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World record bass
Dottie, the world-record class largemouth bass at Dixon Lake that has captured the attention of anglers worldwide, died apparently of old age over Mother’s Day weekend. The end of an era, to be sure.
Read the whole story here at ESPN OUTDOORS
Hi JD,
Thanks for your regular updates. Enjoy getting them directly by email.
Question. You’ve explained leader length for dodgers. I have a question regarding flashers . . . what is the standard length for those leaders. I’m interested in trying them for both trout and kokes. Sep’s flashers is what I have.
Thanks, Frank
Hey Frank, I generally run my flashers 24 to 30 inches ahead of my offering…most of the time with trout, we’re talking a white, orange or black grub or…better yet…a big, juicy nightcrawler!
JD, I am new to bass fishing and and ready to purchase my first baitcaster reel (I know I’ve got some tangles in my future!). My question is, should I go with a left-handed reel or a right-handed? Great site, by the way!
–Alex S.
Hey Alex, you didn’t say if you’re a righty or a southpaw, but since the vast majority of the word is made up of righthanders, we’ll assume you are too.
I’m a righty and prefer all my baitcasters to have a left-hand retrieve. My dominant hand (right) does the casting and my left cranks the reel…all without me having to switch hands.
For reasons that escape me, most righties like right-hand cranks, but it seems silly to me to cast with the right hand and then have to move the rod to the left hand so you can crank with your right. I’m especially mystified by pro bassers who do it that way…when time is money, you’d think those guys wouldn’t want to waste the time it takes to switch hands after each cast.
Over the course of a day during a tournament, that probably translates into a few extra casts if they did the other way. And when ounces separate guys from tens of thousands of dollars, you’d think…
The Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife began trapping and transferring California sea lions from below the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River on Thursday, April 24.
The sea lions, which have been eating lots of huge sturgeon a day — and up to a third of the spring chinook run — will be transferred to a variety of zoos and water parks that have agreed to accept up to 19 animals.
Click here to read more…
JD,
Could you could possibly give me a hand on how to get started in the guiding field (or you could laugh at me that would work too)? It would much appreciated — this is a dream I would like to make into reality.
–Chris W.
Chris,
To get into guiding, you need to make sure you have all your licenses, bonds and insurance taken care of ahead of time. Here in California, you’ll need a DFG license and a Coast Guard Capt.’s license depending on what waters you’re planning to run on. You also need to post a surity bond each season.
Then, don’t expect to make a full-time deal out of it for a few seasons. Do it part time and have a back-up income source for awhile until you get a good client base built up. It takes t-i-m-e! Figure a good 5 years before you’re full time.
Also, keep in mind that when you’re guiding, you suddenly don’t have any time for fun fishing anymore. People think it’s all fun (which it is!), but there’s a lot of stress that goes along with it, too.
I thought I knew a lot about fishing…until I started having to do it every day, under all kinds of conditions, with people of all skill levels. The more I did it, the more I realized that I didn’t know so much.
Honestly, it’s a tough time to get into the field, with declining fish populations, ever-increasing crowds, expensive fuel and a recession. When times are tight, fishing trips often get axed out of people’s budgets.
If you’re prepared to hang tough and give it some time, you’ll do fine.
I’ll leave you with what I think is the most important aspect of being a guide:
It’s what you do between bites that makes or breaks you.
Good luck!
–JD