A New Year With New Goals
First of all Merry Christmas to everyone and hope your stocking is stuffed with Plastic worms and spinnerbaits. .. Ok ,maybe thats my stocking wish list but I hope you get what you wanted and have the best of New years.
I would like to Thank Jay for inviting me to write in the WTJB Blog and hopefuly share in the outdoors activities we all so much enjoy. This upcoming year I will try to keep you posted on tournaments in the West Texas area, Local anglers that are on a winning streak, tips and tricks that are happening as current as possible on certain lakes and stuff that floats between my ears that will hopefully translate in this Blog in keeping you entertained in a manor that will keep you reading ,or get you in a debate with fellow anglers. Some of it will make sense, some will come off the top of my head and not make sense. But that is what it is all about, figuring out the madness of trying to catch a fish that we put on a pedistal. We all chase the Gilled Green Monster for different reasons ,but it pulls us together with a common goal of Knowledge,competition,companionship and memories.
Jay and I will do more videos for your pleasure and in some cases your amusement. We will hopefully get to see new lakes in West Texas and show you different baits along with techniques that will help you catch more fish. Talk to you soon .See you on the water. Wendell

Hello Everybody ..or anybody. My 1st Blogging expierance and like alot of older guys like me I am taking baby steps. I am sending this now to see what I am doing. Reporting back soon.

Paul Ann Bass Club Standings

We have 28 guys in the PABC mix with the below registering their weight.

1. Morris, Jeff 30.77
2. Dorman, Bryan 25.26
3. Palko, Chip 24.26
4. Snyder, David 23.32
5. Whitt, Bob 23.03
6. Lucas, Jesse 20.07
7. Cavaness, Roy 18.81
8. Leeper, Jay 15.93
9. McAlpin, Thomas 14.92
10. Watkins, Bandy 10.36
11. Day, Garrett 9.02
12. Dorman, Mike 8.75
13. Gagliano, Scott 6.81
14. Miner, Scott 6.44
15. Day, Jim 5.33
16. Carter, Randy 5.31
17. Lucas, Travis 4.81
18. Hall, Jason 4.34
19. Brumley, Justin 3.57
20. Elloitt, Carl 3.06
21. Rutledge, David 3.00
22. Strange, Cameron 1.25

Roy Cavaness won the Weight Ticket Tourney with a 6.50 pound bass. Nice catch, Roy!

The PABC will be conducting a Weight Ticket tourney for the month of November and December. This means we will be recording the top 3 legal bass we catch for the month as a tourney and adding this to our standings. Our single biggest fish also gets added seperately if we participate in our Big Bass Weight Ticket tourney.

Big shout out to the guys participating in this!

Catch and Release Tips

I was approached last week by Sawyer Warwick, a senior at Central, who is completing a project for an Environmental Science class he is taking. His project was to, in his area of interest, "make a difference in the environment." Sawyer chose to research Catch and Release Tips and try to get a fishing blog to post them. You can imagine that I was a hard sell! ;-P

Thanks, Sawyer, for the info. Hope it helps our fishing community!

Catch and Release Tips

1. While fishing with artificial lures, consider replacing treble hooks with single hooks. Single hooks are quicker and easier to remove, which causes less tear and damage to the fishes mouth. By pinching the barb on your hooks, fish can still be caught without a chance of losing them and are less harmed during release.
2. Plan your release strategy. Decide whether to keep or release any fish prior to angling or at least before removing the fish from the water. Familiarize yourself with any regulations in effect for the species targeted, and gather any items that will facilitate handling and releasing the fish.
3. When a fish is hooked, use a steady retrieval technique. This can reduce the amount of stress a hooked fish undergoes when pulled up from the depths too quickly, or when physically exhausted from an overly slow retrieve. Stress causes lactic buildup in muscle tissues which removes oxygen from the fishes muscle and often result in death.
4. Once you have decided on releasing the fish, avoid netting or even removing it from the water if possible. Use needle-nosed pliers to pry the hook from the fish while it is still in the water. Fish that can be lifted by the line can easily be removed by a "dehooker" end of the fishing line to the lure or hook – can easily be released over the rail using a "dehooker." If live bait or a lure is deeply embedded in the fish’s gill, cut the leader close to the fish’s mouth and let the fish keep the hook. Studies have shown that fish can get rid of the hook up to 120 days later.
5. When landing the fish, it is important to minimize out-of-water time and any fish contact with surrounding surfaces or objects.
• Avoid using landing nets if possible. If a landing net must be used, one with a neoprene bag rather than natural twine should be used. Neoprene removes less of the fish’s mucous coat.
• Keep hands moistened. This helps prevent removal of the fish’s natural protective mucous layer, and reduces the chance of subsequent infections in the fish’s skin.
• Minimize handling, particularly of the gills and soft underbelly. Gently prevent the fish from battering itself on surrounding hard surfaces.
6. Return the fish to the water headfirst. In most cases, it is best to point the fish’s head straight down and allow the fish to plunge down into the water.

Thanks again to Sawyer!

PABC November Tourney

Man, its been a while!

The November PABC Tourney was held 11-21-09.

We had a special stipulation allowing for 10 legal crappie to be caught. It had a significant effect on the outcome. It was an interesting tourney!

Many thanks to the participants of the tourney.

December and January will be weigh ticket tourneys which means that the guys catching their top 3 bass will turn in the weight. We figure that if you need to cheat a small church fishing group ...

I'm looking forward to the next tips and hopefully bringing you some new webisodes. Also, I am hoping to introduce you to some local fishermen posting on this blog so keep checking back.

Take care and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!"

Blog Update!

Hi folks!

Sorry for the down time. I will be posting a few webisodes here soon and results from the Paul Ann Baptist Bass Club soon. Please check back!

PABC Standings

The PABC current standings after 10-5-09 are posted below.

1. Whitt, Bob 23.03
2. Morris, Jeff 19.38
3. Lucas, Jesse 17.32
4. Dorman, Bryan 17.26
5. Palko, Chip 15.26
6. Leeper, Jay 13.50
7. Snyder, David 13.13
8. Day, Garrett 9.02
9. Cavaness, Roy 8.78
10. Gagliano, Scott 6.81
11. Miner, Scott 6.44
12. Day, Jim 5.33
13. Carter, Randy 5.31
14. Lucas, Travis 4.81
15. Brumley, Justin 3.57
16. Watkins, Bandy 3.00
17. Dorman, Mike 2.69
18. Strange, Cameron 1.25

The PABC will be sponsoring their next tournament 10-17-09 at Lake Ivie. Start time is 7:30. We will meet at Concho Park. If you are interested in attending, we allow non-club members to fish twice a season (we are currently in the Fall Season).

Our Novembr Tournament will take place on 11-21-09 on Lake Nasworthy tentatively set for 7 AM to 1:30.

Hope to see you there.

PABC Tourney Results 9/26/09

The PABC held its September tourney at Twin Buttes. It was an interesting tourney with some interesting results!

Leeper, Jay 8.81
Snyder, David 6.88
Dorman, Bryan 6.88
Whitt, Bob 5.31
Day, Jim 4.19
Morris, Jeff 4.00
Gagliano, Scott 4.00
Palko, Chip 3.56
Watkins, Bandy 3.00
Lucas, Jesse 1.88
Brumley, Justin 1.38
Strange, Cameron 1.25
Cavaness, Roy 0.00
Cavaness, Stephen 0.00
Dorman, Mike 0.00
Miner, Scott 0.00
Lucas, Travis 0.00
Day, Garrett 0.00
Carter, Randy 0.00
Moseley, Cody 0.00
Knight, Andy 0.00
White, Steve 0.00
Albright, James 0.00
McAlpin, Thomas 0

The big fish was caught by your's truely and it was 5.50.

If anything, this proves that anyone can get lucky!

Twin Buttes: Month of September

It's been a rough month. I have been out twice to Twin Buttes and once to OC Fisher. On Labor Day, Jaime Robinson fished an area over by the old boat ramp on Buttes and Jaime caught a bunch of whites, a 2.14 and 3.7. We had so many whites popping around us that it looked like a jacuzzi. They love crank baits, BTW. I manages a couple of dinks and some whites, but it tickled me pink that Jaime caught a couple of nice fish. Scott Gagliano and I decided t ogo out to OC Fisher Sunday the 20th. This was a memorable trip not so much because of the fish we caught (me=0, Scot=1 fingerling channel cat), but because of the battery on my little plastic boat finally dying (**insert Taps here**). With its last dying cell, it got us back to the ramp from the penninsula (no longer 3 islands). We thought we had found some big bass jumping on the sheltered side of the island, but we discovered that it was carp. Big ones, too! I didn't know they jump like that. The PABC had it's September tournament Saturday, the 26th. Wait until you see the yo-yo who won that one. He's a real dufas! Stay tuned for more.

Interview: Tad Box and Shane Lemoine

I had the great fortune to sit down with Tad Box and his protégé Shane Lemoine. Tad is an old pro at the sport we so love and have in common and very approachable to anyone wanting to learn a few things. Shane is a great up and comer that keen intellect, quick learning, and pleasant personality makes him a blast to watch as he grows up. These two were kind enough to welcome me into their homes and lives to talk fish and I came away with a new perspective on life, learning, and bass!

This is a bit late in coming, but I think well worth it!

WTJB: Hello fishing jerks! This is Jay Leeper conducting an interview on this 11th day of June. I have Tad Box and Shane Lemoine They have both agreed to sit down and talk with me and you guys about the fishing in the area.

Are there any folks you want to say “Hi” to?


TB: What’s up, fishing jerks!


SL: What’s up, fishing jerks!


WTJB: Cool! Name and hometown?


TB: Tad Box. Midland, Texas


SL: Shane Lemoine. Midland, Texas


WTJB: Names of any fishing clubs or any awards from the recent past?


SL: Concho Bass Club and West Texas Junior Bass Masters. I recently got the Angler of the Year for my age group and a few years back I won the Casting Kids Contest here.


WTJB: Do you want to talk a little about your award winning the Junior Bass Masters?


SL: The Angler of the Year?


WTJB: Yes. How did you win that award?


SL: Fishing real hard and using my favorite techniques.


WTJB: Cool! Tad?


TB: On which subject?


WTJB: Choose one! (laughter)


TB: On fishing associations Bass Masters mostly. I use to be associated with a bunch of clubs, but not like I use to. I’m kinda in a transitional phase right now. I’m getting back into a mopre competitive type of fishing.


WTJB: Did I understand that you both were involved with the Permian Bass Club?


TB: At one time I was in the Permian Bass Club, the San Angelo Bass Club, the Concho Bass Club, and the Silver Bullet Bass Club. Years ago, I use to fish on the Bass Masters Circuit. I started with the Centrals and worked my way up to the top 150s which are now the Elite Series.
WTJB: Shane, if I understand correctly, you fish in the same Bass Club as Garath Fulks and some of those guys?


SL: Yes.


WTJB: Any stories you could tell me about those guys?


SL: They catch a lot of big fish. It’s tough to compete against them.


WTJB: Alright! Let’s talk about local lakes. When we talk about local lakes, we are talking about San Angelo area lakes. Which is your favorite local lake and why?


SL: I like Nasworthy because I can take the Bass Buster out, go flip, and catch a lot of big fish.


WTJB: When you talk about big fish, what size are you talking about?


SL: Four plus.


WTJB: Cool! Tad?


TB: Well, being from Midland, we use to have a house here so my favorite local lake has got to be Ivie. Next in line would be Nasworthy and then Buttes. I don’t know Buttes as well as most of these guys do, but since it has come back up it seems like a whole lot better lake. Years ago, it was known for big fish, now it is known for the number of big fish; five plus pounds. Ivie has come back now. It’s incredible and it’s supposed to be like that. I think what a lot of people miss out on is not fishing Nasworthy like they use to when all you has to do to fish Nasworthy was flip the reeds. I think a lot os guys, since they dredged the lake and seen what’s changed, instead of only flipping reed they’re out Carolina rigging. They’re fishing some points and areas we didn’t understand that we have to go find with our graphs and it’s changed. I mean, you really have to adapt to it. You have to throw some deep crank baits and stuff like that to get these fish. There are some other techniques out there that some people will eventually find out or I can tell them what we have been doing to catch these fish that have basically in the past 2 months spawning in the 7 to 10 pound range. I think that people are going to laugh at that when I say it, but they wouldn’t laugh when I show them all the pictures. That is actually a true story.


WTJB: WOW! (I hated changing the subject, but …) When we talk about techniques, what would you consider your favorite techniques?


SL: Drop shotting for me because if the fishing is tough I can always go out and find some structure and catch my limit real quick.


WTJB: OK, so when we are talking about drop shotting, how do you do it?


SL: I find the structure and I pitch it around it and I just hop it around it. I get a lot of strikes doing that.


TB: Top water no mater what. That’s absolutely going to be my favorite way I can catch them. I surprise people sometimes because top water is a year round bite no mater what people think. There are always fish shallow. I’ve had fish blow up on buzz baits, spooks … spooks are probably one of my favorite baits to catch some monster fish on. I have caught them when it is absolutely snowing outside.


WTJB: That’s one of the things I find interesting about guys who talk about fishing top water is the same observation you have is that it’s not a seasonal type of deal that it is a year round type of deal.


TB: Top water is a year round deal and a lot of people don’t understand that.


WTJB: Do you think it is unique to the area?


TB: What I have learned in my past even going to Lake of the Ozarks and the way the fish pattern themselves the more northern strains in the dead of winter while it’s snowing and you can catch them in thirty foot of water on buzz baits just as fast as you can cast out on rock ledges. I’ve always got a spook tied on no matter what because something blows up in the middle of the lake the spook is flying and I’m going to get it. That fish most of the time bites, too.


WTJB: Let’s talk lurers. What would you consider your three favorite lurers and why?


SL: Texas Rig, drop shot, and a buzz bait.


WTJB: Why?


SL: A drop shot because I can find structure and catch them there. Texas rig because I can always go out on the bass buster and flip the reeds. Buzz bait because it is a fun way to catch them.


TB: For the local lakes I would absolutely have to say flipping creature baits. You will always find fish flipping. The second one has got to be the spinner bait. The third has got to be a top water.


WTJB: Excellent! This next question is a question near and dear to me; especially considering where I am at in my level of fishing. What is some advice you could give some guys like me to improve our fishing in the local lakes?


TB: The first thing is that time on the water is everything. The more time the better. It doesn’t matter if you just have 2 hours on the lake. You can learn so much in that 2 hours. Just because the fish don’t bite doesn’t mean that you can’t go observe. That’s one thing. The worst thing a new fisherman can do is get into a situation where they get too much information through too many people who are full of it. Some people will lead them astray. Just be honest with the new guys. Most of the new guys are just trying to get started. All they want to do is catch fish. For the new guy, you have to have the right set up. First of all, braid line is an absolutely must. 20 pound braid line, even on a spinning reel, is a must because you can feel what this stuff is doing.


WTJB: Cool! Shane?


SL: Try to have fun! You are going to rack your brain trying to catch fish. Just go out and have fun.


WTJB: What is your opinion of the condition of local fishing?


TB: We need more water first of all. A lot more water would help these lakes out; especially Buttes because we all know what Buttes is like when it is full. We need water, but the fishing is absolutely awesome right now. People go to east Texas and they say this and this, but when I go to east Texas those guys want to come out here. Now you have Amstead on the map. Falcon on the map. I fished Falcon many years ago and it was the same as it is today. Now we have Ivie with the grass. I talk to a lot of the elite pros who are still good friends of mine who talk about the lakes out here. Ivie is still the secret lake out there that no one fishes. It’s more of the local people who know that lake. A friend of mine, Ken Cook, and I still talk about that lake because he was out here for a bass tournament in 97 or 98 when he was all those 8 to 10s coming out of that lake. Ivie is the secret lake and Buttes is holding its own. Nasworthy is the silent lake that no one knows except the yakers. They know what it holds and they know how to get them. It’s incredible. West Texas fishing and the fishermen from west Texas are far superior to the guys in east Texas and that is a quote from Tad Box. It is the truth. The guys from west Texas dominate the tourneys in east Texas if they can get out that way. It’s just that way especially now that we have some grass that some people put out our guys are understanding the grass and how to fish it so that now they can go out to east Texas and fish with the east Texas boys at their own game.


WTJB: Cool. Shane?


SL: I can only agree with Tad about what he said about the lakes and their really starting to come back from where they use to be.


WTJB: OK! Here’s the next question. Favorite true fishing story?


TB: There are so many true stories that people think I’m BSing, but I’ve had great days fishing that people think I’m BSing. True fishing story? We are going to share with Jay a picture, and no discredit to the guy who caught the 18 pound hybrid, of a hybrid we caught on Thanksgiving Day in 2008 that I caught on Lake Nasworthy. I’ll share with you what the weight exactly was. We knew it was a monster, but we did not know that it was a record. It weighed in at 22 pounds and a few ounces.


SL: Myh favorite story was about the KDCD Tourney out at Lake Ivie a few weeks back. It was the last day of the tournament and it was a slow day. We weren’t catching anything. In the last couple of hours, we just grabbed the top waters and went to have some fun. We caught like 200 three pound bass every cast on top water.


WTJB: On top water?


TB: 3-5s.


WTJB: Catch and release?


TB: I’ll answer this one first. Catch and release is everything. It takes a 10 pounder 10+ years to get there. If you want to eat a fish, eat crappie. They can reproduce so fast. They are kinds like rabbits. Those guys keep coming and coming. I really don’t eat fish. My joy; my passion is just to catch the fish. My old saying when I was fishing professionally was “Why eat your profits?”


SL: I agree. Catch and release if a must.


WTJB: Just playing Devil’s advocate, how do you respond to the guy who says that too many fish are destroying the prey base?


TB: Absolutely! If this is the case, then keep the 14 to 16 inch ones. Most of the ones in that size are the male fish anyways. Just don’t eat those big fish.


WTJB: Cool! OK, next question. Personal heroes?


(Shane is looking at Tad)


SL: Tad.


WTJB: Really? You realize that you are going on record with that.


SL: Yeah. He took me from a regular bank fishermen and turned me into the tournament fisherman that I am today.


WTJB: That’s pretty awesome.


TB: Thank you Shane. I didn’t know that.


WTJB: Your turn, Tad.


TB: Personal hero? I’d have to say my dad. He was there to always take me fishing even though he didn’t fish. He always supported me. I taught myself to fish, but he was always there to support me. Personal hero in fishing would be Ken Cook because I got the chance to room with him for a whole year. To go with someone like Ken Cook, the 1991 World Champion, I learned more in that 1 year. I still use things that he showed me.


WTJB: I want to direct this next question to Shane. Where do you want to go to from here?


SL: I want to fish all my life, but I want to go to college to be an anesthesiologist.


WTJB: Do you ever see yourself going pro?


SL: I’ll fish local tournaments, but I want to be an anesthesiologist.

We talked about some of the local fishermen and swapped a few more stories and generally had a great time. Tad is truly passionate about his fishing and it shows. His mentoring Shane is a noble thing, but truth be known Shane is great all on his own. Having the benefit of Tad in his life only enhances his learning.


I’ve also posted a picture of the 22-pound hybrid caught Thanksgiving Day in 08. According to Tad, they put it on 2 separate scales both reading 22 pounds and 3 to 4 ounces. It was so big that they couldn’t keep it in the livewell and being Thanksgiving Day, they knew it would be tough to contact any one about the fish. As best they could, they documented the catch and let it go.


Thanks for tuning in to WTJB and I hope the interview was as much fun for you as it was for me.

PABC August Results

Whitt, Bob 1 12/16, 3 4/16, and 4 11/16 for a total of 9 11/16
Morris, Jeff 1 14/16, 3 12/16, and 3 13/16 for a total of 9 7/16
Snider, David 1 5/16, 1 13/16, and 3 2/16 for a total of 6 4/16
Carter, Randy 3, 2 5/16 for a total of 5 5/16
Lucas, Jesse 4 13/16 for a total of 4 13/16
Palko, Chip 2 6/16 and 1 12/16 for a total of 4 2/16
Day, Garrett 3 14/16 for a total of 3 14/16
Dorman, Byran 1 15/16 and 1 8/16 for a total of 3 7/16
Cavness, Roy 1 13/16 and 1 6/16 for a total of 3 3/16
Lucas, Travis 3 1/16 for a total of 3 1/16
Dorman, Mike 2 11/16 for a total of 2 11/16
Miner, Scott 1 11/16 for a total of 1 11/16

The rest of us got zilched.

8-29-09: Twin Buttes

We fished the PABC Monthly Tourney today and I struggled.

Period!

I had 5 top water hits and a bunch of worm hits and couldn't stick a one.

My partner, Scott, caught this weird bass. Does anyone have any ides what's wrong with it?

It's always good to get out and fish. For the tournament, we didn't do well as the results will show.

There's always next time.

Cast straight and cast often, fellow fishing jerks!

PaulAnn Baptist Bass Club End of Year Standings

The PABC has finished its year long tournament. The final standings are:

1. Roy Cavness 151.08
2. Mike Dorman 128.00
3. Brian Dorman 131.01
4. Jeff Morris 124.78
5. Chip Palko 80.19
6. Jay Leeper 71.83
7. Garrett Day 58.25
8. Jim Day 57.48
9. Jesse Lucas 70.70
10. Scott Miner 65.76
11. Bob Whitt 45.75
12. Scott Gagliano 23.25
13. Stephen Cavaness 19.36
14. Justin Brumley 12.25
15. Noah Brumley 9.75
16. Brandon Halfmann 6.75
17. Travis Lucas 13.69
18. Joshua Brumley 7.88
19. Justin Houk 6.00
20. Drew Searsy 5.50
21. Westley Wyatt 4.06
22. Kevin Johnson 1.94
23. Justin Eady 1.88
24. Wes Hayes 1.88

Congrats to all the participants who helped make this a great year!!!

TNT Finals 7-2-09 Twin Buttes

I lucked out and got back from vacation just in time to cover the Finals of the Twin Buttes Thursday Night Tournaments.


Results were:

1. Zak Parks 24.26 (2nd BB @ 7)

2. Brian Hall 21.74

3. Randy Porter 15.94

4. Paul Montalongo 15.40

5. John Ingle 13.42 (1st BB @ 7.48)

6. Sawyer Warwick 12.64

7. Joe Smith 12.57

8. Austin Terry 12.46

9. Wendell Ramsey 11.98

10. JR Page 11.54

11. Chad Meeks 9.26

12. Brad Hopper 7.04

13. Rob Besson 6.32

14. Blake Gentry 5.64

15. Karl Elliot 3.10

16. Alan Ashley 2.28

Congrats to the competitors of the TNT Finals.

I'm learning a new software so bare with me as I work out the kinks!

Remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!"

PS: After many technical difficulties learning the new software, I belatedly have this offering! Enjoy!

Great To Be Back

Hey fellow Jerkbaits!

I am back from my vacation and glad to be back blogging the best of West Texas Bass Fishing!

I have a great interview about to be posted on Tad Box and Shane Lemoin (both who know their fishing!) just before I left and I have the coverage of the Championship of the TNT on August 1st on Twin Buttes!

If you get a chance, check out Wendell's article on http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/aug/01/its-hot-but-bass-can-be-found-in-shallows/ as there is some great info on the water of West Texas.

Thanks for checking out the site and remember to "Cast Straight, Cast Often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!"

Webisode 8: Twin Buttes 6-20-09

The day was gorgeous, but as is typical for west Texas weather it turns on a dime. Still made for a great outing!

Hope you enjoy.

Thanks for viewing and feed back is always appreciated.

6-17-09: Lake Nasworthy

I had the chance to head on out with Wendel Ramsey on Nasworthy so of course I jumped at it.

After helping a lady and her son load up their new boat, we went over to the reeds just south of the dam. Wind was blowing pretty steadily at 15 mph and the water was pretty stained. Water was about 86 degrees. Temperature was hot, but with the wind the 96 degrees wasn't too bad.

We fished the area for a good bit with neither getting a strike so we went over to the skiing lanes to try our luck. Both of us were using creature baits; me with a 4" ringworm and then a 6" pumpkin with chartreuse tail Yum Dinger and Wendel using a black with blue fleck Ultra Vibe Crawfish and again no luck although he did manage to get a bite. Wendel then thought it might be getting late enough in the day to go back to our first spot as the wind had been laying down a bit and maybe work our way to a lilly pad area he knew about.

We did with no luck until we worked our way to the pads. From there, we both tied on Ribbits and worked the area over pretty good. I managed a cast and saw a disturbance about 5' from my bait. I got excited. I jiggled my Ribbit a little and a big commotion in the pads was now 2' away. I got REALLY excited. I barely wiggled the ribbit when SWOOSH a black movement jumped my bait. I thought I had a good 'un for sure when Wendel said, "Frog". I was thinking, "Yep, I'm fishing a frog" when I realized what he meant. It was indeed a big, ol' bullfrog. I laughed myself silly reeling it in. It had hooked itself good, but we got it back out into the water.

The visiting was great, but neither of us caught anything. We got skunked, but it was still a great day on the lake.

Take care and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in plastic boats."

6-13-09: PABC Monthly Tourney Lake Ivie

The PABC held its monthly tourney at OH Ivie Reservoir on 6-13-09. Due to the 100+ degree weather, we started at Safe Light until 12 PM. I got a great intro to the lake as I followed Tad Box's advice and caught everything on a white topwater just north of Concho Park. It was great for 2 guys in a plastic boat.

Scott Gagliano and I got there very early in the AM.



As mentioned in the video clip, our attention was drawn to some activity going on over at a large tent nearby in Concho Park. Being naturally curious, I went to investigate and met Mike "Stubby" Arnold out of Midland who was kind enough to visit with me about their organization.



Dawn broke and we got started. We fished and I got a hit on my 3rd cast on the little topwater. I even managed to catch the 2.7 on my 5th cast (I've really got to get a hat cam).

We were expecting 15-20 MPH winds, but they never developed. Wind was nice as the big barges made large wakes for us to handle. I can honestly say that I had no problems as it was for the kids and it was cool seeing them waving to us in their orange shirts as they passed on by. Water was really clear (about 4-5 feet visibility) and 80 degrees climbing to 82 by noon.

Ivie was pretty good to us. Just an interesting note on the lake. you can have 2 fish under 14" on a stringer so long as the rest are over 18". I imagine that they do this to cull the smaller fish population as to help the big fish get bigger.

I caught about 6 fish while Scott caught 1 and lost a monster on a worm.

We wrapped it up and reported to weigh in.



We had a funny event occur. Scott and I knew that with the water being 80+ degrees we couldn't keep fish on a stringer and expect them to survive so we obtained an aerator and cooler and made a live well. We had 2 fish in the live well when we accidentally jostled the live well and I noted water in the boat; we had knocked open the spout on the cooler. Thinking quickly, we went to shore and sealed the spout, but we had taken on a good amount of water and with the live well, we were cramped. I decided to chance quickly opening the live well to get the aerator out and use it as a bilge on the water. We moved quickly, but the bass were quicker. Both got out and Scott managed to get the 3 pounder back in, but the little one made it. I can blame no one but myself. We've all heard stories like this, but I got to live it. Gee, lucky me!

Point of interest as I will be stepping down as record keeper of the PABC and focusing on the reporting aspect.



We had a blast on the lake!




Results are below.

1. Morris, Jeff 2 14/16, 2 14/16, and 6 for a total of 11 12/16 (Big Bass)
2. Cavaness, Roy 3 1/16, 5 3/16, and 2 1/16 for a total of 10 5/16
3. Miner, Scott 2 7/16, 2 7/16, and 3 13/16 for a total of 8 11/16
4. Leeper, Jay 3 10/16 and 2 7/16 for a total of 6 1/16
5. Witt, Bob 2 1/16 and 2 15/16 for a total of 5
6. Dorman, Mike 2 9/16 and 2 5/16 for a total of 4 14/16
7. Dorman, Brian 2 9/16 and 1 15/16 for a total of 4 8/16
8. Searsy, Drew 2 10/16 and 1 6/16 for a total of 4
9. Brumley, Noah 2 3/16 and 1 12/16 for a total of 3 15/16
10. Fuessel, Jason 1 8/16 and 2 5/16 for a total of 3 13/16
11. Brumley, Justin 2 6/16 and 1 4/16 for a total of 3 10/16
12. Day, Jim 2 and 1 1/16 for a total of 3 1/16
13. Palko, Chip 1 6/16 and 1 9/16 for a total of 2 15/16
14. Brumley, Josh 1 9/16 and 14/16 for a total of 2 7/16
15. Cavaness, Stephen 1 2/16 for a total of 1 2/16
16. Palko, Justus 0
17. Gagliano, Scott 0

Special thanks to Scott and the guys of the PABC for putting up with me. It's always a hoot. Also, Stubby and the guys and gals over at the Make A Fish Foundation are great people! We caught them wrapping things up.



Take care, all and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in plastic boats!"

Webisode 7: Twin Buttes TNT 6-4-09

Hi folks!

I had the good fortune to cover the TNT at Twin Buttes 6-4-09. It was a memorable one for me!

I got lucky and now have an intro and music. Let me now what you think!

The results were:

1. Wendel Ramsey with 20.86

2. JR Page with 18.18

3. Josh Mirel with 10.12

4. Alan Ashley with 9.32

Big Bass was Wendel Ramsey with a 5.76 pig.

My thanks and gratitude to Wendel, Steve, Zak, and the guys who took the time to talk to me!

Thanks for taking the time to check this out and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats."

PABC Standings 6-2-09

The Current Standings as of 6-1-09 for the Paul Ann Bass Club are:


1. Roy Cavness 122.71
2. Mike Dorman 120.57
3. Brian Dorman 108.83
4. Jeff Morris 97.78
5. Chip Palko 67.50
6. Garrett Day 58.25
7. Jay Leeper 57.70
8. Jesse Lucas 56.82
9. Jim Day 54.41
10. Scott Miner 44.45
11. Bob Whitt 33.25
12. Scott Gagliano 14.56
13. Stephen Cavaness 14.24
14. Brandon Halfmann 6.75
15. Travis Lucas 6.57
16. Justin Houk 6.00
17. Drew Searsy 5.50
18. Justin Brumley 4.69
19. Westley Wyatt 4.06
20. Joshua Brumley 3.88
21. Noah Brumley 3.63
22. Kevin Johnson 1.94
23. Justin Eady 1.88
24. Wes Hayes 1.88

Compared to last years totals at this point, the members have really improved.

Way to go, gents!

Webisode 6: PABC Monthly Tourney Oak Creek 5-30-09

Hope you enjoy the webisode!

The results for the tourney were:

1. Dorman, Mike 3 3/16, 4 6/16, and 4 6/16 for a total of 11 15/16 (Big Bass)

2. Witt, Bob 2 10/16, 3 1/16, and 2 13/16 for a total of 8 8/16

3. Dorman, Bryan 2 5/16 and 3 12/16 for a total of 6 1/16

4. Lucas, Jesse 2 9/16, 1 13/16, and 1 10/16 for a total of 6

5. Cavaness, Roy 2 1/16, 1 14/16. and 1 13/16 for a total of 5 12/16

6. Minor, Scott 1 9/16 and 3 for a total of 4 9/16

7. Cavaness, Stephen 1 8/16 and 1 10/16 for a total of 3 1/16

8. Palko, Chip 2 1/16

9. Morris, Jeff 1 9/16

10. Lucas, Travis 1 2/16

11. Leeper, Jay 0

12. Gagliano, Scott 0

The guys really put in a great effort.

Special shout out to the guys of the PABC and Scott Miner for putting up with me!

Webisode 5: Oak Creek 5-25-09

I made my introduction to Oak Creek today. It is a great lake!

to me, it is a cross between the Angelo lakes; houses and docks like Nasworthy, salt cedars like Buttes, and a little bigger than Fisher. Really a cool lake!

The webisode turned out pretty good except I wish we could have got more fish. We'll get them next time.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it!

Thanks for tuning in and please offer feedback. It is always encouraging!

Remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the small plastic boats!"

Webisode 4: Thursday Night Tournament on Twin Buttes 5-21-09

I felt like a shad in a school of bass with these fishermen.

I got an invite from Jesse Lucas to fish the Twin Buttes Thursday Night Tournament. There are some very good fishermen fishing these tournaments and I was way out of my league!

I knew what was up when I called and talked to Robert Steele. I mentioned that I would donate my $25 to the winner of the tournament.

His reply was, "Thank ya!"

I learned some limitations of my camera and need to eventually upgrade. Apologies in advance.

Hope you enjoy the show!

Webisode 3: Twin Buttes 5-18-09

Wow!

It's not Oak Creek, but it was nice!

I might actually be making a habit of this. It's a blast!

Before anyone asks, yes, I do have more than half a face. I blame it on my inexperience but it'll be better.

Brad and Mandy Scott were nice enough to take me out and we had a hoot!

Brad and Mandy do not fish Buttes often, but they can show how good knowledge of bass and a working base of features can help them find fish.

Hope you enjoy!

I'll be participating in my first Thursday Night Tournament tomorrow. Jesse Lucas was nice enough to invite me out to play. I'm taking out the camera as there are many good fishermen in this to see in action. This is a good chance to learn something.

Remember to cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!

5-16-09 Twin Buttes

Interesting day!

Thanks to one of my fishing club buddies, Scott Minor, I had access to a boat and got out on the water! What a blast!

I dragged Paw-N-Law out onto the lake and logged the points. The water was about 74.5 degrees and pretty stained. Wind was high; probably 30 mph at 7:30. We were on a 14'er and did pretty well on the waves. After about 45 minutes of practicing our Kung-Fu balance exercises with multiple strikes, we decided to call it quites. He had caught a decent little striper and I lost a decent one on the flats.

We were going to limp on in and call it a day, but we thought we had found a place where the wind had layed down across from the boat ramp. We had already considered it a good day, but what would have made it great is to hook John up on a good fish.

He found it!

This 2.5 pounder gave him a good run for his money and was a blast for me to watch.

We wrapped it up a little bit later and it was pretty hairy! For my first time piloting a bigger boat with a real motor, we managed.

Many thanks to John for putting up with my shenanigans.

For the record, I didn't get skunked! :-D

BTW, below is a pic of a future fishing jerk! My nephew, Baxter!

Is he adorable or what!

He caught this on a minnow. The story goes that John was looking on the blog with Baxter and Baxter was getting a kick on John clicking on the FJ gallery where guys are proclaiming being fishing jerks. Bax loved it.

When Bax's parents took him fishing, Baxter cast, set the hook and reeled in the 1/4 -pound monster all by himself. His mother heard Baxter calling himself a jerk. She was like, "You're not a jerk." She immediatly called John and asked him what he had taught him. John liked to have fell out laughting so hard. As you can imagine, Baxter was saying, "I'm a fishing jerk! I'm a fishing jerk!"

On another side note, Garath Fulks sent me this picture of his personal best. 8.8! What a beaute!

Great picture taken by his grandfather!

If all works out, we will have the next webisode from Oak Creek tomorrow.

Take care, all, and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!"

Webisode 2: Twin Buttes 5-6-09

It felt like it had been forever since I had been on the water. I shore fished 5-2-09 with no luck. The weather had been cool and drizzle then the high temps and clear skys of Wednesday happened.

Wendell happened to have an empty seat and was kind enough to invite me along. Fishing with him is an honor I do not take lightly.

Webisode 2 is an opportunity for me to get better at my skills. Although a work in progress, I am getting more confident with it. I'll work on making the dialog smoother, but I have to admit that this is a blast.

Hope you enjoy!




This is getting to be more of what I have in mind and I look forward to making more of these webisodes.

Many thanks to Wendell for taking me fishing and being a sport in making this project!

Take care all and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boat."

Webisode 1: PABC Tourney 4-25-09

OK folks!

I actually took a serious shot at this.

Wendell Ramsey is the guest angler and many thanks to him for his patience and help on this project. We are far from over on this one.

I told him that I envisioned the webisode as a kind of Bob Phillips Texas Country Reporter meets the World Fishing Network. In reality, it was closer to Mike Rowe Dirty Jobs and Alton Brown Good Eats met and had a baby.

On a side story, I ended up catching my 3 fish limit, but almost shot myself in the foot. I had 2 fish for a while and wanted 1 more just so I can say I had a limit. We went to a spot and with my first cast caught a keeper! I almost peed myself. We went to the live well and checked sizes and I remember Wendell saying, "The yellow ball is your smallest." Instead of putting it on the ball, my feeble brain registered "Cull the yellow ball" and threw out the smallest fish sans the floating ball. just as I released the fish, I looked up at Wendell and his expression said it all ... "What are you doing!?!?!?" I was sick, but we both laughed A LOT! I just wasn't use to having a limit and didn't know how to act! Much to my relief, I managed to catch a bigger fish 2 minutes later.

OK, without further adieu, here is my first attempt at a true 1.5 minute webisode!

Any feedback would be appreciated and I want to know what you want to see.

Many thanks for taking the time to read and watch this! Remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!"

4-25-09 PABC Monthly Tourney: Twin Buttes

LOL!

OK! Not my best intro!

Truth is that it was a great tourney! We had 16 fishermen heading out to take on the wind and great green monsters! This is a great bunch of guys and they have been infinitely patient with my foolishness. Also, I record the weights and keep the records.

Besides the usual suspects, we had some guests who promised to make this an interesting tourney. Wendell Ramsey, a veteran tournament participant and Outdoors Writer for the Standard Times, was invited by yours truly for this event. Dave Snyder, another tournament vet and heck of a nice guy, was fishing with us and Bud Swafford who had the dubious honor of being one of Wendell's roll models and use to take him fishing when Wendell was a boy. How cool!

We met up at 6 AM and it was a cool sight.

The weather was windy with gusts up to 25 MPH. Water temp was 69 and it was expected to be overcast for the better part of the day. I kinda thought we would see a great day of fishing.

We saw many fishermen flogging the water and we caught a lot of fish. At the end of the day, the standings came out.

1. Ramsey, Wendell 4 15/16, 2 10/16, and 3 12/16 for a total of 11 5/16 (Big Bass)
2. Snyder, Dave 3 3/16, 3 5/16, and 4 5/16 for a total of 10 13/16
3. Minor, Scott 2 10/16, 3 4/16, and 4 4/16 for a total of 10 2/16
4. Dorman, Mike 3 8/16, 2 2/16, and 2 8/16 for a total of 8 2/16
5. Palko, Chip 2 2/16, 1 14/16, and 4 1/16 for a total of 8 1/16
6. Leeper, Jay 2 15/16, 2 1/16, and 2 6/16 for a total of 7 6/16
7. Morris, Jeff 1 13/16, 2 1/16, and 2 4/16 for a total of 6 2/16
8. Cavenass, Roy 1 13/16, 2, and 2, for a total of 5 13/16
9. Lucas, Jesse 1 5/16 and 3 14/16 for a total of 5 3/16
10. Swafford, Bud 1 8/16, 1 11/16, and 1 11/16 for a total of 4 14/16
11. Witt, Bob 1 7/16, 1 13/16, and 1 5/16 for a total of 4 9/16
12. Day, Jim 2 and 1 8/16 for a total of 3 8/16
13. Gagliano. Scott 3 6/16 for a total of 3 6/16
14. Dorman, Bryan 3 5/16 for a total of 3 5/16
15. Carter, Randy 1 10/16 for a total of 1 10/16
16. Cavaness, Stephen 1 5/16 for a total of 1 5/16

We had a great time and a lot of fun. Thanks to the PABC for letting me cover the event.

Remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats."

4-18-09 Middle Concho

Worst day of fishing ... possibly ever!

Scott and I got a late start on the fishing and promptly lost another hour to an hour and a half after I got us stuck in the mud. It was scary and messy! I did catch this keeper, though.

Did you note the mud on the shirt? I couldn't get it out! What a waste of a $5 Bass Pro Shop shirt!

I have to hand it to Scott. He stayed calm and collected through the whole thing!

We both were so wiped out from getting my truck freed up that we were drained for a while!

Here's to you, amigo!

Remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!"

4-17-09 Twin Buttes

Dragged Paw-N-Law out Friday evening. We fished the old boat docks on the north shore. He caught this 1.7 on a crank bait. I caught 1 dink! It was practically a parking lot on the ramp!


The area has been slow but John knows the bigguns are out there.

We'll get them yet.

The water was stained and in the low 70s. Wind was about 10 MPH.

Good luck, folks!

4-12 Middle Concho

Hee Hee! You are witnessing my feeble attempts to developing a webisode. I figured it would be good for a laugh, anyway!

Jeff was nice enough to invite me out Sunday evening. For the last 2 days in similar conditions, the wind had laid down in the evening so he wanted to give it a shot. So we gave it a shot.

The wind was pretty fierce. Here's a shot at what we were launching into.

It was one bumpy ride to get to the Concho. Once we got there, it was a little more smoother, but not by much. We went to the Second Bluffs and started just before there fishing the salt cedars. We both struck out. Rounding the bluffs, Jeff saw something. First cast saw him catching a 2-pounder. He cast again and caught a 2.5-pounder. The pattern he detected was wind blowing bait fish into an area so he told me to cast in. I did and was rewarded.

This 3.54-pounder hit my Brush Hog HARD! She tried to shake me off, but I lucked out. It had been a while since caught anything and it felt great. It was in 2 feet of water and a good pattern detected by Jeff.

Jeff would have nothing of it, though. Shortly, he caught this beauty!

This 4.65-pounder crushed Jeff's crank bait. It fought hard and gave him a serious run for his money, but he got it! Jeff's a real jer .... er .... fishing jerk!

Water was in the low to mid 60s. Wind laid down as predicted and I felt like a junkie with a hit.

Many thanks to Jeff for taking me out. I have learned a lot from this guy!

I hope you enjoyed this. Remember, cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!

Interview with Greg Benson - A man with a Record!

I had the opportunity to meet Greg Benson while he substitute taught at my school early in 07. I had known of him through my wife who had him many moons ago as a teacher at Lee Middle School in the mid-80s. I knew through her that he was a fishing enthusiast, but I was quite surprised that while researching lake records for Twin Buttes, I ran across his name as having caught a 14.25 pound Largemouth Bass. Well, I had to get the story behind this one.

I lucked out and ran into him at my school a few weeks later and he agreed to talk with me. I consider myself lucky to have been able to do so.

I hope you enjoy the interview and story as much as I did!



WTJB: Hi Fish Jerks! This is Jay Leeper. It is 5 – 5:30 on Tuesday March 31st just before April Fools Day. I have a real treat for you today. I’m here with Greg Benson. He has quite a few accolades that we’ll talk about here in a minute. Greg, would you like to say “Hi” to the audience?

GB: Hello! I’m happy to be able to participate in this. It should be a lot of fun.

WTJB: If you do not mind, Greg, could you tell us your full name and hometown?

GB: Greg Benson. San Angelo, Texas.

WTJB: Are you currently or have you ever been a member of any bass clubs?

GB: I fished Concho Bass Club for a good many years. San Angelo Bass Club for a good many years and a member for a good while of Bass Masters.

WTJB: I have to ask because this is the reason I am so keen on this interview. Are there any records or past records that you hold?

GB: I’ve got one that’s held since 1992 on Twin Buttes. It’s a fish that weighed 14.25 that was caught on August the 4th, 1992.

WTJB: Good Lord! 14+ pounds????



I also see that you have another really big fish in the case there. Can you tell us a little about the accolades of that fish?

GB: Yes. To our knowledge, that was the first lake record set on Twin Buttes. The fish weighed almost 11-pounds. He was caught in 1987. That record didn’t hold very long. There was a period when a lot of big fish were being caught. Twin Buttes had caught a lot of water and those big fish showed up out of nowhere. That record didn’t last very long until those 11 and 12-pounders were being caught. It took me a few years to get my record back.

WTJB: When you talk to a guy like me who just recently broke the 5-pound barrier this is a mind blower at best!

Can you tell me about your favorite local lake?

GB: That’s a hard call because I have caught a lot of good fish at OC Fisher in the heat of the summer on deep diving crank baits. Probably Twin Buttes because I have spent more time on Buttes fishing. Brady Lake was very productive in the 80s. I fished a lot of tournaments on those lakes and caught good fish out of it.

WTJB: You kind of touched on this earlier, but what are your favorite baits and techniques for the area lakes and why?

GB: Well, as the situation is right now, I think a lizard is hard to beat on Buttes when the lake starts to warm up from Late February on. Of course, a plastic work is great. Fish a lizard very slow on a braided line that has some feel. Twin Buttes can sure be productive.

WTJB: Your 3 favorite lurers?

GB: Well, two actually. Of course, a plastic worm. I have enjoyed fishing a lizard because of the way they pick up and travel with a lizard. I’ve always enjoyed fishing a deep diving crank bait. I fish a zone than many people either fish above or under. I’ve caught a lot of quality fish this way. Those crank baits go through a zone that many fish do not often see.

WTJB: When you are talking deep divers, are you talking about the DD22s?

GB: Yes. I’ve still got a lot of old Bagley Deep Magnums that I still throw until I loose them all.

WTJB: What kind of advice can you offer for local fishermen?

GB: First of all, there are a lot of good local fishermen. I could go on and on about many good, quality fishermen in the area that know these lakes and catch fish constantly. On any given day, they would be hard to beat on a tournament.

As much as anything else on our local lakes fish the heavy cover and slow down as much as the wind will allow you to.

WTJB: That’s hard to do lately as the wind keeps turning my worm into a swim bait.

GB: Right.

WTJB: In your opinion, what do you think about the state of local fishing?

GB: On twin Buttes, it’s good because it just caught some water, they restocked it and there are a lot of 3.5 to 5 pound fish; a good number of them. The fish that we are catching are healthy fish. Twin Buttes, right now, is excellent as long as it will hold some water. I think we have gotten some good spawns out of it. It’s very encouraging. Twin Buttes is in great shape as long as it will hold water.

WTJB: Here is the question I have been dying to ask. Could you tell me some of your favorite true fishing stories? I want to note to the audience that Greg immediately looks to his big fish.

GB: If you’re referring to the big fish, it was a hot, summer day and I had been fishing a couple of ledges all summer long and I had caught some good fish off of it. On that particular day, I had been running my graph some and I found a spot a little more east and a little more out towards the main body of the lake than I had been fishing. In fact, it was a new spot. There was bait fish in the area. I thought that I would try this as I had been catching fish in the area and I was going to give this a whirl. What it was is a tree that was in about 14 foot of water. I couldn’t see the tree, but it was down under the water right on the edge of a ledge dropping into about 28-foot of water. I was throwing a Motor Oil colored Ring Worm with a chartreuse tail and those fish were taking it just as the worm got to the tree and over the ledge. I caught one almost 9-pounds and wrapped a big fish that I couldn’t get out so I cut my line as I didn’t want to spook those fish. 2 or 3 casts later I caught that big fish. On the big fish, I got him about half-way to the boat when he came up and tried to throw it and I thought, “My God! This is a cut above the rest!” I actually loosened my drag and he headed out into the deep water. The fish then came back and tried to throw the worm one more time and went down under the boat. Of course, this is a lot of time where you lose a big fish when they go under the boat. He came out from under the boat and ran straight out again. My daughter was with me that day. She was almost 7 years old and I asked her, “Brooke, hand me the net,” because I had just about had this fish played out. When she handed me the net, it was my fault ‘cause I dropped the net. The net went out into the water! I couldn’t reach the net and I had this fish going and I thought this was not going to happen. This was going to be one of those deals that everybody tells you, “Sure you did! Sure you did!” I just stayed with the fish and got the fish along the boat and put the rod in my left hand and reached down got my hand in his mouth and brought him over the top.

That was a neat deal and I’ll never forget it and the fact that my daughter was with me made it that much more special.

WTJB: Oh man! I’m glad he didn’t get away!

GB: He had several chances, I assure you.

WTJB: How long do you think it took you to get him?

GB: Oh, I don’t know. It’s hard to say. It’s been so long ago, now. Umm …. From start to finish on that fish …. I think people have a tendency to exaggerate on the time it took to land a fish, but a good 3 and a half minutes or so which can seem like an eternity.

WTJB: Yep! Do you have any other true fishing stories?

(Greg’s other story can be found on the podcast.)

WTJB: Do you see a difference in the fishing from the 80s and 90s as compared to now especially with the drought conditions?

GB: The biggest difference now is that there is more pressure. Without a doubt, the innovations of some of the baits, but a lot of young fishermen are very good. There are some older guys that to this day are very good, but the knowledge base and ability of a lot of these younger fishermen is very good. We’re talking late 20s to early 40s, they’re very good. San Angelo is blessed with a lot of very good fishermen.

WTJB: Catch and release?

GB: I have mixed emotions about it. I read an article not too long ago that said that it is probably better on your bigger fish to simply release them simply because in the older days we put everything on a stringer. That was the mentality of the times. But the Mercury level is much higher in bigger fish and we eat fish. We eat fish 2 0r 3 times a week; especially during Lent. You’re better off for health purposes keeping those 14-16 inch fish and letting the bigger fish go if for no other reason the smaller fish have a lower Mercury level.

When our lake level starts getting low and we start putting a lot of pressure on the lake, you’re probably better off keeping more fish for the simple fact that the fish get stunted and there isn’t as much bait fish to go around. When you have a healthy lake, to me, that is the time to release your big fish. By that, I mean your 5, 6, 7 pound fish. Turn them loose. They are going to spawn and take advantage of a good healthy lake situation. But for smaller fish, you could do a disservice. I think this is part of what hurt Ivie for a while. That’s my opinion and that doesn’t make it right, but it just seems that way.

WTJB: Personal hero? Do you have one?

GB: As far as bass fishing goes or are you talking about a pro?

WTJB: It’s an open question.

GB: Well, on the pro level, I always had a great deal of respect for Hank Parker. He seemed pretty down to earth and very competitive. Rick Klein, too, for that matter. I’ve met Rick Klein on two occasions and talked to him at length one time. He was really a nice guy. My dad. My dad and his brother and a few others were some of the earliest bass fishermen to fish out of the old canvas kayaks. They brought duct tape with them so that if they made holes in the canvas, they could repair them on the spot. Those guys were the first dabblers. I can still remember when my dad switched from braid to mono when mono was a new invention. I fished with him in the last 1950s and early 60s out of a kayak. My dad gave me the basics on bass fishing.

WTJB: Who are some of the best local fishermen that you know?

GB: That’s a hard question to answer because there are so many of them. I could name a lot of people. One of my good friends come to mind because he has stayed competitive through the years and that is Galen Wershousen. He’s really good and has upped his game as of late. He’s a great kayak fisherman that migrated to a bigger boat. Butch Koons. He was a kayak fisherman from the 70s all the way to the late 80s. He was as good as they get. On any given day, those guys could hurt your feelings.

WTJB: Thanks, Greg! This is all the questions I have. Is there a plug, closing statement, or anyone you want to say “Hey” to?

GB: Say “Hey” to? Well, let me pay tribute to someone. R. O. Pomroy. R. O Pomroy was out of Big Lake. He fished out of a tube. He fished all the way up to, I guess, his early 80s. He was always a gentleman, always a nice guy. He probably caught as many big fish in his time as anyone in the state of Texas. I became very good friends with him. I fished Armistead a little with him and Spence. Such a nice guy!

In closing, the only thing I can think to say is going with what we finished with is that, especially in competitive bass fishing, is that even when we are fishing and enjoying some success and with friends is to never take yourself too seriously. Put yourself in a situation where you are recognizing the abilities and talents and congratulate other people. Never get to the point where you let your ego get in the way. I think that all of us at one time or another, I know I have been guilty, gets to thinking too highly of ourselves. Really, that could backfire on you. Fishing is a great sport. It’s a lot of fun, but I really honestly think that there are some negative things to tournament bass fishing. You don’t keep things in perspective. Looking back on all of it, there’s always things you could do differently. The real part of bass fishing is that you should be able to make friends and not be in a situation where you’re constantly competitive and worrying about the other fishermen and playing mind games. Fishing should strictly be for the enjoyment and a lot of times it takes a long time to realize that.



We wrapped up the meeting and I had a chance reflect on things, I really thought Greg hit home on that last point. Greg was clearly at a point in his life where he could reflect on things is a different perspective. As much as he loved catching that fish, the love he described for his daughter and the way he interacted with his wife are what will stand with me the most. The fish is amazing, but I value his perspective and believe that there would be more to learn here than just fishing stories.




Thanks for reading the post and be sure to check out the podcast for more info than was printed in the post.





Remember, cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats.

April 11 Twin Buttes

Is anybody fishing????

The wind has frustrated many of us as of late.

I have a 3 day weekend and I was thinking I would get 2 days of fishing in. Mother Nature is having nothing of it, though. Yesterday, I decided not to go because early Friday NOAA was projecting Saturday's wind to be 10-15 mph. Not good, but not too bad. So I waited. Friday evening, the wind was projected as being the same as Friday.

Well, I was going to fish or be dammed.

Saturday AM rolls around and I collected Paw-N-Law to go out. He was reluctant, but humored me.

As soon as we got to the lake, I knew it would be bad.

We put in and 15 minutes later after watching the water come over the bow, we called it a day.

So I ask, is anybody fishing????

PABC Standings 4-7-09

The PABC had their Monthly Meeting Monday, April 6. We met and had a great chance to catch up, trade stories, and get a great lesson from Jeff Morris as he wrapped up the current subject. Jeff also won the Monthly Weigh Ticket Contest with a fish weighing 6.9. Current standings are:


1. Roy Cavness 102.52
2. Mike Dorman 92.63
3. Brian Dorman 91.39
4. Jeff Morris 80.57
5. Garrett Day 54.00
6. Jim Day 48.69
7. Chip Palko 46.69
8. Jay Leeper 43.93
9. Jesse Lucas 36.94
10. Scott Miner 20.32
11. Bob Whitt 20.19
12. Scott Gagliano 11.19
13. Brandon Halfmann 6.75
14. Justin Houk 6.00
15. Drew Searsy 5.50
16. Justin Brumley 4.69
17. Westley Wyatt 4.06
18. Joshua Brumley 3.88
19. Noah Brumley 3.63
20. Kevin Johnson 1.94
21. Justin Eady 1.88
22. Wes Hayes 1.88
23. Travis Lucas 1.56

Thanks to all the guys fishing and logging in weight.

New Record Striped Bass?

In case you hadn't heard ...

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/mar/31/youth-breaks-lake-nasworthy-striped-bass-record/

WOW!

3-25-09 Twin Buttes

Went fishing Wednesday afternoon after all the rain had fallen. Wendell Ramsey wanted to see if I was indeed a charm and not a jinx. As is typical, results were mixed.



Weather was pretty warm and water was mid to low 60's and pretty stained. We fished a flat that historically was a spawning ground and Wendel caught a nice high 3 to low 4 pounder. That was fun to watch! I noted that he has a very different way to pitch and flip that is much harder than it looks.



We went up the Middle Concho for a bit and ran into the Dormans. Mike said he caught a 5.5 pounder and that the fish broke his carrot stick. It didn't matter as Mike pulled in the line to make the catch.



That's an expensive fish!



I'm trying to develop a thing called a "Called Shot". This is where the fisherman says that he is pretty sure there is a fish here and that it is worth me trying to record the cast and catch with my camera. This is not an easy feat for wither the fisherman or the camera dude; me. Some might think it is boring, but it is really fun. Below is Wendell's called shot.



Although not a bad fish, he wanted to give it another shot.



Much more what he had in mind. I know I couldn't have done it! Even his casting is hard for a guy like me to pull off. He curves a pitch like some scene out of "Wanted".

We went to the flats over by the old boat dock and did pretty well. All in all we caught a lot of small fish on creature baits. It was a fun and I consider it a success. The fish are biting and Wendell said he expects that it will stay good until the next full moon.

I think this is something that really separates fishermen like Wendell from guys like me. It is one thing to watch Bass Masters on TV, but to see these guys do what they do, the actual process, in catching fish is something one cannot take for granted. It just illustrates how far I have to go before I can ever approach this level. It gives me a new appreciation for what I see in some of the better fishermen I know.


Thanks for reading and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats."

PABC March Tournament Result

PABC Conducted their March Tournament 3-21-09. Results below:

1. Morris, Jeff 2 13/16, 3 5/16, and 4 12/16 for a total of 10 14/16
2. Cavanass, Roy 2 9/16, 2 12/16, and 2 14/16 for a total of 8 3/16
3. Miner, Scott 3 and 4 8/16 for a total of 7 8/16
4. Witt, Bob 3 13/16, 1 12/16, and 1 12/16 for a total of 7 5/16
5. Day, Jim 2 13/16, 1 12/16, and 2 4/16 for a total of 6 13/16
6. Day, Garrett 1 14/16, 1 11/16, and 2 11/16 for a total of 6 4/16
7. Palko, Chip 2 9/16, 1 8/16, and 1 13/16 for a total of 5 14/16
8. Leeper, Jay 5 4/16 for a total of 5 4/16 (Big Bass)
9. Lucas, Jesse 4 14/16 for a total of 4 14/16
10. Dorman, Bryan 4 9/16 for a total of 4 9/16
11. Brumley, Josh 1 15/16 for a total of 1 15/16
12. Dorman, Mike 1 13/16 for a total of 1 13/16
13. Brumley, Justin 1 8/16 for a total of 1 8/16 (Small Stringer)
14t. Lopez, Jaime 0
14t. Dorman, Cambry 0
14t. Gagliano, Scott 0

Thanks for all the participants who made this a memorable tournament.

PABC Monthly Tourney @ Twin Buttes 3-21-09

The PABC Monthly Tournament for March was conducted 3-21-09 @ Twin Buttes. 17 fishermen braved the wind and baking sun in pursuit of the elusive big fish that Twin Buttes hides so well. The fishing was pretty good with a lot of sightings. Right are 4 boats we saw as we headed back in.

Scott and I baked and fished the Middle Concho. We hit the salt cedar and bluffs with crank baits and worms. We really thought they would hit the worms, but discovered that they really loved the crank bait! This was found out on my first cast with the Bomber.

Right is a picture of the traffic we saw. For the record, most of the fishermen were very respectful of the occupants of the small plastic boat. Just for the records, Jesse Lucas was not nice (but he is a heck of a nice guy!). ;-P

Not everybody was fishing bass. These guys were parked up against the bluffs fishing crappie. My better half made my buddy and I a T-Shirt for WTJB. I loved that she did this and it worked as these guys were asking about the site. Thanks, babe!

We were pretty beat and caught a number of small fish, but no keepers. Limping in on my 30-pound thrust trolling motor against the wind, we stumbled into Bob Witt and Garrett Day flogging the water. Bob and Garrett both weighed in 3 fish and placed well in the tournament. (4th and 6th respectively.)

We also found Jeff Morris (front) and Jim Day. Jeff ended up winning the tournament with 10.14 pounds of bass. His biggest was 4.12. Jim placed 5th.

We saw the Dormans all day long. These guys fish hard and have both placed well in other tournaments. Unfortunately, this was not the best of days for them.

Roy Cavaness showed us his big fish at the time. Roy placed 2nd with 8.3 pounds of fish. This guy seems to always be in the top end of the standings!

Everybody reported that the bass started up at about 6ish. Most caught their stringers at this time and there were some good fish brought in.

Big Bass honors goes to this yo-yo!

That's right, fellow fishing jerks! I lucked into this 5.04 with 10 minutes before we had to head in. We were beat and just looking for a place to get out of the wind to finish off our time. I do a little trick in my tiny boat where I grab a cedar with my ankle to hold us on a spot. In this area was a little cut about 10 yards long. I cast down it thinking I had caught a big bass like this before when it hit my bomber right by the boat. I knew it was big, but I figured it would get off easily as my partner couldn't have possibly had time to get the net. Just at that moment, Scott dipped the net in and caught the fish. All I could say was ..."WOW"!!!!!

Sometimes it is just better to be lucky than good.

Take care and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!"

WTJB in the Standard Times

I am SOOOOO embarrassed!

I just got an email from a friend of mine, Scott Gagliano, telling me that Wendell Ramsey did an article on the site. It is:

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/mar/15/web-site-a-great-place-for-anglers-to-swap-info/

I absolutely loved it!

I usually read the Standard Times online as I am a pretty cheap guy. I think all of Mr. Ramsey's articles should be featured on the web site if for no other fact than there are so many fishing enthusiasts in the area.

Many thanks to Wendell Ramsey for the article and taking me out fishing. I will remember my first 5+ pounder for the rest of my life! What a blast!!!!!!!!!!!

Twin Buttes 3-20-09

Paw-in-law and I fished around the old boat dock up towards the north shore. Weather was a bit windy at first and settles down about 9ish. Water was clearer than usual and about 65 degrees.

I struck first with a crank bait catching a keeper and a dink. But then John caught a lot on a

crank bait.. I lost count after 5. We wrapped things is at about 10:50, but he caught this 2.15 right there at the end. He ended up harvesting 4 keepers and the TPW would be proud.

I had fun getting whipped and look forward to the next big catch!

Take care and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boat."

Concho River @ 306 and Ben Ficklin 3-19-09

Went solo to this spot and fished the west bank. There was a lot of fallen timber. Water was low to mid 60s and pretty clear.

I would throw a worm in the timber, but got nothing. I ended up dragging a crank bait across the wood and got a few this way. My biggest one was probably 14".

Heading out tomorrow with paw-in-law.

Take care and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boat."

Twin Buttes 3-10-09

WOW! I got a surprise invite from this guy.

San Angelo's own and Standard Times Outdoor Columnist, Wendell Ramsey! What a privilege for anyone and an honor I do not take lightly. I had a blast getting my behind whooped by this guy!

Heading out, Wendell confessed that he felt the pressure to put me on the fish. I had to assure him that there was no pressure as I was use to not catching fish. We had a laugh and this lightened things up.

Wendell took me to a spot that I could never find again if my life depended on it. It just looked out in the middle of nowhere. Weather was nice; overcast with a slight breeze. Water was 61 degrees and we both agreed that it would be great fishing weather.

Wendell was fishing a shallow running crank bait and I started with a swim bait. I threw it a time or two and decided to change to my confidence bait, a baby bass Bomber Fat A. I knew this would pay off as I noted that Wendell caught 3 in the time it took me to tie on my crank bait. I tried to record him catching this 3+ pounder, but being the bright guy that I am I predictably could not find the right button in time.

In all honesty, Wendel did this for quite a while. He caught 6+ in the first 30 minutes we were there.

I finally tied on and started casting. I caught a few trees, but managed to work my way off without embarrassing myself too much. Wendell said there were big ones here, but I was pretty busy watching what he was doing.

Then it hit.




This 5.9 is by biggest fish. I was sure I had caught a bark bass as Wendell and I got into a discussion as to whether it was a fish or not. I was wrong. I almost freaked out when I saw the fish. It took some time, but we got it. I could get use to that.

We fished a lot of spots and caught more fish than I could count. I just appreciated the chance to learn from one that truly has spent a lot of time learning his craft.

Thanks, Wendell!

Thanks for reading this and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats."

SuddenLink Open Results 3-7-09

The SuddenLink Open was conducted Saturday, March 7th.

The winner of the SuddenLink tournament was Lee Smith.

Lee won with a total 3 fish stringer 20.30 with over half of the weight being based on his big bass that was 10.55.

Second place went to Tad Box (left)who's 3 fish stringer totaled 18.04 with his big bass standing out at 6.71.

Third place went to Joe Smith (right). Joe's 3 fish total was 15.84 with his big bass being 5.52.


Russell Baumann (left) took 4th place woth a 3 fish stringer worth 13.78. His big bass was 5.39.






12.52 was the weight Paul Montelongo (right)recorded off his 3 fish stringer which was good enough for 5th place. His big bass was 5.51.







David Elliot (left) had a big bass of 5.63 with his other 2 fish totaling out at 12.50. This placed him at 6th place.







12.46 (man, what a close call between 5th and 7th)) was the weight Tony Gibson(right) recorded to take the 7th place spot






Roy Cavaness( left) recorded 11.98 pounds to wrap up 8th place.






Rick Danials (left) took 9th place and Bryan Dorman (below) rounded off the top 10.













Congrats to all who competed on behalf of SAISD and RCY Internet Safety. Hats off to you, folks!

Thanks for taking the time to read this and remember, "Cast straight, cast often, and keep your wake small for the guys in the plastic boats!"