On The Lite Side ?

Hear is a little bass fishing humor, to brighten up our snowy and cold weather, here in Missouri and pretty much all the surrounding states  right now! Enjoy! We could all use a smile right about now I am sure!

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Near a highway bridge several boats were scattered about in the lake as there was the Annual Bass Catchers Classic fishing tournament in progress, when a funeral procession came by on the bridge.

Everybody just kept on fishing except for one fisherman, who put his fishing pole down, stood up, removed his hat and remained in that fashion until the funeral procession was passed.

A nearby fisherman happened to see this and was impressed at how respectful the man had been, so he cranked up his boat and pulled up beside the other mans boat.

"Howdy, I saw how considerate you were toward that funeral procession, pausing and standing like that. I wish I had been as thoughtful!"

The other man replied, "I reckon it's the least I could do. After all, we'd been married for nearly 30 years."

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Two boys were sitting on the rivers edge fishing. One turns to the other and says "Do fish grow fast?".

The other boy replies "I think so. Every time my Dad tells the story about the one that got away it grows another foot"

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Two guys are talking about fishing. One says to the other, "I am NEVER going to take my wife fishing with me, ever again!"

"That bad, huh?"

"She did everything wrong! She did everything wrong! She talked too much, made the boat rock constantly, tried o stand up in the boat, baited the hook wrong, used the wrong lures and worst of all she caught more fish than me!" he replied.
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A Little Twist To Bass Fishing!

You ever had a fishing buddy that took fishing this serious, well I think we all have, I just couldn't resist this post! Its definitely different than what your probably used to on this site, but It will surely get you to crack a smile, or maybe even crack some heads if the ladies don't like it! HA!

I think it is a funny video! It is sure to get a comment or two, so don't be shy give us the feedback anyway, as it's all good in the end!



Remind you of anyone? I know someone very close to me that this happened to, more or less! Not a word! HA!

So, until next time, keep your hooks wet and be sure and boat safely, see ya all out there!

I made a few phone calls and gathered all the fishing reports around the area lakes that I could and here are the results:
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Stockton Lake

Water temp 36-38 or cold to really cold

Crappie are biting excellent in 50-60 foot of water in brush piles.  Use a jig and a 2" grub and get right into the brush.  The brush close to drop offs, channel swings and on points seem to produce bigger fish.  Look for schools of shad and the fish seem to be a little more active.

Bass- All reports so far have been pretty slow.

Walleye are fair in 35-45 foot of water on jigs and minnows.  Some of these are being caught by crappie fishing.  Won't be long till the big ones are biting!!

No report on catfish
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Lake Of The Ozarks

 The ice has melted from the main channel due to all the current in the main Osage. There are also some launch areas that have ice cleared from their coves. The water is still very cold. The coves are still frozen and the main lake is 37-38 degrees for the most part. There are some warmer temps over on the North Shore area. The water was clear. But now since it has risen and with all the current there is some stain to it. Most of the fishing is main channel stuff. The coves were frozen and the fish I've been catching are deep with their bellies on the bottom. More will develope as the lake thaws out in the Gravois. This will be the good clear water.
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Lake Norfork

101 Grocery and Bait said cold weather has kept some anglers off the water, but fishing has been good for those who have managed to get out. Live bait and jigging spoons are catching fish well. The surface water temp is in the mid-30s depending on the area of the lake you are in.

Norfork Tailwater:

John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said generation has been around the clock, with no wadable water. Brightly colored San Juan worms (red, cerise and hot fluorescent pink) and egg patterns (peach and orange) have been the go-to flies. Long leader tippet combinations and heavy weight have been the secret to success. Work the banks and submerged weed beds. Be on the lookout for a shad kill. Dry Run Creek has fished well. The hot fly has been a sow bug in size 14. Worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns also have done well. The weather has improved a bit and now is the perfect time to take your youngster to Dry Run.
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Bull Shoals Lake

As the temperature goes up and down so do the fishing patterns,habits,and locations. When the temps were rising the shad started to die, Thus the stick bait bite increased. Then the temps dropped and the Bass went back to the main lake bluffs where soft plastics and twin spins did the trick.When the hard overnight  rains came the fish started feeding where the stained water entered the lake. Crank baits and spinnerbaits were best fished at the 'stain' line. This time of the year it is imperative to pay attention to the weather and adjust accordingly.
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Truman  Lake - No report


You can usually always, catch fish on Missouri's Lakes and streams - if you check with the locals you can find out where and how to catch those fish! Good luck and tight lines!

Cabin Fever? Try Striper Fishing!

Do you have cabin fever yet? Here is the remedy for that cabin fever! I think it will tide you over until warmer weather comes and its back to norm fishing again! I find striper fishing to be exciting, and quite exhilarating, to the cooped up feeling of late winter, cabin fever!

Striped bass fishing is one of the many types of bass fishing that has become very popular in the last ten or fifteen years. Fishing for these predators is both challenging and fun!  As a matter of fact I am planning a trip in February to pursue these awesome predators! If I get to go, I will keep you posted! 

 There are several ways to catch these fish such as by casting, trolling and even bottom fishing. In most areas, stripers do not reproduce well requiring extensive game management and stocking. The best months for catching this game fish are late February through May. This is because striped bass begin to feed aggressively as they prepare to spawn, although you can catch them year round!

Bait - Finding and using the right type of bait for stripers is the same as any other type of fishing. The more experienced striped bass fisherman will spend a lot of time looking for schools of bait fish. They know that when they find these schools that the big stripers will be very close by. Netting your bait is quite the challenge sometimes, but well worth the effort!

 Live shad are the bait of choice when using live bait because they are the primary forage food for stripers,here in Missouri Lakes.You had better hang on when one of the stripers hit a live shad on your hook! They hit like a locomotive and the fight is on leaving the fisherman numb armed and weary at best!

When it comes to bass fishing, striped bass fishing is one of the favorites for many and you can also find yourself hooked by this incredible experience. There is just no way to describe the exhilaration you feel when you hook into one of these monsters and you discover that you are in for the fight of your life!

So if you happen to be at the lake try your luck at striper fishing, but be careful, if you hook a striper, you'll be hooked on stripers from then on! No pun intended of course! If you haven't tried striper fishing, then you just haven't lived yet! Just kidding, but it can be very addictive!

So until next time keep your hooks wet, and be sure to boat safely,and unless your fish hungry, practice catch and release! See ya out there I hope, and good luck on YOUR
next outdoor adventure!

What Does The Future Hold For Wildlife And The Outdoors?

As the new year begins and progresses, I sit here wondering what the future of the outdoors holds? A very broad subject, and there are many opinions! My opinion is, that if man continues down the present road, on which we ARE on, the future of the outdoors and the wildlife that lives in it have a rather bleak and short future!

The following statement is not my opinion, but I think is an understatement of the true and alarming facts;

Corinne Podger (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2000325.stm) wrote that nearly 25% of all mammals face extinction within 30 years. This is due to the destruction of rainforests, wetland and other habitats, the impact of industry and the introduction of alien species from one part of the world to another. The United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) report in 2002 identified more than 11,000 endangered animal and plant species - including more than 1,000 mammals. One in eight bird species is also in danger of extinction, and more than 5,000 different plants.

I believe that here in 2010 that is an understatement!  What can we do, if anything to slow down or stop this devastating future reality!  As man populates and expands our horizons, we slowly cause the devastating fate of the wildlife in the outdoors.

We have to get involved, we as outdoor writers, hunters, fishermen, and those who just enjoy nature and wildlife in the outdoors. The very future of the things we all say we enjoy, depend on the management of our resources, this is true! But there is more to it than recognizing, limits and managing there populations!

What the ANSWER is, I really couldn't summarize in just one blog article, but MAN IS the reason for animal extinctions and animal extinction endangerment! MAN has to be the reason these things slow down and stop if we can determine how to!

We write articles and tell stories of how to catch fish, and kill animals, but what about articles to stop the poisoning and starving of the above said species? If we don't change our ways (mans) then we had better get ready to witness the extinction of many species of animals , etc.. Are we willing to witness this or change our ways?

Will the deer or fish you pursue still be around  for future generations or will they have to visit a zoo or aquarium to see the very animals we all see in their natural environment at present!

While I don't have all the answers, I will do my part to ensure their future! We have to share this planet and its resources! After all, God made all of these things for us and expects us to maintain and protect all he has created!  What is your opinion? Do you really believe that the future of wildlife is endangered or threatened? Do you really believe there is anything we can really do?

Speak up, and get involved! The future of the outdoors, and its wildlife depends on us to come up with the answers and the solutions. Man and wildlife can co-exist together! The  wildlife was put here as a resource to mankind, not to just be killed and eaten but to manage and maintain a healthy population and the habitat that each one of them and ourselves included, have been given! We can't take for granted, that down the present path that whatever we do, wildlife will adapt! We have to quit talking about it and start doing something about it, NOW!

What if anything are you going to do? Can one person change the fate of all animals and the outdoors? No, but there is power in numbers! Get involved! Life without these creatures or the beautiful outdoors, would be humdrum and downright boring! Feel free to comment, and get involved, somehow, somewhere! " Get er Done!" What are you gonna do or presently doing to get involved and change the future of the outdoors and the already endangered species in your area?

Out With The Old: In With The New!

It has been a while since my last post, as some of you have probably noticed, and I am now briefly going to bring you all up to date on what has, or has not been going on, here at "Kenny's Great Outdoors!"

From my last post until Christmas, I have been dealing with some very serious health issues! It took a long while and now those issues are a thing of the past.

Then I discovered that my blog, had been hijacked, by some low life, nothing better to do with their time, hacker thieves!  I discovered I no longer had control of my blog! I couldn't log in to post, and I watched my blog change colors etc. So I got a few of my geek friends, to help me REPOSSESS, my blog! As of January 3, 2010 "Kenny's Great Outdoors" Is back under my control and plans are to keep it that way! 

I have stopped allowing automatic comments, all comments will now be screened and reviewed before allowing them to be published on my blog! It seems as though a few bad apples got into the basket and have spoiled it all for the rest of us! I do apologize for that, but will now only allow appropriate comments that contribute to the post! All post will be screened and only those that are appropriate will be approved, NO MORE SPAM comments will be allowed or tolerated! If you add a link to your comment, make sure it is not to a spam site!

Those of you who comment and have links in your comments, are welcome, whether you agree or disagree, this is not a problem! There have been way too many spam comments, and my readers and myself, have grown tired of the inconsiderate spam, in which doesn't even relate to the post and links to sites that aren't even outdoor related!

I do apologize to those readers , that have respected these rules, and now have to wait for approval , of their comments, I really do hate this, but is something I have to do to maintain integrity, and respect to all who visit this site! My readers are dear to me and I value each and every one of you! Once these spammers have been put in their place and can learn to respect the rules, then we might, and I  stress very much "MIGHT!"  lighten up on the comments policy!  This is my play house and no more bs is going to be tolerated!

You know who you are, SPAMMER or legit commenter, if the shoe fits wear it, if the word "SPAMMER" does not apply to you then disregard this post! I am no longer "SPAM" tolerant! If the spam persists then I will turn over the spammers ISP and identities to google and let them deal with them!

One last word to the hackers, and they know who they are as I have contacted them! This is the only chance I am giving you, the next time you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law! Quit being lazy and create your own blog and posts and create your own traffic sources! It does require a lot of work,and time! So to coin a phrase, " GET ER DONE!" But not with this blog!

Sorry to waste your time and my time to address this issue, but enough is enough!

Please stay tuned for more updates and posts, I love you all, and hope that 2010 is a better year for all of you! Now on with the new and out with the old, and the spamming is getting old, So please excuse my ranting and raving, enough said already!

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