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Outdoors The following fishing re port is compiled each week by the Houston Times-Journal. Lake, weather and fishing con ditions are reported by telephone from contacts listed at the end of the report. If you would like additional lakes or rivers listed, please call the ZL P eT,'“hT 1823 - " yOU would P»oto of a catch Z ZZT p IZ led in Chappy t „ shool Moon Times | Solunar/lunar times accurate within 1 minute I SOLUtI VR/LUNAR TIMES ferry Ceorpc i « Aren A S S LIINAR T 'n ES u "*** tines iUv liinor ul i n ui F ' S'. longitude 83. «< Latitude 33.38 * sun 11:47 ‘ osfffoT U rjf UtaaoxiaUisoD UpJLoen.Co. 2 S»» 12:15 06:27 13:30 Sblm ol:47 S i \ V-l u Illlf 3 Tue 01:02 07:13 01 :24 07:36 06-lfi m.ia , ! mil 8.05 p 4 Wed 01 :44 07:54 02 :05 08: 16 06.- 45 olilS J V-11l VAl* Is.liisis B Siii ii£ sjg °l:i° Hiii Hi: 11 " rd I 06:27 12: 15 06:51 >*«»• ««;» SS;» ?;«: \:\li :0 °; 3 Thu I 07:18 01:06 07:t3 01 :30 06:38 08:31 fill fOOn ilff* 13 Fri 08: 12 01 :59 08:36 02: 24 06*37 08*22 fi-in! 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As such, the river receives a tremendous amount of fishing pressure each spring. For instance, in the spring of 1993 alone, anglers spent dose to 90,000 hours fishing for redbreast and harvested nearly 66 redbreast per acre, making 1993 one of the best years in reoert memory. Even though the 1993 recbreast harvest was extraordinary, this year (1994) should be as good, if not better (provided river levels cooperate). A high per centage of the current redbreast population is comprised of larger-older fish and should provide an excellent opportunity to harvest redbreast in the one pound dass this spring. Fishing can 'pick-up" as early as March, but usualy peaks between mid Aprii and early May or when the river level nears six feet at Waycross. Most anglers opt for ive baits (crickets & worms) during early spring and shift to artificial lures such as beetle spins and rooster tails (1/32 oz.) as water temperatures rise. Fly fishing can also be effective, especialy on larger redbreast. Alhough biuegil do not reoeive as much attention as redbreast, there is an ex cellent fishery for this wel known panfish. Anglers who targeted bluegpl to 1993 had a good success rate of over two fish per hour. Lire the current redbreast population, the biuegil population also has a remarkably high percentage of older fish, providng anglers with an optimal situation (plenty of good-sized bream). Although bluegill are dispersed throughcx 1 the river system, the better fishing seems to occur in the tower part of the river (Fkvy 82 to Burnt Fort). When the bream arent biting, largemouto bass and crappie can provide Satila anglers with alternative fishing opportunities. Some of the best crappie fishing takes place in the fall and winter, when the river is too high and too cool to effec tively catch bream. Likewise, in late winter and early spring river levels are stii too high and water temperatures too cool to be successful on redbreast, but largemouth bass fishing is at its peak As a reminder, the DNR is currently producing a comprehensive guide to Ssh ing the SaHa Rh/er. The map could be available as early as summer 1994. St Marys River—The St. Marys is a good redbreast sunfish river year in and year out. The 1994 fishing season should be no Afferent. The population structoretoheathywithanamptenumbercf harvestabte sized tish. Alhough the St. Marys is an excellent river for redbreast, it is not considered to be a premier biuegil river. Biuegil fishing in 1994 should be average. There are some very big bluegl within the population; however, the population as a whole is not abundant. The best bream fishing should be found around Traders Nil Recreational Area and in the tidal creeks and oxbows of the lower river. Every year a few trophy-sized largemouth bass are caught from the St Marys Ftiver, and in 1994 there are sure to be some real hogs taken Due to the river's low natural productivity however, the overal abundance of largemouth bass is considered lew. The better bass fishing can be found in the lower section of the river downstream of Kings Ferry. Suwannee TOver—The 33 mile portion of the Suwannee River that resides within Georga offers some unique and dfferent fishing opporfunffies. The dark-acidfc waters of the upper Suwannee offer SWe in the way of bass, biuegil, and redbreast fishing. This is largely due to the addc nature of the up per river (pH values less than 4.5), which Smits reproductive success of bass, biuegil, and redbreast. However, other game fish species such as chain pickerel, warmouth, and fter do quite wel in this aquatic environment. Fishing for the Suwannee should be fantastic in 1994, as fish ranging from 15-20 inches are wel repre sented in the population. Shalow running crank baits Ire the Rapaia minnow are effective on pickerel. Jointed lures, with their increased action, seem to work even better. Likewise, 1994 should be the year for big Suwannee warmouth. The favorable growing oondtiens of the 1990 1 s have prodboed an exciting warmouth population that possess many big fish. For the most part, warmouth are equally dstrtouted forougfiout the river with a sight increase in abundance as you travel downstream to Fargo. on the other hand, are definitely more abundant in the upper reaches of the Suwannee (i.e., near the headwaters) and dwindle as you travel downstream towards Fargo. Fishing, as a whole, in the Suwannee Fiver should be rruch improved from that during the drought years. Fishing Report . - : * r ' How’s your sweet corn growing? Is your garden sweet com crop doing poorly? Are the stalks short with pale green to yellow leaves? Got you puzzled? Sweet com is a corp that is particular in its growth requirements, and if these requirements are not met, com can be a disappointment in the garden. Com plants may be small, yellow and yield poorly for several reasons. •Improper plant spacing—com plants have ex tensive root systems and require adequate space to reduce competition. Rows 36 inches apart and plants 12 inches to 18 inches apart in the row are recommended. •Nutrient imbalance—com plants are heavy feeders and require significant amounts of nutri ents, especially nitrogen, throughout the season. Create memories—take a kid fishinq By VETO F. ROLEY Sports Editor Some of the best memories of childhood revolve around fishing, around being at the shore, or on the water, with a fishing pole, or rod and reel. It's time we spent more of our time and money taking our children fishing. Often we do not realize how in expensive it is to take a child fish ing. While it is true that profes sional and serious fishermen can run up a huge bill for fishing equipment, it is also true that basic fishing can be done on the cheap. All a person needs for a day of fishing is a cane pole and a few worms dug out of the garden. Cane poles can be obtained cheaply. If you know where cane grows, they State explains new laws affecting jet skis As the weather continues to warm and summer draws closer, recre ational boaters will head to various water spots. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encour ages jet ski owners and operators to know and understand the changes in the personal watercraft laws before they head for the water. The first change in the law deals with renting or leasing personal wa tercraft. A jet ski may not be rented, leased or let for hire to any one under age 16. A person 12-15 years-old may rent or lease a personal watercraft if he or she is accompanied by, and under the direct supervision of, an adult at least 18 years old. Direct supervi sion is defined as being within sight or hearing distance of the adult. Under the previous law, anyone 15 years old or older could rent or lease a jet ski. Another change prohibits users operating personal watercraft after sunset or before sunrise. In the past, jet skis could be on the water for 30 minutes after sunset and for 30 minutes before sunrise. In addition, skiers may only be towed behind personal watercraft de signed by the manufacture to carry three or more people. The skier must wear a ski belt, ski jacket or an United States Coast Guard ap proved Type I, II or 111 personal flotation device (life jacket), prop erly fitted and fastened. A competent observer, other than the operator, must be aboard the jet ski to watch the skier. A wide angle mirror cannot be used in place of an observer. Several other changes in the per sonal watercraft law are scheduled to take effect July 1, 1995. These in clude: Old fashion flasher returns as fisherman's helper Like so many other things, especially in the world of fishing, what was old and outdated once will surely make its way back around. It may come back with a few changes, some even for the better. Electronics are no different. The old flashers, which never completely faded, are making a comeback. I can remember back a lot of years ago when someone took the old sonar unit used by offshore vessels and started selling them as fish finders to the newly found competition sport of bass fish ing. I'm not even sure about the first person or company that made this transition, but the first flasher I ever owned was made by Si-Tex. It looked like a metal ball cut in half with a dial which read in either feet or fathoms. Boy, if you wanted to show just how smart you were just tell everyone you caught the fish at 10 fathoms. They might not have believed you; but, they certainly weren't going to dispute it. Along about that same lime, everyone in the fishing world started hearing the name "Dayrlc Lowrancc." He is probably known belter than anyone else for improving the flasher or fish A s instructor, if Perry High School •Poorly drained soil—plants develop shallow, weak root systems in poorly drained soil. Com plants, being vigorous growers, need deep-grow ing, healthy roots. •Poor water supply—com needs uniform mois ture and lots of it throughout the season. This is especially true from tasseling to maturity. One to two inches of water per week is a must, and mulching would be helpful. Generally, apply Commentary can be free. One of my earliest memories is of dad taking my brothers and I down to a cane break where we cut several poles. We added string, a bobber and a hook, and we were ready to go fishing. Yes, when you take into account a boat and motor, trolling motor, trailer, three or four space age rods, expensive line, lures and hooks, fish finders and everything else that is possible to spend money on be fore you ever get to the watcr, fish ing can be expensive. But, in this age of high tech fishing equipment, we often forget •No one under 12 years of age may operate a personal watercraft. •A person 12-15 years of age must meet one of the following criteria to operate a personal watercraft: 1. He or she must complete a per sonal watercraft safety program which is approved by the DNR; or 2. He or she must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years old who has met all requirements relat ing to the operation of personal wa tercraft, and who is not under the influence of alcohol or drugs; or 3. He or she must be under the di rect supervision of an adult at least 18 years old who is not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Direct supervision is defined as being jtp ► ■i&Xf Ax Several laws and regulations regarding the use of jet skis or personal watercraft have changed over the past year. Gone i Fishing I xRr JjgjS David and Susanne Andel finder to its highest standard. Since those days, many companies have tried to capitalize on the growing demand for improved electronics for the bass fishermen. Everyone claimed to have the best on the barket, but the fact still remained that the flasher would never be more than a depth finder. There is no doubt, with a lot of practice, a per son could distinguish the different bottoms, brush piles and fish. Most anglers weren't will ing to put that much practice into it, and so the full range of use was never achieved. Many companies came from nowhere, and the market was soon flooded. As always, most of these companies fell by the wayside when the marine industry started taking so many hits from a failing market. Houston Times-Journal Saturday, May 28,1994 Houston Tmes-Journal - how elfective the simple cane pole can be. Some of the largest catches I’ve seen were caught by someone sitting on a river bank using cane poles. They caught their catch without the benefit of range finders, high tech rod and reels, etc. While others go for expensive rigs, my father used nothing more complicated than a Zebco 808 or, later, Zebco 33. With one rod and one reel he brought in many, many pounds of catfish. Zebco offers a complete begin ning rig for under S2O, the Zebco 202, which includes line, rod and reel. Perhaps in learning to fish I was in a better position than others. My father worked on a lock and dam for the Corps of Engineers in Monroe within the sight or hearing of the adult. •No one who has temporary or permanent responsibility of a child or ward may permit him or her to violate the personal watercraft laws. Jet ski operators should also re member the personal watercraft laws which have not changed. For example, each person aboard the personal watercraft must wear a properly fitting and fastened Coast Guard approved personal floatation device. Personal watercraft must be equipped with a fully operational self-circling device or lanyard-type cutoff switch attached to die opera tor's clothing, body or personal enough water at each irrigation to wet the soil eight to ten inches deep. •Nematodes—These are microscopic worms that live in the soil, damaging com roots, reducing plant vigor. The damaged roots can't supply enough water and nutrients to above ground plant parts, so the plant is stunted or slowly dies. No chemicals are available to homeowners to kill nematodes in planted soil; but, they can be controlled before planting by soil fumigation with products such as methyl bromide and Vapam. If your com is not doing so well now, maybe you can correct the problem and still have time to make a good crop. If not, better luck next year! County, Ala. For most of my life, I could go outside to my back yard and see the river. It was not until my early teens that my family moved into the big city of Monroe that we left the river bank. Many of my early memories with my father center around fish ing from the lock wall, catching shad for other fishermen, fishing in the middle of the river or jugging in the middle of the night down a de serted river. Fishing is, in some ways, a bor ing activity. While I’ve seen people who could sit on the river for hours without catching anything, I have never been able to. But, it the quiet times that click between a father and son or daugh ter. Take a child fishing. flotation device. Since jet skis are considered a Class A vessel, they must be regis tered and equipped with fire extin guishers. Lastly, operators cannot use per sonal watercraft in excess of five miles per hour within 100 feet of any moored or anchored vessel, shore, wharf, dock, pier, bridge structure or abutment or person in the water. For more information on the personal watercraft laws, contact the State Boating Safety Office at 404- 918-6408. The two main companies left today, Lawrence and Eagle, a subsidiary of Lowrance, have all but quit manufacturing the flasher unit mainly be cause of the unavailability of the motor use to drive the unit. No one thought 20 years ago the motor would go out of production, and no re placement would be found. Lowrance started putting all their efforts into promoting the LCDs, and so did the other com panies. The flashers and paper graphs disappeared, and the LCDs aid LCRs took their place. For the most part the change was welcome, although a new train of thought processes had to take place within the fisherman's mind. I have personally kept my flasher unit. Call it a crutch, or call it what I do, "I don't want to give up what works." It looks like that I hung on for just cause. The flasher is making a comeback just like other good fishing tools. Someone has solved the motor problem or found another motor that will work, and the push is on. I guarantee it will only be a short time be fore the flasher will be a top seller to those of us who really didn’t want to give them up in the first place. Until next time ... we’ve gone fishing. Page 5A