James Overstreet and I are off the water, after the short boat ride back to Morristown. Driving back to Waddington beats the heck out of boating back today. It’s an unpleasant combo of white caps and boat wakes.
Jonathon VanDam caught a fish just before we left that was amazingly like the other 4-pounders already in his livewell. He needs a Hail Mary, provided Palaniuk gets back on time.
I’d heard about our boat driver the last two days, Dean Meckes, long before I met him. Meckes is “the man” around here, according to Mark Zona, Dave Precht and Overstreet. It was an education just hanging out in a boat with Meckes this week. Need to get back here soon, when not in tournament mode.
Meckes, 52, has been guiding and tourament fishing these waters for the past 25 years.
“A good smallmouth bag used to be 13 pounds,” he said. “Now you don’t feel safe with 23 pounds.”
It’s rare when an invasive species, like the goby, is a good thing, but they’ve been like human growth hormone for smallmouth bass in the St. Lawrence River.
“The smallmouth bass population just exploded,” Meckes said. “4-pounders became common, then 5s, then 6s.”
If you want proof, check out www.deanmeckes.com