Monthly Archives: August 2014

Beating the Heat Growing Up By Going Fishing

One of my favorite ways to beat the hot weather when I was growing up was to go fishing. Weather like we have had the past few weeks always brings back memories of those days, back when we did not start school until after Labor Day and could fish and enjoy life for a full three months during the summer.

From the time I was about 10 until I got my driver’s license at 16 I spent many wonderful summer days at local ponds. I would ride my bicycle to them, often traveling five or six miles to fish. Most of the time one of my friends was with me and we would make a day of our fishing trip.

My bicycle had a huge basket up front, big enough for my Old Pal tackle box. I would hold my Mitchell 300 reel and rod across the handle bars and head off. Usually we packed a lunch, and it mostly consisted of saltine crackers and Vienna Sausage or Ritz crackers and potted meat. Sometimes we carried sardines, but they were not my favorite at that age.

Drinks were a problem. Back in those days cans were unheard of and all drinks came in bottles. We did not have the small ice chests that are so popular now, so we would sometimes wrap our drinks in newspaper to keep it somewhat cool. Most of the time we just took a Mason jar of water along since a hot Coke was not real good, even at that age.

Riding to the ponds would make us very hot but we solved that as soon as we got there. Jeans and tennis shoes were the uniform of the day and as soon as we parked the bikes and got our tackle rigged up we would start wading. Easing around the pond in the shallows, casting ahead of us, we would carefully fish every bit of cover available.

I can still feel the mud oozing around my feet and the cool spots we would sometimes hit. It was amazing how the water would be real warm but suddenly we would find a pocket of cool water. Those were probably springs but we did not realize it then. Those spots were favorites to stand and cast from for a long time, even if nothing hit. We leaned where they were in each of the ponds we fished.

Now I watch a depthfinder on my boat to find underwater stumps, ditches, rocks and other cover and structure. Back then it was more personal. My feet were my depthfinder. Over the summer I would locate stumps, rocks, brush and ditches with my feet then fish them the next time we made a trip to that pond.

We learned to slide our feet along slowly, mainly so we would not disturb the fish, but also so we would not step off into a hole. It was not unusual to wade up to neck deep, especially when crossing a cove or ditch to get to the other side. As often as not we would have to swim some, doing a kind of dog paddle with our feet while holding rods and reels over our heads.

In those days catch and release was unknown, we practiced catch and hot grease. We kept and ate just about everything we caught. A stringer tied onto a belt loop always received bass and bream that hit our lures and we had to be careful wading with some fish following us around. We always worried about snakes trying to come eat our fish, but it never happened. I am sure the snakes were more scared of us than we were of them.

I learned early on not to wade too close to stumps that came above the water in the ponds. They usually had a small bush growing on them, and we were afraid of snakes. But the biggest danger were the wasp nest built on them. It is hard to run from wasps when wading chest deep, and, unlike a snake, they will come after you if you get too close.

When we took a break for lunch our wet clothes provided air conditioning and the ride home on our bicycles was cool and comfortable. There was no air conditioning at home, but there was a mother waiting to make sure we left wet, dirty shoes and jeans at the back door. I always hated to take them off but it helped knowing they would be waiting on me the next day for another fishing trip.

Another View on Gulf Red Snapper Management

Red Snapper Catch

From William Teehan, Another View on Gulf Red Snapper Management

Here’s an alternate take on the current haggling over red snapper management in the Gulf of Mexico. We may not necessarily agree with it, but Bill Teehan has been around fishery management a long time and has a lot of useful knowledge on the topic-here are his thoughts:

By William Teehan
from The Fishing Wire

As a retired Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission marine fisheries manager who represented the agency at Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meetings, a July 15, 2014, Congressional Sportsman s Caucus press release published in The Fishing Wire entitled re e Congressional Sportsman Commission marine fisheries manager who represented the agency at Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meetings, I’ve built up a lot of information about this issue, how it came about and why the Council is considering it. Frankly, I found the press release and its additional signatories the American Sportfishing Association, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, the Center for Coastal Conservation, the International Game Fish Association, the Coastal Conservation Association, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation misleading. I would like to take this opportunity to debunk a few of the statements made in the press release.

Currently, there are two very distinct components to the recreational fishing sector, but the Caucus and its press release signatories do not want to recognize the differences. The recreational sector is comprised of anglers that hire federally permitted vessels to access the fishery and anglers that own private vessels and do not rely upon the for-hire fleet to go fishing. Under current management, these two distinct recreational angler groups share one red snapper quota.

The Caucus issue is with the Councils proposed Reef Fish Amendment 40, which will separate these two distinct fishing groups into their own sectors within the recreational red snapper fishery. Short story: Amendment 40 proposes looking at the catch histories of these two distinct components and making them their own sectors on equal footing with each other based upon their historical catches.

The Caucus states that Amendment 40 will divide the recreational quota e two distinct components and making them their own sfor-hire sectors. The Caucus is misleading this as the Council preferred alternative. In reality, the Council is considering establishing the private angler share as 54.1% and the for-hire share as 45.9% of the recreational quota. These allotments are based on average landings histories between 1996 through 2013. The Council has also requested new alternatives based upon different landings. All catch history alternatives exclude 2010 landings because of the broad closures resulting from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. To see the full suite of allocation alternatives please see Council’s Sector Separation video.

The Caucus lays the blame for the red snapper situation squarely at the feet of the Council, going so far as to say that the Council is not working “to develop real solutions to the challenges facing the recreational red snapper management.a In reality, the Council has been working on red snapper management alternatives for decades by implementing various management tools such as bag and size limits, seasons, and quotas. The concept of separating the recreational sector components first arose in late 2008 when federal fishery managers, of which I was one, were required by the 2007 Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization to get serious about ending overfishing in marine waters.

Before the 2007 Magnuson-Stevens Acterfisauthorization, the red snapper fishery was severely overfished and substantial cuts were made to both commercial and recreational sector quotas to begin rebuilding the depleted stock. The commercial sector even adopted an individual fishing quota management tool to keep their fishermen on the water while protecting the red snapper resource. Since 2007, the commercial sector has not exceeded their quota once, while the recreational sector has gone over theirs every year, excepting 2010.

The Caucus attempts to compare sector separation to the individual fishing quota program presently used in the commercial sector. In reality, there is no comparison between the two sectors. The commercial quota program allots individual fishermen a share of the fishery based upon landings history; whereas, sector separation would split the overall recreational quota between private anglers and the for-hire sectors based upon landings histories of the sectors, not individual anglers. Each new recreational sector would be responsible for their quota, which will allow managers the flexibility the Caucus and its signatories ask for and allow the new sectors to use their quota as their fishery dictates.

The Caucus press release also suggests that sector separation will expand to other fisheries. But sector separation is only one type of management tool. In the case of Amendment 40, it is being discussed for the Gulf recreational red snapper fishery only. There are no plans to apply this tool to other fisheries at this time; however, it is available to use on as a species or a complex basis.

Finally, the Caucus press release would make you believe that sector separation is a done deal. It points the reader to the next two full Council meetings in August and October as the ock. hallenges frn the tide.r The reality is that the Council will be conducting public hearings in all of the Gulf States during early August to gather public testimony on a draft document, including suggestions for management alternatives. The Council will also be taking written comments on Amendment 40. Dates, times and locations for those hearings can be found here.

Is There An Easy Way To Raise and Lower A Trolling Motor?

Boat Position Breakthrough system for raising and lowering trolling motors
from The Fishing Wire

Automatic Trolling Motor

For years, anglers with bad backs have been asking for an auto-stow trolling motor-and now Minn Kota has released just such a motor-read about it here:

New fully-automatic Minn Kota Ulterra raises the bar in boat control

Boat control is critical in the quest to catch more fish, and electric trolling motors have long been a key ally in positioning our fishing platforms, especially when wind, current and other complicating factors come into play.

Still, even the finest trolling motors at times leave us wanting more, particularly when we’re faced with the prospect of manually deploying, stowing and adjusting the height of the powerhead.

That is, until now. Minn Kota’s new Ulterra bowmount trolling motor gives anglers complete, automated control over these critical functions, revolutionizing the art of boat positioning in the process.

“Along with a full suite of high-performance features such as integrated i-Pilot Link, the fast-response, electric steer Ulterra packs the groundbreaking punch of auto deploy, stow and power trim features,” say s veteran guide, tournament champ and all-around fishing expert Scott Glorvigen.

Minnkota Automatic Trolling Motor

Minn Kota’s Ulterra deploys, stows and trims up or down with a push of a button.

While the technology is cutting edge, the concept is simple. “With the push of a button, Ulterra makes us more effective, efficient and safer fishermen,” Glorvigen continues. Operated by handheld remote or foot pedal, the unit responds to Auto Stow, Auto Deploy, Power Trim and a host of other commands. Plus, thanks to the i-Pilot system and slick features such as Spot Lock, it offers complete, fully automated boat control.

“It’s a huge advantage in a variety of situations,” says Glorvigen. “For example, shallow water cover and structure can be fish magnets. With traditional trolling motors, you really have to pay attention to follow tight contours and manually respond to changes in water depth and the height of the cover. Ulterra automates and dominates these scenarios, so I can focus on fishing.”

Effortless operation also encourages anglers to drop the hammer in areas they previously passed up. “Manually deploying and stowing traditional trollers is enough of a hassle that there are times we elect not to use them because it’s easier to leave them in the cradle and move on,” says Glorvigen.

Examples of commonly lost opportunities include downsized slices of structure and cover that seem to small to justify the effort required to drop the trolling motor, along with current- and wave-washed areas where the boat would quickly slip out of position before we could fire up the bowmount. Sadly, such areas can be sweet spots, meaning the cost of not fishing them adds up to countless missed catches.

“Also, think about how many times you’ve burned daylight idling over dead water while moving from one high-percentage area to another, only because it’s such a pain to run up to the bow and stow the trolling motor,” Glorvigen adds. “Ulterra takes away all the excuses.”

Ulterra’s fully automated operation allows anglers to focus on fishing.
On the safety front, Ulterra eliminates the need to bend over the bow to stow the trolling motor. “Although I’ve never fallen overboard, there have been many times, especially in rough water, where I’ve had to be really careful,” Glorvigen says, noting that Ulterra’s auto stow and deploy also puts an end to out-of-control drifts while toggling between main engine and trolling motor. “No more scrambling between the bow and the helm while the boat’s at the mercy of wind, waves and current,” he explains. “You’re in control the whole time, with no chance of drifting into nearby boats, the dock or other water hazards.”

Other safety features include a low-battery alarm that warns when power levels approach the minimum needed to stow the unit. “You can still use the motor when an alarm sounds,” says Glorvigen. “And if the power does drop too low to raise the powerhead, you can always manually store it.” Both the foot control and handheld remote are also armed with failsafe measures to prevent accidental deployment.

To accommodate a variety of boats and uses, the new Ulterra is available in 24- and 36-volt systems yielding 80 and 112 pounds of thrust, respectively, with shaft lengths of 45 and 60 inches. “The longer version is critical in heavy seas when you need the powerhead as far in the water as possible,” says Glorvigen.

“In deployment mode, both sizes rise vertically, then drop the lower unit straight down,” he adds. “So you can deploy them amazingly close to a dock or other structure. It’s one more convenience and safety benefit of this great new boat-positioning system.”

Video Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI2_-BBheB8&feature=youtu.be

How Can I Catch Summer Trout On Topwater Baits?

Summer Topwater Trout

By William Redmond
from The Fishing Wire

They could very well be one of the most underrated of Florida’s sport fish. Lacking the sturdiness of a snook or redfish, speckled trout are known for their soft bodies and paper thin mouths, but once these fish reach about 24 inches, they earn the nickname “gator trout” for an undeniable ferocity most clearly displayed in their treatment of topwater plugs.

From a boat or on foot, casting surface plugs for speckled trout ranks as one of the most popular angling pursuits for shallow water anglers throughout the Sunshine State’s Gulf Coast region. Capt. Jason Stock, who guides from a flats skiff and a kayak, knows well the trout’s penchant for attacking topwaters. For him, the entertainment value is tough to beat.

“It’s so visually exciting,” Stock said. “When they pop it, there’s no question. He may blast it, miss it and come right back for it again.”

Trout On Spook

The venerable Heddon Spook, in nearly any size, can be a seatrout killer in summer.

Stock’s a fan of Heddon topwaters – typically the Spook Junior in calm conditions and a One Knocker Spook when a summer breeze puts a little motion on the ocean and requires an audible trail to help the trout track their target. A 7- to 7 ½-foot medium- action spinning outfit with 25-pound braid and a 20- to 30-pound fluorocarbon leader will handle even the 7-pound-plus monsters. At any size, Stock said, trout are crafty fish, so seamless attention is a must.

“Be ready, because they might hit at the end of a long cast,” he said.

Trout are widely dispersed throughout Florida’s coastal environments, but Stock has three favorite scenarios:

Daybreak

Easing up to island edges or onto the top of a skinny grass flat just as the sun starts to “pink out” the sky, Stock expects to find big trout hunting finger mullet, sardines and anything else they can catch in a foot or so of water. Dimpling pods of bait are a sure sign, as the food source won’t go overlooked by hungry trout.

Stealth is a must in this shallow habitat, as big trout are keenly aware of their vulnerability to porpoises and ospreys. Here, especially, long rods and thin-diameter braid play essential roles in achieving the long casts needed to reach these fish from a distance they can tolerate.

Note: Minimize your movement in a boat, as pressure wakes will alert the perceptive trout. Likewise, wade with soft, sliding steps rather than a noisy, stomping pace that sounds like thunder beneath the surface.

For either Spook model, Stock likes the bone, chrome and black/gold colors. It’s the same for the new 3 ½-inch Chug’n Spook Jr., which creates more surface commotion while still retaining the ability to do the classic walk-the-dog retrieve. Stock often employs a slow, steady retrieve with a 1-2-3, 1-2-3 cadence that produces the enticing walk-the-dog action. Resembling a wayward finger mullet, this Spook display will draw some of the most indescribably violent strikes you’ll ever see.

When it’s on, this shallow water trout bite will have you begging the sun to delay its ascent, but once the big orange ball rises high enough to start warming the meager depths, the daybreak madness quickly wanes and it’s time to move on to Scenario Number 2.

Midday

During the heat of midday, anglers often ditch their trout pursuits and turn their attention elsewhere. Stock, however, knows that trout don’t depart the area – they simply relocate. In most cases, the fish will move away from the shallow flats and slip off the outer edges of adjacent bars.

Settling into potholes and grassy trenches in the 4- to 6-foot range, the fish usually require a little more coaxing before they’ll venture topside. This is where the One Knocker and the Chug’n Spook really shine, as this low-pitch rattle speaks to the trout’s belly and the added surface disturbance makes the lure easier to locate and track.

Tidal movement always benefits predators with food delivery, but incoming cycles really stimulate summer fish with cooler, oxygenated water. Also, Stock said weather can profoundly influence the midday action.

“Approaching storms will often get the fish going,” he said. “They might chew really good right before the rain comes and then also after the storm because that rain cools the water.”

After Hours

Nighttime offers a twofold benefit for trout anglers. For one thing, lower light reduces visibility and thereby makes the fish more approachable. Moreover, the abundance of dock and bridge lights offer countless targets where Stock finds trout ambushing tide-born crustaceans and baitfish that flow past the illuminated areas.

Fish bars and flats for trout

Topwater trout action is best at dawn and dusk on the flats, but you might also connect at mid-day by fishing the outer edges of flats and bars.

A variety of baits work in this scenario and topwaters certainly have their place in the game. Walk a spook past the edge of a dock light and the result may look like someone dropped a coconut into the water.

Of course, the pinnacle of nighttime trout fishing is the full moon phase when the silvery beams bring the dock light affect to the entire coastal region. Anglers are still better concealed than they are pre-sundown, but trout enjoy the cooler feeding period with plenty of visibility for targeting those bait schools. Stock said he uses his ears as much as his eyes to locate the full-moon action.

“You can hear the smaller mullet getting blasted,” he said. “Look where there’s activity, ease in slowly and anchor off the mullet schools. Or, if you’re looking, just drift through the area and fan cast.”

In any of these scenarios, remember that those giant “gator” trout that love Spooks are typically females. Handle these fish with great care and consider releasing your bigger trout. Returning these breeders to their coastal habitat will help perpetuate Florida’s awesome topwater action.

Fishing Lake Wheeler and Lake Sinclair

I got to fish two different lakes this past week with different results. On Tuesday I went to Wheeler and met Dawson Lenz, a college fisherman from Peachtree City. He won a lot of youth and high school tournaments here then chose North Alabama College since it is right on a great fishing lake. He says he can be on the lake 15 minutes after his last class each day.

Dawson organized a college fishing team there and is its president. This year they are rated the number one College team in the US. They have 28 members and most of them have boats, and most are very good fishermen and they win a lot of college level tournaments and many of them plan on a professional fishing career.

A week ago last Friday Dawson fished Wheeler and landed five bass weighing 18 pounds. He caught them on one ledge in
Spring Creek. We started at daylight and I hooked and lost a nice three pound bass on a popping frog on top. A few minutes later Dawson had another three pounder hit and it, too, came off.

We fished hard until about 2:00 PM but never caught a keeper bass, even on the place he landed the great catch just a few days earlier.
There was no current on Tuesday, a death knell for bass fishing on many lakes like Wheeler, but there had been current on
Fridays when he caught them.

Dawson did catch a couple of throwbacks before we left by flipping shallow grass but that was it.

He is a good fisherman but some days are really tough. Friday was one of them.

Last Saturday night eleven members of the Spalding County Sportsman club fished our July tournament at Sinclair. We braved rain when we started at 5:00 PM and then heavy boat traffic when it got pretty at about 6:30. Fishing was tough, with only two limits and three people not catching a keeper in eight hours of casting.

I was lucky and won fish a five fish limit weighing about 8.5 pounds and had big fish with a 2.75 pound largemouth. Brian Bennetth was second with the other limit weighing a few tenths of a pound less.

At dark I was real frustrated. I had fished some of my best spot in Little River and Rooty Creek without getting a bite. Just before full dark I decide to run to the dam and try to change my luck.

I stopped on one of my favorite places, a sea wall with rock that drops into deep water quickly. One of my first casts to the seawall with a Zoom Mag 2 worm got a hit and I landed a two pounder. I was excited, a good keeper in the boat at 9:00 with four hours left to fish.

I worked on around that bank and caught another keeper beside a boathouse on the same seawall. By now it was full dark and I saw three shoreline lights ahead of me. All three lit the water around them and I got a keeper off each. Two of them hit as soon as may worm hit the water. The big one hit in two feet of water between a dock and the bank at 11:00 PM.

I fished hard until 1:00 when we quit but never got another bite, but those five were enough.

Carters Lake Fishing Report

July 31, 2014

Carters Lake.

Line side fishing is very good. We have been catching stripers up to 24 pounds and hybrids weighing close to 13 pounds this past month. Down lining shad at 30 to 50 feet has been our best over all bite. The mouth of most of the major creeks on the south end of the lake are holding stripers. And the backs of the Creeks, main lake points and humps are holding the Hybrids. Fresh bait is the key to catching line sides on Carter. Be sure to carry plenty of bait. We are also catching a few fish on lead core. I am running a 2 ounce jig with a white trailer and 7 to 9 colors depending on the day at 2.9 miles and hour.

Anglers, we have a book on BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA that has GPS 50 coordinates also. Ask for samples of the book and the coordinates from ken@southernfishing.com Try these two N 34 10 846 W 84 43 128 Good spawning pockets in McCaskey Creek. Use Sammy 100 and Big swim baits around the schooling fish. N 34 10 294 W 84 43 092 Good spawning area around Bartow County ramp with a Sammy 100 and big swim bait area.

Meet Lowrance Pro Staffer, Ken Sturdivant at the new Cabela’s in Acworth, Georgia, August 21 though 24, 2014. Ken will be hosting these FREE Seminars: FRIDAY August 22, 2014 at 3 pm and 7 pm: Fishing Georgia Lakes for bass. SATURDAY August 23, 2014 at 3 pm and 7 pm: Finding Fish with Lowrance technology. SUNDAY August 24, 2014 at 3 pm and 5 pm: The Bass Anglers Tackle Box. Located at the Cherokee Village at I 75 and Highway 92, Kennesaw Georgia

Call Ken about the Southern Fishing Schools exclusive ON THE WATER SCHOOLS for SONAR or Rods Reels and Lures for Bass. Call for 770 889 2654 or ken@southernfishing.com for more info

Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Pro Staff, will be at Dreher Island State Park, 3677 State Park Road, Prosperity South Carolina 29127, August 13 through 17, 2014. Ken will doing Lowrance demonstration rides from 8am until 2pm Thursday, Friday Saturday and Sunday at the park.

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