For the Week Ending Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018

Monday, Oct. 22 (from Ron)...Back to my old Milldam haunt. Have not fished freshwater since Sept. 28. Had a short window from  5 to 6:30 p.m. About 5:30, I found 'em, and it was on. Caught seven bass in quick succession; also had a few misses. Can't remember a time when they were all so healthy and fat. Even the smallest one was 1-2. All were between 1-2 and 2-10, and they were in great shape. T'was near perfect...all clean lip hooksets and all on swimsenko or Zoom U Vibe worms. Had a few swipes at topwater but no hookups. Very refreshing to be back in the fresh, away from the crowds. It was a picture-perfect evening.

Tuesday, Oct. 23 (from Ron)...Visited another ol' haunt this evening: upper North Landing. The area has disappointed all summer long but thought I would target bowfin for a change. Glad I did. Had several on that threw the hook or got a poor hookset (hookset shy?). I decided to let this one run a bit longer before setting the hook, and it worked. After a pole-bending, all-out super fight, he weighed in at 9 lbs. 14 ozs. and an even 30 inches. A torn-up tail normally is indicative of spawning activity, but that isn't supposed to happen until spring. Last spring, I couldn't find any in upper North Landing. Makes me curious. Not sure what tomorrow has in store.

Wednesday, Oct. 24 (from Ron)...With the low gauge and high winds, was kind of limited on launch options. Opted for Lovitt's vicinity of Back Bay. Started slowly, throwing worms and spinnerbaits. Caught a crooked 2-8 bass on the spinner and shifted to U Vibes. Lost a couple and caught a couple. Had an attack as the worm broached the surface, so tried a Pop R. Caught a couple more, and the topwater bite turned on just as it got dark. Headlamp died, and I wasn't going to mess with Pop R trebles in the dark, so called it a night. Caught a total of seven bass, mostly between 13 and 16 inches, all pretty healthy. The ol' adage is "one is none, and two is one." I always should carry two headlamps.

Saturday, Oct. 27 (from Ron)...Thursday evening, fished 2.5 hours for one dink. Saturday morning at Blackwater, fished 3.5 hours for one dink. Saturday evening, went to HRBT, and the striper bite was on. Had a near-24-inch keeper after only 5 minutes at the bridge. Also got three shorts, then had a monster breakoff that got tangled in the pylons. Conditions went south with wind and washing-machine chop and had to get outta there.

For Having a Brain the Size of a Pea, A Bass Does OK

I perhaps never would have pursued this topic if it weren't for the two days I spent in the company of my friend, Skip, and that jar of Smelly Jelly he kept dipping into. I finally have quit smelling that stuff, but I don't think I'll ever be able to forget its horrendous odor. And that, my friends, is what got me to digging around on the Internet the last several days.

Back when I started out bass fishing, there were some scents on the market, and I dabbled with a few but never achieved a degree of success that made me feel like they were much help. That, coupled with the fact I had recurring problems with spilling liquid versions in my boat, was enough reason for me to chalk up bait attractants as a bad idea. Consider that I came to the same conclusion about those jumpsuits everyone--especially club members--wore back in the day.

Imagine my surprise, however, when, during this latest research, I learned that the reported annual sales from fishing scents now run in the neighborhood of $40 to $50 million. I also learned that more than 50 manufacturers have, at one time or another, marketed scent products.

One can only assume, from these numbers, that fishermen, as well as manufacturers, have been keeping up to date with the work being done by research biologists. A few years ago, for example, a study was conducted on the taste and smell of a bass in a tank of 100 gallons of water. In this study, the bass was found to be able to taste (or smell) 1/200th of a drop of a substance in the 100-gallon water tank.

And tests by the late bass researcher Dr. Loren G. Hill (the same fella who invented the Color-C-Lector way back when) showed that bass can detect a preyfish odor source at a distance of 25 feet. Only the bass's sense of hearing is capable of greater range under normal water-clarity conditions.

A bass has a pair of nostrils, or nares, on each side of its head, between the eyes and upper lip. Each nostril has two openings, separated by a bridge of skin. Water circulates continuously through these short passages, where microscopic, hair-like cilia detect odors. At no time during this process, though, does water enter the throat.

As a bass swims about, water movement is enhanced, and the nostrils are constantly in use. A membrane tissue, called the olfactory epithelium, consists of complex folds that line the nostrils. This membrane greatly increases the total surface area and the bass's receptive scenting powers. Within the epithelium, odor molecules activate millions of olfactory receptor nerve cells, which send a message to the olfactory centers of the bass's brain, where the odor is interpreted.

As a bass ages and grows larger, the number of olfactory folds increases. It has been found that young, 4-to-6-inch largemouth bass have five or six folds. A 12-inch bass may have 10 folds, while one 20 inches in length may have as many as 20 folds. It also has been found that the diameter of the olfactory organ itself grows with age. Most scientists thus conclude that older bass have a better developed sense of smell.

I reckon that explains why so many anglers are buying so much fish attractant nowadays. As many of them will tell you, though, it's not just a matter of finding something to appeal to the fish's senses. It's also a matter of finding a scent to mask the human odor. That's why some anglers I read about in this most recent research advertised for applying scents directly to your fingers and rubbing it onto the first 4 or 5 feet of fishing line.

It's hard for me to imagine anyone having the constitution to follow that advice with something as potent as Smelly Jelly, but I suppose there are a few hardy souls out there. I just hope I don't ever run into any of you.

The whole premise, after all, is to find something pleasing to the bass's sense of smell, so that he'll hold on for more than just one or two seconds. Good scents, according to what I read, will cause bass to hang on for as long as 30 seconds--long enough, generally speaking, for even the slowest of hooksetters to score.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018

Saturday, Oct. 20 (from Ron)...Been chasing the speckled trout for a couple weeks. Getting a few close to 20 inches, as well as 20, 30 and more 12-inchers. Found a nice 19-incher this morning and also caught a much needed anchor. Have always wanted one. Snagged it, and after some struggle, pulled it up, cleaned it off, and now have an anchor for those windy days. Saw a fella in a boat land a huge speck. When I passed, I asked about length, and he said it was 27 inches!!! Certainly looked that long. Gotta keep trying!

Sunday, Oct. 21 (from Ron)...Fought serious wind today (gusting over 30) to find some speckled trout. Oddly, I didn't see anyone else out there! Fought through a few small ones before finally finding one like I was after: a 21-incher. Feeling the head shake and listening to the drag is a great feeling. When I got back to the parking lot, there were no other cars...what wimps! The launch and transit was tough. Fought wind until I hit the the western shore, then it was calm and protected. Didn't consider the return trip, which took every ounce of effort I could muster to make about a half-knot.

OMG! There Goes My Rod and New Reel!

That's the thought I had last Saturday as I watched my 6-6 BPS Rick Clunn signature series IM8 graphite rod with new Ardent Apex Elite baitcast reel go over the side of my boat. I just knew the combo was going to the bottom.

Imagine my great surprise--not to mention my relief--however, when I looked over the side and saw the same thing as bass pro Chris Lane is looking at in the accompanying photo.

That's right, my combo was floating in a horizontal fashion, exactly like Lane's combo is here, and I guarantee you that his combo cost a lot more than mine...or so I would surmise.

Information I found online indicates that Lane primarily uses BPS Carbonlite rods and reels. In this case, he was trying to flip a 5-inch Whopper Plopper when he accidentally hit the water with the lure before he flipped it. He subsequently lost his grip on the rod and could only watch as it went over the side.

My rod has an all-cork handle, and the reel only weighs 5.9 ounces, but whether those factors somehow figured in my good fortune is anyone's guess. All I know is that I still have my rod and reel, and it works as well now as it did before the splash occurred.

Reckon maybe I'll have to change one of my favorite sayings. I've oft repeated that "if I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all."

A Sure-Fired Cure for Your Sinus Problems

"Take the advice from a dumba$$ like me; do not test smell this product."

That was the advice of a customer who, AFTER opening a jar, mistakenly stuck it under his nose and took a deep breath of what he would later describe as "the most vile product I have ever smelled.

"It burned my nose, I gagged and nearly vomited for half an hour afterward," he said. "My wife smelled it in the other room (after a few minutes, the smell just migrated across the whole house). My dogs went crazy, trying to find what stunk."

This gent went on to compare the smell to what you probably would get if you "put a hundred dead fish in a garbage can, set it out in the hot sun for about a week, then removed the lid. "I can't believe any living creature would be attracted to this stuff, but the bass absolutely love it.

"It stays stuck on the lure for seemingly forever," he continued. "Even after removing the product, the lure still stinks. Glad I have small plastic bags to keep lures in, but they really don't keep the stench out."

So what is this product that I became all too familiar with last weekend while fishing our Classic tournament with my buddy Skip? It's called Smelly Jelly Scents. According to what I read online, these scents are among the most popular fish attractants on the market today.

"Smelly Jelly has taken the essence of each forage species and concentrated it before mixing it in a jelly base (with the consistency of Vaseline). You can use it to mask your scent after handling lures and as an attractant to bring fish to the bait," noted one advertisement.

"Try it on a jig, worm or hard bait and experience a bass that won't let go," urged another advertisement. "Choose your favorite scent, and see if it doesn't produce more bites. The Bass Feast is probably the strongest scent and one of the best sellers. Other favorites include Crawdaddy and Crawfish Anise. Try Nightcrawler on your worms and Shad Glitter on swimbaits and hardbaits."

I've smelled my share of fish attractants over the years, many of which had a strong odor, but I'm here to tell you that Smelly Jelly stands head and shoulders above all the rest. And that odor lasts...and lasts...and lasts. I never touched Skip's jar one time last weekend, but even until today--a whole week later--I still have periods when I detect that unforgettable smell. And each time, it's just as though I'm still sitting on the backseat of his boat, watching him smear on more Smelly Jelly with a cotton swab.

If you want folks to smell you coming well before they ever see you coming, just dip your finger in a jar of this stuff. I wouldn't advise it, though, if you have any intimate plans...for the next year or two.

It's Official: Our 2018 Tournament Season Is Over

Can't speak for the 15 other Day 1 (Oct. 13) participants or the 14 other Day 2 (Oct. 14) participants (e.g., one fella couldn't make Day 2), but this angler is glad to see the 2018 season come to a close. My spirits soar in knowing that all the way from now until late March, there will be no more 2 a.m. Saturday rises, with sleep not coming again until, in most cases, midnight Saturday night.

That being said, however, now comes the time when I tell the whole world how our two-day season-ending Classic tournament turned out. For openers, the 16 anglers in 10 boats brought a grand total of 88 bass to the scales over the two-day period. Total weight for these fish was 180.18 lbs., or a 2.04-lb. average weight per fish.

Those anglers who went home with a payday included all of the following:

Chris Napier led the field all the way, finishing the tournament in 1st place with a total weight of 27.73 lbs. He also claimed the tournament's big fish, with a 5.15-lb. bass that he caught on Day 1.

Eddie Sapp finished the two days with a solid 23.66-lb. tally, which propelled him into 2nd place. His big fish for the tournament, caught on Day 2, weighed in at 3.84 lbs.

Claiming 3rd place with a score of 22.71 lbs. of fish was the team of (from left) Don Carter and Rob Peppers. Their tournament big fish came on Day 1--a 3.53-pounder.

The seasonal-lunker award, for the biggest tournament bass weighed all year long, went to this team of (from left) Jim Crist and Eric Killian. Back on April 21, they weighed a fish that tipped the scales at 7.68 lbs.

The year's Duane Kessel Memorial Award, an all-new award for the highest single-day total weight, went to these young guns, (from left) Eddie Sapp and Stan Krason, who, back on April 28, brought these five big 'uns to the scales. The fish weighed a total of 23.87 lbs. For their efforts, Eddie and Stan will each receive a plaque, honoring our long-time fellow-tournament angler Duane Kessel, who passed away Jan. 29, 2018.

And the final mystery-weight award of the year went to this team of (from left) Wayne Hayes and Al Napier. They brought five fish to the scales on Day 1, weighing 8.32 lbs., but didn't weigh anything on Day 2. That 8.32 lbs. was closest to the drawn weight of 7.45. The mystery-weight prize for the Classic was a new Lew's baitcast reel, provided courtesy of Rob Chatham.


Here's how all the other Classic fishermen finished the two days:

     * Stan Krason, 9 fish, 22.29 lbs. total weight, 5.04-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Jim Crist and Eric Killian, 10 fish, 20.95 lbs. total weight, 4.73-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Steve Bailey and Bobby Moore, 10 fish, 18.71 lbs. total weight, 4.33-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Gary Coderre and Andy Morath, 10 fish, 15.37 lbs. total weight, 2.53-lb. big fish.
     * The team of Skip Schaible and Ken Testorff, 9 fish, 11.80 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Jim Wilder (only fished Day 1), 5 fish, 8.64 lbs. total weight, 4.44-lb. big fish.

My heartiest congratulations to all the winners throughout the whole season, and thanks to those who supported the effort to keep the memory of Dewey Mullins alive by participating in his namesake tournaments. I can't help but feel that, somewhere, Dewey is nodding in appreciation of what we're doing with one of those oh-so-familiar big ol' smiles of his.

One Last Cast

How can you tell when you're getting old? There are lots of different ways, but one that was ever so telling this past Saturday morning was when four or five of the Day 1 competitors showed up in shorts and shirt sleeves. It blew me away seeing them standing out there on the bow of their boats in those 60-degree temperatures, while I was bundled up in a long-sleeved shirt and jacket, and my partner was decked out in some of his typical hunting gear.

By Day 2, however, when the early-morning temps had dipped into the 50s, nearly everyone had joined us old(er) folks by adding pieces to their attire, starting with long pants. And Skip and I felt much more like one of the gang as we moved among the other anglers.

Another way to tell when you're getting old is, as weigh-in time on Day 2 draws near, your partner turns to you and says, "I've had it. I'm not sure I can make another cast." Somehow, though, both of you keep chunkin' and windin' for that fifth fish of the day until a few more minutes has passed, and it's finally--thankfully--time to head for the dock.

There's an old song that starts off with these words: "You gotta have heart, all you really need is heart." But friends, I'm here to tell you, and I'm pretty sure Skip agrees, that you gotta have more than heart. My heart is fine...it's the rest of me that has trouble getting across the finish line.

The Scenery at West Neck Is Gettin' Readjusted

Didn't know what to make of this picture from ol' "Gadabout" (otherwise known as Skip) when I first received it from him a little earlier. But as he has responded to my question, that mess in the upper middle of the photo is a chunk of land (somewhat resembling a giant duck blind) that broke free at some point today. No way of knowing how long it will be there, but it certainly got my attention, and I decided to share it with everyone.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Oct. 14

Tuesday, Oct. 9 (from Skip)..."West Neck whoppers"...that's what Skip called these fish. I had one more, but he wiggled, and I subsequently dropped him overboard. Got out around 9:30 and quit at 2. Lost four or five flukes, hook and all, to some toothy critters. Cut that braid just as clean as a whistle.

Wednesday, Oct. 10 (from Skip & Ken)...Skip wanted to get in a second straight day, and I had some free time, so we joined forces and hit the water this morning about 9 o'clock and fished upper West Neck Creek until about 3 p.m. The day was slow until the last 45 minutes or hour, and then we both were getting bit consistently. Ended the day with a total of 10 bass between us, all running about the size of the one in the accompanying photo that Skip took. Plastic produced all the day's action. Now we're both locked down until the season-ending tourney this weekend. Just keeping our fingers crossed that Michael gets out of town without leaving a lot of calling cards.

Getting Ready for a Brutal Test of...Manhood???

Not sure whether to call it a test of manhood or plain ol' survival. For some of the younger ones, I feel certain it will amount to nothing more than a walk in the park. But for us old curmudgeons, it indeed will feel like we have been challenged to our very core.

What am I talking about? None other than the two-day Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Classic that is set to take place this next weekend, Oct. 13-14.

I've been thinking about this event since our first qualifier tournament way back in March. Then, I yet had months to prepare. Now, though, it's nipping at my heels, I'm still not prepared, and there's no way out. And I don't have a single doubt but that, by the end of Day 2, I'll be a leading candidate for the local corps of zombies. Oh, what I wouldn't give just to be...let's say 57 again, instead of 75.

Suffice it to say: You can fool a lot of people about a whole lot of things, but not so much when it comes to Mother Nature. Those years are very telling, and anyone who believes otherwise is in for a rude awakening somewhere down the road. And that, my friends, you can take to the bank.

Nevertheless, I will be among those 17 or 18 (one fella has to wait and see what his work schedule will be) gathering at West Neck Marina next Saturday and Sunday morning. Day 1 likely will find me with a bit of spring in my step, but by Day 2...well, let's just say that little bit of "spring" I had likely will have "sprung."

Here is a look at the whole cast of characters who will be taking part in this annual contest for 2018 (UPDATE: As of 10/8/2018, Bobby Moore and Chris Fretard have withdrawn from this event):

The team of Jim Crist and Eric Killian









The team of Steve Bailey and Bobby Moore









Skip Schaible










The team of Don Carter and Rob Peppers

The team of Wayne Hayes and Al Napier

The team of Dave Anderson and Ken Testorff

The team of Gary Coderre and Andy Morath

                                                          Jim Wilder

Chris Napier

The team of Eddie Sapp and Stan Krason

Chris Fretard




If you're interested in finding out who's standing tall...as well as who's not standing at all...at the conclusion of this event, you'll have to tune in to this same spot--maybe next Sunday night, or very possibly Monday, Oct. 15. I'm not making any promises I may not be able to keep.

Qualifier Tournaments Done for the 2018 Season

The turnout today included eight boats with 11 anglers, who collectively weighed a total of 39 bass, with a total weight of 101.82 lbs. and an average weight of 2.61 lbs. per fish. Seven of the eight boats weighed five-fish limits.

Now that the 2018 competition for Angler of the Year has concluded, I am happy to announce the winner of this year's title is Dave Anderson (pictured left), who finished with 185.77 points, a new record for this competition. The first runner-up was Rob Peppers, with 180.72 points. The second runner-up was Jim Wilder, with 168.11 points.

Claiming 1st place today was the team of (from left) Chris Fretard and Mike Miller. Their limit weighed 20.36 lbs., anchored by a 5.47-lb. big fish, which took the lunker award.

Taking 2nd place today was the team of (from left) Joshua Overton and Stan Krason. Their limit tipped the scales at 17.02 lbs. Their big fish weighed 4.54 lbs.

Today's mystery-weight award went to Gary Coderre, who brought four fish to the scales, weighing 4.97 lbs. That weight was closest to the drawn weight of 3.90 lbs. Gary didn't have a big fish.







Here is how everyone else finished the day:

     * Rob Peppers, limit, 16.22 lbs. total weight, 4.69-lb. big fish.
     * Wayne Hayes, limit, 13.76 lbs. total weight, 4.30-lb. big fish.
     * Jim Wilder, limit, 10.92 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * Eddie Sapp, limit, 9.32 lbs. total weight, no big fish.
     * The team of Dave Anderson and Ken Testorff, 9.22 lbs. total weight (after 0.25 penalty for one dead fish), 2.99-lb. big fish.

One more angler, in the person of Stan Krason, joined the list of 17 other anglers who now are qualified to fish our season-ending two-day Classic contest scheduled for next Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 13 and 14. We will be fishing from safe light (about 6:45 a.m.) to weigh-in at 3 p.m. both days.

Congratulations to all of today's winners and thanks to everyone who came out and participated.

One Last Cast

My friend, Skip, called and warned me yesterday that I was likely to see and/or hear duck hunters today (first day of the season), and he was spot-on. Dave and I hadn't even cleared the channel this morning before we started hearing the pop from hunters' guns. And it kept up most of the morning.

We worked hard and had a limit in the boat by 12 noon. Upgrades, however, were nearly non-existent. We kept plugging away, though, right up to 2:45. As is always the case, some of the fellas found some nice fish, as evidenced by five bags that were in double digits.

With only the Classic left on our schedule this season, I'm already starting to look forward to my winter break to rest up and regroup. Plan to take a couple of months off before I even start thinking about what I want to do with the tournaments next year.

What Are the Rules for Navigating West Neck Bridge?

Had a friend ask me that question the other day. I didn't know the answer, and because it was something I also have thought about several times and/or discussed with others over the years, I finally decided to see if I could find an answer.

What the friend really wanted to know was whether it's OK to run through the pilings on step.

My first action was to contact the Boat U.S. Foundation. In short order, I received the following response from Ted Sensenbrenner, whose title is development director, foundation:

"The short answer is that it depends on the local waterway authority to make that determination for any particular bridge," he said, "and it will usually be posted with a sign. However, there is no state or federal law that addresses all bridges.

"In general, if you can't see through to the other side, or your visibility is restricted by a piling, or there may be other boats rounding and just coming into sight, being on step may be considered as operating at an unsafe speed or possibly traveling too fast for conditions.

"If there is no law or posted sign for that particular bridge, but an on-water officer witnesses a pass that is way too close to another boat, or if you rock a small boat, that officer has the discretion of interpreting what they saw as 'unsafe' and can write a ticket, even if there is no law or sign posted about slowing to pass under the bridge.

"So, while there's no blanket law...I personally think etiquette would dictate that you slow down, since you never know if there is a small kayak angler, stand-up paddle boarder, etc., just on the other side," Sensenbrenner concluded.

And BoatSafe.com had this to say on the subject:

"Even if you can navigate under the bridge with plenty of clearance, always slow down and do so at idle speed. You may not be able to see if another boater is on the other side, out of view, until the boat suddenly darts out into the bridge channel."

I also asked Chad Boyce, biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, for a comment. He indicated he will check with their CPOs on their interpretation but said he personally doesn't feel idle speed is required at West Neck Bridge. (NOTE: Haven't heard from the CPOs yet, as of the time of this posting.) He added this word of caution, however: "Obviously, if someone is fishing and you run by them closely on plane, you will be responsible if any damage were to occur to the other boat."

The consensus here would appear to be thus: You'll be better served to always err on the side of caution. Can only speak for myself, but I plan to keep on idling through West Neck Bridge. Don't ever want to be the cause of someone being injured on the water or otherwise as a result of carelessness on my part.

Now What?

As probably is true with anyone who ever has owned an outboard, I'm always on full alert for any warning alarm I may get when I'm running the river, especially when I'm by myself, as I was earlier today.

I have good reason (in my mind, at least) for feeling that way. You see, my last couple of outboards have been Yamahas, and they both eventually developed overheating problems. In both cases, I had my mechanic resolve this issue by removing the thermostats.

Over the years, too, sundry other situations have added to my apprehensions. For example, I've had to deal with spun hubs, taking on water for no obvious reason, having a power pack blow while I'm running the river...I think you probably get the idea.

Well, today, I had a new adventure. I was "hot footing" it back to West Neck from a trip down to Albright's, when wouldn't you know, I looked up and saw a "big boy" headed at me. And I'm here to tell you that he was putting up some mighty big rollers. More importantly, I soon learned that he had no intentions of backing off the throttle as he got ever closer--not that I was surprised by his being an a**hole. Accordingly, I got into position and made preparations, as best I could, for what lay ahead.

Then just as I crested that first big roller, a whole new dimension was added to my concerns of the moment. I heard what sounded like it might be an alarm for my outboard. "Now what do I do?" is all I could think for just an instant, followed quickly by the realization that if I backed off power now, there was a likelihood I would be swamped. I decided just to hold momentum as long as I could.

As luck would have it, I managed to take every one of those rollers coming at me, and in the process, noticed that the alarm I thought I first heard had gone away sometime during the event. When the last of the rollers had passed, I pulled back to idle but heard nothing else to cause me concern and got back on step for the rest of my transit.

Shortly after making the turn into West Neck Creek, I came off step again to check my cellphone for any calls I may have missed, and it was then I learned the source of the sound I earlier had taken for an alarm from my outboard. As it turns out, it was an alarm...but from my cellphone, signalling a routine test of the emergency-alert system.

I chuckled to myself, put away my cellphone, and ran the rest of the way to the marina. A little later, as I was cleaning up the boat, however, I did notice a bit of a problem. Just happened to glance up at the trolling motor and saw that the skeg on it was bent a little. Not sure when it happened but not really concerned about it, either, since I used the TM all day with no problems. Just called my mechanic and asked him to add that to the list of things to take care of...probably during the winter maintenance.

In the end, just another happy-go-lucky day on the North Landing.

For the Week Ending Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018

Monday, Oct. 1 (from Ron)...I did poorly for the tournament on Saturday. After six hours of effort, only caught one 10-inch bass. Kid got a 23.9-inch chain pickerel, but it wasn't in a category. Way too much effort and no results that paid off. Oh well. Back to saltwater next year. Caught some nice black sea bass on Sunday on a head-boat; the trip was a nice consolation. Went in search of speckled trout this evening but couldn't find any. Instead, got a personal best, 37-inch striper that dragged me around for a while...a whole lotta fun on light tackle. Got him on topwater, and the blow up was spectacular!

Monday, Oct. 1 (from Skip)...My buddy, Skip, felt like he wanted a little more after catching a limit in Saturday's tournament, so he headed back to West Neck this morning. Ended up with three bass and missed "some whopping hits," as he characterized them, on a new topwater lure he was throwing. "As with a frog, I'm having trouble getting hook-ups with this new bait," said Skip.

Tuesday, Oct. 2 (from Ron)...Laughable!! Searched for speckled trout and caught a real drag screamer on topwater. He actually hit a 5-inch topwater right next to the yak. Scared the crap out of me and took some drag!




Wednesday, Oct. 3 (from Ken)...Came real close to getting my you-know-what handed to me today. As luck would have it, though, I boated a dink bass on about the third or fourth cast this morning with a topwater. I then pretty much just flailed the rest of the day. Was throwing three different soft plastics for hours and couldn't even get a bite on one of those. The only thing that would draw a few strikes was one of my INT baits. Had about four nice fish blow up on it, but they either were too fast, or I was too slow. Either way you slice it, I didn't get a hookset on one of those big blowups. Was told this afternoon that management found a couple of dead bass floating in front of the store this morning. Don't know if it's the continuing low-oxygen problem or something else. Have to hope the tournament Saturday won't be a repeat of my misfortunes today.

Thursday, Oct. 4 (from Ken)...Caught a couple decent ones this evening in Rudee Inlet: an 18-inch speckled trout and a 23-inch striper that gave a good fight. Need a cold front to come in.