Got It In Before the Predicted T-Storms Hit

The weather folks had said we likely would get some thunderstorms in the local area today, starting about 3 o'clock, and I'll be darned if they weren't spot on with those predictions. Nevertheless, by the time the raindrops started falling, the 26 anglers in 15 boats had weighed in, the pay envelopes had been doled out, and everyone was in their vehicles headed home... everyone, that is, but a couple of folks, including yours truly, who still was trying to get their boats cleaned up. I ended up backing mine into its storage building and finishing the lick-and-a-promise job there.

That being said, here are the folks who claimed pay envelopes today:

1st Place, the team of (from left) Bob Glass and Randy Conkle. They weighed five bass with a total weight of 12.06 lbs. after a 0.25 deduction for one dead fish. Randy also had today's lunker at 3.48 lbs.

2nd Place, the team of (from left) Mike Miller and Chris Fretard. They weighed five bass with a total weight of 11.52 lbs. Their big fish weighed 3.20 lbs.

3rd Place, the team of (from left) Don Carter and Rob Peppers. They weighed five bass with a total weight of 10.88 lbs. Their big fish weighed 3.39 lbs.

4th Place, Ronnie McLaughlin. He weighed five bass with a total weight of 10.45 lbs. His big fish weighed 3.35 lbs.

Mystery Weight winners were the team of (from left) Sean Vitovich and Wayne Hayes. They weighed four bass with a total weight of 7.07 lbs., which was closest to the 5.90 weight that was drawn.





Here is how everyone else finished the day:

     * The team of Gary Coderre and Mitch Portervint, five bass, 8.72 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Kevin Love and Brian Skeens, five bass, 8.61 lbs. total weight after a 0.25 deduction for one dead fish, no big fish.
     * The team of Chris Vitovich and Ken Testorff, five bass, 8.58 lbs. total weight, 3.01-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Chris Napier and Al Napier, five bass, 7.29 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Paul Celentano, five bass, 7.16 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Jim Bauer, three bass, 3.86 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Jim Wilder and Darryl Dunn, three bass, 3.55 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Mike Speedy and Stephen Hardwick, three bass, total weight 3.42 lbs. after losing weight of their biggest and smallest fish because the small fish only measured 10 inches (instead of the required 12 inches).
     * Steve Bailey and the husband-wife team of Nathan and Marjorie Gottsch weighed no fish.

Overall, today's anglers weighed a total of 58 bass for a total weight of 103.17 lbs. The average weight was 1.77 lbs.

One more angler became eligible to participate in our season-ending two-day event, bringing the total number to 22.

Congrats to all the winners and thanks to everyone who came out to fish today. For planning purposes, our next scheduled event is Saturday, Aug. 13, from safe light (about 5:45) to 2 p.m. I hope you can join us.

While I had an off day (only boated a total of three bass), my partner for today's tournament, Chris Vitovich, was having a good one. I lost exact count but am fairly certain he must have caught nine or 10 bass. My biggest joy was watching him nail three fish in a row from the same small tree in Milldam. I've seen several anglers pick a couple off a tree, but it's been a good spell since I saw anyone make it three in a row. "Way to go!" my friend.

Today marked the maiden voyage to Milldam for Chris, but I'm fairly certain it certainly won't be his only trip there. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that he and his son, Sean, maybe have made a couple more trips there in the not-too-distant future.

I had the distinct impression that Chris was elated to find a fairly good crop of grass in Milldam. The fact we witnessed a lot of swirls in that grass throughout the day didn't hurt, either.

From my perspective, it was a fun day. Chris always is good company, and he's a good stick.

All-Topwater Bite Still Alive and Well

I had planned to fish Pocaty today, but when I got there, duckweed was visible as far as the eye could see, and I didn't feel like having to clean that stuff off my boat this afternoon, so I decided to spend yet another day in Albright's.

I ended up boating another nine bass today, with the biggest the 2-4 in this photo. My last two fish on the day came a few minutes after 2 p.m., when the water temperature was reading 95 degrees. Despite those conditions, the fish jumped all over my topwater baits.

Besides the nine I got to see and touch, I had one come unbuttoned on the way to the boat, plus at least six more that blew up on my lure but didn't get it. Also got lucky enough to have one bass bust a pod of baitfish, and while he was chowin' down, I dropped my topwater in the midst of the activity, and he immediately nailed it.

Saw something while I was in Albright's today that was a "first" for me in all the years I've been fishing that creek. I just had arrived in the back stretches when I heard what sounded like a pretty good sized boat coming, and I looked up just in time to see a guy coming out of the back in a boat with a flying bridge. This guy had been all the way back to where the creek narrows down to a canal. I know that for a fact because the water back there was nothing short of a mudhole. What he was doing back that far is anyone's guess.

I reckon it goes without saying that there weren't many boat trailers in the parking lot when I got back this afternoon. I saw only one other besides mine. A lot of folks are laying low while these hot days persist, but given the fun I'm currently having, I'm going to continue trying to get in one or two trips per week. With a tourney Saturday, I have no more trips planned this week, though, other than to gas my boat and make sure management knows to expect us come o-dark-30 Saturday morning.

Tight Lines!

He Changed More Than Just One Day's Fortunes

Until a little more than six weeks ago, I never had considered the difference between a generalist and a specialist bass fisherman. That all changed, however, on June 8th, when I bumped into what, at the time, I thought of as a "fellow angler," but whom I now consider a "friend," by the name of Dave Anderson.

We both happened to be fishing Albright's Creek that day. And when we met, I made it a point to inquire how Dave was doing.

"I've caught about 12 small ones," came his reply, to which I only could say, "Wow!" I had boated a mere couple of dinks and really was struggling, but that was before I asked Dave if he minded my asking what he was catching 'em on. He did better than tell me. He showed me what he was catching 'em on and made sure I took note of the one modification he had made to the bait.

Turns out I just happened to have the same topwater bait in my arsenal, minus, of course, the modification. However, I had the means to make that modification on the water, which I promptly did. And for the rest of that day, I went on to catch bass weighing 1-8, 1-10, 2-2, 2-12, and 2-15, for a total weight of 10-15, all on that one modified lure. In return for sharing with me, Dave asked that I keep our conversation a secret, which I have done and will keep doing. I simply refer to the bait as my INT (I'll Never Tell).

And I've used different color versions of the same INT bait, along with a few others in the topwater family, in the six weeks since that day to log five-fish limits on all but one of my trips. That one exception was purely my fault--not the baits.

On three of those trips, I have put fish in the boat with topwater baits, even with a bright sun overhead and a water temperature reading 90+ degrees. This past Friday, between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m., with water so shallow my boat was resting on bottom, I boated three bass that couldn't wait to hop all over my topwater bait. And there were about three more that slapped the bait hard but didn't get connected.

When Dave and I bumped into each other back on June 8th, I'm certain he had no idea that our meeting would become the turning point it has been for my fishing. I wholeheartedly believe he felt he just had done someone a favor--no more, no less. In reality, though, our meeting has served as the catalyst for my switching from a "generalist" to a "specialist" with my bass fishing. The mere fact I went on to use Dave's secret bait to boat fish all day long June 8th was all it took to change me.

As I see things, there are a couple of distinct advantages to being a specialist. For openers, I no longer find myself sitting on the water, mentally sorting through the many baits in my multiple tackleboxes and wondering which ones, if any, I maybe should be throwing, instead of the ones tied on at the moment. This distraction, of course, leads to one thing: a loss of focus and, most likely, a badly timed hookset if/when a fish hits.

The choices now are much more closely defined. It's a matter of picking this topwater, that topwater, or maybe that one over there. Once you decide and tie one on, the focus is automatic, immediate and lasts throughout the day. I honestly don't find my mind wandering any longer, and I'm ready whenever the fish hits. As I said earlier, I've only missed getting a five-fish limit one time since making the switch, and I can't tell you how much of a boost that fact has given my confidence level.

Another advantage of being a specialist is the reduced requirements for tackleboxes and rods. I travel light enough nowadays I shouldn't ever again have to worry about getting a hernia.

And finally, I've encountered fewer hangups since switching to an all-topwater arsenal. The major difference is that those submerged stumps no longer are claiming my crankbaits.

I'm not, in any way, advocating everyone become a specialist. Those generalists who regularly come up with winning bags of fish are better off not tinkering with something that's not broken. If, however, you routinely are encountering the kind of non-productive days I was having prior to June 8th, you might be wise to consider joining the ranks of a specialist. Pick a lure or a style that you enjoy and may have had some success with, then do some online research like I did, and go for it.

I have no idea how long I'll maintain my current strategy. I simply see it as a work in progress at the moment, and I'm having a blast every time I go to the water. Things haven't been this good in a mighty long time. And, Dave, I know I've said it once before, but "Thanks!" again for sharing.

Took My Topwater Tactics to Blackwater Today...

And logged a total of eight bass before heading back north. I decided to stop in Albright's for a while and picked up three more while I was there. My best four on the day weighed 1-1, 1-5 (pictured here), 1-7, and 1-10.

I used three different topwater baits to catch all 11 bass. They were slammin' the baits as readily between 1:30 and 2:30 this afternoon, as they were between 6:30 and 8 o'clock this morning. It was one of those days when you really needed to have a firm grip on your rod.

I'll be taking this weekend to decide what area along the North Landing will be my next test bed for these topwater tactics. I may only get in one pre-tourney day on the water this next week, depending on the weather predictions.

Rob Chatham and Craig Jones launched right behind me this morning and, as I later learned, spent a couple hours fishing West Neck Creek. Rob was hanging around the marina when I came in this afternoon and told me they boated a total of three bass this morning, including one that went a little better than 2 lbs.

And in my email this evening when I had a chance to check it was a note from Ron Ameika, giving me a digest of his fishing trip yesterday evening. Following a wee nap when he arrived home from work yesterday, he loaded up his kayak and headed to what he calls "No Name Creek." His tally on the evening was a 13-inch striper, four dinks on an XTS and a Whopper Plopper, which also yielded a 1-lb 4-oz bass.

Ron went on to say there was a chance he would get out this evening, too, but I haven't heard from him as of the moment. Maybe later.

As I thought, Ron did get in some fishing time today. He went to Milldam and Snake Creeks from 5:30 to 8:40 p.m. and found a few, including a nice 2-9 bass on a white Zoom fluke, as well as a 1-4 just before he quit at dark. While throwing a Whopper Plopper, he also picked up a couple of nice white perch. One measured 11 inches, and the other measured 12+ inches (see photo at right) and weighed 13 ounces.

Said Ron, "The heat wasn't too bad after 6:30 p.m., especially coupled with the slight breeze that was blowing." He also said he's going back at 5:30 in the morning to see if he can find a few more white-perch fillets.

Skinny Fish, Big Reason

By Bob Lusk

Sometimes, things are not always as they seem. As biologists, we sometimes get locked into a comfortable little box and miss something when we hear the same questions over and over.

A fishing pond manager from Odessa, Texas, Larry Hensley has been a pond owner for years. His family ranch, outside Brownwood, Texas, has several ponds and a five-year-old 35-acre lake--not just any lake, mind you, but one that was well-thought-out and designed. Because he's a stickler for details, Hensley worked with a nearby fish expert to design, oversee construction, and then to stock the lake. He did it "right."

Biologist Bob Lusk and Bass Pro
Shops' Dan Hoy dissect the 21-inch
bass, looking for clues into its poor
body condition.

Hensley called world headquarters late one September with a problem. It seems some of his bass were "skinny." For the most part, he said, "The fish are healthy, but occasionally we catch a long fish that's exceptionally thin."

Normally, when clients say they are catching a few long, thin bass, it means they are catching bass on their last leg of life, old-timers in decline, but not in a five-year-old lake.

That Saturday in September when Hensley called, I asked him to put the fish on ice and send it to me overnight. He headed to the store in Brownwood the next day to buy some blue ice and a Styrofoam chest to ship the fish. While there, he happened to bump into the fish guy who had stocked the lake. He got a 30-minute dissertation on why his fish were skinny. Ordinarily, the information would have been right on... if you prefer "box" thinking.

"Not enough food, too much vegetation, need to harvest 'slot' fish" was the thoughtful fish guy's advice. However, he missed this one. Why? Because he stayed inside his comfortable box.

Photos force all of us out of our boxes. When questioning Hensley, I knew the majority of his fish were healthy. From his field notes, relative weights of his bass were decent. It was just an occasional fish that was abnormal. Keep in mind that a 21-inch bass should weigh more than five pounds in order to have reached 21 inches. When Hensley told me he had a 21-inch bass that weighed less than three pounds, I knew there must be an issue. However, I thought the issue was limited to several individual fish, rather than the entire population, since relative weights of other fish were normal. That's why I asked him to ship the fish.

My mission was to autopsy this fish and see if there was something obvious. If not, then I would have him ship the next fish straight to a fisheries pathologist to check for diseases.

I started by using a sharp fillet knife to open the gut cavity of the fish and cut it back to see what was going on inside the fish. As I made the first cut, the fish's stomach rolled out. It was packed tight. I cut the stomach and pulled out four soft-plastic baits, all in varying degrees of digestion.

This fish had had a fetish for soft-plastic baits and ate them. The baits effectively had blocked the fish's digestive system. It wasn't that this bass couldn't eat, because its stomach could certainly handle more volume. But, with its digestive system blocked, it couldn't digest and pass any of its natural food. Consequently, the fish was starving to death.

All its organs looked pretty good. Its liver was normal color, with a moderately low number of grubs. Its heart was fine. Kidneys were a little distended-looking. Its swim bladder was much larger than normal, taking up considerable room in the gut cavity, but that probably was because the fish was in survival mode and struggling to maintain its equilibrium, plus it had been in an ice chest for 24 hours.

Here is the fish and the soft-plastic baits that were found in
its stomach.

Bottom line: There was only one reason this particular fish was so thin. It had lost almost 50 percent of its body weight because it couldn't digest food.

Oh... there was one other pertinent fact. There wasn't a hook anywhere inside this fish--just four plastic baits.

When I called Larry and emailed the photos, he was amazed. He also said all those baits had started off as watermelon color. They turned that funky green inside the fish. He also told me he never throws used baits overboard. He did say it wasn't unusual to lose a bait when fishing--a fish often pulls the soft plastic off the hook.

While I am certainly not ready to call this a "problem" because of one or two cases, I do think it's wise to pay attention. For now, don't throw any soft plastics overboard. Toss them elsewhere for proper disposal.

Reprinted with permission from Pond Boss Magazine (www.pondboss.com).

About the author. Editor Bob Lusk has 30+ years of practical field experience in the art of lake and pond management. He is a fisheries biologist with a bachelor's degree from Texas A & M University in wildlife and fisheries sciences, fisheries management.

My thanks to Charlie Bruggemann for bringing this story to my attention in the first place.

The All-Topwater Days Continue With Another Limit

There was only one keeper in the bunch, though, and it hit at 12:03. According to my scales, the bass weighed 1-15 (see photo right).

The INT bait was among the productive lures today (caught the fish in this picture on it, too). I'm still scratching my head, however, about how I came to lose one of my topwater baits (and no, it wasn't my INT).

I had hung the bait on a small limb of a laydown when the snap gave out. I mistakenly thought it would be a simple matter to ease over to the spot with my trolling motor and just pick up the floater. No such luck, though. The bait was nowhere to be found. I had two good looks but never did find the lure. I subsequently stopped on the way home and picked up two more of the bait I lost, 'cause the fish really were taking some healthy swats at it.

Besides the five bass I boated, a small striper started my topwater day.

All my fish came from West Neck Creek today. I figured I had proven I could regularly have successful all-topwater days in Albright's. Now I'm going to see if I can repeat that success in other areas along the North Landing.

Saw Rob Peppers and a partner I couldn't make out in the distance on the water. They were fishing from the boat my tourney partner, Rob Chatham, once owned. They were already gone when I came in, so don't have a clue what kind of day they had.

Despite being another scorcher of a day, I had a good time and didn't regret my decision to go for even a minute. I'm not real sure at the moment when I'll be taking my next trip. It will depend on the weather and how many things I have to get done this week. I definitely won't be going again either of the next two days because I have appointments both days. I might take a look at Friday, though.

Nobody Does It Better in Total Darkness Than Bass Fishermen

That's right--the 11 anglers in 7 boats on hand at 0-dark-30 for today's tourney all launched without any help whatsoever from Dominion Virginia Power. Seems last night's storms knocked out electricity to an area in Pungo, which included West Neck Marina, about 8:30 p.m., and it was 10:15 this morning before power was restored.

All hands pitched in and helped one another launch their boats, and we all went fishing on schedule about 5:30 a.m., with absolutely no hitches.

Winners of today's contest included the following:

In 1st Place, the team of (from left) Mike Miller and Chris Fretard, five bass, 9.87 lbs. total weight, 2.22-lb. big fish.

In 2nd Place, the team of (from left) Darryl Dunn and Jim Wilder, five bass, 9.75 lbs. total weight, 2.69-lb. big fish, which earned Jim the day's lunker pot.

Yours truly claimed the Mystery Weight award with a five-fish limit that weighed 6.12 lbs. after a 0.25 deduction for one dead fish. The weight drawn today was 5.20 lbs. I had no big fish.







Here is how the other contestants finished the competition:

     * The team of Bob Glass and Randy Conkle, five bass, 8.98 lbs. total weight, 2.22-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Skip Schaible and Mitch Portervint, five bass, 8.07 lbs. total weight, 2.54-lb. big fish.
     * Gary Coderre, five bass, 7.01 lbs. total weight, 1.98-lb. big fish.
     * Ronnie McLaughlin, five bass, 6.33 lbs. total weight, no big fish.

Overall, today's anglers weighed a total of 35 bass for a total weight of 56.13 lbs. The average weight was 1.60 lbs.

One more contestant became eligible to participate in our season-ending two-day tournament. At the moment, we have 21 anglers qualified.

Congrats to all the winners and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, July 30, from safe light (about 5:30 or 5:45) to a 2 p.m. weigh-in. I hope you can join us.

While I heard some of the guys talking about catching their fish today on soft plastics, I continued using nothing but my topwater baits to generate a limit. My tally on the day was a total of eight bass, with only five keepers. I also lost a couple of decent fish while bringing them to the boat.

With the exception of one fish, I caught everything on my INT bait.

On the whole, I didn't consider the weather today overly oppressive. We had a few light, short-lived showers throughout the day, which certainly helped, and of course, for a large chunk of the morning, we were blessed with mostly overcast skies. Some of my recent fun-fishing days certainly have been far more taxing than I considered the elements today.

Have You Found Your Fishing Style Yet?

According to a piece I read online today from a fellow fisherman and blogger, that's an important question we all need to answer. Here is how he addressed the topic:

"What this sport really comes down to is figuring out your own personal style and running with it. There really are no right or wrong ways when it comes to fishing approaches. Some days, the flippers do well; other days, it's the ledge crankers. Likewise, power rules under certain conditions, and finesse holds its own on other days. Chances are, if I were to name a style or type of fishing, you could give me the name of at least a couple pros who have made a great living on just that technique or approach.

"Where guys get into trouble is when they start fishing for information. It's a very bad habit that, once started, is hard to break yourself of. If you're a bent-pole pattern guy, you'll never learn to find fish on your own. If you rely on the GPS coordinates of others, you'll suffer the same fate. Sure, you'll have your day or two in the sun, but you'll fail miserably when you can't get the goods. If you always ask others what the bite was, then go out and fish that pattern the next day, more than likely you'll always be a day late. Yesterday is over, and tomorrow might bring a completely different bite.

"It's fine to study others and ask questions along the way, but at some point, you need to get comfortable with your fishing. You can be a power fisherman, a worm fisherman, or a topwater fisherman and do just fine most of the time. Be a specialist or a generalist--it doesn't matter which. Just pick something and become good at it. Don't worry about what others think of your style, or get swayed by talk of guys whacking them on something completely opposite of what you like to do. There are lots of fish in the water and lots of ways to catch them. Pick something you enjoy doing, or a style that suits your personality, and then spend time asking questions that revolve around that particular aspect of fishing. At that point, you're learning as much as you can from others who might have more experience, but it is focused learning, with a purpose in mind, not haphazard-information overload or fishing for a shortcut.

"No matter how big your boat or garage, or how fat your wallet, you simply can't fish everything you might like to in a given trip. You only can effectively fish one rod and reel and, subsequently, one bait at a time. The more options you have at your disposal, the more likely you are to quickly abandon something, thinking you're missing out on a different bite. When I was tourney fishing, the best partners I ever could draw were guys who constantly changed baits and retied. You should be able to finish this sentence quickly and precisely when it's posed to you: 'I'm a ---- angler.' If you can't, you haven't found your style yet, so keep searching."

One angler who evidently has found his style is Tommy (see photo above, right), a 75-year-old Senko fisherman (and custom home builder by trade) I also read about today. About 90 percent of the time, he fishes a chartreuse Senko and reportedly manages to catch as many or more fish than the majority of his fishing partners.

Something about this worm caught Tommy's attention about seven years ago, and he has been fishing it Texas-style, without a sinker, ever since. As for other lures, he has a wide assortment but doesn't choose to carry many of them with him. "This lean-tackle strategy saves him time on lure selection," noted outdoor writer Ray Sasser in an article about the veteran angler.

Tommy likes the Senko because "it sinks horizontally, with a subtle side-to-side action that the bass really like. The worm is soft enough that it's easy to set the hook," he said, but there's also a downside to that softness factor. "The plastic is so soft the fish tear them up," he added. "You usually only catch one fish per Senko." He figures that he goes through at least 500 Senkos a year.

Going hand-in-hand with finding your style is the matter of believing in yourself, especially when bad things start happening. According to seasoned pro angler Mark Davis, confidence is, by far, the most important thing in all of bass fishing, or for that matter, any kind of fishing. Find out what else he has to say on this subject in the following sidebar.

Do You Have Fishing Confidence?

"Losing a fish, or any similar problem, shouldn't affect your confidence," says Davis (see photo at left). "Most of the time, that has nothing to do with anything you did wrong, certainly not if you're an experienced angler. It just happens. It's a bad break that means nothing. The real problem comes when you think you have things figured out in practice, and then, when the tournament starts, you can't buy a bite. You need confidence to turn that day into a productive one.

"That kind of confidence comes from inside you. It's based on experience and is a part of being competitive. You have to 'know' that you can catch them. You have to believe you can figure things out. You make it happen. That might come from using a particular lure in a particular color, or it might come from knowing you can fish deep, or shallow, or wood, or grass, or riprap, or anything else and catch them--anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances.

"One thing is for sure: You'll never see a confident angler running all over the lake fishing deep and shallow with every lure in his or her boat. Rather, they have the confidence in their strategy to keep working at it until the strategy works. It's a matter of bearing down, gritting your teeth, and having the confidence to follow your plan through to the end.

"Now I know that sometimes nothing we do as anglers puts fish in the boat. There are too many factors affecting our sport for that to happen. We do know, however, that if we have confidence in what we're doing, it'll work more times than not. That's the real key to having confidence.

"You'll know you have the confidence thing right when you adopt a strategy that puts five bass in the boat after conditions have changed unexpectedly. And you'll know you also have it right when you don't put five keepers in the boat but honestly can say you'd still make the same decisions if you could do the day over."

Following Baitfish All Day Again Pays Dividends

And once more, I boated everything on topwater lures. All but one of the 14 fish were the victim of my INT bait. That total included 10 bass, 2 white perch, 1 bluegill, and 1 crappie.

I only weighed 3 of the bass. Their weights were 1-3, 1-5 and 1-7 (pictured right). I'm not sure how many of the other 7 would have made the 12-inch minimum. Suffice it to say I plan to hit a different spot for the tourney this coming Saturday--one that usually produces bigger fish.

In most cases today, where I found one fish, I found at least two, and sometimes three. That's a change from the usual patterns I find. Another departure from the norm was two and occasionally three strikes from what appeared to be the same fish. Most times, one chance is all I get.

Met up with my friend Ray Scott this morning for the third time in about my last four outings. Since he retired from flying, Ray has been spending considerably more time on the water. A nicer guy you'll never find--I believe. Ray is one of the easiest going individuals I've ever known. And I'm certain Charlie Bruggemann will second that opinion.

Like me, Ray was finding it slow going to start with this morning. I didn't run across him again once I headed to the back of Albright's, though, so I don't have a clue how he ultimately made out today.

Received an email from another friend, Skip Schaible, this evening, with a report of some fishing he has been doing outside of bass fishing. The accompanying photo shows a nice 17-inch flounder he caught at Rudee.

Skip told me he also has been catching some croaker, small spot, and other species in recent days.

One thing is for sure: Skip doesn't sit around being bored. It's nothing unusual for him to grab his metal detector and head out to see what he can find. He also maintains membership in a hunt club and spends the winters chasing deer.

A man on the move--that's Skip.

Hook In or Out?

By Ralph Manns

"When a bass is deep-hooked, just cut the leader close to the hook and let it go. It'll be fine because the hook will rust out."

How many times have you heard that advice? Bet you didn't know it's nothing more or less than bum dope, given the results of some modern-day scientific studies. Some years ago, the late-Doug Hannon noted that hooks left in bass to rust out is a problem because they simply don't rust out fast enough, even in salt water. He also suggested that leaving the shank of a hook pointing up the throat of a bass acts like a lever or trap door that prevents swallowing, thus causing the bass to die of starvation while waiting for normal body processes to eject the hook.

As Hannon explained, "Food coming down a bass' throat will bypass a hook shank IF the shank lies tightly against the side of the throat where the barb is lodged. However, if the shank protrudes into the throat, food coming down can push the shank across the esophagus, thus blocking it. Deep-hooked bass even may feel pain as the food rotates the barb and regurgitate the food."

Those observations were scientifically verified by John Foster, recreational fisheries coordinator for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, who studied striped bass at Chesapeake Bay. His researchers held throat-hooked stripers between 16 and 28 inches long for observation in half-strength seawater, so that hooks had ample opportunity to rust away. Size 1/0 and 2/0 stainless steel, bronzed, nickel, tin, and tin-cadmium hooks were hooked in the top of each fish's esophagus, with an 18-inch length of line connected to the hook.

After four months, 78 percent of the hooks still were imbedded. Cadmium-coated hooks poisoned 20 percent of the fish, and production of these hooks was stopped. Bronzed hooks were less likely (70 percent) to be retained than tin-cadmium (80 percent), or stainless steel (100 percent) hooks.

In a second test, the line was clipped at the eye of the hook, as advised by most existing catch-and-release (C&R) guides. One hundred percent of the stainless hooks again were retained, while 56 percent of tin, 76 percent of bronze, 84 percent of tin-cadmium, and 88 percent of nickel hooks remained. Fish mortality was greater when all line was trimmed. Foster theorized that the lengths of line hanging from a fish's mouth kept the hook shank flat against the side of the esophagus and allowed food to pass. Without the line, food could move the hook and close the throat.

Meanwhile, hooks rusted slowly in stages, and the bend and barb became smaller very gradually. Stripers formed scar tissue around imbedded hook points, a typical reaction of body tissue to foreign matter. Foster noted, however, that once the tough scar tissue formed, hooks became more, not less, difficult to remove. Months after fish were hooked, infections sometimes developed around points, causing some deaths.

Based on his research, Foster recommended anglers carefully remove even deeply imbedded hooks. If the hook cannot be removed, then it seems better to leave about 18 inches of line attached. Perhaps someday, these findings will reach C&R anglers, the biologists who are researching C&R and publish C&R guidelines, and TV anglers who teach by their example.

Another good idea is to carry strong wire-cutting pliers. Cut off protruding barbs in the throat, and the hook shank falls free easily.

Texas reseachers have compared the mortality of largemouth bass hooked with live bait and artificial lures. Their main finding: "There is no biological justification to regulate use of live bait to catch bass."

In two separate tests, largemouth bass in a private water were landed by TPWD anglers using Carolina-rigged scented plastic worms, crankbaits with multiple treble hooks, and live carp fished with either a Carolina rig or a float. To simulate normal fishing conditions, anglers with different levels of expertise were used.

While fishing with floats, anglers were instructed to delay hooksets until floats went completely under, simulating the way typical amateur anglers fish with unattended rods. Under all other conditions, anglers were to strike immediately upon feeling a hit. Captured bass were immediately examined to identify hook-related injuries. When bass were hooked deep in the throat, the line was cut and hook left in place. (TPWD did not identify whether the cut was made in the traditional way, near the hook, or with line hanging out the fish's mouth.) Bass then were kept in a large holding net over a 72-hour observation period to determine short-term mortality rates. Sixty bass were taken, using each method. Tests were made in August, when water was warm and stress and mortality are normally high.

The average mortality under these worst-case conditions was 22 percent. Carolina rigs with scented worms caused the highest mortality, followed by live carp used under floats, crankbaits, and Carolina-rigged carp minnows.

TPWD biologists concluded that the timing of the hookset appeared more critical than the type of bait used in the determination of short-term death rates. The data showed bass hooked in the throat had poor survival odds. Evidently, largemouth bass took both lures and live bait fully into their mouths almost immediately. The bass pros' advice to strike without delay is important to reduce fish mortality. Angling techniques that delay hooksets should be avoided.

Carolina-rig and worm combos likely killed more fish because the loose-floating leader prevented immediate detection of some strikes, and flavored worms are easily swallowed or held in the back of a bass' mouth. Eighteen percent of bass taken on rigs with worms were throat-hooked.

In contrast, Carolina rigs with live bait and live bait under floats caused less mortality, likely because live preyfish often are held in a bass' mouth for a few seconds, killed, and turned to be swallowed headfirst. This gives anglers a few seconds more to detect hits before baits are ingested. The decision to delay hits when live bait was used with floats and to strike immediately with Carolina-rigged baits likely caused the different mortality rates of these two techniques. Nevertheless, 10 percent of bass hooked on Carolina-rigged live baits were hooked in the esophagus.

It is no surprise that crankbaits are less likely to be swallowed, as their artificial nature is immediately detectable to fish. When fisheries are managed primarily for C&R or trophy bass production, it may be appropriate to ban use of multiple rods to reduce delayed hooksets, or to limit lures to items unlikely to be swallowed. In any case, C&R sportsmen will want to avoid techniques that delay hooksets, like fishing with unattended rods.

The TPWD study showed that bass hooked in the tongue and esophagus had about a 50 percent chance of dying, while bass hooked in the lips, mouth, jaw, or roof of mouth had 25 percent or less mortality. Interestingly, only 12.5 percent of gill-hooked fish died. This finding suggests anglers who kill and eat or mount gill-damaged bass because "they are unlikely to live" are in error.

TPWD also compared the survival of bass when they were bleeding and when leaders were cut and hooks left in the fish. Removing hooks improved bass survival when bass were not bleeding. But there was little difference in mortality when bass were bleeding or hooks were left in the fish.

Anglers practicing C&R, rather than to eat bass, might note these findings. Fish caught with only superficial wounds are likely to survive release. Small, deeply-hooked and bleeding bass likely should be eaten, rather than released to die later. But lunker bass are so valuable that they should be released immediately, even if they are bleeding or deeply-hooked. Remove the hook if possible. Leave an 18-inch leader if you cannot remove the hook.

Ralph Manns is a distinguished outdoor writer whose materials appear in popular publications, such as In-Fisherman and other outdoor magazines. On the web, he is a contributor at the Bass Fishing Home Page.

Ralph is a strong proponent of conservation and proper care of the great bass fisheries and water resources that we must manage and protect as anglers. His articles always encourage proper handling of bass by anglers, in livewells, and during weigh-ins.

This article has appeared in various venues. I found it at www.bassdozer.com.

Nothin' Finer Than a Topwater Bite in 91-Degree Water

That was my delight today, and it finished my day off in a flurry. At 1 o'clock, I hit a stretch of water where I picked up four bass in only 15 minutes. And, as if you didn't already know, all eight of the bass I boated today fell for my INT lure, and I caught all of them in Albright's.

Five of the fish were keepers, including two that measured 12 inches. The other three keepers weighed 1-6, 1-10 and 1-13 (pictured right).

The 1-10 really made my day. I just had made a cast in which one of the lure's treble hooks caught a piece of greenery right at the water line. Having had no luck in dislodging the lure, I just had started toward the snag with the trolling motor when I saw a fish swirl where the reed was located, then throw water as he snatched the bait free. I didn't realize exactly what had happened until I saw my line darting to the right.

I truthfully can't say today is the first time something like that has happened, but it is the first time in a long while I've been so lucky.

I'm sure glad I read an item about Denny Brauer the other day. He was talking about the fact it isn't the water temperature that determines whether fish will be present. Instead, it's the oxygen content. His premise is that if you see baitfish in an area, bass also are going to be there, and you shouldn't hesitate to work the area until you find what they want. I hit every stretch where I saw baitfish today and had another great time wearing out my topwaters. Yes, I missed some strikes, and a few fish never made contact, but overall, I was more than a little satisfied.

Wasted 4 Hours This Morning

I had my plan and I fished my plan for four hours this morning, all to no avail. Turns out, though, I mistakenly had decided to fish the front end of Albright's, where the water wasn't as clear as usual. For that or perhaps some other reason, the fish really were turned off--to the point where I couldn't buy a strike.

After four hours, I decided to spend my last two in the back of Albright's, and that's where business finally picked up. Unfortunately, I just didn't have enough time to put together a limit. I ended the day with three keepers, the biggest this 1-2.

I went through a whole series of topwater baits before I finally tied on my INT. Once again, it proved to be a winner. All three fish came in my last hour on the water, using only the INT, and I feel certain if I had gone to the back first thing this morning, I easily would have had a limit.

Will likely sneak in another day before the weekend. However, I surmise I'll once again go early and stop early, too. The 6-to-12 plan today worked pretty nicely.

Ameika Father-Son Duo Has Really Good Weekend

I had been wondering when I would hear from Ron and his son, Alex, again with a new report of their exploits on the water. And right on cue, an email hit my inbox this evening, which I will share with you here.

"Said Ron, "We tried Western Branch Reservoir during the day Saturday. Alex found three for the skillet, while I only could muster some tiny ones--seriously, I'm talking 3- and 4-inch yellow perch and sunfish."

The elder Ameika then allowed that he headed to the upper North Landing Saturday evening, where he managed to catch a crappie and white perch to round out the frying pan. Oh, I almost forgot--he also scored a 23-inch chain pickerel.

On Sunday, Ron and Alex loaded up their kayaks and other gear and went to a spot, which Ron has asked me to keep anonymous. And in keeping with my usual practice, I gave him my word I would do as he wanted. This trip proved to be a winner for Alex, as evidenced by the 1-3, 2-6 and 3-7 (see photo above right) he boated in the course of the day. Ron, on the other hand, just "got soaked and skunked," to borrow his own words.

Those results simply lit a fire under Ron to make amends for his dismal Sunday showing. He did so by going back to the same anonymous spot today, and he indeed made up for yesterday in a big way.

"Best day yet!" is how he described today's results. "I found seven bass, including two dinks, a 1-13, 1-15, 2-2, 3-1, and a fat 5-5 (see photo left). My ticket to this success was a mixture of rubber worms and craws," he concluded.

There's nothing wrong with those kinds of numbers, my friends. Keep 'em coming.

Now That I've Had My Daily Laugh...

I can share what got me started in the first place. I've been catching glimpses for a while now of advertising for what they're calling the "Twitching Lure." It wasn't until this morning, though, that I actually took a few minutes and checked this thing out.

As I was reading, I let my mind wander, and it wasn't long before I had my wife thinking I maybe "had lost it." Actually, her exact words to me, after I had explained myself, were thus: "I think you're ready for a straitjacket."

The catalyst for my uncontrolled laughing was when I began considering a couple different possibilities. In short, I found myself questioning whether this electronic fishing gadget was just another con man's clever idea to rip off unsuspecting anglers from one coast to the other, or whether it perhaps was some dude's Plan B for an adult novelty toy that had failed to live up to its original Plan A billing.

After all, the advertising for this product on the Twitching Bait website reads, in part, as follows:

"Patented Vibra-Strike technology triggers fish DNA to instinctively strike at the lure, using the following actions:

     * It vibrates

     * It flashes

     * It buzzes

     * It glows in the dark."

Oh, and the advertising also states, "Recharges in minutes."

All joking aside, however, I learned that the "Twitching Lure" is for real, and it's backed by a real company with real people. They even have a few pretty well-known guides, captains and fishing pros supporting the claims this rechargeable twitch lure actually works. There are numerous pictures and videos of both amateur and pro anglers catching fish with the lure.

Something I found particularly amazing, though, was the fact the first promotional video for this lure contained "a fish on every cast or your money back guarantee." Shortly thereafter, however, this video was redone, minus the guarantee, but they still claim the lure can catch more fish than pretty much any other lure on the market.

And according to what I read, they've also produced some TV infomercials--but, no, they didn't hire Roland Martin to be the host this time. He seems to have had his one and hopefully only shot at infomercial fame with the one he did years ago about the helicopter lure. Let's face it: A person only can stand so many of those trademark "Oh, sons!" before they tune out and turn off--as I did many moons ago. But I digress.

So what's the verdict on this lure that, among its other advertised attributes already listed, also includes the following:

     * Works in freshwater and saltwater for any fish.

     * Comes with a USB charger, so you can charge it from nearly any device or computer.

The jury, in some cases, is still out, but the vast majority of reviews I saw had nothing good to say about the lure. Feelings of being hoodwinked ranked high in most of the reports. Reality just didn't match the company's two catchy slogans:

"Salt or fresh, big or small, the rechargeable Twitch catches them all."

"Fish can't resist the Twitch."

Maybe fish can't resist the "Twitch," but I certainly can. And if you're smart, you, too, will keep the $33.97 it costs on Amazon.com to purchase two of these things in your pocket. Enough said.

If You Could Fish Just One Lure, What Would It Be?

That question popped into my head a little earlier today, and before it disappeared, I decided to do a little online research into the topic.

I initially checked a bunch of different forums, where there was very little agreement at all. As I expanded my research, though, I found a couple of "major league" bass anglers whose choices and reasons expressed for those choices proved to be considerably similar.

The first angler I stumbled across is Babe Winkelman (left), who readily admits his answer to this question has changed over the years. "In my younger days," he said, "my top choice was a purple worm rigged Texas-style. Later, I vowed the jig-worm was the eternal choice. Then, I veered to a tandem, willow-blade, chartreuse spinnerbait, and then back to a jig-worm."

Winkelman's choice changed yet again in February 2012, following a remarkable day he had fishing one bait--a black spinnerbait, with a single, pounded-copper Colorado blade.

Why a spinnerbait? "First and foremost, bass love to hit these baits," he explained. "The beefy profile; flashing, thumping blade; and pulsating skirt team up to create a 1-2-3 punch that triggers both reflexive and feeding strikes.

"Spinnerbaits also are incredibly easy to use. They cast well, swim through heavy cover, and can be fished anywhere in the water column, fast or slow, steady or erratic. You can work them high like a topwater lure, slow-roll them low to bump bottom, and even drop them vertically in and around cover. They simply are one of the most versatile bass baits around."

Why black? "Like all bass fishermen, I have a full spectrum of spinnerbait colors in my arsenal, but black is a go-to color because it silhouettes so well against the sky above. Bass are designed for upward hunting; the positioning of their eyes tells us this. And their affinity to attack topwater targets proves it.

"As Mr. Largemouth lurks at an ambush point in shadowy, heavy cover, he's in tune to potential meals overhead. It's no surprise that baitfish evolved to have white underbellies. The white protects them since it blends in well with the bright sky above (when viewed from below). Black, on the other hand, forms a crisp silhouette that's easily seen."

Why a single blade? "A lot of bass anglers will argue with me on this one. Some guys swear by tandem-blade spinnerbaits. Don't get me wrong; I love them, too. They're superior when running the bait just below the surface because two blades give the lure more lift, so you can keep it higher with a slower retrieve. Two blades also push more water when you're bulging the bait below the surface.

"But a single blade gives you more versatility than a multi-blade spinnerbait. You still can bulge it below the surface. It's better for slow-rolling in deep water. And here's my favorite reason: You can bring the bait to the edge of a weed break, pocket, stump, or other cover, and let it free-fall. The single blade makes the spinnerbait descend like a helicopter, and bass love to pounce on it while it's falling."

Why pounded copper? "Frankly, I can't give you a scientific reason why I prefer copper to silver, gold or painted blades. All I know is that, from years of personal experience, black and copper seem to make a magic combinaiton. As for the pounded texture, each dimple in the blade imparts extra flash, which usually never hurts."

Why a Colorado blade? "Thump, thump, thump--that's why.The Colorado blade's stout shape rings the vibration dinner bell on bass. Indiana blades and willows do a great job, too, but for my money, the Colorado blade tickles a bass' lateral line better than the others... . No bass tacklebox is complete without a simple, black, single-blade spinnerbait," concluded Winkelman.

Another big-time angler who echoes those sentiments is none other than Bill Dance (left). As he once noted, "If I ever were to end up somewhere remote--in the famed Middle of Nowhere--and could have just one lure, it would be a black 3/8-ounce Booyah spinnerbait with a silver No. 5 Colorado blade."

Why black? "That color, or even a shade of it, holds its identity better than any other color, regardless of whether the water is muddy, murky, dingy, or clear. The same is true in bright conditions or low light...day or night. Black always is much more visible to bass. I know because I have caught a ton of bass on these baits in nearly countless conditions."

Also consider this. "Bass sense vibrations and scents in water, both of which attract the fish to its prey, but the final straw is sight. They have got to see the bait or lure. I mean, I may smell a steak on my neighbor's grill. And I may even hear it sizzling, but unless I see it, I am not going to get a bite.

"Seriously, sight is the predominant sense for bass. Believe me, they can see anything pretty good, even in a muddy environment, but I think they can see black best. At least, they see it much better than white, chartreuse or other colors."

Why the 3/8-ounce size? "All the other weights for spinnerbaits have their place, but 3/8 ounce is more universal. It casts better, and you have more control than with the other traditional weights for spinnerbaits."

Why the silver No. 5 Colorado blade? "It provides more flash. Silver reflects more light than any other shade or finish on a blade. And the Colorado design offers more resistance in the water and, therefore, more vibration than a willowleaf or Indiana-style blade.

"You also can work a Colorado blade much slower. You can slow-roll it, free-fall it, etc. You can do many things when working this bait, and all of them slow, and that's often what's needed, especially during tough fishing conditions. Again, I have caught a lot of fish with this bait, including times when there was ice in the water."

Also note, however, that Dance never said this was his "favorite" bait. Instead, he just said, "If I only have one choice, and I need a lure that is most likely to get bit--no matter the conditions--I gotta go with the black Booyah spinnerbait in this one style and weight. Call it Ol' Reliable, if you want."

Many reading this probably are saying, "Both of you are out of your mind. A white tandem willow is much better than a single-bladed black spinnerbait."

Disagreement, though, is one of the things that makes fishing so great. We all have our favorite baits, presentations, species, lakes, etc., as it should be. What really matters in the final analysis, however, is that, regardless of our differences, we all still can wish one another "Tight Lines!" and mean it.