If You Snooze, You May Lose

Doesn't the little fisherman in this photo (from the latest issue of Jay Kumar's BassBlaster) look comfortable? It's just proof that "kids can fall asleep anywhere." If you would like to see some more examples, just go to Google images and do a search, using the preceding phrase I put in quotation marks. You'll be amazed at some of the photos you find.

I don't mind telling you that there have been a few slow days on the water when I, too, felt like I could have used a little nap of my own. Of course, if I ever were to lay on something as hard as the deck of my boat, I probably would need a little help getting back on my feet, whereas the young fella in this photo likely jumped back up effortlessly from his snooze.

The only caution I would give anyone, regardless of age or gender, who decides to catch a few winks while fishing, is to either reel in your line and lay down your rod, or find a reliable way to secure it if you choose to leave a baited line in the water.

In hindsight, the gentleman in the photo at left undoubtedly would second that advice. You may not be able to tell from this photo, but the fella here is kicked back, sound asleep, waiting for a big fish to bite. Click on this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhfJLmL-s8Q) to see the rude wake-up call he got. The guy at least gets style points for sticking the landing. He also deserves credit for hanging onto his rod the whole time and landing the fish.

Incidentally, the fella in this photo was fishing off a small boat dock on Canadhota Lake, Pennsylvania.

In researching material for this blog post, I also came across an angler (see right) who let a bass pull a rod off his boat.

Unlike the fella above, though, he wasn't sleeping. Instead, he was shooting some video for his website at the time and noticed that his video-camera tapes were getting close to running out. In the 30 seconds or so it took him to change the tapes and get back to fishing, a "sneaky" smallmouth did the dirty deed.

About 10 or 15 minutes later, the smallmouth jumped, giving the angler a chance to go catch his line. Initial efforts were fruitless. Three minutes after the first leap, though, the bass jumped again--right next to the boat. This time, the angler got his rod and reel back, even though the fish had pulled it about 100 to 150 feet from the original spot in 15 to 20 feet of water. To watch the whole evolution, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FPZjV_G6LU.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017

Monday, Sept. 25 (from Ron)...The wind decided my target location, and Charlie's email steered me toward the target species. Was finding bass where I never find any, as I searched for bowfin. Ended up with nine dinks, a 1-8, and a 2-0, as well as a sunfish. All the bass fell to Zoom Flukes. The 2-0 bass had a nasty dent/scar on his back, and one of the dinks had recent teeth slash marks. As the sun set, the bowfin pushed the bass aside, and I started finding them. Lost two, missed a few hooksets, and boated a 21-inch 3-10, as well as a 25-inch 5-8. A good evening indeed. I think the low water and outflowing gauge helped the bite.

Tuesday, Sept. 26 (from Ron)...Very happy with my third day straight finding a bowfin, as well as nine bass (mostly dinks but with one at 1-3). Fished the upper North Landing, where the water is so low the feeder creeks barely have any water. Don't think I can find a place to launch tomorrow. Wind, rain and cooler temps made for a tough trip, but am glad I went. The Mini-Spinnerbait and Zoom Flukes accounted for most fish. The bowfin hit the spinnerbait. Also had three short strikes on the Whopper Plopper.

Wednesday, Sept. 27 (from Ron)...Fished upper North Landing in search of bowfin and wind protection but found neither. At recovery, the gauge had fallen to MINUS 1.10, and I got to see all the kayak peddle benders, as well as a whole bunch of rats that, oddly, let me get very close. Think the very, very low water had them out and about or confused. Managed to find four dink bass to 15 ounces and a small warmouth on the Mini-King Spinnerbait. Tried plastics, but the wind was too much for my line, and it wasn't working. Lost a bowfin alongside to break my streak. Oh well, at least it was an adventure. Normally, I can peddle all around this fork and tree stump, but not so much today.

Thursday, Sept. 28 (from Ron)...Fished upper North Landing again this evening. Gauge had risen about a foot from yesterday, and the water was clear enough. Managed five bass, one crappie, and a bowfin. Biggest bass fell to a SwimSenko; everything else hit spinnerbaits, including a 1-0, 1-13, 2-2, and a dink. The bowfin weighed 2-13 and measured 19 inches. The crappie was a 10-incher. It was really nice weather tonight. Hope the weekend conditions are good, too.

Friday, Sept. 29 (from Charlie)...Had a good day, in spite of very low water. Got 21 bass, a small bowfin, and one crappie. Most of the bass were small to medium, but the top 5 went 1-12, 1-13, 2-0, 2-6, and 2-6, for a total of 10 pounds and 5 ounces. Wind was a bit of a problem, and the water was murky. Most fish were caught in the first mile; after that, the water got muddier, and the catching came to a halt. It picked up again on the way back when I hit the cleaner water. Caught the last 2-0 right at the ramp just before I recovered. It was on the proverbial “last cast.”

Friday, Sept. 29 (from Ron)...Launched from Blackwater Road and fished Milldam. Very, very murky water did not indicate good chances to catch fish, and it proved correct. Fished three hours and caught only one bass at 1-15 on a spinnerbait. Tried everything in all my favorite spots to no avail. Actually was shocked I didn't get skunked but nonetheless glad I was able to find one.

Saturday, Sept. 30 (from Ron)...Fished from 0700 to 1200 this morning. First catch was a small catfish that was stuck on a bobber, drifting around. Tried for 15 minutes to get hold of the bobber and finally pinned him against a tree--poor little fella. I cut him loose, and he should be fine. Went on to catch five dink bass and two bowfin. The water started clear, and then, as the wind picked up and the gauge started falling, it got murky. SwimSenkos and spinnerbaits worked today.

Sunday, Oct. 1 (from Ron)...After my disappointing trip to Rudee Inlet this morning, had to get out and feel the drag scream. Fished upper North Landing from 4 to 7 p.m. Found four dink bass, a warmouth, and a sunfish on the spinnerbait. Started throwing SwimSenkos and caught two bowfin, one at 4-5 and another at 3-3. Lost two, as well, to branch wraps. The mosquitos seem to have fled, and it was a bit chilly. With the water temps falling, the fish should start feeding more aggressively...one can always hope.

Old Fishing Line--It's Everywhere, Or So It Seems

While rotating the tires on his pickup the other day, my friend Lenny found a batch of monofilament wrapped around his axle (see photo left). "Has to be from West Neck Marina," said my friend.

Then just this past Saturday, during our tournament out there, my partner Gary suddenly got hung up on something underwater that felt "springy," as he described it. That sensation nearly always signals a piece of old fishing line, and this case proved to be no exception. While Gary was retrieving his lure, he also removed as much of the old line as possible, in hopes of sparing another unsuspecting angler the same problem.

Over the years, I've had my share of encounters with old fishing line, too, especially with my trolling motor--and yes, I realize I'm not the Lone Ranger here. You know the drill. You ease up to the shallow shoreline to retrieve that crankbait or other lure, and end up with a bonus--old fishing line wrapped around your trolling-motor prop, sometimes to the point where the prop can't even turn.

Even more disturbing than having line wrapped around the prop on your trolling motor is to end up with a wad of it ensnarling the prop on your gas motor. That happened to me once while heading south on the North Landing River.

It was somewhere in the 0-dark-30 timeframe, and I just had entered the area that passes by where all the old sunken barges are located. In the blink of an eye, my RPMs fell way off, and I immediately knew that I just had picked up someone's old fishing line.

I limped back to West Neck Marina, where one look revealed a huge amount of what appeared to be about 80-lb. test monofilament wrapped around and under my prop, which I surmised probably had come from someone who had been catfishing in the vicinity of the old wrecks. I was left with no choice but to find a knife and start cutting.

And on several occasions as I've been motoring up the canal to the marina store in the wee hours of tournament mornings, I have spotted line stretching across the expanse from where a bank fisherman has broken off their line the day or evening before. That's why I always keep a sharp eye each time I make that transit. It also explains why I also always have a knife handy.

There's another side to this "tangled mess" that we leave for others to clean up, too. Sometimes, it's unsuspecting wildlife that become the victims.

Case in point: I had a fishin' buddy several years back who came upon a great blue heron that had gotten ensnarled in a bunch of old line. My friend knew he had to do something to free the bird, or it most likely would die. Disregarding his own risks, he leaped into action and successfully untangled the heron but not without suffering some injuries of his own from the frightened bird.

So, what should we do with our old fishing line?

First, understand that recycled monofilament line can be used in a variety of ways. It can be made into artificial aquatic structures when combined with other recyclable plastics, or turned into spools for new line.

In theory, monofilament line should be safe to throw away in regular trash, but because it is covered with dirt in a landfill, it won't decompose. If you can't recycle your used mono, it's best to cut it up in lengths shorter than a foot before throwing it in the trash.

Braided lines are worse, in terms of the impact they can have on wildlife and outboard motors. These "super lines" are nearly indestructible and don't degrade much at all over time.

Taking time to properly dispose of your used fishing line involves just a little planning and preparation. Keep a bag handy and stash the old stuff in it when it comes time to put new line on your reels. In similar fashion, keep a bag handy in your boat for any line you have to cut off a reel in the course of a fishing day. Then, just drop it all off at a recycling bin the next time you go to a bait and tackle shop. You'll be doing everyone--and everything--a big favor.

Water Clarity Was Improved, But Fishing Still Was Tough...For Some

'Twould appear the cool mornings may be here to stay. Today marked the second tournament morning in a row when nearly everyone started their day in jackets. Nevertheless, all 17 anglers in 9 boats seemed eager for me to get the show on the road this morning, so I didn't disappoint. At day's end, these "eager beavers" served up a combined total of 33 bass at weigh-in, with a total weight of 69.13 lbs. and an average weight of 2.09 lbs. per fish.

Leading the parade of winners was the team of (from left) Al Napier and Wayne Hayes, who combined their skills to bring a limit to the scales weighing 12.43 lbs., including the day's lunker at 5.01 lbs.

Next in line was the team of (from left) Duane Kessel and Bobby Moore, also with a limit, and a total weight of 11.95 lbs., including a big fish weighing 4.44 lbs.

Holding down 3rd place was the team of (from left) Rob Peppers and Don Carter. They, too, had a limit, with a total weight of 11.54 lbs. Their big fish tipped the scales at 3.33 lbs.

Mystery-weight winners were (left) Randy Conkle and Bob Glass (not available for photo). They had five fish for a total weight of 6.47 lbs., which was closest to the drawn weight of 6.50. Their big fish weighed 2.41 lbs.






Here is how the rest of the field stacked up when weigh-in was complete:

     * The team of Gary Coderre and Ken Testorff, five bass, 9.83 lbs. total weight, 2.34-lb. big fish.
     * David Davenport, four bass, 8.88 lbs. total weight, 4.05-lb. big fish.
     * The team of James Calhoun and Rusty Girard, four bass, 8.03 lbs. total weight, 3.39-lb. big fish.
     * The teams of Steve Bailey and Mitch Portervint and Andy Morath and Diana Mendez didn't weigh any fish.

There were no new additions to the list of anglers who have qualified to fish our season-ending two-day Classic on Oct. 14 and 15.

Congratulations to all of today's winners and thanks to everyone who participated. Look forward to seeing you at our last qualifying tournament of the 2017 series on Saturday, Oct. 7. We will be fishing from safe light to weigh-in at 3 p.m.

Let it never be said that I'll stand idly by and accept credit for someone else's accomplishments. I, therefore, want to make it known here and now that all five of the keeper bass which spent the day riding around in my boat's livewell were caught by Gary Coderre. To be brutally honest, I never even felt a confirmed strike in eight hours of fishing, and that was after throwing crankbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, soft plastics, and topwater.

Meanwhile, Gary caught not only those five keepers, but also five dinks and a small white perch. For me, it was simply a day of spending quality fishing time with a good friend who goes out of his way to make my job as tourney director easier. I welcomed the opportunity to have him holding down my back seat and made sure he knew there's an open invitation for a repeat any time he chooses. Given the tourney drought I seem to be locked up in now, believe me when I say it was refreshing to have someone onboard to chat with off and on all day long.

And last but certainly not least, here is how the AOY chase stood after I added today's totals to the mix:

(From left) Bobby Moore - 145.56 lbs., Duane Kessel - 143.19 lbs., Rob Peppers - 138.28 lbs., Al Napier - 137.22 lbs., Bob Glass and Randy Conkle - 132.61 lbs.

All the waiting and wondering who will claim victory as the 2017 AOY will come to an end at the conclusion of our last qualifying tourney on Saturday, Oct. 7. Good luck to one and all.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017

Monday, Sept. 18 (from Ron)...With the gauge at 0.15, I had to figure a decent launch. My son was headed to Sandbridge and reported that Lotus Garden launch was dry, no water. Decided on upper North Landing and was pleasantly surprised by the action. Caught four dink bass, as well as a 1-3, 1-4, and a nice 2-5. SwimSenko, Zoom Fluke and Pop R were the ticket. With the water so very low, had to figure out where they were. Most were adjacent to any stumps that had water around them, and they were few and far between. Banks were dry, and the water line started about 6 - 8 feet from shore. Really nice to see all the structure along the shorelines, which I logged for future trips.

Wednesday, Sept. 20 (from Ron)...Fished Albright's this evening. Caught three dink bass, plus a 15 oz., 1-3, and a 1-7, as well as three white perch. Everything fell to the spinnerbait. Also caught the smallest bowfin I've ever caught; didn't know they came in this size! Tried some other lures but didn't find anything with them. Conditions were tough. With the very low water, they were hard to find. There were lots of snakes out this evening. Also saw one jet skier.

Thursday, Sept. 21 (from Ken)...Had two reasons to hit the water today: (1) wanted to see if I could catch a couple of fish and (2) needed to check the water level for this Saturday's tournament. As it turned out, I only could catch one fish: a 1-2 bass on a chatterbait. And, secondly, there is plenty of water for the tournament. In fact, by tournament time, it now looks as though water probably will be in the parking lot. Ran into Rob P. and Dave A. on the water today and learned they managed to find three small bass between them. I can't speak for any area but West Neck Creek, but the water quality there was bad today, especially above the bridge. In my opinion, there likely won't be any 16-pound bags weighed Saturday. Actually, I suspect there will be very few limits weighed. Bottom line: The prospects for a very tough day are looming on the horizon.

Thursday, Sept. 21 (from Ron)...Saved from a rare skunk by one, just one, measly white perch. Fished almost three hours from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Had one tap at about 1830, then found  a white perch, and that was all. Tried several lures, but nothing was working. (from Charlie)...Same problem. Fished from 6:30 to noon and got one bass, a 1-8, about 11:30. Water was muddy and high. Looks like the hand-writing is on the wall, folks.

Friday, Sept. 22 (from Ray)...Launched at Pungo Ferry Bridge and fished Blackwater Creek. It was tough going. The water was high, with poor visibility. Ended up with three bass: 1.5, 1.4, and 11 ozs. Lost one on the buzzbait, which, along with the spinnerbait and Senko, were the lures of the day. Water temperature was 78/80. Because I'm not familiar with the creek, I ended up doing a lot of exploring.

Sunday, Sept. 24 (from Ron)...Found a few small panfish, a couple of dink bass, a drag-screaming bowfin (weighing 5-5 and measuring 26 inches), and a 19-inch, 3-3 bass. 'Twas slightly murky in North Landing and Milldam. Launched at Munden Point, with the added benefit of almost no boat traffic or pesky jet skiers. I like this time of year. Small spinnerbaits and SwimSenkos were finding them. Didn't try anything else.

Oh Say Can You See by the Dawn's Early Light?

Not very well when the fog is as thick as it was this morning. Nevertheless, the 17 anglers in 11 boats were not deterred from their challenge to see who the best and luckiest ones were in today's tourney. At the end of the day, the anglers weighed a total of 35 bass, for a total weight of 61.63 lbs. and an average weight of 1.76 lbs. per fish.

Pay envelopes were distributed to the following competitors:

Rob Peppers took 1st place with a five-fish total weight of 12.64 lbs. His big fish weighed 3.22 lbs.

Jim Wilder claimed 2nd place with a five-fish total weight of 9.47 lbs. His big fish weighed 2.72 lbs.

(From left) Randy Conkle and Bob Glass walked away with 3rd place. They had a five-fish total weight of 9.34 lbs. Their big fish was a 5.32-pounder, which Bob caught to take lunker honors today.

(From left) Al Napier and Wayne Hayes had the luck of the draw on their side today, winning the mystery-weight award with a total weight of 5.10 lbs. The tab drawn was 4.90 lbs. Their big fish weighed 2.43 lbs.





Here are the totals for all the other competitors:

     * Bobby Moore and Duane Kessel had a five-fish total weight of 8.78 lbs. Their big fish weighed 2.65 lbs.
     * Andy Morath and Zach Bubier had a four-fish total weight of 6.29 lbs. Their big fish weighed 2.82 lbs.
     * Lenny Hall and Gary Coderre had a five-fish total weight of 6.17 lbs. Their big fish weighed 1.94 lbs.
     * Skip Schaible had a three-fish total weight of 3.84 lbs. His big fish weighed 1.59 lbs.
     * Ken Testorff, David Davenport, and the team of Chris Fretard and Mike Miller didn't weigh any fish.

Two more anglers became eligible to participate in our season-ending two-day Classic. The total number now qualified is 18.

Congratulations to all of the winners, and thanks to everyone who participated today. For planning purposes, our next scheduled event is next Saturday, Sept. 23, from safe light to 3 p.m. Look forward to seeing you.

The general consensus of everyone was that fishing today was tough. On more than one occasion, as boats with anglers showed up in the boat basin for weigh-in, I heard some jokingly remark, "Hold the weigh-in sack. All I need is a Ziplock bag."

For several days now, I've been hearing people say they are having a hard time finding fish. Some seem to feel the fish have been spooked with recent extremes in the water level. I'm not sure what the problem is, but it's hitting anglers of various skill levels. Whatever is wrong, I just hope it sorts itself out--sooner, rather than later.

In anticipation of another tough day on the water, I decided to break out my flippin' stick, which has been put away for ages. I figured that surely I could find a few fish with it. My lump sum total, though, was one dink. I finally did locate one keeper-sized bass with a spinnerbait but never was able to catch another one to go with it. Accordingly, I released that one keeper an hour before quitting time and called it a day.

Considering that my arms and shoulders aren't giving me near as much grief tonight as usual, I very likely will keep using that ol' flippin' stick for a spell. I like this good feeling.

Here are the revised standings for the ever-changing chase for Angler of the Year bragging rights:

(From left) Bobby Moore has 133.61 total lbs., Duane Kessel has 131.24 total lbs., Rob Peppers has 126.74 total lbs., Bob Glass and Randy Conkle have 126.14 total lbs., and Al Napier has 124.79 total lbs.

How Much Do You Spend on Average for All Those "Big Boy" Toys?

That's another question I've had floating around in my head for a while now. It's also another one I decided to see if I could find some answers to.

I initially checked out a couple of online forums, which generally indicated that recreational bass anglers routinely spend $100 to $150 per month on their "toys." To save you from having to do the math, those figures translate into $1,200 to $1,800 per year.

It probably will come as no surprise to anyone that the vast majority of those forum members willing to "speak up" were quick to point out a common theme in all their comments: "The wife doesn't know how much I spend. I figure what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Imagine that!" I say with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Then I turned to an item from the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, in which they estimated the typical fisherman spends roughly $1,000 annually on tackle. The same item noted that, on average, 30 million people apply for fishing licenses each year. To demonstrate the overall popularity of fishing, consider that it now ranks as the fourth most popular participation sport in the country, beating out bicycling, bowling, basketball, golf, jogging, baseball, softball, soccer, football, and skiing. In fact, fishing is more popular than golf and tennis combined. Only walking, swimming and camping are more popular.

My next Internet stop was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's annual report, which lists the average angler's yearly expenditures on the sport at $1,261 (note that all sources generally put this figure in the same ballpark). The USFWS report also provided some other fishing facts I found interesting:

     * More than 44 million Americans 6 years of age and older enjoy a day of fishing every year.
     * 33.1 million Americans ages 16+ spend an average of 17 days fishing each year, adding up to an astounding 365 million freshwater-fishing days each year.
     * More than one-quarter (26.8 percent, to be exact) of all anglers are female. Fishing is the 10th most popular sport among women.
     * Recreational anglers spend a staggering $45 billion (and by some accounts, $50 billion) a year to fish, with $16 billion of this amount dedicated to bass fishing.
     * 98 percent of bass anglers nationwide make some kind of fishing-related purchase each year.
     * 56 percent of those anglers surveyed for the USFWS report have an annual household income of $50,000 or more, with nearly 16 percent bringing in more than $100,000 a year.
     * 77 percent of bass anglers use artificial lures and baits.

According to the USFWS report I reviewed, "If sport fishing were a corporation, it would place well (currently about 59th) on the Fortune 500 list of America's largest businesses." That's pretty "high cotton," if you ask me.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017

Monday, Sept. 11 (from Charlie)...The water was super low today, and the wind was out of the east at 17, gusting to 25. I probably should have stayed home, but low water can make for a killer day, and today it was in spades. With all the undercut banks high and dry, they were in the deeper channels, and the Yo-Zuri 2-3/4” 3DB wakebait and the Yo-Zuri 3DS crankbait were attacked with gusto. When they missed the crankbait, a SwimSenko follow-up usually got a hookup. Not too much interest in the swimbaits today. Interesting how things change day by day. It’s a new learning curve every trip. I ended the day with 23 bass, one pickerel, and several dink white perch. In the bass department, there were seven over two pounds, 2-0, 2-1, 2-4, 2-2, 2-7, 2-9, and a 2-11, plus a 3-2, for a best-five-fish total of 13 pounds 1 ounce. At times, I was going in reverse, while paddling forward in the heavier wind gusts, so I got a good workout. It was well worth the effort, though. The accompanying picture is of the 3-2.

Monday, Sept. 11 (from Ron)...Water was so low I had to launch in the mud at Blackwater Road to fish Milldam Creek. Fought the wind and found several fish, mostly small. With the low water and grass, threw beetlespins and Mini-King spinnerbaits. In hindsight, should have tried some plastics, but it was just too windy. Caught five crappie, two white perch, seven small yellow perch, four bluegill, and eight bass, including a 1-5 and a 2-3. As I was getting ready to put the fourth keeper crappie on the stringer (untied and not secured), something grabbed the fish already on there with force and ripped it from my hand. I lost the crappie and my stringer, so no dinner. As I had lost a chain pickerel earlier, I suspect that was what may have stolen my dinner. I searched around for a bit but never saw where they went. Cooler water may account for the recent uptick in chain pickerel (slime darts) activity.

Tuesday, Sept. 12 (from Ron)...Fished Milldam Creek again and found a mixed bag of small fish. Tried topwater and SwimSenkos, but it seemed they only were interested in small spinnerbaits. Caught two dinks, two chain pickerel (at 17 and 20 inches), two crappie, six small yellow perch, two bluegill, and a 10-inch white perch. They all seemed to really like the spinnerbait (1/4 oz. with white skirt) reeled just along the grass lines. Lost a small bowfin yakside. The river gauge is climbing, and the water was still clear.

Wednesday, Sept. 13 (from Skip and Ken)...We fished out of our own boats but compared notes throughout the day, hence this combined report on our day in West Neck. Our results definitely were not anything to write home about, but we both managed to catch a few little ones. Skip had four, and I had five at day's end, but there wasn't a single fish among them that would have gone a pound. The biggest fish of the trip was about a 2-lb. bowfin that I caught early this morning on a topwater. I know Skip caught at least one (and perhaps more) of his bass on a fluke. Three of mine fell for a topwater, and the other two went for a spinnerbait. The best part of the whole day was my trip to Wayne's house this afternoon to get my lower-unit lube checked for metal after slamming into that submerged object last Saturday. Turns out there was no metal, so it appears I dodged a bullet, except for the cost of getting the prop repaired. I gave the spot where that occurred a wide berth today. However, the next time I'm fishing West Neck on low water, likely will check and see if I can find out what I hit. You can be sure I'll be on the trolling motor this next time, though. Incidentally, Ron, thanks for giving me the idea to try a spinnerbait today. Kinda think in hindsight, however, I would have been better served to have fished double willow, instead of double Colorado blades, with the bright sun and clear water.

Wednesday, Sept. 13 (from Ron)...Repeated the "Munden Point Park to Blackwater Road" Milldam Creek trip. The higher water seemed to change everything. As compared to the last couple days, didn't find any yellow perch or sunfish and no chain pickerel. The feeder creeks were not producing any bites; everything was out in the main creek. I did find two quality bass at 3-11 and 3-13, as well as a dink. Also caught two decent white perch at 10.5 and 11 inches. The 3-11 bass fell for a Strike King Mini-King spinnerbait, and the 3-13 slammed a Whopper Plopper just after sunset. Was nice to feel the drag scream a bit.

Friday, Sept. 15 (from Ray)...I had planned to go to Lake Burnt Mills with the kayak today, but when I checked my kayak, the construction people had placed a scaffold in front of the storeroom door. So, I launched my boat at Pungo Ferry and fished the oxbow south of the bridge and Straight Creek. Only had two hits and landed only one at 15 oz. Couldn't catch a bream. Other people on the water complained about it being a lousy day, but two young guys in kayaks said they had caught a 4 pounder, 3 pounder, and two smaller fish on swimbaits.

Saturday, Sept. 16 (from Ron)...Fished Milldam Friday evening, and it was awful! The high gauge seemed to push all the grass and debris out into the main creek. Only found two white perch to avoid the skunk. This morning was a bit better. Gauge fell a bit, but opening day of teal season was a bit discomforting, with all the gunshots, and a couple fellas were at my favorite spot with all their decoys. I did manage six bass but only one for the scale at 1-4.  Also caught two crappie, two white perch, three yellow perch (with one at 11-inch fry size), and a very hardy bowfin at 5-7.  Lost a stout bass alongside, easily 3 lbs. plus. The bowfin had a damaged lip before I even lip-gripped him. Everything fell to Mini-King spinnerbait. Tried a variety of lures, but only the spinnerbait was working. Bass bite didn't start until about 1000.

Sunday, Sept. 17 (from Ron)...Did a rare Pocaty trip this morning, but this time, I went all the way to North Landing from the Blackwater Road Bridge. Most of the bites were between halfway and the main North Landing. I suspect the outflowing low water affected the O2 content and, therefore, was the reason I found nothing back near the bridge. Caught a total of 9 dink basss, one small crappie, two very small white perch, and two small yellow perch. Two of the bass fell to the Whopper Plopper. Everything else was on the Mini-King spinnerbait. Also decided to take an evening trip to Milldam Creek from Blackwater Road. If you're going to catch dinks, they may as well be dink bowfin or "foul" swamp donkeys! Had to look up the name for a juvenile donkey and learned it is called a foul. Caught two small bowfin at 2-1 and 1-15, and they fought like champs. Seemed like the very small fish were interested in the spinnerbait: four bluegill, one crappie, three dink bass, and four yellow perch. Weather was about perfect and made for a great evening. (Attached photos are from the evening trip.)

Sunday, Sept. 17 (from Charlie)...Another amazing day. Clear water, 77°, good current, and overcast--all the right elements in place but could have done without so much wind. Took the fly rod and had a ball with small bass, white perch, crappie and yellow perch, mostly on a #4 Betts Bee Pop. On the spinning gear, I used a Yo-Zuri  2” 3DS Crank SSR  F  (Ghost Shad), Yo-Zuri  2-3/4”  3DB Wakebait F (Sexy Shad), Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper (Shiner), Yamamoto Senko 5”( Green Pumpkin/Black Flake), large Beetlespin with a small paddle-tail swimbait, and a Yamamoto SwimSenko 5”( Green Pumpkin/Black Flake). Everything I tossed caught fish. If anything worked best, it was the Senko by a small margin. Ended the day with 27 bass, two bluegill, three crappie, one yellow perch, and several white perch. Top five bass were 1-8, 1-12, 1-13, 2-6, and 2-13.