It Sometimes Doesn't Pay to Go Back for Seconds

That's the lesson I learned yesterday when I went back to the water for a second straight day of fishing. Given the extended weather forecast, though, I wasn't about to let another nice day slip by without getting a few lures wet, especially this time of year.

Tuesday's outing was a chance for me to make good on a promise I had made some time ago to my friend, "Doc." I had said I would familiarize him with Albright's, and that's where we spent the day. It wasn't exactly a stellar trip, in that we only caught four fish. "Doc" boated a bass and a pickerel, and I finished the day with two small bass. His productive baits were a swim jig and a crankbait, and I caught my two on a crankbait and a chatterbait.

My friend, Jim, also was out Tuesday and caught a total of four fish, including two small bass, a pickerel, and a crappie. He was using a crankbait in West Neck.

Like me, Jim has been dealing with a bout of sciatica, but we both felt good enough to return to West Neck yesterday morning and find out if we could improve on Tuesday's tallies. As it turned out, he ended up with three fish in West Neck--two more small bass and another pickerel. His go-to bait again was a crankbait. I, however, only succeeded in racking up my third skunk of the current season while fishing a topwater, chatterbait and series of crankbaits in Albright's.

In comparing notes after yesterday's outing, Jim and I found that our day was similar in one respect. We both had several strikes in which the fish never fully committed. I had one that completely stopped my chatterbait, but when I set the hook, I only found air. Later, I felt a tick while using the chatterbait and watched a big bow form in the line. I quickly took up the slack and reared back yet again, only to find nothing there. Jim had the same experience with the crankbait and a worm that he was fishing yesterday.

Overall, I can't really complain, because "Doc" at least had a good time learning some new water Tuesday, and Jim and I both got through the two back-to-back days seemingly without aggravating our sciatica conditions. We both were a little weary from fighting the stronger wind yesterday but felt pretty decent otherwise.

From the looks of things now, I won't be heading back out again until sometime next week. It'll all depend on the weather and how I feel. Jim pretty much echoed those sentiments, too.

Glad to See Someone Is Getting on the Water

I had been eyeing today as a chance of getting on the water for the first time since our Classic tournament last weekend. As luck would have it, though, Murphy's Law intervened yet again.

Since yesterday morning, I've been struggling with some lower-back pain that, to this point, has shown no signs of relenting anytime soon. It's even been difficult to pull my socks on the past two mornings.

A little bit ago, however, I received a short email from my friend, "Doc," along with some photos attached. It seems he took advantage of the nice weather today and went looking for a few bass.

He found the 1-9 pictured here, along with one that weighed 11 ozs. He also boated a1-4 pickerel, which really isn't a surprise at all, considering that my friend, Charlie, caught 24 of those toothy critters in one day here recently. It's that time of year when pickerel usually show up in abundance.

The lucky lures today for "Doc" were a crankbait and a swimjig. He described the conditions, as taken from the ScoutLook Weather FishLog App on his phone, this way:

Water temp - 54 to 60 degrees
Air temp - 59 to 60 degrees
Barometer - 29.98 inches and rising
Relative humidity - 52 percent

Thanks for the input, "Doc." And good on ya for catching a few, too. Tight Lines!

Is It Worth Risking Life and Limb for--at Most--a Few Hundred Bucks?

I was in West Neck Creek the other day, running to the last spot I planned to fish before tournament weigh-in, when two considerably faster bass boats (in the same tournament) suddenly came up on my rear. Rather than slow and follow me or try passing in an orderly, safe manner, the two drivers instead chose to let their hot-doggin' mentality rule. They blew by me simultaneously--one on the left and the other on the right--both while running outside the channel markers.

That they and their partners escaped injury that day, given the hazards that often lie just beneath the surface in areas outside those markers, is somewhat of a miracle. That they would demonstrate such reckless boating etiquette right in front of the tournament director (yours truly) literally astounds me.

There are only two reasons I didn't disqualify everyone involved. First and foremost, our current tournament rules and regs don't specifically cover such situations... but they will next year. That much, I promise you. And second, neither of the parties involved finished in the money.

Rule 13 of the "Rules of the Road," officially named by the U.S. Coast Guard as the Inland and International Navigation Rules, says this about "overtaking":

"If you are approaching another vessel from the stern while you are overtaking it, it is your duty not to impede the movement of that boat. You need to stay out of its way."

The most commonly accepted way of complying with this rule is to pass on the right, when safe to do so. However, making a wide pass to the left is OK if the channel doesn't allow passing safely on the right. Be careful when passing on the left of the vessel ahead of you that another oncoming boat isn't blocked from your view.

At no time, however, should you pass another vessel while operating outside the channel markers--not in West Neck Creek, not on the North Landing River, not anywhere. If there isn't enough room to pass safely otherwise, the correct action is to slow down and follow the boat ahead of you.

'Twould seem to me that we, as Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Tourney Series anglers, should be setting a better example. I feel like I knew Dewey well enough to know that he never would have condoned such actions on the water, especially during a tournament. Let's honor his memory by always doing the right thing. Above all else, that's what Dewey was about while he was running these tournaments.



Read what others have to say about good boating etiquette:

     * http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/boating_etiquette.html
     * http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/etiquette.html
     * http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/tournament_etiquette.html
     * http://www.bassjack.com/etiquette.htm
     * http://www.bassmaster.com/blog/bass-boat-etiquette#
     * http://www.basspro1source.com/index.php/component/k2/127-boating/1145-boat-launch-etiquette
     * http://indianabass.com/tournaments/tournament-etiquette/
     * http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/15033596/pro-tip-boat-ramp-etiquette

Toward Improving the Lot of Old-Timers

One day here recently (actually, it was Monday, the day after our Classic tournament had ended), I was party to a three-way conversation that went something like this:

Angler No. 1: Will you please tell me which one of you two beat the crap out of me yesterday when I wasn't looking?

Angler No. 2: Well, it sure as heck wasn't me, 'cause whoever it was beat me up, too. I'm still sore, and that's even after having had a session with my chiropractor and massage gal this morning.

Angler No. 3: The arthritis in my hands is acting up, but thankfully, that has been the extent of it so far. Sorry to hear you both feel so rotten. Hopefully, it won't last long.

Angler No. 1: I'm pretty sure I'll live. Pain pills make everything easier. What is strange is that you'd think the rheumatoid arthritis in my wrist would hurt, but it's mainly my knees. I reckon that high step to the platform in my boat is what makes it so rough on them.

Angler No. 3: Yep--those pain pills are worth every dime you have to pay for 'em. I have a pretty good step up in my boat, too. You'll frequently find me using the back of my seat to pull myself up, especially as the fishin' day wears on.

Angler No. 1: That's funny, because that's exactly what I do.

Angler No. 3: I guess you could say the three of us are all in the same boat.

That dialog, coupled with a comment my wife made later in the evening as I was helping her do dishes, put the decrepit gears in my warped mind to working on the idea for this blog article. In case you've forgotten, I'm the same guy who once blogged about wanting to be buried in my bass boat, with all my gear around me. This time, I asked myself the question: What could they (the boat manufacturers) do to build bass boats a little more senior-citizen-friendly?

Among those things that immediately leaped to mind were some strategically placed grab bars--the kind like you find in modern household showers.

And instead of having that one long step from the floor of the boat up to the pedestal platform, install a short step in between.

I also would recommend some type of pill dispenser--one that each angler could load up to suit his/her own needs.

There also should be some sort of device for older anglers to relieve themselves, other than having to do it over the side. Suffice it to say that, as a man ages, everything shrinks. Another consideration is the matter of a weakened stream. The difference between age 30 and age 70 is considerable--take my word for it.

A battery-powered warmer for our pedestal seats also would be nice. Like our younger brethren, we sometimes like to venture out during winter months, if for no other reason than just to break the monotony of being housebound.

The senior housing industry today constantly is looking toward finding more ways to help seniors "age in place." What's wrong with carrying that concept one step further and challenging the nation's boating industry to find ways to keep seniors "fishing in place" a little longer?

A Line Winder As Good As Any

Have you ever had an occasion when the new line on one of your baitcasters just didn't look like it was laying right on the reel? That happened to me Sunday evening after I had come in from wrapping up the 2014 Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Classic.

Earlier in the day, while tossing a chatterbait, I had snagged it in something on the bottom. And with the low-water conditions, I couldn't get the boat close enough to retrieve the bait. For that matter, I couldn't even have reached it with my telescoping lure retriever. Thus, I had no choice but to tighten down the tension on my 40-lb. braid and keep working until the line finally parted, leaving one of my favorite chatterbaits on the bottom.

I subsequently would learn that I had created another problem as a result of those previous actions. On the very first cast after tying on another chatterbait, the line went only a short ways before it jerked to a dead stop. A quick look revealed that, in applying all that pressure to break the braid, some had cinched down hard on itself.

It took several minutes to free this mess, but then I discovered there was yet another problem. With all the picking I had done to free the knotted line, it had frayed in a few places. This revelation proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back. I simply removed my chatterbait and tied it onto another rod. After all, you don't have to knock me in the head... or do you?

Anyway, later Sunday evening, after dinner, I respooled the reel that had had the mess--perhaps a mistake on my part, given how tired I was at the time. When I had finished, I quickly noticed that the new line didn't appear to be laying evenly or tight enough on the reel. At this point, I resolved just to stand the rod in the corner and wait until another day to fix everything.

Because I hadn't had enough time to clean up the boat Sunday afternoon, I went to the marina Monday and did it. I grabbed that rod from the corner as I went out the door because, after a good night's rest, I had a plan that I knew would fix my line problem. The same idea had worked for me a couple other times in the past.

I simply fastened the end of the line to my boat trailer and started unwinding it by walking toward the marina entrance. When I reached the end, I stopped, tightened down the drag, and started walking back toward my trailer, keeping lots of tension on the line as I did so.

Now my line looks and feels every bit as good as it does after having a tackle store do the respooling.

The main lesson I relearned from this evolution is one that has haunted me on countless other occasions: Never do anything when you're dog-tired. Wish I could say I'll remember that, but if I were a bettin' man, I'd have to bet against myself.

I received an email from my good friend, Charlie, telling me that he rewinds his reels the way I described after every trip. The only thing he does differently is to add a snap swivel to the line before he walks it out. "I put a cup hook on the stop sign in front of the house and walk it down the block," he said, adding, "I get a lot of questions about catching stop signs from the neighbors, but it works great."

2 Days of Extremely Breezy Conditions

Such was the lot of those 26 anglers in 16 boats that fished the 2014 Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Classic yesterday and today out of West Neck Marina. While yesterday was marked by high water, the opposite was true today. Despite these conditions, people still found fish.

Leading the pack was this team of (from left) Jared Allbritten and Chris Napier, whose two-day total was 25.32 lbs. Jared also claimed the big-fish pot with a Day 2 bass that weighed in at 4.30 lbs. For the benefit of those who may not already know, this pair further has earned the title of 2014 Region 7 Anglers of the Year.

Finishing in 2nd place was this team of Day 1 leaders, (from left) Chris Fretard and Mike Miller. Their two-day catch totaled 21.55 lbs. Their big fish for the event tipped the scales at 4.22 lbs.

Taking home the 3rd-place envelope was this team of (from left) Jesse Munden and Gary Coderre. Their total weight for the two days was 20.18 lbs. Their big fish for the tournament weighed in at 3.84 lbs.

Coming in at 4th place was this duo of (from left) Jeremy Gatewood and Mark London, who weighed a total of 18.54 lbs. Their big fish for the tournament tipped the scales at 3.20 lbs. I also should note here that Mark is our 2014 Angler of the Year, having amassed a cumulative total weight of 168.35 lbs.

And rounding out the winners' list was this angler, Ronnie McLaughlin, who walked away with the Seasonal Lunker Award. He kicked off our 2014 season with a bass he caught during our first tournament that weighed in at 7.15 lbs. Ronnie also won the mystery-weight drawing today. He had a two-day total weight of 3.30 lbs., which was closest to the 3.20 tab that was drawn.







Here is how everyone else finished the two days of competition:

     * The team of Bob Glass and Randy Conkle, total weight 15.01 lbs., no big fish.
     * Steve Bailey, total weight 14.76 lbs., big fish 2.88 lbs.
     * The team of Al Napier and Red Bruun, total weight 12.83 lbs., no big fish.
     * Bobby Moore, total weight 10.42 lbs., big fish 2.11 lbs.
     * Jake Milligan, total weight 9.97 lbs., big fish 2.17 lbs.
     * The team of Dave Meers and Allen Napier, total weight 9.50 lbs., big fish 2.51 lbs.
     * Jim Bauer, total weight 9.07 lbs., big fish 3.41 lbs.
     * The team of John Matyiko and Mark Cable, total weight 7.37 lbs., no big fish.
     * Ken Testorff, total weight 7.12 lbs., big fish 3.06 lbs.
     * The team of Mitch Portervint and Skip Schaible, total weight 4.65 lbs., no big fish.
     * The team of Rob Chatham and Wayne Hayes, total weight 3.32 lbs., no big fish.

Overall, these 26 anglers weighed a grand total of 113 bass in their two days of fishing. The total weight was 192.91 lbs., and the average weight was 1.70 lbs.

Congratulations to all of our Classic winners, and thanks to everyone who supported the Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Tourney Series throughout the year.

This event concludes our 2014 season, but I'm already working on preliminary plans for 2015.

Making the Most of Two-and-a-Half Hours

That's how I'd describe "Doc" Murdock's day today on West Neck Creek. In those 2.5 hours, he boated five largemouth and one striper.

His best largemouth was this one, which weighed in at 1.6 lbs. He also caught four others, including one that tipped the scales at 1.4, two at 1.3 and one at 1.2.

Meanwhile, this striper weighed in at 2.6 lbs. As with his previous outing, all the fish, except the striper, fell for a crankbait or jerkbait. The striper went for a swim jig that "Doc" put together.

The water temperature today was 69 degrees, with winds blowing out of the NNE at 15 mph. The air temperature ranged from 62 to 65 degrees, and the barometer reading was 30.17 inches and rising. "Doc" reported the water as clear and normal level.

He's looking forward to this coming week, 'cause he has some time off and plans to see if he can keep his "winning ways" going. As I understand it, he'll be spending at least three more days on the water between now and week's end, and I know he'll enjoy every minute of it. Doesn't that saying go something like this: "The worst day fishing still is better than the best day at work"? Maybe that's not exact, but everyone knows what I mean.

Here's wishing you nothing but "Tight Lines!" each and every day, "Doc. Catch a big 'un for me, too, while you're at it.

After losing out on a couple days of planned fishing this week because of the persistent high water at West Neck Marina, "Doc" finally got back out there today (Friday, Oct. 17) and managed to catch a couple more bass. One weighed 1.1, and the other was a 12-inch dink. He caught both on the same jerkbait he used successfully earlier in the week.

Conditions, as "Doc" related them to me in an email, were thus: air temp - 77 degrees, water temp - 67 to 69 degrees, winds from the west at 7 mph, relative humidity 77 percent, and barometric pressure 29.87 inches and rising.

"Doc" also was kind enough to snap some ramp photos for me this week, and I'm indeed grateful for that. I always appreciate all favors--both great and small.

Want to Protect Your Reels?

Here's how (see photo at right) I've been taking care of mine for about five years now. Those yellow bags you see covering the reels and handles of my rods are Zerust ICT VCI Bags.

The VCI stands for vapor corrosion inhibitor. Zerust VCI technology is an odorless, non-toxic and invisible vapor that protects bare metal parts against corrosion for up to five years.

Zerust ICT VCI Bags range in size from 2 inches up to 150 inches and are available in ferrous, non-ferrous, or multimetal polyethylene film. Additives such as acid-gas blockers and anti-static are available, as well as custom colors and printing.

I got acquainted with these bags after I received a not-so-good report from a reel repairman a few years back. I had sent him several Revos for routine maintenance, and they all showed signs of corrosion. One was so far gone that he had to replace a number of parts. And none of the reels opened very easily.

I decided then and there to do something to avoid any more problems. My subsequent research led to purchasing a number of these Zerust ICT VCI Bags. The first ones I ordered measured an ideal 10 inches by 24 inches. As I learned only recently, though, when I tried to order more of the same size, Zerust no longer makes this particular size.

As a result, I ended up ordering 10-inch-by-54-inch bags, which really are designed for storing weapons. I modify them by cutting off the top 30 inches of each bag and saving it for use when I need another new bag. As explained to me in an email from the president of Zerust Consumer Products, there are a couple of options available to me for sealing one end of the leftover pieces. Since the bags are heat-sealing units, I can use an old iron or anything that generates a fair amount of heat (around 125 degrees F). Or, if I want, I can just tape the ends.

As for cost, I paid $2.50 each for these new 10-inch-by-54-inch bags, but since I can get two bags out of each one, the cost really becomes $1.25 apiece.

I offer this one friendly piece of advice to anyone who thinks he/she perhaps can get by with the Zerust 12-inch-by-18-inch bags for storing your reels on the rod like I do mine in the photo above. If you're really a patient person (which I'm not), you might be able to make it work for you. I tried but eventually threw my hands in the air and said, "Enough is enough," and ordered these larger bags.

If you're interested in more information about these bags or the full line of Zerust products, here's the place to start: http://www.zerust.com/.

2 Days of High Water and a Poor Bite Leaves Jack a Dull Boy

The water both yesterday and today was over the front lip of the West Neck ramp. Combine that with stained to muddy water everywhere I went and a nearly nonexistent bite, and the headline I used here should make perfect sense.

The only good news is that I didn't get skunked either day. The bad news is that I only boated five bass (three yesterday and two today), and not a single one weighed even a pound.

The water temp both days at start time was about 66 degrees and never got above 72.

If I had to name the high point of both days, it wouldn't have a thing to do with my fishing. Rather, it was watching the lunar eclipse that occurred this morning. It started before I left the house this morning and finished shortly after I arrived at the marina. I sat in my van and watched the completion this morning before I got out and readied the boat to launch.

With any luck, I'll get in a couple more days on the water before our Classic on Oct. 18th and 19th. I can only hope those trips provide a better return on my investment than the past two days.

"Jack" isn't quite as dull after reading the results of Bob's Wednesday night tournament. Fishing was tough down there, too. A total of two fish were weighed: a 2.47 and a 1.20, and they were caught by two different anglers. If you're reading this update, Charlie, it looks like you're da man. You caught more than all of us put together.

Neither Snow, Nor Rain, Nor Heat, Nor Gloom of Night...

In case you thought I was headed off on some tangent about a postal worker, you can relax. I'm not. I just used that familiar intro to what often is misidentified as the U.S. Postal Service motto (they actually have no official motto, so I read this morning) to get your attention.

Instead, I'm going to talk a little bit about my friend and fellow bass fisherman--"Doc" Murdock, to be exact, and the fact he didn't let some of the coolest temperatures we've had since this past April deter him from making a trip to West Neck Creek yesterday. And he had plenty of company, too. Besides other West Neck Marina patrons, there were some of the nearly 30 boats fishing a Region 7 open bass tournament out of Munden Point shadowing him all day.

More importantly, everyone seemed to be catching fish. The one in this picture that "Doc" sent me measured out at 16 inches and weighed 2.8 lbs. He also caught two dinks--one that measured 11 inches and another that measured 12 inches.

And according to the Region 7 website, 1st place in yesterday's tournament went to the team of Rob Peppers and Don Carter, who had an eight-fish limit weighing 17.51 lbs.

The lucky lures for "Doc" yesterday were a crankbait and a jerkbait. He asked me not to divulge the specific names or colors, which I agreed to do, as I always do for anyone who asks. It's easy to understand why fishermen, in particular, don't always want to subscribe to this famous line from the old radio broadcaster Paul Harvey: "And now, for the rest of the story."

There simply are some things fishermen just would rather keep to themselves, or perhaps a very select circle of friends, and "Doc" is no different.

I just truly appreciate those few folks like "Doc" who send me information from time to time I can post on this blog to keep other anglers aware of what's happening on local waterways. Thanks to all of you.

What Would You Do If...

You couldn't find your favorite rod in the store the next time you need a new one? That's what happened to me--well, in a way.

I'm not talking about St. Croix Premier crankin' rods, which I use all the time because they're lightweight, seem to last, and get the job done. I'm instead talking about Browning Medallion casting rods, which I prefer for all my other bassin' needs.

In every case, I don't buy anything but medium-power rods these days. And if you're wondering why, it's because of what my doctor classifies "an age-related thing." I simply can't handle a heavier rod for 8 hours any given fishing day and be able to raise my arms above my head or move my fingers even a little bit the next day without experiencing a wealth of pain.

Incidentally, that "age-related thing" also accounts for why I wear a glove on my left hand (and sometimes both hands) nearly year-round now. I can't stand that clicking sound I get in my fingers if I don't wear the glove--and worse yet, I've had my fingers completely lock up at times.

Example of split-grip handle

All that aside, though, let me get back to the central point of this article--those Browning Medallion casting rods I spoke of earlier. I had decided I wanted to get a couple more of them, so, yesterday, I hopped online and went to looking. They were easy enough to find, but imagine my surprise when I discovered they only come with split-grip handles nowadays, instead of the solid cork I'm used to and much prefer.

After checking a host of different websites without finding any Browning Medallions with full-cork handles, I visited some local stores to see what they had to offer. A quick glance around at the rod display in any one of the stores made me acutely aware that seemingly most rod manufacturers today are turning out more rods with split-grip handles than solid-cork ones.

I picked up several different medium rods with the split grip but didn't find a single one that I liked. I can't say I was surprised, because I already own some split-grip rods that I very quickly came to dislike after buying them a few years back. I've recently been giving them a second chance but have found that, if anything, I like them even less than I did before I put them in storage the first time. For openers, these so-called "medium" Berkley Shock rods (designed especially for fishing braided line) feel more like baseball bats than fishing rods, and they cast about the same way.

Example of full-cork handle

As a result, I today decided to go online and see what some other folks were saying about the split grip vs. solid cork issue. I didn't have to dig very hard to find a lot of information. As you might expect, the viewpoints ran the whole gamut. One thing that most anglers seemed to be able to agree on, though, is that they like full-cork handles for special occasions, primarily when they're chunking frogs. A few added most crankbaits, big jigs, or anything heavy to that list of special occasions.

Here are a couple of specific comments I found that I feel worth mentioning:

"Split handles are almost purely cosmetic. They don't offer a sensitivity advantage as many people believe. They do offer a lighter weight package, but you give up a significant amount of balance."

And this from a custom-rod builder: "After having fished multiple split-grip spinning and casting rods, I am just not sold that they boost rod performance, as they always result in a tip-heavier rod. The only way, with a clear conscience, that I can build a split-grip as a 'better' rod is if the weight removed from the split is added at the very end of the rod, resulting in a nicer feel. I know of no mass-produced split-grip rods that do so, which, in my evaluation, makes them all lesser, not better fishing tools."

The lesson I learned here is simple: There are no guarantees that the rod you like today is going to be available tomorrow with all the same features you've come to appreciate. Perhaps that's why we have the old saying, "Here today, gone tomorrow."

My Search for New Water Leads to Rowdy Bowfin

That bowfin--about 4 lbs. worth--was my first fish of the day, after more than five hours on the water. I wasn't surprised to see that mouth full of teeth staring back at me as I worked him beside the boat, because he already had showed his butt a number of times. Unfortunately, his disposition still was rowdy alongside the boat. He even rammed it three times with his head--apparently to register his displeasure with having the hook from a Rage Blade chatterbait buried squarely in his one eye.

No matter what I did, he wasn't having any part of calming down. When I finally was able to pop the hook out, guess what souvenir of the battle I had hanging from my hook? If you said his eyeball, you'd be correct--not exactly the result I was hoping for, but it nevertheless demanded my attention.

Once I had gotten rid of the eyeball, I inspected my chatterbait, and it's a good thing I did. The ornery critter had sprung both eyes of the line-connecting device on the blade--a problem I had read about not long ago in an online forum. As advertised in that forum, I replaced that line-tie device with a Duo snap. I very well may do the same thing to all my Rage Blade chatterbaits--just for a little extra insurance the next time I have a big bass on the end of my line.

In my last hour on the water today, I finally managed to boat two keeper bass, starting with this 1-15 and ending with a 1-7. I also lost a rowdy dink that jumped and spit the hook as soon as I set it.

The day was a disappointment, in that I expected a better bite with all the cloud cover around most of the day. I did get one topwater strike and was hooked up for a few moments with a fish that I think was a pickerel. I couldn't tell for sure because he was completely covered with grass. He kept shaking his head and eventually freed himself, which was OK with me. One toothy critter a day is about all I care to deal with on any given outing.

The new water I checked out today didn't yield anything other than a strike from around a downed tree that was located near the mouth. As usual, there were no second chances.

Where do I go from here? I plan to try contacting an old friend I haven't seen in a long while and see if he will talk to me about a spot he and another fella used to pull some nice fish from on a consistent basis. Neither of them fish our tournaments any longer, so it isn't like he'll be giving away any secrets. Beyond that, I'll just keep scouting.

In Search of New Water...

With the upcoming Classic, I've started looking for some new areas to fish, in case the "old reliables" let us down the weekend of Oct. 18th and 19th. This 1-9 came from my first stop downriver this morning.

A couple weeks ago, I watched a fella in a bass boat work this area all day long, which, I feel, is a pretty good indication that he was catching fish, or he would have found some place else to go. I made a mental note at the time to check the spot out for myself, and I'm glad I did. A couple more stops there should tell me whether to make it part of our Classic plan.

From here, I ran a little farther south to reacquaint myself with a stretch I haven't fished for probably 10 or more years. I picked up another fish here, so I intend to check it out a couple more times, too.

My third stop proved to be a dud today, but I may give it another look, as well, before I rule it out, 'cause I like what it has to offer.

My fourth and final stop for the day yielded six more bass, giving me a total of eight for the six-and-a-half hours I was on the water. I also picked up a white perch here and had a decent-sized striper snatch my bait and begin a run by my boat that was cut short when the hook tore out. He wouldn't have gone more than 3 or 4 lbs. but still was taking drag.

Overall, I'm satisfied with this first pre-Classic trip but won't be making any hard, fast decisions until I've checked out everything on my list.

My trip to West Neck this morning started on a hazardous note. I got behind a guy towing a Tracker aluminum rig with absolutely no lights on his trailer. Eventually, he turned off, and I never saw him again... until I was motoring away from the launch ramp.  I glanced up to see him rounding the corner, getting ready to launch, so I made it a point to get as far away from him as quickly as possible. His vehicle thankfully was gone when I came back in this afternoon.