| By DAVID RAINER Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources  from The Fishing Wire With a nickname like Pier Pounder, David Thornton of Mobile has seen his favorite pastime disappear with 2020’s double whammy of hurricanes. Hurricane Sally took the Gulf State Park Pier out of commission, and Hurricane Zeta destroyed Cedar Point Pier in Mobile County. “I guess you can call me the Pier-less Pounder because the only pier open in the Mobile area is the Fairhope Pier, and it’s closed at night because they don’t have any lights,” Thornton said. However, Thornton has a major backup plan, thanks to Alabama’s beautiful beaches and surf teeming with a variety of fish species. Thornton said he’s been hooked on fishing in the surf since he was 12, and a trip to Gulf State Park Pier with his buddy, Tom Allenbach, sealed his loved for pier fishing. “Tom was fishing a live alewife under a float,” Thornton said of the trip to Gulf State Park Pier. “He told me to hold his rod while he caught more bait. I asked him how I would know when I got a bite. He said, ‘You’ll know.’ About that time, I felt a tug and thought I was hung on somebody else’s line. Then the fish took off, stripping drag. It was about a 10 ½-pound king, and that was when I really got hooked on pier fishing.” But for now, fishing from shore is where Thornton will be until a portion of Gulf State Park Pier is reopened sometime late this winter. Before Thornton decides where to pursue fish in the surf, he gathers information about weather, water, wind and tide conditions. “Know what the weather is going to be like with the marine forecast,” he said. “It’s not that I look for any certain conditions; it’s just that I want to know what to expect and adjust. I look at the tide tables. Then I’ll decide where I’m going and what I’m going to fish for based on the conditions. “Ideal conditions would be 10-15 mph winds either onshore or sideshore with waves 1 to 3 feet. For shore fishing, it’s really better with a little chop on the water. I think it stimulates the fish to bite more readily. Also, you have current flow. If there is a current working over the sandbar, you want to pay special attention to the tide, especially if it’s close to a pass. If it’s too rough or too calm or with very little tidal movement, the fish don’t cooperate as well. If I’m going to fish a neap tide, I’m going to fish close to the pass. ”When Alabama’s tides come off a neap cycle, the tide swings will sometimes reach more than 2 feet from low tide to high tide. That’s when Thornton likes to be fishing the open beaches. “That tide movement stimulates the bite,” he said. “When I go, I’m looking for a longshore sandbar. The longshore sandbar is usually 100 to 150 yards off the beach. But there are places where the longshore sandbar swings in closer to the shore. The best places are where the sandbar is within casting range. That creates a pinch point where the fish are going to be moving from one trough to the next. When the bar is closer, you can use lighter tackle and target a variety of fish. “I’d much rather catch a big fish on light tackle and take a long time than catch a small fish on heavy tackle.” Thornton casts to the inside edge of the sandbar to start the day and adjusts his casts according to the bite. “The fish tend to feed along the edges,” he said. “They use the sandbars for protection from predatory fish. The area from the shore out to the first bar is where most of the fish live. That old adage is that 90 percent of the fish live in 10 percent of the water. It’s the same in the surf. ”Speaking of light tackle, Thornton truly goes as light as possible. Where some folks show up on the beaches with long rods with 20- to 30-pound line, Thornton fishes with line in a range from 4-pound-test to 15-pound-test. He uses his 10- to -12-foot rods with the 15-pound line for the long casts. He takes his 7-foot rods and light line for fishing closer to the shore. However, anything can bite any of his rigs. “I’ve hooked 20-pound black drum within 10 feet of the shore, and I’ve caught whiting and pompano out by the sandbar,” he said. “The mistake I see most people make is they’ll cast out as far as they can, pop the rod in a rod holder, plop down in a chair and wait for a fish to bite. If they don’t catch anything, they say the fish weren’t biting that day. Odds are, they overcast the fish. With light tackle, I feel like I have just as much fun catching 14- to 16-inch whiting and an occasional pompano as somebody heaving this heavy tackle and waiting hours between bites.” Thornton uses No. 4 Kahle hooks and a variety of sinkers from pyramid to no-roll egg-shaped. If he wants the bait to remain stationary, he sticks with the pyramids. If he doesn’t mind the bait moving a little, he’ll use the flattened egg sinkers or coin sinkers. “If I’ve got a side wind that is creating current, I can also use that slow-moving bait to cover more ground,” he said. “That way, I’m not just throwing darts at the fish. If your bait is moving too fast, you may have to go to a pyramid.” Thornton suggests forgoing the ready-made pompano rigs and sticking with lighter line. “If you’re targeting one- to two-pound whiting and one- to three-pound pompano, even 20-pound line is overkill,” he said. “Light line allows the fish to give account of themselves. They’re really feisty for their size. When you match the tackle with the fish, you’re going to have a lot more fun, and I really think you get more bites. It seems like every time I step down in tackle size, the number of bites I get practically doubles. Whiting and pompano can be particularly line-shy at times.” Thornton considers the Florida pompano as his target species, but he is happy as can be with what he calls the “byproduct” of pompano fishing, which is whiting, a silvery species with a black patch at the top of its tail. Known as Gulf kingfish elsewhere, whiting don’t get much larger than two pounds but are delicious table fare. Thornton said Southern kingfish, known locally as ground mullet, are common in the surf at Dauphin Island.“Whiting, by far, is the most prevalent fish in the surf,” he said. “But you never really know what you’re going to catch.” As far as bait, Thornton uses fresh dead shrimp with the heads and tails pinched off when he has run out of ghost shrimp, a crustacean that lives in the surf that is caught using a suction pump commonly called a slurp gun to extract the creatures from the sand. On our outing last week, the fish definitely showed a preference for ghost shrimp. Thornton also uses a product called Fish Bites, a product with different scents infused into the material. Thornton said shore anglers will be able to catch whiting and a few pompano throughout the winter. When the water gets a little colder, sheepshead will show up around all the jetties. The pompano limit in Alabama is three fish with a minimum total length of 12 inches. The limits on sheepshead are 10 per person with a 12-inch fork length minimum. Whiting have no size or creel limit. The best time all year to fish the surf is in the spring, according to Thornton, who keeps readers apprised of coastal fishing conditions with columns in Great Days Outdoors and the Mullet Wrapper.“Late March through April and possibly early May is the time to fish the beach, especially for pompano,” he said. “With the lockdown this past spring, we didn’t get to fish for pompano until May. The Gulf State Park Pier was still open during that time, and the pompano catches were astounding. ”Thornton is definitely going to celebrate when the Gulf State Park Pier reopens a portion of the pier about 40 feet past the middle section with the restrooms. “I’ll be ecstatic,” he said. “The cruelest irony of all was the pier had scheduled a grand reopening the day that Sally smashed it. I was supposed to give a little talk that day, and I was going to reminisce about walking out on the new pier after many people had been waiting five years for the pier to be rebuilt after Ivan. It took my breath away. I remember on the old pier, we would often say, ‘If it was just 100 yards longer.’ Then they built it 200 yards longer. The fishing was just outstanding. “When I walked out on the pier before Sally I couldn’t help but think about all those people who helped me become a better fishermen, people like Harley Rogers and so many others. For most of the people who are regulars on the pier, they have the attitude of ‘pay it forward.’ When you see somebody struggling, you try to help them with their tackle or bait. Then you see their whole attitude change. You don’t see that everywhere. That’s one of the things that makes Gulf State Park Pier special.” |
St Croix Rod Sale
| Sale is LIVE! St. Croix rods deliver distinct advantages on the water. This year, give the anglers on your list what they really want… St. Croix pride and handcrafted performance. Whether shopping for others or taking advantage of deep savings to add to your personal rod collection, St. Croix has anglers covered with our special two-week Holiday Sales Event, starting this Friday, December 4th and running through the 20th. St. Croix’s Holiday Sales Event will run from 7:00 AM CDT on Friday, December 4th through 10:00 PM CDT Sunday, December 20th. Shoppers at www.stcroixrods.com/collections/rod-shopper can take 40% off select retired Avid Salmon & Steelhead and Wild River rods; 40% off select retired Sole fly rods; 30% off retired Mojo Inshore and retired Tidemaster rods; and 25% off retired Mojo Ice, Triumph, Triumph Salmon & Steelhead, Triumph Surf, Triumph Travel and Reign rods and even some left over combo’s from the Black Friday sales event! |
Deer Camp Memories
As I threw another log on the fire, my mind wandered over the past 40 years of deer camp here. When I first joined, the “old” men mostly stayed in camp and didn’t hunt much. For several years “Captain” was the old man in charge of the fire. Now it is my “old man” job and I don’t leave camp much.
After spending almost half my life in the club, memories are plentiful. Hundreds of nights sitting around the fire, eating parched or boiled peanuts and sharing stores, some of them mostly true, revive past experiences. And the same ones are told over and over, drawing amazed reactions from young members and smiles from us older ones.
And we celebrate and morn lost members. Many of the young members fathers I watched grow up and become men over the years. They pass on their traditions to their children, just as their fathers passed them on to them. The never-ending cycle of outdoor and hunting life.
Many of the stories are funny and draw laughs every year. Tales of cut shirt tails, stories of first blood, memories of members walking to their stand in a circle in the dark and ending back up at camp, all bring chuckles.
One of mine is finding the perfect place for my climbing stand, easing up the tree in the dark then staring another club member in the eyes in a tree only 30 feet away. Or the time I helped build a permanent stand with a friend, only to have him not be able to hunt it opening day. He doesn’t laugh much when I mention the big nine point I killed from that stand on opening day, but everybody else does.
Four wheelers stuck in the creek are both funny and scary. Turning a four-wheeler upside down on top of you in a creek is not funny until after you are safe. It is funny now to remember the work of the six of us laboring for hours to get it out, but at the time it was only exhausting.
Some of the scariest stories are the one or two about stands breaking and tumbling members to the ground. Fortunately, none ended up with serious injuries, just injured pride.
Many of my memories revolve around a stand I have hunted for more than 30 years. It is a simple stand, 2x4s nailed between two sweetgum trees about 24 inches apart 20 feet off the ground with a 16-inch piece of plywood nailed on top of them. Spikes driven into the trees 30 years ago are sticking out barely enough for a boot hold now.
The stand has been sweetened over the years. A small shelf is placed in the perfect position to hold my coffee cup. Sticks cross the area above my head, placed just right for a black plastic bag to stretch over and protect me from rain. And a nail holds my hanging rifle in position to raise it without excess movement.
I found the place for the stand by accident. I found a creek hillside that seemed to be perfect for a stand, near the very end of one of our roads. I loaded materials to build it in the truck then headed to the end of the road.
Before toting everything through the woods, I remembered hunting too close to the other club member so I walked around a little. Sure enough, there was another stand, hidden in an oak tree, looking over the same hillside.
I went back to the truck disappointed and started driving slowly back out, watching the ground on either side of the road carefully. When I spotted a trail crossing it, I stopped and followed the trail though some pines to where they stopped at the edge of hardwoods. There was a slight opening along the edge from an old logging road.
Careful inspection proved there were no other stands for at least 200 yards in any direction. I built the stand with help from a fellow club member. The first morning I hunted it I was shocked how close it was to Highway 18. The bends in the road fooled me. I could glimpse 18 wheelers traveling along the road, and their tire noise often make it hard to hear.
Even with the noise problem I have killed more than 40 deer from that stand.
Some of those kills I was very proud of, some not so much. One day I glimpsed a deer facing me about 50 yards away at the very end of the old logging road. Young pines hid part of it but I could clearly see its head and chest since it was facing me. I shot it with my 30-30 in the chest and it dropped.
When I got to it, I was shocked how small it was. Although it was doe day and I was hunting meat, I wanted a bigger deer since the limit was two a year back then. I was able to pick up the 40-pound yearling by its back legs and carry it over my shoulder, not drag it out.
I quickly gutted and skinned it and took it home, since I did not want to take it back to camp and get kidded about its size. I quartered that deer, cut its backbone in half and froze it. Each piece fit in a big crockpot! But it was some of the most tender venison I have ever eaten!
I was very proud of a big ten point I shot from that stand, but I really didn’t put any effort into finding it, it just happened to wander by me. It fell near the camp road and I drove to it. As I drug it to the truck and started loading it, another member stopped on his way out of the woods and helped load it.
He gave me a sour look and said “I have been hunting that deer all week!”
Don’t miss a chance to make memories in a deer camp.
NMMA: Consumers Believe Current E15 Label Is Ineffective In Protecting Consumers
 The results of a new national poll initiated by a group of organizations representing manufacturers, retailers, and consumers of non-road engine equipment and products reveals the vast majority of consumers find current E15 labeling at gas pumps to be ineffective in communicating the dangers of this type of fuel for usage in small engines like those in boats, off road vehicles, motorcycles, and lawn mowers.Led by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), the survey, conducted by Survey Monkey during the week of November 2, 2020, polled a nationally representative pool of 515 users aged 20 to 65 on their awareness of E15, a type of gasoline blended with 10.5-15% ethanol. The full results, which focused on consumer labeling of the fuel, can be found here. Among the key findings: A mere 18.25% of consumers think the current E15 label used at gas pumps across the country is very effective in showing that E15 is hazardous to certain types of engines.Consumers were more than four times as likely to prefer a prototype design with direct language and visual representations of the fuel’s risk, saying the improved label elements of the prototype more clearly serve as a warning than the current label.77.5% of respondents cited red as the best color of a label to convey warning, a contrast to the existing label color. Over 80% of respondents found the use of icons and visuals to be more effective than text-only versions.Considering only the text on the labels, consumers were twice as likely to say that the prototype had more effective language in communicating the hazards and risks of E15 than the real label.Beyond the design and wording of the label, another concern for consumers is the inconsistent placement of the E15 label at gas pumps: Roughly 70% of consumers noted that inconsistent or hidden E15 label placement made the labels less effective overall. This survey follows recent consideration by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to change, or remove E15 labels altogether, to encourage greater use of the biofuel. While the EPA has not specified what form these changes might take, they would likely further limit consumer warning measures and further exacerbate the misfuelling crisis. As the survey results demonstrate, any E15 label decision that fails to prioritize consumer safeguards would likely result in significant safety and financial implications for millions of consumers of products banned for E15 use by EPA. The results of this survey exemplify that the EPA should exercise a more robust label testing process to develop an improved label, expanding on the research put forth by NMMA and its partners. This solicitation of consumer label expert advice will ensure that the new label incorporates elements that are clear to the average person. For example, in the survey put forth by NMMA and its partners, consumers rated elements such as visual reinforcement, coloring, and the amount and type of language as the most effective to convey warning. To improve E15 labeling and educate consumers, NMMA and its partners developed a prototype label incorporating elements that consumers rated as most effective, including visual reinforcement, coloring, and clear, unambiguous language. In fact, 91.26% of respondents thought the prototype was either somewhat effective or very effective in showing that the fuel is hazardous to certain types of engines, compared to just 55.34% for the current label. As the EPA looks toward new labeling regulations, industry and consumer organization partners have called on the Federal government to factor in these considerations and solicit expert advice and consumer label research to better protect and inform consumers. “If there’s one thing apparent from the latest findings, it’s that we should be doing more to educate and warn consumers about the potential hazards of E15—not obscuring this information and increasing the likelihood that people will unknowingly incur costly damages,” said Nicole Vasilaros, Senior Vice President of Government and Legal Affairs at NMMA. “As a representative of the recreational boating industry, making sure our boaters and the broader public have the proper information they need to make decisions at the gas pump has been a major focus of NMMA and it will continue to be in the days ahead.” “This new polling confirms what our own surveys have shown for years – consumers need clearer labels at the fuel pump. There are more fuel blends and choices on the marketplace today, and consumers don’t always realize that what works in their car or truck, may damage their small engine equipment not designed, built or warranted for it,” said Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and the TurfMutt Foundation. “As the regulator of the fuels marketplace, the Federal government needs to improve pump labeling and educate consumers on the fuel blends available and how they should be used.” “The E15 warning label has never adequately alerted motorcyclists to the dangers of using E15 fuel in their motorcycles. This survey shows how simple changes can go a long way to increase the effectiveness of the label, prevent inadvertent misfuelling and keep motorcyclists safer,” said Michael Sayre, AMA’s Director of Government Relations. “The results of this survey couldn’t be clearer: the current warning label does not adequately educate consumers on the potential hazards of E15,” said Adam Fortier-Brown, Government Relations Manager for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “Updating this label to be more effective is long overdue. Doing so would provide a safer fueling experience for consumers so they do not unwittingly void their warranties and reduce the longevity and fuel efficiency of their engines. Our industry urges EPA to address this need by implementing a more effective label with standard placement on pumps to adequately educate consumers on current regulations.” “This information highlights what many boaters already know: not enough is being done to protect us from the harmful effects of higher ethanol blends on boat engines and fuel systems. While many boaters prefer having an ethanol free option, they have learned to live with gasoline blended with up to 10 percent ethanol. It is vital the EPA act to protect boating consumers from the higher ethanol blends using tools such as clear, unambiguous labeling at the pump,” said David B. Kennedy, Government Affairs Manager, Boat Owners of the United States (BoatU.S.). “The recently released E15 label survey results conducted by the National Marine Manufacturers Association are compelling and warrant consideration by policymakers,” said Mike Leonard, Vice President, American Sportfishing Association. “E15’s presence in the fuel supply is dangerous to recreational boaters and anglers, especially with a warning label that fails to sufficiently convey the problems it poses to motorboat engines. These results suggest that there are important changes to consider for the benefit and safety of America’s fuel consumers. We look forward to working with NMMA on holding the Environmental Protection Agency to a higher standard of fuel consumer safety and public education regarding E15 fuels. ”The overwhelming evidence from consumers suggests that policymakers should reevaluate the impacts of inconsistent E15 labeling, and look towards a renewed label testing process when putting forth alternatives. NMMA, AMA, and OPEI have long urged the Federal Government to gather consumer label research and reevaluate the ramifications of ambiguous E15 labels. Particularly at a time when many new consumers are entering the market, improving education and awareness on fuel blends and how they should be a top priority area for the EPA. For more information, please contact NMMA director of federal government relations, Callie Hoyt at choyt@nmma.org. |
Christmas Gifts for Fishermen
Black Friday has lost much of its hype with so many on-line sales and Black Friday sales in stores seeming to start after Valentine’s Day. But if you are looking for Christmas gifts for that special fisherman, I have some suggestions – all are things I use every trip.
If you have a really special fisherman in your life and want to be extravagant, consider a new Skeeter bass boat. You can get a fully rigged 20-foot Skeeter with a 250 Yamaha motor and most of the bells and whistles. They are on sale for only $69,500 including sales tax.
Somewhat more reasonable but still expensive, a Garmin Livescope depthfinder will show you in live action everything going on underwater around your boat. It is much like radar, showing fish movements and all cover. A head unit and transducer will set you back about $2600, on sale. They are amazing. I love and hate mine, watching fish follow my baits and not hit them, but at least I know I am casting to bass. And I enjoy watching schools of crappie suspended in treetops and how they move.
I really like St. Croix rods. Their Avid series medium heavy seven-foot rod is great for light worms and jigs and the medium action handles spinnerbaits, soft swim baits, crankbaits and more. They run about $180 and the Avid series is mid-range – they have more expensive and cheaper series, too.
Last year I bought a Lews American Hero rod at Berry’s Sporting Goods for heavy jigs and worms rigs. I liked it so much I bought a second one, then purchased a combo with rod and reel. The rods are about $60 and for that price they are great. Although I was skeptical of the reel that came with the combo for only $90 – a $30 reel is usually worth what you pay – so far it has worked great.
Warm, water proof boots are a necessity this time of year for hunting and fishing. I could not find any locally so I ordered a pair of Aleader boots for $50 and so far they are warm and comfortable. I wish they had a removable liner, but the fur lining is nice.
I usually wear 10½ EEE boots but I ordered size 12, and they are a little tight. If you order them get a bigger size than normal or you will probably have to return them.
I have my favorite lines for different methods. For spinnerbaits, some crankbaits and topwater I like Trilene Mean Green in 12 to 14-pound test, less than $10 for 700 yards. For slow moving baits like jigs, shaky heads and worms that bass get a chance to look at closely, Sunline fluorocarbon is my choice in 10 to 16-pound test. It runs $25 to $30 for a 200-yard spool, but it is invisible, tough and holds up well for me.
Crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits are good smaller gifts and run less than $10. I really like Rapala DT series crankbaits in a variety of colors and sizes. The number tells what depth they run, hence the name “Dives To.” A DT 6 runs six feet deep on ten-pound line, a DT 16 runs 16 feet deep.
I caught my biggest bass on a Suddeth Boss Hog crankbait, a nine-pound, seven-ounce largemouth at Jackson in 1991. Suddeth makes a good line of crankbaits in a variety of sizes and colors. They cost around $7 each.
The Hawg Hunter spinnerbaits work well for me and come in a variety of sizes and colors. And Rapala Jerkbaits work well for the price. There are more expensive jerkbaits, for example the Megabass and Lucky Craft Pointer series are about $15, and they may be worth it.
Professional bass fisherman Aaron Martens listed 25 things he must have in his tacklebox in an article in Bassmaster magazine. JJs Magic was one of them. I never throw a plastic bait that is not first dipped in chartreuse JJs Magic. It is about $7.50 a jar and comes in three colors and clear. The clear is just to add scent without changing color of baits.
For stocking stuffers, hooks, leads, swivels and other terminal tackle ranges from less than $2 to several dollars. Sinkers are hard to find right now, Berry’s bins are almost empty of popular sizes, but more will be in soon. And I like VMC, Gamakatsu and Owner hooks in a variety of sizes.
The best gift of all would be to take family and friends fishing and hunting to make memories for a lifetime. They are both “essential activities” not only during Covid but year-round, every year. And they are priceless.
Two Tournaments in November
Two weeks ago 20 members of the Potato Creek Bassmasters fished our November tournament at Lanier. We landed 50 14-inch keeper bass weighing about 99 pounds in eight hours of casting. There were five five-fish limits and two people didn’t catch a keeper.
Sam Smith won with five bass weighing 11.80 pounds, Drew Narramore came in second with five weighing 11.19 pounds, Raymond English placed third with five at 9.89 pounds and Niles Murray was fourth with five at 9.47 pounds. Kwong Yu had big fish with a 3.51 pounder.
Last Sunday 11 members of the Spalding County Sportsman club fished our November tournament at West Point. We landed 37 keepers weighing about 49 pounds in eight hours of fishing. All but four were spotted bass. There were three five-bass limits and no one zeroed.
Kwong Yu won with five weighing 9.27 pounds and his 2.52 pound bass was big fish. My five at 8.28 pounds was second, Niles Murray placed third with five weighing 6.17 pounds and Russell Prevatt had three at 4.46 pounds for fourth.
I Am Thankful for the Outdoors
Although 2020 has been a crazy year, I have much to be thankful for, even this year. Thanksgiving brings back many great memories and makes me realize what a good life I have had for 70 years.
Most of all I am thankful for a wonderful wife that has put up with me for 49 years. Only one time in all those years has she complained about my hundreds of fishing and hunting trips as well as other things.
One year at Thanksgiving my mama planned Thanksgiving dinner at our place at the lake. Every year I headed to Clarks Hill Wednesday afternoon with my boat as soon as school was out for the holidays. Most years I got up and fished a couple of hours
Thursday morning, then went into town for a big meal at lunch with my family.
That year mama had dinner at the lake so I could fish more hours. I went out early that morning with the warning “be in early enough for dinner” from mama. I told her I would come in early enough to get cleaned up for the extended family that was joining us.
I will never forget weighing the 7.1-pound bass that hit a Shadrapap on my DeLiar scales, then looking at my watch and noting it was 12:01 PM. I thought it was wonderful mama had planned dinner, not lunch, or I would have not caught it.
When I went in at 5:00 to get cleaned up for dinner, mama and Linda were not happy. Maybe it was a Freudian slip that made me forget mama always said dinner for noon day meals and supper for nighttime meals. Everyone that had come for dinner had already left and I missed seeing my brother and his family, several uncles and aunts and some cousins.
The only thing colder than the cold stares I got that afternoon from mama and Linda was the cold turkey sandwich I had for Thanksgiving “dinner.”
I am thankful for growing up in a family with parents that were tough on me but loving. Discipline was strict, but I was given a lot of freedom when all my chores were done. I could go out early in the morning hunting or fishing with my friends and the only rules were get my farm work done first and to be in to eat supper with my family.
I am thankful I leaned to love the outdoors, respecting nature and its awesome power and beauty. I am thankful I never learned to love killing, but understood it is part of nature. Every animal I have shot, from squirrels to deer, made me respect death and the fact those animals died so I could eat them.
I am thankful that I grew up in a free country that did not restrict my right to own guns, hunt and fish. Unfortunately, that is changing, and I do not know how much longer it will last.
I am thankful I grew up on a farm and learned the value of hard work and the rewards from it. I have had a comfortable life, mainly due to Linda and me working hard, often at two jobs each, and enjoying the rewards of being frugal, saving and planning for the future. That allowed me to do what I wanted, have a bass boat all my life and go fishing when I wanted to go, without spending on frivolous things just to impress others.
I am thankful for learning to be good leader from my daddy and Laymon Hattaway. Daddy was my principal in elementary school, and I taught school with Mr. Hattaway as my principal for seven years. My career as a teacher, central office administrator and principal was strongly influenced by those two men, and I would not have been as successful without their influence.
I am thankful Jim Berry gave me the opportunity to fill a lifetime dream of being a writer. Berry’s Sporting Goods sponsoring my first articles in the Griffin Daily News in 1987 gave me a start on a fun, fulfilling second career.
I am thankful Linda got a second job as a cruise travel writer, allowing me to see things this country boy never imagined seeing. From squatting on the ice in Antarctica with penguins waddling by close enough to touch to catching salmon on a fly rod in Alaska on my 60th birthday, her love of travel has made me go places I will never forget.
I am very thankful for the advances in medicine that seems to have cured my cancer. Daddy died from chemotherapy treatments from his cancer in 2000. It destroyed his kidneys, causing him to need dialysis which he hated.
Although the seven months of chemotherapy and radiation I took two years ago had some rough times, I never missed a fishing trip, going at least five times a month the whole time. I think my drive to go fishing helped me through it, giving me something to look forward to during the rough times.
Most of all I am glad to still be alive after all these years, with the hope of more to come. I hope to make even mor memories in the time I have left.
Tactics and Techniques to Target Smallmouth Through the Changing Seasons
 The author with a trophy smallmouth bass from the James River in downtown Richmond. Fall is one of the best times of the year to target big smallmouth bass across the state.By Alex McCrickard, Virginia DGIF Aquatic Education Coordinator from The Fishing Wire There might not be a finer season to explore our freshwater fisheries across Virginia than in fall. Maples, tulip poplars, oaks, and sycamores turn red, orange, yellow, and brown as air temperatures cool to a comfortable range in the 60s and 70s. The cool crisp air during this time of the year is a welcome change to anglers who have fished throughout the hot humid Virginia summer. The changing of the seasons creates excellent conditions for anglers targeting smallmouth bass across the state.Smallmouth Bass in Virginia Smallmouth bass, frequently referred to as smallies or bronzebacks, are a freshwater member of the sunfish family: Centrarchidae. Their green and brown sides are often marked with vertical black bars. Some of these fish have war paint like markings extending horizontally and diagonally behind their eyes and across their gill plates. Smallmouth bass are native to the Great Lakes system and the Mississippi River Basin including the Tennessee and Big Sandy River Drainages of Southwest Virginia. However, these game fish have been introduced all across the Piedmont of Virginia and are truly a worthy opponent on rod and reel. Because of the smallmouth’s widespread range in Virginia, they are readily available to anglers fishing west of the coastal plains above the fall lines of our major river systems. This allows anglers who reside in cities and large metropolitan areas to fish local as smallmouth opportunities are plentiful. The James River in Lynchburg and Richmond, Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg, Rivanna River in Charlottesville, Maury River near Lexington, and the New River in Blacksburg are fine examples of local opportunities. The mainstem and larger tributaries of these rivers are full of smallmouth. Anglers in Northern Virginia can focus efforts on the Upper Potomac River as well as the Shenandoah mainstem, North Fork, and South Fork. The North Fork of the Holston River and the Clinch River provide excellent smallmouth opportunities in Southwest Virginia. Floating these larger rivers in a canoe or raft can be a great way to cover water, just remember to wear your life jacket. You can also wade fish these rivers and their tributaries in lower water conditions.Changing River ConditionsRivers and streams across Virginia are typically in low flow conditions on average years as summer moves to early fall. As the days get shorter and air temperatures drop, water temperatures are soon to follow. As water temperatures cool from the upper 80s down to the mid 70s and eventually upper 60s, smallmouth will become very active. While the smallmouth’s metabolism might be highest in warmer water temperatures, these conditions can sometimes make the fish a bit sluggish, especially on bright sunny days in the heat of the summer. Therefore, the cooling trends that occur in early to mid-fall can oftentimes put smallmouth on the feed. Also, as water temperatures drop, dissolved oxygen will increase. During the hottest summer months, smallmouth often congregate at the heads of riffles in broken water where dissolved oxygen levels are highest. It’s the fall cooling of water temperatures that in turn can spread more smallmouth out evenly throughout various habitats from riffles and pocket water to long runs, pools, and flats. Smallmouth can also disperse when large rain events occur throughout fall and river levels rise from typical low late summer and early fall flows. As mid-fall progresses into late fall, water temperatures will drop even further. As water temperatures drop into the mid to low 50s, smallmouth will stage in transitionary water between their summer habitat and deep overwintering holes. In Virginia, this oftentimes happens from late October through the middle of November. Look for smallmouth to be on the edges of drop-offs as well as congregating around river points and bends. During this transitionary time smallmouth can also be found in the middle sections and tailouts of deep riffles holding around structure like log jams and big boulders.Early Fall – Techniques and ApproachTopwater lures and flies will continue to produce good numbers of smallmouth bass throughout the entire month of September and well into the month of October. Anglers should take advantage of this last opportunity to fish on the surface before winter kicks in. Popular topwater lures that anglers enjoy to fish in the summer will also prove to be productive in early to mid-Autumn. Make sure to keep buzzbaits, Whopper Ploppers, Zara Spooks, Heddon Tiny Torpedos, and the Rebel Pop-R in your box of topwater lures.  September and October are great months to fish topwater lures and flies for Virginia smallmouth bass. Photo by Meghan Marchetti/DGIF.For fly fishing, make sure to keep your flybox stocked with your favorite poppers. I always carry Boogle Bugs, Double Barrel poppers, and Walt’s Bass Popper in a variety of sizes and colors in early fall. It’s best to experiment with your retrieve to figure out if the fish are looking for fast or slow action. Your retrieve and approach can also depend on the type of water you are fishing and the action of your fly or lure. Sometimes in choppy riffles a faster retrieve can allow the lure or fly to move more water where as a slower pop and pause retrieve can be very productive in flat water stretches. Late Fall – Techniques and Approach As water temperatures continue to drop in late October through November, a subsurface approach is best. It’s still possible to catch bass on topwater lures and flies but you will find more fish feeding subsurface with water temperatures in the 50s. Smallmouth will actively ambush smaller forage fish during this time of the year as they attempt to put on weight for the upcoming winter season. This makes mid to late fall one of the best times of the year to target large smallmouth in our rivers and streams across Virginia. Use baitfish imitations and target the transitionary water that smallmouth occupy during this time frame. A variety of subsurface crankbaits, soft plastic swimbaits and flukes, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits will prove productive. The Rebel Crawfish, a crayfish crankbait, should also be in your selection of subsurface lures as smallmouth will prowl pools and flats for crayfish in the fall. When fishing some of these subsurface lures, especially soft plastic swimbaits and flukes, its important to apply action to the lure on occasion by quickly jerking your rod to the side and then pausing briefly during your retrieve. This will give your lure an erratic motion and imitate a stressed and injured baitfish which is exactly what the smallmouth are looking for. When fishing soft plastics with a jig head, you can adjust the size of your jig head based upon the depth and current that you are focusing on. Anglers can also fish a variety of different colored jig and pigs for targeting late fall smallmouth that are holding lower in the water column closer to the bottom of the river.  Subsurface lures work well when targeting fall smallmouth. Photo by Meghan Marchetti/DGIF.Late October through November is an excellent time to fish large streamers for big smallmouth bass. When fly fishing in mid to late fall, consider fishing with a sinktip or a 250 grain full sinking line in the deeper riffles and pools on our larger rivers. Sometimes it pays off huge when you can get your fly down to the fish during this time of the year, especially in the latter part of the season as winter approaches. I have had great success in the fall fishing Bob Clouser’s Clouser Minnow, Lefty Kreh’s Deceiver, as well as the combination of the two patterns: the Half & Half. Large articulated streamers that were originally developed for trout fishing in western states likes Montana, Colorado, and Wyoming will also be productive on fall smallmouth. Kelly Galloup’s articulated streamer patterns from Montana work well and most of these flies have large profiles as some of them are tied with wool or spun deer hair heads. Charlie Craven’s patterns from Colorado are also quite productive on our Virginia smallmouth. The profile of these large articulated streamers attracts fall smallmouth and these patterns swim really well through the water as they are articulated. The multi-sectioned Gamechanger tied by Blane Chocklett also works quite well this time of the year. You should also carry large beadhead or conehead Woolly Buggers. I like fishing this classic pattern in sizes 2-4 in black, dark brown, and olive. Chuck Kraft’s Clawdad and Harry Murray’s Hellgrammite are also productive patterns to fish lower in the water column this time of year.  Fishing large streamers is a great technique for targeting big smallmouth bass. Consider fishing a sinktip or full sinking line in mid to late fall on our larger Virginia rivers, especially in higher flows. Photo by Meghan Marchetti/DGIF.Autumn can truly be one of the most pleasant times of the year to target smallmouth across the Commonwealth. Anglers will enjoy cooler temperatures and wearing waders when fishing these rivers during this time of the year. As the season progresses from October into November, it’s important to bring a dry bag with a towel and an extra change of clothes for safety precautions due to cooler water and air temperatures. Make time to get out this fall and take advantage of the prime fishing conditions for smallmouth across the state. |
Costa Helps Vets with their Freedom Series
| By Frank Sargeant, Editor from The Fishing Wire  Long known for high-quality, on-water eyewear, Costa® Sunglasses recently released the Freedom Series, highlighting the brand’s partnership with Freedom Fighter Outdoors (FFO). If you’ve been needing an excuse to splurge on some admittedly fairly pricey Costa’s, their assistance to FFO might be just what’s necessary.The Freedom Series glasses feature many of the most popular Costa frame styles in patriotic-inspired colors, and support Freedom Fighters Outdoors’ initiative to help get veterans out on the water and participating in recreational outdoor activities. Costa offers the series in both glass lenses—which are more scratch-resistant and also somewhat clearer than polycarbonate–and the poly lenses, which are lighter and also more shatter-resistant. I personally have always liked glass lenses for the clarity, plus glasses used in a center console tend to get the heck scratched out of them bouncing around on the dash if they have plastic lenses. Costa says their glass lenses are 20% thinner and 22% lighter than average polarized lenses, so it’s pretty much a no-brainer.  The models with glass lenses are somewhat heavier than some other brands just because Costa builds their stuff to last, but they’re not so heavy that you notice the weight on your nose or ears. The hinges, for example, are not only stout stainless steel, but they’re inset inside the durable composite frame. This not only protects them from salt spray and the resulting corrosion but adds reinforcement at the point where most glasses eventually fail. The blue mirror lenses are among the best choice for bright sunlight and flats or offshore fishing—minimal color distortion, good fish spotting and the polarization and mirroring greatly cuts glare. If you’re strictly a flats angler, you might like the amber lenses better because they tend to make vegetation and fish “pop” in the shallows, but the blue mirror gives things a light gray cast that seems natural after you wear it a few minutes. A very useful feature on all Costa glasses is that they provide exact measurements of all their glasses on their website, so you know in advance how they’re going to fit if you buy them via the internet. For example, the Reefton version we checked out has an overall width of 129.2 mm and a bridge width, that is across the nose, of 15 mm. The lenses are 63.5 mm wide, 42.3 mm tall, the ear pieces 112 mm long. They’re designed for those with large heads. They also make other models that are smaller, better fits for young anglers or for most women.  I like that the ear pieces are curved to grip the contours of the head, but have relatively little drop behind the ears. To me, this design stays on well and is easier to take on and off than those with a pronounced drop in the ear pieces. (I always put CablZ eye glass retainers on my sunglasses before wearing them the first time—saves losing them overboard, plus I always know where they are when they’re not on my head.) The ear pieces, like the nose piece, are made of a “sticky” composite that helps the glasses stay in place, even when you’re sweaty. The Freedom Series includes 16 frame styles across the brand’s lifestyle categories. The line ranges in price from $179 to $279, depending on frame and lens combination—pricey, but the company is known for standing behind their stuff. (I also like that Costa does their bit for fish and fisheries habitat through programs that include producing a collection of frames made from recycled fishing nets as part of its Kick Plastic initiative, as well as partnerships with conservation groups and the shark research organization OCEARCH.) For more information on the new frames and the full line of Costa sunglasses, visit https://www.costadelmar.com/en-us/collections/freedom-series. |
Fishing and Hunting In the Rain
“Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” Although I like the song, I have to disagree with the Carpenters on rainy days. I love hunting and fishing on rainy days.
Hunting squirrels during a hard rain was tough, they tended to stay in hollows and nests. But during a light rain or after a hard one, with wet leaves on the ground, I could slip quietly through the woods and get close enough for a shot without spooking them.
Deer hunting was similar. Although I usually stayed in my tree stand, I could still hunt, slowly moving parallel to deer trails and along ridge lines, watching for any movement. Although the deer usually spotted my movement before I spotted theirs, I did slip up on a few.
One day while hunting near Griffin I was easing along during a hard rain. I spotted something that looked out of place down the hill. I studied it and it did not move. I though it might be another hunter sitting on a stump in a rain suit, so I did not raise my rifle to get a close look thought my scope.
I decided to slip back the way I came, hoping the other hunter did not see me. But, of course, as soon as I took a step, the “hunter” flipped up its white tail and ran off. Although I did not get to shoot that deer, I still think I made the right decision for safety.
Since I usually stayed in my tree stand, I made a frame over my head with limbs and carried a big black garbage bag with me. If it rained, I could put the garbage bag over the frame in a few seconds and have a nice cover to keep the rain off.
Now several companies make camouflage umbrellas with ways to attach them to the tree to do the same thing.
Fishing in the rain seems to be better than sunny days too. Since bass do not have eyelids and their pupils cannot contract to limit light, they do not like bright sunlight. They tend to feed in shallower water on rainy days and they cannot see my lure and tell it is fake as easily, so they are easier to catch.
I have been fishing on some miserable days in heavy rain. Often I pour a cup of coffee and am never able to finish it, the rain keeps my cup full. All too often rain is so hard it makes my automatic bilge pumps run constantly.
In a November tournament a few years ago at Lake Lanier it rained like that. I found out my waterproof boots were not, and even my best heavy rain suit, Cabela’s GuideWear, let some water in, mostly down my sleeves.
That is one of the few tournaments I have come back to the ramp early. I caught my fifth fish with about an hour left to fish and decided I would go with what I had. That sounded better than staying out in the rain and being miserable for another hour trying to catch a bass that would cull one I had in the livewell like I usually would.
Luckily, I won so it was a good decision.
Although I have caught some of my biggest bass on rainy, cold days I do have my limits. One Christmas at Clarks Hill the wind was howling and sleet was falling. I found some shelter behind an island and caught an eight-pound largemouth. After landing it I decided I had enough and went in to show it off.
Another day there I put my boat in on an extremely cold, windy day. It was not raining and I was dressed for the cold, but as I idled out of the cove with the ramp and hit the wind and waves, drops splashing from the front of the boat froze in the air before hitting my jacket and fell off as ice. I turned around and went in!
Some days are just too bad for even me to fish.