Not Sure If Today's Breeze Was Whispering Louise...

But am fairly certain it was welcomed by all 22 anglers in 13 boats. At least until about noon, the fishing was comfortable and productive, as evidenced by the day's final totals: 58 bass caught, 128.85 lbs. total weight, 2.22 lbs. average weight per fish, 9.91 lbs. average weight per boat.

Here are those anglers who earned themselves a payday by virtue of having the highest totals:

1st Place, the team of Jared Allbritten and Eddie Sapp, five bass, 14.84 lbs. total weight, 4.65-lb. big fish

2nd Place, the team of David Dozier and Nelson Anderson, five bass, 13.75 lbs. total weight, no big fish

3rd Place, the husband-wife team of Nathan and Marjorie Gottsch, five bass, 12.95 lbs. total weight after a 0.50 deduction for two dead fish, 3.95-lb. big fish

4th Place, the team of Gabe Himmelwright and Rusty Girard, five bass, 12.40 lbs. total weight, 5.62-lb. big fish

Lunker Award, Don Carter, five bass, 12.17 lbs. total weight after a 0.25 deduction for one dead fish, 5.98-lb. big fish

Mystery Weight Award, Wayne Hayes, three bass, 6.05 lbs. total weight (closest to drawn weight of 3.15 lbs.), 2.44-lb. big fish








Here is how everyone else finished the day's competition:

     * The team of Andy Morath and his cousin Zech, five bass, 12.02 lbs. total weight, 3.98-lb. big fish
     * The team of Matt Paxson and his son Tate Andrews, five bass, 10.31 lbs. total weight, no big fish
     * The team of Bobby Moore and Steve Bailey, five bass, 9.42 lbs. total weight, 2.65-lb. big fish
     * The team of Dave Anderson and Ken Testorff, five bass, 9.29 lbs. total weight, 3.87-lb. big fish
     * Stan Krason, five bass, 8.10 lbs. total weight, no big fish
     * Gary Coderre, five bass, 7.55 lbs. total weight, no big fish
     * The team of Chris Napier and his brother Allen didn't weigh any fish

Three more contestants, in the person of Dave Anderson, Andy Morath, and Stan Krason, completed their eligibility requirements to compete in our season-ending two-day Classic. That brings the total number eligible to 10.

Congratulations to all of the winners, and thanks to everyone who came out to participate, as well as those who assisted me today. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, July 13, from safe light (about 5:30) to weigh-in at 2 o'clock. Here's hoping you can join us.

One Last Cast

When 8:30 rolled around this morning, my partner and I already had a small limit but figured, based on how things had gone thus far, that it should be no problem to upgrade our smaller fish. After all, we even had scored a keeper-double early this morning.

Little did we know what lay ahead. When the early bite died, we were left scratching our heads, wondering what we had to do to restart a bite of any kind. Throughout the remainder of the day, the best we could muster was one minor upgrade, coupled with a whole bunch of dinks.

We agreed to be looking for some different water before it comes time for the next tournament.

And I gave my partner my word I'll do whatever it takes to remember to load my cooler in the boat before launch time for our July 13 event. I went off and forgot to get mine out of the front seat this morning before we left the dock. Thankfully, my partner had enough to keep us both supplied throughout the day.

As I told Gene this afternoon before leaving the marina, "This getting-old gig isn't always fun."

An Inexpensive Way To Better Care for Fish in the Livewell

Skip took a break from his picture taking today to send me the link to a helpful tip that he picked up from Wired2Fish. Terry Brown authored the original item back on Aug. 29, 2017.

Said Terry, "A few years ago, I inadvertently left a water bottle in my livewell. It was left over from a prior trip--I freeze water bottles to cool my livewell water in warm-weather tournaments--but I left the old bottle in there and added a limit of fish throughout the day.

"What I noticed was pretty crazy. The fish were completely settled, and they didn't thrash around at all during the day. There were actually using the bottle as cover.

"This obviously got my wheels turning. I didn't want to leave the bottles in there because they made a bunch of noise running down the lake, and it made me worry about potentially injuring the fish.

"After some experimenting, I found a better alternative: sponges in your livewell. Besides settling your fish throughout the day, the sponges also can be frozen and/or pre-treated with fish-care additives, such as T-H Marine G-Juice.

"The sponges need to be non-treated, so make sure that's a priority when you buy them. I went to my local dollar store and bought several different ones before I found one I really liked at Harbor Freight. They're $1.99 each, and you'll usually get five to six months out of each sponge. (Note: When the sponge stays on the bottom and no longer floats, it's time for a new one.)

"I stake my reputation on this tip. I've had friends laugh, chuckle and make fun of this idea, but once they try it, they're sold. It is particularly effective with smallmouth, as they are a rambunctious critter and don't like being confined. Most of my buddies have adopted this sponge method, and now several professional anglers are using it, too.

"Here's how to set up your livewell: Fill it with water and fish-care additive. Fill completely and add your sponge. Drain livewell, leaving sponge on the bottom. Treat with additive and let dry. You are ready for the next tournament. Just add fish and water. Remove and wring out the sponges if periods between trips is longer. I just lay them on the open lid to dry. As mentioned, you'll get five or six months out of 'em. If you noticed the sponge starting to get rough, cut or torn, throw it away. Two sponges seem to work the best in most livewells."

A Little Cover Is Better Than None

Received this photo earlier today from my friend, "Gadabout," otherwise known as Skip, who aptly pointed out that this bit of shelter will come in handy when you're trying to sign up tournament fishermen or weigh their fish on a rainy day. It doesn't appear to provide total protection, but I've always contended that something is better than nothing. Maybe I won't have to wring the water out of my stats page the next time we use Pungo Ferry as our tournament launch site.

What To Do...What To Do...What To Do?

Read the rather unusual story this morning about a fisherman who couldn't make up his mind what to do with his wedding band after he and his wife of nearly a decade went their separate ways. Four years after their divorce, the fella still had the ring.

"I felt I needed to get rid of that ring, but I didn't want to just toss it to the bottom, pawn it, or any of that kind of thing," he said. So he ultimately decided to dispose of it the best way he knew how. He used a zip tie to attach the ring to the tail of a steelhead that he caught and released in Lake Michigan on May 4.

"I'm a fishing guide," explained the gent, "and my wife always was against me following my dreams and hated how much I fished." He went on to note that he's "convinced that ring is cursed" because, once he had gotten rid of it, "my life has been nothing less than great."

What the fisherman didn't count on, however, was that, a little more than seven weeks after releasing that steelhead, another fisherman would catch it during a lake-trout tournament on Lake Michigan. Atlhough the find caused quite an initial stir, with everyone wondering who did this and why, it didn't take long to get answers to all their questions once the story and some photos hit the local newspaper.

The fisherman behind this story seemed a bit surprised to hear the news about his fish and ring. "None of us can believe someone caught it."

Wasn't a surprise to the skipper of the boat which claimed the day's surprise catch. His first guess was that it had something to do with a divorce.

Incidentally, that same skipper agrees with the earlier assertion that the ring is cursed. "Ever since it came on my boat," he said, "I've had problems with my Glendinning engine controls, the switch to raise the helm floor to get at the engines broke, and the hose at my dock burst." That's enough to make anyone wonder, "What else can go wrong?"

Said the skipper in closing, "I think we'll mail the ring back to  the owner, with no return address!"

Veteran journalist, sportswriter, and outdoors writer David Strege authored the original piece.

For the Week Ending Sunday, June 30, 2019

Monday, June 24 (from Skip)...Received a report that he caught three fish today, including two dinks and one keeper.

Monday, June 24 (from Ron)...High water was not good to me this evening. A reading of 2.8 on the river gauge is about max high water to attempt an under-bridge limbo at Milldam and Blackwater Road. Started with the micro spinner and caught a few panfish, so put it away 'cause I didn't want tacos. Shifted to plastics but couldn't find a bite. Ended with a Pop R and caught a pretty little bowfin, which made my night. Oddly, though, there wasn't a single bass. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 25 (from Ron)...Fished upper North landing from Indian River Road between 6 and 8 p.m. Only managed one little white perch (micro spinner), one dink bowfin (Pop Shad Z), and one small bass (Pop R). At least, I had some topwater action. It was rather warm. Forecast said 50 percent cloud cover, but I wasn't in that area!

Wednesday, June 26 (from Ron)...Was one of those evenings where everything went wrong, and the jets flying overhead were just too much! Fished upper North landing from 7 to 8:10 p.m. and caught four bass: three dinks and a 1-6. All fell to the ol' Fluke on a keel-weighted hook. Just as I wanted to experiment with topwater, near sunset, the jets doing touch and gos at Fentress were too loud...to the point where even my bones were shaking...and I had to bail. By the way, I hate jet noise! Yeah, I get it, "sound of freedom" and all that stuff, but I just wanted some peace and quiet.

Thursday, June 27 (from Tom & Ken)...We launched about 7 or 7:30 this morning and fished 'til about 11:30. We ended the trip with a total of five bass, including three keepers and two dinks. Tom also lost a nice one right beside the boat that jumped at the last minute and threw the hook. Feel pretty sure that fish would have gone about 5 lbs. or perhaps a little better. As Tom aptly noted when it happened, "At least I wasn't fishing a tournament." And, of course, yours truly had to tie into what is becoming an increasing trend: one of those toothy bowfins. As luck would have it, he had gotten both trebles on my bait, and it took probably 15 or 20 minutes to set him free. All in all, not a bad day...until, that is, I got in my van to come home and glanced up at the temperature gauge, which just happened to be registering a sweltering 100 degrees at the time. Quickly cranked up the A/C and hit the road. First place I stopped when I arrived home was...you probably guessed it...the shower.

Thursday, June 27 (from Ron)...Went to upper east side of Back Bay this evening. No jets, no wind, peaceful, and a pretty good bite. Started with Zoom Fluke and caught a 1-14, 1-8 and a 3-0. Made the mistake of changing my location and shifting to topwater. The Pop R caught three dinks and a 1-13, but in hindsight, should have stuck with the fluke and stayed where I was. A total of seven bass between 7 and 8:15 wasn't bad. There were a whole bunch of bait pods all over the place. All the bass were tight to shore...maybe due to the heat?

Saturday, June 29 (from Ron)...Fished Milldam from 08 'til 11:00 this morning. The kid went with me, so that was nice. We each caught four bass and each had a biggest at 2-10. Flukes and worms were the ticket. Tried Pop R, which landed a crappie and threw a micro spinner that got a few small white perch. Happy to have caught a pole-bending bowfin at 5-10. That alone was all I needed.

Sunday, June 30 (from Ron)...Tried an ol' haunt on base. Fished from 7:00 to 10:00 and got one strike that resulted in a 1-14 bass. It was a close call, but I managed to avoid the skunk. My next report won't be until at least Wednesday.

Someone Else I know Also Travels Light on the Water

The person I'm talking about is none other than my good friend and kayaker, Ron. He recently responded to my post of June 16, noting that he "used to go out with 80 percent more stuff than I needed or ever used. In the kayak, space is limited.

"I now have just my little circular storage container, and the loadout is about perfect. The photo at right is an example from the Internet. I modified mine so the three compartments are larger as a result of removing the plastic separators.

"I take a few worm hooks, some small spinnerbaits, a crankbait or two, jerkbait or XTS, nail clippers, reading glasses, and a topwater or two. In my box on the back, I have a few bags of plastics.

"Even now, though, I rarely use everything I carry. If I go somewhere different than my normal haunts, I'll change out the lures, but the container remains the same. No more Plano boxes taking up all my limited space. I used to carry several Planos in the storage bin, as well as one or two under my seat. Now, however, I carry just a few bags of plastics, a first-aid kit, bug spray, and a small cooler for drinks or panfish.

"I launch with only three or four rods...one for plastics, one for spinners, and a topwater, depending on the time of year and where I'm going. Rarely do I have to change out a lure. If none of those lures catch anything, nothing else probably will, either."

When asked how he views this "travel light" system, Ron simply responds, "It feels liberating. The operative phrase that comes to mind is 'keep it simple stupid.' Now, if I could just sell back all the crap I never really use. All it does is take up space in my garage."

Last Night's Wind Leaves Its Mark on West Neck Marina

Stopped by there a little earlier to say hi to Gene and to see what, if any, damage had been done to the marina. It didn't take but a cursory look to see some of the evidence. Besides the usual toll on canvas covers for some of the boats in the storage area, there was unmistakable damage to the corner of the roof on the boat barn that just recently had undergone a bit of a facelift.

If I have my facts right, only the boat in the first stall incurred some damage as a result of what happened to the roof. Also learned that one of the rental boats ended up going the same route as an old Glasstream boat I once owned. Had some timber go across its width just like my old Glasstream.

Beyond that, there were some smaller limbs strewn throughout the premises. But thanks to some speedy action by Gene the same time as the storm hit, some loose paddles, chairs and such from the store's porch were prevented from going into the drink.

As I understand it, the insurance company already has been contacted about repairs.

For the Week Ending Sunday, June 23, 2019

Monday, June 17 (from Ron)...Made a quick evening trip to upper North Landing. Found two dink bass and a 2-7. The dinks hit the SwimSenko, and the 2-7 hit a Pop R about 7:30 p.m. About then, the sky darkened, and the sparkly stuff started to crackle, so I headed in. Just before recovering, figured "one last cast," and threw the Pop R to shoreline about 30 feet from the recovery spot. Wham! a 5-6, 22-inch bass swallowed the bait and started running. Thought it was a bowfin. It was a great tussle. Had a few other swipes at the Pop R that may have been gar.

Wednesday, June 19 (from Ron)...I waited for the storms to pass this evening and fished from 7 to 8 p.m. Had a steady bite on SwimSenkos, but they were all small and destroyed a bag of worms. Caught about a dozen that were too small to weigh. Pop R produced a better class, with a 1-2, 1-3, 1-4 and a 1-7.

Friday, June 21 (from Ron)...Fished Lovitt's this evening from 7 to 8:30. Caught eight bass, including three dinks, a 1-1, 1-2, 1-4, 1-5, and 1-7. Also caught two small white perch. Started with a micro spinner and caught a few, then shifted to Zoom U-Vibe worm and caught a few more. Closed out the evening with the Pop R. When the wind died down, it was very pleasant.

Saturday, June 22 (from Ron)...Fished Tecumseh from 7:30 to 12 noon. Didn't get a single bite for 3.5 hours. Lake was the color of chocolate milk, so went into a side creek and found clear water and some fish. U-Vibe worm caught crappie, chain pickerel, and a warmouth (never caught one of the latter in Tecumseh before). Bass fell to Senko and XTS. Yellow perch took a micro spinner. Haven't had a five-species day in a long time. Bass weighed 1-1 and 3-0. Had many missed swipes while dragging the U-Vibe over the surface, just inches above the thick grass (chain pickerel I think). Main Tecumseh lake is almost completely void of grass, and there are no lily pads at all. May account for the poor bite in the main. There was a decent amount of grass in the feeder creek. Very nice weather!

Saturday, June 22 (from Ken)...I broke my long-standing rule to "never fish on Saturday unless there's a tournament," and I'm glad I did. Started my day by seeing if the big 'un I lost a couple weeks ago was home in West Neck. Didn't find him, or for that matter, a fish period...neither did anyone else I talked to today. Had two other guys tell me they started in West Neck but couldn't drum up the first smell of a fish, so they headed for greener pastures, as did I. With all the cloud cover this morning, managed to put together a topwater bite that lasted until about 12:30. Boated 12 during that time, then added a couple more this afternoon, finishing the day with six dink bass, a 1-1, 1-2, 1-4, 1-6, two 1-11s, a 2-8, and a 2-9. Also lost three more en route to the boat, and ended the day with a bowfin that would have run about 4 lbs. Once I got in this afternoon, learned from Gene that a couple fellas had caught about 30 bass, and I talked to another one who boated 25. Heard one guy describe the bass as "on fire" today...just not in West Neck. Incidentally, the water was gorgeous today.

Sunday, June 23 (from Ron)...Fished Blackwater this morning from 8 to 11 a.m. Half the time was spent in transit, as weekends allow. Caught 11 bass, including dinks and a 1-1, 1-5, 1-7, 1-10, and a 1-14. Bite was steady, with a crappie and a few small white perch thrown in. Everything fell to plastic worms. Oddly, though, couldn't elicit a topwater bite.

Learning to Make Do With Less Tackle

That was my new goal, starting with yesterday's tournament.

For longer than I can remember, I've been carrying a couple of big, fully loaded tackle bags on every fishing trip, even though I knew it was unlikely I ever would use more than a dozen or so of the items on any given occasion. To give you some idea of just how heavy these bags are, I've had a number of fellow anglers often ask me...jokingly, of course..."What ya carryin' in this thing--a dead body?" Let's just say I had reached my limit trying to load and unload these bags from my boat at the end of a long fishing day.

After totally reorganizing one of those bags earlier this week, I happened to glance around and spotted a small two-sided hard case (similar to the one in the accompanying photo) that I realized was exactly what I really needed. I subsequently loaded a few items I always use, along with a few that I figured I might use, and now I have a box I can lift in and out of my boat with one finger, instead of both hands and then worrying that I might suffer a hernia.

I can't tell you what a joy it was to unload that little, light-weight tackle box Saturday after an 8-hour tournament. And you know what else? I never once missed any of the tackle I didn't have with me.

Now I will just check my two heavy bags before each trip, with an eye toward maybe replacing or adding a few items in the small box as needed. It still has some empty sections, and I plan to keep it that way. From this point forward, light is right.

A Popular Refrain Today: "Tough Fishing"

My partner and I hadn't even made it to the dock yet for weigh-in before we started hearing echos about how tough the fishing was today among the 17 anglers in 11 boats. The overall numbers on the day were as follows: 51 bass caught, 110.74 lbs. combined total weight, 2.17 lbs. average weight per fish, 10.06 lbs. average weight per boat.

Here are those anglers who went home with a payday:

1st place, the team of Richard Hall and Zach Whitt, five fish, 16.80 lbs. total weight, 4.80-lb. big bass

2nd place, David Dozier, five fish, 14.62 lbs. total weight, 4.83-lb. big bass (day's lunker winner)

3rd place, Eddie Sapp, five fish, 14.59 lbs. total weight, 4.18-lb. big bass

Mystery weight, Skip Schaible, two fish, 4.19 lbs. total weight (closest to the drawn weight of 4.45 lbs.), 2.40-lb. big bass








The rest of the field finished as follows:

     * Gary Coderre, five fish, 11.31 lbs. total weight, 3.69-lb. big bass
     * The team of Dave Anderson and Ken Testorff, five fish, 10.91 lbs. total weight, 4.04-lb. big bass
     * The team of Bob Glass and J. P. Twohig, five fish, 9.59 lbs. total weight, 2.41-lb. big bass
     * The husband-wife team of Andy and Diana Morath, five fish, 8.23 lbs. total weight, 2.74-lb. big bass
     * The team of Steve Bailey and Bobby Moore, five fish, 7.21 lbs. total weight after 0.25 deduction for one dead fish, 2.12-lb. big bass
     * Jim Bauer, four fish, 7.15 lbs. total weight, 2.17-lb. big bass
     * The husband-wife team of Nathan and Marjorie Gottsch, five fish, 6.14 lbs. total weight, no big bass

Two more anglers joined the ranks of those five others now eligible to fish our season-ending two-day Classic contest by virtue of having fished seven regular tournaments. Those two newest additions are Bobby Moore and Skip Schaible.

Congratulations to all of today's winners, and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. My hat's also off to all those who helped make the event another flawless success. For planning purposes, our next tournament is scheduled for Saturday, June 29, from safe light (about 5:30 a.m.) to weigh-in at 2 o'clock. Hope you can join us.

One Last Cast

If there's one lesson to be derived from today's contest, I suggest that it's "be careful what you wish for."

Anyone who follows my blog knows that I've repeatedly been saying we couldn't catch a break with the weather on tournament days. We finally got that break today, and as it turns out, no one is really celebrating. Why? you may be asking. Because most of us felt that the fishing took a hit in the process.

Back when we were getting all those overcast, rainy tournament days, we, generally speaking, were having considerably better "catching" than most of us realized today. It truly was a struggle just to draw a strike, and early on, at least, many were rewarded with non-keepers when the bites did come. In the final analysis, however, the whole field managed to avoid a skunk, and that fact is always welcomed by everyone. There's no joy in Mudville or, for that matter, anywhere else when someone strikes out.

For the Week Ending Sunday, June 16, 2019

Tuesday, June 11 (from "Doc")...Learned that Doc had a pretty decent day fishing West Neck this past Tuesday. Among those fish he caught on a small, shallow-diving crankbait was the 3.13-lb., 20-inch bass in the accompanying photo.

Sunday, June 16 (from Ron)...Hadn't fished fresh water since May 24. 'Twas good to be back out, even though the bite was nearly non-existent. Managed one dink bass and one dink white perch...at least, no skunk. Saw some sporadic grass in House Cove but nothing like it should be this time of year. Had high water, a stiff breeze, and the water was very murky. Looking forward to getting back into the fresh water fishing.

A Tip About Rigging Trailers

Rigging a trailer off-center on your chatterbait or spinnerbait will affect the way it comes through the water. The bait may ride too high or too low.

MLF angler Andy Montgomery has a trick for getting the trailer threaded perfectly every time. His method involves over-threading the trailer first, so that it's bowed up. Montgomery then demonstrates how to draw the plastic back down to a perfectly straight position by placing one finger on each side of the trailer and a thumb on its base.

"Why over-thread?" you might ask. Because, as Montgomery explained, "It's nearly impossible to thread to the perfect depth every time. You easily can correct an over-threaded trailer but not an under-threaded one."

To see exactly how the method works, check out the video at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewk0V-44lqk.

What Does an Etch-a-Sketch Toy Have To Do With Bass Fishing?

Most anglers probably would be left giving you one of those deer-in-the-headlights looks if you asked them that question. One who wouldn't, though, is former Bassmaster Elite Series (now MLB) pro angler Gerald Swindle. You see, he started keeping one of these National Toy Hall of Fame devices in his boat at the start of the 2013 season.

In case you're not familiar with this product, it was introduced near the peak of the Baby Boom era--July 12, 1960, to be precise. It consists of a thick, flat, gray screen in a red plastic frame. There are two white knobs on the front of the frame in the lower corners. Twisting these knobs moves a stylus that displaces aluminum powder on the back of the screen, leaving a solid line. The left control moves the stylus horizontally, while the right one moves it vertically.

So why, you may be wondering, does Swindle keep one of these toys Velcroed to the underside of his boat's dry-storage lid? The simple, straightforward answer is that it's a means of erasing the past, forgetting about the bad, and focusing on the next step to success.

Said Swindle, "It all started when a guy once asked me in a seminar how I became a 'junk fisherman,'" referring to his reputation for fishing numerous lures in a day's time. "I told him fishing is like an Etch-a-Sketch. No day on the water is ever the same. A lot of times, you have to erase thoughts of what worked yesterday and start with a fresh approach. That leads to fishing and mastering a wide range of lures."

Swindle's Etch-a-Sketch was a Christmas stocking stuffer from his wife, LeAnn, who gave it to him as "a reminder of the advice he had given that man in the seminar."

"When you're competing in an Elite Series event," explained Swindle, "you may have a day wedged among three or four that aren't good, and that's when I'll pull out the Etch-a-Sketch, draw a little somethin', erase it, and remind myself to start over...rather than dwell on what happened yesterday or last year."

It's all about maintaining a positive mental attitude for this native Alabamian, who has qualified for every Bassmaster Classic since 2010, except for the one in 2016. If a toy that sold for $2.99 in 1960 helps him achieve that kind of success, so much the better.

The accompanying photo and some information for this post came from a March 14, 2013, Bassmaster article by Alan McGuckin.

In the Best Interests of Those Big Back Bay Bass

Fish similar to this 13-3 largemouth, caught in September 1979, by the late-Dewey Mullins, weren't that far removed from the norm for Back Bay during its heyday. Will this fishery ever return to what it was then? Biologist Chad Boyce hopes so, and he keeps working to make it happen. (Photo by Charlie Bruggemann)
___________________________

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where many of those 5-plus-pound bass being weighed on local tournament scales during the springtime are coming from. It's none other than Back Bay or farther south from North Carolina water.

Some of the local bass fishermen have decided a run to Back Bay from the Northwest or North Landing River (or even farther away) is worth their time, especially when it nets them a 1st-place finish in one of the local tournaments. In some respects, who blames them?

The fishing in the bay has been better in the last five years than it's been in the previous 30 years! But, one must ponder this question: Will those big fish make it back to Back Bay once they have been released in the Northwest or North Landing?

Well, according to the local fisheries biologist who manages Back Bay, the answer is a firm "NO!" The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) is well aware of the current trend and consequently the removal of these larger bass (mostly mature females) seems counter-productive to the goals of VDGIF to restore the once nationally-ranked bass fishery in Back Bay.

Here's the scoop. According to the biologist, the bass in the bay are not very mobile...at least in terms of fish movement. Chad Boyce, the fisheries biologist mentioned, tells us that bass in the bay are not likely to move much at all...except in bass boats doing 70 mph! He mentioned numerous tagging studies performed by VDGIF, and the results of these studies are very interesting. In fact, Chad says the bass in the bay really don't move much at all, unless the water levels drop or dissolved-oxygen decreases make them move out. He said that they've tagged more than 1,000 bass, and of those, only a handful have shown any significant movement. He added that most tagged bass stay in the same creek or marsh cove where they were tagged. Who would have known?

So the question came up: Will a bass that is caught in the bay and released in the Northwest or North Landing River ever return to Back Bay? Chad's response, "You've got a better chance of winning the lottery than a bass making that migration. I'm exaggerating, but these bass find a good habitat and stay there...end of story. They are not coming back to the bay from one of the rivers."

So what's the answer? Chad offered an idea of his own as a possible solution to the problem. He said, "Why don't the local groups just hold some tournaments on Back Bay, so that those big fish caught there get released there, too?" He admits that the Trojan Wildlife ramp is the only "good" access to Back Bay, but noted that it would be better than hauling all those big mamas to places like Northwest or North Landing Rivers in the livewells of bass boats...never to be returned to their native habitat.

As Chad explained, "Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on restoring the Back Bay fishery. Honestly, we do not fully understand the implications of the removal of hundreds of larger bass by tournament anglers. However, it certainly can't be helping the bay's recovery, that's for sure. Additionally, many of the larger bass likely could be the stocked bass from the 2012-2014 stockings. It's in everyone's best interest to keep those bass in the system.

"If we deem this issue as being detrimental to the fishery, then there are steps that could be taken to prevent the removal of these bass. Steps include a protective slot limit for Back Bay, particularly during spawning months, and other regulatory changes."

It all boils down to this, fellow fishermen. We have the scientific evidence that clearly tells us bass won't make it back to the bay. Let's not put VDGIF in the position of enacting regulations when we could be handling the problem on our own. Simply put, if you want to keep running to Back Bay to catch a winning kicker fish for a tournament out of Bob's or West Neck, then be willing to return that fish to Back Bay after the tournament...or just hold a tournament out of Trojan. The choice is yours...for now.

On 6/5/2019, I received the following response to this post from Jason:

I'm sure you don't want to hear this but it wouldn't hurt my feelings for the tournaments around here to go away. The fishery is just starting to turn around and all these tournaments can't be good for it. I don't think the bay will ever be what it use to be but it's got potential.

I know it's not feasible but I'd like to see something more like the Major League Fishing format. They are big on the health and well being of the fish. Every fish goes back in the water right where it was caught. 

The only thing tournaments held on the bay is going to do is put more boats and more pressure on those fish. There has been tournaments held out of Trojan in the past and every time I find nice bass dead in the canal in the following days. 

I'd like to see boundaries put on the fishing areas. Tournaments out of Bob's can't cross the ICW and the ones out of West Neck can't cross the VA/NC line. That would keep the bass that are in the bay there. There are enough quality fish in the river to win tournaments. 

I was born and raised here but after the fish and ducks were gone. The fish are coming back and I'd hate to see it ruined because guys want to win money.

Following is a video I found during some online research today (6/7/2019). Just click on the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdg8aqz-Lnw

For the Week Ending Sunday, June 9, 2019

Tuesday, June 4 (from Ray)...My friend told me that he caught fish (five, as I recall) to a little better than 2 lbs. today. He made it a point to tell me that he had some dinks in the mix but that one of them qualified as what he called "a super dink." All but one of the fish were caught on worms.

Tuesday, June 4 (from Ken)...Launched at 7 and quit at 2, even though I never felt like even being there today. When my feet hit the floor at 4 o'clock this morning, something went drastically wrong with my system, and I began feeling incredibly ill. I was sick to my stomach, had a bad case of gas, and was belching and hiccuping almost non-stop. Several times while I was on the water, I felt like I was going to lose what little breakfast I had, but that fortunately never happened. It took me nearly two hours to find a bait that would work. As it turned out, it was the same bait my partner used most of the day last Saturday during the tournament to catch all his fish. I ended today with a total of seven bass...the best four of which weighed in at 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, and 1-11. I also lost a few, including one that hit about 15 minutes before I called it a day. If I had gotten this fish in the boat, she really would have made my day, but as it turned out, I only got a close look at her before she slipped back into the depths. The episode started with casting my bait up to the base of a big cypress tree and allowing it to settle to the bottom. When I then raised the tip, I felt tremendous weight and debated whether to set the hook, because I was afraid it might be a log or a big turtle. Nevertheless, I gambled and soon became convinced that I indeed had either a log or turtle on the end of my line. I say that because I couldn't just reel in whatever it was. I literally had to winch it the whole distance by repeatedly reeling down to the water and lifting upward. When the line was vertical beside the boat, I raised up one last time to see a bass the size of those I normally only dream about. Imagine my surprise, 'cause at no point while bringing the fish to the boat did I feel any head shakes or movement whatsoever. It was just totally dead weight. While hanging there beside my trolling motor, the giant bass shook her head ever so gently just one time and immediately slipped off my hook. I've waited a lot of years since being equally close to but losing another bass the same size on Chickahominy, and I don't figure I'll be around long enough to have another opportunity...if I have to wait the same amount of time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though.

Sunday, June 9 (from Ken)...Ever wondered how big the local waterways are? According to a 127-page document titled Water Resources in the Southern Watershed of Virginia Beach, which I found online today at https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/comp-sea-level-rise/Documents/water-resources-south-wshed-4-2-18-a.pdf, they rank (from largest to smallest) as follows: Back Bay - 64,907 acres, North Landing River - 62,965 acres, Northwest River - 2,141 acres. Just thought you might like to know.