In Case You Haven't Already Seen or Heard...

Among the changes taking place at West Neck Marina, besides improved road surfacing and the addition of new fencing, is the installation of a gate at the entrance to the boat-storage area. The gate is intended as a deterrent to those who occasionally take it upon themselves to sightsee in the storage area, even though they don't maintain a boat on the premises. Effective immediately, the gate will be padlocked during non-business hours, and only those who keep their boats at West Neck will be given the code for gaining entrance. And although the gate will remain open during business hours, everyone besides boat owners in the storage area are asked to refrain from entering.

For the Week Ending Sunday, March 31, 2019

Friday, March 29 (from Ken)...A team of wild horses couldn't have kept me away from West Neck this morning. It was my choice between today and tomorrow, and as things worked out, it's a good thing I chose this as my fishing day (more on that a little later, though). Started at the mouth of West Neck this morning about 8:30 or 9 o'clock and hadn't made but about a half-dozen casts with a crankbait before I had the first dink in the boat. Decided to stay on the same side all the way back, then switched sides of the creek and repeated the procedure. Had just finished putting my second dink in the boat when I glanced up ahead and saw about 2 or 3 inches of a stump sticking out of the water a good distance off the shoreline. Made a cast with the same little crankbait I ended up staying with all day. It went past the stump but was close enough to bump it on the way back by it. At that instant, I saw a fish flash in the water, then felt a solid thump. I set the hook, and the fish immediately started toward the middle of the creek, taking drag the whole time. At that point, I was thinking striper, but once I worked the fish near the boat, I could see it was a good-sized mama largemouth. Grabbed my to-that-point-unused net, and as she got close enough, gently slid the net under her and breathed a sigh of relief. Once aboard, I snapped a couple of quick photos and weighed her. The scales registered 5-12. I then placed the fish back in the water, and she immediately let go of my thumb and headed back in the direction from whence she had come. When I finally quit about 2:30, I had boated another dink and a 1-4, giving me a total of five on the day...and all with the same little crankbait with which I had started. As for that other matter I spoke of in the beginning of this report, I saw that the lights in my storage shed were out when I opened the door this afternoon. As I would learn, something had tripped the breaker on my surge protector. With Gene's help, we traced the problem to some rats, mice or other creatures that have been chewing on my heavy-duty electrical cord. Will be getting with Gene tomorrow to fix the cord and install some conduit on it to (hopefully) ward off any further intrusions from my unwanted friends.

Friday, March 29 (from Skip)...I had a fair amount of company on the water today, including the duo of Chris Vitovich and Skip Schaible. It wasn't until the end of the day, though, that I had an opportunity to catch up with Skip and find out how they did. Seems they, too, stayed in West Neck all morning, then quit somewhere around noon. For Chris, this was a practice day for a tournament he has tomorrow. Meanwhile, Skip was along just for a day of fun fishing. Also saw Steve Bailey and Lenny Hall on the water today but haven't gotten a report from either one of them.

Friday, March 29 (from Ray)...Fished Pocaty. The water was low and visibility was a little over a foot. Didn’t get the water temperature. Caught 5 bass and 1 crappie. The largest bass went 3.36 pounds, and two were less than a pound. Tried several lures, but all fish were caught on a spinnerbait, with a 4-inch white-swimbait trailer. Spoke to a guy in a brand new Ranger who caught 5 bass, but he said they were small.

Saturday, March 30 (from Ron)...After nearly two weeks without fishing, feeling a bit rusty. High water and strong wind didn't help. Fished Milldam from 4 to 7:20 p.m. Got a catfish on a jerkbait (XTS) about 6:30, and the way he fought, thought it was a big bass. Stumbled onto a white perch about 7 o'clock, and closed out the evening with a 2-3 bass a few minutes later. Not a fan of the high water, which was surprisingly clear.

Saturday, March 30 (from Skip)...By 1:15, when the wind kicked up, I had 4 fish. Only one was a keeper. Caught two on a senko, one on a finesse worm, and one on a crankbait. Couldn't get any solid bites on my fluke. The fish kept slapping at it, but I couldn't get a hookup. Thought maybe I should have put on some smelly jelly. I got out about 8, and the parking lot already was full. Two consecutive days really have kicked my butt.

If You're in the Market for a Good Fishing Boat...

FOR SALE/SOLD

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1983 BLUEFIN 14-FT

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1973 Shore Lander Trailer

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Motor Guide X-3 Trolling Motor

Pyle Radio with USB & AUX

Other Features

Bimini Top

All New Pressure-Treated Plywood

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New Transom Wood

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New Marine Deep-Cycle Interstate Battery

Frosty and Foggy, With an Air Temp of 32 Degrees...

In other words, it wasn't the kind of morning to be boarding your boat by stepping on the gunwale. Nevertheless, those were the conditions that greeted the 14 anglers in 10 boats this morning as they launched at Pungo Ferry for the second tournament of the 2019 season. The sun eventually would burn off all the nasty stuff, and by weigh-in at 3 p.m., you could say it was downright nice, except for a nip in the air from the breeze that had built throughout the afternoon.

The final tally for these anglers was 26 bass, for a combined total weight of 43.15 lbs. and an average weight of 1.65 lbs.

Winners on the day were as follows:

In 1st place, with five bass, for a total weight of 10.47 lbs., and a 3.76-lb. tournament lunker, was Zack Rhodes.

In 2nd place, with five bass, for a total weight of 9.35 lbs., and a big fish weighing 2.92 lbs., was Gary Coderre.

The mystery-weight award went to the team of Steve Bailey and Bobby Moore (not pictured), who had two fish for a total weight of 2.76 lbs., which was closest to the weight drawn: 3.10 lbs. They didn't weigh a big fish.







Here is how everyone else finished the competition today:

     * Rob Peppers, five fish, total weight 8.11 lbs., no big fish.
     * The team of Mike Miller and Chris Fretard, five fish, total weight 7.09 lbs., no big fish.
     * The team of Andy Morath and Zach Bubier, three fish, total weight 4.23 lbs., no big fish.
     * The team of Dave Anderson and Ken Testorff, one fish, total weight 1.14 lbs., no big fish.
     * Red Bruun, Skip Schaible, and Eddie Sapp didn't weigh a fish.

Congrats to all of the winners, and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. My appreciation, too, goes to those who helped me take care of the weigh-in. For planning purposes, our next tournament is scheduled for Saturday, April 13. We will launch at safe light (about 6:30 a.m.) and weigh in at 2:30 p.m. I hope you can join us.

One Last Cast

Until today, I had been able to find a few fish each time I hit the water this season. That has all come to a crashing halt, however. I threw several different baits today, without ever having a single bite that I could confirm. There was one moment when I felt a tick in my line while tossing a crankbait, followed by some sudden line movement, but by the time I realized what was happening, I had squandered my one and only chance of the day to end up on the scoreboard.

The one constant theme throughout today for my partner and me was stained and sometimes muddy water. I felt certain early on that we eventually would find some clear water, but that was a mistaken notion on my part.I kept chunkin' and windin' all day, but it was for naught. As I learned at weigh-in, I had plenty of company. Unfortunately, I don't find that fact very gratifying.

Therefore, I remain committed to redoubling my efforts the next time out to see what I can do about putting at least one fish in the boat. Skunks just aren't much fun.

What You Should Know About Inflatable PFDs

Onyx automatic/manual vest (left) and manual-only
vest (right)

Some time ago, I saw some advice on this topic but put off making a copy of it. Eventually, so much time had passed I couldn't remember where I had seen it, so just forgot the whole idea. 

Then, just the other day, I found the same kind of info published by Jay Kumar, editor of BassBlaster, and immediately made a copy, so I could share it with everyone here on the blog. If you use an inflatable PFD now, or are thinking about getting one at some point in the future, you might want to take a look at what Jay has to say in the following article.

Do inflatable PFDs work reliably? Do they only work in certain conditions? Research reveals that you should NOT be wearing an inflatable PFD when it's cold...or when the water's cold.

Don't believe it? Read your owner's manual.

It probably will say that when temps are below 40 degrees, the PFD inflates "very slowly" (with the CO2 cartridge). AND if that PFD is stored outside in your boat when air temps are below freezing, it may not work at all until the cylinder warms.

It's worth noting that inflatable PFDs "are not to be worn when the [air] temperature is below freezing," according to inflatable PFD maker Onyx Outdoors, unless the PFD "is partially inflated" manually. BUT that could cause other issues--check this out from a Mustang PFD owner's manual:

     "When the temperature is below freezing, a fully discharged cylinder may not adequately inflate your PFD. Do not use your PFD under these conditions unless it is already partly inflated. Warning: CO2 inflation could over-pressurize and damage your PFD if already fully orally inflated."

Above freezing, in cold temps, the PFD will inflate but will do so slowly--the colder, the slower. And it's likely that a partially inflated PFD won't support a fisherman in the water.

In case you're tempted to warm your PFD inside your jacket, the manufacturers say that an inflatable PFD should only be worn on the outside of clothing or rain wear.

We all probably have heard or seen reports of PFDs failing to inflate when wearers were dumped in the water. Onyx says it rigorously investigated each situation involving its own PFDs [Note: Mustang did not respond to repeated requests for interviews]: "We have not seen any issues of a properly armed and maintained automatic [inflatable] not inflating when needed," said Wayne Walters, director of compliance for Onyx.

In some of the cases Onyx investigated, fishermen were wearing manual PFDs--which means that the wearer has to manually trigger the inflation. If the cord isn't pulled, the PFD won't inflate. That might seem obvious, but fishermen who are used to wearing automatic inflatable PFDs may not realize that manual versions exist.

This means that when you put on an inflatable, it's imperative that you check what kind it is, as well as the status indicator of the PFD. To check whether the PFD is functional,  you need to look at the bobbin--a moisture-sensing device found in the inflation mechanism. The bobbin has a date stamp on it and should be replaced every 3 years. Standard rearming procedures should be followed.

How to maintain an inflatable PFD:

     * Routinely check the status indicator, as well as the condition of the bladders, cover and webbing. It's key to make sure there are no punctures, tears or worn spots in the bladder or cover.

     * Besides the visual inspection of the bladder and service indicator on the inflator, the PFD should be orally inflated every 2 months--especially so if it's stored in a place where it can be inadvertently punctured by something like a hook. It should hold air for 2 hours or so after oral inflation.

     * After the PFD has been inflated once, the CO2 cylinder must be replaced.

     * As is the case with all PFDs, inflatables need to fit the size of the person wearing it--check the sizes in your boat.

     * Don't just take it out of the package and throw it in the boat. The webbing should be adjusted for a snug fit.

     * Onyx says people under the age of 16 should not wear an inflatable.

When an inflatable is properly maintained (check the owner's manual), and its "working conditions" are met, it should work fine--but again, cold weather/water makes it function slower or not at all.

Region 7 Anglers Score 2nd Place Finish on Gaston

Virginia Region 7 TBF Director Wayne Hayes (left) teamed up with Region 7 Tournament Director Brian Briesemeister (right) to capture 2nd place in the Bojangles ProAm Tournament held Saturday, March 16, 2019, on Lake Gaston. Their five-fish limit tipped the scales at 17.24 pounds. The Bojangles ProAm is North Carolina's oldest televised bass tournament.

Sweet 'n' Low: It's More Than a Sweetener

Today, it was the hoped-for trajectory for every cast you made in that stiff breeze that dogged tourney fishermen for most of the day. If you happened to get a cast up in the air, it was anyone's guess where it might go. As my partner and I soon learned, if there was a tree anywhere nearby, that was the most likely spot to start looking for whatever we happened to be throwing.

The wind, however, didn't seem to figure that dramatically in our overall results for the day. The 18 anglers in 11 boats weighed a total of 41 bass, weighing 78.34 lbs, for an average weight of 1.91 lbs.

Those anglers who made it into the inaugural winners' circle of the 2019 season included the following:

Eddie Sapp, who claimed 1st place with a five-fish limit weighing 12.88 lbs., buoyed by a 4.54-lb. big fish, which earned him the day's lunker award.

The team of Rob Peppers and Don Carter walked away with 2nd place. They boated a five-fish limit weighing 10.53 lbs, with a 2.82-lb. big fish.

The team of Alec Wommack and Zack Rhodes finished in 3rd place, with a five-fish limit weighing 10.19 lbs. Their big fish tipped the scales at 3.10 lbs.





And recipients of the mystery-weight award were Jr. Lindsey and Ken Testorff. They had four fish, weighing 6.12 lbs. (after a 0.25 deduction for one dead fish), which was closest to the drawn weight of 5.75 lbs. Their big fish weighed 2.12 lbs.

Here is how everyone else finished the competition:

     * The team of Bobby Moore and Steve Bailey, five-fish limit, 9.05 lbs. total weight, 2.95-lb. big fish.
     * Stan Krason, four fish, 8.71 lbs. total weight, 2.94-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Gary Coderre and Lenny Hall, five-fish limit, 8.07 lbs. total weight, 3.03-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Andy Morath and Zach Bubier, five-fish limit, 7.62 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Chris Fretard and Mike Miller, three fish, 5.17 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Skip Schaible didn't weigh a fish today.
     * John Goodman had to leave early because of an emergency.

Congratulations to all of these winners, and thanks to everyone who came out to participate, as well as all those who helped me take care of tournament details. You're all sincerely appreciated.

For planning purposes, our next scheduled tourney is Saturday, March 23, from safe light (about 6:40 a.m.) to 3 p.m.

One Last Cast

When the day began, I found myself going through a wide assortment of baits, trying to find something that would draw a strike. I still was working that plan when, from the back pedestal, I heard, "Got one!"

I wheeled around just in time to see my young partner, Jr., flipping a nice keeper into the boat. "What did you catch him on?" I asked.

He held up a worm that had a close resemblance to the June Bug color.

I immediately grabbed a box of modified Senko worms and found a similar color, then went to work...and I do mean "work." Trying to cast a lightweight Senko in the kind of wind we had today indeed was a challenge. Little did I know when making the first cast with that Senko that I would be spending the rest of the day with it.

At day's end, Jr. had boated three bass, including two keepers, and I had added two more keepers. We both had several more bites with worms throughout the day, and we both managed to get a few more fish on for a brief while before they came unbuttoned. I had the distinct feeling on several of those occasions that the fish didn't really have anything more than the tail in their mouths.

In the final analysis, Jr. and I had a fun day on the water.

For the Week Ending Sunday, March 17, 2019

Monday, March 11 (from Skip)...Caught three fish. Kinda slow, but not bad. All three fish fell for a jerkbait.

Monday, March 11 (from Ron)...Fished the unnamed creek off North Landing this evening from 4 to 7:15. Gotta love daylight savings. Caught two dinks and a 1-12 bass. Also caught my first white perch at 11.5 inches, which got me to salivating for some tacos, but the next dozen or so were all way too small, at only 7 to 8 inches. Rounding out my evening was one little crappie. Tacos, however, will have to wait for another time.

Wednesday, March 13 (from Ken)...Despite the frosty conditions this morning, I wasn't going to let it stop me from hitting the water. Can't say it was the kind of day you write home about but still had fun. Ended up hooking but losing my first two bass this morning but finally managed to catch a 1-2 bass on a crankbait. Also boated a small bluegill on the same crankbait. I should note that the bluegill came up and hit the lure while it was sitting still. I had made a cast, then laid my rod down to shift some stuff out from under my feet. Just heard a little splash and looked up to see my lure moving, so set the hook and nearly yanked the fish in the boat. Talked to Rob and Dave on the water today and learned they, too, were having a tough day. Also had a conversation with a fella who told me he finally had waved the white flag for lures and was anchored, fishing minnows when I confronted him. My biggest surprise of the day was seeing water temps reading 55 and 56 everywhere I went.

Wednesday, March 13 (from Ron)...One of my better outings in a while. Fished Ashville Bridge Creek form 4 to 7:30 p.m. Threw a micro spinner to cypress trees as I made my way toward Back Bay. Caught eight bass (three just over 2 lbs), with the biggest weighing in at 2 lbs. 9ozs. Four crappie made the 12-inch mark. Also caught two sunfish and a very small white perch. The crappie really woke up at sunset, but it was getting cold. Funny...I lost a few bass but didn't care as the bite was consistent.

Thursday, March 14 (from Dave and Ken)...As luck would have it, I forgot my camera this morning. It's a miracle there wasn't more. Everything was cool until the last five minutes before leaving this morning, and then it was as though someone through a hex on me. In any event, I got out the door in time to meet Dave at 7:30, and we were on the first hole by 8 o'clock. Together, we caught eight bass today (Dave 6, me 2), and while we only weighed one of the fish, our conservative estimate was that our five keepers weighed about 8.5 lbs. By 1 o'clock, the bite basically had turned off, so we battened everything down and returned to the dock. Talked to Rob today and learned that he had one over 3 lbs. Incidentally, anyone who hasn't been down in the vicinity of Pungo Ferry Bridge will notice a change in the scenery. Seems a barge got into one side of the pass-through and crumpled some timber. You can't miss the damage...I promise.

Thursday, March 14 (from Skip)...Seems like everyone caught fish today. Skip told me during our phone conversation a bit ago that he had a total of six bass, with four of them keepers. He also had a couple get off en route to the boat. The biggest one boated went a little over 2 lbs. Like most of us who hit the water today, Skip was in pursuit of a game plan for Saturday's tournament, and it looks like he probably found what he wanted.

Thursday, March 14 (from Ron)...Needed two more crappie for my fish fry (tacos) to add to last evening's four. Launched Lotus Garden about 6 p.m., and 23 minutes later, had my two. Played with them for another half hour and landed about a dozen more, as well as a bonus white perch. Real fun on the ultralight. Didn't even target bass, just used little jig heads with tubes.

Saturday, March 16 (from Ron)...Going to be traveling and off the water for a spell, so had to get out and fight the wind. Found some deep water and an OK bite. Caught two bass at 13 inches, one crappie, and one sunfish (on spinnerbait). Trolling round a 6-foot diving crankbait, I stumbled onto a nice pole-bender at 5 lbs. 3 ozs. 'Twas a nice break from the panfish and good to have some drag scream.

Sunday, March 17 (from Ron)...Wasn't going to fish today, but the yard work was done, and I had a few hours to kill. Fished Milldam, vicinity of Blackwater Road, from 1 to 3 p.m. The bite was on! Caught nine bass, including a 2-1, 1-3, two 1-6s, a 1-9, 2-4, 2-5, 3-8, and a dink. Also found a couple yellow perch. Also found a couple of yellow perch. All hit the micro spinnerbait. The 2-5 was all body, with a weird shape. My next report will be after April 1.

Fishing Partners Who Left Lasting Impressions

There's at least an even chance we've all had a few of those folks occupy the backseat of our boats over the years. Here are some experiences I found online.

     * A guy on the front pedestal was bass fishing while his partner was muskie fishing. "Even though I'd navigate respectfully around the bank fishermen," said the bass angler, "this muskie guy would cast w-a-a-a-y in amongst them. I would tell him he ought to back off, but he'd persist in violating their space. One bank fisherman finally read him the riot act, while I silently enjoyed every moment of the chewing."

     * A son was fishing with his dad, who was in the front of the boat. "I kept throwing in front of him," said the son, even after he told me if I did it again he would cut my line. I was dumb enough to try again, and he cut my line."

     * A fella was fishing with a guy in an 8-foot pond-prowler type boat. This partner usually brought seven or eight combos, a big tackle bag, and a big Igloo cooler, while the owner usually only brought three or four combos. "Because he has so many combos, the partner usually starts laying them on top of my stuff," said the owner. "As a result, I have to ask him to pick up his rods so I can get one of mine. I normally stand, but the partner generally asks me to bring a seat for him, even though he only uses it about 25 percent of the time. To have the room he needs to stand, he pushes all his gear toward me and then casts way ahead of me. I have to watch constantly to make sure he's not stepping on my rods or putting his cooler on top of them.
     "To make matters worse, I also have a Nitro boat, and this partner invariably will walk through the biggest mud hole he can find before getting in and then leave tracks all over the carpet. He never hooks his lure to his rods when he changes combos, which means he often will have seven or eight lures dangling free. Many end up stuck in the carpet, and others knock the paint off my outboard when he hits it with the lures while casting. I've pointed out all these things to him, but he just doesn't get it."

     * A man takes his brother and nephew fishing, and when he goes to fish an old roadbed, picks up his hand-held GPS only to learn that all 3 years of his waypoints are missing. His brother sees something is wrong and asks what it is. He then admits that the nephew was messing with the GPS when something happened. "I was mad but bit my tongue," said the man. "At this point, the trip was over for me. I pulled into the middle of the lake and told my brother he could have the front of the boat. He and my nephew worm-fished in 30 feet of water while I sat behind the wheel. As I was moving them to a new spot, I intentionally bumped the choke a couple of times to make the motor skip and sputter. I subsequently said, 'Oh, something seems to be wrong with the motor. We'd better head in.'"

     * A fella takes his brother-in-law fishing. While the brother-in-law is a super good dude, a great carpenter, and will do anything for anybody, he never takes care of anything--his or yours. As the fella noted, "A while back, I noticed the brother-in-law's chainsaw was laying on a pile of Lone Star empties in the bed of his truck. A month later, it still was there, so I asked him if he wanted to turn it over, so it could rain on the other side for a while. He just laughed."

      * And finally, a guy who lived in the ghetto of his city had neighbors who always were asking to go fishing with him. One day, he got up the patience and courage to take a few of 'em along. He took two 14-year-olds and their 29-year-old dad. It was their first time ever in a boat. Said the good samaritan, "When I hit about 50 mph, they were crying. When I got to 65, one of the kids (who had peed himself) actually asked me to stop. I'm now thinking, 'What the heck have I gotten myself into?' We're bream fishing, because I figured they probably all could catch a bream. I caught like 20 that were the perfect size for trotlines, and they wanted to keep everyone of  'em. When we finally headed home, all we had were those 20 goldfish-sized bream I had caught. As I learned, however, they didn't know how to clean the fish, so I had to do it for them. Looking back now, I can laugh, but at the time, I was ready to sell my boat."

For the Week Ending Sunday, March 10, 2019

Thursday, March 7 (from Ron)...Fished Tecumseh last night from 4 o'clock until just after dark. Had one small chain pickerel yak side, but he threw the hook. All the better, as it was near freezing, and I didn't want to handle the slime dart. 'Twas warmer this evening, so tried Back Bay and found one lone bass at 2-10 on the micro spinnerbait to avoid the skunk. Weather doesn't look too good for the weekend.

Friday, March 8 (from Ron)...Fished North Landing River near the draw bridge and a creek mouth. Between 4 and 5 p.m., things weren't going very well, and I assumed another skunk was in store. Then, suddenly, I found a little pocket of bass, and for 15 minuets had a blast catching six dinks to 13 inches. Didn't quite have bass thumb, but it was fun on light tackle with the micro spinner. Had one sunfish on that I failed to land. Surprised I didn't get any panfish or pickerel.

Saturday, March 9 (from Ron)...Fished Milldam today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tried everything everywhere on a nice long trip. Only managed one 1-5 bass to avoid the skunk. Except for the wind, it was a good day to be out. Odd that my only fish was so light in color, compared to the ones I caught in North Landing. The micro spinner again was my ticket to success.

Sunday, March 10 (from Ron)...Fished from 10 a.m. 'til  3 p.m. and found three bass (a dink, 1-12 and 1-13) on deep crankbaits (5 - 10 ft) in the burrow pit of northeast Tecumseh. Really wanted chain pickerel but couldn't find any. Very surprised that the snakes were out this time of year already.

Remembering Our Friend and Fishing Buddy

Following is the first of what I hope will be a number of testimonials from anglers who fish the Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Tournament Series.

Let's face it: Not every angler is willing to share his wealth of knowledge about bass fishing, but some are, and according to Red Bruun (left in accompanying photo), our recently departed friend Al Napier (right in accompanying photo) was one of those "open books," so to speak.

"That's the thing I admired most about Al," said Red. "Much of what I know today about the area around West Neck is the result of Al's willingness to share what he knew. I hadn't fished West Neck much at all until he talked me into fishing a few of the Dewey tournaments.

"The first time I talked at length with Al must have been at least 20 years ago," continued Red. "My wife and I were camped next to him and Penny at North Bend Park on Kerr. The last time I talked to him was a couple of weeks ago. We had had a couple of nice days, and I was planning to go fishing the next day.

"I called Al, but his son said he wasn't feeling good and to call back the next day. I figured he would not be up to going out on the water, so I went by myself. I hit the water about 9 o'clock and had not had the first bite yet when Al called me around noon.

"We talked for a while, and before we hung up, he told me to go catch a good one. I put away my phone, made a couple of casts, and...don't you know...caught a good one.

"Having fished with Al in several tournaments over the years, including some in the Dewey series, I learned one important thing: I always could count on him for good input on where to fish and to catch that 'key fish' when we needed it.

"Rest in peace, buddy."

As noted in the previous testimonial, Al (seated right) was an "open book" when it came to sharing his wealth of fishing knowledge with others.

Here's a photo of him talking to a young Wounded Warrior during a Region 7-sponsored event held at Munden Point Park in Virginia Beach. The Wounded Warrior pictured here was Al's non-boater companion for the day.

Whether it was Al's sons, Chris and Allen; his tournament partner for the day; or a total stranger, if fishing was involved, you always could count on Al being "all in."

So, what happens when a couple of seasoned anglers decide to hook up as tournament partners? To put it bluntly, they become a force to be reckoned with, especially when they both prefer the same style of fishing. The evidence of that became abundantly clear during a March 12, 2016, Region 7 tournament on Lake Gaston.

Al and his region partner, Wayne Hayes (left), put on a clinic of sorts en route to capturing first place. Their final tally for a six-fish limit was 22.45 pounds, which included Al's 5.76-pound big fish. The ticket to success was their deep-water expertise. They spent a good part of the day with the boat resting in 25 feet of water, while they plied the bottom with jigs.

Those same "winning ways" continued into 2017, when Al and Wayne claimed the Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Classic crown with a two-day record-setting total of 32.69 pounds of fish. The duo also walked away with the 2017 seasonal-lunker award for a 6.82-pound bass that they weighed during the July 22nd tournament.

Can't get much better than that.

In Memoriam

Remembering Our Friend and Fishing Buddy,

Al Napier

(Nov. 24, 1953 - March 1, 2019)

The Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Anglers

Requiem for a Fisherman

(Copyright by Jeff Wright)

A quiet troll across the lake

Its surface still and mirrored

The moisture in the air so thick

As morning sun appears

The line is whipped with deft finesse

It sails with graceful ease

Near reeds exposed, and tangled roots

Just missing willowed trees

The first bite starts the tingled thrill

All time is stopped in place

No sound or movement, not a breath

This single-focused face

A stronger tug, the pole is flicked

The hook so cleanly set

The game goes on with line kept tight

The prize steered toward the net

The feeling of accomplishment

It saturates your soul

Where skill and silent patience

Are the answers to the goal

You may not get another bite

For hours through the day

But Nature's sweet serenity

Is often why you stay

There comes that day for all the best

The fishing's done at last

The final time you tie on a lure

The final arcing cast

But Lord, we hope a lake exists

In Heaven's grand design

Where once again you'll feel the thrill

Of tugging on your line

Rest in Peace, Good Buddy!

The Jury Is Still Out on the Assassin

The "Assassin" I'm talking about here is the 5.7-ounce baitcast reel made by KastKing (see left). I recently bought two of these reels after finding several convincing testimonials about them from around the countryside.

The six-pin centrifugal cast control, paired with magnetic dual brakes, provide a level of fine-tuning not often found in other reels in the same $58.98 price range. You don't adjust the pins in the Assassin like you normally do on other reels. Instead, you remove the carbon-fiber side plate and turn the dial setting to any number between 0 and 6 to set the pins. Most folks recommend starting at number 4 and adjusting from there, but I started at 3 on the reel I'm using for chatterbaits, and it seems to work OK. I also started at 3 on the other Assassin I'm using for light cranks, though, and recognize that I'll have to make some adjustments there.

With 11 plus 1 shielded bearings, four disk carbon-fiber drag washers, a moderate 6.3:1 gear ratio, and 16.5 pounds of pressure on the drag, the Assassin stacks up pretty well against more expensive competition. And most people are surprised to learn that it retails for less than $60.

The KastKing Assassin comes with a 1-year warranty should anything go wrong. For anyone looking to add a lightweight baitcaster to their arsenal at an affordable price, this might be one you'll want to check out. The reel is available in both right- and left-hand models.

Don't know how I'll feel after using these reels for at least a year, but plan to give them the acid test.