Outdoor Life - Freshwater RSS

Angler Drowns in Columbia River After Diving in to Save Fishing Rod

Alex Robinson — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:53:20 -0400

So you’re on the Columbia River in Oregon on a beautiful afternoon in June. The sun is reflecting off the water as you kick back with your fishing buddy. All of a sudden, your rod goes overboard. You watch as it sinks toward the bottom of the river … Do you stand by and let it go, or do you dive in and try to retrieve it?

Unfortunately John Eugene Deranleau, 60, of Portland, OR chose the latter and paid for it with his life.

With no life vest on, Deranleau jumped into the cold Columbia River in an attempt to salvage his rod. His partner reportedly saw Deranleau struggle, but could not get to him in time.

“By the time he got [the boat] maneuvered around, he already had problems in the water. He was face down in the water at that point the fisherman was able to get him back to the boat but not onto the boat,” Lt. Steve Alexander of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office told KGW.

It was not until another fisherman came by that Deranleau was finally recovered from the water.

Paramedics performed CPR on Deranleau for an extended period of time near the boat ramps at Chinook Landing Marine Park, KGW reported. He was declared dead at the hospital.

Record 12-Pound 'Saugeye' Caught in North Dakota

Alex Robinson — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:42:44 -0400

Dave Fairman caught this monster walleye/sauger hybrid while fishing on the Yellowstone River in North Dakota last winter. Game and Fish Department officials confirmed that the 12-pound saugeye was a state record this week.

This from the Montana Standard: “Results from genetic testing that became available this past week confirmed the fish as a saugeye. Specifically, it’s three-fourths walleye and one-fourth sauger ... While many anglers claim they’ve caught saugeyes, Scott Gangl, leader of the department’s Fisheries Management Section in Bismarck, said genetic testing is the only way to be sure.

'You can see in the picture that the fish has pretty strong blotches like a sauger and lacks the prominent white tip on the tail (like a walleye),' Gangl said in an email. “By the time the fish came to Bismarck for me to verify, the blotches had faded and it looked like a walleye to me. But the angler convinced us to send in the genetic material anyway and turned out to be correct.”

The world record saugeye stands at 12 pounds 13 ounces. If you're curious, the world record walleye weighs 25 pounds and the world record sauger weighs 8 pounds 12 ounces.

Walleye Fishing: Jig Spoons Over Timber

Alex Robinson — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:57:23 -0400

He won the first Bassmaster Classic in 1971 and repeated in '78, but Bobby Murray is no one-trick pony. He holds a fondness for catching walleyes on his home waters of Arkansas's Lake Ouachita. Options are many but when 'eyes suspend over timber, here and in any deep reservoir, Murray said it's time to spoon-feed the fish – literally.

Favoring ½- and ¾-ounce Cotton Cordell jigging spoons, Murray knows that when bait balls move down the lake, they'll tarry over the humps, submerged islands, long points, etc. and walleye will leave the timber with appetites ablaze.

"When these fish get ready to feed, they'll move out of the tree tops in schools," he says. "That school will feed across that (shallow spot) and they will absolutely hammer a spoon."

Murray says the spoon's up-and-down, fluttering motion mimics a wounded baitfish and no self-respecting walleye would turn down such vulnerable prey. Even after the school has had its fill, the walleye's instinct tells it to eat when food avails, so that dancing spoon typically entices any nearby fish – even those with stuffed bellies.

"I don't think they're always trying to eat, but genetically, he can't pass it up," he said. "It's too easy. It's right in front of him. "

Murray advises anglers to closely monitor their sonar to keep track of the school's position in the water column. Keeping that spoon in the strike zone is what keeps your rod bent.

Minnesota DNR Using Dogs to Find Zebra Mussels

Alex Robinson — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:24:01 -0400

Fugitives and various other bad guys dread the sound of a K-9 unit in hot pursuit. Now, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources adds zebra mussels to the list of miscreants to be targeted by those skilled noses.

In its ongoing battle against aquatic invasive species (AIS), Minnesota has become the second state (following California) to use trained dogs to sniff out zebra mussels during the open water season. Earlier this year, conservation officers Todd Kanieski and Travis Muyres traveled to California to learn about the country's first program successfully utilizing mussel trained K-9's to prevent the spread of AIS.

"A K-9 can find a mussel on a boat much faster than a human inspector," said Kanieski. 
Although the DNR has used dogs in resource protection roles since, 1995, 2013 sees the agency's first use of mussel-detection training. Muyres, an experienced K-9 handler and certified K-9 unit trainer, spent five weeks training three dogs to inspect watercraft for the fingernail-size zebra mussels that can cling to boats and hide in bilges and livewells. Later, these K-9s will also be trained in tracking, evidence recovery, firearms detection, and wildlife detection.

Muyres' K-9 mussel team partner "Laina" is a Belgium Malinois purchased from a domestic breeder. The other teams include water resource enforcement officers Lt. Julie Siems and her K-9 partner "Brady" and Lt. Larry Hanson and his K-9 partner "Digger." Siems' and Hanson's dogs are Labrador retrievers provided by animal shelters and animal rescue organizations.

"It's very difficult to find a qualified prospective detector dog, but each of the dogs selected from the shelter was healthy, sociable and had a strong search drive," said Muyres. "That search drive will prove to be invaluable in detecting AIS."

Kanieski adds: "Combining mussel detecting with these additional skills will add muscle to the DNR's capabilities and efficiency in protecting the state's natural resources."

Potential World Record Snakehead Caught in Virginia

Alex Robinson — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:58:28 -0400

On Monday we told you about the Marine Corps’ plan to conquer the invasive snakehead population around Quantico, Va., by hosting a 24-hour long snakehead tournament come June 7. Now comes word that the Old Dominion state has produced what could be the world record snakehead.

Caleb Newton fought a 17-pound, 6-ounce snakehead from the Potomac River tributary near Ashland. He landed the fish into his boat Saturday using 15-pound test line and a light rod. The current International Game Fish Association world record snakehead is a Godzilla-sized 17-pound, 4-ounce beast caught in Japan in 2004.

Newton, 27, told the Free Lance-Star that the fish was so large it barely fit into his ice chest. He should know within two months if his Frankenfish is named the new world record.

With whales like this being pulled out of Virginia, it will be interesting to see what the Marines catch this weekend.

Oorah!

Bass Fishing Prize Money Lures Student Athletes

Alex Robinson — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:42:26 -0400

More U.S. college campuses than ever before are establishing bass fishing clubs, attracting the attention of college-bound athletes.

There are now 610 bass fishing clubs at campuses across the country, according to FLW Outdoors, an organization that runs pro fishing tournaments and started a college division in 2009. Five years ago, there were only 90, according to Time magazine. But it is not necessarily their love of fishing that's fueling the growth—it's the possibility of winning lucrative cash prizes.

Whereas a football or basketball star may generate millions in revenue for his/her school and never see a dime, some collegiate anglers are reaping the monetary rewards. Bass fishing is considered a club sport and doesn't fall under the NCAA's regulations which state: “You are not eligible for participation in a sport if you have ever…taken pay, or the promise of pay, for competing in that sport.”

The team that won the FLW national championship in April—the University of Louisiana at Monroe—took home a $27,000 bass boat, $3,000 in cash, and a spot in the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup, Time magazine reports. The winner of that tournament will get $500,000.

Some anglers say they are glad the NCAA is not involved in collegiate fishing.

“We want the NCAA to stay out,” Joe Landry, who fishes for LSU-Shreveport, told Time magazine. “Most schools require that anglers plow earnings from college tournaments back into the club. But they can get individual sponsorships and win cash in non-collegiate tournaments while still fishing for their school.”

Collegiate fishing is becoming so mainstream that some colleges, such as Bethel University, are offering fishing scholarships, Time magazine reports. Some coaches have begun recruiting anglers.

“The students I recruit are coming here to fish,” Bethel University coach Garry Mason told Time magazine. “Just like kids go to Alabama to play football.”

Summer Fishing Guide: 4 Grand Slams You've Never Heard Of

Alex Robinson — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:35:59 -0400

Midwest

Great Lakes Slam
Species: Lake and brown trout, chinook and coho salmon, steelhead
When: June–July
Where: Ludington, Michigan
Tackle: Orange spoons, black Bombers, alewives, herring strips
Why: There are few places in the country, or the world, where you’ll have a better shot at so large a variety of species in a single summer day.
How: Glen Buehner of Raptor Charters, no stranger to slams, says water between 45 and 55 feet holds browns in the summer. Once you’ve got your brown, start multitasking. Buehner trolls high lines, between 8 and 10 feet of water, for steelhead and simultaneously trolls deeper for salmon, maintaining a speed of between 2.5 and 4 mph, slowing when he locates a bite. If lakers aren’t suspended, the “mud chickens” will be right on the bottom in 100 feet or more of water.

Southeast

The Bream Slam
Species: Bluegills, redear sunfish, redbreast sunfish, spotted sunfish
When: July–August
Where: Suwannee River, Florida
Tackle: Grasshoppers, worms, small weighted curly-tail jigs, spider flies
Why: ’Cause you can complete this Tom Sawyer–style with a cane pole and crickets. And that’s cool.
How: Get dirty and bust out the bugs. We’re talking crickets, grass shrimp, and worms. Target the outflow from creeks and shady, foliage-covered riverbanks. If you want more of a challenge, throw a popping bug, small spider fly, or even a nymph on a lightweight flyfishing outfit. Look for submerged vegetation (which you can find on the upper reaches of the Suwannee), which attracts more aquatic insects for sunnies to suck down. Spotted sunfish are the prize attraction here.

South

Texas Trash Slam
Species: Alligator gar, channel or flathead catfish, smallmouth buffalo, bowfin, pickerel
When: May–July
Where: Trinity River, Texas
Tackle: Live perch, cut carp or sucker meat, spinnerbaits, weedless soft-plastics
Why: They’re big and ugly, and you can brag about your bag at the bar to the next guy that talks trash about his permit, bonefish, and tarpon trip.
How: Start by targeting giant flathead catfish on the river. These beasts are suckers for a live yellow perch. Lake Conroe on the river will give you a shot at channel cats to 30-plus pounds. Next, go for gator gar. Fish a healthy slab of cut bait near the bottom. Smallmouth buffalo can be found in larger pools and depressions, where they forage for algae and crustaceans. Run a spinnerbait through shallow bays for bowfin. Twitch it to mimic a dying baitfish and expect pickerel to pursue it, particularly after a heavy rain.

West

Montana Trout Slam
Species: Bull, brown, rainbow, cutthroat, and cuttbow trout
When: July–August
Where: Missoula, Montana
Tackle: San Juan worms, stoneflies, salmonflies, small spoons
Why: Rivers like the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, and Clark Fork are temples to those who are ever-tempted by trout.
How: Start with brown trout on Rock Creek outside Missoula. Look for big bugs coming off midmorning at this time of year. Skip the dry flies and tie on a San Juan worm. You may encounter bull trout here, too. The upper portion near Philipsburg is likely to hold the most cutthroats, your next target. Browns and rainbows are more common in the lower section. Next, hit the Bitterroot. In mid-July, stoneflies and green drakes will be coming off in abundance, and you’ll have a shot at rainbows and cutthroats. With the remaining daylight, hit the Clark Fork River for a shot at a cuttbow to seal the slam.

Live Bait: 4 Top Live Bait Rigs for Pike, Bass, Trout, and Walleyes

Alex Robinson — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:42:09 -0400

Nothing tempts fish to strike faster than a fresh natural bait, particularly when water and weather conditions are not optimal for angling. These four species-specific rigs fit that description. When they’re used with quality baits, they can be counted on to dupe bass, trout, walleyes, and panfish when other presentations don’t.

1) Quick-Strike Tandem Pike Rig

Prime time: Late winter through early summer

Best baits: Live chubs, suckers

What you’ll need: A strong, good-quality black barrel swivel; 1 to 2 feet of single or multi-strand wire (size 2 to 5; 27 to 44 pounds, depending on the size fish you’re chasing); two plastic beads; two wire sleeve crimps; two high-quality treble hooks (size 4 to 8, depending on bait size and pike sought).

Why it works: This rig can easily be modified for use with nearly any size live chub or sucker bait. Large treble hooks are used to facilitate quick hooking of gamefish, so that bait is not swallowed. The forward wire sleeve is not crimped with pliers, so the wire loop can be lengthened or shortened. The forward hook is positioned in the bait’s nose or mouth; the trailer goes behind the dorsal fin.

2) Air Largemouths

Prime time: Late spring through midsummer

Best baits: Crayfish, live shiners, small bluegills

What you’ll need: A brightly colored balloon; a 1/8- to ¼-ounce bullet weight; a small plastic bead; a good-quality black barrel swivel; a 1- to 4-foot-long fluorocarbon leader (10- to 30-pound-test); 2/0 to 5/0 bait hook (Kahle, circle)

Why it works: Using a balloon instead of a standard bobber allows for a lot more versatility. First, balloons can be conveniently stored, and they’re inexpensive. Also, a balloon can be matched to the size of the bait. A big balloon can be used to help move a bait along the surface if there’s wind or current. When a fish strikes and the balloon is taken under, it usually pops and doesn’t interfere with the fight.

3) Split-Shot Trout Drift

Rig Prime time: Spring through autumn

Best baits: Nightcrawlers, nymphs, grasshoppers, minnows

What you’ll need: A small black barrel swivel; 3 feet of 6-pound-test fluorocarbon leader; 2 feet of 4-pound-test fluorocarbon leader; six small split shots; a bait hook (No. 6 to 1/0, depending on bait size)

Why it works: This rig is designed for drifting bait deep, near the bottom, and at the same speed at which the current is delivering food to trout holding in a stream or river. When cast up- and across-stream and allowed to drift on a taut line, the bait dances near the bottom and appears as a natural food to trout waiting for a meal. The key to the rig is using just enough split shot to get a bait near the bottom but not make it stationary. The natural drift and swing of a bait is important to success.

4) Slip-Float Bobber Walleye

Rig Prime time: Late spring through summer

Best baits: Leeches, small shiner minnows

What you’ll need: A slender slip float, like the Thill Big Fish Slider (4- or 5-inch); a small plastic bead; a short length of 12-pound-test monofilament fishing line; small split shots; a No. 2 to 6 short-shank bait hook (finesse style)

Why it works: This slip-float setup allows walleye anglers to fish baits at nearly any depth, since the stop knot determines how much fishing line slides through the bobber to position a bait in the fish strike zone. It’s as deadly in 40 feet of water as it is in 4 feet. The rig is best used in current, although it works well in lakes where wind pushes a float into productive walleye water. Isolated small and shallow lake humps can be fished well with slip floats from long distances.

Marines vs Snakeheads

Alex Robinson — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:26:29 -0400

The Marine Corps is going after the invasive snakehead.

Unfortunately, they’re not bringing heavy artillery—just some rods and reels and maybe some bows and arrows.

The Marine Corps will be hosting their first ever snakehead fishing tournament June 7 in the waters surrounding the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia. Event organizer Euel Tritt explained the idea behind the 24 hour-long to Marines.com.

“What we’re trying to do is promote some fun and some fishing opportunities,” Tritt said. “I think it’s going to be a great event, just for Marines and their families to do something different on a weekend.”

The contest is open to the public and takes place during a free fishing weekend in Virginia so no fishing license is required to participate. Although the invasive snakehead fish is the tournaments’ primary target prizes will also be awarded for gar, carp, and catfish. Fish can be caught via rod and reel or taken with bow and arrow. In accordance with Virginia law, all snakeheads taken from the water must be killed immediately.

Tim Stamps, head of the Quantico Natural Resources Section, says, “The tournament is to let people know it’s [snakehead] a good resource out there that’s good to eat and fun to catch. Hunt for them, fish for them, kill them, eat them.”

Oorah!

Record Fish Stories: 11 Greatest Catches of All Time

Alex Robinson — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:01:13 -0400

It’s the ultimate evolution of angling ambition. First, we aspire simply to fish, then to catch a fish. Next, we aim for our personal best. Before you know it, we’re eyeballing state record fish and finally… world record fish. The most competitive anglers in the world are chasing after angling immortality. But all fishing records are not created equal. Some records, near-records, and old records are almost too amazing to be believed – almost.

These 11 fishermen (and women) caught life-changing fish, and here are the legendary stories behind them.

1) Striped Bass: The King of All Records

Angler: Greg Myerson
Caught: August 4, 2011
Where: Eastern Long Island Sound, New York
Weight: 81.88 Pounds
Previous Record: Al McReynolds, Atlantic City, N.J. 78.8 pounds, 1982

Why it’s Special: The striped bass cult is perhaps one of the most passionate in all of salt water fishing. The striper record could very well be the most coveted of all time. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes and award money has been offered for the world-record striper. When McReynolds broke the world record in 1982, he was forced into almost Bill-Buckner-style seclusion by the pressure, speculation and rampant rumor spreading. Myerson’s fish came with no less fanfare. I remember covering the catch the day it was caught. Rumors were flying from the second the news leaked. Accusations of foul play swirled around with stories of deception. In the end, Myerson, a respected and talented striper fisherman who plies the waters of Long Island Sound near his home in Connecticut, would rightfully claim the largest striped bass ever caught on rod and reel. Myerson was drifting an eel around a favorite boulder that was submerged in about 55 feet of water, according to local magazine OnTheWater.com.

2) Largemouth Bass: Bassmaster Classic Catch

Angler: Preston Clark
When: February, 2006
Where: Lake Toho, Florida
Weight: 11 pounds, 10 ounces

Why it’s Special: Catching a ten-pound-plus largemouth bass once in a lifetime is an amazing accomplishment. Catching a double-digit bass under the pressure of a professional tournament, competing against the best anglers in the world is something else entirely. In 2006, bass pro Preston Clark set a record for a bass caught in a Bassmaster Classic when he landed an 11-pound, 10-ounce largemouth from Florida’s Lake Tohopekaliga in late February. His bag wouldn’t ultimately win the tournament, those honors would go to Luke Clausen, but his fish no doubt was the most memorable.

3) Yellowfin Tuna: Hitting Four Hundred

Angler: Guy Yocum
Weight: 427 Pounds
When: September 28, 2012
Where: Off the Coast of Cabo San Lucas
Previous Record: Mike Livingston, 405 Pounds, 2010

Why It’s Special: Hitting .400 in baseball will put you in the same conversation with greats like Ted Williams, and nobody’s holding their breath for it to happen again. Catching a 400-pound yellowfin will put you with equally exclusive company, but in the past decade, it has happened more than you might think. When Mike Livingston broke the world record less than two years prior to Yocum’s catch, it had withstood 33 years of yellowfin fanaticism. Now, less than two years later, the record has fallen once again.

The magical 400-pound-club for West Coast tuna fishermen is an elite one, and Yocum has become the foremost member. Most amazingly, Yocum battled and subdued the beast in only 50 minutes. The hardest-fighting fish pound-for-pound is an endless debate, but a strong case can be made for the yellowfin. Battling a 427-pound tuna must be excruciating. As if the record weren’t enough, Yocum could possibly win $1 million in prizes from Mustad for using a Mustad hook on the catch. The hook company has offered the reward to anglers who break world records for a set number of species.

-Photo courtesy IGFA

4) Largemouth Bass: A Record from Around the World

Angler: Manabu Kurita
Weight: 22 Pounds, 4 Ounces
Where: Lake Biwa, Japan
When: July, 2009
Previous Record: (Tie) George Perry, Georgia

Why It’s Special: With bass fanatics in places like Texas, Southern California and Florida building largemouth cults, the news from overseas of a record fish came as an especially big shock. The largemouth record is sacred for several reasons. First, it’s the species many of us grew up chasing, and there are few American anglers that don’t have a special place in their hearts for largemouth bass. Secondly, they’re omnipresent; whether you’re fishing in Montana, California, or Alabama, there’s a largemouth lake nearby. Lastly, the current record had stood for 77 years, helping it achieve almost mythical status.

Despite diehards buying $100 swimbaits in California and Texas and anglers risking their lives in a drug war with Mexico to chase huge bass, the magical number 22 had not been broken until Kurita came along. In classic, timeless fashion, Kurita lured the lunker with a live bluegill, something we can see Perry doing, even a century later.

-Photo courtesy IGFA

5) Blue Marlin: The Record That Wasn’t

Angler: Gary Merriman
Where: Kona, Hawaii
Weight: 1,649 Pounds
When: 1984

Why It’s Interesting: When Merriman caught the massive marlin out of Hawaii in 1984, it walloped the current world record by more than 270 pounds, but that’s not the unbelievable part. Merriman, an Atlanta tackle shop owner, was visiting Hawaii as a guest of then Atlanta Falcons owner Rankin Smith who was there for NFL meetings, but it gets even better. The fish made the front page of nine papers around the world at the time it was caught.

The bittersweet end to Merriman’s story is that, because the fish was caught using a line and leader that was longer than IGFA rules allowed for, it was not deemed the “official record.” The marlin, still the second largest every caught on rod and reel in the world, would be “unofficial,” despite Merriman’s amazing catch. A replica resides at Merriman’s Fish Hawk Tackle Shop in Atlanta. To see the specimen in person is the only way to appreciate it. (Fishhawk.com)

6) Muskellunge: Mystery Muskie

Angler: Louis Spray
Where: Wisconsin
When: 1949
Weight: 69 Pounds

Why It’s Interesting: This fish is literally “too big,” to be a record. The International Committee of the Modern Day Muskellunge World Record Program, after careful examination, determine that this fish, long thought to be the largest muskie ever landed, was too big to be true. Scientific evidence led the team to suspect foul play, and they determined that “Muskies can’t get bigger than 68 pounds,” and so they disqualified the record. They then determined the next muskie weighing more than 60 pounds would claim the new “official title.”

They got impatient, and awarded Joseph Seeberger the official title when he landed this 58-pound muskie in Michigan in October of 2012. But still it’s hard not to wonder … was Spray’s fish for real?

-Photo courtesy Lucky Lures

7) Tiger Shark: The Last Great Tiger

Angler: Kevin Clapson
Where: Ulladulla, Australia
When: March 2004
Weight: 1,785 Pounds

Why it’s Interesting: Walter Maxwell shattered the tiger shark record in 1964, fishing off the coast of South Carolina. At the time, and for 40 years thereafter, the catch was considered one of the great feats in angling and no one thought it would fall. Forty years later, it did. The most amazing things about Clapson’s record are the history behind it and the future for it. Breaking Maxwell’s record was long thought impossible, but breaking Clapson’s might actually be impossible.

Tiger sharks are receiving more protection now around the world than they have in the past century and Clapson might be the last man to legally kill and weigh a record-breaking tiger. Clapson was drifting with an 80-wide when he hooked the beast.

- Photo courtesy IGFA

8) Tarpon: A Tipless Trophy Catch

Angler: Max Domecq
Where: Guinea-Bissau, Africa
When: March, 2003
Weight: 286 pounds

Why it’s Interesting: No matter your favorite species, you never forget your first tarpon. The magic of the fight, the aerial acrobatics and the dread that you’ll do everything right and the magnificent creature will still throw your hook. My first tarpon was just shy of ten pounds; Max Domecq’s was 276 pounds heavier. His first tarpon ever set a world record that has stood for a decade. Lure manufacturer Patrick Sebile was the guide that put Domecq on the enormous fish. It wasn’t a Sebile lure that the tarpon ate, though, but a live a mullet.

The kicker? Rumor has it, Sebile, the guide, didn’t receive a tip. What’s a gotta do?

-Photo courtesy IGFA

9) Fluke: Honest Angler

Angler: Monica Oswald
Where: Monmouth County, N.J.
When: August, 2007
Weight: 24.3 Pounds
Previous Record: 22.7 Pounds, 1975, Charles Nappi

Why it’s Interesting: In the end, it wasn’t anything amazing or odd that disqualified Oswald’s enormous summer flounder as a potential world record. She did take the fish home after weighing it and stick it in the freezer. There, somehow, a wild animal ravaged it before IGFA officials could examine it. But, the highly coveted fluke record remained unbroken because, in the end, Oswald was honest. She admitted she’d rested the rod on the rail of the boat while fighting the fish off New Jersey’s Shrewsbury Rocks. That small detail made her record “unofficial,” as she broke IGFA rules. Would you be that honest with a potential record fish?

-Photo courtesy IGFA

10) Smallmouth Bass: Most Controversial Catch

Angler: David Hayes
Where: Dale Hallow Lake, Tennessee
When: July, 1955
Weight: 11 pounds, 15 ounces

Why it’s Interesting: Hayes’s smallmouth might be one of the most controversial records of all time. If there’s one fish that can rival the largemouth bass in popularity, especially up north. From the Great Lakes to the Great Northwest, they are beloved for their ferocious fight. So we can only imagine how hard a double-digit bronzeback like the one Hayes caught while vacationing with his family in Tennessee would have battled. Hayes’s catch was certified as a world record until allegations surfaced in 1996 that the fish had been in fact stuffed with sinkers to break the record. Hayes was stripped of his honor. A decade later, lacking sufficient evidence that any false claims were made, the IGFA restored Hayes to his former glory. He holds the record once again. He was trolling a pearl Bomber behind his boat when the brick of a fish hit.

-Photo courtesy IGFA

11) Blue Catfish: Father's Day Record

Angler: Nick Anderson
Where: Buggs Island, Virginia
When: June 18, 2011
Weight: 143 Pounds
Previous Record: Greg Bernal, 130 pounds

Why it’s Interesting: Nick Anderson gave his father the best Father’s Day present he could ask for, the catfish trip of a lifetime. The Anderson’s are no strangers to big blue cats, routinely catching fish close to 100 pounds. But this fish was one for the ages. Besting the previous world record by more than 13 pounds, this blue cat set the catfishing world on fire. Buggs Island, Virginia is notorious for monster catfish, and has produced previous blue catfish to 109 pounds.

-Photo courtesy IGFA

Freedom to Fish Act Stops Army Corps of Engineers from Restricting Access on Cumberland River

Alex Robinson — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:23:53 -0400

When it comes to access, this is the only type of closure we like to see.
Both arms of Congress have passed the Freedom To Fish Act. Pending Pres. Obama’s signature, the legislation brings a temporary close to a ridiculous movement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to impose stringent access restrictions on fishing below dams along the Cumberland River in Tennessee and Kentucky.

The bill, which passed May 21, received bipartisan support (seriously) and was introduced in the Senate by Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander and in the House by Kentucky’s Ed Whitfield.

The bill is not a permanent solution however. It prevents the Corps from establishing any further restrictions on public access to the tailwaters below dams for two years and also requires that existing barriers established after Aug. 1, 2012 be removed.

Sen. Alexander, who has been a champion for anglers throughout this ordeal, is seeking a permanent solution to the issue in the Water Resources and Development Act which has already passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House.

Huge Rainbow Trout Breaks West Virginia State Record

Alex Robinson — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:42:02 -0400

Gerrardstown, West Virginia angler Tony Corbin sure wasn’t expecting to break any records when he set out on a first time mission targeting an unpressured private bass pond. But Corbin tossed out a swimbait and ended up landing a new state record rainbow trout that weighed in at 17.31 pounds and taped out at 30.5 inches, beating the previous record by nearly two pounds. He bested the big bow on 10-pound line, showing some professional angling skills.

"When you're at a good place fishing where a lot of people can't fish, you take it for what it is. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to have it, but it's just fishing. I got lucky … It's all about having fun," Corbin told the Journal-news.net.

Corbin is a taxidermist at Corbin’s Wildlife Art, and no doubt he’s got one to hang on the wall now.

Tournament Angler Boats Huge, 8-Pound Smallmouth Bass in Wisconsin

Alex Robinson — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:54:04 -0400

It wasn't the prettiest of days, but despite the dreary conditions, Tim Schneider, of Silver Lake, Wisconsin found the proverbial pot of gold at the rainbow's end. Actually, it was more of a brownish color – over 8 pounds of it.

Fishing the annual Sturgeon Bay Open Bass Tournament on Lake Michigan, May 17-19, Schneider caught an 8.45-pound smallmouth bass. Schneider said he caught the big bronzeback on a 3 ½-inch tube with 1/4-ounce leadhead. He was fishing over rocks in about four feet of water.

The spot, he said, was a traditional prespawn staging area for smallies that would soon move up shallow to bed. Location was certainly important, but Schneider said the weather also worked in his favor.

"It was overcast with light rain," he recalled. "I've read that some people like (sunny conditions), but I don't mind the overcast conditions. Anytime you have a low-pressure system, which is what we had, it gets them going good."

Schneider's big fish was the largest weighed in the tournament's history. He and his tournament partner Greg Dickson caught about a dozen smallies during the tournament, with the biggest biting at 10:30 a.m. Victory eluded the anglers this time around, but they won the 2012 tournament, along with the spring 2005 event.

The smallmouth world record stands at 11 pounds, 15 pounds and was caught by David Lee Hayes in 1955.

Topwater Trout Fishing Tactics and Tips

Alex Robinson — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:34:42 -0400

From Florida to Texas, walking a topwater bait offer one of the most exciting and effective tactics for nabbing speckled trout. We all have our favorites, but savvy anglers will keep a diverse selection handy to offer not only color options, but also size and sound choices.

When a full-size topwater like the MirrOlure Top Dog or Heddon Super Spook entices a strike, it's usually the trout you want. However, even the big fish occasionally shy away from large baits, so it's important to have a smaller version of the bait that's been working. When increasing sunshine, declining current or boat traffic turn your trout spooky, downsize your topwater bait and you'll often pick up a few more bites. (Examples: follow a Top Dog with a Top Dog Jr. or a more slender MirrOmullet, or replace the Super Spook with a Spook Jr.)

Rattles enhance a topwater bait's appeal, but different designs create different sounds. Essentially, the combination of body material, rattle style and length of rattle chamber combine to create either low pitch or high pitch sounds. The trout's preference can change throughout the day, so this gives you another point of adjustment when the bite slows.

At times, the trout will show only moderate interest in topwaters and you'll get more boils and follows than decisive strikes. This is when a subsurface bait like a soft plastic jerkbait, a DOA shrimp or a 3/16-ounce leadhead with a shad tail can turn lookers into biters.

Best Baits: 15 Greatest Lures for Smallmouth Bass

kschulitz — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:32:40 -0400

Finding bass can sometimes be the easiest part of the fishing equation. When getting them to eat becomes an effort in futility, keep these bronzeback bon bons in mind. Here’s my lineup for the best smallmouth bass fishing lures ever made. Let us know in the comments section below if we left out your favorite smallie bait.

Heddon Spook

Noisy rattles and a classic side-to-side walking action taunt smallmouth into vicious strikes – often from surprisingly deep haunts. The Spook's super-sharp Excalibur Rotating Treble Hooks lessen the chance of shake-offs. Work the Spook aggressively and lots of splashing emulates schooling activity. Fish it slowly with long pulls and it glides back and forth like a snake swimming across the surface. ($6.49, Lurenet.com)

Cordell Big O

Cotton Cordell's advanced plastic version of Fred Young's 1973 hand-carved wooden plug, today's Big O has a tougher lip, but still retains its original fish-catching action, buoyant body and cover-deflecting ability. Crank this plug over the rock and gravel where smallmouth feed. ($5.49, Lurenet.com)

Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (double willow)

Flashy and effective, the blades are plated with corrosion-resistant jewelers grade gold and nickel, and the top willow leaf is secured by a ball bearing swivel. The bait's head offers a realistic target with its 3D eyes and bright red flaring gills. Light, .035 gauge wire is tuned for maximum vibration and easily retuned after each bite. ($5.99, Lurenet.com)

YUM Craw Papi

Smallmouths never turn down a crayfish meal and the limber, flapping motion of this bait's large, thin claws create a convincing display. Rig the Craw Papi on a plain weedless jighead, use it as a bass jig trailer or fish it on light terminal tackle in dropshot, Texas- or Carolina-rigging. ($5.49/12, Lurenet.com)

Bomber Fat Free Shad

This deep runner's flat-sided profile helps it dig down and reaches 14-18 feet (with No. 2 hooks). The Fat Free Shad has a tight, enticing action that tempts hard-to-reach smallmouths, while the Excalibur Tx3 Rotating treble hooks keep fish buttoned up. ($6.49, Lurenet.com)

Rapala X Rap Pop

When bass locate shad splashing and waking at the surface, the results are predictably violent. The X Rap Pop's thin, cupped mouth delivers the kind of disturbance that imitates shad activity, while its sleek design promotes long casts. A tail-down posture improves hook ups, while rattles and a VMC teaser hook enhance the appeal. ($9.29, Rapala.com)

Stick Worm

A wacky-rigged 5-inch Yamamoto Senko has become one of the most consistent producers for finicky bass. The tactic takes patience and a tolerance for boredom, but when the wiggle at both ends attracts attention, it's game-on. ($7.69, Yamamoto.Baits.com)

Bass Pro Shops Tender Tube

Use a 60-degree tube jig head for dragging and drifting so the tube plows forward to kick up the bottom, or rig it with a 90-degree head for vertical jigging or exaggerated "cracking" presentations. Wiggling tentacles entice smallies into biting and the soft body makes them hold on longer. ($4.29/10, BassPro.com)

Berkly Gulp! Leech

A Great Lakes standard, the leech is a can't-miss on the dropshot, as the Gulp! formula fools the fish with a natural scent, feel and taste. Nose-hooking is standard, but if the fish are short striking, try a Texas-rigged position or even wacky style. ($5.79/10, Berkley-Fishing.com)

6-inch Zoom Lizard

A great tactic for searching out active areas, the Carolina-rig enables anglers to cover more water than with a dropshot. Try dipping the tail tips in chartreuse dye with garlic scent. If the bite slows on a 6-inch lizard, upsize to an 8-incher and you'll often irritate a couple of reluctant fish into attacking the larger profile bait. ($2.79/9, Zoombaits.com)

Strike King Bitsy Bug Jig

When smallies play hard-to-get, downsizing to a finesse jig may be just the thing. The Bitsy Bug's weedless, snagless head design comes through rocky bottom easily, while the inverted line tie keeps your line safe from abrasions. Pair this with a Strike King Baby Rage Craw trailer for a small profile bait that smallmouth can't resist. ($1.49, StrikeKing.com)

Luck "E" Strike Smallmouth Hair Jig

Balanced for swimming, this jig emits a lifelike presence with a bucktail skirt accented by glitter strands. The skirt contracts and flares with a stop-and-go swimming action or erratic hopping motion. The detailed head sports enticing 3-D eyes. ($4.29, Luck-E-Strike.us)

Mepps Double Blade Aglia (Size #3)

Enhancing the consistently productive Aglia design with a second blade boosts the visuals, while maximizing sound and vibration. Whether it's flashing metallic blades or contrasting colors, the dual blades provide added lift for fishing over weeds or other structure. Hand-tied bucktails dyed in vivid colors help make this bait easier for fish to spot. ($6.99, Mepps.com)

Mepps Comet Mino (Size #3)

The soft plastic minnow's erratic swimming motion and hand-painted finish imitate an injured baitfish, while the flash and vibration of a Mepps spinner call attention to the presentation. A good bet for running across weed beds to tempt prowling smallmouth. ($5.29, Mepps.com)

Storm WildEye Live Goby

The non-native round goby has invaded the Great Lakes region, much to the delight of smallmouth bass. Even in lakes devoid of the bottom-hugging forage species, Storm's head-weighted goby imitator is a true brown fish charmer. ($4.79, StormLures.com)

Walleye Fishing: Use Copper Wire for Trolling up Bigger 'Eyes

kschulitz — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:01:56 -0400

A decade ago, salmon fishermen across the Great Lakes started fine-tuning the art of copper-line trolling for kings and cohos. No secret fishing manual was uncovered. Instead, technology had produced a more effective stranded copper line.

Nowadays, this multi-strand copper wire is all the rage with Great Lakes salmon anglers because it achieves twice as much depth per length as leadcore line. And walleye anglers are catching on, too. In the summer or during seasonal transitions when walleyes are staged in deep water, copper-wire trolling systems are proving to be the most effective way to take small presentations deep and maintain depth control through the target zone. Better yet, its thin diameter excels at speeds in excess of 2.5 mph, while still maintaining depth. Lures such as lightweight trolling spoons, shallow stickbaits, and even crawler harnesses can be trolled extremely deep with relative ease.

Simple to use—and a lot less expensive than you might think (about $25 a spool)—copper line provides several other advantages over traditional leadcore trolling line. It can help cut a wide trolling swath if run on planer boards, or it can simply be flatlined behind the boat, opening up depth ranges that just aren’t possible without enormous lengths of line.

Rigging Tips

There are two preferred rigging methods for walleyes. Anglers can either completely spool up line-counter reels with a small amount of backing and copper line or top-shot it with a predetermined amount of copper on a given reel, sandwiched between a leader and backing. Each reel then carries a different length of copper line—one with 40 feet, another with 60 feet, and so on. This allows you to spread out lures the same way you would with segmented leadcore or snap weights. You then use speed changes or additional backing line to adjust depth. Letting out additional backing line allows more copper to be in the water, causing the whole rig to achieve greater depth.

An Albright knot is one of the best ways to attach the copper to the leader or backing line. For those who don’t have a diverse knot arsenal, a haywire twist can be used on a small Spro Power Swivel, with a regular knot used to attach the leader to the other end of the swivel. Because it does so many things very well, you can be certain that copper is not going away anytime soon. It flat out catches fish.

Take a Kid Fishing: Why Catfish are Perfect for First-Time Anglers

Alex Robinson — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:27:09 -0400

As spring fishing season has us all heading to our favorite fishing holes, consider two important points critical to the sport’s progression: 1) Host a kid, or any beginner, and you'll open the door to their personal angling development; 2) First-time lessons need a realistic starting point so hold the dock skipping and deep cranking stuff for down the road.

In many cases, catfish offer a user-friendly option with a good chance of catching something big enough to eat. From the smaller channel cats to the blue variety reaching hefty proportions, catfish are fairly indiscriminate eaters with respectable fights and tasty fillets. Other words, they're the ideal "beginner" fish.

No disrespect to those advanced catfishermen, but beginner level stuff can actually be quite simple. A Carolina rig or a 3-way swivel rig baited with chicken livers, hot dogs or any of the various "stink baits" will do. For a multi-level angling experience, use crickets or wiggler worms on light spinning gear to catch small panfish and bait catfish rigs with fresh filets. The benefit: Starting off with the typically fast action of panfishing balances the waiting common to catfish pursuits.

West Virginia's mid-May catfish stockings comes just in time to encourage youth and family participation in Kids to Parks Day, May 8 (kidstoparks.org) National Get Outdoors Day on June 8, and National Fishing and Boating week, June 1 -9. The latter includes Free Fishing days on June 8 and June 9 in West Virginia.

The state's Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Section and West Virginia's state parks have partnered to make catfishing even more rewarding by releasing tagged channel catfish into lakes at these state parks: Cacapon (Morgan Co.), Cedar Creek (Gilmer Co.), Chief Logan (Logan Co.), Pipestem (Summers Co.), and Tomlinson Run (Hancock Co.). Anglers who catch a tagged fish are asked to return the tag or the tag number along with information on the date of capture, if the fish was kept or released, and the name and address of the angler to WVDNR, 2311 Ohio Ave, Parkersburg, WV 26101. Anglers also can call in the information (304-420-4550) or provide the information via e-mail dnrfishtags@wv.gov.

Anglers who report a tagged fish will receive the "tagged reward," park information, a letter of congratulations from the DNR and a certificate for either a train ride at Cass Scenic Railroad, a boat ride on the sternwheeler "Island Belle" to Blennerhassett Island or a Recreational Activity Pass at Pipestem resort. For a complete list of catfish stockings visit www.wvdnr.gov.

Record Fish: Alabama Striped Bass is Official World Record

Alex Robinson — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:39:44 -0400

It’s a phone call I’m sure he’ll never forget.

At 2:00 PM on Monday, May 13 James R. Bramlett received official word that his goliath striped bass is the new International Game Fish Association world record for a landlocked stripers.

James caught the 69-pound, 9-ounce fish on the Black Warrior River, near the Gorgas Steam Plant in Alabama on February 28, 2013. IGFA World Records Coordinator Jack Vitek told James that his fish entered the record books at 69 pounds 9 ounces, 44.1 inches long with a 37.75-inch girth.

To put these statistics into perspective, consider that an average 10-year-old American boy weighs 70 pounds and measures 51 inches tall.

That’s a big fish!

James’ fish tops the previous Alabama state record set in 1959 by 15 pounds and the former IGFA record by about two pounds.

A mount of James’s monster fish should be ready to display in his home in the next week or two.

That’s something I’d like to see!

Fishing Tips: Use Icefishing Gear for Early-Summer Bluegills

Alex Robinson — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:01:11 -0400

During early summer, big bluegills, in full spawning hues, start their gradual migration toward the shallows. As water temperatures reach 70 degrees, their breeding nests begin to appear—imagine elephant tracks on a lake bottom. Breeding often continues through August. These fish, the biggest bulls you’ll see all year, are aggressive biters and hard fighters. Perhaps best of all, their shallow-water haunts are easily accessible from a boat or from shore.

Minnesota’s Dave Genz, an icefishing master, calls these fish “no-nosers”—nothing but forehead. He focuses on them the instant that the ice melts, trading his jigging sticks for 12-foot spinning rods. But that’s pretty much all he changes. His terminal gear strategy remains a constant, and it’s a topnotch way to catch plate-sized fish.

Rigging Up
Using a relatively simple setup, Genz relies on a tiny ice jig tipped with either live bait or soft-plastics and fished under a pencil-thin balsa float. With the help of two sliding silicone sleeves, the float is easily adjustable for depth.

He balances the float so that the combined weight of the jig and bait (or plastic) almost sinks the whole works, leaving just the tip sticking out of the water. If he needs to fine-tune the balance, he pinches small split shot on the line, starting about a foot up from his bait.

He sets the bait so it’s slightly off the bottom, from a few inches to as much as halfway up, depending on where the fish want it. Sometimes, it helps to have bait bouncing on the bottom, right on the beds, especially when ’gills are defending their beds. With the trap thus set, fish can get the bait in their mouths easily, and even the slightest bites are detectable—just a tiny tug pulls the float under. A lift bite, when the fish rises in the water with the bait in its mouth, is also easily noticeable because the float rises or lays flat. Sensitive float rigs catch bluegills lightly in the lips. Seldom do the fish swallow the hook.

Genz’s rods are made for float fishing. His favorites are 12 feet long, with 8 feet of pool-cue butt section and a 4-foot light or ultralight tip. But 10-footers are easier to find in stores.

“The light tip lets you set the hook without breaking your line,” says Genz, “and the power in the butt lets you lift the fish.”

Cover Ground
Genz fishes the same way on ice or in open water, methodically placing his jig and float near bulrush clumps. Bluegills are aggressive on most days, so it’s not necessary to leave the bait anywhere for long.

“Bulrushes are best,” he explains. “But I also find fish near other weeds, such as grasses that reach above the surface—cover they can actually swim around in.”

In many reservoirs, weeds are hard to find. But if you search areas with sand, gravel, or other firm bottom, in 2 to 6 feet of water, you’ll spot bowl-shaped beds of spawning sunfish.

As summer progresses, shallow beds are often abandoned in favor of new ones made in deeper, cooler water. If you find beds but no fish, look in the area but probe deeper. That’s where the late spawners will set up.

Possible Record Rainbow Trout Released in Idaho?

Alex Robinson — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:36:55 -0400

Richard Galloway landed this monster rainbow trout while fishing the Clearwater River in Idaho in early March.

Galloway took some photos and measurements of the fish before releasing it as required by state law. The fish measured 36 inches in length and had a girth of 28 inches, according to the Idaho State Journal.

“I think I had it on my line for 15 to 20 minutes. I was using 15-pound test, so I kind of horsed it in a little,” Galloway told the paper. “I thought it was a steelhead.”

We'll never know for sure if this fish would have broken the rainbow trout state record: a 20-pounder caught by Michelle Larsen-Williams in the Snake River. But at least in this photo, Galloway's fish looks plenty big enough to have been a record breaker (see the current state record).

What do you think? Would Galloway's catch have been a state record?

For some reference, the world record trout (pictured below) weighed in at 48 pounds.

Choctaw Bass: New Species Found in Florida and Alabama

Alex Robinson — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:17:21 -0400

Oh great. Another bass species I’ll have trouble catching...

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission scientists have announced the discovery of a new bass species. The Choctaw bass first caught the attention of anglers and scientists in 2007 when the fish was pulled from the Chipola River.

DNA analysis confirmed that the fish was a new species. The Choctaw bass can be found in the coastal river systems of Alabama and in the western Florida panhandle.

The fish has existed for years, but was previously categorized with another, nearly identical species, the spotted bass (genetic testing is required to truly tell the difference between the two species). The Choctaw is the tenth species of bass to be discovered.

“I suspect there will be a lot of folks who will want to go out and catch one now,” Robert Cartlidge, president of The Bass Federation, told Foxnews.com. “Anything new is obviously exciting...”

Bass Angler Lands Monster Double on Umbrella Rig

Alex Robinson — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:19:06 -0400

It's no secret that castable umbrella rigs hold big-bass potential, but when Pflugerville, Texas angler Donnie O’Neal cast his YUM Flash Mob Jr. into Lake Austin on April 28, his rod loaded up with what he thought was the stud he was seeking for the Texas Sharelunker Program, which recognizes bass over 13 pounds.

Bad news: It wasn't a baker's dozen bass. Good news: The catch weighed 19.6 pounds. Cool news: It was a massive double-header that included a 7.8 and O'Neal's personal best bass that weighed 11.8. Both were released after O'Neal's big catch photos.

Initially, the powerful surges and a stubborn fight that remained deep had O'Neal thinking he had hooked a bass of another breed.

“As the fish came up I noticed that it looked like the letter ‘L’ facing downward, then it became apparent that it was not a striper, and not just one fish, but two bass, and they were huge!

“I let out the biggest holler. I’d never caught a double-digit bass, and I’d been searching a long, long time for one.”

The Flash Mob Jr., along with its full-sized version, includes a willow leaf blade on each of its five arms. The blades add flash and swimming motion to simulate the baitfish schools that spring bass target.

How to Fish the Great Lakes Without a Boat

Alex Robinson — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:10:43 -0400

The appeal of fishing from shorelines, breakwaters, and piers around the Great Lakes starts with the fact that you need just a rod or two, a small selection of tackle, and maybe a bucket to sit on, and it culminates with fresh fillets for the fryer or smoker. In between is the relaxing wait for a bite, interrupted by the adrenaline-pumping fun of catching fish—sometimes really big ones. Give these dry-land hotspots a try this season.

LAKE SUPERIOR
Duluth, MN
The St. Louis River separates Duluth from Superior, Wis., and offers an array of fishing opportunities. At the river’s mouth, the Duluth Ship Canal’s south pier affords anglers a shot at tasty coho salmon when the silvers come shallow to chase bait in late spring. A nightcrawler pegged to the bottom with a slip sinker works, but a tight-vibrating crankbait with rattles or a casting spoon can cover more water and shore fishers will catch more fish. The south pier is one of many structures on the Great Lakes where you’ll need a long-handled landing net.

Another nearby place to target cohos and other coldwater species in the spring and fall include the McQuade Small Craft Harbor, located 10 miles up Highway 61 from Duluth. Just 7 miles east of Duluth is Barker’s Island, in Superior, where anglers can catch northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleyes, and even muskies from the dock at the public ramp.

+ Inside line: Marine General
(218-724-8833; marinegeneral.com)

Marquette, MI
The Lower Harbor Breakwall at this Upper Peninsula city draws open-water anglers from March to November. This ½-mile-long breakwall offers scenic views of the harbor, city skyline and lighthouse—and some fine fishing opportunities, too.

First action at ice-out is for coho salmon and the occasional chinook caught with live crawlers and minnows or spoons—the Swedish Pimple Do-Jigger is a local favorite.

Fishing can be particularly good in the fall for whitefish and their close cousins, menominees. Single, cured salmon eggs fished on the bottom are a hot ticket (the fish are following spawning lake trout in shallows), but both of these species will also eat wax worms and small jigging spoons.

The big structure can accommodate lots of anglers. And when you’re finished strolling on the pier, you can walk to a couple of fine brewpubs by the waterfront. The Vierling has been a mainstay for 100 years.

+ Inside line: Gander Mountain (906-226-8300)

LAKE MICHIGAN
Sheboygan, WI
With a pier on the south and a long breakwall to the north, Sheboygan offers a lot of elbow room for anglers, who target brown trout all winter and well into the spring. Browns love hunks of smelt fished on the bottom, and find smelt heads particularly appealing. Jigs and soft-plastics, notably PowerBait, hopped along the bottom also work for browns.

The piers here—like many near Lake Michigan rivermouths that receive annual stockings of king salmon—are a great place to catch spawners starting in late August through September. Large casting spoons, such as Krocodiles with glow finishes, and big-bass-style crankbaits are top lures, especially at night.

+ Inside line: The Wharf Tackle Store (920-458-4406; thewharf.biz)

St. Joseph, MI
Starting in June, the east winds, which push warm surface water out, draw in cold water—and summer-run steelhead.

“Thawed-out shrimp, nightcrawlers, and live alewives on the bottom and below bobbers—sometimes set just below the surface—all can catch fish,” says Martin Moore, of Hartford, Mich. “Mepps Flying C spinners and ¾-ounce Reef Runner Cicada blade baits are also effective.”

+ Inside line: Broadlow’s Fishin’ Hole (269-982-3474; broadlowsfishinhole.com)

LAKE ERIE
Luna Pier, MI
Great walleye fishing at Luna Pier begins in the spring, when post-spawn fish leave the Maumee River and recover along the Michigan shoreline. Spring fishing from the long pier can be good night and day, says Frank Cortese, who runs Matthews Bait & Tackle in Monroe Township. Weight-forward spinners tipped with nightcrawlers, as well as casting spoons such as the Acme Kastmaster, are good lures. At night, jointed Bomber Long A’s in the clown pattern (metallic gold with a red head) are hard to beat.
Spring into summer is also a good time to tussle with channel catfish, which come shallow and feed on live minnows and nightcrawlers, says Cortese. Anglers targeting cats with live bait frequently encounter smallmouths and crappies, too.

+ Inside line: Matthews Bait & Tackle (734-241-4757; matthewsbait.net)

Cattauragus Creek, NY
About 40 miles west of Buffalo, near the town of Silver Creek, N.Y., the Catt’ is known as a premier fall steelhead hotspot.

In summer, shorebound anglers can enjoy outstanding catfish action, as large numbers of channel cats rove the streams and inshore waters of Lake Erie.

“Rig a spawn bag like you would for steelhead, or use cut shad or sucker or live nightcrawlers,” says Brian Kelly, an avid shore angler who lives in nearby Westfield, N.Y.
+ Inside line: Miller’s Bait Store (716-934‑2477)

LAKE HURON
Harbor Beach, MI
This small port toward the top of Michigan’s “thumb” offers a varied fishery, which is most easily accessible from the breakwall that protects the harbor. Nick DeShano, owner of Offshore Marina, says good fishing starts on spring nights, when anglers catch walleyes on Rapala Floating Minnows and Husky Jerks. Brown trout frequently supplement walleye catches at night. Nocturnal walleyes are available here sporadically throughout the summer, but action gets downright good for bigger fish when the waters start to cool in September and on into fall.
+ Inside line: Offshore Marina
(989-479-6064)

Port Huron, MI
The St. Clair River—where it exits Lake Huron on its way to Lake St. Clair—offers tremendous walleye fishing from mid-April into mid-May. Brown trout fishing can be especially good, too, as Port Huron has received the lion’s share of the state’s Lake Huron stocking.

+ Inside line: Anderson’s Pro Bait
(810-984-3232; andersonsprobait.com)

LAKE ONTARIO
Port Dalhousie, Ontario
Salmon fishing for big kings starts in August, when kings show up on cool nights and strike at big casting or jigging spoons with glow finishes, says Denis Kreze, who owns Fishin’ Niagara, a tackle store in Fort Erie, Ontario. Action gets heavier in September, peaking in late October upriver at the dam in town.

“As the salmon taper off, the number of brown trout and steelhead noticeably increases as they gorge on the millions of eggs drifting downstream,” says Kreze, who also guides the area. “To catch fish consistently here, you must match the hatch, starting with a salmon-size single egg, pale yellow or chartreuse.”
+ Inside line: Fishin’ Niagara
(905-871-3888; fishinniagara.com)

Oswego, NY
The city’s Linear Park, with its concrete sidewalk and wrought iron rails, borders the west side of the Oswego River all the way from the upper harbor almost to the Varick Dam. It provides terrific access to great fishing for walleyes, steelhead, browns, and salmon. Across the river, the Quality Inn and Best Western allow fishing behind the motels in the upper harbor area.

Kings start running in early September, with the odd Atlantic salmon showing up, too, says Capt. Ernie Lantiegne, of Fish Doctor Charters (fishdoctorcharters.com). Walleye anglers score with Rapala floating F-11s.
+ Inside line: B&W Bait and Tackle
(315-341-5808)

Minnesota Fishery Plan: Focus on the Watersheds

Alex Robinson — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:05:54 -0400

It’s known as “The Land of 10,000 Lakes” and Minnesota now has a strategic road map for looking after its vast waterways. Addressing the fish-rich tapestry of lakes, rivers and streams, the state’s Department of Natural Resources recently launched a new fisheries habitat plan aimed at maintaining the abundance.

Dirk Peterson, who heads up the Minnesota DNR, said that while the state has done well with stocking and regulation, the new plan will place a long overdue emphasis on habitat protection and restoration. Complementing attention to aquatic habitat, the DNR will also focus its effort on the broader picture of watershed dynamics – ensuring clean water flows into those lakes, rivers and streams.

"When you lift a fish out of the water, that fish is a reflection of all that happens on the land," Peterson said. "If we want to maintain great fishing, we need to focus more effort at the landscape and watershed scale."

Previously, funding limitations prevented such efforts, but 2008 brought the passage of a state constitutional amendment dedicating a portion of a sales tax hike to outdoors recreation and clean water initiatives. An increase in fishing license fees - approved by the Legislature last year - also is helping to put more focus on fisheries habitat work.

"We've always talked about habitat, but there rarely was adequate funding to really attack it at the appropriate scale," said Pete Jacobson, a DNR fisheries research supervisor and one of the plan's authors. "The constitutional amendment changes that, and we need to take advantage of it. The amendment is a mandate from the people for us to take fish habitat conservation seriously. This plan helps us do that."

Like This: Social Media Helps Challenge Cumberland River Tailwater Closures

Alex Robinson — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 11:28:20 -0400

If you've ever felt that your voice can't be heard, you might want to tune in to the battle raging over angler access on the Cumberland River. And be ready to click that "like" button.

If you'll recall an Open Country post in December of 2012 revealed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intends to close tailrace areas below dams on the Cumberland River to fishing. Its reasoning? "Public Safety." That’s a curious citation given that there have been just eight boating-related deaths below Tennessee Corps projects since 1978 and only about two percent of all deaths on the river system occurred below dams.

Yet the Corps seems to believe that there is a pending safety issue and the only way to address it is to completely block boater access below the dams. If you happen to live in the affected areas, you know just how popular those tailrace areas are for anglers. And for good reason: They're high quality fishing areas.

It also seems the Corps felt this issue wasn't worth mentioning until it was time to start putting up barriers. An internal memo obtained by the folks at WZTV Fox 17 news in Nashville, TN revealed that the Corps' plan to close access to the dams has been in existence since 2010. It also admits that there is some dissention within the ranks of the Corps and advises staff to stick to the company line.

Perhaps the Corps assumed that by hiding the plan for two years and unveiling it just prior to locking anglers out of public waters, any resistance from anglers would be too scattered to matter.

Clearly, it overlooked the power of Facebook.

Social media has proven to be a highly effective method of grassroots advocacy. Hundreds of anglers and concerned citizens have attended public meetings throughout Tennessee and Kentucky. Many of them have found the meetings through social media posts and they arrive well armed with information and documents shared on Facebook.

Doug Markham, who hosts an outdoors radio show in Tennessee, could be considered the orchestrator of this movement. His Facebook page is a hub of information and updates on the issue. And many of the recent posts have shown positive movement against the Corps' plan.

On Markham's page, you'll find a transcript of statements made by Ed Carter, Director of the TWRA, spoke at one of the public gatherings on Feb. 5 in Nashville. The Director stated in fairly plain language that the TWRA in no way supports the Corps' closure.

"These areas below dams are of great significance to fishermen and I, again, thank you for the time to speak on this very important topic. I am asking that the Corps delay any program to restrict these areas until meaningful discussions have taken place to seek alternatives to the present proposal.

"I will end by simply saying that I believe that we can positively address the safety, recreation, economics, and liability issues by enhancing current safety measures and thereby avoid a costly initiative that would result in the closure of some of the most important fishery zones in our state."

The page also has a copy of a letter dated Feb. 5, 2013, from Kentucky Governor Steven Beshear to Lt. Colonel James DeLapp, head of the Nashville District of the Army Corps of Engineers, urging him to "reconsider this decision and to halt plans to barricade access until further deliberation can be given to its impact."

There's a copy of a letter from Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell opposing the Corps actions and there's also one signed by several of Tennessee's congressional members asking the same.

A draft of Kentucky Congressman Ed Whitfield's bill that would halt the Corps' actions is also posted.

It's a social media groundswell that appears to be making a difference.
And it's fueled by your voice.