A CHUNK for Rusty Brown...

This weekend will probably see a bigger crowd than opening day (Wednesday, Feb. 1) but word trickling in suggests there are some fish to catch as long as the weather holds. Although you may be able to root out fish on cuts or rockpiles from the narrows to the dam, the most common denominator of reports I’ve received are the deeper tules or reeds.

Orange County guide Rusty Brown  offered this, “I’d say, eight to 11 feet, on the isolated, deeper tules with a little rock.” In the case of his biggest fish of the day–an 8 1/2-pounder–he worked Bernardo Bay with a black jig and black pork rind trailer.

In keeping with the early season movements of the fish, which are often better as the sun gets higher, it was no surprise that Brown got his best one around 11 a.m.

But don’t discount methods you’re comfortable with on other waters. One unnamed Lake Havasu transplant revealed his double limits also came from in front of the tules, only he used the reliable drop-shot.

Be aware, Hodges is not the same bass factory it was back in the 1980′s, at least for now, said Brown who takes clients here with some regularity. “Guys need to know, you work at it and look to get six or seven bites. But the way the lake is fishing, a good number of those will go three to six pounds.”

TODAY'S COLA catch was not too short of 8 pounds.

UPDATED, 4 p.m. Tuesday–Anybody can make a lucky cast, and I admit to those all the time. But following up on the theme of yesterday’s cola 4.8 Flick-Shake performance, we put the little worm back on display and the oily little shaker came through again. The result, this one at an even 7 pounds, 8 ounces.

While the world of bass lures, colors, scents and configurations is fraught with contradictions, sometimes it’s still okay to hang on to what works. That’s the way I think about the cola-colored Flick-Shakes (but also watermelon pepper) in the 4.8-size because they just get more bites.

Of course, this puzzles Jackall’s Curt Arakawa. He sees the sales numbers and the 5.8-inch size clearly outsells them all. Worse than that (on the stat sheet), the cola color doesn’t move nearly so well (which probably explains why when I order five or 10 bags at a crack, they’re always in stock).

I admit, “cola” is an nondescript color. It’s an opaque red/chocolate that might remind you of the old Delongs or perhaps the Little Brownie from FlutterCraft. But over the last three years, that color (along with Jackall’s ugly watermelon-pepper) works all over the water clarity spectrum.

VIOLET SHAD and Dark Thunder Silver come in 5.8, but the cola 4.8 is king around here.

And yet, if sales of the brand new Violet Shad (morning pink without the blue) and Dark Thunder Silver, (a smoke-sparkle worm with a darker smoke sparkle side, plus green and black flake) are good enough, those could also become available in the gets-bit-even-better 4.8-inch size. I know that’s what I’m hoping for.

But, the real secret of the little baits comes as a result of lower sales in the 4.8′s. Yeah, the worms you buy from the “older,” slower-moving inventory actually work better! It wasn’t the intent of the manufacturer, but if you check out a bag of 4.8′s on the peg, they probably are wet with fish-attractant oil. Compare that to the 5.8′s that are dry in the bag.

What has happened, according to Curt, is the scent oil has leached out of the worms in storage so the packaged baits end up slithering around–and that’s what we look for.

Around here, we found out how potent that ”live fish” oil was by accident. When occasionally we’d pull other worms out of trays and put them in the empty 4.8 Flick-Shake bags, instantly, these all worked better: BPS, homemade, pick-a-brand.

So now, needless to say, we don’t throw the bags away.

This could help (a 30-second video).  Just click on the screen when you get to the site–it’s very brief. And it may convince you the best way to travel. (Or not). But I can tell you this: I’m towing my rig!

BTW: Thanks to actor/angler Sam Loya and the FX work from the incredible team at Video Co-Pilot. (What’s in a name?)

HODGES could shine...

Even since the “reopening” of Lake Hodges in 1979, there have been about as many opening day booms as busts. Wednesday, Feb. 1, the near 1200-acre reservoir’s 2012 season kicks off and I don’t think anyone is sure of the prospects.

For those who were still hoping the lake would shake out of the doldrums since the pipe to Olivenhein Reservoir was completed, most got mixed signals last year. In late summer there were some square-bill cranking action, as well as  Senko or wacky jig fishing in less than 10 feet, but even that was short-lived.

In fact, the City Lake reports were showing less than a dozen bass a week at times throughout the year–just awful. But the potential is there. The bait is there. The cover is thick, and the Florida strain genes still inhabit the bass population.

A lot of things have been blamed on the poor showing the last couple of seasons: high water and inaccessbile fish in the cover as well as fewer bass, due to poor quality run-off from preceding winters. A couple things we do know. They will be having boat inspections so clean and dry will rule the day. Also, you won’t be sharing the water with any rental boats as the concession is closed for now.

Of course, you also might make that perfect cast like Michael McLernan (note photo) did a couple of seasons back. And that could really make your day.

BTW: The lake is open Wednesdays and weekends and ramp conditions are good.

All fishermen who call California their primary residence will be eligible for consideration, regardless of their participation preferences, be it as recreational anglers, guides, big bass specialists or tournament anglers. Any lawful methods of take (at the time and in the specific waters fished) may be utilized in order to assess anglers’ relative performances.

And yes, Michael Josephson, “Character counts.”

As a point of clarification regarding tournament angling,” individual” or non-shared weight event performances will be given added consideration over shared weight events. Success in multiple circuits will outweigh single tour success, unless a circuit features exceptional, national competition. Obviously, year end tour rankings provide a benchmark that is also relative to the Top 40 positioning.

Also, though they may choose not to employ all of the latest tools at their disposal, competitors in the Bassmaster Elite Series will remain eligible for consideration in 2012. 

Hey, it’s very early in the year, but I am expecting great things from bass fishermen all across the Golden State.

The only compelling story I see is if Matt Newman (once of Casitas fame) can pull out a couple of those 4- to 5-pound spots from of his shared waters (reportedly with Zack Thompson). A win could make Newman relevant again after a couple of bleak competitive seasons.

Of course, this is what “tour fishing” is about. Rarely does the train stop at your favorite restaurant. But with such a whitewash of the veteran SoCals, any survivors will not only need to “get back in it” with a good showing at Lake Havasu, they will have to battle head-to-head with NorCal favorites down the stretch. The final two EverStart stops are at the Delta and Clear Lake.

True, half of Shasta’s top 10 aren’t likely to scare anyone on the Colorado River (even if they make the trip) but by scoring points and returning to more familiar waters for the final two events suggests, they (and even some of the North’s ”name” players who had disappointing finishes in the opener) still have room for error. I don’t think that’s true for the LoCals.

One thing is for sure. With the compressed schedule this year (it’s all over before May), we’ll know that much quicker if they crown another new Angler of the Year.

BRETT MILLS of the RCRCD holds a 6 1/4-pounder transplanted in Lake Elsinore...

UPDATED, Jan. 27, (new photo)–Well, here’s the very latest bass report from Lake Elsinore–and it ain’t bad.

According to our outgoing, Region 6 biologist Ben Ewing, the 3400-acre natural lake just got a population boost. His email reads: “Today, the Department with the help of Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District (RCRCD) was able to plant 65 largemouth bass into Lake Elsinore.The average size was 1.22 pounds with the kicker being 6.25 pounds.”

PART OF 65 bass stocked in Elsie today by DFG and RCRCD.

The RCRCD does a number of things but specifically ”…promotes sustainability and natural resource stewardship and is responsible for advising land users and others about natural resources and their conservation.” As you can see by the backdrop of the photo, they deemed it necessary to move some fish from another location–and Lake Elsinore was the fortunate recipient.

BAIT STILL PLENTIFUL as birds will attest...

And there is more. While touring the wetlands on the south side of the dike, Lake, Parks & Recreation Director Pat Kilroy told me that due to environmental challenges of obtaining hybrid striped bass (so-called “wipers”) the $25,000 allotted to the fishery here will now go toward purchases of largemouth bass.

We can expect fish of several sizes, including some that would be “tournament ready” when they go in. And there is still plenty of bait here, as you can see by the photo I shot this morning.

COVER DROP was added Jan. 27.

Pretty nice.

Finishing out the week in Western Riverside County, DFG’s Ben Ewing emailed:  ”the Department and the City of Elsinore placed multiple brushshelters and rip rap into Lake Elsinore.  The Christmas trees used were from Riverside Waste Management and the rip rap was donated by M.S. Inspections.”

(Bass photos courtesy DFG)

LOTS OF TARGETS may require shorter rod and more casts to cover...

I guess nobody on the Left Coast would argue the point. When you’re lofting 12-inch swimbaits with your 8-foot specialty rod (or a cluster of baits with an A-Rig for that matter) you don’t make a lot of casts in an hour. Certainly you can’t make as many as you would throwing any typical crankbait or spinnerbait with a typical 7-foot rod.

But I don’t know that we always think of the relationship of rod length and casting pace.  And not just because everyone is drop-shotting and doesn’t care how long it takes to work the bait. In the West, we just don’t correlate success as relative to the number of casts we make in a day.

Yet it could matter.

I had this discussion with Rick Clunn this morning (because I was contemplating the purchase of a 7 1/2-foot Earth Warrior rod) for use out in the desert. But, he advised against it because, when covering long stretches or wide areas of relatively shallow water, he still feels I would still be better served with a 7-footer–because I could make more presentations in a given span of time.

He conceded that if you were dialed in on a pattern and area where fewer but select long casts were more of what was needed, then the longer rod would be the better tool. That has worked for many U.S. Open contenders since Greg Hines got us throwing Zara Spooks in the early 1980′s.

But for the uninterrupted covering of water, the side-arm or sub-sidearm cast is quicker than reaching back on the overhand, thrusting forward and releasing at a chin-level position. From Clunn’s perspective, much of the choice has to do with the structure elements in front of you. “At some point,” he described, “I might be throwing across a point [needing a longer cast] but then, I might next be back in the pocket [where control and repetition might be needed].”

For that likelihood, and for the practical reason for most angler/consumers, he said, ”If you’re limited in what you can have, then you want the rod that has more applications.” In that case, he was recommending the 7-footer over the 7 1/2.

That’s not to say, Rick doesn’t have a specific use for the 7 1/2 from Wright & McGill. “I made it for deep cranking and the trend of anglers using fluoro or fluoro leaders for getting more depth out of their crankbaits. Many of the guys are going 12-pound fluoro, and that won’t hold up as well with a heavy action rod, that’s why this has the lighter tip.”

But yes, when throwing the Mann’s Deep 30, Norman Deep 22 or the new Luck-E-Strike Freak (available next month) he will give up total presentations for fewer of the longest ones that let the bait get down.

LAKE MEAD--will petitioners stay home?

UPDATED, [FLW responds]–Of course, the U.S. Open rules have not been altered at this writing, but will recent petitioners–those calling for the elimination of the Alabama rig, AKA umbrella rig in several circuits–now have a new excuse for missing the annual summer challenge on Lake Mead?

The Arizona regulations (which are typically shared with Nevada) say this: “Angling” means the taking of fish by one line and not to exceed two hooks, by one line and one artificial lure, which may have attached more than one hook, or by one line and not to exceed two artificial flies or lures.

That would be pretty convenient for them (to go along with ”too hot,” or “fish too small” or “don’t like shared weight”) if WON Bass did as they usually do, adhere to or adjust their tournament rules to coincide with those of the specific fishing waters being plied. There is nothing in that wording above that suggests one could not use so-called ”teasers” that would allow for the configuration of an umbrella rig–and yet, just two lures.

But what if the ultimately approved rig (approved by those who ultimately approve*) only allowed one lure, but included four or five teasers–even say, four or five narrow willow blades, and one longer “whiskey line” (a trolling term for the furthest trailing bait) with the one-and-only permitted ”lure” attached?  That would be one heck of a “spinnerbait” to cast, but would it still still scare away those now claiming a “higher standard?”

The fallout from the Elite ban on multi-rigs is not just the umbrella spreader, but the elimination of a whole sector of other combination rigs in use for the last two decades. It is a pair of current Elite anglers Gary Klein and Kevin Van Dam who, respectively, revealed to me the use of tandem Gitzits and a Front-Runner for topwater at Lake Mead; and the tandem fluke rig on the Finger Lakes in New York.

While these exceptional pros will adapt to any rule changes, they wouldn’t have had to adapt until fear struck the tournament ranks. Yeah, fear. The Elite Series had been roughly a 40-guy circuit. In the rules committee’d eyes, the A-rig method was so absolutely unfailing, it made all 95 guys a threat to win. Wow, hate to have any competition.

But I don’t fish any tours. And frankly, when it comes to the Alabama rig: don’t own one, haven’t thrown one. But I sure hope the possibility of someone using something like it in September won’t keep any of those petitioners from staying home and missing the show. The angling public would sure like to see ‘em there.

* And wouldn’t you know it? One of those circuits has responded to the petitions regarding the Alabama rig: FLW will continue allow them. Click here.

In case you hadn’t heard, the Rules Committee for the high visibility, 100-angler elite circuit just came out with a truly Neanderthal ruling, eliminating multi-bait rigs entirely from the Elite Series and the Bassmasters Classic.  Indeed, the ruling is so stringent, it mandates only the use of “a single lure during practice and competition.”

As the latest press release states: “No longer permitted are double soft jerkbait rigs, drop shot rigs with jigs used as weights, double topwater setups and other multi-lure rigs, such as ‘umbrella rigs’.”

Of course, these geniuses are entitled to play by any rules they want–it’s a Bass Anglers Closed Society. But the justification is as lame as a wounded camel. There is nothing in the rationale about the arguable ethical or fish conservation concerns. Nope. According to the release, “Rules Committee members believe the rig eliminates some of the skill that should be required in tournament competition at the highest level. “It doesn’t matter how you work it,” said one of the anglers. “The fish can’t help themselves.”

Trip Weldon, the Tournament Director and admitted admirer of the technique, was quoted as saying, “… the Elite Series Rules Committee members unanimously asked to be held to a higher standard. We have decided to honor their recommendation.”

Even Bruce Akin, the CEO of BASS, doesn’t seem to recognize the implications of the ban. He was quoted as saying, “We are as excited as the rest of the country about the new multi-lure rigs…Our Classic and Elite tournaments simply have a higher standard for the sake of competition.”

This was reprised when yet another unnamed member of the rules committee was quoted as saying,  “…our events represent the highest level of professionalism in our sport and I think as participants of these events, we should be held to a higher standard, as well. I like the idea of one rod, one reel, one lure.”

Yes, by all means, let’s eliminate innovation. Let’s go back to all fiberglass rods, or 150-horse engines or seven rods and 10 pounds of tackle. Let’s get Forrest Wood building those TR3′s again. And then, let’s turn our back on potential sponsorship visibility and move promotional elements as far away from the most recognizable circuit in the world.

Yep. Ask the bass fishing celebrities what they want and this is what you get. These cowboys just defined “a higher standard” as sticking with inferior tools and techniques. Makes you proud, don’t it?