Photos by Sandy Izumi
February 3, 2012
Back in the nineties, I spent considerable time fishing in Ontario. Because of the region's cool summers and countless lakes to explore, I always looked forward to the trip. Plus, there was another big draw—the Canadian Open.
Every year in July, the Canadian Open bass tournament was hosted by the city of Kingston, and it drew some of the biggest names in fishing. Anglers like Denny Brauer, Tom Mann Jr., Randall Romig, Jim Bitter, and many top Canadian pros too—one of whom was Bob Izumi, a guy who would ultimately become my lifelong friend.
Located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, Kingston serves as gateway to the St. Lawrence River and one of the most scenic places on the planet—the Thousand Islands.
As its name implies, there are literally thousands of small islands strewn along the river, forming a natural boundary between the U.S. and Canada. The water is deep and clear, and it's home to one of the strongest populations of smallmouth and largemouth bass in
In 1991, I was fortunate enough to win the Canadian Open, and one of the guys I narrowly beat was Bob Izumi. For years we battled each other in tournament competition. We also ran into each other at sports shows and sponsor meetings, and on several occasions we filmed segments for his top-rated TV show, “Bob Izumi's Real Fishing”.
Since it had been awhile, I pitched Bob on a trip to Lake Okeechobee. Knowing he was up to his neck in mid-winter snow, I figured the invitation would be too tempting to resist.
As predicted, he bit. So we set the date.
Mary Ann's Marina
I coordinated the arrangements with Mary Ann Martin, owner and operator of Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina in Clewiston, Florida. Besides their full service marina, they also offer first class lodging, a restaurant with a Tiki bar, tackle shop, ship's store, plus a strong roster of professional guides.
On my way to Clewiston, I called Bob to let him know Mary Ann had reserved a condo for him and his family. I asked him for his ETA. He said he was just wrapping up a segment with collegiate bass pro, Miles "Sonar" Burghoff, son of Gary Burghoff, a.k.a. "Radar" O'Reilly of the hit TV show, M.A.S.H.
Evidently "Sonar" can find and catch fish. He put a whippin on old Bob, fishing an Alabama Rig on the Butler Chain of Lakes near
The next morning I met him at his condo to discuss our options. Knowing there was a big Everstart tournament going out of the northern end of the lake, I suggested we fish south. I also suggested we use live shiners.
I know what you're thinking…live bait!?! The mere thought of it should send chills up the spine of any self-respecting tournament angler. But since neither of us had tried it in years, and Bob had only a day and a half to shoot the show, we decided to give it a try. With livewells filled to the brim with shiners, we loaded the camera gear and headed to Ritta Island on the southwestern shore of Lake Okeechobee.
Live Bait Blues
During the holidays, I spent a few days fishing around Ritta Island. I caught plenty of fish, so I figured why not start there. Using flipping sticks as makeshift shiner rods, we pitched our slimy offerings to the edge of the cattails.
Almost immediately we hooked up with decent-sized fish. It looked like things were going to be easy. Bob captured a nice 4-pounder, and within an hour we had more than a dozen bass burned onto film. But as the day wore on, size became an issue. You see, Okeechobee is loaded with giant bass, and catching at least one of them on shiners is almost a given—except of course, when you're trying to shoot a TV show. That's when things seem to go south.
Halfway through our supply of bait, I phoned Tom Mann Jr. for some advice. Besides being a top-notch tournament angler, Tom is also an expert shiner guide. He supplements his tournament income by booking trips in the off season, and he's one of Mary Ann's most requested guides.
Tom answered, and after telling him our dilemma, he suggested we come to his area and try there. He had just boated a 9-pounder for his client and they were running out of bait. I pulled the Power-Pole and jetted to Tom's GPS coordinates.
Upon arrival, Tom directed us to the proper anchoring site and told us right where to cast. Any easier, and he'd be baiting our hooks for us. As he backed away from the area, Bob and I waited in anticipation, knowing one of Tom's pet lunkers would soon yank our string.
The minutes lapsed into hours, still only small fish. I told Bob we should try the other side of the reed patch, and so we repositioned the boat hoping for the big bite. Still nothing. I then suggested we move to the far side of the small pond and try a reed patch bordering a kicker trail.
Once the Power-Pole was set, we tossed our shiners simultaneously to the edge of the cattails. As soon as Bob's bait hit the water, the reeds parted with a huge eruption. Water flew everywhere. The attacker looked more like a bullmastiff than a bass.
Instinctively, Bob swept the rod back in a high arc, and for a split second he had the monster hooked. Unfortunately, the battle ended as quickly as it started. The giant bass tore free, leaving Bob's hook and mangled shiner pinned to the reeds. Stunned, we watched in disbelief as the watery commotion settled.
Seconds later, Bob frantically retrieved the rig to thread another shiner on his hook. His next cast yielded another strike, and a miss. Minutes later, same thing, and as the saying goes in baseball—three strikes, you're out!
Parrotheads on Parade
Back at the marina, we decided to drown our sorrows at the Tiki Bar. It was karaoke night and a busload of seniors had shown up. After a quick scan of the menu, we ordered, and then listened to Clewiston's version of American Idol.
There's nothing funnier than watching a half-tilted 70-year old lip-sync to Jimmy Buffet on stage. Seeing that quickly lightened the mood. Besides the busload of retirees, the place was packed with all kinds of fun-seekers: anglers, duck hunters, cane growers, smugglers—you name it.
Our food came quick, and it was good. As the evening wore on, we discussed our plan of attack for day-2. Bob considered scrapping the live-bait approach, but I talked him out of it. We only needed one big fish to complete the show, and by this point it had become a mission.
Knowing the Everstart boys would still be pounding the better areas north, we decided fishing south, again, would be our best bet.
Hurry Up and Wait
The next morning I hopped out of bed, choked down some cereal and hitched up the boat. Just as it was secure, my cell rang. It was Bob saying he wanted to use the morning to wrap up a commercial he'd been working on for Deep Woods Off. Set back by the news, I decided to use the time to reorganize my tackle. After an hour or so of playing with lures, I launched the boat and headed just outside the lock to find some fish.
It was a picture-perfect day—light breeze out of the east and clear skies. I headed to West Wall, to a place I frequented in the past. The area looked much different now. Due to fluctuating water levels, Okeechobee has undergone considerable change. Grasslines move and so do the fish. By
Bob finally called and we headed south to Ritta Island.
On the way I called Tom jr. to see how his day was going. He said his client had an 8-pounder and several in the 5-pound class. We couldn’t get there quick enough. Once in position, Bob and I tossed our slimy treats alongside the reeds, just as Tom prescribed. Quickly we stuck numbers of 2 to 3-pounders, but no big fish came our way.
The rest of the day, we moved from reed patch to reed patch, trying to improve our grade. Unfortunately, it never happened. Soon we were out of bait and daylight. Bob seemed satisfied, I was disappointed. The footage would be good, but without a true trophy, not as good as it could have been.
We headed back to Clewiston to meet up with Gary Yamamoto for dinner.
Talking it over with Tom, we figured out our mistake. The bigger fish were biting early in key spots, and we simply got there too late.
The following morning Bob and his crew headed out of town, and I went fishing…with artificials! Although the experience was fun overall, it will be awhile before I soak another shiner.
