Hooked on Bass, TV Special

I recently received an email from the National Geographic Channel informing me that they were going to air a show that might be of interest to me and it sparked my interest so I did some research on it and it sounds like something that I know I would enjoy so I felt compelled to share the information with you.

The name of the program is Hooked on Bass and it will air on Monday February 2, 2009 at 7:00pm and then again at 10:00pm Pacific Time on The National Geographic Channel. Here in California the National Geographic channel is 186 on The Disk Network so be sure to check your local listings so you dont miss it. I can promise you that I for one will be setting my DVR.

I copied the following information directly from the National Geographic Channel web site that tells about the upcoming broadcast.

“The largemouth bass is more than just Americas most sought after freshwater fish. It fuels an entire culture of followers that pursue the bass at all levels for different reasons: weekend hobbyists, professional tournament anglers, and obsessed record hunters. Some fish to spend time with family and for relaxation, some for the challenge and the connection with nature, and others for the money and obsession. The pursuit of the bass has a $60 billion dollar effect on our economy by the 30 million bass anglers, a sport which has become the most popular outdoor activity in America. Three stories typify the culture of bass fishing, and happen on three different lakes across the country. In Texas, on Lake Sam Rayburn, weekend angler Rusty Clark fishes in one of the worlds largest amateur bassfishing tournaments. In New York, on Lake Oneida, Kevin Van Dam tries to secure his year-long quest to be the top professional in the sport. And in California, on Dixon Lake, three world record hunters obsessively hunt one fish that they believe to be the biggest bass of all time.”

As you can see, it sounds like its going to be a great program. They also have a short video clip showing actual footage of Dottie, the 25.1 pound largemouth bass that was caught by Mac Weakley at Lake Dixon in California on March 21, 2006 but was released because it was accidentally foul hooked and Mac is a true sportsmen. Dottie was the same bass thar Mac’s friend Jed Dickerson had caught in May 2003 when she weighed 21.7 and Mike Long had caught her back in April 2001. For the next 2 years Dottie was able to avoid being caught so the hope of catching the new world record bass still gleamed at Lake Dixon until May 9, 2008 when she was found dead floating on the surface. She died of natural causes and had apparently spawned out and weighed only 19 pounds, still a monster bass by any ones standards.

I for truly still believe that the next world record bass will come from the fertile waters of a California lake.

Be sure to either watch this program live or set your TIVO so you wont miss it. Check back here after the airing as I will be discussing the program and my views on it.

Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!

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What happened to winter?

Here it is the middle of January and it’s supposed to be cold. I don’t know about your nook of the woods but out here in California it sure does not seem like winter. The current temperature today is 76 degrees and I’ve noticed that the birds are out and about already starting their mating rituals.

Every year at my house we have a pair of dove that return to nest on a pillar right outside my front door. They both have a few very distinguishable markings on them so we know they are the same pair. Cindy has affectionately named them Fred and Ethyl. Anyhow, I have seen them lately and Fred has started gathering sticks and twigs and placing them on top of the pillar starting to build their nest.

While it is true we had a cold spell for a little while it seems more like spring or fall and at least where I live, the fish also don’t seem to realize it’s the middle of January either. Don’t get me wrong, there is no Fall Frenzy bite going on but its definitely far from your typical winter bite. When I think about it, it does make sense because the days are warm, the nights are not all that cold so the water temperature is not all that cold. I know that I have been taking advantage of the conditions and feel that you should be as well.

Normally this time of the year I’m using spoons, ice jigs, darter heads and hair jigs while fishing them very, very slowly. While yes, any fishing is good fishing I personally feel that its much funner fishing a quicker more active way. Besides just being more enjoyable I stay warmer because I’m moving more.

I have been having good luck lately slow rolling spinnerbaits in a shad pattern and letting them stop and flutter to the bottom attempting to imitate the erratic action of a shad dieing. I have found that if you configure your spinnerbait with big round Colorado blades instead of your typical willow leaf ones they seem to work better for this style of fishing.

I have also been having luck slowly bottom bouncing with craw pattern crankbaits. Here I am attempting to resemble a crawdad scampering along the bottom in an attempt to escape the hungry mouth of Mr. Largemouth while at the same time trying to find a soft spot to allow him to root into the mud for his winter nap.

So, the next time you have a chance to get out and its a nice sunny, warm day don’t do the normal slow and mundane winter style of fishing, try speeding up your presentation a little, you just might be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!

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