Martinsville woman catches new state record fish

By: VDGIF news release | WSLS-TV 10
Published: August 08, 2012 Updated: August 08, 2012 - 8:34 PM »  Comments | Post a Comment MARTINSVILLE, VA --

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) State Record Fish Committee has certified a new state record freshwater drum caught by Nancy Cash of Martinsville.

Her huge fish weighed in at 26 pounds, 8 ounces, and was 38.5 inches long. Cash caught the record fish at Buggs Island Lake on July 10th, 2012.

She hooked the monster drum on a Sting Silver Spoon and battled it for 15 minutes before her fishing partner Jimmy Cannoy was able to get a net under it and bring it into the boat.

The record freshwater drum was taken to Bobcat’s Bait and Tackle in Clarksville where VDGIF Fisheries Biologist Vic DiCenzo was able to confirm the species, size, and weight of the fish.

Cash’s catch easily surpassed the previous record of 22 pounds 6 ounces caught in Kerr Reservoir in 2008.

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Va woman catches new state record <b>freshwater</b> drum

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Martinsville woman has nabbed a new record freshwater drum.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries says its state record fish committee has certified the new record for Nancy Cash's drum that weighed 26 pounds, 8 ounces. The fish was 38.5 inches long.

Cash caught the fish at Buggs Island Lake on July 10. She battled it for 15 minutes before her fishing partner was able to net it and bring it in. The fish was taken to Bobcat's Bait and Tackle in Clarksville where fisheries biologist Vic DiCenzo was able to confirm its species, size and weight.

The previous record was 22 pounds, 6 ounces, caught in Kerr Reservoir in 2008.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Tall tales and big catches: The business of fly <b>fishing</b>

The line zipped through the air making a tight loop as it glided back and forth, gaining length, perfectly parallel to the San Marcos River. Eventually, a black wooly bugger fly landed gracefully on the water a few inches from the river’s edge, mimicking the insect’s natural behavior. A river bass or two below the surface were waiting and hungry.

Watching this process is comparable to a performance — strikingly romantic, very captivating.

Now unfortunately, that graceful line was not connected to my rod. Mine was busy thrashing about, and though it had a confident mantra, it nevertheless landed 10- or 20-feet shy of the intended target.

“Try and hit a little closer to the Elephant’s-ears next time, Kate,” my unwearied but obviously amused fishing pal Chris Adams said, over and over again. Full disclosure, I talk a big game I like to think I can back up. Really, I just love to fish and am slowly but surely trying to master the fly rod.

Fishing in Texas for me used to be synonymous with a bobber, worms and catfish. But fly fishing, a method using an artificial fly to mimic region-specific insects, requires a different skill set.

Here’s a hint: Do not, under any circumstances, say, “So, what bait are we using?” You’ll out yourself as a spinning-tackle-kind-of-angler, which there is nothing wrong with, but we are talking fly fishing. (No worms in a red Hills Bro. Coffee can allowed, think “A River Runs Through It.”)

Adams, a 31-year-old Georgia native who works at Gruene Outfitters in New Braunfels, has been doing this for a majority of his life all over the country and even has been a guide in Chile. But thankfully for those like myself, the sport welcomes enthusiastic newcomers of all calibers.

Central Texas is home to a variety of outdoor outfitters offering casting lessons, gear and friendly anglers to swap stories with, even if the stories are tall tales. “That’s right, my bass was at least 12 pounds.”

Hoping to live up to my own tales, I scheduled a casting lesson the morning of our trip with one of Texas’ most active women anglers Stacy Lynn, a Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor and the fishing manager at Sportsman’s Finest in Bee Cave.

With a contagious enthusiasm, Lynn met me at the crack of dawn with coffee and rod in hand raring to go. She has been teaching since 1998 and became a certified instructed ten years ago.

“In Texas, we have [a fish species] in peak season every month of the year,” she said. “There are very few states that can boast coldwater trout, warm water bass, sunfish, and saltwater fishing within the state, and here in Central Texas, all of that is anywhere from ten minutes to a few hours from your door.”

Circumstances like last year’s worst drought on record, heavy rain or other changing water conditions affect the fish population, she said, but just like any species, fish adapt to new conditions, and anglers become more resourceful.

Before I made the trip to Martindale to meet Adams at the San Marcos River, which is currently in peak season for sunfish and river bass, Lynn gave me a crash-course in my rod and equipment. Two key things to understand about your equipment are the length of the rod and the weight of the line. My rod is 8 and a half feet long with a 5-weight line, an average style for freshwater fly fishing. Saltwater fishing requires a different style.

“A fly rod works like a lever to lift and maneuver weight; a longer lever will lift more weight. It is about determining the best tool for the fishing style,” Lynn said.

Fly fishing requires a lot of knot-tying, a world I am yet to explore, so we left the logistics of tying the flies in the capable hands of Adams and went straight for casting.

The line extends by reacting to the movement of the tip of the rod, which should be a short but well-timed force. There in lies my problem. Like many former-traditional fishers, I tend to pop my wrist back and wave my rod in the air, leaving little time for the line to unload and reach the desired length before presenting the fly on the water. Recognizing a need for improvement, however, is half the battle.

But thanks to Lynn’s instruction — and later Adams’ patience — my cast saw enough improvement to land a decent-sized river bass. “I mean it was at least 12 pounds!” Oh, and he caught a few, too.

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Better weather boosts catches of flounder

Memorial Day weekend saw a healthy boost to flounder fishing after recent heavy winds and rainfall wreaked havoc on doormats, spreading them pretty thin.

But local tackle shops have been seeing nice catches of other species such as speckled trout, which are popping up in several areas, red drum and a Maryland man landed a hefty citation croaker.

Here's an overview of the recent fishing on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Chris' Bait and Tackle in Townsend reports some fishermen hit their limit on flounder on Memorial Day. Those reports came from a fishing area known as "The Ditch."

"For the most part, the flounder fishing has improved because the water has also cleared up," according to the shop's website.

Flounder have also been reported off bouy 42, Kiptopeke State Park, the bridge-tunnel high rise and also near Oyster.

Sea mullets are running around Lattimer Shoals and a few croaker starting to show, while traces of spadefish are showing at the chesapeake light tower.

Small grey trout have been landed around the high rise, while some black drum have been spotted near the bridge-tunnel's third island and cobia sightings are increasing.

Don Varney of Don's Tackle Shop on Wachapreague Road said the speckled trout action has been very good near Harborton.

He added that weather is still affecting flounder fishing with the recent heavy winds and rainfall.

"We're looking for flounder to get back into a good cycle again," he said.

Matt Abell at Seahawk Sports Center in Pocomoke City, Md. had a citation croaker to report.

Steven Parker of Girdletree, Md. bagged a 17- inch hardhead out of Tangier Sound.

Pocomoke Sound is seeing the best speckled trout action and red drum are still running around the barrier islands.

"Flounder fishing has been pretty good," he said.

The Seahawk Flounder Tournament gets under way from June 22-24. The cost is $10 per angler and kids can enter for free.

Gather the kids and grab your fishing poles; free fishing days are here again. This year anyone in the Commonwealth can fish without a license June 1-3. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries the agency which regulates freshwater fishing, would like to encourage Virginians to take advantage of this once a year opportunity to fish for free while spending some quality time with friends and family.

No fishing license of any kind will be required for recreational rod and reel fishing during free fishing days, except for a special trout license in designated stocked trout waters. All fishing regulations including size, season, catch limits and gear restrictions will remain in effect.

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Area tournaments score big catches

When trying to schedule fishing trips in the fairly distant future, it’s impossible to consistently pick days with nice weather and biting fish.

The Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club has gone up against this truth for years, planning events like their “Sheepshead Shootout”, “Cobiathon”, “Mack Attack” and “Scallop Fest” months in advance. Often, the carefully-planned affairs end up being rescheduled.

Last weekend the GOFC, one of the best and oldest fishing clubs in Florida, nailed one dead on the money. Saturday morning their Cobiathon arrived to perfect conditions and the season’s leading wave of migrating bruisers.

Fishing out of Crystal River, Lou Graf, Jay Peacock, Mark Rustemier and Hal Wilson pulled up to a spot in water less than 20-feet deep. Jay explains what happened next:

“After a few minutes, about a dozen cobia swam up —and they were hungry”.

The ensuing scene must have been something to behold. Peacock and Rustemier hooked up while Graf maneuvered his vessel. At the end of the double battle, Mark had a 37.6-pound ling, and Jay had whipped a whopping 67.5-pound specimen. A little later, Hal hooked another brown powerhouse and eventually vanquished a 54.5-pounder. These would be the first, second and third-place fish in the Cobiathon.

Club members launching at other gulf sites also scored. John and Charlie Thomas and Phil and Reid Wagner docked with a 30-pounder; while Debbie Knopf took a 36.9-pound beauty off Cedar Key while fishing with her husband, Ken.

Following their Friday trip to Crystal River, Gainesville anglers, Bobby Bounds, Robert Bounds, and Ed Austin had a story very similar to the one told by the four GOFC fishers. The men were at anchor in water 26-feet deep when 10 large fish swam along. One of the brutes took Robert’s large Saltwater Assassin jig. For 45 minutes, the angler fought the cobia with spinning tackle before finally bringing it to gaff and into the boat. And the 52-inch, 60-pound fish was not the biggest in the pod.

“There was one in the bunch that was much bigger … it had to be at least 100 pounds,” Bobby said.

Jason Orrock and Jim Sanden hooked three large cobia Friday off Cedar Key. All four looked to be more than 40-inches long, but only one — Jason’s 54-inch beast from Seahorse Reef — made it into the boat.

Gulf fishers looking for tamer fare have had little to complain about when it comes to this season’s crop of speckled trout. Trout fishing is great out of every port.

The 8th Fishing for Kids Saltwater Tournament held last Saturday at Steinhatchee’s Sea Hag Marina saw nearly 200 entrants fishing in 80 boats. The biggest single trout was a 5 ?-pound whopper, and the top redfish weighed in at just more than seven pounds. Numerous hefty five-trout limits came in. Thirty-eight youth anglers participated, and each one went home with a rod and reel combination. As always, everyone in attendance raved about how well the contest was run.

The next on a full slate of upcoming gulf tournaments will be the Fightin’ Gator Touchdown Club’s 25th Fishin’ Tournament at Suwannee Cove. On the main competition day, May 12, freshwater entrants will compete in bass, bream and catfish categories. Those opting for the salty species will go after reds, trout, Spanish mackerel, red grouper, kingfish, cobia and amberjack. There are lots of ways to win in this one. For more info, call Greg Ahrens at 352-376-2060 or go to fgtc.org.

The Military Support Group of Alachua County held its 2nd Bass Tournament last Saturday at Rodman Reservoir. Fishing was good for the 38 competing teams, and there were lots of fine five-bass limits taken to the weigh scales. The Interlachen team of Jerry and Jason Gutierrez prevailed with a total weight of 16.94 pounds. Brian Smith and Chris Pierce were right behind with 16.80, and Travis Blucher and Steven Dose finished third with 15.11. The Gutierrez team was entered in the separate Small Boat Competition as well, giving them a clean sweep of the top paychecks. The successful fundraiser offered an impressive group of prizes that included four guided fishing trips — one to the Everglades for peacock bass.

The same day, Interlachen bass angler, Rick Hefner spent his birthday fishing Rodman. Although for years he was a popular bass guide, Hefner’s first target this day was shellcracker. While trying to locate a bed of the big bream, he spotted bassy surface activity that prompted him to cast a Red Eye Shad to the commotion. In short order, 15 bass up to 4.5 pounds had jumped on the lipless crankbait. The well-prepared sage was also armed with live shiners. With one of those, he also hauled in and released a nine-pound Rodman beauty.

Gary Simpson, a veteran tournament angler, operates Gary’s Tackle Box at L & S Auto Trim.

Area tournaments score big catchesBy Gary Simpson Gainesville.comMay 3, 2012 9:14 AM

When trying to schedule fishing trips in the fairly distant future, it's impossible to consistently pick days with nice weather and biting fish.

The Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club has gone up against this truth for years, planning events like their “Sheepshead Shootout”, “Cobiathon”, “Mack Attack” and “Scallop Fest” months in advance. Often, the carefully-planned affairs end up being rescheduled.

Last weekend the GOFC, one of the best and oldest fishing clubs in Florida, nailed one dead on the money. Saturday morning their Cobiathon arrived to perfect conditions and the season's leading wave of migrating bruisers.

Fishing out of Crystal River, Lou Graf, Jay Peacock, Mark Rustemier and Hal Wilson pulled up to a spot in water less than 20-feet deep. Jay explains what happened next:

“After a few minutes, about a dozen cobia swam up —and they were hungry”.

The ensuing scene must have been something to behold. Peacock and Rustemier hooked up while Graf maneuvered his vessel. At the end of the double battle, Mark had a 37.6-pound ling, and Jay had whipped a whopping 67.5-pound specimen. A little later, Hal hooked another brown powerhouse and eventually vanquished a 54.5-pounder. These would be the first, second and third-place fish in the Cobiathon.

Club members launching at other gulf sites also scored. John and Charlie Thomas and Phil and Reid Wagner docked with a 30-pounder; while Debbie Knopf took a 36.9-pound beauty off Cedar Key while fishing with her husband, Ken.

Following their Friday trip to Crystal River, Gainesville anglers, Bobby Bounds, Robert Bounds, and Ed Austin had a story very similar to the one told by the four GOFC fishers. The men were at anchor in water 26-feet deep when 10 large fish swam along. One of the brutes took Robert's large Saltwater Assassin jig. For 45 minutes, the angler fought the cobia with spinning tackle before finally bringing it to gaff and into the boat. And the 52-inch, 60-pound fish was not the biggest in the pod.

“There was one in the bunch that was much bigger … it had to be at least 100 pounds,” Bobby said.

Jason Orrock and Jim Sanden hooked three large cobia Friday off Cedar Key. All four looked to be more than 40-inches long, but only one — Jason's 54-inch beast from Seahorse Reef — made it into the boat.

Gulf fishers looking for tamer fare have had little to complain about when it comes to this season's crop of speckled trout. Trout fishing is great out of every port.

The 8th Fishing for Kids Saltwater Tournament held last Saturday at Steinhatchee's Sea Hag Marina saw nearly 200 entrants fishing in 80 boats. The biggest single trout was a 5 ?-pound whopper, and the top redfish weighed in at just more than seven pounds. Numerous hefty five-trout limits came in. Thirty-eight youth anglers participated, and each one went home with a rod and reel combination. As always, everyone in attendance raved about how well the contest was run.

The next on a full slate of upcoming gulf tournaments will be the Fightin' Gator Touchdown Club's 25th Fishin' Tournament at Suwannee Cove. On the main competition day, May 12, freshwater entrants will compete in bass, bream and catfish categories. Those opting for the salty species will go after reds, trout, Spanish mackerel, red grouper, kingfish, cobia and amberjack. There are lots of ways to win in this one. For more info, call Greg Ahrens at 352-376-2060 or go to fgtc.org.

The Military Support Group of Alachua County held its 2nd Bass Tournament last Saturday at Rodman Reservoir. Fishing was good for the 38 competing teams, and there were lots of fine five-bass limits taken to the weigh scales. The Interlachen team of Jerry and Jason Gutierrez prevailed with a total weight of 16.94 pounds. Brian Smith and Chris Pierce were right behind with 16.80, and Travis Blucher and Steven Dose finished third with 15.11. The Gutierrez team was entered in the separate Small Boat Competition as well, giving them a clean sweep of the top paychecks. The successful fundraiser offered an impressive group of prizes that included four guided fishing trips — one to the Everglades for peacock bass.

The same day, Interlachen bass angler, Rick Hefner spent his birthday fishing Rodman. Although for years he was a popular bass guide, Hefner's first target this day was shellcracker. While trying to locate a bed of the big bream, he spotted bassy surface activity that prompted him to cast a Red Eye Shad to the commotion. In short order, 15 bass up to 4.5 pounds had jumped on the lipless crankbait. The well-prepared sage was also armed with live shiners. With one of those, he also hauled in and released a nine-pound Rodman beauty.

Gary Simpson, a veteran tournament angler, operates Gary's Tackle Box at L & S Auto Trim.

Copyright 2012 Gainesville.com - All rights reserved. Restricted use only.

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