 lbs.

Rounding out the money winners was Jesse Munden (right), who won the mystery-weight drawing. He had a limit weighing 5.49 lbs., and the weight drawn was 4.90 lbs. He didn't have a big fish.







Here is how everyone else finished the competition:
     * The team of Chris Fretard and Mike Miller, five fish, 10.26 lbs. total weight, big fish 3.24 lbs.
     * Jim Wilder, five fish, 9.90 lbs. total weight, big fish 3.67 lbs.
     * The team of Rob Chatham and Ken Testorff, five fish, 9.58 lbs. total weight, big fish 3.24 lbs.
     * The team of Lenny Hall and Gary Coderre, five fish, 9.16 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Jake Milligan and Zack Rhodes, five fish, 8.72 lbs. total weight, big fish 3.00 lbs.
     * The team of Al Napier and Red Bruun, five fish, 8.09 lbs. total weight after a 0.25 deduction for one dead fish, no big fish.
     * Jim Bauer, five fish, 7.44 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of David Dozier and Nelson Anderson, five fish, 7.20 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Mitch Portervint and Skip Schaible, five fish, 6.40 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Ronnie McLaughlin, five fish, 5.70 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Wayne Hayes didn't weigh any fish.

Overall, today's lineup of anglers weighed a total of 75 bass for a total weight of 140.18 lbs. The average weight was 1.86 lbs.

For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6, from safe light (about 6:10 a.m.) to 2:30 p.m. Registration will close at 5:45 a.m.

Update on "JennyB's" Restoration

When I interviewed these newlyweds, Jenny and Will Bauer, and posted their story (titled "JennyB" Is the Name, And Fishing Is the Game) on July 11, they told me they weren't done modernizing the "JennyB."

If you read that original post, you know this old Blue Fin V-bottom boat originally belonged to Will's granddad and had been in the possession of his dad, Jim Bauer, since the passing of his granddad many years ago.

I knew Will had installed a new carburetor kit in his boat's Evinrude outboard shortly after my interview. I also knew that "fix" had made a dramatic difference in how the outboard ran. It was akin to the difference between night and day, as Jim explained things to me.

Now the "JennyB" is sporting a new Bimini top, as revealed in this latest photo I just received from Jim. This new top already was on the agenda of "yet to do" items when I interviewed Will and Jenny. It, like the outboard, works flawlessly.

I also understand that, like Will told me was in their plans, they are branching out to more fishing holes than just West Neck. And they're catching fish, no matter where they go.

If these latest developments are any indication, I have to believe that, before all is said and done, Will and Jenny likely will have accomplished all their plans for the "JennyB"... and probably much more. There's no denying they're both a "can do" and "Will do" (pun intended) couple.

They have my congratulations on setting goals and sticking to 'em. Wishing you continued success in all your future endeavors.

One Boat Claims Everything Today

The team of Al Napier (left) and Red Bruun won the prize money, as well as big-fish honors, in today's first-ever Senior Citizens Day Old-Timers Bass Rodeo, which was held at West Neck Marina. They weighed a three-fish limit, totaling 10.38 lbs., including the lunker at 3.66 lbs.

The nearest competitor and only other angler to weigh three fish was Jim Bauer, whose total weight was 7.98 lbs., anchored by a 3.27-lb. bass.

Then came Skip Schaible with two fish, weighing 2.04 lbs. Behind him was the team of Jerry Gardner and Eddie Yco, whose one bass tipped the scales at 1.01 lbs.

Those who didn't weigh in today included John Goodman, who did catch one keeper bass but decided just to release it, and yours truly, who caught three small bass, none of which were keepers.

After arriving home this afternoon, I received this photo from Jerry, along with this explanation: "You know you've had a bad day of fishing when a foul-hooked bowfin is the highlight of your day. This is the ONLY fish that I got today."

This was another event in which I heard most of the contestants echoing the fact there was absolutely no topwater bite at all this morning, despite the fact conditions were excellent for that kind of bite. I'm fairly certain that most anglers today caught their fish on soft plastics. I, too, spent most of my day fishing soft plastics, but all the dinks I put in the boat came on a super shallow-running crankbait in the last hour and a half of the competition.

Whether today's rodeo will become an annual event likely will depend a lot on what kind of feedback I get next year when I send out a request for a show of hands from those interested in renewing the event. Until then, thanks to all who participated today. I'm sorry we couldn't have any of those tasty BBQ sandwiches, but those circumstances were beyond my control.

My Wish for All of Us Old-Timers Come This Thursday...Er, Make That Wednesday

That old sun is rising

That water is clear

I watch my lure as it's flying through the air

I see a ripple

I hear a splash

Lord have mercy, it's a five-pound bass

Those lyrics from country singer Robert Earl Keen's song, "Five Pound Bass," represent what I hope we all find during our first-ever Senior Citizens Day Bass Rodeo out of West Neck Marina.

My kayaker buddy, Charlie, who, incidentally, is an old-timer himself, finally broke the 5-pound barrier last year with this 5-lb. 3-oz. bass that he caught with a Texas-rigged 4-inch Chigger Craw.

If ever a man proved that persistence eventually yields some rewards, it's Charlie. He worked for a very long time before being able to claim this victory.

Whether it is or isn't with a 5-pound bass like this one, you can be certain that someone also will claim victory this Wednesday, Aug. 20, when we 60-year-olds and older take to the water. Fishing hours will be safe light to 12:30. Here are the other particulars for anyone interested:

     * Costs include a $10-per-person entry fee (with 100 percent payout), optional $5-per-person big-bass pot, and $5-per-boat ramp fee. Given the number of entrants I'm currently aware of, the payout will only be one place. That could change, though, if more qualified entrants (age 60 or over) show up. Registration (in the marina store) will close at 5:45 a.m.

     * Participants are permitted to fish solo or no more than two-per-boat.

     * Weigh-in is limited to three fish per boat.

Afterward, everyone is welcome to sit for a spell and swap stories over a BBQ sandwich or whatever... if you want.

A Promise Made, a Promise Kept

When I talked to my friend Rob (right) this past Thursday, as he was taking his boat out of West Neck, he promised to give me a report on how his fishing went during today's tournament on the Chickahominy River.

It was his monthly club tournament with the Confederate Bassmasters--delayed by one day because club officials had decided they didn't want to share the Chick with all the fishermen from two open tournaments scheduled to be held there yesterday.

Any way you slice it, that would have been a lot of boats and fishermen likely vying for some of the same honey holes, not to mention the extra time that would have been involved with launching and recovering boats. As it turned out, there still was considerable boat traffic to contend with during today's contest, but it likely would have been a lot worse if Confederate officials hadn't made the last-minute date change.

Holding down the backseat of Rob's boat today was his buddy, Mitch (left), who was fishing as a guest. His four bass that you see in the two pictures here weighed slightly better than 10 lbs.

Rob also caught four keeper bass. They tipped the scales at a bit more than 8 lbs. As he explained, three of those fish were long in coming. They weren't caught until the last hour of competition--in repeated casts to the same little area of muddy water.

Unfortunately, neither one of their total weights was good enough to win the tournament. According to Rob, it took 11-plus pounds to capture the top spot.

When asked what worked for him and Mitch today, Rob said the primary bait for both of them was Senkos. However, I understand there was a little frog action early on, too.

Chickahominy is one of the favorite bodies of water for these two avid anglers. Today's contest marked their second tourney on the Chick in recent weeks. They fished a Region 7 tourney there on Saturday, Aug. 2.

A New Life in New Colors

When I mailed these lures to Tim Hughes in Reeds Spring, Mo., a couple weeks ago, they indeed were a horrible sight to behold (unfortunately, I didn't think to take any "before" photos). The original paint on these four Deps Buzzjets Jr. nearly was nonexistent. That's what happens when you bang 'em off stumps, laydowns, cypress knees, and what-have-you on a constant basis.

I regret that my aim isn't what it should be. More times than not, if I make a "good" cast, it's really just a "lucky" cast. The one good thing here is that the current paint job on these lures will last a lot longer than the original. I know that for a fact, because I've had two other orders from Tim Hughes in the past that already have proven their mettle against objects in the North Landing River and its tributaries.

It's exactly as I wrote to Tim in a thank-you email today after opening the box containing these lures. His workmanship simply is "second to none." Sending 'em to Tim for a redo is a guarantee that you're going to be completely satisfied with the finished product.

And no, I'm not offering this testimonial for any kind of personal gain. Tim Hughes only knows me as another customer who finds a way to put together a few bucks every now and then for getting some of his well-used lures repainted. I pay the standard fare--in this case, $12 for each lure I send him. All I have to do is remove all the hooks and hangers before boxing and shipping everything.

If you, too, have some battle-weary lures in need of a facelift, here's the link to Tim Hughes' website: http://www.hughescustombaits.com/. At least take a look and see what he offers. The one major difference between Tim and a lot of others claiming to be lure painters is, as he points out, "It's our full-time job. This is all we do."

"Same Story, Different Day"

That's how my long-time friend, Jim, described his trip to West Neck today. He, of course, was comparing his day to the one I had yesterday and reported on in last night's post.

"About the only thing different was I didn't get hold of a big fish, and I managed to boat six crappie that I eventually turned loose to fight again another day," Jim explained. "I did catch one bass that weighed a pound--caught it on a 'new' worm that I just got this week."

Like me yesterday, Jim had no sign of a topwater bite, nor could he find any interest in a chatterbait. He also tossed a Thin N crankbait for a while, also to no avail. The only other activity he had today was a second worm strike that ended with about an inch missing from the bait, a case of a snapped leader at the bridge, and about 6 feet or so of "mean and ornery cotton mouth." The snake eventually turned around and headed for the bank but not before Jim had prepared to defend his turf.

About 10:30 this morning, Jim met up with Eddie Sapp, who said he got back to town this past Monday and has fished every day since. He and partner, Chris Napier, fished this past Wednesday night's tourney at Bob's and put together a five-fish limit of 10.40 lbs., which was good enough to capture 1st place. It would seem that Eddie knows how to shed that fishin' rust rather quickly.

The water temp at Jim's 7 o'clock launch was 79.8 degrees, compared to 85-plus when he quit at 3:30 this afternoon. The wind today, as he noted, "couldn't make up its mind. At times it was flat calm, and then it would go southerly to northerly in just a few minutes."

I gotta admit: Jim's day was pretty much a carbon copy of what I experienced yesterday. Here's hoping better days lie ahead.

Recognize This Boat and the Man on the Front?

Couldn't say as I'd blame you if you told me you don't, considering how long it has been since they've been on any of the local waters. However, it's none other than Eddie Sapp and his Skeeter.

I saw both of them today--for the first time in many months. I didn't talk to Eddie but am guessing his deployment to parts unknown is behind him again, and he's now trying to make up for lost time. He blew by me in the blink of an eye but not without throwing his hand in the air as he passed, and I reciprocated.

All I can say, good buddy, is: "Welcome Home!" It's really good to have you back.

Seeing Eddie safely back on U.S. soil again was--by far--the high point of my day on the water. The rest of it could be summed up in one word: disappointment. It started about 45 minutes or an hour after I had departed the ramp area. In that time, I had worn out a Pop R without so much as a smell. The same could be said for the chatterbait I had been using.

I then made a few casts with a crankbait, also to no avail. It was then I decided I was going to see if I couldn't find a soft-plastic bite. I had a fluke tied on and only had made a half-dozen or so casts when I tossed it up beside a couple of cypress trees and immediately had a fish stretch the line but drop it before I could do anything. I let the bait sit a minute, then barely moved it, and this time, the fish really took off. At the same time, I snapped the rod hard to the side and felt a lot of weight.

In the next two or three minutes, I had worked the fish close enough to the boat I went fumbling for the net--and I do mean "fumbling." For some reason, I couldn't find the handle. As if that wasn't bad enough, the fish by now was slightly astern of the boat, and instead of simply taking the fish on around the stern, I turned him back the other direction, and therein was mistake No. 2, which proved to be my downfall. I watched the fish come up alongside the boat, roll and open his mouth before bidding me adieu.

He easily was a 4-pounder and perhaps would have gone 5, but as we all know, close only counts in horseshoes. Can't say I'm surprised there was a big one in that spot 'cause I have a friend who once took an 8-plus from the same location. I subscribe to that theory that once a big fish is caught, another big one often will move in and take up residence in the same hole.

I finally managed to boat an 11-and-a-half inch bass to keep from recording my third skunk of the current season, and I had a few more "mild" hits on the fluke throughout the day, but that was the extent of my day's rewards.

Today's big fish is the third one like this I've lost since I stopped swinging my fish aboard, and so I'm thinking I very well may return to those old ways. As I see it, I can't do much worse. Using a net is OK when you have a companion in the boat, but when you're playing solo, I'm not convinced your best option is the net. And, yes, I know there are many who will disagree with me on that point.

Let me end on this positive note: It was a gorgeous day weather-wise. I don't remember the last time when we had weather like this in the month of August.

 

It seems my friend, Jerry, also has had an experience or two of his own with a net. In the explanation accompanying this photo, he described an incident that occurred during a Sunday-afternoon fishing trip he took to Lake Smith several years ago with his son, Chris, and then-8-year-old granddaughter.

"Before we really got 'settled in,'" Jerry said, "my granddaughter hung a nice keeper bass. My landing net was laying in the floor, with rods, tackle boxes, etc. covering it. We looked like frantic idiots, trying to free the net in time to save her fish.

"We did save the fish, but I learned a lesson from the experience. I was a sheet-metal mechanic before I retired, so I constructed the pictured holder for my net. Finding my landing net has NOT been an issue since that day."

Their Goal: To Cover a Lot of Water

When my friends Rob (right) and Mitch (below) pulled away from the West Neck ramp about 6 o'clock yesterday morning, they wanted to sample what several spots had to offer, and as it turns out, they were successful in that respect.

The phone call I received yesterday afternoon revealed they had hit three or four different areas in six hours on the water and, in the process, had boated a collection of 14 bass.

There were no big ones. In fact, said Rob, "Our biggest might only have gone about 2 lbs." He went on to say that their best five probably would have weighed 5-and-a-half or 6 lbs.


They had some success with frogs, but Senkos proved to be the primary fish-getter. Having watched Rob boat some fish in Saturday's tournament with Senkos, I wasn't surprised to see him give them another try yesterday. I, too, frequently start an outing with the same bait that treated me the best on the previous trip. It doesn't always work, but it makes for a good starting point before you resort to emptying the tacklebox.

To top off their fishing day, this duo made a trip to Bass Pro Shops. As anyone who fishes Senkos knows, it doesn't take very long to go through a pack or two and maybe more.

Pungo Ferry Bridge "No Wake Zone"--Is It Still Valid?

I'm one of many local fishermen who have asked or been asked that question. Until recently, I never had heard a clear-cut answer. But that was before my friend, Skip, decided to get to the bottom of the issue. His official inquiry drew the following response from Sgt. B. K. Ricardo; Special Operations; Marine Patrol/Dive Team Supervisor; Virginia Beach Police Department; Virginia Beach, VA 23456; Ph. 385-4606:

"This no-wake zone remains in place and enforceable by numerous agencies, to include the Virginia Beach Police Department Marine Patrol, the Virginia Marine Police (VMRC), and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Although the restaurant, store and marina no longer are there, we have noticed a large number of citizens still using the beach and boats pulling up to the store for recreation. Additionally, we noticed a large number of commercial tugs with barges in tow passing through that narrow channel, especially at night, and we need to ensure that they continue to slow down prior to and immediately after the Pungo Ferry Bridge. Large wakes from these vessels could cause damage to the shoreline, as well as the Pungo Ferry Bridge."

After I first had posted this item in the sidebar area of my blog, I received an email from my kayaker buddy, Charlie, who frequently launches there in the vicinity of the old bridge. He expressed a little surprise that Sgt. Ricardo's response hadn't included another piece of information, and that's the fact the old Capt. George's beach area is private property and a no-trespassing zone.

Charlie has had occasion to witness firsthand what can happen to those who choose to defy that restriction. He once watched two cop cars and a police boat simultaneously arrive on the scene and run off everybody.

To the best of my knowledge, fishermen still lawfully can enter the old docking area on the premises to pitch and flip what's left there, or maybe just to drown a few worms and minnows, but that would seem to be the extent of any kind of "welcome mat" per se.

The Weather Couldn't Have Been Much Nicer

That's my take on today's tournament. The cloud cover provided some decent topwater conditions, and the cooler temperatures made for a rather enjoyable day for the 17 anglers in 11 boats who showed up to compete in today's event.

Topping all the contestants was this team of (from left) Chris Fretard and Mike Miller, who brought five fish to the scales weighing a total of 13.76 lbs. Chris also captured big-fish honors with a bass that tipped the scales at 5.82 lbs.

Finishing in 2nd place, also with five fish, was Mark London, whose total weight was 11.26 lbs. His big fish weighed 2.65 lbs.

Claiming 3rd place today was the team of Red Bruun and Al Napier (not pictured), who weighed a five-fish sack totaling 9.18 lbs. They didn't bring a big fish to the scales.

Also going home with a money envelope was the winner of the mystery-weight drawing: Gary Coderre. He weighed four fish with a total weight of 4.88 lbs., which was closest to the drawn weight of 4.70 lbs. He didn't have a big fish.







Here is how all the other contestants finished:

     * The team of Jake Milligan and Zack Rhodes, four fish, 8.31 lbs. total weight, 3.52-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Randy Conkle and Bob Glass, five fish, 7.35 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Mitch Portervint and Skip Schaible, five fish, 6.67 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Wayne Hayes, three fish, 5.90 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Rob Chatham and Ken Testorff, five fish, 5.65 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Jim Bauer, four fish, 5.23 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Steve Bailey didn't weigh any fish.

Overall, the anglers today weighed a total of 45 bass for a total weight of 78.19 lbs. The average weight was 1.73 lbs.

For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 23, from safe light (about 6 o'clock) to 2 p.m. I hope you can join us.

A Day Filled With Timid Strikes and Few Hookups

I just had pulled up to a point in Albright's this morning, when a fish threw water everywhere but missed my Bang-O-Lure. A few casts later, this toothy critter jumped all over the same bait, and I'm guessing it was the same fish as missed the lure on the first pass.

When I started trying to get my camera out of the case, this pickerel had both hooks lodged squarely in his jaw. By the time I got this picture, only one hook still was fastened, and as I started to lift him out of the water to use my pliers, the second hook popped free and saved me all the bother, which was perfectly fine with me. If only I had the same luck unhooking all the bowfin I catch.

I was hoping this fish would mark the start of a good topwater day. Mother Nature certainly had cooperated by providing an abundance of cloud cover. But as I soon would learn, it was going to be a trying day. I must have had 20 or 25 strikes throughout the course of the day, but in the vast majority of cases, the fish were hitting very lightly, and I couldn't seem to find the solution. In most of the cases, I didn't get a hookset at all, and when I did get a hookset, the fish usually pulled off before I moved them very far. I tried different kinds of hooksets, but that didn't seem to help.

Before I finally threw in the towel, I managed to boat three bass like this one, which weighed 1 lb. on the nose. I also got one 10-incher, along with two white perch and one bluegill. Only one of the bass fell for the Bang-O-Lure. All the other fish today went for a super shallow crankbait. I also had one hit on a chatterbait. It turned out to be one of those cases where the fish pulled off, though, before I had moved him very far. My swim Fluke didn't draw any attention whatsoever.

It was a pleasant day, and the water was beautiful. I saw pods of baitfish throughout the day, but nothing appeared to be chasing them. With the heavy overcast, I kept an eye on the sky, and it's a good thing I did, because about 10:30, I looked up to see a wall of rain coming my way in the distance. I just had donned my rain gear when I felt the first drops hitting me. For about the next half-hour, the rain fluctuated between light to moderately heavy, but when it had passed, the sky started lightening up, and the sun was out for most of what was left of my day.

My friend "Doc" Murdock launched right behind me this morning, but he already had departed the premises when I returned to the ramp this afternoon. He told me he likely only would stay out about four hours, so I wasn't surprised to see he had left. If I should get a report of his fishing day, will either tack it onto mine here, or perhaps draft a whole new article, depending on how much info he sends me.

I received an email from "Doc" this morning, letting me know his experience on the water yesterday mirrored what I found. "I had quite a few short strikes on a swimbait and a swimjig," he said. As a result, he didn't catch anything. With fishing, there, thankfully, always is next time.

Wanna Know How to Eliminate the Competition?

Kevin Mills

You simply blow 'em out of the water. That's exactly what Chesapeake angler Kevin Mills and Virginia Beach angler Tim Ackal teamed up to do yesterday on the Northwest River. While fishing the regular Saturday bass tournament out of Bob's Fishing Hole, they boated a five-fish limit weighing an awesome 26.32 lbs., which more than doubled the total weight of their nearest competitors.

The tournament field included 10 boats and 18 anglers, but none of them stood a chance yesterday against Kevin and Tim because they were having one of those "perfect" days most anglers spend a lifetime only dreaming about. Let's face it: How many times have you been culling three-and-a-half pounders so you could weigh in two fish at or over 6 lbs. (their biggest and best fish of the tournament tipped the scales at 6.36 lbs.), two that went better than 5 lbs., and one that weighed right at 4 lbs.?

Noted Kevin during my interview last night, "We only boated about 20 bass today, compared to the 30 to 50 we usually get. The water already was high when we started, and then it began coming in even more as the day wore on, and that scenario nearly always spells fewer fish in the end."

Tim Ackal

Kevin went on to explain that they only missed getting two fish in the boat all day. "I reared back on one and felt lots of weight and had him coming to the boat," he said, "when the fish suddenly just popped off." The other loss occurred when a fish broke off Kevin's line at the base of a tree. "He was only about a two-and-a-half pounder," though, he assured. "I know, because the fish subsequently leaped and threw my lure."

I'm guessing it probably would have qualified as one of those "Jenny Craig" fish, which I understand Kevin and Tim always are kidding each other about. In simple terms, a "Jenny Craig" fish is one that's 20 inches long but is so skinny it doesn't come close to weighing as much as most fish of equal length.

At this point, I feel pretty certain the only thing anyone really wants to know is what Kevin and Tim were using to catch all those toads. So I won't keep you in suspense any longer. There were two "magic" baits clicking for them Saturday: worms and frogs.

As revealed in my interview with Kevin, there's no doubt in my mind that yesterday's catch was and always will be special to both his partner and him. Kevin told me he has had five opportunities thus far in his life to weigh in 29 lbs. during a tournament but never has been able to deliver. Most times, it was because he could get the fish "to" the boat but not "in" it. He explains the situation this way, though: "That's why they call it fishing and not catching."

With a philosophy like that, coupled with undeniable angling skills (as evidenced by the number of times you see their names in the winner's column), it's no wonder Kevin and Tim pulled off such a decisive victory in yesterday's tournament at Bob's.

There's one more element involved with their success, though--or so I believe--and that is the fact they truly work as a team. For instance, when they were asked Saturday at Bob's who had caught the day's lunker, they only could look at each other and shrug. "We honestly didn't know who had boated the big fish," said Kevin. "Throughout the course of any given fishing day," he continued, "we constantly take turns on the trolling motor, no matter whose boat we're in, and we do it without ever uttering a word. That's just the way we operate."

I, for one, salute these two fellas for all they have and undoubtedly will continue to achieve on the local waters. Saturday's feat, as noted by Dennis on the Hole's website, is a "new single-day record."

Tim explains it all this way, however: "The Jon Boat Mafia rules." Incidentally, he has a new wide-bottom WeldBilt that, given the way Kevin described it to me, is nothing short of the "cat's meow" for spending a day on the water.

For pictures of all the winners in yesterday's contest at Bob's, go to their website at http://www.bobsfishinghole.com, then check out the Braggin' Rights page.

And, if you're still in the mood for looking at some big-fish pictures after that, here are some I found on the "Bass Tails" page of the Bass Chasers website (http://www.basschasersvb.com/). They demonstrate conclusively that Kevin and Tim, who both belong to the Bass Chasers, are no strangers to landing big fish.

This collection of three photos (above) in a panorama view shows Tim with a five-fish limit he caught back in June 2013. He bagged these beauties, including a 7-pounder and totaling a hefty 27 lbs. 4 ozs., in just four hours on Lake Smith.

Meanwhile, here's Kevin with one he wrestled from the waters of Lake Smith on March 28, 2007. It tipped the scales at 8 lbs. 14 ozs.

Not quite a year later then, on Feb. 6, 2008, to be exact, Kevin caught an even bigger one during a trip to "Mystery Lake" (don't have a clue where that is). This bass weighed in at 10 lbs. 7 ozs.








All I can say now is, "Wow! Well done, fellas!"