Thinking about Champlain, Mike Haggerty

As the northern circuit starts to look me square in the face, I have to change gears here and try and prepare for some unfamiliar lakes and techniques. Love it.... I have to try and wrap my head around an entirely new set of standards regarding northern BIG reservoirs ie Champlain and probably St Claire. A lot of new questions are running through my head, a lot of unknowns for me logistically as well as strategically. What's the forage? What do the crawfish look like? Can you make the run on Champlain from launch to the mats and back on one tank of gas? How does the wind set up predominately? How big is the water in bad weather? How do you effectively stay on 'pelagic' smallies day after day? Can I use my electronics well enough to be effective in open water? Where do I pull up to in a high wind situation? Am I versatile enough? I could go on for a while here but you get my point. I've been told time and again that a bass is a bass is a bass but..........., I drink that coolaid a bit too but we all know a lake Erie smallie acts a whole lot different than a G'ville largemouth. My experience level here is pretty low but at least I don't have any bad habits right? This will be a huge learning experience for me regardless and that fact alone makes it worth it. If I have learned anything up to now, there is no substitute for time behind the wheel on as many different lakes as you can muster, period. If you plan to succeed, you gotta catchem everywhere any time. I am really looking forward the challenges that are in front of me but I would be a liar if I said I was not a little intimidated as well.

Confusion at Ouachita - Mike H

Boy how a couple days can bring about such massive changes in a fishes behavior. First two days I was here I was just kind of looking around searching for bites here or there, caught a ton of fish on a squarebill and trap and whatever else I decided to throw at them, found a bunch of fish on the north side cruising for bedding sites with even a few locked kinda, conditions looked real promising. A mild cold front passed yesterday early and even after that I was able to scrounge up a small limit X 2 just finessing and re running a few spots I like from the day prior. Today though was a killer. I added Ricky T. to the back seat and neither of us could put a HALF limit together. Gonna have to take today as an 'off' day and go look around some more tomorrow. Up lake it seems a bit flatter, smaller and may not hold the population of fish as the central or eastern sections but it looks more like what I am used to seeing at home (hate to use that as a crutch but hey, it is what it is). I will look at the east section of the lake at least a half day and treat it like Amistad sans the huge swimmers, it is deep, steep and supposed to be clear, maybe I will run into some of this rumored clarity or GRASS. So far this lake lacks cover of almost any sort, lots of snot moss on the bottom, the occasional stump. I am going to start treating this a lot like a pure structure lake for sure but on a mini scale as the fish HAVE to be thinking spawn. They have to. Really. They do.

Amistad pre

Amistad is fishing pretty good right now with a multitude of patterns working. We have 4 boats down here right now and all of us are catching fish but maybe not the quality bite consistently, I guess that is relative to this lake but 3-4 lb class fish are abundant with a peppering of 4-6 lb class fish. There are a lot of fish bedding but also a lot of abandoned beds, I think the majority of the spawn is done but you can still get on some sight fishing bass. The hydrilla is still developing and most quality fish are not relating to the grass but wood in my opinion. Access to deep water seems to be the key and late in the day a lot of quality fish are moving up to wooded flats to feed along little migration routes from that deep water. Patience with a big swimmer can pay dividends in a big way, California Swim Babes - Hot Momma and Baby 'E' along with 3:16 - Rising Son are catching quality fish 6.5 to 9 lbs. How ever you want to fish, you can dial them in pretty good right now.

LOZ time is short

I have to think five straight days of low 40s air temps and drizzle with low hanging clouds have put the fish in a rather neutral mood. This place needs some sun and thats it. A 3 day warming trend would be nice but in mid MO, thats an unrealistic expectation in mid March. My practice strategy was to try and find a couple groups of fish getting ready to move in the direction of the shallows but that has been kinda miss and miss so the last day or so has really been about trying to find places where some of those fish may be moving to when the sun does show it's face and then try and get bit in those areas, even a nudge on a jig would tell a guy hey, we are here, we are just not active YET... What few fish I have caught would lead me to believe that they are further back towards the flats than most would think they would be including me, two to six feet of water around prepared brush piles and if you get any kind of rock transition in the vicinity that is a bonus. So, given the above to be my theory, I plan to junk fish those spots in areas with a variety of techniques in hopes of figuring what presentation the fish want on the fly, not ideal but it's what I got.

LOZ first couple days - Mike H

So my first derby of the year is on Lake of the Ozarks and it starts Thursday. My folks still live there, on the 1mm of the main lake so I was able to get some insight into what the lake is like and what the weather had been doing and the news has not been good. The lake froze over bank to bank this year and I don't think it has done that since I was a kid and I was told that coves had a sheet of ice on them just a couple weeks ago and the water temps confirm that. I measured 39 at the mouth of the Gravois, 41 at the mouth of the Glaize and 43 at the mouth of the Niangua but in the backs of the creeks yesterday, I saw high 40s and even a 50 deg reading 3/4 of the way back in the Niangua but where it is warm it is hella dirty, oh, the lake is also at least 6 ft low, alot of the shallow cover, ie crappie beds, are sticking halfway out of the water around the docks in the back of the creeks. Muddy warm water would tell a guy to look at the shallow cover hard and I have but had minimal results doing so. I have also looked real hard at typical structure spots ie creek channel bend coming close to the bank leading into spawning flats, rock transitions etc and had terrible luck there too. Now the weather has been crap, 39 deg air and rain this am and predicted to blow 20-25 but later in the week it IS supposed to stabilize some in the mid 50s and some sun...finally. I really think some fish will start to get active come mid week, I just need to scout enough spots where I believe those fish will move to and be RIGHT. A BFL is going off today and I will get to the weigh in to see how those guys faired, watch a bunch of heavy sacks get weighed and I will feel totally lost.

Our Water Ways Endangered -M Haggerty

The following is an excerpt from an email I got concerning the taking of water from the CalDelta and piping it south to SoCal. Anglers, outdoor enthusiasts, boaters, nature lovers, we need to understand that if our govt can do this in NorCal, they can do it anywhere.

"Despite requests from Restore the Delta for a meeting with Senator Feinstein's staff, and despite repeated requests from fishing community representatives for a copy Senator Feinstein's amendment language for increased water exports from the Delta, the proposed amendment language has been kept mostly secret. According to Restore the Delta Campaign Director, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, "Those who would be most affected by implementation of the Endangered Species Act waiver - Delta farmers and commercial salmon fishermen - have been once again left out of the discussion process, as they were during the 2009 California legislative water package discussions."

Although, as reported in today's San Francisco Chronicle, Senator Feinstein's amendment was not included in the present jobs bill, Restore the Delta has learned that Senator Feinstein is seeking other ways to move her legislation forward.

In stark contrast, Restore the Delta understands that the Westlands Water District, some additional water contractors, and some members of Congress have seen the language included in Senator Feinstein's proposed amendment. Once again those who want Delta water are working to control any and all legislative discussions by funding media spin and political contributions. Barrigan-Parrilla adds, "Westlands leaders and Stewart Resnick of Paramount Farms clearly have access to the Senator that everyday Delta people do not."

Therefore, Restore the Delta urges Senator Feinstein to recognize that Delta residents are dependent on protection of public resources. Barrigan-Parrilla adds that Delta residents "have an equal right to participate in representative governance" as do corporate irrigators. "The people of the Delta and related fishing communites must be given the opportunity to create a sustainable economic-ecological future for Delta communities and fisheries."

The people of California, especially Delta residents, have been kept in the dark along enough regarding the Senator's proposal to guarantee Westlands' water contracts. Barrigan-Parrilla calls on Senator Feinstein to "end the secrecy on behalf of large corporate irrigators receiving subsidized water. The public has a right to know how their water and money will be spent."

This kind of stuff scares me to the bone. We need to take this kind of action very seriously no matter where it is happening because it sets precedent for future cases. The Cal Delta is one of the best fisheries in the country, it is truly a beautiful place that needs to be protected.

Questions to ask your dealer prior to buying any brand of boat

You asked! You have to look inside a BCB to know more.

Are they really made of the same materials. Does that other brand have an all fiberglass hull, including a molded solid transom, glass stingers and the floor molded to fit. Or is that a foam board urethane transom?

Is the jackplate a 6 bolt custom full transom length model, or is it shorter with only four bolts. And are those fine thread or coarse? Do they have aluminum backing supports at all three levels of the bolt up. Or do they just have a dress plate at the top only for looks more than anything else. Also is it an R & R with locking groove, or is it dependent on the bolts to hold it in place on the side panels.

Is the carpeting 24 ounce Syntex brand, or is it 18 ounce that costs 55% as much.

Is the carpet glue spray on light grade, or is it brushed on by hand and thicker.

Under those decks are the bases for the seat just bolted on top, or do they have a machined stem glassed into the floor and the only 7 x 7 floor base sandwiched between fiberglass.

Do they drill each gauge hole to retain dash strength, or do they panel cut large face and insert a plastic cover up dash? Do they use aluminum rings on each gauge, or are they plastic if they use them at all?

Are the screws all stainless, and are they custom #2 square drive. And do those in areas that really need a seal have a neoprene stamped washer on them. And are they machine screws with nylock nuts or tapping sheet metal into the glass, which strip. Of course this requires a wrench or socket on the install.

Are the screws or rivets under those parts all counter sunk and chamferred to prevent stress fractures, or did they just ram a screw into the fiberglass.

Is the hydraulic steering hose sheathed in a jacket to protect it for safety, or is it just run through the boat open to exposed fiberglass.

Run your hands or put your head under the decks and compare the looks of both, from the back side in the storages or sump area. Is the sump painted black to hide things instead of cleaning that area. Or is it white/offwhite and cleaned up.

Are the battery trays the same. Standard ones are, though the optional Aluminum trays are not. (eluminiuhim, that one always get us.alum, er.. elumni... oh we got it right -attempt at humor)

Are the boxes all fiberglass, glassed in as one piece, or are they rotomolded plastic screwed into a deck or an aluminum deck under the carpeting held up with twin screw threaded stems. Basically floating the deck instead of supporting it to the hull.

Is the rub rail through bolted every now and then,or is it just a screw stuck in the side of the rub rail. And is the rub rail special designed to reduce damage and with an easy replace insert, or will you have to replace it all if you damage it.

Do they spec particular fiberglass or is theirs Chinese imported at a significant savings.

Is it a GP DCPD bulk resin on the cheapest bid or a specified Ortho or Iso resin that is built to spec. And do they have a full Vinyl Ester Barrier Coat behind the gelcoat in at least 15 mills or more.

How about the seats, are they an aluminum framed, fiberglass molded back, or how are they constructed?

Is the trolling motor through bolted with a 3/8" backing plate holding it with nylocks nuts. Or is it a Wellnut that is just drilled and the rubber Wellnut holds it in place, for now. Which also leads to more stress fractures.

What brand latches are on the model in question, do some homework and compare.

Are the lids insulated on the back side, or are they painted, or maybe not at all. And do those lids seat against the seal trim (StanPro) under the lids and match up to a seal molding?

Are the Pumps all 750 GPH Mayfair cartridge style, or are they lesser and how about the bullet end connectors on those pumps that are sealed to reduce wicking of water into the electric motors. Do they replace easily if you need to, or not.

Is the trolling motor wire fine soft stranded or is it just a base wire with larger strands and thus carry less power. Either would work fine if they are 6 gauge, though one costs more. And if one is 8 gauge all is different.

Is the steel USA made on the C Channel trailer, or is it imported. And is there an adjustment on that trailer, or is it all welded to fit with no adjustment, or bolt brackets to bend.

Are the wheels 15" or are they smaller. And are they a wider aluminum wheel and what brand are the tires.

Is the harness on their trailer a less expensive imported harness, or is it a Wesbar specific harness. Same goes for the lights and hardware on the trailer.

Are the end units Vault with a 5 year seal warranty, and an optional 10 years. or are they imported Chinese "private label" brand. With what kind of seal?

Are the bunk boards double padded, glued, SS staples, and are they trimmed to fit, or are they just a 2x6 carpeted once wrapped and stapled.

All of this and more takes a little bit more time, materials and obviously a little bit more funds. And we can go on and on... Though you got the picture, the choice is now yours, though there are plenty more differences.

BCB

PS: Is a military Hummer a better off road vehicle than a Chevy Silverado?