The Eyes Have It; Let's Be Sure We Don't Lose It

Given the previous post about my friend getting a fish hook in his hand this past Tuesday, I decided to do a little online research.

Before I go into a discussion about what I learned, though, let me say my friend is doing fine. During a phone conversation with Jim yesterday, I learned he has some not-so-pretty bruising to his hand but no swelling or pain. And although he has to wait awhile, he's already talking about that next trip to the water.

That being said, let me assure you that I take all fish-hook injuries seriously. However, there is one category of these injuries that, in my opinion, are in a league of their own. I'm talking about those incidents that involve a person's eyes, which was the topic I researched online.

My research revealed that, as you might expect, eye injuries from fishing are lumped into the broader category of sports and recreational activities. Records show these injuries collectively result in more than 100,000 physician's office and ER visits each year. More sobering is the fact these injuries often lead to visual impairment and account for more than 40,000 new cases of blindness annually.

The United States Eye Injury Registry (USEIR) is a federation of individual state eye-injury registries that collect and share injury data via a common database. This federation documents serious eye injuries, which are those judged by the reporting physician to have a likelihood in permanent structural or functional damage to the eye and/or its orbit.

According to a report they published, citing USEIR data, recreational fishing accounts for nearly 20 percent of all sports-related eye injuries in the United States. Only baseball produces a greater number of eye injuries.

Penetrating injuries are a more serious complication of fishing-related trauma. Blunt force of sufficient magnitude can lead to global rupture, but open-globe injuries usually result from a fish hook penetrating the cornea or sclera. Penetrating injuries are a true emergency, and care must be taken to maintain the integrity of the eye while expediting surgical treatment to close the wound.

In fish-hook injuries, it's important NOT to attempt to remove the hook outside the setting of an operating room. Most commercial fish hooks have barbs, intended to keep a fish on the line. Unfortunately, that feature will cause substantially greater damage if you try to pull the hook back through the wound. Instead, experts advise immobilization of the hook or lure by taping it in place, followed quickly by transportation of the patient to the ER.

The vast potential for eye injuries is why anglers always should wear some kind of protection from not only the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays but from the possible impact of lures, sinkers and such. As we all know, polarized lenses are a great option for fishing, cutting the glare and helping you see beyond the water's surface. Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses, meanwhile, provide the best protection from objects that may come hurtling through the air at you.

Don't rely on regular spectacles for impact protection. They, in fact, can be extra hazardous to your eyes if they shatter. Instead, consider thermoplastic frame materials, which mold to your face, enhancing comfort, or rubber frame components, which can help your frame stay firmly in place. Floating frames are a safeguard for your valuable investment.

The bottom line is that, with the right kind of protective eyewear, you reduce the risk of serious eye injury up to 90 percent. Remember, too, that it's not always the fisherman who suffers an eye injury. One fishing study, for example, showed that nearly 25 percent of those injured simply were innocent bystanders. Pay particular attention when children are around because they may not understand the inherent dangers involved.

In short, let's all be safe out there.

'Twas a Topwater Day for Two

I only got an on-the-run report from my friend Jim Bauer this afternoon at West Neck Marina, but I know I heard him say he had caught all his fish today on topwater, which is what I used to boat five.

As I learned later this evening, after Jim had put his spur-of-the-moment issue from this afternoon to rest, he also ended up boating a total of five bass. He, too, had one dink, along with a 2-5, 1-11, and two fish that he said were about 14-inches apiece but with each weighing less than a pound. (Note: I didn't have a photo yet from Jim at the time I posted this item. If one is forthcoming, I will include it with this article.)

It's a pretty safe bet that Jim will remember today's dink for a long time to come. However, I'm not going to divulge the reason. I'll leave that to him to decide whether he ever wants to make the incident public.

I maybe should clarify here that Jim and I were not using the same topwater bait. He was using the one that gave him a bang-up day on Lake Gaston during his recent visit there, while I was using my I'll-never-tell (INT) bait, which single-handedly, or used in conjunction with other topwater lures, now has produced a limit of bass on four consecutive trips. I can assure you I don't remember the last time that happened.

My catch today included a dink, plus four keepers, weighing 0-15, 1-10, 2-0 and the 2-7 in the photo above. Notice how closely my totals nearly mirror those that Jim put up today. Merely a coincidence? Who can say for sure? We weren't fishing the same area. He spent his day in West Neck, while I ran to Albright's.

UPDATE

After due deliberation, Jim has agreed to let me explain what happened to him yesterday, so as ol' Paul Harvey used to say, "And now for the rest of the story."

As I approached the catwalk yesterday afternoon, I quickly noticed Rob Peppers scurrying around, helping Jim prep his boat for the road. That mere fact alone told me that something likely was wrong with Jim, 'cause he routinely takes care of that chore all by himself.

I just had tied up my boat at the catwalk when Jim and Rob saw me and started making their way toward me, It was then I noticed Jim was holding his one hand with the other, which conclusively told me that something was wrong. And one look at his hand, with a treble hook buried in it, as you clearly can see in this photo, proves it.

Don't mind telling you that I grimaced and, after a very abbreviated glance, had to look away. I've been in that boat too many times and know the drill all too well. Besides that, I don't have a strong stomach for the sight of blood--whether it be my own or someone else's.

That being said, it was decided that Jim would accompany Rob home, with Rob driving Jim's pickup and towing his boat. Then Rob would unhook the boat in his driveway and take care of it, so Jim could go on to Princess Anne emergency room and have the hook removed.

Although Jim didn't know it at the time that 8-inch bass buried the treble hook in his hand, the ensuing odyssey of sorts would entail approximately 8.5 hours from start to finish. His visit to the emergency room alone encompassed 6.5 hours.

Said Jim in a day-later email, "The hand feels surprisingly good today." Best of all, as he pointed out, "No pain meds!" He also offered this piece of advice to anglers everywhere, "Be careful when trying to lip the little guys. They get rowdy."

And, as promised earlier, here's the photo of Jim's best fish yesterday.

I couldn't help noticing how calm the 2-5 bass in this photo appears. I also remember how Jim described the actions of that little 8-incher from yesterday's saga. He said the li'l fella wouldn't hold still for even a second.

In other words, on one hand, you have this mature 2-5 bass who seems to be perfectly at ease. Then, on the other hand, you have this frisky 8-incher, which is acting like someone just fed him a bunch of Mexican jumping beans.

Does this remind you of anything? It does me. I well can remember my mom telling me on more than one occasion, "If you don't hold still, I'm gonna jerk knots in ya."

I'm betting you that Jim probably now wishes he had jerked a few knots in that 8-incher yesterday.

In conclusion, Jim and I would both like to thank a couple of folks from yesterday's episode. First of all, thanks to Eddie Sapp for helping Jim get his boat back on the trailer. Second, thanks to Rob Peppers for helping Jim tie everything down and providing overnight storage for my friend's rig. You're both class acts in our books.

Only Little Over 2 Pounds Separate Top 3 Places

The 19 anglers in 11 boats we had on hand for today's contest was about 50 percent more than I really expected, considering I knew of at least three other tourneys taking place, but that's a good thing.

Those competitors who walked away this afternoon with a winning smile were as follows:

1st Place, the team of (from left) Wayne Hayes and Al Napier, five bass, 12.35 lbs. total weight. The same team also took home the day's lunker pot with a bass weighing 4.18 lbs.

2nd Place, the team of  (from left) Zach Rhodes and Jack Rhodes, five bass, 11.19 lbs. total weight, 3.89-lb. big fish.

3rd Place, Mike Evans, five bass, 10.08 lbs. total weight, no big fish.

And capturing today's Mystery Weight was the team of (from left) Randy Conkle and Bob Glass. Their three-fish total weight of 4.77 lbs. came closest to the 2.45 tab that was drawn. Their big fish weighed 2.55 lbs.






Here is how all the other competitors finished the day:

     * Steve Bailey, five fish, 9.55 lbs. total weight, 3.97-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Paul Celentano and Hal Scott, five fish, 9.35 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Skip Schaible and Mitch Portervint, five fish, 9.19 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Duane Kessel and Bobby Moore, five fish, 8.24 lbs. total weight, 2.01-lb. big fish.
     * Ken Testorff, five fish, 8.23 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Lenny Hall and Gary Coderre, five fish, 8.09 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Chris Fretard and Mike Miller, five fish, 7.43 lbs. total weight, no big fish.

Overall, today's anglers weighed a total of 53 bass for a total weight of 98.47 lbs. The average weight was 1.85 lbs.

One more name was added to the list of those anglers now qualified to fish our season-ending two-day Classic, bringing the total to 18.

Congrats to all of the winners and thanks to everyone who came out to participate. For planning purposes, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, June 25, from safe light (about 5:15 or 5:30) to a 2 p.m. weigh-in.

My day started with a couple of nice crappie (one of 'em likely better than a pound) and a bowfin, along with a string of missed strikes on my new I'll-never-tell bait (INT). It wasn't until I eventually tied a Pop R onto another rod that I finally tamed some of those missed strikes. And for most of the morning, I used the INT bait more as a search bait. I'd throw it until one blew up on it but missed, then toss my Pop R into the same spot and catch a fish.

About noon, the fish started getting enough of the INT bait I could set the hook on 'em with that, so I put down the Pop R and never looked back. I ended the day's pursuits with only eight bass total but feel like I can improve on that number once I get my timing fixed on those missed strikes. In the meantime, I'm just happy to finally be bringing more than a couple fish aboard on my outings. It's funny how fast all those frustrations start fading when you start having a few good days on the water.

Just Had To Go Back for Seconds Today

With another day of beautiful weather, coupled with yesterday's results, I couldn't resist the temptation to haul my fanny out of bed early this morning and head back to West Neck Marina for another day on the water. Suffice it to say I'm genuinely beat right now, but given the way things turned out again today, I'm not in the least regretting my decision.

I again missed a lot of strikes and had a few come unbuttoned before I got them to the boat but managed to put a total of six in the boat by day's end, including three dinks, a 1-0, 1-1, and the 3-6 in the accompanying photo.

I don't mind admitting I was more than a little lucky to have gotten my day's best in the boat. As I started unfastening him, I quickly noticed that he was hooked only by one barb of the treble. And, too, the snap had come partly undone. Reckon I may have to stop complaining about ol' man Murphy always riding on my shoulder--at least for a while.

And if you're wondering, the 3-6 came on a topwater lure, which is all I ever can say about it. If you've noticed the change I made to yesterday's results (check the note in bold type I added earlier this evening), you'll understand why I made this statement. As Pop impressed on me at a very early age, "A man's word is his bond," and I gave my friend my word.

An All-Topwater Kind of Day

I expected a topwater bite for a while this morning, but it came as a complete surprise when that topwater bite lasted the entire day. But before I go any farther, I have to give credit where credit is due. In this case, it all goes to Dave, whom I ran into in Albright's today.

I wasn't having much luck when I bumped into him, but thanks to his sharing what he already had caught 12 small bass on, it turned my day completely around, and for that, I'll always be grateful. So, Dave, if you happen to be reading my blog, please know that I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your secret to success with me today.

After talking to him this morning, I went on to catch a total of seven bass, including two dinks, plus a 1-8, 1-10, 2-2, 2-12 (left) and 2-15 (top right). I also lost another nice keeper on the way to the boat and missed several more strikes--all on the same bait that Dave was using to score so well.

If it wasn't for the fact there's a tourney this Saturday, I'd let everyone know what that magic lure is, but in this case, my lips are sealed, at least until the tourney is in the record books (UPDATE: make that forever. The kind gent who shared with me has asked that I never divulge the secret he showed me, so I'm going to honor that request--because that's what you do for friends.).

From this point forward, when Dave speaks, I'm going to listen. He proved to me today that he knows what he's talking about.

Why You Always Need a Plan B

My kayaker friend, Charlie, headed out the door this past Monday morning, with nothing more planned than a photo shoot on Stumpy Lake. He was going to paddle his way to a bald eagle's nest he found sometime back to see if any chicks had fledged or were getting ready to fly.

At the last minute, he decided to grab a spinning rod and a package of Senkos, which mimics something Dewey's ol' friend, Woo Daves, used to advocate during earlier Richmond Bass-a-Rama days. I vividly recall his saying that all you needed for a fishin' trip was a rod, a package of worms, and some hooks.

As Charlie would learn, there's something to be said for this "fishing light" idea. He found that, by flipping those Senkos way back under low-hanging cypress limbs--ones that were touching the water--the bass would jump all over them. Ditto the white perch and crappie, too.

At the end of his photo-shoot-turned-fishing-trip day, Charlie had bagged bass weighing 1-12, 2-0, 2-8, 3-0, and 3-6, for a grand total five-fish limit of 12 lbs. 10 ozs.

Said my friend, "I've never done really great on Stumpy before, but I knew they were there. And now I've seen it for myself."

Earlier today, I told Charlie he ought to plan a few more of these one-lure trips. I mentioned that I had done a couple of them in recent years without having the day turn out too badly. In my case, having only the one lure to fish all day precluded any distraction from thinking about other lures in my box I could be trying. All I could do was knuckle down and concentrate on making the one I had produce results.

Oh, I forgot to mention it earlier, but at the same time Charlie grabbed his rod and a bag of Senkos, he also decided to pick up one camera--just in case--which he used to video Monday's trip. If you would like to take a look at the results for yourself, here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dbq_aWy8V8.

Today's 15th Annual Steve Gambill Cancer Classic Another Success Story

With the Cancer Classic always taking place out of West Landing Marina, you always have a front-row seat for all kinds of traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway, as evidenced by this somewhat unique craft that happened by this morning.

Sean Vitovich (left) and his dad, Chris, pause for my camera lens this morning before the pace of everything shifted into high gear.

Two young fellas I'm pretty sure are brothers got comfortable on the catwalk beside the launch ramp this morning for a little fishing.

This "feeding time" scene occurs all up and down the Intracoastal Waterway.

Among things given away during the raffle today was what you see here...

here...

                                       and here.

The weigh-in area always gets busy...

and draws a few oohs and ahs with fish like this.

And what would such a gathering be like without a little music?

Chris always remembers all those helpers who support him in this yearly endeavor.

No Cancer Classic ever is complete without a photo of the organizers and all the trophy winners from the fishing tournament.

And just for good measure, the young lady in this photo broke a few dance moves to the music playing as festivities were breaking up, and I couldn't resist snapping a couple shots of her in action.

Even If Your Bass Boat Can Run 100 Miles Per Hour...

You're still gonna lose in a race with lightning--and, more importantly, it just might be your last race EVER! Why do I say that? Primarily, it's because, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, a lightning bolt travels at speeds up to 93,000 miles per second.

So, the next time you insist on taking one more cast, with electricity dancing across the sky all around, you perhaps might want to ask yourself this question: Is it really worth the gamble?

It's the smart angler who follows the example in this scenario:

"Super moisturized air, whipped by strong southwest winds, had baked all afternoon under an intense June sun as we fished for bass. The heated, humid air rose sharply into an unstable atmosphere, and soon, towering cumulous clouds darkened the sky. The process of convection (basically, the transfer of heat) had begun.

"It wasn't long before we heard the first rumble of thunder and could smell the metallic odor of ozone, a byproduct of rapid condensation in rain or storm clouds. Considering the forecast called for severe thunderstorms, now (remember they just had heard the "first" rumble of thunder) was the moment to pack up our fishing tackle and seek shelter inside the nearest gas station or fast-food joint. We didn't want to get struck by lightning. Not even a record largemouth bass is worth getting fried over."

Before NOAA initiated the first nationwide Lightning Safety Awareness Week campaign in 2001, lightning strikes killed an average of 73 people every year in the U.S., more than hurricanes and tornados combined.

A little more than half the victims were engaged in outdoor recreation, like fishing or boating. Ten times as many were struck but survived--many with life-long injuries or disabilities. Thanks to that annual NOAA campaign, the average number of yearly deaths today has dropped to 37, but the need to keep educating people about the dangers of lightning remains, especially with the height of lightning season upon us once again.

According to the National Weather Service, lightning can strike as far away as 10 miles from its source cloud. This is why it's recommended that you stop fishing or whatever as soon as you hear any thunder. And because debris clouds trailing behind a thunderstorm can produce their own lightning, fishermen should wait 30 minutes after the storm has passed before resuming any fishing. While inside during a storm, stay away from doors and windows, plumbing, wiring, appliances, and telephones.

A somewhat less conservative response to seeing lightning involves the "30/30 rule." Upon spotting lightning, it you can count to 30 before hearing thunder, the odds are you're out of range of the lightning. A count of five before hearing thunder equals roughly one mile of distance from a lightning strike, a count of 10 equals two miles, etc. However, thunderstorms can move as fast as 50 mph, so the next bolt of lightning could be right on top of you.

Research by the University of Florida has noted that lightning is very unpredictable. Bolts can contain as much as 100 million volts--a minimum of 500,000 times the electricity needed to power a sparkplug. Lightning follows Ben Franklin's "path of resistance" rule, and guess what? The path easily can be through a fisherman's body, which happens to conduct electricity quite well. So, if it's impossible to seek indoor shelter, and you are trapped outside during a thunderstorm, reducing your exposure is critical.

The first thing to do is lay down your fishing rods, which could act like an antennae and draw a lightning strike right to you.

Boaters are at great risk because they often are the highest object on the water's surface. Even distant thunder or lightning flashes should trigger an immediate move toward shelter on land. As a last resort, crouch down, avoiding all contact with metal railings, wiring or the motor.

Lightning strikes occur in all 50 states of the U.S.--to the tune of around 25 million times per year, with Florida receiving the most annual strikes. Late-afternoon hours are the most dangerous periods for lightning strikes, with people involved in outdoor activities the most common victims. So make yourself aware of the weather forecast before heading out to fish, and if thunderstorms are in the predictions, plan to return home before they start bubbling up.

There are those anglers who claim they love the phenomena of thunderstorms. One I read about said, "I'm fascinated by the crackle of lightning bolts and those claps of house-shaking thunder. Also, like too many people," he admitted, "I've unwisely continued fishing while a storm approached, when I should have been long gone to safety."

Be smart about your fishing, as well as your boating, and check out all the information available at this link: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/severeweather/resources/ttl6-10.pdf.

When That Thick White Cloud Settles Over You

Fog delays change things for pro bass anglers. Instead of just exchanging a few pleasantries with one another in the wee hours before going fishing, they sit around on the boats or on the dock and talk for however long the delay lasts.

As veteran angler Charlie Hartley was once reported to have said, "Some of the best stories I've heard have been told during fog delays. I'm a talker, so I love that part of them."

Another thing that sometimes happens is that the anglers get to eat breakfast. One of them remembered a tournament day when one of the guys from a service crew went to a local McDonald's and brought back egg and sausage sandwiches for everyone. You can imagine how popular that guy was that morning. You have to understand the anglers can't go anywhere, because no one knows how long the delay will last.

The other side of fog delays, though, isn't so pretty. They really affect the fishing--not so much that the anglers lose the early fishing time. Rather, it's what causes fog delays and what happens afterward.

Heavy fog develops when the air is colder than the water. Fog is water vapor suspended in the air. Cold air normally is associated with a cold front, which means a light blue, cloudless sky and a bright, burning sun.

When the fog burns off, it doesn't do so slowly or over a period of time--not usually, anyway. It likely happens in 10 or 15 minutes. So when you launch, you do it under tough conditions that have set in immediately. That doesn't have much of an effect on the fishing, but it does hurt the catching.

And there's no time added to the fishing day because of a late launch. The shortened day on the water never is a good thing. All the anglers always think things would have been different if only they'd had a little more time.

It's probably safe to say that while none of these anglers like fog delays, they certainly understand them, and to the last one, have this warning for fishermen everywhere: Don't ever take a chance and leave the dock when there's heavy fog. It doesn't matter how bad you want to fish or how big the fish are. Fog is dangerous. Regardless of how well you think you know a body of water, you'll quickly find out that you know nothing when that thick, white cloud settles over you.

Just ask the Florida man who learned the hard way that years of experience on the water is no warranty against accidents. The decades-long owner of a well-established fish camp on Lake Kissimmee ended his career when he ran over another angler and his wife one foggy morning.

The rules are simple but stringent:

     * Never leave the ramp without visibility of at least 200 yards.

     * Remember, GPS is not radar. It shows shoreline and navigation marks but not other boats.

     * Don't let yourself be distracted by your electronics--even for a moment--while you're underway. Tweaking the sonar or GPS or taking a cellphone call while you're running on plane is very risky.

     * Never start the outboard motor without your PFD on and your safety lanyard attached.

     * If your bow seat obstructs your vision, take it down every time before you go on plane.

     * If you can't be sure of the intentions of an approaching boat or other craft, slow down and give way.

     * Anytime visibility is minimal as the result of fog or rain, turn on your running lights--even during the day. This also applies even when you're stopped and fishing.

     * Never make a turn without looking behind you for overtaking boats.

     * Never approach another boat at high speed from behind or head-to-head at close quarters where you can't evade him if he makes a sudden turn.

     * Remember that you lose forward vision in most bass rigs until the boat comes out of the hole. Be especially vigilant on take-off.

     * It's both illegal and stupid to operate a high-speed boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

     * Make sure everybody stays seated anytime the boat is on plane.

     *  Keep a sharp eye out for wakes from tugs, barges and yachts--they can put a 60-mph boat airborne.

     * Slow down around bridges and restricted channels where boat traffic is heavy.

     * Encourage your boat partners to help keep watch for approaching traffic.

     * Though your boat has no brakes, you can use the trim control to quickly slow it down. Dropping the lower unit all the way as you cut power will help stop the boat quickly.

In short, caution and persistent vigilance are as much a part of modern bass fishing as low-profile baitcasting reels and fluorocarbon line. Keep a sharp eye every time you leave the ramp and avoid becoming another statistic.

A Lady Angler Who Deserves a Boatload of Good Ol' R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Consider this: 34-year-old Mandy Uhrich works full-time for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; plays Monday-night softball; fishes a number of bass and multi-species tournaments; and increasingly appears in national TV commercials, national and regional TV shows, outdoor magazines, and on seminar stages. She also promotes and introduces women and kids to fishing in her spare time.

Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention that she also hunts and now hosts her own hunting show. To her credit, she has hunted wolves in Canada, alligators in South Carolina, pheasants in South Dakota, and wild turkeys, ducks, deer, and geese in many places.

"I don't fish and hunt as a marketing gig," she said during a fishing-trip interview with C. B. Bylander, a freelance writer from Baxter, MN. "It's who I am."

In her best angling year, Uhrich won nine of the 26 tournaments she entered, had 14 top-10 finishes, and three top-15 finishes. "It was crazy," she said.

This success aside, Uhrich enters tournaments for the fun and challenge, rather than the money. She pays her own entry fees and travel costs and considers it a "fantastic season" as long as she breaks even at the end of the year.

Uhrich owes her passion for fishing to her dad. A laborer who loved to fish rain or shine, he often took Mandy on trips to Devil's Lake, ND, and nearby Red River.

"Dad said I was a great fishing partner from the get-go," Uhrich recalled. "I'd bring crayons in the boat but usually didn't touch them because I was so serious about fishing."

When she wasn't fishing with her father, she often peddled her bike to the Red River, where she would roam the banks, applying what she had learned.

Today, Uhrich fishes three different bass and one multi-species tournament series. She is part of a micro-minority because, even thought many women fish, few toil the tournament trail. In that capacity, she has been embraced by most, ostracized by a few, and often considered a curiosity by many.

Uhrich remembered when another female, Michaela Anderson, and her teamed to represent Minnesota at a national bass-fishing tournament in Virginia.

"A competitor told our director that he must be scraping the bottom of the barrel to bring us," said Mandy. "The director was livid. He bet we'd finish 40 places higher than that competitor...and we did."

On another occasion, Uhrich was navigating her 19-foot Lund boat with a 225-hp Evinrude G2 outboard through a busy channel in the Whitefish Chain of Lakes when a man hollered, "Your husband must really love you, because, otherwise, he wouldn't let you use his boat."

The riled Uhrich, who admits to having a sometimes sharp-as-a-hook tongue, shot back, "This is my boat, and I'm single," which prompted men in yet another boat to yell, "Marry me. Marry me."

For the time being, though, wedding proposals from passing boaters and any other suitors likely will fall on deaf ears. Uhrich said her full-time job as an on-the-road wildlife depredation specialist and hectic non-work schedule make a yellow Labrador and a pair of purse dogs the perfect partners.

"It's probably a good thing I'm not married," she laughed. "All of my dogs' names--Revo, Cumara, Zander, and Lindy Rig--are related to fishing. If I had kids, they'd probably have funny names, too."

Though Uhrich thrives on the excitement of fishing competitions, she said her most rewarding experiences often come from mentoring others, especially women and girls.

"I donate time to a number of causes--among them, Keeping Kids In outDoors Sports (KKIDS), Becoming an Outdoors Woman, Women in Need of Kindness, and others--because the outdoors is so important to me. If people understand it, they'll protect it. If they don't, they won't."

And so, on a morning when the sky was blue and an east wind rippled the water, Uhrich did what her interviewer figured she would do: She out-fished him. "She had three bass in hand before I caught one," he said. "She landed the biggest, too. But more important, Uhrich did what I hoped--she reflected on a driven life."

"Do I feel like I've made it?" asked Mandy aloud. "The answer is: I don't know. I've accomplished a lot. I'm proud of what I've done. But I figure I have another 30 years ahead of me. The answer will come with time."

"Our fishing done," noted Bylander, "we stowed the rods (all 16 of them belonging to Mandy) and retreated to a log-cabin-style restaurant down the pike from Brainerd International Raceway. Uhrich wore a sporty shirt peppered with the logos of her many sponsors. A woman approached her and asked, 'Are you a race-car driver?'"

"No, ma'am," she replied proudly. "I'm a professional angler."

"And a woman who has come a long way from peddling her bike to the Red River," thought Bylander to himself.

Photos by Bill Lindner, Bret Amundson and courtesy of Mandy Uhrich.

Like Father, Like Son

Had an email this morning from my kayaker friend, Ron Ameika, telling me that he has been getting out daily since May 24th, fishing mostly Blackwater and Milldam. In that time, the XTS Minnow has been working its magic on a number of species, including bass, bowfin, gar, perch, crappie, catfish, pickerel, and bluegill.

Said Ron, "I count it a good day if I catch more than two bass, and yesterday was a great day. I caught a 3-5, 2-3, 1-5, 1-1, and two at a pound even." In the evening, his son, Alex, joined him. And while Ron was picking up another 3-5 bass (see photo left) and a 3-5 bowfin, Alex likewise scored a 3-5 bass (see photo below) of his own, along with a 3-0 bowfin--his first of this species for the year.

"Nice coincidence, three fish at 3-5," declared Ron, and I couldn't agree with him more.

In conclusion, Ron said, "Weather has been great!" And I understand he's referring to the agreeable temps and all that cloud cover that's been hanging around for what seems like "forever" now.

However, I quite frankly could do without all the mist and rain we've also had in recent weeks. That stuff simply doesn't do anything positive for my disposition or arthritis, either one. If you doubt me, just ask my wife.

The Name of This Game Is Concentration

Retired American pro golfer Lee Trevino once said, "If your concentration is getting bad, take up bass fishing. It will really improve your ability to focus. If you aren't ready when that fish hits, you can't set the hook."

Go ahead and tell me Kansas bass pro Brent Chapman on the bow of the Triton bass boat in this photo isn't focused, and I'll send you the phone number for my optometrist. It's plenty evident, to even a casual observer, that Chapman isn't the least bit distracted by the fact the bow of his boat is dipping into the waves. If his eyes were lasers, they would be burning holes in that bait he's dragging back to the boat. In short, he simply oozes concentration and focus, which, according to master cinematographer and author of Bass Forever Glen Lau, "are critical aspects of being a good bass fisherman.

"Casting, boat position, and lure selection," explains Lau, "are all important to getting the bass to strike, but once you've got your bait or lure in the water, concentration becomes just as important to your success. You can elevate your fishing dramatically by concentrating on what you are doing and focusing on the environment around you. This is really nothing more than living in the moment and not letting work or home distractions take away from your fishing time."

Bass fishing all-time great Bill Dance echoes those sentiments. "Pay close attention to what you're doing and what's going on around you while fishing," he says. "Your degree of alertness and powers of observation are excellent indicators for the amount of concentration and confidence you have at the moment. If you persist in worrying about what happened at work, or that the yard needs mowing, or what you've got to do next week, or anything else at all, you might as well load up and pick another day to fish.

"Fishing should be fun, and you should be out there enjoying yourself, not worrying about something else," Dance continues. "Your concentration should be on your fishing. Concentrating on what's taking place around you can tip the scales toward success.

"Also be alert. You may just recognize a circumstance that can help you catch more fish. A good angler hears as well as sees, and his mind registers the impressions. If, for example, a bass nabs a baitfish on the surface behind you, your ears should convey the message, even though you're concentrating on casting to a target. The trick is to train your senses to accept the common place in nature and seek out the unusual.

"Let's carry this line of thought a little farther," challenges Dance. "Perhaps shad are working on the surface. Your ears register and accept this sound as normal. But then you hear a deeper splash-like sound--an engulfing sound that signals feeding predator fish. Such sound should attract your immediate attention.

"Good fishermen are forever able to recall the circumstances surrounding the catching of fish after fish. They seem to remember water depth, water clarity and temperature, type of lure and color, speed of retrieve, wind direction, weather, and a host of other variables. They have total recall of these facts, even years later. If we can interpret this uncanny ability, it boils down to concentration and observation.

"Nothing good anglers do is haphazard; each piece of the puzzle fits into place in their minds. When you train yourself to concentrate as thoroughly as they do, you're well on your way to being at the top of your game."

It can't be stressed how psychologically important concentration is to the sport of competitive angling. We all know how critical it is to pay attention at all times to what your rod, line and lure are doing and not let your mind wander.

You can go long periods of time without a single bite and then suddenly have to react. To do this, you need to focus your attention on relevant environmental cues and be able to maintain that attention for continued good performance. It's also a good idea to block out past events (like losing a fish), as well as future events (like the consequences of losing a fish). In a nutshell, stay focused in the present.