4 p.m. UPDATE–Rusty Salewske hung on to 10th place today and will join Cody Meyer as the only Californians in the finals for the Forrest Wood Cup. NOTE–The biggest bass of the tournament, an even 4-pound smallmouth, was taken by Scott Martin one of the final two pro anglers to weigh-in. Full results will be posted on the FLW website.
3:15 UPDATE—Greg Hackney did the near impossible, (more…)
3:40 p.m. UPDATE—Rusty Salewske with a 6-4 limit was joined by Cody Meyer of Redding with 6 pounds, 3-ounces for his five bass to finish in ninth and 10th places, respectively. The unofficial standings were reflective of the small size of fish expected, but limits were more numerous overall, as viewed on FLW LIVE.
Meyer’s comment on stage, “It’s really hard catching keepers here,” was reflected in the number of fish weighing about one-pound each. The top bass was a 3-pound, 3-ounce smallmouth taken by a co-angler.
There was a difference of opinion (more…)
While lakes operated by private water districts can do things anyway they want, Gov. Arnold Schwarwenegger has figured out his own way to solve the spread of the invasive aquatic mussel–close all the state parks.
No need for boat inspections when you’re not going to allow any boats in the first place. Whether the number is 50, 100 or the whole lot of them at 220, needless to say, how come we didn’t think of this concept? (more…)
OH-OH (noon update): On good authority, heavier bass losses blown up on dike. I need a second request for a wet winter….
MID MORNING UPDATE: While the numbers sound scary, it’s just not so. I went out to take photos and I couldn’t find enough dead fish to fill the lens. The boys cleaned her up fast. Just remember, this is a lake that has 10,000 baitfish per surface acre. The make-up of the larger fish number is a question I have, but since bass are only about 10 percent of the total, anyway, don’t expect those losses to be very high.
Having just come back along the I-10 (Bass Pro Shops) corridor I can tell you, I have decided my strategy for dealing with the design change in the Blakemore Road Runner.
From Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas, I bought every bulk package they had of the “old style” blade-behind-the-horsie-head lures–in both stores. While the California store had only a scant few of the old-style on the pegs, Vegas had a mix of old and the new–and I cherry-picked ’em. (more…)
Hey, I’m over in Vegas this weekend for a family event. Temperatures are only 108 and it rained yesterday and part of today–so it’s the good ol’ monsoonal, U.S. Open weather–or a preview of the same. But when I checked email, I got a nice surprise from one of the more than a hundred that joined us for the Lake Elsinore fishing seminar on Thursday. One young angler, sent the following note:
“I would like to thank you for all the help you offered last night, I found your information very useful. In fact, using some of the advice you gave us, I caught (a) 6-8 Largemouth across the street from my house. The fish is just about 2 pounds shy of the lake record.
Thanks again,
Brent”
Kind of cool, eh? And hey, I’ll be back in Lake Elsinore on Monday and we’ll talk some more.
I was going to blog that I had never lost a fish during my career–but I didn’t think I could get away with that. Instead, I thought I’d reassure everyone that a lot of stuff happens before you get to hold one up for the camera.
See if you don’t agree. I look at the process as (1) having the fish strike, (2) setting the hook in some form, and then (3) fighting the fish (and getting it aboard in the end).
Obviously, a critical part is step one. (more…)
FRIDAY UPDATE–In answer to the question, “How did the seminar go?” Actually, a great group of enthusiastic fishermen and women showed up–actual count of 106. We’ll probably do it again this fall… Wipers were big, but a surprising number were interested in black bass. (Me too.) And we will be having some big news on that species soon….
For boaters visiting Lake Elsinore, now that the firefighting seaplane Hawaii Mars is stationed at the north end of the lake, the City has announced some safety measures have been put in place in case the flying boat is suddenly called into duty–as it was Friday and again on Saturday….
I quote: “A Temporary Lake Closure will take effect immediately upon the landing or takeoff of the Hawaii Mars airplane from the LE Recreation Area (at the north end).” At that time, “all boaters are required to move to the nearest shoreline within the Slow/No Wake Zone and stop their vessel. Once the ariplane has safely landed or taken-off, then boaters may resume activity.”
On a lesser note: (more…)
They may qualify for the event on some of the best bass waters in the country, but FLW Tour pros are going to have a tough time proving they are “just as good” as the Bassmasters, July 30-Aug. 2. That’s because this year’s Forrest Wood Cup, the penultimate championship for the FLW Tour, will be held at Three Rivers in Pennsylvania–still some of the worst black bass water in America. (more…)
TroKar, the new super hook just introduced yesterday at ICAST is, in fact, one very sharp piece of steel. When my sample arrived (just in time so I wouldn’t show any images until the day the trade show opened) I went to pull one out of the foam holder, and barely escaped without needing stitches.
I have yet to fish them, but I’m pretty sure there was enough field work preceding their release that we can safely say, “They stick ’em.” And while I have no equipment to measure the amount of flex in the wire, they do not appear to be dramatically different in comparison to other premium hooks of the same approximate wire diameter.
Yet looking closely at the samples, reading the press information and factoring in the suggested retail price, the biggest decision that angler/consumers are going to have to figure out is “are they worth it?” (more…)