Solid as a Rock
 
Stand-alone structures such as rock piles and coral heads are supreme fish attractors. Your geography will dictate the topography and species available. (Pat Ford)

 
“Fishing the rocks” has several meanings, which vary depending on the angler. “Rock piles” are made up of massive boulders that can form rock gardens, plentiful along Northeast beaches. In the Pacific, rock piles might be “boiler rocks,” the common term for rocky coastal headlands battered by waves; these are the formations that occur naturally near shorelines, attracting bottomfish galore. Artificial reef materials such as bridge rubble fall under the “rock” moniker too. And lastly, while coral heads within patch reefs in places like the Florida Keys are definitely not rocks, that doesn’t stop anglers from fishing them as though the reefs were made from stone.
 
As it turns out, techniques for fishing the rocks vary for everyone. I sought out top tactics for ­fishing such stand-alone structure, tapping three dedicated rock jockeys who fish distinct environments. Their combined insight provides a helpful playbook to conquer the soldiers that guard these ­underwater castles.
 
Position Matters
 
Don’t take yourself out of the game before you start. Anchoring in the correct spot is paramount to success when rock-pile fishing, says Capt. Dave Hansen, a Southern California captain who teaches anglers how to fish aboard their own personal boats.
 
“Back the boat right up to the rocks, but don’t anchor on top of it,” says Hansen. “I often fish the big [boulders] along the coast, and if you’re [marking] a specific boulder on the meter to fish, chances are you’re ­already out of position.”
 
Instead, consider and counter wind strength and direction. Notice how the current affects the way the boat sits at anchor. Depending on the depth, ­account for how long it might take your bait to reach the structure. Hansen prefers a sensitive presentation, opting for a sinker on his leader that slides­ ­directly to his baited hook, often called a knocker rig in Southeastern states.
 
He also favors a “downhill current,” headed from L.A. to San Diego, but points out that select areas along the California coast are best with an “uphill current.” Water movement is vital, he says; otherwise, fish tend to simply stop feeding.
 
Boiler rocks along the California coast provide prime structure for species such as calico bass. Some anglers power-drift while others prefer to anchor near the boulders. (Erik Landesfeind)

 
“Near the boiler rocks, tides ­matter more than currents,” says Hansen. “There I prefer the higher, outgoing tides for the rocks closest to shore.” An outgoing tide pushes the boat away from the rocks safely rather than ­sucking it toward the shoreline.
 
“Establish yourself and make sure to anchor facing into the current,” says Hansen. “I’ll position my boat sometimes four boatlengths from the structure, consistently out-fishing boats nearby that are drifting or out of position.”
 
Once settled, Hansen fishes mostly live bait for species such as yellowtail and calico bass, but also targets smaller ­sargo and sculpin with squid strips in colder temperatures. For Hansen, fishing means staying active, so he drops the bait methodically to the ­bottom, waiting for the bite on the drop, but also slowly works the bait back to the surface.
 
“Once the water warms up to 65 ­degrees, calico bass and yellowtail are the top targets,” he says. “They’ll get into the midwaters, where anglers can cast iron, live baits and plastics to them. I chum heavily so there’s a high prey‑density level in the water.”
 
Not being on top of the rock gives anglers a chance to pull a big yellow away from the structure. And with the last two years seeing unusually warm waters all year long, California anglers have maximized on the unprecedented yellowtail bite close to home.
 
If You Chum, They Will Come
 
Probably the most ubiquitous technique to frenzy fish near structure is a dedicated chum line. The artificial reefs, culverts and mitigation reefs 5 to 10 miles off Clearwater, Florida, in 30 to 40 feet, are ideal for igniting a ­variety of species.
 
“I target kingfish, Spanish mackerel, bonito (false albacore), mangrove snapper, cobia, barracuda and different jack species around the structures regularly,” says Capt. Stewart Ames, a Tampa Bay-area guide.
 
“There’s so much out there,” he says. “With chum, the Spanish mackerel show first, and next thing you know, a kingfish is burning line off your reel for 30 seconds.”
 
Spring and fall see the largest baitfish migrations along the coast, though Ames pinpoints March to July as one of the best times to fish these spots. Inshore fishing is hot during the same period, so he’ll head out to the artificial reefs if he knows the inshore tides are light for the day. Ideal temperatures are anywhere from 68 to 75 degrees. Last year Ames caught numerous kingfish on trips in late December, when the waters were in the low 70s.
 
“When anchored, I chum ­heavily,” he says. “Cobia pop up while I’m bottomfishing for mangrove snapper, big schools of jack crevalle roam, and I’ve even caught small amberjacks this close to shore. Goliath grouper and blacktip sharks test your heavier tackle.”
 
Red grouper are scarce at artificial reef structures, preferring rocky hard bottom with minimal vertical profile in Florida’s Gulf waters. (Pat Ford)

 
When mackerel aren’t cooperating, he’ll slow-troll for them with baits like pilchards, threadfins, cigar minnows or mullet. “Sometimes even the Spanish mackerel won’t bite on a flat, calm tide, so that’s when I troll,” he says. “The bigger tides and more water movement, the better, especially if baitfish schools are around.”
 
For tackle, he starts with a 7½‑foot medium-action spinner to target Spanish mackerel and false albacore. Kings necessitate 20-pound braid on 7-foot medium-heavy setups.
 
“I don’t need the seas to be calm, but I do want the clear water that comes with an east wind,” says Ames. “Otherwise, the mackerel will move west to find the cleaner water.”
 
Topwaters Around the Boulders
 
Striped bass prowl rocky Northeast shorelines, ambushing prevalent baitfish such as menhaden. Anglers can take advantage of the bite by casting hard-plug imitators. (Tom Richardson)

 
Among the cobbled bottom and giant boulders that form the rock gardens inside Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, striped bass utilize perfect ambush hideouts to feed on baitfish that tumble with the water’s movement. And there’s not a more exciting way to target these first fish of the year than with topwater plugs, says Capt. Corey Pietraszek, a Cape Cod guide who fishes Buzzards Bay and the Elizabeth Islands.
 
“When it comes to the ­boulder fields, I want moving tide, incoming or outgoing, in 8 to 15 feet of water,” says Pietraszek. “Once the water temperatures hit 55 degrees, I’ll start checking the boulder fields every day. The striped bass can move in overnight, although the best temperatures are 60 to 65 ­degrees from May to Halloween.”
 
As the menhaden begin to show, Pietraszek likes to cast needlefish imitators, Zara Spooks and Gibbs Danny plugs on 7-foot medium-action gear with 40- to 50-pound braid.
 
Gibbs’ ProSeries Danny Surface Swimmer (Zach Stovall)

 
“I try to position my boat upwind of the boulders so that my anglers can make long casts with the wind at their backs,” he says. “Those first couple casts seem to hook the biggest fish of the day, so I want to make them count. After a few fish are landed on a plug, I’ll replace the trebles with new ones.”
 
Pietraszek has a couple of tips for ­anglers who want to fish the rocks right. He mentions that many anglers pass over prime striper territory by heading too close to shore, often spooking fish in the process. He also tends to forgo ­anchoring, preferring controlled drifts in his Contender 23.
 
“When fishing near exposed rocks, keep the rod tip high,” he says. “Try to keep as little line [as possible] in the water to prevent snags.” Anglers really have to wrench stripers out to prevent hang-ups. The high-tension contests test your hook-sets, so expect to lose a fish every now and then.

Located in Lew's corporate headquarters in Springfield, Mo., the Ozarks Fishing Museum is full of priceless fishing artifacts from years past.
 
Lew's announces its Lew's Ozarks Fishing Museum will open Thursday, May 19, with a public ceremony scheduled and several fishing celebrities confirmed to attend. The museum is located in Lew's corporate headquarters, 3031 N. Martin Ave., Springfield, Mo. 
 
A meet-and-greet with refreshments starts the activities at 1:30 p.m., remarks from Lew's officials and guests begin at 2 p.m., and the ribbon-cutting ceremony follows at 2:30 p.m. The museum opens to tours afterwards, closing at 6 p.m.


 
In attendance will be Casey Childre, son of the late Lew Childre; noted fishing historian and Fishing Tackle Retailer magazine editor Ken Duke; "Mr. Crappie" Wally Marshall; and Team Lew's bass fishing national championship title holders David Fritts, Guido Hibdon and Dion Hibdon. Springfield Chamber of Commerce members and other area VIPs are also participating in the museum opener.
 
The 1,000 sq. ft. museum was incorporated into the original design of the new Lew's building and it has been under development since the fishing tackle company occupied the facility last September. Approximately half of the museum is dedicated to the history of Lew's, with the balance of the space used to house a variety of other collections significant to the region, including the J.D. Fletcher White River collection.
 
"Lew Childre introduced a lot of industry 'firsts' from the 1950s to the 1980s, many of which are still used in today's fishing gear. The man and his innovations deserve a place of preservation in fishing's history," said Lew's CEO Lynn Reeves.  "We have the BB1 serial #2 Speed Spool reel here, along with many of Childre's earliest prototypes that I believe folks will find highly interesting whether they fish or don't. These are things the public need to see and we're pleased to make that possible."
 
Many of the Lew's items have come from Reeves personal collecting efforts, while the rest has come either through company purchases or donations by individuals. 
 
Reeves said among the most prized possessions are one of the Lew's gold rings that Childre used to recognize special friends and achievements, the original pistol grip rod handles that Childre's fishing buddy Shag Shahid hand-carved from wood and that ultimately led to Lew's Speed Sticks being the country's best-selling bass rods in the 1970s and some vintage movie footage of Lew Childre fishing.
 
The J.D. Fletcher White River collection consists of more than 5,000 lures, a variety of other antique fishing items and scores of old photos relevant to the late Fletcher's long history of guiding in and around the Table Rock Lake and White River area. 
 


Additional collections include an on-loan assortment of Clark's Water Scout baits that were originally made in Springfield by the C.A. Clark Mfg. Co., and also a display of spinnerbaits from Springfield's old 3 J Bait Company.  
 
Among the most prominent museum items by size are a float boat typical of the ones once common to the upper stretches of the White River, vintage outboard motors and trolling motors, and a 1975 Ranger bass boat.
 
"I'm actually quite impressed with the diversity of the items being showcased here because the scope goes well beyond just Lew's," said Lew's President Gary Remensnyder. "This museum captures an era and region of equipment heritage that without a doubt played a critical role in the development of today's tackle. These items have rightly earned their place in fishing's history." 
 
"I want to say a big thank you to Barb Matthews for her creative touch and dedication to helping make the Lew's Ozarks Fishing Museum something special; she's done a wonderful job on it," added Reeves.
 
The Lew's Ozarks Fishing Museum is accessed through the adjacent Sportsman's Factory Outlet store. Museum hours are the same as SFO's, with both being open Monday thru Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Museum admission is free.
 

A multi-year study of walleye in Lake Oahe in the Dakotas is showing that anglers are not over-fishing the resource.
 
Crews this spring are wrapping up a four-year effort to tag tens of thousands of walleyes in the Missouri River fishery to learn more about them.
 
Preliminary results already have given biologists valuable information, including data on the percentage of catchable-size fish being harvested by anglers. The angling mortality rate in the first three years of the study has ranged from 17-27 percent.
 
North Dakota Fisheries Chief Greg Power says angler mortality rates in comparable lakes in the region also are in the 25 percent range. He says total walleye mortality in Oahe is about 35-40 percent, below the typical range in North America of 40-55 percent.
 

Here is the latest fishing report from Anton Jones of Darrell & Dad’s Family Guide Service:
 
What’s hot is fishing for 11 to 15 inch Rainbow Trout on Wapato Lake. Trolling for Lake Trout continues hot on Lake Chelan in Manson Bay and along Colyar Ledge once again. Kokanee Fishing continues to be spotty, but can be good at times from Fields Point to Rocky Point.
 
Wapato Lake continues to produce Rainbow trout at a phenomenal rate since it’s opener in April. Fishing Pautzke’s Fire Bait in American Wildfire on a slip sinker rig with a 30 inch leader from an anchored boat will work. We pulled a Mack’s Lure Wedding Ring baited with Pautzke’s Fire Corn behind a Mack’s Double D Dodger at 15 to 35 feet deep at 1.6 mph to trigger loads of bites. A green 1/8 ounce spinner also worked.
 
Laker fishing continues to be terrific early in the morning along Colyar Ledge. I would suggest staying until you are blank for an hour. Some days that happens by 9AM. Others the bite can last until noon. Manson Bay has been my secondary location working depths of 175 to 225 feet deep. As always, fish within 3 to 5 feet of the bottom and keep your speed around 1.2 mph. The Mack’s Lure Bead and Blade combo our guide, Jeff Witkowski has developed has been very productive. Bait this rig with a chunk of Northern Pikeminnow.
 
Trolling for suspended Kokanee can be hot and cold. Pull Mack’s Lure’s Mini Cha Cha Squidders in Orange or Pink on a short leader behind their Double D Dodgers in 00 to 0000 sizes. Bait the Mini Cha Cha’s with Pautzke’s Fire Corn in natural, pink or yellow. We have caught these dwarfed landlocked sockeye anywhere from 37 to 120 feet deep. Locations have ranged from Fields Point, to the Yacht Club all the way down to the blue roof condos.
 
Your fishing tip of the week is an oldie but goody. Periodically check your hook points when banging the bottom for Lakers on Chelan. Pounding the wood and rocks can turn a hook point and cost you fish. Twenty seconds with a file and you’ll be back in business.
 
The kid’s tip of the week is to pick your battles. Taking on every single misbehavior of a toddler can be exhausting and counterproductive. Sometimes ignoring minor misbehaviors can extinguish it better than corrective action. Sometimes, the function of those behaviors is to get attention. Even negative attention is attention.
 
The safety tip of the week is to really start keeping a lookout for woody debris as Lake Chelan fills. Manson Bay has a lot of debris in it now.
 
For more information go to Darrell & Dad’s Family Guide Service website at http://www.darrellanddads.com/ or 866-360-1523.
 

When I was approached by the head of a Hull school to teach her pupils about sea fishing I was very flattered. These were children who, for various reasons, were not in main stream education. I use the word ‘children’ in its legal sense as some were taller and heavier than me.
 
Having jumped through the bureaucratic hoops to work with children, I took some fishing tackle to the school and was quite pleased with the reception and interest shown. We put up the rods, reels, line and hooks, tied a few knots and talked about where I would be taking them fishing. Time flew by and a day was arranged for their first fishing trip.
 
One of our most well-loved Victorian poets Alfred Tennyson, better known as Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wrote the ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ about the Crimean War. His famous line, “Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die”, as many were killed at the hands of the Russians but who showed such valour was put down to the training that the officers had acquired hunting and fishing. I can’t offer hunting but fishing has many character building facets – team work, self preservation, courage, humanity and patience to name but a few. I would be over the moon if I could give any of the children an interest or hobby or who knows, a job, fishing.
 
Until the school day arrives, I must report on my Bridlington boat’s readiness for the sea.
 
The marine mechanic, assisted by me and David from the South Shore boat yard, have given the engine the ‘once over.’ The service revealed the need for a new battery and one defective spark plug required changing. The new battery was a ‘deep cycle’ one for boats as opposed to the ‘starter battery’ used for cars.
 
I had the Ah (Ampere Hours) and the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) to consider and was recommended 100 or more Ah and 520 or more CCA.
 
Weather conditions have been against boat fishing as yet but the beaches have been producing some splendid early season catches.
 
I chose the day of my next expedition carefully, and I arrived at the South Withernsea beach at 10am. High tide was at noon and there was a light cyclonic wind that was just sufficient to move the high wispy clouds around the sky. Sea state was slight with a five-metre tide. A few other anglers were dotted about in the distance but I was alone on my stretch of beach.
 

I soon had two rods cast out, baited with a peeler crab and squid cocktail. After 30 minutes one rod tip began to dance to the Morse code - dot, dot, dot, dash, dash, dash - before I struck and connected with a lively fish.
 
From its actions I thought a bass or smooth hound which are both lively fighters. I saw it flash in the shallows and gently beached a nice sized smooth hound. It was quickly returned to its shoal.
 
Before I had chance to recast the other rod straightened up and I saw my line was slack. Something had picked up the bait and weight and was coming directly towards me. I wound in and felt resistance of a dead weight. Perhaps it was an old polythene bag or a ray digging into the sand.
 
Five minutes of pressure and teasing later and I had a 3lb thorny backed ray on the beach. This was followed by two more small hounds, but the best catch of the day was on my last cast. I used a whole peeler crab resulting in a 3lb cod in lovely condition.
 

This is a good time of the year to fish our beaches and I highly commend it to any hard-working or hard-retiring person who likes the open air with the smell, taste and noise of the seaside at your feet - unwind and catch a mixed bag on the Yorkshire beaches.
 
Recreational anglers are reminded that the European Commission’s ban on taking any sea bass from our waters strictly remains in force until July 1 this year.
 

INTERNATIONAL tourists are no longer being invited to “throw a shrimp on the barbie” in Australia. Now they’re being told to come and catch their own.
 
The runaway success of the NT’s “Million Dollar Fish” campaign during the past wet season has hooked the Australian tourism industry.
 
Fishing is now considered the next big thing for marketing Australia, with research showing it to be an area of “untapped tourism potential”.
 
Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan said in the last year 315,000 international visitors tried their hand at fishing, representing 5 per cent of all ­tourists.
 
“Fishing is one of Australia’s biggest sports and leisure pastimes, but international awareness of just how much our country has to offer in this area is something we want to improve,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
 
“Building and promoting tourism experiences based around fishing presents another opportunity to play to Australia’s competitive strengths by highlighting our world-class beauty and natural environments, our spectacular coastlines, our rivers and ­inland waterways.”
 
Mr O’Sullivan said fishing also tied in perfectly with the current aquatic and coastal campaign, and the ongoing focus on great food and wine experiences.
 
“This is about telling that story to international travellers, by showcasing these unique and varied fishing experiences and the people and operators who bring them to life,” he said.
 
Federal Minister for Trade and Investment Steven Ciobo said it made “a lot of sense” to include fishing in the Best of Australia marketing program.
 
“Quality experiences such as barramundi, deep-sea, sport and fly fishing attract high-value international travellers who stay longer and spend more,” Mr Ciobo said.
 
The idea was prompted by the NT’s Million Dollar Fish campaign developed to lure more people to the Top End in the low season.
 
Despite being aimed at the domestic market, the ­campaign attracted a significant amount of attention internationally as more than 40,000 anglers vied to hook the “million dollar” barra­mundi.
 
Karen Brooks, who operates Driftwater guided fly fishing in northern Tasmania, said Australia was home to “some pretty amazing fisheries” that deserved global attention.
 
“Visitors seem to be into activities and adventures and experiences, more so than just looking at things and we have much to offer that’s so different to the rest of the world.”
 
Ms Brooks will join Tourism NT executive director Adam Coward and Tony Fyfe from Far North Sportsfishing at the Australian Tourism Exchange on the Gold Coast today to discuss the potential of fishing to hook more international visitors.
 
Peter Rees of Malak is a keen fisherman and said fishing was a big NT drawcard.
 
“There’s good fishing grounds all around here. I’ve always got family and friends coming up here to fish,” he said.