March / April 2014 Newsletter
In This Edition
|
|
|
Upcoming Meetings & Events
March Club Meeting - 3/7/14
Swap Meet & Hot-Dog Supper. Bring along any sporting-good related items (no firearms or ammunition please) and setup a table to hawk your wares. We will also be providing a Hot-Dog supper for a evening of socializing & swapping fish stories.
March Member-Guest Tournament 3/14 & 3/15
Our 2nd tournament of the year will be held on Friday / Saturday March 14 & 15. Check-in will be held at Captain's Quarters. Remember - it is not too late to enter the tournament series as only your best 5 of 6 results count this year. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 7th.
April Club Meeting - 4/4/14
Home Bait Tanks - Hear from members about their home bait storage tanks and how they set them up, operate and keep bait between trips.
Save the Date - Freedom Alliance Event - 4/24 and/or 4/25
We will once again be hosting a group of wounded soliders for a day of striper fishing on the lake. We'll be needing volunteers to help captain & mate some boats to take these soliders out.
May Club Meeting - 5/2/14
Using Charts to Improve Your Fishing Success - come learn how to read your lake charts to identify areas which can help you catch more fish
SML Clean-Up Day - 5/3/14
Save the date - More info to come...
May Member-Guest Tournament 5/16 & 5/17
Our 3rd tournament of the year will be held on Friday / Saturday May 16 & 17. Check-in will be held at Parkway Marina. The deadline for registration is Friday, May 9th.
All Club Meetings are held at the Moneta Community Center on Rucker Rd. unless otherwise noted above. You can always check the latest calendar of Club events on the Club Website.
Swap Meet & Hot-Dog Supper. Bring along any sporting-good related items (no firearms or ammunition please) and setup a table to hawk your wares. We will also be providing a Hot-Dog supper for a evening of socializing & swapping fish stories.
March Member-Guest Tournament 3/14 & 3/15
Our 2nd tournament of the year will be held on Friday / Saturday March 14 & 15. Check-in will be held at Captain's Quarters. Remember - it is not too late to enter the tournament series as only your best 5 of 6 results count this year. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 7th.
April Club Meeting - 4/4/14
Home Bait Tanks - Hear from members about their home bait storage tanks and how they set them up, operate and keep bait between trips.
Save the Date - Freedom Alliance Event - 4/24 and/or 4/25
We will once again be hosting a group of wounded soliders for a day of striper fishing on the lake. We'll be needing volunteers to help captain & mate some boats to take these soliders out.
May Club Meeting - 5/2/14
Using Charts to Improve Your Fishing Success - come learn how to read your lake charts to identify areas which can help you catch more fish
SML Clean-Up Day - 5/3/14
Save the date - More info to come...
May Member-Guest Tournament 5/16 & 5/17
Our 3rd tournament of the year will be held on Friday / Saturday May 16 & 17. Check-in will be held at Parkway Marina. The deadline for registration is Friday, May 9th.
All Club Meetings are held at the Moneta Community Center on Rucker Rd. unless otherwise noted above. You can always check the latest calendar of Club events on the Club Website.
Club Board Members
|
Committee Chairs
|
From the Editor
I am not sure that there is anyone more happy to see Spring approaching than me. This winter has been a poor one from a fishing perspective. I usually enjoy putting away the cast-net and the live-bait rods and getting out the jigging gear and chasing birds and fish around the lake in the cold weather months, but this year has proven a waste for that technique - at least for me. I have still gotten out there and caught a few nice fish - and caught them using live-bait of sizes that have shocked me give the cold water - but it has been slow and slim pickings.
I have been ready for Spring since about January 15th. Club Member Tyler Early and I have been taking advantage of the schooled up, slow moving gizzards to catch and stock-pile some in a home-tank to make early-spring fishing a little easier. It has also been a way to buy time till conditions turn right to start dragging those big baits up on the banks in earnest.
We've also had a number of other activities to keep us busy during these cold months. Your Club's Board has been busy working on planning a set of activities and meeting topics that we hope you find interesting and want to participate in. Look for more details on these activities throughout the newsletter - and please consider finding ways to jump in and participate.
Fish On! - Mike Ward
I have been ready for Spring since about January 15th. Club Member Tyler Early and I have been taking advantage of the schooled up, slow moving gizzards to catch and stock-pile some in a home-tank to make early-spring fishing a little easier. It has also been a way to buy time till conditions turn right to start dragging those big baits up on the banks in earnest.
We've also had a number of other activities to keep us busy during these cold months. Your Club's Board has been busy working on planning a set of activities and meeting topics that we hope you find interesting and want to participate in. Look for more details on these activities throughout the newsletter - and please consider finding ways to jump in and participate.
Fish On! - Mike Ward
January / February Meeting Overviews
January's meeting topics focused on winter-time artificial jigging - Mike Ward led a discussion highlighting many of the techniques outlined in the article by Tyler Early that was included in the Jan/Feb Club Newsletter. An update on the 2014 Tournament Series was also provided by Mark Melius.
February's meeting kicked off with an "open mic" session for members to discuss what has been working / what hasn't, where, etc - an opportunity to share and learn from your fellow members with some fish chat. Not a lot of activity out there this past month from Club members - several had been out trying to jig and chase birds without a lot of success. On some warmer days pulling big shad produced a few fish - but mostly folks were taking care of their "honey-do" lists, doing boat maintenance and respooling reels to get ready for the Spring. Then top finishers of our February Member/Guest lead a panel discussion talking about their approach to the tournament, what worked for them, what didn't, where they fished, etc. Casting flukes seemed to be the ticket to the winners podium for the Artificial-only class - though umbrella rigs helped Mike Rettemnier' guest to place (and also broke Mike's heart when a nice fish came loose at the boat), and it even helped Chris Coley secure 3rd place in the Open class by mixing some live-bait along with casting a large bucktail with a jumbo fluke. Others in the Open Class caught fish with downlined alewives in the channel and dragging big bait behind planers on the sunny side of a bank - a surprise for early January with water temps in the low to mid 30's and ice not far away.
We also had a first for the Club in the February meeting - we recorded the meeting on video and it is available to Club members to view at the following link: http://www.smithmountainstriperclub.com/meeting-videos.html Unfortunately the audio is low in this video so put on some head-phones and crank it up - we'll work out the kinks going forward.
February's meeting kicked off with an "open mic" session for members to discuss what has been working / what hasn't, where, etc - an opportunity to share and learn from your fellow members with some fish chat. Not a lot of activity out there this past month from Club members - several had been out trying to jig and chase birds without a lot of success. On some warmer days pulling big shad produced a few fish - but mostly folks were taking care of their "honey-do" lists, doing boat maintenance and respooling reels to get ready for the Spring. Then top finishers of our February Member/Guest lead a panel discussion talking about their approach to the tournament, what worked for them, what didn't, where they fished, etc. Casting flukes seemed to be the ticket to the winners podium for the Artificial-only class - though umbrella rigs helped Mike Rettemnier' guest to place (and also broke Mike's heart when a nice fish came loose at the boat), and it even helped Chris Coley secure 3rd place in the Open class by mixing some live-bait along with casting a large bucktail with a jumbo fluke. Others in the Open Class caught fish with downlined alewives in the channel and dragging big bait behind planers on the sunny side of a bank - a surprise for early January with water temps in the low to mid 30's and ice not far away.
We also had a first for the Club in the February meeting - we recorded the meeting on video and it is available to Club members to view at the following link: http://www.smithmountainstriperclub.com/meeting-videos.html Unfortunately the audio is low in this video so put on some head-phones and crank it up - we'll work out the kinks going forward.
January Member/Guest Results
Conditions could not have been more beautiful for our 1st tournament of the year - that is if you were a fish. However, the cold and rain (and more rain) did not deter some of our Club's finest from getting out there and chasing some fish.
The Artifcial-Only class out fished the Open-Class group in total length this time around..... I guess live-bait is not the ONLY way to catch a few nice fish.
Also, for those of you that were turned off by the weather - I must point out that Youth Noah Quinn (grandson of Frank Schmitt) managed to brave the conditions and take 1st place in the Youth category! Way to go Noah!
Remember, in 2014 we have a "drop your lowest tournament" rule, so even if you did not fish the January tourney, or did not yet enter the Series, you can still do so and fish the remainder of the 5 tournaments this year and compete along side your fellow Club members. Hope to see you on the water in March!
The Artifcial-Only class out fished the Open-Class group in total length this time around..... I guess live-bait is not the ONLY way to catch a few nice fish.
Also, for those of you that were turned off by the weather - I must point out that Youth Noah Quinn (grandson of Frank Schmitt) managed to brave the conditions and take 1st place in the Youth category! Way to go Noah!
Remember, in 2014 we have a "drop your lowest tournament" rule, so even if you did not fish the January tourney, or did not yet enter the Series, you can still do so and fish the remainder of the 5 tournaments this year and compete along side your fellow Club members. Hope to see you on the water in March!
Open Class
1st - Mark Shepard (guest of Mike Ward)- 58.75" 2nd - Mike Ward - 56" 3rd - Chris Coley - 53.25" |
Artificial-Only Class
1st - Steve Nagel - 60.5" 2nd -Bill Nash - 59.5" 3rd - Ryan Doster (Guest of Mike Rettemnier) - 59" |
Artificial-Only Class
1st - Noah Quinn (grandson of Frank Schmitt) - 16" |
Big Fish Pot Winner
Mark Shepard - 30"
Mark Shepard - 30"
Kick 2014 Off Right with your Fish Diary
With 2014 still young, it is a good time to make sure you have a fresh Fish Diary in which to record your trips this year. This is a critical tool for the on-going management of our striper fishery. Entering your trip information - time fished, number of peopled fished, time of day, live bait or artificial, and then details on your catch (#, harvested or released, length) only takes a few minutes each trip.
At the end of the year the diaries are turned in to our DGIF Biologist and there is a cash "bounty" for your diary. More important, you are helping to collect critical data to enable better management of our fishery. If you do not have a diary for 2014, you can get one at a SMSC Club meeting or request one from Dan Wilson in DGIF directly (or contact a Board member and we can help arrange to get one to you).
At the end of the year the diaries are turned in to our DGIF Biologist and there is a cash "bounty" for your diary. More important, you are helping to collect critical data to enable better management of our fishery. If you do not have a diary for 2014, you can get one at a SMSC Club meeting or request one from Dan Wilson in DGIF directly (or contact a Board member and we can help arrange to get one to you).
President's Corner
I wonder
if all of you are as tired of Winter as I am. This has been a cold one as amply
reflected by the cooler than normal water temperatures and, of course, the
snow. Fortunately I can sense Spring coming very soon. The only saving factor
of this past arctic season has been attending a few sports and outdoors shows. It's just enough to keep the blood warm and inspire some new ideas. While
visiting family in Chicago-land, I also got to visit some tackle stores that I
used to haunt when I lived up there. It's amazing the different tackle goods you
discover in different regions of the country. I’ve accumulated a big bag of new
goodies to try this year. Reports on them to follow.
I also want to remind everyone that our club is a club. A club can be loosely defined as a group of people organized to share a common purpose or interest. Our club is “organized” in order to legally exist. Your board of directors manage the “business” of that organization. The board members are not teachers, lecturers, or entertainers. The value and wealth of the club comes from the sharing of our common interest and that sharing comes in the way of participation. In all the clubs and meetings I’ve attended through many years I have yet to hear a member comment that had no value. We’re all ordinary folks and friends so jump up and through your two cents in. I can’t wait…
Later
Joel
I also want to remind everyone that our club is a club. A club can be loosely defined as a group of people organized to share a common purpose or interest. Our club is “organized” in order to legally exist. Your board of directors manage the “business” of that organization. The board members are not teachers, lecturers, or entertainers. The value and wealth of the club comes from the sharing of our common interest and that sharing comes in the way of participation. In all the clubs and meetings I’ve attended through many years I have yet to hear a member comment that had no value. We’re all ordinary folks and friends so jump up and through your two cents in. I can’t wait…
Later
Joel
Member Catches
Below are some pictures of Member Catches over the last few months. We all love pics, so please submit yours - you can post them to the Club Facebook page, or send them to [email protected].
Water Temperature- 2/20/14
Bait Your Boat with Technology - Mark Taylor
Editors Note: The following article is reprinted with permission from Mark Taylor, and originally appeared in the Roanoke Times on Feb 21, 2014.
Member Mark Melius contributed to this article.
It’s no secret that fishermen are willing to consider just about any piece of gear that may give them an advantage when pursuing their quarry.
That drive has resulted in plenty of purchases of ridiculous equipment that has long since made it to the landfill or is on basement shelves collecting dust. Sonar fish finders are among the gadgets that have proven practically indispensable to many fishermen. By helping fishermen get a better picture of bottom contours, structure and even fish themselves, the units can help anglers increase their success rate by helping them focus their efforts on the spots where fish are most likely to be holding.
How important and popular are fishfinders?
Before the fishing boats that change hands this weekend at the Southwest Virginia Boat Show at the Roanoke Civic Center ever hit the water, they will all have at least one sonar unit, often two. Mark Melius has three sonar units on his bass boat. “It cuts down on a lot of the guesswork of where the fish are and where the bait is,” said Melius, a technician with Verizon Wireless who is also the tournament director for the Smith Mountain Striper Club.
A half century of finding fish
The concept of sonar is pretty simple. A transducer sends out a ping, which echoes back to the transducer. By measuring the time the ping takes to return, the unit determines the distance to the obstacle — be it the bottom, a rock, a stump or a fish. The unit’s processor interprets the information and displays it for the fisherman, typically today on a computer-like screen display.
Sonar units for recreational fishing started catching on in the late 1950s, when Lowrance released its Little Green Box, a high-frequency, transistorized sonar unit. Back then the Little Green Box cost $150, or about $1,000 in today’s dollars, but fishermen snatched up the products quickly. Lowrance claims that it sold more than a million Little Green Boxes between 1959 and 1984. Early sonars such as the Little Green Box featured a basic display featuring a round dial, upon which flashing colors indicated the depth or objects in the water.
While those so called flashers are still in use, primarily for ice fishing, most consumer sonar units feature an LCD display screen. The power of the unit, as well as the cone angle of the sonar, determines how the display shows up. Wide cone angles correspond to lower frequencies and provide wide coverage. Higher frequency narrow cone coverage provides more details. Many modern units use a combination of both. Traditional sonar displays are in two dimensions, but in recent years sonar imaging has brought three dimensions into the mix. The technology — known by names such as downscan, sidescan or side imaging, depending on the company — uses sonar beams to produce amazingly rendered, three-dimensional views of underwater structure. Melius has two modest 2D sonars on his boat, one at the trolling motor and one on the helm. They can be helpful for measuring depth and picking up bottom contours, structure and pods of bait or schools of fish. But his most important unit is the Humminbird 997Cs mounted on his helm, next to one of his smaller 2D models. The Humminbird, which is several years old and cost a little less than $2,000, features a large color screen and offers both side imaging and down imaging. “I use the side imaging quite a bit,” said Melius, who sets the range out to 150 feet. “It allows you to look in the water and see both sides. “I can go down the center of a cove and see side to side.” That can help him identify structure as well as pods of bait and even larger fish. While that comes in handy for striper fishing, Melius said he also relies on side imaging for bass fishing. “I can look at a dock and sometimes see fish on it,” he said. Melius said he doesn’t use the down imaging as much, but it has its place. Vertical jigging is an example of a technique where getting a clear view of the structure and fish below the boat can come in handy. “For example, on a 2D sonar you might just see a blob, but if you have down imaging you can tell that it’s a tree stump,” Melius said.
Completing the package
Most of today’s fishing sonars aren’t just sonars. They are combination units that include GPS receivers for charting and plotting. A basic use of a GPS unit is to determine where you are on a body of water, which can be particularly useful for fishermen who travel to new and different fisheries. During a trip to fish coastal waters off St. Augustine, Fla., Melius used GPS to get to the general area of specific reefs and wrecks, then pinpointed the structure with his side imaging sonar. While a decent smartphone or basic handheld GPS unit can be helpful for such navigation, plotting features on sonar units allow anglers to mark specific fishing spots. Some come pre-loaded with charts covering the most popular bodies of water in a region. Or anglers can buy software with specific charts.
Scott Reynolds at Smith Mountain Boat and Tackle said he recently installed a sonar unit on a customer’s boat, configuring the unit to display the boat’s engine gauges. That eliminated the need for analog gauges on the boat’s small helm. “The sky is the limit on what these things can do,” Reynolds said. “There’s always something new coming out, and it’s always changing. “It’s like computers.” In fact, the technology has been evolving so rapidly that Reynolds said he has trouble keeping up with it. He doesn’t order fishing boats with sonars. Instead, he lets the customers do the research. “Most of the guys know what they want when they come in here,” Reynolds said. Like with computers, modern sonars are only as good as their users. Many companies offer online tutorials and videos to help anglers get rolling. Then it comes down to time on the water and practice. “The modern units take a lot of time to learn,” Reynolds said. “Once you learn them, they’re invaluable.”
http://www.roanoke.com/sports/outdoors/article_f96dcf5e-9b67-11e3-a2ec-0017a43b2370.html.
Member Mark Melius contributed to this article.
It’s no secret that fishermen are willing to consider just about any piece of gear that may give them an advantage when pursuing their quarry.
That drive has resulted in plenty of purchases of ridiculous equipment that has long since made it to the landfill or is on basement shelves collecting dust. Sonar fish finders are among the gadgets that have proven practically indispensable to many fishermen. By helping fishermen get a better picture of bottom contours, structure and even fish themselves, the units can help anglers increase their success rate by helping them focus their efforts on the spots where fish are most likely to be holding.
How important and popular are fishfinders?
Before the fishing boats that change hands this weekend at the Southwest Virginia Boat Show at the Roanoke Civic Center ever hit the water, they will all have at least one sonar unit, often two. Mark Melius has three sonar units on his bass boat. “It cuts down on a lot of the guesswork of where the fish are and where the bait is,” said Melius, a technician with Verizon Wireless who is also the tournament director for the Smith Mountain Striper Club.
A half century of finding fish
The concept of sonar is pretty simple. A transducer sends out a ping, which echoes back to the transducer. By measuring the time the ping takes to return, the unit determines the distance to the obstacle — be it the bottom, a rock, a stump or a fish. The unit’s processor interprets the information and displays it for the fisherman, typically today on a computer-like screen display.
Sonar units for recreational fishing started catching on in the late 1950s, when Lowrance released its Little Green Box, a high-frequency, transistorized sonar unit. Back then the Little Green Box cost $150, or about $1,000 in today’s dollars, but fishermen snatched up the products quickly. Lowrance claims that it sold more than a million Little Green Boxes between 1959 and 1984. Early sonars such as the Little Green Box featured a basic display featuring a round dial, upon which flashing colors indicated the depth or objects in the water.
While those so called flashers are still in use, primarily for ice fishing, most consumer sonar units feature an LCD display screen. The power of the unit, as well as the cone angle of the sonar, determines how the display shows up. Wide cone angles correspond to lower frequencies and provide wide coverage. Higher frequency narrow cone coverage provides more details. Many modern units use a combination of both. Traditional sonar displays are in two dimensions, but in recent years sonar imaging has brought three dimensions into the mix. The technology — known by names such as downscan, sidescan or side imaging, depending on the company — uses sonar beams to produce amazingly rendered, three-dimensional views of underwater structure. Melius has two modest 2D sonars on his boat, one at the trolling motor and one on the helm. They can be helpful for measuring depth and picking up bottom contours, structure and pods of bait or schools of fish. But his most important unit is the Humminbird 997Cs mounted on his helm, next to one of his smaller 2D models. The Humminbird, which is several years old and cost a little less than $2,000, features a large color screen and offers both side imaging and down imaging. “I use the side imaging quite a bit,” said Melius, who sets the range out to 150 feet. “It allows you to look in the water and see both sides. “I can go down the center of a cove and see side to side.” That can help him identify structure as well as pods of bait and even larger fish. While that comes in handy for striper fishing, Melius said he also relies on side imaging for bass fishing. “I can look at a dock and sometimes see fish on it,” he said. Melius said he doesn’t use the down imaging as much, but it has its place. Vertical jigging is an example of a technique where getting a clear view of the structure and fish below the boat can come in handy. “For example, on a 2D sonar you might just see a blob, but if you have down imaging you can tell that it’s a tree stump,” Melius said.
Completing the package
Most of today’s fishing sonars aren’t just sonars. They are combination units that include GPS receivers for charting and plotting. A basic use of a GPS unit is to determine where you are on a body of water, which can be particularly useful for fishermen who travel to new and different fisheries. During a trip to fish coastal waters off St. Augustine, Fla., Melius used GPS to get to the general area of specific reefs and wrecks, then pinpointed the structure with his side imaging sonar. While a decent smartphone or basic handheld GPS unit can be helpful for such navigation, plotting features on sonar units allow anglers to mark specific fishing spots. Some come pre-loaded with charts covering the most popular bodies of water in a region. Or anglers can buy software with specific charts.
Scott Reynolds at Smith Mountain Boat and Tackle said he recently installed a sonar unit on a customer’s boat, configuring the unit to display the boat’s engine gauges. That eliminated the need for analog gauges on the boat’s small helm. “The sky is the limit on what these things can do,” Reynolds said. “There’s always something new coming out, and it’s always changing. “It’s like computers.” In fact, the technology has been evolving so rapidly that Reynolds said he has trouble keeping up with it. He doesn’t order fishing boats with sonars. Instead, he lets the customers do the research. “Most of the guys know what they want when they come in here,” Reynolds said. Like with computers, modern sonars are only as good as their users. Many companies offer online tutorials and videos to help anglers get rolling. Then it comes down to time on the water and practice. “The modern units take a lot of time to learn,” Reynolds said. “Once you learn them, they’re invaluable.”
http://www.roanoke.com/sports/outdoors/article_f96dcf5e-9b67-11e3-a2ec-0017a43b2370.html.
Member Profile - Rick Ellett
I have been been fishing for stripers on Smith Mountain
Lake for around 20 years and has been a member of the Smith Mountain Striper
Club for approximately 5 years. I grew
up in the area and have been on Smith Mountain Lake since the lake first filled up. I attended and graduated from August Military Academy and
then served in the U. S. Army. I have the fortune of living, along with my wife, Nancy, in the Gills Creek section of Smith Mountain Lake. When not fishing, we operating our own business,
Sea Tow, which is a marine assistance company on Smith Mountain
Lake.
We primarily fishes Gills Creek, Blackwater, or at the Dam and fishes with both live bait and artificial. The largest striper I have caught to date was around 31". Nancy, like to fish together I will typically cast to stripers on the rocks while Nancy likes to live bait with down rods.
I fish out of my 23' Kenner Center Console with a 225 OptiMax engine, and my favorite time of year to fish is November through January, which the lake is a bit quieter out there.
We primarily fishes Gills Creek, Blackwater, or at the Dam and fishes with both live bait and artificial. The largest striper I have caught to date was around 31". Nancy, like to fish together I will typically cast to stripers on the rocks while Nancy likes to live bait with down rods.
I fish out of my 23' Kenner Center Console with a 225 OptiMax engine, and my favorite time of year to fish is November through January, which the lake is a bit quieter out there.
From the Water - 2/20/14 - Joel Janecek
Brrrrrr, just a bit chilly today but not unusual, just a couple degrees cooler than last year. Actually I was out yesterday (Wed) for a short ride. I joined Mike Ward for a tutoring session on the fine points of gizzard acquisition. We cruised back in around Campers and Mike got all the bait he wanted. There seemed to be a lot there. It was a nice enough day so we pulled some of the gizzards on the boards. The baits got excited often, we got hit 3 or 4 times and boated one in the low 30in range. Quite educational for me. Thanx again, Mike.
So today, Thursday Feb 20th. I launched out at dawn with no problem. There were LOTS of birds fluttering around Webster's but no surface activity. I marked the bait but saw no fish. I ran up to Indian Creek which has always been good this time of year. But not today. Lots of birds fluttering again but only marked single fish here and there. No biters. I trolled outside Indian Creek and up to Grimes and saw a few very scattered fish but still no bites. After checking that area I ran back into Campers since I know there were fish there yesterday. I cast along the banks with several different baits but got no bites. Darn. Hey, at least I was out there.
Later - Joel
So today, Thursday Feb 20th. I launched out at dawn with no problem. There were LOTS of birds fluttering around Webster's but no surface activity. I marked the bait but saw no fish. I ran up to Indian Creek which has always been good this time of year. But not today. Lots of birds fluttering again but only marked single fish here and there. No biters. I trolled outside Indian Creek and up to Grimes and saw a few very scattered fish but still no bites. After checking that area I ran back into Campers since I know there were fish there yesterday. I cast along the banks with several different baits but got no bites. Darn. Hey, at least I was out there.
Later - Joel
Tackle Tip For March - Light Up the Night
Our Tackle Tips in this newsletter come courtesy of member Steve Nagel.
When fishing at nights with plugs and treble hooks flailing around, it's good to have a little light to see what you are doing. Hat or Head-mounted LED lights work well in that their batteries last a long time, they are fairly inexpensive and you can get them in a variety of colors.
It seems that shining a white light on a fish when you get it to the boat freaks them out - which is the exact opposite of what you want them to do when you are trying to remove a plug with two or three treble hooks between anxiously waiting to find your hand. While a white light seems to cause the fish to get even more excite, it seems that a green or red light does seems to not cause a reaction - allowing a calmer, safer removal of the lure.
When fishing at nights with plugs and treble hooks flailing around, it's good to have a little light to see what you are doing. Hat or Head-mounted LED lights work well in that their batteries last a long time, they are fairly inexpensive and you can get them in a variety of colors.
It seems that shining a white light on a fish when you get it to the boat freaks them out - which is the exact opposite of what you want them to do when you are trying to remove a plug with two or three treble hooks between anxiously waiting to find your hand. While a white light seems to cause the fish to get even more excite, it seems that a green or red light does seems to not cause a reaction - allowing a calmer, safer removal of the lure.
SMSC Discussion Forum Fishing Report from 2/19/14
Below is a copy of a fishing report filed by member Mike Ward on the SMSC Discussion Boards (smsc-forums.proboards.com) - lots of interesting reading here in a format in which is restricted to only our members - hope you will take advantage of this resource to participate and extend the Club meetings outside of our once a month events.
2/19/14 - Big, Bold, Beautiful Baits
Weather: Mostly sunny, low 60's dropping as the sun set, winds 10-20 from W-NW with gust to 30
Water: 42-45, stained to down right muddy as snow runoff washes mud into the creeks
Technique: dragging assorted gizzards - money-maker to 12" - in some creeks on planers with freelines (2) and one 3/8 weighted line
The main mission for today was Operation Fill Up the Gizzard Tank. I headed to my target creek - and picked up my guest for the day - none other than our own Joel J. Joel wanted to take a gander at this big-gizzard catching thing that I do. Joel jumped on at a near-by dock and we fired up the electronics in search of gizzards. We both brought a few crappie rods and tackle thinking that if we hit a pile of crappie catching bait that we might fish for them a while - or if bait was quick we might just drag a few gizzards for striper. However, Priority #1 was gizzard catching.
Tyler brought our total to around 35 or so last Sunday and they all looked beautiful and happy last evening when I stopped to check on them, so I was going to add another 30 or so today if I could catch them. The word "IF" did not even need to be in my vocabulary. As it has been, the bait was stacked in the creek and even better with the warm sun it had moved into the slightly shallower (10-14') and a little muddy (and warmer) water. 5 or 6 good throws (yeah, you always have one or two that taco out....) yielded about 4 dozen assorted gizzards from a little bigger than dollar-bill to 14"+ mongos. After putting about 4 doz in the boat tank we ran over and deposited about 36 of the gizzard gold into the big tank to cure out.
2/19/14 - Big, Bold, Beautiful Baits
Weather: Mostly sunny, low 60's dropping as the sun set, winds 10-20 from W-NW with gust to 30
Water: 42-45, stained to down right muddy as snow runoff washes mud into the creeks
Technique: dragging assorted gizzards - money-maker to 12" - in some creeks on planers with freelines (2) and one 3/8 weighted line
The main mission for today was Operation Fill Up the Gizzard Tank. I headed to my target creek - and picked up my guest for the day - none other than our own Joel J. Joel wanted to take a gander at this big-gizzard catching thing that I do. Joel jumped on at a near-by dock and we fired up the electronics in search of gizzards. We both brought a few crappie rods and tackle thinking that if we hit a pile of crappie catching bait that we might fish for them a while - or if bait was quick we might just drag a few gizzards for striper. However, Priority #1 was gizzard catching.
Tyler brought our total to around 35 or so last Sunday and they all looked beautiful and happy last evening when I stopped to check on them, so I was going to add another 30 or so today if I could catch them. The word "IF" did not even need to be in my vocabulary. As it has been, the bait was stacked in the creek and even better with the warm sun it had moved into the slightly shallower (10-14') and a little muddy (and warmer) water. 5 or 6 good throws (yeah, you always have one or two that taco out....) yielded about 4 dozen assorted gizzards from a little bigger than dollar-bill to 14"+ mongos. After putting about 4 doz in the boat tank we ran over and deposited about 36 of the gizzard gold into the big tank to cure out.
We then headed to a near-by creek to drag a few baits on the sunny-side bank. Pulled the bank a few time and had a couple of nervous baits and finally one pull-down on the board on a money-maker gizzard but it did not hook-up. We stayed in that creek a bit longer and then headed back to were we caught bait to see if any striper might be hanging around all that bait.
As we setup and started our pull in the creek and I got a call from one of my buddies to see if we were doing any good. We were talking about his plans to get out tomorrow when we came across a point and the inside board with a money-maker shot off. I set the hook solid this time, tried to pass it off to Joel but he would not take it, and proceeded to fight the fish while talking with my buddy.
As we setup and started our pull in the creek and I got a call from one of my buddies to see if we were doing any good. We were talking about his plans to get out tomorrow when we came across a point and the inside board with a money-maker shot off. I set the hook solid this time, tried to pass it off to Joel but he would not take it, and proceeded to fight the fish while talking with my buddy.
It felt good - my 1st striper since mid-Jan. A hair over 10 lbs and I forgot to get a length on it but high 20"'s if not right around 30". We pulled the rest of that bank and back out again and had another hit but it was a short-strike and the fish let the bait go on the way to the boat - going to have to tie on stingers for this cold-water time of year - though I hate them for multiple reasons.
We fished it into the sunset - nice way to spend an afternoon - we'll see how much sleep I get worrying about our gizzards in the tank.....
We fished it into the sunset - nice way to spend an afternoon - we'll see how much sleep I get worrying about our gizzards in the tank.....
Tackle Tip for April - Check Your Hooks
Well, with spring getting here sooner or later, the shad will be coming up on the banks at night and it will be time for some night time plugging. It's a good time to check those treble hooks on your favorite hard baits. Replace hooks that are dull, bent or broken. Cordell Redfins, a spring favorite, are notorious for weak hooks, replace them out of the package with a quality extra strong treble. And remember, when you land that plug in a tree after dark, don't pull on it to free it. It can become a dangerous projectile that you won't see coming, cut the line and come back for it later.
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.
REMINDER - 2014 Membership Now Due
Don't let this be your last SMSC Newsletter or lose access to the Members' Only section of the Club Website & Discussion Forums - If you have not already, please make sure to submit your 2014 Dues ASAP!