Hawg Seekin’ and Good Eatin!

Just when I thought I was getting away from the beer gogglin hawg seekin guy trip to Chicago I have decided to do my own hawg seeking of a different flava.  Oh yes I am Illinois bound.  Only on the south side in a nice lake called Lake Egypt. 

But don’t worry I am going to get me some!  Yes she will be greesy.  She will be slippery and she will require both hands to handle.  Some will be brown, some blue, some dirty.  Some may may just be down right putrid with smell.  Despite that fishy smell, in the end there is always good eating on the inside.

Of course I am talking about a nice weekend of catfishing, drinking some canned beer wearing my Bill Dance polarized sun glasses.  What else would I be talking about? 

So coming from a primary crappie fisherman I have decided to venture into the world of bloody liver, aged shad, and whupass catfish bait.  Yes it is called “whupass” because that’s what I am going to do.

So let’s start with the fisherman.  I would think the equipment to purchase is based on the type of fisherman.  Well I am a lazy son of bitch when it comes to catfishing so I had to set up my gear for such.

Catfish Rod / Reel. 

I was strolling through Bass Pro looking for things I don’t need and as I made my way through the Bill Dance Polarized sunglass section and turned the corner on the Wally Marshall Crappie rigs the feeling of shock and awww hit me.  Rays of light streamed through the clouds and was in heaven.  Well close to heaven.  I was heading straight towards possibly the best redneck catfishin rod / reel ever made, The Zebco Hawg Seeker on an ugly stick.  Oh yes.  What makes this so special?  It’s battery operated and a red beeping alarm goes off every time there is line tension.  So now no more interruptions with me and my bud light in a can.

Floats

What makes a fisherman like me better?  Luck and a ton of lines in the water.  For just $3.49 a piece you can buy you a nice piece of styrofoam (like the ones you see in the swimming pool) and hook 20 pound test line, weight or bomb, and hook.  If your a bigin like me you may need to tie you two styrofoams to make sure it floats.  Then sit back and watch the little yellow things float all over the lake.  Get er done hawgs!

Bait

Got me some bloody liver and chicken mix.  “Great Scott” is the brand and I truly believe it’s fate.  Also picked up some bloody shad, and some miracle bait.  Kind of looks like mom’s dried up red beans, but supposed to work well.

Outside of that you have to have a cooler stocked with some nice cold Bud Light in a can.  Budweiser if they are on sale or Natty Light if your on a budget. 

When I return from my trip I will follow-up with a review of the equipment and the lake.

FISH ON!

Posted in Editorials, Humor, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Reelfoot Lockjaw

The bite at Reelfoot this past weekend was rough. We pulled in twenty one gills and crappie on Friday which was much better than most people at the cleaning stations. We would have had at least 40 but we threw back anything that was not worth messing with. Saturday was even tougher as we ended up with nine between the two of us. Nobody was catching them. Back at Samburg, most people had cats caught on crickets. In fact, three crappie were caught in the last hour, just before we drove back in.

We had a few factors working against us. Just before we came in to town a bad storm had hit which lasted two days. After that a high pressure system rolled in which cleared away all of the clouds by Saturday morning. To top it off, we found out they had been draining water from the lake through the spillways to bring it closer to pool. Some said as much as three to four feet.

Even though the bite was slow we had a great time. Two purchases were made however that turned our Saturday around. One was an 11 foot jigging pole I picked up for $22 at Walton’s gas station. This made jigging around stumps without a bobber much easier. The other was a $9.99 tape-playing AM/FM radio. It is a little know fact, but sleeping crappie are easily sent into a frenzy by the sounds of modern country music. Who knew.

Check out the photos of the trip. Also a few updates have been made to the awards section. Check out Smallest Catch and the two new awards Biggest Redear and Biggest Drizzum.

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Take Only What You Need … Mostly

We are on the eve of another Reelfoot trip so I have been packing my gear over the last few days. After I was done I looked at the neat pile I had created and remembered the mound of junk I used to bring. What follows is not a complete list of all items, but rather specific to the gear I take along.

On my first few trips to Reelfoot I foolishly packed any and every lure and tackle I had. I figured if the crappie weren’t biting I could switch to bass. If bass weren’t biting the cats may be. At the end of the day I ended up losing sight of what I was there to do, catch crappie and gills, and subsequently was out of the water tying new lures. I ended up catching much less fish than I should/could have.

With each trip I learn a little more and have stripped down my gear to the (almost) essentials. I still add a few things just to mix it up, for instance this year I’m going to bring a 10” telescopic crappie pole so I will always have a live minnow rig ready. The core gear items however stay the same. The first 9′ spincast combo is rigged with a slip bobber and cricket hook for wax worms and cricks. The other 9′ auto-fly is ready for straight lining grizzly or other jigs around visible cover. The ultra-light with a slip bobber rig is great to have around when you are shrouded in trees and where a quick jerk up could cause all sorts of chaos.

You could argue that this is too much gear, but in my opinion this not only gives me the tools I need to fish Reelfoot, but also enough variety to keep myself entertained or to try new things if the bite is slow.

The bus for Tiptonville leaves soon!

• Rod and Reels
  • 9′ with spincast (4lb high viz)
  • 9′ with auto-fly reel (4lb high viz)
  • Ultra-light spincast combo (4lb high viz)
  • 10′ crappie pole with (17lb clear)
• Tackle Box (aka crappie purse)
  • Hooks (assortment of cricket/goldies)
  • 3/0 sinkers
  • BB sinkers
  • BPS cheapy bobbers (love the cheap)
  • Slips (tokens only)
  • Flys (gotta be Grizzlies)
  • Jig bag full of tubes
  • Extra line (4lb Mr. Crappie high viz)
• Live Bait
  • Minnow bucket
  • Cricket tube
  • Wax worms
• Booty
  • Electric knife
  • Ziploc bags

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Ozark Non-Believers

Yes, I was one of them. I used to think fishing Lake of the Ozarks was a lost cause. I figured that being the hot-spot that it is that there was no way this lake could produce decent fish. I was wrong. This past weekend was proof that there is excellent fishing to be had at “The Lake”. Party Cove aside (which serves its own special purpose), much of the development on the lake has helped the fishing. With each new development, up comes a dock or two. In fact, there is a plethora of boat slips, docks, and other structure within each and every one of the lake’s fingers and inlets.

Minnows gave us the most success by fishing docks without bobbers just a few inches off the bottom, but by far the most fun was had with a Smithwick Rogue crankbait. When they were biting, it was on like, well you know. We caught quite a few bass over 14 inches and surprisingly enough a few crappie that pushed the one pound mark. Truth be told however, my fiancé skooled us all with a smaller sized (1/16oz maybe?) crank that mimicked a minnow. The only thing that did not work was the frozen shrimp for cat idea. Only one cat was caught on a minnow.

On Saturday before heading to the local establishments we fried up the catch. We used a live-well to keep them for the day instead of keeping them on ice. I’m absolutely convinced that ice makes the meat more al dente when it’s cooked. That’s right, I said al dente.

Side note, I need to find a better fish batter. The products sold at the Schnucks and BPS are awful.

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Ozark Crappie Fishing

Lake of the Ozarks - land of drunken boat wrecks, STD infested coves and what could have been a sunken pontoon boat (more on that in another post). It is one of the few places in the world where the production and selling of hillbilly wallets still thrives. Not to mention the place where a few PVC crappie beds were installed around a dock owned by a friend’s father.

Because of this we are off to the lake we all love to hate - and to fish. I am taking a variety of gear from 12′ graphite crappie poles to an Ambassadeur 5000 rig for cats. According to my top-secret inside sources, the bite was on last weekend. Simple slip rigs with minnows did the trick.

The weather appears to be wet and rainy all weekend with chance for a break Saturday AM. I guess I will pass on the sun screen. .

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Bow + Arrow = Enormous Carp

Enormous Carp Shot With Bow And Arrow Could Be World Record

This was sent to me by a friend of mine who fishes this area. Not only did he shoot it with a bow and arrow, but wrestled with it on the shore. There are some great quotes in the article such as:

“I threw the bow down and in the water I go. And I grabbed him by the gill; bear hugged him and started fighting him against the rocks.”

and of course there is…

“‘Oh good Lord, oh good Lord,’ they said. I heard that 500 times. I was kind of hoping to hear, ‘You need some help?’ You know, but I didn’t hear that one, you know.”

Darin Opel - LAB hero of the week.

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Back From Mid-April Reelfoot

The bite at Reelfoot was tough this past weekend. A cold front came in on Friday morning to start us off which kept most of the crappie in deeper waters. Everyone we talked to was catching them by drifting in the deeper parts of the lake, mostly spider-rigging; and they were catching them. Piles of crappie were stacked on top of each other in the fish dressing room. As one fisherman said, “Buddy, this cooler ain’t got ice in it.” I looked, it sure didn’t. It was filled to the lid with black and white specks.

We decided to take a different approach and fish the gills in calmer waters. Pitching around tree stumps and avoiding overhead branches is most of the fun of Reelfoot anyway. However, to quote Tim Huffman, “there is nothing more exciting than a tug on the line.” This quote and many others we refer to comes from the Grizzly Fishing video and can be purchased at the Grizzly Jig Co. website.

There were definitely some LAB award winning bluegills caught on the cypress stumps, but one in particular was enormous. A 1.1 lb redear caught by Gill Slayer. However, the judges are still out as to whether a redear can be considered a bluegill and thus win the award for biggest bluegill.

The days were cold, rainy and windy but we kept at it and found the gills holding close to cypress stumps. Almost all of them were caught on meal worm tipped “Killer” Grizzly Jigs. It wasn’t until the clouds broke on Saturday afternoon that I busted out “Norman’s Rainbow” and took a few more in all tight lining with a 9.6 pole and a Pflueger automatic fly reel.

Leaving on Sunday was of course beautiful and in the 70’s. We made it home in record time and before noon which gave me just enough time to do eight hours of yard work. Ah it’s good to be home.

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Reelfoot slabs this weekend…

A friend of my bro’s fished Reelfoot this past weekend (4/12-4/13) .  Saturday was tough (and cold) he said, only caught 5-10 keeper crappie with only a few keeper gills.  All were good size tho, especially the gills.  Today he tore em’ up…he caught 25 keeper crappie, several over 15 inches.  He also caught 35 keeper gills…and BIG ones too!  He was fishing in about 4-5 foot of water using a Sains bluegill jig tipped with a wax worm.  Can’t wait to get down there…we should get the tail end of the crappie & the start of the monster gills!

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The bite is on @ Reelfoot!

http://www.reelfoot.com/reelfoot_fishing_report_41008.htm

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Full Moon Information

Here are some good links regarding full-moon dates and phases.

Full Moon Dates: http://www.almanac.com/astronomy/moondays.php
Moon Phases: http://www.oxfordreference.com/media/images/11898_0.jpg
Current Moon Phase: http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/moon_phases.phtml

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Pflueger® President® Micro Ultralight Spinning Reel - Model 6720

Years ago I used to use “cheap” Quantum micro reels when fishing for trout, bluegill or crappie…that is until my brother got me hooked on Pflueger® President® spinning reels. I now own several different sizes of this series, but I use the 6720 on both my ultralight rods & my B’n'M long poles. I can’t say enough good things about this series of spinning reels, they are all I buy anymore no matter which size. This particular model runs $50 which is probably $30 more expensive than other micro reels, but they are worth the extra money. My brother prefers the size up from this one, but I like the 6720 because it’s lighter. Ask any of the guys/gals who work at Bass Pro in the reels section and they will tell you that they are their #1 seller. Trust me, buy yourself one (or two or three) and you will not be disappointed!

Pflueger® President® Micro Ultralight Spinning Reel - Model 6720

Rating:

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Water Temperature and Behavioral Patterns of Crappie

Great article on understanding the behavior patterns of crappie and where to find them based on water temperature.

http://crappie.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=2

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Fishing licenses needed for Reelfoot Lake

If you ever plan on fishing Reelfoot Lake in Tiptonville, TN…you will need (2) different fishing licenses.  Depending on how many days in a row you plan on fishing there on a particular trip or how many trips you plan on making in a year, will determin exactly which licenses to buy.  You can buy these licenses on-line and they will be mailed to you within a few days.  You can print off a “Temp” license after you’ve completed the transaction if you are short on time before your trip.

Tenessee State license: (only choose one based on how many times you plan on fishing Reelfoot this year)

077 - NR 3 Day Fish No Trout $16.00 (for a 3 day trip) 
081 - NR Fishing No Trout $40.00 (for the entire year)

Reelfoot preserve license: (only choose one based on the length of your trip)

090 - Reelfoot Preserve 1 Day $3.00 (for a one day trip)
088 - Reelfoot Preserve 3 Day $10.00 (for a three day trip)
089 - Reelfoot Preservation $16.00  (for the entire year)

Order your Reelfoot licenses here

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Bass Pro Shops® Neoprene Fishing Gloves

While packing for a recent trip to Truman Lake, I happened to come across a weather forecast that showed a cold front to moving into the area. Normal temperature for that time was in the high fifties. Because of this front however it turned into a crisp high thirties to low forties. Wind gusts were high and at times capped the waves in the lake.

Luckily, I had decided to stop by Bass Pro Shops on my way home from work to kill some time while traffic died down (or at least that is my excuse) and came across their Neoprene Fishing Gloves. The packaging refers to them as 100% waterproof and that they were “constructed with cold weather fishermen in mind”. I have been a victim of soggy glove in the past and decided to give them a shot.

The index and thumbs of both gloves are severed at your middle knuckle so that you can peel the fingertip over and Velcro it to the back of your hand. Having these four fingers exposed is an obvious advantage over clumsy bulky gloves in that with either hand you can tie your line, jig, and do other tasks that require precision without weathering the cold.

The gloves are made from neoprene which is basically the material wet suits are made from. This material has an advantage of protecting you from water while keeping you warm. For those not used to wearing a wet suit, one thing you will notice is that your hands will eventually begin to sweat inside the gloves which can chill your fingertips quickly. Also, if all is going well that day and you are handling fish, the excess water will eventually makes its way into the slits in the fingers which gets trapped inside. This is in my opinion is not a huge drawback since normal gloves would need hours to dry.

After a few hours of use, my hands did begin to feel suffocated, they are wrapped in plastic after all, but again it was well worth it. It is better than wearing $.99 gardening gloves for crying out loud.

I managed to get hooked a few times but didn’t have a hard time maneuvering the hook out. Also, the gloves didn’t show a snag. I do have a feeling the Velcro will quickly wear out, but time will tell. However at $9.99 it isn’t a large investment and helped keep me in the water.

Overall these gloves get high marks for their price and simple functionality. The fact that they don’t breath well and that the feeling the Velcro which holds the fingertips back won’t last keeps them from getting a full score. However I highly suggest them and would purchase them again.

Lastly a note to Bass Pro. We need more than one color. Blue is cool, but no dude wants to be wearing the same color item as one of their fishing buddies. Unless the color is camo of course.

Rating:

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Fisherman Upgrade: Reflection from my Truman Lake Crappie Fishing trip.

I have always believed that a true fisherman doesn’t need the extras to lure in quality fish. The real fisherman relies on instincts and technique and a general feel for the fish. Give me a wal-mart rod / reel combo, dirt cheap line, and any size hook and I will catch as much as the next guy. You know this might be true. You might be that good or lucky. You could have a good day and everything work out for you while these gear heads and decked out in their Bass Pro 100mph Gore-Tex® Rain Gear sporting their quality Pflueger reels on a nice St. Croix or Sams ultra light rod with top of the line high visibility line are not necessarily slaying you. Their jig kits sporting 300 color combinations, hook and weights sorted by size and weight, freshly oiled and cleaned reels, and polarized glasses will soon have them sitting right next to Lou Mansfield filming the next crappie video right? In the end it lies in the fisherman.

So why buy the quality stuff? Why put in all the time to sort and categorize all of your gear in your “crappie purse”? When it all comes down to it is just a line with a hook right?

Well the obvious answer is it is a hobby. We all know that. It’s something to collect.

The other answer is what I have realized this last weekend. By having everything prepared, organized and in good quality condition you eliminate many intangibles that create frustration and take away from good fishing time and relaxation. While I spent a big chunk of time wrestling with my equipment and looking for tackle, those “gear heads” spent more time in the water going after the king slab. I want to point out some situations I ran into that point this out.

Purchase quality gloves for windy and cold temperatures: While my friends are sporting their new waterproof / windproof gloves I am showcasing gardener gloves trying not to lose a finger to frostbite as we cruise the lake in 20 degree wind chill conditions. Once I had feeling back I was 20 minutes behind on the chase for the whopper slab.

Have quality rain gear: How many times do you go out and buy that $10 rain coat thinking you will never need it? Chances are you have done this 4 or 5 times at least over the years. Why not spend the money to purchase a quality set that will last you multiple years? You spend less time messing with being dry and more time fishing.

Do inventory check on equipment prior to the night before: Of course the marina has some things. Yes you can mooch off you friends as long as they aren’t “fresh out”. Well I had more costs buying things I was missing and spent fishing time searching for things I had, but were not easily found. How much time did I spent digging through unopened packages and unorganized fishing gear?

Reels really are important: The better reel and line the less times you will spend messing with tangles and issues with casting. Having a shady reel made it tough to cast accurately hanging me up in trees more and losing fishing time. Not to mention all of the tangles from using dirt cheap line.
There are many others. You may not see me looking like a Bass Pro or Cabela’s spokesman like Gill Slayer, but I am definitely sold on the idea that you get what you pay for and it is time to upgrade this fisherman!

Posted in Editorials | 3 Comments »