January / February 2016 Newsletter
In This Edition
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Club Board Members
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Committee Chairs
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Lake Clean-up
Cindy Turlington / Bob Rowe Club Photographer Bob Rowe Joe's Coffee Joe Wolf Christmas Party Rick Boettcher Tournaments Steve Nagel |
Upcoming Meetings & Events
Unless otherwise noted, Club meetings are held at 7pm, the 1st Friday of each month at the Moneta Community Center - in the back-side, lower-level of the Pharmacy building on Rucker Rd, just off VA-122. Visitors and New Members are always welcome.
January Club Meeting - 1/8
Note this is technically the 2nd Friday in January, but with the first being on the 1st, we will push this out a week. Officer Shannon Smith from DGIF will speak with the group on some of the "tale from the field". This is a great chance for the Club to build a rap-our with the enforcement officials who help to keep everyone on the lake safe and look after our fisheries.
February Club Meeting - 2/5
Reel Maintenance & preparation night - With many of you off the water waiting for Spring, we will have a couple of line-spooling machines on-hand if you wish to re-spool some of our reels in quick-order, and Joel Janecek will demo reel cleaning & maintenance. We'll also get the latest reports from those that are out on the water, assuming we are not paying for the recent warm weather with a total ice-out.
March Club Meeting - 3/4
Dan Wilson, DGIF Biologist, will come and present the latest on the fishery based data collected in 2015 from shocking, gill-netting & angler logs.
January Club Meeting - 1/8
Note this is technically the 2nd Friday in January, but with the first being on the 1st, we will push this out a week. Officer Shannon Smith from DGIF will speak with the group on some of the "tale from the field". This is a great chance for the Club to build a rap-our with the enforcement officials who help to keep everyone on the lake safe and look after our fisheries.
February Club Meeting - 2/5
Reel Maintenance & preparation night - With many of you off the water waiting for Spring, we will have a couple of line-spooling machines on-hand if you wish to re-spool some of our reels in quick-order, and Joel Janecek will demo reel cleaning & maintenance. We'll also get the latest reports from those that are out on the water, assuming we are not paying for the recent warm weather with a total ice-out.
March Club Meeting - 3/4
Dan Wilson, DGIF Biologist, will come and present the latest on the fishery based data collected in 2015 from shocking, gill-netting & angler logs.
President's Corner
Happy New Year! It sure did not feel much like Christmas with temperatures in the 70's much of the last few weeks of December, but Mother Nature has finally brought us winter, even treating us to a little bit of snow. Fishing has been interesting over the last month with water temperatures well above norms - but interesting can be good - with some nice catches going on. The birds were not quite sure what to make of the cold weather, but the figured it out the first few days of January and were seen doing their job, tipping us off to fish in the waters below.
I'm looking forward to what 2016 will bring. Last year we grew membership in the Club and I hope that those new members will stay with us in 2016 - as well as our long-term members. If you have not already, please send in your membership renewal, or bring it to the January Club meeting. Invite a friend or neighbor that is interested in fishing to a Club meeting - what better way to introduce them to the sport which we love.
This newsletter is a bit later than normal - apologies for that - but it has been a hectic period for me in the recent weeks - the weather was too nice that I could not stay off the water :) Seriously, it would be a GREAT help if someone out there would be interested in helping with the creation of the newsletter - you don't have to take over the whole thing, but the finding & creating content to include would be a big help to me. If you think you might be interested - or even if you just have an idea for an article (or willing to write one article), please let me know. On a similar vein, as we kick off the New Year we will be looking for members to step up as committee chairs for various positions - or to serve on committees - this is YOUR club - and you get out of it what you put into it - so volunteer to lead or be on a committee for one more of the various activities we take part in. Also, if you have ideas for activities, club meeting topics or speakers or other events, let us know.
Finally - don't forget to bring our completed Fish Diaries to the January meeting so that we can get these to Dan Wilson for his yearly tally. This is an important aspect of how we can contribute to the on-going management of the fishery.
I look forward to a great 2016 for the Club and look forward to your participation to make it great!
Fish On! - Mike Ward
I'm looking forward to what 2016 will bring. Last year we grew membership in the Club and I hope that those new members will stay with us in 2016 - as well as our long-term members. If you have not already, please send in your membership renewal, or bring it to the January Club meeting. Invite a friend or neighbor that is interested in fishing to a Club meeting - what better way to introduce them to the sport which we love.
This newsletter is a bit later than normal - apologies for that - but it has been a hectic period for me in the recent weeks - the weather was too nice that I could not stay off the water :) Seriously, it would be a GREAT help if someone out there would be interested in helping with the creation of the newsletter - you don't have to take over the whole thing, but the finding & creating content to include would be a big help to me. If you think you might be interested - or even if you just have an idea for an article (or willing to write one article), please let me know. On a similar vein, as we kick off the New Year we will be looking for members to step up as committee chairs for various positions - or to serve on committees - this is YOUR club - and you get out of it what you put into it - so volunteer to lead or be on a committee for one more of the various activities we take part in. Also, if you have ideas for activities, club meeting topics or speakers or other events, let us know.
Finally - don't forget to bring our completed Fish Diaries to the January meeting so that we can get these to Dan Wilson for his yearly tally. This is an important aspect of how we can contribute to the on-going management of the fishery.
I look forward to a great 2016 for the Club and look forward to your participation to make it great!
Fish On! - Mike Ward
November was Chili night & Annual Reports / Board elections. We enjoyed not only pots of chili from various members, but also smoked striper appetizers and some fine deserts. The Board also presented the "State of the Club", with a Membership, Financial & President's Reports.
As with most of our recent Club meetings - both meetings were recorded and you will be able to view the meeting in its entirety once we have a chance to process and upload the material by going to the Meeting Videos & Notes section on the Club Website
- http://www.smithmountainstriperclub.com/meeting-videos--notes.html.
As with most of our recent Club meetings - both meetings were recorded and you will be able to view the meeting in its entirety once we have a chance to process and upload the material by going to the Meeting Videos & Notes section on the Club Website
- http://www.smithmountainstriperclub.com/meeting-videos--notes.html.
Member Catches
Fall is kicking into gear - and SMSC members are getting out there and catching some nice fish! As always, we love to feature member catches - please submit yours - you can post them to the Club Facebook page, or send them to [email protected].
In Our Thoughts & Prayers
Rex Smith, former SMSC President, passed away December 14th at the age of 77 as a result of complications from an out of town surgery he was undergoing for Mesothelioma.
Rex was a long-time fixture in the striper fishing community here at SML as well as the SMSC. The “old-timers” will remember Rex for his many years of service as President of the Smith Mountain Striper Club, leading it through growth of around 100 members to over 800 members/spouses, and also helping smooth over some rough times between the Club and DGIF on a variety of issues. Rex fished the Blackwater side and fished striped bass tournament events in the past with Kenny Short as a part of "Team Polar". He lived and breathed the Striper Club and more importantly striper fishing and the fishery overall.
I had the pleasure of sitting down and breaking bread with Rex earlier this year along with Mike Snead, and listening to Rex share stories about the fishery and the Club - while he has not been an active member for various reasons in the recent years, his passion and love for the Club and fishery remained to his last days. He loaned me his archive of Striper Club newsletters going back to the very, very early days of the Club - diligently archived in 4 large and heavy binders. He shared some important insight during that lunch to a then new Club President, moving into the big shoes that he once filled - and I am ever appreciative of the time with him on that day, and hope that I can honor his memory by striving to be even half of what he was to SML and the fishery.
I ran across this article, written by Bob Cochran - which does a good job capturing what Rex meant to the Club & the fishery at SML. I encourage you to take a few moments to read it.
www.roanoke.com/sports/outdoors/rex-smith----mr-striper---/article_c84aab2e-08e1-5272-9f4f-4d2e562f218b.html?_dc=45841911109.16436
The fishery we all enjoy today is better for the work and efforts of Rex. We've lost one of the good ones today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Brenda and his family during this difficult time.
In addition, our well wishes go out to a few members & their spouses who have been fighting illness or injury in recent weeks and months - we've had a few members in, and now thankfully out, of the hospital - we wish them all speedy and full recovery.
In you are aware of a Club member (or their family member) who is experiencing sickness or has suffered a loss, please pass along the information to one of the Club board members so that we can reach out to let them know the Club is thinking of them and see if we can aide them in any way.
Rex was a long-time fixture in the striper fishing community here at SML as well as the SMSC. The “old-timers” will remember Rex for his many years of service as President of the Smith Mountain Striper Club, leading it through growth of around 100 members to over 800 members/spouses, and also helping smooth over some rough times between the Club and DGIF on a variety of issues. Rex fished the Blackwater side and fished striped bass tournament events in the past with Kenny Short as a part of "Team Polar". He lived and breathed the Striper Club and more importantly striper fishing and the fishery overall.
I had the pleasure of sitting down and breaking bread with Rex earlier this year along with Mike Snead, and listening to Rex share stories about the fishery and the Club - while he has not been an active member for various reasons in the recent years, his passion and love for the Club and fishery remained to his last days. He loaned me his archive of Striper Club newsletters going back to the very, very early days of the Club - diligently archived in 4 large and heavy binders. He shared some important insight during that lunch to a then new Club President, moving into the big shoes that he once filled - and I am ever appreciative of the time with him on that day, and hope that I can honor his memory by striving to be even half of what he was to SML and the fishery.
I ran across this article, written by Bob Cochran - which does a good job capturing what Rex meant to the Club & the fishery at SML. I encourage you to take a few moments to read it.
www.roanoke.com/sports/outdoors/rex-smith----mr-striper---/article_c84aab2e-08e1-5272-9f4f-4d2e562f218b.html?_dc=45841911109.16436
The fishery we all enjoy today is better for the work and efforts of Rex. We've lost one of the good ones today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Brenda and his family during this difficult time.
In addition, our well wishes go out to a few members & their spouses who have been fighting illness or injury in recent weeks and months - we've had a few members in, and now thankfully out, of the hospital - we wish them all speedy and full recovery.
In you are aware of a Club member (or their family member) who is experiencing sickness or has suffered a loss, please pass along the information to one of the Club board members so that we can reach out to let them know the Club is thinking of them and see if we can aide them in any way.
It's Time to Renew Your SMSC Membership
By now you should have received your annual SMSC Membership renewal letter. Help us get the new year off to a great start by returning these membership renewals as quickly as possible. We certainly hope you will plan to renew and join us in the new year. Also, please use this to consider inviting a friend to join the Club in the new year as well.
Do As I Say - Not As I Do
I had an incident just before Thanksgiving that is part embarrassing, part very frustrating, part scary, and hopefully part educational.... I share it in hopes others take something away from this....
I was out catching bait alone in a lonely creek late in the afternoon of 11/20. I had tossed my net on what was the 3rd or 4th serious piece of timber that day and was trying to retrieve it. I saw a tree-trunk laying down the bank into the water about 75' away from me but didn't think twice that it could come that far until as I was pulling on the net the trunk on land started to shift.
I had gotten the net to the point where the horn was just out of the water. I leaned over to grab the horn of the net with the hopes of releasing the net from the branches and getting it back in mostly one piece. Somewhere about then I found myself tumbling through the air and splashing into the 59 degree water. It's pretty amazing what all can go through your mind in that 1/2 or 3/4 second from the boat deck to the water's surface.....
I'll admit that as I hit the water I started to panic a bit - knowing I was in my jeans, bibs, t-shirt, sweat-shirt and boots....... and no life-jacket or any flotation. As I surfaced I was flailing - knocked my glasses off in the process - but after a few seconds I was able to force myself to realize I needed to calm down if I wanted to get out of this mess. The boat was drifting a bit away from the momentum of the fall, but I was probably 10 or 15 feet from the trolling motor. My boat has a swim platform and ladder on the transom, and my "emergency plan" for such a situation has always been that I would go pull the ladder down and climb in the boat and laugh it off.
I realized quickly that between the water weight I was taking on, water in the boots and me on the edge of panic that I was not going to be swimming to the back of my 24' boat, so I tried to head for the trolling motor to have something to grab on to. Swimming those 10-15' was WAY harder than I would have ever expected - I'm certainly not in Olymic swimmer shape which of course does not help, but the clothes were more encumbering that I would have ever thought. My boots are slip on "Muck boot" style boots - which probably is a good thing as they could come off pretty easily in the water if needed assuming I could get my bibs up out of the way but I decided for whatever reason not to ditch them a that point.
But, I was able to side-stroke to the trolling motor and grab on to it - and it was only then that I felt I had a chance of getting out of this mess - thinking 1st about standing on it and trying to climb into the boat but then realizing that would not work with my at my weight/shape. I then thought about working my way to the back of the boat to the swim ladder, but my boat sits too high above the water line to be able to hang on and ease myself back, and I was not going to trust my ability to swim the 24' to the back. As I collected my wits I remembered the iPilot trolling motor remote was clipped to my bibs - and while it will not talk to the TM under water, it is (mostly) water proof and thankfully work when out of the water. The boat was pointed more or less at a dock that was probably 50 to 75 or maybe 100 feet away - so I positioned myself to the side of the TM and turned it on letting it drag me to the floater at the dock.
As I neared the dock I could not get the TM to turn off (probably was in the water), but honestly I really did not care - the TM shaft took an impact to the dock and cracked the shaft but I was at the floater and thankfully a swim ladder was right there. Up onto the dock and very thankfully back on the boat.
Of course I did not have any change of clothes on the boat - but I was 5 min boat ride from my dock, and it was in the upper 50's or so at the time.
I was lucky that day on many accounts... that I didn't hit my head or something on the way down, that I was close enough to get to the trolling motor to grab on, that I had the remote control to get me to a dock, that there was a dock close enough near-by, that the water was not "too" cold and that the air temps were not colder and that I had a short ride back to my dock. A month or so from now and it could have been a different story/outcome. Today cost me a new pair of glasses, a new net and a new trolling motor shaft..... it could have cost a lot more.
As I say above - do as I say - not as I do... or, well, did..... I wrote an article back in 2011 about winter time safety so I know better. But we get slack & lax. It was not "really" winter yet and the water temps were not overly dangerous.... yet. But the lack of a PDF could have made today a very bad day. My inflatable PDF was hanging on the coat-rack beside the door of the townhouse that I go out of to head down to the boat. We go out there and do our thing all the time - and you'd never think what could happen like that in a split second - one minute you're wondering how bad your net is going to be torn up and the next you're in the water wondering what to do next. I've gotten better about wearing my inflatable PDF when on the boat alone at night - but I tend to take it off when throwing the net - what could happen when throwing the net I told myself.... Wear your PDF always when alone.... ideally all the time as well.
Give the article below a serious read. Probably even better, do a "wet run" of what you would do and how you'd get back in the boat - maybe something to do when it warms back up, but maybe something to do now before it gets really cold - with proper supervision, in shallow enough water, etc - better to experience in a controlled environment than think you know what it would be like - I thought I did.... I didn't.
I was out catching bait alone in a lonely creek late in the afternoon of 11/20. I had tossed my net on what was the 3rd or 4th serious piece of timber that day and was trying to retrieve it. I saw a tree-trunk laying down the bank into the water about 75' away from me but didn't think twice that it could come that far until as I was pulling on the net the trunk on land started to shift.
I had gotten the net to the point where the horn was just out of the water. I leaned over to grab the horn of the net with the hopes of releasing the net from the branches and getting it back in mostly one piece. Somewhere about then I found myself tumbling through the air and splashing into the 59 degree water. It's pretty amazing what all can go through your mind in that 1/2 or 3/4 second from the boat deck to the water's surface.....
I'll admit that as I hit the water I started to panic a bit - knowing I was in my jeans, bibs, t-shirt, sweat-shirt and boots....... and no life-jacket or any flotation. As I surfaced I was flailing - knocked my glasses off in the process - but after a few seconds I was able to force myself to realize I needed to calm down if I wanted to get out of this mess. The boat was drifting a bit away from the momentum of the fall, but I was probably 10 or 15 feet from the trolling motor. My boat has a swim platform and ladder on the transom, and my "emergency plan" for such a situation has always been that I would go pull the ladder down and climb in the boat and laugh it off.
I realized quickly that between the water weight I was taking on, water in the boots and me on the edge of panic that I was not going to be swimming to the back of my 24' boat, so I tried to head for the trolling motor to have something to grab on to. Swimming those 10-15' was WAY harder than I would have ever expected - I'm certainly not in Olymic swimmer shape which of course does not help, but the clothes were more encumbering that I would have ever thought. My boots are slip on "Muck boot" style boots - which probably is a good thing as they could come off pretty easily in the water if needed assuming I could get my bibs up out of the way but I decided for whatever reason not to ditch them a that point.
But, I was able to side-stroke to the trolling motor and grab on to it - and it was only then that I felt I had a chance of getting out of this mess - thinking 1st about standing on it and trying to climb into the boat but then realizing that would not work with my at my weight/shape. I then thought about working my way to the back of the boat to the swim ladder, but my boat sits too high above the water line to be able to hang on and ease myself back, and I was not going to trust my ability to swim the 24' to the back. As I collected my wits I remembered the iPilot trolling motor remote was clipped to my bibs - and while it will not talk to the TM under water, it is (mostly) water proof and thankfully work when out of the water. The boat was pointed more or less at a dock that was probably 50 to 75 or maybe 100 feet away - so I positioned myself to the side of the TM and turned it on letting it drag me to the floater at the dock.
As I neared the dock I could not get the TM to turn off (probably was in the water), but honestly I really did not care - the TM shaft took an impact to the dock and cracked the shaft but I was at the floater and thankfully a swim ladder was right there. Up onto the dock and very thankfully back on the boat.
Of course I did not have any change of clothes on the boat - but I was 5 min boat ride from my dock, and it was in the upper 50's or so at the time.
I was lucky that day on many accounts... that I didn't hit my head or something on the way down, that I was close enough to get to the trolling motor to grab on, that I had the remote control to get me to a dock, that there was a dock close enough near-by, that the water was not "too" cold and that the air temps were not colder and that I had a short ride back to my dock. A month or so from now and it could have been a different story/outcome. Today cost me a new pair of glasses, a new net and a new trolling motor shaft..... it could have cost a lot more.
As I say above - do as I say - not as I do... or, well, did..... I wrote an article back in 2011 about winter time safety so I know better. But we get slack & lax. It was not "really" winter yet and the water temps were not overly dangerous.... yet. But the lack of a PDF could have made today a very bad day. My inflatable PDF was hanging on the coat-rack beside the door of the townhouse that I go out of to head down to the boat. We go out there and do our thing all the time - and you'd never think what could happen like that in a split second - one minute you're wondering how bad your net is going to be torn up and the next you're in the water wondering what to do next. I've gotten better about wearing my inflatable PDF when on the boat alone at night - but I tend to take it off when throwing the net - what could happen when throwing the net I told myself.... Wear your PDF always when alone.... ideally all the time as well.
Give the article below a serious read. Probably even better, do a "wet run" of what you would do and how you'd get back in the boat - maybe something to do when it warms back up, but maybe something to do now before it gets really cold - with proper supervision, in shallow enough water, etc - better to experience in a controlled environment than think you know what it would be like - I thought I did.... I didn't.
Winter-Time Boating Safety
As the holiday season nears and winter begins to set in, cooler temperatures do not mean the fishing has gone cold – in fact, winter time can provide exciting fishing for those anglers willing to brave the elements. However, winter time brings some inherent risks which one must be aware of, and take appropriate caution to prevent an otherwise enjoyable outing from turning into a horrible statistic.
Hypothermia is one of the largest dangers that accompany winter time fishing as exposure to the elements can bring this upon an individual without their knowing. Certainly falling into the cold winter waters can accelerate one falling subject to hypothermia, but it is possible to be overcome by hypothermia just from prolonged exposure to the cold. It is important to know the symptoms of hypothermia so that you can recognize them not only in yourself, but perhaps more importantly in your fishing partners and take immediate action, as an individual succumbing to hypothermia will typically not recognize the symptoms in themselves.
The Mayo Clinic’s web-site lists the following symptoms of hypothermia:
Even more concerning is the potential for falling overboard into the frigid winter waters. The cold water accelerated the transfer of heat from your body at up to 26 times faster than when exposed to air – thus if you find yourself in the water, getting out and getting dry in rapid fashion is crucial to your survival.
The above is intended to help remind us of the risks which do exist, but there are a things you can do to manage these risks. Below are a number of tips that can help make your winter time outing a safer one...
File a “Float Plan” – tell someone when you are going out, the general areas you expect to fish, and when you expect to return. If you forget to do so and are launching from a public ramp, consider leaving a note on the dash of your vehicle with your expected time of return and an emergency contact number.
Fish with a friend – it is always a good idea when on the water, especially in the winter or in other adverse conditions, to have another person with you. Should an unfortunately turn of events unfold, your fishing buddy may just become your life-line.
Wear your life jacket & use your kill switch – It is something that many of us are guilty of not doing, but when fishing in the winter, especially if alone, a life jacket may be the one thing that saves your life. A variety of styles of life jackets exist now which remove all the excuses for not wearing one – WEAR IT! The heavy, bulky clothes that we wear to keep up warm will rapidly absorb water and become an anchor around you if you do not have the flotation provided by your life vest.
The kill switch is also there as a safety device – USE IT! If you do a lot of trolling and need mobility around the boat while under way, consider purchasing an AutoTether which has a wireless sensor that you attach to your life jacket or clothes, and if the sensor becomes submerged it will remotely trip your kill switch, stopping your boat and giving you a chance to reenter your boat.
Dress for what the conditions might become – Temperatures that start in the upper 40s or 50s and sunny skies can drop quickly as the sun begins to set.
Plan Ahead – Give consideration now to what you would do should you find yourself in the unfortunate position of falling into the water. Falling out of a boat is easy.... Getting back in while out the water can be very difficult, especially when burdened by the weight of water-soaked winter clothes and boots. Even with a fishing buddy aboard, it may be very difficult to return to the boat and one must be careful not to capsize or pull your fishing partner overboard in the process. It is a good idea to try reentering your boat during the warm summer months to find a way that works for you, before encountering the situation in the cold of winter.
A few options to assist returning to the boat include:
Once back in the boat, you are not out of the woods. Soaked to the core and now surrounded by air temperatures which may be less than the water from which you just escaped the worst danger may still be ahead. It is critical that you get dry and warm as quickly as possible. Bringing a spare change of clothes on the boat is a good idea. At a minimum, having an emergency blanket – the silvery foil type – on the boat is a good idea – they are very compact thus taking little space, and could help maintain enough body heat to avoid hypothermia until you are able to get back to land.
Minimize the Potential for “Slip-Ups”: The relaxation that we enjoy when on the water can be disrupted in the blink of an eye with a trip or a slip on the deck of the boat.
With a little caution and some advanced planning the risks of winter time fishing can be minimized and you can join Old Man Winter in the pursuit of that citation Striper.
References & Links:
Arctic Armor: www.idigear.com/arcticarmor.php
AutoTether: www.autotether.com/at/
Expected Survival Time in Cold Water: www.ussartf.org/cold_water_survival.htm
Hypothermia Symptoms: www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothermia/DS00333/DSECTION=symptoms
Hypothermia is one of the largest dangers that accompany winter time fishing as exposure to the elements can bring this upon an individual without their knowing. Certainly falling into the cold winter waters can accelerate one falling subject to hypothermia, but it is possible to be overcome by hypothermia just from prolonged exposure to the cold. It is important to know the symptoms of hypothermia so that you can recognize them not only in yourself, but perhaps more importantly in your fishing partners and take immediate action, as an individual succumbing to hypothermia will typically not recognize the symptoms in themselves.
The Mayo Clinic’s web-site lists the following symptoms of hypothermia:
- Shivering
- Clumsiness or lack of coordination
- Slurred speech or mumbling
- Stumbling
- Confusion or difficulty thinking
- Poor decision making, such as trying to remove warm clothes
- Drowsiness or very low energy
- Apathy or lack of concern about one's condition
- Progressive loss of consciousness
- Weak pulse
- Slow, shallow breathing
Even more concerning is the potential for falling overboard into the frigid winter waters. The cold water accelerated the transfer of heat from your body at up to 26 times faster than when exposed to air – thus if you find yourself in the water, getting out and getting dry in rapid fashion is crucial to your survival.
The above is intended to help remind us of the risks which do exist, but there are a things you can do to manage these risks. Below are a number of tips that can help make your winter time outing a safer one...
File a “Float Plan” – tell someone when you are going out, the general areas you expect to fish, and when you expect to return. If you forget to do so and are launching from a public ramp, consider leaving a note on the dash of your vehicle with your expected time of return and an emergency contact number.
Fish with a friend – it is always a good idea when on the water, especially in the winter or in other adverse conditions, to have another person with you. Should an unfortunately turn of events unfold, your fishing buddy may just become your life-line.
Wear your life jacket & use your kill switch – It is something that many of us are guilty of not doing, but when fishing in the winter, especially if alone, a life jacket may be the one thing that saves your life. A variety of styles of life jackets exist now which remove all the excuses for not wearing one – WEAR IT! The heavy, bulky clothes that we wear to keep up warm will rapidly absorb water and become an anchor around you if you do not have the flotation provided by your life vest.
The kill switch is also there as a safety device – USE IT! If you do a lot of trolling and need mobility around the boat while under way, consider purchasing an AutoTether which has a wireless sensor that you attach to your life jacket or clothes, and if the sensor becomes submerged it will remotely trip your kill switch, stopping your boat and giving you a chance to reenter your boat.
Dress for what the conditions might become – Temperatures that start in the upper 40s or 50s and sunny skies can drop quickly as the sun begins to set.
- Dress in layers so that you are prepared for whatever Mother Nature may throw at you.
- A significant percentage of the body’s heat is lost through the head and hands, so have a warm stocking cap and dry gloves available.
- Finding gloves that stay dry often seems like “Mission Impossible” -
keep multiple sets of inexpensive “jersey gloves” (like the brown light/cheap yard gloves) in a plastic bag and when the pair you are wearing becomes wet, swap it out for a dry set. And a ready supply of hand warmers is not a bad idea either. - A set of warm, waterproof boots are also a must have for a comfortable outing. However, ensure they provide ample maneuverability and have a sole that maintains a level of “grip” even in freezing temperatures
- For very cold weather, check out Arctic Armor. This is a set of insulated bibs and coat that are targeted to ice-fishermen “up north” and are constructed with a material which will float the wearer. They are not intended, nor should be relied upon, as a replacement for wearing your life jacket, but they can serve as a secondary “safety net” should you find yourself over board.
Plan Ahead – Give consideration now to what you would do should you find yourself in the unfortunate position of falling into the water. Falling out of a boat is easy.... Getting back in while out the water can be very difficult, especially when burdened by the weight of water-soaked winter clothes and boots. Even with a fishing buddy aboard, it may be very difficult to return to the boat and one must be careful not to capsize or pull your fishing partner overboard in the process. It is a good idea to try reentering your boat during the warm summer months to find a way that works for you, before encountering the situation in the cold of winter.
A few options to assist returning to the boat include:
- A swim platform with a sufficiently long ladder can be a life saver. Many of the ladders on typical swim
platforms only have a few steps, and they can be difficult to traverse in the most ideal conditions. Consider replacing that short 2-step ladder with a 3, or 4 step ladder which will allow you to more easily climb up and back into the boat. - Tie a rope to the rear cleat and leave a loop hanging over the transom that would be long enough to reach
from the water (but not so long as to foul your prop), tying several loops for footholds and hand-holds, so that you could use this to help pull yourself back into the boat. And while a morbid thought, should you be unable to reenter the boat and the worst-case scenario unfold, securing yourself to your boat would at least allow recovery later. - Climb up onto your outboard, using the cavitation plate as a foothold, and then use the trim switch to raise the motor, and yourself out of the water to where you can reenter the boat.
Once back in the boat, you are not out of the woods. Soaked to the core and now surrounded by air temperatures which may be less than the water from which you just escaped the worst danger may still be ahead. It is critical that you get dry and warm as quickly as possible. Bringing a spare change of clothes on the boat is a good idea. At a minimum, having an emergency blanket – the silvery foil type – on the boat is a good idea – they are very compact thus taking little space, and could help maintain enough body heat to avoid hypothermia until you are able to get back to land.
Minimize the Potential for “Slip-Ups”: The relaxation that we enjoy when on the water can be disrupted in the blink of an eye with a trip or a slip on the deck of the boat.
- Keeping things as organized and in their place can minimize the potential for tripping over a rod bow line lying in the floor of the boat.
- Even with their “non-skid” surfaces, a boat deck can be like an ice skating ring when you combine a bit
of water or even early morning condensation and the sub-freezing temperatures that accompany winter- time fishing. A set of sure-footed boots is key, as is extremely careful movements. No fish is worth that quick jump to the front deck to grab a rod, or leaning too far over to lip it into the boat. - Throwing a cast-net brings an added set of dangers. The water (and shad slime) from the net, coupled
with freezing temperatures will turn a boat deck into a solid sheet of ice in rapid fashion. Perhaps this time of year one should “mix it up” and shift to jigging and casting artificials – your hands will likely thank you. But if you are one of the “hard-core” live bait fishermen, consider dipping a towel in the lake water and placing it on your deck to stand on when casting. When the towel freezes, dip it back in the lake to thaw and then replace it on the deck
With a little caution and some advanced planning the risks of winter time fishing can be minimized and you can join Old Man Winter in the pursuit of that citation Striper.
References & Links:
Arctic Armor: www.idigear.com/arcticarmor.php
AutoTether: www.autotether.com/at/
Expected Survival Time in Cold Water: www.ussartf.org/cold_water_survival.htm
Hypothermia Symptoms: www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothermia/DS00333/DSECTION=symptoms
2015 Member of the Year
Congrats to Chuck Howarth on being selected 2015 Member of the Year. Chuck has been a long-time Club member, past board member and remains active in many Club activities and leads the cooking committee - everyone's favorite. Chuck can always be counted on to be there when we need him in whatever capacity.
We thank Chuck for his many years of service and I am proud to have been able to present him with this honor.
We thank Chuck for his many years of service and I am proud to have been able to present him with this honor.
2015 Fish Ladder Results
We concluded our 2015 Fish Ladder in December, presenting certificates to the top 10 spots. With 2016 here, the ladder is cleared - ready to be filled again. When fishing, take a picture of our catch on a measuring device and submit the pic via Facebook, e-mail or bring it to the Club meeting to secure your spot - remember, you can always "upgrade" throughout the year.
1st - Mike Ward - 38.25" caught on 4/9
2nd - Tyler Early - 37" caught on 4/4
3rd - Jim Perry - 36.5" caught on 11/22
4th - Keith Matteson - 36.25" caught on 4/4
5th - Bruce Brenholdt - 35.5" caught on 8/26
6th - Stephen Bartnett - 34.5" - caught in the 1st days of January
7th - C.D. Holbrook - 34.5" - caught in September
8th - Jason Lawrence - 34.5" - caught on 10/24
9th - Ray Witte - 30" - caught in September
10th - Walter Potucek - 28.5" - caught on 10/14
1st - Mike Ward - 38.25" caught on 4/9
2nd - Tyler Early - 37" caught on 4/4
3rd - Jim Perry - 36.5" caught on 11/22
4th - Keith Matteson - 36.25" caught on 4/4
5th - Bruce Brenholdt - 35.5" caught on 8/26
6th - Stephen Bartnett - 34.5" - caught in the 1st days of January
7th - C.D. Holbrook - 34.5" - caught in September
8th - Jason Lawrence - 34.5" - caught on 10/24
9th - Ray Witte - 30" - caught in September
10th - Walter Potucek - 28.5" - caught on 10/14
Fishing Outlook for January & February
If you are willing to brave the cold temperatures, January can be an existing time to fish. We gain an ally - our "eyes in the sky" with the sea-gulls that come to visit SML for a few months. When you see the birds congregating and starting to dart and dive, get over there quickly - but don't blow in on plane - drop off and glide in or pull in with your trolling motor. Often casting & retrieving swim-baits or flukes can be as or more productive than jigging - especially in the early and mid part of January if the water temperatures are not as cold - such as this year - when the fish are still moving fairly quickly. As the water cools, jigging with a fluke & 3/8 - 3/4 oz jig-head, or a spoon, will produce fish.
Live-bait will also work during this time - smaller baits (alewifes or smaller gizzards) on down-lines in the areas where birds are working will produce fish, but pulling larger baits in the shallows along sunny creek-baits can also tease out large fish if you are willing to throw the net to get the bait.
As February rolls in, jigging and live-bait will still work - assuming the lake is no covered with an icy shell. Both month look in mid-lake - from around Becky & Betty's to Lynville, and the equivalent area on the Blackwater side - and then a bit more centered towards mid-lake as February settles in.
Live-bait will also work during this time - smaller baits (alewifes or smaller gizzards) on down-lines in the areas where birds are working will produce fish, but pulling larger baits in the shallows along sunny creek-baits can also tease out large fish if you are willing to throw the net to get the bait.
As February rolls in, jigging and live-bait will still work - assuming the lake is no covered with an icy shell. Both month look in mid-lake - from around Becky & Betty's to Lynville, and the equivalent area on the Blackwater side - and then a bit more centered towards mid-lake as February settles in.
Tackle Tip for January - Wet Towels
I'm going to carry forward our Boat Safety theme into the January "tackle" tip. For those of you that catch live-bait year-round - or even just those that fish in the winter - you know how quickly water can freeze on the deck of a fiberglass boat. One trick to help keep a sure footing is to dip a towel into the lake water and lay if on the deck where you will be standing. The towel will not slip around on the fiberglass and provide you traction at the same time. If the towel freezes, just pull it up, dip it back into the lake to thaw, and lay if back on the deck again.
This works great for standing on the casting decks throwing a net - but also on the general floor of your boat.
This works great for standing on the casting decks throwing a net - but also on the general floor of your boat.
Fishing Report - 1/1/16 - Happy New Year!
Weather: Sunny, winds 5-10 with gusts to 15 from N-NW, temps starting in the upper 30's, rising to low 50's
Water: 52-53, visibility of several feet to zero in some places
Techniques: Big gizzards on freeline planers (3-5) and 3/8 oz light-lines 30-50 feet back (2)
I spent the afternoon of the last day of 2015 prepping for 2016 - by catching big bait. I headed to a creek that I'd spotted some flipping bait the day before when fishing and found it loaded with big bait - but it was deep. 20-30' around 4pm, but they came up to 15' or so about 5 pm. It took some throwing but when on the right spot I'd get 2 or so a throw, with a number of nets that came up with 10-16 baits - with 75% being 10"-12". Packed probably 70 baits in the tank and then ran down to unload most of them in the storage tank, keeping a couple dozen for fishing on New Years Day.
Water: 52-53, visibility of several feet to zero in some places
Techniques: Big gizzards on freeline planers (3-5) and 3/8 oz light-lines 30-50 feet back (2)
I spent the afternoon of the last day of 2015 prepping for 2016 - by catching big bait. I headed to a creek that I'd spotted some flipping bait the day before when fishing and found it loaded with big bait - but it was deep. 20-30' around 4pm, but they came up to 15' or so about 5 pm. It took some throwing but when on the right spot I'd get 2 or so a throw, with a number of nets that came up with 10-16 baits - with 75% being 10"-12". Packed probably 70 baits in the tank and then ran down to unload most of them in the storage tank, keeping a couple dozen for fishing on New Years Day.
We had a wild and crazy New Years Eve - sitting at home with the family watching a movie, eating some delicious ham & cheese rolls and I tied up some fresh leaders to 7/0 hooks and stingers. I sent a few texts trying to find a fishing partner for the morning, but everyone was out drinking and expected to have hangovers come 7am the next day ;) So, I headed down solo to the boat around 7:15 and got some rigs re-tied and was on the water about 7:45, fishing by 8am along a bank where we'd caught some nice fish a few days before.
Put out the spread and started my pull. No action in the stretch where we found a pair of 16 lbers the day before, but a bit further down as I pulled past a point into the mouth of a small cut I had a few tugs on the board and the 1st fish of 2016 was soon to the boat. Around 9 lbs and 30" - but you need room to work up through the year, right? Picked up another fish just on the other side of the cut as the breeze started to build.... Got one more on down the bank a ways..... and decided I should get a measurement photo to kick of the Smith Mountain Striper Club's 2016 Fish Ladder contest...
Decided to move on to another spot where we got some good action on Wednesday - gone one pretty quick off the bat, but then the action slowed - but the wind was building more and more. It was COLD out there.... I did pick up another on down the bank and then as I turned back and pulled the channel and across a flat I picked up my 6th for the day - upgrading my Fish Ladder entry to a 33.5" start for the year.
Put out the spread and started my pull. No action in the stretch where we found a pair of 16 lbers the day before, but a bit further down as I pulled past a point into the mouth of a small cut I had a few tugs on the board and the 1st fish of 2016 was soon to the boat. Around 9 lbs and 30" - but you need room to work up through the year, right? Picked up another fish just on the other side of the cut as the breeze started to build.... Got one more on down the bank a ways..... and decided I should get a measurement photo to kick of the Smith Mountain Striper Club's 2016 Fish Ladder contest...
Decided to move on to another spot where we got some good action on Wednesday - gone one pretty quick off the bat, but then the action slowed - but the wind was building more and more. It was COLD out there.... I did pick up another on down the bank and then as I turned back and pulled the channel and across a flat I picked up my 6th for the day - upgrading my Fish Ladder entry to a 33.5" start for the year.
I moved back down the lake a bit and pulled a bank I'd been eyeing for the previous few days - but did not have the 1st sniff. The bite just seemed to die off around 10 am - maybe due to the front blowing through or maybe I just moved to where the fish were not. I was going to head home around lunchtime, but I decided to pull into a creek on the way home and make a last pull - unfortunately with no action - but then decided to look a bit for bait. Netted a few money-maker or larger gizzards and talked with one of our buddies who was trying to get a some baits for the evening to take out some cousins - so passed over a handful of big bait to him - then headed on back down the lake and decided to catch some more baits in the creek from the previous evening since they were still there..... took a bit more work today but I loaded another 40 baits in the tank to replenish what I had used that morning and to add to the big storage tank.....
As I headed down the lake to tuck away some of these big boys, I ran into Nathan and we decided to fish the evening bite in a creek down the lake. Slow action but we finally had one decide an evening snack was a good idea which got Nathan his 1st of 2016 as well.
Called it an evening as dark set in..... not a bad way to kick off 2016... 6 fish in the morning and one in the evening - was hoping for some larger fish but it leaves something to aspire to.....
As I headed down the lake to tuck away some of these big boys, I ran into Nathan and we decided to fish the evening bite in a creek down the lake. Slow action but we finally had one decide an evening snack was a good idea which got Nathan his 1st of 2016 as well.
Called it an evening as dark set in..... not a bad way to kick off 2016... 6 fish in the morning and one in the evening - was hoping for some larger fish but it leaves something to aspire to.....
Tackle Tip for February - Line De-Spooler
Here is a tip shared by a fellow striper-fisherman down in GA - Marc Floyd. This is a simple and inexpensive de-spooler setup. All it takes is a plastic bottle cap, a bolt, washer and nut. Drill a hole in the bottle cap and insert a bolt and washers. Screw the bottle cap back onto a bottle and chuck the bolt into a drill. Tape or tie your line to the bottle and engage the drill to start removing the line from your reel.
Please Support our Club Sponsors & Advertisers
Our Club Sponsors and Advertisers provide a valuable support to the Smith Mountain Striper Club and our membership. When in need of goods or services, please give our sponsors consideration and also let them know that you appreciate their support of the Club.
Smith Mountain Striper Club members receive a 10% Discount
Call or e-mail for details. [email protected] / (304) 928-7653 www.rockcreekplaners.com/planer-boards/ |
Check us out on the net at www.castnets.com or call us at (800) 332-6387 ext. 100 and tell them you a member of the Smith Mountain Striper Club to order your nets and receive a 50% discount of list prices.
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