Reckon We've All Seen an Angry Bass or Two...

But when was the last time you saw one in the sky? Matt Kamalsky reportedly spotted this angry-bass cloud somewhere in Ohio, according to Jay Kumar's latest issue of BassBlaster.

As it turns out, there's an organization that was founded in 2004 to foster understanding and appreciation of clouds. That organization is the Cloud Appreciation Society. If you would like to see some of their amazing images (not including the one above), just click on this link to their website: https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/cloud-tags/cloudalikes/.

Oldie But Goodie? Let's Just Say "Unique"

That's one way to describe the circa-1973 Bass Charger, made by Katchmore Bait Co. Ads from that era billed the surface lure as "a fisherman's dream," or "one of the greatest topwater bass lures ever made."

What made this 3/8-ounce plastic-bodied lure different started with a twin set of free-floating hooks that were attached to the body with a set of metal pins. Each one was independent, but they closely resembled the popular twin-hook configuration on most soft-bodied frogs you find on the market today.

Another unique feature of this lure was that you took an Uncle Josh bass strip, threaded it through the plastic "spoiler" on the back of the lure, and then ran the end of it to the lure's head. A small removable screw then was placed through the pre-punched cut in the rind strip and tightened down to hold the strip in place. This setup left the tail of the strip dangling perfectly between the double hooks, similar to stranded skirts on frogs today.

"Think of it as a cross between a soft-plastic frog and a Johnson Silver Minnow," some would say.

The Bass Charger came in six colors, and you could add the colored pork strip of your choice to mix or match. The bait was designed to fish weedy, mossy, brush-clogged bass holes without constantly fouling the lure. They sold for $1.75 each, or you could buy five and get one free.

Obviously, the Bass Charger made a bigger splash in the water than it ever did in the marketplace. To the lure's credit, though, it was an interesting concept, even though it never lived up to the likes of the Arbogast Jitterbug and Hula Popper. Both of those surface lures have histories dating back more than 60 years and still are available on tackle-store shelves.

A Look Back at Past Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Classics

With only four scheduled qualifying tournaments remaining before another Classic is upon us, I thought it might be interesting to look at the kind of statistics it has taken for people to walk away with money in their pockets at the end of this annual two-day event. Here are the names and numbers of winners from the past five years:

And of equal interest this year is a tightly contested race to see who gets to claim bragging rights as 2017 Angler of the Year. I should point out this competition ends with the last qualifying tournament of the year, which will be Oct. 7. Here's how this race stacks up at the moment:

(From left) Al Napier/111.84 lbs., Bob Glass & Randy Conkle/109.78 lbs., Bobby Moore/108.51 lbs., Duane Kessel/106.14 lbs., Rob Peppers/100.86 lbs.

Just wish ol' Dewey was here to see all this. It was his love of friendly competition that paved the way for us to enjoy the camaraderie that we have today.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017

Monday, Aug. 28 (from Ron)...Hard to believe, but I actually was cold for a change. Launched Milldam about 1630 into a howling wind. Figured there would be some relief on certain bends, and I was correct. Gauge was super low (1.45 at launch, 1.30 at recovery), and that may have helped. Wanted panfish and found a bunch, but they were all too small for the stringer. Casting a beetlespin on ultra lite in the wind was tricky, to say the least. Caught several small bass to 1-4 on that set up...was really fun. Combination of baits produced a total of 17 bass, including a 1-3, 1-4, 1-10, 2-0, and 2-4, with the rest dinks. Also managed five small white perch, three small yellow perch, one crappie, and the highlight of the evening...a pole-bending 27-inch, 6-lb. 7-oz. bowfin. The latter and the bigger bass were attacking the Whopper Plopper. Even though it was heavy, casting it along grass lines was very tough, given all the wind. After the rain got me wet, it got pretty chilly. Just had to get out there, because it looks like tomorrow will be a blow out, but never say never!

Wednesday, Aug. 30 (from Charlie)...Went to Back Bay today, even though I figured the water would be very low, muddy, and I'd have problems with the wind. I guessed wrong. The water was clear, a little low, and 75 degrees. Once again, the bass were in a hungry mode. I fished undercut banks where it dropped off to deep water, 6 to 8 feet, with SwimSenkos and ran crankbaits parallel to the drop. Also tried a monster wakebait (3/4 oz. Strike King 4-inch Wake Shad) and had a good-sized bass on, but he spit the hook--a portent of things to come. In one 10-minute period, I lost two on big swimbaits right at the boat after a long battle. Both jumped and spit the hook as I reached for them, and both went well over 3 pounds. RATS! I'll be going back there on future trips. Still had a great day, with 22 bass boated, one big yellow perch, and a slew of small white perch. Top five bass went 1-11, 2-0, 2-1, 2-6, and 2-7, for a total of 10 lbs. 9 ozs. It'll be back to the grass beds with the fly rod tomorrow.

Thursday, Aug. 31 (from Ron)...Fished Milldam yesterday. Only found three fish: a small crappie, white perch and sunfish. No bass. Water was very murky. Went to Blackwater today and only caught three dink bass. Weekend isn't looking very good.

Thursday, Aug. 31 (from Jim)...Wasn't the kind of day every bass fisherman hopes for. Launched before 7 a.m. and fished until 5 p.m., catching only one dink bass all day on the old reliable worm. I had two good strikes on the worm, but both fish buried me in stumps/brush. Fished topwaters, cranks and two different worms. My nephew missed a couple short strikes on topwaters, and I had a miss on the Pop ShadZ. Decided to see if we could find some crappie. Caught probably a dozen dinks between us. My nephew had a wicked strike on the fly rod that busted the leader and popped a repair patch. Am guessing it was a striper.

Sunday, Sept. 3 (from Charlie)...Went to Back Bay again today. Tried a new cove I found on Google Earth that had plenty of grass but couldn’t find a bite. Moved to another cove that had clean water (the Bay was like mud) and finally found some fish. Tried hollow bodied frogs, SwimSenkos, Skinny Dipper swimbait, and Johnson Silver Minnow. I sat in the middle of the cove on the grass beds, anchored, and cast each bait 360° around the kayak. If no strikes, then moved 50 feet or so and repeated. Only got five today, but a couple of quality bass were in the mix. Ended the day with two dinks, a 1-5, a 2-8, and a 3-8, so no complaints.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017

Tuesday, Aug. 22 (from Charlie)...The bite’s still going strong. Hit NC today, and it was a killer. Scored an unbelievable total of 38 bass today, with the best five going 2-1, 2-1, 2-5, 2-12, and 3-0, for a grand total of 12 lbs. 3 ozs. Not too shabby. I hope the cold front that’s coming through tomorrow doesn’t kill the bite. I’m really loving this streak. Also took the 8WT fly rod today and got 11 on 15 casts in a 4-foot-deep ditch with a Close Minnow in white/chartreuse.

Wednesday, Aug. 23 (from Ron)...Fished upper North Landing Tuesday evening and caught 11 dinks--all on Yum Dingers. I had run out of SwimSenkos. Didn't find any stripers.

Launched Lovitt's this evening but got stormed off after half an hour as I anticipated. After getting home, noticed the sky to the west was clearing, so went to the drawbridge at North Landing (Mt Pleasant meets North Landing). Did some bank fishing from 1900 to 1945 around the culvert. Caught four bass, most about a pound and one at 2-7. Didn't find any stripers, but the water was flowing out at a good clip.

Thursday, Aug. 24 (from Charlie)...Another great day. Can’t believe my luck. I figured the bite would suffer from the front that passed through last night, but low and behold, it was still going strong. Ended the day with 28 bass and a striper. Got five on the fly rod, including a 1-3 on a deer-hair popper.

Thursday, Aug. 24 (from Skip)...Turned out to be a decent day. Caught eight total. The biggest fish weighed in at 2.7. Caught most on my "homemade" Senkos. (FYI: When Skip says "homemade" Senkos, he's talking about odds and ends of old Senkos of every color that he has melted together and repoured in a mold.)

Thursday, Aug. 24 (from Ron)...Launched at 0630 and started fishing Back Bay about 0645. Entrance points were productive with the Whopper Plopper. Found six dinks and a 1-6 bass in about a half hour. Wind got too strong, and I left at 0745. Tried hollow-bodied frog, plastics and Pop ShadZ, but they only wanted the WP with the rough water. After work, picked up Alex and headed to Milldam Creek. The falling gauge and cool temps seemed to help. Alex caught nine bass:  4-6, 3-4, 2-10, 2-0 and the rest in the 1-0 to 1-14 range. He was using Zoom Flukes. I managed to find 12 bass: 10 dinks, a 2-2 and a 3-9. Also caught one white perch, an 11-inch yellow perch, four crappie, and a 15-inch striper.

Friday, Aug. 25 (from Ken)...All I had to show for 7.5 hours on the water today were eight dinks, the biggest of which weighed 1 lb. on the nose. But you know what? I'm all right with that kind of day after what has been happening recently. Wayne has been working his rump off getting a whole series of gremlins out of my boat, and it wasn't until yesterday that he finally worked his way to the bottom of the barrel. For the first time in what seems like ages, my boat today finally worked like it is supposed to, and for that, I'm eternally grateful to my friend for all his hard work. Everything I caught today fell for a super shallow crankbait. Didn't have a single strike on any topwaters and had only one pickup on a piece of soft plastic. Oh, and Wayne, you can rest comfortably tonight, fully assured that your phone won't be ringing, with my voice on the other end of the line. You're finally getting a much deserved break.

Friday, Aug. 25 (from Ron)...Had a good trip to Blackwater and didn't find any dinks for a welcome change! Caught a 1-4, 1-14, 2-2, and a 2-6, all on plastics (Senkos and Flukes). Managed a little bowfin that gave a great fight for his size. Had two massive hits that resulted in plastic cut in half, either bowfin or gar, not sure. Really nice evening. Enjoying the cooler temps and lack of bugs.

Saturday, Aug. 26 (from Ron)...Did the long haul from Munden Point Park through Snake Creek south and back via Milldam. Had to paddle for a stretch, but it was a good trip: 6.27 miles, 5 hrs. 37 mins. time. As usual, the North Landing crossing was a shooting gallery of jet ski and boats at about noon. Got a license check at launch, as well. My totals included 10 dink basss, 1 crappie, 1 yellow perch, 3 white perch, and a bluegill. Have been experimenting with casting a beetlespin, instead of just trolling under the bobber. Seems to get many hits, especially from small fish. Still fun. Odd that there were no dinks yesterday and only dinks today. Fickle are the bass.

Saturday, Aug. 26 (from Charlie)...Squeezed in one more day this week and wound up with another big day. Not much was happening until the wind picked up about 8:30. Then the current started to flow, and the bite turned on. I fished mainly crankbaits in deep water today and plastics along drop-offs next to undercut banks. Everything worked, and I landed fish on a Yo-Zuri 3DS, Yo-Zuri 3DB, swimbaits, and SwimSenkos. Top five today were 1-6, 2-11, 2-12, 2-14, and 3-2, for a total bag of 12 lbs. 13 ozs.--my best day of the week. The four-day total was 114 bass--probably the best week I've ever had. Oh, almost forgot the 4-0 channel cat that went for the 3DS today, along with three dink stripers and an assortment of small white perch. Can't wait to see what's in store for next week.

Sunday, Aug. 27 (from Ron)...Had a pleasant trip this morning until the wind got bad about 0800. Fished Milldam from 0615 to 1000. Caught a bunch of small panfish of every variety by casting a beetlespin. Am starting to enjoy casting them more than trolling one. The Whopper Plopper was attracting bass along the grass lines but nothing big. Caught 10 dink bass and a 2-7. Also had a bowfin trying his darndest to get hold of the WP, but he just couldn't figure it out. Am getting to sound like a broken record with my numbers and sizes. Still, all good.

"The Rest of the Story" Behind the Sign

Had an email the other day from a friend who knows I spend a lot of time down in Albright's. He had been down to the oxbow at the creek's mouth and saw a sign on the north side that read "Sadies Isle" (see photo at right).

"Made me laugh," he said, "because I have recently, by fate, come to know the family that erected this sign."

He figured that I'd probably eventually run across the sign, too, and then spend years trying to figure out what it was all about, much as I have the cross that stands down in Pocaty. Would love to know what that's all about but probably never will. In this case, however, I won't have to wonder, thanks to my friend, who decided to allay all the questions I might have on my "inquiring reporter" mind. Like radio broadcaster Paul Harvey did back in the day, he made sure I have "the rest of the story."

The main story is revealed in a front-page feature of today's The Virginian-Pilot, under the byline of Alissa Skelton.

As it turns out, the family my "Good Samaritan" friend Chris (pictured left) now knows was seven hours into a road trip when they got a call from a neighbor, telling them their bloodhound was missing. The neighbor had agreed to watch the dog while this family was away for the Fourth of July holiday. A series of gunshots had spooked the 1-year-old rescue dog, causing her to leap over the backyard fence and disappear into a marsh.The family turned around and came home to find their dog. Little did they know their search would continue for three weeks before they achieved success.

It was July 16, when a fisherman (Chris) happened to hear a dog howling while he was spending a quiet Sunday on the North Landing. He didn't think much of it at first, because hunting dogs often are in the area. On his way home, however, he saw a lost-dog flyer for Sadie on a stop sign and called the phone number.

A week later, Chris called the family again, saying he had seen a bloodhound, wearing a leather collar and blue tags, sipping water as people on kayaks and personal watercraft drifted by. This description was the best the family had heard, so they headed to the site in a boat. There still was no sign of Sadie, though.

After grabbing a few supplies, the family hopped back in the boat and prepared for an all-night stakeout. As they approached a single cypress tree in the marsh, they spotted Sadie. The dog didn't come, though. Instead, she growled and retreated into the grass.

It wasn't until the family resorted to some trickery suggested by a dog tracker that they got close enough to finally grab the dog's collar and take her home. After 21 days of being stranded in the marsh without food, riding out thunderstorms, and enduring the scorching July heat, the bloodhound was in rough shape. She had lost 11 pounds and needed medicine for an intestinal infection.

The family asked their vet how Sadie had survived. The answer was: by eating twigs.

The Way to a Man's Heart...

I'll bet you thought I was going to say "is through his stomach," which actually is the way that old saying goes. However, I had something else in mind when I started this post. I was going to say something along the lines of "is through introducing a youngster to the joy of fishing." Consider these three examples I found online:

"He's a Bass, Baby!"

Let me warn you now: Prepare to smile until your face hurts with this first video. The little man involved is so overjoyed with the bass he has just caught that he can't stand still. Watch closely as he dances, smiles and melts your heart--all while telling you exactly what he caught the fish on.

"This is how we do it every day on the water, baby," he exclaims. No one else could have said it any better.

Hopefully, the young man got to see his catch swim away so he could get him another day "on this crawfish, baby."

Just click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w07LUuixX5E.

"I Got One!"

In this video, a tiny boy stuns his family (and himself) with a completely unexpected feat while fishing in Hanceville, AL. Within seconds of making a cast with his plastic toy rod, the young fisherman-in-training manages to hook a fish--prompting a cheerful shout from his surprised father.

"He's got one!" yelled the father. "Reel it in, son... Look at it jumping!"

Meanwhile, the toddler can't hold back his sweet laughter as he reels in a largemouth bass. "I got one!" he giggles, turning the plastic knob as fast as his tiny fingers and plastic rod will allow.

At one point, when the fish gets stuck in the weeds, the youngster asks his dad to help. Instead of taking over, though, the father simply urges the boy to do it on his own. "Step back," he says, and the little one eventually manages to pull the fish up on the bank.

To see it for yourself, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFIOBXVJY0Y.

"Oh My Gosh! I Finally Got One!"

Sometimes, after a long day fishing, all you come back with is an amazing story about the one that got away. A young girl named Avery, though, not only returned from a father-daughter fishing trip with an impressive tale, she bagged a big bass on a little Barbie fishing pole.

"Don't drop it," the father encouraged. "Still got it?"

While reeling in the sizable fish, Avery started having some doubts develop about her ability to land it and said, "I can't get it. You need to help me."

Rather than step in, however, her father just told her to hold on to her pink fishing pole and "keep reeling."

Here's the clip of all the action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXYpJupNLSA.

Another Blistering Day on the Water

That fact, however, didn't deter 10 anglers in six boats from testing their skills against the bass today. They collectively weighed in a total of 23 fish, with a total weight of 45.43 lbs. and an average weight of 1.97 lbs.

Standing tall in the winners' circle at day's end were the following:

(From left) Al Napier and Wayne Hayes claimed 1st place with a five-fish limit that weighed 12.48 lbs. Their big fish weighed 3.11 lbs.

(From left) Gary Coderre and Chris Fretard walked away with 2nd place. They had four fish with a total weight of 9.38 lbs. Their big fish was the day's lunker prize at 4 lbs. even.

(From left) Bobby Moore and Duane Kessel captured the mystery-weight award. Their limit tipped the scales at 7.25 lbs., which was closest to the drawn weight of 4.90 lbs.





Here is how the other competitors finished the day:

     * Randy Conkle and Bob Glass caught a limit, with a total weight of 9.03 lbs. Their big fish weighed 2.21 lbs.
     * Jim Wilder brought four fish to the scales, for a total weight (after a 0.50 penalty for two dead fish) of 7.29 lbs. His big fish weighed 3.06 lbs. Unfortunately, the scales already had closed when Jim found a fish he had dropped en route to the weigh-in site. Accordingly, that fish could not be counted.
     * Once again, yours truly did not weigh a fish. My day was limited to four hours due to the fact I was forced to operate with only one of two trolling-motor batteries. It looks as though one bank of my onboard charger may have died.

One more angler became eligible to fish in our season-ending two-day Classic as the result of his participation in today's contest. That brings the total to 15, with four more qualifying tournaments still remaining.

Congrats to all the winners and thanks to everyone who showed up to participate. For planning purposes, our next scheduled event is Saturday, Sept. 9, from safe light to about 2:30 p.m. Hope you can join us.

While frustrated that yet another day came and went without my being able to complete it, I have to admit my frustration was somewhat tempered by the fact it already was pretty miserable at 10 o'clock when I had to quit and head for the dock. I used the rest of the fishing day to clean up my boat, put it away in the storage shed, and sit around sipping on a couple of cold sodas.

When 2 o'clock rolled around, and the other anglers were heading up the channel for weigh-in, I was ready for them, and once that was completed, I was on the road home for a visit with one of my granddaughters, her husband, son and daughter who were passing through my neck of the woods on the way back home from a wedding they had attended. It was a short but most pleasant get-together, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Fishing is fun, but family reunions are even more fun.

Angler of the Year Race Continues

(From left) Al Napier/111.84 lbs., Bob Glass & Randy Conkle/109.78 lbs., Bobby Moore/108.51 lbs., Duane Kessel/106.14 lbs., Rob Peppers/100.86 lbs.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017

Monday, Aug. 14 (from Ron)...Weather didn't look very good, but I rolled the dice. Launched on Milldam from Blackwater Road at about 5 p.m. and caught two dink bass and three dink white perch before the sky darkened and the distant thunder drove me away. Still good to be out.

Tuesday, Aug. 15 (from Ron)...Launched at the drawbridge on upper North Landing to stay close to my car with a pending storm. Fished for about an hour and caught two stripers at 16 and 17 inches, respectively, along with a dink bass, a 2-0, and nothing else. The sky darkened, and I got out of there just before it got ugly. Stripers were hitting a crankbait, and the bass hit a Pop-R. (FYI: Ron nailed it with the term "ugly." Wayne and I were working on my boat at West Neck when "ugly" hit, including some loud thunder and a downpour that lasted at least 30 solid minutes.)

Wednesday, Aug. 16 (from Ron)...It's always a good trip when I get a bowfin! Launched Milldam about 5 p.m. and fished 'till dark. Had a few hits and misses until I tied on a Zoom Fluke, which seemed to be what they wanted. Managed four dink bass, a 1-9 and a 2-7, all of which hit the fluke along grass edges. A beetlespin found three dink white perch but nothing for the stringer. As the sun was setting, tied on a Whopper Plopper and found a really nice bowfin at 6-1. Gave a great fight. Very chubby and healthy bowfin. Also missed a few on the WP--maybe gar. The bowfin was a struggle. The WP treble was between upper and lower lip, so I couldn't get the lip grip on him. Had to grab him with a towel as he thrashed around. A tussle to say the least. Nice to be out late without thunderstorms.

Thursday, Aug. 17 (from Jim)...I fished south to start, using a WP, Pop ShadZ, and small swimbait. Had a bump on the first two baits but no hookups. Came back to the bridge and decided to throw a crankbait and they were on it! Caught a 1.3 and a 13 oz. off one log. Eased above the bridge and caught a 1.8, 1.4 and a genuine dink. Came back to the bridge and caught four tiny crappie. Called it quits about 3:30. With no wind this morning, it was darned muggy. When the wind finally came up, the fish got active. Water temp was 84 degrees at launch and 88 when I pulled out. The fish were on wood--mainly logs, rather than stumps. Water color was super dark and clear.

Thursday, Aug. 17 (from Ron)...The water was a bit high for the bridge limbo (2.8), but I managed to squeeze under and fished Milldam from 5 p.m. 'till dark. Caught several white perch on beetlespin and Whopper Plopper but only one keeper. Seems the bigger ones perhaps have migrated. Also lost one keeper-size crappie yak side, so there will be no tacos. Caught a dink bass and a 1-7--one hit the WP, the other a Fluke. Caught a bowfin, as well. Didn't think they came in extra small size, but this one did--I'm guessing it only would have gone 1.5.

This week (from Charlie)...Due to weather and other commitments, I only made it out once. After last week's success with hollow-bodied frogs, I went looking for grass again. Grass was not on the menu this time, though. Went to plan B, which was crankbaits in grass-free holes. The water was 84° and on the murky side, because the stiff south wind was pushing the water in from the bay, and the current was running strong, stirring thinks up. Not a lot of fish this week but a couple of good ones. I did get a 1-8 on a frog in the grass, but it took three hours. The crankbait event lasted one hour and produced a 2-4 on a Yo-zuri 3DB Wakebait, and a 4-6 on a Yo-zuri 3DS shallow crankbait. The heat and humidity drove me off the water by eleven, but a good haul nevertheless. Maybe next week will have better conditions.

Friday, Aug. 18 (from Ron)...It was a long trip from North Landing drawbridge to Haynes Creek. In short, the juice was not worth the squeeze. Enjoyed being out after the sun hit the treetops and things cooled down a bit. The trip south was dreadful, with all the heat and humidity. Ended up with only three dinks and a 2-2. They were hitting Zoom Flukes and nothing else. Oh well... .

Saturday, Aug. 19 (from Ron)...Fished Back Bay this morning. Very murky and not the best bite, but found four dink bass, as well as a 1-2 and two 1-3s. Had luck with Whopper Plopper when I could throw it, as well as a swimbait. The swimbait is new for me and am still trying to figure it out. Had some company out there, too, as you can see in the accompanying photo.

Sunday, Aug. 20 (from Charlie)...Another great day. Got 25 this morning with the top 5 including a 1-4, two 1-8s, 2-0, and a 4-0, for a total of 10 lbs. 4 ozs. Can’t believe my luck lately. There were five other kayaks in my first hole, so I headed south to find some new ground. Glad they chased me out of the cove. Here’s the 4-0, which I took on a SwimSenko fished over the grass.

Sunday, Aug. 20 (from Ron)...Launched from Munden Pt. Park and made my way to Snake Creek south. Caught nine dinks, plus a 2-7. They all went for SwimSenkos, and now I have none left. They are not very durable, and they're too costly. Wish Z-Man made something similar. Water was very clear, and the best bite was from 0800 to 0900 near the entrance from North Landing. The further I ventured in, the worse the bite got. Grass-covered feeder creeks were where most of the bites occurred. Lost two bowfin and caught three crappie. A friend I was with caught a whole stringer full of crappie. Didn't see any snakes today. Trip back across North Landing was like a shooting zone, what with all the boats and jet skiers...ugh!

Sunday, Aug. 20 (from Ray)...My son, Barry, and I fished Pocaty and part of West Neck today. Ended up with 13 bass, a bowfin (maybe 4 pounds), and a couple perch. The two largest bass weighed 1.4 and 2.4 pounds, and the rest were dinks. The lure that worked best was a weightless swimming Dinger, fished by twitching it slowly on the bottom. The water was fairly clear and 83 degrees. The wind was friendly today. The traffic was very heavy on Pocaty, with kayaks and all kinds of boats.

Makin' 'Em Bite When They Don't Want To

The fish just aren't biting. A cold front has turned 'em off. It's too windy (or not windy enough). It's too hot (or cold). There's too much boat traffic. I don't have the right lure. I'm fishing the wrong place.

Sound familiar? I'd venture to say we've probably all heard these excuses and/or maybe uttered a few of them ourselves at one time or another. The fact is that everyone, even experienced anglers, have occasions when they don't do very well.

As a tourney director, I distinctly remember a couple of those occasions this year--days when the usual "heavy hitters" didn't fare so well. Each time, though, I witnessed one or more other anglers who managed to find a bite that produced a nice bag of fish.

So, how do you make stubborn bass bite? It starts with making mental adjustments. You fight off a defeatist attitude. When you're not getting bitten in an area where you've caught fish recently, step back and try to figure out why the bites aren't happening. If you think the fish are pressured, look for a different area, but remember this: The fish don't usually move far, so resist the temptation to start running all over the place. And if the weather is an issue, simply slow down and fish more methodically.

Another suggestion is to fish heavy cover, which can include everything like thick vegetation, brush tops, gnarly stumps, and logjams. According to the pros, brutal conditions will make "sulking fish pull into the thickest cover available, and you have to go in after them." Forget the obvious targets. Instead, concentrate on the high-percentage places--those that are hardest to reach but are the most likely to hold fish. Bass burrowed in heavy cover feel more secure and are vulnerable to baits that drop into their safety zone--baits like soft plastics, especially scented ones.

Be thorough and slow down. Patience is a virtue when bass don't want to bite. A smart angler resists the urge to fish faster through potential areas in an effort to cover more water. Instead, he lets the bait soak longer in the same spot. In other words, make the most of each cast with multiple presentations from different angles. You want to cover every inch.

Whether you have to deadstick the bait, shake it, or maybe do a combination of the two, the onus is on you to entice the strikes. If you're fishing fast movers like spinnerbaits or crankbaits, use the bottom or cover to deflect the lures and create erratic movement that can trigger reactionary strikes.

Also don't hesitate to downsize your lures. Smaller lures are apt to produce more bites from lesser quality fish, but on tough days, smaller fish are better than no fish at all.

And finally, rotate locations. When the water temps reach the upper 80s and hotter, fish become less active because it burns up their metabolism. However, they still feed--just for shorter periods. At times like this, pros often will rotate their fishing spots, keying only on those where they know the fish live. Under these conditions, you don't have to worry about slowing down or scaling back your lure size because, as one pro explained, "they'll eat anything when they feed."

If you accept the conditions, stay confident, and fish with patience, you'll catch fish, insist the pros. "The secret to being a good angler," according to old-timer Denny Brauer (right), "isn't knowing how to catch fish when they're biting. It's being able to catch them when they're not."

For the Week Ending Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017

Wednesday, Aug. 9 (from Ken)...After Saturday's skunk, I felt a need to get back out there and try something different than what I fished then. Turns out I managed to catch a few fish, including a couple of dinks, a 1-0, 1-2 and a 1-6. Two of the bass went for a small Senko. The other three fell for a small crankbait. Everything came out of West Neck. Unfortunately, the day ended on a sour note. I've been having a trolling-motor problem about the last four or five trips, and it all came to a head today. Something in the unit appears to be binding, cause my operating speed has been growing less each trip. Called my mechanic at the end of the day, and he came out to the marina, removed my trolling motor, and tucked it in the back of my van for transport to Tom in Suffolk in the morning. Got my fingers crossed I'll be back in business sometime next week.

Wednesday, Aug. 9 (from Charlie)...Found seven dink bass and one at 3-0, plus a 2-12 bowfin to end the day. Tried mostly crankbaits. Had a few taps but the majority wanted a swimbait. Most dinks went for a small beetlespin. Big bass hit the swimbait with no weight. When I got to my favorite spot first thing in the morning, a bass boat was sitting on the hole and stayed there for an hour. When he passed me on the way out, I went back and got the big bass. A pleasant day for a change.

Thursday, Aug. 10 (from Ray)...Fished the lower and upper West Neck Creek today. Thought it would be a good day but only caught three bass (a 1.10 and two dinks), along with four bream. Had several more strikes on topwater but couldn't hook 'em. The lures that worked were the Whopper Plopper and KVD 1.0 crankbait. Water temperature was 76/78, and it was fairly clear and at a good level. The grass seems to be increasing at a high rate.

Friday, Aug. 11 (from Charlie)...Another killer day! Can't believe I've had such good luck the last two weeks. I was out early to try and miss the rain. The water was in the upper 70s, and it was clear in the grass beds. Calm winds and an overcast sky made for some really active fish. The bite was steady all morning, and if it hadn't been for a doctor's appointment, I'd have stayed a lot longer--rain or not. It was that good. I'm always surprised that the fish prefer one bait over everything else you throw, but while swimbaits were the ticket on Wednesday, they wouldn't touch 'em today. I still got a few on alternate baits, but the hollow-bodied frog was the killer this morning. Got 16 with it, but also picked up 8 on the Whopper Plopper. Missed a lot of strikes on the WP, and the ones I did get were hooked everywhere but in the mouth. Meanwhile, the frog almost always was completely down the throat after some tremendous explosive strikes. Today's overall totals were one white perch and 24 bass, with the best five going 1-10, 2-0, 2-4, 3-8, and 3-9, for a grand total of 12-11. It just doesn't get much better than today.

Saturday, Aug. 12 (from Ron)...With the spotty thunderstorms, decided to launch at the drawbridge on North Landing. Stayed close to cover and the culvert leading to upper North Landing. Stripers were biting well, and I caught four. Also lost two fish on break offs that may have been a gar. Had one nice keeper striper that went just over 20 inches and weighed in at 2-14. Also caught a dink bass. All bites fell to a small crankbait running about 3.5 feet deep. Tried Zoom Flukes and Whopper Plopper to no avail. Good to be back on the water.

Looked like a big cell of nastiness to the west, so launched Munden Point and stayed close to launch till about 0900.  The cell spilt north and south so headed across North Landing and into a creek south of Snake Creek.  Very poor and intermittent bite.  

Sunday, Aug. 13 (from Ron)...Caught several panfish, including three crappie to 11 inches, on the beetlespin, as well as a 9-inch yellow perch, but oddly no white perch. Tried everything in the arsenal. Water was high but flowing out, so shifted to plastics and grass-choked feeder creeks. Threw a SwimSenko into a feeder creek and had a violent attack. While reeling the fish, I thought it was a small bass or panfish until he got close to the yak, but it then took off and made my drag scream. My initial thought was a pesky gar, but it turned out to be a nice big ol' bowfin. Made my day at 24 inches and 5 lb 8 ozs. Managed a few dinks and what I think was a "sub dink" and called it a day.