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07-26-10 Fishing Report The white bass continue to surface chasing shad and minnows. This action seems to occur nearly anytime in the main lake area. However, chasing these schools, which only stay up for a few seconds, will drive a fisherman/guide to the Gatorade bucket. I always try to get on a break near the area where the fish are surfacing and sooner or sometime later, they will come by and visit our lures. With this application there’s always a chance of catching a big bass that has shown up for an easy meal. The black bass are also in the grass which is growing out to a depth of 20 feet. Fishing along the edges of the grass with slow-moving, small baits will provoke some strikes and maybe the big one. Over the years (which now number 20 plus) that I’ve fished Ivie I have made a study of the fishing, keeping that study and its facts in my head. Now revival of this information is difficult, but there are times when we’re not doing so well, and I remember that back eight years ago we did better at a different location. This is all based on actual time on the water and fishing at all times of the year and rarely, if ever, works out. But since I’ve probably spent more time on Ivie than anyone else, all this knowledge, no matter how worthless, is stored up ready to be brought out and used. Speaking of studies, it seems that for over three decades (30 years) a study has been conducted on some mountain squirrels, or marmots as the case may be. The outcome of this study reveals that the squirrels are at least one pound fatter than they were when the study started. I’m not sure how civilization has survived without this information, and maybe a study should follow on the effect of our knowing that squirrels are getting fatter. I have no idea how long the life span is of these particular species of squirrel. I know that some of the squirrels on Broadway Avenue have a short life span and are not very good crossing the street. Maybe we should do a study about fat and slow and the risk of a fat, slow squirrel making it across the street at 7:30 a.m. and other times. So if you see some government vehicle observing squirrels on Broadway, it’s your tax dollars at work. The study also revealed that global warming is the culprit that’s making the squirrels get fatter. It seems the animals have a longer feeding season since winter is shorter. This particular type of squirrel hibernates and tries to put on more fat to make the long, hard, cold winter--thus the weight gain. Whatever the explanation, I’m sure that President Bush is the underlying cause. But then this study began around 1980, many years before he was in office, so someone long gone from the government had to have started it. I have some doubts whether this study is a good use of tax money and just how the results will eventually play out in history, but I can rest easy knowing that when I flatten a squirrel on the roadway, I can blame global warming for making the animal fat and slow. I’ve also heard that we have some official down by the railroad bridge construction site keeping watch for the water snake and some type of muscle. One of the workers told me that work was actually stopped while a snake was in the area. A few fat snakes could really slow down progress at the site, but then it’s bound to be that warming thing again. I need a job watching fish get fatter. I already have a 20 year head start. See you on the lake.
07-19-10 Fishing Report In case you haven’t noticed, it’s summertime and it is hot. While the mornings are bearable, just after noon it begins to get hot, and if the wind quits and the lake gets glassy, it is really hot. While smooth water is good for skiing, wakeboarding, boat riding, and other water sports, the fishing seems to go south--way south. The only things on the move are the schooling white bass which surface chasing shad and minnows and churn the water for generally less than a minute. If you’re lucky enough to be within casting distance of these schooling fish, they’ll hit anything that gets in the meylay. Just after they leave the surface, they head down and move in any direction until they again locate a school of lunch and surface again. This past week we found the largest schools in the main lake near the dam in water generally over 70 feet. Chasing these fish and trying to figure them out will cause a fisherman to eat cheese bait. While we did get about 50 whites, nearly all of them came off deep shelves near the super deep water. So we get on a 30-50 foot drop and just wait until they find us. The bass, which now have an over abundance of cover due to the weed growth on all banks, can still be caught along the outside edges and over the top on surface lures. It does seem that as the sun gets up the fish tend to move closer to the weeds and take a nap. However, if ones sees whites surfacing near the weeds, it’s time to throw a worm in the mix because the black bass will generally come out to pick up an easy meal of either a shad or white bass. Most of our better bass, those over eight pounds, have come from this scenario. This past Saturday morning I had the day off and was headed to the store and was also taking out the trash. I parked close to the dumpster and looked down 13th Street only to see two, not-so-old females in a fast walk headed toward me. I quickly identified them as Dot Hoelscher and Debbie Earnshaw, getting in a morning walk. As they approached, I could see a big sweat line on Dot’s gray tee shirt. I thought I’d offer water or a ride to shade to these two sweaty exercisers. Upon their approach I greeted them in my usual cheerful way, only to be washed down by Dot and her water bottle. I grabbed her by the arm, and she slipped away. It appeared she had been swimming in the oil spill and was not only sweaty but greasy. Debbie had on white, but I suspect she also needed a shower because of the high heat and humidity. But on this encounter I was the only one who got a bath. Being somewhat of a gentleman, I offered to get cold water, Gatorade, paramedics, or a hazardous wash down. After a brief, spirited but fun conversation, they continued their walk with my thanks for the bath. It goes to show that you never know what you might find near a dumpster. Also this past week I was notified by mail that I’d been pre-selected for several memberships and also received several stimulus notices for my hearing and eyesight. My wife and I both got a $500 dollar check; however, it’s only redeemable at the sender’s office. Not being the brightest candle on the cake, I can still figure out that these guys are trying to sell me something and trying to make me think I’m getting a good deal. I even got a roadside assistance deal from AAA, but I think they have to come from Houston to change your tire. You do get assistance; it just might be a few hours away. The only good thing I can see about this type of sales technique is that it gives the post office something to do. Is there a “no mail” list? Probably no one would pay any attention to it either. See you on the lake.
07-12-10 Fishing Report The fishing at Ivie and area lakes continues to be good for most species. Catfish are still in the shallow water and some continue to spawn. Black bass have gone deeper into the summer patterns. During the summer time, the bass will move to the shallows in search of food and then after daylight return to their deeper, more comfortable location. They can be caught in deeper waters; in fact, we took several in nearly 40 feet of water while hunting for white bass. It seems the white bass are beginning to school in earnest, and sometimes everyone in the boat has one on. This catching spree will last from a few minutes to a couple of hours depending upon school movement. Most folks think that when they see surfacing fish, they can run over there and catch one or two, and sometimes they can.. What they don’t know is that once the surfacing activity is over, the fish return to the bottom, swim around until they find another school of baitfish, and then drive them to the surface. I like to get in an area where I can see several bunches of surfacing fish and begin to bottom fish with slabs. The fish we catch are generally the largest, and we have a better chance of getting a black bass or yellow cat when they are just cruising under the school to pickup the wounded baitfish which are easy prey. Speaking of wounded, it seems that a bunch of folks intend to boycott BP products to show their anger over the oil spill. Now this bunch of brain surgeons will be able to show their anger while the rest of us tax payers would foot the bill if these so called “gooders” break BP. BP does not want this spill and is apparently doing everything possible to put it to rest, in spite of Washington. To date, Washington has offered no cure--only threats of fines and other sanctions. I’ve always been of the opinion that if you can’t help the problem, get out of the way and don’t hurt it. All in all its been just a horrid week, what with the spill, Lebron moving, Spain winning the World Cup, and more car recalls. I watch the evening news, as perhaps you do, and when the commercial comes on about asking your doctor if this mind-altering drug is right for you, I begin to look for the phone. But I can’t find it because I forgot to call about the memory loss pill, and I don’t know if it’s right for me or not. I guess I should just get some of those happy pills and I won’t care; I’ll be stoned, but I won’t care. M and M’s would probably do the same thing, and they’re cheaper, and I don’t have to make any call or visit a doctor to get some. I think I’ll try the peanut ones, and the dark chocolate ones are just like health food. This Lebron thing and his moving from up north to down south to play basketball apparently got some folks real upset. I saw on the news that they were burning his jersey in the street and taking his sign off tall buildings. Kind of like Superman used to do. Apparently, “King James” took less money about ($35 mill) to play for a team he thinks has a chance to win the championship. But now his old coach has promised a championship in the next five years. I suppose the rest of the teams could quit, or he could form a new league. It would be nice to see folks get this upset over the conflicts in the middle east, our troops at risk, high prices, poor economy, or any of a million other reasons that rank high above professional sports. Maybe Lebron should have gone to Iraq and had his special show. I’m sure that would have impressed some of the Taliban guys. Maybe it’s time to get upset over things that really matter. See you on the lake.
07-05-10 Fishing continues to be very good at Ivie most of the time. On a trip this past week we caught a bunch of nice bass with one going well over the nine pound mark. While I have not had the chance to try the catfish again, I’ve received information that they continue to be in shallow water and like cheese bait. The white bass are also beginning to get in bigger and tighter schools, making them a lot easier to find and catch. On a trip last week I could hear them long before I could pinpoint their location. After a trip to Dr. Robbins office at City Eye Care, hopefully that will change. I spent part of one day last week getting the old lenses checked, only to find that I can’t see much. So Dr. ordered glasses, and I told him and his staff that the style requirements were “light, indestructible, and will float.” All went well, but they don’t have any glasses that will float, so I’ll have to get one of those floating eyeglass holders that also keeps the glasses from blowing off your face. I saw that happen one time as Ole Ben and I were heading down the lake at about 65 miles per hour. Ben turned his head to see a duck and off went his glasses. One of those floaty things would have prevented the loss of the eyeglasses, and if they did blow off, that other thing would float. Maybe Dr. Robbins should also sell the floaty things. Also this past week we celebrated the birth of the United States of America. From 1776 to date there have been many changes, not only here but in the world. But history once made never changes; only the interpretations of history change with the whims and opinions of those who come along and try to make history fit their agenda. The facts remain that the colonies could no longer live under the rules and tyranny of Great Britain and the king. After all other remedies failed, a revolution occurred and eventually the United States and Constitution were formed. One thing should also be noted--that this nation, the Constitution, and the new government were formed by God-fearing, Christian men, and there’s plenty of evidence to back up that fact. The new nation was formed to provide life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to every citizen of the country. The Constitution which came out of the American Revolution still stands today with little revision but with much interpretation. The Supreme Court and others try to decide what our founding fathers wanted when they wrote the document. Those decisions would be much simpler for them if they’d just follow the principles our country is based on--God’s teachings and the Bible. Follow those guidelines and all will be better, and this nation will survive. If we continue on our course of trying to make everyone happy and making decisions contrary to the founding principles, this nation, as others throughout history have done, will fall. Even the great Roman Empire failed when the populous began to demand more than the government could provide. It could also be that some of the folks in Washington should remember that the government is of the people, for the people, and funded by the people. And once the funds given out surpass the funds given in, the government cannot last. It might also be well for us to get off our backsides and get to work on the things that matter, instead of looking for a handout or whining about the economy, the weather, the oil spill, or anything else that prevents one from being a productive American. See you on the lake.
06-28-10 Fishing Report The big draw at Lake Ivie is, of course, the black bass which have set records this year and continue to draw the most attention. Nearly every day someone brings a large bass to the scales, and fishing continues to be outstanding. Recently we’ve been doing quite a bit of cat fishing and have had days when we were able to take our limit of 25 catfish per person. Most of the fish average about two pounds, but very good numbers of the four to six pounders also pull the cork under. Most of our fish have come from using cheese bait under a small cork in water less than four feet deep. We continue to see some spawning catfish, and this should continue for some time. Night fishing is also taking fair numbers of white bass and crappie when conditions permit. On a trip this past weekend we started about dark and fished until 1:00 a.m. without catching a fish. On the way back to Concho Park we talked to several other boats all of whom were fishless except for one who said he had two fish. Sometimes the fish just don’t bite. As a veteran of many night fishing trips in all conditions, I have to state that when it’s hot during the day and the full moon rises at dark, the fish generally go on break. Speaking of breaks, we’ve all heard that oil is flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from a BP rig. It seems that BP is trying to assist those who have business losses due to the spill and will in time make amends. I would venture to say that not everyone is going to be happy with the amounts received, and the ;process will be slow. However, I’ve learned that one group gets paid first--the IRS. I’m sure that thrills those people who have stopped fishing and shrimping, not to mention those who are out of work because drilling in the gulf is shut down for six months while something is checked on that was being checked on when the spill occurred. I’ve seen a bunch of stuff come over the internet about the reasons for the shut down, and none of them makes any sense. This problem may never occur again, and if it does, oil companies will have a better understanding of how to deal with it. They already have a good idea of how to handle Congress, the White House and other government agencies that have some say so about the problem. The CEO pf BP who is taking the brunt of the criticism has been hung out and is being paid about $6 million a year to be the bad guy. But he does give those who know nothing about how to fix the problem something to shoot at and keeps them happy thinking they’re being good at their jobs and will be getting more votes at the next election. It’s kind of like football when the running back fumbles and the head coach gets fired to solve the problem; like fumbles have never before occurred. But someone has to be the bad guy, and if they pay $6 million, I’d like to sign up for the job. Near the end of July my wife and I will attend a Sul Ross baseball reunion in San Antonio. It would be nice to have it in Alpine, but most of us are too old to remember how to get to Alpine, and there’s no major medical facility nearby. It will be nice to meet up with our College World Series team of 1968 and our coach Al Ogletree now of Edinburg. I just hope he leaves his fungo and whistle at home since I sure can’t bend over to field a ground ball, and running outfields would certainly require a major medical visit. See you on the lake.
06-21-10 Fishing Report The bass fishing continues to take top billing at Ivie as the big ones are brought to the scales. The preferred method is to search the edges of the grass beds near deep water with plastic worms, crank baits and even a spinner bait and maybe take that lifetime trophy. Early in the morning at first light (for those willing to get up before 5:30 a.m.), the zara spook will take good numbers of bass that are cruising the grass edges in search of an easy meal. In the past week we’ve also done quite well on catfish with over 20 fish, most going between two and six pounds. Most of the fish have come from shallow water in the Grape Creek area; however, nearly any shallow water that’s near the grass and deep water will have some feeding cats. White bass and crappie are best at night, although a spoon rod will take some of the surfacing white bass when the chance arises. During this past month I sold the fishing camp to a man and wife from the Big lake area. He apparently only wants the place for a getaway and has no plans to run a guide service. I will continue to guide day or night fishing trips but will no longer furnish lodging and meals. My wife and I ran our successful business for over eight years, had some real fun times, and met some very interesting fishermen and women. I had folks of al kinds, such as nuclear scientists from Los Alamos and the Surgeon General of the Pacific in WW II. I also had oil field hands, farmers, businessmen, fighter pilots, and even some democrats. In the past 15 years of guiding on Lake Ivie I’ve caught a bunch of fish, seen a bunch caught, cleaned a bunch, and only threw off one guy who wore out his welcome in about an hour. Just to set the record straight, I have no idea of the political affiliation of that removed party, didn’t really care then and still don’t. So now I’ll fish from day to day, have more time to make lures and fish to see if my lures will actually catch something. Speaking of democrats, I recently watched the CEO of BP being grilled by some senators in a hearing. Now they were not happy with his answers and even suggested that he resign over this oil spill and the drilling failure. I had to think that if every time Congress did something that failed, they might consider resigning. But then Washington would look like Benoit. I wonder how many tax dollars were spent so our leaders could get a photo opportunity. Isn’t it just possible that BP wants this problem solved as much as anyone since they’re the ones losing the most? (So far, that is.) And isn’t it possible that they’re the ones who have a better chance of solving the problem since they have some idea what a drilling rig does and how a blow-out preventor works? I also have to think that our government is spending a bunch of tax dollars sword waving when those dollars would certainly be better spent trying to help the fishermen and those who are most affected by the spill. You might take into account that Mr. President doesn’t fly coach or take the bus, and the $15 million for each trip would replace a lot of crawdads. But then, the more the government gets involved the more my red tape stock goes up. I’d think that the BP guys should spend more time trying to fix the well instead of answering questions from folks who don’t know the difference between an oil well and an ice cream cone. Congress already got $20 billion from BP and will probably spend that much trying to figure out how to get it to the fishing guides or those trying to save the birds. I hope no one finds a Concho River Snake down there or it will really be a mess. See you on the lake.
06-14-10 Fishing Report As spring (as if we actually had one) moves into summer, the water heats up, the fish get in the summertime mood, and we change strategy. The grass, or cabbage as I call it, takes over the shallow flats making navigation nearly impossible. However, fishing the cabbage edges early and late with top water lures provides some exciting action, and if you know how to flyrod a big bug, it’s downright fun. Later in the day, you need to fish the edges of the cabbage down to about 20 feet to find the bass hiding and waiting there for an easy meal to swim by. The white bass get into schools and begin to chase the huge schools of shad and newly hatched fry towards the grass beds. The whites do this to corral the smaller fish and make them try and head back to deeper water in escape. The bass guys know that when you observe white bass on the surface near cabbage, there will nearly always be bass that have left the weeds and come out to welcome the baitfish and/or a white bass if they get too close. Catfishing has been quite good under corks in shallow water with cheesbait getting bit the most. Some of these cats still have eggs on board and are actually spawning in water about two feet deep. At reporting time this spawning session is nearly over, but the cats can be found nearly year around in shallow water. Baiting with sour grain or wheat is a good move. Simply bait several places and come back and fish them to see if one of the areas is holding fish. Speaking of holding fish, I recently had the chance to take my son, Dustin, and grandson, Drew, along with granddaughter, Dacayla, for a day out on the lake. Dusty is recovering from lower back surgery after being injured in the line of duty. He’s now back to work on a limited basis and hopefully back to full strength within a few months. Somehow, paperwork for the unit doesn’t fit my son’s idea of protecting our borders. Dustin got Drew, who is just over two years old, a rod and reel designed for children of that age. While we used conventional tackle, Drew was happy to use his rod, but actually dropped it (or maybe threw it) into the water a couple of times. Dusty recovered the rod twice, but Drew moved to another side of the boat, the rod went overboard again, and this time went deep six. Having been on the lake more than once, I certainly expected this to happen. I just didn’t expect the rod and reel to sink in such rapid fashion. However, given some time to think about it, I realized the guys in China who made this rod would actually expect the rod to end up in the water, and in order to sell more rods, sinking fast makes sense. I know of plastic worm manufacturers who certainly want their lures to catch fish but don’t want you to catch your limit on just one worm. They want line to wear, reels to eventually wear out, and gear to need replacing. Besides, what would Father’s Day be if new gear wasn’t by the cake and Blue Bell? Drew was all fired up to hold his first fish and actually tried to do so. But upon touching the fish, he realized it wasn’t as soft as the plastic fish on the end of his sinking rod and definitely not as still. He decided that we adults should hold all the fish and return them to the water. The boys and girls in Washington should operate on the same principle; that is, throw their rods in the water and let those who know what to do, do. See you on the lake.
06-06-10 Fishing Report The big fish run at Ivie is still going on with a 12.98 weighed Sunday in the bass tourney. Several over 10 and one over 11 have also been weighed at tourney headquarters at Concho Park Marina. There are also plenty of smaller fish being caught as Ivie continues to be one of the hottest lakes in the nation for that big one. On a trip this past Saturday the bass boys and girls were doing their thing, but ours was catfish for the frying pan. In preparation for the trip I normally try to catch a few of the local catfish experts and ask their advice. I sometimes think that catching fish is easier than catching the experts, and the fish are certainly easier to get information from. Case in point--I caught Charlie Woods, one of those who knows the catfish ropes and makes a good effort to catch the whiskered fish. I asked Charlie about his fishing and where a good place to start would be. While I certainly didn’t expect him to give up his prime locations, I did expect more than I got, which was “in the water, all over the lake.” He did clear that up some with a comment about shallow water and the fact that you might get a couple and then have to move some to find additional fish. All during our conversation he looked like he was explaining tooth problems to a dentist and seemed to enjoy it about as much. On our trip we started in shallow water north of the North Island and there took four fish in the three-to-six pound range. Then a major move to more shallow water produced 34 more catfish up to the six- pound mark. When the fish were cleaned, the shallow water thing was evident as more successful since most of the larger fish were females and were loaded with eggs. So it appears the catfish spawn is in full swing. Now is the time to get out there and fish shallow as these fish are big and taste like filet migon to some diners. Speaking of shallow locations, I’ve heard that Al and Tipper Gore are on the split. It seems that after 40 years of marriage they’ve decided to fish different lakes. Both have said that there are no additional folks involved; it’s just that they want to go separate ways. I would like to take a poll on that statement, or at least let Fox News confirm the deal. I guess Tipper got tied of the “green thing” and wanted air conditioning and heating for their many expensive homes and vacation sites. Maybe Al is just looking for greener pastures. Either way, George Bush has been blamed for the split. If he hadn’t defeated Gore in that election, all would have been well. I might have to check with Brother Bill about that. It just could be now that Al is on the free range he might have less time to make a mess of the environment. While we all agree that we must take care of this land, part of the blame for the oil spill in the Gulf must be laid on the folks who made the drilling necessary in deep waters. Certainly drilling a mile below the surface presents problems most of us can’t imagine, and in that environment the chances of something going wrong is certainly increased. But not to worry; the federal government is on the scene. I’m sure if we spend enough tax dollars flying government officials down there, the problem will be solved. If each of them would bring back a five gallon jug of crude, the crisis would be over. See you on the lake.
05-31-10 Fishing Report The waters at Ivie are beginning to heat up with some of these calm, 90 degree days and warm nights. Water temperatures in the 80’s signal that the bass spawn is about over with maybe a few late ones in the deeper parts of the main lake. I have actually caught spawning fish in June in water over 25 feet deep. But at the end of the bass thing the catfish take over for a few weeks and can be caught in shallow water. Some good areas for cats can be located north of the North Island in the shallow coves, those with brush being a better choice. I’ve also seen Terry Winchester, the channel cat lake record holder, fishing in these areas, and he’s better than sea gulls at finding fish, particularly catfish. In order to fish these areas, it’s good to scatter some soured grain or wheat (good crop this year) around your location and give it about 30 minutes or so to draw in some cats. No fish, move to another location. Sometimes a short move is all it takes to find the mother load. Speaking of mother loads, I’m not too sure the Queen Mother of Great Britain is real proud of some of the royal family about some recent un-regal behavior. It seems the one called Fergie, who is divorced from one of the princes, has been caught trying sell audiences with her ex-husband. Apparently, they all still live in a 33 bedroom and a bunch of bathrooms house as part of the divorce. I suppose in a house that size, he might put her so far back that they have to pump air to her and most likely never have to see her. Fergie tried to get about $740,000 as payment for her arranging an audience with the divorced prince. It also appears that someone was willing to pay that amount for a short visit with Prince Andrew, and I think that Fergie had some knowledge that her scheme might work. This idea could solve some of Britain’s government money problems. They might consider auctioning off a visit each month with the prince and also run the ladder right up to the Queen. A visit with the Queen might go for few million and the royal family could be a contributor to the country rather than a drain. I mean who needs a 33 bedroom house and probably as many bathrooms, and what about the Pine-Sol bill? It was reported on the news that Fergie didn’t break any law; it was just a little underhanded and not real nice or royal to do it without the prince’s blessings. He most likely wouldn’t have agreed since he probably doesn’t like her too much anyway. She might have to move to the way-back bedroom or maybe the little 20 bedroom house on the back forty. However, this did give my wife some ideas because we get many calls each month about the fishing at Ivie from those who just want the most up-to-date information possible. A lot of these folks don’t want to book a trip, they just want an audience with the guide to be pointed in the right direction. I always tell them what I know, except when I know without a doubt they’re trying to steal the info by pretending they want to book a trip. Then I give them stuff I know won’t work, and they call back and thank me for the great info and tell me about all the big fish they caught. The wife could have charged them a couple of bucks. I learned a long time ago that if you want to know something, ask a straight forward question and try to figure out if folks are lying to you. Or better yet, put up a few mil and go ask the Queen. See you on the lake.
05-24-10 Bass fishing at Ivie continues to take center stage with another bunch of big fish being brought to the scales. This past week I had the chance to take a writer from Texas Fish and Game magazine out on the lake for a photo opportunity. During the day we took an 11.57 bass and five more that went between seven and nine pounds for a total weight of over 38 pounds for the days outing. That would have won most tourneys this year. We also caught a bunch of smaller fish in the 3-5 pound range, and that day we could do no wrong. However, on another trip last week we could manage only a three-pounder and some smaller bass. Catfishing is also picking up as the cats begin to get in the shallow water to spawn and can be taken on cheese bait under a cork. Crappie have begun to get in the trees down about 15 feet just off the river channel with jigs and minnows doing the major damage to the good-eating fish. Blue cats are also on the flats, and the jug line guys are doing well with cut shad and cut carp. Speaking of cut up stuff, I didn’t know you could buy a pair of jeans with holes already in them, built-in wrinkles, and the already worn out look. When I was a kid a half century ago (or a little more), we got a new pair of bright, stiff jeans, and when they got ripped or worn, mother would use an iron-on patch or sew something over the hole. We should have saved all those jeans, put some weird name on them, and sold them for much more that they cost originally. With all the things being sold that look worn out and well used, it would also seem that some of us would be worth more now than we used to be. I don’t think that some of my old fishing tackle is worth more because it’s a bit worn. The Gulf has been in a turmoil since a rig blew out and is spewing oil into the gulf waters. This certainly has an impact on the wildlife and fish in the area as well as the beaches and the associated businesses. While I am sure that BP (British Petroleum) would rather this wouldn’t have happened and certainly wants to get it fixed as soon as possible, they now have the government stepping in to help. There’s much talk about the way our current administration is handling the situation, and once again I suppose past President Bush will be the one to blame since the well was most likely drilled on his watch. Apparently, the White House is about to send some cabinet members and others to step in and fix the problem. Now I’m not sure that these guys know the difference between an oil rig and an ice cream cone, but we can spend a bunch of money getting them there. Maybe they can do some fishing if they can find the water. It might be wise to get H. Ross or T. Boone or some guys from the Midland-Odessa area to get out there and come up with something to cap the well a mile below the surface. Oilmen have oil or have had oil on their hands just as fishermen have had a rod and reel in their hands. We go to a brain surgeon to get our head problems fixed; we might as well go to an oilman to get this situation fixed. Congratulations are again in order for Coach Robert Buxkemper and Coach Wilson who coached in the All-Star Basketball game in San Antonio this past week. While the game was lost in overtime, the honor is still there for these outstanding coaches and the players who participated. Maybe one of these days Coach Bux will hang up his tennies and go fishing before we get older and more valuable. See you on the lake. 05-17-10 Fishing Report The black bass continue to take center stage and are being brought to the scales in record numbers. It seems that black bass in the double digit class are being caught nearly everyday, and some are over the 13-pound mark. We have also been taking a fair number (upwards of 20 per day) of the smaller bass, along with an over eight-pounder every trip. Last week my fishing buddies, Ernie and Frankie, each caught a bass over eight with Ernie’s going back in the water after being boga gripped (type of weighing scales) at nine pounds six ounces. Not huge, but who would like to go out and get a nine-pounder every trip? Sign me up for that one. Blue cats are on the flats in good numbers with a bunch of 10-pounders brought in by jug fishermen and trotliners. Live bait and cut carp seem to be the bait of choice on the cats. I should also note that the channel cats are in shallow water, and corks and cheese bait are taking a mess of filets. The crappie seem to be done with the major part of the spawn, but some are still shallow in the upper rivers, with some very nice ones making the team. Speaking of signing up for something, sometimes you get some stuff you don’t sign up for. This past week I got a letter from the Transportation Authority with a return address in San Antonio. This letter looked official, and the envelope suggested I open it without delay because of the time sensitive message. I quickly opened the letter and found much to my surprise that Mitchell Buick*GMC of San Angelo (nothing on the envelope about that) wants my ¾ ton, heavy duty, 2008 Chevrolet for their inventory needs. They want to buy it from me at a better than ever price. But wait--that’s not all. I also get a golf and spa certificate in the amount of $250.00 just for coming to see them. I do, however, have to call for an appointment and bring my truck. I wonder if I could get the spa deal while the salesman is bumping his gums. I thought a whirlpool and backrub would be nice, as it would certainly make the sales talk more fun. I’ll pass on the golf, but a fishing trip might get me in the store. This Mitchell Bunch cannot possibly have time to sell cars and trucks with as many trips, golf games, spa treatments, special offers, and other schemes they put out. They must all be stuffing envelopes or sitting in the whirlpool trying to think of some other low down, underhanded, back stabbing, backdoor, junk yard gimmick to get you in their dealership so they can try to sell you a new vehicle. Whatever happened to honesty, hard work, a good product, and service after the sale? I believe those things do not abide at Mitchell Buick*GMC. If the fishing wasn’t so good, I think I’d go over there, let them throw a day’s worth of garbage at me, play them to the sign-here time, and then hit the door. I certainly would be doing some unsuspecting spa hopeful a favor, and it might get me off Mitchell’s list. But then, who knows? I might get the lucky key that unlocks the door, or scratch off four jacks, or win the trip around the world --or was that to Las Vegas? So many gimmicks I can’t keep up, and I certainly wouldn’t have time to take advantage of all the stuff I could win or be given just because I own a 2008 Toliver Brothers Chevrolet. I will do as I’ve done for the past twenty or so years; buy my cars and trucks here, and let Harvey and the guys and girls get them fixed if needed. Besides, who would want Joseph to be in the spa with you or give you a backrub just to get you to buy a car? See you on the lake.05-10-10 Fishing Report The fishing at Ivie and surrounding lakes is continuing to heat up as the waters warm and the fish get in the feeding mode. Bass fishing continues to take the spotlight at Ivie with what seems like a never-ending parade of big bass being brought to the scales. The guys who run the Sharelunker Program were bringing back two 13 pounders to be returned to the waters of Ivie and picked up the 16.02 and another entry, which puts Ivie at the top of the big fish list for this year. Catfishing is also on the move with the good-eating fish heading to the shallows to spawn, eating everything that gets in their way. Cheesebait fished on treble hooks seems to be the bait of choice for the cats. The crappie spawn is nearly over, but some good panfish can still be boated by fishing the trees near the river channels. White bass are also on the move, chasing the shad in shallow water, and in the past week we’ve seen some strong surfacing activity on the larger flats. These fish will hit anything that moves--inline spinners and plugs being a good choice. Speaking of good choices, it seems that a new Supreme Court Justice is about to be appointed by the administration. The appointee is apparently well educated; however, she has never been a judge. As always, there are two or three ways to look at this situation, and maybe someone with no experience in the job might be a better choice. Not to worry because by the time she gets the appointment, everyone will know how she thinks and how she may decide cases that come before the high court. I would think that “Lady Justice,” the one blindfolded and holding the balanced scales, would be appalled at the way we decide who will sit on the bench. It seems that all parties involved, including the White House, want to know the decision before the case is heard by the judges. This same way of thinking would make baseball and football games more interesting when we know or at least suspect the outcome before the game is played. It might be best to judge candidates by their qualifications and just try to determine if they are reasonably sane prior to appointing them to such an important job. After all, the Supreme Court decides cases based on constitutional law and not by personal bias or who put who in office. I would think the appointment process is going to be quite difficult since finding anyone reasonably sane in the Washington D.C. area presents a problem. Last week on TV I saw a benefit run for an animal center. One of the options allowed the runners to have the animal of their choice make the run or at least part of a run. While there are those runners who might select a dog, cat, or some other fleet-footed creature, I wondered how something like a snail or a turtle would do on a short run. I’d think that a lawn chair, umbrella, a tall glass of iced tea, and a short lease might fit my participation for this worthy cause. After all, I wouldn’t want to wear out the snail and cause it any discomfort. I’ve also learned that our one act play cast went to State Contest and competed at the highest level. While they didn’t win, it’s a tremendous accomplishment just to get there and have the chance to compete. In 1968 our team got to the Small College World Series and were in the final eight. We came home early, but we did get there and had the chance, and that’s all we’d worked for. See you on the lake.
05-03-10 Fishing Report It finally happened this past Friday. We all knew it could, and we’ve been expecting it to happen for a long time. A 16.02 black bass was brought to the scales at Ivie, and on the same day another ho-hum 13 pounder was also brought in and added to the Sharelunker Program. In fact, the guys from Parks and Wildlife were bringing back two previous entries to be returned to the lake and picked up the newest members of the 13-pound-plus black bass. It should also be noted that Toyota backs the Sharelunker Program, which is designed to breed the biggest bass to make more big bass for us to try and catch. I’m sure the folks who own a Toyota would rather someone try to figure out what’s causing runaway cars before trying to make bigger bass. Another good reason to buy American and go fishing. Speaking of America and American ways, this border thing has been getting a lot of attention lately with Arizona passing a law that allows a peace office to question a person about his or her right to be in this country. Once citizenship status is investigated, then action may be taken if the person is not legally in the United States. This is actually something we did years ago in the 1970’s on a regular basis, and if a person was determined to be here illegally, then we took him to Goodfellow Air Force base and turned him over to immigration officials. We were paid $3.00 in U.S. funds for each illegal person we detained, which is certainly less than the cost today to enforce the law. Much of the uproar about this deals with the word “profiling.” This term is grossly misused when the media refers to law enforcement. A police officer must profile to do his or her job (politically correct terms and genders). If a highway patrolman is assigned to detect speeders, then he uses profiling to look for persons driving a vehicle on a public road. He looks only at moving vehicles because there he might find a person violating the speed laws. It wouldn’t do much good to sit in a parking lot running radar; although there are cars there, catching a speeder would be unlikely. So the DPS officer goes to an area where he can perform his duties. Likewise, knowing that about 80 percent of illegals in this country are of Hispanic decent, whether they be from Costa Rica or Mexico, asking a Hispanic for his citizenship status would seem to be the right thing to do to enforce the laws already on the books. There are also illegals of Caucasian decent, which would seem to indicate that anyone could be asked to prove his or her right to be in this country. Every time I go to and from El Paso my citizenship is questioned, and I am not offended. That’s mainly because I’m a legal citizen of this country. I’ve fished a great deal in Mexico, and nearly on a daily basis my status was questioned while I was there. Had I not been there legally, according to Mexico’s laws, I’m sure I would have been jailed, fined, and hopefully allowed to return to America. Over the years I learned that those who have the most to hide normally scream the loudest. I have no problem with those who want to work in America to better their lives and those of their families, but they must do that legally. The government should be clearing the red tape to allow those who will work legal status. There’s no good reason for those who are trying to better themselves to die in the desert or canals. I would prefer to keep the criminals and drug smugglers out, and we all must suffer some questioning for that to occur. Stay American and stay legal. See you on the lake.
04-26-10 Fishing Report The waters at the big lake are finally beginning to warm and the bass are in the shallows making more bass. We have been taking some very nice bass on every trip with several over 10 pounds and very good numbers of smaller very aggressive bass. The cat fishing is also on the move with the channel cats moving into shallow water where corks and cheese bait is beginning to take some good eating catfish. The crappie spawn is nearly over however some nice panfish are still being hooked in the big trees above the Concho River bridge. This past week I talked to a guy from Nebraska who told me of the snows they had the past winter. He also indicated this global warming thing did not apply this past winter as one time they had over 40- inches of snow on the ground and winter lasted an extra two months. Just like here everything is about a month behind the past few years which is extending the spawn and making one the best spring seasons in recent history. So now is the time to get out on the lake and believe that every cast could garner that big one. At the fishing camp I have the opportunity to interview all kinds of fishermen and women. They all have notions about fishing and how to be successful in their quest. One thing I have noticed is that most folks give fish much more credit than they deserve. Such as the idea that a fish can remember that yesterday or last year they saw a blue fleck power worm and know that blue fleck worms do not exist as a food source and therefore will not bite that color worm. So the fisherman must get the newest color that the fish have never seen and therefore gain an advantage and get the fish to bite that new worm. In the past month I got the opportunity to fish with Chris Lindenberg who owns Gene Larew salt impregnated plastic lures and saw first hand his way of thinking. While I fished the trusty little black worm he tried every color of the rainbow. We both caught a bunch of fish but I had a much smaller pile of used worms all of which happened to be black. It proved my theory that you have to get the bait in front of the fish and let them decide whether they want to bite or not. Normally fish will take what is presented whether they are hungry or just in the protection mode. Sometimes they are in neither but if you hit them in the head long enough they will bite your lure. So persistence and confidence in your fishing is more important than color. I learned years ago that nearly anything will work as a lure when in Mexico I watched guys walk the shoreline picking up used fishing line, tying it together and wrapping it on a can. Once a hook was found and attached to a drink opener it was cast by hand and retrieved by winding the line on the can. These guys caught fish just the same as us with all the latest and greatest equipment and newest colors. I remember a time at Ivie when we were on the fish and everything we threw was greeted with either a bass, crappie or white bass. After fishing in the same secret hole for over four hours with a fish on nearly every cast I decided to find something they would not bite. When I got down to putting a piece of duct tape on the hook and a fish still bit I decided that day was one of those where we could do no wrong. Its all marketing in the fishing world, put the same old lure in a new package and the fisherman will bite. We all have our secret lures, places and techniques which don’t make a great deal of difference to the fish who probably give us too much credit. I am just sorry that they put pop tops on the cans, where will we ever find a good lure? See you on the lake
04-19-10 Fishing Report The fishing at Ivie for the most sought after black bass continues to be outstanding. Ivie has far surpassed any other lake in the state in production of the sharelunker 13 pound plus bass. Even though the weather seems to be putting the spawning run on hold large numbers of 10 pound plus bass are being netted during tourneys. This past week in the Bass Busters tourney at least 6 fish over 10 pounds were brought to the scales even though the weather conditions were far from ideal. I have talked with a few of the catfish guys and they report that shallow water trot lining is taking fair numbers of channel cats in the 3 to 5 pound range. On a trip last week Aubrey Conner of Conner Ranch Supply on US 87 south in San Angelo hauled a 12 pound yellow cat to the boat while fishing a plastic worm for black bass. He even caught a 2 pound plus white bass on a plastic worm both of which he said he had never done before during a lifetime of fishing. It just goes to show you that keep the bait in the water and sooner or later something. possibly strange, will happen. Crappie fishing in the Concho above the Concho River bridge continues to be good depending upon the weather and white bass fishing on the flats with spoons and spinners is very good during the early morning. It seems that when the sun gets up a little they move off the flats and return the following day. This time of year fishing the flats in 10 feet of water will produce some good eating fish and just maybe a huge bass in the mix. I have also heard that the Concho River is on a rise and some good fishing can be had from the bank at the dam just north of Paint Rock. All of this water will put Ivie on the rise and hopefully some more rain will fill the lake. I hear all the time from fishermen who complain about the lake going down and the shoreline in not pretty and lush. I always tell them that they should have been down her in 1985 when there was no lake and anything bigger than a bathtub is better than what we used to have. Besides the biologist boys tell me that a lake that goes up and down will renew the waters with nutrients and make the fishing better. The fish production at Ivie would certainly would tend to indicate that the fish guys are right. In just the past few years we have seen many changes in the area with one of the most evident being the rapid increase in the number of feral hogs roaming the countryside. My fishing buddy Clifford Long who has a family ranch just north of Del Rio has such a population that sheep and goat production is no longer possible due to the hogs getting the newborns as soon as they hit the ground. There has even been indications that they also target calves like a pack of hungry coyotes. Clifford recently attended a meeting hosted by the state and federal guys on this problem. The solution is apparently the reduction of hog habitat by brush clearing and not providing the cover that these mainly nocturnal animals desire. While this seems like a good idea, just how much brush needs to be cleared. The hogs will just continue to move as fences and road kills apparently have no effect. I suppose we could just clear all the brush and move them to New Mexico or better yet California. I am sure the tree huggers would think the baby hogs are cute and pass some protection laws. But we should expect the price of watermelons to rise and cantaloupes would be like caviar. I know that we will hear more about this problem and maybe some one will come up with a lure to catch them on a rod and reel. Kind of like catching a shark with hooves. See you on the lake
Spring has finally arrived. The mesquites have put out ending the threat of a freeze or probably so, the waters are warming into the spring fling time and its happening at Ivie and surrounding lakes. I have heard reports of some nice crappie being taken at the Ballinger City lake and have seen the results from Ivie. The majority of crappie are being taken in the Concho River above the high bridge on jigs fished around the larger trees. The cold fronts still have an effect on these finicky fish but now is the time. The bass fishing at Ivie has also been over the top with Ivie placing more share-lunkers in the system than any other lake in the state. In fact # 500 was placed this past weekend during the Oilman’s tourney. On the first day 34 pounds was leading in the five fish, per team, per day tourney. One of the four teams that stayed at my fishing camp pulled just over 23 pounds the first day and over 27 pounds the second day. I will find out in the near future where they placed and hopefully it was in the top ten. But whatever the Make A Wish foundation caught a big one for the kids. With the huge number of big fish that Ivie is producing and actually has produced for the past several years it may someday get on the map as one of the best big bass lakes in the country. Most of us around here that spend some time on the lake already knew its potential and the State has properly managed it to produce the big ones. It is my hope that with the media coverage that will go nationwide what happened at Del Rio will occur here. When Amistad began to produce huge numbers of big fish property values soared and even tripled lake property in some places. I guess I should be careful about putting this in print as the tax folks down at the appraisal district will up our taxes just like they did when some folks from California moved in and paid a high price for some old houses. It nice to see that the state of Maine has thawed out and is now in the process of deciding a restroom issue. It seems that a 12 year old boy cannot decide whether he is female or male and wants to use either restroom. So they think that they will change it all and allow all to use the restroom of choice. Now this makes sense to change 99.9% of the population to make one loud griper happy. I know there is a lawyer and some misguided parents involved and the threat of lawsuit makes most folks in boards, administrations and government jobs run, hide and try to appease. It may be time to try some of these cases and actually make those prove their case rather than give up, change things and give them money which seems to make all things well. I suppose that I am getting old and somewhat cranky according to my granddaughter but sometimes it just needs to be told as is and without all the frosting. Its like fishing, sometimes we get to win and land the big one and sometimes the fish wins by breaking us off or spitting the hook. When you hook that big bass it comes to the surface breaks the line to throws the hook you just need to retie a new rig and throw back out there and maybe next time it will all work and you get your picture in the paper. Once about 15 years ago I had a guy who call back a few days after the fishing trip and wanted part of his fee back. He said they did not catch as many fish as they thought they would. I did ask him if we had caught more than he thought, would he have been willing to pay more. I then told him that next time he wanted fish to go to HEB and buy his limit and each time that would be a sure thing. It also makes it simple and avoids sunburn. See you on the lake4-6-2010 What all this means is that at Ivie a double digit bass is possible on each cast and the 13 pounder is always a possibility. This translates to Ivie being a prime destination for the big fish and will bring in many anglers who spend their money on motels, fishing tackle, ice , food, ect, ect, ect. In the past I have suggested on many occasions that members of congress, the white house and some of the Supreme Court Justices should spend more time fishing. With the current condition of the lake and its outstanding population of fishes of all species, I must retract that invitation and suggest that we are doing fine without any stimulus plans or health care options. In other words come fish but don’t do anything to bailout the lake or spread the wealth. In the last few days I, as many others have, received my tax form which again has gone up on the bottom line. It is good to see that my property has increased in value which means I did nothing and gained being as my house is now worth more each year. It is sure nice to not have to do anything and your net wealth increases. I just wish the fish population would increase as fast as the taxes. One other thing that is happening in our current administration is that fishing and hunting is being considered due to its impact on the environment and animal life. While we have all known for some time that the private ownership of guns does not sit well with some folks in Washington and California they now are getting the idea that recreational fishing is also an issue. The use of lead in lures and sinkers will in the near future be a thing of the past and maybe monofilament line will get the axe. But there is hope being as all fishing tackle, and hunting stuff are charged a ten percent tax somewhere along the way to the consumer. That amounts to a lot of money going to the east coast for congress to give to the banks, insurance companies and others who cannot run their business. Maybe some of those guys should spend some time on the lake, it just might clear up some things. There is a move lead by some of the earthquake prone individuals from California to outlaw private ownership of guns and turn them into the local law enforcement agency. They are also planning to give a cash price for your guns which I am sure would be below the market value. I guess when the call goes out I won’t be the first in line if there is one in West Texas. But if they force us to do so I want our local tax office to value my guns on the same basis they value my home. So there is joy in Mudville, sometimes you just have to look around for it, but it is there. See you on the lake
03-29-10 The winds of March have been with us for several weeks. While we normally expect the wind to blow in March, I can’t remember a year when there was this much and so many windy days in a row. Normally, we get a big blow then there are a few days to let the dust settle before the next blow hits. Last week I was returning from the lake, and just south of town a sand storm was blowing across the road causing near zero visibility. When we do get a few warm and calm days, the fishing will begin to peak as the water warms to near 60 degrees. This past weekend we had to deal with windy conditions and caught some fish but weren’t allowed to go to what I would consider more productive areas. Also, with the constant passage of fronts and changing conditions, the fish don’t really get on the move. Although last Saturday was windy with winds near 35 mph, a 14.22 largemouth was brought to the scales by one of the tournament fishermen. Several other nice fish were also weighed and released back into the lake with the exception of the 14.22 which went into the Share-a-Lunker program. This program takes bass over 13 pounds for study and breeding, and hopefully one day this state will produce the 20-pounder. To my knowledge this was the third fish entered into the program this year from Ivie, and we’ve just started the prime time. During the larger tourneys as we had last weekend, boat loading and unloading and just crossing the lake get to be a challenge. This year I don’t know of any boats that were lost, although several filled with water at the loading ramp, and a bunch got a few extra nicks and scratches. We got off the lake before noon just as the wind was really picking up. My party had to return to the high plains of New Mexico, and I’m pretty sure they went through a duster. But that could have been better than going up and down on the waves, wondering if there really were fish in this ocean. I recently got an e-mail that said the White House found out there were 300,000 cattle guards in Colorado and apparently some cattle were getting by them. Once the president learned of this situation, he suggested that 50% be fired for not doing their jobs. However, VP Biden saved the day when he advised the president just to retrain the guards for six months and see if that didn’t correct the problem. I suppose now we’re going to get a cattle guard czar and maybe a new national holiday. Maybe some day these big city folks will get out into the country and breath some clean air. It would do them good to hear the birds sing, see the sun rise, and feel the life flow into early morning. Maybe we could get them out fishing or hunting (not with Cheney) and enjoy some of the benefits of being off concrete and asphalt. It’s my firm belief that once a person has stayed on concrete or other hard, artificial surfaces for a long time, his or her brain is affected by the constant jarring. That’s the reason those of us who stay on softer, real dirt or grass and certainly on the water have an understanding and concept of all things large and small. A wealth of information and opinions--useless, but a bunch of it. See you on the lake.
03-22-10 We have been on the bank while The Ledger changed guides, and now the fishing report will be penned each week to give you the most up-to-date fishing information in the free world. While meeting with the new editor, I learned that he does like fishing which in my book puts him way ahead of those whose motor would not run. Maybe one of these days I can get him on the lake to experience some of the best fishing in Texas. But for now it’s enough to know that he likes to fish and wants a report each week. With the recent snows and sometimes less than comfortable temperatures, the lake has been in a quandary about whether to warm up or cool off. One day with warm temperatures we would see the surface temps get into the upper 50’s, and then after a few days of wind and snow, it’s back to the upper 40’s. As the water temperature has a whole lot to do with the spring spawning run, the bass have not as yet moved to the shallows to do their thing. I’ve been seeing plenty of white bass full of eggs ready to procreate, but once again the varying water temps put their move on hold. Catfish also remain in deep water waiting for the temperature signals that tell them to move onto the flats and build a nest. Without being too political, this spring looks like the health care issue--nobody can decide what to do or how to do it, but like spring and warmer waters, it will come in due time. I just hope with both issues that there’s not too much chop on the water. Recently my computer went on the blink, and the internet was like trying to find a dentist on the weekend. I first thought that my problem was on my desktop. I called the toll free help line for AOL and was pleased to find that they were in America. They did a check to find that the phone line was somehow not working and suggested that I call my phone company. So I called Verizon in India (like one of those guys was going to come to Ballinger) and told them of my situation. This person decided that the phone problem was in my home and quickly informed me that they would send out a repairman and that the cost would be $35.00 an hour to get me back into cyberspace. I asked them about the remote possibility that there was something wrong with their line outside my house and if I would have to pay for the repair since I already pay them a monthly fee. They told me that the tech would check the lines outside the house first and then go inside if their line was in working order. In about an hour one of our local guys was here and quickly determined that their line was the problem and fixed the flaw with a small connector. For years every time it rained we’d get kicked off the internet; however, since the five-minute repair we now are able to stay hooked in rain, snow, and hail. It’s amazing when you take your problems around the world how one of our local guys can fix it with a small connector and make it all better. Maybe this repairman should advise Congress and the president on health care. In this day and time of high tech it might just sometimes pay to listen to the guys on the ground. Government would do well to listen to the guys on the border, the guys in the health care business, the car dealers, and the homeowners. Those people just might have a better feel for the problems and how to fix them. Maybe we need to vote lots of officials out of office so they live like the rest of us, and then maybe they would have time to hook a fish rather than the taxpayer. See you on the lake. 02-01-10 Where is one of those tree-hugging, global warming, animal rights activists when you need one? I was hoping they could do something about the colder-than-normal temperatures we’ve been dealing with on the lake for the past couple of weeks. The forecast will call for warming temperatures during the day, but by the time the mercury hits 50, you’re so cold it doesn’t do much good. Fortunately, the fishing on most days is good; however, as we once again confirmed last week, post-cold-front days are normally difficult. Last Saturday we left the dock about 9:00 a.m. with a couple of lawyers from the Permian Basin and a couple of their sons-in-law from Houston. The temperature had risen just above the freezing mark, but the winds continued to be out of the north. We were able to catch about 15 fish, most being under size limits, and Mike Morgan, one of the lawyers, got two channel cats on his line. I did, however, take comfort in the fact that the group had some rib-eye left over from the night before and would be able to survive. I talked to some other guys who fished all day without a bite, so some days a few fish is a good day. But then I think any day on the lake is a good day; just sometimes you catch more than other times. Speaking of liberals and others who sometimes have some funny ideas and some causes that appear to be in very deep right field, I recently read an article where PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was complaining about Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who predicts the weather on February 2nd each year. It seems that they have the idea that he is being stressed by having to appear every year before a crowd of folks who have cameras and flash bulbs. But they have also offered a solution--to invent a Robot Phil and let the real Phil sleep and not interrupt his hibernation. I’d think that this might take some of the fun out of the weather prediction, but who knows? Maybe Robot Phil could be programmed to bite tree huggers. That would make a good headline for the talk shows. But the PETA people didn’t quit with the alleged abuse to Phil as they also went on about the Georgia Bulldog having to be at all those loud football games. It seems that the governor of Georgia or the university president stated that the mascot gets better treatment than a lot of the kids in the state and suggested in so many words that PETA go wait for the sun to shine on February 2nd. I don’t know for sure, but it might be best to leave Bevo alone because he has a better deal at UT than becoming shish-k-bob. Its really amazing what you can actually learn on the internet, and the knowledge gained from friends’ email is just never ending. I recently read something interesting about fire ants and confirmed its truthfulness. A friend wrote that fire ants can be killed with a couple of cups of club soda poured on the bed. It seems that when the soda dries, the ants eat it and expand after carrying it down in the nest where others also eat the soda and blow up. I confirmed this fact with David McShan, who seems to be an expert on many things, and he stated that he used club soda for that purpose, among others. I certainly will try this remedy until it’s banned in Boston since it seems better than putting poison on the ground. It never ceases to amaze me the causes some folks pursue. I mean with all the trouble in the world like hunger and disasters, why would someone be concerned with a groundhog that’s probably having the best time of all and certainly getting some good food in the deal? What’s an even worse thought is there are also folks out there who will donate money for a cause such as this. Maybe it’s the robot salesmen. See you on the lake. 01-18-10 Fishing Report Finally the hunting season is coming to a rapid conclusion and we can get back to what is really important. Fishing season is on the agenda for the next few months at least until the hunting season begins again with spring turkey and then in the fall with the big game and additional bird seasons. While some of us think that fishing is a year round sport and the cold simply means you have to put on more clothes, there are those who consider fishing a warm weather sport. At Ivie the fishing continues to be excellent with the big bass season just beginning. I have heard reports of several fish over the 10 pound mark being netted. We have a yet failed to break the 9 pound mark, maybe next cast. The white bass have been excellent in deeper waters and this should only get better as the spring spawn gets into high gear and the whites move up to the shallows to do their thing. I hope I have time this spring to get out the fly rod and get “on lake” with the shallow water white bass. Speaking of “on lake” which is fly rod jargon meaning the fly fisherman is applying his craft to the lake. Being “on stream” is again one of those terms that tells the long rodder that the fisherman is actually in the flowing waters and is matching the hatch, using a strike indicator, dropper rig or many other terms that normally are reserved for fly fishing only. This past week I got a flyer from a credit card company (who would have thought) that was trying to update me on the changes to the credit card industry and how these changes would effect my wallet. I quickly checked to gratefully find that my billfold was still in place and unopened. For now that is. In reading this information I noted that they were using the term “on stream” to describe these changes actually going into effect. Now I certainly wonder how this term was brought into play to describe interest rate hikes and other things credit card companies do to increase profits. This use of “on stream” will have a permanent effect on my thought process due to the fact that now rather than associate it with a quietly flowing stream full of fish in some pristine setting, I will now have to equate it also with the credit card bill and use of plastic money. I suppose “on stream” will become a new buzz word when it would have been just as well to leave it on the stream. While I am not a huge fan of credit card companies and big banks I guess they have a place as indicated by the bailout dollars congress and the president sent them to stabilize the economy. I t appears that some of the big boys paid back the funds in short order by upping interest, charging late fees and other practices that are now in the flyer. It seems that they can’t up your interest, charge late fees for a while and have to give the consumer time to get the payment through the mail before declaring it to be late. In the past year during the time of the bailout we sent our payment which we do in short order in full each month and the next month we were advised our payment was not received by Bank of America and a late fee was added. I knew I put the bill in the mail We had indication it was paid by check and either the post office or BOA (short for Bank of America, seems to fit) lost the check and I refused to pay the late fee. We did pay the full bill minus the late fee and about two weeks later we got a letter telling us they had accounting problems and our check was there on time, however they refused to take off the late fees and continued to put them on our bill. I put their credit card “on stream”. see you on the lake. 11-30-09 The fall fishing is on
the move--when it’s warm enough to get out and still feel your fingers and toes.
I talked with Will Byler who has been taking some nice stringers of catfish in
about 40 feet of water. It seems the fish have already moved to the deeper
waters where they will await the warming waters of spring. The baitfish are also
in the deeper areas, but sometimes the bass, white bass and other stuff gets
after them, and they move to shallow water in the escape plan. Find this event
in progress, and the boat can be loaded in short order.
11-16-09 11-02-09
The fishing at Ivie continues to be much warmer than the 34 degree morning
we dealt with last week. While an early morning boat ride has its romantic side,
it is not the one with a 34 degree wind in the face and a loss of feeling in the
fingers. But catch a few fish which are about 60 degrees, and it warms up your
hands taking them off the hook--just before you can dry the water off and the
cold numbs your fingers again. I do, however, prefer the cold to salty sweat
running in your eyes, and I have always lived by the principle that you can put
on as many clothes as you need to stay warm, but you can only take off so many
prior to someone complaining. 10-12-09
On the weekend of October 3 and 4 a huge fishing tournament was held at
Lake Ivie by Bass Champs which operates mainly in the eastern part of Texas. The
fishermen had to qualify for the tourney by following a tourney trail of
competitions. I believe the final team count was 195, meaning nearly 400 very
good fishermen were on the lake chasing the Ivie bass. While most teams caught
fish, one team brought in 35 pounds for the first day and continued the second
day to garner the $50,000 first prize. The largest bass was over 13 pounds and
was netted on Sunday with several 10-pounders also brought to the scales. All
fish were returned to the lake after the weigh-ins.
09-28-09 Fishing Report 09-14-09 Fishing Report The waters at Ivie are beginning to cool with the approach of fall temperatures. One day last week we woke up to 52 degrees and felt the coming of winter for sure. I have been seeing some teal ducks at the lake along with some mud hens and other birds that begin to show up in the early fall. The butterflies are not far behind, arriving with the first or second cold front and riding the north wind south to who knows where.This time is also the beginning of the fall hunting season with dove getting the attention starting the first of September. Normally, just before the season we get a rain and some cool weather that send the dove south, but this year the rain came on the third day of the season. We got in two good hunts in southern Coleman County before the big rains. We used a lot more shells than birds taken, and with the cost of shotgun shells our aim certainly needs to improve. Speaking of cost, the country is embroiled in a huge debate over health care and how to make it affordable and accessible to all Americans. The cost of medical care is certainly on the rise and along with that goes the cost of insurance. So in true fashion of a simple fisherman I have come up with a solution for both the medical crisis and the employment deal. Instead of putting all this money into health care and giving it to the doctors and pill pushers, let’s get our brightest students and give them the money necessary to become doctors. In every school in the country there are plenty of very intelligent kids just below the valedictorians who need financial help to get through eight to ten years of medical school and become doctors. The recipients would pay this aid back by performing a time of public service treating those who cannot afford helath care. Just as important is that in a short time we’ll have a bunch more doctors, and then competition will take care of the pricing, bringing the cost down and the service up. Also, more hospitals will have to be built to take care of the influx of new doctors, and hopitals will get in line with the going rates. Just like the airlines, when nobody is going anywhere, the seats get cheap and you can fly in the daylight. It seems like Washington cannot come up with a simple answer to a simple problem without stringing red tape to the moon and back a few times. The president has been on TV trying to explain the issue and offering solutions which no one is buying. The polls suggest that most working Americans are happy with their helath care plan but all would like to pay less. (See solution above.) The insurance companies suggest that they would insure all, but all would have to buy health insurance so all bills could be met. That seems to make sense as all would be paying for the treatment of those who need the care, kind of like car insurance. It is mandatory to have car insurance, and you can count on the fact that every car on the road has insurance just because it’s the law. Now, I have a bridge in Arizona that you might consider for your back yard and some gold south of the twelve-mile bridge just for the digging. I also know where the needle in the haystck is and where the hen hides its in Congress--one in office, the next in the pen. Sometimes I do make sense. See you on the lake. 08-24-09 Fishing Report
In the past few weeks, which actually have seemed like forever, we have
been in the summertime patterns. The fish during the hot summer act just like
most of us who don’t want to do anything except try to stay cool and not sweat
too much. We’ve been able to find enough fish to keep us busy, but the fishing
has been slowing down about 2:00 p.m. when the heat and high sun get on the
verge of unbearable. Then it’s time to head for the shaded cleaning table and
refrigerated air. 06-29-09 Fishing Report Fishing continues to be good at Ivie most of the time, but then it seems it goes south and the catching part slows considerably. One day a limit of 150 is easily boated, and the next day it gets hard to find over 20 for the frying pan. One day last week we caught seven different species of fish on my little slab in depths of 16 to 57 feet. The bass continue to come up on the grass flats early in the morning and then back to the drop offs for the midday rest. We’ve been catching bunches of bass in the two-to-four-pound category on top water lures and small worms fished near the weed beds. I have also begun to see some white and black bass on the surface rounding up schools of baitfish. That action signals the time to get out the old fly rod and put on a big bug for some open water fly casting. Speaking of old things, I recently had some longtime farmers in camp for a couple of days fishing. While I thought these guys were of the old school, they began to tell me about using the computer to do virtual farming. Apparently, there’s a program that actually allows the farmer to do virtual farming without sweating or getting their hands dirty and with no risk at the local bank. I don’t think the government sends a check or subsidy for the computer farming, but who knows? With this game one can plant at the right time, fertilize, plow, and all the other necessary things, and in the end see if the crop will grow and then do the marketing thing. I wonder what the growing time is on the computer and what happens if they have to replant. It seems that every aspect of life has some computer or phone game to make it play out in the virtual world. Now this term “virtual” means “not real, does not exist, make believe.” It would seem to me that a virtual fishing game without the actual tug on the rod, the splash of a jumping fish, and the smell of fresh caught fish on your hands would leave a lot to be desired. How could you enjoy computer fishing without the suntan oil getting in your eyes, the worrisome gnats, and the high winds on the lake? Besides, with all the gadgets, phones, players, blueberries, blackberries, and whatever kind of berries they’re selling, it would appear that in a few generations we won’t be able to see past our arms’ length. We may not be able to walk, but our fingers will have the speed of light to send out texts and use keyboards. We can do everything in the virtual sense and really not have to make any type of commitment or take any risk. Now, boy, that sounds like fun; it doesn’t pay the real bills, but it does consume time that I could be making a living or taking care of my family. And speaking of family, we now have a new grandson, Trent Lee Caudle, born last week to Dustin and Lindy Caudle of El Paso. He weighed in at 7-11--a keeper at any lake. Our other grandson, Drew, got a new drill, hammer, and some plastic nuts and bolts to learn something about hand tools because a virtual house does not keep out the real rain, and sometimes the virtual bathroom does present some real issues. See you on the lake. 06-15-09 Fishing Report The fishing at Ivie continues to be amazing with the large numbers of huge bass being brought into the marinas. While some of the larger fish are being caught on live bait, a fair number are also falling to the use of plastic baits. One person in camp last week had fished with a bass guide who resorted to live bait only to ask her later--after she caught a bass well over 10 pounds--to tell everyone she caught it on a particular plastic bait. It would seem to me that if you’re going to be sorry or feel the necessity to lie about your catch, you might just do it the right way at the start. About half the time we’re able to limit out with white bass, like the 150 total last Friday; some days they’re hard to find and make bite. Catfish are best in the baited holes, and crappie are very good for those willing to fish deep, main lake trees with brush-buster lures. Fishing these trees is like the president and the bailout deal--find a tree, throw some lures at it, get hung up, and maybe get a fish or your lure back. But if you lose your lure, tie on another one from the taxpayers, and throw it into the tree again to see if anything different happens or you get the desired result. But whatever happens, especially if it’s bad, it’s not your fault, as you “inherited” the job and problems. Or better yet, go to another tree and start the process over. The lures never run out from the taxpayer. I just wonder when the White House and the liberal media are going to finally say that our present president is responsible for what he does. But then these days few are held accountable for their actions. For the past 30 years or so we’ve been trying to explain why criminals do what they do, and we’ve come up with the answer that whatever they did is not their fault but that of their abusive, loud mother, divorced dad, or incompetent school teacher. We’ve tried to explain everything as being the fault of others or other events. When I was in school, we didn’t have one child on any drug because of behavior. Some got rabies shots because they tried to catch a ground squirrel (which, by the way, has a strong bite). It seems to the best of my memory that when we misbehaved, a brief, right-to-the-point trip to the principal’s office seemed to give the cure. Then word got home before you did, and once again the point was tattooed to your memory area. Now I’m not saying that this process was best; however, it worked and produced perhaps the greatest generation ever, according to some who have all the letters behind their name. Knowing that it worked well and seeing so much progress and development in science and medicine (to name just a couple of areas), many are asking us to change and renew the system. With the bailout and other programs currently in Congress and the White House, we’re headed directly at socialism which will cause the demise of free enterprise and the willingness of the American people to strive to do their best, and the rest of the world will someday, if not now, own America. Most of our government should approach governing the same way I go at fishing. Buy only what you need at the best price, use what works, and work hard. Keeping it simple is also a good idea. I learned a long time ago that spending more money on bigger and better boats and the newest lures will not generally make your efforts more successful if you’re doing it right in the first place. By spending more money you can have a private jet, the finest rods and reels, and still not be able to make the fish bite. But you do look good., and you can blame someone else because looking as good as you do, you must know something about what you are supposed to be doing. See you on the lake.
06-01-09 Fishing Report See you on the lake. 05-18-09 Fishing Report
05-04-09 Fishing Report 04-20-09 Fishing Report 04-06-09 Fishing Report 03-23-09 Fishing Report 03-09-09 Fishing Report The fishing continues to heat up with some large catches of crappie and big black bass being brought into Concho Park. Even our local lakes are getting notice with some very nice crappie being caught at the old lake near the old pump station. If the rains come and Valley Creek gets on a rise, the old causeway will produce some good-eating crappie. It’s the time of year to get out and wet the old fishing line cause the fish are on the move. Speaking of being on the move, I recently had to purchase new license registration for some of my mobile equipment. Not long ago I noticed that the license plate had come off my boat trailer or someone had borrowed it. Since one license was up for renewal anyway, off to the tax office I went armed with my insurance card and ability to pay the fees. Upon arrival at the office I explained my lost or borrowed plate and was informed that for a small fee of around $5.00 I could get another plate. Then I also had to pay to use the plate I just bought. I did ask that if I found the other one or someone turned it in, could I get my money back. While I didn’t get a direct answer, I got the idea that money only flows one way at the tax office. After the total bill was figured, I started to use my credit card to pay and was informed that there would be a $5.00 charge to use my card. Now this was a new one on me, but I was told that the credit card company had a fee attached each time the card was used and was a percentage on the amount charged. Apparently businesses that accept credit cards absorb this fee; however, the tax guys do not. I questioned this policy since it had never happened before, and I was informed by the boss that if they didn’t charge this fee to use the card, they’d have to raise my taxes. I did have the trusty, old checkbook, so I quickly went out to my truck, got the checkbook, and issued a check for the required fees, thereby saving the $5.00 credit card fee. I felt very good leaving the tax office with the knowledge that by using my checkbook I’d saved myself some cash and also helped prevent raising taxes. Sometimes one gets to do something good for the community with a simple act. Recently I noticed that our neighbors, Cliff and Janet, were having some brush work done by a backhoe, and I went over and asked Jim Studer, the backhoe operator and owner of the equipment, if he would move some brush for me and get it out on the street so the city boys could haul it off. Jim did so, which saved me some hard work, and I want to thank him and the city guys for hauling off the brush. It did destroy a habitat for some homeless cats and some bird landing zones, but maybe the EPA will overlook that fact in the name of fire control. In this time of economic uncertainty, it appears that government is moving at record paces—that is, spending money it doesn’t have. While it appears our president is trying to make good on the many promises made during the election process, I’m not sure how he remembers all of them. The good thing about it is that I’m sure the news media does remember, and they will remind him to spend another few billion for this or that. And to think that right here in Ballinger I spend more time thinking and writing about $5.00 than the government does in spending a few billion. Fishing seems to make more sense than ever. See you on the lake.
02-23-09 Fishing Report The fishing at Ivie and the local lakes is on the verge of being the best this year. As the waters begin to warm, the fish get on the move and become vulnerable to the angler who’s willing to fight the wind and cold mornings. On a trip this past Sunday morning we had ice form on the rod tips and on our ears as we crossed the lake in calm winds. On Saturday a cold front that brought 35 mile per hour winds to the lake caused us to determine that we weren’t quite as mad at the fish as we were when fishing Friday. Although we put off the trip to a later, hopefully calmer date, I did manage to catch my fish for the day off the boat ramp. I’m a believer that if you catch a fish each day, that day doesn’t count against you in the long run. My wife is also of the opinion that as long as I’m fishing I’m not bothering anyone except the fish, and for the good of the world my fishing just seems to make sense. I’ve also begun a lure-making operation, so when I’m not fishing, I’ll be able to invent and produce fishing lures of all kinds. Some of the lures will be the old standards like spinner baits, spinners, worms, spoons, top water baits; and then there’ll be some that have never been seen before in the free world. Back in the last century (in the 1970’s), I fished several lakes in Mexico. We were of the opinion that these lakes held better fishing opportunities than the lakes out the back door. It’s like hunting—the further you go from home the better the hunting has to be. While on these trips, we would converse with the local fishermen hoping to gain some insight as to where the fish were and what they were hitting. Several times while in camp I noticed some of the locals walking the shorelines picking up small pieces of fishing line, knotting them together, and wrapping the line onto a beer can or bottle—whichever was handy. Then upon finding a fishing hook or two, they tied the hook onto a can opener and attached that to the knotted fishing line. With a circular motion they launched the rig into the lake waters and began to roll the line back onto the can or bottle by hand. Sometimes a fish was caught to the excitement of the angler. After about 55 years of fishing I’ve finally come to the conclusion that we sometimes “overthink” fishing and might do just as well to keep it somewhat simple. In the past several years I’ve purchased a limited kind and color of plastic worms and have used basically the same lures and techniques on several different lakes and have had good results. I’ve found that when fishing waters that have fish in them, persistence is the key to having the desired event occur. Case in point is the one of the past Lake Ivie record holders, Herman Hamilton, and his catching a 12.40 pound bass. We happened to be fishing a tournament and went up the lake into the Colorado arm into some dingy water. We anchored and began to cast a 10” blue fleck worm across a small point. After about an hour of no bites, Herman made several pointed comments and gestures that I, being the professional, had no idea as to where any fish were in the lake. Three casts later he hooked and landed the huge bass, which later was certified as a new body of water record at Lake Ivie. Needless to say, I reminded him of my expertise in the fish catching business, and he quickly explained that it was just dumb luck in so many, not suitable words for a family newspaper. So the moral of this story is, as in all things, keep casting and sooner or sometimes much later the desired results will occur—probably. See you on the lake. 02-09-09 Fishing Report The conditions are right for some of the best spring fishing at Ivie and other local lakes. About three years ago Ivie caught about 12 feet of water and other local lakes, which had been down for a few years also gained, much needed water. This new water covered the salt cedars and other brush that had emerged as the waters receded and made fishing difficult. However after three years the light brush and salt cedars have melted down exposing the prime bedding areas for both crappie and bass. The lighter brush will allow those of us who pursue these fish to penetrate the areas with properly presented bait and not stay hung up. I have always found that a fish on the hook is much better than a lure in the tree. While the shore or bank fishing is limited at Ivie the other local lakes provide access to much of the shoreline. Using a casting rod rigged with a small cork and feather jig fished near the bottom will take these bedding crappie and bass. I have always enjoy fishing the cork and jig as bites are easily detected and this presentation allows one to stay off the area where the fish are holding making multiple catches possible from the same area. Once a fish is caught I continue to fish the same location to see if some of their buddies are around. They normally are. This will all start as the water temperatures begin to climb into the 60’s and be in full bloom when the water hits 72 degrees. Generally the north banks begin to warm first and then later the southern end of the lakes will begin to produce the spawning fish. So its time to get out that old pole, put on some new line, sharpen the hooks, get the proper license and make a plan. I always try to have a plan B in case plan A does not work and there will and have been days where plan Z did not get a fish supper. On several trips in the past two weeks we have limited out with huge white bass, some crappie and black bass to 8.5 pounds. There were however two trips that we had to struggle to catch 30 fish. One of those days was last Sunday when the winds hit the 40 mph range and made fishing most spots impossible without getting a little wet. One has to decide just what they are willing to endure to catch a fish. I normally realize after a few hours of fighting the wind that the fish aren’t going anywhere and the winds will sooner or later quite down and then the chase will be on once again. Speaking of chases it appears that Congress is chasing a dream of some sort. They have as yet not produced a magic bullet to fix the economy regardless of how much money they think it will take. It appears that they are willing to give literally billions of dollars to companies who were unable to manage their business and expect that will make all of us better off. From what little I know of economics it deals with buying, selling and money changing hands for quality items, food and other things that we desire. When we overextend our means for items we desire our personal economy goes south as well as the economy of the country. Sure we all want a house on the hill but most of us will have to be on the lower end of the hog or have a smaller piece of the pie. That is if and when Congress makes up its mind what to do there is a hog or pie left around. Oh well we can just dig through the paper money and somewhere in the pile there may be a little pig or donut. Better yet go fishing it makes more sense. 01-26-09 Fishing Report: I have been on the bank as far as the fishing report goes with the changing of the guard at the Ledger. Now that it appears things are getting lined up, the fishing report will once again be placed in the Ledger every other week. I think, that is, if there’s room and nothing major happens that requires additional space. I might have to have a talk with the editor if he thinks there’s something more important than fishing. Since my last state of the lake report in early November, things have begun to change. The fish are now in a pre-spawn mode and ganging up in the river channels. The females begin to form fish eggs, and the males go and get the house ready for the little ones. They then go get the females, drive them home, do all the shopping, fix dinner, mop the floors and do the dishes. All this to get a chance to continue the species and then take out the trash. It would appear that life in the lake is similar to life on land. On three trips this past week we took limits of big white bass, a few crappie, and some black bass. We finally got out on the lake this past Sunday after the big blow Saturday. I went right to one of my favorite spots, which happens to be very close to the marina. This decision was not totally based on the surety of fish being there, but in 28 degrees a short ride makes a lot of sense. My first drop of the slab produced an 8.5-pound black bass in 37 feet of water. This fish was released in good condition, but the next 25 white bass were released into the cooler for future covering with corn meal. I knew that the morning following a cold front is normally a little slow, and I continued to advise the guys that the fishing would improve as the day progressed. We had over 50 by noon, and shortly after then things started getting back to normal. We quickly filled out our limit of 100 for the four guys. Speaking of limits, I just about reached mine with the election thing. Now that it’s over we need to get back to the business of fixing what is wrong. It seems that Washington wants to throw money at every problem and thinks that will make things better. Congress and the White House appear to be willing to dole out tax dollars like candy thrown during a parade. They want to bail out the big companies who made bad loans to folks who they knew would be unable to pay back the lenders. Now we want to give the companies more money to make more loans. Seems like we’ve done this before with less than good results. I know these guys need to fish more because when something doesn’t work, you change to something else or start a new plan. Rather than give the Wall Street guys more money, let’s just pay off all or part of the loans that were made, and the people can stay in their homes. If the foreclosures occur, the people still have to find a place to live and the lender has to find a new buyer. Why not just take care of both problems the quick easy way and save packing a lot of boxes and a mountain of Federal paperwork? I would add one thing in the process—that if anyone griped, complained, hired a lawyer, or otherwise caused a problem, they would be put out of the program. Just like baseball, get out of line and get out of the game. One other thing—let’s get behind our new president, who hopefully has America first on his mind. This country has been built through diversity, so regardless from where you came, throw it overboard and take care of America. See you on the lake. |
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