Just a Reminder: Not All Fish Around Here Spawn at the Same Time

My trip to West Neck this morning prompted me to dust off an item I posted on this blog back on July 2, 2017. The deciding factor for me was that bloody tail of the 5-8 bass that Wayne put in the boat.

As pointed out by DWR Virginia regional fisheries biologist Chad Boyce in that five-year-old post, "There is really not a single spawn that takes place in the spring. Bass will spawn generally throughout the summer, and it's not unusual at all to see fish on beds in June.

"However, individual bass do not spawn multiple times each year. Rather, there are fish that will wait and spawn after the main spawn takes place.

"Fish with bloody tails don't always signify spawning activity. It could mean they were on a substrate that was rough and caused abrasions on their tails. It's really hard to say for sure, but I often do see tails roughed up throughout the summer time," concluded Boyce.

Nothing Like a Big Fish To Perk Up a Fishing Trip

Wayne (right) and I had decided to get in some fun fishin' today, and we came away glad that we did. For openers, there weren't many folks taking advantage of the holiday...at least not while we were at West Neck. Anyone who stayed home to avoid the crowds wasted a golden opportunity to get in some fishin' time.

I can't say it was what you would call a "hot bite" today, but we kept pluggin' away. And after boating some small bass, several white perch, and a little catfish, Wayne finally scored big with his cast to a stump in an area we don't usually fish. I just happened to be watching as his topwater bait settled slightly behind this stump and then quickly vanished as a giant mouth engulfed the lure.

I asked Wayne if he wanted me to net the fish, and his response was that he didn't think it was that big. However, I had a better vantage point and could tell that it was a nice sized fish, so grabbed the net and stood ready to go into action. As the fish came toward the boat, she decided to charge under it and start splashing around on the other side.

Once Wayne had worked the fish back to the starboard side, she got really rambunctious at the sight of the net in the water and did her best to avoid giving up the fight. At last, though, she was neatly tucked inside the net. Wayne grabbed his scales, and once we had ascertained her weight at 5 lbs. 8 ozs., I got my camera and snapped a quick shot of his prize.

Only moments later, I hurled a cast with my crankbait toward another stump close to the one where he caught the fish in the accompanying photo and hooked an Abu Garcia Veritas rod, with a Lew's baitcast reel attached, along with a spinnerbait. First time, to the best of my knowledge, I've ever had this happen to me.

All in all, it proved to be a nice five-hour outing.

2022 CATT Tidewater Division Championship in the Record Books

After a season beset by some challenging weather, CATT Tidewater Division anglers finally got a break for their championship tournament held yesterday on the Perquimans River. Things couldn't have been much better, considering the light winds and sunny skies that lasted for most of the day.

A trend that existed throughout the regular season was competitors bringing numbers of bass to the scales weighing 5 pounds or better, and the championship contest only further emphasized that point. 

For example, the 1st place team of Richard Griswold and Tim Fallon had a limit weighing 23.24 lbs., which earned them a $3,125 payday. 

Taking 2nd place and a check for $1,611 was the team of (from left) Andy Morath and Wayne Hayes, who weighed 21.64 lbs., anchored by a 6.91-lb. bass, which was just .03 shy of a tie for the lunker prize.

Finishing in 3rd place was the team of J. A. Williford and Mike Layton, with 21.52 lbs., which was good for a $1,000 check.

The rest of the anglers who finished in the money were as follows:

     * 4th place, Brian Jackson and Billy Saunders, 20.44 lbs.
     * 5th place, Darren Saunders and Dave Parker, 19.36 lbs. They also won the lunker pot with a 6.94-lb. bass.
     * 6th place, Ken Kipler and Shawn Dunlap, 19.07 lbs.
     * 7th place, Steve Brickhouse and James Williams, 18.52 lbs.

There also was a $500 AOY prize that was won by Mike Evans and Brian Cooper, along with a $200 2nd-place AOY prize won by Brian Jackson and Billy Saunders, both provided courtesy of Steve Brickhouse at Joe's Marine in Wanchese, NC.

Paying Tribute to Heroes...Of All Ages

On this Memorial Day, let us honor all those, both past and present, who have so proudly served their country.

Let us also remember the families of those 19 Robb Elementary School students and two teachers who were so senselessly slain in Uvalde, Texas.

A Good Day by Anyone's Standards

Have been wondering why I hadn't heard from my kayaker buddy, Ron A. in awhile. Now I'm figuring that he must have read my mind, 'cause as luck would have it, I received a note from him this afternoon.

Turns out he's not doing too bad. As a matter of fact, he's doing pretty well with a fishin' rod in his hands.

Today's note explained that his latest trip was a good one, catching a 2-4, 2-15, 3-7, 4-0, and a 4-8, which added up to a 17-2 bag. Everything came on a chatterbait with a craw trailer. Certainly eclipses anything I've done thus far this year. Hope you keep it up!

For the Younger Generation, Maybe...

But yours truly will continue doing things my way...thank you! Back a few short months ago, when I was having bouts with vertigo, I cringed every time I just had to step in or out of a bass boat tied against a dock. I can't imagine a time ever, even during my prime, that I would have tried to emulate what you see happening in this photo...courtesy, incidentally, of the latest issue of Jay Kumar's BassBlaster.

Confidence: The Pathway to Success

It's a bright, sunny day in the middle of June, and sweat drips down your face as the 96-degree weather beats on you as though you deserve some kind of punishment. You've fished for five straight hours now without getting a bite. Every lure you own looks uglier than it ever did before, and your confidence baits have failed you terribly.

The winning pattern you established the day before seems to have disappeared, like it was some type of miraculous dream pulling bass in the boat one after another.

Being an experienced angler, your mind is going into overdrive, trying to put pieces of the puzzle together and come up with something to turn back on Lake X's bass. But how do you find these missing pieces?

There's probably not an angler alive who hasn't found himself/herself in this predicament. If he or she is thinking correctly, they likely will start looking for answers by considering what has changed (e.g., the current, weather, or whatever) from the day before, especially if fishing the same time and place. The accepted philosophy, after all, is that the fish probably haven't gone very far. If a weather change is at play, the fish could have moved deeper...perhaps out to the first drop...or if you've lost the current, the fish likely are positioned differently than they were the previous day.

As another angler noted, "I always try to find out what the fish are relating to on a day when I'm catching them. Is it bait, cover, depth, water temp, and/or something else that's causing them to bite at that particular place and time? It's often just timing. They may feed at noon one day, and 2:45 the next day.

"Whatever you do, don't lose confidence. That's the game of bass fishing. If you lose confidence, the bass have won. Do what you know best, and more times than not, you'll come out on top."

This angler went on to explain that he had fished a known good bass lake for years without much success. Then, one day, a good friend who had had a lot of success there showed him that he really wasn't doing much different, other than "believing" that he was going to catch fish. And from that point forward, they both caught fish regularly.

An old-timer in a local bass club had a bit different take on the situation. He said, "You're thinking too much. Just step back, take a deep breath, and fish what you know when the fishing sucks...in other words, a back-to-the-basics approach. For me, that happens to be a fluke in and around the shoreline or just off structure and weeds. For my wife, it's soft plastics...usually French fries...fished slowly and patiently."

You Might Say the Temps Were "Cookin'" Today

That fact, however, wasn't enough to keep those would-be die-hards sittin' home by the air conditioning. Some still showed up to pit their skills...or luck...or whatever against one another.

A total of 15 fishermen in eight boats were on hand today. Collectively, they brought 27 bass to the scales, weighing a grand total of 67.22 lbs., for an average weight per fish of 2.48 lbs.

Following is a look at those who, for whatever reason, excelled in today's competition:

Finishing in first place was the team of Dave Anderson and Gary Coderre (not available at picture time), with a limit of five fish, weighing 14.96 lbs. Their big fish weighed 4.26 lbs. They also claimed the first side pot.

Second-place honors went to the team of (from left) Fisher Bryan and Kevin Versprille, who also had a limit of five fish, weighing 13.93 lbs. after a 1.00 deduction for two dead fish. Their big fish, which tipped the scales at 5.23 lbs., won the day's lunker pot. In addition, they took home the second side pot.

And claiming third-place prize money today was the team of (from left) Rob Peppers and Don Carter, with a five-fish limit, weighing 13.08 lbs., including a 3.08-lb. big fish. 

Here is how everyone else finished the day:

     * The husband-wife team of Andy and Diana Morath, with five fish, weighing 12.88 lbs., including a 4.39-lb. big fish.

     * The team of Wayne Hayes and Ken Testorff, with three fish, weighing 5.78 lbs., but no big fish.

     * The team of Craig Jones and Rob Chatham, with two fish, weighing 3.60 lbs., but no big fish.

     * Ken Matthias, with two fish, weighing 2.99 lbs., but no big fish.

     * The team of Dennis Dean and Steve Bailey didn't weigh any fish.

Congratulations to all of the winners and thanks to everyone who came out today to participate. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, June 11th, from safe light (about 5:45 a.m.) to weigh-in at 2 p.m. I hope you can join us.

I would remind all hands that no one has yet qualified for the season-ending two-day Classic tournament scheduled this year for Oct. 15th and 16th. To qualify, you must fish at least seven regular tournaments all season. Stay tuned, though, cause several competitors are now poised to acquire eligibility when they fish only one more contest.

One Last Cast
While I'm sure some tournament anglers today caught fish with soft-plastic baits, my partner had absolutely no luck whatsoever with them. I never even picked up the one I had rigged and ready to use because I kept waiting to find out if Wayne was going to be successful with any of the versions he was throwing off and on all day.

Anyone who has been associated with bass fishing for a spell knows that, when everything else in your tackle box fails you, it's time to pick up a plastic bait...or so the myth (?) goes...and start chuckin' and windin'. However, eight hours after our day on the water had started today, Wayne still hadn't felt the first inkling of interest in any of the various versions of soft plastics he had been offering the bass all day. Whether it was just a fluke, or perhaps tied to the spawning season currently in progress, and/or the result of the high water we now have is anyone's guess.

But, of course, for that matter, the same could be said for most of the other baits Wayne and I kept tossin' throughout the day as well. We did manage to find three fish before heading in today, but none of them were worthy of writing home about, and as I recall, no two of the three fish fell for the same bait. Rather, our bit of success, as it were, could only be described as having involved potluck offerings...nothing more, nothing less.

It was the kind of day which made us feel as though we had to throw the bait directly in the face of a fish before we could get bit, and if that's true, our results would indicate we were missing that mark far more often than we were hitting it. As the saying goes, however, "That's why it's called fishing, not catching."

Current Overall Statistics

Whoa! What the Heck Is This?

That statement from my tournament partner this morning, as we joined forces for a little pre-fishing, got my attention in a hurry. And for just a few moments, I didn't have a clue what Wayne was talking about, as he kept looking back over his right shoulder.

Finally, though, I saw what he saw. The problem: A fella who, evidently, had spent the night at the West Neck Marina ramp had line out from two rods anchored in the ground. Both lines were aimed such that anyone launching their boat would be in one or both lines in short order if they didn't see them stretched out in the distance. Considering it was about 5:45 at the time, there was some light, but if Wayne hadn't been watching closely where he was backing, he would have been in the lines in no time.

In short order, Wayne had shoved his Ranger's outboard into neutral and grabbed hold of the lines to get them out of his way. Because one line was hung up, he reached up and snipped the line. About the same time, the sleepy overnight fisherman stumbled out of his pickup, stood on the shoreline, and began apologizing for having his lines in Wayne's way. And Wayne then explained to the gent why he had cut the one line.

Wayne had had to crimp his way around the fella's pickup, as he made his way into the turn toward the ramp, 'cause the fella had left his truck parked partly in the roadway. As Wayne passed it, he made the comment, "I reckon he's asleep in the cab," and that, indeed, was what the fella admitted while he and Wayne subsequently were talking.

In any event, Wayne's careful attention to his helm duties this morning prevented what could have been a bigger problem than it ultimately was.

And so, now, I reckon everyone is looking for a fishing report. However, there really isn't much to be said for that. We checked out several different areas, finding off-colored water in most of them. And to make matters worse, the water is high...and getting higher. When we launched this morning, there was minimal water spilling over the sides of the ramp, but at recovery time, the spread was more than a little noticeable.

As for the "catching" today, the number stood at 2 when we called it a day...in other words, nothing to write home about. Can only hope there are better things to report come tournament day this Saturday, May 21st.

This Fishin' Report Comes on a Day I'd Just as Soon Forget...

And I d**n sure hope there's not another one like it anytime soon. If I hadn't watched the chain of events unfold before my eyes, I never would have believed so many negative things could happen in the course of any given single day. Last time I checked, fishing days were supposed to be fun, but this one was anything but that...without a doubt.

It was about 7:30 this morning, as I started down the road from my storage shed to the boat ramp to launch my Skeeter. As it worked out, there was an older dude just turning into the parking lot as I reached the gate, and when he saw me, he sped up, blew right past the store (where he was supposed to drop his launch fee), and hustled down to get lined up with the ramp. I didn't think a lot about it at first. Instead of getting my BP up, I just sat back and watched this dude drop his 10- or 12-foot fishin' boat in the water and proceed to have some problem with the tie-off rope because he was in such a hurry.

"Serves him right," I thought to myself, but I still was calm. If I had known what was to ensue, however, I reckon some steam might have already been escaping from my ears.

After getting his tie-off-rope problem under control, this dude parked his pickup, opened the tailgate, and removed one fishing rod and one medium Plano box, then carried them to his boat. After setting them down, he again walked back to his pickup, picked up two medium Plano boxes this time, and made another trip to the ramp with them. He sat those down, then made a third trip back to his pickup, where upon he picked up three medium Plano boxes this time, along with his lifevest, finally closed his tailgate, and nochalantly ambled back down to the ramp, putting these final items down, taking his seat on board, and then launching into a bunch of adjustments to his sole electronics on the front and other stuff in the boat. Finally, he started his little outboard and began trying to maneuver away from the catwalk. You would have thought he had a 21-foot bass boat, given the number of times he banged into the catwalk, trying to get away from it.

And in case you haven't already guessed it, you could rightfully say that I had one of the worst cases of "red a**" ever at this point. I was really struggling with an urge to get out of my van and unload on this guy in the worst kind of way. However, I managed to stay seated in my van...and just let some of the built-up steam in my ears escape from the now rolled-down windows. What I really wanted to do was try and sink his boat right there at the dock...with him in it.

At long last, the nincompoop (and I'm really being kind here) got his piece of crap away from the dock and headed down the channel toward the main creek. Meanwhile, I'm salivating over thoughts of trying to send some big rollers at this guy...just to send him a "gentle" message. However, I thought better of that, too. Ultimately, I motored by him slowly, with only a sneer on my face.

If this event had been the only thing I had had to contend with today, I likely would not have been so totally frustrated when I arrived home this evening. This, though, was just the opening salvo for a whole array of problems. For openers, my aim this morning sucked. Every second or third cast with my topwater, I was hung in a tree, a bush, or you-name-it. Let me add, here, too, that I already had seen one of those creatures that slither along on top of the water and couldn't get that image out of my mind as I started reaching into things to retrieve my lure. Did I say that I never like surprises? Fortunately, I didn't find any, either.

About 11:15, I had let the boat drift against a clump of grass on a point, so that I could retie from one of those hangups. Once I was done retying, I bumped the trolling motor to move away, and while the trolling motor initially responded, it then decided to add to my heartburn. The prop only would barely turn, even on high, and it was making a strange sound. I didn't wait long to call my newly retired buddy, Wayne, and ask WTFO he thought might be wrong. He suggested a few things but added that he thought I should put the boat on the trailer and bring it by his house so he could have a look-see.

Only moments after my arrival, he already had verified I had the proper voltage along all the points, but then started removing the prop. Problems getting it off caused him to note he was sure he would find something here. Immediately after removal, he identified a broken shearpin. He also found a seal problem, which he took care of, along with the installation of a new shearpin. And by 1:30, I was back on the water, trying to pickup where I had left off earlier and add to the two decent keeper bass (all about the size of this first fish of the day) I had just boated before the trolling motor had gone belly up.

The fish, however, were no longer in a cooperative mood, and I spent considerably more time before I stumbled across a log washed up against the shoreline, which yielded another keeper bass and a nice crappie. That, however, was the extent of my action after returning to the water this afternoon. Had thought I might stay until more toward sundown, but given the fact I only can stand a certain amount of humility, decided I would cut things off about 4:30...as it worked out, only minutes ahead of the jackleg that had spun me up this morning at the ramp.

Managed to get my boat put away without any problems and was trying to unwind on the road home, when what should I find as I turned onto Salem Road but a couple of cops stopping traffic. As I learned, a truck had gone into the ditch alongside the road, and cars couldn't pass. I simply turned around and embarked on a different route home, arriving here without further incident.

It wasn't until I got inside the house that weird crap started happening all over again. While Wayne and I were trying to have a conversation on our cellphones (he from his garage, and me from my bedroom), we lost signals three times. We finally just gave up and ended our discussion.

I then headed for the shower and got ready for dinner. Since that time, everything has been cool, and I truly hope it stays that way for the rest of this evening.

After All, Birds Have To Eat, Too...

And that's exactly what the egrets and great blue herons in the following photos were doing at West Neck Creek Marina earlier today when my friend, Rob Chatham, happened along with his phone camera. Seems these two species were "chowin' down" on everything in sight in what little water that's left after a week of nothing but strong northeast winds.

As you can see here, Rob's photo mission coincided with one of the heavier periods of rain that have been blanketing the area off and on for the past several days...with more predicted yet into the coming weekend.

Ditto for the rain in this photo, as well. The thing that Rob and I had a good laugh about was the fact that, if these birds aren't careful, they may have to pay a price for all this unfettered feeding. Who's to say that, after so much gorging, some of these "lard butts" won't start having difficulty getting airborne? Their flights might resemble those ol' movies showing some test flights of the earliest airplanes man built...you know the kind...where the plane only would get a few feet off the ground, before it touched back down, then bounced back up again...and so on, and so on.

All joking aside, though, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that, after looking at photos like these three, it still will be days before there is any appreciable depth of water in any part of West Neck Creek. This nor'easter truly has been one for the record books.

Ray Scott, Father of Modern Bass Fishing, Dies at Age 88

Ray Scott passed away peacefully Sunday, May 8th, in his sleep of natural causes.

The recipient of numerous conservation and boating-safety awards, as well as the prestigious Horatio Alger Award for his rags-to-riches success and contributions back to his community, Scott was born and raised in Montgomery, AL, during the Depression. He attended Starke Military School in Montgomery on a football scholarship and graduated from Auburn University after serving in the U.S. Army.

As we all know, Scott founded the first national professional bass-fishing circuit, the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, in 1967, and the following year founded the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society--B.A.S.S.--which would grow to become the world's largest fishing organization.

Said Chase Anderson, B.A.S.S. CEO, "Ray's passion and vision for bass fishing birthed our entire industry more than 50 years ago when he founded B.A.S.S. and started the first professional fishing-tournament series. His legacy is felt to this day and continues to influence B.A.S.S., the world's largest fishing-membership organization. Ray's contributions and impact on conservation and his advocacy and passion for anglers and our sport set the standard for tournament fishing and are something we always will strive to uphold. Our hearts and prayers are with the Scott family."

The bass-tournament competition Scott created served as proving grounds for rapid advancements in bass boats, outboard engines, fishing tackle, lures, and electronics. Everyday anglers began purchasing whatever the bass pros were using, spawning a massive bass-fishing industry that today has an economic impact in excess of $125 billion per year and employs more than 800,000 people nationwide.

Before Scott began pursuing his dream of organizing America's bass anglers, the sport was a laid-back, mainly southern pastime that largely was overlooked by the trout-focused national outdoor media. To serve B.A.S.S. members and to publicize the tournament trail, Scott launched Bassmaster Magazine, which the New York Times described as "the Bible of Bass Fishing," and which ultimately would be delivered to 650,000 B.A.S.S. members monthly.

A celebration of Ray Scott's life will be announced at a later date.

Low Water: It's Everywhere You Look

Since posting the West Neck photos, I've received a couple of other inputs for which I'm indeed grateful. And because they were kind enough to send them, I'm going to post 'em here so everybody can see just how widespread this current situation really is.

From Jason Murphy came a note that read as follows:

Saw your pictures and thought you might want to see the ones I took at the Pungo Ferry ramp. I'm 6'3" and the top of the dock was about eye level when I stood at the water line. I figure it's down 4-5 feet from when I launched last Tuesday. It'll be interesting to see what it's like in a day or two.

Here are Jason's photos:

And from DMac I received a lone photo with the following description attached:

Somewhere in the north end of Back Bay...Ouch!!!

West Neck Creek on a Bad Day

Met Wayne at West Neck Creek Marina this morning so he could do some maintenance on my outboard, and while we were out that way, we decided to check out the view from the West Neck ramp, as well as from the bridge over the creek, looking both directions. The NE winds were so bad I had trouble just holding my camera still but managed to take the following photos on this day, when the river gauge at 11:30 a.m. stood at minus 1.53. 

The top three photos are looking north from the bridge, while the bottom two depict the view looking south. In the middle photo, the object you see farthest to the left is the boat that someone towed to the middle of the channel and sunk some time ago. The only marker on it is a small piece of PVC pipe that extends above the water level yet, even when West Neck is having a "good day."

Bear in mind, too, that the current weather conditions are predicted to continue for a spell, so we haven't seen the worst yet. If I'm not busy when the worst finally arrives, I will try documenting the scenery once more.

Here's a closer view of the "usually sunken" boat in the middle photo, with the PVC pipe clearly showing:

Remember, you also can click on the photos to bring up a larger version.

It's No Secret That the Best Days of Bass Fishing Rise and Fall With the Barometer

As the long, hot days of summer give way to the increasingly cool nights of autumn, weather patterns begin to change more often and with greater intensity. It's not unusual for an angler to start a day on the water under blue skies, only to find himself or herself facing down a wall of ominous-looking thunderheads in the afternoon.

Said outdoor writer Bob Sampson, "While that impending front might cause an angler without raingear some discomfort, it also can trigger a hot bite. What many anglers know intuitively, but don't actually understand, is that it's the changes in barometric pressure associated with good and bad weather that turn the fish on and off like a giant kill switch in the sky.

"Because fall is a transitional season, winds, weather and their related pressure changes can be more extreme...and so can the fishing," continued Sampson. "Each region of the country exhibits weather patterns that consistently influence air movement. By understanding local weather patterns, you more often can plan successful fishing trips."

Veteran angler Mark Nichols couldn't agree more. "One of my best days of bass fishing ever was in Texas, when I was living near Austin. A big tropical depression was closing in on Corpus Christi at the coast as a buddy and I launched a canoe a day or two before the storm hit. It was a beautiful, calm morning, and the water in Onion Creek was gin-clear. We started casting plugs, and the bass action was just plain nuts. It was ridiculous how aggressive they were.

"Three times that day, I had a double hookup on different trebles of the same plug. We watched bass bump each other out of the way to get to our lures," added Nichols. "Most of those fish were 2 to 3 pounds, but we had some 5-pounders, too. We also had live bait out for catfish and got three huge ones, including a 32-pounder."

Indeed, summer and early fall fishing is all about weather systems and getting out on the water on those magical days just before and after a big weather system moves through an area, causing the barometric pressure to crash.

As the inclement weather moves out, the cold front...a mass of heavier, denser, high-pressure air...begins to rush in behind the low-pressure system. The result usually is windy weather, with clearing skies, dropping temperatures, and a very sharp rise in barometric pressure. During this time, anglers, especially those participating in big-money bass tournaments, dread even going near the water, because high pressure usually brings the fishing action to a standstill.

When cold, high-pressure fronts move in, prey, along with the predatory fish that feed on them, tend to move into dense cover, or out into deeper water, where they can be difficult to catch. This is when flipping jigs or running plugs around structure near deep water and working lures ever so S-L-O-W-W-W-L-Y in likely spots can pay off. Persistence will result in some catches during these times, but you'll have to work extremely hard for every strike.

Fishing time is precious, so maximize your efforts with a plan...provided, of course, you're not one of those who have to punch a clock eight hours a day, five days a week. In that case, you simply go every chance you get and hope for the best.

In any event, know that you can count on favorable fishing conditions during cloudy, stormy weather and not-so-great fishing during beautiful, sunny weather.

A barometer that can track the direction in which the pressure is heading will help determine in real time whether or not you should be fishing. A glance at which way the pressure is headed might help tell you if the past two biteless hours you've just spent on the water were due to poor lure choice or because fish were suffering under increasing high pressure.

Most of us fish when we can, and not necessarily when conditions are most favorable. However, if given a choice, try to get on the water before a storm moves in, and avoid fishing as one moves out.

Lightning: Why Does It Kill Humans But Not Our Beloved Fish?

When an angler hits the water, he's looking for action...and lots of it. However, I seriously doubt that any of us is looking for the kind of action portrayed in this photo, which was captured by a GoPro camera back in October 2013.

At the time, 16-year-old Tucker Owings was fishing Lake Athens in Athens, TX.

According to reports, the lightning seen here was so close to his boat, he said it was "like a knock to the back of his head." He had a headache the rest of the day, but neither he, nor his friend, suffered any injuries from their close call. And while they immediately beached the boat and ran for cover after this near-miss occurred, they returned to fishing once the "light show" was over.

One of the youngest professionals in the fishing industry (reportedly turned pro at the age of 14), Owings later would relate, "I just learned a very important lesson and am glad God protected us."

Now, perhaps I'm just an oddball, but as a result of re-reading this Owings story, I began wondering what protects the fish from bolts of lightning. After all, we all hear the warnings about using a hairdryer in the bathtub. So what happens to fish when lightning strikes? Why don't thunderstorms routinely kill off everything in the water?

I found the answer to those questions in a short article written by Ashley Hamer, a science communicator with a wide range of specialties and a deep love of the unknown. As she explained, lightning just doesn't strike the water that much. She cited a 2014 article in the Journal of Geophysical Research, which published a map that amassed five years of global lightning-strike data from two weather satellites. It showed that lightning strikes occur over land 10 times more often than they do over water.

According to the NASA Earth Observatory, this makes sense because of the way lightning forms. Solid earth absorbs sunlight and heats up faster than water does. That heat causes more convection and instability in the atmosphere, which, in turn, causes more lightning-producing storms to form.

Even still, lightning does strike the water sometimes. So why doesn't that kill the fish by the thousands? Physics has the answer. Like metal, water is a good conductor, so it encourages the electrical current to travel over its surface, rather than delve underneath, the same way a Faraday cage protects its contents from harmful shocks. (FYI: A Faraday cage essentially is a container, or shield, that blocks out electromagnetic radiation from across the electromagnetic spectrum, such as radio waves and microwaves. It works on the principle that when an electromagnetic field hits something that can conduct electricity, the charges remain on the exterior of the conductor, rather than traveling inside.)

If a fish surfaces at the wrong moment, it certainly can be hit by lightning. Luckily, though, most fish spend the majority of their time underwater, whereas people don't, and that's why we immediately should get off the water if a storm is approaching.

Not Sure How Much of Today's Dock Talk I Can Believe

I say that because of the wide differences in the numbers of fish "allegedly" caught by some of the competitors today. While Wayne and I openly admitted we had a total of five bites for five keeper bass, other anglers expressed that they had a far better day. One team reportedly said they easily had boated a total of 75 or more bass on the day. I think you get the picture...and an example of why my partner says he never believes a thing you hear during dock talk.

In reality, I know this much to be true: Of the 10 boats with 17 total anglers that fished today, 9 of the 10 boats weighed limits of five bass each. The 45 total bass brought to the scales weighed in at 94.29 lbs., for an average weight per fish of 2.09 lbs.

And one of the best aspects of the whole day was the fact that none of us got soaked by rain, which I would have bet never would have happened this morning when we shoved off from the marina. Local forecasters were calling for the possibility of some rain, especially during the afternoon hours. Dark clouds rolled around all day, but nary a drop fell...as far as I know.

Here is how the winners' circle looked at day's end:

In 1st place was the team of (from left) Fred Crawford and Gabe Himmelwright, with a total weight of 17.29 lbs., and a big fish weighing 4.90 lbs., which also made them the recipients of the lunker award.

Finishing in 2nd place was the team of (from left) Rob Peppers and Mike McCluskey, with a total weight of 14.47 lbs., and a big fish weighing 4.77 lbs. They also took home one part of the side pot.

And walking away with the 3rd place prize money was the team of (from left) Gary Coderre and Dave Anderson, with a total weight of 12.99 lbs., and a big fish weighing 3.62 lbs. They further won the other part of the side pot.

The remainder of the competitive field ended the day in the following order:

     * The team of Wayne Hayes and Ken Testorff, with a total weight of 9.48 lbs., and a big fish weighing 4.68 lbs.

     * The team of Stan Krason and Andrew Gonzalez, with a total weight of 9.38 lbs., and a big fish weighing 3.30 lbs.

     * Chris Fretard, with a total weight of 8.60 lbs., and no big fish.

     * Andy Morath, with a total weight of 7.98 lbs., and no big fish.

     * The team of Kevin Howerin and Matt Underwood, with a total weight of 7.10 lbs., and no big fish.

     * James Calhoun, with a total weight of 7.00 lbs., and no big fish.

     * The team of Steve Bailey and Dennis Dean didn't weigh any fish.

Congratulations to all of today's winners, and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our next scheduled event is Saturday, May 21st, starting at safe light or about 6 o'clock, with weigh-in at 2 p.m.

One Last Cast

Bass fishermen the world over know that what works one day, or, for that matter, one hour earlier suddenly may stop working without any forewarning. That lesson came back to me in spades today.

As a result of my trip to West Neck this past Thursday, I felt that, if nothing else, I had established a reasonable starting point for my partner and me this morning, once the tournament got underway. Nothing could have been farther from the truth, though. The locations...the baits...everything about Thursday's successes suddenly were null and void.

Only through a process of trial and error did we finally manage to put together a limit. Since returning home this afternoon, I've had an opportunity to do some online research that uncovered an old item written by Pete Robbins, a senior writer for Bassmaster Magazine. He was interviewing Elite Series pro Jeff Connella.

As explained in that article, there's a generally accepted truth that what separates a pro bass angler from a truly successful pro is an ability to relocate fish, especially in the spring, when fish looking to spawn or coming off the spawn may move, not just daily but hourly. And that scenario is further complicated by the fact that intermittent but often heavy rains (and/or as in our local case, the winds) may cause a body's water level to fluctuate greatly. When that happens, Connella believes that you typically shouldn't waste time fishing the old shoreline.

"They'll move quickly," he said. "Typically, when the water comes up real fast, the fish go to the bank. Worms come up out of the ground, and the bream go up there to feed, so the bass move up there to feed as well. You start off looking in those same pockets where they had been before.

"There's no universal rule as to whether the fish will stay put, move out or move farther back into a pocket," noted Connella. "A lot of that depends on what type of pocket, if you have a feeder creek in the back of the pocket. It also depends on whether you have a warm rain or a cold rain.

"One of the things you need to watch out for in the spring is that you'll get into one of the creeks and go so far back that the water actually will get colder," he continued. "You can have 60-degree water in the front and 54-degree water way in the back. When that happens, start working your way out. You want to find the warmest water around.

"The most important thing of all, though, is to keep an open mind. If the cover or structure that was ultra-productive a few days ago is no longer producing bass, you have to figure out where they went, or else risk a trip to the weigh-in with empty livewells."

According to Connella, "A lot of guys fish memories. They think, 'We caught them here last year or last week--or literally two days ago.' It's OK to start there, but you have to keep moving if they're not biting. The bass will tell you where they are. When you get a bite, you've got a piece of the puzzle. The more bites you get, the more pieces you get, and you'll finally put it all together."

Current Overall Statistics

Shallow...Shallower...Shallowest...Need I Say More?

That was the tale of my fishing today. With the heavy overcast skies that marked the beginning of the day, I made a conscious decision to stay put in West Neck, just in case I should end up having to make a run for cover. Had my rainsuit in the boat, but as I've come to learn over the years, when it rains hard, those light-material rainsuits usually don't hold up very well. More times than not, you end up with the rain finding an opening at your neck, and then it has a nasty habit of running all the way down to your behind.

With the iffy-looking weather, I was perfectly content staying put in West Neck Creek and checking out some areas where I usually find fish this time of year. Worked out that I found some fish today, too, but the biggest one I managed to get into the boat only tipped the scales at 1-9. The other four I boated all came in somewhere between 10 and 12 inches.

Ended up with only one of my chosen five baits producing all but one of the fish (the outlier was a small white perch that hit a 3/8-oz. spinnerbait). The same bait that put those five fish in the boat also accounted for temporary hookups with three larger fish that were able to come unbuttoned before I could get them in the boat. Accordingly plan to start Saturday's tournament with some new hooks.

As I've already shared with my regular tournament partner, I have a suggestion for Saturday's event...one that I hope will help us put the rain forecasters are predicting for that day in the rearview mirror. A boatload of fish would cure a whole bunch of ills.

Only saw one other bass boat on the water today, and that was Rob Pepper's Ranger. He already had gone out when I arrived at West Neck this morning and had departed by the time I returned to the ramp this afternoon. There also was a smattering of bank fishermen and kayakers out when I came in this afternoon.

An Angler Who Seems To Have Their Number

That describes dmac, the man who opened his latest note to me with, "Hope your arms are hurtin' from settin' the hook." Unfortunately, I can only wish that was the case.

Here's the rest of dmac's fishin' report this evening:

Slipped out today to an undisclosed (but local) location and had a bang-up day. Lipped 12 fish, had two throw the hook on the jump (which is OK in my book), and a couple legit misses (sux being human). Two were over 4 lbs., and the best was 5.89 lbs.

The last fish was a very memorable 2-lber. I threw a frog real close to the bank and got hung 3 to 4 inches above the water. After a rod twitch to remove it, this crazy bass jumped out of the water, grabbed the frog, somehow hooked himself, and I lipped him. Would have killed for a video of that. Part of what's great about gettin' out.

I'll bet Grits Gresham never had that happen, but then again, maybe he did. LOL.

For the benefit of anyone who's not familiar with Grits Gresham, he was an outdoorsman and writer who hosted and produced "American Sportsman," an ABC-TV series on which he took celebrities on hunting and fishing outings. The series aired from 1965 to 1986. In addition to showing hunting and/or fishing trips, the series included such outdoor recreational activities as whitewater kayaking, hang gliding, and free climbing. It typically was presented on Sunday afternoons, frequently following coverage of live sporting events.

May 2022 Best Fishing Times