With the holidays quickly approaching the lakes certainly are receiving less pressure than what they had just a couple of months ago. However, there are still some winter jackpots that are available to fish and a lot of fun fishing to be had! On a side note, I would like to extend congratulations to Hollis Spear, the new owner of Backlash Tackle in Tulsa, OK. Being the avid fisherman that he is, I am certain that he will succeed in his new venture. He is currently carrying the entire BassMedics line of goodies, including their fantastic boat care products. Drop buy and say hello to Hollis the next time you are in Tulsa!

If you have not already tried Rejuvenade, the premier livewell additive on the market, now would be an excellent time to check out the benefits that it can offer to you and your catch. Right now the spotted bass and smallmouth will be turning on soon around the area lakes. These two species are notorious for spitting up crawdads and shad when kept in a confined environment. As soon as you catch your first fish, treat your livewell with one lid full of Rejuvenade, place your pumps on recirculate and get back to fishing. At the end of the day, you will be surprised to find that there is no spit up or regurgitation in your livewell!

Also, there is a new method, well new to me anyway, for bleeding the fish's air bladder. It is much easier than trying to align fins and spots on the side of the fish and it works for all species. With the fishes mouth open, place a #16 hypodermic needle, attached to an open syringe body directly at the upper part of the throat muscle. There is a small yet visible indention or crack at the top of this muscle. Slide the needle approximately 1/4" max into the throat. Be certain the needle is SLIDING not puncturing the muscle! Lower the fish under the water to see that the air is being released properly. This new technique is MUCH easier and a lot less invasive to the fish than previous methods. Keep in mind that there are vital organs in this area and that if done incorrectly, it could be lethal to the fish. This applies to all methods for bleeding the fish's air bladder. Also, it should be noted that this method, while much simpler and easier is not yet recommend by many fisheries biologist. I have also included a picture of the standard method that is the accepted and recommended method.

Since this is the time of year that many fish are caught from deeper depths, I thought I would pass along one of the new tricks that I have learned while fishing the BASS Central Opens.

Until next month, take care of your catch!

Doss Briggs