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One More Cast...
Time spent FISHIN'
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Another Lesson Learned
Candlewood Lake in Ct is where I could be found this past weekend. June 10th and 11th were the dates of this year’s annual Jackson Anglers Bass Association tournament held there. The lake is a beautiful place to behold, with multiple arms, a variety of depths, incoming streams, islands, bottom contours and even waterfalls. The tournament is a two-day event with the total of both days the deciding factor.
During my pre-fishing it rained and the skies were overcast; it had rained a total of seven inches in the first ten days of June. Even though that didn’t muddy up most of the water but did slightly stain some areas. That is due the fact that the shoreline is rather rocky and heavily timbered and vegetated I believe and I think very little soil erosion takes place in the vicinity. I targeted smallmouth on rocky points and was rewarded with some very nice fish.
The water temps were in the mid sixties and most of the fish I found were already in the post spawn pattern. I did observe some bedding fish but I chose to not target them.
After my disappointing performance the first day I did my homework and studied the map and weather report. I chose areas on the lake where I believed I could fish out the Northeast wind and boat traffic. The wind was even stronger the second day and my choices were good ones that paid off for me.
After traveling a few miles to my selected area I spent some time looking over the field and passed by my first two target zones because of their lack of the suitable combination I had told myself would be the most productive. That was wood, weeds, deep water nearby and moving water passing what I will call eddies.
This paid good dividends for the effort, I was able to cull fish and bring a bag of over 13 pounds to the scales the second day and finish in 6th place. My catch was anchored by a 3.98 largemouth with only one good smallmouth included. All the fish came from a hundred yard stretch of shoreline.
Had I done my homework Friday night, and not have been so closed minded on the water Saturday resolved to continue with the pattern that I had been on, I probably would have finished a lot higher in the standings. But as they say, “Hind Sight is the Best Sight”. All in all it was a great trip and some more valuable lessons were learned.
Roy Manasquan Reservoir in Howell, New Jersey at 700 acres is the largest public Freshwater fishery in Monmouth County. On May 21st the Jackson Bass Anglers held their third tournament of the year at the facility. The weather was clear for the most part and the rain held off until after the event was over. Twenty anglers participated with eighteen bringing fish to the scale, the best percentage of the year to date. There were three limits caught that day, but a three fish bag weighing 12 pounds even won the event. I was very fortunate to entice the tournament’s lunker with a crankbait deep in the standing trees; it weighed 5.1 lbs. The next tournament for the club will be held June 10th and 11th at Candlewood Lake outside Danbury, CT. For more information or to get in touch with the club please visit our site at http://www.jacksonbassanglers.com Maybe you can get the time to spend on the water with family, old fishing buddies, or perhaps some new friends. I know I hope to! Roy This past May 6th and 7th was a great weekend to be out on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The Jackson Bass Anglers Association and The ABA District #9 both held tournaments out of the Anchor Marine in North East MD. The contestants were treated to some beautiful weather despite the weather forecast calling for showers that never happened. Both organizations had approximately 80% of the anglers bring fish to the scales with lunkers weighing 5.56 and 4.65 respectfully. All fish were released alive and well. It appears to be the opening to another great year on the bay, don’t miss out on it and make a date today to get in some quality fishing and meet some of the nicest people to fish with. The ABA District has another tournament scheduled out of Anchor Marina May 21st, get in touch with Wayne Alker Tournament director or make it to the ramp at 4:30 AM and sign-up. The Jackson Anglers Club can be found on this site or on my site. Are You Ready? Well how about getting ready? We are getting closer to Spring every day, and with Spring comes the start of another Fishing Season here on the East Coast. How do you prepare? Clean out the old tackle and straighten out the gear? Get everything cleaned up and in shape to do battle again? Do you have to stock-up on that missing or used-up tackle, replace the line on the reels. Replace those batteries that didn’t seem like they could make it another year? If you’re like me you have been going through a lot of catalogs and making wish lists all Winter long. You have checked all the guides on the rods and rewrapped those that need to be. You have culled all those lures that haven’t been producing and eyed a few new ones for this year. The reels have been gone over and lubed up and ready to go. The list of Tru Turn, Daichi and X-Point hooks, Power Pro Line, Ambush Stealth Lures, Cavitron Buzzbaits, Mega Strike attractant and Bear Paws Hand Poured Baits are ready to be ordered and filled before the BIG Rush! Maybe you plan to book some reservations or guided trips for the up coming year. Well whatever you plans are or how you go about getting ready I’m interested in hearing about them. Perhaps you can remind me of something I have missed or visa versa. Drop me a line either here or at my website or forum that can be found at www.njchampionguide.com The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, through the Division of Fish and Game offered a Volunteer Fishing Education Instructor Course April 29th at the Pequest Trout Hatchery.
I was very glad that I was given the chance to participate and in the future be able to introduce more people to the great family participation sport and pass-time, fishing.
Volunteers teach students to cast, bait hooks and safely net and release fish. The courses contain classroom activities and a hands-on fishing experience on the water at the Hatchery’s Educational Pond, which by the way is stocked with some fish-of-a-lifetime catches. The programs start in April each year and continue on through October. Classes are available for children, teens and adults.
Some of the curriculum covered in the Ethics and Responsibilities are second nature to the good sportsman such as: Keeping only the fish you will eat. Respect other angler’s rights. Respect property owner’s rights. Do not pollute – properly dispose of trash. Observe angling and boating regulations Sharpen angling and boating skills. Pass on knowledge and angling skills to others. Support local conservation efforts. Never stock fish or plants in public waters. Promote stewardship of our water resources.
The Division also is active in other programs such as “Take Me Fishing”, a Children’s Fishing Derby Program. HOENOD – Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs.
As a volunteer there are a number of areas you can be involved in:
Fish Stocking Tour Guide/Front Desk Host Freshwater Fish Research Law Enforcement Radio Dispatching Marine Fisheries Research Fish propagation And then there are even more Hunting areas that may interest you. You anglers that think that these chances are only open to the Trout Angler are mistaken. The division’s involvement carries over to Tiger Muskie, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Walleye, Hybrid Striped Bass, Chain Pickerel, my two favorites, Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Catfish and Panfish.
Remember the future of fishing here in the fourth smallest state in the union is open to your input.
If you want to help or have questions I suggest you get in contact with Paul Ritter at (908) 735-6826 or (908) 337-4741.
Hope to see you become involved and on the water!
Hello and Welcome!
I
want to thank Delaware Valley Outdoors for enabling me the opportunity to share
with you some of my experiences and those of the many great folks I meet while
enjoying one the best pastimes many of us have found. The
primary aim of this column will be to inform and educate other recreational men
and women who fish by exposing what works and doesn’t work for me on the
bodies of water I fish. I
believe that sharing and discussing fishing has aided in my development into a
better angler, both in the areas of productivity thus the hobby is more
enjoyable, and in my responsibility and awareness of matters concerning the
environment and the creatures we share it with. Though
I belong to several Fishing organizations and either presently hold an office or
have, such as B.A.S.S. and the State Federation, A.B.A., N.A.F.C. as well as
guide fishing trips, I realize that not everyone shares similar experiences
through either their own conscious choice or time and expense limitations. Forty
years of fishing for fun has allowed me to see and feel the competition of an
angler against the fish, weather, conditions and other anglers. The time spent
has let me witness the evolution of the sport and equipment, and perhaps made me
wiser in my choices of tackle and equipment and whom I accept advice from. The
column is intended for two-way communication and I certainly appreciate others
input, questions or suggestions for topics they may feel need to be addressed.
Please feel free to get in touch with me by email or if we cross paths on the
waterways. Good
Luck,
Roy
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LINKS
Ambush Lures www.ambushlures.com
American Bass Anglers www.americanbassanglers.com
Bear Paws Custom Hand Poured Baits
Catch-N Tackle
Jackson Bass Anglers Association
Mega Strike and Cavitron Buzzbaits
Power Pro Line
NJ Champion Bass Guide Service
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Email me 
My
first mistake of the tournament was to not consider the predicted
weather change that took place Saturday. With clearing skies came wind
and boat traffic. The locations that produced so well for me prior to
the event either were not fishable due to wind or boat traffic or the
fish had reacted to the wind and sunlight and relocated. Thus I was only
able to boat one 2.64-pound smallmouth from one of my spots the first
day and finished the day back in the field somewhere around 16th
place. Not everyone was shut down like myself and a number of good
catches were brought to the scales in the ten and eleven pound range. In
fact the tournament lunker, a largemouth weighing either 5.18 or 5.16
was caught the first day.
Please
let me introduce myself. My name is Roy Edwards and, like so many other anglers,
I am a member of a local Bass Club and a weekend tournament angler. 