I grew up in the Binghamton, New York area and started fishing as a young boy in a small lake outside of Binghamton. As a teen we took family vacations to the back woods of Canada fishing for Northern Pike and Lake trout. It was these family trips where I really developed my love of fishing. There is nothing like fishing from a canoe in the back woods and the shore dinners consisting of the mornings catch, beans, fried potatoes and black tea.
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From upstate New York I moved on to Virginia to attend Va Tech. I met my wife Kathy, a Radford girl, while at Tech. Upon graduation with a degree in Mechanical Engineering we headed off to Long Island to work for Grumman Aircraft. This started a carrier in aerospace that would take us back to upstate New York to work for Link and later Singer Link developing training simulators for the military, airlines and space programs and then to Houston, Texas. While in upstate New York with our three boys we were afforded the pleasure of fishing not only a lake that was in our front yard, which was loaded with trout, but also the many trout streams in the area. As the boys grew we made many family trips to the St Lawrence River fishing the 1000 Islands area for Northern Pike. The topography of SML reminds me a lot of the sea way.
In 1983 we made the move to Houston to continue work for the Singer Link Co. which later became Raytheon, as the Program Manager for the F-16 Training System and later as Director of Programs. Many days were spent fishing Galveston Bay and jetties for Speckled Trout and Red Fish. Saltwater fishing presented many new challenges for both the use of live bait and artificial. Many of the things learned here would later be applied in Striper fishing. In the quest for more fish and bigger fish I was introduced to offshore fishing. This fast became the fishing of choice and many days were spent 30 to 40 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico. Again a whole new learning experience.
Retirement came in 2005 and moved from the coast to Kerrville, Texas in the Texas Hill County. This area is known for hunting and not fishing so I took to the woods. I do manage to do some fishing, taking groups of men from the both the VA and State Hospital bass fishing once a week. This was a very rewarding experience as I learned that the best part of fishing is the fellowship and seeing the smile on some ones face. That is really what fishing is all about, the joy that it can bring to a person that needs a little joy in their life.
In 1983 we made the move to Houston to continue work for the Singer Link Co. which later became Raytheon, as the Program Manager for the F-16 Training System and later as Director of Programs. Many days were spent fishing Galveston Bay and jetties for Speckled Trout and Red Fish. Saltwater fishing presented many new challenges for both the use of live bait and artificial. Many of the things learned here would later be applied in Striper fishing. In the quest for more fish and bigger fish I was introduced to offshore fishing. This fast became the fishing of choice and many days were spent 30 to 40 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico. Again a whole new learning experience.
Retirement came in 2005 and moved from the coast to Kerrville, Texas in the Texas Hill County. This area is known for hunting and not fishing so I took to the woods. I do manage to do some fishing, taking groups of men from the both the VA and State Hospital bass fishing once a week. This was a very rewarding experience as I learned that the best part of fishing is the fellowship and seeing the smile on some ones face. That is really what fishing is all about, the joy that it can bring to a person that needs a little joy in their life.
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In 2000 our youngest son Geoff and his wife moved from Houston to Roanoke. During our visits with the kids in Hardy, we were introduced to SML. With the addition of a grandson and the many college friends in the VA area it made us think that SML might be something to consider. Long story short, in the fall 2011 we bought a condo in the Waterfront, South Pointe, just down the cove from R25. The condo is perfect for us as we continue to live part of the year in Texas.
We selected a pontoon boat that is rigged for fishing. Our first summer on the lake in 2012 was yet another learning experience. Day after day was spent watching others catch fish and I could not get a bite. I followed several guides, watched what they were doing and tried to duplicate their technique. I like to fish with artificial bait but everyone was using live bait. I tried to net bait and did catch some, but just could not keep them alive long enough to get them on the hook. I ended up buying shiners, which survived in the live well. That summer I did manage to catch 3 or 4 stripers. As I headed back to Texas for the winter I knew I had to find a way to keep bait and I knew I needed to improve my electronics from an old Lowrance B&W fish finder.
Over the winter I spent many hours studying on how to keep bait alive. From what I found, the bait tank had to be round, the water had to be moving so as to purge the gills of the bait and the water needed to be filtered. Water temperature is also important. Many of the same things needed to keep shrimp alive. I found a fisherman on YouTube that had a design for a live well that used a plastic trash can with a thru the hull bilge pump and a water filter. This was easy enough to make and met all the criteria I was looking for. One other thing read and I do not remember where, is that the water must be spinning counter clockwise as the bait always swim clockwise and they need to be swimming into the current. Who knows!
Its back to SML the end of June 2013 armed with plans for a live well, a new Lowrance fish finder and hopes of bettering last year’s catch. The live well worked great, I was able to keep Alewifes alive for as long as two or three days and the new fish finder was great. Being at mid-lake and with a pontoon boat limited fishing to the area from the bridge to the dam and up the Blackwater to Gills Creek. The first month back at the lake we had our grand-kids from New Mexico with us. Our 10 year old grandson Andrew is an avid fisherman and was able to land his first Striper while fishing up the Blackwater. He was thrilled as I was.
I joined the Smith Mountain Striper Club in July of 2013. As I read the first news letter I saw the profile of Bruce Bernholdt and looking at the pictures realized that Bruce lived in the same condo complex. I contacted Bruce and we attended the next Striper meeting together. In the coming months Bruce and I, joined at times by my son Geoff and other friends enjoyed many mornings fishing, telling stories, and laughing not to mention catching our share of fish.
Now my new challenge is to learn how to catch Stripers with artificials. My son and I have had some success using silver spoons, Alabama and umbrella rigs but we have a lot to learn. Next summer’s challenge.
When not spending time with family and friends, fishing or hunting I do volunteer work at the VA Hospital and State Hospital while in Texas and at the Agape Center in Moneta. As time permits, I also do woodcarvings of wildfowl.
We selected a pontoon boat that is rigged for fishing. Our first summer on the lake in 2012 was yet another learning experience. Day after day was spent watching others catch fish and I could not get a bite. I followed several guides, watched what they were doing and tried to duplicate their technique. I like to fish with artificial bait but everyone was using live bait. I tried to net bait and did catch some, but just could not keep them alive long enough to get them on the hook. I ended up buying shiners, which survived in the live well. That summer I did manage to catch 3 or 4 stripers. As I headed back to Texas for the winter I knew I had to find a way to keep bait and I knew I needed to improve my electronics from an old Lowrance B&W fish finder.
Over the winter I spent many hours studying on how to keep bait alive. From what I found, the bait tank had to be round, the water had to be moving so as to purge the gills of the bait and the water needed to be filtered. Water temperature is also important. Many of the same things needed to keep shrimp alive. I found a fisherman on YouTube that had a design for a live well that used a plastic trash can with a thru the hull bilge pump and a water filter. This was easy enough to make and met all the criteria I was looking for. One other thing read and I do not remember where, is that the water must be spinning counter clockwise as the bait always swim clockwise and they need to be swimming into the current. Who knows!
Its back to SML the end of June 2013 armed with plans for a live well, a new Lowrance fish finder and hopes of bettering last year’s catch. The live well worked great, I was able to keep Alewifes alive for as long as two or three days and the new fish finder was great. Being at mid-lake and with a pontoon boat limited fishing to the area from the bridge to the dam and up the Blackwater to Gills Creek. The first month back at the lake we had our grand-kids from New Mexico with us. Our 10 year old grandson Andrew is an avid fisherman and was able to land his first Striper while fishing up the Blackwater. He was thrilled as I was.
I joined the Smith Mountain Striper Club in July of 2013. As I read the first news letter I saw the profile of Bruce Bernholdt and looking at the pictures realized that Bruce lived in the same condo complex. I contacted Bruce and we attended the next Striper meeting together. In the coming months Bruce and I, joined at times by my son Geoff and other friends enjoyed many mornings fishing, telling stories, and laughing not to mention catching our share of fish.
Now my new challenge is to learn how to catch Stripers with artificials. My son and I have had some success using silver spoons, Alabama and umbrella rigs but we have a lot to learn. Next summer’s challenge.
When not spending time with family and friends, fishing or hunting I do volunteer work at the VA Hospital and State Hospital while in Texas and at the Agape Center in Moneta. As time permits, I also do woodcarvings of wildfowl.
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