The Legends of The Fall

The fall is quickly approaching in Upstate NY, and while to a lot of people that means deer hunting and the (sadly) having to prepare to put your boat away for winter.  But before any of that is the promise that serious bass anglers know and love:  this is the best time of year to catch lunker bass.

It's often believed by many that the best time to catch bass is during the spawn.  While it's true that fish are easy to find when guarding eggs, the cool temperatures of September and October offer up the most productive fishing you'll find all year if you know where to go and what to do.  Right now the water temperature at Oneida Lake is 64 degrees in the main lake (the section in the middle that resembles a riverbed when you look at it closely), and 60 degrees in the bays that are 11 feet deep and less.  The initial cold snap will make the bite very tough, but after that it ignites a feeding frenzy that is unlike any other time of year.

This is the time to get out your jigs, your tubes, your jerkbaits, and throw your spinnerbaits all day long when there's a little chop on the water.  If there are deep creeks feeding your lake you can find largemouth there chasing shad.  Main lake points and secondary points in these creeks are great places to start right now, with fish moving further in as the weather gets colder.  As we move further into October the secondary points will be more and more productive at places like Smith Mountain and the Potomac River.  In places like the Chenango or Susquehanna River, smallmouth are moving back into the shallow water feeding areas and they can be highly aggressive.  White 1/2 oz spinnerbaits with tandem blades or firetiger crankbaits and deadly.

In other places that don't resemble river systems like Oneida or Cayuga Lake you can find fish in the same places you find them in the spring:  rocky points, isolated rock piles, and riprap banks are great places to throw jerkbaits or crayfish imitation lures.  It's also considered the best time to throw umbrella rigs, though they're highly controversial and people rarely seem to be without some sort of opinion on the ethics of throwing them; rarely can anyone debate their effectiveness this time of year.  Slightly less controversial yet nearly as productive is the Carolina rig, which is always great to throw when the leaves are changing colors.

So if you can keep your boat out of storage a little longer, and your bow in the case for just a few more weeks, you might find yourself rewarded with one of the best days you've ever had on the water.

Good luck!

Me at Oneida Lake, September 28, 2013

Casey Martin 5 In The Box: Redux! End of the year edition!

Casey Martin has just finished his rookie season fishing the FLW Tour Majors as a pro.  And while most guys would be home relaxing; he's in Canada trying to become even better.  Because he's hoping that this past year will be just the first of many for him as a pro.

We spoke in January right before Okeechobee.  I mentioned then that it was like you had a "golden horseshoe" somewhere, and you went out on day 1 and caught a HUGE bag of fish.  As the tournament went on and your lead shrank, you mentioned you were exhausted.  Was it more physically taxing on you than you expected it to be?

For sure there were things that I hadn't fully anticipated.  It was so different for me this year because at the end of the day I couldn't just load the boat up and go home.  There are people who want to talk to you after each day's weigh-in is over, and I was filming Circuit Breaker which required recaps and things like that, PLUS I was staying about 40 minutes away from the lake.  You add all that up, you eat, you retie and reorganize your gear and your boat, and pretty soon it's 10:30 or 11 o'clock at night and you have to get back up and do it all over again at 4 am.  

And it's not like The Big O is always flat calm either.

No, lol, not at all.  So your body is getting beaten up a little too.

So you leave there, you do ok for the next few events but you're not winning and/or placing in every event you fish either.  Is it hard on you?

It's a huge difference, being in the front of the boat.  You don't realize that it's really just one or two bites that's the difference between 15th or 115th.  This season I had some highs and lows.  It definitely is more mental than I thought.  When you're a co-angler your focus is really only what can you throw for bait, because that's really the only thing you have control of.  When you're in the front, then it's so much more than that.  It's bait, it's your area, your co-angler, the cameraman, should I stay, should I go, are these fish gonna turn on?  Not only that, but I made it a point to be self made in this sport, and paid all my entry fees out of pocket.  And it's a huge difference to pay $4,000 to enter a tournament.  It makes it that much more difficult to say "well at this point I'm just pot-committed to this spot", because you almost need to win $10,000 just to break even by the time you add gas, lodging, meals, and gear to your entry.

When I fished the Northern Open at the James River this year the cameraman followed me for over an hour.  In the beginning, I didn't like it because I hadn't caught anything real good yet and I felt like it added pressure.  Do you like having the camera around?

Yes and no.  I mean, they're following you.  Their trolling motor is running, their graph is running, you wonder if they're spooking fish, you feel like you wanna move but they want a shot first so you stay to try to get it, but you're mind is telling you to run.  It's tough.

I asked you in January "Where do you think you'll have your best finish this year", not only did you win at Chickamauga, you absolutely D-E-S-T-R-O-Y-E-D that tournament.  Your total weight was over 100 lbs, and you won by over 20, and you could've almost won a 4 day tournament in three days.  Did you know in practice that you were on fish that good?

No way, not even close.  I had, in fact my first spot actually when I rolled up on it the fish were gone.  There was one other guy there and I'm not really sure if he fished it out or not, but my other spot I was sharing with two other guys and I only fished it real briefly in practice, I caught one 5 pounder and left.  I had no idea that I was gonna be culling fish that big.  And actually, I lost a big one the last day or I would've had a really great day!

Are you kidding me?  You DID have a really great day!!!

(Laughing) Well, yeah, but you know what I mean.

The schedule for next year just came out, where are you most excited to go?

Kentucky Lake, or Pickwick.  They're both great fisheries.

Anyplace where you were less than thrilled to be going?

Hartwell.  I just don't have a lot of confidence with that body of water.

Anyplace you were hoping to have gone that didn't make it?

Guntersville.  I was really hoping to go there because it's one of my favorite places to fish now.

One thing that I think most people don't understand about this sport is that as hard as it is for our families to be at home while we're gone, it's really hard on us to be away for so long.  If there was an award for the most supportive wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/family member, Lindsey (Casey's girlfriend) would have to be the odds-on favorite to win it year after year until they named it after her.  (Casey laughs a little when I say that).  I know myself and a lot of other people out there would acknowledge that having that kind of support is really incredible.

Absolutely!  She's been so patient and so wonderful, getting up, ya know, being ok with me being gone for long.  Right now I'm in Canada trying to get better at targeting fish in deep water while she's at home and she's always encouraging me and helps me stay positive.  And I gotta hand it to her because she's learned a lot in the last two years too, so it's not like she's just been around, ya know.  But you're right, she should win an award.  I'm really lucky to have her support.

5 In The Box: 2013 Year in Review/Outtakes

It's true, the end of the 2013 fishing season is fast approaching.  New licenses will go into effect soon, people up north begin preparing for winterizations, and the focus turns to 2014.  So rather than look back in sadness, I wanted to share some of the more comical moments from 2014.  The highs, the lows, the moments I shared with each of the people who were kind enough to share their time with me that either didn't make the article for one reason or another, or that stick out to me.  So here you are, my 2013 Year and Review, and 5 In The Box Outtakes, in no particular order, done "Jim-Root" style.  ;)


Tyler Mohr
My friend Tyler posts his new address as he officially begins his freshman year in college in a Facebook status "...in case anyone wants to send me food, money, fishing stuff...or money...lol".  Claire Ansley and I agree that she'll use that address as her own when she's asked by creepy guys where she lives.  Cheers, Tyler.

A swim in the cold water of Smith Mountain Lake in April

It's Friday night.  Tyler Meadows and I make a bet with his brother Zach and roommate Josh Wilson, that the team with the smallest weight after two days will have to go in the water.  Josh and Zach left Saturday night without saying goodbye.  Moral of the story here boys, is that guys our age would never risk going in the water like that if we weren't betting on a sure thing.  They owe us a swim.  #OlderAndWiser

Pictured left to right:  Tim Hawley, Josh Wilson, Zach Meadows, Tyler Meadows, Jim Root.

Cliff Pace

Less than a month after winning The Bassmaster Classic, Cliff Pace is talking to me on the phone Sunday Morning while I'm eating breakfast.  It's incredibly kind of him.  I can't tell you how many people I reached out to asking to do this and didn't hear back from.  It meant a lot to me that he did that.  Thanks, Cliff.

I join the team at Quantum

I sent out over 400 letters last year.  FOUR HUNDRED.  Ya know how many I got responses from?  Five.  But one of them happened to be from John Kushnerick at Quantum, offering me an opportunity to join them.  It's been an incredible opportunity to be a part of their team.

Randall Tharp

I fished with Randal Tharp at Lake Oneida.  During the day he tells me how much it would mean to him to win the Forest Wood Cup.  I say something like "maybe this is your year".  Then he goes out and wins it.  Congrats, Randall.

Pictured left to right:  Greg Pugh, Jim Root, Randall Tharp

Allison Shaw

My first ever "5 In The Box" interview is published.  Thanks to Allison Shaw for spending the day on the phone with me.  I had over an hour of phone conversation recorded where Allison talked to me about everything from paintings to guys she dated who turned out to be horrible.  She was actually really sick before her first tournament of the year and was limited in her practice.  Thankfully I didn't get blamed for that.  She's really great to talk to.  An hour will fly by.

Brandon Palaniuk

I meet Brandon and we fish together on the James River in Virginia.  Our day begins at 70+ mph in his Skeeter.  We come into a corner of the river and he spots a guy in the water and quickly stops to see if everyone is ok.  Somehow the man in the water had been thrown from his boat while driving.  This stands out to me because as we stop, slowly motor over to offer help, and wait to be sure everyone is ok, no less than 25 other boats speed by, and nobody even slows down.

He's extremely funny, full of energy, and an incredible angler.  "I'm about to show these fools right here how to throw a square-bill" and with that, he throws his Arashi prototype underhanded, into a space about a foot wide between two trees, 20 feet away.  He tells me about a saying he and his friends utter just before they tackle each other off of the boat.  I remind him of that phrase when I see him in August at Oneida.  He grins "Hey man that's cool, just make sure you call it out".  I'm looking forward to fishing with him again.  

The Potomac River

Little good came out of my FLW EverStart Event at the Potomac, but I was able to take my son on stage with me for the first time, and I met John McGoey, who's since become one of my best friends on the Tour.  I got to fish with him at Oneida for 3 days, and he is without a doubt one of the nicest and most giving people you will ever meet.

Callie Shumway

Because of time constraints this interview took quite a while to complete, and it was all done over chat through Facebook.  I've seen her pictures, I knew she could fish, but I didn't know she had a cummulative GPA of 3.78 while earning her Bachelor's Degree.  What I remember most was that she's the only one who wasn't aspiring to fish as a Pro on Tour.  Her main goal was just to be able to fish out of her kayak and documenting and photography were her main focus.  She, like Allison Shaw, got really sick shortly after this interview.  Is 5ITB contagious?!?

Gary Dobyns

I get a phone call at 9:40 pm from a number I don't recognize, but it shows up as a California number.  At first I'm shocked to hear from him, but it's refreshing, and after 20 minutes or so, I see that he's someone I can relate to, and it means a lot to me to hear him say certain things.  My friend Timmy said to me that this sport is full of people coming and going all the time and that switching teams is a part of the business, but that's not been the kind of experience I've wanted.  Gary presented me with an opportunity to be with one rod company for my entire career.  I can't thank him enough.  He, his family (yes, even you, Miranda), and the rest of the team at Dobyns Rods have been incredibly kind to me.  Loyalty, appreciation, trust, these are not things you find in every company in this industry and the longer you're in this industry you'll learn that.  So when you find it, cherish it.  Just don't ask Miranda to pick out the color of your son's Jr. Pro Staff shirt for you...

John McGoey
I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason.  John and I fished together at the Potomac river.  While it wasn't a day we could both celebrate on stage, we did find we had a lot of similarities; not the least of which being that we each lost our Dad within the last year due to similar illnesses.  Even if I never fish again I know he and I will remain great friends.

Bridget Allen
I had been Facebook friends with Bridget for awhile but hadn't talked to her, and then one day I read that she was freezing in Upstate NY!  I spent more time on the water with her this year than I did with anyone else.  We had some great times at Oneida, and I'm sure we'll keep fishing together in 2014.  There's even a little friendly competition that's starting to brew between her and I, and rumors of a title belt in the works...

Bass Snax

I join the team at Bass Attacker Lures in March, and by the end of June we have my first product I help to design completed.  We run a promotion on Facebook to name it, and settle on "Bass Snax".  Within a year this deadly little finesse worm has already won three tournaments.  Oh, and most importantly, I smoked my mouthy little brother with it!  :)

Claire Ansley

The most fun I've had doing any of the interviews that I did.  She's not what I expected.  She's a lot funnier and kinder than I think a lot of people would expect.  At one point she says to me "It is sad that your little Yankee butt recognized rudeness rather than a "southern gentleman"."  I didn't tell her she lost 5 points for hating on us Yanks.  I'll be sure to send that along.  Oh, and FYI, to this day her interview is the most read thing I've ever written.  But just because she's beautiful and loves to hunt and fish does NOT mean guys should show up at her work or send her creepy stuff.  Besides, we already know it's gonna end up delivered to a teenage boy's dorm room anyhow.  ;)

Rahfish

Oddly enough it's Tim Hine, owner of RahFish, that I have to thank for the opportunity to join Dobyns.  I inquired about joining the team of writers at RahFish and Tim asks me to send him a review of Cashion Rods.  At that time I'd been with Cashion for almost 3 years, and I felt really confident with my ability to write that article.  Not only did it land me the place with Rah, it also delivered me into the land of Orange.

Teresa DePalma

This was the first, and to this point, only interview I have done with someone who's primarily not an angler.  Teresa's main focus is hunting, and while a lot of the questions were easy enough to reword, the interview itself was different because of the change of focus.  She's also the only fellow New Yorker I've (as of yet) had the opportunity to interview, and that was also really exciting for me as I felt it gave me an opportunity to share parts of this great state with the rest of the world.  The thing I remember most about this piece was that she asked me to change one of the pictures that I used.  Everyone I interview always sends me pics, gives me permission to take any I want from facebook, or does both, Teresa included.  But when she viewed the finished product there was one picture I used that she felt didn't fit with her vision for this interview.  She sent me a different one, pictured below, but I chose to go with a different photo of her rather than this one (at the time).  I don't mind doing that at all.  I want the people I interview to feel they're portrayed fairly.  With the women I've interviewed this year, it's been really important that they not be objectified in a negative way.  I've wanted to demonstrate that women can compete with men in sports and be sexy simultaneously.  Hopefully that has been conveyed.

Casey Martin

Casey was the only one I interviewed twice (I'll finish up part two and get it posted next week).  I wish I could just post a recording of my conversations with him, because they're really funny when they happen, but sadly some of that humor just won't translate onto type.  The thing that I admire the most about him, is that nothing that happened to him this year; Circuit Breaker, fishing in his first Forest Wood Cup, winning his first FLW Major as a pro, changed who he is or how he relates to people.  If you watch, he responds to every tweet, every facebook post, and he's getting TONS!  That's really not easy to do.  I mentioned that to him and he said "I was a fan first, I will always be a fan, and I will always try to do my best to be grateful and friendly to people who reach out and support me."  Amen.

My first youth fishing clinic

I was very fortunate to have had an opportunity to partner with Citizens Bank to provide a youth fishing clinic in my hometown.  My goal was to eliminate all cost, so no child would be denied an opportunity to participate and learn an alternative to drugs, violence, or crime.  Because of Citizens Bank, Roma's Pizzeria, Friendly's Ice Cream, and the staff at Cook Park, we were able to provide all the kids with gear, bait, free entry, pizza, ice cream, and coupons.  It was an amazing day and I hope we can do it every year.

Hillary Hughes

Hillary was another interview that took a couple days to complete over the internet.  I was trying to wrap up Claire Ansley, Teresa DePalma, Callie Shumway, and Hillary all in the same two weeks.  I remember thinking at one point "I should just combine them all into one", but I didn't want them to lose any of their individuality or for one to overshadow another.  But to be honest, interviewing those 4 women at one time, was more than I bargained for.  Thankfully they're all very patient, a necessary trait for anyone who thinks they want to make hunting or fishing more than just a "hobby".

Navionics and Drop Shotting

I write two reviews that are posted on corporate websites.  The first is a how-to about Drop Shot, which is a technique that many people are unfamiliar with.  The other was about the Navionics App for iPhone and Droid.  I know this seems like a bit trivial to some people, but this more than anything else is something that my Dad would have really been proud of.  If he can see it wherever he is now I know he's smiling.

The world says goodbye to BBH

After a lot of bickering and bad blood, my best friend and co-owner of Big Bass Heaven and I decide it's best that we dissolve the partnership, effectively leaving BBH in an unknown state.  While I retain the rights to the store, the branding, and the website, it's more than I want to handle on my own at this point.  Who knows what's in store for BBH in the future.  But for now, all things Big Bass Heaven are put on hold, indefinitely.  

Stephanie Hemphill

Steph was really great when we did the interview.  One time I tried her "eat pickles before you fish for good luck" trick and I ended up hanging over the side of the boat.  Never again.  But I do think she's a sweet gal and I hope those pickles bring her happiness all around.

I guess what I'll remember most when I think of this year is that it was my worst year ever in terms of my overall finishes in the tournaments I competed in, but I met guys like Charlie Evans, and Greg Pugh.  I got to spend time with my great friends Zach, Tyler, Timmy, T-Live, and "Bassin Bill" at Smith Mountain Lake.  I fished with some incredible people, made new friendships that will last my entire life, shared my knowledge and love for the sport with young kids, saw some of the most breathtaking places in the country, and learned some valuable lessons about this business.  John McGoey told me "you can fish, buddy".  On an otherwise uneventful night in August I got an alert on my phone from Twitter "Brandon Palaniuk is now following you".  I held my son on stage while my fish were weighed in.  My brother, Mike, said "I'm proud of you".

I feel like the luckiest man in the whole world.  And I didn't win anything.  I can't wait to see what 2014 will bring.  

Be safe, be kind, and smash 'em!

Me and my son, JJ.

Smith Mountain Lake, FLW EverStart

This is how your hair looks after a full day of 70 mph if you lose your hat.  

On stage at Oneida Lake, Bassmaster Northern Open #2.

The James River, Virginia.

Fishing Report: Chenango River 9/8/13

Got a chance to get out and hit the Chenango River for a little bit last night.  Rather than float, I prefer to run to what I consider to be my favorite 5 holes that I know have a history of producing the most quality fish for me in the 20+ years I've been fishing there.

I started near Greene, on Hogsback Road.  This has always been one of my favorite holes to look at, but has produced very little.  Why I keep going there is beyond me, lol.  It has all the makings for a fabulous smallmouth location:  current, depth, rocks.  For whatever reason, they don't like it.  This particular evening was no different.  After about 25 minutes I'm on my way to location #2.

Because I'm starting to wonder if the current cold snap is going to have an impact on the fish, I decide to skip right to my two favorite locations in Oxford.  The first one is a bust.  This really hurts, as I can usually get at least one smallie here 98% of the time.  I spend nearly an hour here.  I'm throwing the new Storm Arashi crankbait in the red craw pattern (I first saw this lure when it was still a prototype while fishing with my friend Brandon Palaniuk who helped design it), and a Yellow Hammer Rig in Hammertime Shad 5 wire, bladed rig, dressed with 4 inch Yum Money Hollowbelly Minnows.  Two VERY different presentations, and neither of them produce anything.  Blanking here has me concerned, but not defeated.  I know I saved my favorite spot for last.

And luckily it's not far away.  I'm able to get there in about ten minutes and within 20 minutes I feel my first bend of the rod.  It's a heavy fish, but not fighting nearly hard enough to be a smallmouth.  I bring the fish to the shore and see it's roughly a 4 lb walleye.  I had not expected that fish to eat the Storm lure, but it tells me I'm throwing the right bait and I quickly get it back in the water.  I'm throwing into a current, bringing the bait downstream where it meets a back-current, and again I hook up.  This time it's a slightly harder fight, but again, not a smallmouth, but another walleye, this one pushing the 5 lb mark!  I get another, then another, and soon it's pretty clear that I've found a heavy school of these fish.  While I'm happy to be catching fish, they're not the reason why I came.

I pick up my YH rig and heave it out there.  It's not a light thing to throw, and it's a much larger presentation, but the results are the same and I pull one walleye after another until dark.  No smallmouth.

If you're a walleye lover, the Chenango is on fire right now.  If you're like me, then you'll hope the next time out is better for the smallmouth.  Good luck!