The Articles
Kentucky Lake: Day 1_ARRIVAL
Star date 41425 Captain’s Log: Chased the sun until we somehow located Moors Resort at Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Actually, we found Gilbertsville on accident because Moors Resort is not located in this small Bluegrass State village. Besides a couple guys in the duplex...
My son, Matthew
CAMBRIDGE, OH — Of all the monthly designations, April’s Autism Awareness has never been necessary for my family. We had to embrace autism every minute of every day after my son, Matthew, was diagnosed as autistic. The part of Matt’s diagnosis that proved most painful...
Hooked on Fishing event set for Perry County!
PERRY COUNTY, OHIO — The Perry County Sheriff’s Office has scheduled its annual Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs (HOFNOD) event for Saturday June 14, 2025, at the Perry County Gun Club Lake. Registration for this outstanding day dedicated to young anglers will be from...
NE Ohio bass clubs share a banquet, and much more
PAINESVILLE, OH — When I received the invitation to attend the Cool Running Bass Club/North Coast Bass Anglers Association banquet in early March, I accepted before my GPS notified me that it would be a 400 mile round trip. Dennis Knowles texted me the invite and...
Doug's Favorite Fishing Spots
The Hall of Fame
Bill Tench, Buckeye Lake
Bill Tench displays the lure that he used to take second place at Buckeye Lake.
Barry Davis, Delaware Lake
Barry Davis has been the ABA Central Division Director for 28 years. Davis also competed in the event at Delaware Lake.
Cody, Kentucky Lake
Grandon Cody with his catch at Kentucky Lake.
Barry Davis & Karl Guegold, Delaware Lake
Barry Davis (on left) is the ABA Central Division Director which means he is the weighmaster at every tournament. He is weighing Karl Guegold’s day 2 catch at Delaware Lake.
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Doug with his big catch on Day 3 at Kentucky Lake
Doug Shows off his Day 3 catch at Kentucky Lake.
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Perry County Sheriff William R. Barker recognizes a winner from the 2023 Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs event.
Mike Baughman
Mike Baughman with a nice Lake Erie largemouth bass.
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Bob Davis (R), National Fishing Expo
Longtime friend and fishing buddy, Bob Davis (R), drove from Cleveland to assist me in the Ohio Outdoor News booth. Thank you, Bob
Rich Carter, Alum Creek
Former “Fish Chief” for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Rich Carter led us on a fishing adventure to Alum Creek Lake last November where we landed 14 largemouth bass all above the 12 inch keeper size. The bait that caught every bass was a JackHammer bladed jig.
Brezlyn Reneer (R), Mike Iaconelli at National Fishing Expo
Brezlyn Reneer first ever Podcast had former Bassmaster Classic champion Mike Iaconelli as her guest. “He is a great interview!” was Brezlyn first post interview reaction after talking with one of professional bass fishing’s all-time greats.
Brantley Morehouse, National Fishing Expo
Brantley Morehouse, 11,uses goldfish to catch catfish and Rooster tails for bass.
Cool Running Bass Club and the North Coast Bass Anglers Association posed for this group photo
The two bass clubs posed for this group shot after a great evening of fellowship and fine dining at Hellriegel’s Inn at Painesville, Ohio.
Rich Carter
Rich Carter with one of the dozens of bass he caught on the jackhammer chatterbait.
Nice smallmouth!
Nice smallmouth bass!
Jackson Forrest, National Fishing Expo
10-year-old Jackson Forrest’s favorite fish to catch is the mighty muskie, and he plans to use this lure to land his first one this summer.
Doug caught this bass on the shore at Kentucky Lake
Doug with the only bass he could find on Day 3 at Kentucky Lake.
HOFNOD 2025
Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs 2025
Doug Clifford
Catching bass wearing my favorite fishing t-shirt… which is any t-shirt I’m wearing on a fishing trip four days before November hits town.
Seth Brandfass, Delaware Lake
Seth Brandfass took big bass honors with this 3.8 pound largemouth bass.
Doug Clifford
My best bass of the second trip to Mystery Lake was a fat 3.54 pound largemouth bass that hit a green pumpkin brown Texas rigged Will Boss. Photo credit belongs to Mary Kayser.
Doug Clifford, Alum Creek
Former “Fish Chief ” for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Rich Carter led us on a fishing adventure to Alum Creek Lake last November where we landed 14 largemouth bass all above the 12 inch keeper size. The bait that caught every bass was a JackHammer bladed jig.
Connor Bower (L), Hoyt Nicely
Debbi Boutilier, president of Cool Running
Debbi Boutilier, president of Cool Running, conducted the raffle drawing that had so many prizes that even Bob Davis and Doug Clifford were winners.
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Doug Clifford
Sometimes you have to deal with the uninvited muskie at Lake St. Clair like the one I’m holding or maybe it’s holding me.
The Best Fish of the Day, Kentucky Lake
Day 2’s best fish was this largemouth bass that hit a jig & pig.
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Ab Reed, Rocky Fork Lake
First place winner, Ab Reed, hoists two of the five bass he caught at Rocky Fork Lake during the Perry County Anglers first tournament of the season.
Family Fishing, Kentucky Lake
Family fishing excursion at Kentucky Lake.
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Jeff Smith
My son-in-law from Chicago, Jeff Smith, caught this four pound plus smallmouth bass in late May at Lake St. Clair.
Dustin Karns
You might even see the owner of Venom Lures, Dustin Karns, fishing at Lake Erie at one of his secret spots.
Alum Creek Lake
A couple days after Inland Fish Ohio Day, I returned to Alum Creek Lake and met this angler fishing on the bank for crappies. As you can see, this guy was dialed into the crappies!
Jordan Wayne, Rocky Fork Lake
Obviously Jordan Wayne, who took 4th place, lost a side bet in the wardrobe category.
HOFNOD 2025
Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs 2025
Michael Norris of Ann Marie Charters, National Fishing Expo
Michael Norris of Ann Marie Charters has work the booth next to mine since I started working at the Expo. Our “once a year” friendship may be a “twofer” in 2025 with the invitation to join him and Captain Bill on a walleye trip to Lake Erie this summer.
First Fish, Kentucky Lake
The first fish of the adventure was caught as on the shore near the marina.
Alan Wayne, Rocky Fork Lake
Alan Wayne holds two of the three bass he caught to take third place at Rocky Fork Lake.
Doug Clifford, Lake Erie
A friendly West Harbor bass hammered a Berkley Squarebull 5.5 crankbait on my third cast of the day.
Mike Iaconelli (C), Hoyt Nicely (L), Connor Bower (R) at National Fishing Expo
Bassmaster Elite pro, former Classic champion, and former Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Mike Iaconelli is between Hoyt Nicely (L) and Connor Bower (R) after the three of them sat for an interview/conversation during the Expo. Hoyt is headed to Adrian College in Michigan on a bass fishing scholarship while Connor is headed south to the University of Montevallo with a bass fishing scholarship also.
Doug Clifford, Lake Erie
Pro anglers say a color change can put more fish in the boat. I changed hat color and style with minimal results.
Jeff Smith, Lake St. Clair
Jeff Smith of Evanston IL holds a four pound smallmouth bass he caught on a trip to Lake St. Clair near Detroit MI.
Jesse French, Blue Rock Custom Tackle at National Fishing Expo
You could search for a lifetime and never find a better lure company owner than Jesse French of Blue Rock Custom Tackle. (HINT: you gotta try the Triple Threat Jig with a Z-Man Big TRD trailer)
HOFNOD 2025
Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs 2025
HOFNOD 2025
Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs 2025
Dan Johnson, Lake St. Clair
The fishing is so good at Lake St. Clair that even former head football coach at Liberty Union High School Dan Johnson can catch bass there.
Rich Carter
After carefully unhooking his latest catch, Rich Carter releases the bass alive. We landed over 200 bass in two days of fishing and all were released alive.
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Kendra Wecker, Alum Creek Lake
Chief of the Division of Wildlife , Kendra Wecker, showed her “lake creds” when she returned to the marina with plenty of keeper crappies on Inland Fish Ohio Day.
HOFNOD 2025
Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs 2025
Ed Snider & Rich Carter, Delaware Lake
Two ABA competitors, (L-R) Ed Snider of Somerset, Ohio and Rich Carter of Grandview Heights fished day two in Carter’s Ranger bass boat. Both anglers had two fish on the tournament’s second day.
Karl Guegold, Delaware Lake
Karl Guegold landed four bass on the second day of the tournament and that effort catapulted him to win the coveted ABA Angler of the Year title.
Annabelle Meade, National Fishing Expo
Annabelle Meade, age 9, revealed that her three secret catfish baits are marshmallows, goldfish, and shrimp.
Smallmouth Bass
This lip grip is on a smallmouth bass that hangs around Middle Bass Island.
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Family Fishing, Kentucky Lake
Family fishing excursion at Kentucky Lake.
Inland Fish Ohio Day Winners, Alum Creek Lake
The prize winners on Inland Fish Ohio Day included (L-R): Tadgh Dudukovich, Camden Baker, and Solomon Curtis.
HOFNOD 2025
Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs 2025
Tony Cannon, Delaware Lake
Tony Cannon displays three of the five bass he caught on the tournament’s second day. His five bass limit allowed him to take first place for the two day event at Delaware Lake.
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Gov. Mike DeWine, Alum Creek Lake
Gov. Mike DeWine and grandsons had a great day on the water at Alum Creek Lake during Inland Fish Ohio Day.
Doug Clifford, Lake Champlain
Low budget smallmouth bass! Forget high performance bass boats, cutting edge electronics, and all the bells and whistles associated with modern bass fishing. I caught this Malletts Bay (Lake Champlain) smallie as I stood in my boat that was tied securely to the dock. Water depth was a whopping two feet.
Jordan & Jeff, Buckeye Lake
Jordan Wayne (L) and Jeff Redfern (R) handled the brief weighing duties at the Buckeye Lake tournament.
Jacob Wayne, Rocky Fork Lake
Jacob Wayne displays two of the bass that helped him secure second place at the Perry County Anglers opening event at Rocky Fork Lake.
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
HOFNOD 2025
Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs 2025
Family Fishing, Kentucky Lake
Family fishing excursion at Kentucky Lake.
Wes Clutter, Rocky Fork Lake
Wes Clutter caught this Rocky Fork Lake largemouth bass on a Berkley Stunna jerkbait.
Hoyt Nicely (L), Connor Bower
Hoyt Nicely (dark curly hair) and Connor Bower (in the hat) took first place in the Major League Fishing High School Team Tournament at Lake Guntersville in Alabama.
HOFNOD 2025
Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs 2025
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs
Bob Smith (L) of the Cool Running Bass Club and Eric Evans (R) of the North Coast Bass Anglers Association
Bob Smith (L) of the Cool Running Bass Club and Eric Evans (R) of the North Coast Bass Anglers Association took home most of the hardware for the 2024 season at the banquet held in early March.
Mike Baughman, Lake St. Clair
Mike Baughman holds one of the three dozen smallmouth bass he caught in a day at Lake St. Clair on a fishing trip with Doug Clifford
Hoyt Nicely (L), Connor Bower
Hoyt Nicely (left) and Connor Bower took first place in the Major League Fishing High School Team Tournament at Lake Guntersville in Alabama.
Doug with Eleanor, Lake Champlain
Nothing like catching your first smallmouth bass when it’s a 3 lb 15 oz Lake Champlain beauty. Eleanor Farnsworth did the catching while I “guided” her to angling glory.
Bill Nutton & Tom Kiefer, Lake St. Clair
Bill Nutt (on L) and guide, Tom Kiefer, display a Lake St. Clair smallmouth bass caught by Bill Nutt on a TKO Fishing guided trip.
Rich Carter
The only thing better than a guy holding one nice bass is a guy holding two nice bass, even if the angler is Rich Carter and he’s outfishing me.
Bill Fulton, Buckeye Lake
Bill Fulton holds his winning catch for the Perry County Anglers Buckeye Lake tournament.
14″ Bass, Burr Oak Lake
This 14 inch bass was caught on the Will Boss soft plastic lure seen in the photo.
HOFNOD 2025
Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs 2025
Top 3, Delaware Lake
Pictured are the top three anglers in the ABA tournament held at Delaware Lake on August 17 & 18 (L-R) Tony Cannon, 1st place: Dave Slonaker, III, 2nd place; and Seth Brandfass, 3rd place.
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Doug with his catch
Tom Kiefer, Lake St. Clair
Tom Kiefer of TKO Fishing guide service with a pair of Lake St. Clair smallmouth bass that were caught on a trip booked by Doug Clifford.
Casey, Kentucky Lake
Grandson Casey with his catch on Kentucky Lake.
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Hoyt Nicely (L), Connor Bower
Hoyt Nicely (dark curly hair) and Connor Bower (in the hat) took first place in the Major League Fishing High School Team Tournament at Lake Guntersville in Alabama.
Rich Zweifel, Alum Creek Lake
Rich Zweifel, my partner on Inland Fish Ohio Day, landed four keeper bass including this one!
Family Fishing, Kentucky Lake
Family fishing excursion at Kentucky Lake.
Doug with Perry Co Sheriff
Makala Hamilton; Chief Deputy Erick Hoskinson; Sheriff William R. Barker; Doug Clifford; Amanda Danison; and Sandy Leckrone. (not pictured Lt. Brandon Forester)
Rich Carter
After carefully unhooking his latest catch, Rich Carter releases the bass alive. We landed over 200 bass in two days of fishing and all were released alive.
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Ed Snider had a great day at Alum Creek Lake when he won the Perry County Anglers club tournament.
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Mike Iaconelli roundtable, National Fishing Expo
The show highlight for me was moderating a conversation/interview with Bassmaster pro Mike Iaconelli and two college bound anglers Hoyt Nicely (far left) and Connor Bower (seated between Mike and me)
Colton Blanton
Colton Blanton used a dropshot rig to catch Lake Erie smallmouth bass that were swimming close to the shoreline on Rattlesnake Island.
Will Presley, Delaware Lake
Will Presley caught this 3.1 pound largemouth bass on the first day of the ABA Delaware Lake tournament.
Doug Clifford
Mary Kayser snapped a pic with me striking the two bass pose… not to be outdone by Rich Carter.
Sheriff William R. Barker awarded Payton Wallbrown the championship
(L-R) Sheriff William R. Barker awarded Payton Wallbrown with the plaque signifying her championship effort in the 2025 HOFNOD youth fishing derby. Next to Payton is Fred Fredfern, Jeff Redfern, and Morgam County state wildlife officer Ben Smith.
Casey Coffey, Burr Oak Lake
Always a good policy to stay employed is showing your boss with a big bass. Casey Coffey, superintendent of New Lexington School District, has the “hourly winner” weighed during the Big Bass Bash at Burr Oak Lake.