Blind to the Signs

It wasn't till just last week I was thinking back in hindsight at an April tournament I was fishing at Garrison Lake here in Delaware, that though i had not had a bite all day, there were in fact signs that I should have been more aware of. I attacked the water with all I could muster. Water temps were in range for a good day and the bass should have been thinking about getting on beds at that point in the season.

This place is loaded with spatterdock fields and very shallow all around. Most of the lake is only about 3 feet deep and does not sport very much shoreline structure. There are some stumps in gatherings and a few that stand alone but are semi-difficult to pinpoint until you are right on them. This is not what I would call your run of the mill, pull up to a spot and make casts type of fishery. All of the ponds in Delaware are very shallow but not quite like this one. If you ever fall overboard and feel like you are going to drown, just stand up. It's like a giant baby pool. First instinct says why even fish there. But I have seen first hand in electro-shock surveys that this puddle holds some very decent fish.

I lent my first efforts to all the smaller patches of spatterdock. I did not want to waste any time searching for a needle in a haystack and there is one HELL of a haystack on the northern side of the pond. It does have the southern exposure which may be why the pads grew in so thick, but you could spend all week fishing that area randomly and touch very little of it. Especially if you are fishing slow. I estimated that concentrating on the much smaller and infinitely more manageable clumps of pads would offer me more time to cover more water. Of course at the time I didn't know that it wouldn't matter. I was mainly throwing a 6 inch YUM saleemander with a tiny 3/16 oz weight to make it hit bottom very lightly. Then I would follow it up with a Bomber floating shallow shad. Of course at the time I didn't know, that too would not matter. We all know you really can't fish pads incorrectly if you have any common sense so I won't get into details- since it did not matter anyway. I tried inside the edges, around the edges, dead center, open pockets and even tried casting all the way across and dragging it back, through the whole patch of pads. None of which even produced a sniff, let alone a bite. Once in a while I would see a pad move here and there which told me the fish were there. Like I was saying before. There really isn't anywhere else for them to go so the "where" is pretty much a gimme. The real trick was getting them to bite.

Weather in the days leading up to the tournament was playing a big factor in the lack of bites. Windy days followed by bluebird days followed by cold storms with a shit ton of rain again followed by wind... and then... more wind. This muddied up the water and I presume cooled it down quite a bit. The overall unstable conditions should have tipped me off right form the beginning and I should have come up with a less conventional game plan. This is why I'm still green. I can't adjust like the KVD's and (dare I say it) Skeet Reeses can just by giving a glancing consideration to conditions.

Finally I'll wrap it up with my last evaluation of the after action. 1. Should have moved around a bit more stealthily. I never cranked up the outboard, but I did crank on the trolling motor close the pads and I think the fish were on high alert that day. 2. Recognizing that the fish in the pads were unresponsive (at least to my presentation) I could have changed to a multitude of different reaction strike baits or better yet, try to find and focus in on as many stumps as I could find. I'm almost positive that this would have gotten me at least one fish. 3. Would have been more wise to spend a little more time on my presentation. Hoping the next one won't be so cruel.

When All The Pieces Fall In

3/26/2011

The first tournament of the spring... if you want to call it that. Destination, Nanticoke River, Seaford Delaware. I arrived last at the ramp but none-the-less motivated to win for a change. I had fished the Delaware Megabucks tourney 2 weeks prior and finished 3rd to who else? None other than the one and only Brian LaClair and Mike Morris of Three Ponds. Yeah, I was pretty proud that me and my partner Steve Soroko were able to hang with them. During that tournament on the 12th of March, Steve and I were finding larger fish on the main river relating to slow moving eddies where the current was moving pretty far from shore. In this Eastern Shore Bassmasters club tournament, I wasn't sure what these larger fish would be stuck on, but I did know they would still be accumulated on the main stretch. I was thrown during the first hours out on the water. The weather during the prior 2 weeks had been and still is- for lack of a better word- inconsistent. 65 degree days followed by highs of only 40 and butt cold nights. I knew the bass would be shook and would demand only the most precise lure and presentation.

I started up river at the fork where the river branches off into 2 swaths of water. The sun had not yet peaked over the trees and the Lowrance was showing a bold font 37.8 degrees F water temp. I'm no genius but I would not want to do much of anything if I were in that water. I was imagining fish down there frozen to the sides of pilings and docked boat hulls, whimpering with impoverished squeaks. The tide was moving in, all the while and with no action and a un-manned draw bridge, I quickly gathered my wits and everything else and high tailed it the hell out of winter wonderland. I made it under the draw bridge with inches to spare and planned to an area close to Broad Creek. I was looking for some active feeders near and around dock pilings... no takers.

The water temperature some 4 1/2 miles down river was not much better but did hold a bit more heat. Sometimes that is all it takes. It is my understanding that the cold night air will cool the surface water but the deeper areas stay more consistent. So that is where I headed for next. A little spot no more than say 50 yards long but has a sharp drop in depth and is out of both incoming and outgoing currents. I tried everything; drop-shot, crankbait, jig, shakey head worm and finally my Pièce de résistance... the spinnerbait. Since I really had no idea what the fish would be keying on I figured I would stick to whatever I caught my first fish on. Fate would have it on a cast to some rocks with said spinnerbait that I would land my first of the day. By this time it was around 10:30am so time was of the essence at that point. I made another agonizingly slow retrieve from the same structure of stone and hooked an even better bass only to lose it 3 feet from the boat.
I'm not one to get flustered over such occurrences, as I know it can only contribute to failure in the end. I gave it one more pass and left the area 1 for 2. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses.

Now that a highlighted pattern was taking form, I concentrated my efforts to those areas that had 3 things. 1) 3 to 5 feet of water. 2) a hard object and 3) the precipice of a drop into deeper water very close to the hard object(s). Sticking to those core characteristics put 3 more decent fish in the bucket and I ran out of time looking for number 5. If you see him, tell him I was looking for him. I smoked the Ranger back to the boat ramp for weigh-in putting a healthy 7.46 pounds on the scale. Since I was last to show that morning I had to show my cards first. Bags of 2, 3 and 4 fish showed but none topped my total weight leading to a fruitful victory (my first with the club). Congrats to Dave for taking the AOY points lead! Next stop... Garrison Lake, DE 4/23/11

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A Classic Guy: Q&A With Federation Nation Angler Brian LaClair

Denton, MD- Just west of the Choptank river, there is a man that eats, sleeps and breaths bass fishing. He's not an Elite Series pro. He's not a big time guide. Actually, he's a lot like Joe the plumber. His name: Brian LaClair; hailing from Denton, MD on the Delmarva Peninsula. He works for a living just like you and I, driving a seafood truck around the region delivering the area's hot comodity. When he's not driving a truck, you can often see him out on one of the local rivers driving a bass boat... or fishing from it. Brian is a die hard tournament angler, a competing member of the DE B.A.S.S. Federation Nation. The organization holds regular local tournaments consisting of local anglers, all sanctioned by its mother organization B.A.S.S. If an angler does well enough he/she could find themselves in the national spotlight attending the annual Bassmaster Classic. As it turns out, that's just what Brian did.

Brian poses with his favorite fishing buddy.

I recently caught up with Brian. I asked if I could grill him on his experience thus far and he was more than receptive to taking a few questions from a fellow Federation Nation angler. I had never been to his place before. I really had never carried a long conversation with him and never fished with him either (though I hope I do at some point). I only knew him from a handful of meetings with the Federation Nation where we had spoken briefly about various organizational topics. I really didn't know what to expect.

I arrived at his home in the evening, cold and dark. Among wide open fields (typical for Delmarva) a few houses scattered along an unlit road. Matching up the next house coming with the checkered flag on my GPS, I see it's just a regular farm house, horseshoe driveway with a white picket fence in between. I follow the driveway around the back of his flat noticing the property also contains a sizeable pole shed with a 30 x 10 garage connected to it. I think to myself "This is what I need". As I dismount, I notice Brian approaching from the pole shed to greet me. After our welcome and introduction, he invited me into his think tank. Yeah, remember the 30 x 10 garage? Inside was about 50 sets of deer antlers, various hunting gear and his boat with just about everything in the Bass Pro catalog strewn about on both front and back decks. We stood beside the heater (thank God) for good clip talking about the impending event which will occur Feb. 18-20 in New Orleans, LA. He showed me some maps he'd been pouring over in an attemp to get some kind of grasp on the place. From what I gathered, it's not too different geo-characteristically from here. A giant marsh with lots of little tributaries feeding into one another untill it finally finds the Gulf of Mexico. Really the only difference is climate and square miles. A lot more ditches and canals. Yes, way more of those too. Oh, and the big lakes that connect all the ditches and rivers. Wait, it has canal locks too. Okay, maybe it's not as similar as I thought come to think. As we were discussing the maps, previous bag weights and tackle, I kinda got the feeling that this guy was relived to be talking about all this with one of his fellow local anglers. Almost as if he was venting... getting a weight off his shoulders. I could only imagine the nerve wracking pressure he has been through in the two very noteable tournaments he has been through to qualify for the Classic; the Mid-Atlantic Divisional and the Federation Nation Championship. With him having experienced all this first hand, I had a mind full of questions I was practically peeing my pants to ask him. After all, this is what I ultimately want. This same exact opportunity. This is what he had to say...

Me: "Brian, congrats on making it to the big show. You have accomplished something many attempt but only few succeed. First off, how long have you been fishing on the tournament level?"

BL: [pauses and gleans into thin air]

Me: "That long huh?"

BL: [laughing] "I'm going to say... probably since 1992. You'd have to calculate them years." (19)

Me: "And that's on the Nanticoke and the other rivers?"

BL: "Yeah I started fishing rivers in the early 80's but I never bothered with tournament fishing until about 1992."

Me: "So I guess it's safe to say you definately know exactly what you are doing around these parts."

BL: "I can catch a few fish".

Me: "You pretty much proved that." [snickering]

Me: "Has this always been a realistic goal for you? Did you ever doubt that it would happen? Because you have to admit, making it to the Classic is like one notch below winning the lottery if you are'nt an Elite Series Pro."

BL: "You know, I don't think I've ever pictured myself going to the Classic. Being a goal and a dream? Yes. But actually getting there? I didn't know if it would ever happen."

Me: "So you basically just had the mindset that 'I'm fishing, and if it happens it happens'. You never actually set brackets on the Classic and made it your primary target?"

BL: "More or less."

After that answer I couldn't help but think 'but isn't this what everyone is fishing for?' The chance at being the best and a big pile of cash? How could you not set it as your pinnacle? All the time and money spent on getting there. That brought me to my next question...

Me: "Has this journey been taxing on your life in any way? Obviously you have had to spend copious amounts of time and money on this. How has that affected your family... or has it?"

BL: "Uh... maybe a little bit. It's just me and my wife. She's very understanding; I support her in all her hobbies and everything she does and she in turn does that for me. I think this year though, it has gone more my way than her way. [chuckling] No doubt."

Me: "Who's going with you?"

BL: "My wife will fly down the Wednesday before. My father will drive down around the same time bringing a brother, and a brother-in-law who's coming from Birmingham with his wife."

Me: "Tell me about the Federation Nation Championship, the tournament that ultimately got you to where you are now."

BL: "Well it was on the Red River, [Louisiana]. I did'nt get a chance to go down there and practice. So I had three days, and uh... it's... the river is real vast. It's got a lot of stump fields in it, it's got a lot of back water; you gotta know how to get through it all. To me, three days wasn't enough time to try to figure all that out so I just summed it up and said I'm just gonna stay out on the main river. I practiced two days out on the main river- I caught a few fish [but] not enough to win the tournament. Then I jsut said well I need to push on, I need to go find something better. I went through a lock and I went down and got into a creek. I went in there and took about twenty minutes to figure out that there was enough fish in there for me to stay on for the whole tournament. I went up about a half mile from that creek on the main river and continued to catch em' so I backed down at that point. I figured there was no reason to keep stick'n fish."

His explaination of obviously a remarkable ability to search out bass, told me that Brian knew it was his saving grace. Without knowing that water and having no prior practice, it would have been very difficult to stay up to pace and find his fish during the tournament. An ability that you find common in the best of the best bass anglers. Brian managed to place 8th overall and first among the Mid-Atlantic Division contestants. So with his accomplished spot in the standings and an uncanny ability to locate fish, he will attend the Bassmaster Classic. But that tournament will contain a completely different set of obstacles to contend with, according to Brian...

Me: "Do you think that tournament was a good representation of what you will be up against next month on the Delta?"

BL: "Federation anglers are very good fishermen. But I think some of these pros have more of a professional outlook on how to break things down to get the job done. I think a lot of people get caught up in certain things where I think a professional that gets paid a lot of money and been on the tour for a while. I think they really know how to analyze things and get out of a situation if it's not happening; to move on. Something I think people that don't really spend much time on the water, don't grasp. I really had to learn how to just put it in high gear in these last two or three tournaments, just to get where I got."

Me: "If you had to chose just one defining factor attributing to how you managed to make it all the way to the Classic by means of which some say is the most difficult road. What would it be?"

BL: "Just a lot of time on the water and keep on push'n; just keep on look'n for something better. I wasn't satisfied with anything I was on until I found it. Like Iaconelli says 'never give up'. If you are going to be satisfied with just satisfactory it's not going to happen. And never stop until you are done."

Just what one would imagine the answer would be; a lot of time on the water. But what did he mean by 'done'? Being an angler all too familiar with disappointing days on the water, I think he meant done with fishing all together. I've had those times when I felt that way, but I did'nt stop. He said the word with almost a somber feel. Like someone had died or with the meaning that it was the absolute end of something. I had to find out more. Now that he admitted the all encompassing trait one must posess, I needed to know the lure. His bread and butter...

Me: "Has there been a solid technique or lure or combination of the two that history has told you this is it- this is the go-to?"

Brian pauses for quite some time and thinks carefully with his arms crossed. I thought I would help him out a little...

Me: "All-time."

BL: "All-time? Yeah... If I had to fish one bait; the jig. But throughout these tournaments, nothings the same. That's where I think you gotta be open-minded, don't get hung up on whatever your go-to bait is. If you can't do that, then maybe you need to find water where you can fish on 'em [with that]. You gotta be versitile. You gotta be able to throw a jig as good as you can throw a spinnerbait and a crankbait and all. It's hard to just catch fish on one particular bait unless you're being left alone completely and you have a vast area that's loaded with fish. But it just don't happen that way."

Me: "Do you have an idea of how you might pick the Delta apart?"

BL: "I have a plan. My approach is still in processes but I have three days to practice."

Me: "Has this become a reality for you yet? Has it fully sunk in that this is happening?"

BL: "[very serious] Yes. It took a while".

Me: "When did that happen for you?"

BL: "I'd say probably a couple weeks ago."

Me: "What were the circumstances? What were you doing?"

BL: "Just sat down, got in my boat, got out some of this new gear people are giving me. Sat down and started looking at this GPS. I'm just sitting here summing it all up say'n man this is happening and I gotta get right. Ya know I gotta put my act together and try to go down there and represent Delaware."

My spine shivered at his reply. That's really when it became real for me. That Brian was going to be on TV repping Delaware. And what's more, is that seemed to be his biggest concern of all. Not that he wanted to catch the eye of sponsors or get as much time in the spotlight as possible. He truly, genuinly, wants to go down there and look good for those of us back home...

Me: "Funny you mention representing Delaware. That relates to my next question as a matter of fact. What are your feelings toward being from Delaware? No one really expects much from us because there is no major lakes; no reservoirs. Nothing you could just cut out from work early and spend a few hours on the water. I mean, you would have a little bit of a haul to the closest noteable lake. We have the Nanticoke but it does not equate to anything like these Elite Series guys fish on a regualar basis."

BL: "No, it doesnt. I feel real good about it. I always wanted to see someone from the eastern shore. Even though I live in Maryland, I still am representing Delaware. I feel so great about that. I always wanted to see someone go [from Delamarva] because it's close to D.C., Baltimore- you always hear about the Potomac, the upper [Chesapeake] bay, but you never hear about anybody coming out of here. We've only ever had three anglers in history, that I know of, that have even had a chance. I feel good about that"

Me: "So if someone were to outspokenly write off the guy from Delaware and consider him to not stand a chance, what would you say to that?"

BL: [laughs] "I'm the kind of person that probably wouldn't say a whole lot. And then I would go hard to force him out and then that guy is gonna think twice before he said that again".

Me: "I like that. Prove them wrong by making them sorry they ever opened their mouth".

BL: "I think we have some really strong anglers from Delaware. In fact I know we do. It's just the professional bass fishing industry is a very expensive thing to do. And unless you are sit'n pretty fat, it's hard to go out and fish for a living. I think some of the guys in our Federation could do that. I could."

Me: "You did. You're there."

BL: "Well I mean for a living, on a regualar basis. I can't afford that."

Me: "Does that make you feel like an underdog at all?"

BL: "In some sense, because I have'nt been touring and fishing with a bunch of different professionals. The only thing that has been weighing on my mind, is whether or not the fish I find are going to be competitive in size. Fishing against these guys; I don't have a problem with. I don't compare myself to any of them."

Me: "Are you fully prepared mentally?"

BL: "I have a couple things to work on. I've been advised about the hype. I was just sitting in my boat the other day, by myself, and got a little nervous. I'm just gonna go fish and do what I can."

Me: "Is it intimidating to know you are up against guys that have fished the Classic, and won it, multiple times?"

BL: "It doesn't leave my mind. I think of two guys... Mike Iaconelli and Kevin VanDam. I just keep thinking and thinking that hopefully the fish that I find will be able to compete with thiers".

Me: "What are your expectations for this tournament?"

BL: "I would like to come across that weigh-in station with at least a limit each day".

Me: "Let's say you do the unimaginable and win. What comes next for Brian LaClair?"

BL: "I think I would have to sit and talk it over with my family. I think there would definately be some professional fishing going on. I'd have to see if it works out, you know?"

Me: "Well let's put it this way. You have qualified for the Bassmaster Classic, which is aimed at bringing the best 50 anglers in the world together to fish against one another. You are one of them... so in my mind that means that even if you finish dead last, you're still 50th best out of millions. Right?"

BL: "I haven't really ever thought of it like that. I figured I would want to be up in the top ten at least. In past Classic history, the only ones that are ever really remembered, are the guys that win it. I'm not going to just cut myself short to be satisfied. If I think I can go for it... I'm going for it. I'll be swinging for the fence. I don't have anything to lose in this one. I think that's the only way to look at it. This might be my only chance."

He told me his mindset for the big tournament in February. I got a good inkling that Brian is focused and won't be distracted by all the glitz and glam. A truly devoted character that deserves all his accomplishments by all the work he's put in, and the positive attitude he has carried all the long way. I finalized our interview by asking him about what it takes...

BL: "Take it very seriously the next time you get in a boat to go fishing in a qualifier tournament. Fish it like it's the Classic. You gotta fish hard... extremely hard."

B.A.S.S.'s Unfortunate Crisis: Part 2

It's a good thing I don't use speech to text to write. If that were the case, my foot would be disabling me from creating this very article. In part one of this article, I mentioned that B.A.S.S. and it's lackluster diligence to re-seat a new National Conservation Director, seemed uninterested in getting the position filled. Secondarily, taking the national conservation meeting at the Classic out of the scene for yet another year. Well... ironically, the day after I posted the article, through e mails sent back and forth between all of us Federation Nation conservation guys, I was happy, exuberant, surprised and taken back to learn that Tim Cook (TX) had spoken with Jerry McKinnis (one of the new owners of B.A.S.S.) after Dave Santos (CT) had reported that Noreen Clough had been appointed the new National Conservation Director. Or should I say "re-appointed" given that she was the incumbent when Chris Horton came on board.

In such a case I am glad to be wrong in the sense that B.A.S.S. seemed to be ripped from its deep conservation minded roots. I guess I jumped the gun and didn't give it enough time. In Tim's messages with Mr. McKinnis it was evident that getting the program into full force again was one of the things weighing on his mind saying “I think the CD meeting is so important to achieve our goals.” Also making it evident that talks would resume about the meeting being held in the future. Not to throw a negative spin on things but what's the saying? 'Talk is cheap'. Not to say I'm not feeling positive about the recent subject attention, but at the same time I'm not going to let myself be taken to the races by talk. I want to see action. That qualifies as extra purchase to me and it speaks louder than words. In a realm where we, the guys doing this for free because we recognize that it drastically increases the quality of the sport, have been shown time over time all the 'mean nothings' that mere words offer. Jerry, if you are reading, I greatly appreciate what you are considering. But don't take it personal if some of us don't buy all-in until we are all sitting at a table sanctioned by B.A.S.S. discussing what we do best... protecting the resources of our sport.

B.A.S.S.'s Unfortunate Crisis

It is what it is. The economic downturn that has brought company after company to it's knees and reeks havoc on the wallets of families across the nation, does not differentiate among 'good cause' efforts from organizations like the conservation initiative driven by B.A.S.S. for years and years. Any of the national conservation directors can tell you that the gears have all but stopped at the B.A.S.S. headquarters in Celebration, FL. Recently sold into new ownership, but no new direction. Where there used to be a national conservation director, is now an empty office chair after the leading mind of conservation efforts from B.A.S.S., Chris Horton, left the job for an opportunity in Federal Government. The position has yet to be refilled and B.A.S.S. does not seem to have any intention of refilling that office anytime soon. A once a year meeting held by B.A.S.S. at the Bassmaster Classic, bringing all the states together to discuss current issues is going into it's second year of non-existence. With all this, conservation minded anglers are beginning to wonder. What is becoming of this sport? What is the future, if in fact there even is one? The last shimmer of hope lies scattered across the nation in the hearts of the individual state's conservation leaders like Scott Sewell, conservation director of Maryland's B.A.S.S. affiliate, Federation Nation. He says it's a big difference now from the way things used to be, "and I don't mean that in a good way", before B.A.S.S. and TBF split apart. It left some bad blood laced with a little negativity mixed in on anglers' minds and on the water. Anglers parted ways and clubs dissolved. Is this what is happening to the conservation program? I'll leave names out of this statement but I have heard some say that it all boils down to selfish members that only want to fish. They just assume let a select few do all the 'extra' stuff and save their time for fishing. My personal take on it is this; if a person joins for the soul intent to fish tournaments then so be it. Let them. If everybody takes that stance however, there will be no big money purses, none of the sponsorship packages you dream of, good fisheries will head south and everything will go back to square one like Ray Scott never came up with the idea. It takes extra effort to make all this happen. The grandeur of it all depends on how many give that extra effort. You get out, what you put in. There isn't a more simple equation. For too long, too many have operated on the backs of other's good givings. Time, money, ideas. People have stopped stepping up to take their turn at the grind stone. It's going to take that in opposite to bring things back to glory.

My case is what some (if they really read me correctly) might call self serving. I became the conservation director for both my club and the DBFN for the same reason T.R. created the national parks; he liked to hunt the animals that lived there. He understood that these were the heirlooms of America. Places where people could see with their own eyes the majesty of this planet. In similar comparison, I enjoy the challenge bass fishing offers so I naturally want them to always be there in the waters I like to fish. In all honesty, if B.A.S.S. left the face of the earth tomorrow, I wouldn't quit fishing or spending time with other members of my club. Sure, my goal of being a competitor in the Classic would obviously change gears but it would not make the act of fishing any less fun.

The take-home here is that people are going to have to decide what they want the future to contain for the sport of bass fishing. If they want the glitz and glamor and spotlight time that big tournaments provide, they are going to have to do more than just pay the entry fee. They are going to have to say enough is enough and move forward with the things that make it all happen and ensure the road is paved for tomorrow. B.A.S.S. has long said that ensuring the future of the sport lies through conservation and youth. In my opinion that makes all the sense in the world. The two major components of the sport are the fish and people interested in catching them. But in recent years, it seems like those folks at B.A.S.S. have taken back that train of thought. Or maybe they still do take that stance but just can't quite get the wheels rolling enough to move ahead. Is it that the turmoil that ensued in so many different ways, brought everything to a screeching halt? Crippling the sport and driving the morale of the members into the ground? I'm no business genius by any measure, but I do know that being stagnant means death. This leadership must drudge on and stop letting these hurdles incapacitate the true value that makes bass fishing what it is... the people.

Sinking Feeling

We (the Eastern Shore Bassmasters) recently placed about 600 pounds of knobbed whelk shell piles into McGinnis pond. Myself and another Division of Fish & Wildlife employee, marked those areas with white and blue striped poles. Some of you frequent flyers may have noticed. A few weeks later I went back to fish them and I could not detect anything. I then went as far as to snorkle on them so I could get a sub aqueous photo of the structure for Cathy Martin's Go-Fish project manual. Guess what I found. Nothing. Almost no shells were visible on either site. They had promptly sunk down into the silt provided by runoff. Mind you, this is a pile of shells about 2.5 feet high. Get the picture?

My bottom line is these ponds need to be dredged or they are just going to fill in. Which leaves me to the temptation to just forget about the shells altogether. I also pondered the thought of just adding more to each site, as it can only sink so far. In short, the above photo is the substitute for the awesome underwater photo I was trying for to show the couch shell that's not really there.

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Avoidance Is Not the Answer

Sunday August 1st, 2010. Arch nemesis: Upper Chesapeake Bay. Made it to the ramp on time despite my usual missed turn in Galena that sends me into Sassafras instead of Turner's Creek. It's still all good. Left Bob, LEFT damn it! Fellow club members, queue laughter. I figured going into this tournament I would just fish it like I fish the Potomac this time. A lot of the characteristics are similar if not the same and I usually do very well on the Potomac. I don't fish the Upper Chessie very much because that place just gives me bad vibes. I don't deny it's productivity and credentials as a world class bass fishery, it just gives me an uneasy feeling about navigation and basic mechanics of fishing there. It has a reputation for tearing up boats and gear and the fish tend to get widespread cases of lockjaw. I would advise greenhorns to use extreme caution here and learn it at a very slow pace. Take a couple of YEARS to learn the ins and outs of fishing the various tributaries and navigating them. Don't force yourself to learn it by fishing tournaments on the Upper Chesapeake because it will do to you what it has done to me. Discourage, rape your confidence and beat up your gear. My only saving grace is that I was born with a gift. Having nerves of steel and a head as hard as diamond... I'll learn it, just the hard way. You should learn it by learning from mine and others mistakes. A while back I vowed to never return to fish there again. That's not a good idea since a lot of the area's major tournaments are staged either on the North East or the Sassafras. (Both tributaries of the Chesapeake)

I started off in this tournament with high hopes of at least bringing in a few fish. From talking to other seasoned anglers of the water, I knew about a grass bed directly across the Sassafras from Turner's Creek. I made a B line to that location and immediately started finesse fishing a tiny T rigged creature bait, focusing on the area between shoreline structure and the edge of the grass. I was getting little bites but nothing would full on take it away. I put it down and grabbed a favorite spinnerbait of mine and the second cast, about half way through the retrieve, a 22 inch striper nailed it. I figured that the early morning light would do those blades justice and I was getting what I thought was a signal from the fish. I left the trolling motor on and continued up the shoreline and got another hammering hit from another rockfish who was evidently making his morning rounds near a duck blind. I decided to cut my losses in this area because after all, I'm not in a striped bass tournament.

I moved all the way across the bay to an area close to Aberdeen. Since I was getting hits from the spinnerbait I just stuck with it and fished it past indentations in the grass line. I ended up with 8 more frigg'n stripers on the end of my line, ranging in size; the largest at about 19 inches. That information that took me about 3 and a half hours to get put me in a decision making situation. I had to decide if I was going to move out of the area or stay put and just switch things up a bit. I could have made about a 30 minute ride into the Susquehanna or try fishing inside the grass I was already at, where I predicted the bass might be escaping the hot weather.

The beds I was near had holes scattered about in the middle of them. Another signature they carried was a drop after the edge. I felt this was a good plan and grabbed the flipp'n rod and got at it. My targets were the holes, edge and sparse grass clumps on the drop off. None of which produced a single bite on my Big Show Craw. Out of time, luck and steam, I headed back to the ramp with empty buckets. To end on an up note though, in passing a big fishing cruiser as I neared the mouth of the Sassafras; some nice looking ladies thought it necessary to flash their very beautiful tits as I rode by at 60 mph. Thank you whoever you girls are. My crap day of fishing was instantly forgotten.

Tide Means Everything

You can put a price on all the tackle you buy to use on the Nanticoke river. You can price the boat you use and the license you are supposed to have. But you just can't put a price on fishing the right tide. Just last weekend I had a youth tournament there with my son. We started off just after dead low so I realized I would be fishing the incoming water all day long. Or at least until the end of the tournament. I figured an incoming tide left nothing to chance so I decided to keep the run time down to a minimum by staying within a half mile or so of the ramp. We spent a good amount of time fishing Walker's creek and picked up one for the bucket. My son caught a short fish on a drop shot rig right where I thought they would be. But nothing else. Why is that? I knew what the water was doing, the weather was predictable (stable) and you could almost guarantee that plenty of bass were located in the area. It seems like they are always plentiful in Walker's.

Regardless, there wasn't much time to boat 4 more as the water was getting higher and higher every minute. The DuPont feeder creek finally filled in to the point you could actually get in there. I told Andrew "This is where it can happen for us really quick, so stay on your feet and just keep on casting". I was wrong of course as we left without so much as a bite. In the end, he was happy to just catch that one short fish. As it turned out, nobody did exceedingly well that day with the winner bringing in 4 fish for around 5 pounds.

Add it all up and this is what you get on a crappy ass tide. The water gets high and the fish spread out up into places you can't cast to, as well as the fact that I think it turns off the bite too. These fish here live a strange life that is so dictated by the tide that thier catchability changes from night to day in the few hours it takes for the tide to change. That's why you can't put a price on when the tide is right.

Potomac Indian Giver

I know, I know. It's been many moon since you have seen an updated article and you have been tired of logging in only to find the last age old writ popping up on the page. Truth is, I have had way too much going on at work and fishing every chance I get so far this season to be worrying about blinging up this blog. But some interesting things transpired over the weekend that I want to share. But first I'll fill in the huge gap spanning since my last post.

First I'll admit that I DID in fact fish the DBFN Open at the Wicomico river. Little results were brought to the scales and only one limit showed its self. Everyone else either zeroed or had one fish in supply.

The day started out with my good friend and Bass Fury pro staff member Josh Wich picking me up at my flat at about 5am. We headed south to Salisbury, MD with good hopes rolling off our tongues left and right while his truck dragged the boat steadily down U.S. 13. Josh explained his plan in sound execution as I ate up every word. After all, just last year I saw him clean up there in a club tourney with 5 for 11.36 pounds. My thoughts were, since he knew where some good fish were, the both of us working toward the same goal could really do some serious dammage to the scales. Turned out that this was not the case. We both threw everything we had in the area he had pulled a great bag from before, only to come up with a would be limit of short fish. Then we made a run to some muddy water that did'nt make any sense to fish so we turned around and headed back. By then, the tide had gone out far enough to fit under the draw bridge in town that we could then pass under, to fish the upper stretch of the river. The entire length of the area is walled on both sides with a wooden retaining barrier with pilings placed out away from the walls every 30 feet or so. At the end of the bridge piling retainers was another piling wall with some water tucked in behind it. I just dropped my Stike King Red Eye Shad vertically down beside the piling, and out from the depths came Mr. Largemouth. That was number one. Try as we did, niether of us could hook up on another single fish. At the end of the day only one team had a limit and most everyone else had 1 or none.

The good Ol' Potomac. I jsut love this place. Miles and miles of productive water born from sound management. Our 2 day club tournament here was very important for me to do well in. This time fishing against Josh lent me the opportunity to build up some major points in the angler of the year rankings. The weight is out there, you just have to catch it.

I played my cards very carefully in preparing for this tournament. Thinking that good fish would be south I braved very high winds to fish Nanjemoy Creek a week prior and only came to the conclution that I should eliminate that location as a rpime suspect. I practiced agian the day before game time around Mallows Bay. Great place for fish to congregate due to the large wrecks lined up like a parking lot in there. Being careful of your fiberglass is rule 1 naving this area because IT IS NASTY with a capitol N. I turned up some decent action there so I figured it would be a good start. From launch, I made a B line for that bone yard and immediately began tossing the buzzbait targeting little sparse pockets of grass among thick pockets. It wasn't working. I switched to my wooly bug rigged for flipp'n and started punching the thicker areas of grass and nailed a undersize fish while reeling back in. This is where I caught on to the pattern I would use for the rest of the tournament. I put down the flipp'n rod and started trying my YUM Money Minnow swim bait in the less dense grass. I would roll it over the tops and let it drop down into the bare spots. Boom! Got one! Shorty again. This was recognizable of the day prior. It was few and far between for keepers so I decided to move on. I swung back in to Mattawoman to an old friend of mine; Grinder's Wharf. I began with the same pattern as I was using at Mallows and before long I had a good keeper. After that, it seemed to shut off. I moved out and decided to make a run up river to clearer water to one of my 'secret' spots. The tide was moving out which makes this are on fire. Any other time it's not that great. I just could not get bit here on the swim bait though. I opted for somthing a little more stationary so I pulled out the shakey head. I figured, if I'm going to pull a 4.5 or 5 pounder out today, this is where it will be. Everyone knows I like giant sized worms so I put on the 9 inch YUM Paddle Worm in black and blue; swung it under a dock. Instantly got bit... short fish. Tried again... nicer fish this time but still short. The next one might have been a keeper, but got off before I could bring him aboard. Well, I said to myself I think I should move on. I wasn't getting bit anymore and the sun started getting high in the sky. It seemed like I was getting some more agressive action in the clearer water so I decided to move up to Pomonkey Creek. I switched back to the swim bait and just started plastering the place. Before I knew it I had 2 more keepers in the boat and that's how day one ended for me. 3 fish for a little under 6 pounds. I really thought I was such an under cut at this point that I prepared myself to be in 5th or 6th to avoid disappointment. At the scales though, things turned out differently. I was leading after day one!

Okay so this could still be in my hands. I just have to come in with a limit on day 2 for sure. I knew there was no way that Josh of all the characters in my club, were going to come up shy on the second day of our tournament. I cycled over all the information I had gotten from day 1 and came to the conclution that Piscataway Creek was the place to go. Long run but I'll hack it. I spent most of the first half of the day in Piscatataway with no fish that would measure to show for it. I had this voice in my head saying 'Your'e in real trouble now Bob'. I needed to make a move. I knew of a GIGANTIC grass bed in the mouth of Little Hunting Creek that was really popular. I figured it's the only chance I've got. I stayed right on the edge where the grass stops growing and worked the swim bait. I keep getting hit but they keep coming off. Good fish too! I'm sooo frustrated at this point with the fish, not to mention the wind keeps blowing me off target. Short strikes is all kept getting. I happend to look back behind me and what do I see? There's Josh fishing the next bed out from my location. I though, no matter. At the end of the day, that would not be the case. He ended up with 5 fish weighing in around 14 pounds. All from the spot right behind me. Some guys just get lucky I guess.

Pleasant Surprise

The groundhog told us another 6 weeks of winter. After all that snow, this looked to be true. But here we are in early March and spring has sprung. The past week has been in the 50's and 60's with nights falling to around the mid 30's. Though that is cold, I see a trend working to the angler's favor here. That trend would be the warming type. Naysayers have told me that we'll dip back into the low 40's during the day later in the month, but I'm not buying it. This is an El Nino year and the same thing that gave us hell in the winter, will give us some bad ass fishing weather this spring and summer.

Was up at Bass Pro in Baltimore this past weekend with my dad. I could not help myself from purchasing some YUM money minnows. This off season I have been reading a lot of info on using swimbaits. Ya know; the when, where and how stuff. I have seen pretty good fish come on swimbaits and I would like to duplicate that this spring, before the spawn starts and I have to start throwing right at their faces.

I upgraded my jig arsenal by grabbing up a load of Explosive Tackle jigs in various natural and quasi natural colors. I love their Brown Shaka Brown color. It has an almost bronze glint to it that I think will make it contrast just enough with similar surrounding objects to collect a lot of attention. I had some other custom colors made that I'll be keeping secret until season's end. You can't expect me to divulge such information before I even have a chance to pound the scales with it, can you?

As I mentioned in another article about power vs. finesse fishing, I noted my lack of ability to perform the latter and how planned to remedy the shortfall. Enter Powell Rods. This west coast rod maker has already established it's self as a bass fishing mainstay in California and is peeking it's way into the Delmarva Peninsula angling public and could easily become a go-to brand all over the east coast, and for good reason. I have a sweet tooth for G Loomis rods. Understandable right? They are light and ultra ultra sensitive. They react nicely to the handler's direction so you can be precise with putting action on your lure and they are usually in the $250.00 range. Hold on, you just said $250.00! That is where G Loomis pales in comparison to Powell. The biggest number you will ever see on the price tag of a Powell rod... $170.00. And yes folks that also comes with all the cool accolades of the king Loomis. But if you like giving your money away for the sake of just a name, be my guest. But when I can feel that same hair drift past my line that you did, but at half the cost; don't whine like a biatch.

The New Power: Powesse

I used to always [like] to think of myself as a versatile angler who takes advantage of all the pros in all styles of fishing. It was not until this last season I realized I wasn't really taking advantage of anything most of the time. I guess I need to detail this a little to understand what I mean.

If you look at a bass angler that builds his/her style around "power", they are covering a lot of water in a relatively short period of time. Like KVD does with a spinnerbait. If you fish in a "finesse" inspired strategy, you are giving much more subtle presentations of your lure, much more accurate casts and usually spending a much higher amount of time between casts, thus covering less water but focusing tighter on one specific area. Most anglers I know will say that these are the two different personalities you will see in bass fishing. Both have their place in varying conditions. Some pros have become masters of both which has made them very dangerous weapons on tournament days. But what if you could harness the power of both and employ them simultaneously?

Power and finesse. Two styles on totally different sides of the fishing spectrum. That is until you fold the fabric of space and time and combine the two. Just use a finesse type lure and fish it faster right? Nope. Not what I had in mind. One of the things I have noticed when fishing with others in my circle is how much they miss and pass by when full out power fishing. It never fails. They are racing the tide trying to pluck as many bass as they can on a short time span of a low tide and they miss or just pass up a prime little nook because they are in a rush. How hard would it be to drop the crankbait and pick up the drop shot rig for one cast to that bush hanging in the water? Or of more concern, how much time would that take? I assure you the possibility of a keeper is well worth the 2 minutes. In my opinion anyway. I mean, so a crankbait didn't get you hooked up on that rock pile but if you run a tube through there it might make something move! You never know.

Sometimes there is such thing as being too focused and I think that this is the reason spots inside spots get left alone. Now let me be honest here; anytime i find those [spots inside spots] they are usually sub legal fish, but I do find them. So if I have only learned one lesson in meditation this off season, it's that a major key is to absorb all surroundings, be attentive to EVERYTHING and if you can't get the lure you are fishing into that cubby hole, you surely have another bait that will get in there. And I call that... Powesse fishing.

Water: It's Not Just For Fish

When water falls from the skies and stays on land, that means it's snowing. Otherwise it is rain and readily seeps into the ground or flows into available bodies of water. So what happens when you get about 5 inches of frozen rain? Answer, 2 or 3 feet of snow. Which as I mentioned before, does not go anywhere until it melts. Thus the situation here in Delaware and the surrounding area. Over the last week and a half we have accumulated the equivalent average of 36 inches of snow. All of you from around here know that this is NOT normal. The snowiest winter in recorded history for this area has occurred and of course in the following paragraphs of this article I will speculate how this could/can affect fishing this year.

Temperatures will not stay below 32 degrees all summer long. I can promise you that. Not even through spring. If you just thought of the word "melt", you know what I am getting at. All that snow will be melting at some point. How quickly is the important question. Worst case scenario: We get hit with yet another heavy to moderate snow before the temps start to rise for spring. This area is famous for rapidly changing seasons and temperature patterns. So following our frozen tundra like environment we get warm, heavy spring rains which rapidly melt the 36 inches of snow which blanketed the entire Delmarva peninsula and beyond. You would see flooding in ways one does not ever want to think about. This type of flood would devastate our Nanticoke fishery here in DE and in MD. Homes would be taken and bridges would be destroyed. All the stars would really have to align, but when you think about it; haven't they already?

Now the scenario I would prefer, though it would still slow down fishing, is none the less the least destructive. If the temperatures warm and cool for a period long enough to melt the snow gradually, we would see water temps staying cold for a much longer into the spring. This could put an arrest on spawning untill much later in the season than a more typical occurring spawn. I would also expect to see post spawn patterns be a little off as well. And when I say "off" that could go either way if you think about it. The fish are on a timer. They only have the length of the growing season to spawn, feed and grow fat to prepare for the cold winter. So in theory, if the fish know they are a little behind schedule because the water was a little late to warm up, they know that. It could cause a big blow up of activity after they finally do get to spit the eggs out. But Bob, the fish wouldn't know the difference if the water stays in winter mode for longer into spring right? No. That is incorrect. Anyone with seasonal depression knows that this syndrome runs on the great clock in the sky. The sun. So as the days get longer but the water temps stay cold enough from snow melt to put stop to spawning, believe me SON! The fish know it!

Let's all just hope and pray that the temporarily impassable roads are the worst we get from all this snow fall. I would really hate to see this come around to bite us in the rear later down the road with drastic consequence. This has happened in other parts of the country where it took years to rebuild top notch fisheries from terrible floods. Right now as the snow continues to mount, it's impossible to say how it will all go away but one sure bet is that it will. Let us just hope that when it does, it's in a calm manner.

Zillion Series Gets A Zillion Stars

Since I have been fishing, which has been since I was about five, I have used all different kinds of reels and other gear. Some good, some bad. Some durable, some fragile. Before I started bass fishing as my primary mode of fishing, I didn't like to buy really expensive gear. I was fishing, at the most, 2 to 3 times a month and you do not need high end rods and reels to catch big carp and catfish. I don't have to tell you die hards out there that good gear comes with a not so good price. When you dive into the realm of catching bass on a maximized, consistent basis, the better your gear, the better your results. I remember a strange affection for carp fishing I had in my teenage years. I went out and bought a pretty cheap ultra light combo with tiny 6 pound test line and started casting night crawlers and corn, out to the huge carp in the lake I lived on as a young man. What addicted me was what would transpire after hooking up on a humongous fish. The fights would last so long and a lot of the time, the fish would just snap the line before I could ever get a chance give it the initial reel down. What never occurred to me then was that fishing for bass would be twice the vigor.

Now days I can't afford the line twist, payout, laggy drag systems of cheaper reels. When my money is on the line, I want the best to be in control of my line. In my search for the best [I could afford] I found the Daiwa Zillion series. These reels offer up the best all around performance for the money, in any reel I have ever seen. Just holding these reels, cranking the handle, spinning the spool, you can just feel the quality. The power in one turn is amazing which translates to better control of your fish, in a big fight. The drag reacts precisely and is adjustable the same using a star type knob behind the cranking handle. Another wonderful attribute is that they come in different speeds. The 4.3:1 Crazy Cranker is great for medium to deep diving crankbaits. The slow speed does not allow an over speed retrieve and gets the lure down to it's running depth faster. The 6.3:1 is a time honored classic, great for general application. And the 7.1:1 for burning buzzbaits and rolling spinnerbaits. Recently released for all you saltwater guys and gals is the Zillion Coastal. Basically, it's a 7.3:1, corrosion resistant, saltwater reel that is just perfect for all kinds of inshore species. It's a tiny bit heavier than the freshwater versions but the trade off is null in comparison. If you are in the market for good gear, these are the reels you should look at.

Why We Write

For some anglers, fishing is enough. Getting up and making it to the ramp just as the sun starts to rise and untying from the dock to try a new spot, is just enough to keep them reeling. But in my own mind, what's the bother if you don't tell about it? Well, maybe not everything but enough to brag... or in my case complain about falling short.

Some get after me about writing. I divulge to much about the proprietorship of "secret" spots or techniques. My simple opinion is, if it's not the day before a tournament then there is no conflict. If I am telling other competitors where I am going to fish the in the days prior to competition, that's just stupid. But if I talk about an area totally unrelated to an event or after the event is over, no damage done. Guys can be stingy that way. They don't share any information, anytime. My stance is that if I throw a bone once in a while, I'll get one back when I really need it. I notice a lot of anglers make the mistake of thinking they can just do it all on their own. Nothing I have ever accomplished has been done solely off of a hunch. All done by educated decisions made from things I have learned from other people in some form or another. For those who keep tight lips sealed, my secrets will stay just that... a secret (from you).

I also write because it helps me remember things I have done. Things that worked, and all the stuff that didn't work. All of it is so very important to keep for later reference. If you are fishing to do what I am trying to do, then you are fishing enough to forget plenty of what you have done wrong in the past, to make the same mistake twice; or pass up a great opportunity to use a killer technique you stumbled upon. Don't forget about bragging rights too. I can tell you from personal experience that getting my tail whipped at the scales leaves me wishing I could repay the favor someday. Retribution does happen on the rare occasion and when it does, I let the world know it by posting it here. I guess you could say it lifts my spirits to keep me fishing. Otherwise I would have curled up in some corner of my house and quit by now. So as for good advice for the mediocre anglers among truly skilled anglers getting the short end more often than not; don't give in, keep on pressing. And when you get the goods on tournament day, you need to reward yourself. It's okay to brag about yourself, especially when you have managed to fare well or even win in an event you know you are the underdog in. Rewarding yourself in these situations, to me, is imperative to future success in a mental capacity.

Don't go overboard with it. If you know my columns well, then you know I am moderate with my writing and I never bash others. Talking smack in writing can sometimes be taken the wrong way, and if you aim to be vindictive, you may find yourself a target out on the water later down the road. Say enough to talk yourself up and gain confidence in you and that's as far as you need to go. Extra banter about how bad Joe Bragger did, does absolutely nothing but start battles. You are already battling the fish. Why create yet another opposing force?

In this sport, you are your own coach, which is unique to bass fishing. You have to be supportive of yourself at the same time being realistic with a good sense of sportsmanship. If you boil it down, this is what writing is all about for me. It reminds me of dos and do nots. So I guess you could say it's more for me that it is for the people that read. Although I suppose others could gather from what I know or think. But don't take my writing for it. Try it yourself.

Nanticoke Fishing Reprort for the Week of 11/1/2009

Well everybody, here is what I promised you. A weekly Nanticoke fishing report. As long as my guys keep giving me updates every week, I will post this info (though general) on this here blog on Mondays. Enjoy!

Weather Forecast: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=38.633868836177584&lon=-75.61675071716308&site=phi&smap=1&marine=1&unit=0&lg=en


Tides:
Tides.Info: Tide Predictions for Sharptown, Nanticoke River, Maryland


Current Water Temperatures: Upper stretches of both branches hovering in the low 60's while cooling at night. Main portions of the river in the high 50's and falling daily with consistent rain and wind. Broad Creek temps around 63 degrees with temps in Marshy Hope slightly higher at 64.

The catching seems a little tough lately with the windy and rainy conditions, however the fishing has not slacked off at least until Saturday. I went out with my son last Monday and the bass seemed to like a TX rigged ribbontail, but the bite was light. You had to really be paying attention. I was also scrounging around for some spots for a few hours on Saturday and I noticed the boat traffic had slowed down a lot since Monday. I tried my luck up-river and found some fish stuck on wood and playing very close submerged solids that you could not see with the water so high like it was. Crankbaits have helped me find this kind of stuff, though the fish don't want to take it. So I follow up with a soft plastic on the structure I find with the crankbait. I predict with all the precip we will be getting, the water temps will continue to fall and presentations will need to become slower and slower. But the feed bag will stay on. We'll see!

Others I chatted with who had fished this week claimed success with shakeyheads in skinny creeks and metallic colored lipless crankbaits on your steeper drops, when the current let off a little.

Season's End

I have to say, not a bad finish for my first full season on the ESB trail. I finished 4th overall in points and fished the State Championship Tournament, pulling 40th in my first as a co-angler. Now that it is all said and done, I can think back on different things that could use some change, and the other things that worked out for me and build on that to improve for the 2010 season which is already well under way.

Starting with the State Championships, I had no idea. I'll just say that. When you are so used to being in control of your own boat. Having first shot on new water and fishing at your pace, and then all that is taken away and you are no longer in control, you have to adjust to a different pace. Quite possibly, you may end up changing your entire style. All this on tournament day; for me it spelled total disaster. I did what I could to hold on and not zero each day, which I didn't. But I think mentally, that was the goal I eventually set for myself. "Just don't zero. Whatever you do." And that attitude was not going to get me anywhere beyond 40th place.

Things I would do differently now: For one, I would be out there learning the ropes of being a co-angler before tournament day. If you have never really fished in the back, you better learn how it works way before you go out with money on the line. Essentially, you are competing, knowing you have a distinct handicap from all the other anglers out on the water on the front of a boat. These are learning experiences only learned through trial and error. So for those of you that are new to the sport, my advice to you is this. Expose yourself to as many situations you can present to yourself. Get the experience of being in different scenarios so that when it occurs again, you be ready to answer the call by using the last experience as a gauge.

Having already kicked off the 2010 season at Chesapeake Bay, the struggle to get and stay on top is unrelenting. Out of the old and right into the new. No break yet, not until January. The tournament last Saturday [a complete train wreck on my part] and again, another learning experience. Knowledge of this fishery is key to any kind of success. You just can't go there and slay the bass without pre-meditated planning of your game plan. I had a game plan, but too much of it depended on game time decisions that were more like guesses than sound, educated decisions. The weather for the day was snotty. Gale winds up to 30 mph, rain on and off and high water all day. The bay was inaccessible and dangerous so I opted not to attempt a cross over to the Susquehanna river. It was off limits anyway due to the weather. My game time [guess] was made and I B lined it to Lloyd's Creek. Within, there was a grassy cove with a wooded shoreline and it was heavily shielded from the high wind by way of a towering cliff. I thought to myself "At some point in the day, the fish here will bite." I would run the shore line with a ribbon-tail worm and a lipless crankbait, then at the end, switch sides and cover the edge of the grass bed with a beaver tail pegged to a 1 ounce weight to punch it through the grass. I had the whole area to myself all day long; and all day long I went back and forth stubbornly with the same tactic waiting for the bait switch to activate. Never even had a bite!

On an even more horrible note, as the wind picked up more and more, the gusting bursts of wind started to penetrate my area intermittently. Just fishing, minding my own business I just happened to look over an witness on of my $650 rod/reel combos get inched a little to far off the side of my gunwale and it went in. My heart instantly shattered to pieces and I leaped back to the driver's seat to set a man-overboard marker. For the next hour and a half or more, I would try to no avail to hook up on my sunken treasure. Surely lost forever I gave up on it and returned to the the ramp hopelessly defeated by those Chesapeake bass. My fellow club members can tell you, I was about as angry as a man can get. No fish and down 1 $650 rod plus the cost of gas. Total LOSS all around on the day not to mention the 2 $10 crankbaits I will have to replace. I vowed never to return to fish and events of any kind on this particular body of water. An unrealistic threat, but at the time felt good to say. Obviously that was a threat I can't keep as that is one of the most popular tournament waters in this area.

On my way back home I began to contemplate the possibilities of getting my combo back out of the water. At the time, I had not had enough weight to keep a hook plastered to the bottom, so I never had a real chance of getting back that day. I could go back the next day, but if the current moves it I'll never find it. I concluded that for $650 it was worth going back with the right tools to try and get it back. My ramp pass was good for the next day so why not give it a shot.

I went back first thing in the morning with a big 3 oz. sinker and a big treble hook. I tied it on and affixed the sinker/barge anchor about an inch up the line from the hook. My MOB marker was still active leading me straight to the site of my lost crew member. On arrival I used the little bit of current and wind to drag the rig across the bottom. It only took about 10 or 11 passes and I could tell I had snagged an object of some kind. I noticed I was about 12 feet from my marker so I was not all that excited but when it surfaced, sure enough I was rewarded with one recovered rod and reel. Definition of near disaster.

Big Big Fish

Ya know, I have often wondered what the feeling would be like to catch a state record fish. Would it be fulfilling in that it would bring a mild amount of celebrity in the local fishing community. More so, what if it happened during a tournament? Well after Saturday I still have no idea what it feels like to be the current placeholder of a record or to have caught one in a tournament... or at least weigh one in at a tournament.

I will say this; I had one in my hand, only one millisecond from pulling it in the boat. The current Delaware state record largemouth stands at 10 pounds 5 ounces. It was caught in Andrews Lake, about 2 miles from my home by Tony Kaczmarczyk in 1980. That's 29 years of quality fisheries management in this state and few fish have come close to that record. That is until this past Sunday.

I was fishing in our last club tournament of the season at Lums pond near Delaware City. It is the states largest public freshwater pond at almost 200 acres. Right now is where I tell you that I had no co-angler meaning no one else on my boat but me. As I set out in search for the 5 biggest bass I could find, the morning started out slow. Everything was slow in fact, everything but the wind that is. I hit some stump fields on the south end of the lake in a north wind, which means, that shore line was getting blasted in a gusty Delaware wind. I was getting pushed into stumps and I could not stay a safe distance from shore for longer than 3 seconds before I would have to readjust my position. After getting my jig snagged up in some one's old ball of fishing line in some submerged wood, I decided to go catch fish elsewhere, less the frigg'n wind. (If you hadn't noticed, I hate wind).

I moved directly across the lake to the north shore. The tall trees here blocked out the wind so I was able to make my presentations in total relaxation. The water being as high as it was, I knew the fish would be tucked as far back in that crap as they could get. I switched to a 1/2 ounce Explosive tackle jig in B&B and trailed it with just a generic black jig trailer. I hooked up on my 3rd flip, but short. That told me all I needed to know.

After making a few more carefully aimed flips into the [crap] I moved up into one of the main arms of the lake and fished all the north sides of all the coves in the arm. I boated my first keeper (about a pound) at around 10:00am. I decided there was a lot of good offshore stuff I was missing, so I tied on a Bomber Model A and commenced to crank'n. White perch with crank bait and trebles plastered to his face is all I came up with.

By now, I only have about 2.5 hours to boat 4 more keepers to even have a chance to take this thing. These guys I fish with, if you saw the weight they bring in, you would know what I'm talking about. At this stage in the game, I need to find an area where there are likely to be a bunch of fish holding in a short distance. So I decide to try one of the feeder creeks out of the wind. Again getting my jig as far back in the under brush as I can, I rear back on a 3 pound fish. Nice! Thinking to myself "If I get just 2 more of those, I may have a chance. I'm on the right track". As I approach the end of the creek I notice one of my fellow club members fishing the main lake arm about 150 yards ahead of me. I'm pulling up in front of a low, overhanging bush with a small opening in the front and I had the perfect angle on it to sling it home. I hopped the jig once and my G Loomis Mossyback doubled over under the load of a monster fish. After the initial surge of raw power from this fish, it let me pull it right out of the bush. I reeled it to the boat and lipped it instantly and as soon as I lifted the weight off the line and it went slack, the hook fell out with ease. Now, I know the reputation anglers have in telling their stories and people shake their heads in disbelief all the time. But as I held this fish and looked at it face to face I am telling you THIS FISH WAS BIGGER THAN 10-5! I have no doubt about that. Furthermore, if I in fact am over exaggerating by mistaking an eye weight (which i am NOT) it was at least 9-8.

So I've got this fish in my hand, right in my face. The hook just fell out half a second ago. With one flail of it's fat yet powerful body, it busted my grip and went home packing. I sat there hunched over the side of my boat; staring into the water in complete disbelief in what had just transpired. My body reclined back on my ass an with my head between my knees I began to weep. Remembering I am in a tournament at the moment I had to force myself back on my feet to utilize the remaining 30 minutes to try and boat another keeper. Try as I did it was to no avail as I weighed in my 2 fish at 4.34, taking 2nd place. Hey, I still look on the bright side. I qualified to fish the state championship. Boo hoo hoo.

Old Skool

Lately I have been chatting with old high school friends that I have not seen or spoken to in ages. The convenience of all the new social networking sites on the web make this easy as seemingly anyone and everyone with computer seem to flock to these sites... including myself. I missed my 10 year reunion last September, which I had no idea about. I was told that some thought I had died in the war so efforts to contact me faded quickly. Understandable. But firstly these folks that know me should have known I was not going to be dying in any facet of combat. With my luck I'll die by a shark falling off the back of a truck going down the road and be attacked while the driver of said truck takes no notice. Aside, I seriously can't help but wonder what those fellow school mates think when they read about all this fishing I do. Really! Looking from the outside-in, it must seem like I'm some immature kid chasing a pipe dream. How could you not perceive it that way? Not speaking out of embarrassment, I have no shame in what I do and besides the fishing, I do have a full-time job. I just see all these guys (and gals) going to school full-time and trying to hold down a job in the same stature. Some run their own businesses with kids, husbands, wives.

I have these things too. But fishing? Are you serious? That is something people do if they get a little extra time on their hands in the real world. In my world its an act I commit 2 or even 3 times a week. Drop $20,000 on the fancy boat, thousands on gear, tournament entry fees, another couple Benji's on lures, plus travel. People see this and I honestly wonder what they think. Maybe nothing right? Maybe I'm being vein. Who has time to care about what I'm doing? But if that were the case, and everyone was so busy keeping their own lives in order. Then why do we inherently find the need to keep up with our Facebook pages and Twitter all the time?

It's the third paragraph and I still have not revealed my true motive in this entry so I will do so as elegantly as possible. I used the example of high school because it relates to all the childish jibber jabber that some people can't seem to keep to themselves. Then I mention Facebook and Twitter because people like to be sucked in by other people's lives. It's a story different from their own so naturally they are interested. Some seem to be interested in my life and like to know what has been going on and hold no opinion on the matter; they just care. But there are others that can't get enough. They push and prod and flap their gums to other "life watchers" about my fishing habits and the monetary issues that surround it. They form their judgmental opinions and like I said, they share it with others which just spreads like disease. People think its fun to say demeaning things behind other's backs and face to face act as though they are friends so they may maintain access to the real life drama. You know, because John and Kate Plus 8 just is not enough.

I am going to be nice here and not mention any names. These specific people know who they are and I know at least one of them reads on a regular basis (consider this your warning). I am sure you thought that your impressions would never reach my ears. And now you are saying "I don't care if he knows". Oh but you do, because you know I am PISSED. You need to focus more on your own life. Don't worry about my paper stacks and stop hating because I have fun fishing. I presume you think I have a cake walk and I assure you that is not the case. I have struggled hardships in my life just like most of us humans. I only have found my happy place and in stead of glaring at mine with hate and jealousy, go find yours and live in it.

Pollish it Till it Shines

Y'all haven't heard from me in a while because I have been putt'n in my share of work on the water. Getting out there and learning the the way these places fish, is key to my success even before having all the latest and greatest tackle and gear. Sure it helps by making things like casting easier, but it don't help me find fish. So hence the reason why Bob has been a ghost for a while now.

I have fished all over the area (from WV to Delmarva and NC) so far this summer and have learned a great deal. Mostly being humbled by waters unfamiliar to me. Anyone who takes pride in the outcome of their efforts in fishing, knows that finishing out of the money on tournament day is not only disappointing, it's downright heartbreaking. Any of us that give two shits about the previously mentioned, do everything short of cheating to make sure we have the knowledge needed to have a fighting chance on tournament day. I have found it somewhat difficult to get this information myself, therefor I have struggled as a result. You can ask others for information but you always wonder afterwords about the validity of what you have been given. Not saying bass anglers are dishonest, but it is very competitive. Recently I have come to realize there is one sure fire way to get around the speculation. Actually fish with other anglers, and specifically with the ones you seek information.

Last Friday I fished with a good friend of mine. I will call him JZ for confidentiality purposes. We swung down to the Nanticoke at around noon and started fishing by 1:30 or so. We could not schedule the trip around the best tide because of work so we got slapped with kinda crappy tide to start with. But none the less, we caught fish and a fair amount. By the end of the day I figured, if we had been fishing a buddy tournament with a 7 fish limit, we would have had a full sack of 7 fish in at around 9.5 - 10 pounds. Mostly thanks to JZ but hey... who's counting? In the end I had finally concluded that time it's self, is NOT on your side on these tidal rivers. Speed is chief, and one should not spend much time in one area if fish are not biting. Go find the fish that are.

Slump Ended Bathed in Potomac Water

I have to admit, coming in for this tournament I did not have high hopes for myself. I kinda thought I would do the usual 0 out. Well I did. But we'll get back to that issue later. Right now I want to talk about how this whole thing set up.

The Potomac River is my home water sort of. I mean, I grew up right near the area. I would not say I know it intimately but I know it's basic make-up. I'm not at a complete disadvantage in this fishery. So the week before the tournament, I heard of some good fishing coming out of Douge creek. Seated near Fort Belviore, VA; Douge is a funnel shaped creek with a shallow channel. It has been known to be very productive and often gives up good fish. Grass is very plentiful as well and has 2 washout points on the southern shore. These points have creeks that run out of them and into the main body, which makes the points very exaggerated. Sure enough the bass were there. They were no doubt liking my Explosive Tackle spinnerbait in black and red. Next time shaking off a catfish that wanted a piece of the action, but not until after he slimed my boat.

I'll save you the anguish of telling you the long version of the rest of the tournament by just saying I did not hook up on any legal length fish. But before you all lose hope and interest in old Bob, if you have not already, I can tell you that this angler had his hour after the last meal of the day.

After me and my co-angler got too hungry to even fish, we headed back to Mattawoman and rolled back to camp with guts twisting, obviously for two reasons. Of course we got harassed for not putting anything on the scales and to the other side of the spectrum; ''sorry you had such a crappy day of fishing". After feelings had been replenished and everyone had a good laugh at my expense, we had some killer steaks for dinner which were flipped with a grill fork unlike the night befrore's plastic fork idea. They tasted better without the petroleum by-product additive. Anyway, over good fishing conversation and beer, we finished our steaks and started out for yet another opportunity to duke it out. This time opting out of paying into the purse. Remember that statement because it will become chief later on in this story.

The boats are in and everybody starts taking off. I'm already at a major disadvantage here in the fact that everyone else is using golden rule. I don't have a golden rule! So now I have to bring back 15 inches or over and they just have to measure anything 12 or over and throw it back. Really I can't say much for my attitude at the time. I was not angry or anything. Just disappointed about my sun glasses being lost to the depths earlier that day plus not doing anything in the tournament. I really just wanted to go fishing. Not really wound up for the competition of it, not about the money at stake because there was none. Just let's fish. So I decided to just idle on into Grinders Wharf. Grinders, if you can picture this, is about 100 yards from the ramp. It's really a cove with some old pilings and a wreck or two. From shore it drops from 0 to about 10 feet pretty rapidly. Then it comes back up to a flat about 4 feet deep and covered in thick coon tail. Then that drops off into an even deeper channel around 14 feet and back up again with a massive grass flat that stretches all the way out to the main body of Mattawoman. I'm in the 14 ft. channel at this point, punching the grass about 20 feet in from the edge, with a YUM wooly bugger and a 1 oz. flipp'n weight pegged with a handful of tooth picks. My co-angler says "I'm going to try a buzz frog". I begin thinking to myself "yeah along with everything else you have in your bag as well. I have never seen anyone switch as much as he does. I wonder how he ever figures the fish out. As I'm am thinking this, one comes up an kisses his white frog. Okay, this guy is on to something I think... and just then he hooks up but the grass interferes with the hook set. Just about then I am thinking I need something that is designed to move slowly and can partially penetrate through the grass. I got it! I pull out these huge mongo 8" YUM Dingers in black and blue. I rig it texpose with no weight and give a wing. It just flops on top of the sloppy thick weeds like SPLAT!. Then I pulled it into a gap in the Forest and let it fall all the way and let it just sit. The pick-up, the move, the hookset. YANK! Got him (or her). It's a nice fish in the 3 lb. range and the good part is it was over 15". A keeper? What's that? At any rate. One's in the live well and plenty of our 2 hour limit left. I hurle the huge worm like a mace to the next gap in the Forest but no body's home, so I turn to the edge of the grass just before it hits the 60 foot wide channel. The worm sinks and I twitch it's way further into the weed line and same thing. I could feel it get attacked and YANK! Another quality fish at around 2.5 lbs IN THE LIVE WELL! YES! I could see fish moving all through the grass, but as I targeted them they would not bite. I saw a very large boil further down the weed edge so I figured I would cast behind it and maybe I could get it's attention with some twitching. I felt the fish suck the entirety of the worm in with my mega sensitive G Loomis GL2 rod. I reared back with a devastating hookset that brought the fish out into the channel with me. As it came for the boat I raced to take up line and keep tension on the hooked lip. Once it reached the boat it must have realized that it was blocking its way into the grass because it took an instant detour around the bow, narrowly missing trolling motor. Meanwhile I'm thinking ''please don't play ring around the Rosy on my trolling motor and break off". I swung the fish around to the other side placating it's need to be near the vegetation, and that was all it had. Thumb, lip, boat, in that order.

By the end of the whole 2 hours I had a couple ounces over 10 pounds with just 3 fish. Mainly because the biggest took up half of that total in it's weight alone. I went to bed that night thinking "what if I had caught another couple of 3 pounders." The slump is over!