Not Bad for a Second Choice...If I Do Say So Myself

I searched and searched but couldn't find a funny Halloween bass-fishing story, so I settled for this joke as told by a fellow bass fisherman. Hope it tickles your funny bone. Incidentally, I apologize in advance should anyone be offended by it.

A bald man with a wooden leg gets invited to a Halloween party. He doesn't know what costume to wear to hide his head and his leg, so he writes to a costume company to explain his problem. A few days later, he receives a parcel with the following note inside:

Dear Sir,

Please find enclosed a pirate's outfit. The spotted handkerchief will cover your bald head and, with your wooden leg, you will be just right as a pirate.

Very truly yours,
Acme Costume Company

The man thinks this is terrible because they have emphasized his wooden leg, and so he writes a letter of complaint.

A week goes by, and he receives another parcel, along with another note that reads:

Dear Sir,

Please find enclosed a monk's costume. The long robe will cover your wooden leg and, with your bald head, you really will look the part.

Very truly yours,
Acme Costume Company

Now the man is really upset, since they have gone from emphasizing his wooden leg to emphasizing his bald head. So, again he writes the company another nasty letter of complaint.

The next day, he gets yet another small parcel and a note, which reads as follows:

Dear Sir,

We have tried our very best. Please find enclosed a bottle of molasses and a bag of crushed nuts. Pour the molasses over your bald head, pat on the crushed nuts, stick your wooden leg up your butt, and go as a caramel apple.

Very truly yours,
Acme Costume Company

November 2021 Best Fishing Times

Boundary Tournament Season Gets Underway

A total of 25 anglers in 14 boats shoved off from the Waterlily Boat Ramp in Coinjock, NC, yesterday morning, officially setting the fall-winter 2021-2022 Boundary Bass Club season in motion.

Claiming first place in this North River event was the team of (from left) Gabe Himmelwright and Mark Ingram, who brought a limit of five bass to the scales, with a total weight of 16.08 lbs. Their kicker fish weighed in at 5.13 lbs.

Walking away with second place was the team of (from left) David Dozier and Richard Hall, who also weighed in five fish, weighing a total of 14.59 lbs. Their big fish came in at 3.80 lbs.

Rounding out the winners' circle was Rob Peppers, who weighed the lunker of the day, a 7.49-lb. bass. He and his partner, Dave Anderson, had a total of four fish, with a total weight of 11.69 lbs.

The remaining anglers who weighed fish finished in the following order:

     * The team of Mark London and John Goodman, five fish, total weight 10.48 lbs., with a 4.49-lb. kicker.
     * The team of Sid Ryan and Kevin Massie, five fish, total weight 10.45 lbs., no big fish.
     * The team of Kevin Versprille and David Anderson, five fish, total weight 8.72 lbs., no big fish.
     * The team of Dustin Alley and Tev Collins, five fish, total weight 7.11 lbs., no big fish.
     * The team of Colton Wynne and Bob Clarkson, three fish, total weight 6.75 lbs., no big fish.
     * Richard Woods, one fish, total weight 2.09 lbs., no big fish.

Those anglers who did not weigh any fish were as follows: the team of Steve Bailey and Dennis Dean, Red Bruun, Josh Fenneman, the team of Fisher Bryan and Daryl Allen, and the team of Tim Clark and Ray Allen.

The next Boundary Bass Club tournament is scheduled for the North Landing on Nov. 20th, from the Pungo Ferry Ramp. The event after that is scheduled for the Pasquotank. Both of these tournaments are billed with an 8 a.m. launch and a 3 p.m. weigh-in; however, registration for each will close at 7:30 a.m. the morning of the tournament to allow Gabe and Mark time to ensure everyone gets in the water and is ready to go.

For Period Ending Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021

Saturday, Oct. 30 (from Ron)...Decided to get a fish finder. Been playing with it and am reminded why I didn't like the old one years ago. I didn't like seeing fish that wouldn't bite. It, however, was interesting to see below the yak in the deep lake, and I did manage to catch a couple of dinks, as well as a crappie.

Wednesday, Nov. 3 (from Ron)...Got back into my old haunt: Milldam. The temps were cooler, but the bite was hot this evening. Caught a half-dozen bass, some chain picks and a crappie. A spinnerbait and the XTS Minnow jerkbait were my tickets to success. Tried some plastics and topwater but had no luck with them. Oddly, all my catches were mid-channel (deeper river bends); nothing from the shoreline. Was great to be back in ol' Milldam!

Beware of the Rumors Floating Around About Aaron Martens

Word from Aaron's wife, Lesley, indicates that Facebook and some other platforms started circulating rumors on Oct. 25th that the 49-year-old professional bass angler had passed. The Martens family, however, quickly termed them as "unfounded and incorrect," and said that Aaron continues to battle cancer at home.

In his latest issue of the BassBlaster, Jay Kumar included a note from Aaron's mom, Carol, which read in part as follows:

"Aaron currently is not texting or taking calls, but he knows how many of you are praying for him, and he loves you all. He is on the edge of heaven or a miraculous turn around. Most of our family have been to Alabama to be with him. I felt compelled to give you this update, knowing how concerned many of you are. Our hope and faith is in God, and He gives us peace."

In case anyone has forgotten, Martens suffered a massive seizure in April 2020 while fishing. Subsequent tests revealed the presence of two cancerous brain tumors. Since then, he has had two brain surgeries and has endured almost constant chemotherapy for a year and a half.

Aaron turned pro at 21 and eventually moved to Alabama to be closer to the heart of the national pro bass fishing circuits. Today, he makes his home in Leeds, AL, with Lesley, his wife of 23 years; daughter, Jordan, 17; and son, Spencer, 14.

His competition resume includes three Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year awards (2005, 1013 and 2015), 11 wins, more than 80 Top 10s, and more than $3.6 million in career earnings.

Some Regrets Are Harder To Live With Than Others

Sometimes it's a family member, sometimes a friend, or it even could just be an acquaintance that we somehow wrong, and then the unthinkable happens. He/she passes suddenly, before we get around to righting that wrong.

Oh sure, I know there likely are some heartless people who would escape any torment whatsoever in such circumstances. There are those who simply can't or refuse to feel any empathy or compassion for others. However, I want to believe that the vast majority of us would find it very uncomfortable, to say the least, finding a way to deal with the ugly feelings we likely would experience in circumstances such as this.

I recently read about an angler who found himself utterly filled with remorse upon hearing that one of his best friends had suddenly departed this life without warning. The angler subsequently penned the article that follows as a heartfelt apology to this friend.

"I write this article through blurry, tear-filled eyes, in an attempt to save others from the same gut-wrenching pain I've recently experienced...pain that makes me sick to my stomach," he wrote.

"We all have friends in our lives," he continued, "who would walk to the ends of the earth for us...friends who would walk across miles of broken glass if it meant helping us...a special breed of person who can make you laugh uncontrollably with a simple facial expression or have a three-hour phone conversation to console you during a tough time."

The angler's friend was like that.

"He was the funniest individual on Planet Earth. Whether hanging his head out the window of his truck while howling old Garth Brooks songs to innocent passersby, or texting you a ridiculously stupid late-night selfie 'just because,' he never met a stranger. Everyone with whom he came into contact immediately fell in love with him. I've never heard anyone say a bad word about him."

At just 26 years old, the angler's friend passed away unexpectedly just a few short weeks after marrying the love of his life.

"My body went numb when I heard the news," said the angler. "My face and hands tingled. My mouth went dry. I couldn't swallow for the lump in my throat, and it felt like someone had stabbed me in my stomach. I looked out my office window as tears dripped onto my blue Yamaha fishing hoodie. One of my biggest supporters was gone, and I didn't know how to handle it...I still don't.

"My emotions go through different stages each day. Sometimes, I'm mad about it because he was one of those people of which the world needs more. Other days, when I'm sitting in my deer stand or watching the sunset from my bass boat, I feel him with me and cry like a baby without telling a soul. But throughout this proverbial roller coaster of emotions, one sentiment remains constant: regret.

"Why? Because all my friend ever asked of me was to take him fishing. He asked repeatedly. I never got the impression he asked because he wanted to catch fish, although he would have loved to get his hands on a 5-pound fatty. All he wanted was to spend a day on the water with me, laughing and cutting up, making ridiculous jokes, and talking about the simple things in life. Lord knows he and I could have a spirited conversation about both women and nature.

"And I failed him. I'll repeat that: I completely failed one of my best friends. I never took him fishing...I never will, for as long as I'm blessed to live, have another opportunity to make things right.

"I was always 'too busy.' I always had somewhere to be. I always had a tournament to fish. I always had a guide trip to do. I always was on the road. I always had something going on. My selfish mind could not fathom taking time out of my day for someone who meant so much to me. And I absolutely hate that to the core of my being.

"I even forgot to RSVP to his wedding invitation, and he personally texted me to ask if I was coming. I told him I wasn't able to attend due to a fishing tournament...that's right, a darn fishing tournament. I chose to chase little fish around instead of watching one of the best men I've ever known marry his beautiful and very faithful fiancee. What a selfish and repugnant decision that was.

"We all have time. Being busy does not and never will make us special. Everyone is busy. What really makes one special is selflessness, compromise and careful consideration toward the feelings of those we hold close to our hearts. It's a shame it took me 27 years and the loss of a beautiful soul to grasp that concept.

"If you don't have time to take your buddy fishing, make time. Don't make excuses. And don't let your love of this great sport hinder you from experiencing the beauty of life. It's not going to kill you to spend the day with your significant other, instead of being on the water. It's not going to be the end of the world if you take a half-day from work to take your best friend or dad fishing. This is the stuff that matters. Fishing is just a supplement to a full and love-rich life."

None of us know when a hug or conversation with a family member, friend or acquaintance will be the last one ever.

"To all you men, don't be so worried about being manly," the angler continued. "Bear hug your buddies and your women when you see them. Hold their hands and pray together in the boat. Tell them how much they mean to you. Pride is an ugly, deceptive beast...of which I'm living proof.

"And to my departed friend, I say again, 'I'm so sorry for everything. You deserved better, and I'll never forgive myself for it. You put light into my life through some rough personal times, and I'll never forget each and every conversation and heartfelt laugh we had. As tears continue to roll down my face and that familiar lump returns to my throat, I want you to know that I love you. I talk to you all the time when I'm fishing, and though it's not as good as the real thing, I know you hear me because you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. For that, I'm thankful. For your dedicated friendship, I'm thankful. And for the memories I'll take to my grave, I'm eternally thankful. 'Til the next sunset, my brother.'"

For Week Ending Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021

Wednesday, Oct. 20 (from Ron)...Have been wanting to target these prolific bait steelers for six years and finally did with the help of a fellow kayaker. 'Twas a long, long trip, but it paid off. Now that I've scratched that itch, I will spend some days recovering, doing reel maintenance, eating fish, and prepping gear to get back in the freshwater. The sea bass was a surprise, as the area doesn't usually hold keepers.

Saturday, Oct. 23 (from Ron)...Ventured out into the freshwater after a very long hiatus. Had only a few hits, a few misses, and a lone 1-9 bass for the effort. Sure was a nice morning out there.

Sunday, Oct. 24 (from Ron)...Did the annual head-boat trip and got a bunch of black sea bass for a taco dinner.










Sunday, Oct. 24 (from Wayne and Ken)...Had a call from Wayne on Friday, asking if I wanted to join him for a few hours on the water this morning, so I jumped at the chance. We launched about 7:15 this morning, then quit about 12 noon. Caught a combined total of six bass and lost one more while it was en route to the boat. What would have been a cool shot if I had had my camera with me today was when Wayne boated a pair of fish on the same lure at the same time. On the front hook of his crankbait was a bass that weighed 5 lbs., and the rear hook held one that would have tipped the scales at about a pound. It wasn't until he had the two fish alongside the boat that he opted to use the net. The fish didn't act like they had any size to 'em until that point. Wayne's only question at that moment was: Where was that 5-pounder during the tournament last weekend? For that matter, where were any of the fish that we caught today? They all were better than any we weighed last weekend. Crankbaits, a chatterbait, and a worm all proved productive today...until, that is, the wind started stirring about 10 a.m. Only had one bite after that...the fish that escaped before we could get it in the boat.

Is Bass Fishing a Matter of Luck or Skill?

After spending much of today digging around the Internet, I'm inclined to believe that the vast majority of seasoned anglers everywhere attribute the lion's share of their success to skills they've developed over the years through spending time on the water. Most, however, don't necessarily dismiss the subject of luck as having something to do with it--at least part of the time. That group includes Tim Little, who is tournament partner with Matt Allen of Tactical Bassin' fame.

A bit of luck came Tim's way one day, while he was on Clearlake in Northern California, fishing an S-Waver 200 swimbait in light trout color. As you'll see in the accompanying video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JKwOVqYw6E&t=186s), he gets bit several times but doesn't connect on the hookset, which is where the luck factor kicks in. Thinking he's just missed a bite, Tim has no clue...yet...that he's enticed a wolf pack of big largemouth into attacking his bait. He immediately gets bit again, sets the hook, and breaks off the 30-lb. leader he was using with 65-lb. braid at the time.

What Tim didn't know was that he earlier had nicked his leader, and it no longer was equal to 30-lb. test. Reckon that example pretty much puts the kibosh on the old saying, "What you don't know can't hurt you," huh?

In any event, though, Tim didn't grumble about just losing a big bass...or his $35 lure. As luck would have it, you see, a second bass from the wolf pack tried to steal the bait from the bass that had broken him off. Now, there were two bass (one on the front hook, another on the rear hook) fighting each other over the bait they're both hooked to. The fighting was so vicious they actually were doing cartwheels through the water.

Tim subsequently sprang into action with his net and scooped up both big Clearlake bass, as well as his expensive swimbait.

There's no arguing that, at this time, on this day, luck was on Tim's side. Too often, things go terribly wrong. Gear fails, boats break down, bass don't bite, and/or weather doesn't cooperate. But if you stay prepared, the day will come when luck favors you, and perhaps you, too, will have a day go from bad to worse...to epic!

In case you haven't heard, both Tim Little and Matt Allen have moved themselves and their families from California to Tennessee, joining a growing throng of nationally known anglers who have made such a move and now call Chickamauga Lake their "home lake."

Boundary Bass Club Set to Open Tournament Season Oct. 30th

If you're interested in fishing some tournaments on various waterways in the area, here's a chance to do just that.

Gabe Himmelwright informed me last evening that this club's season opener will take place on the North River, with the full schedule to be available in a week or so.

The Oct. 30th event will launch at safe light from Coinjock (also known as Waterlilly) Boat Ramp, 482 Waterlily Road, Coinjock, NC 27923 (the new site, as of 10/23/2021). Weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. Plans call for two tournaments per month through March.

To receive email updates, sign up online by clicking on this link (https://www.boundarybassclub.com) and provide your email address in the designated area at the bottom of the page.

In the meantime, here are the club’s tournament rules for the season about to begin:

     * Must stay within boundaries set before tournament. Anyone who leaves these limits will be disqualified.
     * All live wells must be checked by tournament director prior to launch.
     * 5-fish limit.
     * 12-inch limit in Virginia, 14-inch limit in North Carolina.
     * No culling at launch. Max of 5 fish in live well.
     * Dead-fish penalty is 0.25 lbs. or 4 ozs. With 4 or more dead fish, you can’t weigh.
     * Dead fish are not eligible for the big-fish prize. If the fish isn’t going to survive, it counts as a dead fish and a loss of .25 lbs.
     * Observe all no-wake zones and all safe loading practices.
     * No fishing within 75 yards of someone else (unless both parties agree).
     * $20 per person.
     * $10 big fish per person.
     * $5 launch fee when applicable.
     * Life jackets must be worn if the gas motor is in gear.
     * All protests must be made prior to winner being announced.
     * Tournament director has final say…period!
     * Winter rules: Launch at 8, with 3-fish limit.

Please refer any questions to Gabe at 757-651-4395, ‘cause I’m just the middle man here.

I Keep Hearing It Takes Patience and Persistence for Successful Bass Fishing

If when making that statement, you mean anglers should avoid the early-day antics of someone like Mike Iaconnelli, then I wholeheartedly support your take on the subject. But I can't get behind the idea of just saying, "Oh well..." when a tournament is involved and nothing is going right.

Having just come off our annual two-day season-ending event in which that was the scenario, I would be less than truthful if I didn't admit that I was running a tad short on patience by Day 2. The reality is that I was totally frustrated with our one-fish Day 1, followed by having only one "in the hole" yet again at 11 o'clock on the second day.

My frustration finally boiled over, and I decided to throw reason out the window and do something really stupid...by most standards, anyway.

While Wayne was fishing the outside line (with soft plastics) on a couple of trees, located well off the shoreline, I picked up a craw-colored square-bill and just started heaving "Hail Mary" casts anywhere and everywhere. And guess what? I hadn't made but three or four such casts before I actually felt a fish hit my crankbait as it bumped off a submerged stump. Wayne picked up his crankbait and, only seconds later, picked off another fish. And the fishin' actually became catchin' for the next hour and a half.

When we called it quits, we had five in the hole. Granted, they were all "just keepers," but our efforts had...at long last...been rewarded. And our mounting frustration over the two insufferably windy days finally had been assuaged.

If I had any feelings of guilt for my actions, they quickly disappeared earlier today after reading an article by an outdoor writer who said he remembers fishing with a lot of successful anglers over the years who, in his opinion, weren't patient at all.

"In fact," he said, "they usually were quite impatient. Here's why.

"For most people, our time spent fishing is limited. We just can't be out there every day. And since we're fishing, we want to catch some fish, and more is better than a few. For those reasons, it doesn't work well to be patient. We need to get after it. We need to spend time fishing the areas where the fish are, and then we need to show them a bait they are willing to eat.

"If you have confidence in a particular area, it's OK to spend a little extra time there, but don't fish memories," he noted. "Just because you caught fish there yesterday or last year doesn't mean they'll be there now.

"The same thing is true with lure selection. Many anglers have their favorite lure, and if you want to start with that favorite, and if it's appropriate for the area being fished, by all means tie it on. But if you believe fish are in the area and your favorite lure isn't their favorite thing to eat at the current time, give them another offering. I have many memories of fish liking a particular bait one day but refusing it the next. They sometimes even change preferences on an hourly basis."

This outdoor writer went on to acknowledge that "people go fishing for a variety of reasons, and that's the appeal of fishing. If you enjoy throwing a bobber off a dock and watching it while you watch other things going on, that's wonderful. But if you want to catch more fish, patience, for the most part, is not the answer. Keep moving, keep trying different presentations, keep doing whatever it takes to get a fish to inhale your lure, and you'll catch more fish," he concluded.

"Works for me"...or so the saying goes.

2021 Tournament Year Comes to an End

A 17-degree temperature drop between yesterday and today wasn't enough to drive away any of the 20 Classic contestants in 13 boats, except for one fella who wasn't feeling well this morning. The anglers weighed a total of 90 bass for the two days, yielding an overall total weight of 155.44 lbs., with an average weight of 1.72 lbs. per fish and an overall average weight per boat of 11.95 lbs.

The list of those competitors who won prize money today included the following:

1st Place, Rusty Girard, two-day total of 10 fish, overall total weight 28.09 lbs., with a 5.34-lb. kicker, which also earned him the tournament's big-fish prize.

2nd Place, Chris Napier, two-day total of 10 fish, overall total weight 16.41 lbs., no big fish either day.

3rd Place, the team of (from left) Dave Anderson and Gary Coderre, two-day total of 10 fish, overall total weight 16.27 lbs., no big fish either day.

Here's how all the other anglers fell into line:

     * The team of Rob Peppers and Don Carter, two-day total of 10 fish, overall total weight 15.30 lbs., no big fish either day.

     * The team of (from left) Gabe Himmelwright (the 2021 AOY) and Fred Crawford, two-day total of six fish, overall total weight 14.46 lbs., 3.44-lb. big fish

     * The team of Mark Ingram and Bob Clarkson, two-day total of nine fish, overall total weight 13.43 lbs., 2.77-lb. big fish.

     * The team of Steve Bailey and Dennis Dean, two-day total of 10 fish, overall total weight 13.15 lbs., 2.44-lb. big fish.

     * The husband-wife team of (from left) Andy and Diana Morath, two-day total of six fish, overall total weight 12.06 lbs., no big fish. However, Diana won the 2021 seasonal-lunker prize with a bass that tipped the scales at 7.53 lbs. back on May 2nd.

     * Jim Calhoun, two-day total of seven fish, overall total weight 10.92 lbs., 4.12-lb. big fish.

     * Bobby Moore, one-day total of five fish (did not fish Day 2), overall total weight 6.80 lbs., no big fish.

     * The team of Wayne Hayes and Ken Testorff, two-day total of six fish, overall total weight 6.73 lbs., no big fish.

     * The team of Rob Chatham and Craig Jones, two-day total of one fish, overall total weight of 1.82 lbs., no big fish.

Congratulations to the winners and to all those who earned their right to participate in this annual event by fishing a minimum of six qualifier tournaments.

Sincere thanks also go to our tournament director Wayne Hayes, who put together another flawless season and kept the legacy of Dewey Mullins alive with these events for another year. A job extremely well done! my friend and tournament partner, especially considering that you're still working full-time.

Last but not least, it's fitting we further say "thank you" to Steve Winfree for putting on another tremendous cookout at the conclusion of our two-day tournament. Our hats are off to you, Steve, for all the tasty nourishments you provided this lot of hungry fishing guys and gals today.

One Last Cast

Southwest winds at 15-25 mph with higher gusts Saturday, followed by northwest winds at 15-25 mph with higher gusts today made for some tough casting and boat control...on that point, I think we all would agree. The only truly anxious moment, however, I had these past two days occurred yesterday, as Wayne and I were headed south.

As is always the case this time of the year, there was a throng of big boats headed south for the winter yesterday. My partner Wayne and I also were headed south in his Ranger bass boat, en route to our first fishing spot.

Neither of us, however, were looking for what was about to happen. We were maneuvering over the wakes of a line of these "big boys," as well as another bass boat, when Wayne's Ranger suddenly slipped into one of the deep troughs being created. Without warning, we both looked up just in time to see a wall of water coming over the bow. All we could do was brace for the drenching that we knew was as certain as the fact the sun will rise in the morning.

I have to admit we took some degree of satisfaction in the fact that Saturday's air temperature at that time of morning wasn't half bad, compared to what we had this morning. We indeed were lucky, since both of us stayed wet all day long yesterday. If that incident had happened this morning, given the air temperatures that greeted us, we both might have had to throw in the towel and head home for a change of clothes.

(With thanks to Gabe for the above photo, which he captured while Wayne and I were taking some of our final licks Sunday in "dry" attire.)

Epilog

As Wayne took care of cinching down the bow strap of his boat yesterday afternoon, he left the o/b motor running and asked me to jump in the driver's seat. That way, I'd be ready to mash on the hotfoot a bit if needed to hold the boat snug against the roller.

While this was going on, Rob Chatham snapped the accompanying photo, showing just how out of place I would look at the helm of a Ranger. Given the price tag on a boat like this nowadays, I can assure you there is absolutely no chance of that ever happening.

Besides, I don't mind riding in a boat capable of speeds in excess of 70 mph, especially when I know the experience and skills of the driver, but just the thought of my doing that gives me chills up and down my spine.

Angler From My Hometown Makes It Big

It's not very often that anyone from my little hometown of Oswego, KS, population roughly 2,000 when I lived there, makes national headlines, but fisherman Danny Smith II (right) pulled it off with the recent catch of a 4-and-a-half-foot, 39.5-pound alligator gar that he pulled from the Neosho River.

His story now has been told in the pages of USA Today and Newsweek, as well as on ABC News, to name only a few of the major media outlets that have interviewed Smith. The news peg here is that this fish is not even native to Kansas, nor has it ever been documented there before.

Smith knew he had caught something unusual as soon as he got his first glimpse of the fish's head. He immediately ruled out a "pretty decent flathead," because the shape of the head was all wrong. His fishin' buddy is the one who identified the species.

Getting the fish to the boat was only half the battle for Smith.

"The fish went to flopping and flipping around until he destroyed one of my oars," he said. "There was one little 10- to 15-pound flathead in the boat that was acting like he wanted out of the boat as bad as I did," the result of taking just one look at those double rows of razor-sharp teeth.

While in prehistoric times, this fish's predecessors may have lived in Iowa or Kansas, modern alligator gars today are found in the lower Mississippi River Valley, from Arkansas and Oklahoma to Florida, Texas, and parts of Mexico. Not harmful to humans, alligator gars eat other fish, crabs, turtles, birds, and small mammals.

Meanwhile, Kansas is home to three native types of gar, the most common being the longnose gar, which can measure 5 feet long, along with shortnose and spotted gar. Alligator gar have snouts that resemble American alligators and can grow beyond 10 feet long and weigh up to 350 pounds.

How did this particular fish get in the Neosho River? Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks biologists reportedly are looking at several unique options. However, they've already ruled out the possibility of the fish being a hatchery-produced fish, which always are tagged.

"Because most populations of this species can be distinguished from one another with a sample of the fish's fins, another option we're considering is genetic identification," wrote KDWP Assistant Director of Fisheries Research Jeff Koch. "This will tell us if the fish came from an existing population in another state."

If this option doesn't work out, microchemistry is another technique that can be used. With this method, the elemental proportion of a bone on the fish is measured and compared to the elemental concentration of surrounding water, which could help determine how long the fish had been in the Neosho River.

"It's not unlikely this fish once was somebody's pet or perhaps purchased from a pet store and simply released into the Neosho once it became too large," said KDWP Director Doug Nygren. "These techniques should allow us to determine which mode of introduction occurred."

While trying to find out how Smith was able to catch this alligator gar in the Neosho River, KDWP wants to remind people that "transporting and releasing fish or other species in public waters, whether native or non-native, is illegal in Kansas."

I should point out that Kansas also boasts its fair share of record catfish. The current blue cat record is 102.8 lbs., a channel cat at 36.5 lbs., a flathead cat at 123 lbs., and a bullhead cat at 7.33 lbs.

With thanks to my wife for the tip that led to this post.

Difference Between "the Walking Worm" and "Walking the Worm"

Don't recall what I was researching this week when I somehow stumbled across the difference in these two phrases. I only remember that my target search had absolutely nothing to do with worms in general.

Nevertheless, I learned that "the walking worm" (pictured left) is the title given to one of those "as seen on TV" gimmick lures of the circa late 1990s to early 2000s fame. The commercials of that period claimed the walking worm "out-fished live bait by a 3-to-1 ratio and possibly was going to be banned from tournaments (never happened, though). The secret of this lure was the 'energy recoil action' that allowed it to curl and twist like a real worm in the water," or so the commercials would have had you believe.

It came in a set of 30 or 50 worms (depending on which ad you happened to see), plus five worm hooks, some weights, and a nine-compartment container that retailed for, as you've probably already guessed, $19.95. And you likely could have bought the same number of regular plastic worms at the time for a fraction of that cost, with money left over to pick up an extra crankbait or spinnerbait.

I couldn't help but want to see if there was any evidence whether this lure really worked. After a little additional research, I came across a video that demonstrated it would at least catch some little bass. Check it out for yourself at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYMHe9DY_MY.

So much for "the walking worm." Now I'll share what I learned about "walking the worm." I dare say the vast majority of you probably already have figured out that what we're talking about here is the so-called "trick" worm.

When rigged similar to a floating topwater lure and twitched back and forth during the retrieve, the trick worm performs just under the surface, similar to any other lure designed to be worked in a walking-the-dog manner.

This lure setup is similar to an older one that's called a "swivel worm." In this setup, the worm was tied 18 inches behind a barrel swivel, and the hook was inserted into the worm so that it twisted as you swam it back just under the surface. The barrel swivel was an absolute necessity because of the twisting and turning nature of the lure. It was successful but hard to cast accurately, though similar to the way a trick worm is fished, except the trick worm does not spin. Bass often will hit a trick worm when they refuse other baits.

As I've learned once again, you just never know where you'll end up when you're doing your tracking on the Internet.

Tournament Prefishing...Good or Bad?

The answer to that question depends on whom you're talking to. A fella online said he feels "prefishing sometimes hinders you more than if you didn't prefish."

He went on to explain, "I have heard story after story about having sensational days prefishing, and then on tournament day...nothing! Not even a nibble from the same places where big ones were caught the day before.

"Did catching them cause them to move to deeper water? Cause them to quit eating for a while? Cause them to swim away? Who knows?"

Of course, some prefishing trips...for lack of a better way of putting it...sucks! An angler, who was asked what he does when that's the case, responded, "Don't continue doing the things you tried during the prefishing.

"Some of my best tournament finishes," he said, "have been after a tough pre-fish. I go out with a more open mind during the event and fish the conditions, not the pre-fish patterns. To me, prefishing is really mostly an excuse to spend some extra days on the water more than anything. My goal is to try and get a feel for the mood of the fish.

"There have been more tournaments lost after a stellar prefishing day than the opposite. Don't let a poor prefishing session determine your success. During any event, be it club-related, team, pro-am-, or draw, a consistent angler always adjusts."

Veteran bass pro Frank Scalish (left) once said he wished he had a dollar for every time he has listened to a pro or co-angler claim they won in the practice days.

"They were catching so many fish in practice, it was hard to believe they didn't get them during the tournament," he explained. "All I can say is: Winning practice means nothing. There's a huge difference between getting bites and hooking fish.

"Let me give you a better illustration," Scalish continued. "I was fishing my first pro-tour season with B.A.S.S., and we were on Lake Eufala. It just happened to be the last tournament of the season, and I was on the bubble to make my first Bassmaster Classic. I most assuredly found a pattern offshore...Fat-Free 7s and Carolina rigs. I was very excited."

As the practice progressed, Scalish noticed a rise in the water level, which concerned him, so he went to the bank to find some flipping fish. He found exactly six, all but one of which were in buckbrush. The other one was on an old submerged refrigerator unit.

"I didn't hook any of those fish," he said. "They were my backups. Those fish were nice-sized, as well."

After that last day of practice, Scalish went back to his room and was talking with Mark Menendez, who asked him how he was doing.

"I told him I had found some flipping fish for backup, and he asked how many I had caught. I told him none but said I had gotten six bites and believed I could go back and catch most of them."

Menendez just laughed and said Scalish should have caught them 'cause they wouldn't be there during the event.

"I just shook my head and said, 'We will see, won't we?'," noted Scalish.

On the first day of that tournament, the Ohio veteran pro went to his first Carolina-rig spot and caught one close to 4 pounds, then broke off a 7-pounder while wrestling him beside the boat. He fished that spot a while longer with no more bites and decided to go to the flipping fish, rather than pass them up on his way to the next offshore location.

"I apologized to my co-angler," said Scalish, "and explained that I had located specific fish and that he probably would not catch one there, but that if he were patient, I would take him to get a limit before the end of the day. The co-angler was OK with that plan.

"I went to the first buckbrush and flipped all over it but found no fish. I proceeded to the next and caught a big one. I advanced to the next and caught an 8-pounder. The next yielded a big zero. The one after that, though, went over 4, and when I went to the refrigerator, it gave me another one over 5 pounds. I was sitting on 23 to 25 pounds, and it was only my second stop.

"So, as promised, I took my co-angler to an offshore spot and let him fish for his five. Everything worked out, and I made the Bassmaster Classic. If I had hooked those fish in practice, I would not have caught them in the tournament.

"Not hooking fish in practice is just smart fishing," said Scalish. "I believe a lot of fish are hooked during practice as a result of ego and ignorance...not ignorance of the stupid kind but more because some anglers don't know how not to hook one. I would rather catch more in the tournament when they count and not have some ego-driven dunce plaster them when it doesn't matter," he concluded.

No Kiddin'--I Really Can't "See Straight" Any Longer

That was the diagnosis I received from my long-time eye doctor today.

This was my first checkup in more than a year, thanks to all the business with COVID-19. May not have scheduled an appointment now, except for the fact I've been noticing a couple things related to my vision that hadn't existed until recently. I've been having double vision when looking at something out the corner of my eye, along with depth-perception difficulties when fishing early-morning low-light conditions.

As the doctor told me, my eyes simply no longer are working together. My left eye focuses on things at a slightly lower level than what my right eye does. The problem likely won't get any worse than it is at the moment, but if it should and I want to get some relief from it, I can go back to wearing prescription specs again. That's not going to happen unless the problem gets dramatically worse than it is.

And besides, the depth-perception difficulties go away once full daylight is achieved.

Coupled with the return of some minor vertigo bouts, though, reckon it's in my best interests to never touch any booze ever again. No problem there, however, 'cause I haven't had anything alcoholic since I retired from the Navy nearly 40 years ago.

October 2021 Best Fishing Times

With a Fishing Rod in My Hand, I'm as Good as Any Surgeon...

There are some anglers who know that to be a true statement about themselves, but if they're REALLY that good, I would bet you won't hear them bragging out loud about it. Why? Because when you're that good, you're perfectly content letting your actions on the water demonstrate it.

Over the years, I've been in the boat with a lot of guys whom I considered to be "good sticks." And the common theme among all of them was that they never once broke their arms while patting themselves on the back.

On the other hand, those guys and gals (like me, for instance), who knows we're only "wannabe surgeons" with a rod in our hands, have no problem owning up to our lack of skills...and even making light of it.

Take the fella I read about online who said, "My precision casting is excellent. I can hit the only rock in 100 yards to test the durability of a new crankbait. I can catch a single limb 10 feet up a tree that even a bird would have a hard time landing on. I can hit the water next to a lily pad so hard that fish halfway across the lake can be attracted to the sound. I can work the land side of a shoreline better than most anglers can work the water side. I even have wrapped a lure in a power line. Now that's precision casting."

Another one admitted, "I was throwing a brand new lipless crankbait, and the thing flew across the lake and almost hit a lady sitting on a bench on the other side. I had to play it off and look around, acting like I had no idea where it came from."

Then there was this guy who said, "I was fishing our creek property a few weeks ago and kinda let a cast get away from me. Our neighbor has a bada** man cave in an old mill right on the creek. Yours truly managed to throw a spoon with a treble hook attached to it right in the window...or would have had there not been a screen to stop the lure. Being a Sunday, my neighbor had five or six guests that day, and I had to go over, apologize, and get permission to enter his place and unhook the spoon from his screen. At least I provided a few laughs for the party."

And finally, I came across a fella who remembered something that happened back in the mid-90s, when he first had moved down to South Carolina.

As he explained, "I was fishing a federation tournament on Lake Murray and was paired with a guy whom I never had met, which is usually the case. As a Yankee in Dixieland, I stood out very much back then, so I felt I had to show that it didn't matter where I was raised...I could fish with the best of 'em. One of the first things that guy said to me, though, was, 'You ain't from around here, are ya?' which was exactly what I had expected to hear.

"We started out fishing a grassy hump with spinnerbaits...me with a 5-foot 6-inch medium-action composite rod that I loved to use for spinnerbaits. It was paired up with a nice Daiwa baitcaster. After making only a few casts, I had lost a fish that hit short, and before I knew it, my end of the boat was drifting farther away from the sweet spot, while his end was nosing into it.

"Because I hate being front-ended, I decided to chunk my bait as far as possible to reach that sweet spot again. My rod had a pistol-grip handle on it, and when I let the lure fly, there also went my whole rod. I first was embarrassed by watching this happen in slow motion and then mad about seeing my rig sink like a rock. My boater got a good laugh from it, then added insult to injury by asking, 'Was that some Yankee trick?'

"The only good thing about what happened is that my rig landed right in the sweet spot...and spooked away all the fish that had been there. I could tell my boater was upset, but it didn't bother me. As I saw it, that was poetic justice for that front-ending a**hole."

Whether you fish a little or a lot, you soon recognize that the ability to drop a lure on a precise spot will mean more fish and strikes on a consistent basis. Nothing destroys confidence faster than the frustrating tendency to hang a lure in a bush or let it fall short of the target.

Precision can make all the difference in the world, especially when fish are finicky or in hard-to-reach areas.

In the words of bass legend Bill Dance (right), "Casting is a learned routine, and anyone can perfect his/her control and accuracy by doing one thing--practicing. The best time to improve your casting is when you're on dry land. If you wait until you're fishing, you'll end up feeling as though you're wasting and/or not enjoying your time on the water. It's much better to simply set aside a few minutes each day and practice in your yard or at a nearby park or ball field.

"When doing so, always select a target and try to put your lure on or close to the mark. Today's reels are amazing when it comes to smoother casting. Remember that baitcasting is (or should be) all wrist action.

"Here's to casts that make us all better at what we love to do--catch bass."

For a video that highlights the importance of accurate casting, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYMWGiVSIQQ.

DIYer Makes His Own Buzzbait

Some folks just keep buying cool-lookin' stuff but never get around to putting it to use (I fit in this category), even though that was their reason for buying it in the first place. Once in awhile, however, a fella or gal actually makes good on such plans, and as it turns out, I read about one of these individuals here recently...before my computer came apart at the seams, so to speak.

The DIYer (do-it-yourselfer, should anyone be wondering) in this case had bought some "chasebaits ultimate squids." He thought they were something a bass would eat if presented right. These baits come three in a pack and are about 6 inches long with tentacles, and there are few color options.

As this DIYer explained, "I had an old in-line buzzbait from yesteryear, so I took off the blade, added the hook from a beat-up, hollow-bodied frog, and inserted that into the body of the squid and attached it to the blade. Now I have an in-line squid buzzbait.

"Having a paygrade just one step up from a wheelbarrow operator," he continued, "I thought I'd better test it.

"Fishing has been horrible lately, with every-other-day thunderstorms making the lake muddy and high. I just wanted to see how it looked coming across the water, plus I had a new rod and reel I wanted to use as well. To my delight, it worked great and makes a nice 'fluttering' sound. I even got a hit on it, but it was a small bass.

"The only problem was that on about 20 percent of the casts, the two longest tentacles would get tangled in the hooks and mess up the action. Might have to cut those shorter. Next I'm going to attach one to a large buzzbait and see how that setup works. One thing's for sure: No bass around here has ever seen how that works...well, there is one."

Another long-time DIY lure maker was the late Dewey Mullins, whose patented "special" spoon perhaps was his crowning achievement. This spoon gained considerable notoriety during those not-soon-to-be-forgotten days of the '70s and '80s, when anglers from every part of the country were flocking to Back Bay for a chance to catch some of those legendary 8-plus-pound bass. Dewey's spoon accounted for a large number of those citation catches, including his own 13-pound 3-ounce largemouth, caught in September 1979.

Among Dewey's other DIY accomplishments was a line of spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, as well as his own adaptation of the original Flying Lure, which he fashioned out of Johnson Silver Minnow spoons.

There are many different types of fishing lures available on the market these days. In fact, there are probably thousands, if not millions, of different lures out there. You've probably noticed that each year, there are more and more new types of lures coming out. The reason for this is simple: Fish are getting larger and smarter.

According to research by the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, a fish learns to avoid hooks by observing and remembering the mistakes of other fish in their environment. Old lures are becoming less and less effective, increasing the need for newer, more expensive lures that fish haven't seen before, in an effort to trick them into biting.

Rather than spending your money on new lures, consider reaping the benefits of making your own.