Arizona <b>Fishing</b> Report - Fall Foliage &amp; Active Trout

This is it folks -- one of the two best times of year to catch fish.Arizona Fishing Report - Fall Foliage & Active Trout

Rory's Tip

The nights in the deserts are dropping into the seventies and mountain nights are sinking into the chilly 40s -- fall fishing conditions are underway. Those lowering nighttime temperatures, and the shortened daylight hours, combine to drop water temperatures into the prime activity ranges for bass in the warmwater lakes and trout in the mountain waters.

Here's an example of what is happending out there. My friend Mike McFarland, who guides for Hook Up Outfitters, called me with a great fish tale on Monday morning. One of the guides was fishing Lake Pleasant during the weekend and hooked into a decent sized striped bass. As the striper was struggling at the end of the line, a huge striper came along and swallowed it whole. The smaller striper got stuck in the larger striper's mouth, allowing the guide to land both of them together.

The smaller striper measured 18 inches. The large striper measured 40 inches long and weighed 22 pounds.

Isn't that a hoot?

McFarland pointed out that this isn't just a fishing tale, it's an object lesson: if you want to catch a giant fish, it helps to use a big fish as bait. It's one of the reasons anglers use life-sized lures called swim baits, although Mike said he isn't aware of any freshwater lure the size of the 18-inch striper.

Please keep in mind that it is not legal to use striped bass or another other sport fish as live bait to catch, well, other sportfish. However check the regulations, at Lake Pleasant, Alamo Lake and the impoundments along the Verde and Salt rivers it is okay to use live carp or sunfish as live bait (collected on site only).

Pleasant is doing great for both striped bass and largemout bass. Anglers are often finding both species of bass actively feeding at the surface, especially in the northern areas of the lake. McFarland said Alamo has a great topwater bite and the bass fishing remains great at Saguaro.

There is a pretty good spoon and topwater bite for striped bass at Lake Powell right now (see the Lake Powell report below). My friend Terry Gunn at Lees Ferry sent me an e-mail saying there is a superb bite right now for wild rainbows and the weather is near perfect.

It doesn't get much better than Big Lake for trout this time of year. There's just a hint of color in the aspens at the higher elevations right now, but according to my high country sources, the bull elk are calling like crazy right now. There's not much better than hooking into a big cutthroat trout at Big Lake while listening to a raucous chorus of hormone crazed elk.

Another one of my fall favorites for elk calling is Knoll Lake along the Mogollon Rim. It's one of our most remote trout lakes, and it's sure a pretty drive there along the famous Rim Road, which pretty much follows the General Crook Trail. It shouldn't be long before the aspens turn color along this stretch as well. This is one of those places where the journey can be as exciting as the destination.

Writing about it makes me want to jump in the Jeep and head up there.

When trout are more active like this, it's sometimes best to use lures rather than bait, especially inline spinners like Mepps, Rooster Tails and the like. Casting spoons, such as KastMasters, can be devastating at times. I also like using rainbow-colored Rapalas. The larger more voracious trout will often feed on the smaller ones.

So go catch some autumn fishing memories while you can. With any luck, maybe I'll see you out there.

Read the Full Fishing Report

By Rory Aikens, AZGFD

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End of pier the place to catch big <b>bass</b>

SPECIMEN bass continue to be caught from the Admiralty pier at Dover with the very end of the pier again producing double-figure bass, writes Alan Yates.

Dover regular Brian Price, who works as a steward on Dover's Admiralty pier, landed three bass in midweek with the biggest a superb specimen of 12lb 8oz.

?I CAN SEE A RAINBOW: Martin Gibson with his 15lb rainbow trout.

The Sea Angler magazine cameras were there to record the event and the full story, with some impressive pictures, will appear in the next issue of the magazine. Others to catch bass from the pier include Dover's Matt Pennall, who landed a seven-pounder.

Around the region the fishing reflects the gradually changing season with the autumn fish starting to show up and a change coming over the inshore.

In the club competitions, the best fish was a 4lb 8oz smoothhound hooked by Folkestone angler Melvin Lee in the latest Martin Walters Sea Anglers event fished from Folkestone pier.

Lee totalled 6lb 6oz to beat second-placed Jimmy McMurray and third-placed Rowan Lee.

THE latest Dungeness Angler Association event, also fished from Folkestone pier, was won by Paul Gunner with 7.80lb. John Smith of Ashford was second and Steve Harvey third.

The Fountain sea anglers fished a rover between Folkestone and Sandgate and the winner there was Sam Warne, of Hythe, fishing in the rocks at Folkestone where he landed two dogfish and pouting. Best fish of the event was a sole of 1lb 6oz.

FRESHWATER results include a nine-carp catch at Nichols Leisure lakes, Palmarsh for Mark Edwards, of Sheerness, who included a best 29lb 3oz mirror and a 19lb common fishing in the Long Bay with Matrix Boilies. The recent competition at Nichols was won by venue specialist Paul Watts, of Dover, fishing peg 58. Second was Paul Uden, third Rueben Heaton.

Folkestone Fly angling club anglers Martin Gibson and Ian Watts won the Hampshire and Kent heats of the Fishing for Heroes national competition and raised over £2000 in the process.

Martin won the Dever, Hampshire event with a 15lb rainbow trout and a total of four fish for 30lb. Ian took the Kent heat at Springhill fishery.

COMPETITIONS coming up include the Deal Marines Sea Angling Club charity competition in aid of Help for Heroes on the beach at Deal this Sunday, September 23. The fishing is from 12.30pm until 6.30pm. Entry fee is £10. For tickets and more details contact John ChidwicK on 07917 330034.

IF you have caught a big fish, won a match, freshwater or sea, why not let us know about it. Contact Alan Yates on 01303 250017, 07790 132656 or e-mail alankyates@aol.com.

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Fall Striped <b>Bass</b>: The Bucktail Jig

The Fall striped Bass migration is about to begin. About 90 percent of the fishing I do through out the year is with jigs and soft plastic baits. Over the next week I will be doing a series of short blogs outlining some techniques I use with jigs and soft plastic baits that will hopefully help you land more striped bass this Fall.

The Bucktail Jig

The bucktail jig is the most popular method with inshore anglers to catch striped bass from a boat, kayak or the surf. A basic setup for boat or kayak fishing would be a fast action 7 to 7 1/2 foot  rod rated for 1/2 to 1 1/2 lures. I use a 4000 size reel filled with 20 pound Power Pro or Sufix braid. I tie on 4 to 5 feet of 30 pound fluorocarbon leader with a Uni to Uni knot. To make sure I get the proper action out of the bucktail jig I tie it on the leader with a loop knot or use a clip like the Tactical Anglers clip. I use Uncle Josh Split Tail Sea Rind or 5 or 6 inch curly tail grub style soft plastic baits. I prefer the soft plastic baits and will switch to the Sea Rind if the bluefish are tearing the plastics apart.

Start by picking out a the lightest bucktail jig that will hold the bottom. A jig that is to light will not make it to the bottom and be swept away by the current and a jig that is to heavy will limit the action of the jig. I usually start fishing the marsh banks, I will cast  parallel to the marsh bank up tide let the jig sink to the bottom and crank it back only fast enough so that the jig is swimming near the bottom. You can give the jig a couple of twitches on the retrieve but it is not necessary . If you can't cast parallel to the marsh bank you can cast toward it. The bucktail jig also works great when casting under a bridge or working the flats.

The bucktail jig is the 1st lure taken out of most surf fishermen's surf bag when they hit the beach. It cast like a rocket so you can get the jig past the breaking waves. When fishing from the surf I prefer the Uncle Josh Sea Rind over the soft plastic baits, it's more durable and the action of the pork rind in the waves drives the stripers wild. When surf fishing you also pick out the lightest jig that will hold the bottom. The retrieve is simple, just crank it in fast enough so that it swims just off the bottom.

The bucktail jig looks like nothing that swims in the water but imitates everything. You can get bucktail jigs with a lot of hair tied on that will give the stripers a bait fish profile or one that is sparsely tied to imitate an eel. As far as colors go I use white, chartreuse and pink with white being the color I use 75 percent of the time. When fishing for striped bass don't overlook the simple bucktail jig. It's not the number one lure for striped bass for nothing.
Tight lines    

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Angler thinks he caught smallmouth <b>bass</b> at Ruedi

BASALT — Four years after anglers started hauling in perch from Ruedi Reservoir, a seasoned fisherman caught what he believes was a bass there Wednesday.

Marco de la Espriella said a juvenile fish, maybe 5 inches long, aggressively went after a spoon lure that was about half the fish's size. At first, he thought it was a tilapia but after reflection, he suspected that it was a bass.

“I've been fishing for 25 years, and I definitely know my fish,” de la Espriella said. “I can assure you it's not a trout.”

De la Espriella was fishing with his mom where the Upper Fryingpan River enters Ruedi Reservoir, on the far eastern side by Dearhamer campground. De la Espriella threw the fish back in the water. They didn't take a picture of it.

He and his mom researched freshwater fish via the Internet Thursday night and concluded that the fish he caught most likely was a smallmouth bass, based on the jawline. De la Espriella lives in Costa Rica, where he fishes extensively. He said the fish he caught at Ruedi resembles what's known as a “guapote” in Costa Rica. That fish is called a rainbow bass in the U.S., he said, though what he caught more closely resembled a smallmouth rather than a rainbow bass, based on images.

“The only reason we are not 100 percent sure that it is the smallmouth bass is because the one I caught had less stripes,” de la Espriella said, referring to a picture he saw of an adult smallmouth bass. “The one I caught had only two or three vertical stripes, but that could be because it was an infant.”

Kirk Webb, a fishing guide with Taylor Creek Fly Shop in Basalt, said it's plausible that someone could have illegally stocked smallmouth bass and they are surviving in the relatively warm water of the reservoir. While bass are an invasive species, he believes there is little chance they will pose a threat to the other fish in the reservoir. Colorado Parks and Wildlife stocks Ruedi with lake trout and kokanee salmon. Webb noted there are countless lakes in Minnesota and Michigan where multiple species of fish co-exist.

The bass also don't pose a threat to the gold-medal trout fishing waters of the lower Fryingpan River in Webb's estimation. The river water is too cold for the bass to reproduce, so they would die out if some got past the dam, he said.

When perch were discovered in Ruedi in August 2008, officials with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, now part of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said the danger was the perch competing with trout for a limited food supply at the reservoir.

Neither perch nor smallmouth bass are stocked at Ruedi Reservoir, said Mike Porras, a spokesman for the agency. There are cases in Colorado where anglers have intentionally stocked waterways with an invasive species or they allowed it to happen by using bait fish. Either way, it's illegal and can result in a fine and loss of hunting and fishing privileges.

“We call those people bucket biologists, and it's not a term of endearment,” Porras said. He stressed that he wasn't commenting specifically on Ruedi Reservoir. The agency hasn't detected the presence of smallmouth bass there, he said.

De la Espriella said his concern is the smallmouth will eat the more desirable lake trout, based on the aggressiveness of the small fish he caught. “Those fish will go after anything,” he said.

scondon@aspentimes.com

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<b>Bass Fishing</b> Hall of Fame 2013 Inductees Announced

Jack Wingate, to be inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame, was a legend on Lake Seminole. He appeared several times in Florida Sportsman Magazine, here with a white bass in the Oct. 1990 issue. Photo by Bob Burgess.

At its quarterly meeting held this week in Cullman, Ala., the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Board of Directors ratified the Hall’s 2013 inductees. In recognizition of their major impacts upon the world of bass fishing, tournament angler Mike Folkestad, fishing electronics innovator Darrell Lowrance and legendary guide, educator and lodge owner Jack Wingate will be formally inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame (BFHOF) during the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. The BFHOF Induction Banquet takes place on Friday, February 24, 2013 at the Hilton Doubletree Hotel in Tulsa, Okla.

Mike Folkestad, who makes his home in Orange, Calif., is nothing short of a fishing legend, although his name isn’t widely recognized outside of his native West Coast domain. However, he did fish back East in Bassmaster Invitationals in the late 1980s and later fished the Top 100s in the early ’90s. Folkestad’s accomplishments in the West are vast and unmatched. He’s a three-time WON Bass U.S. Open champion with back-to-back victories in 2001-02. He holds major titles in all western circuits including WON Bass, EverStart, Western Bass, B.A.S.S., West Coast Bass and US Bass. He’s fished one Bassmaster Classic and one Forrest Wood Cup. He holds the Bassmaster Invitational record for lowest winning weight, which he set at the Harris Chain in 1992 with a total weight of 14-10. And he’s not done. In March 2010 he set a new Lake Havasu all-time one-day weight record of 26.63 pounds.

As an avid skin diver, Darrell Lowrance learned much about the schooling habits and preferred locations of freshwater fish. Along with his father, Carl, and brother, Arlen, he set out to design a portable electronic device that would help fishermen and boaters determine depth of the bottom and other underwater objects. The famous ‘Little Green Box’ was introduced in 1959 and it revolutionized bass fishing. As president and CEO of the Lowrance company, Darrell was responsible for many breakthroughs in marine electronics, including the first sonars capable of high-speed performance (1965), the first graph recorder (1974), the first integrated sonar/GPS unit (1995) and many others. During 1983 and 1984, Lowrance served as president of the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturer’s Association (AFTMA), and was alsoa director of the National Association of Marine Products and Services 1989. Lowrance retired in 2007 following the company’s acquisition by Navico.

Wingate, who will be inducted posthumously, started out in the fishing business during Harry Truman’s presidency. Well-known throughout the South, Wingate supplied the names of many bass anglers who fished Ray Scott’s first tournament in 1967. He fished several of Scott’s first tournaments and soon decided that he could make a living for himself and his family by guiding and teaching fishing. As the long-time owner of Wingate’s Lunker Lodge, as well as a popular fishing guide on Lake Seminole, he helped promote both tournament and recreational bass fishing in its formative years. For more than 33 years he operated a summer camp on Seminole for youngsters, where he taught them the basics of fishing and outdoor appreciation. He taught fly-fishing and bass fishing to 12 kids a week. Wingate, who died in 2012, lived his entire life along the Flint River, except when he was in the Navy. As he said not long before he died, “My only wish is that I had more time on this earth to teach more young people the sport of just fishin’.”

“Expectations are high for the Tulsa Classic, and we’ll be going all out this year to make the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction dinner one of the highlight events of the weekend,” said BFHOF president Sammy Lee. “Along with our program to recognize the new inductees, we’ll again bring back our exceptional silent auction featuring bucket-list fishing trips, premium rods and reels, hunting gear and special fishing celebrity memorabilia.”

Visit the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame web site, www.bassfishinghof.com, or call 888/690-2277  for more details on the BFHOF Induction banquet. The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to all anglers, manufacturers, tackle dealers, media and other related companies who further the sport of bass fishing.

The U of M’s Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Dolphin Tourney2013 Bassmaster Elite Schedule AnnouncedTop Fishing Tackle Brands for 2007 AnnouncedCollegiate Bass Fishing Airs Aug. 14Wintertime Bass Fishing

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Fall <b>fishing</b> for stripers, blues setting up nicely

September 20, 2012 7:01 PM By TOM SCHLICHTER. Special to Newsday

Photo credit: AP, 2011 | Jonathan Bigley casts for stripers from his kayak off Popham Beach, Maine, with Georgetown in the background.

Fishing action around Long Island continues to transition smoothly from late summer to fall patterns. While we are still likely two or three weeks away from the fall blitz fishing conditions for which the saltwater faithful yearn, indications are strong that the shift is under way.

Baitfish and bottom fish grouping into tighter and tighter bunches are one sure sign.

Wednesday night, for example, I stopped by the lower reaches of the Peconic River and found the tidal waters literally bleeding small peanut bunker into Flanders Bay. On the North Shore, very large spearing can now be found holding tight near jetty rocks and bulkheads. On the South Shore, packs of mullet have moved up to stage just inside the inlets, a sure sign that with the next couple of late-night temperature dips, they'll spill out along the ocean beaches -- hopefully luring stripers and blues into the wash.

Of the bottom feeders, catches of kingfish, porgy and sea bass inside the bays and Long Island Sound seem to be taking on a little more urgency, the bite gaining just a bit in ferocity each day. The blowfish, especially, are moving toward the inlet mouths. Reports of fast fishing for the puffers have rolled in from the Sore Thumb area of Fire Island Inlet, the West Cut at Moriches Inlet, and a few of the deeper pockets between Ponquogue Bridge and Shinnecock Inlet. It's been quite some time since we've seen such a good blowfish catch in our waters and it sure is good to see them on the rebound. Currently, there are no regulations as to size and creel limits for this delectable bottom species and some anglers have expressed concern these fish are being swept up at a fast pace. It would seem a prudent idea to establish some personal limits in the lack of official ones where this species is involved.

Yet another signal fall is on the way is the influx of medium-sized bluefish throughout the length of Long Island Sound. Drop a bunker chunk to the bottom when the wind blows from the north and it's hard not to connect with the toothy predators. Diamond jig fans have also found the blues happy to oblige in mid-Sound waters, and surf casters working poppers have encountered the choppers from the beach at daybreak in many areas over the past week. A few schoolie stripers have mixed in with the blues at most locations.

Bluefish, some quite large, have also offered excellent action for those chumming at the Mud Buoy in New York Bight. Mark Keller at Bay Park Fishing Station said that is where Captain Nick Savene had slammers to a whopping 18 pounds this week. Keller added that decent catches of black sea bass continue to be the rule on Rockaway Reef, although you'll cull through a bunch of shorts to get your keepers. Weakfish, if you'd like to get in a few last licks, are plentiful in Reynolds Channel.

For a great day of family fishing fun plan to attend the Fall Freshwater Fishing and Children's Festival at Hempstead Lake State Park Oct. 13. No fishing license is required, loaner gear will be available, and parking is free. Call 631-444-0283 or visit ifishnewyork.org for details.

Email: outdoortom@optonline.net

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<b>Fishing</b> Around: End of unusual summer

I saw some real video nasties this week. And not that Romney mishap, either. I'm talking about local fish.

Some honcho trapped a (literally) great white shark. They hoisted her out of the water on a slatted wooden platform, and stuck a hose in her mouth. Then they set on her with a cordless drill. I wish I was making this up.

They plugged the great fish with all manner of tags and flags, and when it swam away it had brightly colored balls stuck to it. It looked like a parade float. I was embarrassed for it, swimming away like that, gussied up like some Kansas City sardine.

Who are these intruders? Ratings Hunters, I think they're called. Clown outfit, I say.

Elsewhere, there was a certain rhythmic cadence to the seven kayaks I watched the other morning at the long, crescent-shaped beach that stretches from Covels at one end, past Craigville and down to Long Beach, a thin peninsula miles from pavement where rock cairns greet the tides and conch trees loom.

They were chasing funny fish. Kayaks near shore, run and gun a few miles out for the outboard crowd.

The birds would circle, their flights getting tight. They would splash for baitfish, and the kayaks would point their bows and stroke furiously for the splashes. Sometimes hooking up, mostly not. That's the nature of the false albacore, they move around. Fast. And they're picky.

Kevin Blinkoff, main man at On The Water magazine, hooked one from his kayak on Monday. He checked out Craigville, but didn't launch, instead heading down toward Waquoit and South Cape Beach. He boated a nice one on a brown and gold Sebile metal which, he says, looks just like a bay anchovy.

A wandering albie was taken inside Parker's River this week, too. Again, and I feel like I say this almost every week now, about one thing or another — it's been such an unusual summer — not something you see every day.

So, while summertime rolls, at least for a couple more fleeting days, it's time to ask ...

What's going on?

An update on the Cape's Worst Boat: After some slapdash repair work — it looks like the resin was applied from across the street, while stiff fiberglass strands sprout every which way — I took her for a shake-down cruise. Boat is stable and barely leaks. Almost ready for her grand adventure.

1. Buzzards Bay/Cape Cod Canal: The Canal has had some good mornings. On Wednesday, after that mighty blow, they were taking them right on top with pencil poppers from about the east end to the herring run. Some snapper blues mixed in, too. Buzzards has been pretty quiet, and there were reports of a large algae bloom out there, turning the water brown in places and shutting down any fishing. There were bass taken down around Nashawena and Cuttyhunk, though.

2. Islands: Tommy White nabbed a 7-pound bonito from shore and went right on the leader board at the Derby. The seabass fishing is still rock solid on the wrecks off Oak Bluffs, but few care, as they're not Derby fish. Still fun, though. Derby runs through Oct. 13 and so far, fish a few ounces either side of 30 pounds are leading the boat and shore divisions for bass. These numbers are sure to fall. Nantucket has funny fish around Great Point.

3. Cape southside beaches and estuaries: Aforementioned albie blitzes from Falmouth to Yarmouth. Bass River has occasional keeper bass with pretty regular hook-ups on schoolies, blues and scup. Harwich beaches and Wychmere Harbor have given up some keepers. With temps down and the water following, the bass fishing should pick up. Keepers at Popponesset.

4. Nantucket Sound: Hedge Fence has been holding moderate bass. Good amounts of bait in the area have been a boon for funny fish, blues and bass.

5. The Great Backside Beach: Still tuna to the east. One guy caught a real football, about a 26-inch little fella. Occasional giants, too. Off the beach, they're getting good numbers of blues at Nauset Beach.

6. Cape Cod Bay: A pile of real, big bass stacked up on Scorton Ledge early this week. Again, the big blow may have pushed them off, but on Tuesday Jeff at Forestdale Bait weighed a 35- and a 40-pounder that a guy had caught, two of the five big ones he pulled up in an hour of superb action. Live eels were working best. Occasional tuna hook-ups in the Bay this week, but there were more boats chasing them than giants hooked. The Bayside creeks have been holding schoolies, too, the kind of thing where if you drag a seaworm around for a while, you'll likely land a few.

Freshwater: Real solid. The trout have come in a little closer to shore with the fall weather. One guy hooked one off the bank at Peter's Pond. Mashpee-Wakeby is fishy with good reports of largemouth. And reader Myles Johnson said he took an 8-pound largemouth from Little Cliff Pond, along with multiple big pickerel.

Lou MacKeil's Catch A Fish class at Nauset Community Education has a few openings left for sessions that begin Tuesday, Sept. 25. Call 508-255-4300 for more information.

Next week we'll have much more on the closing of Truman's in West Yarmouth, who are shutting their doors after decades in the same spot, just at the lights on Route 28, a few long casts from Parker's River. And a really sad story about a fallen fisherman.

Catch 'em up!

Information for this column was assembled from a variety of liars, exaggerators, mis-informants, ne'er-do-wells and roustabouts. In other words, from fishermen.

Contributing writer Rob Conery can be contacted at robconery@yahoo.com.

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Texas anglers favored in <b>Bass</b> Classic on Lake Conroe

Odds are fair that a Texan or a former Texan will leave Lake Conroe a week from today with $100,000-plus more than when he arrived and with the knowledge he bested 49 of the world's best professional bass anglers over a three-day contest.

It's a cinch Texas' urban anglers will walk away from the Sept. 28-30 Toyota Texas Bass Classic as winners, with $250,000 donated by the contest's sponsor going to fund programs aimed at providing fishing opportunities in and around the state's major population centers.

Nine of the 50 anglers participating in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic, headquartered at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center in Conroe and considered a world championship matchup of the nation's top professional bass fishers, are Texans.

That group includes Keith Combs, the Huntington resident who won the 2011 Texas Bass Classic on Conroe in a sudden-death fish-off against Mike Ioconelli, a New Jersey angler considered one of the best competitive bass fishers in the nation.

The field also includes a handful of former Texas residents, chief among them Rick Clunn. Clunn, who now lives in Missouri and is one of professional bass fishing's most successful anglers (he has four Bassmaster Classic titles), grew up in the Houston area and guided anglers on Lake Conroe before beginning his professional career more than three decades ago.

The 2012 Texas Bass Classic, held on Lake Conroe for the fourth consecutive year, is promoted by the Professional Anglers Association as the group's world championship. The top 15 finishers in "angler of the year" standings of three professional bass fishing circuits - Walmart FLW Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series - qualify to fish the invitation-only, no-entry-fee tournament. The other five competitors are the winner of the most recent Texas Bass Classic and four top professional anglers invited by the contest's sponsor. Three of those four "sponsor exemptions" are Texans (Takahiro Omori and Kelly Jordon) or a former Texan (Clunn).

Moves to Lake Conroe

While the Texas Bass Classic has evolved into a matchup of world-class bass anglers, the focus of the tournament is much broader. The contest originated as a cooperative effort with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to spotlight the agency's inland fisheries division's considerable successes managing the state's freshwater fisheries, especially its largemouth bass fisheries, and generate interest in recreational fishing.

The first Texas Bass Classics were held on Lake Fork, arguably the best trophy-bass fishery in the nation. The site was moved to Lake Conroe to show how Texas' innovative fisheries management has helped create a fine largemouth bass fishery on a reservoir facing the challenges of intense fishing pressure, heavy shoreline development and habitat issues tied to invasive plants such as hydrilla and giant salvinia.

The tournament employes a unique scoring system in which a trained volunteer marshal accompanies each angler, records the weight of landed bass, then immediately releases all but very large bass, which are picked up by on-the-water TPWD crews and kept alive for on-stage weighing.

Field reduced for final

After two days of competition, the field is reduced to 10 anglers who have the highest total weight (five bass per day) over those rounds. Only those anglers fish Sunday's final round.

The fishing tournament is only a part of the Texas Bass Classic. The three-day event includes an outdoor recreation-themed exposition festival with exhibits and hands-on demonstrations. Also, nightly live music concerts, this year including performances by Dierks Bentley, Gary Allen and Jake Owen. The expo, concerts and daily tournament weigh-ins will be held at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center at FM 3083 and FM 1484 in Conroe.

Tickets are required, but at no charge. Check www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com for event schedules and tickets.

The event plays a large role in supporting TPWD's efforts to get the state's urban residents interested in recreational fishing and educated about the importance of healthy aquatic systems. The agency's Neighborhood Fishin' program, which stocks catfish in urban ponds open to public fishing is largely funded through a $250,000 donation from Toyota, main sponsor of the classic. Over the past five years at Texas Bass Classics, Toyota has donated more than $1.25 million to help fund TPWD fisheries projects aimed mostly at urban and young anglers.

shannon.tompkins@chron.com

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<b>Fishing</b> report: Sept. 20

AUSTIN — Here is the weekly fishing report as compiled by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for Sept. 19. Full statewide report available at txfishing.com.

Freshwater

AMISTAD: Water clear; 78-82 degrees; 31.06 feet low. Black bass are good on topwaters, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on large topwater jerkbaits. White bass are fair on crankbaits and minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on cheesebait over baited holes in 6-25 feet. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines and throwlines baited with live perch. Everyone in a boat must have a Mexico fishing license (if fishing the Mexico side) whether fishing or not.

BASTROP: Water stained; 83-87 degrees. Black bass are fair on watermelon Rat-L-Traps and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and white tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp, nightcrawlers, and punchbait. Yellow catfish are slow.

BELTON: Water stained; 80-84 degrees; 4.04 feet low. Black bass are good on spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps over grass. Hybrid striper are fair on white striper jigs. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on hot dogs, stinkbait, and liver. Yellow catfish are fair on live shad.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are good on liver and shad near the pier. Redfish are good down rigging spoons near the dam. Channel catfish are fair on cut bait and cheesebait near the dam. Blue catfish are slow.

BUCHANAN: Water murky; 80-84 degrees; 26.78 feet low. Black bass are fair on tequila sunrise JDC Skip-N-Pop topwaters, chartreuse Rat-L-Traps, and blue shad flukes, on flats early. Striped bass are good on plastic swim baits and drifting live bait at first light. White bass are fair jigging Tiny Traps in the river channel. Crappie are good on chartreuse tube jigs and live minnows. Channel catfish are good on minnows and dipbait. Yellow and blue catfish are very good on goldfish and perch upriver.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Black bass are good on dark soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and Rat-L-Traps near the dam. Striped bass are slow. Redfish are good down rigging spoons near the dam in 15-25 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on liver and cheesebait near the railroad trestle. Yellow catfish are slow.

CANYON LAKE: Water stained; 80-84 degrees; 7.11 feet low. Black bass are good on watermelon Rat-L-Traps, JDC Skip-N-Pops, and Pop R’s over grass along ledges. Striped bass are fair on chartreuse spinnerbaits and crankbaits over humps early. White bass are slow. Smallmouth bass are good on watermelon red JDC grubs, topwaters, and craws at daylight. Crappie are fair on chartreuse crappie jigs and live minnows over brush upriver. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are fair on trotlines and juglines baited with goldfish and perch.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 80-84 degrees; 15.74 feet low. Black bass are fair on watermelon/red flake soft plastics and spinnerbaits in 10-18 feet. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on live bait. Yellow catfish are fair on live perch and goldfish.

COLETO CREEK: Water fairly clear; 2.92 feet low. Black bass are fair on chartreuse Rat-L-Traps and crankbaits early. Striped bass are slow. White bass are good on pet spoons and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch. Yellow catfish are slow.

FALCON: Water clear; 85-89 degrees; 38.51 feet low. Black bass are fair on chartreuse/black and chartreuse/white crankbaits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are slow. Channel and blue catfish are very good on cut bait and shad. Yellow catfish are slow. Everyone in a boat must have a Mexico fishing license (if fishing the Mexico side) whether fishing or not.

GRANGER: Water clear; 82-86 degrees; 0.88 feet low. Black bass are good on chartreuse soft plastic worms and crankbaits. White bass are fair on spoons along the roadbed near the dam early and late. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs over brush piles in 4-12 feet. Blue catfish are good drifting shad near the dam. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch.

LBJ: Water clear; 82-86 degrees; 0.40 feet low. Black bass are good on watermelon red Whacky Sticks, chartreuse Curb’s jigs, and pumpkinseed tubes in 8-15 feet early. Striped bass are fair on Li’l Fishies and Spoiler Shads at night. White bass are fair on minnows and Li’l Fishies at night. Crappie are good on chartreuse tube jigs and live minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on shrimp, liver, and stinkbait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with goldfish and perch.

TRAVIS: Water stained; 82-86 degrees; 45.74 feet low. Black bass are good on chartreuse topwaters, soft plastic worms and lizards, and smoke grubs in 10-20 feet. Striped bass are fair on silver striper jigs. White bass are fair on chrome spoons and Charlie’s slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp and stinkbait. Yellow catfish are slow.

Saltwater (north to south)

BOLIVAR: Trout, bull redfish, black drum, sand trout and redfish are good at Rollover Pass. Bull redfish and sharks have been taken on the beach near Rollover Pass.

TRINITY BAY: Redfish are good on the north shoreline on gold spoons and small topwaters. Redfish are good in the marsh on shrimp. Trout are fair to good around the wells on live bait and plastics.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good over reefs while working slicks with soft plastics. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Redfish are good in the marsh on natural baits and Gulps. Tides are above normal.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Bull redfish are good in the surf and at San Luis Pass on crabs and mullet. Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetties on shrimp and crabs. Trout are good over reefs in Christmas Bay on live shrimp.

TEXAS CITY: Bull redfish are good in the channel on crabs and mullet. Sand trout and Gulf trout are good in the channel on shrimp. Redfish are fair to good in Moses Lake on crabs and shrimp.

FREEPORT: Bull redfish are good on live bait and crabs on the Surfside Beach. Black drum and redfish are good on the reefs in Bastrop Bay.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Redfish are good in Lake Austin on shrimp and topwaters. Trout are fair to good over mud while wading with scented baits.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and topwaters. Redfish are good on live shrimp and topwaters in Oyster Lake, Crab Lake and Shell Island.

PORT O’CONNOR: Bull redfish are good in the surf and at the jetty on cracked blue crabs. Trout and redfish are fair for drifters working the back lakes with live shrimp and topwaters. Trout are good on live bait over reefs in San Antonio Bay.

ROCKPORT: Redfish are fair to good on mullet near Traylor Island. Trout are fair around Mud Island and Allyn’s Bight on small topwaters and soft plastics under corks. Redfish are fair to good in Copano Bay on the reefs and in the bayous.

PORT ARANSAS: Bull redfish are good at the jetty on table shrimp and crabs. Redfish are good on the flats around Pelican Island on Gulps and shrimp. Offshore is good for amberjack, kingfish, tuna and dolphin.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Bull redfish are good in the channels on crabs and table shrimp. Redfish are good on the shallow flats on gold spoons and small topwaters. Bull redfish are good in the Packery Channel on crabs, mullet and shrimp.

BAFFIN BAY: Redfish are fair to good at Yarborough on gold spoons and topwaters. Redfish are good around the spoils on scented baits and small topwaters. Trout are fair to good on topwaters along the shorelines.

PORT MANSFIELD: Redfish are good while drifting pot holes on topwaters and soft plastics under a popping cork. Trout are good on topwaters over sand and grass. Offshore is good for kingfish, ling and dolphin.

SOUTH PADRE: Trout, redfish and snook are fair to good on the flats on live shrimp under a popping cork. Bull redfish are good at the jetty on natural baits.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good while drifting sand and grass flats on live shrimp, DOA Shrimp and Gulps under popping corks. Redfish are good on the flats and beginning to school in larger concentrations with higher tides.

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Shep on <b>Fishing</b>: Interesting entries still coming in as Press Contest heads <b>...</b>

Posted: Saturday, September 22, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 1:24 am, Sat Sep 22, 2012.

One week remains in The Press Fishing Contest, which coincides with the end of summer flounder season here in New Jersey. The contest and the flounder season are open through Friday, and closed as of 12:01 a.m. next Saturday.

Entries for the contest have not slowed while heading for the stretch run. We've had some neat catches qualify in the first couple of weeks of September.

Jim Moran mailed an entry for a 63-pound yellowfin tuna from Moran's Dockside in Avalon for the Youth Division for 12-year-old Michael Galdi of Avalon. It was caught Sept. 14 at Spencer Canyon on the boat Kimberly Joe. Jerry Ambrose of Telford, Pa., caught a 39-pound, 7-ounce mahi on the same day. It was weighed at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine. It was submitted online at presscontests.com with a great photo of the smiling angler and his beautiful catch.

The Press Fishing Contest has a couple of extra prizes other than the listed 10 categories to award. One entry that is a contender for a possible freshwater youth award is a 3-pound, 2-ounce pickerel caught by Cory Bennett of Egg Harbor City. Bennett caught it in Egg Harbor City Lake and certified at Capt. Howard's Bait and Tackle in Egg Harbor City.

Sea bass season

The sea bass season reopens Monday with a daily possession limit of 25 fish at 12½ inches. So, for a few days the sea bass and flounder seasons overlap. Almost like the "old days."

There have not been many opportunities to write about good fishing in Delaware Bay this season, but now is one of them.

Tim Smith, captain of the charterboat Bodacious out of Longreach Marina on Maurice River, had his best flounder day of the season Sunday with 13 keepers for his crew. He also anchored up and they caught weakfish. He said they were done by 4 p.m. and also had dozens of bluefish and small croaker. He said his favorite bait for all is freshly cut bait.

He said fishing in Flounder Alley south of Miah Maul in Delaware Bay is as "good as it has been in a long while."

Mike Hodges at Budd's Tackle in Villas said weakfish are the star attraction off Pierce's Point, Reed's Beach Higbee's Beach and down to Cape May Point. He said surfcasters wading and casting out and boat anglers anchored up off the second bar there are catching them with Fish-Bites in place of the hard-to-find shedder crab.

Hodges also said there are a lot of small croaker with them. Anglers are using Sabiki rigs to catch croaker and rigging them up to catch weakfish.

Hodges said Friday that Curtis O'Bryant of Villas and Dave Amos of Cape May have been catching weakfish at Cape May Point, also with Fish-Bites and fresh cut bait. Hodges said he has seen them with 3.3- and 2-pound plus weakfish.

Bluefish are putting on a little weight, which is to be expected with the plentiful schools of bait fish such as spot, mullet and peanut bunker.

Mary Ann Anagnou said two anglers fishing from Dad's Place Pier in North Wildwood picked off 14 bluefish weighing 2-5½ pounds, plus some kingfish. Edward Milnewicz of Bloomfield and Rich Zulla of New Allentown came back later and got more kingfish.

Margaret O'Brien at Jingle's Bait and Tackle posted the ocean temperature as 71 off Long Beach Island on the last day of summer. Surfcasters there needed 5-ounce weights to hold bottom and they were catching small blues.

Moran said there is a "ton" of mullet moving in the back bays of Avalon, and Valerie Zak posted from Oceanside Bait and Tackle in Brighton Beach that the mullet run along the front beach of Long Beach Island is "ridiculous." When the mullet start migrating like that, can the fall arrival of big striped bass and bluefish be far behind?

Small fish were keeping anglers cranking on the Brigantine beach this week. Andy Grossman at Riptide Bait and Tackle got out himself on Brigantine and caught 75 spot, some kingfish, small blues, puffers and pompano. He was using bloodworm and Fish-Bites.

Tournament time

The lineup for the Weekend at Kelly's Corner Pub Fishing Tournament has changed. Steve Jones said they are dropping striped bass and adding weakfish. The locals have been catching a lot of weakfish, so they held a meeting and adapted. Sign up for the flounder, bluefish and weakfish contest at Kelly's, 2721 Arctic Ave. in Atlantic City.

The tournament runs today and Sunday. Call 609-348-4925.

The 58th Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic is signing up surfcasters. It costs $30 to register at Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven, Oceanside Bait and Tackle in Brighton Beach, Fisherman's Headquarters in Ship Bottom and Surf City Bait and Tackle. This is a super eight-week community event from Oct. 2 to Dec. 2 with fishing for striped bass and bluefish from the beaches of Long Beach Island.

The grand prizes for heaviest striper and blue are $1,000. But there are other awards, including pizzas, car washes, T-shirts, hats and gift certificates.

Other cash awards: $400 two-week segment, $125 weekly, $50 weekend, $35 daily first and $25 daily second, $150 ladies and seniors and $100 weekly juvenile.

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Mike Shepherd is the retired sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column and Shep's Hot Spot appear Tuesdays and Saturdays in the sports section and daily online. Call 609-350-0388 or email sheponfishing@yahoo.com.

You can also hear Shep's on-air fishing reports Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 6:05 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and 7 p.m. on WOND 1400 AM and on our website:

PressofAtlanticCity.com

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