Saturday, February 28, 2009

PABC Feb. Tourney 2-28-09

Sometimes you just never learn.

Despite 30 MPH north winds and cold weather, the PABC held it's monthly tournament on Twin Buttes today. Some believed the cold front moving in would slow down the bite. Some thought it wouldn't.

It didn't.

Scott and I fished in our old cove and I managed to catch 3 with my biggest one being 2.4. Scott caught one dink.

Water was in the mid 50s, but the real story was the wind as we all were brutalized through out the day. About 10, Scott and I had decided that we had enough and moved locations. After about an hour of trying to find a sheltered area, we hit the maze over by the old boat dock on Buttes. It was hard for us to fish bottom without the wind turning our worms into swim baits.

As hard as it was for us, we had an amazing weigh in; to me anyways!

Fifteen fishermen caught over 82 pounds of fish. This is one of our best tourney's ever.





The biggest catch of the tournament went to Mike Dorman who caught
this 8.1 monster. This was easily the biggest fish that I have ever seen and I consider myself lucky to have been able to do so.


As big as Mike's fish was, and even with the help of a 5.2 and 1.16, it was still only good enough for 2nd place (like that is a bad thing!). Mike said he caught it fishing a worm slow is select spots on the lake. He and his son, Bryan, are excellent examples of what sets experience, time on the water, and knowledge of the lake apart from guys like me that are mostly theory and limited application. It's not enough that the Dormans know how to fish worms, rather they know the lake well enough to know where to fish them. Great catch, Mike!


The man of the tournament was Roy Cavanass. Roy won the tournament with a three fish limit of 4.1, 5.13, and 6.4 (the 5 & 6 are shown left) for a total of 16.2; a full pound over Mike. The battles between Roy and the Dormans have been a blast for the second and third tier fishermen of the PABC and any victories are well earned. These guys really push each other. Way to go, Roy, and good luck next week at the Sudden Link Tourney next week!!!
Jeff Morris rounded off the top 3 with a combined weight of 9.7; not an easy feat to average over 3 pounds for his 3 fish limit!
Big hats off for the guys who braved the wind and cold just for the opportunity to get out and fish with each other. I have always appreciated the way they have supported each other as we all try to improve our fishing. Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us better in March as we hope to catch the spawn.
Stay tuned as I try to cover the Sudden Link Tourney next week over on Twin Buttes. Scott and I'll be volunteering so come on over and say "Hey!"
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!"

Friday, February 27, 2009

Twin Buttes 2-27-09

Man, it's been a while!

It felt great getting back out on the water!

Last week I was in San Antonio and picked up a couple of Bass Pro Shop Bionic Blades. I couldn't believe the difference. I fished my Ugly Sticks for almost 20 years and I feel like a guy who was deaf and can now hear!

Wow!

Scott and I fished Twin Buttes in an area we use to own until the lake lost too much water. As it was, we saw many fishermen out there. fishermen included these guys.



There you go ladies! You cannot ever say that I'm not fair. :-D

The water was stained and about 60 degrees. We caught dinks in about 2-7 feet of water using Bombers and worms. Wind was mild and the sky was clear.



Pretty decent if you ask me!

While we were flogging the water, we saw this.

Angel caught this 3.9 on a bush hog. Adam was his bud and Riley, their 4-legged friend were very kind to us guys in small plastic boats.

Way to go, guys!

The PABC has a tourney tomorrow. We saw Jeff Morris and Justin Brumley testing the water and watching us try to sink the boat. Garret Day and Brannon Halfman were also trying to drown a plastic worm. We tried a bit of prefishing, but I really wanted to try a 4-hp motor I got my hands on. I just about turned my boat into a submarine! After making a note to myself to leave the motor at home tomorrow, we tried to plan for the tourney. With winds coming out of the north 20-30 mph, we are going to be hard pressed to take things on.
Wish us luck!
Scott and I are volunteering for the Sudden Link Tourney next week. If you get a chance, say "Hey" to the bald guy!
In the mean time, cast straight, cast often, and if you see a plastic boat called "ITOY" say "Hi"!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Wendell Ramsey - A San Angelo Original

I feel like I caught my first REAL big fish! If you are a fan of the blog, you would recognize the name “Wendell Ramsey” as a name that constantly resurfaces as one of the best, if not the best, local bass fisherman. Wendell Ramsey was nice enough to meet me for an interview for the blog on a windy Wednesday when truthfully, he could have been fishing. I had exchanged emails when I first approached him about a piranha I caught in the Concho over by Country Club Estates in the summer. I give you that Mandy Scott over at TP&W set me straight by identifying it as a Pacu, but Wendell was extremely nice an approachable when I emailed him pictures asking him if he knew what it was. Since then, we have had a chance to exchange a few emails while trying not to be too much a pain to him, Wendell has been extremely kind and willing to offer advice to a struggling fisherman. Just recently, I had the chance to meet Wendell face to face as he agreed to be a guest presenter at the Paul Ann (Baptist Church) Bass Club where we all learned a lot!

I was taken aback at how nice and humble of a man Wendell is. If anybody has any right to be proud of something, it would be this guy regarding his knowledge of the craft we enjoy. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had this opportunity to interview this man.

WTJB: Hello fellow fish jerks. This is Jay Leeper with West Texas Jerk Baits. I have the honor today … I feel like I caught my first big bass …. Wendell Ramsey here at the interview site to be interviewed and to pick his brain a bit. Wendell, would you like to say Hello?

WR: Hello audience! I’m glad to be here! I want to thank Jay for having me and I want to tell everybody right off the bat that I offered to take Jay fishing tomorrow and he declined so (groaning in the background) remember that. He declined to go fishing tomorrow.

WTJB: You know, I’m still thinking about that. I’m thinking while you’re saying that, “Gnaaa!!!” I have a meeting tomorrow, but it’s loosing importance quick!

(laughing)

WTJB: Wendell, for the audience, would you tell us your name, hometown and a little about yourself?

WR: I’m Wendell Ramsey. I am a Senior. I have a son that is a Junior. I was born in Alice, Texas. I lived in Freer, Texas until I was about 6 years old where I moved to San Angelo and have been there for the rest of my life. I graduated from Water Valley High School. Small school, great people, it was a lot of fun. I’ve been around this area every since.

WTJB: Currently, are you a member of any bass clubs?

WR: I am. I’m a member of the Angelo Bass Federation and the Concho Bass Club. At this time, I believe that’s all. However, I believe I have been a member of all the bass clubs at some point in time.

WTJB: If I understand, you also have a perfunctory title?

WR: I am the President of the Angelo Bass Federation for the last three years.

WTJB: Talk about responsibility.

WR: Yeah!

WTJB: As you know, part of our focus is to talk about local fishing; especially for acknowledged experts like yourself. I know that you are uncomfortable wearing that mantle.

WR: I am. That’s a little thick for me.

WTJB: I dunno. If you take a look at the past interviews when I ask who are the top 3 fishermen your name keeps coming up first! Whether you like it or not …

WR: Great… That’s nice. Can I say that I’ll probably never catch another fish again!

(Laughing)

WTJB: Can you tell me what is your favorite local lake and why?

WR: You know, I really have a lot of favorite local lakes. I don’t have a preference to any. If I had to fish a lake within the West Texas Area, it would be Lake Brownwood. It’s certainly not one of the best local fisheries in west Texas as far as catching quality fish, but it’s a fun lake for me. I do catch a lot of fish on that lake but I do love fishing Lake Brownwood. Honestly, I grew up fishing Nasworthy so Nasworthy would be a close second. A lot of people would frown on that, but Nasworthy really is a good fishery.

WTJB: (to the audience) We had the privilege of having Wendell come out and be the guest speaker of the Paul Ann Bass Club. Although it seems redundant as he talked about these things at the bass club, I loved the answers. (to Wendell) Your favorite techniques?

WR: Well, by far, it’s no secret that I love to flip and pitch soft creature baits. I like staying around heavy cover jerking fish out of there on a short line. I grew up fishing out of a kayak dabbling so I was always around that kind of cover. A big heavy action rod with heavy line fishing heavy cover is by far what I like to do.

WTJB: Your 3 favorite lurers?

WR: Three favorite lurers right now? My favorite one right now is a Rage Tail Space Monkey. It’s put out by Strike King. It’s kind of new on the market. I was fortunate enough to know Steve Parks in Dallas who invented the baits and patented them and now markets them through Strike King. He sent me some really before they even came out on the market. (These are) Fantastic baits. The actions of the baits he has are phenomenal. And then, I’m staying with Creature Baits in that I like Zoom Speed Crawls. A very effective way to catch a lot of fish. You’ll catch little fish and big fish. I’ve been using them a long time. Probably my next favorite bait is the 10” Power Worm rigged with a ¼ oz. weight with a big 5/0 hook. I’ve caught fish everywhere on that particular bait from Amstead to Toledo Bend. It’s a fantastic way to catch a lot of big fish.

WTJB: Alright! Here’s a question that ought to peak people’s interest when it comes to picking your brain. Is there any advice you could give for local fishermen; especially for those slightly below average???

WR: Jay’s raising his hand!

WTJB: I am!

WR: That’s not true!
Yeah, I preach this a lot to a lot of people. There are 2 really important things to remember. “One” is time on the water. I know that people have busy jobs and families, but the best teacher is time on the water. So, you know, if you need to involve your family to get time on the water, so be it. There are different levels, but time on the water is one of the most important things. The other thing is to learn your craft to the best of your ability. Learn the basics. Learn how to cast accurately. Learn how to flip and pitch accurately. Keep your baits in the strike zone as long as possible. As long as you’re around fish and your making quality casts to the fish at all times, you really cannot go wrong. I see a lot of people who just don’t do that. They cast randomly around cover and not really in the cover. They tend to stay away from it because they are afraid to get hung up when in fact they should probably be a lot closer to that stuff. So, accurate casting which includes the angle you cast or pitch or flip or anything you do you want to keep that bait in the strike zone. That really falls back to time on the water. The more you do those kinds of things, the better you’re going to be at it. The fish will come. If you can do those things accurately and well, the fish will come.
(Jay laughing) How’s that?

WTJB: (Still laughing) I’m not sure how well I buy that last part.

(more laughing)

WTJB: OK, what is your opinion on the condition of the local fishing? We’re talking from Ivie to Spence on down to Twin Buttes.

WR: Well, you’re painting a broad picture there because we have lakes that are actually kind of hurting right now even though the fishing conditions might not say so right now. The fishing is very well like Lake Spence. The fishing is very well, but as you know I recently talked to TP&W and there is a high level of Golden Algae and it is at toxic levels. I’ve seen some of the fish and they are starting to show the effects of it even though there are not any fish kills or such at the moment. They are showing some sign of that. Ivie, on a scale of one through ten is probably a seven or an eight right now. Ivie is a real good lake. It has been since the hydrilla has taken over in the last two to three years. It’s really made it a phenomenal fishery. There are a lot of big fish in there right now and you can catch all sizes of fish in there. I believe it’s because of the grass that’s grown in the lake. I would have to rank this as one of the greater lakes near the San Angelo area. Twin Buttes is dropping right now. Typically, it holds its own this time of year. The springs run and the lake levels off, but now it’s dropping. That’s not a good sign in the winter time when it’s dropping. The fish I have been catching out there are healthy and full of eggs. They are ready to spawn. Hopefully, we’ll have a real good spawn and we’ll get some rain. Nasworthy is Nasworthy. It’s pretty much stays level. It’ll drop a few inches here and rise a few inches there which is good, generally, for spawning anytime you have that.

WTJB: That’ll work. OK, this is one I have been dying to ask you.

WR: Uh-oh!

WTJB: (snicker) Your favorite true fishing story?

WR: TRUE fishing story?!?! I’ve got a great one for you. I hope we have time for this one, but I’ll try to cut it down for you. Brady Lake, back in the mid to late 90s, me and a friend and fishing partner of mine, Ronnie Wallace, were in a Honey Hole team tourney at Brady Lake. Early in the morning, we started fishing. I caught a couple of 14” bass in the morning right off the bat. Right after that, Ronnie caught one that was almost 10 lbs. It was a big beautiful bass that swallowed a crank bait. We were excited. We hadn’t been fishing but maybe 30 minutes that morning of the tournament. We got him into the live well. Then things were in a kind of a lull so we decided to move to another area. When we decided to move, I mentioned to Ronnie that we had those 3 fish in the same live well and, “Let’s move the big one over to the other side and we’ll leave the 2 little ones by themselves so that they will be easier to cull.” He agreed.

As we were idling out he looks in the back and asks, “How many fish do we have?”

I said, “Three.”

He said, “We only got 2.”

I said, “What!?!?!?”

He replied, “We only have 2 fish in the live well.”

I was like, “You have to be kidding me!”

He said, “You have got to come here. You are not going to believe this!”

Needless to say, that big fish that Ronnie caught had ate one of the 14” bass in the live well. So here we are in a major fishing tournament (with) a lot of money on the line and we were all excited, but we didn’t know what to do. The rules say that you can only weigh 5 fish. One of our fish ate one of our fish, does that still count? We had quite a dilemma Anyways, to make a long story short, We managed to get the 14” bass out of the almost 10-pound bass and releasing the big fish safely after the tournament. Needless to say, we managed to cull all of the little fish and we won the tournament and we had the big bass. We told them what happened and we did pass the polygraph.

WTJB: How did you get the fish out?

WR: Slowly, but surely, we managed to work the fish out of its gut. It was in head first, but it took a while. We got it out. Is that a story or what??

WTJB: (laughing) Oh my God!

WR: It’s a true story. We were lost because we could not believe it had happened.

(Wendell shared another story that will be available on the podcast.)

WTJB: Catch and release?

WR: I believe in Catch and Release to a point. We need to look at how we are managing them. I know that there are a lot of people catching them and releasing the; none of them are going home to the frying pan. People need to take some home. I look at Ivie that has an 18” minimum. That came up because people believed that there were not enough bass in the lake. Of course the lake was low at the time and I believe it hurt the quality of the fish for a short time. With the grass back, the fish are coming back healthier. I do believe that lakes that do not allow fish to be taken out are being hurt in the long run. I do not know if this means that we need to drop the size from 14” to 12” in order to take a few home and fillet them, but it won’t hurt.

WTJB: Gotcha. Personal hero?

WR: Personal Hero? I do have a personal hero. His name is Bob Vance. He’s a good friend of mine’s dad who passed away several years ago. He was a good man who I respected during my upbringing. He was good. I’ll leave it at that.

WTJB: OK. My next question is one that I am very curious as to how you are going to answer. In your opinion, who would you consider to be the 3 best local fishermen?

WR: Three best local …. That’s hard to answer because I certainly respect a lot of fishermen in this town. I’ve always said, even in my writings in the local newspaper that I have done that I certainly respect a lot of the fishermen in west Texas and San Angelo.

WTJB: You can respectfully pass to answer that question because of your position that you are in.

WR: I will answer because there are at least 3 that I certainly respect. Believe me, I know for a fact that there are a lot of fishermen in this town that are just as good a fisherman as I. Some of them do not fish nearly as much as I do. I know what quality fishermen they are. First of all I would like to talk about Ronnie Wallace. He’s one of my long time team fishing partners since probably about ’94 or ’95 we have been fishing the team fishing circuits together. An excellent fisherman; very good and very knowledgeable. He can find fish on literally any lake. Number 2 is Gary Carr. He’s a local banker here in town. Quality fisherman dedicated when it comes to practicing for a tournament. He’s very serious. He’s one of those who pays a lot of attention to a lot of the details that a lot of people overlook. He can find fish quickly and he’s very thorough. I’ve watched him and fished against him in many a tournament. He’s a very good fisherman. And then there’s Charles Becker. He’s certainly a quality fisherman as well. He’s been around, like me for a very long time fishing out of Kayaks and migrating to bigger boats. He’s caught fish, literally, probably all over the world. Locally, when you go to weigh in, he’s always got fish. There’s 3. I can give you 30 if you want.

(Laughing)

WTJB: That’s all the questions I have. Is there anything you want to talk about like fishing club meeting times or something like that?

WR: Well, if anybody is interested in the Bass Federation, it’s no secret that you can go to the website www.texas-bass.com There’s many, many clubs in west Texas as well as through out the state. I know I’ve talked about it before, but if you are interested in competing in the Bassmasters amateur level, this is the way to go. This is an opportunity, a very hard opportunity; especially in Texas. Texas has more fishermen trying to get in at this level than any other state. If you can get through Texas, then you have got a pretty good chance. Great group of guys. Not a whole lot of meetings as we usually have out meetings at the tournaments. You can go to the website and click on the west region and it will give you all the information that you will need. Of course, you can email me or call me.

We wrapped up the interview and I feel like I let the big fish go. I didn’t want the interview to end as I knew an opportunity to learn so much more was getting away from me. In the end, I was glad as I knew that I stood a pretty good chance of catching back up and with a little luck would have another opportunity to learn from one of the best.

In all honesty, if you get a chance to visit with Wendell, you need to take advantage of it. This San Angelo Original truly is very approachable and willing to let you pick his brain.

In my quest to break the 5 lb. mark, I know that much of the information Wendell has shared is relevant and applicable. I only hope that I can apply it correctly.

Again, my sincerest thanks to Wendell for taking time from his busy schedule to meet and talk with me. I consider myself truly honored have a chance to visit with him over one of my favorite subjects.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

PABC Standings as of 2-3-09

The January Weigh Ticket Tourney was concluded 2-2-09. Participating members weighed in their top 3 catches with the results posted below.


1. Cavanass, Roy 5 8/16, 4 6/16, 3 9/16 with a monthly total of 13 7/16 and Big Bass Award (5.5)
2. Doran, Brian 4 7/16, 4 1/16, 4 6/16 with a monthly total of 12 14/16
3. Doran, Mike 3 3/16, 4 1/16, 4 8/16 with a monthly total of 11 12/16
4. Palko, Chip 1 4/16, 1 14/16 with a monthly total of 3 2/16
5. Morris, Jeff with a monthly total of 2 14/16
6. Leeper, Jay with a monthly total of 1 7/16
7. Lucas, Jesse with a monthly total of 1 4/16 (Coveted Small Stringer Award Winner)
8. Lopez. Jaime 0
9. Gagliano, Scott 0

Roy Cavanass also won the "3-Pound Contest" with a 3 pounder on the nose.



The overall PABC totals as of this month are:

1. Brian Dorman 72.64
2. Roy Cavness 65.58
3. Mike Dorman 62.38
4. Jeff Morris 49.98
5. Garrett Day 33.44
6. Jay Leeper 28.62
7. Chip Palko 27.94
8. Jesse Lucas 27.13
9. Jim Day 25.07
10. Scott Gagliano 11.19
11. Scott Miner 6.13
12. Justin Houk 6.00
13. Drew Searsy 5.50
14. Westley Wyatt 4.06
15. Bob Whitt 3.00
16. Kevin Johnson 1.94
17. Justin Eady 1.88
18. Wes Hayes 1.88
19. Justin Brumley 1.69
20. Noah Brumley 1.44

Congrats to the winners and competitors!

The PABC will have their next tournament Feb. 28th from 7 AM to 2 PM. Contestants are encouraged to meet and pay entry fees at 6 AM at the Town and Country across from Academy.

If there are any other area bass clubs that want their standings posted, please feel free to email me as I will be glad to post.

Thanks and I hope to see you on the water.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Middle Concho 2-1-09

We knew it. We knew it. We knew it.

With wind 20+ mph out of the north, we knew it would be tough.

It was clear with temp being mid 60s, but water was colder at 48 degrees. We tried cranking in the shallows and caught nothing save a white that Scott cought.

We'll see if my 1.7 will take the Small Stringer tomorrow.

Hope to see you on the water!

Interview: Mike McNellis - The Friendly Neighborhood Academy Fishing Guy

I met Mike McNellis over at a pond in late winter of '08. I was getting frustrated not catching anything and I saw this other guy catching them one after another. I finally went up to him and asked him what he was doing. Thankfully, he was nice and shared with me what he was doing. It's a secret that still pays off.

I always look for Mike when I drop in my second favorite place (first being the water) and talk fish. He is truly a great resource for new and old fishermen who want to talk fish, techniques, or equipment. I cannot recommend him highly enough as a person to get to know. Although it took a while to finally hook up for this interview, I though it well worth it!


WTJB: Hello, fellow fish jerks. It is Tuesday, January 27th on a very cold day. I am over here at Baker’s Street Coffee House with Mike McNellis. Mike is our friendly neighborhood Academy Fishing Counter Fisherman. Mike is a local expert and an excellent recourse I have tapped over the last year. Mike, would you like to say ‘Hello”?

MG: Hello.

WTJB: If you wouldn’t mind, could you take a moment and tell us your name, hometown, and a little about yourself?

MG: I’m Mike McNellis. My hometown is San Diego, California. I moved here to San Angelo about three years ago. I’ve been fishing all my life; as long as I can remember since I was three years old. Mostly bass fishing, but I have fished for just about everything.

WTJB: Are you a member of any local bass clubs?

MG: At this time, I’m not. At some point I’d like to be, but time restraints just do not allow it. I’m trying to raise a couple of kids.

WTJB: I totally understand that.

MG: Yeah.

WTJB: The focus of the blog is on the condition of local area lakes and such, what is your favorite lake?

MG: Twin Buttes. Accessibility. It’s easy to get to and there are a lot of fish in there.

WTJB: I cannot find them.

MG: Yeah, but they’re there. I’ve had most of my experience there. I’ve fished Ivie. I’ve fished Amstead. Beautiful lakes, but frankly I can’t see spending the money going all the way out to Ivie when I can do just as good at Twin Buttes.

WTJB: What would you say are your three favorite techniques?

MG: I’m a shallow water fisherman. I don’t rely a lot on electronics so flip and pitch would be my main techniques whether that be jigs or soft plastics. I throw a spinner bait. I love throwing a spinner bait. Another technique I use is twitching a minnow. It’s a pretty specified technique. It doesn’t work all the time but when it does it is a lot of fun.

WTJB: What is it?

MG: It’s like a Rapalla. It’s a balsa wood bait.

WTJB: This leads into the next question I have. What would you consider to be your 3 favorite lures?

MG: By far, I probably catch 50% of my fish on a jig. I’m a big jig fisherman. I have a lot of confidence in it whether it be jigging pork or jigging plastic. I’ve recently started using a lot more plastic where as I was using pork.

WTJB: Why the change?

MG: You have more colors with plastics. Plastics do not dry out. Pork is really good for cold weather and fish that are real picky. Fish will bite into pork a lot easier and hold on to it for a lot longer, but you run into the problems of it drying out and what have you. And again, spinner baits. I love throwing spinner baits. Other lures include that Rapalla Minnow.

WTJB: Regarding spinner baits, are you one of those fishermen that favor one color or another?

MG: Any color as long as it’s white.

WTJB: (laughing) I just about spit all over my computer!

MG: I pretty much stick with white and clear colors. There are times where in real dirty water I use black and chartreuse or such, but normally I am trying to imitate a bait fish and the clear colors seem to work the best. Out at Twin Buttes really good colors are a clear skirt with a blue top. For some reason they just like it.

WTJB: For my next question, this is something you really helped me out with a year or so ago. Do you have any advice for local fishermen?

MG: Fish shallow. Around here, they adhere to shallow water regardless of temperature. Out at Twin Buttes, the water could be 40 degreed and the water dropping a foot a day and they would be right up against the bank with some reason. Sometimes, if you are not getting hits, downsize your bait. I have found that a lot of the finesse techniques I learned in California really excelled when I moved out here. It’s something I didn’t try to do. I was just used to fishing that way. Out in California, everything we fished was just a little smaller or a little lighter.

WTJB: Everyone always says things are a little bit bigger in Texas.

MG: Well, sometimes you go the opposite way and you catch fish. I’ve caught some really big fish on some really big bait that I wouldn’t ever throw in California. If you’re having trouble catching fish, downsize. I have found that people try to complicate bass fishing. I think that’s one thing I see is that people come in (to Academy) and there are so many colors and so many baits and it’s not so much what you throw as where you throw. I think if people learn fish behavior they will be a lot better off than collecting every bait in the store.

WTJB: I think we can all appreciate that.

MG: I use this analogy, if I’m going down a ban throwing a 10” plastic lizard with a chartreuse tail and you follow shortly with a 10” plastic worm you will probably catch just as man y fish. As I do. It’s not so much “what” as “where”. When fish are in feeding mode, they’re going to eat just about anything. You know, every bait has their own subtleties. Again, I use California as a reference where guys will hand pour worms and you will get one style of worm with about 200 colors and these guys will collect every one in a huge worm bag and that’s not necessary.

WTJB: I see. What is your opinion of the local fishing?

MG: Pretty fair. I think it could be better if for no other reason than the lack of water. When was the last time it rained here?

WTJB: Today. Maybe.

MG: Yeah, we got a dusting of ice.

MG: Well, the fishing is pretty diverse. We have dirty water. We have Nasworthy. We have Twin Buttes which I call stained water. We have a lot of the creeks around here that are gin clear. You have a lot of diversity as far as water quality. The fish always seem to bite despite certain things.

WTJB: If you do not mind, do you have any favorite true fishing stories?

MG: I have enough to write a book. One of my favorite as of late is I had my son out at Twin Buttes. He loves going fishing with me, but I have a hard time getting him fishing. He can catch fish. He does really good when he makes those 1-2 a day. But, he showed some desire to fish with live bait. I don’t really know a lot about fishing with live bait. We went out to a spot out at Twin Buttes on the Middle Concho. The water was much higher than it is now; just under the tops of those bluffs. We tried a minnow on a weight and caught nothing. Finally, I decided to just cast out the minnow. I threw it out and told him to just stand here and hang on. I figured a white bass or crappie would come up and eat the minnow. I walked 10 yards down and was throwing a worm and he started yelling, “Daddy! Daddy! I got one!” I’m thinking, “OK, he’s snagged in a bush.” I started ambling my way over and this bass jumps up every bit of 7-pounds. Just a huge fish. I’m running to him at this point and I get to about a foot from him and he gets pulled into the water. He won’t let go of this pole. He lands and he’s in the water up to about his chest. He lands on this ledge and he would have been fine if he had let go of the pole but he’s not letting him go and this fish is pulling him into the water. It pulled him out deeper and deeper until he wasn’t touching the bottom anymore. He starts to panic. In goes dad. Quite the scene and he finally let go of the rod. I dragged him out and he was crying saying, “Daddy, I don’t like fishing any more!” He was screaming so loud that down the river was a big red Skeeter that heard the commotion and came down to see what was going on. He was out the next day fishing with me. He’s still going out with me. You’ve seen the picture out at Academy. That’s another funny story. We were at a pond near where I live and I was throwing a little top water and hooked into a 12” fish. I was working it back to me and I noticed this big torpedo following it. It was a big fish, maybe 7 or 8 pounds. I’m screaming to my son to cast. He threw out his little plastic worm and hit the fish on the forehead. The worm rolled down the head and the fish just inhaled the worm. This time I grabbed a hold of my son and he pulled in the fish. You’ve seen the picture.

WTJB: For those interested, there is the picture over by the fishing counter at Academy.

WTJB: Catch and Release?

MG: For all black bass, yes.

WTJB: Personal hero?

MG: My dad. He never had the patience to fish, but he would take me fishing. He’d take me to the camp site and send me off to go fishing.

We talked on about other things and shared a few laughs over our coffee (check out the podcast for the complete story) as we wrapped things us. We also visited about the people he’s met working the Fishing section at Academy. I have to admit that there is definitely something envious about working in an area where you can mix your passion with making a living and be successful at it.

If you get a chance, stop on in the Academy and say hey to Mike. He’d like to take a bit to just talk fishing. And do me a favor and tell him Jay sent you!