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!"