Bassin' on a Budget

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all watch our favorite fishing shows and tournaments, and we all have our favorite T.V. hosts. As we watch we see the high-powered bass boats, the expensive rods and reels and the endless supply of baits at their disposal. What if we don’t have the sponsors? Or if your income is limited? Then what? Most of us can’t afford all the high dollar equipment that our favorite bassin’ personalities use. So here are some thoughts on how to get the best bassin’ gear to fit your budget.

 

BANK FISHING:

Fishing on the bank of a pond or river is where most of us got started. We used one of our

Bank fishing on Lake Okeechobee

dad’s poles, with a bobber and a can of night crawlers. In the innocence of youth, we didn’t know any other way to wet a line. Today as older anglers, how many of us revisit the joys of bank fishing on a regular basis? I do. As a matter of fact the last bass I caught was a nice little one pound mossback.  The fish are still there and biting.

Bass Boats:
I know we would all love an 18-foot fiberglass boat with a 200HP outboard, power poles and the like, and we can get a mid-range bass boat starting at about $20,000, but is that what we need to catch bass? I spend most of my time in an old 12 foot Jon boat, that I can put in the back of my truck. Over the years I have caught hundreds of bass out of this little pond hopper. Its powered by a trolling motor, which might be slightly slower than a 200HP outboard, but I can get into places the big boys can’t go.
Customizing your Jon boat is easy to do. You can add a casting deck, seats, rod holders and even dry storage. It’s perfect for one or two anglers. A used Jon boat can run from $100.00-$500.00. And you can get a new 14 foot boat for less than $700.00. Let’s not forget the paddlers; canoes and kayaks are great for fishing.
RODS & REELS:
My favorite Penn spinning reel, cost more than I want my wife to know, but most of the rods and reels in my collection are combos I bought from the local superstore for less than $50.00. These combos are tough enough for any fish you might do battle with, and most kids who might use them. I fish mostly six-foot medium action rods, with 14-pound test line. I’ve caught everything from bluegill to four foot sharks.
As with everything, proper maintenance is required. It’s easy to do, and doesn’t take up too much time. But if you’re not sure how, there is a wonderful tool out there called www.YouTube. It’s amazing what you can learn on the internet.
LINE:
Every angler has his or her favorite type of line. Whether it’s monofilament, braid, fluorocarbon, or another. Pick your favorite brand of line and buy it. Line is an important part of your arsenal, and you need to feel confident in your choice. Remember the weakest link, between you and your fish is your knot. But that’s a different story.
HARD LURES:

There are literally hundreds of hard plastic baits out there. So where do we start? If we are bassin’ on a budget, then we should choose wisely. I keep a handful of baits in all my tackle boxes. All are proven fish catchers. Here are my top five.
 ZERA SPOOK: This bait’s action is incredible. It’s an easy bait to learn how to use, just walk the dog. Zera Spooks come in numerous sizes weights and colors. My personal best bass 9 pounds 8 ounces, came courtesy of a 4-inch cream colored spook. They start at about $5.00
HULA POPPER: This is a classic big bass bait. Introduced in 1948, its name comes from the “hula skirt” on the back and the loud “pop” it makes when fished. Between the pop and the skirt that never stops dancing the Hula Popper is irresistible. There are too many sizes and colors to mention them all. My two go to colors are; black and a frog pattern. Starting at $4.99.
PROP BAITS: I have caught a lot of bass on prop baits. Just let it sit there and rest between moves. The propellers continue to spin, and BAM! I have a mini torpedo in bass pattern that’s two inches long that have fooled 5-pound bass. And a six-inch-long green and red bait, that a 7 inch, yes, a 7-inch largemouth hit. Starting at $2.99
Not all my favorite hard baits are top water. Let’s look at two baits that spend their time underwater.
SPINNERBAITS:
 One of the most versatile baits available. An angler can choose from different blades; the heavy round Colorado, the long slender willow leaf, and the tear drop Oklahoma blade. With the style and colors of the skirts, and the many different weight and color of the head, the choice of spinnerbaits is unlimited. These baits can be fished in many ways. Two of the best ways are to be slow rolled along the bottom or burned across the top. Starting as low as $1.99.
Spoons:
What? Spoons for bass? Are you crazy? That’s a pike bait. Or is it? Granted most bassers

 here in Florida, would never throw a spoon. Why? I don’t know. My go to spoon is the legendary Derdevle. On days when I cast my entire tackle box without a hit, I can tie on a Derdevle, and my rod bends.      


Like the spinnerbait, the Derdevle can be fished many ways. The stop and go works best for me. As it flutters down, bass suck it in. Sizes and colors are innumerable. I like the frog pattern, classic red over white and the yellow with red diamonds.
SOFT PLASTIC:
I think that there are more soft plastic baits out there, than there are mosquitos at my favorite honey hole. Worms, creature baits and frogs, oh my. Worms and creature baits; just go to your favorite bait shop and look, the number of these baits is awe inspiring.
I like to fish my soft plastic baits on a Texas rig. It’s inexpensive, easy to use and is weedless. These baits are the most versatile baits in your tackle box. You can work them on top of lily pads, or you can punch through heavy cover and ring the dinner bell for that big female, just hanging out in the shade. Ranging in size from less than 4 inches to over 12 inches. Talk about color choice, if you can imagine it, then they will have that color sooner or later. My favorite colors, pumpkin seed, watermelon, and green & yellow swirl.  On your bigger worms, try a 2-hook worm harness.
FROGS:

 What can I say, I’m a frogger. Most frogs are weedless, I’ve hopped them off a bank, lily pads, grass, and cat tails. I prefer natural looking legs on my frog, but a popular trend is for frogs to have strands of rubber for legs. Similar to that of a Hula Popper skirt, these legs keep moving. I’ve caught bass on frogs with both types of legs. Frogs can be fished, in a variety of ways; a fast retrieve across the top, just below the surface, slow stop and go, and many more. No matter how you fish them, the strikes are heart stopping.
If you are bassin’ on a budget, remember don’t pass up yard sales. It’s remarkable what people will sell for a dollar. Another place to get great deals is Ebay. I’ve gotten full tackle boxes for $10.00 and there are numerous single lures for .99 cents plus shipping.

I may not have the biggest, fastest boat on the water, but I still catch plenty of fish. Bass fishing isn’t about how much your equipment costs. It’s about time spent in the outdoors. Seeing a beautiful sunrise, and still being on the water as the sun sinks below the horizon. Fishing is time well spent with family and friends, and teaching the next generation about the natural world; and on a good day, its seeing a hog tail walk its way to the boat, after a quick kiss, watching it swim away.
Bass don’t care if you are fishing with a rod and reel that cost you $1000.00 or $10.00. As you can see, Bass fishing is about more than your boat or equipment. So next time you are bank fishing or out on the water in your Jon boat, and you are passed by a high powered, wrapped boat; remember you don’t have that $400.00 a month boat payment.
Take a kid fishing! And tight lines.

Poaching, a Local Problem

 

 

Mama Grizzly Bear and cub

 

 

Poaching. What is it? Simply put, poaching is taking fish or game illegally.

Some people may think that poaching is only a problem in Africa where poachers kill elephants for their ivory, or rhinoceros for the Chinese demand of the traditional medicine made from the rhino’s horn, but poaching happens everywhere. Yes even in your county.

Poaching takes on many forms, from taking of live seashells and under sized fish to baiting deer and bear out of season to numerous other methods. On July 13, 2018 a Texas woman was sentenced to fifteen days in jail for collecting 46 live queen conch shells in Key West Florida. Diani Fiscil-Gonzalez pled no contest. She will also serve six months probation and pay $768.00 in fines and court cost. www.nbc-2.com Mrs. Fiscil-Gonzalez was unaware of the Florida law preventing the taking of live seashells. Now while this is not an extreme case of poaching, it is still classified as poaching.

Have you ever been fishing on a pier or jetty and noticed a guy catch a 40-inch snook, grab his gear and run? I have, and in both cases, it was local men who seem to believe that the laws don’t apply to them. The slot size for snook on the gulf coast of Florida is 28-34 inches. Anything larger or smaller is an illegal fish and those men were poaching. The penalties for taking illegal fish includes, loss of license and fines as well as having your fishing equipment and vehicle confiscated. That’s why they ran so fast back to their car.

I personally know someone who lost his fishing privileges for a year because he was caught with three oversized trout. He didn’t know that for these fish you have to pinch the tail. The slot for trout is 15-20 inches. You are allowed one trout over 20 inches. With the pinched tail, he had 4 over 20 inches. Knowing the laws governing the activity you enjoy is very important.

 

 

Goliath Grouper

 

Recently The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) arrested four men in two boats for “possession of undersized fish and illegal species.” These poachers were stopped in Gordon Pass near Naples and Caxambas Pass in Marco Island. They were in possession of sea turtle parts and goliath grouper, both are federally protected. Eighty-five of eighty-six red grouper were undersized along with several oversized permit. www.floridasportsman.com The charges for these low lifes range from second degree misdemeanors to third degree felonies. With a possible jail term of 5 years and up to $5,000 in fines.

In Montana Outdoors Magazine, Sam Crutis tells us how poaching in that state is big business. Mr. Curtis relates a story of a CEO at an Illinois Company takes his employees on illegal hunts. The CEO uses an unscrupulous guide where a hunting license and tags were not needed. These poachers could take as many antelope as they wanted. Then the animals were sent to a taxidermist that they paid off so these “hunters” could show off their “skills.” In a state like Montana “poachers get plenty of opportunities to shoot big trophies, make big money and satisfy big egos.”
You can’t really profile a poacher. That’s because they come from all walks of life, rich and poor, they come from the country as well as the big city. Sometimes it’s generational. A father shows a young son how to spotlight a deer or that size and bag limits don’t apply to them, because their family was here long before the laws were. In these cases, the young man is hard to turn around, after all dad can do no wrong.

Why do people take fish and game animals illegally? Whether it’s a fish of a lifetime or a Boon and Crockett record deer, or maybe it’s just about the money, it all comes down to greed or worse. www.cnn.com tells us that in 2011 Al shabaab made up to $600,000 a month from elephant tusk, to help fund their terrorist activities. That’s just one of the terrorist groups poaching in the area.

So what can we, as law abiding citizens do to help combat poaching? The first thing we can do is instill a love of nature in our children and grandchildren and impress on them the importance of the laws that govern the outdoor sports that they love. Second, we all have phones. If you witness someone taking an out of slot fish or baiting deer or bear out of season, night hunting or any other unethical way of taking game call 911 or your local warden service.

www.wheresthewildlife.com has a few suggestions on how we can help prevent poaching.

·         Understand what poaching is, the unlawful taking of fish and game.

·         If you see something that you would like to hang over your mantle or in your office, say an alligator head, then find out what the laws are concerning the hunting and selling of that animal.

·         Volunteer with a reputable conservation organization. Do your homework though. Make sure you align yourself with an organization that has the same beliefs as you have.

Researching these organizations is very important. There are some nationally recognized names that are just out for the money. Some give as little as one percent of donations to the causes the money is collected for and don’t hold true to their mission statements. If you are going to give your money or time, give it to the local chapter. Your donations will be put to much better use than it is when given to that national charter.

No matter where you stand on our heritage of outdoor sports hunting, fishing and the like. There is one thing we can all agree on. The illegal taking of fish and game must stop.