| Thursday,
4/27/2000 |
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| Jim and Romnia Duckworth show Jim's near record catch at the Cumberland River. (File) |
By Charles Searcy / Sports Writer
Lebanon guide Jim Duckworth has done a little bit of everything in the way
of hunting and fishing, but nothing has made his blood pressure rise like a
recent fishing trip on the Cumberland River. It was the 8-pound, 2-ounce
smallmouth that had Duckworth speechless as his CPA, Lawrence Waldman,
netted the fish. "What a guy to have to measure, weigh and verify the the fish,
" Duckworth said." He got the measurements -- 26-1/4-inches long -- before he
put it back and that is just a half inch short of what the world record fish, an
11-pound, 15-ounce lunker also from Dale Hollow. "This is a big, big smallmouth,
" Duckworth said. "And a bad fish, as are most river smallmouth. This was truly
a downtown Nashville smallmouth." Duckworth sent the measurements to the
International Game Fish Association and the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame
for consideration for a line-class world record. "Never in my life have I landed one
like that," said Duckworth,
who said his largest smallie weight 6-pounds, 4-ounces, from Dale Hollow Lake. The big
smallmouth from the
Cumberland River is believed to still be swimming in the current because Duckworth got his
picture and released
the fish. He caught the fish on a Fat-Free Shad crankbait in the Citrus color. He was
using a 6-1/2-foot All-Pro Rod
with an Ambassadeur 5500 reel spooled with 14-pound test Silver Thread line. "I've
had a couple others hooked
that I truly believe weighed eight pounds or better," Duckworth added. "And I
have had customers catch 7-pounders.
But until this fish, I never had the patience to fight a smallmouth this big before."
Duckworth said the "five-minute
battle felt like an hour." Because the fish was so big, it didn't, or couldn't, jump.
"She could only get about half of her
body out of the water at a time and she just wallowed." Duckworth said the fish hit
the crankbait almost as soon as
the bait hit the water. "It was at the end of the cast and therefore I had a long
piece of line out," he said. Smallmouth
have been a prize for all bass fishermen, regardless of size, because of the fighting
ability. The big smallmouth, those
of 8-pounds or over, usually come in late spring and then they're gone for the year.
Duckworth and other smallmouth
fishermen believe the bigger fish go deep in the summer and are just about impossible to
entice into hitting. "But I've
got a new spinnerbait, one that weighs two ounces, that can be fast retrieved down in
30-feet of water," he said.
"I think that's going to attract some of those bigger fish."
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Fishing guides get paid for doing what they like to do. At the same time, however, they pay a price for enjoyment.
They spend money and time keeping up with their trade — changing, costly technology; hiked costs for equipment and seasonal changes and patterns of the fish.
''It's not as easy as one might think,'' said Greenbrier's Jack Christian, a top bass guide who has spent most of his time on Percy Priest Lake the past 16 years. ''The pressure is there to perform, and in some cases, you're only going to get five or six bites a day, and if you miss 'em, that's it.''
Christian said guiding has not gotten any easier because of the increased number of anglers with the same amount of water.
''It's really work,'' he said, ''and it's getting kinda like digging post holes, mowing the lawn or chopping wood. We've got to stay after it every day, even if we don't have a customer. We need to know what the fish are doing.''
Lebanon's Jim Duckworth, who guides on most Midstate lakes, including Percy Priest, Old Hickory, Center Hill and Dale Hollow, said guides have to be people-friendly or they won't see return clients.
''Fortunately, I've got clients that have been fishing with me for years and years. We get clients who have never fished or don't know how to handle tackle. We've got to be teachers and show patience.''
Who really needs a guide?
Christian and Duckworth agreed that it is those people who are in a time crunch and need to be in and out, with success, and back on the road.
''We can offer success, although it's not guaranteed,'' Duckworth said. ''Nothing is. But we can come close because we fish almost every day to keep up with not only what's going on fish-wise, but equipment-wise.''
Christian said his customers are mostly out-of-towners who really don't want to bring a boat or equipment for just a day or two of fishing.
''The cost of boats and gasoline, insurance and the hassle of keeping everything in working order is a big factor,'' Christian said, ''especially for those who really don't have the time. They can come in, get a guide, and go fishing even if they're here on business.''
Duckworth said going with a guide is also helpful because of the opportunity to fish with the latest equipment and test it before going out and purchasing it.
''Trying out new things such as the GPS [Global Positioning System], rods and reels, lines and lures, even the methods of fishing will be a benefit. I try to have the latest equipment available. And I know the other reliable guides do the same thing.
''There's no other way to get to know a strange lake than with a guide. I know a lot of professional tournament fishermen hire guides, maybe not to learn about certain spots but to get a feel for the style and baits used, and to be able to get around the lake without hitting something with their boats.''
To work with two people, most local guides charge between $150 for a half day up to $275 for a full day. Everything — boat, gas, food, tackle, bait — is furnished, except the license.
Duckworth is reachable at 444-2283 or by e-mail at ducktrail@softek.net. Christian is available at 672-0194.
