Wednesday, July 23, 2008

An Outdoor Article Submitted By Guest Blogger!


When Kenny invited me to write a guest post on his blog, I
was worried because I didn’t have many tips to offer - and
I’m not real great at writing about my fishing adventures
because I generally leave that to my brother. So, I hope you
all won’t mind reading about a hair raising adventure that
takes place in appropriately named, Hell’s Canyon!

The place cannot be described in words or photos - its
majesty as North America’s deepest canyon is best left
for the human eye to see for itself. Often overlooked
because of the Grand Canyon, Hell’s Canyon is actually
deeper, wider, and in my humble opinion,more beautiful -
but, I may be biased! My family grew up hunting Hell’s
Canyon and the tales of long, rough packs and steep,
rugged terrain filled my heart as a youngster. But,
perhaps, the most thrilling of all those tales were of the
animals that called this place home - the magnificent
wapiti, the royal majesty of the mountains, the Rocky
Mountain elk.

In 2005, I had my first opportunity to hunt this place during
the September archery season, and it’s a trip I’ll never
forget. As my eyes took in the sights I was seeing for the
first time - and my memory was finally able to put a scene
to all the names I’d heard about growing up, I was
astonished at how much this land had become a part of
me without ever having been there myself. It’s a land so
enriched with my families’ history, that I’d come to accept
it as part of who I am before I ever saw it for myself.

I was new to bow hunting that year, and I was full of
excitement when, after our twelve mile pack in to base
camp, I was excused to go for an evening hunt. What I
experienced that evening is something that I’ll be able
to take with me for as long as I live.

I found myself near a herd of unseen elk as it neared
dark in a strange place, and I was by myself. The cows
were mewing and I tested the waters with my own
call - an estrus call. The unseen bull, who had up to
this point been unheard as well, erupted from his
silence in some sort of growl mixed with a scream
that set my heart racing! I slipped further into the
canyon and continued to call. The bull, still unseen,
would answer back in his screaming growl. I knocked
an arrow as I began to realize he was coming closer.
His screams were made even more awesome due to
the fact that I had not seen him - and when I saw
the tops of his antlers bobbing through the brush
a few minutes later, I knew that nothing could possibly
be more exciting than archery hunting for elk.
His dark antlers threaded their way through the
brush and occasionally would stop and tilt back and
then I’d hear that piercing scream. His distinct
bugle was that of a true herd bull. It held a challenge,
commanded respect, and announced the presence of
a mighty animal. Finally, his head and then his body
materialized through the brush and I began to realize
I was going to get a shot at this magnificent animal. I
came to full draw as he passed behind a pile of brush
and waited till he stepped into the clearing and he
turned his head toward me and gave out a mighty
bugle that seemed to happen in slow motion. This
bugle, so close and so loud, caused my brain to short
circuit and I lost all semblance of sanity. The message
flashed through my brain that the elk had to be fifty
yards away - and when I released my arrow, I
watched pitifully as it sailed way over his back.
The range finder later told me he’d been just 23 yards
away. No wonder my knees had been shaking and my
heart had been trying to make a daring escape through
my esophagus! The pure thrill of having a screaming
bull come that close to you is something I wish every
outdoorsman - hunter or not - could experience. It’s
an experience that is hard to put into words - a mixture
of fear, excitement, and respect that I have not found
equaled anywhere. The adrenaline rush of having an
animal that so portrays majesty come so close and
scream in my face was such that it has left an imprint
in my life that even time itself will not erase.

This article was submitted to Kennys Great Outdoors
by Tom Sorenson, Managing editor of Base Camp
Legends, LLC

Friday, July 18, 2008

Finesse Fishing? Are You Kidding?


Welcome once again to Kenny's Great Outdoors! If this is your first time, be sure to check out my archives , for many interesting articles.

Once again we are going to talk about them hard times fishing. You know when the bass either seem to have lock jaw or just don't seem to like anything you are throwing to them. Recently at the lake, I was experiencing one of those days! It is down right frustrating. I spent a half of a day fishing hard, and managed 2 small keepers into the livewell.

I went over to the local marina for a bite to eat and a cold drink. There were several locals there and everyone was complaining about the bite. It just simply wasn't happening. In particular there were 2 fisherman, who must have been the most respected in the area , who said they threw every lure in the boat, with little or no success. Nearly everyone in the marina agreed, It was probably best to go home and get under the A\C.

Now for most bass fishermen , to say that you threw every lure in the boat is borderline to lying. I don't have as many lures as most fishermen do and in a half day of fishing, I probably couldn't throw a third of my lures. I doubt that most hardcore bass fishermen could throw every lure in their boat in just a half of a day.

So as I sat there eating my burger and fries and drinking that cold one,I thought to myself what would I recommend to my readers if this scenerio ever came up? And the answer , came to me in an unusual way. As the 2 locals were leaving someone threw the comment at them. " The secret to catching fish, is simply in the wrist action" and they all left and then it hit me." Technique or Finesse fishing!" We
sometimes forget the simple things and it is the simple things that get the job done sometimes.

What is "finesse" fishing? It simply means to down size your lures and tackle. Thats it! Plain and simple" I have heard this technique of fishing just leads to catching small fish. This is simply not true.
Finesse fishing has led to big bass in the live well and finesse fishing has even caused fishermen, fishing in tournements, to take home the prize money.

Here are just a few examples of down sizing or "finesse fishing" tips to add to your arsenal. These work for me and I am sure they will work for you.

A 4 inch plastic worm texas rigged is killer! Small crankbaits like, a tiny O, or spinning size wee R, Small spoons, mini sized rattle traps, crappie jigs, road runners. Small minnow lures are excellent ! Try the count down rapalas. Remember to keep them small. Finesse means down size and this is a very effective technique. Some times a bass simply wants a smaller lure. Maybe its because so many bass have seen tons of big lures that the little ones are that different thing or procedure that will induce even the most finickiest bass.

So until next time keep your hooks wet and we will see you out there!
Boat safely and remember to "enjoy" the "Great Outdoors!" Oh yeah, by the way, when I decided to downsize that day at the lake I ended up limiting out with the minimum bass weighin 4 1/2 lbs I culled the 2 small keepers and had a successfull day on the lake when the rest of the area locals had given up. So try "finesse" fishing and change your day the next time your having one of those hard days a fishin !

Friday, July 11, 2008

Just Got Back From Fishing Vacation !

If you have been following my blog posts , you know that for about a week , there has been nothing going on here at Kennys Great Outdoors. Behind the scenes proves this not to be a true statement. The last post was about my pre-vacation, trout fishing trip. I have some things to share with my readers and with a little luck everyone will understand , that its not always about fishing sometimes. I went to Truman again and the fishing was slow but very rewarding. We didn't have to worry about groceries as the fish was abundant. Had several good fish frying expeditions and I might have gained a pound or two.

I haven't told you all about the newest addition to Kennys Great Outdoors. On June 23, 2008, I became a blessed man. A little 5 lb.11 ounce baby girl (my granddaughter) was born. She is of course a little cutie, if I must say so myself. So I now have a new little fishing buddy. We just might let her dad go fishing with us If he's good and can behave. Her name is Cadence Leanne, and I can already tell she is going to love the outdoors, like her Grandpa. She looks good in camoflauge too don't you think?

About 3 days ago a good fishing buddy of mine passed on from this life , to that good ole fishing hole in the heavens. I will miss him a lot and I will greatly miss his sense of humor and the fun times we shared together. Now he will be catching more and bigger bass than me, if he will use all the fishing tips that I ever gave him that is.

And last but not least, I somehow or another have torn my rotator cup in my right shoulder. Ouch! It is the most painful injury I have ever experienced. I can"t raise my arm above my head, and I can't reach back either. I guess I am going to have to undergo surgery, If I have to.
I am still awaiting the results of all the tests. to determine, the extent of my injury. I still don't know exactly how I did this. If I forget and reach up or back, the pain is very intense and lasts for several minutes.

Well enough about me, and as far as the future of Kennys Great Outdoors, well , even if I have to type with one hand, the show WILL go on, folks. Yes, we will still be here, bright eyed and bushy tailed! Well bright eyed anyways. So if you are a fisherman/woman who believes in prayer, I would appreciate your prayers , for my shoulder and a speedy recovery if surgery is necessary. I don't know how long it takes to heal after this kind of surgery, but I guess I will be just fine. I don't know how I will handle not being able to fish,but I guess I will have to manage.

So until next time , keep your hooks wet, boat and fish safely, And remember to enjoy the "Great Outdoors" See ya out there, soon, I hope. Catch a few for me, and make sure if they are for me , that they are really big ones! ;-)

Friday, July 4, 2008

In Hot Pursuit Of The Elusive Rainbow Trout!

Had an interesting outing this past Tuesday. Went to Montauk State Park and got into hot pursuit of some Montauk Rainbow trout. I always seem to find a day here and there to go trout fishing and since this trout stream is fairly close to my residence , why not?

I grabbed my ultra light my fishing liscence and rain gear, since it was drizzling rain at a pretty good pace when I left the house. It's about a 30 minute drive and all the way I was in anticipation of the event about to unfold. Now when I go fishing I am not a crowd person, so thats the only part of the trip that is dreaded. I go fishing to get away from things and enjoy the peace and quiet and just the sounds of nature.

Since I fish at Montauk several times a year I have gotten use to the crowd thing , but I usually avoid the shoulder to shoulder event of the opening day of trout season at the park. It of course is an annual thing and highly publicized by the local media in the surrounding communities.

I arrived at the lodge at 5:30 and purchase my daily trout stamp and then proceeded to my favorite honey hole , where the privacy I desire and cherish is accessible. I proceed to tie a #20 treble hook and a split shot on my 2 lb test line, which even with glasses is a tough job. After about 15 minutes and 20 stabs the chore was accomplished , accompanied with a few choice words, which we won't dare repeat in case some of the ladies or kids are reading this article. The next 15 minutes proceeded to last about an hour as I truely believe that the park employee that mans the horn switch waits an extra 5 or 10 minutes just to watch the reaction of the already impatient fishermen.

Finally the horn blasts for about 15 seconds and everyone is casting on cue. Now where my honey hole is there is usually hardly anyone but me, as I can always manage to find my privacy which I cherish. So usually the closest fisherman is 2 or 3 hundred yards from me, but as we all know sound travels on the water. It sounds like a hundred pebbles hittin the water at the same time. I am a little slower now and I make that first cast of the day. I flip the bail on my ultra light and draw back and make that first catch and.......wind up about 15 ft in the air and over a limb. Now my velveta and split shot wrap around this limb at least ten times and the hook buries deep in to the limb.

What a pleasant beginning! At this point I realize I have to break off and start all over again , so half aggravated and mad, I give a big yank...Now mind you it has been raining.....when I give a big yank I lose my footing on the mud bank. Now I am on my rear end sliding down the bank and into the drink...SPLASH! Have you ever had one of them days? Remember Murphy's law? Now I am soaked from my neck down, my boots are full of water that is about 58 degrees , my bill fold is wet, so I stand up and start up the bank. Now water is running everywhere and I am trying to climb this muddy bank ...I think you get the rest of this picture . Ten minutes later I am sitting down trying to tie on again, which I might add I manage with one stab this time maybe my luck has changed? So I decide to smoke a cigarette and try to regain my composure, and I get out a cigarette which somehow I managed to keep dry and pulled out my zippo and of course , when I opened the lid water ran out.

Now an older fellow had been walking down the trail by my honey hole and timed this amusing event to a perfection and he stepped out of the brush and asked me if I needed a light and then proceed to chuckle and let me know that he had observed the whole thing and found it to be quite amusing. We both laughed and after we talked a bit and smoked our cigarettes I invited him to join me. We both cast at the same time and almost immediately we both got bit and the fight was on for us both.I had a net and he didn't so I helped him land his fish and then he returned the gesture and netted my fish for me. His weight about 2 lbs and mine weighed about 5 1/2 lbs which put me on the lunker board at the lodge.

We enjoyed each others conversation and I believe he could tell bigger fishing lies than me, but we both ended up catching our 4 apiece daily limit. And decided to go to the lodge and ice down the trout and get some breakfast at the lodge cafe. We had some hot coffee and all you could eat breakfast buffet and we visited and continued to see who could out lie the other. I finally started to dry out pretty good even tho my shoes were still slushing, I managed to warm up and over come the chills that I had acquired during my early morning swim in the spring fed creek.

We shook hands and departed our separate ways , him back to his cabin to rest up for the next day and me back to the house a 30 minute drive and a good heater in my blazer got my shoes dry before I got home. Which meant that I didn't have to tell my wife about the ordeal at the swimming , I mean fishing hole. I didn't have to but I did. Needless to say she found it to be rather amusing too. I don't get it, It didn't seem all that funny to me. But as I write this article I have to admit, I had to chuckle a time or two as I transfered this from memory to paper.

Some of the things a man has to endure to go fishing , but in the long run , thats what makes those memories hard to forget , and it all seems worth it then. I hope you enjoyed this rather embarrassing story , but I guess I can take it with a grain of salt. When I cooked up those trout It all seemed worth it then. Until next time , keep your hooks wet , your clothes dry, and enjoy the "Great Outdoors"



!Montauk State Park is located 22 miles south west of Salem Missouri or 12 miles southeast of Licking Missouri on Highway 119.

From Salem: Highway 32 west approximately 11 miles to Highway 119. Highway 119 south approximately 11 miles to Montauk State Park.

From Licking: Highway 137 south approximately 3 miles to Highway VV. Highway VV east approximately 9 miles to Highway 119. Highway 119 south 1 mile to Montauk State Park. See you down there!

Montauk State Park link!

LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL!



Think It Over

Two guys from Daniels County are quietly sitting in a fishing boat sucking down beer when suddenly Mel says, "I think I'm going to divorce my wife - she hasn't spoken to me in over 2 months."

Earl sips his beer and says, "You better think it over - women like that are hard to find."




Better Safe Than Sorry


While sports fishing off the Florida coast, a tourist capsized his boat. He could swim, but his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft. Spotting an old beachcomber standing on the shore, the tourist shouted, "are there any gators around here?!"

"Naw," the man hollered back, "Ain't been any for years!"

Feeling safe, the tourist started swimming toward the shore. As he got closer to shore he shouted to the guy again "What did you do to get rid of the gators?"

"We didn't do nothin'," the beachcomber said. "The sharks got 'em all."





What A Man Has To Do To Go Fishing!

Four married guys go fishing. After an hour, the following conversation took place. First guy: " You have no idea what I had to do to be able to come out fishing this weekend. I had to promise my wife that I will paint every room in the house next weekend." Second guy: " that's nothing, I had to promise my wife that I will build her a new deck for the pool." Third guy: " Man, you both have it easy! I had to promise my wife that I will remodel the kitchen for her." They continue to fish when they realized that the fourth guy has not said a word. So they asked him. You haven't said anything about what you had to do to be able to come fishing this weekend. " What's the deal?" Fourth guy: " I just set my alarm for 5:30 am. When it went off, I shut off my alarm, gave the wife a nudge and said, " Fishing or Sex" and she said, " Wear a Sweater."

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Missouri State Fish Records

I recently researched Missouri 's fish records these
are the results of my research. If you catch a fish
that you believe will establish a new record, the fish
has to be weighed on a certified scale and witnessed
by an employee of the Missouri Department of
Conservation. The species of the fish has to then be
properly identified by the Department of Conservation
Fisheries Biologists or Conservation Agent familiar with
the genus. If the two department are not sure, they
will call at no cost to you a fish identification expert.

I am rather surprised at the results of my research.
I thought some would be smaller and some would be
larger.

The results are as follows:

Species Weight Location Angler Date
  • American Eel 4 lbs 8 oz Meramec River Steven Buerk 8/23/1993

  • Bigmouth Buffalo 56 lbs 0 oz Lock Loma Lake Dr. W. J. Long 8/1/1976
  • Black Buffalo 53 lbs 0 oz Lake Wappapello Marty R. Yount 4/6/1989
  • Black Bullhead 4 lbs 11 oz Binder Lake Ron Miller 6/5/1977
  • Black Crappie 4 lbs 8 oz Private Pond Ray Babcock 5/28/1967
  • Blue Catfish 103 lbs 0 oz Missouri River Clarence H. Kerr 9/16/1991
  • Blue Sucker 9 lbs 14 oz Missouri River Randy Christian 4/12/1997
  • Bluegill Sunfish 3 lbs 0 oz Private Pond Bevier Robert Giovanini 6/8/1963
  • Bowfin 19 lbs 0 oz Duck Creek Clois Coomer 3/1/1963
  • Brown Bullhead 3 lbs 3 oz Lock Loma Lake Greg Clanahan 4/25/1990
  • Brown Trout 26 lbs 13 oz Bull Shoals Lake Rob Caudel 11/10/1997
  • Carp 50 lbs 6 oz Rothwell Park Lake Russell Tarr 6/2/1996
  • Chain Pickerel 5 lbs 1 oz Clearwater Dam Spillway George Burlbaw 11/4/1974
  • Channel Catfish 34 lbs 10 oz Lake Jacomo Gerald Siebenmorgen 10/12/1976
  • Flathead Catfish 77 lbs 8 oz Montrose Lake Scott L Brown 4/28/2003
  • Flier Sunfish 0 lbs 11 oz Private Pond Anthony Sifford 3/15/1991
  • Freshwater Drum 40 lbs 8 oz Lake of the Ozarks Ronald P. Wagner 7/11/1996
  • Gizzard Shad 1 lbs 6 oz Truman Lake Johnny L. Ash 6/5/2001
  • Golden Redhorse 2 lbs 3 oz Meramec River Mike Jackson 6/27/1995
  • Goldeye 1 lbs 7 oz Des Moines River James Dockery 4/6/2002
  • Grass Carp 69 lbs 0 oz Crowder S P Jim Shull 11/13/2002
  • Grass Pickerel 1 lbs 3 oz Old River (farm pond) Will Dougherty 3/20/2005
  • Green Sunfish 2 lbs 2 oz Stockton Lake Paul Dilley 6/18/1971
  • Hybrid Striper 20 lbs 8 oz Lake of the Ozarks Richard Slaybaugh 11/22/1986
  • Hybrid Sunfish 2 lbs 3 oz Private Pond James Closson 6/12/1997
  • Largemouth Bass 13 lbs 14 oz Bull Shoals Lake Marvin Bushong 4/1/1961
  • Longnose Gar 27 lbs 0 oz Bull Shoals Lake Dale Davis 5/17/1999
  • Muskellunge 41 lbs 2 oz Lake of the Ozarks Gene Snelling 3/9/1981
  • Northern Hog Sucker 3 lbs 5 oz Current River David W. Cletcher 8/21/1988
  • Northern Pike 18 lbs 9 oz Stockton Lake Gene Moore 4/26/1975
  • Paddlefish 139 lbs 4 oz Table Rock Lake George W. Russell 3/15/2002
  • Rainbow Trout 18 lbs 1 oz Roaring River Jason Harper 8/14/2004
  • Redear Sunfish 2 lbs 7 oz Whetstone Creek Glenda Gollaher 5/28/1988
  • River Redhorse 8 lbs 1 oz Meramec River Joe N. Tousignant 7/24/1995
  • Rock Bass 2 lbs 12 oz Big Piney River William J. Rod 6/15/1968
  • Sauger 5 lbs 1 oz Osage River John Hennessy 1/23/1994
  • Shorthead Redhorse 2 lbs 6 oz Meramec River Mike Jackson 6/20/1995
  • Shovelnose Sturgeon 4 lbs 0 oz Des Moines River James M. Dockery 6/3/2001
  • Silver Redhorse 5 lbs 10 oz Sac River Teresa Meadors 3/23/2000
  • Smallmouth Bass 7 lbs 2 oz Stockton Lake Kevin S. Clingan 12/18/1994
  • Smallmouth Buffalo 36 lbs 12 oz Lake of the Ozarks Allen A. Schweiss 6/10/1986
  • Spotted Bass 7 lbs 8 oz Table Rock Lake Gene Arnaud 4/6/1966
  • Spotted Gar 6 lbs 0 oz Boeuf Creek Brent Meyer 8/27/2005
  • Striped Bass 51 lbs 0 oz Bull Shoals Lake Jasper Bouse 7/23/1989
  • Tiger Muskellunge 22 lbs 0 oz Stockton Lake Ned Posenki 4/25/1986
  • Walleye 21 lbs 1 oz Bull Shoals Lake Gerry Partlow 3/26/1988
  • Warmouth 1 lbs 4 oz Private Pond Tony Fincher 7/31/1984
  • White Bass 5 lbs 6 oz Table Rock Lake Scott Flood 3/19/2002
  • White Crappie 4 lbs 9 oz Private Pond Samuel H. Barbee 3/5/2000
  • White Sucker 4 lbs 8 oz Lake Taneycomo James Baker Jr. 9/1/1990
  • Yellow Bullhead 5 lbs 13 oz Private Pond J.D. Hall 4/6/1986
  • Yellow Perch 1 lbs 2 oz Bull Shoals Tom Statler 11/16/2004

Jig n Pig - Tips n Tricks For Summer TIme Bass!



The jig is one of the best baits you can use to not only catch
deep bass but to figure out where they are located. By this I
mean a jig in deep water becomes a fish finder. You can
bang it into things to get a feel for what exactly is down
there at the same time that you attempt to catch fish on it.

I use the jig to explore and search for good structure
along weed lines in my local lakes,much of this jig
fishing is done in water that is about 15 to 20 ft deep.
This may not seem extremely deep but consider that
more times than not, jig fisherman concentrate their
jig throwing in water that is shallower than 4 to 6 ft
deep.

As I have said before summertime bass fishing can be
a challenge but not if you use you head and be different
from the rest of the summer time fishermen
fisherwomen. Most fishermen bang the banks and
there's nothing wrong with that but those big
weekends like this one coming up, that's a lot of
bank fishing pressure! Now if you start on the banks
and the pressure is great, then be flexible and you will
be more successful than others.

Lets say its mid morning, and you have thrown every
possible variety of lure. You tried spinner baits, and
caught a few early. You threw top water, crank baits
of every design and color , minnow lures, all fast lures
in your box and its getting toward noon . You stop and
break out some lunch and a couple of cold sodas, iced
tea, or ice water, and all the while your thinking you
should have stayed home and under the a/c.

Now even though you probably would be more comfortable
this doesn't put any fish in your fryin pan or your belly and
besides,the wifey would probably have a few honey-do things
for you to do. All morning you have been fishing shallow with
pretty fair success. And the bite has come to a screeching
halt.

After you eat , take out your jigs,
find some different kinds of
trailers like, crawls , frogs, double
curly tails, etc., and rig up a
couple of combinations, and start
a boat ride, scouting expedition
and start looking for some
different terrain. Now there are several things to be on
the look out for. Now let's see to start off with there's
sunken islands, secondary creek channels, road beds,
big boat docks , shade under trees,main river channels
running next to points , channels with current.
Current mixes oxygen with water and makes good
bass attraction.

Now the large mouth bass very seldom gets down
below 30 ft , like their cousins the spotted bass,
Or as some would say, Kentucky bass. And in my
opinion a Kentucky is just as good eating as a
large mouth. In fact most people can't tell the
difference between a large mouth and a Kentucky.
But that's a different subject and maybe later on
we will discuss that.

Now your probably wondering how do I find these
areas like was described above? Maps and good
electronics is a necessity,unless you fished the
lake before it was flooded and you already know
where these areas are. So get out the maps,
look for water depths of about 20 ft or so around
these types of locations, motor to them and start
fishing that jig n pig or jig n frog, or jig n what ever
trailer you decide and proceed to try your luck.

A jig n pig , lets say, falls pretty slow but will go
deep. So make your cast and let it sink. When it
hits the bottom , just let it sit.I have found that
the slower you fish this rig,especially when
it is hot and the fish are deep, the more success
you will have!

Now after a little bit, lift your rod tip about 2
inches. If the jig leaves the bottom slow it down.
I usually keep my jig n pig in contact with the
bottom. This technique is killer because it
keeps the jig in the strike zone. I like the jigs
with the skirts that are hollow and they flare out
when the lure is still. This is just the ticket that
will induce the finicky bass to strike.

Another method is the pumping method. raise
your rod tip 4 -6 inches and let the jig settle back
down to the bottom,trying this at different speeds
can sometimes trigger a strike better than the
slow. But like I said before be flexible and
don't be afraid to experiment with the retrieve.



Now depending on how deep , an
how fast I want the jig to fall, helps
me to determine the size of jig to
use, remembering that a big bulky
pork frog slows down the fall.
I usually use from 1/4 to 1/2 oz in calm water and
heavier jigs when fishing in the current.

Now there is another method I use with the jig and
frog and that is what I call the swimming retrieve.
I use this retrieve when I notice the bass are
suspended and sometimes down sizing the jig n pig
causes the rig to fall a lot slower and you
can swim it at the depth the bass are suspending .
This is extremely effective!

There are numerous colors of jigs and hundreds of
tips of trailers so some time pick the right
combinations can be tough.

I usually match my trailer to the jig as a rule .
black jig-black frog, brown jig-brown trailer,
blue jig- blue frog. No reason or logic, just my
preference because it works for me.

If a fishermen can master a jig n what ever the trailer,
then he can be successful when the bite is tough in the
summer. Some say the worm , or twister or tube or grub
or what ever the plastic combination. And I won't argue
with these choices at all , and sometimes there good, But
when the bite is tough, the pig n jig, is the old reliable
secret weapon that I always go to and I never....never..
ever go home with an empty live well.

I have been fishing on the July 4 th holiday weekend
and the fishing pressure is tough. I meet a lot of
fishermen at the marinas and on the lake ." Having
any luck they ask?" And they always wanna see and
then they ask " what did you catch them on " and I
tell them "Jig n Pig" Most everyone who does much
fishing has these in their box, but very few use them
or have master the Jig n Pig enough to catch them,
when the summer time bite is tough.

So my faithful readers, take these
tips with you to the lakes
this 4th of July weekend. If you
don't have any Jig n Pigs,
then get some. Practice what I
have shared here today and
when you get home Sunday , Let
me know what your weekend fishing trip produced . I
probably won't be surprised.

And I promise , I wont say " I told you so" Just remember to
slow this rig down and stay in contact with the bottom , or
jig it up and down , or swim it at the right depth for those
suspended bass. You will ....I repeat ... You WILL catch some bass..if you stick with it.

If they don't hit the crank baits , spinners , top waters ,
minnows , etc.DO NOT be afraid to try the Jig N Pig . Good
luck , Fish and boat safely this weekend. See ya out there .
AND enjoy the "Great Outdoors!"