Saturday, January 31, 2015

The Right Fishing Gear

The Right Fishing Gear

James HillFishing Tips and Techniques

Over the past few years I’ve been asked the same old question over and over “James, why do you need so many fishing rods; you can only use one at a time?

I’ve had the same Ugly Stick since I was twelve and I’ve never needed any other rod!”. Each time I’m asked a question like this I’m forced to reach deep down into my bag of clichés and pull out gems such as, “You don’t play a round of golf with just a putter” or “You can’t build a house with just a hammer”. You need the right tool for a specific job or in this case the right rod for the situation or technique.

I’m not saying you need to rush out and buy twenty new rods to catch bass. Nor is there a mathematical equation that’ll give you the exact correct answer to how many rods you need to have on the deck of your boat to catch bass. Ask any six dedicated anglers and you’ll get six slightly different answers, it’s all about comfort and how you intend to fish them.

Here's three versatile rods that can be used to apply a variety of techniques that every bass angler should own whether you're just starting out in the sport or you're a seasoned veteran competing in tournaments!

1. 6’10” Medium/Light power with an Extra Fast action spinning rod… With this rod you’ll be able to apply a lot of “Finesse” techniques with lighter fluorocarbon or braided lines. This rod will serve well for Drop Shotting, Shakey Head, Wacky rigged stickbaits, or 3.5-4” finesse swimbaits. You’ll use this rod to really pick apart an area. You can drop a bait right on top of them vertically with drop shot or slowly move a shakey head or wacky rigged stick bait over the area.

6’10” Medium power with an Extra Fast action casting rod…
With this rod you’ll be able to throw a variety of baits including Top Water (poppers, walkers, props… etc.), Jerkbaits and Tube style baits. This rod will assist in finding fish; you can cover a lot of water quickly with a Top Water bait and look for really aggressive fish. Added bonus with Top Water is even if you don’t get a clean hook up, you’ll get an opportunity to get a quick look at the size of the fish. Jerkbaits are an absolute must when you’re searching for fish they allow you to cover a lot of water to find active bass. Try varying your speeds and pauses until you find the correct combination. Tubes are a must in anyones repetoir. You can cover a lot of water while having a bottom presence imitating a crayfish. If you’re not comfortable with casting gear you can use the same specs with a spinning rod.

2. 7’2” Medium/Heavy power with a Moderate action casting rod… With this rod you’ll be able to throw a heavier line, I use 15-17bs fluorocarbon. This rod will work for reaction baits such as Spinnerbaits which offer a lot of flash in clearer water situations, or a Chatterbait which will give you a lot of vibration in more of a stained water scenario. Both are great for moving quickly to find active biting bass. This rod will also work well for dragging jigs over an area or pitching at docks, laydowns and other specific cover.

With these three rods you’ll be set up to target fish in different patterns, weather condition and seasons. When you do decide to add a rod to your repertoire; find one that offers the most value for as much as you’re able to spend. Look for rods that come with warranties included and are made with high end components such as guides and reel seats.

Possible New World Record Mule Deer

Potential New World Record Mule Deer

Rick MoweryCommunications/Marketing Manager

Patience is a particular virtue of bowhunting. It was an ample supply of patience that resulted in the harvest of a potential new World’s Record typical Mule deer.

Having observed this buck on many occasions, and knowing the buck’s home range was particularly thick cover—“as thick as dog hair”—Arizona veteran bowhunter John McClendon knew his best chance would be to carefully hunt the buck over a waterhole. He patiently waited out several days of raining, and then the drying, for the perfect opportunity to hunt that water. The result—a perfect 25-yard shot at the buck of anyone’s dreams!
The current World’s Record typical mule deer is: 205 0/8 • Hermosillo, Mexico • 2009 • George Harms

John McClendon with, what could very well be a new World Record Mule deer. Mr. McClendon’s mule deer, from Mohave County, Arizona, has an initial entry score of 207 5/8. The final score is yet subject to Panel Judging verification, which may change the final accepted score for a variety of reasons, including unusual shrinkage, initial mis-measurement, etc.
This mule deer is entered into the current, ongoing 29th Recording Period—the biennium representing entries accepted into the P&Y Records Program from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014.
At the close of every two-year biennial recording period, numerical awards and honorable mentions are awarded to the most outstanding animals in each species category that have been entered during that recording period. New world’s records are verified and proclaimed, and awards are presented to these outstanding animals during the Pope and Young Club’s biennial convention and awards banquet.
Prior to the actual convention and banquet, outstanding trophies are requested to be sent to a designated site for panel judging. Panel Judging is a process of verification of the final scores of antlers, horns and skulls of the highest ranking North American big game specimen entered during that two-year recording period. A hand-picked team of highly knowledgeable and experienced certified measurers gather for the actual scoring. Congratulations to Mr. McClendon on this incredible animal!
Look to see this outstanding North American big game specimen, plus roughly a hundred more of the biggest and best over the last two years, on display at the Pope and Young Club’s National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, April 15-18, 2015.
The Pope & Young Club is a non-profit North American conservation and bowhunting organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of our bowhunting heritage, hunting ethics and wildlife conservation. The Club also maintains the universally recognized repository for the records and statistics on North American big game animals harvested with a bow and arrow.

Buck to Doe Secret

Pennsylvania was the test balloon for using antler restrictions as a tool for managing the deer herd. The restrictions required 3 or 4 points to a side depending on region. The very idea that the Pa. Game Commission was going to restrict a hunter from shooting an 80# spike buck was met with resistance.

So much resistance, that PA deer biologist, Gary Alt had to speak to tens of thousands of hunters at statewide meetings to explain the strategy of quality deer management. The new strategy was narrowly adopted in 2002.
Prior to 2002 over 90% of all bucks taken by hunters were yearlings (1.5-year-old buck). The statewide harvest of mature bucks was a disappointing 5%. It was rare to see a 2.5 year old or older buck. Most of my friends were mounting the odd 10-point yearling with string bean antlers. Today the herd dynamics has changed and there are many quality bucks to hunt in the Keystone state. My son Cory took a 170 B&C two miles from the house and there have been four others taken recently that were in the 150+ category.

Buck taken by Cory Nolan the Monday after Thanksgiving, chasing a doe. Pa has the genetics and surely has the quality habitat for great whitetails but if you put them in freezer-wrap when they are teenagers… you lose. On the other hand allowing bucks to mature helps a herd in many ways. The buck to doe ratio is the foundation of the win. The term means just what it says; it compares how many bucks to does are in the herd.
Pennsylvania once had a terrible buck to doe ratio. It hovered around 6 to 1. That is a lot of does. Add to that, most Pa. bucks were walking around with their first set of antlers and you have the junk herd we hosted. The real problem with the bad ratio is that many of the does were not being bred during the brief November rut. A large percentage of the does were getting bred in December or in January. Whitetail fawns are dropped 201 days after breeding. This means late born fawns were showing up in June, July and August. Doe conception dates were spread across 100 days.

The common Pennsylvania trophy pre 2002. Studies have shown that late born fawns have a low survival rate and late born bucks are most often spikes when 1.5 years old due to nutritional deficiencies. That was evident in our deer herd. In combination with the antler restrictions in 2002, Pennsylvania increased the doe harvest dramatically. Prior to 2002, we had an estimated 1,000,000 deer in the state. Habitat damage was evident across vast areas. However, with the reduction of doe numbers and the increase of mature bucks, good things began to happen.
With antler restrictions, many bucks were not available for harvest when they were 1.5 years old as their antlers may be under the minimum size. The bucks that made it through got to be 2.5 years old and now had their own established and familiar home-range. Now they were not as easy to shoot as a dumb yearling buck and many of them evaded hunters and got even older. Now we have quality bucks statewide.

Most states above the Mason-Dixon Line have the habitat and genetics to grow quality bucks; if we let them grow. A study done by Auburn University recently conducted some interesting whitetail research that relates to the scenario I just described. In a 430-acre pen they determined the buck to doe ratio. In 2008 and 2009 the ratio was 1 to 2, that is one buck to two does. Researchers logged in conception dates of fawns.
Next, they managed the herd so there were not only more bucks but also more mature bucks in the area. The buck to doe ratio in 2010-2012 was one and a half bucks to one doe or 1.5 to 1. They found that most does were synchronous and bred sooner, meaning they were bred during the first rut. The result was fewer late born fawns and the compression of births helped to lessen the impact of coyote predation. Now that you understand the buck to doe ratio secret explain it to your state DNR and fix your deer herd.

Sanctuary Outdoor Products

Saturday, January 31, 2015