Monthly Archives: April 2014

Fishing Lake Wedowee, Chickamauga and West Point

For someone who loves fishing as much as I do, writing fishing articles for magazines gives me fantastic opportunities to go fishing with some really good fishermen and have a lot of fun. And being in two bass clubs gives me even more changes. It seems like doing those articles I would learn how to catch bass eventually!

Last Monday I went to Lake Wedowee in Alabama to do an article and went out with Gary Mercer. Gary was in the Flint River Bass Club more years ago than either of us want to remember and it was great seeing him and fishing with him again after being out of touch except through email for several years.

Gary retired and got a place on Wedowee and now fishes it every week. He had retired from his job and from tournament fishing and now goes just for the fun of finding bass and catching them. Several people from Griffin have bought houses on Wedowee and spend a lot of time there.

Every time I go to Wedowee I am reminded of how pretty a lake can be. Its clear water is lined with many very nice houses but many miles of shoreline are natural, with no development. And its rocky waters are full of big spotted and largemouth bass.

We didn’t get to spend as much time as I would have liked on the lake but Gary showed me ten spots where folks can catch bass during May. The fishing has been good over there, with it taking 5 bass weighing 28 pounds to win a tournament a week ago. And second and third places were not far behind, with 25 pound plus stringers for each, and the second place team had a largemouth weighing just under ten pounds.

If you want to go to a beautiful lake and catch some bass, a trip to Wedowee should be in your near future.

On Wednesday I met Jeremy York on the north side of Atlanta at 4:45 and we drove up to Chickamauga Lake just outside Chattanooga. This lake has been on fire for bass fishing this year with incredible catches. One tournament was won with five bass weighing 44 pounds. Jeremy had five weighing 30.25 pounds in a BFL tournament and came in third!

Jeremy lives in Athens and owns Anglers Warehouse and is a tournament fisherman. He makes the three hour drive to Chickamauga several times a week and guides there some. In five of his guide trips so far this year there has been an eight pound plus largemouth caught, and in five of them he and his clients had five weighing between 27 and 36 pounds.

Of course we were about a week too late to catch bass on that pattern. He was catching bass on a pre spawn pattern and the warm weather the last week or so has made many bass go on the beds. We saw many bass weighing from five to seven pounds starting to fan beds but they were very skittish and we could not catch them. Just my luck.

Fishing will be great up there in a few weeks, sight fishing for big bedding bass or catching post spawn fish. It is about a three hour drive, and you need a non resident fishing license, but you might catch the biggest bass of your life if you make the drive. I definitely want to go back.

Last Sunday 19 members and guests of the Flint River Bass Club fished our April tournament at West Point. Fishing was great but catching was very disappointing for all but two or three of us. There were three five-fish limits weighed in but five fishermen didn’t have a keeper all day.

Gary Hattaway won with five weighing 10.55 pounds and his 6.13 pound largemouth was big fish for the day. It also won our cumulative pot since it was the first six pounder caught this year. Bobby Ferris had five weighing 10.26 pounds for second, Javin English had five at 7.66 pounds for third and Niles Murray’s four weighing 4.50 pounds placed fourth.

Al and I started the day fishing shallow water, expecting the fish to be up in the bedding areas. After spending over half the day in those type places and catching just one keeper we moved out to the points at noon to try to catch some keeper spots. I ended up with four weighing 4.26 pounds and came in fifth, just out of the money.

Bobby said he caught his fish shallow doing what I had been doing all morning, but they didn’t start biting there until after lunch. As usual I did the reverse of what I should have done. Gary said he caught his fish in tree tops. Javin didn’t tell me how he got his.

Al and I caught five spots and broke off three or four more on rocky points the last two hours of the tournament. They had started biting there but we got too little, too late!

What Is Fishing Like In Florida In April?

April freshwater fishing in Florida is full of fun, opportunities, rewarding challenges
from The Fishing Wire

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) scheduled the first of four license-free recreational fishing days on the first full weekend in April each year (April 5-6, this year), because it coincides with a productive freshwater fishing period, when the weather is usually pleasant. Many of Florida’s recreational sport fishes, inlcuding black bass, bluegill and redear sunfish, move into shallow waters to spawn during spring, making them more available for anglers to catch.

License-free freshwater fishing weekends are a great time to introduce other family members, friends and neighbors to fishing and see if they and you would like to take up the sport. Besides enjoying the fun of reeling in a fish, many people find recreational fishing to be a good motivator to enjoy the great outdoors and living a more active, healthy and natural lifestyle.

Captain Sean Rush guided his anglers to this 11 pound, 10 ounce monster on Rodman Reservoir, easily qualifying for Florida’s Lunker Club.
During license-free freshwater fishing weekends (the first weekend in April and the second weekend in June), no recreational fishing license is required. However, all other bag limit and season, gear and size restrictions apply.

To further encourage recreational fishing, the FWC will conduct a special contest during April to collect photos of anglers. All you have to do is post a photo of your family fishing in Florida’s fresh waters on Twitter or Instagram with #FLfish (or you can use #FWC-FamilyFishing). In return for your efforts, the FWC will enter you into a drawing for one of six surprise packages, each including a $50 gift card from Bass Pro Shops, thanks to TrophyCatch; a Glen Lau video library on DVD; and assorted fishing lures, hooks, line and goodies to make your next trip even more productive.

Submitted photos must be your own. Editing software must not be used, and the photo cannot include inappropriate content. Photos should be taken during April while freshwater fishing in Florida and include multiple anglers enjoying their day together on the water. The FWC may subsequently use the photos for educational or outreach purposes.

So where will you go for your next freshwater fishing trip? Plenty of resources are available online to help you choose. Start by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing and under “Freshwater Fishing” pick “Sites/Forecasts.” There you can find the top destinations for pursuing bass, bream, catfish and other species in 2014, as well as regional forecasts and tips for local waters; information on all 80 FWC fish management areas; and links to our boat ramp finder and freshwater fish attractor locations. Another good resource is TakeMeFishing.org/State/FL.

Freshwater anglers have enjoyed wonderful fishing so far in 2014 across Florida, and this spring should see a continuation of that trend.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) incentive-based conservation program, TrophyCatch, rewards anglers for participating in citizen-science, by catching, documenting and releasing largemouth bass heavier than 8 pounds. Besides the immediate gratification of releasing these older bass to fight another day, anglers provide valuable information about the number and distribution of these trophy bass and what it takes to sustain a trophy fishery. Biologists compare the findings to existing conservation programs such as habitat restoration efforts, aquatic vegetation management strategies, bass stocking histories and various regulation management approaches to determine what works best.

Between Jan. 1 and March 23, 2014, anglers entered 220 Lunker Club, 89 Trophy Club and three Hall of Fame bass. That is a three-fold increase over the same period last year. Part is due to simplified rules and more anglers being aware. Nevertheless, it is clear that Florida is producing and recycling vast numbers or trophy bass.

Bluegills and shellcrackers spawn in April, May and June across Florida, providing fast action for young and old alike.
You never know when you may find a lunker on the end of your line. To be prepared, go to TrophyCatchFlorida.com now, register and check out the rules and prizing. Just registering makes you eligible for a random drawing in October for a Phoenix bass boat powered by Mercury and equipped with a Power-Pole. However, every time you have a TrophyCatch bass verified, your name is entered 10 more times. Moreover, every verified bass earns you not only bragging rights on the Web but also a customized certificate, decal and club shirt, plus at least a total of $100 in gift cards from Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s Sporting Goods and/or Rapala. Bigger fish earn greater rewards: Anglers who have 13-pound-plus Hall of Fame entries also get a $500 fiberglass replica of their catch.

So far there are already four Hall of Fame bass this season. Joseph “Brooks” Morrell’s 14 pound, 9 ounce-bass from Lake Kingsley in Clay County is the current season leader. If it holds up, he will earn the TrophyCatch Championship ring in October, which is donated by the American Outdoors Fund.

However, there is still a lot of fishing to be done before then, so get out there and see what you can catch.

Instant licenses are available at MyFWC.com/License or by calling 888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356). Report violators by calling 888-404-3922, *FWC or #FWC on your cell phone, or texting to Tip@MyFWC.com. Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and select “more news,” or scr.bi/Fish-busters for more Fish Busters’ Bulletins. To subscribe to FWC columns or to receive news releases automatically, click on the red envelope on any page of MyFWC.com.

Is There An Online Fishing Show?

Bringing The Fishing Show to You Online
from The Fishing Wire

If you’re in the outdoor industry, you’ve just about had it with trade and sport shows. From the first week in January through the end of February, it’s an almost constant cycle. Go to a show, set up your booth, “do” two to four days of endless meetings with potential customers then tearing the booth down, repacking and replenishing your once-again depleted inventory and hitting the road – again.

I know, the rest of you are really feeling for us, right? Weeks of seeing, trying and talking about the newest gear in the entire outdoor industry. Many of you are looking at the one or possibly two events you can find time to attend, wondering why you can’t see the latest-and-greatest when they’re announced.

Maybe you can- at least in fishing. There’s a new site up and running on the internet that’s been created specifically to bring a SportShow to you year-round, on demand. It’s called the http://vshow.on24.com/vshow/nasportshow?l=en#home> North American Sportshow , and the goal is simple: bring you the latest news and information on new products, along with the ability to buy them and get them shipped directly to your door.

It’s the brainchild of David Gray, one of those “idea” guys who’s not afraid to put his idea to the test. If you’re familiar with Ardent fishing rods, you’ve seen David’s work. He first told me about his idea at SHOT Show, promising to contact me when it the North American Sportshow was ready to go.

Having spent some time on it over the past few days, I’d say he’s got it coming together. Plenty of “name” companies, state tourism offices and even some media outlets are already in attendance, and he tells me things are moving along steadily.

The first thing you see when you attend is a quick screen test to make certain you have all the plug-ins you’ll need to best experience the show. The second, an uptempo introduction from outdoor communicator Josh Lantz that gives you the rundown on the show and it’s goals.

You can quickly decide what you want to see in the various booths- with no one standing in your way, bumping you with trolleys full of “free stuff” or beeping at you from their own motorized chair. All pluses to us.

From there, you’re in to one of several “areas”. In the Auditorium, for example, you’ll be able to see presentations on the latest-and-greatest products from exhibitors. The Exhibit Hall is exactly what it sounds like, a graphical representation of trade show booths -with a couple of exceptions: no crowds jostling you and the ability to easily navigate in any direction.

When you click on a “booth” you have several options, from watching their product info videos, to going to “learn more” and moving to the Show’s Resource Center where you can browse literature and collect your own digital equivalent of a bulging trade show literature bag.

Sorry, no pens, pencils, stickers, pins or candy. And now ripped plastic bags or “stuff” to clutter up your workspace. But you can enter for a variety of prizes- up to a completely equipped Ranger boat. You can also enter your contact information if you’re interested in learning more and want an exhibiting company to contact you.

Wandering the show floor, I realized there was another advantage to the virtual show- material could be updated and the information wasn’t going out-of-date. In fact, show specials could be managed on-the-fly. If I were a manufacturer, a tourism department, or even an enterprising retailer with enough volume to offer products online and fill orders with affordable shipping, I’d be considering the North American as one of the shows I added to my 2014 planning budget.

One advantage of the digital show is the ability to actually measure attendance and statistical information on your booth. It gives you the ability to tweak offerings, change-up specials and actually see what’s getting the attendees’ attention.

And the show isn’t going to run out of space. Utilizing ON24 Virtual Show as the backbone, the North American Sportshow is “scalable” in computer-speak; with more than 24,000 shows “served up”, ON24 has the ability to expand computer space and bandwidth to accommodate enough visitors to crowd the Las Vegas or Orlando convention venues.

It’s not a free show, but there’s a value in being able to regularly visit a site that’s designed to bring you the latest-and-greatest in the industry.