Our 2nd annual tournament will be held on Sunday, August 21st at Lake Wampanoag in Gardner, MA.

To register, simply post your team name and members in this thread.

We launch at 8:00 am so please show up early to register.

Register on the forum today!
See Rules and Regulations for details.
Check out last year’s tournament highlights.

Shirts available for sale soon!

Thanks guys!

Met at the National Park Dock at 7:30am with my parents for a ¾ day (6hr) offshore charter with World Class Anglers of St. John, USVI. Saw Captain Chris pulling up his boat and headed over to greet him. After exchanging a quick handshake I was greeted with some discouraging news. The wind had picked up and the swells were 8-9 ft—offshore was not an option. So much for my quest for Caribbean mahi mahi, wahoo, tuna and sailfish. Well, the unpredictability of fishing may be the only predictable part of fishing, so inshore it is! Hopped in the boat and headed out.

The in-shore route burns a lot more fuel island hopping (20+ miles) whereas the off-shore route was only 8.5 miles out. So, I knew the trip would not only be different species than expected, but a shortened trip as well due to the increase in travel times.

After a 20 minute ride out to his first “high spot” we rigged 4” baitfish through the nose with small treble hooks and had three lines in the water to troll. The high spot rose from 140’ to 40’ very abruptly, and Captain Chris informed me that we looking to pick up some Yellow-Tail. Within 1 minute of the bait hitting the water, the line was going and Chris has me grab the rod. With big game fish on my mind and mistaking Yellow-Tail for Yellow-Fin, I prepared for the battle, only to hoist in a tropical 14” fish! That’s about the time I remembered we weren’t going for Tuna.

Trolled the high spot for 10 more minutes and moved out without a bite.

Another 15 minutes at full speed brought us off the East End of St Thomas were Captain Chris assured me of a better bite. Set up with new baitfish as the local birds began to dive at our lines looking for a free lunch. The line behind me runs off and I grabbed the spinning outfit equipped with light monofilament line to fight an approximately 24” mackerel. Getting bigger! As I boated the mackerel the portside line began to run and my father grabbed the rig. After a couple minutes he boats the first fish of his life, a beautiful 30” mackerel! Things were looking good, a double header just moments after stationing the boat on the new spot.

Time passes without another bite, and we move on once more, discussing with other charters over the radio the productivity of the other hot spots—fishing was slow for everyone. Our next spot did not produce, and we headed back towards where we launched to try a different area.

After yet another long commute we positioned the boat between two small islands just 30 feet from the rock cliffs. Lines back in the water and the monofilament runs again. Grabbed the rod and watched a 24” barracuda launch out of the water and bite me off.

Ten minutes later the downrigger goes and we set the hook on a giant snapper. Captain Chris said the average snappers in the area are 6-8 pounds, the largest he had witnessed was 28, and the one on the line was a minimum of 15. As I battled the snapper Chris strapped a fishing harness around me—I was optimistic to land myself a monster snapper. I gained several yards and the fish took another 20 off the line. Chris repositioned the boat to get a safer distance from the approaching rocks and the snapper broke me off in the coral—the monofilament leader didn’t give me much chance once the snapper headed down where he came from.

Well, a bit discouraged I set the rod back and we moved to the next and final spot on the way back to the dock. I wanted a big bite, but I wanted to boat it too!

The last spot was in rough water as we rounded the edge of a point towards open ocean. Sure enough the downrigger strikes again and it’s fish-on! It’s a giant mackerel that’s zig-zagging towards the boat as I gain line on him and—SNAP!—yet another fish broken off! I reeled in as fast as I could in case it was just slack line, but he was gone. The line next to me set and I swapped rods—same fish struck again to give me one final chance. After a nerve-racking battle I managed to get the fish to surface by the boat and Captain Chris hoisted him aboard with a quick gaff to the side. A beautiful Kingfish about 18-20 pounds, and 40+ inches in length. Finally!

The kingfish was boated just minutes before the half-day (4 hr) cut-off, and Captain Chris seemed to believe that it wasn’t worth staying out 2 more hours due to the unproductive conditions. I decided to end on a good note and not stretch it out if the Captain wasn’t up for it (I would have stayed out all day but Chris was pissed about snapping off the weights to his downrigger moments previous to hooking the kingfish, so I wasn’t going to push for another 2 hrs).

So, we headed back early with 4 fish in the bag, and cold drinks in our hands.

All photos were graciously taken by my mother from the bow. Thanks for the documentation mom!

We opened up two holes about 8 feet apart to do some jigging with spoons and dead shiner chunks while we watched the flags, and as I lowered my line in the water, a smallmouth swam away with it. Pulled it out of the hole for a photo and Casey told me to toss my bait back in the hole. Smiling for a photo, my line goes running in again, two smallmouths before the bait ever hit bottom! I tossed my smallmouth to Casey to release in his hole while I pulled up the other in mine. Looking back i wish I kept it for a double header photo.

Had a few flags go up and didn’t set the hook, even lost one on the jigging rod, but by the time we left at 12:00 we had a total of 8 fish caught. 7 smallmouths and 1 crappie.

Awesome day on the ice. 4 degrees by sun-up, and warmed to maybe mid-to-upper 20′s by the time we left. The ice was constantly cracking the whole time.

BASStard Bassin’ Pro Shop Results

Rapala Jigging Rap

Bass Pro Shops Hand Ice Auger

Northland Fishing Tackle Forage Minnow Jigging Spoon

The day started off in the low ‘teens and warmed up to above freezing around noon before the clouds, snow, and wind moved in. 3 inches of powder sat over 24” of ice, though half was probably from condensed precipitation.

We spent two hours working along the rock wall with no luck. Most of the shiners had been hooked with a size 7 snelled Eagle Claw through the nose, while the others through the back. The nose-hooked baitfish were the first to breathe their last, so we began to rig the other live minnows through the back.

The pond is fairly shallow, maybe 15’ at its deepest point, but we stayed in approximately 10-12 feet of water at all times.

We relocated the tip-ups, putting the rigged bait-fish in the old milk jug for transit, and after another few hours we ruled out this location as well.

At about 3:30 pm we decided to try for one more location while there was still daylight. Walking mid-way along the length of the pond, I began drilling holes and scooping out the ice slush while Crazy set 3 tip-ups. He headed back to gather the others, and while I was scooping out the slush, I see an orange flag go up just a few feet behind me while I’m hunched over. I tossed the ice spoon and darted across the ice. The line was spooling quickly and I grabbed the line only to feel it go slack. I kept retrieving the line and began to feel some weight, when a beautiful 13 inch largemouth surfaced in the hole. Our first February largemouth!

We re-baited the line and I got back to my auger. Crazy hollered to me and another flag went up. I watched him hoist a solid 15 inch largemouth out, just 5 minutes after the first flag. The sun began to settle over the hills and we decided to wait until dark, having been out for 10 hours and my face completely wind-burned.

Just 30 minutes later Crazy and I watched another flag go up, the same one that produced the previous 15 incher. And it produced another beautiful winter largemouth bass of the same size.

Ending on a good note we packed up our gear onto the sled and headed home.

BASStard Bassin’ Pro Shop Results

Rapala Jigging Rap

Bass Pro Shops Hand Ice Auger

Northland Fishing Tackle Forage Minnow Jigging Spoon

BASStard Bassin’ Pro Shop Results

Abu Garcia Veritas Trigger Rod

Abu Garcia Veritas Spinning Rod

BASStard Bassin’ Pro Shop Results

Redington Crosswater Fly Fishing Combo

BASStard Bassin’ Pro Shop Results

St. Croix Triumph Spinning Rod

St. Croix Triumph Casting Rod

YUM F2 Dinger

6″ Sluggo

BASStard Bassin’ Pro Shop Results

Rapala Clackin’ Rap

Rapala Clackin’ Crank

BASStard Bassin’ Pro Shop Results

Booyah! Boo Jig

Booyah! A Jig

Booyah! Pro Boo Bug Jig

Uncle Josh’s Pork Trailers

Gary Yamamoto Dual Hula Tail Grub