Home//Bassmaster/July - August 2015/In This Issue
Bassmaster|July - August 2015The WaveWhen you see a photo of an Elite Series pro with a cameraman on his back deck, that means he is a contender to win that event. That’s what makes this sequence just a little more heartbreaking for Aaron Martens. And what adds insult to injury is that this particular bass seems to have known that it won the battle, as it politely waved goodbye with a fanning of its tail before re-entering the water for good. The replay will be fun for fans to watch. Martens, on the other hand, will be trying to forget about this goodbye for a long time.…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 201510-Minute AnglerBlades Your WayThe bladed jig took the bass fishing world by storm when the Z-Man Chatterbait almost won the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Toho in 2006. Since then, the bladed jig has become a mainstay in the arsenal of most anglers. And although the Chatterbait (www.zmanfishing.com) remains the gold standard of this bait genre, there are a group of anglers who will only fish with their own creations. Luckily for these DIYers, the components are available from www.lurepartsonline.com, and the specialized jigheads can be found at www.fishboss.com. Here are the simple steps of assembly.1 Attach a snap to the blade in the two middle holes.2 Slide the blade on the oversized eye, making sure the snap is facing away from the hook. Crimp the eye down once the blade is…2 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015DatebookJulyNational Cellphone Courtesy Month. Hang up and fish!4 Independence Day. Give us life, liberty and the pursuit of bass.6 National Fried Chicken Day. Sure, somebody just made this up, but it’s hard to beat fried chicken and a glass of sweet tea after a long day on the lake.August1 National Catfish Month. Someone get out the fryer!4 U.S. Coast Guard Day. The Revenue Cutter Service, predecessor to the Coast Guard, was authorized by Congress on this day in 1790.13 International Left-Handers Day. Does this mean we have to use a spinning reel today?…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Ethanol ImpactIt’s no secret among anglers that fuel containing ethanol can have negative consequences for older boat engines. But a recent survey by Boating Industry attempts to quantify the problem. The publication surveyed readers of its print and digital editions in April and found most respondents, which included dealers, manufacturers and marina owners, experienced engine damage and other issues related to ethanol in the fuel supply. While many newer-model engines that are properly run and cared for can handle the 10-percent ethanol fuel that’s common at gas stations, older engines don’t fare as well. And the use of 15-percent ethanol in fuel supplies is spreading.14%: Number of survey respondents who said ethanol is responsible for more than half of their engine repairs.60%: Number of survey respondents who said ethanol is responsible…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Fish Poachers, BewareThere’s a new game warden in town, and he has four legs.Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has enlisted the help of canines to find illegally caught fish. Although many state fish and wildlife agencies use K-9 units to assist in wildlife evidence collection and tracking, the use of dogs specifically trained to find fish isn’t as widespread.The Labrador retrievers were rescued by Connecticut Labrador Rescue Inc. and had received previous training in tracking and evidence collection. Their new training is designed to help them locate gamefish species that may have been illegally caught and hidden.…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Bass City, USA Waddington, N.Y.The last time the Elite Series weighed in here, B.A.S.S. attendance records were broken. The series returns July 30 for the Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite on the St Lawrence River. With a small music festival held in conjunction with the Elite event, Waddington’s sure to be rockin’ this month.34,100. Attendance at the 2013 Elite Series event in Waddington, a series record at the time.Party In The Park. Whitaker Park plays host to daily Elite launches and weigh-ins July 30-Aug. 2 and doubles as a concert venue, with local and national performers throughout the tournament.966. Population of the village of Waddington.Comfort Zone. Waddington’s late-July and early-August temperatures range from an average low of about 60 degrees to an average high of about 80.7,200,000. Bassmaster.com page views during the 2013 Elite…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Northern FishingIt’s hot — sizzling hot! Smart people are staying indoors. Smarter people are going fishing, but they’re doing it up North. So, that’s what we’re going to do.The dog days of summer are a great time to head north and fish one of the numerous natural lakes that look like a postcard one smallmouth bass would send to another.Temperatures aren’t that bad, either. Air temps have been in the 80s and low 90s for weeks. Water temps are in the high 70s and low 80s, and the water’s clear. You can see an old pop top in 10 feet of water.The lake’s a good-size one at more than 5,000 surface acres, and it has the usual mix of structure and cover options: rocky points, sandy and rocky shoals, flats and…5 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Super Deep WackyPRIOR TO 1965, high jumpers launched their leaps facing the bar. Techniques like the straddle, scissors and Western roll were straightforward and sensible. Got the job done, they did.But then came Dick Fosbury and his wacky, backward-angled namesake flop, which gave jumpers from high school fields to Olympic stadiums a better way to reach the goal. Looking at the objective, the athlete bound for 1968 Olympic gold figured out a better way to do what everyone else was trying to do.In similar fashion, savvy anglers targeting deep bass — particularly suspended fish — know the merit of reassigning a traditionally shallow presentation for venues of 20-plus feet. We’re talking a wacky rig — that soft stickbait with a centered hook causing the limber plastic to fold and flex with directional…8 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015The Shallow Side of SummerIT’S THE DOG days of summer, a time when lake temperatures soar into the upper 80s and 90s and big schools of bass are lounging on offshore ledges, humps and dropoffs.Not a good time to be a shallow-water angler, right?Ah, but you’re wrong, says 2015 Bassmaster Classic champion Casey Ashley. Like many anglers, he’s not in his comfort zone when forced to coax deep bass living far off the bank into biting.“Shallow water is my deal and where I feel most comfortable,” he says. “Some of my best seasons on the [Bassmaster] Elite [Series] tour have come when I stayed shallower than 10 feet.”The Donalds, S.C., pro acknowledges that you won’t find big schools of bass living shallow during hot summer months but says there are always enough to parlay…7 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Bass BoatingSpeedy yet safeI see pros go full throttle on lakes with 2-foot whitecaps. What is the trick for running fast on big water? I always seem to spear a wave! Charles Lester, New YorkThe pros consider 2-footers as a “chop on the water,” but we understand how intimidating it can be for anglers unfamiliar with beastly lakes. Veteran Elite Series pro Zell Rowland says if you’re going to run fast, trim the nose down a tad and avoid running on the pad of the boat. If you’re spearing waves, that probably means you have the nose trimmed too high, so when the boat comes off a wave, it drops down and you get drenched. “Don’t run on the pad; let the V in the hull of the boat cut the…4 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Mail CallA safe placeI am writing to say thank you to Alan McGuckin for his article “A Soldier’s Angle” in the May issue. My son Hunter is a Marine veteran, having served seven months in Afghanistan. His time in the infantry there was both heroic and hectic to say the least. He is out of the Marine Corps now, married, working and doing very well. He deals with issues as veterans do, from time he spent in combat. He and I find solace in bass fishing together. We are by no means pro fishermen but do enjoy the time spent together on the lake. I feel it is his safe place, as it is Brent Homan’s. Alan’s article was right on target, and I just wanted to say thank you for…3 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Drowning FootprintsIn a matter of days, Lake Arrowhead went from 30 percent capacity to flood stage, with water pouring over its spillway.WHEN I WALKED under the boathouse my grandfather built in the late 1960s, my heart broke. Lake Arrowhead in Wichita Falls, Texas, was where I spent the majority of my summers as a child, sitting on that very dock with 10 feet of red-clay colored water beneath it. Instead of the crappie, catfish and bass my brother and I spent countless hours trying to catch, shabby little bushes, weeds, cracked earth and my footprints occupied the space beneath the structure, which towered above my head. The edge of the lake was too far away to see, and I would have needed a machete to slice through the mile-thick wall of…3 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015On the HookStephen BrowningBirthday: April 28, 1966Hometown: Hot Springs, Ark.(Note: When we caught up with Browning this spring, he was on a multiday fishing trip at Lake Wallace, a roughly 6-mile-long, 350-acre oxbow lake in southeastern Arkansas.)How’s the fishing at Lake Wallace?It’s good. Hear that fillet knife in the background?Crappie?No, man, bass. We’re not crappie fishermen.Do you think people would find it surprising that a guy who makes his living fishing bass tournaments also eats bass?I know there’s not but probably two of us, and we’re both old boys from southeast Arkansas. God didn’t put ’em here for fishing tournaments; he put ’em here to feed folks.Now, we’re catching quite a few 3- and 4-pounders, and we’re throwing them back.But there were some 12- to 14-inchers that didn’t make it. I think…3 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015On The Tournament TrailCarhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship and Classic Bracket presented by Bass Pro ShopsWhere: Lake DuBay; Stevens Point, Wis. When: July 9-14Bass Pro Shops Northern Open No. 1 presented by AllstateWhere: James River; Richmond, Va. When: July 9-11Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by TNT FireworksWhere: Kentucky Lake; Paris, Tenn. When: July 22-25Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster EliteWhere: St. Lawrence River, Waddington, N.Y. When: July 30-Aug. 2Bass Pro Shops Northern Open No. 2 presented by AllstateWhere: Oneida Lake; Syracuse, N.Y. When: Aug. 6-8Huk Performance Fishing Bassmaster EliteWhere: Chesapeake Bay; Cecil County, Md. When: Aug. 13-16Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Northern DivisionalWhere: Lake Vermillion; Tower, Minn. When: Aug. 26-28Bassmaster EliteWhere: Lake St. Clair; Detroit, Mich. When: Aug. 27-30…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Bass Angler Becomes Life SaverDaniel Baldwin loves bass fishing. When the 19-year-old isn’t attending classes at the University of Tennessee, he’s usually on the water. According to WVLT in Knoxville, during a spring fishing trip to the Norris Lake boat ramp in Tazewell, Tenn., Baldwin instead found himself in the water, rescuing a drowning angler who had fallen out of his boat.Baldwin caught the rescue on camera.He was wearing a chest-mounted GoPro because he had planned to shoot a video about smallmouth bass fishing from the boat ramp. Shortly after starting to record, Baldwin saw an elderly angler fall out of his boat and begin to struggle. Baldwin jumped into the water, which was about 10 feet deep, and helped the man to shore.“I threw down my rod and jumped in there and didn’t…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Pyramid PremiereThe long-awaited Bass Pro Shops superstore in the Memphis Pyramid opened its doors for business April 30.The 32-story structure had been sparsely used since the NBA Memphis Grizzlies departed the building for the nearby FedEx Forum in 2004. Now, it will serve as a beacon for outdoors enthusiasts.The familiar Bass Pro Shops logo adorns the sides of the massive steel building, which sits along the banks of the Mississippi River along the busy I-40 corridor through downtown Memphis. In addition to the usual Bass Pro Shops experience, the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid features a man-made cypress swamp, archery and shooting ranges, a Ducks Unlimited waterfowl museum, a bowling alley, an observation deck at the apex of the structure, a 28-story freestanding glass elevator and a 105-room hotel.Construction and renovations of…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 201550 Shades Of Gray — And Brown And Green And Yellow“The only reason I ever played golf in the first place was so I could afford to hunt and fish.” Sam Snead, professional golferSummertime, and the living’s easy. But for those of us in the northern hemisphere, summer also means long days and lots of sunshine. And that means anglers need eye protection now more than ever. These days, sunglass options abound. That’s a good thing, but figuring out the best eyewear among the myriad choices can make you see red. So here’s a (mostly) simplified guide to choosing what’s best for you.Color. Truth be told, the best lens colors for fishing change throughout the day, which is why manufacturers make so many colors. But with the best shades commanding top prices, what’s the best option for the economical angler…2 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015The 100 Best“I WAS EXPECTING to see this list in May,” you may be thinking, seeing that our last three installments of these rankings were published in that month. Well, we decided to push the process back a couple of months so we could more accurately gauge each fishery’s production from spring catch data. After all, if you really want to see what a lake can produce, you go in the spring.This two-month delay did not completely remedy the lack of information from lakes in the far North, as a very late spring haunted many states in the Northeast. Still, almost all of our data came from 2015 fishing reports. To arrive at the list you are about to read, we again polled the entire B.A.S.S. Nation leadership, all 630,000 B.A.S.S. Facebook…36 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015What Makes a Good Ditch ?AFTER SACKING A heavy final-day limit to win the 2015 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro at Lake Hartwell, Casey Ashley said he caught most of his bass during that event from a “ditch.”The word ditch is a vague, generic term many Elite Series pros use to describe a narrow creek channel, drain or wash. What constitutes a ditch for one pro may not be the same for another. To a great extent, it depends on where in the country the pro learned to catch offshore bass.ASHLEY’S CLASSIC-WINNING DITCHA textbook ditch for Ashley at Hartwell, his home lake, is a creek channel that winds underwater from the back of a pocket to the main lake. The best pockets have fresh water flowing into them, which attracts baitfish and, in turn,…7 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Running Shade For Shallow BassIN THE MID-SOUTH in midsummer, bass fishing is an “80/20 deal,” according to David Kilgore of Jasper, Ala.“I use a topwater frog, a buzzbait and a plastic stickworm, in that order. I’ll spend the first hour of the day fishing around any shallow cover: lily pads, aquatic grass, laydown trees, willows, buckbrush, logs, etc.”He explains, “By the first of July, probably 80 percent of the bass in most reservoirs have left the creeks and relocated to deep water. But the other 20 percent are still hanging back in the shallows. These fish are residents of these areas. They live there all year long, whether the temperature is 30 degrees or 100 degrees.”Further, Kilgore says these fish include some giants that are overlooked by most anglers who are now focusing on…7 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015The Lunker Club7-8Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan ◆ 1/2-ounce Silver Buddy ◆ Water clarity: clear ◆ Depth: 12 feet ◆ Weather: clear, cold12-3St. Johns River, Florida 9-inch shiner, size 5/0 hook with bobber11-7Kingsley Lake, Florida Texas rigged 1/2-ounce Bitter Vibe Jig Worm11-9Mulberry Lake, Georgia 6-inch lizard (purple)6-2Lake Ontario, New York Roboworm on a drop shot10-38-inch wild shiner, 5/0 Gamakatsu shiner hook10-4Lake Del Valle, California Zoom Shad on a drop shot (white)6-0Lake Ontario, New York 3 1/2-inch tube with 3/4-ounce jighead (green pumpkin)To request an application, write to editorial@bassmaster.com or B.A.S.S., The Lunker Club, 3500 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 330, Birmingham, AL 35243. A photo documenting the catch must be provided, along with the length and girth of the bass. Only suitable photos will be published in Bassmaster Magazine. We will only accept entries…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015A Turning PointThere is little doubt that when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, his command to turn the other cheek had little to do with bass fishing. That said, Keith Combs is certainly living the Gospel here, as he almost gets sprayed by a wakeboarder in the middle of an Elite Series event. Some anglers likely would have preferred the “eye for an eye” doctrine here. But, it’s possible the wake from the reckless skiers will ignite a food chain in the rocks Combs is fishing, and his faith will be rewarded with bites and a solid limit. The rest of us can simply hope the guy faceplants in his next turn.…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Bass For SaltIF YOU’RE A saltwater angler in Florida, you know the meaning of the term, “death by a thousand cuts.”“The issues our coastal fisheries currently face could easily translate into freshwater if we do not take action.”In recent years, federal agencies, backed by the preservationist anti-fishing movement, have launched a series of initiatives to ban or severely restrict recreational fishing in important Florida fisheries, including Biscayne National Park, the Everglades, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the red snapper fisheries on both coasts.Threats to saltwater angler access rights are emerging elsewhere in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. However, last fall, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) chose Florida as its battleground state to see if it can help stem the tide of onerous and unfounded restrictions.…3 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Ask The Experts“Cool the livewell water no more than 7 to 10 degrees below the lake or reservoir surface temperature.” — B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene GillilandCOOLING VEGETATIONHere in Louisiana, the water temperature can get really hot in the summer. How do you handle fishing in really hot water? Is there anything you do differently?Mike Lambert, LouisianaElite Series pro Mark MenendezWhat I tend to do is look for vegetation. In the Classics that we’ve had in New Orleans, I looked for shallow-water vegetation. If the water was 2 feet deep, the fish were never on the bottom, so it’s easy to fish below the fish. The fish will be as close to the vegetation as possible, seeking oxygen. They’re still semi-aggressive, so I will take a creature bait or a Strike King Rage…4 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Tipping The ScaleTournament anglers always want to put heavy weights on the scales, but fishermen are putting up some big numbers in a figurative sense, too. Check out these eye-popping numbers.$2 millionMoney raised for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital over the past 17 years through Minnesota’s Dick Hiley St. Jude Bass Classic.$191 millionEstimated construction and renovation costs to convert the Memphis Pyramid into the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid superstore.$1.1 billionFunds generated by anglers and hunters last year through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration programs, which place excise taxes on sporting equipment and marine fuel. The funds are distributed to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies for conservation projects.…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015BASS TIMES Ticker:Long-term investigations are needed to reveal the full impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to staff scientist Ryan Fykes with the National Wildlife Federation. Restoration projects are underway, and rivers where bass are found and which feed the Gulf stand to benefit from the restoration funds. | Alewives may pose a threat to the smallmouth fishery on the St. Croix River in Maine. | The Arizona Game and Fish Department has started using FINS (Fisheries Information System) to manage data on stocking locations.…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015NBA Star Wins First Bass DerbyIndiana Pacers forward Paul George missed most of the 2014-2015 NBA season with a serious leg injury. But it looks like there’s nothing wrong with his casting arm.George, a fourth-year pro out of Fresno State, entered and won his first bass tournament on Geist Reservoir near Indianapolis in early May. George fished the Gary’s Tuesday Nighters tournament with a friend, Jacob Wheeler, who fished the 2015 Bassmaster Classic by way of his win at BASSfest on Chickamauga last year. The pair caught five fish that weighed 20.17 pounds, about six pounds heavier than the average winning weight had been in previous Tuesday night tourneys on Geist.George caught the team’s kicker, a 5.49-pounder that tied for big bass in the four-hour tournament with a field of about 40 boats. George lives…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Fishing For TuitionThe University of Montevallo, Alabama’s only public liberal arts college, recently announced it would offer scholarships to students who have a passion for the great outdoors.University president John Stewart told Yellowhammer News that the President’s Outdoor Scholarship program would begin this fall. Funded by the University of Montevallo Foundation, the program will award scholarships to students who have distinguished accomplishments in outdoor sports and who have demonstrated a commitment to conservation.“We live in an area of the country where hunting and fishing is part of the ethos, and part of our culture,” Stewart said. “I personally grew up doing a lot of hunting and fishing, with a great deal of respect for outdoor resources. We saw this as a way to serve so many students in our area who come…1 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015What Justin Lucas Throws In SummerJust because you re sweating like a rented mule doesn t mean you have to work like one. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Justin Lucas understands this principle well, and he does his best to beat as much of the heat as possible by getting an early start on sultry days and having a game plan formulated before he backs his Phoenix in. “My favorite thing to do is to get up early and be out there right at daylight. They bite good then, and it’s not completely unbearable,” he says. When the sun gets high, however, Lucas says there are two key things to look for: cooler water and current. “Find that little bit cooler water, and there will likely be bass holding in it. Plus, when there’s current moving,…3 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Gotta love Those NY BassLake ErieBUFFALOEnjoy buffalo wings at Anchor Bar where they were invented; partake of Buffalo’s burgeoning craft beer scene; visit the city’s fine zoo; and gaze upon wondrous Niagara Falls. There are also extensive art and entertainment venues here. If you’re in the mood to cheer, catch a Bills, Sabres or Bisons game.Lake Erie is, unquestionably, the best smallmouth bass fishery in the nation. The eastern 40 miles of the big lake in New York is the best of the best for big numbers of heavyweight bronzebacks. Bassmaster ranks this area 19th on their Top 100 Best Bass Lakes list.Fish Erie’s offshore reefs and rockpiles with drop shot rigs and tubes, and you’re sure to tangle with feisty smallmouth bass. Other productive lures include crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits. Should stout winds…7 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Jason ChristieBASSMASTER’S REALITY SERIES puts top B.A.S.S. pros on small lakes they’ve never seen before, then gives them seven hours to locate and catch bass while we record their every move. Jason Christie takes on the challenge this month. The Park Hill, Okla., pro, one of the hottest young guns on the cast-for-cash circuit, has won two Elite Series events and is a three-time Classic qualifier. Here’s what happened Aug. 1, 2014, when Christie took on Lake L, a small reservoir.“Lily pads ... provide extensive shade, so the water beneath them stays cool ...”» 5:48 a.m. I meet Christie at his motel. It’s cloudy and 67 degrees with a high in the mid-80s forecast for the day. He’s towing a Ranger Z520C bass boat equipped with a 250-horsepower Mercury outboard, MotorGuide…19 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015Summer Tactics For Highland ReservoirsImportance Of The Thermocline“Many Sun Belt highland reservoirs have extreme water clarity, deep channels, an abundance of rock coupled with a relative lack of shallow wood or grass cover and a forage base consisting primarily of pelagic [offshore] bait-fish,” notes veteran Arizona pro John Murray. “During summer, these lakes stratify, or form layers delineated by water temperature variation, and most of the bass and baitfish tend to locate in or just above the cool layer of water called the thermocline. To pinpoint the thermocline, I’ll idle around a main-lake structure, like a primary point, until baitfish schools begin showing up on my graph. I’ll then adjust the unit’s sensitivity until the thermocline appears as a diffused horizontal line; this may be anywhere from 15 to 60-plus feet deep in summer.”Since…3 min
Bassmaster|July - August 2015What’s It Worth?Moonlight BugA floater or shallow-runner, the wooden Bug was created in 1916 by the Moonlight Bait Co. of Paw Paw, Mich. Sold for just 50 cents, or six for $2.50, its manufacturer called it the “very latest thing in artificial baits.” Explaining the lure’s versatility, Moonlight said “it floats when not in motion. Immediately on being retrieved, dives, wobbles, swims like a distressed minnow.” Moonlight’s two founders chose the name because they were avid fishermen and members of the Moonlight Fishing Club. Moonlight Bait Co. merged with the Paw Paw Bait Co. around 1929. The Bug is worth about $1,500.Reel flyI have a No. 81 Perrine automatic fly reel that is still in its damaged box. The reel was manufactured by Aladdin Labs Inc. in Minneapolis, Minn. The instructions as…3 min
