I’m always amazed at how fast the year comes to an end and in the case of California, that means that fishing license you bought way back is only good for one more trip–today.
The good news, you really don’t have to drive around looking for a place that carries them as we did in years past. Back in the day every tackle store might carry them (more…)
Bill Mays, the amicable and highly capable photographer and reporter for WON Bass pro ams in the North has been replaced, I learned today. Mays, a former NASCAR West photog as well as noted waterfowling writer, got his walking papers this morning. (more…)
MAYBE you can beat the "dock talk"
One of the things we’re all schooled about is giving much credence to “dock talk”–that sometimes unattributable, unsubstantiated buzz that seems to increase when a tournament comes to town. The great danger it affords is such disinformation can dilute your focus from the things (patterns and methods) you have developed on your own.
And why is it so enticing? Dock talk stems from plausible and occasionally valid reports, but gets mixed with just enough speculation, it sounds so good. In fact, in a different situation, waterway or season, those phantom ideas might be stone cold factual. (more…)
GET A STRIKE first. No need to hook and land many during your search...
Consider the relationship between finding and catching bass. The former is about gathering information and processing it. The second is more of what vacationers from Nebraska get to do: shriek and reel ’em in.
Searching is learning. Catching is about rewards.
Over-simplified, sure. But the fact is in getting a sense of what’s going on (pre tournament)–many get rubber-legged and don’t believe their own eyes. Instead of confidently logging a discovery, they want the prize at the same time. (more…)
UPDATED , 2:40 p.m.–After reading WON Bass Director Bill Egan’s post this morning on westernbass.com, I must say, I didn’t see “Disorderly Conduct” as an anticipated charge in the court proceedings surrounding the Mike Hart/U.S. Open case.
I’m sure Nancy Grace would have figured on the “attempted fraud” charge (more…)
Of course, you’re probably going fishing this weekend, but now you can go even smarter. After some nosing around, I found some answers to questions you might not have even thought to ask. I would have exposed the real hot fishing scoop, but nobody seemed to know exactly where and when they would be biting. So here’s what I do have: (more…)
ROCK THE HOUSE: Habitat added to Elsie courtesy M.S. Inspections...
UPDATED (correction and new photos) Dec. 15–While I’ve been waiting for the weather to clear a little so I could get back on the mountain and get some photos of the new city marina construction, I did get a message and a photo of a little habitat being added at Lake Elsinore. According to the DFG, some authorized building materials were delivered by truck.
The note stated, “Mark Seman Inspections [officially M.S. Inspections] donated some habitat to our office for fish habitat. Today [Dec. 13] , with the help of Lake Elsinore crewmembers, (more…)
A TAILSPIN scored a few bites near the bottom and at mid depths...
Before the latest storm arrived, at the invitation of guide Alan Clowers I got an opportunity to get a winter look at Lower Otay. And though the bite was not at a peak of a few days earlier, it was good to see water at a lower latitude than here in the IE. And one thing was for sure, much of the activity was in 30 to 50 feet of water.
Alan, who goes by Captain Clowers (click here) and sometimes gets overlooked as a bass guide since he also does the San Diego saltwater deal in his bigger boat, has 20 plus years on the San Diego lakes and has a nice fishing platform and the big screen electronics. (more…)
WELL DIVIDER didn't seem that practical in my Z7...
After witnessing a lot of weigh-ins in the West (especially with teams and shared-weight pro-ams) I’ve wondered why more anglers don’t remove the divider in their livewells. The fish count the same for both partners, so why squeeze somebody’s kicker into that shoebox that is half a livewell?
I’m sure there are reasons–and someone may want to chime in with their explanation–but my fishing is a lot more pragmatic. Not only do I want all the combined catch to have ample room in transit, (more…)
A POLYGRAPH test just makes up for a lack of witnesses...
You’ll probably find it amusing, but I’m seriously considering one more shot at competing in the U.S. Open. It’s a little bit risky, ie. small boat, big lake. And I have no delusions: I’m an unlikely contender for a title, so I’ll probably get pummeled for a bad showing. Still, I wonder what if somehow I was at a place in the standings where the dreaded “lie-detector test” might come into play?
We’ve all come to realize the polygraph (more…)