Zel

Well, I glad he decided to remove himself, rather than get banned which is for life! By deleting himself, it allows him to come back some time in the future. I will look forward to some day again seeing those unique fish catching pics, and of course the mega-shades.

I kept a journal when I fished tournaments quite a bit. Now, since I only fish one or two tournaments a year, I have become lax with the journal. This is because I have concentrated on only two lakes recently, which I'm pretty familiar with. I only make notes when something "different" happens. Keeping a journal does help in my opinion, especially if you only fish a lake once or twice a year. My last journal entry: "Muddy Man is a human Color C-Lector. He knows optimum color bass see in water before the electronics do. Hmmm, wondered why he kept sticking finger in the water."

AND SO IT BEGINS!

I was raising a family, working 50 hours a week on average, and getting my college education at night and weekends. In 1989 I had finished my masters program, and suddenly realized I had some extra time on my hands. My fishing up till then was very sporadic due to limited free time, but I was a pretty good bass angler beating the banks. I went to an outdoor show in early March 1990, and visited the PA Bass Federation Booth. I have always been the competitive type. I noticed a flyer for their District tournaments, which mentioned co-anglers, and inquired about competing in some of their tournaments. They informed me that I needed to belong to a BASS club in order to fish the District tournaments. They told me to come to a district meeting, and talk to the District Tournament Director, so he could direct me to the different clubs and see which one I could join. So several weeks later I went after work, in suit and tie as I was an accountant, and tried to talk to the Tournament Director (who was no where to be found) and then tried to talk with several of the clubs, but no one wanted to speak to me (they all said they were filled up). Finally one club, located 30 miles from my home, gave me a date and time to come to their next meeting. When I went, I found out that the District Tournament Director was in a little domestic trouble with the police, and everyone at the District meeting thought I was an undercover cop, so no one was willing to talk to me. The club that agreed to have me come only did so to get me out of the restaurant (meeting place). Well, I joined the club and fished my first club tournament in late March at Greenwood Lake on the NJ/NY border. It was 30 degrees, freezing rain, with high winds causing negative wind chill factors and dangerous water conditions. The boat owner drove his Tri-Hull like it was a warm calm day, so needless to say I was wet, frozen, and shaking in my boots from pure fear by the time we got to the first spot. I didn't have the necessary clothing for the conditions and spent the entire day in pure misery, including having to remove ice from the eyelets after every cast. We went to the weigh-in 1/2 hour early (8 hour tourney), and found out only the tournament director remained in the marina. Everyone else had come in 4 hours earlier and went home. Also two larger boats received damage from the conditions. After he weighed in his limit of fish (I caught none), I told him if this is what tournament fishing is all about, I want nothing to do with it! He said come to the next meeting, and give it one more shot because it does get better. At the meeting, he told the club that if anyone doesn't vote me in, there would be hell to pay, because this guy fishing his first tournament didn't once complain throughout arguably the worst conditions the club had seen in 10 years. Well, I made state team my first year, and within two years I became the club's Tournament Director. That first year fishing the State Team tournament, I was in 8th place after the first day, but ended up with a 26th place finish, with (if memory serves me right) 422 anglers in the tournament. TOURNAMENT FISHING IS ADDICTING!

RW great pic! Let me guess, the bass was all washed out from catching them in the depths, you spread Desitin all over your face to avoid glare, and you were wearing a white snowmobile suit while fishing in a blizzard. :

I was tournament director for my bass club for around 7 years. Yeah, planning, permits, and reporting sure is fun, isn't it? I did my Tournament Results and Y/T/D Standings on a self-created MS Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet would have been too hard for people in the club to maintain. When I had to resign from the club and the T.D. position because of an injury, I presented the club with info on 3 different Tournament Director software programs, and can't recall which they picked. One thing that I changed early on, is I made any tournament issues - not the decision of the tournament director, but rather the decision of tournament committee, which comprised the 6 club officials (or as many were at the tourney as long as there was a quorum) sure made life as a tournament director much easier. My district at the time liked what I did for my club, and the Dist. President was talking to me about taking over the District T.D. job right before I had to resign. If you need any info or advice, you can always PM me. Good Luck!

Shadcranker covered most of the list.... and then some! I would be extra sure to have some Rat'L'Traps, LC Pointers and Original Rapala Floaters.

Welcome! For me, 50 degree water means suspending jerkbaits, smoke grubs, and jigging spoons.

Yeah... I'll play. Smallmouth for me. I don't have an true "avid style," pic so I used a little cut and paste license... don't want to start off with a penalty. (and had to get the blur just right)

Do you think you can get them back to the lake to recreate it. I'll take my video camera and ice skates along.

Oooooops, sorry a bit of dyslexia on my part! No demotion intended. Let me correct that. SFC_AL AMERICA'S TOP MOOK Your service and sacrifice are greatly appreciated.

SPC_AL... AMERICA'S TOP MOOK! got a chuckle at your location "whever Uncle Sam tells me to"

Yeah probably... but after your 7th trip and not catching anything over 2 lbs, I would find the funds somehow.

I voted Bullet Bug. Wish I would have seen the original post. After looking at it now, I would have thrown in my 2cents, (as I always do) and offered the name Steezy Jig (Steezy is a term from snowboarding meaning Style and Easy).

Here's two I know of: http://teambass-usa.com/html/tourny.html http://www.fomntt.com/schedule.php?year=2008 And some general tourney info (particularly check out the ABA): http://njbassanglers.com/board/index.php?PHPSESSID=699905e06d631a0b6df43922ac4134e4&board=5.0

Now if only they could invent a system that tracks only bass over 5 lbs.

Now these youngins are referring to themselves as attractive... how metrosexual. Next thing you know we'll be hearing them discuss their "sportsmen pedicures."

Good thinking Muddy, right now take one day at a time. Soon the season will start. Up to a trip to Mauch Chunk next month after ice out and clear the head?

Oh crap, just saw this. Never been comfortable with public accolades. You're welcome Russ, no need for a public thank you. You know why I do it, and I'm glad to help anyone here in little ways. I get everything I need just knowing it's helping a fellow BR member. There seems to be some really terrific guys and gals here behind the typed words. Joe Z.

Can't comment on the two you have listed. I picked up 5 packs of the Roboworm 4 finesse worms last spring because I ran out of the old style Berkley hand poured finesse worms. I like this type of worm for early spring. Although the Roboworm have some outstanding colors, I didn't like them as much. I didn't think they were quite as soft, and lacked some action compared to the Berkley. Bottom line for me was they didn't produce as well as the old style Berkley. This year I'm going to go back to Berkley and try the new style hand poured finesse worms.

Muddy, hope you find what you're looking for. You might want to call your local libary and see if they have "Fishing natural lakes" by Dick Sternberg. As a rule of thumb, when fishing the natural lakes in Pike, Wayne, and Lackawanna counties in PA, or Swartswood Lake in NJ, I go by some simple guidelines: 1. Choose the right Color Lure Color seems to be more important in natural lakes than it does in reservoirs. In dark and dirty water I use brighter colored baits. On a bright day or in clear water use more subtle and natural dark colors. My usual lure arsenal are spinnerbaits, deep diving crankbaits (even though most natural lakes are not very deep because they are formed by glaciers, rather than by damming up creeks as in reservoirs), tube baits, 4 finesse worms, and Senko type baits. 2. Go to Vegetation and Cover/Structure Most natural lakes are fairly shallow, so in a natural lake bass relate to vegetation and cover or structure (because a natural lake usually doesn't have a channel or creek arms). Find weed lines and points as your prime areas. Bass are looking for anything they can use as an ambush spot, so finding cover like wood, rock or vegetation is your best bet. 3. Find the Baitfish I think this is more important in natural lakes than in reservoirs. The bass follow big schools of bait around, and it seems they relate to the baitfish more than to anything else.

Go for what the heart feels Muddy. I've heard Brooklyn called a lot of things before, but never Heaven.

Alpster, Can't help you, wish I could. If no one offers you one to use, consider contacting some local marines. Many have used motors for sale. Who knows, maybe they will even rent you one (the guys at M&H Marine are pretty good at helping people out in a fix). And coming from a marine, you can be reasonably assured it will run. Here is a listing from the local marine I use, located in Lehighton, PA (and I think they have more than is listed on their website). http://www.mhmarine.com/Inventory.ivnu

Santa... you forgot my Shimano Stella this past Christmas! I wasn't that bad, only just a little. :'(

Burley (insert adjective here), all I can say is with friends like that who needs enemas.