Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 30, 1992 TAG: 9201300085
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOORS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
IT'S JANUARY, SO TROPHY-SIZE STRIPERS MUST BE HITTING
When Tommy George toted a 33-pound, 10-ounce striped bass into Magnum Point Marina this week, Lynette Jones, the proprietor, said: "It must be January."Every January - six in all - since the marina opened on the upper Blackwater River of Smith Mountain Lake, someone has caught a 30-pound-plus striper in the cove behind the business.
George, from Greensboro, N.C., was casting a Little Mac lure when his big fish struck.
Other trophy stripers, fish weighing better than 20 pounds, have been weighed by Melvin Crewson at the Minnow Pond in Hardy. These stripers are from the Roanoke River arm of the lake, many of them taken at Beaver Dam Creek.
Even so, most anglers report that the fishing is slow.
\ TOUGH TRIP: Florida was anything but sunny for the nine Virginians in the recent Bassmaster Florida Invitational on the Harris Chain of Lakes. It was a matter of battling to stay out of last place.
Four of the Old Dominion anglers failed to catch a keeper during three days of competition. The top Virginian was - no surprise - Woo Daves, who landed two bass that weighed a total of 3 pounds, 2 ounces.
In a part of the country where anglers dream of the big strike that will net them a hog-size bass, the tournament was won by Californian Mike Folkestad with a paltry catch of 12 fish that totaled 14 pounds, 12 ounces.
You get an understanding of how tough it was when you consider that the $1,000 lunker catch one day weighed 3 pounds, 3 ounces. There was a time when Florida guides might have bragged about using bait that big.
\ ALL THE AMENITIES: Moomaw Lake will have its first concessionaire beginning May 1. Lakeside Outfitters, a West Virginia partnership, was awarded the contract by the George Washington National Forest.
A 10-year lease authorizes boat-slip rentals, fuel sales, dry storage for boats and recreational vehicles and a camp store.
What is needed worse than a concession on the remote, back side of this scenic lake is water to fill the impoundment. The level is about 10 feet low as a result of last year's dry weather.
\ TELL US MORE: Outdoor sportsmen have the opportunity to become more proficient at bass fishing and deer hunting by attending a couple of top-quality seminars in the Roanoke Valley.
The first is the Bass Fishing Techniques Institute on Saturday and Sunday at the Tanglewood Holiday Inn. Some 275 anglers have registered, according to the sponsor, Virginia Tech. A seat may be reserved by calling (703) 231-5241. A $69 fee covers the two days of instruction and textbook.
Instructors include Larry Nixon, the all-time BASS money winner. Nixon was voted America's best bass fisherman by 73 percent of nation's tournament anglers. Other instructors are Daves, Zell Rowland, Joe Thomas, Jerry Rhyne and Dick Healey.
A second educational opportunity is the NRA Whitetail Tour scheduled Feb. 4 at the Salem Civic Center. The instructor is Dick Idol, co-founder of North American Whitetail magazine and a recognized authority on deer hunting across North America.
While attending North Carolina State on a football scholarship, Idol reported turning down a contract with the Dallas Cowboys so he could head west to pursue his interest in deer.
Seminar participants will receive three hours of instruction and will get to see one of the finer collections of trophy deer heads in existence. The cost is $10, or free to those who join or renew their National Rifle Association membership.
Registration may be completed by calling 1-(800) 538-DEER or at the civic center beginning 5:30 p.m. The program is set for 6:45 p.m.