There's been a lot of news in the fishing world just in the last few days, including these three items of note:
1) Saturday, Kevin Van Dam pulled off a dramatic victory on the Alabama River to win another BASS Angler of the Year title, again beating out Skeet Reese in the final round of competition.
2) The biggest news, however, occurred in the last few days, when it was announced that the company that owns Ranger and Stratos has purchased the glass Triton boat line from Brunswick, which brings up a lot of questions about how the boat industry with shake out as a result. Plus, what will happen with angler sponsorships and each company's recent association with FLW (Ranger) and BASS (Triton).
3) A third bit of news was that the Lindners (Al, Ron and Jim) have signed a sponsorship deal with Quantum reels, leaving Shimano. Quantum seems to have been particularly aggressive in trying to increase its share of the fishing reel market in recent years and the Lindners have significant followings in more than just the bass fishing world. However, I don't think they are as visible as they were before selling In-Fisherman and their attaching religious messages to their fishing shows is annoying.
I can't begin to cover all the aspects of these three items, but you can red a lot about them on the BassFan and Wired2Fish websites. I've added both top the list of inks to the right.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Y-City on the Muskingum
Bob Hammer took first place and big bass honors in the Y-City Bass Club tournament at McConnelsville Sunday, July 25, with three fish weighing 3.61 pounds. His big bass weighed 1.59 pounds.
Ryan Boyer finished second with three bass weighing 3.06 pounds and Tyler Shawger placed third with four fish weighed 2.98 pounds. Kenny Simpson was fourth with two bass weighing 2.47 pounds and Tom Shawger took fifth with two ass weighing 2.43 pounds.
A total of 26 members fished the contest, with 18 catching a total of 28 keeper bass. Twelve anglers had one keeper each, which made for a very close contest for placings from seventh to 18th.
The club's next tournament is at Clendening Aug. 15.
Ryan Boyer finished second with three bass weighing 3.06 pounds and Tyler Shawger placed third with four fish weighed 2.98 pounds. Kenny Simpson was fourth with two bass weighing 2.47 pounds and Tom Shawger took fifth with two ass weighing 2.43 pounds.
A total of 26 members fished the contest, with 18 catching a total of 28 keeper bass. Twelve anglers had one keeper each, which made for a very close contest for placings from seventh to 18th.
The club's next tournament is at Clendening Aug. 15.
Getting ready for Dillon
The last two Wednesdays, I've spent a few hours at Dillon, just trying to get a feel for the lake before my next tournament, a club (Southern Ohio Bassmasters) event on Aug. 7. I've caught fish each time, but no great numbers or any exceptional size.
I'm always kind of torn about prefishing a lake I'm as familiar with as I am Dillon. Too many times I've had a pattern fall apart on me because of a sudden change in weather and water conditions. On the other hand, I like to see how the fish are behaving and to see if I can catch any in areas that have sometimes been productive in the past although I maybe haven't fished often in recent years.
I'll probably go to Dillon one more time before the tournament. There are at least two areas I want to check out because I haven't fished there since May. I can't worry about "burning out" fish because, frankly, I'm sure almost every spot on the lake will be fished by someone in the week before the tournament. There's always a lot of pressure on the lake and, among the regulars at least, there are no "secret" holes. But will the techniques I like to use produce fish, or will I have to try other baits or techniques?
I have been fishing that like from the first year or so after it was filled, but I can still get skunked there.
I'm always kind of torn about prefishing a lake I'm as familiar with as I am Dillon. Too many times I've had a pattern fall apart on me because of a sudden change in weather and water conditions. On the other hand, I like to see how the fish are behaving and to see if I can catch any in areas that have sometimes been productive in the past although I maybe haven't fished often in recent years.
I'll probably go to Dillon one more time before the tournament. There are at least two areas I want to check out because I haven't fished there since May. I can't worry about "burning out" fish because, frankly, I'm sure almost every spot on the lake will be fished by someone in the week before the tournament. There's always a lot of pressure on the lake and, among the regulars at least, there are no "secret" holes. But will the techniques I like to use produce fish, or will I have to try other baits or techniques?
I have been fishing that like from the first year or so after it was filled, but I can still get skunked there.
Buckeye still producing
As I mentioned last week, Buckeye Lake has a reputation for becoming a tough place to find bass after late June. However, numbers are still good at the Tuesday night pot tournaments, although the winning weight was down this week.
Robin Cross and Chuck Davis topped a 40-angler field with five bass that weighed 5.85 pounds, while Rod Stufflebean and Ty Nauer were a close second with four bass that weighed 5.27 pounds. Nipping on their heels on third were Kevin Sharrock and Ryan Miskell with five fish that weighed 5.19 pounds.
Mike Watson and Charlie Cray took fourth with four bass that weighed 4.9 pounds and Skip Yates and Jim Watson finished fifth with three fish that weighed 4.48 pounds. Yates and Waton also took big bass honors with a 2.68-pound fish.
Out of the 40 anglers fishing, 14 teams had a total of 4 bass. I don't know the number of "teams" fishing, because an angler can fish these tournaments alone.
Robin is excited about the number of anglers still showing up for these tournaments. I don't have any numbers to compare them to, but they may be as good or better than most pot tournaments in the area.
Robin Cross and Chuck Davis topped a 40-angler field with five bass that weighed 5.85 pounds, while Rod Stufflebean and Ty Nauer were a close second with four bass that weighed 5.27 pounds. Nipping on their heels on third were Kevin Sharrock and Ryan Miskell with five fish that weighed 5.19 pounds.
Mike Watson and Charlie Cray took fourth with four bass that weighed 4.9 pounds and Skip Yates and Jim Watson finished fifth with three fish that weighed 4.48 pounds. Yates and Waton also took big bass honors with a 2.68-pound fish.
Out of the 40 anglers fishing, 14 teams had a total of 4 bass. I don't know the number of "teams" fishing, because an angler can fish these tournaments alone.
Robin is excited about the number of anglers still showing up for these tournaments. I don't have any numbers to compare them to, but they may be as good or better than most pot tournaments in the area.
Monday, July 26, 2010
More on American Lotus
I did a little quick research on the American Lotus, which is the target of spraying at Tappan Lake to limit the spread of the plant.
It is native to the southeast United States, but was apparently brought north by Indians who used them for a food source (the roots, young leaves and young seed pods are edible). The plant was spread north into Canada and is found in several counties in Ohio.
From what I found on several websites, the problem is the plant can choke out other weed growth and can be a severe hinderance to navigation. If you've tried to get a boat through some of those fields at Tappan, you know what they're talking about.
The spread of the plants at Tappan has not been extreme, but they have gotten worse the last couple years and knocking them back a bit makes sense.
Most people fishing Tappan refer to the lotus plants as lily pads, but they're not. The pads are bigger, and do not have a notch where the stem spreads into the leaf.
It is native to the southeast United States, but was apparently brought north by Indians who used them for a food source (the roots, young leaves and young seed pods are edible). The plant was spread north into Canada and is found in several counties in Ohio.
From what I found on several websites, the problem is the plant can choke out other weed growth and can be a severe hinderance to navigation. If you've tried to get a boat through some of those fields at Tappan, you know what they're talking about.
The spread of the plants at Tappan has not been extreme, but they have gotten worse the last couple years and knocking them back a bit makes sense.
Most people fishing Tappan refer to the lotus plants as lily pads, but they're not. The pads are bigger, and do not have a notch where the stem spreads into the leaf.
His and Her on the river
It proved to be a wet morning on the Muskingum River Sunday (Riverside ramp, Zanesville pool) for the annual Southern Ohio Bassmasters' "His and Her" tournament. The rain came down in buckets for a while, but the bass hit anyway -- especially the smallmouth.
Kenny and Jana Fulks had the best morning, bringing in 9 pounds, 7 ounces to win the event. Randy and Melisa Brownrigg took second with 7 pounds, 12 ounces; Mindy and Chad Lighthizer placed third with 7 pounds, 11 ounces; Carry and Sean Sprankel finished fourth with 6 pounds, 7 ounces and Tami and Chris Lighthizer were fifth with 3 pounds, 11 ounces.
Eleven out of 13 teams weighed fish. Most of the fish weighed (at least those I saw) were smallmouth.
It was my first time on the river this year and, frankly, I didn't find much activity in the areas where I expected to find it. Still, Lindsey and I had the opportunity to catch some decent fish and just couldn't get them in the boat. I wound up with only one smallmouth and one spotted bass both small (we didn't have a length limit, only the five fish per angler bag limit). Some days are like that.
I was glad to see the number of smallmouth weighed in and the variety of sizes, indicagting the population is doing well in that section of river.
Kenny and Jana Fulks had the best morning, bringing in 9 pounds, 7 ounces to win the event. Randy and Melisa Brownrigg took second with 7 pounds, 12 ounces; Mindy and Chad Lighthizer placed third with 7 pounds, 11 ounces; Carry and Sean Sprankel finished fourth with 6 pounds, 7 ounces and Tami and Chris Lighthizer were fifth with 3 pounds, 11 ounces.
Eleven out of 13 teams weighed fish. Most of the fish weighed (at least those I saw) were smallmouth.
It was my first time on the river this year and, frankly, I didn't find much activity in the areas where I expected to find it. Still, Lindsey and I had the opportunity to catch some decent fish and just couldn't get them in the boat. I wound up with only one smallmouth and one spotted bass both small (we didn't have a length limit, only the five fish per angler bag limit). Some days are like that.
I was glad to see the number of smallmouth weighed in and the variety of sizes, indicagting the population is doing well in that section of river.
Friday, July 23, 2010
MWCD spraying at Tappan
Te Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District has begun spraying to limit the spread of American Lotus in the east end of Tappan Lake. Here's the news release MWCD issued Friday:
"The aggressive growth of large plants in the water at the east end of Tappan Lake has led the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) to begin control measures this week.
"A licensed professional applicator contracted by the MWCD is spraying and killing many of the plants, which are the American Lotus plant that have been limiting boat traffic in extreme eastern end of the lake and two nearby bays, according to Mark Swiger, MWCD’s conservation administrator. The MWCD has received the approval of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife and obtained a permit from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to conduct the spraying.
"The intent of the spraying that began July 22 is to stop the growth and reduce the outside diameter of the various masses of the plants in the lake, Swiger said. The lanes created by the spraying also will benefit the fish and anglers, he added.
"The American Lotus has been found in Tappan Lake for many years. Aerial photographs taken about 10 years ago show that the plant was becoming established in the main body of the lake. Normal change in seasons and other weather conditions do not serve as deterrents, and there are no natural predators to the plants, Swiger said.
"Dense populations of the American Lotus suppress the growth of the native plants in the reservoir by shading out the lower-growing plants. A diverse group of aquatic plants is more beneficial to a healthy lake than a single dominant species.
It normally takes a couple of weeks for the spraying to have a noticeable effect, Swiger said."
"The aggressive growth of large plants in the water at the east end of Tappan Lake has led the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) to begin control measures this week.
"A licensed professional applicator contracted by the MWCD is spraying and killing many of the plants, which are the American Lotus plant that have been limiting boat traffic in extreme eastern end of the lake and two nearby bays, according to Mark Swiger, MWCD’s conservation administrator. The MWCD has received the approval of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife and obtained a permit from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to conduct the spraying.
"The intent of the spraying that began July 22 is to stop the growth and reduce the outside diameter of the various masses of the plants in the lake, Swiger said. The lanes created by the spraying also will benefit the fish and anglers, he added.
"The American Lotus has been found in Tappan Lake for many years. Aerial photographs taken about 10 years ago show that the plant was becoming established in the main body of the lake. Normal change in seasons and other weather conditions do not serve as deterrents, and there are no natural predators to the plants, Swiger said.
"Dense populations of the American Lotus suppress the growth of the native plants in the reservoir by shading out the lower-growing plants. A diverse group of aquatic plants is more beneficial to a healthy lake than a single dominant species.
It normally takes a couple of weeks for the spraying to have a noticeable effect, Swiger said."
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