Missouri Bow Hunting - What A Day!

Wow, I just got back from my evening bow hunt! It was quite an afternoon, and excellent evening! I just bought a good outdoor ground blind, its all camouflaged
and roomy enough to shoot a bow! Pretty good size you might say.Anyway, it was drizzling rain all afternoon and sometimes the rain came down pretty hard, if you catch my drift! Hardly was a breeze a blowin and when it did blow it was for a minute or two and then you could hear everything!

As I said in an earlier post, the squirrels are as thick as rats on a ship, and they are dropping acorns all over the place, so your on your own in the woods right now, hard hat may be required! They are running all over the woods, and a small flock of turkeys came feeding by my blind and I considered a shot at one but, declined the shot as I didn't want to spook the site!

They were scratching and digging and feeding on bugs and such, and the squirrels are raisin Cain, if you don't mind me saying so, and the rain keeps coming on down, but in a slow misty drizzle. Now this is about 2 pm and I am sitting in my chair, yes, I said chair, as in an easy chair, out in the woods, like I said the blind has plenty of room, I have a small coffee table for coffee, snacks, apples, you know the routine!

So I am killing some time, I pour a cup of coffee, and peel me an apple, conveniently throwing the peelings out the window onto the ground! I kinda like the smell and I hear the deer do too! I am sitting there enjoying my apple, and coffee, when all of a sudden, the squirrels got quiet! The turkeys got quiet and starting doing those turkey things like puttin and stuff! For some reason this alerted me to maybe something might not be right! Either a bobcat,coyote, or maybe a deer, could have shut all the creatures up, and only one other problem!

My bow is lying on the floor of my blind, no arrow in the nock of course and I have a cup of coffee in one hand , an apple in the other! Ha! Now what? I slowly turn to see behind me and there, not 15 yds away from my blind, nose down, licking and chawing on my salt block and mineral blocks, was a nice 6 pt buck!

Now I immediately, put down the coffee, dropped the apple, grabbed the bow and the arrow, cocked it slowly swung back around and.....He was GONE! He had somehow gotten out of my line of site and so I turned back around the other way and banged my coffee cup with my broadhead and the Buck was about 30 yards and turned broadside and stopped, staring at the blind but still not sure what was wrong, just knew something was wrong!

Well this is the moment of truth, I raise my bow and take a site, and I let go...........! He took off like a fire in the prairie and acted as though I didn't even touch him but it looked like the arrow was on the mark so I sat there for about an hour, and climbed out of my blind and walked to where I shot him and looked for blood or hair and found neither! Around 4 pm I called a friend of mine to come help me track this deer! We searched until well after dark and found only my arrow! Now this is good news, for me as the arrow was clean accept the dirt it hit! No blood, now I am not happy about the miss, but I am glad I did miss because he will live to see another day!

I guess I will live to see another day myself, so all is well! I loved the afternoon and the creatures and just being in the outdoors, nice and warm and dry! Thanks to my new deer blind, all went well! Hope you enjoyed this post and you can comment if you would like. Make your self at home and check out the archives, and be sure to subscribe if your not already, either by a reader or email your choice, so feel free to subscribe and keep up to date with the latest updates, here at "Kenny's Great Outdoors"

So until next time keep your tail dry and enjoy the "Great Outdoors!" See ya out there!

Fall Outdoor Adventures - Very Busy?

Wow, the last week or so has been so busy, what with all the last minute activities of fall! Busy time of the year here as all outdoor activities are in full swing! Fall bass fishing is fantastic and has been easy to catch them fall bass! Went twice last week, once on Truman Lake, and once on Lake of the Ozarks! Both trips were really good! I caught a lot of large mouth bass on Bill Dance fat free shad! Caught several on rattle traps, spinners, and bass bandits were all good!

I found several mushrooms in the past week! We all call them "deer antler" mushrooms or coral mushrooms! They are excellent rolled in flower and fried in vegetable oil! They are excellent just sauteed in butter too!

Bow season is in full swing, which is what I mainly am doing right now! I have seen several deer, but haven't had a shot yet! There is a lot of squirrels, and the acorn crop is good this year so squirrel, deer, and turkeys are surely to be scattered every where! I have had squirrel and dumplings quite often as of late, yummy!

Gigging season is in full swing and I have been getting several suckers, wow, they are tasty and plentiful, as I have been eating, probably more than my share, though the river is up and muddy right now, so the gigging seems to be out for a few days till the rivers around here clear up again.

Oh well, that still leaves plenty to do around here, as I am still cutting fire wood and clearing some land around here, I cut and sell fire wood so that is a lot of work in itself, so yes, it has been extremely busy around here , doing all the work , and fishing, around here! It 's a tough job but someone has to do it! It might had well be me, don't you think?

Rabbit season and the gun deer season is still around the corner, but by then the fishing at the lake will be red hot again and well as you can see, no wonder, I haven't had time to post anything, even though I have had lots of things to post , just not nearly enough time to sit down and type! So this is just a recap of the last week or so to bring you all back up to sluff, here at "Kenny's Great Outdoors"

So until next time, keep your hooks wet, and your lines tight!
See ya all out there I hope!

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

I want to take a moment to, point you all , to an excellent blog, that I personally follow and HAVE on my blog roll favorites list! The Rash Outdoor Chronicles . Albert is an excellent author and very professional! He is always, on top of everything in the outdoor niche! I have copied, with his permission, this entire post, on Blog Rodeo: 9/12/09. If you don't follow or know about his blog take the time to go over to his blog and check him out, You won't be sorry! Tell him Kenny, over at Kenny's Great Outdoors sent you!

Blog Rodeo: 9/12/09

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Well, here is another Saturday and it is time for another Rodeo!

I've picked out posts that I especially enjoyed this week from the hundreds of blogs I follow. Remember if you bump into a post you especially like, drop me a note and I'll include it in the Rodeo. You can even feel free to copy this whole post and run it on your own blog; always nice to give a little link love to our fellow bloggers!

Blog Rodeo: 9/12/09

Wild Ed's Texas Outdoors: Texas Eurasian or Collared Dove nice biology lesson by Wild Ed. As it turns out do not have to count them in your bag limit as they are an exotic. Ed recommends that you have a great time shooting and eating this bonus species.

From my favorite tech and security blogger comes an important security update for all of you that use Wordpress. Bore Patch: IMPORTANT: Wordpress Bloggers: upgrade now Hurry up and get it fixed!

Mr Ron over at Ron's Primitive Skills has a great little device/project that is a must have for your E&E kit. The Fire Starting Rig is a great project for Scouts, your kids, and anyone else interested in making sure they can start a fire.

Whit Spurzon recounts the start of a spectacular bear season with at least eight of his fellow hunters tagging their bears. Bears Down! One of them even did it after bicycling in.

Rick over at Whitetail Woods has a couple of back to back posts that I thought were very informative. First on Savory Sundays #30 Rick reviews a couple of cookbooks dedicated to venison, and then Rick goes and visits with Nate, the "CrackShotHunter" and enjoys not only the company and camaraderie of a fellow deer hunter, but does a little shooting, and gets to try some savory smoked venison that Nate made up for the occasion!

What Would You Do? Good question. What would you do if your adult daughter was being stalked by her ex-husband, if you could see that sooner or later he was going to kill her, if you had exhausted the legal steps, and the police were telling you that once you daughter was dead, they would arrest her abuser? Do you abide by the law and watch your daughter terrorized, knowing that it will lead to her death? We all know the answer, the question is would you do something about it? He did. Read about it: What Would You Do?

Afghan Lessons Learned is the Internet leader in getting soldiers prepared for the reality that is Afghan warfare. Donations Needed for Coin Library They are setting up a school in Kabul at the foot of the ruins Queens Castle to teach and expand the doctrine of population centric concepts for operations; in other words teach 'em how to fight the Taliban with every weapon in the arsenal: legal, intellectual, agricultural, sociological, you name it they're going to teach it to beat the savages at their own game. They need our help to get the fellows books and supplies. Remember, while you're here, all cosy in front of your computer, there are guys with sand up there asses and ducking bullets. Think about it...

Marian's Hunting Stories has a great refresher on firearms, gun control, polotics, and good things to know.
Check out Marian's Firearms Refresher Course, it's short, educational, and very entertaining.

Chad Love has a great post, hell he's got lots of great posts, but I'll limit myself to this new one. Photographic Chronicle of Youth Versus Age a small reminder of who we were, and who we are. Time, what a bummer.

Kenny's Great Outdoors: Take A Stand - Get Involved - Speak Up! Kenny's on an informational crusade against pollution in his neck of the woods. It seems that people are begining to take the waterways for granted again and pollution is on the rise. Let's give every waterway the respect and care it deserves. As Kenny says, "Being quiet is not the answer, people!"


Over at the Daily Limit, US v. Stevens goes to the Supreme Court covers the soon to be heard case against a certain type of abhorrent and deviant behavior. Unfortunately, the way the law is written it would most certainly be used against hunting and fishing videos. DK has it covered and is keeping us abreast.

Now for the "You really shouldn't piss Albert off first thing in the morning," category. Seems some lowlife named Dell left a really, really nasty and profane comment at the OBS. Kristine handled him quite handily, but I really want to go whip his sorry ass. I'll just have to settle for dismembering his online persona...

The Survivalist Blog has an impressive set of links to virtually anything related to prepping, survival, and self sufficiency. The Ultimate Collection is pretty darned near Ultimate!

That's it for this week. Remember, if you have a post and you want me to highlight it, just let me know!


Albert

I personally like this blog post and you can find it here @ National Hunting and Fishing Day

Hope you enjoy all of these interesting and informative articles! So Until next time enjoy
the " Great Outdoors!" See ya all out there soon, I hope!

Tips On Removing A Hook From A Fish - Catch And Release!

Today, we are going to talk about how to properly, and safely, remove a hook from a fish. Recently, I have received a lot of emails from readers wanting to know, how to remove a hook from a fish and release it back into the water, without hurting the fish. This is a important for those who practice catch and release, and especially important for fish that are smaller than the legal size limit for possession!

Handling fish should be kept to a minimum and it should be done with a gentle hand! Where the fish is hooked is important, and should be observed and considered, before hook removal is attempted! Below is a list of tips for handling and releasing fish! The list I am sure, is not all the tips for all species, but works well for most species of fish! The order of these tips are in random order and does not reflect order of importance, or procedure, so use a little common sense and successful release will result in the survival of a healthy fish, for future fishing adventures!

1 Always wet your hands before handling a fish, as this helps to prevent damaging the fishes mucous or slime covering that protects them from disease and sickness!

2 Use caution, and grasp the fish firmly, but gently, to avoid dropping and damaging the fish, as this can hurt the fish and cause injury, and makes for a healthy release and the fishes survival! Be careful not to squeeze the fish too hard as to cause internal damage!

3 Always carry and use hemostats, needle nose pliers, etc, to remove hooks, using a twist and pull motion. Using your fingers can result in damage to the fish, and possibly hooking yourself in the process! Then you will be emailing me and asking me how to safely remove a hook from your hand, without causing you, too much stress!

4 Never, and I repeat, NEVER, pull a hook from a fishes gills or throat as this almost always results in death of the fish. Just cut the line, or cut the hook if possible, to retrieve your lure, and leave the hook, as most hooks will rust or dissolve in a fairly short time, thus insuring the survival of the fish!

5 Never stick your fingers into the eyes or gills of fish, this too, results in damaging the fish and more times than not will cause death to the fish!

6 When ever possible, grasp larger fish by the lower lip, and smaller fish around the mid section, after wetting your hands of course! Lipping a fish with teeth is not recommended for obvious reasons, so handle these fish by grasping them across the gill plates!

7 Fish too small to legally keep and fish that you don't intend to keep should always be handled with extreme caution and should be released immediately, to increase their chances of survival!

Handling fish and removing hooks from them causes a lot of stress on the fish, so be gentle, and quick and this will help reduce the amount of stress on the fish. Quickly release the fish back into the water, making sure the fish has the best possible chances of survival! You can not always remove a hook from a fish without damaging it but , if you use caution, you can greatly increase the odds of the fishes survival, without inflicting too much discomfort or damage to the fish!

I hope this answers your questions about how to remove a hook from a fish to ensure the release of healthy fish and greatly increase the chances of a healthy recovery, and increase your chances to catch a bigger fish the next time you go!

If you enjoyed this article, then be sure to check out my archives, and subscribe to this blog to make sure you get all of my latest updates, tips and articles! Please feel free to leave a comment, and browse thru the archives! There are many articles, tips and pictures of the "Great Outdoors" for your viewing pleasure!

So until next time, practice catch and release, and see ya out there I hope! Good luck on your next "Great Outdoor" adventure!

It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose yours! - Harry S. Truman

Take A Stand - Get Involved - Speak Up!

As summer draws to an end and fall settles in, I want to address an issue, that, believe it or not, effects all Missourians and those of you in all the other states of this country. Water Pollution!

I fish in several streams and reserviors in Missouri and Arkansas and I have been observing for many years, that the quality of water in our reserviors and streams has been slowly but surely, becoming polluted in one way or another! Being quiet is not the answer, people!

Those of us who fish, or boat for recreational purposes, have become careless and down right inconsiderate to the fish, and wildlife that depend upon these streams and water sources for their very survival!

How many times have you flipped a cigarette, lure box, trash, or whatever on to the bank or into the water? I have observed jugs used for cat fishing just floating around, deserted and left for some one else to worry about. Well in fact here in Missouri, there are people who do care, and I am one of those who do care!

I remember a commercial on TV, of an Indian in a canoe, paddling down the river and the Indian, was observing trash, broken glass, etc! At the end of the commercial it showed the Indian with tears streaming down his face. I, as a little boy was touched by this commercial and all my life, I have had high regards for the outdoors, whether it be rivers and streams or lakes and woods. The very wildlife that we seek depend on us to keep it clean!

Here is an exact copy of an article, that I hope you will read and get involved!!!!! You don't have to be a Missourian to get involved, because, whether you know it or not, affects all the people in the USA! Not only does the wildlife and fish depend on clean water, but so do WE!

Read on Please! This is the article from the - "Missouri Coalition For the Environment"

Please join in the effort to restore and protect Missouri's streams -- your streams -- for ourselves and generations to come.

Missouri is a "water" state, being home to over 180,000 miles of streams, as well as many lakes and reservoirs. We would like to say that all of these waters are clean, safe for recreation, and healthy enough to support a full range of aquatic life. But we can't--not by a long shot.

In fact, Missouri streams are in serious trouble, and they need your help.

Platte Creek More than 85% of Missouri's streams lack basic protections for recreation and aquatic life -- protections required by the federal Clean Water Act but never put in place in Missouri. As a result, most of the thousands of legal waste water discharges to our streams do not remove dangerous bacteria or keep hazardous toxics to levels safe for fish and other life.

And then there are the other sources of damage to our streams:

* agricultural runoff that dumps huge amounts of soil into streams as well as nitrogen and phosphorus that create algae blooms and suck critical oxygen from the water
* storm water that erodes streams and fills them with oil, grease, bacteria, road salt, and other chemicals from streets, parking lots, and lawns
* development construction that covers, channels, and allows sediment to wash into streams
* gravel mining that alters stream channels and destroys ecosystem integrity
* 4-wheel drive vehicles and ATVs that damage stream beds and banks
* and, unfortunately, much, much more...

So, there are lots of problems. Can you really make a difference? Yes!

Click on this link to learn more---->"Missouri Coalition For the Environment" Do Not be quiet when you see some one or a business polluting our land and streams, it is our responsibility to maintain and preserve our outdoor lands and water resources, if not for the wildlife, just do it for yourself and the future generations of your family!

So, until next time, boat safely, and take your trash home with you! Report all violations of pollution whether it be an individual are a big enterprise, It Is STILL POLLUTION! GET INVOLVED, SPEAK UP!



Cool quote of the day:

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. --Anonymous

Out Door Reflections - Sharing With Others!

Here not to long ago, Kristine , over at the "Outdoors Bloggers Summit" asked the members to answer a question! " Why do you Blog?" Sounds simple doesn't it? Well, doesn't it? I sat down at my computer and got ready to answer this "simple" question. I got writers block or something! I have pondered on this for a few days and I think I am ready to share my feelings on this!

First off, I always wanted to be a writer of some sort, even at a very young age! I loved the outdoors and all it had to offer! And I might add, she has a lot to offer!

Well I met a lot of people and talked of the outdoors and all the different activities, like river fishing , lake fishing deer hunting, etc... You get the picture, and a lot of them didn't even seem to relate to the outdoors in that way! They always seemed to ask a lot of questions and enjoy
the stories I told them of my personal experiences in the outdoors!

About 2 years ago, I decided to start a blog and share these experiences with the world wide web and I just love to write and share my outdoor life with all that will read! I guess what I am trying to say is this.. I want to contribute to society in some way that all mankind can benefit from it. I figure if I share my knowledge of the outdoors, and the conservation of all the wildlife etc. in the out doors, then I can do my part to ensure the next generation of outdoor people can enjoy all that I have and maintain it for all the future generations!

Some blog to make money, some blog for fun, some blog for both reasons. The money is not so good so far, but I have made a lot of friends and I love to share all of my 54 years of outdoor wisdom With all of you who want to read about it. Your comments and feedback brings me satisfaction in knowing that people are reading and enjoying what I write about! That about sums it up!

Kristine, is one cool lady and I hope this gives her some insight as to why we do what we do! If you all don't support her cause at the "Outdoor Bloggers Summit" then you should, I have a gut feeling you will, if you will just visit the site, and it costs nothing to be a member or supporter! All those who support the Outdoor Bloggers Summit, have formed a large community of Outdoor supporters and bloggers!

Fall Bass Fishing - Truman Lake Always Good

Hello, and welcome to "Kenny's Great Outdoors", where bass fishing is the main topic and sometimes the tales are pretty tall, but always true! I just got back from a 2 day trip on Truman lake!

Rather than tell you all the lures we did use, we will tell you the lure of choice, not my choice, but the lure that the bass seemed to choose! This is of course what we are suppose to be doing when we fish, what the fish want seems to pay higher dividends in the long run!

With the days getting shorter and the weather and water cooling down, the bass are going into the transition of getting ready for winter! This in itself can be a challenge, and can be a hit or miss, situation. Friday we spent half the day giving the bass a wide selection and a large variety of lures to choose from. Mid afternoon I stumbled upon the lure of choice, again, the bass chose, and I limited out on large mouth bass in about 3 hours!

The rattle trap, chrome with a black back, 1/2 ounce, turned out to be the ticket for the afternoon limit! I caught 6 bass ranging from 2-4 lbs. Now mind you these fish weren't big, but we cleaned and fried them, along with some potatoes, and lounged around the campfire all evening and turned in early as to rest up for a long day Saturday. We got up at day break and fried some eggs and bacon, and a pot of coffee. We had to fuel up for the big day. I tied on a Zara spook and Steve tied on a chrome wiggle wart.

We fished hard all morning and Steve hammered me pretty hard catching 3 four pound large mouths, with me catching only 1 two pound bass. I was catching some nice hybrids on the spook as we caught them surfacing for about 5 minutes! I caught 3 nice hybrids and Steve caught 2 on his wiggle wart!

I had notice, Steve, was getting a lot of action on the chrome wiggle wart, so I decided to try the black backed chrome rattle trap again, why not, It was a hot lure Friday! I fished it hard for about an hour and was about to change lures when, BAM a big one hit and the fight was on! I thought I had hung a big striper and Steve grabbed the net to help me! Now for you regulars , you know I have had trouble landing stripers (big ones) this year! Not to be the case this time. When I got it up to the boat and we saw that it was not a striper , but a huge large mouth!

Steve netted him for me and he came off as he entered the net! I got lucky this time, we weighed him on my digital scales and he weighed in at 11.50 lbs. Not the biggest bass for me but a lunker never the less! Steve made a cast while I was taking care of jaws and hung a huge striper! He fought him for a while and I netted him. He weighed in at 27.25 lbs.

We both limited out on bass, and had close to 30 whites, 27 to be exact. Turned out to be a rather enjoyable trip. The weather was awesome, in the upper 70's partly sunny and partly cloudy. To top it off, the wind was almost non existent, which made it a beautiful day on Truman Lake! Steve caught an 8 lb walleye trolling back to the truck and he had another big one get off at the boat with me trying to net it! That's OK, you can't catch them all. Better luck next time, Steve!

With winter closing in some of the best bass fishing is just ahead! Bass fishing gets really hot on Truman in October and November! So get your butts out there and make sure to try the rattle trap, You can fish it fast and cover a lot of water quick. Once you find them you can really catch a lot of them old lunker jaws.

So until next time, keep your hooks wet and boat safe! Make sure you enjoy the "Great Outdoors!" See ya out there, I hope! Good luck to you and yours, and practise catch and release, after you keep what you can eat! See ya!

Big Piney Late Summer Fishing!

It's that time of year again, you know, schools are gearing up again, August is drawing to an end and we are getting near the end of summer! Baseball is gearing up for the final pennant races and fishing starts to pick it up once again! We are all doing all the outdoor stuff that we can possibly get into each and every remaining day of summer.

I went fishing today and floated on the river. You could just feel the weather and sense the changes about to come. I caught several goggle eyes and small mouth bass, before noon and I was just enjoying the 82 degree day, kinda over cast and a gentle breeze blowing across the water. Squirrels were jumping from tree to tree, and I saw a few deer getting a drink from the river! They are really beautiful with their velvet attire and all. I lost a couple of good smallies, so I settled in for a noon time sandwich and a soda and of course some chips!

I spent the rest of the day just relaxing and enjoying the scenery, the sounds, just taking it all in and catching some decent fish. I took out of the river and went home and cleaned all of my fish and while the wife was cooking the fish and fries and hush puppies, I was out side building a fire to enjoy after dark, when the temperatures drop down into the 50s again! We sat around eating fish and chips and drinking cold soda and watching the great fire as the sun went down.

We were enjoying the fish, listening to all the nite creatures, like frogs, crickets, hoot owls, coyotes, and whipper wills. Of course the smell of the fire and listening to the noises a fire puts out like the wood cracking and popping, and the gases hissing as It burns of as the wood is consumed by the blazing blue fire. Was a pretty neat picture and a wonderful evening in the "Great Outdoors!"

Oh, by the way, we ate all the fish but 2 pieces and the fire felt good all evening! Just taking in the outdoors and enjoying the rest of summer! It just seems natural to be in the outdoors and enjoying all it has to offer, see ya out there, I hope!

Norfork Bass - Full Moon Possibilities!

We all know how hot the weather can get, especially in August! It gets down right nasty, in fact! The heat and long days of summer are on us and we resort to the a/c and some TV! I was sitting around the house and wanting to go fishing so bad, but not wanting to endure the heat! I realized the full moon was getting close and knew if the weather stayed the same then the nights would be clear as in "no clouds!"

Now I got on the phone and called a good friend, who happens to live right on "Lake Norfork" at Henderson, Arkansas! He said the night time bite was right on and the stripers were hitting good at night also! That was music to my ears! So off to Norfork Lake we headed and soon met up with my friend Larry, who bought us breakfast and filled us in on the bite. He had to work and wouldn't be able to join us on the first night. We went to a hotel and got some sleep and hit the lake about 5 pm.

It was still pretty hot but we had a pretty good ride to our first fishing spot for the night. Jerry tied on a black jig n pig and I tied on a 10 inch texas rigged black worm. Jerry got bit several times but all came off pretty quick and one was a good one too! He made a good run and let Jerry know real quick that he had a bad place on his line and it broke him off!

We decided to try our luck at some whites when we noticed them surfacing about a hundred yards from us so we tied on some rooster tails and eased in on the school of whites with just the trolling motor on slow. We both made a few casts and both rods were bent and bouncing with a couple of nice hybrids! They were in the 8 pound range! In the next 45 minutes we would limit out on whites and it was getting pretty dark so we rigged up and proceeded to get after "Mr" large mouth.

We got on this fairly shallow flat next to deep water and it was about 3 or 4 hundred yards long, lots of logs and rocks. I tied on a black buzz bait and Jerry tied on a white buzz bait.We both quickly caught 2 bass a piece and they were all 4 bass about 4 1/2 lbs! We really thought we had found the meal ticket when they quit them altogether! I tried something that worked years ago on Norfork, I put on a large black single blade spinner bait, and basically started bouncing the bottom with it and "WHAM" I had a big old large mouth on and she was mad! But she wasn't no match for my ugly stick and ambassador 6000 reel! She finally gave it up, rolled over on her side and we weighed her at 9.50 lbs!

Jerry quickly tied on a spinner bait identical to mine for some reason and we both proceeded to catch the fire out of those Norfork bass! We ended up with 9 bass with the biggest being 9.50 lbs and the smallest weighing in at 4.75 lbs. We had a great night and we even caught 2 keeper walleyes, what a night! Now mind you we started this night time fishing expedition on August 3rd and it was a rock n roll trip start! The 4Th and the 5Th were both good nights, but the quality of fish was down. The last 2 days we caught a lot of whites and bass but they were smaller.

So when it gets too hot for you in the dog days of summer, then try your luck on those full moon nights! It will be quite a bit cooler and sometimes you can really get into those big old bass! But, you need to know the lake that you are fishing because while the full moon is bright, the lake is different to navigate at night, so , be careful out there and boat safe! Watch out for the other guys and yield right of way to other boaters, and enjoy, the "Great Outdoors!"

Keep your hooks wet and we will see ya out there, we Hope!

You, Might Be A Fisherman, If...

1) You have a power worm dangling from your rear view mirror because you think it makes a good air freshener.

2) Your wedding party had to tie tin cans to the back of your bass boat.

3) You call your boat "sweetheart" and your wife "skeeter".

4) Your local tackle shop has your credit card number on file.

5) You keep a flippin stick by your favorite chair to change the TV channels with.

6) You name your black lab "Mercury" and your cat "Evinrude".

7) Bass Pro Shop has a private line just for you.

8) You have your name painted on a parking space at the launch ramp.

9) You have a photo of your 10 lb. bass on your desk at work instead of your family.

10) You consider viennies and crackers a complete meal.

11) You think MEGABYTES means a great day fishing.

12) You send your kid off to the first day of school with his shoes tied in a palomar knot.

13) You think there are four seasons--Pre-spawn, Spawn, Post Spawn and Hunting.

14) Your $30,000 bass boat's trailer needs new tires so you just "borrow" the ones off your house.

15) You trade your wife's van for a smaller vehicle so your bass boat will fit in the garage.

16) Your kids know it's Saturday---Because the boats gone!

Summer Time Bass- How Important Is The Thermocline?

As we near the dog days of summer,we all will experience, the lock jaw temperament of the "Large Mouth Bass!" You know those days when they just don't seem to bite anything! I have several articles in my archives on what lures to use during these times!

Today I want to share with you all something that will help you, when you brave the hot sun and tough fishing days that lay just ahead of us. Now a lot of people ask what lures do we use during the dog days of summer, and some ask what color? Now while lure and lure color choice, are important, Depth is probably more important than anything else!

Now you're probably asking, "why depth?" During the hot days of summer the surface temperature gets in the upper 80's and fish go deeper to get to cooler temperatures. Now after they go so deep, and the temperatures drop, so does the oxygen level drop! This is the level just below the "Thermocline" When the surface temps get too warm, fish seek out the thermocline. Cooler temps with lots of oxygen!

Thermocline - a zone of rapid temperature change!

These conditions are also ideal for bait fish, which by the way bass, stripers, walley, etc., love to eat! The best way to find the thermocline is use your graph and graph the fish and bait fish clumps at a certain level, and concentrate your effort with lures that are fished in that depth range, this is why, knowing what depths crankbaits, or spinners or whatever lures you use go down to and use the lures that are fished at that depth.

So, if you keep the thermocline in mind, then the next time you are experiencing hot summertime, slow biting bass, find the thermocline and fish that depth wherever you fish on the lake, this will drastically improve your chances of a successful trip in mid summer time waters!

Just remember, in the hot days of summer, find the thermocline by locating the clumps of bait fish, and bigger fish whatever level they are at and fish this thermocline all over the lake with lures that are running just above or in the thermocline and you will have more success, at catching those hot summertime bass.

I hope this fishing tip gets you better results, and contributes to more catches for you this summer, so , until next time, enjoy the "Great Outdoors!" See Ya all out there, soon, I hope!

Tough Day At Truman Lake - But Still Fun!

Well, last Sunday we had a northern cool front and about a 3 inch rain to boot! I figured it would put a damper on bass fishing, but none the less, had a trip to Truman Lake on the agenda for Tuesday, so we went ahead as planned and went fishing anyways!

We started off fishing with crank baits and spinner baits, and we tried every lure in the tackle boxes! Well, not every lure, but you know how it seems when the bite is not there. We fished hard and managed to catch 3 bass with only one being a keeper but a pretty good one at that! He weighed about 3 1/2 lbs! Not bad quality, but poor on the quantity side! One of those days, which we all experience from time to time, but we still enjoyed the "Great Outdoors" anyway!

Couldn't ask for a better day, weather wise, 78 degrees and pretty much sunny all day, even though we did endure a 5 minute shower early on in the morning. We saw a few eagles, deer, and a half dozen or so big gobbler turkeys! There weren't many other fishermen and we didn't take long to figure out why!

After lunch, we decided to try a different approach, Tom tied on a jig n pig and I tied on a 10 inch Texas rigged worm. You know, the old reliable stand bye lures! Now most of you that follow me, regularly, know that I always manage a limit by days end on Truman, but it wasn't to be the case this day! I did manage to catch 3 bass, all about the 3 or 4 lb range, and all of them big chunky fat ones!

We called it quits about 4 pm and put the old Blazer into the wind and headed home. Sometimes you just have to be grateful just to spend the day on the water, just enjoying the "Great Outdoors" and good old fishing buddy fellowship. We had a blast, and both commented about not remembering the last time we was on Truman in July, with 70 degree sunny weather, and almost no wind, to speak of. At times the lake was like a mirror, and that is truly beautiful and fun to cruise the lake when it is smooth!

If you all enjoyed this post, be sure to leave a comment and check out the archives for a whole lot more of the great adventures in the great outdoors, and loads of tips and articles to make your next trip, hopefully, more productive and fun! I hope you all like the new look of the site and Please, give me some feedback, good or bad it all helps me to make things more exciting and more enjoyable for you all, here, at "Kenny's Great Outdoors!"

See Ya out there, and good luck with your next outdoor adventure!

ProperBoat Ramp Etiquitte- Helps To Avoid Ramp Rage!

Just recently, I witnessed a terrible scene at a local lake boat ramp, boaters getting into a fist fight and cussing each other because of impatience and inexperience at the ramp! While entertaining to some, ramp rage is aggravating, dangerous, and time consuming, and can easily be avoided!

While this can be a sensitive and delicate subject, especially at the ramp, on the lake, it needs to be addressed in a way that makes sense to all boaters. It is a matter that we all deal with every time we access the lakes and streams where we fish or boat.

We get up early in the morning and drive to our favorite lakes and streams and anticipate a wonderful day on the water. By the time we get to the boat ramp we are wired for sound and the Adrenalin is flowing good. When we pull into the ramp access parking lot, we immediately see that there are 10 or 15 rigs waiting for their turn to untrailer and go fishing, or boating which ever the case might be!

Now while there are no set rules for unloading your boat, everyone has their own routine they go through to get from point A, boat on trailer to point B, boat in water! Some people are very quick and some are very slow. Some are slow deliberately, while some just don't have the experience yet, usually a new boat owner!

Here are a few pointers to make your trailering and untrailering experience go a little smoother at the ramp.

Pull into the parking lot and get your boat ready to launch BEFORE backing down to the ramp! This is the best procedure even for the most experienced boater and down to the least experienced boater! This is where you tie on lures, put in drain plugs, organize your gear, and transfer gear from truck to boat.I know while this is going, on a few boats might get in front of you and cause you to get a later start, but in the long run , avoids hassles, and ramp rage, which can quickly ruin the atmosphere of the day, making an unpleasant experience!

If you are a new boat owner go to a large parking lot and practice backing up your rig, as this is tricky, for new boat owners, and can cause you a lot of anguish at the ramp with other boaters waiting their turn. If you have a new boater in front of you , remember, you were inexperienced and slow when you first started out with your new rig. Practice being patient and offer the newbie, assistance with untrailering his new rig. Offer practical advice in a friendly tone of voice, so that his next experience along with the present experience , can be more pleasant and enjoyable.

It is hard enough to untrailer and trailer your boat, without someone chewing on your keister, and arguing, and quite possible even fist fighting! I have witnessed these very unpleasant situations and I am sure you all have witnessed them too!

If you have properly readied your boat and trailer, all you have to do is back it into the water, unhook the bow hook from your boat, and pull your vehicle out of the lake and up to the parking lot. With 2 people this is rather simple, and if you fish alone, there is always someone who will pull your rig up to the parking lot for you. After you dock your boat, you can always go get your keys and lock up your rig or reposition your rig where you want it. Drop your access fee in the box, and off you go fishing!

Now I haven't given you a check list , on what all needs to be done, because to me, this is just common sense. Before you go to the lake get a routine that works down, and practice it till you are quick and efficient with this procedure, and when you get to the access you will appear to have experience, and will not slow down anyone waiting behind you! No one will ever no you are a newbie!

While we wait our turn, be patient, and offer assistance, nicely, and make this part of boating as pleasant and enjoyable for all involved.Another thing, if you are easily agitated, and don't like to wait, then leave earlier and arrive at the ramp before all the other boaters, this will help to insure, you don't have to wait.Remember, one day you will be in front of an impatient boater and what you have put out in the past will in fact come back to haunt you.

While there really is no set rules or secrets on launching your boat, a little common sense goes along way. So until next time, boat safely, and enjoy the "Great Outdoors!" See ya Out there!

How To Remove A Fish Hook, Painlessly

On my last post I talked about a neat little trick of removing a fish hook from your body! It is a really painless way to remove a hook, I know from first hand experience, this technique works!
Watch this video which last about 2 minutes and remember that this really does work and I didn't feel a thing when it popped out!

Who Is Catching Who?

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First off today, I want to apologize to my readers, and visitors, for my inactivity of posting! It is not like I don't take my readers seriously, because I value each and everyone of you as loyal readers and good friends! Things have been hectic and in the fast lane for me here lately and I haven't had the time to post. It appears to be slowing down to normal again and I am able to catch up on duties again. Honey do list about normal, so things are looking up and time to get to work again!

This past Monday evening it was threatening rain and I decided to take another round of wade fishing to the "Big Piney" once again! It is rather refreshing and relaxing, belly deep in the river and catching them fiesty goggle eyes and small mouth bass! Drizzling rain doesn't really matter and in the heat of the summer months a front coming thru definitely can cause a feeding frenzy especially just as it starts to rain a good shower, the cooler water usually adds oxygen to the water as it spatters and makes the fishing absolutely red hot!

I waded into my favorite wading water on the Big Piney and the rain was just drizzling and the water surface was rough, making the fish unable to see me as equally as me not being able to see them! I caught so many small mouth that it was impossible to catch anything else. Not that I am complaining but You can only keep one small mouth!

After about an hour it quit raining and I hung into a good smallmouth and tired him out and was about to grab him when he flipped real hard and buried the treble hook past the barb into the side of my right hand! Ouch! It hurt super bad and I grabbed the small mouth with my left hand and hang on for dear life. Now mind you this small mouth is still flopping and such that it was inflicting intense pain on my hand, I am trying to figure out how to get my hemostats out of my back pocket and my side cutters.

After about 20 minutes of struggling with this situation, I some how managed to grab the treble hook that by this time was buried deep and hurting intensely! I had just, believe it or not the nite before watched a video on u tube about a doctor who was giving a demonstration on how to remove a hook without the pain and damaging the penetrations area too badly. A pretty nifty trick, I might add, but never realized I would use his method so soon and on myself at that.

I grabbed the hook firmly, twisted, and yanked, It hurt for just a second but not nearly badly as I had imagined, and it never got sore, Like I have experienced before. After my mishap was over it was a relief to go back to fishing, It took me 10 or 15 minutes to recover from the experience, I really freaked out for a little while.

I managed a good keeper small mouth bass and 15 nice keeper goggle eyes! I know that the evening turned out great and fun, but it was quite an ordeal, for anyone especially if you are by yourself and about a half mile from the truck and besides with a hook and a pole in one hand and a floppy old small mouth int the other, well, I think you might be able to imagine trying to wade the river a half mile and then driving down the rode about 20 miles down a crooked road and rough at that!

If you have never seen any films on people removing hooks you should watch a few and remember, you might not have a friend with you and you have to figure out a way to do it alone. It would be tough with a friend to help you, but it is really, really tough for you to do it solo!

So until next time practice fishing and boating safely, and see ya out there, I hope!

Small Mouth Bass - Big Piney River

Yesterday evening, I was bored, it was looking like it was going to settle in and start raining. About 4pm,I loaded up my ultra light, a stringer, and a small box of my river lures. Now my lure selection for the piney , during the heat of the summer, is pretty basic, and fits in a small fly box, at least, that's what I call it! Several small spinners with different colored twisters or rubber minnows. About 6 or 7 small ultra light crank baits , like the rebel craw dad, bass magnets, to name a few, you should notice that I really down size my lures.

The river is only about a mile from my house, so it makes a short trip and a fast start at fishing. I had on some old sneakers, shorts, tee shirt and a hat! Into the river I waded. I had tied on a black and red crawdad crank bait, and about the 3rd cast, I snagged a nice goggle eye! Maybe I should say he snagged me! He was about a 10 inch goggle eye, and between the current and his pulling power, getting him on the stringer, was quite the challenge! Nevertheless, the fisherman , wins this battle!

This was a good beginning to start the evening, and I anticipated a successful event. It was still early, like 4:30 or so, as I didn't have my watch with me, I always seem to forget something! But, time really doesn't matter, when you're having fun in the outdoors, and especially when I am fishing! Time just seems to stand still.

It didn't seem to be a hot day,even though it was 85 degrees. There was a nice breeze a blowing , and the birds and frogs, where singing their songs, and it was just a down right , quiet, beautiful evening to be wade fishing and soaking it all in including the nice cool water, which is probably why I wasn't noticing how hot it was!

I waded on down a few shallow riffles and got into the little eddie, I call "goggle eye eddie!" The name I call it should be obvious as to the story fixing to unfold! I love to wade this quarter mile eddie as it has good current, lots of huge boulders and logs, it makes great cover for fish and the small mouth bass just love it! Maybe 5 or 6 ft deep at the most!

I had been just goofing off and killing time, trying to fish, this excellent water, the last 2 hours of sun light. Prime time for some nice small mouth and goggle eyes! But now the time has come to get serious, and I tied on a natural colored rebel craw dad, and proceeded to catch some nice goggle eyes and several small, small mouth bass! I had managed to keep 8 keeper goggle eyes and truly enjoying the fight on the ultra light. It really gives the fish the upper hand, but is a blast as these goggle eyes bend the ultra light rod double, wow, too much fun! Is it really possible to have too much fun? Not really!

I had waded back up to the upper end of the eddie and threw that crawdad crank bait into the back up swirl over by the bank and started the retrieval when , "wham" a nice small mouth had struck and was running all over the river at will! He wanted to go up over the riffle, but some how I managed to stop him and again ran, at will, wherever he wanted. He finally tired out and he was a 20 inch small mouth, not bad for the piney river and an ultra light battle!

The very next cast, another bigger, a lot bigger small mouth slammed me hard, and we fought for 5 or 6 minutes as he was not about to give up so quick and then he ran straight at me , and came off! In the next 30 minutes I would hook 3 more big small mouth bass, that came off! And a huge small mouth, did some tail walking and threw my lure back at me and slipped back into the river as if nothing had happened and left me standing there looking stupid!

I waded up on a raccoon, who was fishing for crawdads, in the riffle and he didn't even notice me for about 15 minutes. He was so busy catching, crawdads and eating them that I was able to sneak with 10 feet from him and observed him up and close, I guess you could say up close and personal! Very interesting, as I had never witnessed this in the wild before.

So to sum up the evening, man won a few, beast won a few, but all was enjoyed to the fullest! It is simply put, amazing what nature and the outdoors, has to offer! We have to help her maintain herself, and we have to do our part, and watch over her and manage her. In the end, we all, win!

So until next time, enjoy the "Great Outdoors!" See ya out there, I hope!

Sworming Hornet Lures! Hot Summer Time Lures!

Now that the post spawn bass are headed back to their summer time haunts, and the water heats up, we all know that the bass and other species of predatory fish can be illusive, and hard to catch. They get lock jawed and even suspend a lot of the time!

While even the most skilled bass fishermen will tell you that it is extremely difficult at best, to catch these stubborn fish. A lot of people have asked me how to locate these bass. While I don't think locating these bass is hard to do, catching these bass is where the challenge is at!

I don't think people have trouble finding bass in the heat of summer, they think that if the bass aren't biting, they are not there!
I know, there has been times I have been in that situation, and it can be very frustrating. I truely believe, that picking the right lure is the answer 80 percent of the time! You see, bass are like us they have to eat pretty regular!

This lure among a few other lures can help you during these times of difficult fishing. Sworming Hornet Lures, are go to lures when this happens! They are relatively new lures, and believe me when I say, these are just a few of the lures in my arsenal that is the ticket, for suspended bass and very well might keep you from getting skunked during these hot days, or the dog days of summer!

Below is a video that demonstrates how to rig and fish these sworming hornet lures, be sure to watch the video and then if you don't have any, get you some and use them, when the bass are not cooperating on those hot summer days, for whatever reason!
You will be glad you did!

Bass Fishing Humor!

Dear Dr. Phil,

When I retired, I could hardly wait to spend time enjoying my favorite pastime -- bass fishing. I got my own little fishing boat and tried to get my wife to join me, but she just never liked fishing. Finally, one day at the Bait & Tackle Shop, I got to talking to Sam the shop owner who it turned out loves bass fishing as much as I do. We quickly became fishing buddies. As I said the wife doesn't care about fishing. She not only refuses to join us she always complains that I spend too much time fishing.

A few weeks ago Sam and I had the best fishing trip ever. Not only did I catch the most beautiful bass you've ever seen, only a few minutes later Sam must have caught his twin brother! So I took a picture of Sam holding up the two nice bass that we caught and showed the picture to the wife hoping that maybe she'd get interested. Instead she says she doesn't want me to go fishing at all anymore! And she wants me to sell the boat! I think she just doesn't like to see me enjoying myself. What would you do? Tell the wife to forget it and continue my hobby or quit fishing and sell the boat as she insists?

Thanks,

P.S. Enclosed is a picture of Sam with the two bass we caught!


Dear Fisherman,

Get rid of that narrow minded wife. That's a nice pair of bass!

Dr. Phil

The above joke and photo can be found at http://www.rickroot.com/blog/1/2007/06/Bass-Fishing-Humor.cfm

River Fishing Post Poned Due To Rain!

Well folks, I started off going fishing today, but didn't get to go! I didn't have a break down, or any thing bad happen, but as you can see in the picture above, the Gasconade river was up, and muddy! So I turned the old truck around and sulked and pouted all the way home!

I know there will be another day, but dang it anyway, I was all excited and looking forward to another wonderful day on the river.I knew it had rained some but I guess up river it rained a
lot more than what we had experienced down river. So I hate to disappoint you all but it
couldn't be helped.

So, I have a story to tell, that I was going to post back during turkey season! I know it is a little late, but it is still a funny story and worth telling, I think! I will keep it short and to the point, so here goes!

I had hunted for 2 or 3 days and heard a lot of gobblers, but had no success in calling one up to me! So on the 4th day I changed locations and was hoping to change my luck. I got set up before sunrise, poured me a cup of coffee and listened to the gobblers gobble all around me before the sun came up. I was getting the buck acre so bad I couldn't stand it. I know it is turkey season but I still got the buck acre so hush, and just listen! These gobblers were no more than 200 yds from me, still on the roost, gobbling every breath!

By the time the sun came up I was wired for sound and Adrenalin was flowing strong. They flew down from the roost and settled just over the ridge where I was set up, of course just out of sight! I made a few calls and they blew up all around me, but I couldn't see any of them. This went on for about 30 minutes and then all got quiet!

Fifteen or twenty minutes later, I heard something behind me and I figured one of them gobblers snuck in behind me. I turned ever so slowly and .... well the picture below will tell....
the rest of the story!

Have no clue where this dang emu came from or who he belonged to but he totally caught me off guard and started chasing me around. I just called it a day and scurried to the truck and took shelter in the safety of my truck. I didn't want to shoot the darned old thing, but he ran as fast as me and he didn't get as winded as me either! ;-)

So the next time you are turkey hunting, watch out for stray emus and if you do, either climb a tree or run like hell, because they are fast and they nip hard! I left him with the turkeys and maybe next time I turn around to see what is behind me, maybe it will be a gobbler! I did get a gobbler but not on this day! ;-)

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Wade Fishing - Enjoyable, And Rewarding!

I haven't been doing much fishing as of late, due to catching up on all the things on my "honey do" list, you know, honey do this, and honey do that! Anyway, I finally caught them up,and checked them all off as I completed them.

Recently, the weather here in Missouri has been hot and humid! I finished my list, and was hot and soaked from perspiration, which can make a guy downright offensive, if you catch my drift. I grabbed my ultra light and a few lures, and headed for my favorite spot on the Piney River to do some wade fishing!

I immediately dove in and submersed my entire body, clothes and all and washed that stench off of me and then proceeded to fish a section of about a mile of pretty fast moving water! I had tied on a beetle spin and was belly button deep in nice cool water and was feeling just fine! Now mind you I caught several nice goggle eye, and some real nice small mouth bass!

Just as the sun was setting and the temperature started cooling down, I tied on a top water lure called a Jitterbug! I would stay with this lure until well after dark. Hoot owls were hooting, and coyotes started their thing howling and all, and the tree frogs were screaming for rain, some say! Bull frogs were yelling and all the night sounds of the outdoors came to life!

About 45 minutes after dark I caught a real nice smally, and was putting him on the stringer with the other 12 nice goggle eye, and was totally concentrating on this as I didn't want to lose this 21 inch smally! When I got the smally secured on the stringer, I lit up a cigarette, I know, this is a bad vice of mine that I am trying to do away with, but for me it will take time.

I was working my way slowly back to the truck and caught a few more nice goggle eye and bass and released them as I already had enough for a nice fish fry for my wife and I. When all of a sudden I stepped off a ledge and into a deep hole of water, you know, over my head and now I was swimming for shallower water. After dark when you are wet, it tends to get a little chilly and I was starting to shiver a little bit,but, still proceeded to fish to the truck!

About 100 yds before the truck , I had to wade thru a little eddie, and it was really quiet, I stopped to light up another smoke, which, when I am wading , I keep in a water proof zip lock bag! I lit up and because of the bright light and then, practically pitch black night, I couldn't see a thing, so I remain still, until my eyes readjusted to the dark. About the same time, a loud splash about 3 foot from me made me jump out of my skin. A beaver had been swimming up the river and practically ran into me.

I scared him and he scared the @%$& out of me for a second! I swallowed my heart back down into my chest and laughed so loud, that you could of heard me for a country mile! Then he smacked his tail again on the other side of me and got me again!

What a night, I totally enjoyed myself, got a good cool bath and caught a good mess of river fish! When I got home I cleaned my fish, and the wifey cooked them up, and I believe, that was the best fish I had ever eaten! My wife says That I say that every time we cook fish! ;-) I think she's right! She also said that I smelled better too! Can't wait until next time , but I guess I will have to!

So until next time, try your luck at an enjoyable evening, wade fishing, It really is super fun, and is a great way to cool off on those hot summer evenings! Oh yeah, when I got home a hot shower was necessary to knock off the chill of the Big Piney River. You wouldn't think you would get chilled on a 85 degree evening in June, But, it is worth it! The Piney is spring fed and is cold any time of the year!