| I know many of you have seen a column in | | | | impossible for the sun, or anything to reach |
| Basssmaster magazine where they challenge a | | | | them, in this 1-2 foot jungle. I think after |
| "Pro," to go to an unknown lake and they | | | | generations of spawning here unsuccessfully |
| chronicle each hour with what the Pro was | | | | many times, that they (meaning the guarding |
| casting, where they were casting, and why, | | | | males, and the larger females), " have been |
| and see what they end up with at the end of | | | | programmed to just go on beds earlier than |
| the day. Most of the lakes they have them | | | | some other lakes, or even most rivers, but I |
| fish, are always bigger than anything in | | | | think they are in closer to the shores, in |
| Delaware or most of Maryland. They are better | | | | whatever bottom is the hardest, and has the |
| than our lakes to begin with, once you have | | | | best water conditions, whether it is on the |
| progressed to the level of fishing where you | | | | North shore or not." I was skeptical, but we |
| can always catch some fish wherever you go, | | | | went in anyway, me switching back and forth |
| no matter how notoriously bad of a lake it | | | | between the buzz bait, Fluke, and spinner |
| is; and many times catching & landing, some | | | | bait as we went in through the pads. He moved |
| quite large fish from places where most | | | | into within 20 feet of shore, and was |
| people never even see bass over 4 pounds. I | | | | throwing a 5 inch "Senko," and a "IKA" Tube, |
| am or course referring to here in the | | | | and a Spinner bait.8:10 am.-Kurt vonBrandt |
| Northeast, such as Delaware, Maryland, New | | | | lands a 1 1/2 pound bass on the spinner bait, |
| Jersey, and Pennsylvania.So I challenged Kurt | | | | he says "It's a male" guarding or even |
| vonBrandt, of S&K Guide Service, to a day on | | | | feeding on what has hatched".8:15 am.- I hook |
| a lake we will call "Lake G," on the borders | | | | a 2 pound bass in the pads on a buzz bait, |
| of New Castle and Kent county, DE. This is a | | | | the water temperature is 66.8:30 am.-Another |
| public lake that is within reach of | | | | bass in the shallow shore mixed with pads and |
| Wilmington, and Dover, in about 45 minutes. | | | | wood swirls at the buzz bait, but doesn't get |
| It has a shallow, muddy, muck bottom, with | | | | it. It is too thick to use a trailer |
| most of the pads so high and thick, you can't | | | | hook.8:45 am. -Kurt vonBrandt lands a small |
| reasonably fish them. Add to that, it is the | | | | bass on a Senko. He says "They're in this |
| color of chocolate milk, and at the time, had | | | | area." If I could see their beds, this would |
| a water temperature of 62-66 degrees | | | | be easier."9:05 am.-Kurt vonBrandt lands a |
| throughout the day.There is no deeper spot in | | | | bass on a "Sala Tube" back in 8 inches of |
| the lake than 4 feet in the main body, and | | | | water. It is 14 inches long. He says" Another |
| the rest is all 1 1/2 to 2 feet deep, | | | | male, I know these females are close, but all |
| everywhere that is, except for the shore, | | | | the area is the same. I think the bigger fish |
| which is 5-12 inches! A front is getting | | | | will be in the best areas, on the shore with |
| ready to move through, and it rained the day | | | | sun most of the day, and some kind of wood |
| and night before we arrived for several | | | | mixing with pads and grasses." He sees a Carp |
| hours. Kurt vonBrandt has a Spinnerbait, | | | | about 15 pounds, jump out of the water in |
| Buzzbait, 2 different makes and colors of | | | | front of the boat, he says "Sometimes the |
| tube baits, a Senko, and a crank bait rigged | | | | carp are with those bass!"10:25 am.- I catch |
| on 7 foot "G.Loomis"and "St.Croix" rods, with | | | | a 2 pound bass on the buzz bait in real |
| "Shimano" and "Daiwa" reels, spooled with | | | | shallow wood,.10:32 am.- Kurt vonBrandt |
| 14-30 pound test line by "Berkley"and | | | | throws a Rat, then a Tournament frog, in some |
| "Spiderline". He has 2 spinning rods rigged | | | | unconventional ways, and Says "I just had to |
| with a 3 inch Mister Twister Grub on 12 pound | | | | prove to myself that they weren't out here in |
| test, and a 4" "Centipede" in watermelon on | | | | the pads". He throws a spinner bait in the |
| the other.THE TAKE OFF"6:45 am.-We arrive at | | | | area for a few minutes.10:46 am.-Kurt |
| the lake, with no boats there. We launch and | | | | vonBrandt sets the hook, and lands a 3 pound |
| start fishing.7:15 am.- I decide that in a | | | | bass from the shallow wood on an "IKA" Tube |
| shallow muddy lake, with that water | | | | in smoke. He says "I saw that move, I know |
| temperature, and the angle of the sun this | | | | they're in there on beds, or even finished!"I |
| time of year, and being that all the other | | | | said "Do you really think that all the bass |
| fish were fairly active and large in the | | | | are in that shallow water, and some of them |
| rivers, I put on a buzz bait, as I felt that | | | | are already on and even off the beds?" He |
| would be a good search bait for me in the | | | | said, I have seen times when the bigger bass |
| back, doing most of the observing and | | | | were on beds as soon as the water |
| filming.7:28 am. -Kurt vonBrandt is using a | | | | temperatures got to a steady temperature of |
| Terminator Spinner bait in 3/8 ounce, double | | | | 60-65 degrees, with the sun at the proper |
| willow blades, with a Golden Shiner Skir, a | | | | angle."11:45 am.- we work the outside edges |
| bass swirls at the bait in 8 inches of water, | | | | of the channel on the way to some of the |
| but misses, Kurt immediately throws a Gary | | | | other shallow wood in the lower half of the |
| Yamamoto "IKA" tube, right where it swirled | | | | lake. Kurt vonBrandt throws spinner bait, and |
| at the buzz bait. He does this several times, | | | | a "Sala" Tube into the pads. I throw a |
| but it doesn't strike. He said," I know | | | | Chartreuse Mann's Baby 1-minus, no |
| there's bass in this area now. So I have to | | | | takers.12:05 pm.-My arms are starting to hurt |
| figure out what they are doing right?" He | | | | from repetitious casting, but I bear down, |
| then moved the boat into shallow water about | | | | and keep fan casting the area. Kurt vonBrandt |
| 20 feet ahead, being extremely quiet with the | | | | flips a tube into a tree in 6 inches of |
| trolling motor. He said, "I need to see if | | | | water, a catches another 1 1/2 pounder. He |
| they are on beds, or are making beds, or | | | | fishes the area hard for the females, but no |
| traveling together, and if there are any | | | | takers.1:06 pm.- The wind starts blowing |
| baitfish fry in the area" I questioned him | | | | harder, and it starts to drizzle a little; |
| further, while throwing the buzzbait and a | | | | Kurt vonBrandt sets the hook on a 2 pounder, |
| spinnerbait in the pads. I said 64 or 65 | | | | and says" That female's in here |
| degrees is traditionally thought of as an | | | | somewhere".1:28 pm.- We work the edges of the |
| almost perfect temperature to catch some | | | | road, and dam with spinnerbaits, "Senko's", |
| prespawn bass on spinner baits, Buzz baits, | | | | and "Yamamoto Tubes". Kurt vonBrandt sets the |
| walking baits, (Jerk baits, if it was clear | | | | hook on another 1 1/2 pound bass. What's |
| enough), Flukes, jigs, in wood/pad | | | | that? He says, 5 fish at about 11 or 12 |
| combinations; that should be deadly on these | | | | pounds? I say "Somewhere in there." He says, |
| bass out here in the deeper pads on the edges | | | | that's not good enough, I need a kicker fish |
| near the channel, and in the mouths of little | | | | now."1:55 pm.- I keep alternating between a |
| bays and inlets.We always wear our Fish Hedz | | | | fluke, crankbait, and buzzbait, but no |
| masks now . It is a eye saver and bug | | | | takers.2:00 pm.- Kurt vonBrandt says" I |
| catching miracle that has long been awaiting | | | | wouldn't have much time left now if this were |
| bass anglers for years.He said "I think you | | | | a tournament, I need a bigger female." He |
| are right normally, but because this is so | | | | moves the boat into position of a large lay |
| shallow all over, and always muddy, and the | | | | down, one of the few in the lake, and makes |
| same depth, and I think that because of this, | | | | 10 or 15 casts down each limb of the tree. He |
| the bass need to spawn sooner, because of the | | | | says," this is the spot, you just have to |
| lack of places to do this successfully later, | | | | present it to them at different angles, and |
| as the pads grow up so high above the | | | | speeds, and keep bumping the logs."2:05 |
| surface, and are so dense, that it is almost | | | | pm.-Kurt vonBrandt says" OH YES! |