When You See The Dogwoods Start to Bloom; Go Bass Fishing

When most people see the dogwood trees start to bloom, they think Spring is finally here. They comment on the beauty of the trees and the sweet smells that go along with Spring. I however look at the Virginia State tree blooming in an entirely different way, dogwood trees blooming means that the big bass are ready to eat. So when I see the annual occurrence it's time to go bass fishing.

Having bass fished since my youth (which was a long time ago) some of my best experience in catching large bass has come during the dogwood tree bloom. It's funny, I have caught a very large number of large bass (over 5 lbs.) over the years but I can remember every one I caught during the dogwood bloom. Maybe it's  because it was the first big fish of the season. It is a true sign to me that Spring is here and the fishing season is in full swing.

Two of these fish stand out to me the most, both were caught in the same spot, the same way on Lake Anna one year apart. It's possible that it was the same exact fish as it was almost 8 pounds the first year and almost 9 pounds the next year. I let both fish go as I have with every bass I have ever caught with one exception. That one exception was a fish I caught with my good friend Jeff Coble on Falls Lake in NC. It was a 11 pound 3 ounce monster caught on my favorite bait; a spinnerbait. By the way, that monster bass was caught on April 2, 1992 during the dogwood bloom.

The dogwood bloom happens every year, usually  between April 1 and April 15 depending on the weather and your geographical location. I have found that it does not matter what part of the country you are in, when it happens, it's happening on the water. So when I see dogwood trees have started to bloom, I go fishing and I suggest you go to.

Sincerely,


Brian




E-Mail: brian@mareinc.com
Phone: MARE Inc.: 301-898-3717
MARE of Aquia: 540-657-1136
Web-site: mareinc.com
                mareinc.rangerdealer.com
Facebook: MARE Inc.
                  MARE of Aquia
                  MARE Inc. Boating & Fishing
Twitter: @MAREMARINE
YouTube: MAREMARINEINC


 

The Potomac River is on Fire

The Potomac River is on fire, no it's not burning, but the bass fishing is red hot.  Early reports are that bass are being caught in large numbers and the larger fish are showing up shallow.  It is a great sign for the up coming season when the river is on fire early.

What is causing this to happen this year? Is it because of the mild winter that we have had most of the season? Maybe it's because we had very little high water on the Upper Potomac or it could be just one of the cycles that the river goes through from time to time. I believe that the fishing is already great because of all three reasons.

The first reason is a mild winter which allows the grass to stay healthy and has kept the water clear. When that happens, it creates habitat for the food source and gives the young of the year a chance to survive the winter months. All things that are great for the fishery.

The second reason is that the Upper Potomac to this point has not really flooded this winter. No flooding means that thousands of tons of sediment has not washed downstream to the Lower Potomac and a large amount of cold river water did not come with it. No sediment and no large amount of cold river means the water quality and clarity has remained constant. Water clarity allows sunlight for the grass to grow and the shallows to warm up. Again, great for the fishery.

The third and final reason is that the Potomac seems to be on the up tick, fishing has been good and heading toward great over the last couple of fishing seasons. There has been more larger fish being caught and the overall numbers appear to be on the increase. This is great for all the anglers that fish on the Potomac River.

Whatever the reason,  fishing appears to be great. When the fishing is this good, this early, there is only one thing to do; get out there and enjoy it. It's time to go fishing on the Lower Potomac, because the river is on fire.

Sincerely,


Brian Lancaster




E-Mail: brian@mareinc.com
Phone: MARE Inc.: 301-898-3717
MARE of Aquia: 540-657-1136
Web-site: mareinc.com
                mareinc.rangerdealer.com
Facebook: MARE Inc.
                  MARE of Aquia
                  MARE Inc. Boating & Fishing
Twitter: @MAREMARINE
YouTube: MAREMARINEINC

The Little Guys Can Fish The BassMaster Classic

Every bass fisherman that has ever fished a tournament has dreamed of fishing the BassMaster Classic. The Classic is the holy grail of fishing. The Classic is the private playing ground for the pros and will only remain a dream for local angles. Then Kelly Pratt appears, local guy fishes B.A.S.S. Open on the James River and beats all the Pros. This week Kelly Pratt is fishing in the BassMaster Classic. Ha, the little guy can fish in the BassMaster Classic after all.  

The road to qualify for the Classic can be driven on several separate paths for an local angler. The most common way that a local angler can qualify for the BassMaster Classic is through the Bass Federation. Another way to qualify is to fish the Pro Tour and finish high enough in the yearly standings. But when reality sets in, most angler find it impossible to compete at that level or find the funding necessary to follow the tour around the country. Some estimates claim it to cost as much as $100,000.00 for just one season, this is generally above the pay scale of many local anglers. Then there is the way Kelly Pratt qualifies for the Classic, Kelly fished as a Pro when B.A.S.S. came to the James River last year. He honed his skills on his home body of water, worked his butt off and when the Tour came to town he put it on them. Many local anglers fish these events when the Tour comes around, most fish hard but fail in the task of beating professionals that make a living angling. Maybe it's nerves, maybe it's having to find enough fish for the whole week but for some reason most local anglers fail to win. None of those reasons stopped Kelly from winning, he won a trip to the big dance of bass fishing, the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, The BassMaster Classic.

I would like to wish Kelly Pratt of Willaimsburg, Virginia the best of luck in The Classic, we are rooting for you and hope that you have a great time fishing with the big boys for the championship. I would also like to thank you for showing us that it is possible to live out our dreams if you work hard enough. Thanks Kelly, us little guys can fish in the BassMaster Classic after all.

Fishing Flea Markets; More Than a Place to Buy Used Fishing Equipment

Have you ever gone to a fishing flea market? Fishing flea markets are held by Bass Clubs and Local Fisherman around the country as fundraisers and it gives them a venue to sell their old fishing equipment. But these fishing flea markets offer more, they offer what bass clubs used to have; camaraderie. You get to see a bunch of local anglers that you have lost touch with, you make some new friends and you get re energized about fishing. The whole experience is wonderful.

I was lucky enough to go to a local fishing flea market just this past weekend. I had a ton, I mean a ton of old tackle that I have collected over thirty plus years of bass fishing. I had simply run out of room for new tackle. It is pretty normal for a fishaholic to continue buying tackle even though they have more than you could ever use in a lifetime. I got there early to unload and set up my three tables of tackle I planned on selling. Once there I found that I had more tackle than I had space for, again pretty normal. I had priced my used tackle to sell, I probably sold a lot of items too cheap but I didn't want to pack up and haul home any remaining tackle.I also gave a lot of small fishing items to kids that attended the show with their families. It was great to see so many kids excited about fishing and the thoughts of fishing with my son or fishing with my dad as a kid crept into my mind. Pretty neat deal, again worth the price of admission. I sold or gave away all but one small box of crankbaits, lures which I didn't mind keeping any way. It was a successful event and I had a great time.

The bottom line is that I sold about $10, 000.00 worth of old fishing tackle for about $2, 000.00. Not a good day by many standards, but I argue that it was an awesome day over all. I got to talk to a bunch of old friends, made several new friends and talked fishing all day. We talked about fishing trips of the past and those we hope to have in the future. I saw the glimmer of excitement in the eyes of the kids that attended the flea market with their parents or grand parents. What a great family sport fishing is and not just when your out on the water fishing. So if you are looking for some the camaraderie and a great time overall, I suggest checking your area for a fishing flea market. It will re energize you and bring back the greatest memories of your fishing life. It did for me. 

 

Bass Fishing in 2012; It's Never Been Better

Cold dreary days really suck; I am sitting here in my office on a 35 degree January Monday, trying to come up with something good to blog about. Pretty hard to do when it is cold with snow on the ground, drizzling, foggy and all you want to do is go fishing.

Then the guys in the showroom started talking about the B.A.S.S. Southern Open held last week on the Harris Chain in Florida. They really caught them, the winner of the event (Chris Lane) had a three day total of 72 lbs 11 ounces. That's a little over 24 lbs. a day. That got us thinking, bass fishing has never been better than it is right now and we still have 342 days left to fishing in 2012.

When you look back at the past and see the weights of fishing tournaments in the good old days, in most cases they are being overshadowed by the weights of today. Talk to the fisherman that fish the Potomac River, Okeechobee, Guntersville, the Harris Chain and many others. Anglers are all saying the same thing, fishing is better now than any time in the past. Is it because we are better fisherman, have better equipment or are the fisheries simply better? I can't answer that question and maybe no one could, but I can tell you that we are truly looking at a great year of bass fishing in 2012.

The upcoming fishing season is just a few weeks away for most of us. Days are starting to get longer. Temperatures are going to stabilize within the next 6 weeks hopefully and we will be back on the water doing what we love to do; fish. The time to get your equipment ready is now. Lousy days like today will soon be a thing of the past. So when you look outside today and see the white stuff through the rain and fog, remember better days are just around the corner. 2012 is going to be the best bass fishing we have ever seen and that is something to be excited about.

Happy New Year; Is Your Tackle Ready For Spring?

The hectic running around that the holidays demand are over and the new year is here; soon a few warm day will appear and the opportunity to fish will present itself, will your tackle be ready?

The days are already getting longer, but daylight is still at a premium. Cold nights and reruns on TV are still part of the anglers near future. So what can you do to get pass these long nights? Work on your fishing equipment. It is the next best thing to getting to go fishing with your equipment.  So what can you do to get ready? Below is a list of easy to do items that will make your first few fishing trips seamless and more enjoyable.

Every angler gets surprised by the weather and their fishing buddy calls up and says; "it is going to be 70 tomorrow lets go fishing". You then have to run around and get all your stuff ready; tackle , rods, reels etc... The trick is to do it all now, so when it's time you'll be ready. Step 1 Fishing line. Go get all your reels out, make a list of what lines you need, go get those lines and get it done. Step 2 Tackle. Go get your early season fishing tackle ready, No not your top water boxes; the jig, grubs, rattle traps and spinner baits. Check the boxes for rusted hooks caused by leaving tackle wet, discard those baits cause you would throw them anyway when you are on the water. Check skirts, swivels and trailers. Get your terminal tackle ready; weights, toothpicks and hooks. Step 3 Rods & Reels. Check your Rods and Reels outs, check those guides and reels seats, grease those reels or take them to get serviced by someone that can if you are not comfortable taking your reels apart. I have found that reel maintenance truly makes a big difference. They cast better and further after service and they are quite a bit quieter. Step 4 Check the batteries in your weight equipment. If you have a Cull-Um Rite or other type of scale, change the batteries now. Gather up your fish pins, clean your bump board. Have all the culling equipment working and ready to go. Step 5 Check your net. Make sure the handle is good, the netting is attached and doesn't need repair. All of these steps are easy to do, getting them ready keeps you from getting board and will make fishing more enjoyable.

So tonight when you get home, eat dinner, go get on the couch and start to watch that rerun of CSI, get up, get your tackle out and start getting ready for that call from your fishing partner, "Hey it is going to be 70 tomorrow".

Sincerely,


Brian

PS Thanks for reading our Blog




E-Mail: brian@mareinc.com
Phone: MARE Inc.: 301-898-3717
MARE of Aquia: 540-657-1136
Web-site: mareinc.com
                 mareinc.rangerdealer.com
Facebook: MARE Inc.
                  MARE of Aquia
                  MARE Inc. Boating & Fishing
Twitter: @MAREMARINE
YouTube: MAREMARINEINC

What's Hot, The Latest Trends In Bass Boat Sales.

What size bass boats are selling best and why? What is the boating industry seeing in the future? In this blog we will discuss these items and more, so read on if you what to see What’s Hot.

Boat dealers and manufactures have seen changes in the bass boat market; today’s anglers are purchasing smaller boats. This trend started in the 2010 and continued in the 2011 model year. These best-selling models are 18 ½ to 19 ½ feet long and are powered by 150-225 horsepower engines. Unlike the 18 and 19 footer of the past, these new boats meet the requirements today’s anglers demand; fishing ability, super wide front decks, efficient operation and better performance compared to their predecessors. These new rigs also cost a lot less than their 20 and 21 foot counterparts that gained popularity in the early 2000’s. 

Why are customers purchasing these smaller more economical boats? It could be that the economic times have cut into the fishing fund, large gas bill for the truck and boat can get out of hand quickly when feeding a 3/4 ton and a 250 horsepower outboard. Having sold bass boats since 1988, I believe that the average angler can no lower afford or justify the price of $55, 000.00 to $60,000.00 in the present economic conditions. You can easily spend that much on today's 20 or 21 foot bass boats before adding all the goodies. Today’s anglers want to add all the optional equipment to their new rig, equipment that costs thousands of dollars. Adding $10, 000.00 in options hurts a lot less when purchasing a boat that costs $35, 000.00 - $40, 000.00, compared to adding it to their $60, 000.00 counterparts. 

After seeing this market trend, most bass boat manufacturers have up graded their 18 and 19 foot offerings, making sure that anglers can get the boat with the options and features that they desire at a price that fits into today's budgets. This is great for the anglers in the market today, there are plenty of options of new model choices in the market place to choose from.

Driving one of these sporty 18 and 19 foot boats has never been smarter in my opinion, they are less expensive to purchase, cost a lot less to operate, can be towed by a small SUV or 1/2 ton pickup and are plenty of boat for even the most competitive angler. So if the economic times have cut down your fishing trips, give the newest trend in bass fishing a look. I bet that you'll get to fish a lot further on that fishing fund.  

Sincerely,


Brian




E-Mail: brian@mareinc.com
Phone: MARE Inc.: 301-898-3717
MARE of Aquia: 540-657-1136
Web-site: mareinc.com
                 mareinc.rangerdealer.com
Facebook: MARE Inc.
                  MARE of Aquia
                  MARE Inc. Boating & Fishing
Twitter: @MAREMARINE
YouTube: MAREMARINEINC