The Fish Were Scattered Today

I had hoped it would be a day in which I could get a frog bite going, so I could practice my hooksetting skills with this bait, but it wasn't to be. I fished a long stretch of shoreline in West Neck first thing this morning without arousing any interest whatsoever.

I subsequently started alternating between a spinnerbait and a crankbait. Collectively, they accounted for one white perch and five bass, including this 1-13, which was my best fish of the day. I also had a 1-1, 1-2, and a 1-4, as well as one dink.

What fish I did manage to catch all seemed to still be relating to wood, but only a select few pieces. More of my fish came off smaller stuff, except for the big fish of the day, which was tucked between a couple of good-sized cypress knees. He really nailed my spinnerbait and then dove into all the gnarly crap, but I just held a tight tension, and he eventually came out of the mess on his own.

Only talked to a couple other bass fishermen on the water today, in the person of my friend, Joe, and his brother, who is visiting from out of state. They had run south this morning and stopped on their way in to let me know they had caught about as many as I had. They indicated the wind had chased them from their spot down south.

Along about 1 o'clock, my friend and outboard mechanic, Wayne, called and asked if I wanted to bring my boat by his place this afternoon to get a job done we had talked about. And given the slow day I was having, I didn't hesitate to wrap things up at 2 o'clock and head in. Don't know when I'll get out again. In large measure, it'll depend on what this tropical storm does and the water level.

A Lot of Things Come With Curves...

But this light pole from the stern of Skip's boat isn't supposed to be one of them.

If my recollection serves me correctly, Skip told me this problem is the result of backing up without realizing some limbs were hanging low. He says it still works as is but plans to straighten it in the near future, unless he instead decides to mount a stern light atop his outboard cover.

New Bunks in Place Now

As noted a few blog posts ago, Jim learned that his old bunks were waterlogged and just about ready to dump his Skeeter in the road.

He wasted no time engaging the help of his son to fix him some new ones and, with the assistance of his brother, installed the bunks today. Now he'll be able to make his September trip to Lake Gaston with peace of mind. Incidentally, my friend, I apologize for using this photo of your old F-150 pickup, but I don't have any yet of your new one.

D'ya Wanna Know How to Tell You're a Lousy Frog Fisherman?

Let me assure everyone that I knew, long before today, that my skills with a hollow-bodied frog left a lot to be desired. I've caught a few bass with one over the years, but it truly was more a matter of luck, or the fish simply annihilated the frog and hooked himself.

Nevertheless, I had an occasion come up this morning, while sitting down in Milldam, that forced me to get out a frog and see what would happen. It was early, before the wind came up, and I was alternating between tossing a spinnerbait and a Johnson Silver Minnow when the opposite shoreline suddenly came alive with a bass chasing a live frog. The frog finally escaped with his hide intact but not before the bass had given him a real workout.

As I watched this episode unfolding, I knew I just had to get out one of my frogs (I chose the one in this photo) and give it a try, but I waited until the show had ended to make my move. Once all was quiet again, I grabbed my frog, tied it on my spinning rod, and tossed it up to where the action had unfolded. A couple of twitches later, the water erupted with spray as the bass jumped all over my bait. I waited until I felt the fish, set the hook, and started working him toward the boat. Just as I was feeling a bit of pride, though, the fish came unbuttoned.

I figured I had nothing to lose by trying the same spot again, so I tossed the frog to the same spot a second time, and after only three or four twitches, the water blew up again. And just like the first time, I waited until I felt the fish, set the hook, and started it toward the boat. But, alas, he came loose just as before.

Figuring a third time would be the charm, I made another toss to the same spot, and sure enough, the bass again grabbed my frog. When I felt his weight, I set the hook and started him toward the boat--but with the same final results as the first two times.

At that point, I reckon he had had all the fun he wanted for one day, because he started ignoring everything I threw at him, including a worm. And that, my friends, is how you know you're a lousy frog fisherman.

Will I now just throw my frog back in my tacklebox and forget about it for a spell? Not likely. I whet my appetite with today's experience and won't be satisfied until I've put at least one bass in the boat with my frog.

I only managed to catch a big white perch and a small grindle in Milldam before heading back to West Neck about 12:15 today. Once there, I tied on a crankbait and succeeded in boating three bass. The biggest was this 1-8.

The other two were dinks, but I also lost a nice one on the same crankbait. I had hung the crankbait on a submerged limb or something and kept jerking until it came loose. As it tore free, "big boy" slammed the bait, and I tried to cross his eyeballs but evidently didn't quite get the job done.

Don't know at the moment if I'll get out again on Friday but plan to try. I'm a man on a mission with a frog now and won't be happy until I have a bass hang on long enough for me to get him in the boat.

A Repeat of Last Winter--Really?

That's what they--the folks at Farmers' Almanac--are saying. As if things haven't been bad enough since Ol' Man Winter's extended stay last winter, I've learned that it looks like we're in for a repeat of those miserable conditions again this year.

The outlook calls for "unseasonably cold conditions over the Atlantic Seaboard, eastern portions of the Great Lakes, and the lower peninsula of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, most of the Tennessee and Mississippi Valley, as well as much of the Gulf Coast. New Englanders will once again experience a very frigid winter.

"Much of the central United States will see near-normal winter temperatures. This includes the western and central Great Lakes, the upper peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and most of the Great Plains. In these areas, Mother Nature will mix intervals of unseasonably mild temperatures with occasional shots of bitter cold; average it out, and it comes out--average.

"Texas and the other South Central States will see a cool to cold winter but nothing too extreme.

"Farther west, over the Rockies, the Colorado Plateau, Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest States, milder-than-normal temperatures are expected.

"Precipitation-wise, if you like snow, then you should head out to the northern and central Great Plains (most of the North Central States), the Great Lakes, New England, and parts of the Ohio Valley where snowier-than-normal conditions are forecast.

"Over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States, the winter will be stormy, with a good amount of snow. We are 'red-flagging' the second week of January and the second week of February for possible heavy winter weather, with a long, drawn-out spell of stormy weather extending through much of the first half of March... .

"An active storm track will bring above-normal precipitation to the Southeast States, as well as the Mississippi Valley, Southern Great Plains, the Gulf Coast, and along the Atlantic Seaboard.

"Another area of above-normal precipitation (thanks to incoming storms from the Pacific) will cover much of the Pacific Northwest.

"Near-to-below normal winter precipitation will cover the rest of the country, which includes much of the drought-stricken areas in the Southwest."

I only can speak for myself, but this report is not what I wanted to hear. Reckon all I can do now is to hope the folks at Farmers' Almanac aren't any more reliable than the local TV weather forecasters.

Where Do Tournament Bass Go After Being Released?

Ask any dozen anglers that question, and you're apt to get a lot of varying opinions. I base that statement on the diversity of thoughts expressed in some forums I looked at while researching the Internet.

The thing that got me to digging around in the first place was an email from my friend, Tom.

As he explained, "I'm sitting at my computer this morning, trying to decide if I want to go fishing, considering the weather forecast I heard. Suddenly, I found myself thinking about where all those bass go that we release from a tournament. If they stay in West Neck Creek, then most of the tournament heavyweights should come from there--right?"

Tom went on to explain that he had looked at an online article which said many tournament fish return to where they came from but added that he thought I might like to research the matter further. It sounded like a good idea for a blog article to me, so I got busy.

Let me right here and now assure Tom and everyone else who reads this post that, in at least a few cases, people do win our Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Tourneys by catching their kicker fish in West Neck--often during the last few minutes of the fishing day. I personally know of two occasions in which that has been the case this year. In both instances, the anglers snatched first-place honors by boating 4-plus-pounders just moments before weigh-in.

Whether these big fish were released from earlier tournaments is anyone's guess. My suggestion is that you read the following article by Todd Driscoll and draw your own conclusions. By the way, I wrote and obtained Todd's permission to reprint this article in its entirety.

Movement of Largemouth Bass Following Tournament-Release

Tournament fishing is popular at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Most recent estimates of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) indicate that 52 percent of Sam Rayburn anglers participate in at least one bass tournament per year, compared to only 6 percent of all Texas anglers. We also estimate that there are several hundred bass tournaments per year at Sam Rayburn, with tournament fishing (including practice fishing) comprising 36 percent of the total annual fishing effort, and 46 percent of the bass fishing effort. Therefore, we know that tournament anglers handle a large number of bass every year at Sam Rayburn, and some of these fish may be relocated greater than 20 miles from their original capture point. In addition, because a majority of the larger tournaments conduct weigh-ins at the lower, southeast end of the reservoir, concentration of largemouth bass at weigh-in sites is also likely. These concerns can affect overall angler catch rates, both in a negative (relocation) and positive way (stockpiling following weigh-ins). If stockpiling is severe, fish growth, body condition, and survival may be reduced.

At least 12 peer-reviewed studies have examined largemouth bass movement and dispersal rates associated with tournament weigh-in sites. Overall, combining most of the study results, largemouth bass traveled an average of 1 mile from the release site within 40 days. By the end of the various studies (study lengths ranged from 3 months to 2.5 years), the average dispersal distance for each bass was 2.2 miles, but 51 percent of fish were still within 1 mile of the release site. Only 14 percent of bass returned to their original capture site (homing behavior), and 22 percent were recaptured by anglers.

Here are three studies that tend to indicate higher rates of dispersal and homing behavior. At Lake Rideau, Canada (1996-1998), fish were displaced from 1 to 10 miles. After 2 weeks, average dispersal distance of bass was only 440 yards. However, 3 percent of fish eventually returned to their original capture site (all were displaced less than 5 miles). A study at Chesapeake Bay, Maryland (2000) indicated that 64 percent of largemouth bass had moved at least 0.3 miles within a week. The average final dispersal distance of bass was 6 miles from release sites, and 95 percent were at least 0.3 miles away. Even though fish were displaced 9 to 13 miles from capture areas, 30 to 40 percent of bass returned to initial capture areas. At Lake Martin, Alabama (2005), bass moved an average of 5 miles from the release site after 10 weeks. After 2 months, no fish were in close proximity to the release site, and all fish tracked over 3 months returned to within the same general area of capture.

However, these three studies involved simulated tournament conditions. That is, fish were collected with an electrofishing boat, implanted with an electric transmitter, and then displaced to mimic tournament displacement. The researchers did this to minimize death of tagged bass by eliminating fish stress associated with livewell confinement and the weigh-in process, as implanting transmitters is a significant stressor by itself. Nearly all of the older studies used bass from actual tournaments. This indicates that the rate and distance largemouth bass disperse from a weigh-in site is related to fish condition. Fish in good shape likely disperse quicker than stressed fish.

Due to the variable results from these studies, it is hard to make specific conclusions relative to Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend Reservoirs. In general, it appears that if largemouth bass are released after tournaments in good shape, only short-term stockpiling occurs at release sites, as most fish disperse from release sites within 2 to 3 months, and up to 40 percent of these fish may return to original capture sites. Although fish displaced up to 13 miles have demonstrated homing abilities, few make it back to original areas if displaced over 6 miles. In contrast, as tournament-related stress increases, bass will disperse less. Specific rates of movement following release are likely affected by available habitat, food availability, location of release (main lake or cove), fish size, and water temperature.



Most importantly, a study we conducted at Sam Rayburn in 2003-2004 indicates that population-level impacts of tournament-related bass relocation and concentration are likely low. No question, stockpiling at release sites does occur, as we estimated that 31,050 bass were transported to weigh-in sites during the one-year study. But, we also estimated that tournament anglers transport only 5 percent of the total largemouth bass population of legal length (31,050 of the 621,000 available bass) in one year. Simply put, only 1 out of 20 bass are subjected to relocation and potential crowding at release sites per year.

Even though population-level effects are likely low, tournament organizers should still do everything possible to minimize potential overcrowding after release. Properly aerated live-release boats or trailers should be used to scatter fish over broad areas, and weigh-ins should be spread out over the entire reservoir.

Todd Driscoll is a district fisheries-management biologist for TPWD. He received a B.S. in fisheries biology from Kansas State University and an M.S. in fisheries management from Mississippi State University. His primary responsibilities include fisheries management of Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend Reservoirs in Southeast Texas. Todd is an avid bass angler and participates in approximately 25 to 30 local and regional bass tournaments per year. He also represents Lowrance Electronics as a technical pro staffer, working tournament support and service at BASS, FLW, and owner's tournaments across the country.

We Lucked Out Once Again

Yesterday, it was looking like those northerly winds might wipe out today's tourney, but as it turned out, there was plenty of water for the 24 anglers in 14 boats to launch this morning and fish the full eight hours as scheduled.

Winners today were as follows:

1st Place, the team of (from left) Don Carter and Rob Peppers, five bass, 11.61 lbs. total weight, 3.32-lb. big fish.

2nd Place, the team of (from left) Red Bruun and Al Napier, five bass, 10.47 lbs. total weight, no big fish.

3rd Place, Ronnie McLaughlin, five bass, 10.30 lbs. total weight, 4.55-lb. big fish and lunker award.

4th Place, Wayne Hayes, five bass, 10.07 lbs. total weight, 2.30-lb. big fish.

Mystery Weight Winners, the team of Paul Celentano and (not pictured) Sid Ryan. They had 7.28 lbs. total weight (with no big fish), which was closest to the weight drawn of 7.00 lbs.







Here is how all the other contestants finished the day:

     * The team of Mike Miller and Chris Fretard, five bass, 8.87 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Chris Napier and Jared Allbritten, five bass, 7.29 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Gary Coderre, five bass, 6.64 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Randy Conkle and Bob Glass, five bass, 6.43 lbs. total weight after 0.50 penalty for two dead fish, no big fish.
     * The team of Mitch Portervint and Skip Schaible, three bass, 2.88 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Nathan and Marjorie Gottsch, one bass, 0.81 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Neither Steve Bailey nor the team of Rob Chatham and Ken Testorff weighed any fish.
     * The team of Jake and Jesse Milligan was disqualified for failure to make it back to the boat basin by the 2 o'clock deadline for weigh-in. It should be noted that they had outboard problems.

Overall, today's anglers weighed a total of 49 bass for a total weight of 82.65 lbs. The average weight was 1.68 lbs.

Five more contestants became eligible to participate in our season-ending two-day tournament. Those whose names joined the other 23 already on the list include Paul Celentano, Sid Ryan, Chris Napier, and Nathan and Marjorie Gottsch.

Congrats to all of the winners and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, from safe light (about 6:30) to 2:30 p.m. I hope you can join us.

Many years ago, I had a boss who was so superstitious that she never worked a Friday the 13th in her whole life. If I have one such fault, it's that I always feel like my day is doomed when I lose my first fish of the day, as I did today.

On about my third or fourth cast this morning, I had a fish really nail my spinnerbait in front of a stump. I set the hook and had the fish coming toward me until it was about three feet from the boat, at which point it came unbuttoned. For the next several hours, I thrashed the water to death but only could muster one 11 and 3/4-inch bass for my efforts.

I suppose I should knock on wood and be happy that I continued to dodge my first skunk of the year, but that seems like small solace in the grand scheme of things. I can only equate the feeling I have with what a dog probably experiences as it haplessly chases its own tail. I reckon you might say we both do what we do for the "sport" of it. Perhaps one of these days, one or both of us finally will be successful.

A Man Who Knows How To Git 'R Done

Whether he's turning a wrench or, as earlier today, flippin' a piece of soft plastic with a spinning rod, no one gets better results than Wayne Hayes. Here's the 6.74-lb. bass that he found in... er, I reckon I best not say where, 'cause I made a promise to keep my mouth shut. After all, he does plan to fish the tournament tomorrow, and, too, I have no doubt I'll need some more outboard work done somewhere down the road. [Incidentally, he has tamed those overheat alarms I was getting. Removed the thermostats last evening, and I drove the crap out of the boat this morning without a single problem.]

That being said, I can't help noting a couple of significant attributes of this big fish, which Wayne mentioned a couple of times during our phone conversation. It had a big belly and a bloody tail, which makes me feel like I've been locked in some sort of time warp, given the fact that, according to my calendar, today is Aug. 21st.

However, there are those who say multiple spawning cycles occur among bass populations in any given year. A fish-hatcheries spokesman in Arkansas, for example, said that while bass typically spawn twice a year there, they can spawn up to six times in one year. Numerous factors influence the spawn, including but not limited to water temp, moon phases, amount of sunlight hitting the nesting sites, number of hours of daylight, rain patterns, opportunity for food and cover. The Arkansas fish-hatcheries spokesman went on to explain that bass in an area with little or no cover will not spawn, nor will they if the population outweighs the food in an area. And, too, the number of eggs laid is determined by as many factors. Typically speaking, for every hundred eggs laid, only 20 percent ever reach maturity.

I can't say how Virginia compares to Arkansas in this respect, but given the condition of the fish that Wayne caught today, it would seem a safe bet that at least a second 2015 spawning cycle has occurred locally.

In our conversation today, Wayne relayed that he felt like a one-armed paper hanger when that big fish hit. Simultaneously with his setting the hook, the fish started zipping off drag. Trying to control that situation with one hand and grab for the net with the other created some doubts in his mind whether he'd ever get a close look at the prize.

He got 'r done, though, as evidenced by the accompanying photo. Congrats! my friend.

Another Piece of Philosophy Bites the Dirt

For a mighty long time now, I've subscribed to the philosophy that, when the water level is high, you head to the back of Albright's. After today, though, there's at least an even chance I very well may toss that idea aside and just go with my gut. It truly couldn't have gotten much worse.

I spent seven hours in Albright's, with all but two hours of it in the back end with all the wood, which has been my best bet for catching fish here lately. For all my flailing, however, I was rewarded with nothing more than this lone bass that tipped the scales at all of 1 lb. on the nose. He was laying up beside a small downed tree and picked up my Senko when it came swimming by.

There were some white perch and/or bream hits spread throughout the day but nothing more. I couldn't even buy a topwater strike, despite all the cloud cover that was in abundance a vast majority of the day.

Thinking perhaps I might find a fish or two along the grass line toward the front of Albright's, I spent my last two hours there--again to no avail.

And then came my trip back to the marina this afternoon. Like the whole trip down this morning, I started off at about 2/3 throttle. However, I knew I needed to kick it in the butt and find out if the overheat problem of last Friday was resolved. The tach just had started cliimbing when the alarm again started blaring. I immediately shut down and got on the trolling motor for about two minutes before deciding to see if I could restart. The alarm indeed already had cleared, so I resumed my run back to the marina at about 2/3 throttle.

Once there, I called my mechanic and made arrangements for him to remove my thermostats later this week. If it was good enough for my Yamaha 115, it's gonna have to be good enough for my Yamaha 150.

While my day proved to be nothing to write home about, I talked to my buddy, Tom, who came in right behind me today, and he had a decent outing. He didn't weigh the fish in this photo, but it looked like it would go somewhere between 3 and 4 lbs.--perhaps even a bit more. He had three more keepers to go with this one.

More important than the fish he caught today, or that he and his tourney partner, Joe, caught last Saturday when they were out, is the fact they now have a pretty solid game plan for the tourney scheduled this coming Saturday.

Meanwhile, all I have are some ideas about where my partner, Rob, and I perhaps should start. If those ideas don't pan out any better than my plans today, I likely will be on Rob's S-list at the end of the day Saturday, especially since we'll be in his boat. Couldn't say I'd blame him, either.

My friend, Skip, also spent about three hours in West Neck today, and as hard as it may be to believe, he had an even worse day than I did. Said Skip in an email to me this evening, "I had 0 fish, 0 bites, 0 swirls, and 0 on the fun scale."

All I can say is, "Hang in there, pal. This crappy--and no, I don't mean crappie (I'd welcome some of those about now)--fishing has got to get better one of these days."

You Just Never Know...

As I wheeled around the circle at West Neck last Wednesday to get lined up for launching my boat, I noticed a piece of board laying in my path. Not sure whether it contained any nails, I made it a point to straddle it with both the vehicle and trailer and pull forward far enough to walk back and remove it from the drive.

It became pretty clear to me as I reached down and picked up the waterlogged board that it was part of someone's trailer bunk.

After examining the board for a moment, I tossed it toward the side, whereupon it glanced off a standing pine tree and splintered into pieces. I then searched the drive where it had been laying for anything that might damage a tire and, once satisfied there was nothing, went about getting my boat lined up for launch.

In the course of this activity, I was swapping comments with a buddy who just had launched ahead of me and had watched me pick up the board and toss it aside. He, too, figured it was a piece from someone's bunk and even said at the time, "I for a moment wondered if that might be mine."

Now fast forward to last Friday, when the same buddy and I again launched our boats and went fishing. We just had come in from the day on the water and, as I was readying my boat to take it to the mechanic for an overheating problem I had had, my buddy pointed my attention to the fact he had a chunk of his one bunk covering dragging the ground. He subsequently wrapped the covering around the trailer's frame until he could get the rig home and take a close look at what he needed to do.

Yesterday, then, came an email from that buddy, telling me that he had uncovered the truth of the matter. When he checked that bunk with the covering that had been dragging, he found there was a chunk of the bunk completely missing--most likely the piece I had found laying in the drive last Wednesday.

In reality, it's a pretty good thing this incident happened when it did because my buddy just happens to be planning a trip to Lake Gaston in a few weeks. Instead of perhaps finding himself stranded somewhere alongside the road with a disastrous situation on his hand, he only has to make a trip to the local Home Depot and enlist the help of his son to make things safe and sound again before he gets on the road with his trailer.

I gotta believe my buddy dodged a bullet, and from the tone of his email yesterday, I get the strong feeling he's thinking the same way.

A Blast From the Past



That's what I'm calling an incident that occurred as I was returning to West Neck Marina this afternoon from Milldam Creek. I had been down there fishing since about 10 o'clock this morning.

It wasn't until I hit Marker No. 27 on the North Landing that all the traffic finally had cleared, so I moved on up to full throttle from about two-thirds. Simultaneously, though, the overheat alarm went off, and I was forced to shut down for about 25 minutes, waiting for the motor to cool.

I went through a stretch of the same problem with my Yamaha 115 on the old boat several years ago. My mechanic finally eliminated the problem by removing the outboard's thermostats, and I never had him replace them. The important thing was that I never had another overheat alarm while I owned that Skeeter SX-170.

The problem with my SX-190 today was that I had sucked up some of the green slime from the areas I fished. Both thermostats had more than their fair share. After cleaning them good, my mechanic put the thermostats back in and checked them for several minutes with no further indication of overheating. We agreed to leave 'em in unless the problem gets as bad as it was with the old boat. In that case, we'll likely remove 'em from this boat on a permanent basis, too.

Here's a shot of my best fish of the day, which tipped the scales at 3-7. I also had a 2-2 and a 1-0. Both bigger fish came out of Milldam, while the small one was caught in West Neck. It's somewhat of a miracle that I even got the 3-7 in the boat. I had another rod extending over the side with a spinnerbait attached, and as luck would have it, the fish got the line tangled in that spinnerbait. Fortunately, I didn't lose either the fish or the other rod, although I didn't figure my odds were very good of salvaging either one.

I might never have even cast for this fish, had I not seen him make a huge swirl in the water against the shoreline. As luck would have it, I saw the swirl at the same instant I was ready to make another cast, so I altered my target just a smidgen and let it fly. I was just letting the bait (NOT a soft plastic) rest on the bottom when, suddenly, I saw my line moving to the left and gathering speed. Then came that good feeling an angler always gets when you set the hook and feel that solid weight on the end of your line, then watch as he takes some drag. The battle didn't last long, but it nevertheless was oh so good and really made my day, because, up to that point, I hadn't put a single fish in the boat.

My buddy, Jim, was on the water again today, too, but like me, found fewer fish than yesterday. He ended the day with this bass, which weighed 1-6.

We neither one had a topwater bite this morning, and the fish were coming off wood again.

My trip to Milldam was the result of finding stained water in Blackwater, which is where I went this morning after spending some time at the Pungo Ferry Bridge. I didn't have any luck at either location.

It's a safe bet that Jim and I won't be returning to the water this weekend. I may spend a little time cleaning my boat up the way I like, 'cause I didn't have enough time to do it today, but we both plan to wait until sometime next week for another fishing trip--hopefully before the rain I saw in this evening's weather forecast arrives.

'Twas a Day for Old-Timers

There were three of us old-timers beating up the water today: Jimmy, Skip and me. While my friends sought their fortunes in West Neck all day, I gave up after two hours of nothing and headed south to fish the back end of Albright's. I figured, with the high water, I should be able to find a few in the shallows, and I did.

Jimmy ended the day with a total of five keepers in West Neck, including a 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 2-1, and this 2-11.

Skip, meanwhile, boated three bass. His best one, shown here, weighed in at 1-7. And he caught it directly across from where I stopped fishing in West Neck to head south. I just had told him I couldn't find any fish in the creek, when he launched a Senko up next to a tree, and this bass grabbed it.

This 1-8 was my best of six bass. I also had four dinks and a 1-3. All my fish fell for a white spinnerbait--one that my buddy, Wayne, made for me a lot of years ago.





Today very well may have been a Pop-R day somewhere, but this much I can assure you: It wasn't what the fish seemed to want in West Neck. Jimmy and I both gave it more than a fair chance this morning but to no avail. One common theme existed for all three of us old-timers today; from start to finish, we were catching our fish off wood.

Tomorrow is going to be an off day, but Jimmy and I--maybe Skip, too, I didn't think to ask him before leaving today--plan to get back on the water Friday and see if we can find a few more fish. We want to take advantage of this stretch of nice weather while we can. I won't know my game plan until I hit the water Friday. Visibility and level will dictate my choices.

A Straight-Shooter Garners Nomination for Federation Prez

A good friend, bass fisherman extraordinaire, and best outboard mechanic one ever could ask for has added yet another accolade to his already long list of accomplishments. I'm talking about Wayne Hayes, the Virginia Beach angler who has been nominated for president of the Virginia Bass Chapter Federation.

As spelled out in his July 27, 2015, nomination letter, Wayne has been a Federation member for more than 40 years, since joining in 1974. During that time, he has been president of six different clubs, as well as director, assistant director, and tournament director for Region 7. He also has been called upon to run tournaments in other venues, among them the annual Steve Gambill Cancer Classic out of West Landing Marina in Virginia Beach.

The nomination letter went on to note that it's believed, "with his experience, infectious attitude, and tenacious ability to organize," Wayne would make a prime candidate to spur the Virginia Bass Chapter Federation on toward becoming tops in the nation.

The only other nominee for this post is the current Federation president, Scotty Stephenson, to whom Wayne already has pledged his support should Scotty win the voting at the next state board meeting. That's just the kind of guy Wayne is, and I speak from experience, because I've known him since the 1990s, when we both served at the Naval Safety Center in Norfolk--he as a Navy senior chief, and I as a Navy civilian.

Wayne pilots his boat back for weigh-in.

Back in those days, besides being my friend, Wayne serviced my reels and made spinnerbaits for me. Our friendship continued after his retirement from the Navy, through the time he was service manager for Sea Port Marine in Suffolk, servicing my Skeeter SX-170, and even unto the present day, when he still takes care of all my boat maintenance. I've also had the opportunity of spending a little time in his boat, where I quickly learned why he's such a successful angler.

How many guys do you know who, not once but twice, can claim to have won bass tournaments from the back seat? Wayne pulled that feat in 2003. The first time was in January that year, while fishing the amateur portion of a Bassmaster Pro Tour event on Lake Okeechobee. The second occasion was only a few months later, in July to be exact, while fishing as an amateur partner to a pro in the Maryland Bassmaster Northern Open on the Potomac River. His prize each time was a fully-rigged bass boat. He kept the first one but sold the other (a $24,000 Skeeter) and eventually traded the first one for a new Ranger, which he still drives today.

During a reporter's interview after his second back-seat win, Wayne said, "I've been fishing good, but never in my life could I have imagined winning two of these things. The competition is so good in an event like this."

When asked to explain his winning philosophy, Wayne responded, "I try not to throw the same baits they do when fishing tight cover. If they fish fast, I fish fast," adding that he keeps six rods rigged with baits to allow him to fish at the same pace as his boat partner. "You have to adapt and try to make friends with the guy and enjoy the day," he continued. "If you don't, you won't have an enjoyable outing. Whatever you do, don't give up. Sometimes, the last cast can do it," he concluded.


...runs raffle drawing at Region 7 tournament.

Despite having achieved this kind of success, the former military bass angler of the year remains as affable today as ever. He's always friendly, enjoys helping people, and he'll go out of his way to do so. However, he holds no punches in telling you like he sees it when asked a question, so unless you want the whole truth and nothing but the truth, don't bother asking in the first place. He's not one to give you a bunch of politically-correct mumbo jumbo just to make you feel better.

And there's not a doubt in my mind that, whether he wins or loses the voting for president of the Virginia Bass Chapter Federation, Wayne will continue being the same person I've always known. About the only thing that might change if he wins is that he perhaps won't have as much free time to work on my boat, but, hey, I'm sure I can find a way to work around that issue, if it ever really becomes an issue.

Oh! I just thought of one more thing that might change if Wayne becomes the new prez. He very well might post a sign on the door at all board meetings similar to the one that's posted conspicuously in his Ranger. It reads, "Get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on."

Win, lose or draw--my sincere congrats, good buddy.

Three Teams Finish the Day in Double Digits

It was raining on the parade of 15 anglers in eight boats as they shoved away from the boat basin at West Neck early this morning and headed to their favorite fishing holes. And the rain stuck around for a good portion of the morning, but that didn't prevent everyone from bringing fish to the scales for our 2 p.m. weigh-in.

Logging their second 1st-place finish in as many tournaments was the team of (from left) Don Carter and Rob Peppers. Their five-fish limit tipped the scales at 15.74 lbs. Also for the second straight time, Rob captured big-fish honors with a 4.19-lb. bass.

Finishing in 2nd place was the team of (from left) Al and Chris Napier, who weighed a five-fish sack totaling 13.74 lbs., anchored by a 4.04-pounder.

Claiming 3rd-place honors was this young man, Grayson Kinzel, and his dad, Mark. Their limit came in at 10.03 lbs. They didn't weigh a big fish, though.








Walking away as mystery-weight winners was the team of brothers, Jake and Jesse Milligan, who, unfortunately, weren't available for photographs. Their total weight for two fish, after a 0.25 penalty for one dead fish, was 3.01. That figure came closest to the weight drawn, which was 4.35.

Here is how all the other contestants finished the day:

     * The team of Mike Miller and Chris Fretard, five fish, 8.61 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of John Matyiko and his grandson, Hayden Capper, five fish, 7.40 lbs. total weight, 2.19-lb. big fish.
     * Gary Coderre, four fish, 6.78 lbs. total weight, 2.60-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Randy Conkle and Bob Glass, five fish, 6.16 lbs. total weight, 2.26-lb. big fish.

Today's overall weight for a total of 36 bass was 71.47 lbs., with an average weight of 1.98 lbs.

Two more anglers qualified for our two-day season-ending Classic contest by virtue of having fished a total of four regular-season tournaments. Those anglers are Don Carter and John Matyiko. We now have a total of 23 who have completed these requirements.

Congratulations to all of today's winners, and thanks to everyone who came out, despite the return to less-than-stellar weather conditions.

For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22nd, from safe light (probably about 6 a.m.) to 2 p.m. I hope you can join us.

Reckon you'll have to label me a wimp, because I just couldn't bring myself to participate in today's contest. While talking to a good friend of mine early this morning, who likewise had decided to sit this one out, he made the comment, "If the rain had held off until after I got on the water, I would have fished today." Those sentiments are the way I feel, too.

There once was a day when I never let the weather deter me from spending a day on the water, regardless of how bad it got--before, during or after. I used to spend many days on places like Lake Anna chipping the ice out of my guides just so I could cast. However, that's not the case today.

I simply sent the fellas fishing this morning, then retreated to the confines of my ol' van for a little additional shut-eye. While they were fighting the rain and wind, I was snoozing... and feeling an occasional drip hit my knee. You see, my van leaks a little on the driver's side.

How To Play the Surfing Game

Let me just say here in the beginning that I'm sure there are many individuals far more qualified than I am to be writing a piece like this, so if you're one of them, just exit my blog and go fishing or something. I really don't want to bore you.

If, on the other hand, you're one of those who frequently are frustrated by the fact you can't find what you're looking for on the Internet, perhaps you'll discover something helpful in what I'm about to offer. Just so you know--I decided to write this piece after doing an online search Tuesday night for a discontinued bait. Please understand, though, that the example I use here is just for drill--it's not the actual bait I was searching for Tuesday night. After all, I can't divulge what might prove to be my "ace in the hole" somewhere down the road.

I readily admit that I'm not 100 percent successful in finding the "objects of my affection," but I was lucky enough to come up a winner Tuesday night--albeit not without some setbacks. The truth of the matter is that I ended up with four of my PayPal orders being cancelled before hitting pay dirt. The problem each time was that a company's "actual" inventory didn't match its "advertised" inventory. Let me assure you of one fact, however: This is a game in which persistence usually pays off, so it helps if you have a bulldog's tenacity.

For the sake of this drill, I'm going to use the Bomber Square A. Let's pretend I want to find the 3/8-oz. model that is 2 inches long. Let's further pretend this lure has been discontinued. Here are some of the Google search strings I conceivably could run through in trying to find this lure:

    
     * Bomber Square A
     * Bomber Square A ebay
     * Bomber Square A firetiger 3/8 oz.
     * Bomber Square A firetiger 2"
     * Bomber Square A firetiger 3/8 oz. 2"
     * Bomber Square A firetiger 3/8 oz. ebay
     * Bomber Square A firetiger 2" ebay
     * Bomber Square A firetiger 3/8 oz. 2" ebay

An important point to understand from these examples of various search strings is that each one likely will produce at least a few--note I said a "few"--different results. Be prepared to take the time necessary to go through each list thoroughly, so you don't accidentally miss something. That's the way I conducted my search Tuesday night, and while I experienced a number of failures along the way, I finally found what I wanted.

Another important point to remember is that, in the case of discontinued items, whether it be bass lures or whatever, you very well may have to pay more than the original market price. Accordingly, I always make it a point to compare all the prices before I place an order. Be sure to include shipping prices in those comparisons, too, because you often will find a wide variation in that area. My search last night revealed base shipping prices ranging from $5 to as much as $15.

Finally, I would urge you to review an order carefully before hitting the "submit" button. Make sure what you want is what the order specifies. In the case of the Bomber Square A, for example, it's possible you accidentally could be ordering the 1/4-oz. model that is 1 5/16 inches long, instead of the bigger model you really want. While you're checking the info on the order form, also verify that the number requested is correct. If everything else appears to be OK, then go ahead and "submit" the order.

Here's hoping your next online shopping adventure is successful.

A Compassionate Story...

I want to take you back to June 11, 2009, the first day of the Genuity River Rumble. On that date, a bunch of Bassmaster Elite Series anglers demonstrated to one another and to the whole wide world that there comes a time to put aside man's inherently intense competitive spirit, even when the stakes are high.

For those of you who never have read or heard this story, or perhaps have forgotten it, let me share the pertinent details.

Elite Series pro angler Derek Remitz was following a line of other anglers into a backwater lake on the Mississippi River when his boat hit an underwater object everyone else miraculously missed. The jolt sheered off the lower unit of the boat and sent it into a hook and slide across the canal where they were running. At the same time, Remitz' marshal, Jerry Dean Van Sickle of Oelwein, IA, was thrown from the boat and ended up in some thick kudzu lining the bank. He was unconscious and had a shoulder injury when Remitz got to his side.

Gerald Swindle rounded the bend just in time to see Remitz's boat sliding down the embankment minus its two passengers. Thinking they were in the water, he immediately started ripping off his clothes to jump in and look for them when he heard someone yell that they were in the woods. Flashing a glance in that direction, he saw Remitz searching for Sickle in the thick kudzu.

Swindle joined Remitz and, after finding Sickle face down, worked to make him comfortable. By this time, other boats had joined the scene. No one knows exactly how many boats were involved, but it's estimated there were about 30, and everyone jumped into action to help.

In Swindle's own words, "I'm telling you, for a moment the world just stopped for all these guys, and they wanted nothing more than to make sure that Sickle was safe."

Among those boats that had stopped to assist was the one driven by Randy Howell, who Swindle characterized as always open about his Christianity. He said, "Randy, you are the closest man to God we got; please come pray with this man."

When Howell got to the scene, he put his hand on the shoulder of the visibly shaken and weeping Remitz and started praying that Sickle would regain consciousness and be OK. And, as if in answer to that prayer, Sickle opened his eyes just as Howell said, "Amen."

Moments later, a physician, who also was serving as a tournament marshal, was on the scene rendering aid, which would have made it easy for at least some of the anglers to start slipping away to resume their fishing. "But not one angler left," said Swindle. "Not one angler idled by. Everyone stopped and pitched in whatever way they could... . The focus they normally shared of putting five fish in the boat was minimized by the new focus, as many of them said, of taking care of 'one of our own.'"

That caring didn't end, either, even after Sickle was safely en route to a hospital, and the anglers had consoled Remitz.

"No one was really ready to start fishing," said Howell. "We weren't rushing to get to the best spot. We were like, 'You go.' 'No, you go.' Normally in a situation where everyone is crowded in a lake like that, there can be some territorial issues. But we didn't have that. The realization took hold that there were far more important things in life than who was fishing where."

All the photos above were taken at the 2009 Genuity River Rumble by B.A.S.S. photographer James Overstreet. Original news release by Steve Bowman.

...With a Sad Epilog

Jerry Dean Van Sickle

Additional research today into how Jerry Dean Van Sickle's  shoulder surgery ultimately turned out revealed something far less than the good news I had hoped for.

He survived the June 2009 surgery and recovery period OK, but as related in a recent issue of the Olewein Daily Register, he died July 22, 2015, at University Hospitals in Iowa City from cancer. The 47-year-old wrestling fan, New York Yankees supporter, golfing enthusiast, and avid fisherman leaves behind his wife, two daughters, two stepsons, mother, three brothers, one sister, his parents-in-law, six brothers-in-law, four sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.

Just goes to prove yet again that we never know when the circle of life is going to be completed. Reckon that's why they say, "Live each day as if it's your last."