Missouri - New High School Sport?

While I am a supporter of this program, all credit goes to "Women's Outdoor News" for an update to this fantastic opportunity for high school students! Here is the story word for word, with all credit, going to the "Women's Outdoor News!"

Last year, the Illinois High School Activities Association sanctioned bass fishing as a school activity and will hold sectionals and a state championship this year. Already, more than 220 schools have signed on for the bass fishing program.

In Missouri, there’s movement to imitate the program in Illinois and it’s being supported by B.A.S.S., the worldwide authority on bass fishing and its Federation Nation Youth, a foundation of B.A.S.S./ESPN Outdoors. In a letter from Stacy S. Twiggs, Senior Manager, Federation Nation Youth, to the Missouri State High School Activities Association MSHSAA), he writes, “The sport of fishing is clearly different than stick-and-ball sports, but the activity has effective ties for developing student athletes with a sound education. While competition includes physical factors, it’s easy to apply an extensive classroom curriculum to the program. A balanced program of competition combined with emphasis on conservation, environment, science, mathematics, reading, geography, art, water safety, character development and the heritage of the great outdoors has the potential to be universally accepted and strongly grounded in our nation’s schools.”

And besides all that … fishing is fun and it takes place outdoors!

The Missouri State High School Activities Association will review this proposal this month. Missourians are encouraged to contact their local high school principals and recommend action to accept this program. Let’s not stop with Missouri; let’s spread this idea nationwide.

For more information about how to start a bass fishing extra-curricular program in your state, contact Stacy Twigs: stacy.s.twiggs at Bassmaster.com

What is your opinion? Is this really a good Idea? Sound off and let us know, what are your thoughts or opinion on this matter?

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Young Outdoorsman - Young Outdoor Blog!

Welcome, once again, to "Kenny's Great Outdoors!" The weather here in Missouri is soppy, sloppy, slushy, muddy, wet, and definitely on the chilly side to boot! The Stl. Cardinals got rained out in Chicago, so today has been a pretty dreary day!

I was catching up on my reading of all my favorite outdoor blogs, and I ran across this really cool site! My day immediately became sunny and bright, even though the sun didn't even come out! My finding this site was what I needed!

As most of you probably know, I am a supporter of "Take A Kid Fishing!" and I strive to influence as many kids as I can, to become the next generation of fishermen and women! Now to get to the point!



Introducing, and highly recommending," Blake Rasch's Strikes, Bites, and Fights! " This young man, is doing his part, to promote, conservation of his and his next generation of outdoors men and women, to become active and and get involved with the preservation of his passion for the outdoors!

Now I am asking you all to do YOUR part and give him the support and mentoring that was given to most of us. Now you know, that I don't recommend or endorse just any old thing that comes along! So check out his site, Link up with him, if you can, and let's all let him know, that we are all behind him, and wish him Great success with his life long dream!

Blake seems to have good influence and mentoring from his parents and he's taking it up and running with it, so to speak! He has a some real cool pics of his success, and some great articles.
I HIGHLY recommend his site to young and old, and I believe he won't disappoint his readers and followers!

So click on the title of this post, the photo emblem , or the links in this article and pay him a
visit ! Tell him Kenny sent you, and Leave some comments! This will help him to learn what
you want to see or read about!

He has the neatest , well organized blog, and I think his blog can ONLY get BETTER!

You can also find his link in my blog roll in the right column! Another youngster joins the ranks, in the "Great Outdoors!" That is the reason I started this blog a year ago today! I want to share my knowledge and experience , to the next generation, so that each generation, learns and " passes it on" to the next generation and all those to follow!

Hope to see ya out there! Good luck , and don't forget......

Go visit "Blake Rasch's Strikes, Bites, and Fights!" I know he will appreciate your visit and comments and it won't be long, he will climb his way to the "top", I know I, will be reading his articles! I have already subscribed and already looking forward to his next post!

Spear Fisherman Shoots Self In Head!

A Brazilian man who came to a hospital with a spear stuck in his head after a diving accident says he is done with underwater fishing.

Three days after doctors surgically removed a 6-inch spear from his brain, Emerson de Oliveira Abreu said he would never do any more spear fishing, again!

Abreu said that he felt "a sharp pain" after his shot apparently ricocheted off a rock and entered his head above his left eye.

He said the pain was unbearable every time he touched the spear or when the ambulance hit bumps in the road on the way to the hospital.

The spear fisherman is in stable condition and expected to go home in 1 to 2 weeks.

Boy, we think hooking a thumb is a bad day! I can't even imagine how that felt. I find it hard to believe he shot himself in the head! I am glad he will be alright though! Adds a new twist to fishing safety!

So until next time boat safely! Keep your hooks wet, and your line tight! See ya out there!

EATING FISH -- BENEFITS OUTWEIGH RISKS!

Two new studies recommend that Americans continue to keep fish as part of a healthy diet because the benefits of eating fish outweigh the health risks. The Institute of Medicine reviewed the recent literature on fish and health, and it concluded that healthy adults can safely consume up to 12 ounces of fish a week.

Fish provides a source of lean protein and good omega-3 fatty acids. In a second study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health drew similar conclusions about the benefits of eating fish. They estimated that eating one to two servings of fish a week could reduce the risk of heart attack by about a third.

The Institute of Medicine report goes softer on the heart benefits of eating fish, saying there "may be" some reduction in heart attack risk. It also said that it is not clear whether it is eating the fish that reduces the risk of heart attacks or whether it's what fish lovers are not eating -- fatty meats like steak and hamburger -- that's important.

What do you think? What is your opinion? All comments encouraged and welcome!

Rainbow Trout At Montauck !

With all the rain and cold weather, the lakes are high and dirty! No lake fishing until it warms up and clears up, which should be soon!
That is if it doesn't rain for awhile!

Went to Montauk, to try my luck at catching some rainbow, this morning and low and behold it was raining and cold! It wasn't raining hard , just a steady drizzle. One thing about them rainbows the rain and cold doesn't seem to bother them too much.

The branch was at a good flow and fairly clear, kind of surprising with all the rain as of late! The horn went off and the bite was on and it took a whole hour for me to catch my 4 rainbows!
I caught 13 fish and kept 4 real nice bows, between 15 and 17 inches long! My friend Jerry went along and he caught 4 bows of which 2 of them made the lunker board! He caught a 5lb bow and a 4.75 bow! Wow he put it on me this time!

That's one thing about trout, they don't seem to mind cold, and wet weather, near as much as I do. It was just a little uncomfortable for about 45 minutes or so and then it warmed up and quit raining, that is when we got in the truck and rolled up the window, and turned on the heat! Boy, that sure felt good!

I was using "Velveeta" cheese and Jerry was using some kind of homemade bait that he makes, seemed to be the trick today! I am going to have to sneak around and find out his recipe. He caught some really nice ones! Some fishing buddy, wouldn't even share his bait with me! I won't forget that for a long time. He knows I will get even, that's part of the game we have!

I love to catch them rainbows on my ultra lite! It is quite a challenge trying to catch a big rainbow on 2lb test! It is even a greater challenge trying to tie on those miniature treble hooks! I can't even see the holes, let alone see to tie the 2 lb test line.

So until next time, keep your lines tight and your hooks wet! See ya out there! Good luck and lots of success on your next trip!

Hot Day Bass Fishing - Lake of the Ozarks!

Hello, and I hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend! The weather as of late has been colder and lots of rain! But, I did manage to get in a day of fishing last Friday at the Lake of the Ozarks. Travis and I started off looking to get bit by tying on a shad rap and trolling for some whites! This seemed to be the ticket as we quickly ( 45 minutes) caught 16 whites! They were nice sized whites too! Then as if you had flipped a switch they quit biting at all!

So we got out the topo and found a good spot or two and headed out for a long boat ride! It was close to noon and we found our spot and I tied on a Rat L Trap! First cast , boom, a big one was on and running fast! My reel was squealing and I knew I had tied into a big striper! Wow, what a fight, he would let me get him to the boat and then he would strip off line again!

Now about 15 minutes into the battle, my arms are aching and numb, and about exhausted, the big fish came up to the boat, and us with a net ready, he decided this was enough and he dove and took off! I am exhausted and ready to win this battle or else, and he decided enough was enough! I have no clue except maybe he tore the hook out of his mouth, because I noticed that only one treble was in his lip, apparently not good enough! My line went slack! BUMMER! Travis estimated the striper to be about 30 lbs! We got a good look 3 or 4 times!


Well after a few choice words, a cold soda and a sandwich, I decided that I would get" sweet revenge" by assaulting the large mouth bass! I tied on a black backed, chrome, wiggle wart! This is a very popular bait on Lake of the Ozarks! They always produce lots of bass for me!

I made about a dozen casts when I got bit hard! I got the victory on the big large mouth , guessed him to be about 6 lbs, he actually weighed 5.75 lbs! I caught bass pretty regularly and kept five more bass that averaged 2 -3 lbs!

Travis was using a black backed, chrome, rogue and caught 4 fish in the 3 - 4 lb range. Not really a bad day on the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks! Will definitely have to go back to Lake of the Ozarks soon , when the weather breaks and gets warmer! Now in regards to the "big one that got away, there will be another day, today he is the victor! I lost this one but he won't forget Travis and I and he WILL recognize my boat if he sees it again!

So hey everyone , keep your lines tight and your hooks wet! See ya out there!

If you enjoyed this article feel free to leave a comment! Don't forget to subscribe if you haven't, and thanks everyone for reading this and my other articles. Look around in my archives and enjoy!

Smiles Are Important To Your Health!

A man went fishing one day.

He looked over the side of his boat and saw a snake with a frog in its mouth.
Feeling sorry for the frog, he reached down, gently took the frog from the snake, and set the frog free.But then he felt sorry for the snake. He looked around the boat, but he had no food. All he had was a bottle of bourbon. So he opened the bottle and gave the snake a few shots.

The snake went off happy, the frog was happy, and the man was happy to have performed such good deeds.

He thought everything was great until about ten minutes passed and he heard something knock against the side of the boat. With stunned disbelief, the fisherman looked down and saw the snake was back with two frogs!
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A boy was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful Princess, I will stay with you for one week." The boy took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.

The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a Princess, I'll stay with you and do *Anything* you want." Again the boy took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket. Finally the frog asked, "What is it? I've told you I'm a beautiful Princess, that I'll stay with you for a week and do *Anything* you want. Why won't you kiss me?" The boy said, "Look, I'm a computer programmer. I don't have time for girlfriends, but a talking frog is really cool."

Two Great Days And One Great Night On The Big Piney River!

Hello, and welcome to "Kenny's Great Outdoors!" If you love to catch big bass and enjoy the "Great Outdoor", then you have arrived at the right place and any time is the right time. If you like what you have read or seen here, then please feel free to subscribe!

I went on an over night , 2 day float on the "Big Piney" river, in pursuit of small mouth bass and goggle eye! Jerry and I put in on the Big piney river on Saturday, early morning and floated till Sunday night on a 2 day float trip! We started at Mason bridge access on highway 32 west of Licking about 11 miles. We floated down to Six Crossings about 6 miles above the Ross Bridge, near a little town called Duke, Missouri. That made it about a 25 mile float trip!

Saturday was a beautiful day with the high near 60 degrees and sunny. We caught too many goggle eye to count! I would estimate we caught around 50 goggle eyes and we caught several 17 -20 inch small mouth bass. Bass season is closed until Memorial day weekend on the rivers around home, so we released them all. We did keep several goggle eyes and had a nice fish fry Saturday evening for supper.

We made a camp on a nice gravel bar and we found a big drift of wood and used the chain saw we had with us to cut the drifts up for a nice fire and boy did it come in handy! The temperature fell into the low to mid 20s and made the fire feel really good to us. We wore shorts and T shirts Saturday and nearly froze to death on Sunday. The temperature Sunday was about 42 and really that is not too cold, but with 40+ mph winds I would say the chill factor was in the 20s.

Being natives to Missouri weather, we took our warm clothes and coveralls because, if you don't like the weather in Missouri, just hang around because it can change as quick as you can blink your eyes, sometimes! So we were prepared for the weather change, good thing! We woke up Sunday morning, and there was frost all over everything and the fire had all but gone out and it was cold, when we crawled out of the sleeping bags. Needlessly to say it didn't take long to build a fire and warm back up!

Sunday was a total disaster fishing wise, and we didn't catch hardly any fish to speak of. Yes , Even I get the skunk once in a while, too! But, we had a wonderful outdoor experience! We saw several deer and turkeys both days, and we even saw a black bear and some wild hogs! It was the first wild black bear, that I have ever seen in Missouri!

Jerry caught a couple of nice small mouth bass ,Sunday! With the biggest small mouth weighing in at about 5 lbs. We caught about 11 goggle eyes on Sunday and they all ran just about 9 or 10 inches! Quite the contrast between Saturdays catch and Sundays catch! Just goes to show you how a cold front can change the quality of fishing. But again, they can still be caught.

We listened to the coyotes howl all night and even though it is eerie sounding, it is so neat to listen to them grouping for the nights hunt!

Sunday morning we started over a shoal and standing in the middle of the river was the biggest bobcat I have ever seen. With one leap he hit the bank and was gone. Our 2 day trip was great and we look forward to the next trip, too! It seems like the more I get out in the outdoors, the more I want to get out in the outdoors! Now , whats up with that?

So when the weather warms back up again for a few days, get on the river and get after the goggle eyes! Saturday they were hitting spinners, crank baits, and jigs! I believe they would have bitten a bare hook!

So until next time, keep your hooks wet and your lines tight, boat safely and Enjoy, the "Great Outdoors!"

Missouri Bass Fishing - Tough Bite!

It has been over a week since I posted anything on "Kenny's Great Outdoors!" It's not due to nothing going on. I have been very busy, but not too busy to fish! I just really haven't had time to post.

Instead of making several posts I will summarize fishing in this post alone. I have been fishing on 3 lakes this past week, and the bite has been tough at best!

Last Wednesday the 25th, I spent 2 days on Lake Norfork , Arkansas. Had a wonderful 2 days of fishing and nice weather.
We spent the first day chasing stripers and ended up with 4 nice stripers about 6-12 lb range , nothing huge but still had fun, also caught 19 whites.

The 2nd day we bass fished but didn't do really well, but can't really complain, we ended up with 12 three to four pounders. The bite was tough, but we managed to catch them on jerk baits and jig n pigs! Normally this time of year we catch 50 or 60 bass, not the case this trip. We only caught 15 bass all day.

Saturday we went to Lake of the Ozarks and did fairly well. A cold front had come in and the rains had the water pretty dirty, although you could find clearer water if you tried. We caught them on " Smithwick Suspending Rogues" and drop shot rigs. The cold front had changed the big bass from spawning mode and we caught several bass over 5 lbs. The rogue bite was very tough, as you had to jerk and twitch the bait, and let it rest for quite a while. Then they would just pick it up and sit there. This is not an uncommon thing during cold fronts or colder water temps.

Most of the bass came on a drop shot rig or a jig n pig rig. The bigger bass did seem to prefer the Jig n Pig. Because of the bite a good sensitive rod and line was a must. They didn't hit and run at all, just picked it up and sat there, sometimes just a twitch of the line was all you noticed. A real tough bite to detect, but still proved to be a successful fishing trip.

This past Monday. we went to Bull shoals again, water conditions where we fished was dirty. With all the rain we have been getting, you could see maybe a foot deep, more like 6 inches! We did manage to catch 18 whites and 6 large mouth bass! We caught these fish on a white deep running bandit, while fishing the banks.

We didn't fish for whites but caught them while plugging for large mouth bass. No telling how many whites we would have caught if we had concentrated on fishing for them.

So there you have it, a week of fishing rounded up in one post. Again, if the weather will stabilize the fishing will get really hot!
All the fish we caught were full of eggs and needing to spawn.

So I hope we see you all out there, and good luck with your fishing trips, wishing you lots of success with your catch. Keep your lines tight and your hooks wet! Remember, boat safely! Oh yeah , one more thing, remember to take a kid fishing! Pass it on!