February 2022 Best Fishing Times

Crankin' Up a Bunch of Winter Bass? ...Or Maybe Not So Many?

There's one indisputable fishing fact: You'll never have a problem distinguishing between the wooses and the brave hearts when it comes to cold-weather bassin'. One group simply stays home where it's nice and warm, while the other group...call them die-hards, hard chargers or whatever...layer up and head for a boat ramp in any kind of weather.

Never mind that these latter guys and gals ultimately will suffer from numb fingers, running noses, and a whole host of other unpleasantries in the pursuit of their favorite sport. They simply are willing to play through all of that on the chance they just might catch a new personal best and/or earn themselves some newfound bragging rights.

While the vast majority of die-hard anglers choose crankbaits and their tantalizing shimmy to fool cold-water bass, even when they aren't actively feeding, many make avoidable mistakes with their lure choice. Heading this list are dull treble hooks. You can get away with being a little lackadaisical with hook sharpness in warmer months, but cold weather demands close inspection of each and every hook point, especially to land big fish.

Another mistake made is playing the fish too long. No one encourages you to ski a hooked fish across the water's surface, but you also don't want to give them any extra chances to shake their head and/or throw the crankbait.

Mistake No. 3 is ignoring warming trends. If you're suffering from a serious case of cabin fever, you may be tempted to hit the water the first nice day you get after an extended period of poor weather. The smart angler, however, checks the extended forecast and likely will do better if he/she opts for the third day of a warming trend. And if some wind is in the forecast, so much the better. As one pro angler noted, "I've caught 'em in 20-degree weather in two feet of water, with waves crashing against the bank."

Yet another mistake these die-hards often make is overthinking lure colors. Every angler in the world is guilty of overthinking things at some point. In regards to cold-water cranking, though, it's especially easy to get spun out. You're not always going to get a bunch of bites doing this, so those hour-plus lulls in the action can make you start doubting yourself. Whatever you do, don't start losing your mind about your crankbait's color, say the pros. "Keep things super simple," they add. Some, for instance, simply use a red color within a few days of a full moon and when targeting rock or clay banks, chartreuse in muddy water, and natural shad in cleaner water.

The final mistake many make is not paying attention to the kind of line you're using. While avid power fishermen love to tie on some big line and target heavy cover, cold weather and and tougher conditions demand a different strategy. The recommended general standard is 10- to 12-pound fluorocarbon, which allows you to work your crankbaits deeper and stay in better contact with the bait.

Pros note that "bait awareness is everything in cold water. You need to be able to feel every single thing your bait is doing. If it misses a single shimmy or wobble, you need to be able to feel it because that oftentimes is the signal for a bite."

The next time you get an opportunity, tie on a crankbait, grab a thermos full of steaming hot coffee, and grind out a few hours on the lake or river. It won't be pleasant, and you'll likely want a hot shower afterward, but that's a small price to pay for the chance of catching a giant bass on your favorite crankbait.

A Savvy Angler Who Knows How to Reap the Rewards of a Wintertime Low-Pressure System

As KVD (above) will tell you, there's a big difference between a 36-degree day and drizzle and one when it drops to 28 degrees and snows.

"The bass don't care if it's snowing," he said. "It's that low-pressure system that accompanies the snowstorm that triggers a feed."

For example, consider the 2010 Bassmaster Classic at Lay Lake. During one of the official practice days, the weather turned brutal. With water temperature in the upper 30s, the air temperature dropped, and the rain turned to snow. By late in the day, many guys already had gone in because of the uncomfortable conditions. Not KVD, though.

"I knew I had to find a good school of fish," he explained. "About the time the temperature dropped, and the sleet turned to snow, the fish started biting. They literally were choking my Red Eye Shad. I even was catching some in 2 feet of water during that snowstorm."

At day's end, he had boated 12 to 15 fish, including two 7-pounders.

Once the tournament started, KVD caught them in the same areas with the same kind of techniques. It was cold...in the 20s...at the beginning, and it warmed up gradually during the week.

"My point in all this," said KVD, "is that you shouldn't assume bad weather drives bass deep, or that you always have to fish slow and methodical. Instead, the next time a low-pressure system moves into your area this winter, go fishing, and don't be afraid to check out shallow-water patterns."

There Really Are Some "Good Neighbors" Left in This World

...And I'm blessed to be living across the street from one.

It was last weekend, following our first snowfall of the season, when I got to know William, an active-duty Navy chief, who, until then, I only had spoken to on a couple of brief occasions. I was shoveling my driveway last Sunday, as it were...working 10 minutes, then resting for 20, just as I watched Pop have to do when he was my age. Suddenly, out of nowhere, William walked up, with snow shovel in hand, and asked if I could use some help, and you can well imagine my response.

In a matter of only a few minutes, William had managed to shovel circles around me and complete a job that easily would have taken me hours to finish on my own. I extended my heartfelt thanks, and William returned to his wife, daughter and son across the street.

Little could I have known that another snowfall would become a reality just one week later, but then came what all the weather forecasters yesterday were dubbing a "bomb cyclone." And last night, as we all know now, came another round of that white stuff (albeit, thankfully, in only a small dose locally) that required another order for "all hands to man their shovels." Having already felt the sting of today's 20-some-degree temps when I stepped out to grab the morning newspaper, though, I had decided to wait until a warmer day tomorrow to shovel my way out once more.

It was while subsequently sitting at my computer that I began hearing a snow shovel in operation and looked out my front window to find William actively engaged in clearing his driveway and the sidewalk in front of his house, as well as the drainage area along the curb. I stood there for several minutes, thinking how nice it would be to have his youthful abilities. In those minutes, I saw William's toddler son also emerge from the house, dressed as a very small Michelin man and armed with a dust pan to help his dad clear away the snow. Shortly after that, William's wife appeared on the scene and began brushing snow off her husband's pickup...painting an indeed warm picture of a loving family doing things together.

They were all still working when I returned to my computer. In a few moments, however, I heard what sounded like a snow shovel scraping my driveway. I looked out to see William already more than halfway done. By the time it took me to get to the door, he was putting the finishing touches on our sidewalk. All I could do was thank him profusely.

As I sit here reflecting on events of the day thus far, I find it comforting to know that, despite all the hate and divisiveness that runs so rampant in our country today, there still are some who typify the "neighbor helping neighbor" philosophy that has served us so well over the years. I can only hope and pray that we all find our way back to this proven standard before it's too late.

Important Stuff You Need To Know About Bassin' Safety

That's the title of an article I stumbled across online today from a 2019 issue of Jay Kumar's BassBlaster. It quickly got to the point of asking these two questions: Do inflatable PFDs work reliably? Do they only work in certain conditions?

I was surprised to learn, and some of you may be, as well, that, as Jay outlined, you should NOT be wearing an inflatable PFD when it's cold...or when the water's cold. Don't believe it? Check your owner's instructions manual.

It probably spells out that when temps are below 40 degrees (or in some cases, freezing), the PFD inflates "very slowly" (with the CO2 cartridge). And further, 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 another issue. 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, still in cold temps, the PFD will inflate...but 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, don't! The manufacturers say that an inflatable PFD should be worn only on the outside of clothing or rainwear.

There are reports of PFDs failing to inflate when wearers were dumped in the water. Onyx says it rigorously investigated all such situations involving their PFDs, but Mustang did not respond to repeated requests for interviews.

Onyx investigators didn't find any issues of a properly armed and maintained automatic inflatable not working when needed; however, they did find some fishermen who were wearing manual PFDs without knowing they weren't auto inflatables. It's imperative that you check to see what kind it is, as well as the status indicator of the PFD. To check this status, 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 three years.

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. And further, Onyx says people under the age of 16 should not wear an inflatable.

I also would encourage you to check out what the Coast Guard has to say about PFDs at this link: https://www.uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/life-jacket-wear-wearing-your-life-jacket.php.

How Cold Is Too Cold for Bass Fishing?

It undoubtedly comes as no surprise to anyone that the answers to that question run the gamut, depending on whom you ask, of course.

Take Michigan pro Kevin VanDam, for example, who believes it's never too cold for bass to bite.

"Most of the fishing public believes bass activity shuts down when the water temperature gets into the mid-40s," he said, "but that's not true... . Even when our surface temperature here in southern Michigan is in the low 30s, die-hards are catching fish.

"Sure, in some cases, they have to drive their boats over thin ice to get to open water, but when they do, good things can and often do happen... .

"Obviously, you have to dress properly, but today's cold-weather clothing does an outstanding job for keeping the body warm," continued VanDam. "I also suggest a facemask and a good pair of thin performance gloves, such as those liners used by downhill skiers. They give you free finger movement, retain your feel, and keep your hands warmer than you think.

"It's not unusual to catch 20 to 25 bass a day once you locate them," added VanDam, "and 50 a day isn't out of the question. One day, three of us sat in the boat and threw at the same spot. In a two-hour period, we caught 64 bass, including some nice ones!

"Remember, it's all about the attitude!" he concluded.

Here's what some similar-minded weekenders had to say about this matter:
     * "I fish Pennsylvania waters clear up 'til I can't launch the boat because of ice or the snow on the ramp is too deep."
     * "Down here in SC, we put ice in our liquor or tea, not in the lake. We fish year-round."
     * "There's gonna have to be a severe blizzard to stop me!"
     * "As long as the lakes aren't frozen over, I will fish. I work outside in weather where the air temp is only 22 degrees, so it's no big deal to me."

Not everyone, however, shares that particular attitude. Consider the following commentary from a weekend tournament angler:

"I fished a tourney last March that had it all. From 6 to 8:30 a.m., it poured rain, with the temp hovering around 45 degrees. From 8:30 a.m. 'til noon, the sun came out, and it warmed into the upper 50s or lower 60s. Between noon and 1:30 p.m., there were thunderstorms with small hail. During the period from 1:30 to 4 p.m., the wind howled, dropping the temperature about 20 or 25 degrees.. And from 4 p.m. to weigh-in time, we had snow showers...and it spit snow the rest of the evening. I spent as much time putting clothes on and taking them off as I did fishing that day."

This same angler also recounted details of a holiday striper-fishing trip with his dad two years earlier:

"The air temp was in the low 30s and dropping when we started, with not a breath of wind...just bone-chilling cold. I was not about to admit to the old man I was freezing. After 3 or 4 hours, he finally said, 'We have to get out of here. It's too darned cold!' That admission came as a total surprise, because I've never seen my dad wear a pair of gloves or put anything on to cover his ears, despite the fact I've many times seen his ears as red as a fire engine. That was the first time I ever had heard him admit that it was too cold."

And finally comes this recollection of events from a January bass fishing trip a couple of fellas made to Lake Guntersville in Alabama a few years back.

"The wind was whipping up off the white-capped surface of the lake, and it wasn't just cold...it was extremely cold. Memories of that frigid boat ride we endured from the dock to the first fishing stop still linger. With teeth chattering, I tried to begin fishing, but my numbed fingers barely allowed me to tie on a lure. My eyes streamed tears from the ice-cold wind.

"Let's be honest: I thought I'd freeze to death that frigid Saturday morning. The only reason I was willing to endure such a miserable situation on a grey January morning in northern Alabama is simple: big bass!

"The bass didn't care how cold it was above the water. They were ravenously hungry and looking for breakfast. And yes, we caught some good bass. With each one we caught, I felt the cold a little bit less. By the time the third one had come in, I was feeling a whole lot better."

Although cold-weather bass fishing takes a little bit of preparation and gearing up for best results, some of the finest bass of the entire year are caught in January on the lakes of Alabama by those anglers who come ready for a cold boat ride.

Hear Ye, Boys and Girls! A New Toy to Titillate Your Tackle-Buying Temptations

And if that's not enough Ts for ya, here are a couple more just for good measure. The gadget, after all, is called the "Cat 3 Tackle-Bladed Teaser."

Furthermore, don't you dare blame me if you succumb to the power of that "buy me" neon sign that'll likely be flashing in your brain by the time you finish reading this. I hadn't even heard about this gadget until my buddy Jim B called me yesterday. (Sorry, my friend, I hadn't meant to throw you under the bus like that.)

Anyway, this new gadget, as posted by Shaye Baker in Wired2Fish online, is the creation of Ben Adrien. Baker first heard of it during a live-streamed head-to-head tournament he was hosting at the time.

"When I first saw Ben lob out a deep-diving crankbait with three little blades in front of it," said Baker, "I began to question whether the guy ever had caught a fish. But my prejudice quickly was silenced as I watched him get a couple big bites and reel in a few more small ones to win the head-to-head. I knew then I had to check this thing out for myself. He sent me a few, and I've put them to the test."

This product doesn't fall neatly into any current genre of baits; instead, it has created a lane of its own. The Cat 3 Tackle-Bladed Teaser essentially is three small willow-leaf blades attached to quality ball-bearing swivels that are then attached to a clear prop, which ultimately is threaded onto your line. The idea is to put this teaser out in front of the baits you already have confidence in and give a bass that much more reason to go ahead and commit.

As you reel this teaser through the water, you'll see the blades on the swivels are all turning independent of one another. But what's really cool is that, while the blades are spinning individually, the whole teaser is spinning, as well. The clear piece that holds the whole teaser together is built like a prop, so as it spins and the blades spin, you get a truly dynamic flash that's constantly reflecting little rays of light in countless directions, very similar to what you'd see with a small school of baitfish.

There's a seemingly endless number of ways to rig the Cat 3 Tackle-Bladed Teaser. For example, you can put it out front of a spinnerbait, vibrating jig, squarebill, deep diver, lipless bait, and the list goes on. Heck, it even could be used to mask the head of an umbrella rig.

Said Baker, "I haven't had the opportunity to try it all these different ways yet, but I did have a particularly cool experience fishing it with a small swimbait. I had been throwing a small single swimbait for about an hour with little success...maybe catching one or two...when I decided to put this bladed teaser in front of it.

"Unfortunately, I rigged it wrong (simply ran it up my line and tied my swimbait back on). But even with the teaser right up against the bait, I proceeded to quickly catch seven or eight bass in much less time than the hour it had taken me to get a bite or two."

The Cat 3 Tackle-Bladed Teaser comes with bobber stoppers, which can be used to hold the teaser in place by putting one above the teaser and another below. Then, simply slide your teaser and bobber stoppers up and down your line until you have them the desired distance away from your bait. There are many ways to rig the teaser onto your line, and some actually work better than others.

Using a bobber stopper above and below the teaser will keep it away from your bait, but if you really want the prop to turn at max capacity, you need to add something else to the mix. Adding a glass bead between the teaser and the bobber stopper closest to your bait will allow the prop to spin much better. It's also worth noting that, when putting the prop on your line, there's a top and a bottom. You can tell which is which by the cup in the center of the prop. The bottom has a cup to it, and this cup should be pointed in the direction of the lure with which you're using it.

Baker also found that exchanging the glass bead for a small tungsten bullet weight works really well. This allows the prop to spin freely but also adds a little weight to the rig to help get your bait down deeper. This will be helpful if you're fishing small single swimbaits down deep, or if you want to fish this teaser with a spybait, for instance. It also keeps the whole rig level in the water, instead of having a heavy jighead swimbait below and the teaser being weightless up above. With some weight up near the teaser, it looks like the lure is more naturally trailing a small school of baitfish.

You also can use a swivel to better lock your teaser in place. If you're using small-diameter line, casting really hard, or perhaps even trolling a setup with this teaser in salt water, you'll find the bobber stoppers aren't enough to hold the teaser in place. Using a swivel in place of the bobber stopper closest to your bait will fix this problem. Then simply tie a short leader line to the bottom of your swivel, attach your bait to the opposite end of the leader line, and you're good to go.

Along with the Cat 3 Tackle-Bladed Teaser, you'll receive a little card that illustrates how to rig it, using a bobber stopper, teaser, bead, and swivel. You should be able to figure out several other ways to use the teaser, as well, based on this piece and a little creativity on your own. The teaser comes one to a pack, along with six bobber stoppers, for a price of $6.99.

The main thin you have to watch with this product is not putting it up wet.

"Take care of it, and dry it after each trip," said Baker, "and I believe one will last you quite a while. The wide array of baits with which you can use this product makes it one of the most versatile items on the market today. Don't be scared to try it with anything."

The Cat 3 Tackle-Bladed Teaser is available for order at https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Cat_3_Tackle_Bladed_Teaser_w__6pk_Peg_Stops/descpage-CATT.html, as well as https://cat3tackle.com/.

Erie Can Be Eerie...Just Ask Wayne Hayes

Some years ago, he fished a major tournament on Lake Erie as a boater, and one of the things he remembers most about the experience to this day is the fact it took him just 15 minutes to reach his chosen fishing hole in calm water that morning. The return trip, however, could best be described as a nightmare.

It took him 3 long...and yes, agonizing...hours. Why? Because, as he explained, "I was fighting 7-foot seas the whole time." And that says nothing about the 30 or so boats that didn't even get back.

"What was I to do?" asked Wayne. "I had no choice..." but to hang on and ride 'em cowboy, in a manner of speaking.

Conditions like that are nothing unusual for anyone fishing the Great Lakes. Someone who also knows those waters all too well is Michigan native Joe Balog, who was born and raised on the Great Lakes, where he earned a living as a charter-boat captain, pro bass angler, and outdoor communicator.

As explained by award-winning writer and photographer Mark Hicks, Balog, too, has been caught in 7-foot seas, where just one miscalculation can leave you swimming to save your hide.

Soon after Balog won the 2001 EverStart Series Championship on Pickwick Lake, he did something he had been longing to do for years: He switched to a Ranger boat. Prior to his first Ranger, Balog went through five different boats in as many years. Every one of them suffered damage due to pounding water, and none had storage compartments that could keep his gear dry.

"Every time I fished a tournament on the Great Lakes," he said, "the guys who were consistently passing me were running Rangers. Their boats held up, and their compartments stayed drier."

A foot throttle is Balog's first priority when he rigs a boat for rough water. This device lets him keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times and is more responsive than a hand throttle. Instant throttle adjustments are critical if you are to stay out of trouble in big waves.

"If your boat didn't come equipped with trim controls on or near the steering wheel, have them installed so you don't have to reach for the shift lever while you're driving," Balog said.

Next on Balog's list is a four- or five-bladed outboard propeller. In his opinion, such props usually sacrifice some top-end speed but are less likely to lose their grip at low speeds than a three-bladed model. Anytime your boat slowly labors up a wave, it's essentially performing a hole shot. If the prop blows out at this critical moment, you could be in trouble.

Wayne agrees with the theory behind using a four- or five-bladed prop but also noted that the three-bladed model he had on his Skeeter on Erie worked just fine.

Because the stern of a boat doesn't bounce as much as its bow, Balog stores heavy objects in the bilge area or rear compartments. If a heavy object is placed in a forward compartment, it lurches about and may cause damage.

"Everything has to be battened down," he said, "including the trolling motor. Make sure your battery boxes are bolted in place and that the batteries are strapped down."

Balog always fills his gas tank to full capacity before venturing onto big water, even when he only plans to go a short distance.

"Running in big waves consumes two to three times as much gas as when you're zipping over flat water," he noted.

While a lot of guys don't think of an anchor as a safety device, Balog always has one (an 18-pound Richter claw anchor, with 200 feet of rope) in his boat.

"If your boat breaks down in 5-foot waves," he explained, "an electric motor is useless. If you don't have a capable anchor and a long rope, your boat may wind up getting smashed to bits on a rocky shoreline."

No matter how well you drive, your boat is going to take on water (boat spray at a minimum) when waves get much bigger than 3 feet, and if your bilge pumps fail, you're in trouble. For that reason, Balog also carries spare bilge-pump cartridges and a spare bilge pump rigged with 6-foot wires connected to alligator clamps, plus a 6-foot hose. In a pinch, he can connect the spare bilge pump directly to one of his batteries and hang the hose over the side of the boat.

Any experienced tournament fisherman further knows that he/she never should leave the dock without sturdy, capable rain gear. Even on sunny days, boat spray can soak you to the bone if you try to run rough water without this essential apparel.

The first rule for driving on rough water is to tuck in the outboard's lower unit. This forces the bow to stay down and slice through waves, rather than lift over them. Balog trims his outboard all the way down, or nearly so, whenever waves threaten.

"You can generally run on plane in waves up to about 2 feet, as long as you slow down to 40 or 50 mph to keep the prop from blowing out of the water," Balog said. "In waves taller than 2 feet, you must slow down even more and negotiate every wave. If you look away for an instant, you're asking to take one over the bow.

"When running against the waves, you have to throttle up them and let off coming down," continued Balog. "If you're going with the waves, you have to throttle way back even more when you drop down, or you'll nose the next wave."

If he has to navigate into waves much higher than 4 feet, Balog quarters them by running a zigzag course. For example, if his destination lies to the south, and the waves are coming directly from the south, he alternately runs southeast for about a half-mile, then southwest the same distance. This prevents the hull from taking on the full force of the waves.

"Running straight into big waves is inviting disaster," according to Balog. "If a big, rogue wave crests above your bow, it will push you back down and stuff your outboard back into the previous wave," he said. "It can flood out the motor and swamp the boat. That's how 90 percent of boats break down on big water.

"When big rollers run perpendicular to your destination," he added, "you often can run the troughs on plane and make good time on relatively smooth water. For example, if the waves are coming from the south, and your destination lies due west, running west in the troughs is the way to go. To avoid being pushed off course, you must slide sideways up and down the waves as they pass under the boat. Be aware, though.

"If the wave is higher than the width of your boat, it could crest and flip you," Balog said. "Given the wide beams of modern bass boats, that usually isn't an issue, but something you need to be aware of."

Because running on rough water is hard on bass, Balog takes every precaution to ensure his fish stay healthy. Before making a long run, he plugs the overflow valves in the livewells to make sure the water doesn't drain out while running, especially when climbing waves. He also adds ice to slow the metabolism of the bass, as well as a livewell treatment that calms the fish. And finally, he keeps the recirc pumps running continuously.

Last but not least, Balog goes fishing from October through May with a complete set of wool clothes, including gloves and a coat, in a plastic bag sealed with duct tape.

"If you do go overboard in 30-degree weather," he said, "getting back into your boat doesn't end the dilemma. If you're 30 minutes or more from shore, you might not make it back before hypothermia sets in," he added.

Should an unexpected drenching occur, Balog can strip off his wet garments, don the dry wool clothing, and suffer little more than embarrassment.

We All Make Mistakes; It's If/When We Learn Our Lessons That Really Counts

Anglers and boaters, alike, have something in common when it comes to the pursuit of their recreational choices: They often make stupid mistakes. Who, among the anglers, for example, haven't more than once cut the main line instead of the tag end when changing lures, only to watch the bait subsequently fall or get tossed overboard as they get ready for a cast...never to be seen again? Many of them also have accidentally kicked a high-dollar rod and reel combo or two over the side. And, of course, we've all heard the stories about those boaters and fishermen who forget to install the boat plug before launching their craft.

Following is a compilation of other incidents I found online, minus names of the victims involved. If nothing else, perhaps one of these will prevent someone else from making a similar mistake.

It Only Hurts for a Little While

Said an angler, "I remember my worst moment as being the day I stepped off the side of my boat onto the trailer frame so I could attach the winch strap and wind the boat up a bit more. My foot slipped, and I landed on the trailer frame...actually, astride the trailer frame. I had to wait a few moments while my voice changed back from soprano to my normal speaking voice.

"After telling the Mrs. I was OK, I then stepped onto the submerged ramp and immediately slipped and fell completely in the water. I finally recovered and got back into the boat, and we resumed loading. Although it was a long time ago, I fully remember the exact place where it happened, and rest assured, I never have done it again.

"My new trailer has non-skid products for this purpose, so I guess it is a bit more secure. At least, I hope so.

"Nobody ever has said the only memories of fishing were about the fish. Some of the longest-lasting memories are those moments when we hoped no one else had caught us in the act of being stupid."

Oh To Be Young and Foolish...Again

"Sometimes, the adventure is just going to the river," said a young man.

"One day, my fishing buddy and I were heading to the river in my '85 LTD (with no muffler), pulling my old reliable Glasstron tri-hull. The noise from the car's exhaust was so loud we had had to do the obvious: turn the radio even louder than usual. As for the volume of our conversation, it resembled what you might expect if both of us were deaf. Nevertheless, we thought we were doing fine.

"Halfway to the river, though, we approached a group of men standing alongside the road. As we sailed past them, we noticed that they stared us down. As a result, we pulled over to find out why they had been staring. Imagine our surprise to learn that one of our trailer tires had blown out, and all that was left was the rim.

"I can just see the sparks we must have been giving off."

What a Jolt!

As the young angler recounted, "I was about 12 years old at the time and was fishing a small farm pond with a buddy in our small 14-foot aluminum boat. There was a creek that branched off the main pond and ran through a field, presumably for the cows. Anyway, we thought it would be a good idea to paddle up that creek.

"An old wire fence was blocking our passage, so we had to get low in the boat and slide under it. With my buddy paddling from the back of the boat, I lay back in the front and reached up to grab the wire and pull us through...before, I might add, realizing it was an electric fence.

"The subsequent jolt nearly threw me overboard. As a result, I cut loose with a stream of obscenities, all of which was heard by my family clear across the pond. Meanwhile, the only person laughing was my friend...and he couldn't contain himself."

What Could Be Making That Buzzing Sound?

Following a cabin barbecue with all the neighbors, a couple found themselves standing around talking about a storm the night before. The subject soon turned to lightning strikes, and the husband chimed in with a story that he once had seen on TV, in which some folks had been struck by lightning.

"Right before that happened," as he described, "their hair all was standing on end. They had taken pictures of the incident and were laughing about it...until the moment they were struck."

That conversation ended just as the sun was starting to go down, so the couple decided to take their boat and go see if they could catch some crappie.

Said the husband, "I was fishing in the front of the boat and kept hearing a weird buzzing sound in the air. The sky overhead mostly was clear, but there were storm clouds a ways off in the distance.

"I messed with the radio, thinking the buzzing might be coming from that, but it wasn't. I finally gave up my search and went back to fishing. Soon, though, I noticed my line would not lay on the water. Instead, it just hung in the air kinda weirdly. Then I noticed that it was when I moved my rod that I heard the buzzing. It sounded like a lightsaber.

"I thought it was cool, so I turned to my wife to show her, and when I did, I saw her hair was standing on end, and she has like 18 to 20 inches of hair.

"Needless to say, we pulled up anchor and headed in, with both of us laying in the bottom of the boat. I was running across the lake at full throttle, only peeking out to make sure we stayed on course to the dock. As we neared the dock, I felt safe enough to get up and steer the boat onto its lift.

"All the people from our barbecue were standing on shore laughing at us. To them, it had looked like the boat was steering itself.

"I told them what had happened, and we all had a good laugh. However, I still get crap from all of them over that incident."

When the Day Comes

(Admittedly, I've always been a sucker for human-interest stories, and I feel like this is a good 'un. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I found it online.)

By D. W. Verts

The old man sat at the picnic table, bundled up in his old, worn Carhartt coat. It had seen better days, but like so many things late in life, he'd grown comfortable with the feel and the smell of it. The new coat his wife had given him several years back still was hanging behind the mudroom door.

Under his denim bibs, he wore a set of long johns, but they did little to keep the cold from reaching his 86-year-old bones. It really wasn't all that cold...maybe in the upper 40s, or so he reckoned...and there wasn't much wind. The cloudy day and an occasional sprinkle of rain left a chill on the nape of his neck, going clear down his spine. He grimaced as he realized just a few short years earlier he wouldn't have been touched in the least by such weather. Then he cracked a smile, by golly, the forecast was for a warming trend over the next week, meaning the early-spring doldrums were about over. Spring also meant it was time for his No. 1 passion to begin. It was time to start bass fishin'.

He mused on the fact he was getting too old to walk down to the big pond anymore, at least by himself. It was just down at the bottom of the hill, and it had produced many a big bass, crappie and an occasional catfish over the years for him and his family. Many a meal of fresh fish had adorned the dinner table from that very pond. But now it was too steep of a hill to walk down, and he didn't even dare to try it with the truck, at least by himself. He sighed again, lamenting his age and the pains that came with it. He hated that he carried on and worried so...it wasn't his way.

Suddenly he laughed. What the heck? Pretty soon, the boy would be here, and they had plans. It was the last day of high school for the senior, and at 18 years of age, his great-grandson was a chip off the old block, even if twice removed. The boy loved to fish. Heck, he loved anything the old man did, and they had spent many an hour together these last 10 years or so fishin', squirrel and deer huntin', and trapping the waters and hollers around the old home place.

This spring was special because the two of them had teamed up on a new boat...well, new to them...but the 10-year-old beauty was a yacht compared to the old tub they had fished out of for so long. The two had spent many an hour this late winter and early spring updating the new rig, and it ran perfectly. The next two weeks were going to be dedicated to the pursuit of their favorite fish, and the old man felt a surge rush through him as he contemplated bass fishing in the upcoming days.

As he sat there in the cold, waiting for the boy to come, he wondered why Mary, his wife of 64 years, wasn't yellin' at him from the back of their old farmhouse for being such a fool sitting out there where he'd likely catch pneumonia, especially with the old wood stove sending its baking heat throughout the house. But the old man liked it outside, and he'd be darned if he'd let the cold chase him into the house when the boy would be here any minute.

His long vision still was pretty good, and he looked off over yonder to the creek bottom bordering the west side of his property. He'd made about a million memories in that creek over his long life, and many were with his great-grandson. The fish there didn't run large, but they taught some useful lessons, and the boy had made many of his first conquests there, just like the old man before him. The creek meandered along like creeks do. It was a lazy creek, and it demanded a little bit of laziness from those it allowed to fish it. You simply were not allowed to get in too much of a hurry or work too hard to catch fish from its waters.

Mostly shallow, it ran up against the deepest hole for several miles right before the old county road. The bluff bank there fell off into the clear water, and over the years had been the source of so many bass, sunfish and catfish. The bass, both the green largemouth and their brown smallmouth cousins, had been the course of many of the old man and his great-grandson's memories.

It had been a natural thing to introduce his kids, his grandchildren, and now the great-grandchildren to this spot. While the tackle had changed, the old man's first bass ever here had come while using a steel rod with an old bait-casting reel with no level wind and cotton line. The first bass was caught using an even older Dowagiac (he pronounced it "Di-Jack" back then) plug he wished he still owned. The "Whoop!" of a child, as he or she got bit, was still the same. A lot of excitement and a little bit of heartache had taken place at this fishin' hole, and of course the big pond above it, over the years.

The old man wiped his running nose on the sleeve of the old coat, and he realized how dirty the thing was getting. With the warming weather, maybe he'd have to give it up for a day for Mary to wash. He was surprised she hadn't complained about it already. Generally, she was on him like a dog tick over such things. But she was getting on in years, too, and maybe she was starting to overlook some of his more disparaging ways.

The old man looked up the road. It wouldn't be long now, and he and the boy would be back at it again. They'd tinker with the boat some, fiddle with the tackle a lot, and when it warmed up tomorrow, they'd be on their way to yet some more adventures. The boy was smart. Unlike so many his age, he worked hard and would have none of it when the old man had offered to put more money than him into their "new" boat. He'd paid his half and then some, and when it came to the work on the boat, it had been almost all of the boy's. The old man had helped with things and made an occasional suggestion, but the boy was the workhorse. "Not enough like him around nowadays," the old man thought to himself for the thousandth time.

Suddenly, the old man was startled. Dang if he hadn't dozed off! He looked toward the house, certain Mary finally had yelled at him to get his scrawny butt in the house, but no one was at the back door. Something about this bothered him, but he quickly dismissed it. Mary almost was certainly taking an afternoon nap. Lord knows the old girl deserved it.

Soon he was lost again in the thoughts and memories of the past, both the recent ones with the boy and those from far back and away. There was one good thing that came with age if you had lived right: There was a pile of good memories to look back on.

Yep, it had been a good life. He and Mary had raised a right-smart family, and in turn, their two children had returned the favor, providing the couple with two more generations of kids that the old man found to be mostly tolerable, and culminating with the boy who was so much like the old man. Mary just had to smile and shake her head. Mary was truly a peach herself.

It was a great life. And thinking these thoughts, the old man's chin dropped, and this time he really fell asleep while re-living all those great memories making life worth living.

Mary finally woke him up, and with her holler of "Come in you old fool," he was ready. He headed toward her, and the smile on her face brought one to his own. What she was doing down by the gate leading to the pond he barely wondered on at all. The boy would find him when he got to the house, and that would be a fine thing. They had a lot to do this afternoon.

When the boy finally arrived at the old man's house and found him sitting at the picnic table, the smile took some of the boy's sadness away...a little anyway. Folks said the old man wouldn't make it a month after Mary passed, but that had been three years ago now. The boy had spent every available minute with the old man since her death. They had shared a lot of good times over the years, and it would take a while for it to sink in that those times were gone now.

The boy stared at the worn, wrinkled face of his beloved great-grandpa. How could death be that bad if you left the world with a smile on your face?

"When E. F. Hutton Talks, People Listen"

Remember that vintage TV commercial? I was reminded of it when I happened across an online article about crankbait fishing by veteran pro angler David Fritts. I trust that everyone understands why I made that connection.

"Two things (a lively action and a long casting distance) are more important than anything else when you're fishing a crankbait," says Fritts. "Both of them are directly affected by your line choice."

As he explains, "A lively action is the most important. If you don't have it, you won't catch very many bass, and I don't care how pretty your bait looks or how much you paid for it. Coming in a close second is casting distance. The further you cast a crankbait, the longer it'll be down in the strike zone. The further it travels down there, the more water you'll cover, and the more bass you'll catch. An extra 5 yards makes a big difference when you fish all day."

"Keep those two things in mind when choosing a line," advises Fritts.

He says you don't want a stiff, thick line because it will kill the action, and one that doesn't flow through the guides smoothly will cut way down on distance. Fritts also cautions everyone to avoid fluorocarbon because, despite advertisements to the contrary, that line stretches and will break on the cast, never mind the shock of a big bass grabbing your lure. Even worse, it tends to break up from the knot...sometimes as far up as 6 or 8 feet.

"I'm a big fan of low-stretch monofilament," notes Fritts, "especially of copolymers and multi-polymers. I don't know all the science behind them, but as I understand it, they're basically a line within a line. The best ones are tough and abrasion-resistant, but they're also soft enough so that they don't get brittle and break. And they give you plenty of casting distance and sensitivity. My choice is Berkley Trilene Sensation Professional Grade."

Fritts also admits to fishing "a little braid" in recent years..."has great feel, it's tough, and it's thin," he says, also noting, though, that it has one major drawback: casting distance...the lack thereof. The finish on most braids is rough, which creates a drag on your line as it goes through the guides and, therefore, eliminates most from use with Fritts' crankbaiting. However, he does make an exception for a few braids that have a slick coating on them, saying, "They seem to cast OK."

Fritts goes on to note that "regardless of what line you like best for fishing, you need to keep something else in mind: You need to fish crankbaits with light line. Smaller and thinner lines give you a better wiggle, and you'll get more casting distance, too."

Concludes Fritts, "I fish 10-pound test almost all the time, and that's with heavy, deep-diving crankbaits, as well as small squarebills. I'd drop down to 8-pound test if it didn't break so easy. Think about your line the next time you throw a crankbait...it's important."

Buzzbaits in Fall/Winter? Ya Gotta Be Kiddin' Me!

That's what I thought until one fall trip I made to Lake Gaston with my buddy, Jim Bauer. The weather turned cold after our arrival, and we couldn't buy a bite. Got to talking with some other fellas camping there with us, though, and learned that they were crushing the bass with...you guessed it...buzzbaits.

Ran across a fella on the Internet who was fishing a club tournament in winter in South Carolina a few years ago, too, when he had a similar experience. Said that for a couple days before the tournament, the temps had gone from sitting in the 40s to being sunny and in the 50s.

Come tournament day, this fella nearly choked to death on a cup of coffee while laughing when he saw his partner drag out a big Hawg Caller buzzbait and begin churning the water with it. His laughter was short-lived, however, when he had to slide the net under his partner's 4-pounder. That fish had inhaled the buzzbait...in frigid water, no less, in the dead of winter.

"If I hadn't witnessed it for myself, I'd never have believed it," he said.

Pro angler Kelly Jordon is a believer in buzzbaits in cold water, as well.

"I've caught some giants in 46-degree water in both spring and fall, when most people think you have to fish deep," said Jordon. "On unseasonably warm spring and late-fall afternoons, bass will venture into shallow water to feed," he added. "When fish move toward shallows in cold water, they're usually looking for one thing: a big meal."

The point Jordon and other pros make is that fish still will bite a topwater, even when we don't think they will. A buzzbait is one of the best topwater baits for this timeframe. When fishing a buzzbait in colder water, though, you're going to want to really crawl the bait along. Hold your rod tip up a bit and fish the bait as slow as you can, while still keeping it up on the surface.

The size of buzzbait to use depends on the abundance of baitfish. If a lot of baitfish are around, a 1/4-oz. model will be easier to fish slow and better mimics shad. When there aren't many baitfish, the slow, deep chug of a 1/2-oz. model will serve you better in cold water.

This discussion is not to say that buzzbaits will work on all fall and winter days. The pros are quick to point out that there are even some sunny winter days when it's pointless to fish a buzzbait, e.g., such as when the water temps already have plummeted deep into the 40s. However, three or four consecutive sunny days in a row can bring the water temps back up into the 50s, as long as there aren't disastrously low temps at night between those sunny days. So on the tail end of a trend like that, by all means be ready to break out the buzzbait again.

Warm rains also can raise the water temps, especially in the south. And shallow water is the quickest to change temperature due to multiple days of sunshine and rain. So if you find yourself in a situation where your body is telling you no, but the temp on your graph is telling you yes, just try it out. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Another tried-and-true wintertime buzzbait fishing technique is to trail a plastic frog behind it. This tactic is most effective when used in areas with floating or scattered grass. You also can create a winter rig by attaching a soft-plastic swimbait. Adding the swimbait's solid body to the buzzbait allows lethargic bass to get more of the rig into their mouths when striking. The rig's added weight also lets you cast farther and cover more surface area.

When fishing this hybrid lure, keep the softbait submerged so that the bass can suck it into their mouth without breaking the water's surface. Try skipping your combo rig under boat docks (up to 25-plus feet back) before starting your retrieve. Even though you won't be able to see the buzzbait, you still can hear it and feel the bass strike. If the bass don't seem interested in a plastic frog, switch over to your swimbait minnows or other softbaits.

As some folks have pointed out, anglers in the south all too often will bail on the topwater bite after waking up to frost on their vehicles for the first time. As anglers, we have a tendency to fish the air temperatures and not the water temperature. In the spring, a warm sunny day will have us burning baits back to the boat when the water temps are in the 40s, and fish still are in a slow-roll mood. In the early winter, our need for coveralls and toboggans will have us crawling baits through water that's still in the mid-50s...not cosidering buzzbait fishing.

The truth is that it takes several consecutive days of cold or warm air temps to really get the mercury moving in either direction, relative to water temps. So you need to really focus on what the fish are feeling, not what you're feeling.

To All Who Lend a Helping Hand to Us Old Guys, I Say, "THANK YOU!"

Yesterday, I stumbled across a forum thread that reminded me of something I've been neglecting for far too long (call it some overdue appreciation), and I'm hoping you'll allow me to take care of it in this setting. I was drawn to the thread in the first place by an older fella who had written an article about "aging anglers."

This gent began his piece by listing a series of sure-fire ways to know whether you indeed have reached that point in your life when you really have no other choice but be willing to identify with that crowd otherwise known as "elderly." Heading that list...yessir, right there in the No. 1 spot, no less...was this entry: "Not being able to pee from the deck of a boat without getting some on the boat...or maybe your foot."

Well, I'm here to tell you that, ever since I started fishing with Wayne out of his Ranger, I always have carried a "pee bottle" in my bag every trip. I also keep one in my ol' Skeeter...not so much because I'm concerned about gettin' a little pee on her, but because of something that happened a good while back, during a solo trip.

After lookin' around and not seein' or hearin' anyone coming, I had "eased"...and I do mean just that...up on the bow to relieve myself, when all of a sudden I heard a boat coming toward me from dead ahead. After the usual delay I had gone through, waiting for what most young guys take for granted will start instantaneously, I wasn't about to stop the process in mid-stream. I instead decided to take my chances. And don't you know, it turned out to be a pleasure boat, with some females aboard. You can imagine the response I got as they passed. Anyway, that's why there's a pee bottle in my ol' Skeeter.

However, I digress. To get back on track, let me mention a couple of the forum posts that piqued my attention. One was this note from a younger fella, who had made a bank-fishing trip to a small lake near his house when he noticed an older man standing on the bank, holding his rod close to his face.

"I approached him and asked if he needed help. Seems he had gotten a backlash and was having trouble getting it out because he had left his glasses in the car," said the younger fella. "When I offered to get his glasses for him, he gave me his keys. He was very grateful for the help and was casting again in a short time."

The younger fella noted that the older man had explained that he used to own a bass boat but had had to sell it. He couldn't handle it by himself any longer. Added that he had fished a few tournaments years ago but that his fishing buddies were all gone now, and he was left "walkin' the banks alone."

"He obviously was an avid fisherman," said the younger fella, moving down the bank with him. "When it was almost dark, he hollered 'thanks again,' and I said 'you're welcome.'"

The younger fella summed up this experience by urging "young guns" everywhere to always respect the older anglers they meet. "Give them a kind word, and help them out if they need it," he said. "One day, you, too, may be 'walkin' the banks alone' and need a hand."

There also was this note from a 60-plus-year-old gent who was fishing his first BFL tournament (as a non-boater) after recovering from spinal-fusion surgery. He had drawn a boater with a brand new Bullet bass boat. At a meeting the night before, this boater had asked if the older gent would like to have a rear seat.

"Yes! I almost screamed," said the older gent, knowing that the Bullet has a very high gunwale. He even was more than a little apprehensive about just stepping aboard the boat from a floating dock. Come tournament day, someone had told the boater and another fella about the older gent's fears. As a result, they grabbed the older gent under the arms and placed him in the boat.

Said the older gent afterward, "I don't think my boater got over 50 mph all day, and he kept offering to land my fish without letting me bend over to net his. To this day, whenever I see these two 'youngsters', I give 'em a hug!"

And finally, there was this philosophical note from an old-timer who said, "The funny thing about getting old is that your mind doesn't figure it out...or won't allow you to accept it...until your body already is there. Most of us are young in mind, but the body doesn't cooperate.

"I will be 65 soon," he continued, "have had one shoulder surgery, as well as a knee replacement, and need a replacement of the other knee, too. As a young fella, I remember fishing with my dad for pike and being able to jump in and out of a boat with the greatest of ease. Today, though, I have to stop, analyze, and finally ask myself, 'Do I really want to do this?'

"No older angler wants to be a burden to other boaters and anglers, but aging is something none of us can avoid. I implore you to enjoy each day while you can, 'cause the day may come when the only fishing we will be able to do is in our memories and dreams."

At 78 and counting, I don't mind sharing that I've personally been dealing with these kinds of matters, too...for a good while now.

Back only a few months ago, while having repeated bouts with vertigo, I don't mind telling you that I was petrified having to walk down a catwalk and/or step aboard a boat. With everything around me swirling at what seemed like 100 mph, I constantly was looking for an outstretched hand to guide me to safety. Since the vertigo attacks have subsided, I'm once again getting my assurance back while walking a catwalk and/or boarding a boat.

I've also had some dealings with gimpy-leg issues, which have created anxious moments for me while on the water. Again, I was welcoming any and all outstretched hands.

There further was last year's tournament I fished with Mark Ingram, when he literally had to pull me to my feet after every run, simply because I didn't have the strength to do it by myself. Being the nice guy that he is, he never acted the least bit annoyed, but the situation certainly bothered me. Don't know that I've ever felt more foolish.

These matters, combined with the fact I have taken a couple spills aboard my boat, have made it abundantly clear to me that I must exercise extreme caution, especially when I'm flying solo.

As someone who, early on, refused to accept helping-hand offers from others because I considered it a sign of weakness and a bother, I don't mind telling everyone that I accept all such offers today...I don't really have a choice. Just know that I sincerely appreciate your every demonstration of caring.

As noted by author John Ashley-Cooper, "One thing becomes clearer as one gets older and one's fishing experience increases, and that is the paramount importance of one's fishing companions."

This saying, like many others about fishing, centers around one point: that it's not just about catching fish. According to author, photographer, hiker, fly fisherman, and wildlife watcher Paul Schullery, "Fishing is so much more than just a hobby. It's a form of meditation, a passion, even a lifestyle. So many people dedicate their lives to the sport of angling. A love of fishing is shared around the world. There's no other activity that can provide food for the table at the same time as sustaining your soul."

Cold-to-the-Bone Temps Chill Tournament Enthusiasm

With the air temperature running about 26 degrees at scheduled launch time this morning (8 a.m.), it's little wonder that only five boats showed up at Elizabeth City for today's Boundary Bass Club tournament on the Pasquotank River. Furthermore, the fact it only had crawled into the 30s at 3 p.m. undoubtedly speaks volumes as to why only two boats brought a total of seven fish to the scales.

Weighing in the event's lone five-fish limit was the team of (from left) Gabe Himmelwright and Mark Ingram. Their sack weighed 11.46 pounds, anchored by a 2.84-lb. big bass.

As noted by Gabe, "Mark and I got lucky and hit a 100-yard stretch where we caught our limit."

Meanwhile, the team of Dustin Alley and Joey Derezinski weighed two fish for 4.19 pounds.

Those anglers who didn't weigh included Bob Clarkson and the teams of Colton Wynne and Ryan Rickles, and Rusty Girard and James Calhoun.

Call It Laziness or Falling Into a Comfort Zone--Net Results Are the Same

Was reading an account online here recently that struck a nerve. It was about a fella who, for the past several years, has been fishing a shallow-water fishery. The problem was that he wasn't catching the quantity or quality of fish his friends were.

"While I do catch fish," he explained, "I just don't have continuous success...a situation that reminds me of the saying, 'Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while.' Well, I guess this is true, but it still doesn't reveal the real problem. Instead, it seems to suggest something else: I'm not stupid...just lazy.

"As a lazy basser," he continued, "I've lost my skills of observation and really don't look for forage clues. Unless it's very obvious, I tend just to plod along, casting and winding. This certainly is not a formula for success.

"Sure enough, I spend a lot of time with plastics on cypress trees and skipping the few docks that are available. I frog in the grass but do not explore the other presentation styles that just might do the trick. It's embarrassing to admit the countless hours I spend throwing unproductive bait combinations because I am just too lazy to try different things."

As this fella went on to note, "I've fallen into the trap of fishing from the memory of previous successes, which resulted in many hours of casting into waters without fish being present."

In other words, he was fishing areas that looked fishy, or where he had caught fish in the past. The reality is, however, that just because you caught fish in an area or on a particular spot in the past doesn't mean there are more fish to be caught there now.

Earlier, I said this account "struck a nerve" with me. Why? Because that pretty well described me to a "T" before I started fishing with Wayne this past year.

Not that it provides any consolation, but be advised that even the likes of none other than Kevin VanDam has admitted to being troubled by this same problem.

"All of us, including me," he said, "have a tendency to fall into a comfort zone and continue to fish the same way and in the same places, even when we should know better. Fishing the same ways can be a terrific shortcut to success. However," he warns, "it also can absolutely kill your chances to be successful. It all depends on how intelligently you approach the situation.

"If you're having a tough day, or things are a little slower than you'd like," continued VanDam, "it's easy to go to that spot where you caught 'em last year or the year before. It's easy to make the same run, pick up the same bait, and make the same cast. But that doesn't mean it's the best move."

What's going to happen if the vegetation is different, the water's up or down, or maybe the water clarity has changed? In that case, preconceived ideas can get you into trouble.

Per VanDam, "It can be especially hard to avoid fishing history if you do most of your fishing on one or two bodies of water. You begin to know them very well...or think you do. You remember the time you whacked 'em five years before, and you start digging through your tackle boxes to find that same lure, even though that was in June, and this is April. The water level was down then, but it's up now. Those earlier fish were moving to a summertime pattern, but now they're just coming off the beds.

"Before you know it, you're just checking old spots, rather than trying to find a successful pattern and learn what the fish are doing. If conditions have changed since the last time you had success doing a particular thing, odds are good that you should be doing something different. It's important to have a good memory about what worked (and what didn't), but even better to fish the current conditions."

Avoid a lot of the pitfalls of fishing history by following the lead of VanDam, who urges you to study weather patterns for a week or two before your trip. Find out what the seasonal pattern is. Keep an eye on changing water levels. Check the water clarity.

"If you do these things and formulate your fishing plan around them--not history--you'll fish in the moment and be focused on what the bass are doing now. You'll also catch more fish," he said before adding, "It's great to remember past successes, whether they're your own or someone else's, but if you're tournament fishing, it's usually just the big-picture things that are important. Rather than a spot, focus on a pattern. Rather than a lure, focus on the right tool for the job. Focus on conditions, not history. And remember that it's all about the attitude."

Confidence Baits and Other Choices Can Make or Break Your Fishing Day

Picture this: It's tournament day, and your teammate is whacking fish left and right. In this situation, the smart angler changes to the same lure his partner is using. Great idea, but after making cast after more casts with the same bait, you still have nada to show for it. No hookups. Nothing.

"What the heck is wrong?" you wonder. "Does he have a different set of skills required to produce success? Naw, can't be," you think to yourself. "I'm just as good a fisherman as he is, so that can't possibly be the difference."

Let's face it. We all have more confidence in some baits over others. Some of us even have confidence in some brands of the same style of bait, though they all appear to be about the same...or are they?

Take spinnerbaits, for example. For some, these baits always seem to do the job when the conditions are favorable for this style of bait. Tie one on, and in no time, you're putting fish in the boat. The problem, however, is how long it takes you to decide to make the change. Is it sooner or later? Too many times, it's later.

Being slow to make a bait change is just part of the problem. In many cases, we also are too slow to change locations. Why is it we will throw unproductive baits for hours before making a change? The same thing applies to fishing a honey hole and getting skunked for hours before realizing there are no bass present.

As one fella noted, "This statement should be printed on the reverse side of all fishing licenses: 'You have the right to be bull-headed. Any refusal to apply logic to your bait or location selections will be used against you at the weigh-in scales. If you cannot understand your transgressions, your buddies at the ramp will have the right to believe that you don't know what the heck you're doing.'"

Admittedly, such a statement likely would not matter to some, but many would remember this statement at weigh-in, while taking the lonely walk of shame. If you're not a tournament fisherman, this conversation will be with yourself as you drive home. Probably will be good practice for when telling the wife that catching didn't go as well as planned.

In the privacy of their home, anglers often again think about the day and kick themselves for not acting sooner or for not selecting the right bait for the conditions. Addicted anglers will immediately start planning what to do the next outing. At this point, anglers need to realize they must stop immediately. They cannot make an informed decision until the next trip, when the conditions, the mood of the fish, and the forage they are chasing can be analyzed and used in the equation.

We all know how to do this fishing thing, so why is it that, when we get to the lake and pick up our fishing rod, all logic and pre-planning often goes right down the drain? Perhaps it's some form of ADD, with maybe conditions involving cranial-rectal insertion.

As one old-timer I found online noted about this all-too-familiar tale of woe, "I am reminded of watching an old World War II movie and seeing a picture of an anti-aircraft gun with writing scrawled on a section of armor plate that clearly bore these words: 'Lead, dammit, lead.' Perhaps this applies to us not-so-smart anglers as we head out to do battle with those green fish that are the object of our obsession."

When Was the Last Time You Had One of Those I-Wish-I-Could-Do-It-Over Days?

It seems a fairly safe bet that we've all had some of those days...you know the kind...where simply nothing goes right. Found such an account online that started with a guy who had to drag his sleepy butt out of the sack and get to work after staying up too late the night before watching TV.

His foot no more than had hit the floor in the wee hours when something "unholy," as he described it, squished up through his toes. He hobbled on into the bathroom to clean his foot and take care of business, then headed to the kitchen for some much-needed caffeine. He was tearing things apart at the seams there before remembering he had used the last of the coffee the morning before.

"No worries," he thought. "I can stop by Starbucks on the way to work."

He pulled out of the driveway with plenty of time to spare but, half-a-mile from home, was stopped by the local PD. His truck had been reported as having been seen leaving a gas station without paying for about 80 bucks in fuel.

"How does that happen when everything is 'prepay' these days?" he asked the officer, who subsequently checked his gauge and saw that there was only a quarter tank left. The officer then laughed, apologized and told the fella to have a nice day.

"I still have a few minutes to make a coffee run and take off," the guy said to himself.

As luck would have it, the workday turned out to be a bear. The fella didn't even have a chance to grab lunch. Finally, 3 p.m. rolled around, and he headed home...in all of that typical Friday-afternoon traffic. This day, however, was even worse, because he ended up behind a student driver who was riding the brakes and driving 5-to-10 mph under the posted speed limit the entire way home.

"At this point, I was seriously thinking I had offended the karma gods recently. How much worse can it possibly get?" he wondered.

Having finally arrived home, with not even an ounce of patience left, this fella received a call from his wife, saying she had to work late. Being a crafty guy, he immediately decided  to load the truck, drop the hammer, and set course to the closest water hole he could find.

"Aside from an all-out apocalypse," he thought, "nothing is going to keep me off the water today."

What he couldn't possibly have known, or he might have thought differently, was that he was going to score a big fat goose egg for the trip. As he watched the sun set, he remembered something his father had told him as a kid. "Any day on the water beats a day in the office."

He took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and listened to the silence of freedom. As he sat there, he thought about the fact that he had an amazing family, the best job in the world, good friends, and a few nice toys.

"I really have nothing to be complaining about," he thought. "I realize this was a pretty good day after all. Funny how fishing can make you remember what's important in this world. As English economist, journalist, and presenter for the BBC Evan Davis once wrote, 'It's not a bad idea to occasionally spend a little time thinking about things you take for granted...plain everyday things.'"

Look! Up in the Sky, It's a Bird, It's a Plane...

We all recognize that phrase as the long-established introduction for Superman. This past Wednesday, though, in Texarkana, TX, it wasn't Superman everyone was seeing. Instead, it was fish...small white bass, to be exact...and they were falling from the sky. "Animal rain" is what it's called.

This real weather phenomenon happens when small animals get swept up in waterspouts or updrafts, and then fall to Earth with raindrops. Reported rains of bats, fish, snakes, birds, and frogs stretch back for centuries.

The phenomena most associated with animal rain are waterspouts, although many meteorologists are skeptical that waterspouts can actually cause animal rain. Waterspouts form as violent storm clouds swirl above a large body of water. These clouds form a tornado-like whirlwind (called a vortex) that dips into an ocean, lake or pond. Waterspouts can spin up to 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), and may pull up small objects in their funnel, like water pebbles and small aquatic animals. It's important to remember that a waterspout is not a swirling column of water. The water in a waterspout is the result of condensation, not liquid "sucked up" from a body of water.

Strong winds (called updrafts) may also pull animals into their swirling vortices. Updrafts can sweep up much larger animals than waterspouts, such as traveling birds and bats, as well as frogs, snakes and insects.

As waterspouts and updrafts move over land, they lose their swirling energy, and the storm clouds that formed the waterspouts are forced to dump their heavy loads. The heaviest objects are dumped first, and the lightest objects (usually simple raindrops) are dumped last. This explains why reports of animal rain usually describe only one type of animal raining down. A cloud will dump all objects of a similar weight at the same time--fish (heavy), followed by insects (lighter), followed by rain (lightest), for example.

In reporting about the bizarre phenomenon, the official Facebook page of the City of Texarkana said, "2021 is pulling out all the tricks, including raining fish."

Many local residents took to social media to document the dead fish lying on roads and in their backyards. Some were amused. One person commented, "There are probably a lot of happy stray cats" on one such post, while another said, "People thought I was crazy about 20 years ago when I told them it rained frogs at my hog farm. I stood there dumbfounded, looking at my concrete walkways being covered by frogs. I was wondering if the world was coming to an end."

Other people were just worried about the health and hygiene issues that the dead aquatic animals might cause if clean-up operations weren't done in a timely manner.

Animal rain previously has been reported in places like California and northwestern Serbia.

January 2022 Best Fishing Times

Dad Was a Better Fisherman Than Any of the Bigtime Pros

As a lad growing up in a Midwestern area where the light poles along the highways more closely resemble toothpicks than anything else, I had one fishing hero...and it wasn't Roscoe Vernon "Gadabout" Gaddis, even though he was known to millions of TV viewers in the area at the time as "The Flying Fisherman." No, sir, my fishing hero was my dad.

"Slim," as Pop was called by many back in the day, was many things, starting with a self-employed carpenter. He also was a musician...a "fiddler," to be exact (and, no, I don't mean "violinist"). He set many a person straight on the difference between those two terms over his 88 years. And during a lot of my youth, he had his own band, which played at various western-swing venues in the area where we lived. That, however, was before he gave his life to Christ. The transformation in Dad the Sunday he walked out of church as a newborn Christian was nothing short of amazing. He truly was a different person...and in all ways good, too. Oh, he still played music but never again in a dance-hall setting. His new venues were churches, senior-citizens' centers, and nursing homes.

Both the "old" pop and the "new" one, however, still shared his love of fishing with my brother and me, and it...to my delight...stayed that way throughout our childhood. Dad was his own kind of pro, in that he knew where to find and seine minnows and crawdads, and where and how to gather a container full of fat grasshoppers. He knew how to get a hook out of the fish's mouth. As I got older, he taught me how to pick out those horrible bird's nests I made with my new baitcaster. He also showed my brother and me where to find the biggest worms and how to keep them all year long. He never tired of giving us casting-practice tips, or teaching us how to tie different knots.

What Dad maybe didn't know...or perhaps he did...was that there was a lot more than fishing going on when my brother and I spent time with him on the banks of the Neosho River, one of its creeks, or a local farm pond. You've probably heard the song "Just Fishin'," by Trace Adkins. The lyrics went like this:

"...And she thinks we're just fishin' on the riverside

Throwin' back what we could fry

Drownin' worms and killin' time

Nothin' too ambitious

She ain't even thinkin' 'bout

What's really goin' on right now

But I guarantee this memory's a big 'un

And she thinks we're just fishin'... ."

My memories of those days is what makes Pop a better angler than "Gadabout" Gaddis or any of the other bigtime fishing celebrities you hear or read about. And though he's no longer around to fish with me, I always had the satisfaction of knowing he was my biggest supporter while he was here. I remember that he was as giddy as a kid in a candy store the day I took him for a ride in my first bass boat. We could talk fishin' all day long, and he never once would try to change the subject.

Even though I know the pros could put a whoopin' on Dad, they can't touch my memories of him. Why, he even taught me how to tell a fish story with a straight face.

Pop simply always has been and always will be my fishing hero. Despite working long hours, he made time to take my brother and me fishing on a regular basis, and he made it enjoyable for us. He always told us to take our kids fishing, too. "They may not always know what's really goin' on while they're young, but they will someday," he would say.

Fishermen Take Care of Their Own

Had a phone call from Gabe Himmelwright (left) this evening, telling me about an on-the-water rescue that occurred earlier this afternoon. The angler in distress was Jim Sumrell, a regular who fishes out of Bob's Fishing Hole.

Seems he had run down to the last creek on the Northwest River this side of Tull's Bay and had fished a while before he realized he had a problem. In a nutshell, his boat wouldn't start.

Most times, that kind of problem would be remedied quickly just by calling one of your buddies, who also was on the water. As luck would have it today, though, there wasn't another boater from the Fishing Hole sharing the water at the same time.

Jim (right), however, had Gabe's phone number in his cellphone and gave him a call, explaining his plight, and in short order, Gabe had actions underway to take care of the situation. He called his friend, Mark Ingram, who was at home and happened to know that his brother-in-law, Bob Clarkson, had been out fishing elsewhere today. Mark subsequently called Bob and asked if he would like to help rescue Jim. Minutes later, Bob, who still had his trailer hitched to his tow vehicle, picked up Mark, and they were enroute to the Fishing Hole.

Once they had launched and reached Jim, the tow got underway quickly. Rather than make the painfully slow trip all the way back to Bob's Fishing Hole, though, the plan was to tow Jim and his disabled boat to a ramp located between where he was and the marina. From there, Bob and/or Mark (bottom, left) would run back to the Fishing Hole, leave their boat, and drive Jim's truck to the alternate ramp, where they then would load the latter's boat.

As it worked out, however, Jim finally managed to start his boat before they arrived at the alternate ramp. The tow was aborted, and the two boats stayed together for the rest of the run back to Bob's Fishing Hole.

Anyone who has ever had to be rescued on the water, especially this time of year, when there often is only a few or perhaps no other boats in the area, can appreciate the situation Jim found himself in today. There's never a better time to have friends who are willing to drop everything to ensure your safe return to shore. I, for one, applaud everyone involved with this operation today. In short, you're da best!