Author: Lake Havasu Guide

There are a group of guys that I’ve fished with for years that have a rather twisted sense of humor. A long running joke amongst these guys is to tell you what bait they’re throwing by using the nickname they’ve assigned to that particular bait. For example a rattle-trap is a click since most older reels have that bit of slack in the gears and when a fish hits a trap the reel will make a loud click noise. To these fellas a spinnerbait is a blade or a chicken leg (I don’t know). A red rattle trap a marquee, a jig is a voodoo doll, unless it weighs 3/4’s of an ounce or more, then its a cannonball. One more, if your fishing with spinning tackle you’re using a sewing machine (equally difficult to master).

This leads me to my title, the light bulb. I’ve written in a number of previous articles about my affinity for crankbaits here on Chambers. It’s time to take a serious look at big crankbaits and what has been happening to our favorite lake. As RC is maturing a couple of things are changing to cause one to take a closer look at this type of presentation. The first factor is fishing pressure. In 1991 – ’92 it wasn’t unusual to get on a spot and catch a ton of fish without ever touching the trolling motor. Now pressure on the classic spots (humps, dams, roadbeds, etc.) have moved most of those fish, if they haven’t been caught and transported 8 miles to a weigh in.

The second factor is the trees in the lake losing a big percentage of their horizontal limbs. This does a couple of things but mainly it makes a crankbait much more fishable. Fish that in the past you had to make a vertical presentation (pitching or flipping) to can now be cast at.

A third factor is the maturing of the population of shad and other baitfish. The lake is now about six years old and the percentage of big baitfish and big black bass that like to eat them is way up. All these factors add up to a bait that is becoming increasingly easy to fish, it allows you to cover a lot of water quickly and thoroughly, and catch some really big fish.

As a matter of fact I had a conversation recently with the winners of one of this summers big team tournaments and they commented that opposite from their normal thoughts they had been catching limits early on Carolina rigs and then switching to crankbaits to catch their kicker fish later in the day.

Now, I personally like to throw several baits under different conditions. If I’m fishing 15 feet of water or less I prefer to throw a I oz mud bug or a DD-22. If real shallow I’ll go to a 3/4 oz mud bug or a DD-14. If I’m trying to catch fish that are deeper where the fish are either suspended or I simply can’t reach the bottom I’ll go with a 300 or 400 series Poes or a Manns 20+. All these baits are large, which is part of the attraction.

Even though it’s getting into fall or what some might call winter fishing (there is no real winter in Texas) I still am a very firm believer in these big baits, only trick being throw them in the thickest stuff. If you’ve ever been to Rayburn in February and thrown a rattle trap in 48 degree water you know that big fish will chase them down. So next time your on RC I would suggest getting the light bulb out. If you want to book a trip or just talk fishing, give us a call at Brown Dog Guide Service (214) 443 1880.
– Lake Havasu

Spring has sprung and the dawg days are upon us. Fish have vacated the shallows and living in those 300 foot shady depths of Richland where they’re tough to catch. Time to stuff the rig back in the moth balls and stay indoors for the summer, not! Allow me to let you in on one of the best kept secrets in north Texas, night fishing RC style. Everybody knows about our excellent moonlight crappie fishing on Chambers, but man oh man the things swimming our shallows after dark will make you forget Letterman.

For the past two years I’ve been sneaking out after dark on Chambers anytime I get a chance, and I’ve yet to have a unproductive trip. The same fish that are so spooky and difficult to catch with those bright sunny summer skies during the day get almost kamikaze like after dark. Heck one night last June a buddy and I caught over 25 fish up to almost 8 lbs on one point.

So now you’re sold but you’re not real experienced at night fishing, let me give you a few safety tips and some pointers. First it is a state law ($76 ticket last time I got one) that anytime, and I repeat anytime whether you’re running or anchored, that you’re on the water at night you must have your anchor light on (white light on the back). Next always wear your life vest and kill switch at night. I know Chambers probably better than all but 2 or 3 people in the world and I ALWAYS wear mine. It is incredibly easy to get disoriented on the water at night, so be careful and carry a compass.

one of the good things about night fishing is that darkness serves as excellent cover so you don’t have to fish the real heavy cover in the Richland arm to get bit. As a matter of fact I prefer to stay on the open parts of the lake or in the Chambers arm. You could idle out of Clearview, Chambers Creek or Midway marinas and start fishing the points and have some of the best fishing of your life. In night fishing stick to one of two types of areas, first points, try main lake points first and if you don’t get bit try secondary points. If that doesn’t produce for you use funnel points to find fish coming from deeper water to shallow to feed.

As for baits I like a black half ounce spinner bait, a noisy topwater if baitfish are flicking about or a worm like a 611 JAWTEC bogus wiggler or 711 ribbed wiggler that tend to move a lot water when you work them. Most dedicated night fisherman will tell you that the bite is best on a dark moon phase, followed closely by a full moon. I would suggest to make your first few ventures into the night on a cloudless full moon, the ability to see will greatly off set the few less bites you get. ~I will also tell you that in the heat of the summer usually the first two to three hours after sundown are by far the slowest. The best action usually doesn’t occur until well after midnight, so don’t get in any hurry to get on the water unless just to familiarize yourself with the areas you plan to fish. If you really want to make it easy on yourself call me at BROWN DOG GUIDE SERVICE (214) 327 6020 and I’ll take you. Good luck and good fishing. — Ken Smith – Lake Havasu

Jig vs Carolina Rig:
A couple of years ago, my nephew (Chris) and I were fishing a tournament at Lake Jacksonville. He was using Carolina rig (CR) and I was using a jig and he was catching all of the fish! At that time I did not like the CR and considered myself a jig expert since I exclusively used a jig. Every once in awhile I would throw the CR, only to be disgusted with the results. How do I set the hook? Why can’t I feel the bite? IS THAT A BRUSHPILE or a little fish nibbling on my hook? Too many times I would pull the weight across a stump on the bottom of the lake, then the bait would touch it, and when I dropped the rod, the weight would drop down to the bottom feeling like something was pulling. Thus I would set the hook into the stump. Hey, customers do it all the time. They feel rotten, but I’ve been there.

Lake Jacksonville did not have a map that we knew of. Have you ever fished a lake without a map? It’s not easy, but if you read the bank you can find creeks everywhere at Jacksonville. We found a very deep creek coming down a steep hill from the bank. I followed it with the LCR out
about 100 feet from the shore, then it intersected another major creek running parallel to the bank.
I positioned the boat on top of the creek that ran parallel with the bank so we could work both the creek coming down from the shore, and the deeper creek. Fish were everywhere!

I asked Chris if he wanted the deep side, or the shallow side. He directed his CR out towards main lake into the deeper creek… I directed my cast onto the breakline where the bottom dropped from ten feet to eighteen. I pumped my jig, let it sit for a second, and pumped it again. It was absolutely slammed by an eight pound bass that took second place big bass, and second place big stringer. Too bad Chris took the deep side, ’cause I got some money from them Aggies!

Now, of all the things that need to be considered when trying to figure out why I caught this bass on this bait in this spot? Which one was the most important, and why? I’ll tell you later.

Jigs At Night:
Several years ago I had a client from Japan in my boat. I believe it was his first night trip, and he just had to throw a jig. We went (at my infamous 65 mph boat ride) to my favorite docks to fish. He wanted to use the light stuff. YUCK! “No good!” I told him. At the first boat dock I allowed him a couple of shots before I picked up my rod. I use the Castaway Mag 7 Series Extra Heavy for a quick hookset. I made the first pitch! Now believe it or not, I was just demonstrating “how to work a jig”. I popped it up one foot, let it sit. Popped it up again-three feet, and looked at his face. He seem astonished to know that I let the thing sit there. When I looked back at my line, it was moving toward deep water. The bass had grabbed it on the fall (AS USUAL), and was swimming off with it. I used my infamous “patented” toe dance, two step hookset and nailed her while almost knocking this Client out of the boat. And I’ve got a nine foot deck on my boat.

She was over eight pounds, and 24 pictures later (he went crazy) I figured out it was the biggest bass he had ever seen in his life….

Jigs In The Daytime:
This past spring I took Clients to an area that had been producing over the slot bass on a daily basis for over six weeks on a CR. I instructed them to cast parallel with the bank. A few minutes later they started catching bass. Rather than take their fish away using the same bait, I decided to
pick up my jig. I had never used a jig in this area, and thought it would be safe!

On my first cast, the Client in the front of the boat said his CR was hung, so I immediately handed
him my jig rod and took his rod (so I could get it loose). Then the funniest thing happened. We were looking eye to eye the second he took my rod. He raised the tip, looked me in the eye, and shook his head. I yelled “Set the hook!” There was an over the slot bass on it that had apparently
caught it while it was falling on the shady side of the stump. He won first place in the company tournament that he was in, and I still catch hell from his partner who insists that the fish was on it when I handed it to him. Trust me, I never felt a thing!

Jigs:
The only kind of jig I use is the Triple Rattleback. They have improved them over the years after hearing complaints about the rattles breaking. I have not had a rattle break this year. They have
extra large hooks in them that make them difficult to get through a bass’s mouth. (?sp) The weedguard is nylon so it is easy to spread out. I also believe they are easy to throw. The smallest jig in my boat is ½ ounce. I also use 25 lb. Trilene Big Game (moss green).

Trailers:
I use the Gene Larew hawg craw, a Zoom lizard, the Jawtec (looks like a centipede with a million legs), and my favorite is the Sandworm because it stands straight up. On all of these, I cut it off so that it sticks up when the jig is on the bottom about 4″-6″. I feel like if it is any longer, I miss the hookset and that just drives me crazy because I know that this is a Big Bass Bait! Of all the ten pound fish I have caught, they were all on a jig with the exception of my first one that was on a Zara Spook in a place Joe Axton of Axton’s Bass City took me to.

Colors:
Night: only black and blue. You need the silhouette against the moonlight.
Day: watermelon or pumkinseed. In the daylight, I try to match the colors to the forage.

The Knot:
Only a palomar. This is the strongest, non slipping knot that I know of, and it does not fray the line when you tie it. Always re-tie after every bass because their teeth always frays the line because they usually suck it deep. Also if you pull them out of heavy cover, they will wrap three times is a heartbeat if you are not careful.

The Method:
This is how I do it, perhaps not the best way, but the most effective way for me! The first thing a crawdead does when it is frightened is make clicking noises. The second thing it does is raise its claws up in a defensive position. So here you have a jig/craw with rattles. What do you do with it? First, you should spray it with Kick N Bass craw formula. Then cast or pitch it next to the biggest stumps and docks available. You can also work it in the hydrilla, or (my favorite) parallel to it. With the exception of the spawn, work the shade. During the spawn, give your buddy the shady side, because it’s not likely anything will be in the shade. They like to soak up the sun during the spawn!

Pitching/Flipping:
I use a Team Daiwa flipping reel with a 6.3:1 ratio for quick retrieve, but the best part is that a pitch or a flip can be controlled with the cast bar. You can also feed out more line, but have the anti spool controlled immediately with the cast bar if the reel is on flipping mode. I like to keep that bait as close to the water as possible to avoid spooking the bass. Always-land the bait in the water at least the same distance past the target as the water is deep. This will insure that the bait will be beside the target once it reaches the bottom.

Casting:
Casting is just as much fun! Be sure to make the bait land past the target as stated above… I will often use a cast taught to me by Takahiro from Japan. It is a “U” shaped cast with the rod near the water which achieves great distance…

The Pickup:
Here is the biggest problem that I feel exists while using a jig. When a bass catches the
falling jig, it always feels like it just landed on a treetop! Sometimes you can see her swimming off with it, but the bigger fish always seem to just sit there like they are chewing on it or something. Folks, this takes a lot of experience. I used a jig 90% of the time on over 200 night trips the first year I was at Lake Fork. And I can tell you for a fact that it is frustrating to loose so many of them. Always take extras! You will catch that stump if you are not careful……

When you are sure it is a bass, using a stout rod, use the old fashioned method to set the hook. Introduce her eyeballs to her tail! Set that hook and crank to get her away from every tree in the area. One mistake most people make is that once they see the fish they think they have to get her in the boat, but I feel like (on a good stick) playing them is the best way. Play them out until they just give up. Most of the big bass only have about 60 seconds of fight in them. I also do not believe in using a net because of the damage it does to their protective coating. I’ve even had clients try to lift the fish out of the water with their rods. This is an major NO-NO when you are using a rod that costs from $125 – $175.

So why have I caught the fish in these spots?
The bass on the break at Jacksonville was suspended on the break and heard the bait coming. The bass by the boat dock at Fork heard the jig coming. The bass by the stump at Fork probably saw it coming. I had the noise, the smell, and the bulk! The erratic motion of the jig going up and down probably makes the bass feel like the craw is running from something else, plus it is a great meal to a bass that only may be feeding once a day. Kind of like in the fall when they fill their bellies. The larger bass generally spend more time waiting for that meal, where the smaller (3 lbs) bass run all over the lake chasing shad. How many bass over eight pounds have you ever caught from a school? Here again, the larger bass are closer to the bottom waiting on the dead ones to fall into their mouth. They just don’t like to work at it. Kind of like me!

Patience:
I think another major important factor is patience. Give a choice of one rod to take fishing, and it will not be the jig! Sorry, but I’m sold on the Carolina Rig. I can use it all year long. All I have to do is change the length of the leader and I’ve got the fish. In the spring I use 3′, in the summer I like to use 6′ for a leader.

Read the area you are working. Look at it like this. If this were a highway, and the fish are out in deeper water, what road will they take. Will they come in holding close to the timber, will they come in from a creek, or a roadbed, or will they travel up from a creek to the end of the deep water point, then come in and hold by boat docks or standing timber nearby?

A secret?
This really works! Tie on a jig/craw, attach a swivel with a leader (2-3′), and tie a worm or
a lizard on behind it. One, the other, or maybe both may get bit.

Suspended:
Honestly, I still have a problem catching suspended bass. However, don’t give up hope. A buddy of mine has been in the boat with David Vance and has watched him catch bass after bass that were suspended with a white jig. To do this, you have to make the longest cast possible and yo-yo the bait all the way back to the boat. Start deep, then work the bait higher and higher off the bottom until you get into the correct strike zone.

Can we all “always” have a productive day?
There are certain times of the year when nothing seems to work. For the year, we have only been skunked two or three times. These are the times when they just don’t bite. If you doubt your presentation, change it. If you doubt your skills, check around and see how everyone else is doing. Hey, if we have a bad day, then I’ll bet you that everyone else is having a bad day!

Conclusion:
For a normal day on Lake Fork I usually carry the following equipment rigged and ready:
Two or three Carolina Rigs ready to go.
One deep crank, and one shallow crank.
One spinner bait.
One Zara Spook.
One Jig………………….

Always wear your PFD while running the lake, take plenty of drinks. Don’t forget about the new slot going into effect at Fork on September 1st. Good fishing to all of you.

Tracy Nix (Professional Guide)
Lake Fork Guide Service
Pager Number (214) 894-5489 – Lake Havasu

Jig vs Carolina Rig:
A couple of years ago, my nephew (Chris) and I were fishing a tournament at Lake Jacksonville. He was using Carolina rig (CR) and I was using a jig and he was catching all of the fish! At that time I did not like the CR and considered myself a jig expert since I exclusively used a jig. Every once in awhile I would throw the CR, only to be disgusted with the results. How do I set the hook? Why can’t I feel the bite? IS THAT A BRUSHPILE or a little fish nibbling on my hook? Too many times I would pull the weight across a stump on the bottom of the lake, then the bait would touch it, and when I dropped the rod, the weight would drop down to the bottom feeling like something was pulling. Thus I would set the hook into the stump. Hey, customers do it all the time. They feel rotten, but I’ve been there.

Lake Jacksonville did not have a map that we knew of. Have you ever fished a lake without a map? It’s not easy, but if you read the bank you can find creeks everywhere at Jacksonville. We found a very deep creek coming down a steep hill from the bank. I followed it with the LCR out about 100 feet from the shore, then it intersected another major creek running parallel to the bank. I positioned the boat on top of the creek that ran parallel with the bank so we could work both the creek coming down from the shore, and the deeper creek. Fish were everywhere!
I asked Chris if he wanted the deep side, or the shallow side. He directed his CR out towards main lake into the deeper creek… I directed my cast onto the breakline where the bottom dropped from ten feet to eighteen. I pumped my jig, let it sit for a second, and pumped it again. It was absolutely slammed by an eight pound bass that took second place big bass, and second place big stringer. Too bad Chris took the deep side, ’cause I got some money from them Aggies!

Now, of all the things that need to be considered when trying to figure out why I caught this bass on this bait in this spot? Which one was the most important, and why? I’ll tell you later.

Jigs At Night:
Several years ago I had a client from Japan in my boat. I believe it was his first night trip, and he just had to throw a jig. We went (at my infamous 65 mph boat ride) to my favorite docks to fish. He wanted to use the light stuff. YUCK! “No good!” I told him. At the first boat dock I allowed him a couple of shots before I picked up my rod. I use the Castaway Mag 7 Series Extra Heavy for a quick hookset. I made the first pitch! Now believe it or not, I was just demonstrating “how to work a jig”. I popped it up one foot, let it sit. Popped it up again-three feet, and looked at his face. He seem astonished to know that I let the thing sit there. When I looked back at my line, it was moving toward deep water. The bass had grabbed it on the fall (AS USUAL), and was swimming off with it. I used my infamous “patented” toe dance, two step hookset and nailed her while almost knocking this Client out of the boat. And I’ve got a nine foot deck on my boat.

She was over eight pounds, and 24 pictures later (he went crazy) I figured out it was the biggest bass he had ever seen in his life….

Jigs In The Daytime:
This past spring I took Clients to an area that had been producing over the slot bass on a daily basis for over six weeks on a CR. I instructed them to cast parallel with the bank. A few minutes later they started catching bass. Rather than take their fish away using the same bait, I decided to pick up my jig. I had never used a jig in this area, and thought it would be safe!

On my first cast, the Client in the front of the boat said his CR was hung, so I immediately handed him my jig rod and took his rod (so I could get it loose). Then the funniest thing happened. We were looking eye to eye the second he took my rod. He raised the tip, looked me in the eye, and shook his head. I yelled “Set the hook!” There was an over the slot bass on it that had apparently caught it while it was falling on the shady side of the stump. He won first place in the company tournament that he was in, and I still catch hell from his partner who insists that the fish was on it when I handed it to him. Trust me, I never felt a thing!

Jigs:
The only kind of jig I use is the Triple Rattleback. They have improved them over the years after hearing complaints about the rattles breaking. I have not had a rattle break this year. They have extra large hooks in them that make them difficult to get through a bass’s mouth. (?sp) The weedguard is nylon so it is easy to spread out. I also believe they are easy to throw. The smallest jig in my boat is ½ ounce. I also use 25 lb. Trilene Big Game (moss green).

Trailers:
I use the Gene Larew hawg craw, a Zoom lizard, the Jawtec (looks like a centipede with a million legs), and my favorite is the Sandworm because it stands straight up. On all of these, I cut it off so that it sticks up when the jig is on the bottom about 4″-6″. I feel like if it is any longer, I miss the hookset and that just drives me crazy because I know that this is a Big Bass Bait! Of all the ten pound fish I have caught, they were all on a jig with the exception of my first one that was on a Zara Spook in a place Joe Axton of Axton’s Bass City took me to.

Colors:
Night: only black and blue. You need the silhouette against the moonlight. Day: watermelon or pumkinseed. In the daylight, I try to match the colors to the forage.

The Knot:
Only a palomar. This is the strongest, non slipping knot that I know of, and it does not fray the line when you tie it. Always re-tie after every bass because their teeth always frays the line because they usually suck it deep. Also if you pull them out of heavy cover, they will wrap three times is a heartbeat if you are not careful.

The Method:
This is how I do it, perhaps not the best way, but the most effective way for me! The first thing a crawdead does when it is frightened is make clicking noises. The second thing it does is raise its claws up in a defensive position. So here you have a jig/craw with rattles. What do you do with it? First, you should spray it with Kick N Bass craw formula. Then cast or pitch it next to the biggest stumps and docks available. You can also work it in the hydrilla, or (my favorite) parallel to it. With the exception of the spawn, work the shade. During the spawn, give your buddy the shady side, because it’s not likely anything will be in the shade. They like to soak up the sun during the spawn!

Pitching/Flipping:
I use a Team Daiwa flipping reel with a 6.3:1 ratio for quick retrieve, but the best part is that a pitch or a flip can be controlled with the cast bar. You can also feed out more line, but have the anti spool controlled immediately with the cast bar if the reel is on flipping mode. I like to keep that bait as close to the water as possible to avoid spooking the bass. Always-land the bait in the water at least the same distance past the target as the water is deep. This will insure that the bait will be beside the target once it reaches the bottom.

Casting:
Casting is just as much fun! Be sure to make the bait land past the target as stated above… I will often use a cast taught to me by Takahiro from Japan. It is a “U” shaped cast with the rod near the water which achieves great distance…

The Pickup:
Here is the biggest problem that I feel exists while using a jig. When a bass catches the falling jig, it always feels like it just landed on a treetop! Sometimes you can see her swimming off with it, but the bigger fish always seem to just sit there like they are chewing on it or something. Folks, this takes
a lot of experience. I used a jig 90% of the time on over 200 night trips the first year I was at Lake Fork. And I can tell you for a fact that it is frustrating to loose so many of them. Always take extras! You will catch that stump if you are not careful……

When you are sure it is a bass, using a stout rod, use the old fashioned method to set the hook. Introduce her eyeballs to her tail! Set that hook and crank to get her away from every tree in the area. One mistake most people make is that once they see the fish they think they have to get her in the boat, but I feel like (on a good stick) playing them is the best way. Play them out until they just give up. Most of the big bass only have about 60 seconds of fight in them. I also do not believe in using a net because of the damage it does to their protective coating. I’ve even had clients try to lift the fish out of the water with their rods. This is an major NO-NO when you are using a rod that costs from $125 – $175.

So why have I caught the fish in these spots? The bass on the break at Jacksonville was suspended on the break and heard the bait coming. The bass by the boat dock at Fork heard the jig coming. The bass by the stump at Fork probably saw it coming. I had the noise, the smell, and the bulk! The erratic motion of the jig going up and down probably makes the bass feel like the craw is running from something else, plus it is a great meal to a bass that only may be feeding once a day. Kind of like in the fall when they fill their bellies. The larger bass generally spend more time waiting for that meal, where the smaller (3 lbs) bass run all over the lake chasing shad. How many bass over eight pounds have you ever caught from a school? Here again, the larger bass are closer to the bottom waiting on the dead ones to fall into their mouth. They just don’t like to work at it. Kind of like me!

Patience:
I think another major important factor is patience. Give a choice of one rod to take fishing, and it will not be the jig! Sorry, but I’m sold on the Carolina Rig. I can use it all year long. All I have to do is change the length of the leader and I’ve got the fish. In the spring I use 3′, in the summer I like to use 6′ for a leader.

Read the area you are working. Look at it like this. If this were a highway, and the fish are out in deeper water, what road will they take. Will they come in holding close to the timber, will they come in from a creek, or a roadbed, or will they travel up from a creek to the end of the deep water point, then come in and hold by boat docks or standing timber nearby?

A secret?
This really works! Tie on a jig/craw, attach a swivel with a leader (2-3′), and tie a worm or a lizard on behind it. One, the other, or maybe both may get bit.

Suspended:
Honestly, I still have a problem catching suspended bass. However, don’t give up hope. A buddy of mine has been in the boat with David Vance and has watched him catch bass after bass that were suspended with a white jig. To do this, you have to make the longest cast possible and yo-yo the bait all the way back to the boat. Start deep, then work the bait higher and higher off the bottom until you get into the correct strike zone.

Can we all “always” have a productive day? There are certain times of the year when nothing seems to work. For the year, we have only been skunked two or three times. These are the times when they just don’t bite. If you doubt your presentation, change it. If you doubt your skills, check around and see how everyone else is doing. Hey, if we have a bad day, then I’ll bet you that everyone else is having a bad day!

Conclusion:
For a normal day on Lake Fork I usually carry the following equipment rigged and ready:
Two or three Carolina Rigs ready to go.
One deep crank, and one shallow crank.
One spinner bait.
One Zara Spook.
One Jig………………….

Always wear your PFD while running the lake, take plenty of drinks. Don’t forget about the new slot going into effect at Fork on September 1st. Good fishing to all of you.
Tracy Nix (Professional Guide)
Lake Fork Guide Service
Pager Number (214) 894-5489
– Lake Havasu

Just a little over a one hour drive north of Houston lies sprawling Lake Livingston. A huge lake, 85,000 acres, r built about 30 years ago for flood control on the Trinity River Livingston has gone through many cycles of boom and bust both for the local economy and for fishing. In it’s first few years the lake was a great bass fishing lake. I lived on the lake during that period and remember many still days on the water when the thrashing of bass blowing up on shad echoed in nearly every cove and creek often throughout the day. What great fishing it was to chase the sound of the schooling fish through the trees in “The Jungle” then to come upon a small opening and see the water still rippling from the last bass that broke the surface and then to cast a top water lure out and before it even makes the surface a hungry schoolie crashes the surface to beat his buddies to my descending plug.

The good old days of that kind of bass fishing have been gone for a long time on Lake Livingston. Since the eradication of aquatic vegetation in the lake, bass fishing has steadily declined, until very recently when Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has taken an interest in restoring the bass population.

Texas Black Bass Unlimited, T.B.B.U.,. a conservation group, has raised funds to do a study on the lake for the restoration of bass habitat. With continued efforts of concerned citizens like those involved in T.B.B.U. and the renewed interest of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department bass fishing on the lake will soon rival it’s glory days.

White Bass, Stripped Bass and Catfishing are most popular on the lake now. Lake Livingston State Park offers an excellent way for the general public to affordably enjoy some of the fishing joys this great old reservoir has to offer. From the lighted fishing pier or 2 1/2 mile of shoreline you can try your luck at catfish, bass, bream, crappie and perhaps an occasional white bass. Minnows would be very productive for this style of fishing as they would have the broadest range of appeal to the various species that might prowl the shoreline. Bait is available in the park at certain times of year and at many local bait camps in the area. The park employees are very helpful in providing information on the best bait, times of day and location of bait and tackle stores.

If you bring your boat there are ramps in the park. Your first and main priority before launching is to watch the local weather forecast. Livingston, although very safe for the cautious boater, can be extremely dangerous for the careless ones. The water can go from dead calm to deadly 8 foot waves in minutes when one of our frequent spring and summer thunderstorms blows over the lake. Small boats, in particular, should stay close to shore and keep a wary eye on the horizon.

Offshore, however, lies the hottest white bass fishing in this part of the State. When the fish are schooling birds can bee seen diving on the shad the whites are running up to the surface. These diving birds are the signal, to the knowledgeable fisherman, that hot fishing action lies below the diving birds. When the schooling activity calms down it’s time to put a depth finder to work. Throughout the south end of the lake and generally out in front of the State Park lie several submerged hilltops and old river channel sand bars that are the favorite feeding areas, in the summertime, for whites. Locate the ones that top out in the 20’ – 25’ range and cruise them looking for signs of any signals on your depth finder that are between the bottom and the surface. Whether it’s bait or Whites and Stripers, chances are, you’ll get bit when dragging a spoon across the bottom, trolling a deep diving crankbait through them or still fishing a minnow.

White Bass and Striper fishing can be very exciting. They both tend to travel and feed in large schools and are ,pound for pound, the fiercest fighting fish when hooked in the lake.

Bank fishing for catfish, bass, bream and crappie can be very enjoyable as well. You might improve your success by stopping at the local fed store on your way to the lake and picking up a bag of “Range Cubes”. This cattle food is not expensive and when broadcast occasionally over the water your fishing will draw bait fish. Usually the predators you’re looking for aren’t far behind. Enjoy.
– Lake Havasu

Located an easy, interstate highway, 2 hour drive north of Houston on I-45 and a little over an hour south of Dallas lies a truly remarkable example of industry’s ability to exist in harmony with nature, Lake Fairfield and Fairfield State Park. This lake serves as a cooling water supply for the adjacent power plant and what makes it so remarkable is that much of the surrounding land was strip mined for Lignite to fuel the power plant and has been restored to a state even more pristine in appearance than before it was mined.

If you drive west, from Fairfield, on highway 488, past the park road exit, you will see a panorama of beautiful rolling pastures and stock tanks perfectly landscaped with scattered clumps of trees of trees and reeds around the tanks. It is hard to imagine that nature itself could have created such a beautiful landscape. Even harder to imagine that this land was laid open for miles to remove the fuel for the generators that provide the electricity for us to light and heat our homes.

Lake Fairfield is a 2350 acre power plant lake with a 24 mile shoreline. It has a healthy supply of largemouth bass, catfish, hybrid striped bass and as a special bonus red drum(redfish).

The lake has plenty of cover for largemouth in the form of natural standing timber, in some areas, reeds and aquatic vegetation. Being a power plant lake the water temperature will remain warm during the winter months making it more productive for fishing than lakes that don’t have hot water being discharged into them. On a recent trip to the lake in mid January the water temperature was in the mid 60’s where in nearby Richland

Chambers the water was a very cool 50. Of course the warmer water means more active fish.

Largemouth can be caught from the bank, power boat, canoe or john boat. There is plenty of shoreline in the adjacent State Park for bank fishing. The park has 135 campsites for those who like camping and would make their fishing trip a fishing camping combo.

Redfish offers a great bonus for freshwater anglers. These fish are normally found in salt water but have been stocked in a few lakes around the State that have water warm enough to support them. Many of the local anglers report furious surface schooling by 15-20 pound redfish and fantastic crankbait fishing for them. During the winter they will tend to stay near the warmer water of the hot water discharge from the power plant.

Hybrids can also provide a great reward to those anglers visiting Lake Fairfield. These fish are fierce fighters and are fairly abundant in the lake. They will also school on the surface, chasing shad, mainly in the spring and fall. During the summer they will go to the deep water near the dam and they can be caught trolling deep divers or casting jigging spoons.

A trip to Fairfield Lake would be incomplete without a short side trip through the park at dawn or dusk. It is full of white tailed deer that may be seen along the roadside about dark. Get off the lake before dusk on evening and you will enjoy a most fitting end to a great fishing tip as it seems that you’re are being escorted through the park by wildlife.
– Lake Havasu

Lake Baccarac, the best big bass lake in the entire world, was stocked in 1978 with a strain of Florida largemouth bass. The first fishing season was beyond most angler’s dreams and the lake has been improving every year.

The lake is approximately 25 miles long and 5 miles wide. It is nestled among green forested mountain peaks.

The fishing lodge is ideally located in the town of Bacubirito, an old gold mining town. It is best reached from Los Mochis by private or charter plane. The landing strip at the lodge is paved and 5,200 feet long.
The lodge is just 20 minutes from the lake and has all the modern comforts. Guests relax in air conditioned rooms surrounding a central courtyard with a charming patio area where they gather for Margaritas after a successful day of fishing. All rooms have hot and cold running water and good showers along with ice, purified water and setups for your convenience.

Lake Record Bass, 19.10 pounds, was caught by Mr. Bruce Knutson, in January of 1993. It is a record that includes all Latin American countries, including Cuba. We sincerely believe that the next World Record Largemouth Bass will be caught at Lake Baccarac, within the next couple of years, as many anglers claim to have hooked and lost fish well over 20 pounds.

The average angler can expect to catch, at least one, 10 to 11 pound bass.

Guests visiting our fishing lodge at Baccarac enjoy first class accommodations! Private rooms for single or double occupancy; spacious cabins to comfortably accommodate 4 to 6 anglers, air conditioning, ornamental tile showers, hot and cold running water, bottled drinking water and setups in every room.

The wing off our main dining room accommodates larger groups and it is available for that special conference. Satellite TV in the recreation alcove adjoining the main dining room will keep you informed of world news, sports and weather.

Our courteous dining room staff is at your beck and call. They are eager to serve and please you. And watch out for our Margaritas, they are on us!!!

Our 5,200 foot, paved landing field, is 110 feet wide and will accommodate Lear Jets and Citations. It is guarded by a platoon of soldiers 24 hours a day. Call ahead for instructions and circle the field before landing. Los Mochis, 30 minutes away is a good alternate. GPS coordinates of the field will be provided with your reservation confirmation along with your suggested itinerary and list of tackle and supplies that you should bring.

For information on booking your bass fishing trip of a lifetime call Bass Adventures – Lake Havasu

Texas Black Bass Unlimited is planning what is shaping up to be “The Event of The Year,” a fund raising event to place channel markers in the Trinity River on Lake Livingston from the Highway 190 bridge to the Highway 19 bridge. As many of you know running that area of the Lake can be treacherous, very hard on lower units and hulls, not to mention the danger of being thrown from your boat by hitting a submerged log or stump, which will sure ruin a good fishing trip every time.

The event will consist of a lavish banquet that will be held on Friday evening October 15th at The Woodlands Conference Center and Resort. This is truly a “World Class” Resort nestled in the serenity of the East Texas forest in southern Montgomery County. Just 40 minutes north of Houston and 20 minutes south of Lake Conroe, it boasts some of the finest golf courses in the Country, home of the prestigious “Houston Open.” The Tennis Facilities is also “World Class” and includes one of the most luxurious indoor facilities around. I can tell your from personal experience that after a candlelight dinner in the Glass Menagerie Restaurant, overlooking the Lake with the adjacent Country Club and Golf Course, you and your guest will have a most memorable culinary experience. Rooms will be available at the Woodlands Inn at special discounted rates for anyone participating in the event. Meet old friends and make new ones.

At the Friday evening Banquet an Auction will be held in which you will have the opportunity of bidding on a host of items including Fully Rigged Bass Boats, Trolling Motors, Depth Finders, Rods, Reels, and Guided Fishing Trips with Famous Fishing Pros all of which that have been donated by GALA sponsors. Not only will you enjoy a fantastic weekend in a Luxurious Resort but you will have an excellent opportunity to make a “great deal” at the Auction.

Boots Follmar Marine has graciously agreed to donate 50% of the proceeds of their Annual Super People Tournament to the Livingston River Marking Project. Follmar Marine hosts an annual tournament to show appreciation to their customers. This years event will be held at Stow-A-Way Marina on Lake Conroe. Boots, Alice, Vicki and Chris Follmar want to personally invite, all sponsors and the fishing and boating public, to participate in the Tournament and festivities. This is a family oriented event that includes a Parent/Child Division, a Husband/Wife Division as well as a Team Division and a Special Celebrity Division. At the Banquet the back seat of the Celebrity Boat will be auctioned off. You will have an opportunity of fishing with the likes of TV fishing show host John Hope as well as National Fishing Professionals. There will be many exciting things to see and do the day of the Tournament, such as, Sponsor’s Boat Displays, a Kids Casting Contest, Tackle and Boating Equipment Displays and Free Boat Rides, Refreshments just to name a few, not to mention the great giveaway items. Every year the Follmars and their Staff work very hard to get great giveaway items for their Tournament. There will be fishing rods, life jackets, batteries, outboard props, outboard oil and many other items too numerous to list here.

Stow-A-Way Marina, which is located on a calm protected cove on the north end of Lake Conroe, makes a great place to spend the day or entire weekend, for that matter. From their beautifully rustic log cabin style Grocery Store and Restaurant, Covered Pavilion, Campground with paved roads, hookups and hot showers, Beach Area to their shade tree covered spectator area for the Weigh-in Stage there is something to make your day comfortable and enjoyable. For information on Entry Fees and Rules contact Vicki Follmar at 713-649-2709.

TBBU, as many of you know, is an all volunteer tax exempt, non-profit, statewide organization that is dedicated, with direction, to
the protection and enhancement of the State’s fishing resources. They work closely with the Texas Parks & Wildlife and the States Legislature toward the positive achievement of their goals. TBBU believes in doing things to help provide a Drug Free environment for kids. Last year in Dallas the TBBU sponsored Conservation Fishfest Banquet and Celebrity Fishing Tournament rose over $31,000.00 that was donated toward the construction of the new State Super Hatchery.

Ticket sales to the GALA are off to a great start with over 11 Platinum Sponsor Tables already sold. Tickets will be sold on a first come first serve basis so get your order in early. Platinum Tables will seat 12 at the banquet and are selling for $1,000.00. Gold Tables are $750.00, Silver Tables are $500.00. Gold and Silver Tables seat 10. Individual Tickets are $50.00 and an Event Ticket is just $25.00.

For ticketing information call Bruce Schuler, who heads the Ticketing Committee, at 713-334-3346.

Anyone wishing to attend and or participate in the event as a Sponsor, Advertiser or Auction Item Contributor should call one of the following Steering Committee Members.

For Auction Items contact Rick Dixon at 713-875-0300 or Lonnie Hernandez at 713-783-2961.

If you would like to have a booth at the GALA contact Woodie Amos at 713-353-6031 or Ed Churchman at 713-648-3253.

For advertising information in the Commemorative Program, Inland Fisheries Magazine, GALA Posters or Flyers contact Pat McCarty at 409-856-8537.

Do your part to make Texas freshwater fisheries more productive and safer places to fish and boat. The lifeblood of any organization is it’s membership.

To accomplish these positive programs we would like to personally invite you to join TBBU and become a part of this worthwhile program. Help support TBBU in their effort to make Lake Livingston a safer place to boat and fish.
– Lake Havasu

The big game hunting season is over and the anti-hunting posters have dropped from the public limelight for now. Why would this be mentioned
in a fishing club newsletter? A brief understanding of the basic animal rights movement would show the relationship between hunting and fishing. These organizations and groups have a basic philosophy in which they believe that all animal species should be allowed to live indepen-dently of humans. Knowing this, it is easy to see why, in their zealous-ness, they protest the use of animals for food, medical testing, and sport hunting.

This protesting will take the form of picketing meat processing plants and university medical schools. As we saw in the fall of 1992 with the harassment of deer hunters in Michigan the issue landed in our backyard.

Media coverage is essential for their demonstrations. Using the deer hunter example, the group involved actually sent out press releases well ahead of the targeted date and an updated release days ahead of the pro-test. By doing this the televison camera crews and press writers and photographers would know exactly where to go and when. It seems that
there is nothing spontaneous about their rallies.

There are many similarities between the activites of hunting and fishing.

Both involve the ‘fair chase’ pursuit of an animal. Good hunters will study the habits and terrain of the animal they want. They will purchase or build the best equipment and accessories possible to make their trip
pleasant and comfortable. In the end, though, the successful hunt is knowing that the hunter did his best and that he enjoyed his time in the field. A good sportfisher learns to read the water and knows the feeding schedule of his favorite fish. He buys rods and reels because they are the best suited for a particular specie and makes his own lures. It is
the fishing trip in itself that will make or break the day and the catch ends up being incidental. An often used phrase is “A bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work.”

Sportfishers cannot sit on the side anymore. The individuals who are protesting the use of animals in any form will not leave sportfishing alone. They started by arguing that trapping was cruel. Hunting became the next issue with the claim that this activity is cruel and inhumane.

Is fishing next? After watching a symposium on hunting and conservation at Montana State University in July 1992 a representative of Fund For Animals said: “We’re going to get fishing next.” – Lake Havasu

Founded by a Fisherman

The Fred Arbogast Company was founded in 1930 by a man whose first love was fishing. His interest in the sport began as a hobby and grew to be the focus of a successful business

Fred Arbogast’s to outwit the finny tribe was born one day when he was twelve years old. He and his father rode by horse and buggy to a lake near Akron where they fished all day, only to return empty handed. Young Fred felt dejected, yet determined that he would learn all he could about this challenging, and sometimes frustrating, sport of fishing. And he did.

After graduating from Central High School in 1913, Fred went to work for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron. But his true love continued to be fishing. Night after night, Fred tinkered in the basement workshop of his home on Barwell Street developing and designing lure designs. Weekends and vacations were spent on the water testing his latest creations at favorite fishing spots.

In the late 1920’s Fred hit upon a lure idea that appeared to be a winner with bass. He designed an all metal minnow-shaped lure with a single upright hook, real glass eyes and a shiny, hinged metal tail. Fred christened it the Tin Liz.

In 1930 Fred purchased a house at 313 W. North Street in Akron where he continued to produce the Tin Liz and, at the same time, began to develop and market other unique lures.

1947
In 1947 the Arbogast Company moved into a brand new, two story building right next door to Fred’s original facility.

At the dedication, Fred proudly announced that, “now we have all the room we’ll ever need.” Demand for Arbogast baits, however, continued to grow steadily.
1965
A two story addition was built in 1965 on the adjoining property where Fred’s original facility had stood. The new area was put into use immediately for research and development.

1990
Dave Porthouse, Owner and President of Fred Arbogast Company, sought to ,implement the transition into the nineties with the appointment of Sonny Coody as National Sales Manager. The long commitment by the Fred Arbogast Company to produce quality lures made the transition to new and innovative products simple to accomplish.

ARBOGAST TODAY
The Fred Arbogast Company is still a family owned operation which has expanded from a single manufacturing plant in Akron, Ohio to a company selling products worldwide, distributed from 3 separate manufacturing operations.

The Fred Arbogast Company has been in the boat with the American fishing public for well over 60 years. The Company will continue to regard its special relationship with the fishing public as its greatest heritage.

For more information contact the Fred Arbogast Company at 713-952-4068. – Lake Havasu

You know you have a problem when every fishing tournament since July of 98 has had a significant reduction in catch.

You know you have a problem when all the old tournament hands stand around the way-in, scratchin’ their heads and saying things like “where have all the fish gone?”

You know you have a problem when all the grass begins to die.

You know you have a problem when fish begin to die and float to the surface in thousands. Think of the hundreds of thousands you never see that die and don’t float up.

You know you have a problem when many of the fish you catch are weak and put up no fight.

You know you have a problem when many of the fish you catch are covered with sores.

This isn’t rocket science folks….good ole common sense comes into play here somewhere.

The official word from Austin was that the fish were stressed from being caught and released. Their conclusions were based on analysis from scientists at Texas A & M. That ought to be your first clue. The same scientists that told us 20 years ago that the White Amur they released in Conroe would only live ten years. In case you’ve been in outer space the last few years let me tell you the 20 year old carp are alive and well on Conroe!!! They’re so old and feeble in their old age that they knock holes in the chain link fence we put up to protect the new aquatic vegetation we’re planting on the lake. Wouldn’t surprise me to hear these mutants were dragging golfers off the greens at the water edge.

Anyhow back to these genius A&M scientists that told us the Rayburn bass were dying from angler stress….yea right…was the common reply when anglers heard it.

Everybody but the beaurocrats and bio-crats new we had a problem on Big Sam and some cared enough to start checking into it.

Some anglers thought it was the “Black Helicopters.” Some thought it was disease. Some probably thought it was a Communistic plot.

The real geniuses live in Zavalla, Texas. A tournament angler got to looking around. He looked at the water and found it looked funny, in parts of the lake even smelled funny.

He looked in the public record and found that the Texas natural Resource Commission had reported pollution problems going back years where fecal coliform and Ammonia were at unacceptable levels.
For any of you that might be reading this to the bio-crats at A&M fecal coliform is SEWAGE.

Ammonia is not good because it robs the water of oxygen.

The T.N.R.C. report also noted reduced levels of oxygen in the lake. The bio-crats must have slept through the class that explained that bass and grass need oxygen to survive. Maybe that has something to do with the dead fish and lack of aquatic weeds…..duhhh!!!

The genius from Zavalla called T.B.B.U. president Ed Parten and told Ed he had found something else and wanted Ed to meet him in Lufkin.

Ed invited me along and told me to bring my camera. We met the genius at Vernon’s Tackle Shop in Lufkin and drove a short distance outside of town. We drove down this winding two lane blacktop road with the trees overhanging the road in place making it seem like we were driving in a tunnel.

The genius parked a 100 feet or so from a small wooden bridge. Where are we I asked. The genius replied, Paper Mill Creek.

I got this real eerie feeling as we walked toward the bridge. You could smell the stench from the creek as soon as we got out of the car. When I looked over the edge of the bridge at the creek the hair on the back of my neck stood up. It was scary. The water reeked of toxicity. It was almost black with what looked like a toxic goo. It was about 30 or 40 feet across and maybe a couple feet deep and flowing real hard. There were garbage bags in it, a junk refrigerator and all sorts of other debris. I got the sense that if I fell into it the flesh would be eaten from my bones before I could get out of it. The photo on the cover just doesn’t come close to giving you the picture. You have to go see it for yourself.

Well I’m certainly no rocket scientist but I know angler stress when I see it and thousands of gallons of it was flowing into Big Sam as we stood on that bridge that afternoon.

Net time a chunk of Crappie slide of a fork into your mouth think about Paper Mill Creek and who knows how many other toxic creeks in East Texas.

Most lakes in East Texas were listed on the T.N.R.C. reports as containing contaminants. And they’ll continue to be polluted unless you get out there and do something about it, like the genius from Zavalla did.

We’ll continue to publish more information about the condition of Big Sam in our next issues.
– Lake Havasu

As this young Texas Fishing Guide boated solid Rayburn chunks all day on the first day of competition of the 1996 BASSMASTER Texas Invitational he had no idea what a challenge he would face later that day.

Cannan had located some strong fish on the north end of “Big Sam” in practice. When he got to his fish on the first day of competition they were aggressive and shallow. He was fishing a spinnerbait in shallow water and the fish were crashing it. He and his partner caught over 40 for the day.

As the day went on the wind began to get up due to a strong front approaching from the northwest. An hour before he needed to be at weigh-in, twenty miles down the lake, the wind was howling and gusting to 30 mph.

When he left the protected water of the creek, where he’d been fishing all day, he realized what a challenge was ahead getting to weigh-in. The waves were 8 feet high and breaking like surf.

Bill will recount every heart stopping detail for you in his column, but I’ll summarize here by telling you he ended up having to abandon his boat when the motor failed. I’ve heard the story, and believe me you’ll want to read it in his own words.

He went on to finish only .3 pounds behind veteran Lonnie Stanley. Bill’s total for the event was 50 pounds 9 ounces, which netted him a brand new, fully rigged Ranger 481 and $2,000.00 in cash.

Cannan, who has been a staff writer for the Texas SportsGuide since his professional career started, is a very successful fishing guide in East Texas as well as being a good outdoor writer. He is sponsored by one of the SportsGuide’s long-time advertisers, Family Boating Center. Houston’s only Nitro and Tracker dealer.

This win is, no doubt, just one step in a long and successful journey in this young Texas pro’s career. We will be reading about him as often as we read his interesting stories in the years ahead.

Bill writes our Lake Livingston fishing report and knows the lake well. If you would like to contact him you can find his number at the end of his fishing report or on his guide ad on that page – Lake Havasu

Popularity explosion is the best way to describe the phenomenal growth at CastAway. Since their inception 2 years ago their product line has grown from 30 models to over 170. They are now internationally distributed and are probably the hottest rod on the market today.

Their popularity is mainly attributable to the quality of construction of their rods. CastAway prides itself in their painstaking attention to construction and cosmetic detail. They started with 30 models using G-Loomis Premier and IM6 material. In their second year they added a new material T-700 Graduated Modulus Graphite. In fact they were chosen by the manufacturer of the T-700 material to have the exclusive use of this material because of CastAway’s reputation as quality rod manufacturers.

CastAway is the brainchild of Montgomery, Texas resident, Billy Kistler. Applying his ten years experience in the rod building business Kistler started CastAway two years ago. He is a “Hands On” type who pays great attention to what the fishing public wants by spending time in the field talking to fishermen. He is a pretty good tournament fisherman too and proved it last year by finishing 5th overall in the Angler’s Choice East Texas Team Tournament Circuit. Kistler claims that spending time in the field, talking to tournament fishermen, gives him the knowledge he needs to build rods exactly like the fishing public wants.

CastAway is proud of the fact that they have never received a critical product review. In the November 91 issue of Tackle Test, a Consumer Reports type of non bios product evaluation service, they say, “We liked the looks and feel of CastAway rods. And their prices allow serious and weekend anglers alike to afford quality and looks. Consider CastAway before buying any other high end rods.” Again in May 92 Tackle Test goes even further in their endorsement of CastAway rods, “We shy away from blanket endorsements of any manufacturers goods, but CastAway has done as good a job on it’s rods as we’ve seen. We have been consistently impressed with the actions, finish and components on CastAway products.”

In 93 CastAway plans to introduce a whole new line of moderately priced rods with the same CastAway quality and look.

In January 93 they are scheduled to move into their new 5000 square foot facility in Montgomery which has been designed to handle their current production requirements and allow for future expansion. According to Billy Kistler having their own facility, specifically designed for rod building, will afford CastAway an increase in efficiency in the production process resulting in an even higher quality product.

To see their product line look for them in booth 540 and 541 at the Houston Boat Show January 2-10 at the Astro Hall and Astro Arena. They will have some great freebies like hats with their jazzy CastAway logo.

For more information contact them at 409-582-1677.
– Lake Havasu

Most youngsters from the Rusk Settlement Neighborhood Center on Houston’s inner city East side have never been fishing, That changed May 22 when Bass Busters of Houston took them fishing at the Freshwater Junior Anglers Club in Baytown, Texas.

“These kids don’t have the opportunity to get involved in outdoor activities like fishing. For some of them, the only recreation they’ve got is hanging out and getting in trouble. We thought it was a great chance to show them something else, Bass Busters has always been a big supporter of getting kids hooked on fishing, so our members jumped at the chance to do this, It’s our way of giving something back to the sport,” said Ed Parten, Bass Busters President.

Bob Jones, founder of the Freshwater Junior Anglers Club, has the same philosophy, so he readily offered FJAC’s private 50 acre lake for the day and waived the $5,00 annual membership fee for the Rusk youngsters. FJAC is a fishing club for Houston A Baytown area youth and their parents that schedules regular tournaments and educational activity for its members- If the child does not have fishing equipment Jones was able, until recently, to provide it for the day. He lost all the equipment in several recent robberies and is working to replace it.

About 50 Rusk youngsters among 6 and 16 bank fished for bass, bream and catfish. Bass Busters provided one on one fishing instruction. Each child received a rod and reel to take home, thanks to Zebco. The children also received ribbons and other prizes. US Customs Service was there with one of its drug sniffing dogs, and the Coast Guard provided instruction on water safety, And the young fisherman will be taaught about conservation.

Rusk Settlement, one of 28 Houston area community centers operated by Neighborhood Centers, Inc.,, a United Way Agency, provides diverse services to youth, families and the elderly on the city’s predominately Hispanic East side, The youth programs, aimed at high risk youngsters, provide educational and employment counseling, a place to go on weekends and after school and teach leadership and self esteem.

“We’ve had tremendous support in getting this organized,” said Pam Ashley, Bass Busters’ chairman for the event, “The members have talked to all their contact and their employers and no one turned us down. Pepsi is donated all the drinks, Eckrich gave us 250 hot dogs and we fed these kids, The list just goes on and on. And the club gave up our regular tournament weekend to do this. Nobody’s seen a kid yet who didn’t grin when they caught their first fish. So we think it’s worth it.

Bass Busters, chartered in 1969, is one of the oldest clubs in the Houston area. Many of it’s 50 members are active in TBBU.

“We’ve sort of adopted these kids,” said Parten, “Next year we plan to put on a fund raising tournament for Rusk. Their goals are really the same as Bass Busters and TBBU’S, We all want to give kids every chance possible to grow up drug and crime free and become productive adults, And we think fishing can help do that.”

( Publisher’s Note : Here is an organization worthy of your help. Please call Bob Jones at 713-474-7710 and ask how you can help.)
– Lake Havasu

This fun loving Toledo Bend Guide has earned a well deserved reputation as one of Toledo Bend’s best guides and a first rate tournament fisherman. Mike lives on the shores of Toledo Bend with his wife Janice and daughter Amanda in a beautifully rustic Cypress home that he built with his own hands. Behind their home is a guest house with a loft where Mike has a tackle workbench equipped with every type of spinnerbait blade and skirt imaginable. Mike builds all of his own spinnerbaits and jigs from components sent him by one of his sponsors, Bull Dog Lures. On those days when he’s not on the lake guiding or competing in tournaments he sets at his workbench building lures or just looking out over the lake planning his next guide trip or tournament strategy.

Mike is a south Louisiana native. He and his family moved to Aimwell, Louisiana 10 years ago, after building their new home, and started guiding full time. Since that time he has joined forces with tournament pros, John Dean, Jack Haines, and about 10 other local guides to form Toledo Bend Guide Service.(318-645-4415)

I met Mike four years ago at the Houston Boat Show where he was working a booth for his guide business. Since then I have come to know him through fishing Anglers Choice tournaments. He is well known by other tournament fishermen as a very good fisherman and a formidable competitor. He especially likes to look for big fish. Just a limit of keepers doesn’t interest him. A couple years ago Mike teamed up with one of his sponsors, Bill Kistler, of CastAway Rods to fish Anglers Choice Team Tournaments with great success. Last year they finished in the money many times and ended up qualifying for the Classic and finishing 8th overall for the season.

Last year while fishing a Honey Hole Team tournament on Sam Rayburn I had the pleasure of witnessing the largest 5 fish stringer I’d ever seen. Mike Cortelloni and Harold Stalcup brought 35 pounds to the scales to win the tournament. Think about it. As I recall they had a 10, a couple 8’s and that’s still only twenty six pounds. It takes me a year to get that many big fish. So you can see it is not only on his home lake of Toledo Bend that Mike does well.
Mike is sponsored by Bass Cat Boats, Mercury, Motorguide, CastAway Rods, Fred Arbogast Lures, Dri-Rind, Bull Dog Lures, Bill Lewis Lures, Triple Fish Line and Riverside Lures.

For some great fishing on one of the State’s best bass lakes call Toledo Bend Guide Service and ask for Mike Cortelloni. (318-645-4415) – Lake Havasu

Get involved!!! A “New Year’s Resolution” I wish you would all make!!!

A few years ago I made up my mind that it was time for me to give back to a sport I had gotten so much from over the years. Years of enjoyment of the outdoors, Years of catching fish, Years of exploring new lakes, that kind of enjoyment.

I decided the way I could put something back for future generations of anglers was to get involved with Texas Black Bass Unlimited. Since that decision, I have participated in a number of projects that have the potential of returning huge rewards in improving our environment, fishing and boating safety. Projects like “Marking the River Channel on Lake Livingston” and the “Aquatic Habitat Restoration Projects on Lakes Livingston, Conroe and Lewisville” hold the greatest potential for rewards.

Along with a dozen other dedicated T.B.B.U. members I helped raise the funds for and supervised the marking of the river channel on Lake Livingston in 1993. From the Highway 190 bridge to the Highway 19 bridge the Trinity River, which feeds Lake Livingston, winds through miles of flooded timber. The run up the river, to great fishing areas on the north end of Livingston, was treacherous for years and claimed many lower units and boat hulls. For well over 15 years running the river north of 19 bridge was dangerous, at best.

After the “Channel Marking Project” the river channel was clearly marked and much safer to run.

A reasonable person would have expected that the Trinity River Authority or the Livingston Chamber of Commerce or the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department or the U.S. Coast Guard would have initiated this project. Texas Black Bass Unlimited initiated and organized this project and should be very proud of it. Leaders in the fishing industry funded the project with contributions of Bass Boats, Outboard Motors and Fishing Tackle. Leaders like Mercury Outboards, Skeeter Boats, Ranger Boats, Astro/ProCraft Boats, Bass Cat Boats, Bliss Murski/Strike King Tackle all contributed the funding for this project. There is no way to measure how many lives might have been saved by this project and I’m VERY proud to have been a part of it.

The project I am most proud to have been a part of is the “Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project for Lakes Conroe and Livingston.” Eighteen years ago Lake Conroe was full of Hydrilla, full of Bass and Crappie and the water was so clear you could see fish making beds on the bottom in 8 feet of water in Peach Creek. In those days I lived in Houston and would frequently drive up in the afternoon after getting off work and fish for a few hours before dark. It was nothing for the average occasional angler to catch a limit of 10 nice bass in an evening. A good angler would catch several limits of quality bass. Crappie were stacked on almost every tree. If you drove across the bridge to Loch Ness Marina after dark in the summer or spring you would always see lanterns hanging from several trees in the cover and Crappie fishermen catching Crappie by the ice chest full.

Lake Conroe was such a great fishing lake that moved to a waterfront home there. When the grass was still in the lake, my kids could set on the shore and watch schools of small fish swim up and down the shallow clear water inside the weedline.

Then came the tragedy that fishermen all over the United States would talk about for years to come. A few greedy property developers wielded their political influence with the State and had the Hydrilla killed and introduced enough White Amur Grass Carp to keep the lake de-vegetated to this day. Now the water is so muddy and dirty you cant see six inches down, on a clear day. There are no fish swimming up and down the bank behind me house and the average angler couldn’t catch a limit of Bass or Crappie in a week, much less an afternoon. An environmental tragedy beyond my ability to describe.

You can easily see why I was so excited to be a part of restoring Lake Conroe to what it had been when T.B.B.U. started the “Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project” on Houston area lakes. We raised, with the help of those same generous fishing industry leaders that had helped us with the “Lake Livingston Channel Marking Project,” over $80,000.00 and began construction of “Nursery Plots” for Native Aquatic Vegetation on Lake Conroe. T.B.B.U. members teamed with Texas Parks & Wildlife employees to wade muddy
coves and hand planted Native Vegetation in Nursery Plots” around the lake. After a few months the results of all that hard work became dramatically evident. When you visited the coves, closed with a chain link fence there was clear water, teaming with small fish and other aquatic life, behind the fences. Outside the fences the water remained muddy and any vegetation trying to grow beyond the fences was sheared off by Carp, like hedge shears had been used on it.

Most important, about this project, was that it was the seed for Texas Parks & Wildlife Department starting a statewide re-vegetation program to restore aquatic habitat in other lakes around the state.

When it’s my turn to go the “Big Pond,” aside from my wonderful family, I’ll be most proud of this accomplishment!!!

I hope you’ll join us in our next project.
– Lake Havasu

The schools of Texas have a new weapon to fight drugs. This weapon is stronger than any swords or guns-gangs or drug dealers. It’s fishing.

Schools, parents, Texas Parks and Wildlife, law enforcement personnel, community leaders, celebrities, T.B.B.U. and other fishing organizations have combined forces to create their own positive solution to the drug problem.

Get Hooked On Fishing-Not Drugs, is a national program of the Future Fisherman Foundation. Active in a mother state for years, this award winning program has now found its way to Texas. This is thanks to the hard work of concerned individuals and fishermen dedicated to fostering the well being of our youth.

“The program has two major parts,” says Holt Taylor, Chairman of the Texas Volunteer Coordinating Committee. “The in-school portion of the program is a year-round curriculum which uses fishing, staying in school and staying off drugs as a theme for all subjects. The fishing theme holds the kids interest and helps them learn. The curriculum is devoted to grades kindergarten through twelfth grade and qualifies for federal drug-free school funds. The program does not cost the schools anything.”

The non-school part of the program is a creation of a chapter that is assigned to each school. “Each chapter is made up of parents, teachers, local business leaders, law enforcement personnel, fishing club members, civic organizations and other interested individuals” he explains. “The chapter operates like a club and organizes the meetings, clinics and fishing that takes place at least once a month.”

In addition to the ongoing support from T.B.B.U. and its members, Get Hooked On Fishing-Not Drugs has also been adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Texas Federation of B.A.S.S., the Texas Association of Bass Clubs and the San Antonio League of Bass Clubs. Other supporters include John Hope and Fishing Texas, Judy Wong of the Bassin’ Gals, Fredonia Graphics of Nacogdoches, Shirley Creek Marina on Lake Sam Rayburn and Abu Garcia.

Why does it work?
This program is not lecture oriented. It is a free-form program that maintains the students’
involvement through fishing and exposing them to positive adult role models.

Fishing unites families by taking parents and children away from stressful distractions and giving them a new forum for communication. The quiet time creates the perfect environment for kids and adults to listen and talk.

The program unites communities through involvement in fishing derbies, clinics, and other outdoor activities.

Activities that provide recognition and non-drug lie are effective in changing student drug use behavior.
Fishing helps students build self confidence and self-esteem. Students learn to appreciate others and the natural world around them, and fishing offers lifelong enjoyment that they can pass on to others.

It’s easier for the students to say no as a group. Because of the enjoyment of the program and the pledge that the students have to make to stay off of drugs and alcohol, they start encouraging and helping each other.

With fishing, all students are on the same plane. Anyone can fish. Sex, race, age and handicaps don’t interfere with a kid’s ability to fish and have fun.
“Most important;”, says Jerry Grote, the program’s Co-chairman, “this program is interactive. Kids need and deserve attention from all of us. Values are learned through positive interaction with all members of society. We can affect their development and their lives by being good role models, good listeners, and good cheerleaders.”

How can I get involved?
According to Taylor, the following are things that everyone can do to help.

*Call your school superintendent and encourage them to institute this program.
*Support organizations like T.B.B.U. that works with kids and work with other programs.
Like Get Hooked On Fishing-Not Drugs.
*Take kids fishing as often as you can.
*Contact Holt Taylor and Jerry Grote to offer your support in your area to become a program sponsor.

You can write to Holt Taylor in care of:
Taylor Communications Group, Inc.
7551 Callaghan Rd.,Suite 275
San Antonio, TX 78229
Or call (210) 340-4100 – Lake Havasu

Team bass fishing tournaments are a dime a dozen these days but a “new Kid On The Block” is really worth a closer look.

Pro Team Trail was organized this year by some Ft. Worth area anglers that will be recognized by most of you readers of my regular tournament column.

K. D. Moore, Jerry Nichols and John Nichols have fished the Angler’s Choice circuits for a number of years and take home their share of checks. They are all very well liked and have top notch reputations as competitive tournament anglers. Anyone in bass fishing tournaments in Texas for a few years will have nothing but good things to say about these guys.

Last year they got their heads together and came up with a plan that will allow team tournament contestants in Texas to make some real money. Their plan is simple, a one day tournament with no practice days. The idea being to hold down expenses. With most team tournaments you have to figure a least one night and probably two stays in a motel. With meals figured in the average cost per team, with entry fee, is around $450.00, including fuel. Even if you place in the top ten in many team events you won’t even make back all of your expenses for the weekend.

Pro Team’s concept is that you drive to the tournament lake the morning of the event, enjoy a good tournament and even with the $500.00 entry fee you have 20 chances of breaking even on money and if you’re lucky and stick a big fish you could be taking home a fully rigged Ranger. You haven’t spent any more money than you would have fishing any other team event. You don’t have to take any extra days off work and you get to spend more time with your family, an important concern of the Pro Team organizers.
Winners of the first three events, in each division, take home a fully rigged Ranger boat, motor and trailer equipped with Lowrance Electronics. The winners of the last two qualifying events, in each division, will get a check for $15,000.00.

The rest of the field doesn’t go home empty handed either. With a field of 125 you will have a chance to win back your entry fee at 20th place. Second place, based on 125 teams, is $5,000.00, third is $3,500.00, fourth is $2,500.00, fifth is $2,000.00 and tenth is $1,200.00. A full field of 200 teams almost doubles the payback.

Traditionally tournaments held in Texas that have a fully rigged boat for first place draw a full field. Pro Team will very likely follow that trend. 200 teams will be the cut off for this trail.

This trail will allow team tournament anglers to take home the kind of money the national touring pro’s make.

There will be two divisions the first year, a North Texas and South Texas Division. There will be 5 qualifying events in each division with the top 40 in each division and 10 “Wild Card” teams from each division going to the Classic. There will be no entry fee for the Classic and first place will be a fully rigged 400 series Ranger Boat.

The North Division schedule is March 23rd – Palestine, April 27th – Cedar Creek, May 18th – Texoma, June 29th – Richland Chambers and September 14th – Lewisville.

The South Division schedule is March 9th – Rayburn, April 13th – Toledo Bend, May 11th – Livingston, June 8th – Richland Chambers and September 7th – Rayburn.

In addition to Ranger Boats Pro Team is also sponsored by Mercury, Ranger Trail, MotorGuide, Lowrance Electronics, Boat Buddy, CastAway Rods, Bumper Stumper and CAF Props.

For more information or to join the trail call John Nichols at 817-285-0405.
– Lake Havasu

This soft spoken, good natured, Lake Conroe guide has earned quite a reputation for consistently catching large bass. In fact he is almost solely responsible for the recent trend on the lake to disallow guides from competing in local fishing tournaments. Over the past eight years of participating in and writing about tournaments on Lake Conroe I have learned that, of the local guides, Skip Regan consistently weighs in more big bass.

Several years ago I was fortunate enough to learn, first hand, through fishing a series of tournaments on the lake with Skip that he has a gift for catching big bass. As though through some special sense, he manages to throw to just the right tree or bush where that special fish will be. Even when fishing an area of the lake that he was unfamiliar with he still managed to pick the right spot to throw his bait to find that big one. He is primarily a worm or jig fisherman but is versatile enough to adapt to fishing conditions and will use whatever type of lure necessary to catch fish.

For six years Skip fished several tournament circuits including, Anglers Choice, Western Bass, US Bass and Lone Star Bass. In 1986 he finished well enough in US Bass to qualify for their Classic. He is sponsored by Loch Ness Marina, Stanley Jigs and Mud Bug.

Skip started guiding on Lake Conroe about 8 years ago at Loch Ness Marina, on the north end of the lake. Since that time he has developed a very good reputation with his regular clients as well as other local fishermen. As well as being able to put you on fish he has a good sense of humor and is a pleasant person to spend the day with.

Skip has taught his son Mike some of his tricks for catching big bass. Mike fished a series of tournaments on the lake this summer and caught quite a few big fish himself. He and his partner, Hank White, finished 7th out of several hundred competitors to qualify for the Classic and then won the Classic by 5 pounds.

Earlier this summer Skip injured his arm in a boating accident. I am happy to report that he is recovering well and will probably regain most of the use of his arm. I hope to see him on the lake again soon. September, October and November often provide the finest fishing of the year on Lake Conroe and this would be a good time to book a trip to get in on this exciting action. Check with Loch Ness Marina (409-856-4524) to find out when Skip will be back to guiding on Lake Conroe or just to wish him a speedy recovery. – Lake Havasu

SYRACUSE, IN–When Lossie Rinker gave up dairy farming in 1945 to build fishing boats, it was unlikely that he envisioned his efforts growing into one of the largest independently-owned boat companies in the world.

From their shop along the banks of the White River in Noblesville, Indiana, Rinker and his sons, John and Jan soon expanded the business from rowboats to runabouts. Building their boats from molded birch hulls they imported from Nova Scotia, they soon earned a reputation for their performance racing craft, the design of which continues to impact every boat the company builds today.

Following their service in the Korean War, John and Jan moved the family business to Syracuse, Indiana, near the shores of Lake Wawasee, the state largest natural body of water. Under the name Rinkerbuilt, it was there that they began their experimentation with fiberglass hulls in the mid 1950’s and, a short time later, became among the first companies to build fiberglass boats on a production basis.

It was also during this period that the Rinker dealer network was born. One of the company’s earliest dealers, Boats, Inc. of Dearborn Heights, Michigan took delivery on its first load of Rinker Boats in 1956. Today, Boats Inc. is Rinker’s Top Worldwide Dealer for 1994, an honor it has received for nine of the last 10 years.

During the 1960’s, Rinker began to explore new technologies such as the inboard/outdrive engine; and by the 1980’s, the Mercruiser stern drive would become a Rinker standard that endures today. In 1968, Rinker fulfilled its first international order with the shipment of four 14’ runabouts to Sweden.

Rinker’s production efforts during the 1970’s were dominated by 15’ and 17’ tri-hulls, a design popular throughtout the industry at that time. The company did continue to design, build and refine V-hulls throughout the 70’s, however, and, today, the 20 degree deep-vee signature hull is found on nearly every Rinker model.

By the 1980s, Rinker had dropped the “built” suffix from its brand name and again refined production technique and quality, bringing virtually all component assembly and manufacturing in-house. And in 1985, Rinker launched its first express cruiser, the 250, testing the waters for what would become among the three best-selling express cruisers in the world–the Fiesta Vee 265, 280, and 300.

Dedication to design innovation during the 1980’s would bring the integrated swim platform, which quickly became a popular feature on most Rinker models. And by the end of the decade, Rinker’s exports had grown to become an important part of their overall sales, helping to immunize the company from downturns in the domestic market. Today, Rinker boats are sold by a loyal network of quality dealers, both across the United States and around the world.

In it’s 50th year, Rinker currently builds 10 models ranging from the 331 Fiesta Vee 300 to the Rocket, a 141711 jet boat. The company’s highly successful “Captiva” series of runabouts includes 191, 211 and 231 models that set industry standards for performance, quality and value.
While many of the nation’s boat builders have lost their autonomy in acquisition sprees by marine conglomerates, the Rinker Boat Company has remained both fiercely independent and highly successful. The company’s golden anniversary is celebrated by the third generation of Rinker family members actively involved in managing the business, maintaining the traditions of popular styling and a commitment to the quality/value relationship that marked Rinker’s beginnings 50 years ago.

The Rinker Boat Company, Inc. is located at 300 W Chicago Street, Syracuse, Indiana 46567. – Lake Havasu