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."
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Buckeye still producing
In most years, Buckeye Lake is a good bass producer through mid- to late June, then declines rapidly. It seems different this year, or maybe some fishermen have just done a better job of figuring out where they're hiding.
Anyway, the Tuesday night tournament at Buckeye is still having nice results. This week (July 21) saw 25 anglers weigh in 47 bass, with the top three finishers weighing five-fish limits.
Rod Stufflebeam and Ty Nauer took first with 9.28 pounds, including a 4.26-pound fish that took big bass honors. Other anglers weighed in 3.58-pound and 3.5-pound fish that would have been big bass most weeks. That's great for mid-July!
Scott CLark finished second with 8.47 pounds and Mike Gittins placed third with 6 pounds.
The totals then dropped off, with Dave Mockus and Frank Tipton finishing fourth with two bass that weighed 4.25 and Mark Foulty and Frank Harrington were fifth with three bass that also weighed 4.25 pounds.
Anyway, the Tuesday night tournament at Buckeye is still having nice results. This week (July 21) saw 25 anglers weigh in 47 bass, with the top three finishers weighing five-fish limits.
Rod Stufflebeam and Ty Nauer took first with 9.28 pounds, including a 4.26-pound fish that took big bass honors. Other anglers weighed in 3.58-pound and 3.5-pound fish that would have been big bass most weeks. That's great for mid-July!
Scott CLark finished second with 8.47 pounds and Mike Gittins placed third with 6 pounds.
The totals then dropped off, with Dave Mockus and Frank Tipton finishing fourth with two bass that weighed 4.25 and Mark Foulty and Frank Harrington were fifth with three bass that also weighed 4.25 pounds.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Good numbers at Griggs
John Fulton won the Cranberry Marsh Bass Club tournament Sunday, July 18, at Griggs Reservoir, bringing in five bass weighing 8.19 pounds. Fulton was one of eight members who weighed in five-fish limits.
Club President Wayne Hanley finished second with 7.27 pounds, Dick Bowman placed third with 6.75 pounds, Shaun Magers took fourth with 6.53 pounds and Otis McCloud was fifth with 6.39 pounds.
Big bass was a 4.17-pounds fish caught by Neil Butt.
I don't know how many club members fished the tournament, but 21 members caught 68 bass. That's not bad for a hot, humid day in mid-July on a lake with a huge amount of ski- and speed-boat traffic.
After this tournament, 16 anglers are separated by only 49 points in the club standings with two tournaments remaining ands only 22 points separate first and 10th places. (The club operates on a system of 50 points for first, 49 for second, etc., plus some show-up points.) Jerry Mossman has moved back into first place, with a three-point lead over Adam Richards, but a lot of changes are possible in the last two contests, which are at Alum Creek and Delaware. Alum Creek is next on the schedule, on Aug. 29.
Club President Wayne Hanley finished second with 7.27 pounds, Dick Bowman placed third with 6.75 pounds, Shaun Magers took fourth with 6.53 pounds and Otis McCloud was fifth with 6.39 pounds.
Big bass was a 4.17-pounds fish caught by Neil Butt.
I don't know how many club members fished the tournament, but 21 members caught 68 bass. That's not bad for a hot, humid day in mid-July on a lake with a huge amount of ski- and speed-boat traffic.
After this tournament, 16 anglers are separated by only 49 points in the club standings with two tournaments remaining ands only 22 points separate first and 10th places. (The club operates on a system of 50 points for first, 49 for second, etc., plus some show-up points.) Jerry Mossman has moved back into first place, with a three-point lead over Adam Richards, but a lot of changes are possible in the last two contests, which are at Alum Creek and Delaware. Alum Creek is next on the schedule, on Aug. 29.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Restoring confidence
The best way to restore confidence after a bad day on the water (like I had last Sunday at Seneca), is to get bac on the water and catch a few keepers. It doesn't have to be a great day (but it helps), just catch a few keepers.
Most of this week has been hot and muggy ad I just couldn't get inspired to go out. Friday morning would have been a nice morning to be out, but I wasn't. However, it did get me energized to go out in the afternoon.
Of course, by the time I headed for Dillon, the cloud cover had broken and it was sunny and muggy again. Still, the first place I stopped yielded a 12-inch bass on a black/blue flake stickbait. I didn't catch another keeper until an hour before dark, but my final total of three 12-inch largemouth and one little smallmouth was enough to make me feel I hadn't lost my touch entirely.
I even spotted two adult bald eagles as I headed up the lake, which made the trip worthwhile whether I had caught anything or not.
Bottom line: I'm looking forward to hitting the water again.
Most of this week has been hot and muggy ad I just couldn't get inspired to go out. Friday morning would have been a nice morning to be out, but I wasn't. However, it did get me energized to go out in the afternoon.
Of course, by the time I headed for Dillon, the cloud cover had broken and it was sunny and muggy again. Still, the first place I stopped yielded a 12-inch bass on a black/blue flake stickbait. I didn't catch another keeper until an hour before dark, but my final total of three 12-inch largemouth and one little smallmouth was enough to make me feel I hadn't lost my touch entirely.
I even spotted two adult bald eagles as I headed up the lake, which made the trip worthwhile whether I had caught anything or not.
Bottom line: I'm looking forward to hitting the water again.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Bass still hitting at Buckeye
Most of this week has been hot, humid and uncomfortable (again, but Tuesday was different. Cloudy and more comfortable temperatures made it the day I wish I had gone out. Seems the bass at Buckeye agreed with me, as the top three finishers in the Tuesday evening tournament all ha five-fish limits.
Mike Watson and Tim King took first with five bas weighing 7.49 pounds, while Tim McClure and Keith Bryant finished a close second with five fish that weighed 7.39 pounds.
Scott Clark placed third with five bass that weighed 6.85 pounds.
Dave Mockus finished fourth with three bass that weighed 5.56 pounds and took big bass honors with a 2.62-pound fish.
Rounding out the top five were Kevin Sharrock and Ryan Miskell with four bass that weighed 4.34 pounds.
In all, the 22 anglers competing weighed in 28 bass.
Mike Watson and Tim King took first with five bas weighing 7.49 pounds, while Tim McClure and Keith Bryant finished a close second with five fish that weighed 7.39 pounds.
Scott Clark placed third with five bass that weighed 6.85 pounds.
Dave Mockus finished fourth with three bass that weighed 5.56 pounds and took big bass honors with a 2.62-pound fish.
Rounding out the top five were Kevin Sharrock and Ryan Miskell with four bass that weighed 4.34 pounds.
In all, the 22 anglers competing weighed in 28 bass.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Breaking habits
It’s easy to get into a “rut” when fishing. A lure or technique produces fish, so it’s your primary choice each time you go out and you stick with it, even if it’s not producing fish because conditions have changed.
It’s easiest to explain in terms of bass fishing (and something that happened to me recently).
I’ve been catching most of my fish this year on lightly-weighted Senko-type baits pitched around cover; generally a shallow-water technique. But when the recent heat wave shot surface water temperatures up to 90 degrees and higher and the bass went into a “funk,”
Without going into a discussion of why bass do this, simply note that I continued to pitch the stickbaits. Oh, I tried other things -- buzzbaits, surface plugs, spinnerbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating baits, tubes, a Carolina rig. But if there was a piece of visible cover, the first thing I threw at it was usually the stickbait. Nothing worked.
I realize there was a lot of that going on Sunday at Seneca. It seemed like it was one of those day when, if you’re lucky, you eventually drop a lure in the right place at the right timer and hook a keeper.
Still, when I got off the water, I had the feeling that I had stayed with the stickkbait far too much that day; that I had not reacted well to the tough conditions presented -- That I had stayed in the rut when I needed to veer out of it.
The question isn’t what lure or technique I should have used. That’s almost irrelevant. The question is why did I persist in doing what clearly wasn’t working? And why did I not try two techniques that clearly would have been worth trying: Throwing a suspending jerkbait around schools of baitfish or panfish (which I did find) or crawling a heavy jig or worm down a point?
Instead I stuck to the same pattern of crankbats and Carolina rigs on points, Senkos and spinnerbaits around cover,
It may have to do with the fact that from April through June, in all conditions, two things have accounted for most of the fish I have caught this year -- stickbaits and spinnerbaits. It’s hard to switch from what has been working best.
You have to remain flexible. You may go to a lake expecting one thing to work, and although persistence sometimes is rewarded, you have to respond to conditions as you find them. Not as you hoped them to be.
Reading conditions and adapting to them is something we have all tried to learn since the first day we took up the pursuit of bass (or any other fish). Sometimes, though, we seem to forget the lessons we’ve learned.
Luckily, fishermen are eternal optimists. The next trip will be better.
It’s easiest to explain in terms of bass fishing (and something that happened to me recently).
I’ve been catching most of my fish this year on lightly-weighted Senko-type baits pitched around cover; generally a shallow-water technique. But when the recent heat wave shot surface water temperatures up to 90 degrees and higher and the bass went into a “funk,”
Without going into a discussion of why bass do this, simply note that I continued to pitch the stickbaits. Oh, I tried other things -- buzzbaits, surface plugs, spinnerbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating baits, tubes, a Carolina rig. But if there was a piece of visible cover, the first thing I threw at it was usually the stickbait. Nothing worked.
I realize there was a lot of that going on Sunday at Seneca. It seemed like it was one of those day when, if you’re lucky, you eventually drop a lure in the right place at the right timer and hook a keeper.
Still, when I got off the water, I had the feeling that I had stayed with the stickkbait far too much that day; that I had not reacted well to the tough conditions presented -- That I had stayed in the rut when I needed to veer out of it.
The question isn’t what lure or technique I should have used. That’s almost irrelevant. The question is why did I persist in doing what clearly wasn’t working? And why did I not try two techniques that clearly would have been worth trying: Throwing a suspending jerkbait around schools of baitfish or panfish (which I did find) or crawling a heavy jig or worm down a point?
Instead I stuck to the same pattern of crankbats and Carolina rigs on points, Senkos and spinnerbaits around cover,
It may have to do with the fact that from April through June, in all conditions, two things have accounted for most of the fish I have caught this year -- stickbaits and spinnerbaits. It’s hard to switch from what has been working best.
You have to remain flexible. You may go to a lake expecting one thing to work, and although persistence sometimes is rewarded, you have to respond to conditions as you find them. Not as you hoped them to be.
Reading conditions and adapting to them is something we have all tried to learn since the first day we took up the pursuit of bass (or any other fish). Sometimes, though, we seem to forget the lessons we’ve learned.
Luckily, fishermen are eternal optimists. The next trip will be better.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Seneca fishing tough
Both Zanesville clubs fished Seneca Lake Sunday, July 11, and both found ity a tough nut to crack. Out of 22 members of Southern Ohio Bassmasters, nine caught a total of 12 keeper bass, while in the Y-City Bas CLub event, 27 members fished and six weighed in 10 bass.
After the recent heat wave, most reports from area lakes have been depressing. However, anglers fishing rivers, including the Scioto, Olentangy and Muskingum, have been reporting better success, so if your looking for bass action, go someplace with moving water.
I don't know why both Y-City and Southern Ohio received permits for sunday -- maybe it was because we were starting a hour apart. I thought most parks, especially Muskingum Watershed lakes, tried to avoid overcrowding, but I suppose when you think about it, the number of boats the two clubs launched Sunday was not as bad as a full open field for the lake.
In any event, Southern Ohio started at 5 a.m. (n=before dawn) and Y-City a hour later.
When Southern Ohio weighed in, Chad Lighthizer emerged as the winner with two bass weighing 6 pounds, 2.6 ounces, well head of Eric Woodrow, who had two bass weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces.
Bob Fulks took third place and big bass honor with a 4-pound, 12.2-ounce bass, Randy Brownrigg finished fourth with two bass weighing 3 pounds, 9.4 ounces and Kenny Fulks was fifth with a 3-pound, 4.4-ounce bass.
I think I had two hits all day: a small bass that hit a buzzbait before dawn and a fish that dropped a Carolina-rigged Yum Dinger before I could set the hook. A long, frustrating day, but that's nothing new for me on that lake. Southern OPHio's next regular tournament is Aug. 7 at Dillon.
Y-City results
When Y-City weighed in at 2 p.m., Wesley Hammer was the winner with three bass weighing 7.96 pounds, while Tyler Shawger was second with two bass weighing 4.71 pounds.
Mike King finished third with two fish weighing 3.71 pounds, Tom Hoffer placed fourth with a 3.7-pound fish that also took big bass honors and Ryan Boyer was fifth with a 2.93-pound bass.
Y-City's next tournament is July 25 on the Muskingum River at McConnelsville.
A note on weights
You may have noticed that with some tournaments I report the weights in pounds and ounces, and others in pounds and tenths or hundredths of pounds, I simply use whichever the organizing body uses. The scales Southern Ohio uses have the option of recording weights in either pounds and ounces plus fractions of ounces or as the decimal equivalent. We chose to report in pounds and ounces, while others have gone with the decimals. It makes no difference.
One thing that is different is the final weights, because some clubs add a bonus amount for live fish, while other deduct a penalty for dead fish. Southern Ohio, for example, deducts 8 ounces for a dead fish, while Y-City adds a 0.1 pound for a live fish. That means, for example, that Tom Hoffer's big bass at Seneca actually weighed 3.6 pounds. Cranberry Marsh Bass Club also adds a bonus for live fish. Either way, I'll report the final weight. If I know there was a dead fish, especially if it made a difference in the standings, I'll note it.
After the recent heat wave, most reports from area lakes have been depressing. However, anglers fishing rivers, including the Scioto, Olentangy and Muskingum, have been reporting better success, so if your looking for bass action, go someplace with moving water.
I don't know why both Y-City and Southern Ohio received permits for sunday -- maybe it was because we were starting a hour apart. I thought most parks, especially Muskingum Watershed lakes, tried to avoid overcrowding, but I suppose when you think about it, the number of boats the two clubs launched Sunday was not as bad as a full open field for the lake.
In any event, Southern Ohio started at 5 a.m. (n=before dawn) and Y-City a hour later.
When Southern Ohio weighed in, Chad Lighthizer emerged as the winner with two bass weighing 6 pounds, 2.6 ounces, well head of Eric Woodrow, who had two bass weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces.
Bob Fulks took third place and big bass honor with a 4-pound, 12.2-ounce bass, Randy Brownrigg finished fourth with two bass weighing 3 pounds, 9.4 ounces and Kenny Fulks was fifth with a 3-pound, 4.4-ounce bass.
I think I had two hits all day: a small bass that hit a buzzbait before dawn and a fish that dropped a Carolina-rigged Yum Dinger before I could set the hook. A long, frustrating day, but that's nothing new for me on that lake. Southern OPHio's next regular tournament is Aug. 7 at Dillon.
Y-City results
When Y-City weighed in at 2 p.m., Wesley Hammer was the winner with three bass weighing 7.96 pounds, while Tyler Shawger was second with two bass weighing 4.71 pounds.
Mike King finished third with two fish weighing 3.71 pounds, Tom Hoffer placed fourth with a 3.7-pound fish that also took big bass honors and Ryan Boyer was fifth with a 2.93-pound bass.
Y-City's next tournament is July 25 on the Muskingum River at McConnelsville.
A note on weights
You may have noticed that with some tournaments I report the weights in pounds and ounces, and others in pounds and tenths or hundredths of pounds, I simply use whichever the organizing body uses. The scales Southern Ohio uses have the option of recording weights in either pounds and ounces plus fractions of ounces or as the decimal equivalent. We chose to report in pounds and ounces, while others have gone with the decimals. It makes no difference.
One thing that is different is the final weights, because some clubs add a bonus amount for live fish, while other deduct a penalty for dead fish. Southern Ohio, for example, deducts 8 ounces for a dead fish, while Y-City adds a 0.1 pound for a live fish. That means, for example, that Tom Hoffer's big bass at Seneca actually weighed 3.6 pounds. Cranberry Marsh Bass Club also adds a bonus for live fish. Either way, I'll report the final weight. If I know there was a dead fish, especially if it made a difference in the standings, I'll note it.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Heat stifles Buckeye contest
The oppressive heat put a damper on both the bass and the fishermen Tuesday, July 6, at Buckeye Lake. Only 15 anglers showed up in the heat that had reached the high nineties that afternoon, and only 13 bass cooperated by being caught.If cooler weather comes back, organizer Robin Cross is probably right that participation will pick up again.
Randy Swihart and Bob Conway sweated out the victory with three bass that weighed 5.5 pounds. Scott Clark took second with three bass that weighed 3.98 pounds, amd Zyon Mirise and Robert Nauer were third with two fish that weighed 2.52 pounds.
John McGrath and Colby Shuster finished fourth with a 2.02-pound fish that also took big bass honors, while Robin Cross and Brett Smith were fifth with a 1.03-pound bass.
Randy Swihart and Bob Conway sweated out the victory with three bass that weighed 5.5 pounds. Scott Clark took second with three bass that weighed 3.98 pounds, amd Zyon Mirise and Robert Nauer were third with two fish that weighed 2.52 pounds.
John McGrath and Colby Shuster finished fourth with a 2.02-pound fish that also took big bass honors, while Robin Cross and Brett Smith were fifth with a 1.03-pound bass.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Unwritten rules of tournaments
All fishing tournaments have (or should have) a set of written rules that participants know they are supposed to abide by. However, in a discussion recently with several other anglers the subject of "unwritten rules" came up. By that they meant rules of conduct that anglers should follow even though they are not part of the written rules of the tournament.
Most can be summarized as applying common sense and common courtesy to tournament fishing. We've all been in tournament where both were almost nonexistent.
After thinking about the subject for a day or two, I decided to write down some of those rules, so I picked the brains of some of the morning regulars the next day at Bob's Outdoor Supply in Newark. That included Bob Mathie, Jerry Mossman and Bub Cooksey. Between those three and myself I estimated there was almost 140 years of tournament fishing experience at multiple levels of competition.
We came up with the following eight "rules." There could easily be more and if you have a suggestion, post a comment.
Here's what we came up with:
1) Do not pass in a no wake zone. When reaching a no wake zone behind another boat, you should remain in the same relationship until you either reach the end of the zone or your fishing objective, unless the other boat slows or stops. Compare this to running under a caution flag in a NASCAR race. Some clubs have such a rule, but it is not a requirement of law. It is, however, a matter of courtesy.
2) Give 50 yards of space to another fisherman, even if he is not anchored. The so-called “50-yard rule” is often mentioned in tournament rules, but it usually means granting the space if the angler is “anchored with his trolling motor out of the water.” In the tournament world application, give 50 yards ahead of the boat already fishing. You can start closer behind the boat and go the opposite direction or even follow the angler down the bank, but don’t cut in ahead of him. This is true if the angler is part of the tournament or not.
3) If reaching a channel simultaneously, talk to the other angler and work out who will fish which side of the channel.
4) Give bank fishermen their space. They have as much right to be there as you do. How many times have you heard a bank fisherman complain about a boater who insisted on fishing inside their lines and tried to justify it by saying “we’re in a tournament”? They should move lines if they are blocking a channel you are navigating, but you should also not cast into the same area they are fishing.
5) If your event has a general blast-off instead of an ooze-off and you are in a small boat, do not get in front of the bigger boats. Forcing them to swerve may cause an accident and being in the middle of several wakes at the same time could cause you to be swamped. You’re not going to beat them across the lake anyway, so let them have a clear path.
6) Help other anglers launch and load boats. Many clubs allow angler to fish alone. If you can back their trailer into the water and park their vehicle, you can clear the ramp faster for the next guy. Many ramps have a lack of space for tying up a boat while the angler parks of fetches his vehicle, so lending a hand if you are already launched or loaded can be a huge help.
7) If you snag a ball of discarded line, or find a bunch of line hanging in a tree, Wrap then line up and stash it in your boat for proper disposal later. You don’t want that line wrapping around your outboard or trolling motor prop and it is also a danger to wildlife.
8) If in doubt, apply the Golden Rule and treat other anglers as you would wish to be treated.
Most can be summarized as applying common sense and common courtesy to tournament fishing. We've all been in tournament where both were almost nonexistent.
After thinking about the subject for a day or two, I decided to write down some of those rules, so I picked the brains of some of the morning regulars the next day at Bob's Outdoor Supply in Newark. That included Bob Mathie, Jerry Mossman and Bub Cooksey. Between those three and myself I estimated there was almost 140 years of tournament fishing experience at multiple levels of competition.
We came up with the following eight "rules." There could easily be more and if you have a suggestion, post a comment.
Here's what we came up with:
1) Do not pass in a no wake zone. When reaching a no wake zone behind another boat, you should remain in the same relationship until you either reach the end of the zone or your fishing objective, unless the other boat slows or stops. Compare this to running under a caution flag in a NASCAR race. Some clubs have such a rule, but it is not a requirement of law. It is, however, a matter of courtesy.
2) Give 50 yards of space to another fisherman, even if he is not anchored. The so-called “50-yard rule” is often mentioned in tournament rules, but it usually means granting the space if the angler is “anchored with his trolling motor out of the water.” In the tournament world application, give 50 yards ahead of the boat already fishing. You can start closer behind the boat and go the opposite direction or even follow the angler down the bank, but don’t cut in ahead of him. This is true if the angler is part of the tournament or not.
3) If reaching a channel simultaneously, talk to the other angler and work out who will fish which side of the channel.
4) Give bank fishermen their space. They have as much right to be there as you do. How many times have you heard a bank fisherman complain about a boater who insisted on fishing inside their lines and tried to justify it by saying “we’re in a tournament”? They should move lines if they are blocking a channel you are navigating, but you should also not cast into the same area they are fishing.
5) If your event has a general blast-off instead of an ooze-off and you are in a small boat, do not get in front of the bigger boats. Forcing them to swerve may cause an accident and being in the middle of several wakes at the same time could cause you to be swamped. You’re not going to beat them across the lake anyway, so let them have a clear path.
6) Help other anglers launch and load boats. Many clubs allow angler to fish alone. If you can back their trailer into the water and park their vehicle, you can clear the ramp faster for the next guy. Many ramps have a lack of space for tying up a boat while the angler parks of fetches his vehicle, so lending a hand if you are already launched or loaded can be a huge help.
7) If you snag a ball of discarded line, or find a bunch of line hanging in a tree, Wrap then line up and stash it in your boat for proper disposal later. You don’t want that line wrapping around your outboard or trolling motor prop and it is also a danger to wildlife.
8) If in doubt, apply the Golden Rule and treat other anglers as you would wish to be treated.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Cold front fishing
Post cold front conditions are among the toughest for bass fishing during the summer. And, naturally, I picked exactly that kind of morning to visit Knox Lake Wednesday.
It was cool enough in the morning, after having dropped into the 40s overnight, that I almost wished I had a jacket with me. Well, it finally warmed up to a comfortable mid-70s, but the high, blue skies and steady north wind didn't fill me with confidence.
I finally scratched out three bass by the time I quit around 2 p.m. They were decent fish (18, 17 and 15 inches), but to get them I had to let my hand-poured Senko with a 1/16-ounce weight sink four to eight feet in the tops of fallen trees or brush. Not an easy task in the wind! I probably should have tried some other things, such as throwing crankbaits or Rat-L-Traps around the deeper cover, but I thought I would pick up more on the stickbaits.
Actually, did crank an area where a point has a creek bed running alongside it, but I caught nothing.
I talked to another another angler who I encountered two or three times on the lake and he had about the same success I did, although he caught his fish on a small spinnerbait. I don't know how deep he was fishing.
Another angler posted on the Ohio Game Fishing site that he fished the lake that afternoon and had some success cranking rat-L-Traps on points and flats where he saw schools of baitfish.
I wonder if the wind died down or the baitfish moved up after left because I saw no sign of baitfish activity on the points earlier (too much wave action). I did see some baitfish activity on the surface in some sheltered areas, but no evidence of any bass feeding on them.
Whatever the case, I find cold fronts generally force me to fish deeper and slower than I like to, under the theory that if you place a lure in front of a fish, it might hit. It makes sense, however, to fish crankbaits in the same areas, as well as on points and flats, especially when you consider that the baitfish. may well be congregating in exactly those areas.
Trouble is, I haven't been catching many fish on crankbaits this year and it's hard to stick with them very long.
Oh well, there's always next time -- if I can quit pitching plastics long enough to do it.
It was cool enough in the morning, after having dropped into the 40s overnight, that I almost wished I had a jacket with me. Well, it finally warmed up to a comfortable mid-70s, but the high, blue skies and steady north wind didn't fill me with confidence.
I finally scratched out three bass by the time I quit around 2 p.m. They were decent fish (18, 17 and 15 inches), but to get them I had to let my hand-poured Senko with a 1/16-ounce weight sink four to eight feet in the tops of fallen trees or brush. Not an easy task in the wind! I probably should have tried some other things, such as throwing crankbaits or Rat-L-Traps around the deeper cover, but I thought I would pick up more on the stickbaits.
Actually, did crank an area where a point has a creek bed running alongside it, but I caught nothing.
I talked to another another angler who I encountered two or three times on the lake and he had about the same success I did, although he caught his fish on a small spinnerbait. I don't know how deep he was fishing.
Another angler posted on the Ohio Game Fishing site that he fished the lake that afternoon and had some success cranking rat-L-Traps on points and flats where he saw schools of baitfish.
I wonder if the wind died down or the baitfish moved up after left because I saw no sign of baitfish activity on the points earlier (too much wave action). I did see some baitfish activity on the surface in some sheltered areas, but no evidence of any bass feeding on them.
Whatever the case, I find cold fronts generally force me to fish deeper and slower than I like to, under the theory that if you place a lure in front of a fish, it might hit. It makes sense, however, to fish crankbaits in the same areas, as well as on points and flats, especially when you consider that the baitfish. may well be congregating in exactly those areas.
Trouble is, I haven't been catching many fish on crankbaits this year and it's hard to stick with them very long.
Oh well, there's always next time -- if I can quit pitching plastics long enough to do it.
Buckeye Tuesday results
Buckeye Lake didn't produce a lot of bass Tuesday evening -- 31 anglers weighed in a total of 31 bass --but the fishing was stil good ahead of the col front that rolled in that night.
Scott Clark finished far out in front with five bass that weighed 9.43 pounds, including a 3.26-pound fish that took big bass honors.
Finishng well back in second place was Jason Miller with four bass that weighed 6.93 pounds, and the team of Chad Mickey and John Ogg took third with three bass that weighed 5.57 pounds.
Mitch Bake and Matt Dillon placed fourth with four fish that weighed 4.45 pounds and Dwayne Nauer and Gary Perkins were fifth with four bass at 4.15 pounds.
Organizer Robin Cross added a pitch for the weekly tournaments: "Even if the bite slows down the pay out is good (with a) 100 percent pay back. Scott Clark won $188 for first place and big bass. Not bad for $10 to fish!"
Scott Clark finished far out in front with five bass that weighed 9.43 pounds, including a 3.26-pound fish that took big bass honors.
Finishng well back in second place was Jason Miller with four bass that weighed 6.93 pounds, and the team of Chad Mickey and John Ogg took third with three bass that weighed 5.57 pounds.
Mitch Bake and Matt Dillon placed fourth with four fish that weighed 4.45 pounds and Dwayne Nauer and Gary Perkins were fifth with four bass at 4.15 pounds.
Organizer Robin Cross added a pitch for the weekly tournaments: "Even if the bite slows down the pay out is good (with a) 100 percent pay back. Scott Clark won $188 for first place and big bass. Not bad for $10 to fish!"
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