Innholdsfortegnelse for September - October 2015 i Bassmaster

Don’t Texas babies come out of the womb wielding a fishing rod and deer rifle? “THERE’S A BIG fish under my dock,” yelled a man from the bank of the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York. Mark Menendez was fishing the second day of the early August Elite Series event there when he heard the man hollering at him. “I can’t accept information like that during the tournament. It’s against the rules,” the Kentucky pro responded. It then became clear that the landowner was not trying to help, but instead to threaten Menendez. “No … you need to leave it alone!” the man replied. As Menendez calmly explained that he had a right to fish public waters, the man jumped into a boat and started doing doughnuts around the…

Justin Lucas Birthday: May 1, 1986 Hometown: Guntersville, Ala. You’ve had a good first two years on the Elite Series — do you ever think you’re dreaming? Definitely. I’d be lying if I said I thought I’d be where I am at this stage of my career. I look back and say, “I can’t believe I did that.” It’s crazy, dude, because I really don’t think I’m that good of a fisherman. That’s more to prove to myself that I can do better. I’m not satisfied with what I’ve done. I haven’t impressed myself yet. So yes, sometimes I pinch myself and say, ‘OK, this is real, and I’ve earned it.’ But I feel like there’s so much left for me to do. How do you explain the success you’ve…

Bass Pro Shops Central Open #2 presented by Allstate Where: Fort Gibson Lake, Wagoner, Okla. When: Sept. 10-12 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Divisional Where: Connecticut River, Hartford, Conn. When: Sept. 16-18 Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Angler of the Year Championship Where: Sturgeon Bay, Door County, Wis. When: Sept. 17-20 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 presented by Allstate Where: Lake Erie, Sandusky, Ohio When: Sept. 24-26 Bass Pro Shops Central Open #3 presented by Allstate Where: Table Rock Lake, Branson, Mo. When: Oct. 1-3 Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #3 presented by Allstate Where: Lake Seminole, Bainbridge, Ga. When: Oct. 22-24 BASS TIMES Ticker: Conservation and bass fishing news In an effort to reverse an alarming decline in the bass population, 40,000 Florida-strain fingerlings have been stocked in Arizona…

No bass boat? No problem. Ride-sharing services have grown in popularity in recent years, and now a San Francisco-based company is taking that concept to the waterways. According to www.phillyvoice.com, Boatbound is an online marketplace where boat owners can rent out their vessels. The service offers options, from boats with a captain and crew to watercraft renters take out on their own. The service advertises boats large and small, with prices depending on the size of the vessel and length of rental. Listings in the New York area ranged from a $180-a-day bass boat to $7,000 a day for a luxury yacht. Thirteen million boat owners had registered with the service by midsummer, with the most popular cities being San Francisco, Miami, New York, Chicago, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Clients…

WHEN KEVIN VANDAM pulled a rod out of his Nitro Z-21 storage box, I had to do a double take to see what was tied on the end. It was a buzzbait. “You going old-school on me?” The legendary Bassmaster pro smiled. “The bass didn’t stop crushing buzzbaits,” he says with a shrug. “Fishermen just stopped throwing them.” VanDam says it’s been his go-to, big-bass lure when conditions are right, such as fishing over shallow cover in stained or muddy water. “When bass start targeting big shad in the backs of creeks during the fall — especially after a good rain [when] the water is dirty and/or rising — the buzzbait gets their attention,” he says. “Big bass bite it, and it provides a different presentation than what shallow fish…

Trailer Valet, $350 The problem with most homebuilders is that they fail to design a garage around bass boats. Sure, most hulls will fit in the standard garage opening, but only by an inch or two. One mistake in the backing process equals costly damage to both the boat and garage. The Trailer Valet not only replaces your current jack, but also allows you to move your boat, and steer it, with a simple crank and handle. A built-in brake keeps you from losing control.www.trailervalet.com Rapala Shadow Rap, $9.99 Released at the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, this bait features an internal weight system that allows it to sink very slowly while quivering like a dying baitfish. When worked like a traditional jerkbait, it has a very erratic action. www.rapala.com Work Sharp…

September 7 Labor Day. Unofficially, the last day of summer. If you’re Canadian, it’s Labour Day. 13 Grandparents Day. Take Grandpa fishing! 23 Autumnal Equinox. It’s fall, y’all. 26 National Hunting and Fishing Day. Actually, this should be celebrated every day. 27 Harvest Moon. Shine on. October 12 Columbus Day. A great day to be a federal government employee; go fishing without calling in sick. 27 Navy Day. What about the bass boat navy? 31 Halloween. Watch out for Zara Spooks.…

A Utah man’s trip to Idaho for a bass tournament turned into a financial windfall, and it had nothing to do with his tournament success. According to www.KTVB.com, Jay Cranney bought a lottery ticket after a tournament this summer and matched five numbers in the Mega Millions game to cash in for $1 million. “I did all right in the fishing tournament,” Cranney said. “But I got a lucky catch on Mega Millions.” Cranney said he’ll use the money to pay off debts, buy a new bass boat and make investments. After leaving Boise, Idaho, with his winnings, Cranney said he was going fishing. “There’s another tournament tomorrow.”…

Two years after retiring from the NBA, 2001 MVP and 11-time All-Star Allen Iverson is ready to be back on ESPN. This time, he wants to be on The Bassmasters. “I want to become a professional bass fisherman,” Iverson told Bleacher Report. “I want to get good enough to compete with the best in the world and be on ESPN. I’m good right now, but I could be the best. That’s my dream right now. I’m really going to make it happen.” What’s weirder: bumping into Iverson in Bass Pro Shops or imagining a conversation between A.I. and B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon that includes the phrase, “Practice. We’re talkin’ about practice.”…

more to see & do This unspoiled region is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. The Little Bay de Noc Recreation Area offers hiking trails, biking, horseback riding and camping. The 894,836-acre Hiawatha National Forest has numerous forest roads to bike and hike on, plus camping and cabins. Lighthouses abound here. Picturesque Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba, built in 1868, is open to the public. The Delta County Historical Society re-furnished all the rooms to appear as they would have at the turn of the 20th century. Hop aboard an open “train” that winds 2,600 feet through drifts and tunnels as deep as 400 feet to view amazing rock formations and lighted underground caverns. The Fayette Historic State Park is a well-preserved iron smelting ghost town from the 1880s. It features…

Travel Protection What is the best way to manage livewell systems during summer tourneys, especially when the lake is rough? When I have to make long runs, the fish in my livewell tend to get pounded. James Emrick, Texas Triton Boats Vice President Adam Adkisson says it’s critical to run your livewell pumps on manual mode throughout the day. He also advises the same with recirculation pumps if that feature is offered on your boat. Before you make a long run, make sure the livewells are completely full and turn off the pump-in feature, but keep the recirculation on manual. And — this is critical — stop every few miles to refill the livewells with fresh water to replace what may have sloshed out of the overfill. “If you fish…

We have to counter the Disney message in Finding Nemo : “Fish are friends, not food.” ONE OF THE highlights of summer here in Birmingham, Ala., is “Gran Camp,” an intense, exhausting and exhilarating week during which my granddaughters come to visit. My wife, Linda, is the daylight-to-dark camp counselor, cook, servant, activities director and tour guide. I show up for the fun stuff. This year, I invited each of the girls, ages 3 and 6, to go on a “date.” I offered to take them — one at a time — to dinner, or a movie, or a playground, or an ice cream shop. Neither hesitated in answering. “I want to go fishing!” each girl said. No, I could not have been more proud. “Fishing is…

If you could use only one style of hook for soft plastic baits, what would it be and why? Chris Dutton, Tennessee Offset round bend. I feel that the offset holds any bait on the shank very well, so your lure won’t foul as you fish it through cover. Plus, this hook style is a little stronger than the wide gaps, so you don’t have to worry about it bending on big fish. Elite Series pro Bradley Roy A regular straight shank with a on . I feel like my hookup ratio is better with a straight-shank hook and with the way they’re putting the keepers on them now, they hold the plastic really well. Elite Series pro Matt Herren Straight-shank hooks. I trust straight-shank hooks because you can…

This little big-town in the Ozarks may be known for its musical shows, but its fishing reputation isn’t too shabby. The Bass Pro Shops Central Open presented by Allstate sets up shop here Oct. 22-24 for a Table Rock Lake derby, but The Rock isn’t the only place to fish in these parts. Stuck in the Middle. Branson is nearly halfway between the lower end of Table Rock Lake and Bull Shoals Lake, two of three large U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes on the White River in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Holy Punctulatus! The Missouri spotted bass record — 7 pounds, 8 ounces — from Table Rock Lake has reigned for almost 60 years. 1 200 campsites , on Table Rock Lake 8 million visitors to Branson each…

Juan Arevalo did what most anglers would’ve done after catching a trophy smallmouth June 6 on Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River: He had someone take a picture of him with the fish and then posted it on Facebook. Only problem was that he ran afoul of Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations and received a citation and $120 fine. The Pocono Record reported that Arevalo caught a 22-inch smallmouth on a stretch of the river that falls under special regulations. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officials noted that on a 98-mile stretch of the river targeting or catching of smallmouth from May 1 to June 12 (during the spawn) is prohibited. It is also unlawful to remove the fish from the water to unhook it. The rules were implemented to protect the…

ONE OF BASS fishing’s most perplexing conundrums is selecting which soft plastic bait to fish in a given situation. With the myriad shapes, sizes, actions and colors of soft plastic baits to choose from, the decision can be overwhelming. Add to these options two other soft plastic elements that deserve scrutiny: density and texture. Texture refers to the hardness or softness of the bait, explains John Prochnow, Berkley’s director of product innovation, who has a degree in chemical engineering. “Density has more to do with the weight or mass of the bait,” Prochnow says. Density and texture are related because denser plastics, which are heavier, tend to harden the bait, Prochnow adds. The density of the plastic also influences, among other things, the lure’s sink rate. Texture is the major…

But learning this trick — and knowing exactly where to employ it — will make you a more successful bass angler ON KENTUCKY LAKE, you’d better be able to find fish on ledges if you want to be competitive. In Florida, you have to be able to flip grass. On Lake Erie, drop shotting and tube dragging offshore structure are the keys to success. On the lakes of North Carolina’s Catawba River chain, though, if you can’t skip a jig into the deepest crevices of a dock’s caverns, you might as well give up now. “Ninety-five percent of winning bags on lakes like Norman and Wylie have at least one fish that came off of a dock,” two-time Bassmaster winner Andy Montgomery says. “And usually it’s more than half of…

10-3 Pickwick Lake, Alabama/Tennessee ◆ Zoom Magnum Lizard (green pumpkin) ◆ Water clarity: clear Depth: 6 feet ◆ Weather: clear 11-8 Lake George, Florida 10-inch shiner on No. 5 weedless Kahle hook 6-9 Douglas Lake, Tennessee Zara Spook (white) 10-5 neighborhood lake, Texas PowerBait Chigger Craw (black blue fleck) 7-0 Lake St. Clair, Michigan Rapala DT-6 6-14 Wilson Lake, Alabama 4-inch shiner on split shot rig 11-5 Falcon Lake, Texas 3-inch Big Bite Baits craw (pearl) 12-4 Caney Lake, Louisiana 5-inch wild shiner on drop shot rig To request an application, write to editorial@bassmaster.com or B.A.S.S., The Lunker Club, 3500 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 330, Birmingham, AL 35243. A photo documenting the catch must be provided, along with the length and girth of the bass. Only suitable photos will be…