To See or Not to See:
Seeing is Believing by Bruce Callis
Anglers have always been looking for a way to get better at catching those green and brown fish we love. From special baits, improved lines, better reels and rods, anything we can come up with that will give us an advantage. We will never stop trying to get better.
We all remember those glass bottomed boats, being able to see what is below us on the bottom. From these early ideas, the bathyscope, or Flogger, was born. It was first used in Europe for underwater viewing or sight fishing. And it has caught on with smallmouth anglers up north and on the Great Lakes.
We all are use to sight fishing bedding bass. We know that light, wind, and depth all affect our ability to see them. But once they moved out a little deeper, it becomes even more difficult. And smallmouth bass don’t get up on the bank to spawn. How do you see them in adverse conditions? The Flogger.
But what exactly is a Flogger, and how does it work? It is basically a telescope for looking onto the bottom. The top is just big enough for the face to fit the end so both eyes can be open to view the bottom. It is usually 3 feet long, and the end that you put down into the water is usually wider and has a glass plate across it. A cone shape is the best way to describe a Flogger. Basically, you look down through it to the bottom.
Largemouth bass get on bed in the shallows and we all know that seeing them is everything. It’s the same with smallmouth bass. The difference is that smallmouth can be in much deeper water. While the clear water helps when they are in say 10 feet of water, wind and sun can make it difficult. And if they are out deeper, as smallmouth will do, it can be very difficult. And with Forward Facing Sonar, anglers are able to see more, but it doesn’t tell everything. The Flogger is one of those tools that the angler uses to see the bass below on their bed. And if an angler uses it enough, they are able to tell exactly how big the bass are as well.
You can’t use it like FFS, as you can only look straight down. And you can’t fish while trying to look at them either. But it does allow you to know what you are looking at and if you want to put in the time to catch them. Now you can use your other equipment to help you see where you are throwing.
Is it cheating? There is no electronic equipment used. You don’t drop a camera to see them clearly. You have to lean over the side of the boat in order to use it. It sounds so easy, but yet, it takes a lot of practice. And if I am going up north to fish for those big smallmouth bass, especially during the spawn, I am going to spend my money to have one. Wouldn’t you?
The Heat is On: When is the Water too hot to Fish
By Calvin Herndon
I had a question that was rolling around in my brain this week, and I wanted to do some research to see if I could get some answers to my question. The question is, when is the water too hot to have a bass tournament? As I was scrolling through my social media, I would see all these posts of night tournaments in the summer. You don’t see a lot of night fishing in the fall, winter, or spring. I began to do my research, and this is what I have found.
A piece of information that needs to be considered is what temperature can bass tolerate? Largemouth bass prefer water temperatures between 65-75 degrees for optimal activity. Largemouth can tolerate up to 86 degrees water temperature, but beyond that temperature, they begin to become sluggish and may struggle to find suitable conditions. What are some effects on the bass during hot water days?
Just like humans, bass can be stressed out, it may look a little different, though. In the case of human stress, we have things we can do or medications that can be prescribed to manage our stress. Bass on the other hand, their stress is predominantly environmental. What does this mean? When water temperatures begin to get hot, it can cause oxygen loss, which is the reason a bass will find deeper water in the summer. The water is cooler deeper down, the bass goes, which means the oxygen saturation is better. What happens if a bass cannot find suitable conditions in the summer?
In the summer, we see more dead fish being brought to the scales. Why do we think that is happening? Bass can die from water saturation, which means the rise in warm water to the surface and cooler water, which is dense,r sinking to the bottom of the lake. Another reason is oxygen depletion. Natural processes like decomposition and respiration consume oxygen in the deeper layers of the water, which leads to lower oxygen levels. What can be done to keep fish alive in the summer?
In my opinion, things that could help our bass this summer are pretty simple. Make sure your boat is equipped with a working aeration system. In the summer, I personally will put ice in my livewells and some type of additive to keep the fish’s stress level down. Something else that I think would help is limiting tournament times. For example, if a lot of the clubs around my area do 6 AM to 12 PM, this is the cooler part of the day, which allows your mortality chances to be lower because it is cooler during these hours.
Where has creativity gone in bass fishing?
By Carson Maddux
With ICAST week fastly approaching, we will see each company’s attempt to reinvent the wheel. Every year we see a “trend” that seems to linger around every booth in the Orlando showroom. When a unique lure hits the market and people start winning tournaments on them, everyone and their mother has to make their version of it. We have seen this with the soft harness style swimbaits, jerkbaits, glidebaits, minnow baits, and this year FUZZY baits. It is almost comical the way the industry is going with “knock-offs” becoming so prevalent. That said, if you view these baits less as a specific product and more as a forefather to a new lure category, you can not blame companies for taking advantage of the craze. I have touched on this topic in the past, but I feel like now is a good time to revisit. Is creativity gone in bass fishing lure manufacturing? Based on the amount of lookalikes I would say yes, but at the same time they all had to stem from somewhere. The dice and fuzzy bait trend has to be one of the more unique ones I can remember. If we could travel time and show 1990’s Hank Parker a video of someone livescoping fish on a fuzzy dice he would probably ask for a picture of our flying tow vehicles as well. All jokes aside, the enormous increase in participation has caused bass to become more intelligent and harder to catch. Likewise, anglers have adapted to come up with unique ways to target these stubborn fish. Intelligent and witty anglers alter their baits and with trail and error new baits are born. I am afraid that the number of innovators in the tackle industry is shrinking and the number of copiers is increasing.
I would like to see more companies drop unique lures that try to create a new space in our arsenal, not just an alternative to what is already there. ICAST hasn’t even started yet and I bet I’ve seen five different companies start to promote their fuzzy baits. The tradeshow used to serve as a place for companies to showcase their products and for everyone in the industry to get together in one setting. Now we are seeing major companies pull out of the show and showcase their products on their own. Pure Fishing, who used to have one of the most dominating showroom presences, decided to pull out and have their own “symposium” this year. The decision makes sense as they can control their own narrative and not get lost in the sea of baits.
With social media becoming increasingly more prevalent, I believe the show will fizzle out over time. It used to be just for insiders in the industry, but now just about anyone can get an ICAST badge. I hope that there is a revelation in the industry and more companies begin to lean on their niche rather than try to create an umbrella of lesser versions of other’s products. I am curious to see how this year’s show turns out and hope to be surprised with some good releases.