Skipping Doc(s)!

By L. Talyor

Dock after dock after dock -- all day long it was the same thing. Some of the docks had one bass under them and others had two or three. It was proving to be the best way to get a quality bite, but the technique required just the right touch.

“It’s like skipping rocks, only you are using a fishing pole and a lure,” said Beaver Lake fishing guide Brad Wiegmann.

The skipping technique is all about having the right angle. When skipping light lures it’s best to use a spinning rig. Leave about 14 inches from lure to the end of the rod, open the bail and bring the rod back parallel or slight pointing toward the water. Then, simply use a sidearm cast to skip the lure to its destination. It’s skipping a heavier lure with a baitcasting rig that gives some anglers fits.

“Put the reel on free-spool and use adequate force to swing the lure parallel to the water,” Wiegmann said. “After the lure stops, take your pocket knife and cut out the tangled mess. Retie and repeat, until you have no more over-priced fluorocarbon line on your reel. Lay down this pole and grab the next, and repeat the process until all the line is removed. At this point, it’s customary to say ‘the he#% with it,’ grab a topwater rod and go throw a Zara Spook.”

Swim with the Sharks! HAVOC' s New Sick Fish

Click here to see size and colour chart.

Formosa and Saliba Win 2012 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open ...For Fourth Time!

Official Press Release

Orillia, Ontario Canada

As 100 boats and 200 anglers blasted off on the calm waters of Lake Couchiching the morning of October 20th, many were surprised they had to deal with four foot waves as soon as they entered Lake Simcoe. Some turned around and headed back for calmer waters while others prevailed ... carefully manoeuvring their bass boats to productive fishing waters they found during practice period the week before. The Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open, hosted by the Aurora Bassmasters capitalizes on one of the world’s finest smallmouth fisheries. As good as Orillia’s Couchiching is ... Simcoe is bigger and so too are it’s smallmouth bass. In 2010, the winning team of Mark Moran and Joey Muszynski set the all time Canadian record with an incredible 31.5 pounds worth of smallmouth bass. During that same BPS Lake Simcoe Open event, a Canadian tournament record 8.05 smallmouth bass was also weighed in. 

Competitive Sport Fishing League announced its release of the 2013 Tournament Schedule.

The CSFL released today its 2013 Tournament Schedule which includes guaranteed pay backs, increased pay outs, return of a previous division, the expansion of a new fall tour, an increase in the restricted horsepower tour along with guaranteed positions for the 2013 BM Classic XVII.

Andrew Pallotta, President of the Competitive Sports Fishing League states “I am extremely excited for the future of the CSFL. These positive changes will ensure more opportunities for our anglers and further growth for the CSFL while it continues to thrive to maintain a leading role here in Canada.”

CSFL will be guaranteeing a $5,000.00 first place at each Wildcard event regardless of field size. This will come in effect as early as this fall when the 2013 Southwestern Tour commences in Chippawa! With 5% less hold backs and a minimal increase in entry fee, the CSFL has made it possible to increase the Wildcard first place winning up to $10,000.00, a $5,000.00 increase!

Asian Carp Forum November 8: All are Welcome

You may be aware of the threat to fish and recreational sport fishing in the Great Lakes, particularly Lake Ontario, posed by the possible introduction of Asian Carp. Currently, an electronic barrier at Chicago is keeping these fish from entering Lake Ontario. The threat posed by these fish is significant, and has been the focus of considerable activity on the part of the Canadian, U.S. and Ontario governments.

Please see attached a notice of a public meeting about a public forum on Asian Carp, at which experts from both federal governments, the province, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and others will discuss the issues and solutions to this pressing problem. The public is encouraged to attend, particularly all those who value the opportunity to fish in Lake Ontario and surrounding waters, to learn more about what is being done to protect the recreational sport fishery from this potential threat.

The Forum is being held on November 8, 2012, 8:30 –4:30 at the Palais Royale, 1601 Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Sunnyside Park on the Toronto waterfront.

If you are interested in attending, you can pre-register at www.invasivespeciescentre.ca/asiancarp

Mustang Survival HIT Inflatable PFD Safety Alert

In keeping with Mustang Survival’s commitment to the highest levels of quality and safety, we are notifying the public of an urgent advisory for specific Hydrostatic inflatable PFDs manufactured during April and May of 2012. A portion of these PFDs may be subject to delayed or non-inflations. To determine if you are impacted by this precautionary advisory please reference the instructions below.

The following Mustang Survival US and Canadian products are affected:

US PRODUCTS	CANADIAN PRODUCTS
MA7214 HIT inflatable re-arm kit	MA7214 HIT inflatable re-arm kit
MA7218 HIT inflatable re-arm kit for LIFT	MD3153 Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT
MD0450 Inflatable Vest PFD with LIFT	MD3154 Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT (with harness)
MD0451 Inflatable Vest PFD with LIFT (no harness)	MD3157 Inflatable Work Vest with HIT
MD3183 Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT
MD3184 Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT (with harness)
MD3188 Inflatable Work Vest with HIT

The potentially affected products were made in Canada during April and May of 2012. If your PFD falls into this category we recommend you visit www.mustangsurvival.com/HIT or call 1-800-526-0532 for further information. The model number, manufacturing location and date of manufacture is printed on the white approval label on the back of the PFD.

All other Mustang Survival inflatable PFD products are not part of this advisory.

Contact:

For complete details, visit www.mustangsurvival.com/HIT or call 1-800-526-0532

Bass Tournament Winning Jig-and-Plastic Combos

By I.M. Bradley

How would you like to win more bass tournaments? If you answered “no,” then continue to fish the same lures and techniques you always do. Keep a closed mind. Never try anything new. By God, you caught a bass on a jig-and-pork in 1978, and that’s just the way it is!

 If you answered “yes,” however, keep reading because the secret of catching tournament winning stringers is going to be revealed.

OK, there is no secret. No magic lure, secret technique or expensive machine that drives bass into an insane feeding machine. However, the fact is that a jig with some kind of soft plastic as a trailer has been on the business end of more tournament-winning rigs than any other.

Winning major bass tournaments requires thorough preparation before and flawless execution during the event, as well has “giving them what they want.” Bassmaster Elite Series professional anglers Alton Jones and Edwin Evers know that along with having the right lure, each angler must make adjustments during each day to catch the biggest bag. These two anglers won nearly $1 million dollars on just three tournaments using a variation of that old jig-and-pork you (or your grandpa) caught a bass on back in the 1970s. Jones won the Bassmaster Classic in 2008 on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina; Evers won the Bassmaster Elite Series Citrus Slam Tournament on the St. Johns River and the PAA Series Tournament on Lake Norman, and all three tournaments were won with a jig.  

Crawfish imitations just seem to catch better numbers of bigger, quality bass. Another way of looking at it is that they eliminate the smaller bites, thus giving the bigger bass a better chance of getting on your line.

Formosa & Seliba Win the Bass Pro Shop Open for the 4th Time!

Under difficult fishing conditions and a temperamental wind, the team of Bob Formosa and Jayson Seliba win the Bass Pro Shop Open on Lake Simcoe. With a hefty creel of 27.05 pounds for 5 bass, this pair captured their forth victory of this autumn classic. Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching are world reknown smallmouth fisheries and this pair displayed that even difficult fishing, big bass can be caught. Matt Belzil and Jason Clay finished second with 25.65 pounds. Third place went to Kal Vaisanen and Bill Walker who closed the day with 24.3 pounds.

This year's tournament weights were way down. Known for producing record catches of bass, two years ago, the heaviest 5-bass limit in Canadian history was landed at over 31 pounds by the team of Joey Muszunski and Mark Moran. The crowds wasn't disappointed though as the power house team of Derek Strub and Mike Desforges brought in the largest bass of the day, a stunning 7.75 smallmouth.

BASS PRO SHOP Open this Weekend!

Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open Brings On Big Jim as MC:

Orillia, Ontario Canada: Organizers of the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open bass tournament, hosted by the Aurora Bassmasters, are thrilled to announce they have signed the legendary Big Jim McLaughlin to be MC of their tournament weigh-in ceremonies for the 2012 event out of Orillia Oct 20^th.  “It’s been many years since I won my second Canadian Championship out of Orillia, but when I see the weights that come in now for a 5 fish limit ... surpassing even those of the old 6 fish tournament limit ...I am absolutely jacked to be the Emcee at the 2012 BASS PRO SHOPS LAKE SIMCOE OPEN ...Canada’s Premier one day bass fishing tournament ..PERIOD!,” said Big Jim.

                                                                                
                                                                                 About Big Jim

“Big” Jim, as he is affectionately known has been an integral part of the Canadian sportfishing scene for nearly 30 years now and shows no signs of slowing down. Having first gained notoriety as a tournament angler, “Big” Jim was vaulted into the sport fishing spotlight with two CFT Canadian Classic Championships… Canada’s premier tournament title along with a slew of tournament victory’s numbering 28 to his credit. Following his tournament success, “Big” Jim founded what has becomeCanada’s largest FREE fishing publication – Just Fishing with “Big” Jim McLaughlin.  For nearly 20 years this successful publication has brought top notch  angling information to Canadian and American anglers alike.

Cool Perk: Testing Prototypes Lures

One of the neat parts of being a bass fishing blogger is lure testing. Yesterday, I got a chance to cast a few different prototype frogs. The people at Centro are trying to finalize their frog lure called the Frogster. A little finial tuning was needed after they modified the original skirt. They're double checking the balance between a super walk-the-dog action and the correct angle in the water.

Here are some photos:

Playing with a new paint job.

Strike King's Prototype 10XD

Phil explains the difference between the
6XD (top lure) and newer 10 XD.
(Photo: FLW)

Phil Marks who just won the FLW Open on Lake San Rayburn in east Texas did so in wild fashion. The entire 4 day event was plagued with small limits and a flip flopping leader board. So, when Marks came to the scales on the final day with a 30 pound plus sack of bass, everyone wanted to know how he accomplished such a feat. Well, a 10"Strike King Rage worm helped but the big buzz is over the new 10 XD crankbait. This mag sized version of the famed Strike King line of cranks might be the next hot lure. Not sure how if it resembles the older the Mann's 30 Plus in size but it should be a great fit for places too deep for regular plugs. 

Phil Marks Wins 2012 FLW Open on Rayburn

Huge sack leads Texas pro to dominant FLW Tour win     
by David A. Brown
FLW Press Release

LUFKIN, Texas – Christmas came early for Strike King pro Phil Marks. Yesterday, the tenured Texas angler said he needed cloudy weather to tap the full potential of his offshore spots and, after three days of mostly sunny conditions, he got the skies he needed to turn in a crushing performance that topped the Walmart FLW Tour Open on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Now, you know how it is when you get a new car – before taking your buddies for a spin, it's kinda cool just to step back and admire the sweet points. Let's do that with Marks' victory. Consider these sweet stats:
- Marks' massive final-round limit of 32 pounds, 12 ounces was 15 pounds, 7 ounces heavier than that of his nearest competitor (second-place Keith Combs).
- Marks' four-day weight of 82 pounds gave him a winning margin of 16-5 (third largest in FLW Tour history).
- That margin alone was more than the final day weights caught by the third- through 10th-place pros.
- And here's one that doesn't show up on the stat sheets – the Dallas, Texas, pro was the only competitor requiring two weigh-in bags to carry his enormous catch to the scale.

Phil Marks Wins 2012 FLW Open on San Rayburn with Giant Limit

Phil Marks destroys the final day with a tremendous 5 bass limit of 32-12!
As most angler faltered to catch much over 15 pounds, Dallas resident, Marks put a 10dx (proto-type) Strike King crankbait and big worm to work to claim the $100 000 prize.


Top 10

2012 FLW Open San Rayburn Day 2: Combs Take Lead

Combs can win if he can continue to catch 7 pounds like this one.
(Photo:FLW)

Lake San Rayburn, the final stop of the FLW Open, was fickle again. Most anglers found fewer fish willing to bite than on day 1. More five fish limits between 10 and 14 pounds were weighted in today but for the most part fishing was a struggles. Yesterday's leader JT Kenney discovered that his off-shore areas were void of bait and bass and fell to 4th. The largest bag of the day came from recently crowned FLW Cup Champ Jacob Wheeler who collected 19-15 of bass and jumped up to 7th. Texas pro, Keith Combs grabbed the leader position on the back of his 16-11 pound bag.

Tomorrow the field is cut to the Top 20 anglers. Only the Top 10 anglers fish on Sunday.

Here is a look at the Top 10
place/angler/home town/ day 1/ day 2/ total

1	KEITH COMBS	HUNTINGTON, TX	16-12 (5)	16-11 (5)	33-07 (10)
2	TODD CASTLEDINE	NACOGDOCHES, TX	11-10 (5)	19-12 (5)	31-06 (10)
3	PHIL MARKS	DALLAS, TX	17-01 (5)	14-02 (5)	31-03 (10)
4	JT KENNEY	PALM BAY, FL	19-06 (5)	11-07 (5)	30-13 (10)
5	MATT HERREN	TRUSSVILLE, AL	14-13 (5)	15-11 (5)	30-08 (10)
6	MIKE SURMAN	BOCA RATON, FL	11-07 (5)	18-08 (5)	29-15 (10)
7	JACOB WHEELER	INDIANAPOLIS, IN	9-13 (5)	19-15 (5)	29-12 (10)
8	JASON WELLS	CENTER, TX	12-00 (5)	17-02 (5)	29-02 (10)
9	JOHN COX	DEBARY, FL	14-00 (5)	14-04 (5)	28-04 (10)
10	DARRELL DAVIS	DOVER, FL	13-01 (5)	14-13 (5)	27-14 (10)

2012 FLW Open San Rayburn Day 1: Kenney Lead with over 19.

East Texas was the epicenter to bass fishing in the early years of bass tournaments. Big Sam, Toledo Bend were king. Many fishing legends came from these parts. Tommy Martin, Larry Nixon,  Harold Allen, and Lonnie Stanley are a few of the big names that made this place so famous. As famous as San Rayburn is, early October is a time of transition and fishing has been difficult. For most on the last FLW Open of the 2012 season fishing has been terrible. Even though most could only catch single digit limits, JT Kenny topped the field with 19.06 to grab first place on day 1. a great fishing day on any lake but remember, this is Texas, and big bass abound. If they start to bite, the leader board will change rapidly.

Top 10

1	JT KENNEY	PALM BAY, FL	19-06 (5)
2	TOMMY DURHAM	WHITNEY, TX	17-02 (5)
3	PHIL MARKS	DALLAS, TX	17-01 (5)
4	KEITH COMBS	HUNTINGTON, TX	16-12 (5)
5	BILL MCDONALD	GREENWOOD, IN	15-03 (5)
6	MATT HERREN	TRUSSVILLE, AL	14-13 (5)
7	ART FERGUSON III	ST. CLAIR SHORES, MI	14-11 (5)
8	DION HIBDON	SUNRISE BEACH, MO	14-07 (5)
9	JOHN COX	DEBARY, FL	14-00 (5)
9	KEVIN WALKER	BUNA, TX	14-00 (5)

Cold Weather Boat Maintenance

I am no mechanic but I know how to break thing very well. The last thing I wish to do is damage my boat; I love that thing. Well, it is getting cold and the possibility of a good frost is not far away. Actually, some of you who live north of me had snow!

Here is a video that has a few great tips on protecting your boat.

Enjoy.

Feathered Hooks for Jerkbaits

Last week, I explained how the feathered hook make all the difference on finicky smallmouth. I was planning on tying up a batch myself but didin't find the time. I popped by the local tackle shop and saw these hanging on the rack. Not having the time, patience or feathers I bought them. The Mustad treble has white with a hint of chartreuse. It also offered a red treble which was all the rage a few years back. The VMC came all white, red or in the VMC Sureset treble. I stuck to the standard treble in white. If you're as lazy as myself, stop by your local store and pick a few up.

Jerkbait Secrets for Fall Smallmouth

October triggers a switch from largemouth to smallmouth for anglers in the north. This held true last weekend. I honoured my donated fishing trip for two from last year's Ontario Chinese Angler Association's Christmas dinner.  We planned on heading to a well-known smallmouth lake to work jigs on the bottom. I double checked with a few fishing buddies and they confirmed what I expected; it wasn't cold enough and the fishing was poor. With that news, I headed north to a deep, shield lake  rich with smallmouth.

With three of us in the boat, I wanted to ensure my two guests were into fish.  We, particularly myself, alternated between a variety of lures but nothing worked like the jerkbait. By mid-day, all three of us were casting minnow plugs and jerking them back to the boat.

A few interesting things occurred that day. I stuck to the deeper water and limited myself to smaller sized plugs in the 3" to 4" range. My three best were a X-rap, Duel and OSP. Mine were regular baits without any doctoring. I primarily used gaudy coloured or silver baits because I like the flash. Plus it is easy to follow thm and react when a bass follows it.

Bass Pro Shop Open on Lake Simcoe

The Aurora Bassmasters, host of Canada’s premier one day bass fishing tournament are pleased to announce the addition of another sponsor to the 2012 event slated for October 20 out of Orillia Ontario. Last week we welcomed Mustang Survival and Maple Lodge Farms as returning sponsors. This week we are pleased that Humminbird is back as well.

Registration Announcement:

We are are encouraging anglers to download the application (from www.simcoeopen.com or www.aurorabass.com) . Once complete, mail, courier, or deliver to the Customer Service desk at Bass Pro Shops in Vaughan, along with the $400 entry fee payment on or before the official registration deadline of October 13th . As an added incentive, for all those already registered and for those who register before October 3rd, you will be entered into the draw for team numbers, which will be held at the store on October 4th. From there all anglers will be notified thru email of their confirmed entry and they will know their starting team number. 


Other Important Considerations:
• - The host hotel is the Highway Man Inn; preferred rates are available if booked before October 3rd. Please let them know you are booking for the Lake Simcoe Open 
• - Registration night will start at 5pm in the Simcoe Room of this hotel. The meeting will take place at 6:15pm and we hope to be finished shortly after 7pm. 
• - As per other years, paybacks of over 100% with a full field are expected
Please stay tuned for more announcements in the coming weeks. 

By:Wil Wegman
Media Relations/2012 BPS Lake Simcoe Open
Aurora BassmastersT