Author: Lake Havasu Guide

Rinker’s Boat World will have a real show piece in their booth this year! Rinker’s has brought in a 301 JC Tri Toon, that is set up to install two jet skis on the bow.

Approximately 2/3’s of the boat is set up like a 221 Tri-Pontoon with all the amenities, such as, sundeck, ice chest, stereo, ski tow, seating for 12, and much more. The front of the boat is arranged so that two jet skis can be placed on the front of the deck using a jib crane. The crane is powered by a 12 volt motor and is constructed of aluminum. The crane has a 550 lb capacity.
The 306 Tri Toon is powered by a 350 Magnum Mercruiser, producing 250 horsepower. With two jet skis on the bow the 306 will run over 35 MPH.

Skiing behind the 306 is absolutely no problem. The MerCruiser generates tremendous power, pulling several adult skiers, and the wake is very similar to that of a tournament ski boat.

Rinker’s Boat World has sold over 200 Tri Toons to area customers. They invite you to come look at the most versatile boats on the market. The JC Tri Toons can be seen in booth W 213 in the West Wing of the Astrohall! – Lake Havasu

Abuse of Power and insidious evil inherent in human nature, apparently. It takes many forms. You’ve all had run-ins with or heard tales of property owner’s organization member gone wild. Some ‘Joe Some” with too much time on his hands, gets elected to a subdivision restrictions board, looks up some obscure sections of the subdivision deed restrictions and harasses a “minding his own business” property owner about not filing for a permit from the deed restrictions committee before painting his mailbox.

Or another one we’ve all had experiences with is the dreaded “Speed Trap” Abuse of Power where some small town police force, under the guise of “public safety” rips off hundreds of “minding their own business” motorists for going 5 miles an hour over the speed limit. We’ve all thought that we wish we could tell the “out of control cop” that we’d rather he be apprehending some murderer, rapist, child molester or dope dealer rather than raising funds for the local JP.

For years I’ve been hearing stories about an “Abuse of Power” related to fishing, tournament fishing to be exact. Every time I’ve gone to Amistad, for the past few years I’ve heard some very strange stories. It seems the head park ranger at Lake Amistad has a dislike for tournament anglers.

I’ve been hearing tales of harassing tournament fishermen. The Diablo East boat ram has a law against riding in your boat as it is towed up the ramp, when taking it off the lake. This is the only boat ramp in the state with such a law. In fact, I’ve fished in allot of states and have never encountered such a law in any of them. In over 20 years of bass fishing I’ve never heard of anyone falling out of a boat while sitting in it as it’s towed up the ramp. In over 20 years of writing about fishing I’ve never talked with anyone who’s ever heard of anyone falling out of a boat while riding in it up a boat ramp. How could safety be an issue at Amistad? Sounds like a “personal problem” to me.

Another example of “Abuse of Power,” even more obvious, was during the shut-down of the federal government a few years ago over the budget crisis in Washington D.C. During the shut-down the park ranger at Amistad closed the boat ramps, an understandable move, but bad enough in itself. There also were numerous reports of his traveling around the lake barricading off other boat ramps, not run by the National Park Service, in effect trying to close the entire lake to access by anglers. An “Abuse of Power?” You tell me.

Here’s the “straw that got my goat.” No the guys really gone berserk!!!! He is enacting a law that requires tournament anglers to get a special permit to hold a fishing tournament. If a group of employees from Southwest Research want to have a company fishing tournament on Lake Amistad they have to get a special permit. Not only that but he wants to tell them where, on the lake they can and can’t fish, what time of year they can have tournaments and I can’t remember what else, the list is so long.

Here’s a guy with a personal grudge against tournament anglers that is using the power of his government office to create special restrictions on tournament fishing. If that’s not a classic case of “you know what by now” then I’ll eat my Skeeter cap on his “highly restricted boat ramp.”

Now I want to issue a challenge to you limp-wristed tournament types to take 10 minutes out of your busy schedule of untangling melted buzz bat skirts, to write a letter of protest to responsible government officials listed below. Your cards and letter will make a difference.

Director, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013.
Superintendent, William H. Sontag, HCR 3, Box 5J, Del Rio, TX 78840-9350. Email: AMIS_Superintendent@nps.gov

Kay Bailey Hutchinson
US Senator
283 Russell, Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510

Phil Gramm
US Senator
283 Russell, Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510 – Lake Havasu

As we reach the end of another year it’s time to reflect on our accomplishments and take a look at our goals for 1999.

Most of our members and sponsors are probably unaware of what a critical year 1998 was for Texas Black Bass Unlimited and our Black Bass magazine. One year ago this organization was deep in debt, over $90,000.00 to put a perspective on it.

As a result of some very hard work by our current board of directors I am proud to say that the organization is now out of debt and things are looking very positive for 1999.

The magazine has undergone some very big, and time-consuming changes during ’98. Most of these, although, transparent to most of our readers, were very significant indeed. We moved the layout of the magazine from Dallas, Texas to Nacogdoches, then to Willis, where it will stay for the foreseeable future. We also moved the layout from a Macintosh computer platform to PC, a very labor-intensive transition. The net result of all these changes was that our delivery of the publication on a timely basis suffered dramatically. With this issue, in fact, we remain one issue behind schedule. The January issue will be only one half issue behind and by March we will be back on schedule. Although these changes were costly in terms of magazine delivery they represent a dramatic improvement in the bottom line, long term, and to no small degree, account for the improvement in the organizations financial position.

As if we weren’t busy enough with all these changes many of our board members were busy helping to form a new organization you have been reading allot about in the past few isues, S.M.A.R.T.

In mid 1998 Texas bass fishermen, fed up with the impact habitat eradication was having on bass populations, united with clean water and clean air advocates to take a stand against this “War on Hydrilla.” Organizations like B.A.S.S. Federation, Texas, Black Bass Unlimited (TBBU), Texas Association of Bass Clubs (TABC), Honey Hole, Angler’s Choice, Bob Sealy Enterprises McDonald’s Big Bass, Pro Team Trails, Texas Oilman’s, F.I.S.H., B.A.I.T., H.A.W.K., Clean Water Action, The Chemical Connection, Lone Star Chapter of Sierra Club and many, many others put their heads together and formulated a plan. The plan is twofold, one of public education and to promote sound aquatic resource management, such as mechanical harvesters, rather than eradication. This coalition, now with over 300,000 combined members, has become well organized and formed a Non-Profit (501c) Corporation under the name of S.M.A.R.T. which stands for Sensible Management of Aquatic Resources Team.

One very important issue S.M.A.R.T. has been addressing with the Texas parks & Wildlife Department is the weed eradication issue on which S.M.A.R.T. has the following position:

Aquatic vegetation, as much a natural resource as our forests, is targeted for eradication. Bass fishermen say aquatic vegetation is habitat for game fish. Naturalists say aquatic vegetation is habitat to waterfowl. Biologists say that it is habitat for game fish and waterfowl. Environmental scientists say it is a natural filtration system for our lakes and rivers and that it is vital to clean water. So why would anyone want it eradicated….MONEY.

In keeping with our policy of defending conservation issues for bass anglers, Texas Black Bass Unlimited has taken the lead in forming this new organization to defend bass habitat in Texas. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

Results are already being recognized from the efforts of S.M.A.R.T. in that over $40,000.00 has been raised for the purchase of a Hydrilla Harvester to demonstrate the effectiveness of mechanical, rather than chemical, control of unwanted weeds and over $30,000.00 has been raised for the production of an education do*****entary video. This video will be distributed in our secondary and high schools around the country to educate youth and the general public on the benefits of aquatic vegetation to the environment and as game fish and waterfowl habitat.

Looking forward to 1999 your can expect to see, aside from a more timely delivery of this magazine, more informative conservation news stories, more insights from the pros on fishing and tournament strategies, more fishing reports and more sponsors with great new products for you to review. We also plan to offer more lake reports in upcoming issues. Anyone wishing to contribute please feel free to contact us.

Black Bass magazine and Texas Black Bass Unlimited has been and will continue to be the leader for conservation of our freshwater fisheries. Our many accomplishments, in that regard, speak for themselves. We have demonstrated and will continue
to demonstrate our concern for conservation by pro-active involvement with tough environmental and conservation issues in Texas and around the United States. As we have for years, we will continue to lead the way in freshwater fisheries conservation.
– Lake Havasu

They came from the hills of Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia in reply to a call for help from Texas anglers. Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone? No, even bigger heroes, Ray Scott, the “Father of Professional Bass Fishing,” and Tennessee Valley River Authority Aquatic Weed Manager, Doug Murphy.

Who sent out the cry for help? Ed Parten. Who’s Ed Parten? Ask any bass fisherman in the State of Texas who Ed Parten is and nine out of ten will tell you he’s the guy that led the battle to keep Carp out of Lake Conroe. Though he lost that battle he has won many, many others. No individual has done more for bass fishing in Texas than Ed Parten. If there’s a project going on to improve Texas’ fisheries you can bet your last dollar that “Big Ed” will be involved, probably organizing the project.

Standing with Parten, Ray Murski of Strike King Lures and thousands of concerned Texas anglers. Bass Club members, Texas Black Bass Unlimited, Texas Association of Bass Clubs, Honey Hole and many other Bass Fishing Organizations.

Why was the call sent out? To prevent the killing of another Texas Lake. This time Bastrop, less than a hundred miles from the Alamo. Makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up just writing about it.

Who’s killing our lakes? Chemical and Power Generating Companies. Wielding the kind of power and influence that comes from selling “Toxic Chemicals,” under the labels of “Aquatic Herbicides,” to state government and electric power generating companies for $2,000.00 per gallon, Chemical Companies have influenced River Authorities and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to pour thousands of gallons a year into Texas lakes and rivers. Many of these water bodies are used as water supplies for Texas towns.

Anglers agree that aquatic weeds need to be controlled. What they don’t agree on is using “Toxic Chemicals” to control them. There are other ways.

Smart management programs use a variety of other means of controlling unwanted vegetation. One such means is “Mechanical Harvesters.” Lakes in the north central United States, that have used mechanical control say that they have enhanced aquatic life in their lakes and the water remains clear and clean. Most lakes need aquatic vegetation to filter the water and control bottom erosion.

Eradication leaves a leaves without any vegetation for habitat or filtration. After a few years the lakes are taken over with “Algae Bloom” and become murky and are unhealthy fisheries.

Most of the lakes with a history of “Mechanical Management” report enhanced game fish populations.

Back to our “heroes” at the “Battle of Bastrop.” Ray Scott wrote a letter to Texas Governor George W. Bush asking Governor Bush to declare a moratorium on the use of Toxic Herbicides and implement a feasibility study on the use of mechanical devices to manage unwanted aquatic weeds. Bush agreed and Scott arranged with the Tennessee Valley River Authority to bring a “Mechanical Harvester” from Tennessee to Lake Bastrop for a test.

The test results were very positive. In less than two days all aquatic vegetation was mowed down to five feet below the surface. Not one fish was killed and a stand of sub-surface vegetation was left for aquatic habitat and filtration. No this didn’t put another $100,000.00 or so in the Chemical Companies bank accounts but it did cost $8,000.00. $8,000.00 to bring a machine all the way from Tennessee and back and cut all the vegetation in the lake in less than a week.

Who paid the expenses? You might think the power company that wanted the weeds gone in the first place, they’d have bought the “Toxic Chemicals.” Or you might think the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department or the Texas Water Quality Board or the EPA. No.

Heroes paid for it. Over two hundred anglers and fishing industry companies, that’s who paid for it. In a little over three days checks from $5 to $1,000 flooded in.

A pretty impressive
display of concern and generosity by any measure.

Where do we go from here? SMART, it stands for Sensible Management of Aquatic Resources Together. Ray Scott, Ed Parten, Ray Murski, Lindy Ellison, Randy Kindler, Pat McCarty, Texas Black Bass Unlimited, Texas Association of Bass Clubs and many, many others put their heads together and formulated a plan. The plan is to raise money to purchase a harvester and demonstrate its effectiveness in managing aquatic weeds. SMART is the name of the organization formed to implement this plan.

You can be a part of it. If you have time to volunteer for working with the fund raising committee you can call “Big Ed” at 713-648-6152. Or you just want to send a contribution to the fund you can mail a check to SMART at PO Box 11729, Houston, Texas 77293.

Fund Raiser. ” An Evening with Ray Scott.” The first fund raising event will be held August 14, 1998 at the Hotel Sofitel Greenspoint in Houston, Texas. Other pioneers of the bass fishing industry already scheduled to join Scott in Houston at this event are; Roland Martin – Legendary angler; all-time tournament winner and TV Superstar, Bob Cobb – 30-year pioneer with B.A.S.S. Bassmasters Magazine and Bassmasters TV, Glen Lau – Renowned cinematographer and creator of the award-winning epic “Big Mouth Forever” and host of his own TNN TV show, Earl Bentz – Founder of Triton Boats and 30 year innovator and pioneer in the quality and performance of bass boats, Bill Dance – Super Star and bass fishing pioneer celebrity. The list of “Bass Fishing Super Stars” is still growing.

Tickets are $100. A limit of 500 tickets will be sold and each ticket holder will be entered into a drawing for a 1999 Dodge Quad Cab truck. For information email tbbu@tbbu.com – Lake Havasu

Texas Black Bass Unlimited is planning 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.

TBBU is an all volunteer non profit statewide organization that is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of our freshwater fishing and resource conservation. They work closely with the Texas Parks & Wildlife to control the use of exotic fish stocking in the State’s freshwater fisheries that threaten the native game fish. TBBU has demonstrated their dedication to the preservation of the State’s freshwater fisheries, since it’s inception, by donating their time and energy to the placement of artificial reefs, petitioning the State Legislature to increase the penalties against poachers who steal game fish from other law abiding citizens and by donating their time to work with children’s groups interested in fishing such as the “Get Hooked on Fishing Not Drugs” campaign. The Houston Chapter formed a steering committee headed by Ed Parten to plan the event.

A banquet and raffle combined with a fishing tournament is being planned to be held in The Woodlands this fall. A similar event was held last year in Dallas and raised over $30,000.00 that was used as seed money for the construction of the new State Fish Hatchery.
The GALA scheduled for this fall will be an excellent opportunity for anyone wishing to make a “great deal” on a new boat and motor or any of the other items that will be auctioned off. Six brand new 93 model fully rigged bass boats will be auctioned off at the banquet along with a wealth of fishing tackle, boating equipment and other sporting equipment.

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 11 at the banquet and are selling for $1,000.00. Gold Tables are $750.00, Silver Tables are $500.00, Individual Tickets are $50.00 and an Event Ticket is $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 contact Pat McCarty at 409-856-8537.

Other committee heads all of whom are also volunteering their time to organize this event are as follows;
Jack Allen, Membership Booth, 713-862-9733
Dale Driggers, Printing, 713-448-4703
Dan Ellis, Reservations, 409-327-4084
Bob Gatewood, Decorations, 713-686-1919
Shirley Gatewood, Decorations, 713-686-1919
Vicki Follmar, Decorations, 713-649-2709
Lorin Lively, Tournament, 713-458-6954
John Lee, Treasurer, 713-452-6344
David McGee, Raffle Items, 713-376-9425
Larry Miller, Security, 713-891-1906
Frances Nettles, Secretary, 713-580-1469
Tom Nettles, Auction, 713-580-1469
Randy Nichols, Computer Data, 713-862-9733
Mark Seale, Ticket Sales, 713-334-3346

Call for details. Help support TBBU in their effort to make Lake Livingston a safer place to boat and fish. – Lake Havasu

Ask any die hard tournament or weekend bass fisherman that question and you will receive the same answer.YUK!!!! But ask Wayne Stark long time “BASS CAT” driver and local tournament angler that question and you will hear I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! This writer and Wayne with a group of local anglers made an exploratory trip few years ago to Port Mansfield, to verify the stories told of Salt Water top water and artificial fishing action to rival the best days we have ever had fresh water fishing. Wayne was so impressed that last year he and his wonder wife Mary bought a place at Port Mansfield and constructed what we affectionately call STARK”S COMPOUND.

Effective Jan.1 ,1997 Capt. Wayne and Mary opened “Capt. Waynes Bed and Breakfast Guide Service “, Port Mansfield ,Texas. Capt. Wayne has the unique ability to meet anyone’s Salt Water fishing requirements, from flats fishing in the Laguna Madre to Blue Water adventures offshore. He can provide a complete package including lodging , meals and guide service, or one day guide trips. I recommend the complete package as not only is the fishing outstanding, the food and lodging are first cabin.

On a recent trip this writer, Charlie Adams, and Keith Porter spent three days with Capt. Wayne and as usual had a great three days of fishing. Thursday was spent in the Laguna Madre catching reds, specks, and founder. Friday was spent off shore where at ten AM we had limited out on red snapper in the four to ten pound range. As Keith had to leave on Friday it was myself, Charlie and Capt. Wayne on Saturday where we had another outstanding day in the Laguna Madre, we caught reds, specks and twenty four flounder. Catching flounder on Hogie plastic shrimp tails is as challenging as Carolina rigging for bass.

The photos along with this article should help in reassuring any skeptics that Capt. Wayne has arrived at being one of the premiere lower coast guides and his ability to take his fresh water knowledge and apply it to salt water gives him the ability to put his clients on outstanding fish day after day. To contact Capt. Wayne call 956-944-2508. NOTE: if you book the complete package be sure to request Capt. Wayne’s home made chicken noodle soup you will not be disappointed, I quarantee!

Capt. Wayne is sponsored by All Stars Rods, Mariner Salt Water,Hogie Baits, Shallow Sport Boats, Wahoe Boats, Quantum ,MotorGuide, McClain Trailers, Boots -Follmar Marine and Lowrance Electronics. – Lake Havasu

Wake up “Bubba” it’s time to sell your bass boat. You know that shiny new metalflake rig out there in the garage? You need to take it down to your local boat dealer and see what they’ll give you on trade for a flat bottom, cause while you were settin there on your butt someone was out there killin your favorite fishin hole. You know that fancy new Shimano reel you bought last week for that “High Tech” CastAway worm rod? You can hang that sucker on a couple nails on your wall and head out to the hardware store for a ball of twine cause your next fishin trip is gonna be spreadin “Stink Bait” on a catfish Trot Line.

SMARTen Up “Bubba.” Yea that’s what they call us, “Bubba.” They think bass fishermen all have tobacco juice droolin down their chins and vacuum chambers for brain containers. They think you’re so STUPID that you won’t even notice they’re killin your favorite fishin holes. They think you’re so STUPID that you can’t see all the potholes in the dilapidated marinas on Lake Livingston after they killed that lake and turned it into the states biggest “Pig Wallow.” Well guess what “Bubba” they are bringin that dog and pony show to your lake. They’ll turn your great fishery into a “Mud Hole.”

Now that I have that rant out of my system let me explain my point in a more logical fashion. It’s very hard not to be overwhelmed by cynicism in the face of such a perverse ecological tragedy.

God blessed Texas with this nation’s greatest bass fishing waters. A combination of ideal climate and the world’s best fish and game department produced prolific bass fisheries, like Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend and Lake Fork, that were the envy of bass anglers from all over the globe. Aside from smart Texas Parks & Wildlife (TP&W) biologists there is one very important factor that makes the fisheries outstanding, Hydrilla. As I’m writing this story I realize I was hesitant to even put the word down in print, Hydrilla. The “Spin Doctors” from Lewisville have put out so much negative Propaganda in the past few years on Hydrilla I’ve subconciously begun to believe it’s a bad word. “Bull Corn”. We all know it’s been good for Texas waters.

Before they killed all the Hydrilla
in Lake Conroe, my home, water clarity was 8 feet or more and it was one of the best bass fishing lakes in the country. Now it’s another “Mud Hole” like Livingston, Lake Houston and Cedar Creek. I walk out my back door every day and it turns my stomach to recall standing on the deck and looking down into crystal clear water at every kind of fish there is swimming by in great numbers. Now I won’t even let my kids swim in it and if I have to get in it to do any repair work on the bulkhead I feel I have to rush in the house and take a shower to wash the crud off me.

Now river authorities around the state like Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) are dumping Toxic Herbicides into our lakes and rivers, on a regular basis, to kill Hydrilla. Why? Because a few wealthy waterfront property developers wield powerful political influence on state officials and because the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation (AERF), Inc. represented locally by USAE Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Facility, Lewisville, Texas, has been conducting a massive, nation wide, propaganda campaign to convince the public that Hydrilla is a horrible menace that will completely take over lakes. They constructed a series of shallow ponds in Lewisville so they could make sure they would mat over . Then they take pictures of the matted ponds and show them around the state telling people this is what will happen to your lake if you don’t put Toxic Herbicides in them to kill the Hydrilla. The sad thing is that people believe them, assuming since they are scientists and have a research facility, they must know what they’re talking about.

Here’s something the public isn’t told. Who is AERF? Gold Members are American Cyanamid, Applied Biochemists, Cygnet Enterprises, Dow AgroSciences, Elf Autochem, North America, Monsanto Corporation, Rhone-Poulenc, SePro Corporation and Zeneca – all chemical companies. There are many more chemical company members. You decide why they are telling the public what a menace Hydrilla is. Duh…

Let’s assume for the sake of argument that Hydrilla is a problem, although I don’t personally completely accept this premise. How do we deal with it? First of all we don’t have to turn our lakes into biological wastelands. Hydrilla can be managed, it doesn’t have to be annihilated. We can have our cake and eat it too. There are many lake managers in the north central U.S. that will point to their management records of “mechanical weed control” that produce improvements in aquatic life (fish “Bubba”), water clarity and recreational boating access.

I’m not alone in my evaluation of this Hydrilla situation. I stand in very good company with Ray Scott, (you may have heard of him), Ed Parten, Roland Martin, Bill Dance, Earl Bentz, Bob Cobb and Glen Lau just to name a few.

This is where you come in “Bubba.” It’s time to prove to the chemical pushers that your ole noggin is good for somethin besides a hat rack for that new Skeeter cap you got with that shiny bass boat parked out there in the garage. Here’s the plan.

A new organization has been formed SMART. SMART stands for Sensible Management of Aquatic Resources Together and our members are not chemical companies. Our members are a coalition of the states largest bass fishing organizations. Texas Black Bass Unlimited (TBBU), Texas Association of Bass Clubs (TABC), Texas B.A.S.S. State Federation and Honey Hole, to name a few. The mission of this organization is to provide leadership and education in the arena of aquatic resource management and to demonstrate the benefits of mechanical control of aquatic weeds.
“OK, OK McCarty I get the picture, what can I do?” – you’re saying to yourself. Here’s what you can do “Stink Bait Breath” – SMARTen Up. Right now….that means as soon as you put this magazine down…send in a tax-deductible donation to the purchase of our first Harvester: $5, $10 or whatever you can afford.

The first fund raiser will be held in Houston on August 14th at the Hotel Sofitel Greenspoint, ‘An Evening with Ray Scott.” Other pioneers of the bass fishing industry already scheduled to join Scott in Houston at this event are: Roland Martin – Legendary angler; all-time tournament winner and TV Superstar; Bob Cobb – 30-year pioneer with B.A.S.S. Bassmasters Magazine and Bassmasters TV; Glen Lau – renowned cinematographer and creator of the award-winning epic “Big Mouth Forever” and host of his own TNN TV show; Earl Bentz – founder of Triton Boats and 30 year innovator and pioneer in the quality and performance of bass boats; Bill Dance – Super Star and bass fishing pioneer celebrity. The list of “Bass Fishing Super Stars” is still growing.

Tickets are $100. A limit of 500 tickets will be sold and each ticket holder will be entered in a drawing for a 1999 Dodge Quad Cab truck.

Seriously now, I give twenty, sometimes, eighty hours a month in support of this organization because I want to do my part to preserve a sport that has given so much to me over the years. Please lend a hand and do as much as you can to support this project. Make your check payable to SMART and send them to PO Box 11729, Houston, Texas 77293. Thanks – Pat McCarty – Proud to be called “Bubba”
– Lake Havasu

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fish with a Nationally Ranked Professional Angler?

Judy Wong is a full time guide on Fayette County Lake when she’s not fishing the Bass’n Gals Pro circuit. She lives in west Houston with husband, Glenn and son, Scott, who is currently attending college.

She has enjoyed fishing all her life and started when her father took her fishing as a young girl. Three years ago Judy started fishing professionally and fished the Bass’n Gals circuit, qualifying for the Classic in her first year. In 78 and 89 she won two boats and has qualified for the Classic every year since fishing Bass’n Gals. Last year she finished in 5th place in the Angler of the Year race and is currently in 12th this year. Judy is sponsored by Red Wing Boat Company, Champion Boats, Zebco/Motorguide, Pradco, Culprit, Limberneck Spinner Baits and Gamagatsu.
When she’s not fishing in a Bass n Gals tournament or practicing for one she is guiding on Fayette County Lake, working a Boat Show for sponsor, Red Wing Boat Company, giving corporate seminars on Bass Fishing, and as if that’s not enough she gives of her time for charity work like the “Get Hooked on Fishing Not Drugs” program and the “Make a Wish Foundation”. Judy also volunteers her time for the “Sunshine Kids Tournament” sponsored by Houston Fish.

Fulfilling such a demanding schedule would not be possible, Judy says, without the support of her husband Glenn.

When she talks about her guide business her face lights up and you can tell she really enjoys this part of her profession. She especially enjoys mothers with children type trips where she gets to teach fishing. She is probably better suited for this kind of fishing because of her patience. A crusty old fishing guide might have less patience to deal with children.

Don’t be mislead though, this lady can hold her own with any guide when it come to catching fish.

Recently I called Judy to see if she was available for a photo session for one of her sponsors. I explained that I would prefer to get some photos of her on the water and ideally with a big fish. When faced with this challenge myself I usually think, “yeah right like I can go out any time I want and catch a big fish”, but she said OK and told me to meet her at Emmett’s and Velma’s Store on Hwy 159 near the Lake at 6:00 am later that week.

At 6:00 am later that week I’m setting in Emmett’s store solving world problems, with Emmett, over a cup of coffee and in walks this good looking lady dressed like a bass fisherman, Judy Wong. After chatting with Emmett awhile we headed for the Lake. I followed Judy in my boat so I could get some pictures. She started fishing shallow vegetation along the shoreline with various shallow running jerk baits. I’m staying close behind concentrating on getting some good pictures and enjoying the morning. After about an hour and only a couple of misses on the jerk baits I’m beginning to think that I’m glad I’m not in her position because I’d be getting awfully nervous without a fish by now, but Judy seemed quite relaxed and confident and continued to patiently and methodically work the shoreline cover that she had set out to fish. When she had finished the shoreline of that cove she moved out to deeper water to try some deep water structure. Not long after, she bowed up on what appeared to be a pretty good fish. I’m in a panic thinking this may be the only fish we get on and want to get some good pictures. Finally the fish blows up and it’s a five pounder. As though she was in a tournament Judy coolly played the fish to the boat, lands it and we get a few posed pictures then release the fish. Nice way to break the ice. About fifteen minutes later her rod doubles over again. Another fish close to 5 pounds.

With a big smile, Judy says, why don’t you do some fishing Pat? I’ve never been able to refuse a good challenge, and besides she had just boated two 5 pounders in the past fifteen minutes and I should easily be able to get a few good fish real quick.
An hour and a half later the score was Lady Angler 6, Photographer 2. I had just been given a first class fishing lesson. Out of eight fish or so in about two and a half hours Judy had put us on a couple three pounders, 2 fish between 3 and 4 pounds, four fish in the 5 pound range and a 7.5 pounder. That’s what I call producing under pressure. It’s easy to see why Judy has made the Classic all three years she has fished Bass’n Gals. In about three hours she had patterned the fish and produced the big fish I had asked for. This Lady is not just another pretty face but a very good professional angler.

For a great guide trip, with a Nationally Ranked Professional Angler, call Judy Wong at 713-933-9724 – Lake Havasu

Allot of questions have been raised in this magazine, over the past few months, about the fish kills at Sam Rayburn. Now reports are all over the Internet and phone lines about similar occurrences at Lake Fork early this summer.

Texas Parks & Wildlife in public meetings at Sam Rayburn and Lake Fork state that the significance of the fish kill is minimal in terms of harm to the fish population. They further stated, at a public meeting in Athens, that the reason for fish kill on Sam Rayburn was Angler induced stress and hot weather.

At this same meeting in Athens there was a presentation on a study conducted on the survivability of fish caught and released in fishing tournaments. This study concluded that 20% to 65% of the fish released in tournaments die, depending on the water temperature at the time the tournament are held.

Numerous questions were raised about this study. Most were along the lines of my thinking, “Why don’t you see dead fish floating after a tournament?” The answer by all the biologists present was that most of the fish that die don’t float to the surface. They are eaten by turtles and other scavengers. Hmmmmm…..
If TP&W said they counted 1,800 fish floating during their few day study, and anglers reported dead and dying floating fish, large fish, for months after the Rayburn kill.

If TP&W counted 1,800 in a few days and dead fish were reported for a few months, lets say just two for the sake of making my point (many would contend it went on much longer) then 1,800 times 10(few days in a month by my scientific calculation) would mean 18,000 per month for two months would be around 36,000, according to my TI Scientific Calculator.

As I recall the scientists at Athens stated it something like “ a very small percentage of the fish that die after being released in fishing tournaments float to the surface.”

If a very small percentage of the fish float to the surface and somewhere around 36,000 floated to the surface on Rayburn last summer doesn’t that mean that 36,000 is a small percentage of the fish that died on Rayburn, by the experts opinion. Does that mean then that 360,000 big fish died on Rayburn last year? You tell me.

There’s so much BS being floated on this topic, who knows. Imagine if only a small amount of this BS we see being floated is a small percentage of the total BS???? Hmmmmmm……

A few concerned anglers, that care enough about the problem, to spend weeks researching potential causes have found some very interesting information. Scientific studies conducted by the Texas Natural Resource Commission on Rayburn over an 8 or 10-year period say that chemical pollution on Rayburn has been high enough to harm or kill aquatic life many times during their study period. One article in this issue regarding this study can be found on page 12. Please read it and decide for yourself whether this is a serious issue or not.

Here are a few things the board of directors of T.B.B.U. and S.M.A.R.T. feel need to be done:

1. 1.. Conduct tissue studies on fish found dying or with lesions. The studies should be conducted by an independent authority.
2. Conduct water quality studies on lakes where a fish kill is occurring while the fish kill is in progress.
3. Report any herbicide or pesticide application operations going on around the lakes to the T.B.B.U. or S.M.A.R.T. offices.
4. Report any aquatic vegetation herbicide applications to T.B.B.U. and S.M.A.R.T. – Lake Havasu

Fishing in the heat of the summer doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience. As tournament anglers who fish all year long, Norman and I have had to adjust to the elements, reduce the amount of time on the water during periods of hot weather; learn to preplan strategy; and, adapt our fishing methods and tactics accordingly.

Toledo Bend Reservoir is located on the Sabine River. This deep, clear water lake is surrounded by red rolling hills and piney woods. It is nestled in the heart of East Texas on the Louisiana border. The lake is 65-miles long, contains 185,000 surface acres and has 1,200 miles of fishing shoreline. The lake was impounded in 1967 and is one of the most well known and publicized lakes in the Country. The lake is very fertile, has a tremendous fishery and the lake record for Black Bass is 14.69, caught in March 1998. There is an abundance of grass and most all the bass tournaments are won on the south end of the lake because of the massive amounts of vegetation.

As our tournament circuits are winding down, Norman and I approached our Toledo Bend tournament for the East Texas Anglers Choice Couples circuit with a great deal of hesitation. We had not been on the lake in over two months. We arrived late Saturday afternoon and opted to trailer our Boots Follmar Marine Pro Staff Skeeter 210 over to registration and then back down to a friend of ours camp on the South end of the lake. We had pretty well determined our game plan of what and how we were going to approach our tournament day and didn’t want to disturb the fish or get out in the heat and beat up on them before the actual tournament day began. Of course, this kind of thinking is either very confident or, at the least, very risky! After all, we went into the tournament in 8th place overall; and, in order to qualify for the championship, we were going to have to do good in that tournament.

In year’s past, we were always out there in the extreme heat, practicing from sun up to sun down and never missing a beat . . . but this year, something changed and we decided that we could take a more sensible approach to the heat. Why burn yourself and your partner up and make each other miserable practicing all day in the heat, especially when you know exactly what your going to do, where your going, and what baits your going to use. Instead, we went back to the camp house and got our gear ready for the next day’s competition and went to bed early and got plenty of rest. Come Sunday, we were ready, a little nervous though as we had never taken this laid back approach before and were treading new waters.

As luck would have it, our boat number was 1, and we headed to our first spot. We pulled up, put the trolling motor down and started throwing topwaters. Norman had several strikes but no takers and then the topwater action seemed to subside. We picked up our spinning gear and started to work our Zoom Trick worms along the deep water access on the edge of a huge grassbed located north of Pendleton Bridge. In the next hour, we boated nine bass, but only one was a keeper. We cranked up the Yamaha 225 and headed south. We went to our second spot which was a mainlake flat near Housen. We stuck with this spot most of the rest of the day because we had continuous bites there and because the grass was just perfect for the kind of fishing we were doing. We put two more keepers in the boat and thought we’d go to our last spot in hopes of landing a kicker fish or two (5 fish limit) to anchor our weight and cinch the day. It didn’t happen, so we went back to our number two spot and finished out the day there and stuck another keeper fish and caught several smaller fish.

We must have easily caught over 30 fish that day, but only four of them were keepers. Even though we finished up with only four fish, we were quite proud of our accomplishment, especially in view of the fact that we had no practice and were just going on gut instincts and past experience. Previously, practicing in the heat has just killed us and by tournament day, we were always worn out and exhausted before the event ever started. This year was different, we were refreshed on tournament day and able to focus on the task at hand and it really made a big difference. We didn’t win our tournament, and we probably only placed somewhere in the top 20, but we did amazingly well for the little effort we put into it. You know, fishing tournaments doesn’t have to be nerve wracking, intense competition. Sometimes you just need to calm down, relax and let the conditions dictate your game plan, and just go with the flow. After all, Texas in August is no time to get in a big old hurry to do anything. Always respect the water and the elements and learn to work with them instead of against them! – Lake Havasu

Most of our East Texas lakes have undergone massive changes in the last year, and none have been so severely affected as Sam Rayburn. The temperature is hot, the fishing is not; and, grass was hardly anywhere to be seen! With only one day to prefish before our last Anglers Choice Couples tournament before the championship, it was panic time – Rayburn caught us off guard, so we decided to get a guide and concentrate efforts. Thank goodness for the Internet, I did a quick search and came up with the name of David Scarborough who guides out of Jackson Hill Marina, just north of the 147 bridge. We emailed back and fourth several times and made our final arrangements to meet that Saturday. David agreed to go in our Skeeter so we could mark the areas he showed us on our GPS.

David Scarborough was very knowledgeable of Rayburn (“Big Sam” as locals affectionately call the lake), and he was most helpful in describing the why’s and how to’s of exactly what he was doing to catch his fish. He is a full-time guide and fishes exclusively Sam Rayburn. He is on the lake a minimum of 5 days a week; and, whether he has a guide trip or not, he feels it’s important to stay up with the fish movements and stay in touch with what’s going on. He took us to three of his key areas on the north end of the lake that he had found to be holding fish. Although the fishing was slow, we did catch several good bass (see photo) in the Black Forest area, some in the mouth of Julie Creek and a couple off the 147 bridge area. Since most of the grass is gone, the key was structure and cover on the structure. In all the areas we fished, there was very little grass, but there was some, which was extremely important. The grass is usually highly visible this time of the year and matted on the surface, but this year was different. We were lucky to find an area that had grass 2/3-feet deep. We left the lake feeling confident in our upcoming tournament and very thankful for David’s help and assistance.

The following Saturday morning found us on the lake before daylight. Norman headed off in his Skeeter 202, and I took the other Boots Follmar Marine Pro Staff Skeeter 210 (and the GPS), and headed the opposite direction to check on some of my old haunts. Because we have two boats, were able to cover twice the water in half the time.

I made sure I could find the areas we
had been the previous weekend with David plus did some exploration on my own and found an area in the Black Forest that looked to be quite promising. The area I found was surrounded by deep water and had a creek bend running through a little finger (underwater point) on the edge of the forest. Not only was there deep water nearby, but the water depth varied anywhere from 8-22 feet. The next day at weigh-in, a friend of ours said they had seen us on the lake and the spot we were fishing was one that a superteam tournament had been won on several years before. That made my day!

On our practice day, due to the heat (100+ degrees), we were on the lake only until 12:30. By coming off the lake early, we accomplished two major tasks, one allowed us to get back to the camp and get our gear ready for tournament day, and the second was to get a good night’s rest so we could be fresh for the tournament.

Tournament day was unusual in that a cold front had come through, the wind was blowing 30-40 mph (the wind had been calm for months prior to tournament day) and our primary areas were all mainlake spots. Thank goodness for the Yamaha 225, it got us to where we were going with no problems; however, due to the high winds these mainlake areas were shut down and nothing was biting except the wind. Tournament fishing is feast or famine with us and this one was a near disaster. We had to anchor on our spots to hold and had waves coming in over the bow. Norman was sick that day, but did manage to boat one keeper. We went into the tournament in 6th place and finished out the year in 9th place overall and qualified for the championship, which was our primary objective. Even though we didn’t load the boat with fish that day, we were winners in my book because we were versatile enough to make a change and make it work for us.

In spite of the dangerous conditions, the Skeeter/Yamaha was strong enough to get us there and back and made the ride in comfort. Many boaters simply just don’t know how to trim a boat in rough conditions and Norman is absolutely the best that I’ve ever ridden with. Not only does he trim the jack plate and the trim all the way down, he has a knack and instinct on how to handle each wave to get the smoothest ride and least amount of resistance. We’ve all seen boats going across the water pounding the waves, bow up in the air, bouncing across the water . . . that is simply just not necessary, and over the years, an anglers spine is going to pay the price for all that pounding. When it comes to buying boats, you can buy price or you can buy quality, and in the end, as the old saying goes, “. . . you get what you pay for!”
The following weekend we had a club tournament on Rayburn and Norman and his best friend, Bill Ritzell, fished together for the first time all year and won our local tournament with some 28 pounds between them. Bill is also sponsored by Boots Follmar Marine and is one of the best, and most naturally gifted anglers I’ve ever met (aside from Norman). Even though the heat was in excess of 100 degrees, Bill, found most of their fish in less than 2-feet of water and caught them on topwaters and Zoom Trick worms.

Bill also fishes the couples circuit with us; and he and his partner, Robin Johnston, finished 6th in the tournament the week before. They caught all their fish from the same location. They caught them on topwater baits, with high blue-bird skies, temperature soaring well over 100 degrees and the winds a howling, and they fished that shallow water all day long. Bill and Robin also qualified for the championship to be held on the Red River in October.

It just goes to show you that no matter how hot it is, or how rough it is, there are always some fish to be caught in shallow water! Most everyone I know was out looking for the fish in the deeper cooler waters using Carolina rigs, but not Bill, he found him a “sweet spot,” stuck with it and it paid off two weeks in a row! Never second guess as to what the fish are doing. You can always formulate a game plan, but if you can’t make it work, try something radically different and unexpected, the results may surprise you!

Our guide, David Scarborough, showed us some excellent areas on Rayburn, and we have since returned to those areas under conditions other than north winds, and caught lots of fish there! The Black Forest area has always been temperamental in a north wind, but if you can catch the wind and fishing conditions just right, it’s always a place to give serious consideration and attention; as some mighty big giants have traditionally come from these waters. David was an excellent guide. His knowledge of the lake is very good and he is willing to help you any way he can. If any of you would like to talk to him about a guide trip on Rayburn, his email address is: dgs@lcc.net or you can phone him at (409) 897-3140.
– Lake Havasu

Texas is abundantly blessed with many wonderful fishing lakes and recreational facilities. Lake Livingston is the last major lake on the Trinity River before it runs into the Gulf of Mexico. It is a great place to go for a family weekend or summer vacation getaway. Lake Livingston is located only an hour’s drive north of Houston. The area is rich in Indian history and it’s common to find arrowheads along the shoreline, around the swimming beaches, islands, etc. For those camping enthusiasts, there is a State Park located on the south end with campsites overlooking the lake. The one thing that separates Lake Livingston from all other Texas’ lakes is that the hotter the weather, the better the fishing!

The Black Bass and even White Bass fishing is really quite good during the summer. Black bass are fairly predictable, in that you will rarely find them deeper than about 5-6 feet, which narrows down the water you have to search. The lake can basically be divided into three fishing areas: The upper end, which is basically river fishing; the mid-lake area, which has an abundance of feeder creeks, timber and flats to fish; and the south end, which has lots of boat docks, bulkheads, flats and sloughs to explore.

When fishing the upper reaches of the Trinity River, the channel is well marked by buoys and is easily followed upriver to some of the premier fishing spots. There are three major creeks on the upper end of the lake and they are Carolina, Bethey and Harmon creeks. It is very common to find black bass buried up in the log jams up and down the Trinity River banks. The log jams may only be in 1-2 feet of water, but they will be right off the main river channel and the bass will be hidden in the cooler, shaded water of the log jams and can be caught by flipping a Texas rigged worm or craw worm with a heavy weight into the thickest of the timber.

Fishing mid-lake north of Hwy. 190 bridge up to the Caney and White Rock Creek areas can also be very productive. Due to the lake being stained to off-colored most of the year, the choice of crankbait colors usually centers around some version of firetiger. Usually shallow to medium running baits such as Bombers, Bill Normans’, Excalibur, Fat Free Shad or Bandit crankbaits will work the best for the water depth you should be fishing. If you can’t find them on crankbaits, don’t hesitate to throw a white and chartreuse spinnerbait, a Carolina rig with a light 1/2 oz. weight or a Texas rigged worm. Besides the two creeks mentioned above, other creeks that you should try in the mid-lake area would be Brushy, Palmetto, Poole’s, Brown’s and Hart’s. The mid-lake area is full of timber and laydowns and you’ll find rocky areas holding fish as well. When running the lake, stay within the red and green channel buoys and don’t run out of the channel on plane, unless you know where your going and even then, be careful, the lake is known for its many sandbars and flats.

The south end of the lake is always much clearer, and some of the major creeks and sloughs to fish are Kickapoo, Sandy, Penwaugh,
Alligator, Wolfe, and Indian. There are lots of boat docks with brush piles planted out in front that will keep you busy as well as standing timber, laydowns and flats.

When Norman and I practice on Lake Livingston, we usually take both Boots Follmar Marine Skeeter Pro Staff boats. The reason for this is that we can cover more water in a shorter time frame. Each of us fishes differently; and in separate boats, we can really get a good feel for what’s happening on the lake. Norman likes the Skeeter 202 powered by the 200 Yamaha because it’s a faster and more responsive boat and he can run way up river or down south and leave me putting around the mid-lake area and we both still have plenty of water to fish. I like the 210 with the 225 Yamaha because we have more options on the 210 along with the Lowrance Global 2000, and I also like the extra room. Because we really skip from one spot to another all over the lake, neither one of us could do without our MotorGuide PowerGator which really makes for a nice pleasant day of fishing without a lot of work on our part. We have switches on the console to raise and lower the trol motor and also have switches on the bow for the same purpose. There is no bending down 15-25 times a day, pulling a cord and lifting up the trolling motor. The older we get the more we’re into conveniences and comfort; and, the PowerGator is one item we just won’t leave home without!

Norman and I used to dread fishing Lake Livingston because we just didn’t do very well there, but I have to give a large amount of credit to the guides we’ve fished with over the years on that lake. Professional guides not only know the lake, but they know where and how the fish are and what baits will work for what type of water conditions. The information we gained from fishing with Slade and Randy Dearman has helped us over many years. Dad and son do not fish the same way either, but you could not ask for any more knowledge about that lake than what those two can provide.

Many of you will remember Randy’s B.A.S.S. win on Sam Rayburn a few years back and know that he has been a professional fisherman and B.A.S.S. touring pro for more than 20 years. Randy is sponsored by Stratos Boats, OMC, Strike King, Browning and Flowmaster. His son, Slade grew up fishing Livingston and now competes against his dad on the various circuits and has turned into quite a professional angler all on his own. They live in Onalaska and fish the lake whenever their schedules allow. Without a doubt, they are the best there is on the lake!

Learning some of the key areas to fish and baits to use will do nothing but improve your trip to Livingston. By hiring a good guide, your success and information gained will go with you and you can return another day to duplicate what you did with the guide. Why spend your vacation or tournament day being frustrated because you can’t locate or catch the fish? When you don’t have time to spend hours on hours, days, weeks and years learning a lake, why not invest in the knowledge gained by someone who has already done the homework and is a master of the lake?

Randy doesn’t have time to guide much anymore, but from time to time, you might be able to twist his arm, and if he and Slade aren’t pursuing the professional tournament tours, you might get one of them to take you out. If you would like to book a trip with one of these proficient and expert guides, call (409) 967-0460 or (409) 646-5207. – Lake Havasu

It’s summer, the winds have died, the days are unbearably hot, the fishing gets R E E L slow (pardon the pun), and you just have to adjust, so what do the diehards do? You can get an earlier start and take advantage of great topwater action (buzzbaits, spooks, Rogue’s, Pop R’s, Chug Bugs, etc.) until the sun gets up; then, its time to take drastic measures. In lakes with vegetation, you basically have four options: Plunge the grass, drift the mainlake flats and ridges along the edges of creek channels, fish the points or go to the house and get in the air-conditioning until about 8 p.m.!

Some lakes don’t have an abundance of vegetation, and in those situations, look for the fish to be suspended over deep water ledges, humps, deep water pond dams or along creek channel edges. The fish will be holding in these areas on cover such as rocks or timber near the deep water. You can also locate the fish under the deeper boat docks; or, possibly find them in the mouths of cuts, guts, drains and old sloughs upriver. Regardless of where you find them, the fishing is going to be slow and methodical and the catching is always iffy at best!

If you ask any “grass fishermen”, what’s the key answer — without a doubt, it will be PLUNGE THE GRASS. This means, get out your flipping rod, have heavy line on (17-20# test), take a 1 to 1 1/4 oz. bullet weight with a 4-5/0 wide gap flipping hook and rig a Gene Larew Hawg Craw Texas style. Find yourself a grass bed (this time of year these beds are visible on the surface) and look for some unusual features such as cuts, drains or small creeks running through the massive grass beds, points jutting out from the edges, pockets, etc. Position the boat near the area you want to fish, drop the line over the side and vertically fish or flip to the edges or pockets of the grass and work the bait back to the boat. Let the bait hit the bottom, bump it up one or two times and reel it back in and repeat. You may not get many bites, but they are usually good ones!

Last summer, plunging the grass was not nearly as productive as using spinning gear, light line and “wacky worm” fishing these same areas. The reason this method seemed to produce more bass was because of lake drawdowns, drought conditions and the disappearance of the normally dense vegetation we were used to fishing. There simply was not as much grass to fish.

One of our favorite methods to fish in the summer is to “drift fish”. Experience has taught us that in different parts of the country this means different things. Don’t ever ask an Okie if they want to drift fish, it doesn’t even come close to meaning the same thing! Here in Texas, Norman and I point the nose of our Boots Follmar Marine Prostaff Skeeter 210 or 202 into the wind, turn the Yamaha motor towards the wind (if any) and position the boat to drift the mainlake flats and ridges along the edges of the flats and near deep water. The reason for turning the motor towards the wind is to keep the boat drifting parallel to the area your trying to fish with the least amount of effort and trolling motor usage. We usually fish these areas with either a Texas rig, Carolina rig, or “Wacky Worm.”

For fishing mainlake points, this time of year we look for long sloping points that extend a great distance out into the deeper water. Look for the dropoffs where the concentrated grass ends and the scattered grass begins. We fish these
areas with our same basic arsenal, Texas, Carolina or Wacky rigs. Any or all three of these methods will work even in the hottest part of the day!

When fishing lakes without a lot of vegetation, concentrate on finding long underwater points extending way out into the lake but have some sort of breaking cover, i.e., stumps, rocks, fence lines, etc. Use the same rigs as mentioned above and concentrate your efforts on the cover that will be holding the fish. Don’t overlook mainlake humps, deep water pond dams and along the edges of the creeks, creek junctions (where two creeks come together), as they are also good producers this time of year.

Get your flipping stick out and use in and around the boat docks with deep water close by. Also look for docks that are older, have X cross members underneath and are set on pilings (not floating docks.) Also avoid docks in the backs of the creeks/coves or in the shallow waters, they usually don’t produce this time of year. Other good indicators are to look for docks that have some evidence of regular fishing use, such as rod holders or fishing rods dangling off the ends. If you can find these docks in areas near deep water, it might be a wise decision to turn on your electronics and look for brush piles off the ends. And if all else fails, get out your Carolina rig or crankbait and you will soon discover the brushy areas. Fish this type of brushy cover very thoroughly as well as under the docks as these are areas that are sure to be holding fish.

One other method to try in areas of little vegetation is to go upriver until the lake narrows down into a defined channel and look for cuts, guts, drains and sloughs (“funnel points”, as our friend John Hope would say). Try the mouths of these areas and look for logjams, stumps, rocks, etc. These are very good areas to fish and are easy to fish.

As the day progresses and the heat really sets in, keep a towel in the cooler and ring it out over your head to get your body temperature down, or dip a towel in the lake. It’s not a pretty sight, but it is effective. Drink lots of fluids and pay particular attention to what your body is telling you. If you start feeling dizzy, sick at your stomach, or light headed, get your body heat down quickly, anyway you can. You can always take a quick dip over the side and climb back in and fish awhile longer. Sun stroke or heat exhaustion is no laughing matter and can make for many uncomfortable days after the fishing is over. If the heat gets to be too much, or you just can’t make the fish cooperate, it’s time to go to the house, put your feet up and sit in the a/c and watch fishing shows on TV! Don’t let the dog days get the best of you, learn to take advantage of the many opportunities available and try to stay C O O L! – Lake Havasu

“Woo, Woo, Woo …” is all you could hear from the crowd as seasoned veteran pro angler, Woo Daves, from Burrowsville, Virginia, entered Soldier Field stadium in Chicago on the final day of competition to take the World Championship BASS Masters Classic title with 27 lbs. 13 oz.
“I primarily targeted exclusively smallmouth, using 6 lb. line and a Zoom tubejig around an abandoned seawall in front of Chicago’s Sears Tower. On a tournament like this, you’ve got to battle the winds and the odds with no sleep, and there are just so many things…fishing is such a mental thing, and that’s what so great about Rick Clunn, he’s a mental man. I fished my first BASS Classic in 1975…back then, we didn’t see the Timmy Horton’s, Kevin VanDam, Aaron Martens or Michael Iaconelli’s. What I’m talking about is all these young fishermen out there today….BASS has done an outstanding job over the years of promoting the sport through television and with BASS MASTERS Magazine, and it’s because of BASS that we’re seeing so many young anglers. What a great sport it is when you can tell these young fishermen that you can make a living doing this….Kids want to know what they can do to become a professional bass fisherman, that’s the number one question we get asked. The first thing we always tell them is, get a college education first, then if it is still your desire, get into professional fishing. Timmy Horton really had a tough tournament this week…but I told him he had nothing to be ashamed of, taking the Angler of the Year title in the 1999-2000 season is a major accomplishment, and something in which he could be very proud.”

In prior BASS classics, Woo has had a 2nd and a 3rd place finish on his home waters in Virginia, but the 1st place victory kept slipping past by mere ounces, but not this year. He goes home with $100,000 as first place prize money; and, with additional endorsements, his victory in 2000 could easily amass to over $1,000,000. Not bad for a 25-year BASS veteran who already had two national championships and 15 classics under his belt. This hard work and dedication proved his strength and abilities are only getting better every year. Woo’s sponsors going into this event
were: Tracker Marine, Mercury, Zebco, Quantum, MotorGuide, Hendrick Motor Sports, Flowmaster, Diehard Batteries, Zoom Bait Co., Stren, Strike Zone Lures, Gator Grip Measuring Boards, Plano, Jack’s Juice and Striker Jigs. Woo’s final weight of 27 lbs. 13 oz. eased out 2nd place pro angler, Mark Rizk, from Antelope, California, who finished with 26 lbs. 11 oz.
At 37, Mark Rizk has only fished the BASS Western Invitationals for three years and has qualified for the Classic twice. Mark said his usual style of fishing is a very aggressive “assault pattern” but, due to conditions, he had to switch over to the new “drop-shot” finesse fishing pattern in order to find his fish. Amazingly, he had only used the drop-shot rig in one other prior tournament. He had the heaviest five-fish limit the last day of 10.1 lbs. which propelled him from third place to a second place finish.
Mark learned to fish from his dad when he was only 8. He gave up being a marine technician to follow his dream along the tournament trail and finished 7th in his first Classic. In the ‘99-2000 season, he finished in the top 25 and placed in the money in each of the BASS events he fished. His sponsors are: ProCraft Boats, Mercury, Snag Proof Lures, Worldwaters.com, Revolver Rods, VPR-Pro Team Magic, Wacko Tackle, Assault Lures, Phil’s Props and Value Plumbing.
Shaw Grigsby, who was in second before the final round of competition on Saturday, was bumped down into third place, with a total weight of 24 lbs. 7 oz. Shaw, being another seasoned veteran and truly the showman, struggled the last day to come in with just four bass, dropping him into third place. He caught both largemouth and smallmouth bass on a Luck ‘E’ Strike G4 tubejig. Shaw, at 44, has won over $1,000,000 on the BASSMASTER Tournament Trail and has his own TV Show, One More Cast With Shaw Grigsby. He is no stranger to the limelight and the promotional end of the business and his sponsors include: Triton Boats, Mercury, Zebco/Quantum, MotorGuide, Stren, Strike King, Lowrance, Luck “E” Strike Lures, Ocean Waves, Flowmaster, Hawker Energy, Ford and Team Joe Smith.
Tied for fourth place was Rick Clunn and Kotaro Kiriyama with 23 lbs. 14 oz. each. Rick was also fishing on Lake Calumet in shallow water with broken rocks. He primarily used a Bill Norman Tiny N and a Balsa BII crankbait. Being the true sportsman that he is, he admitted to two mistakes during the tournament. The first was not using enough light line and the second was not spending enough time on the main lake, obviously, he was disappointed. Rick Clunn is one of the best anglers to ever compete in BASS tournaments. He has won over $2,000,000 on the tournament trails, and at age 53 is still going strong. He has won 12 BASSMASTER tournaments and four BASS Masters Classics. He has finished in the money 71% of the 250 tournaments he has fished with BASS. His sponsors include Tracker Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Stanley Jigs, Lunker Lure, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Luck “E” Strike Lures, and Rick Clunn Signature Rods and Reels.
Kotaro Kiriyama is a native of Japan but spends half of his time in California competing in the Western Invitationals. He has only fished the BASS circuit for two years. He has earned a paycheck in six of the nine events he has fished and at 29, he is moving up in the ranks at an amazingly fast pace. Kotaro also used light 6 lb. line with zipper worms in either watermellon or chartreuse colors and he used a popper by Lake Police and jerkbaits in the main lake. He also used the drop-shot rig on a 6-inch leader. Kotaro’s sponsors are: Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outbords, Restaffine Custom Rods, Zipper Worms, Shimano, Zappu, Varivas Line and Nogales Hooks.
“Winning the Classic is the dream of every bass fisherman in the world…and my dream came true today,” commented Woo Daves. And during the opening comments following the Classic, Woo went on to say,
“I have a son who is involved in fishing…He is a super fisherman and I’m really proud of him. Probably one of the most exciting days of my career, aside from winning this Classic, was when my son made the Classic. Now, with the help of all this money, I’ll be able to back my son and get him up here fishing with me. These young anglers come along and it takes four or five years of hard work on the tournament trail to make it, and it’s really hard to get sponsors. For some reason, a lot of company’s in this industry won’t take a chance on young anglers; and, these young fishermen really have to struggle for years to compete. These young fishermen look up to us as being old pros, but I look up to them to come out here and compete against the old pros and do the job that they do.

In my first Classic, in 1975, there was a high-school band and maybe three people who met us when we got off the airplane. There probably wasn’t 180 people at weigh-in and 150 of them were kin to me. BASS has come a long way since those days and taken the Classic to new levels. Back then, I was one of the youngest competitors, now I’m almost the oldest. It [the Classic] means a lot more to me now, because I’m no spring chicken, I’m 54 years old. One thing about it, an old guy can still catch fish!” – Lake Havasu

Many inner city children don’t have opportunities to explore nature and the water outside of city sidewalks and rain filled ditches, but thanks to corporate sponsor, Baker Botts, L.L.P. and their staff volunteers, along with event sponsors: Zebco/MotorGuide, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Motors, Boots Follmar Marine, Pradco, Riverside Bait Company, Academy, Honor Trophies, Texas Parks & Wildlife and the “Get Hooked on Fishing – Not Drugs” Future Fisherman Foundation Program, the children at E. J. Scott Elementary in Houston experienced first hand a day of fun and the pure excitement of fishing.

You don’t have to have special athletic skills or abilities to fish, nor do you have to have prior experience, just the desire and a little help from friends like Ms. Jordan, from E. J. Scott Elementary School, and Baker & Botts volunteers. Kids, water and fishing just naturally go together, but a little experienced help and preplanning assure positive introductions to this fun-filled sport. Each volunteer to the Scott School fishing derby contributed their time and effort to help the children not only with fishing, but the overall experience strengthened the children’s sense of self awareness, self esteem, self reliance, and confidence.

A classic example is Victor Bedolla, who not only caught a fish, but he caught the most fish and landed first place and a trophy on his very first time to go fishing! Jose Vasquez, not to be outdone by Victor, caught the biggest fish, a 2 1/2 pound catfish and received a trophy. Jesse Nava tried as hard as any child that day to catch a big fish, and he earned the Good Sport trophy for the one that got away! We had a four way tie for second place with Jaime Hernandez, Glen Simpson, Alma Ventura and Roxanne Soreque, all landing five fish apiece. All the winners above received Zebco 33 combos for their efforts.

In addition to breakfast, lunch, sodas and water, provided by Baker & Botts, the kids received “First Fish” Awards from The Future Fisherman Foundation, caps from Skeeter Boats and Zebco, tackle provided by Riverside Bait Company, Quick-Hit catfish and panfish bait provided from Pradco, and CastAway decals and patches and other stickers were all given away as door prizes. Every child left with plenty of goodies as reminders of their fun-filled day.

It’s the tug on the end of the line that matters and the memories and bonds that are created between the children and adults. Fishing is a nondiscriminating sport. It knows no boundaries of age, sex or nationality. It’s feeling that telltale signal of a fish at the end of the line that gets both young and old anglers excited.

Our fishing event was held at Sheldon Lake State Park in the Sheldon Lake Environmental Education Center, located 13 miles east of downtown Houston. The facilities were perfect for our outing. There were two stocked one acre ponds with lots of shade trees, picnic benches and tables, restrooms, and plenty of parking. Thomas Olson, the Education Director, and Susan Webb, a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Game Warden, were instrumental in helping with the children. It wasn’t too hot or windy and we couldn’t have asked for anything more. Even if some of these kids didn’t get their fish to the bank, they experienced the thrill and they were all successful in trying. The volunteers left feeling they had done a good job in helping the children. We all spent some real quality time with kids that might not
otherwise have been able to go on such an adventure. Even though the kids don’t realize it, that day helped set a precedent for the rest of their lives!

Through programs such as Zebco’s All-American Fishing Derbies, Hooked on Fishing Not Drugs, Bassmaster’s CastingKids contests, Kid Fish, and National Fishing Week, all children should have the opportunity to learn about fishing and be exposed to these wonderful programs!

Zebco is so dedicated to kids and fishing that they spend more than $250,000 annually in support of these programs. To celebrate Zebco’s 50th Anniversary, they created a “Best Fishing Photo and Story” contest. Entry forms can be obtained by purchasing one of the new special series Zebco commemorative 202’s, 33’s or 50CLS. After purchasing any of these Zebco products, all you need to do is complete the entry form, submit a photo and an essay in 50 words or less describing the outing, and the grand prize winner will receive a Chrysler Jeep Cherokee! Other prizes include MotorGuide trolling motors, digital cameras, Limited Edition reels, etc. Winners will be notified by mail in October of this year.

Even kids from single parent homes can experience the joy of fishing by writing to Zebco Single Parent Offer, P.O. Box 270, Tulsa, OK 74101. Zebco will send them a complimentary brochure on fishing and lend them a video to show them how easy it is and how much fun kids and fishing can have when joined together.

One need not have a large organized group to plan an outing for youngsters. A small group can get together to accomplish the same purpose, that is, introducing children to the fun and sport of fishing. Perhaps one of your neighbors would like to go with you and help teach several of the children in the neighborhood how to fish, or your own kids, no matter how many, the essential factor is sharing in the love of the outdoors and of fishing.

There are some basic guidelines that should be considered when planning an outing for kids: First and foremost, make it fun for the children, don’t make them go out there and spend a whole day dredging up the bottom of the lake or pond. Second, build the activity around their attention span, not yours! The younger the child, the shorter the time-frame should be. Third, make sure you have plenty of beverages, ice, snacks, sunscreen, caps and a life jacket for each child if your taking them on a boat. Fourth, children don’t care if they catch small panfish, bass, catfish or any other kind of fish, just so long as it swims and has fins!

If you need help putting together a fishing activity for a group of children in your area, please call me at (281) 441-7266 and I’ll be happy to assist you with more information.
– Lake Havasu

Sounds like a furniture store advertisement, but if you were to ask Charles Latham from Orange, Texas or Tim Palculict of Beaumont, Texas, they would both tell you it was true, Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Motors makes you money! This Texas duo teamed up to win the first Bass-N-Bucks 2000 East Texas Team Tournament with a 5 bass limit weighing 23.61 pounds, including 2 kicker bass weighing over 7# each. The tournament was held at Lake Sam Rayburn on Sunday, December 5th. with 290 teams entered in the first of seven tournaments. They competed in some of the worst conditions Texas has to offer, double cold fronts and winds in excess of 25-35 mph. The tournament payout was guaranteed at $40,000, but, because of the high turnout, over $52,000 in cash and prizes were actually paid out to the top 40 places. The new Bass-N- Bucks format with help from Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Motors, Houston’s Boots Follmar Marine and Dawson Marine from Beaumont, kicked in additional
bonus money of up to $3,500 for each event. The lucky team of Latham and Palculict won a Skeeter/Yamaha SX 186 valued at $20,000 and an additional $250 for the 3rd biggest bass of the event, which was a beautiful 7.78 pounder. On top of that, they won additional bonus money because they a) fished in a Skeeter Boat powered by a Yamaha engine and it was purchased within the last three years, b) the boat was purchased from either Boots Follmar Marine in Houston, or Dawson Marine; and, c) they met all requirements for the Skeeter Tour bonus money which entitled them to an additional cash award of $3,500! And, to top that off, their win entitles them to fish as a competitor in the “Skeeter Tour Championship” next fall which will be offering over $85,000 in cash and prizes and includes two fully rigged Skeeter ZX202s with Yamaha 225 horsepower engines.

The winning patterns were reported to be Carolina rigs off main and secondary brushy points with grass nearby. The first place team had an 18 pound limit within the first 15 minutes of fishing. The second place pattern was fishing willows on the north end of the lake with spinnerbiats and small crankbaits and the third place winning pattern was working Rat-L-Traps and medium diving crankbaits on the grass edges. The winning teams earned there prizes and competed against some of the best anglers in the State. Those newcomers to the tournament got to witness some of the best bass fishing that Big Sam has to offer and you can bet with the payback system set up as it is, they will be back for the second tournament.

Skeeter Boats was officially announced as the major sponsor of the Bass-N-Bucks Tournament Trail on November 30, 1999, and since then, David Concienne’s phone has not quit ringing. He puts on a classy event and is a well respected promoter. Much thought, planning and effort went into the new format and the objective was certainly fulfilled when 290 teams entered the first tournament. This was a major undertaking on Skeeter’s and Bass-N-Bucks part to blend the old and new tournament competitors into a united effort making David Concienne’s Bass-N-Bucks tournament trail the richest payout team tournament trail in Texas. What was really neat, was the blending of the old and new. There were anglers competing that haven’t been to a bass tournament in years, some of them haven’t been seen since the days of the old U.S. Bass or Lonestar Bass trails. Then, lots of new folks were also there that had never fished a tournament before. They were welcomed and had just as much of a chance as any one else did to take home the bounty! People are coming out of the woodwork to be a part of this tournament organization and the rewards to the fishermen/women have never been this high on the state level. Every tournament on the circuit is a guaranteed purse of over $40,000 in cash and prizes.

Even though the fishing conditions were less than ideal, the event was first class all the way. There were lots of fish caught and released after the weigh-in. The crowd was estimated to be near 2,000 spectators and competitors which banded together in spite of the cold and wind to witness the first and largest payback in the history of Bass-N-Bucks tournaments! Generally, the only tournaments that draw that kind of a crowd are the B.A.S.S. tournaments held on Sam Rayburn during the spring. A total of 540 bass were weighed in at whopping 1,163 pounds, which were all live released by the Bass-N-Bucks recovery crew. The fact these kinds of weights came to the scales was spectacular in itself. There were two 20-pound+ limits weighed, 24 teams weighed in over 15+ pound limits; and, amazingly 95 teams with catches of over 10-pounds.

As for the big bass, there were 16 bass weighed in over 5# with the biggest being weighed in by the team of Mike Wheatley of Keachie, Louisiana, and James Hewitt of Devers, Texas, weighing in at 8.26 pounds and earning them an addition $1,000 in big bass money, plus they took second place honors overall with total weight of 21.31 pounds earning them another $4,800, for total winnings of $5,800. The second place big bass was caught by the team of David Boudreaux and David Lacy and earned them an extra $500.

Third place went to the team of Brandon Breaux and Jesse Johnson who weighed in a limit of 19.83 pounds including a 6.11-pound kicker fish for a take home check in the amount of $2,000. Fourth place team honors went to Tommy and Connie Ward who weighed in their limit at 19.53, with a 5.87 pound kicker and they made $1,600. Fifth place was taken by the team of Russ Carter and Mike Cannon with 18.33 pounds for a purse of $1,400. Prize money was paid all the way down to 40 places.

The fishermen/women are definitely getting their monies worth out of the new Bass-N-Bucks East Texas Team Circuit and the fun is just beginning. There are six more events left before the championship, and as the saying goes, “On any given day, anyone can win!”
Date Lake Ramp
2-06-00 Toledo Bend Cypress Bend Park
3-19-00 Richland Chambers Oak Cove Marina
4-02-00 Sam Rayburn Twin Dikes Marina
5-07-99 Toledo Bend Cypress Bend Park
6-04-99 Lake Livingston Waterwood Marina
7-16-99 Toledo Bend Cypress Bend Park
The team entry fee is $250 per tournament and membership is an annual fee of $10.00 per angler. There is a two day optional practice of Friday and Saturday and the tournaments are set for Sunday. Also, the next time the opportunity arises, would you please give a word of praise to the sponsors of David Concienne’s Bass-N-Bucks E. Texas Team Circuit, and they are: Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Boots Follmar Marine, Dawson Marine, Latch Oil, Inc., Shimano, Exide/Nautilus, MotorGuide, Zercom Marine, Dual Pro Charger, Bumper Stumper Lures, Triple Fish line, Philpott Ford, Pro-Fishin’ Report, Check-It-Stik, McFerrin Insurance, Piney Point Plaza, Holiday Inn Express and the Ramada Inn of Jasper. These sponsors have made it possible for this circuit to be the best Texas has to offer the fishermen/women and the payback is certainly worth the effort.

If you would like more information on this circuit or would like to fish one or all of the upcoming events, please give David Concienne a call at (409) 727-8941, or look up his website at: www.fishingworld.com/bassnbucks. You can also e-mail him at BassNBucks@fishingworld.com.

Since Norman and I are both proud owners of Skeeter/Yamaha rigs, and are sponsored by Boots Follmar Marine in Houston, we will not only be fishing all of the upcoming tournaments, but if you have any questions regarding these rigs or their performance, or would like to make arrangements for a demo ride in one of these fine boats after one of the tournaments is over, please call us at (281) 441-7266, or e-mail us at Bbass98@aol.com. We would like to see you get in a Skeeter boat powered by a Yamaha outboard and take advantage of some of this extra bonus money that will be circulated at the next six tournaments. We know that the folks at Boots Follmar Marine in Houston are dedicated to you the fishermen and women; and, are willing to help you get your new boat financed, ordered and delivered in the shortest amount of time. If you want to talk direct to the dealership, please call (713) 910-1081 in Houston, “you will be glad you did!” Both Boots Follmar and Dawson dealerships are both committed to this tournament trail and are wanting to get you into a new Skeeter Boat. Norman and I will personally make you a promise that we will do everything we can to prove to you the performance features of these boats. Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards can make you money, won’t you give us a try! – Lake Havasu

We fished Sam Rayburn last weekend during the Anglers Choice East Texas Amateur Team Tournament on Saturday, January 30, and it was some pretty tough fishing. It rained and stormed Friday night with 8+ inches giving cause to Rayburn’s turbulent waters rising one foot overnight! We started out the tournament with drawing boat number two; and, because we were warned another band of rain was expected around 8:00 a.m., we headed our Skeeter 210 north and went directly to our fishing spot up near the Hwy. 147 bridge. The winds were howling and the Yamaha 225 was handling the 2-6′ swells with no problem. We reached our destination and followed our game plan of fishing secondary points with scattered grass using Carolina rigs the rest of the day.

The fish were not very active to say the least, and we were only catching a keeper fish about every 45 minutes and the primary bite was between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m., which made for a very slow day. We ended up catching 30 or more bass all day with only six keepers. We were able to cull one of the keepers to give us a final weight of 9.64. The bite was very soft and it was hard to detect the hits. Norman and I both connected with at least two big fish but never got them to the boat. It was hard to stick with our Carolina rig pattern but that seemed to be what the fish wanted and we just kept chunking and moving. Unfortunately our time ran out before we could get a lunker in the boat and we ended up in 14th place out of 96 teams.

We stuck with our secondary points all day and kept moving between four locations that were all very close together. We were only able to get two to three fish per point, but at least we were able to catch a small limit and we were quite proud of that accomplishment. Fishing under adverse conditions is never easy and that judgment call on when to go and when to stay is always very tricky. With perseverance and determination, we stuck it out and landed a small check for our efforts, but we have to share the credit.

We were fishing with CastAway Honey Carolina rods with Team Daiwa reels spooled with 12# Trilene Big Game line and using lizards and centipedes. There is no doubt in my mind that had that storm not blown in, we would have done much better. To tell you how tough it really was, there were only 20 teams out of 96 that caught limits of fish. Heavy stringer was just over 15.39 pounds for a five-fish limit. Big bass was just over 6 pounds which is really small for this time of year.

It seems the massive fish kill on Rayburn has really affected the fish and the fishing. This same time last year, it was taking 25-30 pounds to win a tournament and it’s really hard to find a big string of fish anymore. Most all the anglers who got checks contributed their success to Carolina rigs, crank baits, and Rat-L-Traps. There were a lot of one and two fish stringers weighed and more than two thirds of the field of 192 anglers that caught three fish or less.

Norman and I were very fortunate to do as good as we did. We have to pass along much of the credit to a good friend of ours, Steven Johnson. Steven is a full-time guide on Toledo Bend and Rayburn and is sponsored by the same marine dealer, Boots Follmar Marine out of Houston, Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards. Since neither Norman or I had been on Rayburn for three months prior to this tournament, we thought it would be of great help if Steven took Norman out the weekend before the tournament and showed him some new areas. Believe me, it did make a big difference.
No matter who you are how good an angler you are, there are times when it would help if you would consider using the resources available to the guides. A professional guide is on the lake 350+ days a year. They stay in touch with what the fish are doing, the patterns that are working and the migration routes the fish travel. I’ve always said, you can never know it all and you can always learn something new every time you go out. With adverse conditions, rising and muddy waters, inactive fish, etc., you need all the help you can muster when fishing one of these tournaments. When you invest in a good guide, you increase your chances of being able to have a successful day, and if you are familiar with the lake, of being able to go back to the areas and catch fish on your own. That’s where the investment in a guide pays off. Without Steven’s help, Norman and I would have been able to produce some fish, but I’m convinced it would not have been as good a day had we not had help. Utilizing the services of a guide is an investment in future productivity. One must weigh the relevance of the help received and offset the cost in order to
justify the expense. But, when you consider you will be returning to those areas over the course of your lifetime, how much really did that guide trip cost? If your wanting to book a trip with Steven Johnson, you can reach him at (409) 579-4213.
– Lake Havasu

No matter how experienced you are as an angler, you can always learn something new with every partner. In October, bass find topwaters, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, finesse baits, worms and jigs irresistible. You throw it and bass bite it, especially in October. The lakes are scarcely populated due to many anglers being off into deer season and the kids have retired the jetskis for the summer, so it’s really quiet and peaceful. Cool days, active fish, grass to the surface, and beautiful foliage . . . it can’t get any better than fishing in the fall.

Most of the time, Norman and I take both Boots Follmar Marine Pro Staff Skeeters, however, my Ford Excursion was in the shop being painted so we pre-fished in Norman’s 202. First, we went to Five Fingers, then moved back out to Farmers flats. We had the Yamaha idling around, zig zagging back and fourth looking for grass until we found an 8-10 foot ridge with isolated grass clumps surrounded by water depths of 12-21 feet. Once we killed the engine, Norman looked up, and just across from us was one of his friends from back in his car racing days, Marvin Konecny. Marvin also fishes many of the same tournament trails as we do and it’s not uncommon to share the same waters. Marvin put two, back to back bass in the boat, and then Norman hung a good one. We had fun talking and fishing and trading information until the sun got up and the fish turned off. As it turned out, Marvin had a tournament the next weekend just like we did.

Our local Houston bass club, Port City, had a draw tournament scheduled for Rayburn for the next weekend. Quite a few of our members don’t like draw tournaments, but both Norman and I do. It gives the new members an opportunity to fish with some of the better anglers in the club. They learn new waters and have a chance to observe the skills and presentations of the more experienced anglers. A lot of people think all you have to do is get a bass boat, get on the water and catch fish, forgetting there is a learning curve! Many new boaters try to learn how to fish and run the boat at the same time, which proves to be overwhelming and frustrating. It’s always good to fish in someone else’s boat and learn new techniques. This gets the new bass angler excited and helps develop the skills they need to be more successful. For this reason, draw tournaments can be lots of fun and mutually beneficial to all anglers. And, in my case, the reason I joined Port City bass club was to learn from the men. Every time I fish it’s a learning experience and I seem to always be taking lessons!

At first light on Saturday, Gary Miettinen and I headed my Skeeter 210 to Five Fingers to fish a grassy point. Within a very short time, I had one take off with my Zoom Watermelon Red Trick Worm. Unfortunately, she jumped at the boat and spit the bait back at me. My partner was fishing a Carolina-rigged Trick Worm and he boated many more fish than I did, before I switched over to the Carolina rig. We only caught one keeper in Five Fingers, so we moved out to Farmers Flats where we continued to work our Trick Worms and Carolina rigs in 8-11 foot water along scattered grass lines of a mid-lake flat. On this day, Gary proceeded to have a field day, whatever he threw, he connected with, and could do no wrong. When the fishing slowed down, we went back to Five Fingers and in the middle of the day, with 95 degree heat, we decided to look for them in the shallows under the matted grass. Gary caught his biggest bass of the day there! Eventually, I did catch a keeper and saved face by at least having something to weigh-in Saturday.

The second day of the tournament started off exactly the same, only this time Gary lost the first fish… Directly, I stuck one and couldn’t get her head turned. She buried up in the grass and broke me off… Gary continued
to give me fishing lessons and I tried very hard to duplicate his techniques. Sunday’s fishing was much slower and the bite was even lighter. Norman continued to fish Farmers the entire day and Gary and I alternated back and forth between Farmers and Five Fingers. At the end of day two, Gary and I were leading (although I only contributed one small keeper to our team total each day). Norman had to fish by himself due to an odd number of members fishing. Our club fishes a team format and according to club bylaws, the odd member gets to draw a name at the conclusion of the tournament and add that member’s weight to their’s in order to come up with a team weight. As it turned out, Norman ending up drawing the second place team member, Rusty Traylor, and when their weights were combined they ended up taking over the lead of the tournament, collecting all the side-pot money and Gary and I were bumped to second place … oh well, that’s fishing and the luck of the draw! I was glad for Norman, because this win allowed him to take over the lead in our Club for Angler of the Year and with only two tournaments left, he will most likely remain in the lead!

In hindsight, there are several things Gary and I did that cost us the tournament. The first was going back and fourth between two areas. Even though I’m inclined to hit 6-8 spots in a day, we limited the running and gunning to just two spots. I knew there was a big concentration of fish out on the main lake, and opted to go somewhere else in addition to that spot and it cost us! The second and probably the most important thing we could have done, was to fish the whole area of Farmers instead of just one small portion of the flat. All we needed to have kept the lead was a half of a pound! In bass fishing, one never has all the answers or holds all the cards. It’s always a learning experience, which is what makes the sport so challenging! – Lake Havasu

Childhood memories are very special and none are as emotionally stirring as those first memories of fishing with dad. There is something very magical about those innocent times. In a little person’s world dad knew everything and there was so much to learn about life that one could barely sit still long enough to take any of it in. It’s a wonder any of us survived and especially dad, who had the patience of a saint.

Earliest memories of fishing with my dad, John Barnes, was on vacation at a little lake in Idaho and going off with dad, just him and me. We caught a bucket full of little pan fish, took them back to the campsite and had mom cook them for supper. Then there was the time we were in Arkansas, fishing for Rainbow Trout. Dad had my sister and I sitting on the bank watching him show us how we were supposed to accomplish our mission. Then, we each had a turn at fishing, and poor old dad ended up having to pay for our trout by the inch!

Growing up, there were lots of fishing trips, some successful and some were not, but each and every trip was special. On one trip, dad and I were fishing Lake Fork, we had a slow day and the fish just weren’t cooperating. About the time dad was getting very disgusted and saying worm fishing just wasn’t for him, a 6-# bass hit his worm. His rod bent over double and he cranked and he cranked and he worked hard trying to get that big bass in and when he did, the look on his face was priceless and the grin was from ear to ear! We both ended up catching fish about the same size and released them. We had a wonderful time and had the photo to prove it!

After dad retired, he and mom moved to S.Texas on property that had been in the family since the 1840’s. On the back property line is the Blanco Creek and it is as beautiful as any I’ve seen. It has big white sand bars on either side and normally it’s only knee deep with spots being 10-12′ deep. Depending on the time of year, the water can be either crystal clear or stained. Every time I go home, dad and I always find time to go down to the creek or over to the neighbor’s pond and work in a few hours of fishing together.

It’s a great thing to pass the love of the sport from generation to generation. If my dad had not shared his love of the outdoors and fishing, I’d probably be off shopping at the mall right now! Instead, I’m fishing about 45 weekends a year and all my vacation time. My dad spent time fishing with all his children; and now, the kids (all grown) are teaching their own children and grandchildren how to fish. Statistics show that if you don’t get a child started fishing by age 11, chances are they never will take up the sport.

If you talked to a hundred avid anglers and asked them how they got started, you would hear 100 different stories, but most of them would involve fishing with dad! Every story teller would start out having a distant look that transfixes and transforms the angler. By the end of the story, you would see a gleam and a brightness in their eyes that wasn’t there before! Those early experiences set a precedent for the rest of our lives and formed memories that we will cherish forever.

All of our lives are complex these days. Everyone’s off in different directions and seldom do we manage to get together for those cherished fishing trips. However, last weekend, I asked my dad to be my partner in Port City Bass Club’s monthly tournament held on Coleto Creek. Dad and I haven’t been together in a boat for quite a few years and this was the perfect opportunity to celebrate his 75th birthday.

I had never been to Coleto Creek and it was a tough weekend, we had high bluebird skies, strong north west winds of 15-20 mph and the fishing was not under the best cir*****stances. There were six other clubs fishing the lake at the same time and boat traffic was intense. We started fishing on an outside point and worked our way around
and into a small cove. Right away, dad caught the first two fish, small ones, but nonetheless, the first two that came to the boat were dad’s. As we worked our way out of the cove, we found bigger fish on the points, holding in the shallow brush in 2-5′ depths. I was using a Surface Action CastAway graphite rod spooled with 12# Big Game and caught the next two keepers on a 3/8 oz. Mr. Blitz spinnerbait. Why is it that just when you think you’ve got it figured out things fall apart? By 9:00 a.m. we could have quit fishing as we didn’t catch but one more fish the rest of the day and it was a non-keeper.

Sunday started off the same, instead of wind, we had fog. Dad and I figured we had better catch our fish early before the sun came up and the fish quit biting. We went back to the same area and immediately I caught one keeper and two non-keepers. Again, we thought we were off to a good start but when the sun popped up through the fog at 8:15 a.m., the wind picked-up and the bite was over (at least for us), and we were off again in search of keeper fish.

I made a comment to dad about how much improved his casting had become over the past few years, and he replied, “After fishing on the creek and pond, I had to get better or else own stock in Wallmart!” We both chuckled and kept on chunking. Later on, the wind was blowing pretty strong and I looked back at dad in time to see a big tree limb coming up and before I could warn him, he was wedged between the limb and the windshield, we laughed some more and kept on fishing. In spite of the conditions we had a great time, shared some moments together, and made a few more memories for the log book. Fishing is timeless and ageless, and it’s a family tradition that should be passed on for future generations to enjoy! – Lake Havasu

If you were to look in a professional angler’s boat during practice before a big tournament, chances are you would see topwaters, spinnerbaits, and lipless crankbaits. They would either be on the deck or within easy reach in most every rod box. The main reason for having these baits tied on at all times is that these are fish finding and fish catching baits that always work.

TOPWATER action is by far the most exciting way to catch bass, especially in the early hours before the sun gets up, late evenings or during low light (cloudy) conditions. Watching a bass come up to the surface and inhale a bait is breathtaking. It seems like time stops for that particular moment when the explosion occurs and the bait disappears from the surface. There is a moment when you think, have I got her, did I miss her, is she on; and then in an instant, you feel that pulsating pull against the line, and you know the battle is on!

Topwaters are really at their peak when there is a light ripple or small chop on the water. If there is no ripple or chop, the fish will be easily spooked and wary of topwaters and it’s probably best to go to a subsurface bait like a spinnerbait. When fishing in shallow water, topwater fishing may be the most exciting way to catch bass, but it is also the first pattern to go under frontal conditions. Because adverse weather affects shallow water patterns, the pros have learned over years of experience to never depend exclusively on a topwater pattern to hold out for an entire tournament. Topwaters fall into five basic categories based on size and type of bait which are: cigar, stick, slush, popper and buzz baits. With hundreds of topwater baits to choose from, how do you know which ones are going to produce? The all time favorite has got to be Heddon’s Zara Spook using a “walk the dog” type of cadence to produce really big bass. The term, “walking the dog” means, cast your bait out past the target and work it back with your rod tip pointed towards the water and leaving the line slack (not tight). Pop the bait with a short jerk or twitch and then pop the bait again which will make it move from side to side in a stop/go pause continuing cadence. If the bait does not move from side to side, chances are you have too much slack line out. Reel some of it up but not all as this method works best on slack line. The “walk the dog” action resembles a wounded bait fish fluttering on the surface and is an easy prey for the bass. They will inhale the bait by flaring their gills and sucking it down. You don’t want to set the hook when you see the fish explode on top of the bait. You want to wait until you feel the fish pulling the bait down, then set the hook. This is one of the hardest lessons to learn with topwaters. It’s totally unnerving and almost impossible to do, but if you set the hook too soon, the fish won’t be there because you have pulled the bait away before the fish connected; and, if you wait too long, the bass may spit the bait out. There is a very fine line there and only experience will tell you when to set the hook.

When Zell Roland of the Skeeter/Yamaha Pro Team presents a seminar, he talks about the Spook and discusses various ways of modifying the bait to give the pros that extra advantage. The older spooks with three sets of treble hooks are the best. Also, when fishing topwater cigar baits, the Zara Puppy is very effective on school bass.

When you get into slush baits (baits with propellers on either the front, rear or both), Cordell’s Bow Howdy and the Crazy Shad, along with Smithwick’s Devil’s Horse, and Heddon’s Tiny Torpedo are classic baits. Slush baits are fished with short, erratic twitches and semi slack line. For additional action, instead of tying the knot directly to the snap ring, many of the pros tie their topwater baits with a “Loop” knot which imparts more lifelike action to the
bait. Slush baits are best when used from post spawn on through the summer’s school fish and continue to work through early fall. Stick baits such as the traditional Smithwick Rogue, Cordell Red Fin, Pencil Popper and Bomber Long A’s, are hard plastic jerkbaits fished with long sweeps or short jerks. Slush baits are designed to not only resemble and have the action of a wounded minnow, but also to make distinctive noises of a shad thrashing on the surface which adds an extra enticement to attract bass that may be passing by.

One of the favorite poppers of all times has got to be the famous Rebel Pop R. This bait has been around for at least twenty years. It was discontinued for awhile in the `80’s and with increased demand from the pros, especially Zell Roland, the “Pop R King,” it was brought back into production and has danced and popped it’s way into the money. Zell has propelled himself, the Pop R and his Boots Follmar Marine Skeeter/Yamaha into the history books with his mastery of this one bait; and, it’s deadly presentation on the water. He uses feathers of many colors, whittles, repaints, refinishes, weights, scrapes and does a major overhaul on this very famous Pradco bait, and when it gets down to the battle, you can bet he’ll come out with just the right Pop R combination to clinch the day! When bass are chasing shad, especially in the fall, this bait can be popped, gurgled and teased back to the boat or it can be steadily worked in the “walking the dog” method.

Storm’s Rattling Chug Bug is another excellent popper bait that is fished in the same manner, but it has rattles to further entice the bass. Excalibur’s Spit’n Image is a minnow like bait (bottom weighted) that is also retrieved in the side to side motion and it’s sputtering action has been very effective on school fish. As always, the pro anglers have found ways to modify these baits and their secret changes will most likely go to their graves with them.

A bait that every angler should have several of is a buzzbait. My husband, Norman, caught one of his biggest bass ever on Richland Chambers (see photo) on the 3/8 oz. Lunker Lure. It also comes in a 1/4 oz. size. These baits are highly effective when fished over vegetation and can even be used in the dead of winter over open water to catch giant bass. This is one of the easiest baits of all to use, just throw it out and reel it very fast until the bait stays up on the surface of the water and reel it like that all the way back to the boat. John Hope, of the infamous Tracking Texas Trophies segment, told me long ago that when you listen to this bait as it is reeled straight up off the bottom, it sounds like a ball of shad coming to the surface. There are many manufacturers of this bait including Lunker Lure, Excalibur, Stanley, Mr. Blitz, Strike King, Blue Fox, Harts and many more. Primary colors are white and white/chartreuse. Blade colors would be picked the same as in spinnerbaits and determined by water clarity.

LIPLESS CRANKBAITS are great tools to locate bass. I can’t tell you how many big tournaments have been won on this particular kind of bait, but it has been a lot, especially in lakes with vegetation. These baits can be cranked down to the top of the grass, ticked across and then ripped through the grass, and if a bass is anywhere near, trigger a strike. Although there are many manufacturers, the two major producers are Cordell’s Hot Spot and Bill Lewis’ Rat-L-Trap. Both baits are shad shaped, come in almost any size range, and are hollow baits with rattle chambers added for sound and weight. I call these baits fish magnets because they will draw the fish out when nothing else seems to work! The original Rat-L-Trap comes in over 50 colors to choose from, but again, if your just starting out, stick to the primary colors. This bait works year-round, using the smaller sizes in early spring and as the water warms going to the larger sizes in the fall. If you examined every boat on a given body of water, most all of them would have these baits not only on board, but tied on to at least one rod!
The setup you use (rods, reels and line), is just as important as the baits you throw and the balance is critical to your overall success. Norman and I use CastAway Surface Bait Casting, Jerk & Twitch, Soft Touches and Launcher rods for most of these baits, but any quality medium action fast tip rod would be suitable. We also use Daiwa Millionaire, Procaster Z and Team Daiwa series 5:1 ratio reels for our topwater baits, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits, spooled with Berkley Big Game Green line in 12-15 pound test. There are other quality rods and reels on the market, but our personal preference is for Daiwa reels and CastAway graphite rods.

LAST, BUT NOT EVER DISCOUNTED ARE SPINNERBAITS. There are very few things that professional anglers agree on, but the bait of choice and in most all arsenals, will be a spinnerbait. The reason is strictly in the numbers. More money has been made on the tournament trails using a spinnerbait than any other bait! Spinnerbaits are easy to use, versatile and can cover lots of water and all depths of water in a short period of time.

Where many anglers get confused about spinnerbaits is trying to figure out which configuration of spinnerbait to use on a particular body of water, under a certain set of conditions, taking into account such factors as: water clarity, light penetration, time of year and depth fishing. Additional factors are blade configuration, spinnerbait weight/size and skirt color. A spinnerbait is an easy bait to use because you basically cast it out and reel it back, pretty simple, right? Ah, but learning the right configuration and components of the bait is what separates the fish catching from the fish wishin’ anglers. Sometimes it appears as though there are thousands of combinations and variables to confuse the ordinary angler.
So how do you narrow down the options to select the appropriate bait for the cir*****stances at hand? Break the spinnerbait down into the four basic components: composition, blade, weight and color. To keep it really simple, take color first because it is the easiest. For clear water, neutral, translucent and white colored skirts work the best. For dingy or stained water, use chart./white, blue or punkinseed or a combination thereof; and in muddy water use, black, orange or chartreuse.

Second, consider the composition. There are three kinds of spinnerbaits, in-line, short arm and long arm. In-line spinnerbait means that the spinners (blades) are in direct line with the hook, such as the Snagless Sally or Mepps Rooster tails. They are primarily used in northern waters. In-lines can also be fished around brush and timber and can be buzzed just under the surface.

Both short arm and long arm spinnerbaits are safety pin baits. The long arm baits are easier to get through grass and are more weedless due to the arm of the bait being directly over the hook. Short arms are used as a drop bait as the blade is directly over the head of the lure which lets it spiral down (helicopter) to the bottom. There are many manufacturers of these types of spinnerbaits. The cost range can be as economical as an H&H for less than a buck, to the higher profile and more expensive type, such as the Terminator with a titanium wire base arm that claims to never have to be adjusted. Excalibur, Strike King and Stanley are major manufacturers of high quality spinnerbaits which are mass produced. There are also smaller, regionally defined manufacturers that are equally, if not better than some of the well known baits. Mr. Blitz spinnerbaits are made in Hemphill, Texas, and have been around Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn for years, but as touring national pros use and promote this local bait, it is gaining in popularity and becoming more widely known. The reason for its success is due to the quality control that goes into every hand built bait.
No discussion of spinnerbaits can be complete without addressing the various blade configurations and blade color(s) used in the assembly process. There are basically three primary blade types: Colorado, Indiana or willowleaf and numerous combinations such as the thumper, tortoise shell and pear shaped blades. In order to choose the appropriate blade, first determine the water clarity which will tell you whether the fish are feeding by sight or sound. Colorado blades are used primarily in stained to muddy water or low light conditions where the fish are feeding by sound and bait vibration is the key factor. Also, under these conditions for maximum throb and vibration, the Indiana or Thumper blades would be used. Tandem willowleaf blades will work the best under clear water conditions with vegetation because the blades have a tighter rotation and will tangle less in the grass. Willowleaf blades have the least vibration, most flash and come through grass the best. Use chrome or nickel blades when fishing clear water because these fish are feeding by sight. In stained to muddy water, use copper, gold or painted blades. When your not sure what blade configuration to go with, start out with double blades, one silver and one copper. Let the fish tell you what they want.

A single Colorado blade works best when you want more vibration in dingy to stained water conditions. This also holds true for night fishing and fishing in the summertime. Use double Colorado blades when you want to v-wake the bait just under the surface, especially in the fall. The thumper blades are great to slow roll or drop. The larger the blades the more lift the lure will have. A single blade bait has more vibration than a tandem willowleaf bait, and finally, Colorado blades have more vibration than the willowleaf but not as much vibration
as the Indiana blades.

It is fairly easy to determine the spinnerbait weight. You want to be able to feel the bait vibrate as the blades are pulled through the water. If you cannot feel the vibration, change weight size. Basically, four sizes will get you through most situations. ¼ oz, 3/8 oz., ½ oz. or 3/4 oz. Water temperature is a key factor to determining the weight of the spinnerbait because different times of the year require different weight sizes. Again fall back on whether or not you can feel the blades turning and vibrating as they come through the water. Experiment and practice is the best answer to which bait will work best for you. Spinnerbaits can be fished from the surface to the bottom and anywhere in between. During the winter, I like to use a 3/4 oz. bait and slow roll it over the vegetation or let it drop to the bottom and work it back much like a worm. During the spring and fall, depending on the water clarity and temperature, I like to use a ¼ oz. up shallow and a 3/8 to ½ oz. in the deeper waters. When fishing in the heat of the summer, you can’t beat a 3/8 oz. tandem willowleaf in and around the vegetation, or a single Colorado blade which provides a lot of vibration.

Why it is that bass fishermen/women can never have enough tackle? Starting out, it’s best to keep colors to a minimum of chrome, shad, crawfish, chartreuse and firetiger, which are all basic colors in the food chain. We constantly go to the tackle store and stand gawking and mystified at the variety of sizes, shapes and colors of baits. None of us has the will power to leave the store with just one bait! Tackle stores are designed to catch anglers, then bass, and no matter how many baits we have, more is always better because they are Efficient, Always Successful, Year-round Baits! – Lake Havasu