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FLW Freshwater Striper Tournament

Brent,

Thank you for your email indicating your interest in a freshwater
striper trail! I am looking for anglers who would be interested in a
freshwater trail. If you know of anyone interested in a freshwater
striper trail please ask them to email me. I don't have a set number
but what I have received is maybe 35 and is hardly enough interest to get
attention from the sponsors and powers that be to get on the radar.

Keepem coming!

Thank you!

Bill Carson
Sales Director
FLW Outdoors
30 Gamble Lane Benton, KY 42025

Direct: 270.252.1568
Mobile: 270.205.6918

www.flwoutdoors.com

Here is a great article

Secrets to Live Baiting Stripers

Not sure if you've read it or not, but its worth the read.
I've read it several times.

Deep Hook Removal Technique

I found this article on In-fisherman.com

Through-The-Gill Hook Removal

Amazingly Easy & Effective

By Doug Stange , Editor In Chief

Gamakatsu Wide Gap 6/0 Shiner Hook

Among the most impressive learning experiences for someone like me, who has been writing about catch-and-release fishing for more than 20 years, was hands-on instruction in how easily and effectively hooks can be removed from a fish's gullet.

We traveled last spring to the Orlando, Florida, area to shoot television footage of fishing for big bass on Lake Toho, using shiners, the time-honored approach for huge bass from this heavily fished lake.

That Toho continues as one of the best places in North America for bass of 10 pounds is, in part, a tribute to catch and release. Guide Robert "Jamie" Jackson, Freelancer Guide Service, has been guiding on the lake for more than 20 years. Of the 40 or so bass we caught in two days, at least one fourth had obviously been hooked before. "A little on the low side," Jackson said. "Some days, half the fish we catch have been caught before. We often catch the same fish again and again from some spots."

Fishing shiners is an art that we'll try to cover next spring. Primary to my point here, though, the first fish I hooked (about 6 pounds) had the wide-gap 6/0 Gamakatsu shiner hook just about down the gullet, with only the eye of the hook showing. I gave Jackson an "oh-oh" look, but he just calmly took the fish and unceremoniously popped the hook free, held the fish up for the camera, and released it:

Basically, the technique is akin to some of the instruction we offered in an article by Ralph Manns (and In-Fisherman) in February 2002, "The Deep Hook Dilemma."

(1) With the hook in the gullet, note which side of the fish's mouth the hook shank is toward. Note: For illustration sake, the line is eliminated here in steps 2 through 5. In reality, the line stays connected as this technique is performed.

(2) With a finger or two, reach in through the last gill arch on that side of the fish and push and pull down on the hookeye so the hook turns and . . .

(3) rolls out below the gill toward the side of the fish. At that point, amazingly, the hook, barb and all, almost always pops free from its hold in the fish's gullet.

(4) Reach into the fish's mouth and grip the bend in the hook (which is now up) and . . .

(5) lift it free. If the fish's mouth is too small to reach in with your hand, use a needle-nose pliers to grip the hook bend.

Jackson also emphasized, as we also noted in the earlier article, how resilient a fish's gills actually are, far from being the fragile organs often suggest by some sources. And the occasional bleeding fish? Does it have to be kept? Jackson: "Just get the fish back into the water as soon as possible and, more often than not, the bleeding stops--at least we've caught these fish again and again.

The technique also works superbly on walleyes, smallmouths, and other fish, usually taken on smaller hooks, often salmon-style hooks. In a sidebar entitled "Hook Removal Walleye Style" in the February article, we related Mike Herrick's experiences in removing hooks by working through the gills, in much the same way Jackson works on largemouth bass.

I used Herrick's technique this past spring and summer. It works every bit as well as Jackson's approach with largemouths. Really, it 's possible to remove most hooks in a fish's gullet, as Herrick instructed in our February article:

* Look down the throat to check the hook position. If it's set in the throat or gullet--or it's out of sight--give a gentle pull on the line and the hook eye usually emerges.

* Check which side the hook shank is on. Then open the gill flap and, with small walleyes, use a forceps to grip the hook shank just below the eye. Roll the hook out toward the gill and side of the body of the fish and the hook and barb pop free from the lining of the gullet.

Simple as that. Really, it's amazing. With a bit of practice, you'll be killing fewer fish--indeed, almost no fish that you plan to release.

Once these techniques become much more widely used, we'll have taken another large step forward in helping to sustain better fishing based on a commitment to release some fish so they can be caught again.

Catching Channel Catfish In the Summer

I found this post over at www.katmasters.com, a great catfishing forum. And since, I haven't made a post about catfish yet, I figured this would be a good start. He wrote the article well, and I couldn't do better myself, so here is some tips for catching catfish in the summertime.




Most people associate summertime channel cats with a campfire and a comfy chair on a stuffy summer night. The usual can of worms are present and only a few small fish are caught. However, for those interested in catching more channel cats, more consistently, there is a solution!

You may find it surprising that you can catch more channel cats during the day. I know I caught your attention with that statement. I first read about channel catfishing during the day almost 5 years ago. I showed the article to a friend that loves fishing as much as I do. In less than an hour we were on the water trying it out. Remarkably it took him less than 5 minutes to catch his first one, and it was his biggest channel cat ever caught at that point. I’ll never forget how shocked I was to unhook that catfish for him. It has forever changed how I fish.

Why is it easier during the day?

The answer to this question is quite simple. Catfish are most active at night during the summer to avoid the heat of the day and the sunlight. This means that if you are fishing at night during the summer, unless you are fishing near a well known feeding area or are lucky enough to catch a few fish passing through on their way to a feeding area, your catch count will be rather low. Don’t get me wrong I’ve had some stellar nights but never as consistent as during the day.

Catfish will still actively feed during the day, but the main difference is they aren’t actively searching for it. They will gladly eat if it floats their way. During the day catfish will “hole up” as I like to say. They will be tight to structure, making it easier for you to find them. All you have to do is look for structure. Now isn’t that easier than sitting on the shore hoping one swims by?

If you own a boat catching a bunch of channel cats should be a breeze. Look for the best, downed trees or log jams in a 5-mile stretch of river. The best of the bunch should produce several catfish, while single trees may produce one or two. Anchor on the upstream side and cast your bait a few feet behind the tree. Be sure to leave a little room in case the fish tries to run into the tree so you don’t get snagged. Daytime fish will be surprisingly fast. I’ve caught fish without ever putting the rod in the rod holder. Most active fish will bite within five minutes. I normally sit in one location for 15-20 minutes depending on how the action has been. I use this time table whether I am setup on trees, humps, ledges, etc.

Don’t overlook ledges and drop-offs, especially those that have an abundance of rocks or trees nearby for the catfish to hide in. Normally you’ll find bigger fish in deeper water. I usually start my day fishing the deepest trees, boulders, and ledges and work my way shallow. Fishing the deepest available structure is especially important when fishing wing dams, one the biggest producers of daytime fish.

Take some time just motoring around looking for downed trees, mid depth ledges, wing dams, and any other fishy looking spots. Chances are good there are channel cats hiding beneath.

If you happen to be boat less fear not, you can still catch channel cats during the day. If your body of water is shallow enough to wade in I would recommend fishing riffle sections with large boulders and especially the “tail out”, which is the very end of the riffle where it begins to drop into the hole. In addition, if it’s safe you should try to fish downed trees and other things mentioned for boat fishing. You’ll be surprised how willing these fish are to bite during the day!

Bait for daytime catfishing is rather simple. Take along a few bluegill, suckers, or creek chubs to use as cut bait. Don’t cut the pieces too big, just a filet off the side will do. The blood and oils will reach the catfish through the current and they will swim out of the structure to pick up the bait. Set the hook and fight your first daytime channel catfish!

As always release all our trophy fish to grow bigger and preserve the future of fishing for our children!

Differences between Yellow, White, Hybrids, and Striped Bass

Yellow Bass

A. Does not have a tooth patch near the midline towards the back of the tongue.
B. Stripes distinct, broken above anal fin.
C. Dorsal fins joined.
D. Color - silvery yellow

White Bass

A. Has one tooth patch near the midline towards the back of the tongue.
B. Body deep, more than 1/3 length.
C. Stripes faint, only one extends to tail.

Striped Bass

A. Has two, distinct tooth patches near the midline towards the back of the tongue.
B. Body slender, less than 1/3 length.
C. Stripes distinct, several extend to tail.

Hybrid Striped Bass

A. Has two, distinct tooth patches near the midline towards the back of the tongue.
B. Body deep, more than 1/3 length.
C. Stripes distinct, usually broken, several extend to tail.

Two buddies charged with cheating to win prizes in fishing tournaments

I just read this, looks like these guys are pretty much screwed:

BENTON, Ky. — A pair of fishing buddies were charged with 10 felonies after being accused of cheating in fishing tournaments on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley on the Kentucky-Tennessee border.

Marshall and Lyon county grand juries on Tuesday indicted Dwayne E. Nesmith, 43, of Island, and Brian K. Thomas, 31, of Dawson Springs, on nine counts of theft by deception of over $300 in Marshall County, Ky., one count of complicity to commit theft by deception of over $300 and one count of attempted theft by deception of over $300 in Lyon County.


An investigation of the pair started April 30, when authorities allege the men stashed five live bass in a fish basket in the water, then picked them up to weigh in at the Relay for Life Buddy Bass Tournament at the Lake Barkley State Resort Park, state police said.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Sgt. Bill Snow said someone reported the bass, which were marked with clippings in their fins.

Nesmith and Thomas were witnessed picking up the fish early on the morning of April 30, then putting their catch in the boat, Snow said.

Snow said the men entered three of the stashed fish in the tournament's weigh-in at the end of the day.

That sparked an investigation into tournaments the pair had previously won, Snow said.

Kentucky State Police Sgt. Brent White said Nesmith and Thomas won several thousand dollars and a bass boat worth $30,000 by catching fish before a tournament, then submitting the fish as being caught during the competition.

The two men were arrested Tuesday after the grand juries approved the indictments.