Question # 1...Chris R ask

Chris R from Oxford, NC ask...
"How long is too long...One of the toughest things for my partner Larry and I to figure out during a tournament is "How long is too long?" that is, how long do you stay with a certain lure, technique, color, when the fish just aren't biting? What's your personal belief regarding switching techniques and baits during a tourney that's proven the most successful for you?"

Chris... This is one of the hardest things that I deal with during a tournament. How I break it down is basically like this...

What season of the year is it?....
If it is spring time I will fish a couple of different patterns in a single day based on water temperature. I may start with secondary points early in the day and then move to bedding areas as the water warms up through the day.
Fall and summer are about the same the fish are either there or they are not. This is my two run and gun seasons.
Winter well let's just say really slow. A good example of that was late last winter I had a friend out on Falls Lake. Water temp in the low 40's I trusted what my electronics was telling me and caught one over 7 lbs. It took over 1 1/2 hrs in the same spot.

How many patterns did I put together in practice?....
I will try to fish as few different patterns as I have to. If I found fish on 3 different patterns in practice I will only use all three if I have to. I set my patterns in order by how good the fish are on that particular pattern and fish them accordingly.

How well do I know the lake?....
If I know the lake well and feel confident that I can run here and there to pick up one fish per spot then that is what I will try the last hour to hour and a half. I have saved my day this way many many times.

Am I only spot fishing?....
If I am on a lake that I was not able to put patterns together and only found certain spots then I am there all day. This is mostly on lakes that I have not spent much time on getting to know. You just have figure what they want or were they went. This one is toughest of all as I have never done well in this situation.

Switching baits....
Chris I try and use the 15 minute rule. If I don't get bit on it in 15 then I pick up another rod. Many times you will be on a school of fish and they quit biting all you have to do is pick up a different rod. He he why do you think I have so many of them? LOL

Chris, thanks for your questions I hope I have helped you in your quest to be a better angler and remember "trust your instincts".

Bill

Thank You Lord!

Lord, I just want to take a minute more of your time today to say THANK YOU for keeping us in your hands!

Ask Away

You count and are important to me! It is your turn at the wheel. I am starting a tradition that I will do several times through the year. In this I will give you the opportunity to ask whatever fishing related questions you have and I will answer as many as I can here on the blog.

Let's please try to keep them general and please don't ask me for GPS coordinates for particular lakes. You will not get them! Let's have some fun here and try to learn something at the same time. If I do not know the answer to your question I will seek out a qualified individual to answer it. Let's start now and I will cut of the questions 12/27/06.

I will randomly draw one person from all the questions to appear as a special guest on "Fishing Lesson" late in 2007.

Click here to ask questions@billbrendle.com

Cold Weather Fishing?

With the water temps dropping into the high to mid 40's it is time to once again change fishing methods. Most anglers will now switch to a well known and one of the most popular techniques for cold weather bassing. It is what I call "couch flipping" and what it consist of is this, you find a very comfortable location on either your couch or favorite easy chair, pick up the remote control and then you "flip" the channels. This method works best and is most popular on weekends but you will also be able to haul in a good catch through the week with the right channels. If you pay close attention to the pattern inside the pattern here you can really pick up some valuable tips from these programs.

One such program that I hope you will pick up information from is one that we are currently trying to get put together. It will be called "Fishing Lessons" and will be hosted by yours truly along with a mixed bag of special guest ranging from local anglers, local kids to some well known pros. The concept behind the show is just a bit different then most of the ones out there. The biggest thing we want to bring to you is the "how to" of what is being done to catch fish. A lot of this will be both seasonal and lake specific. We are planning on including a monthly cooking segment along with product spot lights. The show is scheduled to air on the "PAX Network" and will reach over 1,006,330 homes weekly through air waves and different cable carriers. It will then be picked up by the "Dish Network" for which we do not have figures for. We have shot a small portion of it and have a long way to go. We are hoping to start airing some time towards the end of January 2007.

The one thing we are currently fishing for ourselves is "Title" & "Official" sponsors to be able to bring you the show. These can be either companies or individual persons. This is what is needed to be able to get this entire project put together and on the air by January. We are already working with some terrific companies that will be purchasing advertising and supplying product this coming season and are currently speaking with more. We still have about 3 minutes of commercial time to sell but we are closing the gap.

If you would like to see a good show that will not leave out the vital parts of information on methods and patterns that will make you a better angler, then help us cast this out to prospective sponsors!

Take a Kid Fishing!

We have all heard the the saying "take me fishing" from either our children or some that we may know. This past Saturday it was again my pleasure to hear my son say "take me fishing". We talked about it for a bit as we decided were to go. We have had more then 7 inches of rain over the past couple of weeks and I knew that all of the lakes would be very high. One of his favorite places to go is Falls Lake, it was way too high as there is water over top the boat ramps, great fishing but not for a kid. Then he said how about Kerr, no too far to go today as it is already 9 am. I then suggested a small pond owned by some friends of the family. That was it, he responded with a resounding "YES" pumping his fist in the air.

We gathered up what rods and tackle we were taking. Packed a small lunch and some snacks and hit the road. The drive out was enjoyable as he was reminiscing about the last time he was at the pond. He was still bragging on the fact that he "out fished" both Dad and our friend Carlos that day. He found a little corner that held several bass and proceeded to whip up on us old guys.

We arrived at the pond and checked in with the owners to make sure it was OK for us to fish. This alone is a very important lesson to teach our children. I of course knew that fishing there was not a problem but we need to teach our kids the proper respect to others, especially property owners who allow us to enjoy the outdoors at their expense. Clean up your trash and carry out more trash then what you carried in!

The fishing that day was just a little slow to say the least. It didn't take more then an hour before I noticed his rod was against a tree and he was just walking around looking at the horses. It was at this time that we both got a great catch! A neighbor has some Beagle dogs that had recently had puppies. Three of them came out to play in the field near the pond. They were, as puppies usually are, full of energy. I then said to my son, why don't you go play with the puppies a little while. He eyes lit up and he said really, I can? He went over to them bent down and of course was mobbed by the puppies. He jumped up came running back over exclaiming that they were biting each other and he does not know how to play with puppies as he has never been around them. His dog was already old when he was born so I guess he was right, he had never been around puppies before. The two of us proceeded to have a "puppy lesson" for the next couple of hours as we enjoyed playing with them way more then fishing that day!

What a memory that will be for me to cherish the rest of my life! Take a kid fishing and keep an open mind. You never know what pleasure you will enjoy or what memories you will create for all until you get out and spend time with a kid. Be a mentor and your enjoyment will last a lifetime.

Giving Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! It is a day when family & friends will gather, they will eat and rejoice. There will be millions sitting around watching football, going to movies, or just doing whatever it is that they enjoy doing. There will happiness and joy, arguments and sadness. Wars will not stop, crime will not stop, drugs will not stop. The world will continue to rotate on it's axis and the seasons will continue to change. These things we can not change alone. They can only be changed if we all pull together for the common good of man. Too many people today have the me, me, me mentality. The book that the "Grand Artificer" of the universe has provided us with as a guide teaches each of us to not be this way. So as the books tell each and every one of us to do, take just a few minutes to think of your loved ones, neighbors, friends and family and truly give thanks for what you have!

I for one am thankful for so many things, I have struggled with it this past year but I do have my health and I am glad to have another chance. I have two children that have each blessed my life so strongly in their own ways, most of which has taught me to look at things from a different perspective. I do not have as much time with family as I would like, I lost both of my parents and I am so very thankful that I still have so many fond memories of them and the times we had. I have a sister and brother and probably the best in-laws a man could ask for. I am thankful for them. We have a nice home, newer vehicles, boats, and all the nice things but more importantly my wife and I still to this day have a very strong love for each other. We are best friends and I feel blessed beyond words to still be this close to her after all of these years we have spent together. Just the sight of her still drives me wild. I am thankful for having my faith and convictions for they are what makes me the man I am. Thank You Lord for all that you do for us.

May you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Now will somebody please pass the gravy!

Top Water in November

This past Wednesday I had the opportunity to fish with my friend Gary Weissenberger. Gary has spent the last 20 some years in California. It was a joy to watch his reaction on seeing someone catch bass in the middle of the day on top water.

The key to it is really simple, granted the fish were not large, the biggest about 2 1/2 lbs., but they were fun. If the water temprature is over 55 you can get them on top. The main thing that day was wood and cloud cover. Every fish came from a solitary peice of wood. The wood was located in a small main lake pocket and all of it had deep water next to it. You can not use a fast moving bait this late in the year so remember to keep it slow and focus on these points.

1.) Use a slow bait, something like a popper or prop bait that you can keep in the strike zone.

2.) Work the bait next to cover, even a small single solitary branch can hold a hawg.

3.) When it comes to wood more is not always merrier.

4.) Fish main lake pockets, go to the windy side if possible.

5.) Make sure there is some deep water near by. They will not travel far this time of year.

6.) Last but not least have fun!

I hope this helps you put more fish in the boat so get off the couch and get out there and have some fun.

Veterans....THANK YOU!

I am sitting here writing this post and I really do not know where to start. This past weekend I was a volunteer at the travelling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall when it came to Raleigh, NC. For those of you who have not seen it it is a 3/4 scale replica of the actual wall in DC. It is set up in such a manner that the placement of a name on the wall matches exactly with the location on the DC wall. That alone is an amazing feat.

The real reason I am sitting here is to tell you just a part of the eye watering, heart wrenching, proud to be an American, humbling experience this was. I have never in my life been so humbled as I was there. I was not prepared for the emotional experience that this became! I could sit here for days and tell you about the people and their stories, but neither of us has that kind of time today. I am going to pick just a few and relate them as best I can. I am not going to give their names solely out of respect for them and their loved ones, it has been hard enough.

The first person I want to tell you about is a woman who is still alive. She is a surviving Vietnam Veteran and one of a handful of "enlisted women" there, not as a nurse. I was shocked to say the least to find this out. She is full of life and a real fireball! I had the privilege of talking to her several hours over the course of the day. Thanks to her I now know that out of the over 58,000 names on that wall there are nine of them that are women! What a joy it was to meet her, I know that our paths are going to cross again in the near future.

Then there is the person who came to look up the name of their father and get a tracing. They were directed to the correct section of the wall and as they searched for and found the name there was already a person tracing that exact name. In a small quiet voice they asked the man what his connection was. He explained that he was that soldiers commanding officer. I know that an hour later they were still grasping hands crying and talking as they were both helping each other bring closure to that part of their lives.

Last but not least I want to tell you about the elderly couple that touched me the most. Their story ripped my heart from my chest and I am still brought to tears writing this. They lost their one and only son in Viet Nam in 1962 the year that I was born. He was a fighter pilot and was in country for less then two weeks when he was shot down. He was then listed MIA and remained this way for 33 1/2 years! I stood there with them for over an hour as they told the story of their son, a hero. They were so proud so full of joy and grief. I walked with them to an area that was recording the stories of all veterans for the Library of Congress and listened. The hardest part for me was how the father would not accept that "his boy" had died. For 33 1/2 years he was continually expecting him to come back to him and walk through the door. His son never made it. He is now with God as his remains rest in Arlington National Cemetery, buried as a National Hero!

When you meet a Veteran no matter what age, war time or peace walk up to them THANK THEM and let them know we care. Support Our Troops! There are many ways to do this and don't forget about their families at home whom a lot of them are struggling to make ends meet.

Fall Pattern on Gaston - For Phil

Well since Phil wanted to know why I caught my fish different then what I had posted for Fall Patterns here goes.

Fished Gaston this past weekend with a major cold front that came through. It dropped down to the mid 20's at night which made it difficult to say the least. I had not been on the lake in about 5 years and spent zero practice time. Heck I was thrilled to just have caught fish! I found my fish on the inside edges of secondary points. They were in 15 - 18 ft. of water relating to the grass line. The technique I used was what we call fishing a "shaky head". It consist of using a lead head jig and usually a finesse worm. I personally like using the "Spot Remover" jigs from Buckeye baits as they are flat on the bottom, fall different and stand up perfect once on the bottom. I was able to catch over 60 fish on this the first day and around 15 the second. Note, on day 2 they only pulled water for about 30 minutes.

The top 2 patterns this past weekend consisted of fishing a small swim bait very slow on grass flats in approx. 10 ft. of water and also catching some schooling bass with a crankbait and worm.

Fall Patterns

The weather, like the leaves is changing. The nights are getting cold and the lakes are ready to turn over. Some already have, many more are in the process. Now is the time for that small window of great "catching" in the fall. The shad have bunched up and ran to the backs of the creeks.

The bass are there now having followed the food. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and black buzz baits prevail and are the weapons of choice for most anglers this time of year. Thousands of miles of shoreline will be bombarded. Trolling motors will kick up mud in the endless pursuit of Mr. Bass. Many fish will be caught but many more, sometimes better fish will be passed over.

There is one pattern that the average angler does not try this time of year. It is a pattern that will often produce the largest stringer of fish from the back of the creek. It is a simple pattern that yoou can use with any of the earlier mention baits. The key is to position your boat in 8 - 10 ft of water and just cast down the middle of the pocket. Cast at every angle that you can. You will catch fish and good ones! This time of year many of the fish that move in the back of the creeks are suspended and this is a fantastic way to catch them. Good Luck and tight lines!

Slow traffic keep right!!!

I have been driving for 28 years now and I am wondering when the traffic laws changed? I was taught that the slower traffic on a highway was to keep right. It seems that the norm today is for someone to get on and move directly to the far left lane. It does not matter what speed they are traveling, or that there is a line of traffic behind them! The question is what possesses these people to do this? Are they just moronic or are they ignorant of the rules of the road? I think that today's society is to blame. Too many people are only about what's in it for me and what do I get out of it. We have traffic cops, why only worry about speeding or road rage. If they enforced the basic rules of the road then road rage would just fade away. People get in the right lane...get out of my way and do not ever assume that because I am towing a boat you need to pull out in front of me! Just my $.02 worth.