For the Week Ending Sunday, June 3, 2018

Monday, May 28 (from Ron)...Fished Rudee Inlet yesterday morning and was skunked. Went to Ashville Bridge Creek yesterday evening and caught only two catfish--a mud cat and a channel cat. Both hit a trolled beetlespin. This morning, I headed to Lovitt's, where I found only one 13-inch bass. The micro white perch were being a pain in the bum and wouldn't stop hitting the beetlespins.

Wednesday, May 30 (from Ron)...Fished upper North Landing Tuesday evening and managed one dink (9 inches) to avoid the skunk. Tried Lake Whitehurst this evening and lost four before finally landing a 3-2 to again avoid the skunk. It's been difficult, to say the least. Oddly, seems like everyone else I hear from and talk to are doing well.

Thursday, May 31 (from Ken)...It's always nice to visit old haunts like the two I fished today--handn't been to either one in a number of years. I didn't exactly set the world on fire but did have a lot of fun. Caught a total of 2 white perch and 13 bass, including nine dinks, a 2-7, 1-11, 1-9, and a 1-6. And once again, everything came on my favorite Japanese topwater bait. Occasionally tossed a couple of other baits and did have a few passes with one of those, but couldn't get a hookup, so went back to what was working. Ended up having to sit through one very minor shower, but it wasn't enough to make me look for cover. Had to relearn where some submerged logs and stumps are located, but for the most part, I found my recollection of things was better than I expected. After my experience of today, am giving some thought to revisiting some other old haunts in coming trips. With the water as high as it is at the present time, the sky seems to be the limit on where you can go.

Thursday, May 31 (from Ron)...A bit better trip. Fished Blackwater Creek this evening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and found a nice one (4-3), as well as three dink bass. I remember an old report from Charlie in which he said, "The further into the creek you go, the smaller they get," and that is what happened. Found the 4-3 on a Senko on the way in. Should  have stayed closer to the main river. Dinks fell to the Senko and Whopper toward darkness. Tried the XTS early on, but the gar were hitting it left and right, so put that away.

Thursday, May 31 (from Skip)...Had a lot of hits on the Whopper Plopper but only managed to put a couple of them in the boat. Also caught a couple more on flukes and worms, for a total of five on the day. (Not surprised to see that Skip got some on the WP. I watched a fella who was bank fishing from the point near the West Neck ramp as I launched my boat. He, too, was throwing a WP, and when I heard a fish break water, I glanced up to see this gent's spinning rod all bent over. He ended up landing the fish--about 3 lbs. worth of largemouth bass.)

Friday, June 1 (from Ron)...Had a pretty good evening at Tecumseh from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. My first bass on the SwimSenko was a 5-2! Followed that with a 1-14 and a 2-14, as well as what I think is a warmouth. I have caught them before, but only in upper North Landing. Grass is getting thick, so couldn't use the XTS. Trolled a Whopper Plopper back to launch and caught a 10-inch white perch, as well as something that threw the hooks. Not a bad night, but it was miserably hot! Oddly, lily pads are almost non-existent.

Saturday, June 2 (from Ron)...Fished the saltwater at Rudee Inlet and avoided the skunk with a wee dink flounder. Saltwater gear is getting put away. Very crowded.

Sunday, June 3 (morning) (from Ron)...Was having a good morning trip in upper Back Bay. Had just started finding them (two dink bass and a 1-5) when two boats crowded me out, so I left. SwimSenko was the ticket, even though the water was very murky from all the rain. Grass is not thick yet. The 1-5 was a skinny fella. They were not interested in a few different topwater lures that I tried.

Sunday, June 3 (evening) (from Ron)...Fished West Neck from 6 to 8 and didn't see anyone else. Weather was on my side. Caught two more dink bass and a 2-3 that was the same length as my morning 1-5. Both were just shy of 18 inches.

Boaters and Jet Skiers Were Everywhere

And, as usual, there were some acting as though they had totally disengaged their brains. Nevertheless, our 17 anglers in 10 boats went about their tourney business, with one eye on their line and the other on all those folks running helter-skelter, with seemingly little regard for everyone else.

At day's end, a grand total of 33 bass were weighed in. Their total weight was 65.24 lbs., with an average weight of 1.97 lbs. per fish.

Leading the day's charge was this team of (from left) Steve Bailey and Bobby Moore, who brought a 5-fish limit to the scales weighing 16.11 lbs. Their big fish, which came in at 4.51 lbs., was good enough to claim the day's lunker honors.

Finishing in 2nd place was the team of (from left) Rob Peppers and Dave Anderson, who also weighed a limit. Their five fish tipped the scales at 11.11 lbs., including a big fish that came in at 3.56 lbs.

Laying claim to 3rd place was Skip Schaible, who had a bag of three fish weighing 8.39 lbs. His big fish went 4.32 lbs.

Today's mystery-weight award went to Wayne Hayes, whose two fish weighed 4.77 lbs., compared to the 4.60-lb. tab that was drawn. His big fish weighed 3.53 lbs.








Here is how everyone else finished the competition:

     * Jim Wilder, five fish, total weight 7.54 lbs. after a 0.75 deduction for three dead fish, big fish weighed 3.27 lbs.
     * The team of Gary Coderre and Lenny Hall, five fish, total weight 6.88 lbs. after a 1.00 deduction for four dead fish, big fish weighed 3.42 lbs.
     * The team of Eric Killian and Jim Crist, three fish, total weight 4.17 lbs., no big fish.
     * The team of Jr. Lindsey and Ken Testorff, three fish, total weight 3.55 lbs., no big fish.
     * The husband-wife team of Andy and Diana Morath, two fish, total weight 2.72 lbs., no big fish.
     * The father-son team of Chris and Nate Fretard didn't weigh any fish.

As a result of today's contest, two anglers now have qualified to fish our season-ending two-day Classic. Those two anglers are Steve Bailey and Jim Wilder.

Congrats to all of the winners, and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for next Saturday, June 2, from safe light (about 5:30) to weigh-in at 2 o'clock. Hope you can join us. For those interested, be watching our poster in the West Neck Marina Store window and/or my email reminder this coming week for announcement of the location. It may/may not be West Neck.

One Last Cast

Initially ran to Blackwater this morning, only to find muddy water. Spent maybe an hour or little better looking for some fish but didn't find a single one. Decided to run to Albright's, where the water, as usual, was in great shape and yielded a few fish. From there, Jr. and I rode back to West Neck, where the water also was superb.

Unfortunately, it wasn't until the competition had ended today that I discovered where we really should have spent our efforts. Plan to try making a trip or two this week  to check out those spots. Haven't fished 'em in a lot of years, but that doesn't stop me from getting reacquainted. Based on what came out of 'em today, it's quite evident they've only gotten better since I quit fishing 'em years ago.

In closing, let me ask everyone to be careful, now that the warm season appears to be kicking into high gear. Learned this afternoon that one of our tournament anglers had his boat trailer damaged sometime today, and while initial reports indicated the perpetrator had not left his contact info for the victim, I later heard that the victim indeed does have a note with the person's name and phone number. If past years are any indication of what the future holds, I would suggest it's entirely possible things may go downhill from here unless we all take the time to be mindful of our own equipment, as well as that of others. Let's all be good citizens.

For the Week Ending Sunday, May 27, 2018

Tuesday, May 22 (from Ken)...Decided to spend my 75th birthday the same way I've spent many others over the years--by seeing if I could catch a few fish. Turns out that I indeed still can put some in the boat. Whacked a total of 10 bass today, including eight dinks, a 1-12, and a 2-6. Like last week, my only productive lure today was that expensive Japanese topwater. It was noon before I put the first fish in the boat, and considering I quit at 2:45, I don't feel too bad about my final tally. Unlike last week, coves really didn't seem to be the answer today...until, that is, the last 30 minutes of fishing. I ducked into a cove and quickly boated my final three bass. Today undoubtedly will be my only trip this week, since our next tournament is Saturday. Gotta figure out where I'm going to take my new partner, Jr., on our first pairing.

Tuesday, May 22 (from Ron)...Had a computer glitch yesterday. Monday, fished a creek off Back Bay. Caught four dink bass, three white perch, and a crappie. Water was down a bit, and the fishing was OK. Caught all on XTS Minnow. Today, with the gauge below 2.7, I was able to limbo my way under the Milldam Creek Bridge and return to an ol' favorite stomping ground. Water was crystal clear, and the bite was OK. Caught one dink bass, four white perch to 11 inches, two crappie, and a favorite bowfin that peeled some drag and tipped the scales at 5 lbs. 4 ozs. Most fish took the XTS, but the bowfin hit the Booyah Prank on top. It was another trip in which I lost more than I caught. Really pretty evening, and the storms never materialized.

Thursday, May 24 (from Skip)...Pictured here are three of the five fish I caught between 9 and 2. I caught a 2.3 but forgot to take the pic after I weighed it. I dropped the camera on the last one,  and it almost went overboard. All the fish were caught on a fluke. All but the first one were keepers.

Thursday, May 24 (from Ron)...Fished Lovitt's on Wednesday evening, from 5:30 'til dark. Only caught one dink, four small white perch, and a small mud cat. The Lake Whitehurst boat ramp opened today at 4 p.m., but the ceremony lasted till 5 o'clock, before all the people were gone and I could actually park and access the ramp. Explored the lake from 5 to 8:15. It is a big lake, and I concentrated on shoreline structure with Senkos. First bass was a 3-0, and I thought "this is going to be great!" By recovery, however, I only had managed another four dink bass, to about a pound each, and one micro crappie. Had several very hard hits that didn't produce a fish; not sure what they were. The bass strikes were mild, but the line moved out, and my hookset worked for them. It was an interesting trip. I was trying to find a walleye, but didn't get any. The boat ramp is too narrow (tough to recover alongside a single johnboat), and the parking is inadequate (West neck can accommodate more cars and trailers). Probably should expect nightmare crowds, especially on weekends. With little pressure over the past 10 years, I am sure there are some big 'uns in the lake. Again, it is a very big body of water, and I'm not sure if I have the patience to figure it out.

Friday, May 25 (from Ron)...Fished Lake Whitehurst from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Parking lot almost was full. When I recovered, there was overflow parking on the grass. Ended up skunked. Tried Albright's this evening from 6  p.m. till dark. Hooked a gar, one of many that hit my lure. Landed a dink bass on a ZMan Pop ShadZ topwater. Far too many people with boats and jet skis enjoying the nice weather. At least I was able to unhook the gar without handling him.

Saturday, May 26 (from Ron)...Launched Munden Point Park at 0800 and crossed to Milldam for an uneventful and too windy trip. Caught a few small white perch and a small crappie, no bass and a few gar strikes. Return trip was difficult due to watercraft traffic. Headed back out at 1830 for a short trip to Lovitt's and fished for an hour before finding a 1-12 on the Pop R. Had another soon after that throw the lure on a spectacular jump. Not the best day.

Rearing Their Ugly Heads...Again

On Friday, April 27, 2018, biologists from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) confirmed the presence of northern snakehead (see photo above by Meghan Marchetti) in Lakeview Reservoir (sometimes called Swift Creek Lake) in Colonial Heights.

This fish is an exotic species that first was discovered in Virginia in the Potomac River in 2004. Since that time, they have been found in nine additional bodies of water--among them, Lake Anna, the Rappahannock River, and Lake Burke. The capture in Lakeview Reservoir represents the first confirmed occurrence of this species within the James River drainage.

Exotic species like snakeheads can disrupt aquatic systems and may have significant impacts by feeding on and competing with native and/or naturalized fishes. In addition, they may transmit parasites and diseases to native wildlife in those systems.

Contrary to popular depictions in the media, northern snakeheads are not capable of moving across land. Most new occurrences are caused by people intentionally introducing (stocking) them into new bodies of water. Citizens are reminded that this activity is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail, a fine of $2,500, or both.

Anyone who captures a northern snakehead should take a photo and contact VDGIF immediately at (804) 367-2925. Anglers are allowed to keep northern snakeheads; however, they must be dead in possession (contained in livewell, cooler, etc.) and reported to VDGIF.

The department asks that all captured snakeheads be killed following capture.

The Chatterbait: Now 14 Years Old and Still Catching Fish

I think we probably all stumble onto some things purely by accident. I know I do. The latest such occasion happened during the bass tournament this past Saturday. My problem was that I wasn't smart enough to know I had stumbled onto anything to start with and, therefore, didn't follow up with any further on-the-scene investigation.

Here was the situation. I just had boated my first keeper fish of the day, and in the process of weighing him, inserting the culling clip, and noting the weight on the attached Ardent ball, I failed to keep track of where the boat had drifted. When I was ready to climb back on the front pedestal, the boat was sitting just a few feet off the shoreline, so I wheeled off a long parallel cast, and took only a couple turns on the reel handle before another keeper bass nailed my bait. It was the latter hookup that should have prompted me to further action, but it didn't dawn on me to stick with that parallel approach.

As a matter of fact, it wasn't until last night, as I was doing some online research, that I found several accounts from anglers who say, "The best thing to do is to start casting parallel to the shore, around 1 foot out, and then fan out your casts as far as 10 to 15 feet from the shore. If you find a strike zone, keep all your subsequent casts in that same zone to maximize your possibilities."

The bait in question here is a chatterbait. I've always liked the feel of this bait during the retrieve, and I've caught fish with it, using various styles of retrieve. Hadn't really planned to put the bait back in service this year--it just kinda happened after I caught a few fish with it while the water still was cold. Since then, I've been tag-teaming quite a bit between it and a spinnerbait, with a reasonable degree of success with both lures.

On the retrieve, a chatterbait's blade gives off a clicking sound to go along with all that great vibration, which makes it an ideal bait for fishing muddy water. However, it also works just as great in clear water.

As I've learned during my online research, there are at least five different ways to fish a chatterbait. The first is the simple chunk and wind, where you just make a cast, and reel the lure back to the boat.

Another method involves making a cast and quickly bringing the lure back before briefly pausing it, which causes the skirt to pulsate. Then run the lure on back to the boat.

Slow rolling is yet another way to work the bait. Make the cast, let the lure settle to the bottom, then bring it back to the boat with just enough speed to feel the blade vibrating.

A yo-yo approach also works well. Simply cast the chatterbait out, let it go to the bottom, and then raise your rod up before allowing the lure to flutter back to the bottom again. As you lower your rod, always pick up slack to keep a tight line. Repeat this process all the way back to the boat.

Finally, there's the bump and grind method, which is a matter of making the lure bump into things during the retrieve. I personally don't have a lot of success executing this method. Most times, I find that the chatterbait catches the stump, log or whatever I'm trying to bump, and I have to go get the lure.

Experts encourage retrieve variations. "Don't be afraid to change things up," they say. "Always give the bass something different to look at."

Chatterbaits are used quite often for freshwater sports fishing due to their amazing action that allows them to be retrieved in multiple ways. Versatility is the name of the game in fishing, and no angler ever should go out without an open mind.

For the Week Ending Sunday, May 20, 2018

Monday, May 14 (from Skip)...Got out about 10:30. Fished 'till 2:30. My string of nothing but small fish continues. I'm going to keep plugging away for some bigger ones, though. Can't say enough good things about my umbrella--it really keeps me nice and cool on a day like this.

Monday, May 14 (from Ron)...Fished the upper Back Bay from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. Catfish were a pain in the bum--caught five channels on everything I was throwing. The XTS, beetlespin and Prank seemed to be on the catfish-dinner menu. When not being bothered by the cats, the super small white perch were grabbing everything. A few crappie and two dink bass--to 14 inches--fell into the mix near dark, but they were very tight to shore. Gar were everywhere! Overall, was a very nice evening.

Tuesday, May 15 (from Ron)...Took out a friend, who recently had bought a kayak. He has been out several times with no luck, so I took him to upper North Landing, lent him some go-to lures, and he caught his first bass in the yak, a dink, and lost another one. You might say he is "hooked" now. Meanwhile, I fished the same area from 5:30 to 8 p.m. My first fish was a nice 1-15 bass on a Strike King micro spinnerbait (black skirt). After suffering a lull, I had a solid hit with a micro spinner (chartreuse/white skirt), and when I reeled it in, the skirt was gone. Switched to a Senko and had a very light tap. Waited a few seconds, and when I started to reel, realized the line had shifted towards me. Set the hook and caught a nice 4-4 bass. This fish was oddly "stunted," with big head and small body but came in at 21 inches. Went on to catch one more 14-incher at sunset on the Prank and lost two more. 'Twas a good trip, despite the bugs being very thick at recovery. Time for calamine lotion!!!

Tuesday, May 15 (from Jim B.)...It was just after 8:30 this morning when I eased out of the boat house, only to find another bass boat already fishing the Lake Gaston cove where I'm staying. Don't know if  that angler found any fish, but I found one on my last cast of the day, right off the boat house. At 1-7, it turned out to be my big fish of the day. I first headed for the mouth of Pea Hill, where I found that the familiar old dock on the point had been replaced by a big boat house, with a new home going up, too. Started with the WP and had fish follow and swipe at it but no hookups. Lost one on the way to the boat. Fished that cove and had a big fish chase and swat at it. Not sure but think the mate was there, too. Ultimately discovered a big pod of fry at the corner of the boat house and tossed a bunch of baits in that direction, but the fish only would only follow the bait, so I finally gave up. I fished four hours before I finally caught two dinks. Had to go to the old reliable French fry! By the time I got to the pump station, I decided to try the WP at the rip rap in the shade, where I had probably the biggest fish of the day smack it. I thought I got a good hook set, but in short order, it was gone! I did catch a 1.5 there. Considering that he had all of the bait and front treble in his mouth, I was dang careful with my hands! Fished the rest of the day, catching a 1-2 and, of course, the 1-7 on the French fry before calling it quits right after 4:30. The weather forecast makes it look like the rest of the week will be a washout, with nothing but showers and thunderstorms. As a result, I'll try to get out but stay within sight of an empty boat house where I can duck in to avoid the raindrops. Pulling the boat and packing up for the trip home could be a soggy mess. Sure felt good to finally catch a fish this year.

Wednesday, May 16 (from Skip)...For a while now, Skip's fishing seemingly has been caught up in the name of an old Jimmy Durante tune: Inka Dinka Doo. However, he busted out of that dink mold in a big way today, with a nice creel of nine bass, the biggest of which went just shy of 3 lbs. on Skip's handheld scales. As he remarked, "My best day in a tong time. Caught everything on soft plastics--nothing on topwater," he added.

Wednesday, May 16 (from Ron)...Fished Lovitt's Creek off Back Bay from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Storms never developed, and the bite was pretty good. Caught three bass (1-0, 1-10, and a 1-14), but I lost about six, as well as a monster bowfin that threw the hook just as I was trying to net him. Real heartbreaker that I couldn't land him. All fell to XTS, even though I tried a variety of lures. All the bass were caught very tight to shore--if I wasn't catching the shoreline, I wasn't getting a bite.

Thursday, May 17 (from Ken)...Had a strong hunch I could catch some fish on a topwater bait today, so got up early and, despite another day's nasty forecast, got ready to go. I launched at 8:15 and went straight to my first planned hole, and the fish didn't disappoint...well, not exactly, anyway. In a little bit of no time, I had hookups with five bass--all keepers--but every one of them came unbuttoned en route to the boat. Finally figured out the rod I was using likely was the problem, so changed to a softer-tipped rod before I hit my second planned hole, and my problem went away. From that point to 12:45, when the skies unloaded, I managed to put four bass in the boat, including a dink, 1-4, 1-9, and a 6-4, my biggest bass in a very long time. I just had dragged the lure past a lone stickup, without any response, so I sped up the retrieve to make another cast. At that point, I saw a huge V form behind the bait. My only choice was to keep the same retrieve speed all the way to the boat, whereupon I had to stop, and the 6-4 immediately crushed the lure, then darted under the boat with it. Once I had worked him back into the open, he took a couple turns around the boat, slipping drag the whole time, before I could swing him aboard. Both hooks of my $25 Japanese lure were buried squarely in his jaw. This bait accounted for all my strikes today.

Thursday, May 17 (from Ron)...Returned to Back Bay, even though there were some storm cells around. Fished from 6 to 8 p.m. Had better luck this evening, with most strikes resulting in hookups, including a dink, 1-11, 2-0 and a 2-10 bass, as well as a 3-lb. channel cat. Experimented with some plastics and topwater, but all fish fell to the XTS minnow. Not as many misses as last night, and the wind was a bit tough. Once again, everything was very tight to shore.

Friday, May 18 (from Ron)...Fished upper West Neck. Launched Indian River Road and searched for the bite. With the very high water, it was tough. Caught two dink bass and a 1-15 on XTS. Tried everything else: plastics, spinnerbaits, Senko, and topwater, all to no avail. I did find 'em in the creeks, but they were few and far between.

Saturday, May 19 (from Ron)...The forecast wasn't too bad. When I got ready to launch at Munden Point Park (0730), it was OK. Crossed North Landing and entered Milldam. After fishing for 2.5 hours, I had had five gar on without a single hookset. The increasing wind, very high water, and super murky conditions forced me to quit. As I exited Milldam, caught a 6-inch white perch on a trolled Whopper to avoid the skunk. The trip back across North Landing was dreadful, as the wind had gusted up to a white-knuckle choppy mess. Not the best trip!

Sunday, May 20 (from Ron)...With the gauge at 3.66 and still rising, coupled with the wind, I thought long and hard about where to launch this morning. Headed to Lovitt's off Muddy Creek Road, and the creek had overtaken the roads and fields. Was able to plod along, trying not to run over carp in the road (pretty sure I ran one over). Made it to launch, and from 7:30 to 9, couldn't find a bite. Headed into a feeder creek and still had no luck. Even though I couldn't get a hit on topwater the past few days, tied on a Pop R, and the bite picked up. Caught a 30-inch gar, two 13-inch crappie, and two 12-inch bass. Had the crappie on a stringer for fish tacos, then realized I had no cooler or even a plastic bag for vehicle transport, so they went back for another day. Wind was a bear, but the water was surprisingly clear, with about 3-foot visibility. Knew I wasn't completely crazy, as I saw three other kayaks and a johnboat launch same spot. After recovery, departed via Muddy Creek to Gum Bridge. That route was in better shape.

Everybody Caught Fish Today

All 13 anglers in 10 boats managed to put some fish in the boat. The aggregate total was 46 bass, with a total weight of 101.69 lbs. and an average weight of 2.21 lbs.

Here are the people who had braggin' rights at day's end:

Gary Coderre claimed 1st Place with a five-fish limit weighing 15.35 lbs. He also walked away with big-fish honors, with a 4.64-lb. bass.

Finishing in 2nd Place was the team of (from left) Dave Anderson and Rob Peppers. Their limit tipped the scales at 14.99 lbs., anchored by a 4.03-lb. bass.

The day's Mystery-Weight Award went to Steve Bailey, whose five-fish limit weighed 6.97 lbs. after a 0.25 penalty for one dead fish. That weight was closest to the 6.35-lb. weight-tab that was drawn. His big fish checked in at 2.26 lbs.






Here is how everyone else finished the competition:

     * Jim Wilder, five fish, 13.94 lbs. total weight after 0.25 penalty for one dead fish, 4.16-lb. big bass.
     * The team of Eddie Sapp and Stan Krason, five fish, 12.57 lbs. total weight, 3.39-lb. big bass.
     * The team of Zack Rhodes and Alec Wommacky, five fish, 10.49 lbs. total weight, 3.42-lb. big bass.
     * Wayne Hayes, five fish, 10.30 lbs. total weight, 3.78-lb. big bass.
     * Chris Fretard, five fish, 7.69 lbs. total weight, no big bass.
     * Ken Testorff, four fish, 7.41 lbs. total weight, 3.0-lb. big bass.
     * Skip Schaible, two fish, 1.98 lbs. total weight, no big bass.

Congratulations to all of today's winners and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, May 26, from safe light (about 5:30 or 5:45) to weigh-in at 2 o'clock. Hope you can join us.

One Last Cast

As I wrap up this report tonight, it is only fitting that I, on behalf of all the anglers who fished today, take this opportunity to give a big shout out to our bassin' brother, Al Napier. For those who may not have heard, Al is, and for several days now, has been in Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital battling some major health issues. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say, "Get well soon, good buddy, so you can get back on the water with us. We miss seeing you." In the meantime, please know our thoughts and prayers are with you and all your family.

I also want to wish bassin' brother Jim Bauer a lot of luck while he prowls the waters of Lake Gaston in search of bass this next week. The last I heard from him indicated he's looking forward as much to the spruced-up quarters where he'll be staying as he is the fishing. Given the luxury that awaits him, I'm betting he probably is hoping for at least one rainy day, just so he can lay around and enjoy all of it.

For the Week Ending Sunday, May 13, 2018

Monday, May 7 (from Ron)...With a 1-foot drop in the gauge, thought the water would be murky, but it was amazingly clear. Fished Milldam Creek from 5 to 7:30 p.m., catching six small bass, with the biggest at 1-5. Also caught several small white perch; lost count of how many I got on the beetlespin. Caught some, too, on the XTS and Prank, which they were hitting equally aggressively. A couple of small crappie were in the mix, as well. Not a bad trip, even though the wind was a bit strong for my liking.

Wednesday, May 9 (from Ron)...With the gauge at 1.0, I fished the saltwater Tuesday and today. Was skunked yesterday, but found one 17-inch bluefish this evening. Rudee Inlet is still very murky but should clear up, given the forecast I saw. Hope the gauge comes back up for the weekend, and I can get on some bass.

Thursday, May 10 (from Ron)...Too windy and wrong tide for Rudee, so I opted for a quick trip to upper North Landing. Got stormed out but not before finding a lone 1-10 on the XTS. I managed to get loaded up and homebound before the maelstrom hit in full force. Weekend looking good!

Sunday, May 13 (from Ron)...Launched on Ashville Bridge Creek at 6 p.m., and by 6:15, serious fog had settled in, and it got kind of spooky. Gar were everywhere, and they took a few swipes at the XTS, but there were no hook ups. Caught two dinks to 12 inches on the XTS and Senko. Also caught three small crappie on the beetlespin. The bass were very tight to shore/structure. Saw a lot of minnows, which was a good sign.

The Bills...They Just Never Stop Coming

That's true, whether you own an old car or an old boat, and when you own both, as I do, you might simply say you have "double trouble" on your hands. People like me grow to accept the reality that we never will "get ahead." The best we ever can hope for is to "maintain status quo."

My latest dilemma is what to do with the boat bunks on my trailer. Already have had to get the carpeting on one reglued and retacked, and now both need the same fix. Just by coincidence, a buddy had new boat bunks installed on his rig this past weekend. Instead of having the new bunks carpeted, however, he decided to go with Caliber bunk wraps (similar to what you see in the photo at right).

After reading several reviews of that product, though, I'm inclined, if anything, to keep looking. A couple of the reviews pointed out a disclaimer that comes on each package of the Caliber product. In plain view is this statement: "Bunk Wrap is not designed for gelcoat boat trailers, although some people use it for this application. It's at their own risk. Caliber disclaims all liability for damages caused by Bunk Wrap to non-aluminum/gelcoat hulls... ." The problem is that the Caliber product scuffs the gelcoat--in at least one reported case, to the point of removing both gelcoat and paint.

I also have checked out the product found at this link: https://www.ultimatebunkboards.com/ and was getting interested until I came across this safety warning: "Due to the ultra-smooth nature of Ultimate Bunk Boards (see photo at left), proper precautions should be taken when launching and loading your boat. When launching, always have your boat at the desired depth of water before unhooking it from the winch. Never unhook the winch on the boat ramp before backing down. This could lead to your boat sliding off the trailer prematurely. When loading your boat, there's no need to throttle your boat onto your trailer. Just idle up to your trailer and let the boat slide right on. Always hook your boat to the winch before pulling out of the water."

Potentially dropping your boat in the middle of a ramp isn't the only concern. I also read that when recovering your boat with Ultimate Bunk Boards, especially on steeper ramps, you often will have to keep the motor in gear and give it a little gas while someone hooks up the bow. That's OK if you have a partner, but I'm usually solo. The pictures that immediately sprang to my mind quickly put the kibosh on these bunk boards as a replacement for what I have now.

The only thing, other than traditional carpeted bunk boards, that I'm even remotely still considering are the Gatorbak synthetic bunk covers (see photo at right), which you find at this link: http://gatorbak.com/gb550-2x6-bunk-cover/, and I'm a ways from making a commitment here, either.

During some of my Internet research on this topic today, I happened across a very short video that had a tip I plan to test the next time I'm on the water. I'll share it with everyone here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ChLggvzWP8. Who knows? With this tip, I very well may just stick with the old-fashioned way of doing things. It's worked for me a good long while.

A Fish That Decided To Stay and Rest a Spell

Where does a bass go after being released at a tournament? As you might expect, there are varying theories about the answer to that question. One thing is certain: They don't all immediately leave the area from which they were released.

I was out to the marina yesterday, cleaning up my boat, when I got into a conversation with Gene, who helps Steve manage things around West Neck. He was telling me about something that happened to him this week.

If you read the blog post I put up from our tournament last Saturday, you know that the day's lunker prize went to Chris and Al Napier for a 7-plus-pound bass they caught. This past Wednesday, approximately 96 hours later, Gene had  a pole he had baited with a live minnow, sitting at the corner of the dock in front of the store. Suddenly, he looked up just in time to see the rod arc way over as though perhaps a giant turtle had grabbed the bait. He explained that his son, Jr., had caught a big turtle just a few days earlier.

When Gene got to the rod, he knew right away that he had something other than a turtle on the end of his line. It just wasn't acting right for a turtle. Before long, he saw the head and mouth of a toad bass. Once he had the fish out of the water, he weighed it and then observed some of the same markings he had noticed on that 7-plus-pound fish from Saturday's tournament.

So, while some tournament fish probably "get out of Dodge" shortly after their release, this bass decided to hang around for a spell and check out the new digs. And seein' as how Gene re-released him right back where he found him, I'd venture to say there's at least a 50-50 chance he may catch the fish again, especially if he keeps hanging minnows around the edge of the dock.

They say "the way to a man's heart really is through his stomach." Maybe the same is true of fish.