Lake Info
Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea
Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 321.84 Water Temperature:
73 degrees - top
62 degrees - bottom
|
|
Flipping
to catch hiding bass
Special to The Monitor
Even though the 11-pound bass Bobby Lane caught during a recent Bassmaster® Elite
tournament in California hit a swimbait, the Yamaha Pro readily admits his favorite spring
fishing technique is flipping shallow, weedy cover, and he adds, it’s just as likely
to yield a trophy-class bass as the swimbaits are.
”Flipping allows you to present a lure right into the heart of thick cover where bass
like to hide,” Lane explained. He has caught numerous bass in the 10- to 12-pound
range with the technique.
Living in Florida, he frequently flips thick, matted hydrilla, but as a full-time
tournament pro, he also points his flipping stick at laydowns, standing timber, lily pads
and boat docks.
”I flip a little differently in the spring than I do at other times of the
year,” Lane noted, “because I’m always thinking about larger fish.
“My basic approach is to generate a reaction bite, rather than a feeding bite, which
is what I try for in the summer and fall,” he explained.
”To do that, I rig with a very heavy sinker, usually 1¼-ounce, that pulls my lure to
the bottom very fast,” Lane said. “Speed is what triggers most reaction strikes
with any type of lure, and to get flipping speed, all you do is use a heavier
sinker.”
The rest of Lane’s flipping arsenal includes a heavy-action rod, ranging in length
from 7-2 to 7-6 in length, and 65-pound braided line, so he can pull fish out of the
cover.
His lures are usually bulky plastic creature baits, or crawfish imitations with extra
appendages that wave with more lifelike action in the water.
“The bass you’re going after this time of year is sitting in heavy cover waiting
to move shallow to spawn,” Lane said, “so it’s probably not very hungry.
That’s why I try to get a reaction strike; the fish just hits purely out of reflex
because something just fell right beside it.”
Although he normally likes to fish fast, the Yamaha Pro emphasizes the importance of
providing spring bass with repeated opportunities to strike.
Thus, he usually hops his lures up and down several times to create multiple falls once
it’s in the cover. Frequently, however, Lane gets a strike the very first time his
lure falls.
”The ideal place to flip for big fish this time of year is in weedy vegetation
growing in the mouth of a spawning pocket or cove,” he explains. “When bass
begin moving shallow to spawn, they do so in stages, stopping at different places while
they wait for the right water conditions.
“Vegetation attracts these bass because of the protection it provides, the
availability of baitfish, and because the water around the vegetation will usually be a
little clearer,” Lane said. ”Not only will other bass move into the same
vegetation to replace earlier bass, but fish returning to deep water after spawning will
generally stop at the same spot, as well. That’s why vegetation is one of the first
things I look for in April and May.”
When he finds them, Lane doesn’t hesitate to fish shallow laydowns and standing
timber that also provide cover for bass moving shallow to spawn. Regardless of the type of
cover, he still tries to elicit reaction strikes with his fast-falling presentation.
”The more shallow the cover, the further away you need to stay, so you don’t
spook any fish using that cover,” Lane said, “but always be prepared for a
strike on your very first presentation, because that’s when bass react the best.
“It’s as if they’re taken by surprise, which they are,” he added.
“Put your lure into the thickest, heaviest portion of the cover if you can,
too.”
The Yamaha Pro also advises anglers who are flipping to concentrate on bright, sunny days,
rather than during cloudy weather, because the sun will not only be warming the water, it
will also push bass into cover.
”On cloudy days, bass will roam a lot more and flipping becomes much less
productive,” he said, “but on a bright, cloudless day, the fish will hold very
tight to vegetation and brush, which is exactly what you want for flipping.
”I know swimbaits catch a lot of bass this time of year all over the country, but
they’re most effective in open water,” Lane added. “When bass are using
cover, I don’t believe there’s a better presentation than flipping.”
Tips to avoid used boat buying paperwork
pitfalls
Special to The Monitor
ALEXANDRIA, Va.–In recreational boating today, it’s a buyers market, and used
boats represent great value.
“Finding your dreamboat is easy,” BoatU.S. vice president of Boat Finance Charm
Addington, who heads the association’s Settlement Service, said in a prepared news
release.
“It’s harder, however, to walk away from a boat that pulls at your heart strings
– but may have skeletons hiding in the closet, such as a cloudy title or other
issues,” Addington said. “Transactions between private buyers and sellers are
where we see the majority of potentially costly paperwork issues.”
By following these simple seven tips, boat buyers can avoid most of the paperwork pitfalls
when buying a pre-owned vessel:
1. Registration. It should be current.
Also, be aware that a boat not located in the state where it is registered is one
indicator that it may have tax issues that could haunt a new owner.
2. Title. The information on the title should match the registration.
A title also will usually list any liens on the vessel, such as a bank loan that will need
to be paid off in order to transfer the title.
It’s important to include a statement in the purchase agreement that requires the
seller to pay off the loan within a very limited amount of time after the sale. Any other
liens should be cleared up by the seller before any sale occurs.
3. Hull trace the HIN. Take a pencil and paper to get a rubbing of the boat’s
12-character serial number, known as the HIN (hull identification number) and ensure it
matches registration and title. If it does not, the seller should correct the problem.
4. Taxes. It’s advisable to get a statement from the buyer stating any state or local
taxes on the vessel have been paid. This can also be easily included in the purchase
agreement.
5. Purchase Agreement. It’s smart – and a widely acceptable practice – to
include contingencies for the buyer, such as securing financing and receiving an
acceptable survey and sea trial.
6. Bill of Sale. Prepare this document with the seller’s name exactly as it appears
on the title and registration.
7. Payment. A cashier’s check is the best way to consummate the deal, but the name on
the check must match the name on the title and registration.
Upcoming
games |
| Yachting May
22
Race Day-Don’s Port
May 29
Round the Lake Regatta
June 12
Skipper’s practice sail/clinic |
Semi-Pro Football May
22
1st round playoffs
(TBA) |
|
|
|