6B
• The Record • Week of Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Stick baits and suspending plugs earn a spot in the tackle box
OUTDOORS CHUCK UZZLE FOR THE RECORD
The slick surface of the lake was disrupted by skipping shrimp and the familiar sound of trout crashing the helpless crustaceans. Each cast with a soft plastic was met the familiar thump of an aggressive fish that thought they were much larger than they really were. One small trout after another continued to hammer the jigs and also continued to be too small. The next logical thought for catching bigger fish was to go to a topwater plug, which usually works well under these circumstances. Again the topwater plugs were struck repeatedly by the small fish and occasionally by what appeared to be much better fish. The problem with the topwater plug was the better fish would not come all the up to the surface and completely take the offering, instead they
would just blow up on the plug leaving each angler waiting in suspense to see if the fish would actually come back and finish the job. One blow up after another without a hook up on a better fish was more than anyone could stand, there had to be another lure that would produce more hook ups and better fish. At long last an old favorite was brought back out of retirement; the stick bait was now the lure of choice. This particular bait was a Bill Lewis model called a “Slapstick”, there are others like “Long A’s” and “Rogues” that work just as well. Stick baits can be worked in variety of different ways from just under the surface to as deep as a couple of feet. These plugs have a lip on the front of them that causes the bait to dart under the surface and have a side to side wobble that drives fish crazy. Under these conditions when the fish wouldn’t take the surface offering the stick bait works like magic. For many years anglers down south have been weighting their topwater plugs so they would sit down in the water with just the top of the plug above the surface when the plug was not being retrieved. This was done so fish that would not commit to coming all the way to the top of the water would still have an opportunity to strike. Instead of going through the hassle of weighting the plugs and re-engineering the bait
many anglers just went back to old saltwater favorites and some other freshwater options. For many years anglers caught a ton of fish on chrome and blue or chrome and black broken back minnows from Rapala. Freshwater anglers have long known the fish catching abilities of the Rogue and the Long A so it was a natural progression to many anglers to use these style of baits. As the popularity of these plugs grew many more saltwater manufacturers began to make their own variations of these plugs, now there plenty to choose from. There are always some really big trout that are caught each year on the stick baits and for whatever reason most of those fish are caught during the summer. Truth be known these plugs can be used anytime during the year and produce results. I am not sure why these plugs are not used more during the winter and early spring, they do well getting sluggish fish to give a reaction strike. I guess with the popularity of the baits like the Corky, Catch 2000, Catch 5 and others makes the versatile stick bait a second stringer. This spring there will come a time when you just can’t get those fish to commit to a topwater and you know there are some big fish in the area. This is a perfect time to pull the old stick bait out of retirement and go “old school” on the fish. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.
Orange Lions Club donates to Orange Red Cross
The Orange Lions Club donated $2500 to the Orange Chapter of the American Red Cross at their club meeting on Monday. The donation was presented to Executive Director, Sharon Tyler, to benefit the Red Cross “Hero Program”. Lions members presenting the check are Butch Campbell, Red Cross “Hero” volunteer; Stump Weatherford, club president; Larry David, Red Cross board member. Courtesy Photo
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Work under way on service reliability projects in three OC communities Weather patterns in recent years have made Entergy Texas, Inc.’s vegetation management program more important than ever to ensuring reliable service for Southeast Texans. That’s because drought, storms and other events have led to, among other things, an unusually large number of “danger” trees in need of removal from areas close to power lines. Identifying and removing danger trees, along with other vegetation that could interfere with electricity delivery to your home is one part of the job Entergy Texas representatives have in front of them over the next three months as they finish a nearly year-long project that includes both the Mauriceville and McLewis communities. They have also begun a project in Vidor that is expected to be completed by the end of April. “The number one cause of power outages is some sort of vegetation getting tangled up in a power line,” said Johnny Trahan, customer service manager for Entergy Texas in Orange County. “So it’s easy to see why we place such a high priority on keeping the lines clear.” The work in the Mauriceville and McLewis areas involves a nearly 104-mile-long power line that serves more than 2,300 customers. It includes
areas in and around Highway 62, Wynne Road, Highway 12 and FM 1442. The power line is energized by the McLewis Substation in the 6800 block of Highway 62 North. Work began last summer and is expected to be completed by early May. In Vidor, work began early this year on a 45-mile-long power line that serves nearly 1,600 customers in the Pleasant Drive, Party Lane and Grand Street areas. The power line is energized by the Vidor Substation in the 1500 block of North Main. Work is expected to be completed by the end of April. Drivers in these areas are urged to be alert for the workers and use caution when nearing work areas. “Our goal is to keep the lights on for our customers. To do that, we have to have an aggressive vegetation management program,” Trahan said. “We keep a schedule for all of our power lines to ensure that limbs and other vegetation are kept away from the lines. When we conduct this cycle trimming, we also remove danger trees that may be outside our right of way, but that are in poor condition and close enough to fall into the lines.” Last year, Entergy Texas workers trimmed more than 2,100 line miles of trees and removed 25,870 danger trees
from throughout Southeast Texas. A danger tree is any tree with a <?>structural defect, such as being dead or dying, decayed or leaning. Any of these circumstances could cause the tree to fall into overhead power lines. Customers are also reminded to think ahead when planting trees on their property. Trees planted in the vicinity of power lines should not grow to heights that could threaten lines. The Arbor Day Foundation provides a guide to help determine the right tree for the right place at http://www. arborday.org/trees/rightTreeAndPlace/. Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to more than 400,000 customers in 27 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. Entergy, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year, is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including more than 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation’s leading nuclear generators. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
Stark programs offer spring activities, participate in Art in the Park The Stark Museum of Art, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center and The W.H. Stark House, programs of the STARK Cultural Venues in Orange, Texas, will participate in the 12th Annual Art in the Park Festival to be held at Stark Park in downtown Orange. On Saturday, March 16, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., booths will offer fun, family-friendly activities and information on each venue. In addition, the venues will have a variety of exhibitions and classes for visitors of all ages, providing ways to enjoy of art, nature, history and culture. Inside the Stark Museum, attendees can participate in the Gone Fishing scavenger hunt to find images of fish or water throughout the Museum and win a prize. Visitors may also take a family-friendly tour of the extensive collection of art from the American West, including the current exhibitions Wild Beauty: The New Mexico Setting andMastering Fish: American Natural History Illustrations. Docents will provide mini-tours of the Wild Beauty exhibition during Opening Day Tours, which will take place from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Wild Beauty will be on display through June 8 and Mastering Fish will be on display through April 20. Participation in the scavenger hunt and mini-tours are included with Museum admission. Nature enthusiasts will want to stop by the Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center’s booth. Shangri La’s booth will feature Leaf Rubbing Critters where children will be given different leaves and use crayons to make rub-
Shangri La will have a fun activity of leaf rubbings at their Art in the Park booth.
bings in the shape of an animal. This work of art can be taken home. Shangri La will also be hosting a program from their Saturday Adventure Series called Ladybugs and Aphids: Garden Combat, taking place from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. and beginning at the Admission Window. This program has limited seating and an RSVP is required to attend. To reserve a seat, call409.670.9799. Also, after visiting Art in the Park, attendees are invited to tour the gardens of Shangri La, including the state-of-the-art bird blind, and take an outpost tour along Adams Bayou. The W.H. Stark House will host an activity booth with fish-related projects for children of all ages. House staff members will assist children in creating “flying fish” art and other fish craft projects from a variety of materials. Visitors will also receive a free fish-
themed papermaze game to complete at their leisure. The staff will also provide complimentary notepads to visitors. In addition to the activities, The House will offer guided first-floor tours of the historic home for $2.00 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. to visitors age ten years and older. During firstfloor tours, guests can see the Dining Room decorated for an Easter celebration, featuring a floral-themed tablescape emphasizing The House’s collection of American Brilliant Period cut glass in floral patterns.Tours of the second and third levels of The Stark House will not be offered during the Art in the Park festival. For more information about Art in the Park Festival, visit www.orangetexas.org. For more information about the programs of STARK Cultural Venues, visitwww.starkculturalvenues.org.
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