Saturday, January 30, 2016

To Set Everyone's Mind at Ease...

I'm very much alive and am OK, except for going through a major dose of computer withdrawal. My laptop's battery and AC adapter both died last Saturday, which has restricted my online activities to those moments when my wife isn't on her desktop.

As a result, I'm not doing much of anything, except to try and keep up with my email, and some of that even is limited, because I don't have access to many of the files stored on my laptop. Without that access, I'm generally out of luck in providing any attachments to emails.

I figured I'd better get some kind of explanation on the street, when Charlie emailed me earlier today, asking if I had run out of things to write about on my blog. If it helps, I'm supposed to receive a new battery for my laptop on Monday. I already have a new AC adapter. So, if nothing else fried last Saturday, it shouldn't take me long to start catching up on overdue business, once the new battery arrives at my door. If I find any other problems, I'll be taking the computer to some experts to sort it all out for me.

Y'all probably remember my mentioning in an earlier post that I had had to call some repairmen to work on my heating system. Well, that issue went south quickly, and I had no choice but to throw in the towel and call 'em back to install a whole new system. That happened this past Tuesday, and now everything is once again nice and toasty around the Testorff household.

The best part of all is that, for the next 10 years, I don't have to worry about any heating or air-conditioning difficulties. I purchased a maintenance plan at the same time I had the new system installed, which guarantees service techs will be at my beckon call--night or day, 7 days a week--if anything breaks down. Regardless of whatever should be wrong, they will take care of it--up to and including replacement of the whole system with another new one, if necessary--and it won't cost me  a dime. That's a good thing--seein' as how I don't have any more dimes left in my pocket. This is one of those moments when it really sucks being on a fixed income.

Thank God I learned how to live on a tight budget many years ago, 'cause, otherwise, I'd probably be running around a bit panicky right now. Maybe I also ought to go the route of some friends and acquaintances and try to get some disability on the basis of my hearing loss from an incident that happened during my Navy career, coupled with the diagnosis I received a few months ago for spinal stenosis.

In any event, I'm still kickin' and hopin' that it continues this way for a good while to come.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Dates Set for New Tourney Season at West Neck Marina


Please excuse the sudden withdrawal of my earlier post on this topic, but there were a number of errors in it, and I wasn't happy. Therefore, I went back to the drawing board and reassembled a product I think will be cleaner than my first attempt.

With that explanation aside, here is our new tournament schedule. If you're interested in participating and would like to have an electronic PDF copy of our rules & regs, just email me at kenneth34@cox.net. I'll be more than happy to oblige.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Learning to Share the Waterways with Tugboats and Barges

One of my earliest recollections of oddball things that have happened during local fishing trips involved what I came to understand was caused by a tugboat pushing some barges out on the Intracoastal Waterway. I was well up a shallow creek at the time, when, all of a sudden, the water around me started swirling and disappearing, much like someone had flushed a commode, and the boat began moving the opposite direction I was trying to go with the trolling motor.

I didn't know what to make of the situation. For a few unnerving moments, I considered that I might have entered the twilight zone. Then, though, just as fast as the phenomenon had begun, it stopped, and everything returned to normal--again like a commode. It wasn't until I got back to the marina that evening and talked to Bill Brown, however, that I learned what had happened.

With that lesson learned, I wasn't so surprised at the squirrelly sensation I felt in my boat the first time I came up behind a tug pushing a barge on the Intracoastal Waterway. Even though I probably was a couple hundred or so yards back, the shimmying was very noticeable.

According to one tugboat worker, "The wheel wash, or strong underwater current, from a tug can cause severe turbulence for hundreds of yards behind the vessel. The safest thing to do is to stay well back or pass as wide as possible."

I also read about a fella who, while growing up around the Intracoastal Waterway, would wait for a tug to pass. Once the water started getting sucked out of an area, he and playmates would dash out on the newly exposed land to pick up crabs and whatever junk they could find. "We just had to get back to shore before the wall of water came rushing in and caught us," he said.

When dealing with tugboats and barges, you can't afford to overlook the dangers involved. For example, the No. 1 cause of serious collisions between recreational boats and tugs is the former crossing the latter's tow cables. It's important that recreational boaters realize those "big ugly boxes," otherwise known as barges, are connected to tugs via a thick steel cable that can run up to 3 inches in diameter. A cable that big can saw a boat in half in a matter of seconds.

And what about this case of a weekend bass tournament gone wrong? It seems an angler and his partner had anchored their boat in a favorite spot that was uncomfortably close to the channel, near a sharp bend in the river.

After only a few minutes of fishing, the front-seater spotted an empty barge poking its gigantic bow around the bend. At first, he thought the barge was heading over toward the beach, but a few seconds later, it began swinging directly at his anchored boat. The two men stared briefly at the towering wall of steel moving ominously toward them before frantically trying to start the outboard. It coughed a few times, sputtered and quit. Both men had no choice but to dive overboard before their boat was run down. They subsequently reached shore unscathed.

The tug's captain used the wind, which was blowing 25 to 30 knots that day, and the current to "flank" the barge through the tight bend in the river. It appeared to the two anglers that the wind had caught the barge's bow and swung it too far toward the middle of the river. The tug's captain, however, claimed he was right where he wanted to be, and the bass boat had left him no room to maneuver.

And while we're speaking of being run over, there's this close call involving a rowing scull crew that one day crossed the path of a tug, which Captain Bob Deck was maneuvering in high water to pass downstream through a railroad bridge. When he saw what was happening, the captain threw all three main engines into reverse, but "within seconds," he said, "the scull disappeared from view in front of my barge, 600 feet ahead.

"Fortunately for those eight men," he continued, "they realized their mistake just in time to accelerate to a speed they had never before achieved. Lonnie, the bridge tender, hailed me on the radio to say they had been so close to being run over that the coxswain could have touched the barge."

That account and others are revealed in "Stayin' Safe on the River: Big Boats and Right-of-Way," written by Deck and first published in the May-June 2014 issue of Big River Magazine (click on this link for the full story: http://www.deckondeck.com/big-river-magazine/stayin-safe-on-the-river-big-boats-and-right-of-way/).

The author goes on in this article to describe water-skiers as making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "In 40 years in the harbor, I cannot recall the number of times I have seen a boat pull a skier past my boat, then decide to circle my slower moving vessel," he explained. "Dozens of times, I have gasped in horror when a skier fell in front of my tow. So far, I have been lucky and was able to slow down or steer around enough to avoid running over any of them."

However, Deck has witnessed situations in which the people weren't as lucky. He cited one afternoon in 1996, when a pilot was pushing six loads in the narrow channel of the Minnesota River.

"I dropped my cup of coffee and watched in horror as a jet ski ran across the front barges and crashed into one of them," noted Deck. "The young man driving the jet ski was in the hospital for over a year and probably still isn't right." And in case you're wondering, the jet skier was sober.

Something people in recreational craft need to think about, according to Deck, is that, while a towboat pushing barges may seem slower than a speedboat or even a houseboat, the towboat cannot easily overcome its huge inertia. "A tow steering a bend or shaping up for a bridge span can throw the engines into reverse, attempting to avoid hitting an errant small boat," he said, "but doing so might cause the pilot to lose control and run aground or hit a bridge pier. No captain ever wants to be in the position of deciding whether to run over a small boat or to take out a bridge.

"Some boaters are obviously under the impression that all they need to know about the Nautical Rules of the Road is that unpowered vessels have the right of way over powered vessels," continued Deck. "While this is true, if they actually read all the rules, they would discover that a 'vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver' has the right of way over ALL other vessels--powered, sailed, paddled, or rowed--except those not under the control of an operator (a very rare situation, such as a runaway barge or a boat with a broken rudder)."

While our nation's inland and coastal waterways play host to thousands of recreational boats, they also carry barges, tugboats, towboats, and large ships loaded with tons of cargo 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Being aware of the constraints under which these commercial vessels operate can arm recreational boaters with the best protection against danger and could save your life.

I leave you with this final caution: Remember that five or more short blasts on the whistle is the "danger" signal. Always stay clear of any vessel sounding this signal.


Captain Bob Deck, with his son, Cullen.
The excerpts I included from Bob Deck's article, as posted in Big River Magazine, were used with the permission of both parties.

Author and journalist Mike Mosedale once wrote a "Welcome!" for a couple of Bob Deck's books (Deck on Deck and Between the Sticks). I'm including it here, so that you'll have a better understanding of this man's credentials. It reads as follows:

"For anyone who has ever fallen under the spell of the Mississippi, it's hard not to be a little jealous of Bob Deck. A deckhand as a teenager and a captain by the tender age of 22, Deck worked the big river during the 1970s and 1980s, a boom time for the Twin Cities barge business. Like Mark Twain and George Merrick before him--two former riverboat pilots who also felt compelled to chronicle their experiences on the Big Muddy long after they moved on to new careers--Deck paints a vivid and nostalgic portrait of a working life on the river. And for budding river rats, he also provides some practical tips on how best to guide six barges and 9,000 tons of grain through certain tricky stretches of water in St. Paul."

Monday, January 18, 2016

Remember the Spirit of Nantucket?

That's the 207-foot cruise ship (pictured left), which, back on Nov. 8, 2007, hit a submerged object and incurred a foot-long gash in its stern while transiting the Intracoastal Waterway near Virginia Beach. The captain subsequently grounded the ship, with its 66 passengers, in the shallows to avoid having it settle on the bottom in deeper water.

It should be noted here that the Spirit of Nantucket was halfway through a 10-day cruise from Alexandria to Charleston, SC, at the time of this incident. No one was hurt, and all the passengers completed their trip by bus or were given partial refunds by the cruise-ship operator, the Seattle-based Cruise West.

Meanwhile, the cruise ship was refloated and a tug was brought in to push it to Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk for repairs. The Coast Guard and a Virginia Beach Police boat served as escorts.

Afterward, the Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the 1,090-mile waterway from Norfolk to Miami, located a large piece of debris (see photo at right) in the area, about 4 miles north of the Pungo Ferry Bridge. They said the object had reduced the clearance for a vessel to 7.5 feet in an area where the allowed minimum is 12 feet.

When asked about what the object was, Steve Baum of the Corps offered the following explanation: "It appears to be a bulkhead" and almost certainly fell from a barge. "We're talking some trash that came from somewhere else, because there are no bulkheads in that whole area." Baum even went so far as to say he was certain it had fallen there recently, "probably in the last few days."

For what it's worth, though, I always have had an entirely different take on the object the Corps of Engineers found, which, according to them, measured 40 feet in length, stood 7 to 8 feet tall, was about 13 feet wide, and weighed approximately 30 to 40 tons. I don't, even for 5 minutes, believe that it was a bulkhead or that it fell from a passing barge. Instead, I suggest that it was a huge chunk of those old sunken barges from the oxbow you see in the accompanying lead photo of the beached cruise ship.

Why do I say that? Because it was described in the media as "fashioned mostly of solid timber and has the remnants of metal plates and spikes in it." And anyone who ever has fished around those old barges in that oxbow knows you see the same thing sticking up everywhere you turn in that area. Further, I know for a fact that chunks of those barges are always shifting around as the result of passing storms and wakes set up by all the traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway. The changes are dramatic enough from one year to the next to always make me idle through there or use my trolling motor. Only a fool runs through there on step.

Why no one, to my knowledge, ever made a connection between the object they found with those old barges in the oxbow is anyone's guess. Instead, however, most media outlets simply kept referring to it as a "big mystery," even though The Virginian-Pilot described the mass as "curving to a point, or bow, at one end." Duh? I think an appropriate saying here is, "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck."

So what ever happened to Spirit of Nantucket? you may be wondering. I didn't know until today, when I did some research on the Internet.

Turns out that, following this incident, Cruise West moved the ship to their Pacific operations in early 2008. And on July 7 of that year, the renamed Spirit of Glacier Bay ran aground again (as depicted in the photo at left), this time in her namesake park (Glacier Bay National Park) at the head of Alaska's Tarr Inlet.

This time, the ill-fated cruise ship, with 24 passengers and 27 crew members, was traveling just over 1 mph when it ran aground at 7:12 a.m. on a sandbar. Spirit of Glacier Bay was stranded for about nine hours before a Coast Guard boat was able to tow it to the middle of the bay on a rising tide. Once again, there were no injuries reported.

After this second grounding, the cruise ship went back to Seattle, where she laid up at Jacobsen's Terminal. From 2008 to 2010, she was used as a floating accommodation for training, meetings and storage space for Cruise West. The operator then announced plans to rename the vessel either Spirit of America or Spirit of Adventure, give her the extensive shipyard work necessary to make her structurally sound and operational again, and to run the vessel on a series of itineraries in eastern North America. However, Cruise West ceased operations Sept. 18, 2010, before beginning the work. At last report, the cruise ship was sitting idle just northeast of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Seattle, along with many other vessels from the former Cruise West fleet.


I was prompted to do this post after reading "Abandoned boat stirs fracas on cities' border" by Katherine Hafner in today's issue of The Virginian-Pilot. It got me to remembering some other local marine issues that have come up over the years, and the foregoing was one of the first things that jumped into my mind.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

It Was an "Exhilarating" Boat Ride South Yesterday


That's just another way of saying it was a "long" ride, given the conditions yesterday morning. I really wanted to speed things up and end my misery, but for the life of me, I couldn't bring myself to put pedal to the metal. As a result, it seemed to take forever to reach the Pungo Ferry Bridge and continue the short distance beyond to Straight Creek.

I finally made it, only to learn that all the rain from the night before had turned the creek into a giant mudhole.

There was one slight diversion for me before reaching my mudhole, though. While motoring through the no-wake zone, I noticed that the old boarded-up marina store there on the Pungo Ferry waterfront finally had been taken down, and equipment and workers have moved in to begin erection of what will be a 22.5-acre waterfront park, including a ramp for motorized boats, as well as canoes and kayaks, and a parking area. [1/21/2016 UPDATE: Had an email from an "inquiring reporter," otherwise known as Charlie, who had been out to this site yesterday and talked to a Parks & Rec guy who just happened to be there, too. He told Charlie they only got $800K for this phase of the construction, which will cover the cost of the parking lot and boat ramp. He said both would be open sometime in the late spring or early summer. Other things planned include: beach for swimming (wetlands issues involved here, though), playground, and a fishing-instruction spot at the small pond for kids.]

After spending an hour and a half in Straight without even so much as a bump, I decided to go back and fish some of the same areas in the Albright's oxbow that my buddy, Charlie, likes this time of year. I eventually moved into Albright's itself. All of this water looked good, but I still couldn't find any fish.

For the last hour, I went back to West Neck, which also had good-looking water, but, alas, I was destined to wrap things up at 2:30 without ever boating the first fish.

Having seen Eddie Sapp on the water with Chris Napier yesterday, I sent Eddie a note this morning, asking what kind of day they had had. Eddie came back, saying they had caught 20 to 25 fish, most of which were yellow perch. However, they also boated a couple of good-sized crappie and a couple of bass.

Further, on Bob's Fishing Hole website this morning was a note confirming that Al Napier won the Goody's Big Bass Tournament yesterday with a 7.01-lb. bass, and Brian Skeens took 2nd place with a 2.44-lb. bass, so some people definitely had a nice day.

I spent about 90 percent of my day yesterday throwing various suspending jerkbaits. The rest of the time was split between a crankbait and a chatterbait. The water temp as I left West Neck yesterday morning read 47 degrees, and it only had bumped up to 49 degrees by the time I reached Straight. When I returned to West Neck about 1:30, the reading was 51 degrees.

The weather forecasts I've seen for next week aren't exactly conducive to my making plans for any more trips. I'm not ruling anything out yet, though. Will just have to take a wait-and-see attitude.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Hmm... It Ain't Just Me After All

That's what I was thinking after reading an item in the latest issue of Jay Kumar's BassBlaster. In this particular item, 54-year-old bass pro Randy Blaukat (seen playing a fish at right) from Joplin, MO, was calling out expensive bassin'.

To start with, anytime I see a Midwestern town I'm familiar with mentioned in any kind of news, I sit up and take notice. And I'm more than a little familiar with Joplin, which is only about a 47-minute drive from my hometown--Oswego, KS. Used to keep that road between Oswego and Joplin plenty warm when I was a kid with my first couple of old cars, especially on Saturday nights. You see, at the time, I was dating a young gal from my hometown who had decided to attend nursing school over there.

Getting back to the point, though, Randy was taking today's high cost of bass fishing to task. Here's a digest of his comments (see them all by clicking on this link: https://www.facebook.com/randy.blaukat/posts/744419812357811).

"I don't think the current explosion in technology is a good idea for the future of our sport. I say this because technology--and the need to keep up with it to compete, even on a weekend level--is turning bass fishing, especially tournament fishing, into an 'elitist' sport.

"I think it is a huge injustice to our sport for tournament directors to allow an unlimited amount of electronics on a boat... . For some anglers to be able to afford $15,000 in electronics, while some anglers can barely afford two very simple basic units, creates an uneven playing field.

"Same with rods/reels and tackle. Professional golfers are limited to how many clubs they can carry. The same should apply to tournament fishing--again in an effort to level the playing field for those less financially fortunate.

"We live in a world of fishing, where an $80,000 boat, a $50,000 truck, $70,000 in entry fees and expenses, and another $15,000 in tackle each year is the norm. This is insanity."

What was Kumar's response to these comments? "Randy abso-frickin'-lutely has a point. Was recently talkin' to a high-school basser and his parents, going over how much this whole deal costs.

"Larry Nixon was a fishing guide. George Cochran worked in a train yard. Denny Brauer laid bricks. Can such folks be pro bassers anymore? Sure hope so, but it's lookin' pretty tough," concluded Kumar.

Here's how some weekend warriors have chimed in on this same topic of discussion:

     * "I cannot fathom telling the wife I need a $50,000 boat and a $50,000 SUV/truck to pull it with. If I got that far in the conversation with her, I don't think I'd mention the extra $5,000-plus for all the tackle, electronics, and accessories that I would want to go with this outfit. I want to live a little longer."

     * "We are pricing ourselves out of fishing by paying for all of the new and better stuff. Can't blame the companies for making money."

     * "It's a hobby and only worth what you are willing to spend on it. Fishing peaks my interest to no end and is my one and only hobby. I make sure my family is taken care of first, and everything else goes in the fishing fund."

     * "If you can afford an $80,000 boat, God Bless you. I can't and don't know I would, even if I could."

     * "It's not the boat that catches the fish. Granted, the fishfinder electronics help locate where the fish are. However, you can be on top of the fish and not catch 'em all day if you don't know what you're doing or have what they want."

I also was reading the story a newspaper reporter wrote, based on some interviews he had conducted with boat dealers. They, of course, had been telling him about all the bells, whistles and geewhizits available on today's modern bass boats.

In a final analysis of his article, though, the reporter asked this rhetorical question, "Does all this mean you have to spend your life savings on fishing equipment to catch a bass? Not really. It's called marketing, and the industry knows how to market to the most gullible of all people--fishermen. As one famous fisherman once told me, 'The bass don't care if you're in a $70,000 bass boat or a $300 wooden rowboat."

When I see comments like these, especially some of which are from a pro basser, I don't have any misgivings whatever about my own convictions that bass fishing has evolved into a high-priced sport. As a friend and I were discussing just the other day, even places like Bass Pro Shops have lost some of their "curb appeal" since they joined the ranks of companies jacking up their everyday prices.

My friend and I both give a lot of our business to Tackle Warehouse for that very reason. TW consistently beats the prices offered by many competitors, including BPS, and given their free shipping on orders of $50 and over, what can you say but that it's a good deal.

The bottom line here is simple: Comparative shopping is the only way to go. I also would add this caution: Remember what year we're living in.

Friday, January 15, 2016

If You Wanna "Take a Load Off," Why Not Try This?


Dura Matz is a custom-fit pad, made of neoprene padding and
marine carpet. The pad comes with multiple options. You can
place this pad over existing carpet, as seen here.
Just four months shy of turning 73, I prefer parking my behind in a seat with a back to it when I'm on the front deck of a bass boat for 8 or more hours. Meanwhile, many others, especially the young guns, would rather stand up or lean against a butt seat all day. Either way, I just learned night before last, thanks to my good buddy "Doc" Murdock, that there is some stuff on the market designed to make all of our fishing days a lot more comfortable.

You can completely customize the deck of your
boat by removing a portion or all of the existing
carpet and do your entire deck and boxes with
the Dura Matz. This provides additional
comfort while standing or kneeling.
The product I'm referring to here is padding--that's right, the same kind of stuff you get installed under the carpeting in your home but probably better. As I understand it, a lot of new boats these days already come with padding, or the buyer at least can get it. But, if you own a used boat, you, too, can enjoy the same creature comforts, whether you do it yourself or hire someone else to install it for you.

Before going any farther, please let me acknowledge I'm likely the only one who has been going around with blinders on. Padding probably has been available for a good spell. 'Twouldn't be the first time I was on the tail end of the information line. I can assure you I haven't been looking at any new boats--that ship sailed a long time ago. Besides, I'm totally happy with what I have now.

Dura Matz is custom fit around deck boxes. Additional carpet
is secured inside the box to allow for maximum stability. The
carpet is trimmed to ensure the boxes open and close easily.
This provides a custom, sleek appearance. This is optional.
That being said, however, I'd like to share the following information, which "Doc" was kind enough to hook me up with in his email night before last. I contacted the folks at Dura Matz in Cumberland City, TN, as provided in the link from "Doc," and they then granted me permission to reprint the data from their website on my blog.

The idea for Dura Matz was borne when a buddy of Jim Brewer, the man with this vision, just had purchased a brand new boat, and the deck had padding under the carpet. Jim knew this padding would make his buddy's boat more comfortable, but he wasn't about to buy a new boat just to have a padded deck.

This mat can be secured by additional Velcro along the sides.
This is optional. The carpet inside the box can be secured by
adhesives or screws, which will allow for easy removal when
needed.
"I thought about it for a while, and about 4 o'clock one morning, I told my wife I had an idea," said Jim. "After some trial and error, we invented Dura Matz. Daylight 'til dark is just fine with me," he continued; "however, my back, feet, ankles, knees, and everything else on me hurt after standing for a prolonged period of time."

Dura Matz is made with 3/8-inch neoprene anti-fatigue foam and then covered with marine carpet. "Let me tell you, once you stand on this mat, you won't want to fish without it" is Jim's challenge to all. "It's that comfortable!" he assured.

Easily secured and easily removed if
needed.
Would-be Dura Matz buyers can get a mat to fit just in front of your boat, or you can customize the entire deck, including boxes and even the back of the boat. And if you simply want a mat on the back, there's a Buddy Mat available to fill that bill, too.

For the benefit of anyone who may be interested, you can access the Dura Matz website by simply clicking on this link: http://duramatz.net/. There you will find a form you can fill out to obtain a free estimate for their products. For example, I learned that it would cost me $200 for a custom-fitting mat for the front of my Skeeter--one that would extend from the bow boxes forward. I would have to provide a template and photos. They then would make the pad and send it to me for installation.





Let's not forget about your buddy on the back of the boat. The Buddy Mat can be customized to size and design for this area, based on your needs.




Measuring 36" x 25", these Mini Mats are a quick fix for quick comfort. These mats are designed for the front or back of your boat. You decide where you want them, make a slit for your pedestal, and get set for a day of comfort. They're the ideal thing to take along when a buddy is planning to spend a day on the water with you.



If you want to get a clear picture of everything that's available on today's market in the way of padding, I urge you just to Google this phrase: "bass boat padding." Or maybe you're shopping for a new boat that already comes with it. Whatever your goal, I wish you well.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Tried It Once But Doubt I'll Ever Do It Again

The "it" I'm talking about here is sight-fishing. I'm not among that group of people who see it as unsporting or unethical. I simply don't have the patience or the desire to put in the time necessary to aggravate bedding fish into falling for my lure, regardless of how big they may be.

One spring several years ago, while I was with my friend, Jim Bauer, on Lake Gaston, an opportunity presented itself one morning as we were leaving a cove to cast for some spawning fish. When we spotted the beds, I asked Jim to hold up for a few minutes. Those "few" minutes soon became "several" before I finally teased the one bass enough to take my offering, and then he came unbuttoned only seconds later.

At that point, I was ready to move on...and, to date, never have looked back or even thought about trying sight-fishing again.

As probably any dedicated sight-fisherman will tell you, it's important to put as many optical advantages in your favor as possible, starting with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. The more glare off the water you can eliminate, the better. After all, the objective is to see the fish, which, contrary to popular belief, is the hardest part of the job.

You would be amazed, too, if you only knew the lengths to which some anglers will go to get a leg up on being able to see the fish. Take, for instance, pro angler Byron Velvick. According to BassFan editor, Todd Ceisner, Byron keeps a Super Soaker squirt gun filled with vegetable oil on his boat to use when sight-fishing conditions are less than the best.

If the water in a known bedding area is roiled up, Byron sprays it with some of the vegetable oil, and in no time, the water has calmed down enough for him to see the beds. He learned this trick during a visit to his mom's house. As explained by Ceisner, "She was a school teacher, and he (Byron) stumbled upon a junior-high science textbook... . There was a part about a kids' science experiment where you could make a ripply pond flat by putting a little oil in the water."

The then-25-year-old Velvick tried it and has been doing it ever since.

Actually, the science behind Velvick's trick is nothing new. "Benjamin Franklin was the first to investigate the effect a small amount of olive oil had on a small pond in England in the 18th Century," said Ceisner. "His work has led to additional experimentation."

Once Velvick finds the area he wants to start on, he'll locate the farthest wind-blown spot, fire a couple sprays of oil into the wind in that direction, and wait for it to gather together. He then simply follows the oil down the bank from there. Incidentally, if you'd like to see this complete story, simply click on this link: http://www.bassfan.com/news_article/7210/velvick-spills-his-%C3%82%E2%80%98slick%C3%82%E2%80%99-secret#.VpcZYvkrKM8.

Another important factor in sight-fishing is water clarity. While gin-clear water can offer some challenging and fun sight-fishing moments, lightly-stained water and/or areas with overhanging trees, which create shadows, are a better choice.

Lighting likewise is an important factor. Bright, sunny days offer the best view into the water. However, they also give the fish their best chance of seeing you. For that reason, overcast days are likely your better choice.

Bottom structure further figures into your sight-fishing considerations. Smooth, gravel flats can be nice, but heavy cover often provides some of the most rewarding sight-fishing. In your search for productive spots, don't overlook stump fields, large areas of laydowns, and other shallow-water structure.

As far as baits go for sight-fishing, you're probably better off experimenting to see what works for you. The same goes for colors, as well as the tackle you should use.

Meanwhile, the saying "the devil is in the details" never applied more to anything than it does to sight-fishing. Clipping tag ends off knots, hiding the hook eye and knot with the nose of the bait, and other such small details can make or break your fishing day. That's why many anglers hesitate trying their hand at this presentation.

Die-hard proponents, however, find nothing more rewarding than spotting a bedding fish, casting to it, and watching the fish take the bait.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Ready to Stow Their Gear for a While


That's how kayakers Ron Ameika and his son, Alex, say they feel after suffering a washout/skunk at Albright's this past Friday evening, combined with a skunk on Lake Prince the following day.

Sunday's trip to Princess Anne Wildlife Management Area (PAWMA) wasn't much better. "The wind was howling," reported Ron. And while they were protected from the breeze in the canal, they had their hands full from debris on the water. "It was covered with wind-blown debris, pine needles, leaves, and you-name-it," explained Ron, adding, "it made for frustrating fishing."

The PAWMA trip wasn't a complete loss, though, in that Ron managed to boat one dink on an XTS minnow, and Alex scored four bass in quick succession on a Mann's 1-Minus crankbait, with the biggest one tipping the scales just shy of 2 lbs. "He was finding them near tree branches along the bank," said Ron.

Their bite lasted from 12:30 to 1:30, then shut down. They also talked to a fella on the bank, who had four rods baited with live minnows but said he hadn't even had a bite.

"Time to dust off the snowboards and put a tarp over the kayaks," concluded Ron. "Tight Lines!"

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Why Does Bad Luck Always Seem to Run in 3s?

That's the question which kept racing through my mind Friday night and yesterday. Here's how it all went down.

This past week was especially difficult for me, in that those persistent north and northeast winds kept holding the water level on the river right at the point where I didn't feel comfortable heading out, for fear I wouldn't be able to get the boat back on the trailer. As a result, I kept one eye on the weather all week, just waiting for a decent break.

Throughout the week, I had my gear in "ready" status. The rods were rigged, and everything else was gathered neatly in one spot, where the only thing I had to do was grab 'em and run. Finally, on Friday, I saw a game plan coming together for Saturday. The water was coming in steadily, and the win predictions were just right, too. It was all I could do to contain myself throughout the day Friday, knowing I finally was going to get a day on the water Saturday.

About dinner time Friday, though, I noticed our heat pump seemed to be running rough (enter bad luck #1), so before I sat down to eat, I threw the thermostat over to "emergency heat," figuring that would get me through the weekend until I could call Monday and schedule a maintenance person to come and have a look at the situation.

Later in the evening, however, as we were watching TV, I realized the room temperature appeared to be dropping, so I went downstairs to check the thermostat. It confirmed my suspicions--the emergency heat wasn't working. A few seconds later, I learned the regular side wasn't working, either.

This turn of events concerned me a little, but I thought I had one last alternative left. I knew I had a maintenance contract with a local company, and I also knew they advertised an after-hours service. So, I got on the phone, called them, and left a message about my problem, figuring they soon would call me back, and before bedtime, everything would be back on track. That call, however, never came. As a matter of fact, it still hadn't come as of 8:30 Saturday morning, so I called one of the local competitors, who assured me they would be at my house in no time.

They made good on their word, too. However, as you've probably already figured it out, my much-anticipated fishing-trip plans by this time long since had gone up in smoke. You see, back when I was working full-time, I usually left my wife holding the bag as far as playing host to repairmen, regardless of the problem. Once I retired, though, I promised I would start shouldering those duties, and because I feel very strongly about people keeping their promises, I'm not about to renege on one I've made.

What I hadn't counted on at bedtime Friday evening, when I already had dismissed my fishing plans, was the little "bonus" that was waiting in the wings for me, once my head hit the pillow (enter bad luck #2). The bonus I'm speaking of is the migraine headache (actually, it's a cluster headache, but more people know what I'm talking about if I just use migraine), which came on during the night. It still was raging yesterday morning when my feet hit the floor, and much to my chagrin, it stayed that way until last night--well after the repairman had finished his work on our heating system and left.

It was while we were watching TV last night in the family room that the pain in my head at last started easing off. As I started feeling better, I decided to give myself a treat and eased downstairs to get three pieces of my favorite candy--Goetze's caramel creams (enter bad luck #3).

Now you may be thinking to yourself, "I'll bet he broke a tooth or pulled a filling," but if so, you're wrong. No, I did something I haven't ever done before in my whole life. I actually bit the tip of my tongue so hard I severed a tiny piece of it. Yes, it hurt, and yes, it bled.

How did I do it? I still can't really explain it, other than I remember it happened while trying to get part of that oh-so-delicious caramel to turn loose from where it had stuck in my mouth. And, somehow, my tongue ended up where it shouldn't have been at the wrong moment in time.

The only consolation I have here is knowing, as a surgeon once explained to me during cancer surgery on my tongue, that it regenerates itself rapidly (as long as it hasn't been "bobbitized," or cut off completely, if you will). In other words, my tongue should be as good as new in no time.

As one expert has pointed out, "Bad luck can come in threes, fours, fives, sixes, etc.--it doesn't matter (the number). We can handle more bad luck during those challenging moments. So, smile through the bad times. It may be that they're ensuring you'll have even better luck afterward. The universe will look after you."

I'm not certain I agree with the notion that the universe is going to look after me. The only thing I'm really certain of is that I'm going to take advantage of the next opportunity that presents itself for me to go fishing.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Winter Fishing: Its Advantages and Benefits

OK, I'll admit it can get a tad annoying to have to be wiping tears from your eyes at the same time (and please forgive me for tossing political correctness out the window here) you're wiping snot from the end of your nose. Then there's the matter of probably having to dig through three or four layers of clothing intermittently (and yes, age has a lot to do with it), just to heed the call of nature, which is precipitated, of course, by having to pour cup after cup of coffee down your gullet to help stay warm.

If you can get past these minor annoyances, however, it is possible to go out and have a fun winter day on the water. If you don't want to take my word for it, maybe you'll listen to my kayaker buddy, Charlie.

As revealed in an email I received from him this morning, he went out yesterday and had a real nice day. Caught several bass, including a 2-2, 2-1, 1-6, and a 1-11, "all thanks to a Yo-Zuri 3DS, my new favorite lure," he said.

Equally important, though, as all the fish he caught yesterday, Charlie discovered the same benefit I've been enjoying this winter--traveling light. Instead of carrying all the usual gear, he decided to "go commando." Only took one plastic box of lures and one camera. Besides not having so much stuff around you in the boat or kayak, there's less unrigging to do at the end of the day, when those Wheaties you may have had for breakfast (unless you swore off 'em after Bruce became Caitlyn) aren't really helping so much.

Another advantage of winter fishing is the considerably reduced number of anglers on the water. After all, some guys would rather hunt than fish this time of year. And yet others would rather just sit home by the fire. Either way, that means you normally can fish where you want without having to share the water with anyone else. An additional benefit for those of us who fish the tributaries off the North Landing is the distinct reduction in "big boy" traffic on the river this time of year. You're apt to see a few tugs with barges from time to time but not much else.

Personally speaking, winter fishing helps me deal with my propensity to keep one foot on the trolling motor all day. You simply can't go "steaming" down the shoreline and expect to catch anything. You either slow down and fish deliberately, or thrash the water for a few hours and go home with nothing to show for it. That's not to say you can't throw a spinnerbait or crankbait, because you can; it's just a matter of doing so ever so S-L-O-W-L-Y. And, too, you need to get off the shoreline and fish deeper water.

While we're talking about the advantages and benefits of winter fishing, what list would be complete without mention of the fact you don't have to contend with those pesky little critters otherwise known as mosquitoes? I've watched anglers do everything from dance a jig to nearly scratch themselves raw in those o-dark-30 hours when we're staging for another summer bass tournament. For some reason, those blood-suckers don't cause me a lot of discomfort, but it seems like I'm an exception to the general rule.

Something else that's also noticeably absent from winter fishing is all that sweatin' you do during the summer months. We all have had our share of those mornings when the temps already are in the 70s before the sun first peeks over the horizon, and by 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon, it has climbed close to or already has reached triple digits. Only a fool leaves the dock in summer without enough water and/or other liquids to keep hydrated throughout the fishing day.

Winter fishing admittedly isn't for everyone, but if you're willing to go to the necessary lengths to stay warm and deal with a few little annoyances, you very well may recognize a reward for your efforts. That reward can run the gamut from a simple tug on the line to a hefty limit of fish. Good luck to everyone who gives it a try.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

If You Think I've Been "Jerking" You Around...


Maybe you'll take this guy's word for it and accept the fact that jerkbaits really work this time of year. I'm talking about Ron Ameika and his son, Alex, who spent some time last weekend chasing fish down in the Albright's oxbow.

Ron was targeting yellow perch for the dinner plate with a 3 3/8-inch Bass Pro Shops XTS Minnow (see photo at left), "and it produced," he said in an email to me this morning. The bait is "a floater that will get down to 3 or 4 feet, depending on the retrieve," to borrow his description.

Using a "very slow, steady retrieve, twitch and pause, as well as twitch-twitch-pause," he further explained, Ron came up with both yellow and white perch, multiple bass weighing up to 1 lb., bowfin, a 10-inch striper, and a 23.5-inch chain pickerel. "While that lure was working for me, my friends and son were casting their way toward skunks," Ron noted.

Before all was said and done, though, Alex saved his day and, as Ron has had to 'fess up many times, caught "the big one"--in this case, a fat 3-lb. 13-oz., 19-inch bass (see photo at right). He was trolling a 2-inch Rebel minnow, with a blue top and an orangish bottom at the time--on an ultralight rod and reel, no less.

One of the best things about using those BPS XTS minnows, says Ron, is the price, which is "only $2.99, with a 30-cent military discount." He offers just one piece of advice, though: Replace the hooks before using them. Because of the price, Ron bought several in all three available sizes. "This way, I won't fret about losing one to a stump or toothy critter," he added.

While admitting he's a novice at this game, Ron said he's convinced these baits are going to keep working for him in the colder temps--and I couldn't agree more.

Before concluding his email, Ron also told me that he had been out chasing stripers at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel in all that awesome weather we had, right up 'till Dec. 30th. "Tasty they were," he said.

He wrapped the note up thus: "Tight lines, and watch out for those devious Russians!"


I was at West Neck earlier this morning with a plan to wet a few jerkbaits of my own, but there was (as I had suspected probably would be the case) a little too much dry ramp showing for me to venture out. It wasn't the launch that made me nervous--it, instead, was the recovery. I knew if the level dropped any more while I was out, I probably would be doomed.

Accordingly, I just exchanged pleasantries with Steve, as he was taking his dog for a morning stroll, then climbed back in my old van and returned home to a nice, hot cup of coffee. I'll spend the rest of today monitoring the water level, and if I get a break, you can bet I'll be out there on the water tomorrow. The water color looks too good for me to stay home another day, unless there just isn't enough of it.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Dem Thar Ruskis Give Me a Pain in the Arse...

And that, my friends, is about as nice as it's going to get, considering what a bunch of 'em did here recently.

When I started this blog back in 2012, you can bet your sweet bippy I never once considered the possibility it might be taken hostage by the Russians. Yet, in a very real sense, that's exactly what has happened in recent days. And the worst part of all has been knowing that I really couldn't do a darned thing about it, except to wait for them to release it.

Chances are that none of you readers have noticed a single bit of difference during any part of this "takeover." I say that because I seriously doubt any of you follow the "Total Pageviews" in the righthand sidebar area of my blog. In the past 10 days, that number several times has jumped by more than 300 a day, as compared to the usual 80 to 120. That spike, to my knowledge, would have been the only visible indicator to the casual eye that something out of the ordinary was happening.

I should point out here that, as the administrator of my blog, I'm able to access a page that shows the names of countries reading it, their respective number of pageviews, the primary URLs involved, and other info--all of which I check on a daily basis, usually multiple times throughout any given day. In short, I'm going to know pretty fast when something isn't right. And when I saw "vampirestat" show up as part of a URL, checked the numbers associated with it, and then went to the Internet, I knew I had a problem.

My subsequent investigation revealed that this URL is what's known as a referral spam hosting website, based in Russia. There are many more sites just like it, based all over the world. They prey on businesses, as well as "little folks" like me, trying to suck you into their spam game. I dodged the bullet by not clicking on their URL and ending up with a boatload of unwanted "crapola" and, very possibly, some malicious malware. But there always are those poor, unsuspecting schmucks who are too quick to click. I read about some who just ended up deleting their whole blog, rather than trying to repair it.

I have to admit I'll never understand why some folks, irrespective of race, creed, religion, or national origin, can't find something else better to do than stick their nose into other people's business. Call me old-fashioned, stick-in-the-mud, relic, or whatever-you-will, but I have said, from the beginning, that those who spearheaded development of computer technology failed miserably in considering down-the-road consequences of what, in my opinion, were too hasty actions. Look at what already has happened and what, I feel, is yet going to happen one day, which will make all these other intrusions into people's lives seem like just a walk in the park by comparison.

I still remember the day when my boss at the then-Naval Supply Center pried my hands off that trusty ol' typewriter and set one of those blasted, newfangled Wang computers in front of me. My life never has been the same since, and I'm here to tell ya that it hasn't all been good. There have been and still are many days I would like to throw this contraption out the window and go back to the old way of doing business.

As for those Russians who screwed with my blog and all other lowlifes everywhere who use computers to meddle in innocent people's lives, I have only one thing to say. I would love to see the day when some "educated idiots" (my dad's favorite term for people with book smarts but no street smarts), like those who came up with all this technology to start with, figure out a way to send a computer signal straight back to an offending source and fry his/her sorry butt on the spot. Now that's something I'd give you a whole bunch of "Hell Yeahs!!!" about.


On a different note, I want to sing some praises for the good folks at Tackle Warehouse, where I, like a lot of others I talk to, buy a fair amount of tackle. Back on the 30th of December, I had placed an order that, by the UPS tracking link, was supposed to have been delivered yesterday. When 7 o'clock rolled around last night and no one had rung my doorbell, nor had I seen a brown truck in the neighborhood, I figured there was a problem.

I got on the phone, called TW, and explained that my order hadn't arrived as scheduled. I noted that the order seemingly had just "died" when it got to Oakland, CA, on Dec. 31, because there were no further entries beyond that point on the tracking info. What I've come to know as an always helpful voice on the other end of the line quickly checked my order number and said he would be happy to follow up for me to see if he could locate my package and, if necessary, begin a full investigation.

It couldn't have been more than 5 minutes later when my cellphone rang, and a young lady on the other end asked if I was Ken. When I confirmed, she said she was going to track the location of my package and promised the matter would be resolved to my complete satisfaction.

As soon as my feet hit the floor this morning, I came in and hopped on the computer to see if the UPS tracking data had been updated. Sure enough, it had. The package indeed had gotten misplaced in Oakland, but had been found and already is on its way to me, with a promised new delivery date later this week.

Without using any names, there are some other tackle companies that, if I had had the same problem with, would have me so stirred up with runarounds by now that I'd be wanting to wring someone's neck. With Tackle Warehouse, though, they seem to always treat their customers right. And I, for one, appreciate that kind of service.


Last but certainly not least, I want to acknowledge I had the distinct pleasure of a visit from my good friend, Gary Coderre, this past Sunday, while I was at West Neck, topping off the gas tank in my boat. He's walking much better, looks good (just a little pale from having to spend so much time indoors recuperating), and, as always, is very upbeat about everything.

Like a lot of us, Gary is anxious for March to get here, so we can pick up where we left off last October.

While I'm at it, let me throw down a challenge for the coming season--for all of us. Let's see how close we can come to duplicating what the anglers over at Bob's pulled off this last year. According to my statistics from digging through all their tourney results for last calendar year (including 19 different dates), they finished 2015 with a total of 1 bass weighing more than 8 lbs., 4 weighing more than 7 lbs., and 15 weighing more than 6 lbs. Plus, they already have weighed 1 over 7 lbs. this year--in their New Year's Day tourney. By any standard, that's a bunch of lunkers.

Incidentally, it's not unusual for me to be keeping my boat's gas tank full in the wintertime. That's been SOP ever since ethanol gas came along. However, I was gassing up Sunday, 'cause I plan to get on the water at least once and, be the good Lord and weather willin', maybe twice before this week is over. I'm not through--by a long shot--with these suspending jerkbaits.

Have already talked to Charlie about painting up some more blanks for me, and that TW order I spoke of earlier is more of the same, too. They're not the Megabass Vision 110s that I really wanted--just couldn't bring myself to spring for those at $25 a pop. I settled, instead, for some at a little less than half that price.

Well, I think that pretty well brings everything up to date. Hope y'all are doing well.