CTF name: FindBass
Real name: Birch Bidwell
Age: 35
Current City: North Haven
Hometown: North Haven
Occupation: Graphic Designer/Photographer



1. Have you ever regretted agreeing to be a CTF moderator?
No. While the winter months can get interesting, we really have a considerate group here.

2. How did you get started in making baits and eventually forming your own business?
I've always been creative and, since I can remember, loved to fish! In the early 90's I made a worm mold of plaster and melted down some old baits on the stove. The worms worked but didn't seem to be worth the time or mess involved. Next, I dabbled in hand carving topwater lures. With no formal training and no internet... it was a learning process. I focused on poppers painted in a largemouth color scheme.



I toyed with the idea of starting a fishing related business ever since and finally jumped in head first in 2005. Although my fishing time has been seriously reduced, I'm pleased with the progress FindBass has made so far and look forward to the future.

3. Do you have dreams of building a bigger business?
Since starting FindBass LLC , this is a question I face often. We'll see how it goes. My products have been catching tons of fish and so far have been responsible for a couple semi-pro tournament wins. If the demand is there and the baits I produce continue catching fish and are consistent with the quality I strive for, then absolutely!



Visit www.findbass.com

4. What about the process of making plastic baits would surprise people?
What surprised me most was the difficulty in matching colors. I come from both a painting and computer background and mixing soft plastic colors is unique. While it has similarities to mixing paint, there are more variables to contend with.

5. When did you start fishing?
I began fishing when I was around 7 years old. Each summer my family would spend a week at the Yale campgrounds on Powers Lake in East Lyme. I quickly discovered the enjoyment of catching fish. Although my father wasn't a fisherman, he soon noticed my desire and aided me in my pursuit of the sport. Even back then, I targeted largemouth bass. I caught plenty of perch and sunfish but the bass always put the biggest smile on my face. This is also when I discovered my love of night fishing. One of the campground owners would leave a boat unlocked for us and I would stay out as long as I was allowed. Back then I typically fished live worms on a rig very similar to today's drop shot rig. Later on, I discovered the magical rubber worms and would regularly assault pond bass with these amazing baits.

6. You've posted some big largemouth reports over the years, what are your top 5 tips for getting one?

In no particular order.
1. Put your time in:Learn the body of water you're fishing. An intimate familiarity will lead to more productive casts.
2. Slow down:Spend extra time on areas that feature suitable largemouth cover and slowwwww down.
3. Research your water:Choose water that has a good supply of forage but not necessarily a large supply of bass.
4. Fish at night:Some of the biggest bass let their guard down after hours.
5. Practice catch and release!:Most big bass have been caught before. Let a fellow angler experience the same enjoyment you have. Always bring a camera to capture your moment.

7. What would you consider a commonly overlooked aspect of a successful outing?

I'm a bit surprised in the manner some people treat their equipment. My time is valuable and my fishing time is very valuable ;\) . I try my best to keep my equipment in top shape (Hooks need to be sharp and line checked for nicks and changed often.) Preparation is key and you never know which cast will be "the cast". I consider a line breaking on a fish as unacceptable. If my line breaks on a fish it's likely my error so I do everything in my power to analyze and correct the problem for the future.

8. Your floppy hat is a signature in many of your big bass photos. Is there any significance to it or history behind it?
Well there is one big reason I sport the floppy hat... my head is too large for your average baseball cap and... I hate baseball! Besides, there's nothing better to block the sun.



9. Besides chasing bass, what other species do you enjoy fishing for?
Easy question... none! I enjoy targeting bass specifically. I'm just fascinated with learning the seasonal movements and habits of bass. It's a lifelong challenge. Since I've got a long way to go in perfecting catching bass, it's doubtful that I'll attempt to try and conquer another species.

10. Do you think the state largemouth and smallmouth records will ever be broken? What about the world largemouth record?
I do believe the world record largemouth will fall at some point in the near future. A few guys have recently proved that a competitive class of largemouth does exist. With the current understanding of the importance of catch and release, the knowledge these West Coast trophy hunters possess and programs like "Share a Lunker", I think the question would be better phrased as "when" instead of "if." I believe the CT bass records may actually be a harder feat to top.

11. What does your wife think of fishing and your bait making operation?
My wife seems to enjoy that I have a hobby and keep myself busy. I think she's still a little confused as to why I need 18 rods or what she calls my $3000 tackle box though ;\) . Overall my wife has been supportive of my decisions and starting FindBass LLC was yet another example of her ongoing support.


New Hampshire 2004

12. What is your most memorable fishing experience?
While catching numbers is fun, catching big bass is tops in my book. So I'd have to pick the trip I caught my personal best largemouth back in October of 2004. A more recent memorable moment happened last year within a 40 minute span while breaking in my new pitching set-up.

13. You've posted many humorous Photoshopped images on the site. What comedians and comedic movies are your favorites?
I'm far from a comedic connoisseur, although Dumb and Dumber does come to mind.

14. Outside of fishing, do you have any other hobbies?

I enjoy dabbling with video editing and 3-Dimensional design.




15. You're put in charge of managing the bass population in CT. What do you do?

Well, since I'm not a biologist, I'll leave this question to the experts. However, I'd love to see some more stringent regulations, especially during the hard water season.

16. You designed the back of the newest CTF t-shirt. How did you get interested in graphic design?
My mother is a very talented artist. She has studied and taught most traditional art forms at one time or another. She really excels at capturing detail and creates the most beautiful child portraits. Here are just a few examples of her work.


Color pencil drawing

Main Street in Middletown, CT Watercolor and color pencil

Conventional pencil drawing

Since I was a child, I had all the tools of the trade at my disposal and enjoyed experimenting with the various traditional art forms. I've also always been a video game and electronics junky. I always had a gaming system since the Atari 2600. Like many kids my age, I'd spend hours upon hours mastering the classic titles.

Next came the Commodore 64 where I began learning the basic programming language. My creative side kicked in and soon I preferred spending my time trying to create my own game. This was a large undertaking for a kid. After spending countless hours getting pixels to move and react to each other, I realized I was in over my head. I finally conceded my aspiration of making an entire game and was satisfied when I was able to complete a code that made a "ship" move across the screen that I could shoot at.

While attending college for traditional art, I learned how powerful computers had become and purchased a used Macintosh 840AV with an astounding 40MHz processor \:\) . The "AV" stands for Audio/Visual and while capable of performing such tasks... it could take days to render somewhat simple 3-D scenes or mix multiple video/audio tracks. However, Photoshop 2.0 ran fairly smoothly and my love for the computer was instantly reestablished. Since the university's course schedule was lacking computer arts related subjects, I discovered I was able to develop my own courses and before long I realized that graphic design would become my profession.

17. Top five bands?
I listen to everything from Jim Croce to Zappa to Metallica. Such a broad selection sure makes shuffling my itunes library interesting. While driving, I often just throw the radio on for background noise.

18. What fishing technique would you like to improve on?
I try to stay versatile so I'm always learning and practicing new techniques. I recently picked up my first flippin stick and plan on spending some quality time in the thick stuff.

19. Do you have any good stories about fishing with someone from the site?
I do have a funny story from a night tournament. It was around midnight and my partner and I were fishing some very shallow water looking for an aggressively feeding kicker fish. I was on the front of the boat fishing a small isolated cove. My partner was fishing some rocks a bit deeper when he decided to cast towards the cove. Little did he realize that his tube landed right on a small sandy peninsula. I didn't have the heart to tell him he was working a true "sand flat" ;\) . A few moments later he sets the hook hard and all I heard was zzzzzzzzzzzz and something like "Big fish! Big Fish!" It was tough to make out just what was said due to the loud ruckus of geese taking flight \:D . Anyways, sure enough he hooked a Canadian goose and luckily after about a minute it came free. That one is always good for a laugh on the water.

20. What's the most "Beyond Addicted, Just Plain Sick" thing you've done in the pursuit of fish?

I'd say the craziest thing I've done in the pursuit of fish is hiking the mountain next to Saltonstall... alone... in the dark. Spooky stuff!