Hunting and Fishing in Missouri

2012-01-07 Saturday Camera Check - CLDenison

2012-01-08T20:05:00.000-06:00

2012-01-07 Saturday Camera Check - CLDenison

Lake of the Ozarks - 3/26/2010

2010-04-01T20:37:00.002-05:00

We started in 6-Mile Cove fishing the main point and hump. The water temp was 40 with a slight SE wind. We fished from the west side casting into the wind to drag our baits back at us. Fan casted all around the "hump" on this point and found no bites. With this being our first stop we decided the water was too cold for them to be up this far and headed to our next spot.

Our next stop was in Indian Creek, way up on right hand side fishing chunk rock in 20' of water pounding the shoreline with stick baits & lipless. We caught 0 fish.

Pulled back to a pocket short of the point and fished from there towards the point. This was smaller chunk rock (fist sized). We were in 12' of water casting parallel to the shoreline with a lipless letting it sink and pulling it across the bottom. We caught 1 largemouth 3.5# in 12' of water. We think this fish was roaming the area and not a pattern fish.

The overall weather was sunny skies with a slight wind. Air temp was in the 50s and water temp was in the low 40s.

After this we moved back to the very end of the Gravois Arm. VERY shallow water. The lake is down about 6' so when we powered down off the big motor we were in 1.5' of water. we worked the docks with jigs back to some deeper water. We finally found 3.5' of water and ran into 2 guys catching them on stick baits around docks. Jason had one fish to the boat that got off. It may have been a short but was caught under the corner of the dock. I just don't think they had moved up that far.

Water temp in this area was in the upper 40s and topped out at 48.5.

Ran back down the Gravois Arm to a couple of main points. Water temp dropped back down to the low 40s. We fan casted lipless cranks setting the boat in 20' of water and casting up to the shallows. We would let the bait sink and pull it from the shallows to the deeper water hoping some fish might be staging out close to deep water but found no fish.

Moved back up into another cove and fished some big docks at a marina. Switched to a jig and fished the large chunk rock along the shoreline. Water temps had moved back into the low to mid 40s. We didn't fish here long and decided to run to the dam.

Fished the north side of the dam from where the dam meets the shoreline west. We were throwing stick baits, lipless cranks and jigs. We actually threw quite a bit more than that, but those were our main choices. We fished west along the bluff into the first cove. The cove has quite a few transition banks so we kept working these areas. On the north side (back) of this cove we hooked up with a short on a stick bait. It was up on the shoreline right at a transition pocket. As we came around the secondary point, we started paralleling the shoreline with a lipless. In 8' of water with water temps in the low to mid 40s we hooked up another largemouth, but didn't land it. It was right at the 15" mark, or so it seemed. We finished working the cove and called it a day. We got off the water around 7:30.

Keep Your Hands, Toes and Everything Else WARM

2010-03-11T19:22:00.002-06:00

As the snows start to melt and the sun starts peaking it's head out we all start to go a little stir crazy. Yet, there are still many days where those temps dip down near or below that freezing mark. Well, be prepared for those days. I have found a great little web site that wholesales HotHands 2, HotHands Bigger & (my personal favorite) Toasti Toes! The website is HandWarmers.net and they will take care of you. They sell in bulk and have great pricing (The Toasti Toes are less than $1.00 a piece!)

So go check them out. They are straight forward people that sell a great product at a great price and will get it to you fast! http://handwarmers.net

Mississippi River Walleyes - 2/28/2010

2010-02-28T14:18:00.000-06:00

Matthew and I headed out on the Mississippi River (Pool 26) this morning to try our hand at catching some walleye. We decided to put in up around Winfield to avoid the frigid ride from Riverside up to the dam. The ramp was not very friendly to boaters, but it did the trick. We put in on the slough next to the dam. The water was about a foot or so deep, but the bottom was just river mud so it we were able to just slide across (through) the mud to deeper water. We drifted along both shorelines using the down imaging and side imaging in an attempt to locate fish. We were able to locate some fish, but with the current, we couldn't sit in one place to fish for those fish specifically. We made several passes over the same area and never even got a nibble. There were 2 other boats in the area, but they too were not getting bit. We couldn't stay out all that long and called it quits around 1:00. Although we didn't catch any fish, it was nice to get the boat out. We also learned a little from watching the other boats. They would run up near the dam (nearly center of the river) and drift down, then repeat in a slightly different line. I'll make mention here that the water temp was 30.5 deg F, with small chuncks of ice floating around in the water. Oh, well, this is why they call it "fishing". We'll try it again soon.

ESPN Fantasy Fishing

2010-02-11T12:20:00.001-06:00

Join our ESPN Fantasy Fishing Group

Group: Hunt & Fish Missouri
Password: conservation

Rabbit Hunting - 1/17/2010

2010-01-18T12:47:00.004-06:00

James and I went up to White Memorial Conservation Area on Sunday morning. We pulled up to the CA around 7:15. Temperature was right at freezing and there was a lot of fog in the area. Beautiful day for hunting. As we started the day the dog was really anxious and was barking on just about any rabbit trail, new or old.
It took some time to get our first rabbit up. Chip (the dog) was working in a thicket on the edge of the woods while James and I were walking the outer edge. Chip had pushed a rabbit out of the thicket, and was on it's trail. However, he ran the rabbit down through the woods then just stopped and came back up towards us. I have no idea what happened with that rabbit.
Because of the way Chip was barking on every scent, we didn't pay much attention to him as we crossed over a grass field. He took off away from us baying and going crazy. As we listened to him, we realized he was circling and decided he was actually on a rabbit. We staged ourselves on either side of a brush pile where we thought the rabbit came from. As Chip approached we never did see the rabbit and had to move on.
Not much further across the same grass field Chip was in front of me working a thicket and I watched him get a rabbit up and start the chase. He ran the rabbit in a huge circle for about 15 minutes. We setup on either side of a small depression that lead from the woods back to where Chip jumped the rabbit. Unfortuneately, James saw the rabbit on another deppression that was just out of shooting range. Chip stayed on him, but we never saw this rabbit either. (there is a video of this chase. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSpC9pCuqC8)
As we were making our way back to the truck Chip jumped another rabbit in a brush pile and was right on him. However, this one crossed the road outside of the CA and we called the dog off. I'm not losing my dog over a stupid rabbit.
It was a great trip and I am really impressed with how well Chip worked. It usally takes him about 4 or 5 outings to start turning the rabbit, but he proved me wrong this trip.

Rabbit Hunting - 12/20/09 - Whiteside

2009-12-20T21:08:00.000-06:00

Our first rabbit hunt of the season, and really of the last two years. We didn't get out last season at all, so my beagle, Chip, was a little rough for wear. There were 4 of us that went, and it was the first hunt ever for James. We had to be back in St. Charles by 11:30 so we left the house at 6:00. By 7:00 we were at Whiteside putting on our insulated bibs and extra layers of fleece... it was cold (24 F). It didn't take long and we had our first jump of the day. I got him up in a small field and got the dog on him within a minute or so. Chip lost the rabbit aobout 150 yards out. There were a lot of BIG piles of fallen timber that I think they were holding up in. We continued and had another field jumper. This one came out of a creek and crossed a large field. James could have gotten a shot off, but with a new gun, didn't get the safety off in time to shoot. Again we got the dog on it and again Chip lost the rabbit. I don't recall the third rabbit... but the forth one Jeff kicked up and the shit was so thick I had problems seeing my feet. Needless to say, Jeff didn't know where the rabbit went so we couldn't get the dog on the scent and we pushed on. The last one came up between us (all 4 of us) and the dog got right on it. 50 yards away was another one of these HUGE timber piles. Yeah... Chip could have lost him, but I'm pretty sure that rabbit ran in the pile. All in all, it was a good day. Weather was good, snow on the ground and we had 5 rabbit up on public ground with one dog.

Lewis Boats Fall Bass Tournament - 10/24/2009

2009-10-26T14:38:00.001-05:00

Matt & I fished our first tournament on Saturday. We prefished on Friday and did pretty good. Our plan was to hit all of our spots to see what produced. We figure we had 4 keepers in the boat, and could have had more, but lost a couple because I&...#039;m stupid. The problem came with the High front that moved in over night. Fishing conditions changed dramatically. We had a lot ov 14 inch fish Saturday afternoon and one that was 1/16" shy of making the cut. Luckily we didn't quit fishing and with about 8 minutes to spare, Matt put one keeper in the boat. The big bass was 6+ pounds and first place was 16.5 pounds. It was a lot of fun. Thanks to the guys at Lewis that put it on and to Derek for all the help!

Mississippi River - 9/27/09

2009-09-27T12:50:00.002-05:00

Mark and I hit the river about 7:30 this morning. It was a beautiful morning. Crisp air, fog rolling off the river and a smooth ride to our first spot. We were targeting white bass again. We were fishing a dike break between two islands and the water really flows through there. We got nothing on our first spot so we decided to move. This time we headed out to the main river. We fished a U shaped dike on the outside, main cannel side. We caught 2 at this location. Then we moved over to the ouside, bank side of the dike. Again, we caugh two and I had one on, run straight at me and then under the boat. I had my drag too tight and as he went under the boat he came off the hook. He had that pole doubled over. I know it was a good fish. The key to this spot was we were sitting in about 2 feet of water on the inside current break and fishing out in the current where it dropped to about 8 feet. I think they were sitting on that ridge. Anyway, we worked our way down river fishing the same spot on 2 other dikes, but they produced nothing. Then we fished the backside of a partially submerged dike and caught 2 more. This spot has a LOT of potential. The back side of the dike has some sand on it and the water rolls over the rocks and creates a lot of turbulance. Then it drops to about 10 feet. We went back to our first spot and fished the opposite side which only produced a drum (on a spinner bait at that). It was a good day and we pulled out at Noon. A big thank you to Mark for going along. We've been trying to do this for quite a while. Now to get Matt Douglas out on the water with me!

Driveway Fishing...

2009-09-26T23:13:00.001-05:00

We threw everything from lead weights to a pink butterfly.. no fish ... They did catch me a few times though. :)

Mississippi River - 9/20/2009

2009-09-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law, Dave, and I hit the river around 7:00 this morning. There was a slight drizzle coming down, with temps in the 60's (both ambient & water). We were going to target whites and wipers. We headed to the first dike I wanted to try and started casting into the current break. Both using crank baits, after a few casts & about 15 minutes, I wanted to tie on a different crank. As I'm re-tying, I was trying to explain to Dave how the stripes fight and how much fun they are, and BLAMO, Dave says, oh, here's one. After the first one we caugh a couple more and the rain started coming down. We also caught 2 drum on crank baits. As the fish quit biting, and the rain started to realy dump on us, we decided to call it quits. We were home by 9:00.

Of course it stopped raining by 10:30, but we were already done for the day. We'll try to get out again real soon.

Mississippi River - 9/6/2009

2009-09-06T19:10:00.002-05:00

Today Adam and I took a trip out on the river. We were just going out to get a line wet and get out on the boat. We started by working the downstream side of a dike. Adam was using a snake and I was tossing a crank bait. This produced nothing, so we switched up to plastics and still nothing. We then started working some laydowns on the upstream side of the dike. We flipped jigs, tossed crank baits, threw spinners, you name it, we threw it but produced nothing. We didn't have much time but decided to work the current break where the water came around the end of the dike. We were both working the crank bait and it produced two stripers (or whites, or hybrids, or whatever they are). One was about 9 inches, the other was 13.5". These things put up a great fight. The bigger one was stripping line of my spool and was really giving it it's all. It was a lot of fun. I'll be targeting them again on my next trip out. -cld

Dove Season - Opening Day 2009

2009-09-06T19:09:00.001-05:00

Dove season opened this past Tuesday, and as we usually do, Les and I took the day off to go throw lead and see if we could knock a few down. Gary met us at Greg & Cindy's before sun-up and we took our places. We had standing corn on one side and soybeans on another with a telephone line at the split. This typically produces birds for us. However, on this cool opening day, there were just not many birds flying. I ended up getting 5 but lost one in the soybeans. Les and Gary each got one, and around 11:00 we gave up. We hadn't seen a bird in over an hour and just got discouraged. Come to find out Brad went down that evening and nearly limited out. I heard other stories that as the day went on, the birds started coming in.

We went down again on Saturday morning. Got there before sun-up again, but sat in the barn for a couple of hours as the rain just kept coming down. Finally around 9:00 or so the rain lightened up enough that a few birds were moving around. We shot at a couple that were probably too far to shoot, but when you've been sitting for so long, you'll shoot at anything. Then we walked across the field (the corn was now cut) towards a small patch of tree. One bird flew in and any of us could have shot it, but I pulled my trigger first and that was our only bird of the day.

Saturday night I cooked all the birds for some friends and they were really good. I filet them off the breast bone then put a piece of pepper jack cheese and a jalapeno slice between the two halves. Wrap the whole thing with half a slice of bacon and put a toothpick through it to hold it all together. Once on the grill, we dab them in barbecue sauce just before we pull them off the grill. They are delicious! - cld

Lake Carlyle - 8/23/2009

2009-08-23T19:44:00.001-05:00

Just got back from across the border. Made my way to Illinois this morning to meet up with my buddy Jay to do a little fishing. Carlyle is about 15 minutes from his house so that was today's destination. It's a shallow lake. We were fishing in 3' - 5' of water out in the middel of the lake. There are deeper spots, but we were after white bass. We started on a large flat near the center of the lake and caught one or two. I was using a crank bait or a rattle trap. Jay was using crappie jig looped about 18" above a weighted spoon. This was the "local" favorite, as told to him by the bait shop. We fished a few more spots and had about 4 landed total. Watched one guy using the same rig Jay was using, but with a crank on the end of it pull one after another in. We couldn't get it to work. On our last area, there were boats nearly running over one another, everyone using the same setup. I finally tied the rig on with a crank bait 18" below the jig. And wouldn't you know, I had about a 15" white in the boat. It flopped out before I could pick it up or measure it. that was the last fish caught and we headed for the house.

Mississippi River - 8/2/2009

2009-08-02T16:16:00.007-05:00

Matthew and I headed out on Sunday morning about 7:30. It was a beautiful morning. Crisp air and so much fog coming off the water that you could only see about 50 yards or so. The plan was to fish a few new spots Matt picked out by looking at Google Earth. With all the fog and limited visibility we decided to try the back side of a dike that he had marked. It was close to home so we wouldn't have to fight the fog too long. We came up on ths spot and it looked great. Some nice slow backwater and a great current break around the tip of the dike. We started at the current break throwing spinners, but nothing. So we worked the dike slowly back to the shorline and then down the shorline around some laydowns. We pulled one short off the dike and nothing off the laydowns. We fished the area for a little over an hour and around 9:00 decided to run North up towards Winfield. As the dam was coming into view and we were nearing our second fishing spot something was happening with the motor. As I slowed down it started violently vibrating. We killed the engine and raised the motor to have a look. Matt says "Well that's the problem. You're missing the tip of a blade on the prop. How in the hell does this happen. We were running along, 20+ feet of water, no 'thump' no 'shutter' nothing. Just a little vibration, and then a lot of vibration. So we decided we could take our time and limp home on the trolling motor, and fish at the same time. As we are making our way out of the main channel to the Missouri shorline, the trolling motor decided to stop working. Yeah, we are now having one of those days that happens to every boat owner, it's just a matter of time. We ended up tying up to a dock in Winfield and called Bryan to up and pick one of us up. He took me back to Riverside to put the Wellcraft in and go get the fishing boat. Of course I didn't have the key for the hitch so we had to run back to my house to get the key to unlock the Skeeter trailer so we could hook up the Wellcraft and put it in. We finally did and 2 hours later we had both boats back on the trailer and were headed to the house. We were home by 2:30. Wow, what a day. Now the question is, how much will be under warranty. I'm hoping they realize there was something wrong with the prop for this to happen.

Illinois & Mississippi River

2009-07-26T13:11:00.005-05:00

Made a run by myself today. It was a beautiful morning. Put in around 7:30 AM and ran up the Illinois. WOT all the way up to Hardin will burn 1/4 tank of fuel. On the way back I fished every lake inlet, creek, creavis that entered the river. That produced 2 fish, both shorts. I threw white spinnerbaits, plastic craws and crank baits. Then I came back and fished Pole Star and the rock between Pole Star and Duck Club. Ran into a couple buddies at Duck Club. They were having the same luck I was having. Oh well. More boat ride today than fishing. Ended up burning up 18 gallons of fuel (1/2 tank). Maybe we'll do better next week.

Slow Night

2009-07-23T11:43:00.002-05:00

Cameron and i went out on the river Tuesday night to do a little fishing. We decided not to hit the marinas and fish some rip rap. The fishing was slow and the only fish of the day was a 6lbs Drum

Mississippi River - Pool 26

2009-07-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

Mr. Maher and I hit the river around 6:30 and decided to try som sloughs. We tried the first one on the Missouri side as you head down river from Riverside. It was a bust. Current was moving way to fast through there. The next one we tried was where Eagle's Landing (aka Heartland) is. This one was more promising. Current was slower, but we just didn't have the confidence fishing these conditinos. Next was back to our favorite marina. We started by pitching to the docks as we worked our way to the back. This produced one 12" fish. Then as we got around the back side, Matt lost another 12" fish (gotta set the hook). As we made it around to my favorite hole, Matt put another 12" fish in the boat. My hole produced for me once again, this time giving up a 16-1/2" fighter. We had one more hit where it didn't take the hook, just the plastic and hung me up, bastard. It was a pretty good night. 3 fish in the boat and the potential for another 2 or 3 all in an hours time. - cld

Mississippi River - Pool 26 (Polestar)

2009-07-05T12:17:00.003-05:00

Got out for a couple hours this morning. It was cool and a bit windy. Water was muddy, but not up too high. Went back into Polestar to try my luck. Started with a jig and didn't get anything. Worked the dock down the east side and all the pilings in the back. Switched to a craw to work the rocks and got one 12" fish out of a little hole where I had gotten bitten on before. I guess that's better than I usually do. Continued to work the craw around the rock and flipped it around the docks. Nothing more was hitting. Hopefully I'll get out again on Tuesday and then this weekend the family and I will be down at Table Rock. Going to try my luck at some Kentucky bass and smallmouth.

Mississippi River - Pool 26 (Winfield Slough)

2009-06-22T12:45:00.005-05:00

Got back out on the Mississippi River on Sunday morning. Put the boat in at Riverside around 6:00AM and ran north to Windfield. Fished the slough next to the Windfield dam. There were a few bank fishermen that said they weren't doing any good. I mainly fished the rip-rap that forms the bridge base and then I fished under the bridge. Had a couple hard thumps, but couldn't get anything to take the bait. Fished a chat spinner and a white spinner, a green and chart crank and a black/chart craw. The plastic is what got the thumps. I was suprised to find 12+ feet of water under the bridge. The rest of the area is fairly shallow (under 9 feet) but the bridge is deeper. After a while I ran back down to Pole Star (seems to be the go-to spot) and worked my way in there with a spinner. Talked to another guy fishing who had not caught any bass. He was using a jig and a spinner. Started to continue back but saw two other boats fishing in there so I called it quits and headed for home. Another skunked day on the river.

Mississippi River - Pool 26 (Dardene Creek & Pole Star

2009-06-09T22:16:00.007-05:00

The discussion of tonight's fishing trip started early in the day. We had to watch the radar close as there were some pretty severe storms headed towards St. Louis. At 5:00 we decided the worse portion of the storms would be south of us so we were going to try to get our fishing trip in. It was raining when we got to the harbor, but isn't that why we spend all that money on good rain gear? We put the Skeeter in at Riverside and decided to just start working the shorline right there and work our way up into Dardene Creek. There was a lot of good rip-rap to work, but spinner baits produced no bites. There were a lot of bait fish jumping, but no bass. So we decided to make a run to one of my favorite harbors, Pole Star. By now the rain had quit and the water was just glass. A 65 MPH run down to Pole Star took very little time and we were fishing again. We have heard rumors that crappie can be caught around the docks here so the plan was to work the rip-rap for bass and then as we had to move around the docks, get the crappie rigs out and work the docks, the work the rip-rap for bass again. We worked our way in, throwing spinners off the front and the back of the boat. Up on the shoreline and out just a bit. Then we setup the 10' crappie rods with jigs and Power Baits. Worked these around the edges of the dock. As we came around the backside of the first dock I got a hit. I was a bit excited, I thought I had an awesome crappie on. Instead, I had to play out a nice 15", 1lb 8oz bass. This is on a 10' crappie pole with a itty-bitty crappie real and 4lb line. It really wasn't that bad, but it was a nice fish. We contiuned with our plan, alternating between the two poles as we made our way to the back of Pole Star. Right at the sunset I was working a plastic bait up on the shore in this little hole and my line moved from one side of the boat to the other. I reeled down and felt tention so I set the hook. Pulled it out of it's mouth. Quick fix the hook and I threw it back up in there. Nothing. Again back up in there, apologizing to Matt for holding this spot, nothing. Once again, up in the same spot, working very slow. Tap, Tap, Tap... I hold on. The bait starts to move again, I reel down, feel tention on the line and set the hook. Bait comes out of the water, no fish. At this point it's getting dark. I threw in there 3 more times and didn't get another hit. Matt and I decided to call it a day and run for the house. What started as a wet nasty evening turned into a great night on the river. Got a busy weekend coming up so it'll probably be next Tuesday before we get out on the Skeeter again. - cld

Mississippi River - Alton Pool (Hideaway & Pole Star)

2009-06-07T12:56:00.004-05:00

All three of us (Adam, Matt & I) went out on the river this morning. We put in around 8:30 and ran south to Hideaway Harbor. We figured we cheat a little bit since they had a bass tournament go out of there yesterday. Water temp was running around 72° in about a foot and a half of water. Yeah, it was shallow. We fished the whole area clockwise starting at the mount and ending at the ramp. The quote of the day was from a guy on the ramp. Conversation went like this. "Doing any good?" "No, but it's better than sitting at home" "Yeah, I'm married too". It was pretty funny. About that time Adam threw a spinner up along the rip rap along the ramp and we had our first river bass. It was right at 13 inches. That was it for that area so we ran back up river to Pole Star Marina. I keep hearing that people were pulling fish out of this harbor and today, we would too. Matt had the luck in Pole Star. We fished clockwise again. As we came out of the pack area, Matt (from the back of the boat) threw a spinner into this little pocket on the bank about 10 times, and on the 11th cast, wham-o! Fish ON! It was a little nicer fish. Just over 14 inches. He had one more that didn't measure before we ran for home. Good morning on the river. Congrats to Matt & Adam for showing me up. - cld

NICE FISH!

2009-06-01T10:00:00.005-05:00

Adam and I did some fishing Saturday morning. We tried out cart first. The normal minnows were not producing much a couple of catfish and a cart bass.We decided to try our luck up at New Town. The fish in new town were loving the minnows we caught a bunch of bass and a few nice catfish. I caught a nice one on a swim bait also.This is the one I caught on the swim bait. The other photos are all minnows.

Mark Twain Lake (modified)

2009-05-27T20:37:00.004-05:00

It finally happened. We went up to Mark Twain Lake this weekend to do a little crappie fishing and take my nephew fishing for the first time and we actually got into them. They were post-spawn, but they were just coming off the banks and setting up on the trees. It was a whole lot of fun. I went up Saturday morning and got on the lake around 7:00. The first stop was our honey hole up in Little Indian Creek. This area produced one crappie off a tree and a lot of sunfish. I actually left up there due to the amount of sunfish. Next I shot over to Dry Fork. This is where I started working the trees. I was finding them about 18 inches down, right on the trees. The water was fairly murky and about 75º with clear skies and a high around 85º with a steady to falling barometer. You had to lay your jig in there just right to get them to hit. The were lying in the shadow of the tree so you had to work not only the tree, but the shadows too. I had 6 in the boat (all over 9”, mostly 10”+) by noon when Dave and Ryan got there. Most of them were caught before 10:00, after that, the bite stopped. We took Ryan back up to Little Indian Creek and let him catch some bluegill since we knew they were stacked in there. He had fun and we only caught one more crappie before we pulled out around 3:30/4:00.

Sunday was a whole lot better. First thing that morning we made a run to Pigeon Roost. We hit a cove in there and tried to fish the bank. We had heard rumors they were still spawning, but this was just a rumor as after an hour or so, we had not caught a fish. We then switched back to working the trees in the same cove. Sure enough, we started catching fish. Conditions were identical to the day before except the crappier were spread out in the water column. We found them anywhere from 6 feet down to 18 inches down. Again, the 10-foot pole worked perfectly for this. Ryan was working a jig under a bobber and cast just beyond the base of a tree. He worked it up to the tree and let it stand. It took about 10 seconds and he was reeling as fast as he could. He put a 12-inch crappie in the boat, laid his pole down and said he had the biggest fish of the day and he was done. It was pretty funny and it was a really good fish. By the noon that day we had 9 fish in the boat and took Dave and Ryan in to head for home. They took the fish home to share with their family and Les got in the boat with me as we headed back to Dry Fork to catch 11 more which would give me a limit and enough to take home and feed us and our wives. Again, they were stacked on the trees about 4 feet down. The water temp was near 80º and murky. We didn’t use minnows all weekend. We were using a chartreuse jigs and Gulp! Crappie Niblets. I don’t know if I’ll ever buy another minnow again, unless I’m in Canada. It was a great tip that I have to thank the people at South Fork for. I got some more tips at the cleaning station on Sunday evening, but I’ll have to try them out for myself before I pass them along. We went out in the pouring rain on Monday, but didn't catch any keepers and after an hour of fishing in a downpour we threw in the towel and headed for home. It was a great trip and I’m looking forward to more trips up there this summer.

Mississippi River - Pool 26 (Harbors)

2009-05-16T12:49:00.001-05:00

Saturday morning looked as though it was just going to pour, but the forecast was for no rain and the radar was empty. Savannah, Alan and I headed out on the Mississippi again for another try at those pesky river largemouths. The water was right at action stage and was on the rise from all the rain we got on Friday. We decided to stick to the marinas. As it turns out, there was also a bass tournament on the river today, so that hurt our chances a bit more. We started at Polestar Marina. They have a lot of rip rap on their shoreline. We were both throwing plastics today. I started with a jig and creature, but quickly switched over to a Texas rig. We worked almost all the way back but there were two other boats back there fishing the tournament so we didn't want to bother them and decided to try another spot. We ran down to Woodland and worked the back of their marina. They have a couple of culvert pipes that supposedly hold bass, but they didn't show us that. Alan did get a bite on a plastic worm, but couldn't get it to hook up. I eventually started throwing a spinner and got a bite, but again, couldn't get it to hook up. Talking to some of the other boats out there, they were catching fish. One of these days I'll get to catch a bucket mouth on the Mississippi. But it won't be today. - cld
Oh, forgot the conditions. It was overcast skies with a rising barometer. The water and air were both around 65° with the river on the rise.

Mississippi River – Pool 26 (Peruque Creek)

2009-05-13T08:15:00.000-05:00

Jeffery and I headed out Tuesday evening to see if we could finally catch a fish on the Mississippi River. Up to this point I had not had much luck heading south (east) out of Riverside Harbor, so we headed north to Peruque Creek. I had been up there one other time and it looks like a place that should hold fish. A front was moving through on Tuesday evening. The weather forecast was for rain late Tuesday evening, but not until after dark, so we were going to miss any heavy stuff. However, the wind was picking up, coming out of the SSE which made the main river just a little choppy. It was quite a boat ride (I don’t know how to go slow). When we got to Peruque the water temp was 66° with a falling barometer. The water was high and falling. At 7:00 Winfield Dam TW was 25.12 and Grafton was at 20.57. We started with spinner baits. I was using a heavier white and red while Jeff stuck to the chartreuse. We thought we were getting small bites, but couldn’t figure out what it was. We switched to small in-line spinner baits (Rooster Tails) and again got small hits. We were watching the Japanese Carp rolling all around us and then we realized that we are probably just snagging up on them. Needless to say, we worked up and down the creek and threw everything at them including spinner baits, in-line spinners, jigs, you name it. We even stopped and bobber fished to see if there were any crappie or bluegill in there. No luck. So at this point the Mississippi River has yet to produce a fish in the Skeeter. We will continue to try. I’ve gotta learn to fish the River. It’s just too close to home to pass up. - cld

Mark Twain, Salt River & J Lake

2009-05-04T08:12:00.006-05:00

This past weekend we got together for the annual bowling team fishing trip up at Mark Twain. Some took off on Friday, while the rest of us got up there after work. On Friday, the forecast was for rain and cooler temperatures all weekend. Luckily the rain didn't make it to us, but the cooler temperatures did. Jeff and I hit the lake at 7:00 Friday evening where we were greeted with high, muddy water and lots of trash floating in the Lake. The other guys had been up in Little Indian Creek all day and only had 3 fish, so we figured we would try somewhere else. We got the boat in the water and ran to Dry Fork. Dry Fork was really, really muddy and only 55#&176;. Not knowing where they were yet, we dabbled the edges of the shorline about 3-feet out with a jig and minnow combo, but caught nothing. We ran out of there about 8:30 and pulled out. The following day we ran north to Little Indian Creek and started with the same pattern we were using in Dry Fork. We dabbled the shorline edges about 3' out with a jig head and minnow (no skirt) and again, nothing so we moved to working the trees. This produced a few fish, but they were scattered and hard to find. The combo seemed to be 18-feet of water at about 3 to 6-foot down right against the tree. The water temperature was about 64#&176; in Little Indian Creek, while the air temperature started in the 50s and got up to the upper 60s. We worked several coves in Little Indian and then ended up working bobbers along the shorline, 12 to 18-inches below the surface at 1 to 3-feet off the edge. Between the two boats, this produced 6 or 7 fish, but only 2 keepers. For the first full day of fishing we ended up with 11 fish between 3 boats. Not a stellar day. Which is why we decided to try below the dam on Sunday. Being in fiberglass boats, we didn't pull up on the rocks right below the dam, so we tied up to some trees down below the rocks and worked the small eddies along the bank. We caught several fish, but only 3 that were close to keepers, and they weren't even that big. Water temp was only 55#&176;, with the air temp reaching the lower 70s for the day. After fighting the current for half the day, we decided to give J Lake a try. By 2:00 we were on J Lake. The water temp in J was 65#&176;, high and muddy. Similar to the rest of the waters we fished over the weekend. The lake edges are really shallow. We targeted bass, while some of the other targeted crappie. No one produced anything. We threw worms, spinners, jigs, buzz baits, you name it, we threw it. Oh well, maybe when the water coditions are a little better.

Mississippi River - Alton Pool (Pool 26)

2009-04-28T22:26:00.003-05:00

Matt and I headed out on the Mississippi River again this evening. Overcast skies with a slight mist. The river was on the rise (it rained all day yesterday) and the barometer was also on the rise. We decided to check out the lower part of the river near Portage. We put in at Hideaway Harbor and ran south to the power plant. They weren't pushing water, so we didn't stay long. Next was a back slough I had marked. Turned out to be all dried up so we continued south to Harbor Point Marina. The bait fish were going crazy in there. We threw everything at them. Working the docks and the rocks. The depth throughout the harbor was about 5 feet. Water temperature was 62. We caught nothing. I really don't believe there are bass in the river, but people keep telling me there are. Matt did get hit with a Japanese Carp. Damn thing got us as we were leaving and slimed the bottom of my boat. I think the whole south end of the river is crap unless the water is high. Water levels at Grafton were at 17.42 and Winfield was at 23.56 at 8:00 when we pulled out. Hopefully this weekend goes better than our river trips have gone. We'll probably miss next Tuesday and pick it up again on May 12th. - cld

Mark Twain Lake - Little Indian, Lick & Dry Fork

2009-04-24T21:24:00.007-05:00

Les and I had the opportunity to take the day off today and get up to Mark Twain Lake for a little crappie fishing. The weater forecast was right on target. High of 84 (it reached 87) with winds out of the SSW at 20-30 with partial overcast. Minus the wind, a beautiful spring day. Well, we weren't the only ones with this idea. The lake was packed. We left St. Charles at 6:45 and pulled off the trailer just after 9:00. We decided to start on the north side of the lake and made a quick run up to Little Indian Creek. We went about half way back and worked the edge of the tree line off the edge of the bank. As we worked our way back out I caught our first fish of the day. A 12" crappie. OK, we figured this was not going to be a bad day. The water temp up there was 52°, so it was a bit on the cooler side. No spawning yet. That was the last bite we had up there so after about 2 hours we decided to run back down south and check out Lick Creek. I guess I'm use to the lake being high because it seemed really low, but it was right at normal pool (609.6). We hit a couple coves back in Lick Creek, and found nothing except shelter from the wind. The water temp was much warmer. 57° in the main creek. Next we ran up into Dry Fork, with the rest of the people on the lake. One thing that everyone had in common, no one was catching fish. Most people had one or two, but that was it. After working back up into Dry Fork, I caught one small male and on the way out Les landed a good sized crappie, we were done for the day. 3 fish in the livewell is not a spectacular day. However, the water temp in Dry Fork was 61°, so with a little luck, we will be on target next weekend. Otherwise it will be a VERY long weekend. I have to make mention that we talked to some really nice folks on the water today. There are always those that would rather spit on you than say hello, but for the most part everyone was talkative and sharing information. A lot of people from Illinois and a few fellow Skeeter Owner's from Hannibal, Mo. Here is the Google Earth file from the trip. Hopefully we will get back on the river Tuesday evening before making the run back up to Mark Twain Friday night (Sat., Sun. & Mon.). - cld

A Better Day for Morels

2009-04-22T13:03:00.000-05:00

Although we didn't find many, at least we got a start. A few yellows were east/northeast facing slope. They were new. Probably laszt night or this morning. I really want to try one of the islands on the river, but if I'm on the river, I might as well be fishing.

Mississippi River - Alton Pool (Pool 26)

2009-04-16T21:10:00.002-05:00

Adam and I made a quick run on the river tonight. We got on the river around 6:00 or so and ran south to Aiport Lake. We rolled in there and it looked promising. Water temp was between 57° and 58° and really shallow. Majority of the time we were in 2 foot of water. The river is falling with Grafton at 18.36 and Windfield TW at 23.64. Basically, at Riverside it was just inside the bank across from the ramps. So if the water is down, you can't really get in there. But man it looked promising. We threw white and red spinners and then a black with a big carolina blade. Adam threw a black and blue jig and then a small Zera Spook. Nothing. I cannot wait until the first bass I (or anyone with me) catches on the river. Right now I don't think they are in there. At the same time, if we can learn to fish the river, we can fish anywhere. The boat ran great. We found out that when you slow down from 60 to go over a boat wave, you should probably slow way down, not just down to 50. Let me just say that both Adam and I were shaking a bit after we got the boat running flat again. But all-in-all everything keeps right on clicking with the boat. We've got a lot more places to fish. I haven't ruled out Airport Lake. We only fished the upper portion. We did not fish down around the docks where its about 3 to 4 foot of water. Bitch is, how in the hell do those boats get in there when the water is at normal level. We're fishing again Saturday morning, but we're taking Savannah so I doubt we run that far. Keep fishin' keep learnin' that's all we can do.

Morels... Finally

2009-04-15T10:41:00.000-05:00

My buddy Jeff finally found our first morels of the season yesterday. Hopefully by Friday we'll have a couple pounds.

Pre Spawn Bass Fishing - Route J Lake

2009-04-07T21:41:00.003-05:00

Henry and I got out EARLY on Friday morning, the water was very stained from the rain and snow but we finally figured out what they were hitting on. We threw everything from crankbaits to worms, the only bites we got were on black and blue jigs. When I was pulling in my first fish Henry was already tying on a black and blue jig before I got the fish to the boat. All together we landed 4 fish all day weighing in at a 14lb bag, not bad for two guys. As we were moving through the grass that was about to start growing big, we moved a ton of fish... each of these fish were 5lb+, no lie. Can't wait to get back there in a few weeks when the water is clear and pitch pig and jigs at these monsters.

Mississippi River - Alton Pool (Pool 26)

2009-04-05T14:17:00.003-05:00

First time out by myself. Got on the water around 9:00. Air temp was 60F with overcast skies. Sun poked threw every now and then. Electronics showed a rising barometer most of the morning and then switched to steady. Ran up to Cuivere Slough and headed up in a creek. It was 8' deep at the mouth but got deeper as I went back. 11' was about as deep as it got. Started throwing a blue jig w/a blue craw trailer at flooded timber, then switched to a shad rap along the edges of the creek channel. Water was out of the banks so I tried to keep it along the edge of the flooded timber. Had something bump it, but nothing other than that. Then I switched to a white spinner w/a bleeding hook, but nothing on that either. Then I made a run to Woodland Marina. On my way there I hit 67 @ 5300 going down river in a little chop. I was pretty stoked about it. I think I can get more out of her, but so far so good. Threw a shad rap and a jerk bait up in Woodland. Nothing. Water temp in the creek was 54F at Woodland it was a bit off of that at 52F. Water is still up, but falling.

Mississippi River - Alton Pool (Pool 26)

2009-04-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Matthew, Savannah and I went out on the Mississippi around 4:00 Saturday afternoon. We fished St. Louis Yacht Club Marina. Water temp was right around 50F but fluctuated up to 53F and down to 48F by the end of the day. We fished for about an hour. Both of us started with Jerk Baits and then Matt switched to a jig and craw and I switched to a Shad Rap (7'-11' suspending). We got 2 hits in the hour we fished. Both were out in the middle between the docks. They just tapped the bait. I'm thinking they weren't bass. It was a good trip & Savannah loved it. Air temp was about 65-68 with blue skies and a bit of wind. Water was up and over the bank at Riverside.

Lake of the Ozarks

2009-03-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

This was the Tarlton Spring Bass Tournament. Shotgun start at 7:00 AM. Steve and I got to the ramp (Larry Gale CA) at 6:50 and had a 5 minute run to check-in. When we pulled up to the prep area there was a crappie tournament putting in. Luckily Dustin Norton was fishing a different tournament and was able to drive my truck in line while Steve and I prepped the boat. We made ran 5 miles in under 5 minutes and got there in time to hear the horn. A quick live well check at the dock and we were off. Air temp was around 35F it was windy and spitting rain. Water was still around 49F. Wind was out of the NNE at 10 with gusts up to 25. It was NASTY weather. We hit the first cove and caught a 15" bass on the same jerk bait we had been using. It was only 7:30 and we had a keeper in the boat. However, by 9:00 we were on our 3rd cove and had only caught shorts. Every place we pulled up to we caught fish, just nothing 15" or better. Then the rain, thunder, lightening and ice started. It poured and we waited it out under a dock. About 11:00 we were fishing again. Steve put a 2.6 pounder in the boat and that was our last keeper. We also caught one crappie on a jerk bait, but didn't keep him (11" crappie). Check in was at 4:00 and 15 pounds won the tournament. The boat ran great and toped out at 61.3 @ 5200 with both of us, all our gear, full tanks and soaking wet.

Lake of the Ozarks - Niangua Arm

2009-03-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

Steve Moore and I fished this Friday afternoon as a pre-fish for the tournament we had on Saturday. We put in at Larry R. Gale Access, part of the Missouri Conservation Department. We ran up around the highway 5 bridge and started fishing a cove on the north side of the lake. We fished 4 coves over about 3 hours. It was partly sunny and the air temp was 45F. Water was right at 50F. A low front was getting ready to move threw overnight, so conditions were going to change. We were using crank baits in about 4' - 8' of water. Caught 4 fish between the two of us. Jerk bait (light green on top and white/silver on bottom) for 3 of them and a sexy shad for one. Only one keeper (Steve's fish). They were on small rock bottoms (pea gravel).

Mississippi River, Alton Pool (Pool 26)

2009-03-26T12:00:00.003-05:00

First day with the boat. This was more of a test drive than a fishing trip. Adam and I took the boat through it's break-in period (or at least a couple hours of it). The air temperature was around 50F with water temp around 47F. We hit the water around 9:00 and just ran the boat until about 11:00. Then we headed for Lake Center Marina to see how she fished. We threw spinners and cranks, but didn't even get a bite. We finished up around 1:00 PM

The Arrival

2009-03-24T22:29:00.012-05:00

Here it is. I got the call this afternoon and went and picked up my new 2009 Skeeter ZX190 with a 2009 Yamaha 175 VMax HPDI. The dealer tells me it should hit 70 MPH, but we'll see.

My New Tackle Box

2009-02-26T21:04:00.005-06:00

Well, we made a sweet little purchase today. My wife allowed me to order a brand new tackle box. That is, a very expensive tackle box with a Yamaha 175 on the back of it. That's right, we got a bass boat. It's a Skeeter ZX 190. For the most part it's black and white with a 175 Yamaha, a Humminbird 997cSI fish finder in the dash and then my 787c2i will be mounted on the bow so I can still use it in it's portable function. We ordered it today and will take possession around March 19th. Here is the list of all the goodies.

Cockpit Features
Cockpit Command Center w/ Tachometer, Speedometer, Fuel Gauge, Water Pressure Gauge, and 12V Acc.
Volt Meter and Trim Gauge
Passenger Custom Console (Installed)
Bolstered Full-Flex Driver & Passenger Seating
30-Quart Ice Chest between Driver & Passenger Seats
Fold Down Center Seat
Driver and Passenger Glove Boxes
Drink Holders
Bow Panel w/ Troll Receptacle and Trim, Courtesy, & Anchor Light Switches
Passenger Grab Handle
Modular Consoles
Interior & Exterior Decals
Fish Chair with 13" Fixed Extension and Bike Seat w/Power Pro Pole

Electronic Features
Humminbird® 787c w/GPS Antenna & Transducer (Bow)
Humminbird® 997cSI w/GPS Antenna (Dash-Ram Mount)
Minn Kota® 10 Amp x 3-Bank Battery Charger
6-Gauge Troll Motor Wiring System with 3 Battery Trays

Construction & Safety
Composite Construction
Torque Transfer Transom and Stringer System
Insulated Aluminum Doors
Stretched Sponsons
No Splashwell Design
Aluminum Frame Deck Inserts (Front & Rear)
Gas Assisted Lifts on Storage, Rod Box, Bilge Access Doors
Livewell System w/ Independent Fill, Recirculating, and Drain Modes, with Timer and Pump-out
Interior Lighting
Integrated Rod Storage System
Retractable Rod Staze (3)
Skeeter Measuring Board w/ Storage
Bow and Stern Lights w/Holders
Flush-Mounted Latch/Locking System
Stainless Steel Pull-Up Cleats (4)
Tinted Windscreen
Bow Traction Mat
Jackplate Mount Boarding Ladder

Power & Performance Features
Minn Kota® 70Edge F, 42" shaft Troll Motor w/ Mount
12" Manual Jackplate w/ 2 Stern Eyes
1500 GPH Bilge Pump and Auto. Bilge Switch
Tilt Hydraulic Steering
Interior Decal Package
Foot Throttle & Pro Trim
Livewell Lights

Trailer Features
Single Axle Tube Trailer
Disc Brakes; One Axle
Spare Tire with Carrier
Ratchet Tie Downs
Back-up Lights
Skeeter Cutouts
Torsion Axles
Chrome Wheels
Custom Boat Cover

Fantasy Fishing

2009-01-06T22:00:00.001-06:00

Rifle Season

2008-12-15T09:44:00.002-06:00

I was finally able to get a few pictures of my deer. I took this 8 pointer at 7:05am on 10/21/08. It was about a 15 yard shot, and the deer ran about 20 yards before plowing into a few small trees.

Meat On The Table

2008-11-17T08:01:00.007-06:00

It was a successful hunt. Les invited me (or I invited myself) to hunt with him this year on opening weekend. The place is just northwest of Truxton. Jeff and Les had their stands picked out so they gave me the remaining stand. This worked out in my favor. My stand was setup for a bow. It had the start of a power cut in front of me which turned into thick brush about 50 yards past my stand and there were woods on the other side of the power cut. To the left was a small grassy strip between the edge of the woods and some thick cedar trees. Behind me and to the right was thick woods that you could hardly see through, more less shoot through.
About 7:30 Saturday morning I had a deer come out of the woods across from me and step into the brush in the power lines. I knew it was a buck, but didn't know how big. I could have probably shot it, but didn't want to get into a situation where he was only a 6 pointer. (New conservation laws state that a buck has to have at least 4 points on one side to be legal to shoot). So I had my scope on him and started counting. There were only 3 on the right side that I could count. Then it turned back and I counted 4 on the left side, which means he was a shooter. When he turned back to move into the woods I saw two, nearly 3 inch long brow tines. This made this a 9 point deer. At this point I only saw the body of the deer when it moved into the brush. As it moved into the woods it kept stepping slightly away from me and I never got a clear shot. I did notice it was limping on it's left front leg a bit. Then, just like that, it was gone.
After going back to the truck to get a bit of coffee and a bite to eat, I went back to the stand. It was probably around 11:00 when I thought I heard a squirrel almost under my stand behind me. I turned my head to see a really small button buck. He walked right under my stand, smelled the air, looked at me but must not have seen me and then walked along my right side headed toward the power cut. He stood in the brush a bit and then moved away down the north side of the power cut.
After letting that one pass, I kept thinking to myself that it may have been a mistake to do that. Les and Gary had only gotten one deer off this property since they started hunting here 6 years ago. Now it's starting to get dark and there is only about an hour left in the hunt. I'm hoping that I stick it out longer than the neighboring hunters and they may kick something my way. The wait worked out. I spotted this doe walking up on me from behind me and to my left. She was in the grassy area between the cedars and the woods. About 75 yards behind me she started into the woods. That gave me the opportunity to flip my seat up and turn around in my stand. I had my sights on her, but there were so many trees that I didn't have a shot. I had one opportunity to shoot between the trees and above and below two branches if she kept walking in the same direction. She wasn't in a hurry. She finally reached my shooting lane, but was angled away from me. After letting 2 deer get passed me, I wasn't going to take a chance to let this on e get passed. She took one more step and I shot. It was dark enough that I remember seeing the muzzle flash in my scope. She ran 75 yards in a circle fell down and did the death thrash. It was dark by the time we got her field dressed. But it all worked out. We hung her at Linda's cousin's house over night and got her cut up on Sunday.
Sunday mooring I saw one more 5 point buck. He was coming from my left just on the other side of the power cut. He was carrying his left front leg next to his chest. It looked like someone had shot him in his leg but he seemed to be OK. My guess is that he will make it.
Sunday night Linda let me debone my deer at the kitchen counter. After I set the back straps and tenderloins aside, I ended up with 30 pounds of meat to be processed and I didn't have to cut on the front quarter that was mutilated by the gun shot. I'll be taking the meat in this week for processing.

Saw a 9 point

2008-11-15T10:10:00.000-06:00

Saw a 9 pointer move through here at 7:30 but he stayed just beyond the brush and I never got the shot.

Opening Morning

2008-11-15T06:57:00.000-06:00

Sitting in my deer stand waiting on a deer.

More Flooding

2008-09-14T13:07:00.001-05:00

Got the call to go get the boat this morning due to more flooding. I was also warned that Huster was already under. When I got near Huster on Hwighway B water was over the road. B was covered from there as far as I could see. Huster looked like a river coming down the pavement. I'm going to guess it to be 18+ inches deep between Huster and Riverside.

Lake 33

2008-09-05T10:14:00.002-05:00

Adam and I went fishing last Monday. We went out to busch wildlife early in the morning to fish lake 33. The place was packed because it was opening day of dove season too. We rented a boat so we could try out the trolling motor i got. IT WORKS GREAT!! Fishing was slow i caught one crappie and Adam caught one nice bass.

Opening Day of Dove Season

2008-09-01T19:59:00.003-05:00

As most hunters know today was opening day of dove season. As we usually do, Les and I headed up to Blackwalnut to the Wehmeyer's place to see if we could take down our dozen birds. We didn't expect to see any, just becuase we had not been seeing any flying in the days leading up to today. We suspect it is due to the cold snap we got for the few weeks prior to today. I picked Les up about 5:30 and we were at our spot before 6:00. We finished our coffee and watched the sun start to give the back side of our hunting area an early morning glow. That was our signal to load the guns and take our positions, dove season was open. We sat for a while with some gun shots off in the distance. Distant shots are good, because it wasn't long after that and we had our first round of birds coming through. Most of the morning they would come in waves. A few at a time, mostly towards Les. They would circle in the field next to him where the neighbors had a decoy line set up and when they missed, Les would BLAST them. Brad showed up about an hour after we got there. We each had about 4 birds, and it didn't take long and Brad had 3 on the ground. Brad and I hunted 75 yards from each other facing opposite directions and calling out birds for each other while Les sat over behind the barns in his perfect spot, blasting one bird after another. By the end of the day Les had 10 with one lost, I had 9 with one lost and Brad had 4, two lost and one on top of the barn. For not expecting to even see any birds, we had a really good morning. By 11:00 we were home with the birds soaking in brine just waiting to be wrapped in a half a slice of bacon with a jalapeno pepper slice and a slice of pepper jack cheese sandwiched between the two pieces of breast meat, grilled with a dab of barbeque sauce. Now that is some good eatin'!

River Fishing

2008-08-16T12:53:00.000-05:00

Matt, Uncle Steve and I spent Saturday morning fishing the river for catfish. We did pretty good. 7 landed so far 4 on a stringer so far with about a half hour left. The bait to use has been stink bait. Matt did get some hits on shad, but nothing in the boat.

BULL SHOALS

2008-07-29T14:11:00.001-05:00

Here is a nice 3 lbs. that i caught on vacation. I caught it trolling with a firecracker grub.

FISH ON!

2008-06-24T09:17:00.003-05:00

Went down to new town last night and caught a bunch. Seems like the Bass are just getting ready to spawn. Crazy how late it is, but the Bass belly's looked to be full of eggs. Check out the pics.

Clarification on the Number of Rods

2008-05-27T21:05:00.002-05:00

So I was always under the impression that we could only use 3 rods a piece to fish on the Mississippi... I was wrong. We can use as many as we would like as long as we have less than 50 hooks and we label rod number 3 and over with our name and address. This is an excerpt from Chapter 6 of the Missouri Wildlife Code: Sport Fishing: Seasons, Methods, Limits, part 3 CSR 10-6.410 Fishing Methods
"(2) Number of Poles and Hooks.
(A) Not more than three (3) unlabeled poles and not more than thirty-three (33) hooks in the aggregate, for any or all methods, may be used by any person at one time.
(B) On the Mississippi River, not more than two (2) unlabeled poles and not more than fifty (50) hooks in the aggregate may be used by any person at one time. While fishing concurrently on the Mississippi River and other Missouri waters, not more than fifty (50) hooks in the aggregate may be used and not more than thirty-three (33) of those hooks may be used in waters other than the Mississippi River."
Just thought I'd throw that out there. I didn't realize this.

Tuesday at Twain

2008-05-13T16:39:00.001-05:00

My boss, Joe, and I played hooky from work today and ran up to Mark Twain. Since neither of us have a fishing boat we rented from Indian Creek. The morning was pretty bad. Tornadoes rolled through which forced us back into the harbor. The afternoon wasn't much better but I did manage to catch a nice 12" crappie. With the water up this high and the changing weather they don't know if they want to spawn or not. Guess we'll just have to keep going back!

Fish ON!

2008-05-05T20:06:00.005-05:00

Bryan and I (Adam) did some fishing at the regular super secret lakes around town on Sunday afternoon. As you can see from the second picture the females are just about ready to bed. Biggest of the day was 23 inches (Bryan's) and my biggest (above) was 21. Caught around 30-40 in the 11-20 inch range also. We also caught about 15 crappie, a few keepers. Only got one picture of them below.

Air temp : 75

Sunny, no clouds.

Water Color : Gin Clear

Water Temp : Getting There. :)

Cameron's First Fish of the Year

2008-04-20T09:36:00.001-05:00

I'm out at Cart and just caught my first fish of the year. About a 12" bass, nothing special.

1st Crappie of the year

2008-04-14T11:16:00.006-05:00

Ok i didn't have much time and i got a pass to do a little fishing on Sunday. I went to New Town and didn't catch anything. I cooked it over to Cart and caught 3 fish. Two were little bass and one was a nice crappie it was a KEEPER!! The

High Waters

2008-04-14T09:51:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note. Didn't get to go walleye fishing on Sunday. Due to high waters all boat ramps were closed. Going to try to get out this coming Sunday.

Walleye Fishing on the Mississippi

2008-04-11T20:11:00.003-05:00

Sunday I plan to go walleye fishing on the Mississippi. I was told to go north of Windfield dam, but between talking to people at work, and reading things on the internet I may want to be south of the dam. Here are a couple things I've found.
Missouri Game & Fish
Fishing near St. Louis for walleyes and saugers is best below the Clarksville and Winfield dams starting in the fall, when water temperatures fall below 60 degrees, said MDC fisheries management biologist Danny Brown, of St. Charles.
Some fish are caught below the Mel Price Dam in Alton, but not as many as under the more upstream dams. The river needs to be in a normal to low flow pattern for good fishing. Once it gets high and muddy, the fishing can get tough. I typically tell anglers that fishing is best when the stage at Winfield Dam is around 17 (feet) or less.
According to Brown, most anglers bounce 3/4- to one-ounce jigs tipped with minnows off the bottom near current breaks in the turbulent water below the dams. A trolling motor comes in handy to keep the line vertical in the water column for those wanting to jig. Some anglers use crankbaits along the shallower water between wing dikes and land some nice fish.
According to Schulte, the best rig on the river is a jig-and-minnow combination with a little twist. Put a minnow on a first hook and attach a stinger hook to round out this very effective bait. When a fish chases the minnow, it’ll get hooked on the stinger.
Schulte said that most of the walleyes run from 9 to 14 inches, with a few reaching 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds.
Leadlining is another favorite trick used by locals to tempt a few pre-spawn fish into biting their jig or crankbait. Troll upstream with color-coded leadcore line on a trolling rod for the best lure action. Be certain to let out enough line for the bait to contact the bottom. Bumping along on the bottom is the goal, so use relatively inexpensive baits to avoid becoming gun-shy, as the chances are good that you’ll lose a few lures.
Gander Mountain
As spawning time approaches and the water warms into the 40s, the fish move shallower and begin feeding much more heavily. The two-week period before spawning offers the fastest action and the best opportunity for big fish.
Big walleyes congregate in eddies near the rock or gravel shorelines where they will spawn, usually at depths of 2 to 8 feet. Many walleye anglers make the mistake of fishing too deep in this pre-spawn period. Saugers stay 5 to 10 feet deeper than the walleyes.
If the water is high, as it often is this time of year, walleyes leave the main channel and move to the backwaters, where finding them is next to impossible. Saugers are less likely to leave the main channel.
You can catch walleyes by anchoring and casting into shallow brushy or riprapped shorelines with white or chartreuse jigs, from 1/2 to 1/4 ounce. Saugers are best taken by vertically jigging in deeper water with 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jigs. Some anglers prefer to tip their jigs with small minnows, but tipping is seldom necessary when the water temperature tops 400 F For best results, work the jig very slowly, with small hops.
Spawning begins when the water reaches the upper 40s, usually in mid- to late April. Saugers start to spawn a few days later than walleyes. Once spawning is under way, fishing turns sour. You may catch a few small males, but the big females don't start to bite until at least two weeks after they've finished spawning.
Starting about the first week in May, big walleyes go on a feeding spree that produces plenty of trophy fish for fishermen who know where to find them. Most of the fish have moved away from the dam, although a few remain all summer. The best spots are backwaters with moving water and current-brushed points in the main channel several miles downstream from the dam. You'll find most of the fish at depths of 8 to 12 feet. Productive techniques include anchoring above the points and casting with 1/4-ounce chartreuse bucktail jigs, or trolling diving plugs through channels in the backwaters.
Saugers are not far away, although they normally hang at least 5 feet deeper than the walleyes.

Fishing Report

2008-04-10T13:43:00.003-05:00

Mississippi (above St. Louis): 42 degrees, high, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 4/9/2008)

Mark Twain: 46 degrees, high, clear; crappie fair on minnows; all other species slow. (Report made on 4/9/2008)

Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lake 33: 55 degrees, high, muddy; black bass good on spinner baits; bluegill slow on worms; crappie fair on bright-colored jigs and scented baits; all other species slow.

Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lakes 3, 4, 5, 7, and 24: 55 degrees, high, muddy; catfish slow with some success using mealworms; catfish limit: 4; please remove litter.

Lake of the Ozarks (Bagnell Tailwater): 47 degrees, high, muddy; white bass fair on light-colored soft plastics; crappie slow with some success using minnows and crappie jigs, catfish fair on worms. (Report made on 4/10/2008)

Lake of the Ozarks (Glaize): 49 degrees, high, muddy; black bass slow on spinner baits and crank baits; white bass slow on light-colored soft plastic jigs; crappie slow on minnows and crappie jigs; catfish slow on worms. (Report made on 4/9/2008)

Lake of the Ozarks (Gravois): 49 degrees, high, dingy; black bass fair; white bass slow; catfish fair on cut shad; crappie slow on jigs. (Report made on 4/10/2008)

Lake of the Ozarks (Niangua): 49 degrees, high, muddy; black bass good using crank baits on shallow points; crappie slow, try lures that create vibration or have blades on it; white bass slow, fish near river mouths and try Road Runners; catfish slow with some success on stink baits. (Report made on 4/10/2008)

Lake of the Ozarks (Osage): 49 degrees, high, muddy; black bass good using crank baits on shallow points; crappie slow, try lures that create vibration or have blades on it; white bass slow, fish near river mouths and try Road Runners; catfish slow with some success on stink baits. (Report made on 4/10/2008)

Table Rock (James River arm): 55 degrees, high, dingy; water is very high; minimal visibility; all species slow. (Report made on 4/10/2008)

Table Rock (main lake): 55 degrees, high, dingy; water levels very high; all species slow. (Report made on 4/10/2008)

fishing

2008-04-07T18:16:00.003-05:00

Sorry here is another pic. I am also trying to post straight from my cell phone.

2008-04-07T18:03:00.002-05:00

I went Fishing today down at New Town. I caught one bass on a Spinner Bait with a white bleeding skirt. I didn't get water or air temp.

TEMP: ° °
TIME:
CONDITIONS:

First Fish of the Year

2008-04-03T15:22:00.006-05:00

Bryan, Adam and I went fishing on Saturday. We just went down to "Cart". Fishing was Slow. I caught 5 bass all around 10". Fish were only biting on live minnows. Water temp was 49.

TEMP: ° °
TIME: Midday
CONDITIONS: OverCast

William R. Logan & Whiteside

2008-01-13T15:32:00.000-06:00

The day started out a little rough. Les, Matt, Jeff, Mark and I headed out to Logan and Whiteside, but I didn't go far enough and we started out on the back side of Logan. Turned out that was just the shooting range and there wasn't a good place to rabbit hunt so we continued on up 61 and got to another entrance to Logan. We stopped in a camping area and worked a couple fields. It was still pretty cool with an overcast. Great day to be hunting. With 5 of us hunting it didn't take long to push down through a draw. We worked the area in a counterclockwise direction, heading southeast and then doubling back to work around the backside of the pond towards the road and eventually back to the truck. As we pushed up the backside of the pond, we came up on what looked to be a really nice rabbit field only to find out that it was a limited area and we couldn't shoot in the area. So we were forced west of this field. As we neared the road I got a rabbit up. He jumped about 15 feet in front of me. They were not holding tight at all. Of course the rabbit headed towards the area that we couldn't shoot. He out-smarted the dog and we pushed our way back to the truck.
We drove around Logan a little bit more, but the area was a dead end so we decided to go on down to Whiteside. The area is actually called William G. and Erma Parke White Memorial Wildlife Area, but since it's White Memorial Area, and it's just outside of the town of Whiteside, we call it Whiteside. I digress. We started in what use to be my favorite place to hunt. I say this because we have always had luck in the area. Not only have we seen a rabbit on every outing, but we've gotten quail up in the area on several occasions. We worked this field clockwise starting by heading west towards the little pond. This is where we usually have a lot of action. As we turned north on the west side of the pond we found that the entire north side of this field had been part of a control burn, similar to the area we saw at Hi Pointe a couple weeks ago. We walked along the woods until we got east of the truck at which point we were back into cover. We passed a few other hunters that had a rabbit going in the woods north of the area (we never did hear a shot). As we neared the truck, Jeff and Mark spotted a rabbit crossing from the south towards the northwest. We got the dog over as quickly as possible, but after crossing two field he wasn't driving very hard and was searching for the scent, so we called him back and headed to the truck.
After a bite to eat we went down to the large lake on the west side of the CA. We worked in a clockwise direction again. Down a draw and around to the back side of the lake. As we came down this little road, we headed up the overflow from the lake towards the back of the dam. Nearing the base of the dam Chip started barking about 10 feet to my right. There was no rabbit in site, but he pushed over towards Mark, and on up the side of a wooded hill. We decided to let him go and see what he does. He hesitated in several different areas lost the scent and then got it back. He got almost out of ear-shot and seemed to be holding in one area. Mark, Les and I headed after him while Matt and Jeff stayed put. Chip was on the other side of the conservation line when Les saw both him and the rabbit in a full sprint. I ran west down the path to try to catch the rabbit crossing the path towards the north, but got there about the same time the dog did. Chip stayed in pursuit all the way back to where Jeff and Matt were waiting, but just before arriving at their location, the rabbit was gone. Three rabbits up, three lost. We continued to hunt, but it was after 1:00 and we were all a bit tired. We talked to another couple of hunters who were had not seen a thing all day. We exchanged hunting stories and headed back to the truck. It was a good day of hunting.

TEMP: 27° - 35°
TIME: 8:00 - 2:00
CONDITIONS: Overcast and cold in the morning. Had a little bit of spitting snow when we first headed out. A good day to utilize layers. As it got later in the day, the clouds broke up and we had some sunshine. The wind was on and off. Not too bad, but very cold. It was pretty dry. Great day to be in the fields.

Pea Ridge, CA - Hi Pointe

2007-12-26T20:27:00.001-06:00

We had our first run of the season today. Brad and Jay brought Maggie, Ernie, Buster and Patch along with myself and Chip and we headed down to Hi Pointe which is part of the Pea Ridge Conservation Area. It was a beautiful day to hunt. We got down to the hunting area and headed east from the first parking lot. The dogs were working well together. They had spread out to cover the back side of the lake dam and continued to work that way most of the day. As we were walking through the southeast portion of the CA, we noticed the Conservation Department had done a controlled burn in the area last year. The area was growing back nicely, but we were covered in soot. We didn't see any rabbits until we were almost back to the truck after working the entire south side of the CA. I actually nearly stepped on the rabbit before he jumped. Chip, Maggie and Ernie were immediately on the scent and tracking nicely. Buster and Patch soon joined in the hunt and all 5 dogs were baying and chasing. We stopped and ate while they worked the rabbit, but the rabbit was smarter that the 5 dogs and got away. It wasn't to much longer after that and Brad stepped on one (possibly the same rabbit) and the 5 dogs were off again. But once again the rabbit out smarted the dogs and got away. Those were the only two rabbits we saw. The dogs didn't even pick up on any other trails. All-in-all it was a good day. Not bad for the first time out in the season.

TEMP: Near 35° rising to around 50°
TIME: 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM
CONDITIONS: Most everything was frozen when we started out but the top 1/2" started to thaw throughout the day. It went from sunny to overcast as a front moved through just after noon.

Dove Season

2007-09-03T11:11:00.000-05:00

As we usually do, Les and I went down to Greg’s for opening day of dove season. We got there around 6:15 and got set. There were a lot of shots around us and the doves were flying. It was a good morning. Brad showed up around 7:30 and I had 4 or 5 dove already. It didn’t take long for Brad to catch up, but Les was having a little more trouble. About 8:30 a Conservation Agent stopped in and checked everyone. He didn’t stick around long as we were doing very well. By 9:00 I was limited out, and Brad was done before 10:00. We finally left around 11:00.

When we got home I put the dove in a brine and Bay Seasoning mix and threw it in the fridge overnight. Sunday morning I filleted the breasts off the breast bone and put either a jalapeno, a piece of pepper jack cheese or some garlic between the two breast and wrapped it in bacon. Les cooked them as an appetizer and let the family try them. We decided the jalapeno and pepper jack cheese were the best ones.

We went back out on Monday morning but there were hardly any birds flying. We got a total of 5 birds and called it a day. We may try to go back out one night this week. It is supposed to rain on Thursday so that may help.

Haven't Been Fishing OR Hunting Lately

2007-08-25T08:32:00.000-05:00

I haven't had the chance to fish or hunt lately. There are a few fishing trips being planned at this time. Adam is looking to get some people to go down to the Witte's property for a fall fishing trip. I am planning a late October fishing trip with the Huster cousins and bowling team. The guys from work are setting up a weekend trip to fish Lake Michigan in September. We are always in preparation for the bi-annual Canada trip and we are looking at a Boundary Waters trip in 2009 (If you have any information on the Boundary Waters, please send them my way). As for hunting, dove season is coming up next week and I'll be down at Whemeyer's with Les again this year. If this weather holds out it should be a good season. Whats nice is we are going to be eating the doves the next night when we go over the the Huster's for dinner. mmmmmmm... fresh dove on the grill. I am looking forward to a busy fall and winter. I'd like to get the dog out early this year. I won't necessarily shoot any rabbits until after the first hard freeze, but if I can get him out on some short trips early, maybe he will have better luck turning a rabbit when we are trying to shoot them. Well, those are my random thoughts on hunting and fishing today. Hopefully we'll have more to put up here soon.

Title & Mission Change

2007-06-26T19:27:00.000-05:00

When we first created this blog it was winter time and we were rabbit hunting. What we didn't think about is that in the summer time we fish, and we don't rabbit hunt. So, to keep this blog active, we changed it to Hunting and Fishing around Missouri.

Upland Game Problems

2007-03-11T18:08:00.000-05:00

I just got done reading an article in February/March 2007 issue of Outdoor Guide Magazine entitled "A Rabbit Just Doesn't Have a Chance" written by Ron Kruger. Ron was right-on with his article. He talks about the great wildlife management work our state has done over the last 30 to 40 years. So many species are in abundance in comparison to what was here 30 years ago, except upland game. He states what we have said for a long time. This is because of the number of predators. He points out something I had never thought of, 30 years ago it was fashionable to wear fur. Hunters and trappers were taking coyotes, bobcats and foxes for their pelts and thus controlling the number of upland game predators. It was a really good article and I give Ron KUDOS for making his point.

On a similar note, if you don’t get Outdoor Guide Magazine you need to. Go to http://www.outdoorguidemagazine.com and sign up. They have GREAT articles about hunting and fishing in the central United States. They are based in St. Louis, so many of the articles are based on things happening right here in Missouri.

William R. Logan, CA

2007-01-01T15:02:00.000-06:00

Les, Jay and I took Chip and Jay's dog's Buster and Patch out to Logan to start the new year. We didn't see much. Jay got a quail, and we ran 2 rabbits, that we saw. Not much barking at all. I was suprised to see that the dogs never really packed up. We got the fist one up and then all 3 dogs worked to move it in a circle. Les had a shot but couldn't take it because the rabbit was between him and Jay. We lost it after that. Chip got the second one up on his own and ran it down into the woods and back. As they came back up where we started, the other dogs got in on it but they had trouble moving it. Jay saw it briefly between himself and Les, then it was gone. Seems once a rabbit got between the two of them, we would lose it. The cover was so thick you couldn't really see the rabbit. Those were the only two we saw.
TEMP: Near 32° rising to around 50°
TIME: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
CONDITIONS: It was dry, but the underbrush was very damp. Seems like it would hold a scent well if the rabbit wasn't moving real fast.

William R. Logan, CA

2006-12-24T15:00:00.000-06:00

DESCRIPTION: This is a photo of last Sunday, December, 24, 2006. Chip and I went to William R. Logan Conservation Area outside of Silex, MO. We got about 3 rabbits up and kicked a deer out of some heavy brush. Chip was out in a field chasing a the first rabbit so I stopped in a small clearing in the hopes it may run my way. Sure enough it did, and I saw it for a split second and got a shot off but missed. The grass was so tall and thick, Chip had problems making it back to where I was. He picked the scent up, but it was too late and the rabbit got away. We walked just a few more hundred feet when Chip got another rabbit up. I was over by the conservation road when Chip got this one up. I made my way to the point where he first got it up while he ran it in a fairly large circle. I heard and possibly saw the rabbit come by the point of the woods just southwest of me. Chip came through there again, but the rabbit out smarted us somehow. This field was like the others. So tall you couldn't walk throug it. It wasn't long after this that Chip was running another rabbit (I think) through some heavy briars. I walked around to the other side of the briars and heard one hell of a crash and some crazy noise. Turns out Chip kicked up a deer or two that had bedded down. The dog stops barking so I go to find him and he is half way down in the woods. I think he started tracking the deer, but I can't be certain. We didn't see anything else the rest of the day.
CONDITIONS: Chilly, 27°F when we started, rising to 47°F when we were done.
TIME: December 24, 2006 from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM CST

Reform CA

2006-12-17T13:00:00.000-06:00

Matt and I went up to Callaway again. Didn't get any rabbits, but ran 3. I saw the first one sneaking under a cedar. Chip was on it right away so Matt and I held still. Chip ran it south a couple hundred feet and it got into a brush pile and we couldn't get it out. Chip got the second one up and ran it quite a way before we finally saw it. I took a couple shots when it finally ran from this brush line to the woods to our north. By the time we got the dog back over to where it went in the woods the scent was getting old. He chased something down around the corner before we gave up on it. The third and last rabbit we actually saw was kicked up on the way back to the truck. Matt got this one up and Chip got on it and chased it down below the small pond. We did not follow, but he seemed to have stopped below the pond. We finally called him back to us. Chip did chase a few that we never saw. I would venture to say he probably had 3 additional runs where we never saw the rabbit. One was right off the bat near the truck in the power line area.
TEMP: 50° F
TIME: 7:30 - 11:00
CONDITIONS: Overcast and warm. Ground was damp but not wet. Seemed like a scent held well, but not long. Very good day for chasing bunnies.

Reform CA

2006-12-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

This was our fist time at Reform CA near Callaway Power Plant. Matt kicked the first rabbit up just as we turned a corner. It ran down along the fence row and cut in about half way down. Chip got on the scent and drove the rabbit north. Matt went down to the end of the row and I followed the dog along the fence. As we neared the end of the row the rabbit tried to double back when I shot it. One round, one rabbit. The second rabbit was not an easy one to get. We think Chip got him up way back in the corner of the field on the east. Drove him west down into another field and then south. Matt got him up again and he crossed back east. I came around the east side of the tree grove and saw the rabbit sneaking through the weeds. I was too far away but took 3 shots anyway, I didn't get it. I went east of where I thought the rabbit was and then Chip came over, got it up again and chased it back towards Matt. Matt shot it and Chip finished it off. 7 shots, one rabbit. It was a good day.
TEMP: 30° F - 50° F
TIME: 8:00 - 10:00
CONDITIONS: Snow and Ice on the ground. Frozen in the morning and starting to thaw as afternoon approached.

William G. & Erma, CA

2006-11-26T13:00:00.000-06:00

Adam, Matt and I tried this area again on Sunday. Adam got the first rabbit up in a small row of trees. Chip got on the scent late and couldn't get things to go his way. I got the second one up and Chip was on it pretty quick. He ran it around to the north and then back west. It must have holed, or Chip lost the scent in the woods. We did kick a covey of quail up. I'm sure this is the same covey we got up on Friday. Seems like there were about 6 or so that got up. We didn't get any rabbits, but it was a good day.

William G. & Erma CA

2006-11-24T13:00:00.000-06:00

Chip and I went out by ourselves. This was our first hunt of the year. Hunted 2 areas. The first place was on the backside of the area off of CR-210. Stop at the second parking area. We walked the field west of the parking area. Only got one rabbit up, but the area looks promising. I kicked the rabbit up. The grass was so thick I couldn't see the rabbit, just the grass move. Chip got a late jump, but chased it in a full circle before he lost it through a hog wire fence. We did kick some quail up in this area. There were about 10 birds that got up. The second area we hunted was west of the main lake. We didn't see any rabbits and there were a lot of hunters in the area.
CONDITIONS: Got very warm in the afternoon (67°F).
TIME: Got in around 7:00 and left around 9:30.