THE BAIT, THE BUZZ, THE BAN
Fishing aroundthecountry, Lintnerhasbeen exposedtosomefisherieswherethelurelawsaren’t asstringentasthose intheGoldenState. “I’malready seeingsomecrazythingsout there. Thereareguys withtwoumbrellarigsfixedtogether witha harnessso therecanbetenbaits.They’renotjust fishing themwith swimbaits,there areguysfishing spinnerbaits oneach armorCarolinarigs oneachwire. They’re doin’anything youcanthinkofwithit andthepossibilities areendless.”
Lintner and his PAA partner Mike McClelland discussed the potential consequences of the rig just last week. “We just don’t know the repercussions of what it can do,” stated the West Coast angler. “I’m sure I’m not the only one that is reading about the guide at Clear Lake that has his clients using the umbrella rig; because it’s outfishing the minnows. In theory, you would think that would have some effect on the bass-what that is we don’t know, yet.”
As he talked about Clear Lake he noted something he and McClelland had been discussing. “Mike brought up that we’re catching all these bass when normally, during this time of year it is a tough bite and now that the bass have all been beat up through the winter, what will the wide-open, big bass bite we’re expecting in the
36
Each with a 7-lb’r, Jared and Ken High Five at their
Team Tournament win on the California Delta.
Photo Credit Jody Only
spring,” said Lintner. “It could hurt the bite or the rig could still be getting them then and we could see one-day Clear Lake tournaments with limits in the 35 to 40-lb range. There is no telling at this point, what we will do to our fisheries.”
Thenwewerethinkingaboutthebigfall tournaments,”commentedLintner. “Youknow,those two-dayTOC’sthatcandraw150boats. Ifyou’ve got100 teamsfishing therigand thebassaregetting pressuredwithit,willitmakethefrogmoreofafactor; becausethey’reseeing lessof it? Willitturnintoa tournamentof the20 guysthatarefishingthefrogsand theTrapsandthesquarebills, again?Will itmakeoldbaits thatanglershaveputdownin lieuoftherig,freshagain?”
There is just no way to know where this will take us; but it can definitely change the playing field. It puts all anglers-beginners or pros- on the same level. Just one example -A rookie fishermen just came up here to our little lakes in the Central Coast area and pulled in a 13.8 on his third cast. This was a guy that had never caught a five pounder. You don’t have to know what you’re doing like you do with a conventional bait. Anybody can throw it out there and turn a day that would’ve been a 10 fish trip into a 20 or 30 fish trip. We don’t know what kind of snowball effect that can have.”
Lintner noted that the umbrella rig has changed his fishing and stated he had caught at least 60 percent of fish on it since November. He also reported that he couldn’t get bit with it in the last two weeks, including his win in the Feb. WON BASS team tournament with Ken Mah on the California Delta.