Great Days Outdoors - June 2022 by TrendSouth Media

HOOKED ON™ SUZUKI TECHNOLOGY

YOU’RE GONNA NEED

A BIGGER COOLER RELIABILITY TO FISH ALL DAY WITH CONFIDENCE Among the many advantages of Suzuki’s proven technologies are simplified rigging and installation, silky smooth shifting, instant throttle response, enhanced performance, and superior fuel economy. With Suzuki Marine’s reputation for performance and reliability, you can rest assured your fishing day is going to make memories that will last for years to come.

YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

5 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY applies to qualifying purchases of Suzuki outboard motors sold and delivered to the retail purchaser, for pleasure (non-commercial) use only, from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022. See Suzuki Limited Warranty for additional details. Suzuki, the “S” logo, and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki Trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2021 Suzuki Marine USA, LLC. All rights reserved.

251.968.2628

6940A HIGHWAY 59 | GULF SHORES, AL 36542 HWY 59 @ COASTAL GATEWAY BLVD. 2 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 3

HUNTING & FISHING IN ALABAMA & THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE

CONTENTS

How to Target Vermilion Snapper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 by Frank Sargeant How to Trap a Beaver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 by David Strickland Drop Shot Rig Fishing Fundamentals. . . . . . . . . . . . 16 by John E. Phillips Post Frame Building Kits to Enhance Your Land. . . 20 by Ed Mashburn Where to Find the Best Tuna Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 by Chris Vecsey Selecting the Best Pontoon Fishing Boat. . . . . . . . . 26 by David Strickland Artificial Bait in the Summer for Inshore Gamefish? Impossible!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 by Captain Bobby Abruscato Red Snapper Fishing Keys for Success. . . . . . . . . . 36 by Ed Mashburn Bowfishing for Beginners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 by David Strickland Noodling Catfish Like a Pro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 by Stephanie Mallory Selecting the Best Guided Duck Hunts. . . . . . . . . . . 48 by Frank Sargeant Picking the Best Long-Range Hunting Rifle. . . . . . . 52 by Josh Honeycutt How to Kill Weeds Naturally in Food Plots. . . . . . . . 56 by Joe Baya Essential Fish Habitat for Ponds and Lakes. . . . . . . 58 by William Kendy Land Financing Interest Rates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 by Great Days Outdoors Staff

In Every Issue

4 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Best Bets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 by William Kendy Camphouse Kitchen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 by Hank Shaw New & Cool Gear for Outdoorsmen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 by William Kendy From the Commissioner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 by Chris Blakenship From the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 by Charles Sykes Paddle Fishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 by Ed Mashburn Coastal Outlook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 by Chris Vecsey Pier & Shore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 by David Thornton Regional Freshwater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 by Ed Mashburn Prime Feeding Times, Moon, Sun, and Tide Charts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Pensacola Motorsports Trophy Room. . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Great Days Kids Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Fishing Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 by Captain Mike Walker A Great Day Outdoors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 by Jim Mize

Chilton Co Hunting and Timber Investment

Black Warrior River Demopolis Hunting & Timber Investment

Located one hour from Birmingham and 40 minutes from Montgomery, this property is ideally suited as a recreational and hunting tract. The area boasts a strong turkey population and good deer hunting as well. In addition to its proximity to Birmingham and Montgomery, it is also only 5+/- miles from Lake Mitchell, which provides year-recreational opportunities. It is accessed via County Road 463 and features 16+/- acres of mature hardwood timber, 80+/- acres of 22+/- year old pine timber that has been thinned, 130+/- acres that has recently been harvested, and the balance in hardwood dominant SMZ, roads, and wildlife openings.

This rare waterfront tract is extremely unique. Located just 6.5 miles from Demopolis, enjoy features like 1.7+/- miles of Black Warrior River frontage, a 23+/- acre internal lake, diverse timber stands of hardwood and pine plantation, multiple food plots, duck ponds, an intricate road and trail system, scenic lodge or cabin sites across the property, development opportunities for waterfront lots, strong potential conservation easement value, and fantastic hunting for the abundant trophy whitetail deer, turkey, ducks, dove, and other wild game this area is known for. There’s a rustic camp overlooking the oxbow lake that would be usable with a little TLC and a boat launch on Yellow Creek that accesses the river is just 0.14 miles away, so you can be on the main river by boat quickly and conveniently. Power is available nearby off Yellow Creek Road and there is an additional offset creek front 8 acres available just 0.4 miles away that fronts both Yellow Creek Road and Yellow Creek if you wanted to put a camp there and keep the main property quiet during hunting season. Don’t miss your chance to see this versatile riverfront property.

Chilton County, Alabama, 256+/-Acres

Hale County, Alabama, 286+/-Acres

Alabama Listings COUNTY Autauga Autauga Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Bibb Bibb Bibb Blount Blount Blount Butler Butler Butler Calhoun Cherokee Cherokee Cherokee Chilton

ACRES 372 114 688 518 108 48 39 1331 125 5 3.42 573 168 152 211 67 36.9 406 75 2 1.4 2230 2 0.3 256

COUNTY Chilton Chilton Chilton Chilton Choctaw Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Cleburne Cleburne Coffee Colbert Colbert Colbert Colbert Colbert Conecuh Conecuh Conecuh Coosa Coosa Covington Crenshaw

68 34 4.34 2.88 175 620 66.42 10 8.4 8.1 149 65 117 72 40 18.84 18 1 355 74 1 430 30 40 160

ACRES

Crenshaw Cullman Dale Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Escambia Escambia Escambia Escambia Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Franklin Geneva Hale Hale Hale Hale Hale Henry

75.44 8 115 740 270 179 130 94 311 269.5 159 50 484 344 275 260 235 40 228 286 140 96 80 80 115

Henry Henry Henry Henry Houston Houston Houston Houston Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Lamar Lamar Lamar Lamar Lauderdale Lauderdale Lauderdale Lauderdale Lauderdale Limestone Limestone Limestone

85 80 76.3 60 295 261 54 38 1000 180 160 128 99.16 210 202 143 19 102.69 75 36 25 24.63 60 0.67 0.67

COUNTY

ACRES

Limestone Limestone Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Macon Macon Marengo Marengo Marengo Marion Marion Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Monroe Monroe Monroe Monroe Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery

0.67 0.67 783 656 50 483 185 548 507 25 135 33 1800 399 271.83 260 200 191 62 11 1 640 250 200 103

COUNTY Montgomery Perry Perry Perry Perry Perry Pickens Pickens Pickens Pickens Pickens Pike Pike Randolph Russell Saint Clair Saint Clair Shelby Shelby Shelby Shelby Shelby Sumter Sumter Sumter

65.8 611 530 398.31 240 212.26 430 356 180 121 80 44 9.2 178 50 67 19 133 102 87 74 64 640 300 80

Sumter Sumter Talladega Talladega Talladega Talladega Talladega Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Walker Walker Walker Walker Washington Washington Washington Wilcox Winston Winston

ACRES 17 11 250 93 13.5 13 1.01 800 600 500 381.56 341 120 115 95.91 80 430 280 213 522 213 2.3

FL Panhandle Listings COUNTY

Bay Washington

ACRES 264 133

Over 700 more tracts across 47 states available...

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 5

BEST BETS

BEST BETS FOR JUNE These are our top targets for hunters and fishermen this month! BY WILLIAM KENDY

PONTOONS FOR FISHING

Some years ago, one of my fishing buddies invited my wife and I over to his cottage to do a little bass and bream fishing on his pontoon boat. I had been on pontoon boats before but mostly for just cruising around and having an adult beverage (or two). I had this preconceived notion that pontoon boats were just too big and unwieldy to make a good fishing platform and were really just “party” boats. Boy was I wrong. My buddy knew exactly how to maneuver that craft and squeezed it into places which I thought would be inaccessible. The result is we had a great time cashing in on bass and some bluegills. The best part of it is we were not cramped, it was very comfortable, we had room to move around and it was just a delightful and productive experience. In his article, “Selecting the Best Fishing Pontoon Boat” David Strickland outlines what you need to consider when you are choosing a pontoon boat.

VOLUME 26 ISSUE 6 JUNE 2022

PUBLISHED BY: Great Days Outdoors Media, L.L.C. PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joe Baya EXECUTIVE EDITOR Butch Thierry MANAGING EDITOR: William Kendy GENERAL MANAGER: Samatha Hester CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Wendy Johannesmann

FINDING TUNA IN THE GULF

What true saltwater fisherman doesn’t want to connect with a big tuna, which can weigh hundreds and hundreds of pounds? Even if you don’t catch Moby Dick, it still is a lot of delicious filets and a true adventure.

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING Jarod Bosarge

The big question is out of all over 600,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico, how do you find the best places to catch tuna? That is a lot of water and as our writer Chris Vecsey said, “It is like “finding a needle in a haystack.”

Great Days Outdoors (USPS 17228; ISSN 1556-0147) is published monthly at P.O. Box 1253 Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 Subscription rate is $30 for one-year, $54 for two-years, and $72 for three-years. Periodicals Postage Paid at Mobile, Ala. and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Great Days Outdoors Media, LLC PO Box 460248 Escondido, CA 92046

Vecsey explains in his article, “Where to find the Best Tuna Fishing” he details the different types of tuna caught in the Gulf, what the optimal conditions to look for that have the greatest potential for harboring them and the tools needed to help you in the search.

SUBSCRIBERS: All subscriptions begin the first issue for the month following receipt of payment, if payment is received by the 15th. Great Days Outdoors assumes no responsibility for delivery after magazines are mailed. All delivery complaints should be addressed to your local postmaster.

THE LONG SHOT

It is estimated that in the eastern United States most whitetail deer are shot at 100 yards or less. Having said that, it doesn’t mean that the opportunity to harvest a whitetail out to 200300 yards is out of the question if you have to have the skill set and the weapon to make that happen. In his article, “Picking the Best Long-Range Hunting Rifle” Josh Honeycutt reached out to noted long-range shooting expert Eagleman, a former sniper, sniper instructor and COO DOO and head instructor for Barbour Creek Long Range Shooting and Hunting School in Eufaula, Alabama. Eagleman outlined the main considerations shooters and hunters need to be aware of in order to make a successful long-distance shot. This is a must read for the serious hunter. 6 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

CONTACT US: EDITORIAL | JoeBaya@greatdaysoutdoors.com ADVERTISING | SamHester@greatdaysoutdoors.com SUBSCRIPTIONS | greatdaysoutdoors@pcspublink.com Great Days Outdoors Media LLC PO Box 460248 Escondido, CA 92046 877. 314. 1237 info@greatdaysoutdoors.com www.greatdaysoutdoors.com All rights reserved. Reproduction of contents is strictly prohibited without permission from Great Days Outdoors Media, LLC.

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 7

How to Target

Vermilion Snapper BY FRANK SARGEANT

Loading the fish box is not difficult on most trips. The limit is 10 daily in combination with other snapper species. (Captain Troy Frady) 8 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING While the red snapper is the poster child of Gulf Coast reef species, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Most of those other species don’t have the very short season and very restrictive harvest limits placed on red snapper. One favorite of knowledgeable Gulf anglers is the vermilion snapper, also widely known as the beeliner. Vermilions, identified by their bright red-pink-orange upper body as well as their round red eyes, never reach the size of a red snapper—about seven pounds is the maximum—but they make up for it in abundance and catchability. With a limit of 10 per person per day in both state and federal waters as part of the overall snapper limit, catching a wheelbarrow full of them is a possibility on any trip into the Gulf. Even better, the taste is pure snapper heaven, so much so that they’re a favorite with local residents in coastal fish markets and a frequent target of commercial reef fisherman. Captain Kendall Annan of Gulf Rebel Charters in Orange Beach (www.gulfrebelcharters.com), says the vermilions are a favorite bottom species among his clients when the red snapper season is closed. “We catch them anywhere from 10 miles off the beach on our way out,” Annan said.. “Where you catch one, you might catch 50, so it’s great action for family groups or kids.” Captain Troy Frady of Orange Beach (https://www.distractioncharters.com) also catches a ton of vermilions for his clients, usually in a mixed bag that might include anything from amberjacks and red snapper to cobia and blackfins. Frady notes that the fish are great for kids and inexperienced anglers because they’re so cooperative, easy to catch and great tasting. Beeliners grow slowly but eventually reach up to two feet long and around seven pounds max. Common size is one to two pounds, but 20-inch fish weighing four pounds are not rare. NOAA Fisheries says the species is not overfished or undergoing overfishing, so restrictive harvest rules are unlikely in the foreseeable future. The fishery starts about 10 miles out of Orange Beach in 80 feet of water. Vermilions are usually found on some sort of bottom structure, and like their cousin red snappers, most often are found well off bottom. Both natural bottom and wrecks, and artificial reefs can hold fish. It’s usually a matter of running a progression of spots until you see a cloud of fish on sonar, then making your drops. LOOK FOR THE CLOUD Because there are lots of relatively small fish in most vermilion schools, they typically show up as a nebulous cloud on sonar, anywhere from 10 to 50 feet off the bottom structure. Larger red snapper show up as more defined dots, even when they’re schooled tightly. Vermilions (and red snapper, too) sometimes come all the way 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 9

How to Target Vermillion Snapper

Vermilion snappers or beeliners are great targets for young anglers because they’re abundant and easy to catch—also impressively colored and just the right size to easily hoist aboard. (Captain Troy Frady)

“I want only white squid,” said Annan. “If it’s purple or pink, that cuts way down on the bites.” Annan says his second favorite bait is fresh-cut bonito, which stays on the hook better than the squid. “If I have kids or inexperienced anglers aboard, the bonito gives them a better chance of hooking the fish, because the squid comes off pretty quickly when the fish bite it,” Annan said.. Some other anglers report that fresh-cut blue runner is a beeliner favorite. HOMING IN ON THE BITE In deep water and strong current, many bottom fishers avoid anchoring when they can, preferring to drift over their spots repeatedly to avoid the chores of handling hundreds of feet of anchor line repeatedly. However, drifting for reef species takes some special tactics, including weights much heavier than might be needed when fishing from a fixed position.

to the surface chasing bait. On days with moderate current, it’s sometimes possible to chum them to the surface and sight-fish them with light spinning tackle, a fun and exciting way to load the cooler. RIGGING UP FOR BEELINERS Standard bottom fishing gear catches most vermilions, which is unfortunate because the heavy tackle doesn’t give the angler much opportunity to enjoy the fight. However, it’s an efficient way to harvest some great filets. The tackle is typically 60-pound-test or heavier tied to a stout swivel, to which a leader of 60-pound-test or heavier is attached. A uniknot or improved clinch does the job for all attachments—no need to get fancy.

The idea is to get the baits down very quickly when the boat passes over the school of snapper, get hooked up with several fish, and then haul them in and go around for another drift. The lines should go straight down, rather than out behind the drift of the boat, giving the angler the best chance of feeling the bite and hooking the fish. The captain likely will need to bump the engines in and out of gear to give the best drift and the straightest drop. It takes a careful eye on the sonar to do it right, but it’s highly productive and less wearing on the crew than constantly handling an anchor. With boats small enough to be controlled by a long-shaft trolling motor, the “spot-lock” feature can be a big help in keeping the boat in the right place.

The leader goes to a three-way swivel, to which the top hook is attached on an 8 to 10 inch piece of 60, while the leader extends to a second three way swivel well below the reach of the dropper hook.

AVOIDING SHARKS One thing all offshore skippers agree on these days is that when the sharks arrive, it’s time to move.

A second hook on an 8 to 10 inch leader is attached to the lower swivel, and the lead line goes from the swivel a foot or two to the weight. This can be anything from a couple ounces to a pound, depending on depth and current.

“When you start getting fish taken by sharks, you can be sure that it will just get worse to where you can’t get a fish in the boat off that spot, so you might as well pick up and run to another spot,” Annan advised.

Charterboat captains typically use two dropper hooks for their snapper rigs, tying the droppers far enough apart that the hooks or hooked fish can’t tangle with each other. Commercial vermilion fishers sometimes use up to six droppers, and reel them up a half-dozen at a time when they get on a hot school. Hooks are typically 3/0 to 4/0 circle hooks when specifically targeting vermilions, though they can also be caught on the larger 5/0 to 6/0’s used to target red snapper. (Remember, you have to use circle hooks when targeting reef fish to avoid gut hooking fish that are to be released.) If you’re lucky enough to chum vermilions to the surface, medium spinning gear with 10-pound-test braid and a couple feet of 20-pound-test fluorocarbon leader does the job. Pitch cut bait to them unweighted on a single 3/0 hook and free-line it down with the chum to connect. BEST BAITS While beeliners will bite any sort of fresh cut fish when they’re feeding heavily, some avid snapper anglers insist on pieces of fresh squid as the prime bait. 10 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Like other skippers, Annan says shark numbers appear to be way up in the Gulf as a result of restrictive harvest rules for many years, and while that’s great for shark conservation, it’s tough on reef fish and reef anglers at times. PREPPING BEELINERS FOR THE TABLE Vermilions can be fileted like most fish, cutting in just behind the gill plate and then stripping the filet off by running the knife down the backbone. Because the skin is bright pink, it’s sometimes left on and the fish can be grilled just like that—the meat lifts away from the skin easily when cooked. All that’s needed for grilling or broiling is to brush the filets with melted butter and dust lightly with Montreal seasoning or other favorite spices. Cook till a fork goes through the thick part of the filet easily—careful, it doesn’t take long. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and serve. If you don’t mention that you’re serving beeliners, it’s likely that most of your guests will think they’re eating red snapper—and they’ll love it.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 11

Look closely below the waterline for any scrapes or dings that go below the gel coat

How to Trap a

BEAVER

BY DAVID STRICKLAND

12 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

HUNTING The word beaver comes from an Old English translation that means “bright or shiny brown”. They provided the North American Indians with food and furs they stitched together to make warm long-lasting coats. More importantly, beavers transformed the entire continent with dams that raised water levels of the many streams to form ponds and marshlands.

small quantities in food and perfume) is $90 to $110 per pound for the top quality and well-handled glands.

These sloughs provided habitat for fish, turtles, ducks, geese, and many other animals, plants, and insects.

Beaver meat is a good source of protein, iron, and vitamin A, and many compare the taste to grass-fed beef. In addition, it has a reputation for being great barbecued and for making some of the best chili around.

The Native American use of controlled burning and the wetlands created by beaver dams diversified the North American landscape to create an environment that provided feeding and nesting sites for waterfowl and larger animals. However, the landscape began to slowly change around 1600 as European, French, and Dutch trappers arrived and formed alliances with various Indian tribes to buy and trade for furs, especially beaver. HISTORICAL USE OF BEAVERS Beaver felt was produced from the short soft under-hairs of the beaver’s pelt and is described in literature from as far back as 8 BC. Soldiers used it for padding under their armor and as a shield to prevent penetration by arrows. In addition, beaver felt was the perfect material for making hats, and the 15th century saw a surge in the popularity of hats for both the military and the general population. EUROPEAN DEMAND FOR HATS From the late 16th to mid-19th century, beaver top hats were an essential element in men’s fashion in Europe and often became treasured family heirlooms passed down from father to son. In addition, hats symbolized an individual’s social status, occupation, or military rank. Hats were made from various types of felt, but the best quality and most popular came from the pelts of the European beaver. They were fashionable across Europe and beyond because hat-makers could turn the soft, resilient material into numerous shapes and sizes. The European beaver population was on the verge of depletion when England, France, and the Netherlands established North American colonies beginning in the 17th century. The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) was similar enough to the European beaver (Castor fiber), so substituting the furs wasn’t an issue. The best American beaver pelts came from the northern parts of the continent and grew thicker coats that were more valuable. COWBOY HATS Even the first Stetson hats used beaver felt because the waterproof and long-lasting material was the perfect headgear for the American cowboy. A good broad-brimmed hat proved invaluable for cowboys who often stayed outdoors for weeks performing ranch chores and herding cattle.

People who trap beavers today do so for various reasons, but their primary income derives from nuisance trapping.

TRAP OPTIONS Alabama law states that trappers must carry a catch-pole to assist in releasing any non-targeted critters that get into their traps. The 330 Conibear, or body-grip trap, is one of the most commonly used traps for beavers today. Frank Conibear invented the trap in 1957 to quickly kill a targeted animal by breaking its spine. A beaver can average 40-60 pounds, so a large, powerful device is necessary to dispatch the animal quickly. Several companies produce these traps, and they vary in quality and price. Belisle and Bridger are a couple of the better ones, but there are other good choices. Only experienced trappers should consider trapping with these. Hip-waders are an essential part of a trapper’s wardrobe. Position traps near the openings to a den, where they enter and exit the water, or along underwater trenches or runs created when beavers continuously travel the same path. Sticks are pushed through the spring holes into the mud to hold them in a position where a beaver is likely to swim through the open jaws to activate the trigger mechanism. FOOT TRAPS These traps are versatile and used in a variety of ways. Most trappers use footholds with an opening of around seven inches because the rear feet are relatively large. Position these underwater where a beaver is likely to step with its back foot as it exits to a castor mound or feeding/travel path. Creating a narrow opening in a dam is another good setup. Traps can be attached to a 3/32 or 1/8” drowning cable firmly anchored in 2-4 feet of water to subdue an animal quickly and prevent escape. A CDR-7.5, MB-750, Bridger #5, or a TS-85 are excellent foothold choices. Sometimes, if a trapper has repeatedly trapped an area, especially an inexperienced one, the beavers can learn to avoid specific setups and become trap-shy. Using different traps and sets is a way to catch those that have learned to skirt the more common trap placements.

John B. Stetson, father was a hat maker back East when he traveled West to pan for gold. The story goes that he created a rugged hat from beaver hair while on a hunting trip with friends. First, he showed his companions how to make felt from the fur, and then he formed it into an unusually large broad-brimmed hat.

SNARES Snares made of aircraft cable are an efficient, lightweight option where legal. Alabama requires snares, body grips, and footholds to be placed in the water when trapping beaver. A snare will usually result in a live catch just behind the shoulder.

Later, a cowboy approached the group and asked if he could try it on. The story goes that the cowboy offered Stetson a five-dollar gold piece and rode off with the first hat that became synonymous with its maker.

A 33 ½ inch length of 1/16” galvanized aircraft cable forms a free-standing 9-10” loop and is the ideal size for the average beaver. Snares use a cable lock to prevent escape, and the end has a crimped aluminum ferrule and swivel. These are positioned two to three inches from the bottom for underwater sets or by positioning 2/3 of the loop underwater for swimming beavers.

MODERN BEAVER TRAPPING Southern beaver pelts are fetching less than $10.00 in today’s market. The only good news is that the price of castoreum (which is actually used in

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 13

How to Trap a Beaver

LIVE TRAPS Another option is a heavy-duty version similar to the popular Havahart trap or a clam-shell trap. Unfortunately, these options are expensive, and each weighs over 20 pounds. I use a heavy-duty double-door wire-mesh type made by Comstock. It’s versatile enough for beaver, muskrat, otter, bobcat, fox, raccoons, and even armadillos. RUST-PROOFING TRAPS New traps have an oily coating to prevent rust and many trappers remove this finish with a pressure washer. Afterward, they leave them outdoors for a few days or give them a light vinegar spray until light rust forms over the entire surface. After this, many use a product like Speed dip or an asphalt-based coating to create a dull, rust-proof finish. These are a few of the tools used by a trapper with 50+ years of experience.

Snare cables won’t absorb trap dye because of their galvanized finish. You can leave them outdoors for several weeks or boil them in a gallon of water with 1/4 cup of baking soda. Boiling etches the zinc coating and turns it into a dull gray that blends well with the surrounding vegetation. SCENTS Several commercial lures are available for making an artificial castor mound, or you can use the castor from another non-local animal. These are made by forming a grapefruit-sized mound from leaves and mud and adding a few drops of scent. Some trappers also use fresh twigs or branches from whatever species the local rodents are chewing to entice them to a set. DAM REMOVAL One trapper I know insists that he can disassemble a dam in about 15 minutes with a good potato rake. We discussed blowing dams with explosives, and he stated that his rake was a better solution that involved a lot less red tape.

This tool belt that has most everything needed for setting and checking traps.

CONCLUSION Trappers learn to modify and fine-tune their equipment and techniques. However, most will agree that it takes time to understand the nuances of reading the terrain to evaluate each trapping situation properly. Frequently beaver will tunnel into steep banks to create their living space. Other times the distinctive lodge consisting of limbs and branches is easy to spot. Where a beaver enters its den, dam cross-overs, water exits to feed or make a castor mound, and along the underwater channels that beavers use are the most common spots to set traps. If you are thinking about getting into trapping, I suggest joining a local trapping group to learn what works in your area and how to be safe. Then, practice with your traps on dry land till you are comfortable setting the triggers and using all safety latches. Also, learn to compress conibear springs with a rope or carry a hacksaw blade.

Contact Information

The sensitivity of snares is determined by the angle of the wire at the support. This is the correct angle for typical beaver sets.

14 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Downsouthtrappers.com Shawn 205-394-7589 Steve 205-535-9691 Comstock Traps comstockcustomcage.com 518-792-2371

Try us out in fresh water

All colors back in stock

BY MICHAEL PENDLEY

Recipe and image courtesy of Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes and Realtree (https://www.realtree.com/timber-2-table-wild-game-recipes)

Dutch Oven Beaver Roast Low and slow cooking in the Dutch oven is the perfect way to turn beaver into a delicious camp meal.

www.pureflats.com

Prep: 30 mins • Cook: 4 hrs • Total: 4 hrs and 30 mins Ingredients • 1 beaver hindquarter and 2 beaver backstraps, cleaned. About 5 pounds of meat • 1 pound each of cleaned carrots, onions, and potatoes • 1/2 cup of vegetable oil • 1 cup seasoned flour • 1 beer • salt and pepper Instructions

2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

Dust the beaver in the seasoned flour. Set the meat aside to allow the flour to stick to the meat. Peel the carrots and onions, quarter the onions and halve or quarter the potatoes if you are using larger than fingerling size. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven. I did this over the gas burner of our camp stove. Step 4 - Once the oil is hot, add the beaver meat. Allow to cook for two to four minutes, then flip and continue cooking until all sides are golden brown. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onions. Season well with salt and pepper. Remember that you are seasoning several pounds of food, don’t skimp. I used about a tablespoon of each. Pour over the beer and place the lid on the Dutch oven. I used seven coals under my 12-inch Lodge Dutch oven, then placed an even dozen on top. After a couple hours of cooking, I replenished the charcoal with fresh briquettes, using my kitchen tongs to slide the new coals under the oven.

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 15 Speckled Trout

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Redfish

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Drop Shot Rig Fishing Fundamentals

BY JOHN E. PHILLIPS

“I keep a drop shot rig on my casting deck in all the tournaments I fish to have it within easy reach when bass fishing gets tough,” Brandon Lester explained.

16 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING

When fishing the drop shot rig in heavy cover, Brandon Lester realizes he may lose some bass, but first he’s got to get the bass to bite, which is what the drop shot rig does best. Writer’s Note: Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tennessee (https://brandonlesterfishing.com/), has been a professional bass fisherman on the Bassmaster Elite circuit (https://www.bassmaster.com/elite/) for nine years and has been competing professionally for 15 years, winning $1 million. He learned his love for bass fishing from his dad and granddad and was a founding member of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Bass Club.

the weight to the end of the line). This method of tying your hook causes the hook and the lure to stand out perpendicular to the line.”

“When getting a bass to bite is tough, I’ll always go to the drop shot rig to use, particularly when I know there’s been a lot of fishing pressure on the lake where I’m fishing,” Lester explained. “The drop shot rig started becoming a national phenomenon in the early 2000s when West Coast anglers brought this tactic from California where they fished many clear-water lakes. Drop shot rigs were made to be fished with light line and finesse lures, using smaller baits than the big bubba baits that most tournament anglers were fishing at that time. Anglers from the West Coast, like the late Aaron Martens, Skeet Reese and others, utilized this new tactic in the South and the East too. Across the nation, other fishermen were highly successful in tournaments with this technique, under many different fishing conditions.

“If I’m fishing in open water, I will nose-hook the Roboworm, so the hook is open,” Lester explained. “If I’m fishing around cover or grass, I’ll rig the worm Texas-style (weedless). My favorite color in a Roboworm is Margarita Mutilator that’s purple on top and brown on the bottom. This color seems to work best in off-color and stained water. If I’m fishing in clear water, I like to use the Morning Dawn color, which is a transparent pink.”

Lester went on to say that the the drop shot rig is a very-versatile tactic to use to catch bass. “I don’t believe there’s a bad weather or water condition or time of year when the drop shot won’t produce bass,” Lester said. “I fish it in shallow water, deep water, stained water and clear water. You may have to tweak the drop shot rig somewhat, depending on the depth of water you’re fishing, the available cover and the water conditions. But I have fished the drop shot rig successfully in two feet of water as well as 50 feet of water and deeper.” LESTER’S EQUIPMENT TO CATCH BASS WITH THE DROP SHOT RIG Lester fishes the drop shot rig with a 6’10” Mustad Instinct Brandon Lester signature spinning rod, which is a medium-action rod. He also uses a 2500 size spinning reel and 10-pound-test braided line in the highly-visible yellow color. He fishes with the highly-visible yellow line because he may see more bites on that line than he’ll feel on the rod. Next Lester ties a 6-10-foot-long leader of fluorocarbon line from the braided line. To connect the fluorocarbon to the braided line, Lester uses an FG Knot. At the bottom of his leader, he adds a Mustad tungsten weight, weighing most often 1/4-ounce. Depending on the type of bottom and cover he’s fishing, Lester may tie his hook onto the leader about 6-18 inches up from the weight. Most of the time, he’ll tie his hook 10 inches up from the weight. “My rule of thumb is, the closer your weight is to the bait you’re fishing on the drop shot rig, the less action you can give your lure,” Lester explained. “The further you put your hook up the line away from the weight, the more action you can give your lure. If I’m fishing in cold water, expecting the bass to be closer to the bottom, I’ll fish with my hook or lure closer to the weight. If the water’s warm, I want my hook and my lure to be further up the line, assuming that the bass will be suspended further from the bottom.” Lester fishes two different hooks that he attaches to his leader line. If he fishes in open water where he’s not concerned about his bait getting hung, he uses a Mustad TitanX Wacky Neko hook in size 4. “If I’m fishing in brush or grass and want to rig my bait weedless, I’ll use a Mustad Grip-Pin that’s designed with a molded resin pin that securely anchors a wide range of baits to a hook for a no-slip, no-slide design. I attach the hook to my line with a Palomar knot, and then I run the tag end of the line back through the eye of the hook (You must tie the hook onto the line before you tie

Lester’s favorite bait when fishing the drop shot rig is a six inch Roboworm, a West Coast style of soft, plastic worm. This style of worm seems to produce bass in all the lakes he fishes.

TACTICS FOR FISHING THE DROP SHOT WORM Making sure that your lead hits the bottom before you start reeling the drop shot is critical to being successful. This mistake may be one of the biggest that anglers make when fishing the drop shot rig. This style of fishing has been created to get the lure off the bottom but stay close to the bottom where the angler believes the bass to be or has seen the bass on his depth finder. Lester explains that he wants to make sure his line becomes slack before he starts working the drop shot worm. “The drop shot rig is not nearly as effective when you have a tight line to the weight on the bottom as it is when you have a slack line. By having slack in the line, when you shake that slack line with your rod tip, that’s what gives the worm its action,” Lester explained. “I want the worm to appear as lifelike and as active as it can be. When the bass inhales the worm, the only way I can know that the bass has attacked is when the highly-visible slack line twitches. Then that’s when I’ll set the hook.” If Lester doesn’t get a bite the first time, he shakes the drop shot worm, after the lead hits the bottom, he drags the lead about two feet across the bottom and then shakes the slack line again. He repeats this same style of retrieving all the way back to the boat. “One question I’m often asked is, ‘Because the hook on the drop shot rig that you’re using is small, and the fluorocarbon line is light, how do you get a good hookset when you decide to set the hook?’ I start fishing with my drag set light. Once I’ve set the hook on the bass, I want the line to give a little,” he said. “The rod I’m using is forgiving, and I never have a problem with a bass straightening my hook - even when the fish dives into heavy cover. I want the bass to pull line off my reel when I set the hook, and when the fish runs.” “If the bass dives into grass or brush, I’ll try to keep pressure on the line just enough to let the bass work its way out of the grass or the brush. I don’t want to put so-much pressure on the line that it causes the line to break,” he noted. “To be honest, when I’m fishing the drop shot rig in heavy cover, I realize I’ll lose some bass. But my theory is, you must get a bass to bite the bait before you worry about how you’ll get that fish out of the cover and land it. If the bass doesn’t bite, you won’t catch it anyway. I know that the drop shot rig makes bass bite.” Lester mentions he always has a drop shot rig on a spinning rod laying on his casting deck within easy reach, in every tournament in which he competes. “If I’m struggling to get a bite when I’m in a tournament, then I’ll use a drop shot and possibly start getting bites. The drop shot presents a bait in a different way from what the bass may have seen before,” Lester added. Since Lester often fishes light lines and little lures like the drop shot, some 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 17

18 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Drop Shot Rig Fishing Fundamentals

Brandon Lester ties a Mustad 1/4-ounce tungsten weight to the bottom of his leader and then ties on a KVD Grip-Pin soft-plastic hook - generally about 10 inches above the weight.

“I keep a drop shot rig on my casting deck in all the tournaments I fish to have it within easy reach when bass fishing gets tough,” Brandon Lester explained.

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Oysters grown at our farm are consistent in size and flavor profile. Frequent handling and wave energy at our unique location creates a sustainable environment in which our oysters thrive. This combination results in the perfect half shell presentation of the Admiral Oyster. anglers may think the drop shot rig only produces little bass. But Lester reports, “That’s just not true. I was fishing a bass tournament on Lake Fork in Texas during the fall, two years ago, in a Bassmaster Elite series event, casting a drop shot rig. During that tournament, I caught and landed an eight pound largemouth on the drop shot. So, I know the drop shot rig catches big bass as often as it catches little bass.” If you’re having a hard time catching bass, don’t hesitate to fish a drop shot rig. That’s what Brandon Lester and other professional bass anglers do when there’s money and trophies on the line.

LESTER’S DROP SHOTTING EQUIPMENT * Mustad Grip-Pins * Mustad Instinct Brandon Lester 6’10” Signature Rod * Mustad TitanX Wacky Neko Hook and Mustad Tungsten Weights

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https://mustad-fishing.com 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 19

Post Frame Building Kits To Enhance Your Land

BY ED MASHBURN

Post-frame buildings provide convenient use of space at a low cost. 20 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

LIFESTYLE Nearly every person needs more space from time to time. Some of us need a lot more space, and we need it all of the time. For these folks in need of more usable space, there will come a time when we realize that we need to look into options for obtaining more space and it is time to stop putting off the new building. New buildings can be very expensive, and no matter what kind of building we’re looking for- residential, commercial, agricultural- we want to find the best building system that will give us the most space for the least amount of money spent.

Additions to postframe buildings can increase usable space.

This is where post-frame building comes in. One of the most economical yet fully functional systems of building, postframe construction can bring needed storage or commercial space into being in a remarkably short period of time. But just like nearly every other kind of major project, planning and paying for a new building requires some research and time spent finding the best option. For many folks putting up a new building, post-frame construction is a building method well worth closely looking at. JUST WHAT IS POST-FRAME BUILDING? Trista Cabrera of Dixie Building Supply, a long-time Gulf Coast construction material supply company, explains just what post-frame buildings are and how they work.

Big doors make post-frame buildings well suited for large equipment storage.

“Post-frame construction is a method of building that uses posts and roof trusses to create a structurally sound building with wide open interior space. Dixie has been selling materials for post-frame construction for more than twenty-five years,” Cabrera said. “The post-frame building construction is a fast and economical way for a customer to build. It requires less materials than a stick-built structure and therefore takes less time to construct.”

CHOOSING A SITE AND FOUNDATION WORK Post-frame construction can be a real advantage to customers who want to get the most building for the least amount of preparation work. Compared to other building construction forms, post-frame needs less site preparation work, and foundations, or the lack of foundations, will be no problem.

Post-frame buildings constructed by experienced builders go up fast, and their building materials are usually readily available. Building a barn, storage unit, or other major project will go faster and better with post-frame construction than any other method in most cases. One of the great advantages of post-frame construction is the large amount of open interior space this form of construction provides. This makes large equipment storage, material storage and handling, and flexibility in use of space much easier than other forms of building construction. CHOICES AND ADDITIONS When planning on a new building, choices in materials and colors and finishes are important. There are many choices in building color which will make a post-frame building much more flexible for the owner’s preferences. “Our metal panels come in 21 different color choices as well as a silver-spangled Galvalume option. Our metal panels are offered in both 26 and 29 gauge,” Cabrera said. “Typically, 26 gauge, which is our thicker panel, is used on our post-frame buildings. Customers can choose to mix and match roof, wall, and trim colors on their builds. Customers also have many different sizing options to fit their specific needs. Customers have the option of adding lean-to porches and canopy extensions onto a main frame enclosed structure. We offer anywhere from a smaller structure of 16 X20 feet up to a 40 X 60 and greater.” One of the greatest advantages of post-frame construction is the easy flexibility of building size. Post-frame construction can make a massive warehouse for industrial use, or it can make a backyard workshop for tools storage and equipment repairs.

Cabrera advises folks looking at building a post-frame building that the best site is a flat piece of land and that post-frame buildings can be done with a concrete slab or without a foundation and utilizing the ground or gravel. “Dixie only supplies materials for the structure, but the independent contractor takes care of the foundation and site preparation for the projects,” she noted. “In our post-frame buildings require engineered plans in order to pull permits for the project. Because these plans are site specific, customers or their contractor would need to provide a material list for us according to their project’s plans. However, we can help a customer in the beginning phase of their project by estimating costs before they move forward.” WHAT MAKES DIXIE SUPPLY SUPERIOR? In any major building project, the quality of materials, the materials easily obtainable for use, and the reputation of the supply company are all important elements. It helps to work with a company which has been in the area for a while and which knows what works and does not work and can give good advice to potential builders. “The quality of our materials, our customer service, and our expertise makes us the best choice for our customers. Dixie Supply has been a trusted staple in our community for over 50 years and we have specialized in metal roofing and building supplies for over 25 years,” Cabrera noted. “Combined with our sister store Baker Metal Works and Supply, we now have eight locations in the Southeast to better serve our customers.” Important Contact Information Dixie Building Supply www.dixiesupply.com 251-456-2254 ext. 4 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 21

Where to Find the

BEST TUNA FISHING BY CHRIS VECSEY

Proper homework and rigging leads to moments like this, a trophy Bigeye Tuna on deck! photo courtesy of One Shot Charters

22 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING The question of “where” is probably the most widely asked in fishing. After all, you’re trying to find the needles in a very large and deep haystack. Simply heading offshore without proper intel will lead to a lot of wasted fuel, time and energy. When it comes to targeting pelagics in the northern Gulf of Mexico, tuna are the biggest draw without a doubt. During every month of the year, thousands of anglers gear up and watch for weather windows for their chance to head out and bring home the sushi. But no amount of preparation will yield results if the question of “where” isn’t answered. Local reports can help, but that often leads to use of the phrase “Should’ve been here yesterday.” Luckily for anglers, technology can help and is readily available. Don’t be part of the struck-out crew, use the tools available and bring home the tuna. KNOW YOUR QUARRY The northern Gulf of Mexico is home to several species of tuna, from the smaller skipjack and blackfin, to the mighty bluefin, but the main target is the yellowfin tuna. Yellowfin tuna are found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. They prefer water temps between 72-82 degrees but can tolerate ranges from as low as 62 to as high as 90. The smaller and more abundant blackfin has a similar preference in temperature ranges. The heavy-bodied bigeye tuna is another prized species in our area and whereas they are often found in the same areas as the yellowfin and blackfin, they prefer somewhat cooler temperatures and are usually found deep, hanging below the cooler thermoclines. The Atlantic bluefin is a seasonal visitor to our area, and can thrive in a wide range of temperatures although larger adults prefer the cooler waters of the north Atlantic. Bluefin arrive into our waters in the spring, as part of their annual spawning migration. Due to this fact, bluefin cannot be intentionally pursued in the northern gulf by recreational anglers, although a small quota for incidental catches is in place. These giants are truly legendary, and even a brief encounter with one is something that will not be forgotten. (Editor’s Note: On Sunday, April 17th, 2022 three anglers while fishing on the No Name off the coast of Destin, Florida caught an 832 pound bluefin tuna which, if certified, will be the new Florida state record) EYES IN THE SKY So many factors need consideration when pursuing tuna. These factors could be easily obtained if the tuna grounds were a mile offshore, but tuna fishing in the northern gulf means longer runs. With the Mississippi River and the Mobile Bay delta in our backyards, water conditions can change swiftly and the bite can shut down just as quickly.

Altimetry measures the height of the ocean’s surface. This tool is helpful in finding upwellings, where cooler seawater is pushed towards the surface by rising currents. Upwellings are typically active areas for gamefish. The colder water rising towards the surface brings different nutrients upwards and builds the food chain. On the opposite spectrum is a downwelling, where converging surface currents actually force water downward. Downwellings are notoriously poor areas for sport fishing. “Upwellings are very active areas, but typically you want to fish the perimeter of these areas, not in the center.” Hilton noted. Chlorophyll output is another important tool in finding tunas. Chlorophyll output can be directly related to water color. The higher the output, the more nutrient rich the surface water and generally the dirtier it will be. While blue water is more appealing to look at, tuna can often be found in relatively dirty water. “Even if the layer of water on the surface is dirty, it can be riding atop clean high salinity water that sits below.” Hilton pointed. In my own experience, I’ve found and caught plenty of tuna in very dirty water that was within close proximity to the edge of cleaner water. It’s for this reason that I commonly track the movements and patterns of higher salinity water. Hilton’s site also monitors the locations of the numerous drillships and semi-submersible drilling platforms in the region, critical structures that many tuna chasers frequent. These mobile platforms may change locations for drilling projects and Hilton’s site displays the current locations for these platforms. “Drillships and semi-submersible platforms create current with their massive thrusters. Currents help generate predatory activity and this “artificial current” can be enough to hold tuna to a given platform.” Hilton explained. Captain Adam Peeples operates “One Shot Charters” out of Destin, Fl. Whereas many regional tuna anglers head straight to the rigs, Peeples spends a lot of his time closer to home, working open waters near the Spur, the Squiggles and the Okaloosa County Fish Aggregating Device (FADS). Peeples is now running into his 10th season and has relied on Hilton’s Realtime-Navigator throughout his charter career. “I don’t leave the dock without checking Hilton’s imaging first.” Peeples said. “In the open water I usually fish, even the slightest change in water temperature, salinity or altimetry can make the difference.”

The use of satellite imagery in fishing and fisheries management was popularized in the late 80s and since then, its use has become as necessary for offshore fishing as the boat itself.

Peeples tries to find tuna in converging zones, where areas with preferable current speeds of .5-1kt overlay with the edges of temperature breaks and upwellings.

In May, 2004, Thomas Hilton launched “Hilton’s Realtime-Navigator”, an interactive site that allows its subscribers to not only view sea surface temperature (SST) but also altimetry, salinity levels, chlorophyll, current speeds/direction and more.

“When you can find two or more optimal factors coming together offshore, you’re going to find tuna.” Peeples said.

“Identifying good current areas is a start.” Hilton said. Hilton went in depth to point out that cross referencing the many overlays leads to better success. “When you can find current eddies that dovetail with good altimetry, you’re on the right path.”

HOW TO TARGET TUNA When I’m asked “What is the best technique for targeting tuna?” I can’t help but respond with “Every technique.” Tuna are a species that can require five methods of angling in one trip so it’s best to go prepared and be ready to throw everything plus the kitchen sink at em. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 23

Where to Find the Best Tuna Fishing

When asked what his favorite method for tuna fishing is, Peeples replies without thinking; “Live bait is where it’s at.” For live bait, Peeples likes to fish a variety of baits that he catches nearshore on sabikis, as well as whatever live bait choices that are abundant in the area he’s fishing offshore. Cigar minnows, blue runners (hardtails), small bonito, blackfin and many other forage species may be on the menu. Tunas are very prone to keying in on certain baits, so match-the-hatch can become critical. Peeples likes to rig his live baits on various sizes of Mustad Demon circle hooks, and using the heaviest fluorocarbon leaders he can get away with. “I usually start with 80 pound but will go up if possible,” he said. Baits can be hooked a few different ways, but Peeples prefers to bridle them, so that the hook is unobstructed and swings more freely.

in the instance that tuna begin crashing bait nearby. This style of tuna fishing isn’t for the faint of heart. A big tuna inhaling a topwater on casting gear is something no angler will ever forget. STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE Hilton continuously upgrades his site with the latest features and tools to help anglers find tuna and other gamefish. In addition to tweaking already existing functions, Hilton is always looking for more tools to give subscribers the edge. “We are always looking for ways to improve the existing software and to make it compatible with a wider range of electronics.” One thing is for sure, given the current prices for fuel and the constant monitoring by anglers for the perfect weather window, the hunt for tuna is a costly endeavor. Every advantage is needed. Never head out blind again.

Chunking is another, extremely productive technique for tunas, both around structures and in open water. Around structure, tuna will typically hold upcurrent and it pays to start your chunk line well up current of where you are marking fish. Trolling small ballyhoo, both “naked” and behind small skirts and dusters, is a great way to find tuna on the move or when the obvious signs aren’t present.

Important Contact Information Hilton’s Realtime-Navigator www.hiltonsoffshore.com One Shot Charters Captain Adam Peeples (850) 585-9436

Regardless of the technique being used, it will always be worthwhile to keep a couple, heavy, spinning outfits rigged with topwater poppers

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24 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Where to Find the Best Tuna Fishing

Locating temperature breaks via satellite imaging can lead to open water tunas like these below. Photo courtesy of Chris Vecsey

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Recipe and image courtesy of www.allrecipes.com

Marinated Tuna Steak This mixture of orange juice, soy sauce, and garlic gives this marinade a wonderful taste. Marinate: 30 mins Prep: 10 mins • Cook: 11 mins • Total: 51 mins Ingredients • ¼ cup orange juice • 1/4 cup soy sauce • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley • 1 clove garlic, minced • ½ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper • 4 (4 ounce) tuna steaks Instructions

2. 3.

In a large non-reactive dish, mix together the orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the grill for high heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook the tuna steaks for 5 to 6 minutes, then turn and baste with the marinade. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. Discard any remaining marinade.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 25

Selecting the Best Surf Fishing Rod Auburn University Students Win More Than $1 Million Bass Fishing

Fishing can become a family affair with a pontoon boat.

Selecting the Best Pontoon Fishing Boat BY DAVID STRICKLAND

26 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

LIFESTYLE

If you’ve ever ridden aboard a modern pontoon boat, it’s easy to see why these platforms are so popular. They’re roomy, comfortable, incredibly stable, and a good value compared to the average bass boat. Add a nice stereo, an onboard grill, a couple of rod holders, tackle storage, and a swivel fishing chair it all becomes better. A dedicated fisherman can turn anything that floats into a fishing vessel, and pontoon boats are no exception. The concept of a large floating platform has been around for many centuries. However, many boaters credit Mr. Ambrose Weeres for the first modern-day pontoon design when he welded together a few steel drums and attached a wooden platform on top. He wanted more room to carry his entire family when he traveled and fished one of the many lakes in his home state of Minnesota. MODERN PONTOONS Ambrose began his company in 1952, and by the end of that decade, aluminum pontoons started to replace those steel drums. Also, it wasn’t long before upholstered seating and additional luxury options increased their popularity. The last few decades have seen tremendous innovation in pontoon design, especially with the addition of a third pontoon. This additional tube has increased stability, improved planing, and allowed increased speeds. Some of the better-designed models on the market can now achieve “plane” in two seconds and reach speeds of over 50 miles per hour in just 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 27

Selecting the Best Pontoon Fishing Boat

10 seconds when powered by two 300-horsepower outboards. Several manufacturers now offer smaller no-frills models, while others come standard with luxury options designed for saltwater use. In addition, there are dozens of layouts, color schemes, and technology add-ons available. Pontoon decks make terrific casting platforms, which helps explain the continued introduction of new fishing pontoons every year. Fishing models offer all of the great benefits of a regular pontoon boat, with options designed to please the entire family, especially the anglers. BUCK’S ISLAND I usually contact the folks at Buck’s Island Marine when I have any watercraft questions. The family-run business was selling and servicing boats and trailers before Mr. Ambrose Weeres welded up those first steel drums for his pontoon boat. They are a family-owned business that has sold over 10,000 boats and serviced more than 100,000, so the folks at Buck’s Island Marine in Southside, Alabama must be doing a few things right. I spoke with their sales staff about some of the features that define a fishing pontoon and what brands they recommend. Buck’s Island sells and services the Crest and Bentley line of pontoons from 20 to 28 feet in length. Both brands have designs that will allow you, your family, and several friends to enjoy water sports or relax in comfort, and their fishing models make it possible to do all that and catch fish. FISHING PONTOON FEATURES Fishing pontoons don’t look much different from your typical pontoon boat. Nonetheless, the addition of live wells, tackle storage, and other hardware

and electronics allow an easy transition to catching fish. The addition of a few discreet rod holders, along with a fish finder and tackle storage, can make a significant difference in how well an angler can find and catch fish. CREST FISHING PONTOON BOATS Crest manufactures their boats in Owosso, Michigan. They also offer saltshield protection for fishing along the coast. They produce two fishing models in their Classic line of boats with either two or three tubes and two or four fishing chair options from 20-24 feet. A dash-mounted Garmin +4GPS unit comes standard, along with refrigerated cup holders. In addition, they are pre-wired for the addition of a trolling motor. BENTLEY FISHING PONTOONS Bentley Pontoons is located in Lexington, South Carolina and offers three fishing models (200/220/240) that vary primarily in length. Each is available in two bow, two stern, or four-seat configurations. Standard features include a dash-mounted Humminbird Helix 5 and live wells, bait stations, and rod storage. In addition, there is a conveniently located trolling motor plug near the bow, close to the small trolling motor-friendly gate. A few additional components can take a pontoon boat to the next-level fishing platform. Below are a few items that can turn an average pontoon boat into a serious fishing barge; TROLLING MOTORS Adding a bow-mounted trolling motor is probably the first option most fishermen will want to consider. Buck’s Island installs whatever make and model the customer chooses at the time of purchase.

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Selecting the Best Pontoon Fishing Boat

Several models have longer shafts and quick-detach mounts that make installing and removing a snap. Choosing a motor that’s compatible with your favorite fish finder is a must to take full advantage of the newer GPS and auto-pilot features. Going with a wireless model has the added benefits of remotely raising and lowering your motor. In addition, you can steer your boat from anywhere on your deck with the optional wireless foot control. The general rule for calculating how much thrust you need is to figure the weight of your boat, fully loaded, and add two pounds of thrust for every hundred pounds of vessel weight. It’s better to have too much power than too little. A 90-pound thrust 24V trolling motor should be adequate for boats up to 20 feet in length, and a 50-60 pound thrust motor should be fine for those in the 16-foot range. FISHING CHAIRS Most fishing models come with the option of either two or four swivel fishing chairs. There is also a convenient open

You can visit Buck’s Island to see this 4-chair Crest model.

This Crest pontoon comes with convenient rod and storage access, and a refrigerated drink holder.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 29

Selecting the Best Pontoon Fishing Boat

deck section in front of the bow or stern railing to make netting a catch much easier. The two-chair models are usually positioned at both front corners, but if you like to troll or fish spider rigs for crappie, rear seating is a must. In addition, the better-designed models offer a more open floor plan to allow unobstructed travel from front to back. DEPTH FINDERS Several fishing models come with dash-mounted fish finders, and mounting an additional screen or two is an easy task because of the inherent roominess and mounting options available. The best fish finder for your pontoon boat is probably the one that matches your budget and fishing style. The species you fish for, and the types of lakes or rivers you’ll be floating will help you decide what features you need. Several companies offer saltwater resistant models, so a sonar with coastal charts and graphs would be necessary for that environment. Also, a better quality unit that integrates with all your onboard systems would be a better option for saltwater use. ROD HOLDERS A suitable rod holder capable of securely keeping your rods safe and out of the way is an excellent addition that most fishing models have installed. They are conveniently positioned near each fishing chair, and other rail mounting systems are available that make additional storage an easy fix. TACKLE STORAGE Swapping lures or rigging hooks is more convenient when you have tackle-friendly storage areas near your fishing chair. An excellent option provided on most boats is a low-profile storage console near each seat for

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tackle boxes. LIVE WELLS The large deck of most pontoon boats allows for numerous storage and live well options. Depending on chair locations, fishing pontoons can have live-wells convenient to the bow or stern-mounted seats. CONCLUSION If you’ve been intrigued by the idea of a roomy, stable boat that has something that appeals to every member of your family, a fishing pontoon might be just the right solution. Newer three-tube configurations offer increased stability and speed and allow everything from diving platforms to skiing and tube riding. When you combine the convenience of a nice rail-mounted grill and a couple of comfortable swivel chairs and rod holders, you have one of the most versatile boats ever to float our waterways. Call or take a trip to Southside, Alabama and talk to the friendly folks at Buck’s Island to check their inventory or place an order for a pontoon boat that truly has something for the whole family.

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Selecting the Best Surf Fishing Rod Auburn University Students Win More Than $1 Million Bass Fishing

Artificial Bait in the Summer for Inshore Gamefish?

Impossible! BY CAPTAIN BOBBY ABRUSCATO

32 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING The gentlemen waiting for me at the dock on this June morning was a friend of a regular charter client of mine. He seemed a nice enough guy until he told me he not only didn’t want to use live bait; he didn’t even want any on the boat. “I’m a purist.” he said. “That’s fine with me, but we’re really going to be at a disadvantage.” was my response. My trepidation was increased as I watched several other anglers leaving the bait shop with live wells full of beautiful shrimp and croakers. The only consolation was that I was saving about 50 dollars on the charter, but I still wanted to catch fish- see, I’m wired that way. Our first stop was an area called the “shoals” which is a system of shell bars and cuts that run west of the Dauphin Island Bridge. Although condition sensitive, the “shoals” are probably the best 1 square mile of inshore fishing on the Alabama coast. Quality trout are landed with regularity from late March through the Holidays- but mostly on live bait. There were already several boats on the shoals with some already catching fish using live shrimp under popping corks which is the most effective technique there. I started weaving the boat through a trough while we casted a variety of hard baits like top waters and broken back jerk baits. Our first drift resulted in seven nice trout and a few more blow ups on top. A couple more drifts yielded the same results and when the bite slowed by 9:00ish, we had landed and released 20 or so fine speckled trout. Based on what I had seen while looking at the other boats, we had done almost as well as the other boats and maybe even a little better in terms of quality. The next stop was Alabama’s legendary Dixey Bar in hopes of some action on bull reds. We lucked up and ran into a giant school of bull reds on the surface catching a couple each, me using GULP swimming mullets with my charter catching two on a fly rod. We eased back to the marina late morning and I am sure I was more surprised than he was at how great a day we had just experienced. Since that trip, I have had many more successful days using artificial bait during the summer months. With live bait prices and demand increasing while the availability decreases, it’s become more of an attractive option and almost to the point of becoming a necessity to use artificial bait during the prime live bait periods of the summer months. Let’s look at some techniques that can be used to catch inshore gamefish using solely “arty’s” during the summer months. It’s always important to be fishing at daybreak when targeting speckled trout, but never more so than during the summer months. One advantage to using artificials is that there is no need to wait for the bait shop to open or wait in line at a bait shop. You can be where you need to be at daybreak. Have the lure you are planning to use tied on (preferably the evening before) this lure almost always being a top water at daylight for me. Of course, top waters are going to be most effective in water depths less than seven feet, so again in the hot months, you’ll want to be fishing early. If you haven’t had a chance to scout, look for areas that have active bait on the surface as places to start. If you can scout and are planning to fish a beach, put a marker on the beach like a piece of driftwood that can be seen from the boat. Beaches all look the same in the dark and especially from a boat. Whether you are wading or fishing from the boat, set your casts up from upwind to downwind. This will allow for longer casts which will let you get a bite before getting too close to the fish. When you get a bite, stop wading or stop the boat and make multiple casts before moving on. Even big trout are school fish and very often there are several in the area where the bite occurred. The fish will let you know when they no longer want it on top, but keep in mind that that doesn’t mean the bite is over. In the same areas that you top water fish, go back over them with a Slick Lure or some other type of fin fish imitation. Besides the fact that the Slick catches the heck out of fish, one functional advantage is that colors can be changed very quickly without the need to re-tie. Take a look at the water clarity. If it’s stained try the Slick “Bcat” or “Dirty Ice” colors and if it’s clear try more subtle colors like “Goblin” “Cool Beans” or the new “Croaker” colors. The fish will let you know what they want. If I think I am around fish, I make 5-10 casts before changing colors and start over if I get a bite or catch a fish. Unless it’s cloudy or windy, later in the morning, the shallow bite will slow during the summer. If you’re not ready to go home, another effective year-round technique is to use a shrimp imitation under a popping cork. This is a deadly combination when fished over shell or grass- or under a bird 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 33

Artificial Bait in the Summer for Inshore Gamefish? Impossible!

trout, flounder are all game fish that can be found in the general area as speckled trout. For all of these there is no better bait than GULP. The aforementioned fish use their sense of smell as much or more than their eyesight. GULP literally dissolves in the water releasing a tremendous amount of bite-stimulating scent. For reds and flounder, I like to “beat the banks” with a four inch GULP swimming mullet rigged jig head on a spinner harness. Focus on banks that have grass and/or shell that also have features in the form of points and drains. Slow rolling the spinner will get the attention of the predatory fish and the GULP seals the deal. This technique is so productive that I use this even if I have bait when I have to catch a red or flounder.

school. My favorite is the Vudu Shrimp in the “Baby” size under a Fairhope Rattle cork. The small Vudu tends to slip down on the hook after a fish or two, so I super glue the lure to the hook and let it set up for at least an hour or so- and usually overnight. This prevents it from slipping for hundreds of fish. I use about two feet of 20# Berkley fluorocarbon leader and 12# Berkley Nanofil main line on a 2000 sized Penn Conflict spinning reel. As with the top waters, try setting your casts up from upwind to downwind while searching for fish. Look for fish slicks or diving gulls and be ready to stop the boat if you get a bite with a Power Pole or other anchoring device. Don’t forget about other species during the summer either. Redfish, white

White trout gather in huge numbers on structure in the Bay or Sound during the summer. Here again, I use GULP on a jig head even if I have live bait. There is so much competition in these massive schools that you’d burn through your life savings in bait if you used it. White trout are almost always willing to bite as well and have saved more than one slow speck trip for me. They will let you know when you are around them as they are very aggressive and will bite usually when the bait gets anywhere near them If you get bit as you work around structure, figure out how to get set up to make the most effective casts and have some fun. White trout make fantastic table fare for a fish fry if kept cold and cooked fresh and they’re a staple at the Abruscato household fish fries! Keep in mind that they don’t freeze particularly well, so although there is no size or creel on them, it doesn’t do anyone well to let them go to waste. So, it’s still great to get live bait during the summer months if you can, but don’t pass up a summertime fishing trip by hassling over getting bait or not getting bait at all. There is still plenty of opportunity using the fake stuff to have a great trip!

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Artificial Bait in the Summer for Inshore Gamefish? Impossible!

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 35

Selecting the Best Surf Fishing Rod Auburn University Students Win More Than $1 Million Bass Fishing

Red Snapper Fishing Keys for Success BY ED MASHBURN

Whether live bait or artificials are used, red snapper are fighters, and delicious when taken home.

36 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING Although the artificial reef is something over a hundred feet below us, the lively pinfish I had put on my circle hook never made it down that hundred or so feet. My line came tight and my rod bent way over when the bait had gone down only forty feet. Whatever had taken my bait did not want to come up to be seen on the surface. My reel’s drag complained, and my rod bent even farther over, and I had to apply pressure with my soon to be blistered thumb to slow the hooked fish down and keep it up out of the structure on the bottom. This was not easy. After a few minutes of silent physical argument, I began to work the stubborn fish upward. A small dash of color appeared in the clear Gulf water far below me, and then as I brought the fish farther upward, the color, a deep, brilliant red began to become obvious. Suddenly this strong, powerful fish was at the surface ready to be brought aboard. The most amazing thing of this little struggle, this twelve-pound red snapper was not the biggest of the day. We are living in the “Golden Age” of red snapper fishing here on the Gulf Coast. There have never been so many red snapper, and there have never been so many big red snapper as there are right now. Red snapper fishing requires some proper rigging and some correct technique in order for anglers to fully enjoy this wonderful fish and this amazing fishery we have on the northern Gulf Coast. FINDING RED SNAPPER Captain Yano Serra has fished the Gulf Coast for many years and he is a master at putting his clients on big red snapper. He offered to share some of his experience with us. We asked Serra how an angler who wants to find red snapper on his own can go about this. Serra laughed and said, “Just look for the charter boats!” “Go online and look up Alabama State Public Fishing Reefs. There are hundreds of reefs offshore that Alabama has put down. It will take a little exploring and looking. Some of the reefs will be depleted of snapper, but when you find a reef that holds good fish, mark it on your sonar machine,” Serra said. “Remember, the reefs don’t change but the fish do. The snapper will migrate from cooler water to warmer water, and storms will push fish off one reef and they’ll move to another one.” “There’s no real difference between artificial reef and natural bottom except that the natural bottom is farther offshore- say 40 to 50 miles. The artificial sites start within six miles. There are old army tanks and pyramids placed by the state from 8 to 60 miles out,” he added. RIGGING FOR RED SNAPPER Red snapper are powerful fish and the big ones will stress any angler and gear as they try to make their way back to the structure below where they can chafe the line and break off the angler.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 37

Red Snapper Fishing Keys for Success

FishBites scented grubs can be very effective for red snapper

head through the mouth and out his gill plate. That’s the toughest part of the bait and it holds better and the snapper can’t see the hook. When I use hardtails for bait, I use only the heads.” Heavy two-to-three-ounce jigs with soft plastic ripple tails can be very effective for red snapper. They seem to like chartreuse soft plastic bodies, but white also works well, just make sure that those jig hooks are very sharp. It can be hard to set a dull hook in a big snapper’s tough mouth. Although it may seem an unusual way to catch snapper Yano fishes a fly rod for snapper at times. “I use a black and white weighted clouser fly. I strip off forty or fifty feet of fly line, cast up current and let the fly sink. I just ‘hop’ the fly as it sinks and I try to keep it at the depth the snapper are holding at. When a five or six pound snapper takes a fly, it feels like a sow snapper has shown up. I have gotten busted knuckles from the reel handle spinning so fast when a snapper peeled off the fly line.” For those time when live bait seems to eaten up by smaller bait-stealers before the big red snapper can get to the hook, using artificial bait can be very effective WHEN THE BITE GETS TOUGH On a recent trip to the near-shore reefs off Panama City Beach, Florida the folks on the boat with me were getting lots of strikes but only occasionally would a keeper snapper come in. I reeled up my live bait rig which was stripped clean once more by smaller reef fish, and cut off the live bait rig. I tied on a three-foot long section of 30-pound mono for a leader and then I attached a two-ounce jig head. When I threaded on a FishBites four-inch Butt Kicker Paddle Tail that had

“I like a Carolina rig. I use 60-pound braid main line mostly, and then I’ll have a strong but small swivel, and the weight I use depends on the current. I usually get by with a 3 oz to 8 oz weight. If there’s no current, I don’t use any weight,” Serra said. “If I’m finesse fishing suspended snapper, I’ll use a spinning rig of at least a 6000 size with five or six feet of leader. I don’t want the fish to see my braid main line. If I’m using conventional gear, I’ll go with 80-pound main line which is usually mono with a 100-to-150-pound leader,” Serra said. “I’ve been broken off too many times to go with lighter tackle. A 10- or 15-pound red snapper will pull you into the reef below, and this heavy leader helps keep the fish on. I want a low-speed conventional reel so I can get a good strong pull on the bigger snappers to get them away from the reef. If you can get a big snapper up thirty feet or so from the reef, they blow out from pressure change and are easier to handle. I use a stout circle hook with a big gap. You want a big gap hook that will find its way past the big snapper’s jawbone. Smaller circle hooks won’t do this. Bigger hook- bigger snapper.” BAIT AND LURES FOR RED SNAPPER Day in and day out, more big red snapper are caught on live bait than any other sort of bait. “I like a fresh, fresh, fresh pogie. I like to cast a net for live pogies on the way out to the reefs,” Serra said. “I usually hook the live pogie through the back”. When fishing pogies this way, the angler needs to let the fish eat it. Don’t jerk when you feel the first pressure. If you do, it will pull the hook. ”You’ll have to reel in and re-bait. I also like to use a pogie head. Hook the 38 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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proven very effective on big bull redfish the day before and dropped it to the reef structure, things changed. I got an immediate strike and hook up with a very good snapper. Another drop brought a strong strike and a very nice gag grouper. When I shared Fishbites Butt Kickers with the other anglers, the bait stealing stopped and the tough, long-lasting FishBites grub bodies were too much for the big snapper to resist. FishBites products are scented, have good action in the water, and they are made much tougher than other artificial scented baits. BEST REEF FISHING TECHNIQUES When asked his favorite red snapper fishing technique, Yano answers with no hesitation. “I love free-lining for snapper. I use the circle hook and no weight. I just cast up current, put the rod in a rod holder and let the bait fall- I’ll use either live bait or a head. I let the fish hook itself and when the rod bends over, I hit ‘em.” Serra said “There can be a good bonus when snapper fishing this way Big king mackerel, ling, dolphin, and some really big snapper will come up to the free-lined bait higher and they’ll bite shallow,” Serra noted. “I’ve caught some big fish at ten foot depths or even less. Often, you can see the fish and feed ‘em the bait. Chumming can work, but it can pull up the smaller snapper from deep water, and if you over chum, the snapper will fill up and stop biting. Chum lightly!” GENERAL REGULATIONS Red snapper season opening and closing dates for both state and federal waters have not been announced as of yet. The seasons will most likely be

very similar to last year’s start and end dates. Remember the dividing line for state and federal waters for the Gulf Coast states is nine miles. Inside of that an angler is in state water and under state regulations Red snapper anglers must have: 1. Alabama Saltwater Fishing License 2. Reef fish Endorsement 3. Saltwater Angler Registration Harvested red snapper must be reported on one Snapper Check Report per vessel before fish are landed in Alabama. Reminder: Possession of red snapper in Alabama state waters while the Alabama season is closed is prohibited, no matter where the snapper were caught.

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Carp and Paddlefish are a great test of your archery skills 40 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING

Bowfishing for Beginners BY DAVID STRICKLAND Alabama has a very long bow season, and it allows archers to chase their favorite game for almost four months. There’s also a growing number of hunters learning to use turkey calls to extend their season into the spring. Afterward, many of these bowhunters swap their bows and arrows for fishing tackle and a bass boat when their season ends. However, many archers don’t use bows to hunt but instead enjoy the challenge of slinging arrows at a target or competing in tournaments. Many of these archers also turn to catching fish or boating during the warmer months. Yet another group of archery enthusiasts has discovered the best of both worlds, using their bows to fish. What better way to maintain your archery skills than to find another excuse to shoot your bows? I can imagine the feeling one experiences the first time they shoot an arrow at a fish is similar to that felt by the kid who discovers that jelly goes great with peanut butter. GETTING STARTED The great thing about switching from bow hunting or target archery to bowfishing is that very few accessories are needed to make the transition. A barbed fishing arrow, a sturdy reel attached to the stabilizer mount, and your bow is ready. However, there is a learning curve in consistently making a good shot. I talked to Clayton Meyer of Shelby County, Kentucky, about the equipment he recommends to enjoy the growing sport of bowfishing. Meyer (CT) is a US Coast Guard Licensed Captain, and a fully insured Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources licensed fishing guide. Meyer said he began bowfishing over a dozen years ago, and it quickly became a passion. He also discovered that he enjoyed introducing others to the sport and sharing the finer points of taking large fish with an arrow. So, he established The Obsession Outdoors in 2016, and now with the addition of his 22-foot state-of-the-art custom bowfishing boat, he can guide you on a Kentucky bowfishing trip that you’ll never forget. “The great thing about fishing with arrows is that you can use the same bow you used for hunting. So, the addition of a fiberglass or composite arrow, a screw-on barbed tip, and a good reel are all one needs to get started,” Meyer said. WHERE TO BOWFISH Meyer mentioned another good thing about this sport: finding fish to shoot is easier than most people realize. He said that there are plenty of places to locate fish without a boat. Walking creek banks, below dams, or flooded

fields offer great action for those willing to seek out these target-rich areas. “Aim low, and if you think you’re low enough, aim lower,” is Meyer’s advice about aiming. He explained that light refraction distorts a fish’s position, and it takes a few practice shots to aim correctly. Also, most shooting takes place at close range and often requires instinctive or snap shooting to target a fish quickly. Meyers recommends targeting the head area because the body will remain in the kill zone if the fish moves forward as you shoot. He compares snap shooting your bow to aiming with a shotgun. WHEN TO GO “Springtime is when many non-game fish species travel up creeks or into shallow flats to spawn,” Meyer pointed out. He emphasized that although you can use almost any kind of boat, you can also enjoy plenty of shooting by searching out the creeks and streams in your area with bank access. “When the water temperature warms into the ‘60s, many fish start cruising the shallower water,” Meyer said. EQUIPMENT “Another great feature of bowfishing is that someone starting from scratch can get fully equipped with a minimal investment. Spending $300.00$500.00 can outfit almost anyone with a bow, reel, and fish arrow,” Meyer explained. Bows- Local want ads usually have several listings of used bows for sale by the springtime. Pawn Shops are also another option for finding a bow without breaking the bank. Recurves with 30-50 pound pull are an excellent option, and beginners can find some new models for less than $150.00. Meyer said that most any bow could be used to shoot a fishing arrow, but he has found a few brands that he can recommend for anyone who wants to get set up and start enjoying this sport. AMS- AMS is a family-run American company formed in 1979, and they make practically everything they sell in the US. They offer an extensive line of performance bowfishing gear for most everyone. Their products focus on the hard-core enthusiast and the family that wants to share time outdoors. Their motto is, “If we don’t sell it for bowfishing, you don’t need it.” Cajun (Bear)- Cajun Archery was started in 1963 by Billy Amentor and he expanded into the bowfishing side of archery in 1976. The company merged with Bear Archery in 2012 and continues to offer a complete line of affordable products for catching fish with a bow. PSE- PSE is one of the industry’s more prominent bow makers, and they 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 41

Bowfishing for Beginners

An amazing night of Spoonbill bowfishing with Captain CT

have developed several compounds and recurve models that come with everything needed to begin fishing. In addition, they offer bare bows and accessories or package deals designed for everyone in the family. Fin-Finder- This company was established in 2008 by bowfishing enthusiasts who liked to fish on the Susquehanna River around Harrisburg, Pa. In addition to a line of compound and recurve packages, they also offer some excellent mechanical fish points. They have expanded their line of products to include every product imaginable for chasing fish with arrows. Oneida- Oneida Eagle bows are built 100% in America by bow fishermen for bow fishermen and women. Their innovative design is like a hybrid offspring of a recurve and compound. They are a tad expensive, but many serious bow fishermen grip one of these as they sling their fishing arrows. They have been making their bows since 1982 and currently produce their products in Michigan.

In saltwater, shark fishing with a bow is permitted, but sharks must meet the minimum lengths and be a legal species to take. Stingrays, skates, flounders, and other species are also fair game, but killing without eating them is discouraged. Always check with your local and state regulations before filling your cooler. Both size and creel limits are subject to change, so be sure and contact your local Fish & Game for specifics. COOK YOUR CATCH Years ago, my uncle commercially fished the Tombigbee River with nets, and he caught a lot of sucker and carp species. My aunt canned much of what they netted in mason jars, and it tasted remarkably similar to salmon. Gar, suckers, carp, and bowfin are all fine table fare when cleaned and cooked correctly, so don’t waste what you reel in with your arrow.

Arrows- Clayton said that most of the above-mentioned companies also carry good fiberglass or composite shafts that will work fine. However, he said that target species help to determine tip selection. “A two-pronged tip offers better penetration for larger scaled fish, and a three-pronged tip holds softer fish better,” added Meyer.

CONCLUSION If you’re looking for another hobby or ways to hone your archery skills, outfit your bow with a reel, tie it to a barbed arrow, and walk along or wade the shallow waters of your local streams. You can even take it on your next visit to the beach.

He also mentioned that 5 Star LED carries an extensive line of bright LED lights to help illuminate your targets at night, and some models can attach to your bow for precise illumination.

If you want to try this addictive sport before investing in the necessary equipment, I recommend calling Captain Clayton Meyer in Kentucky to plan a trip and see what you’ve been missing. You will enjoy the ride on his custom-made boat, where Captain Meyer will demonstrate all the equipment and, if you’re lucky, help you arrow a fish as long as you are tall.

Reels- In the early days of taking fish with a bow, people used a variety of homemade line dispensers, including coffee cans. Today, plenty of options are available, from spin-cast to more robust models strong enough for sharks and rays. Many of the above-mentioned bow companies also offer a variety of reels to meet any fresh or saltwater adventure. Meyer also mentioned a reel made in Wisconsin by MegaMouth that’s an excellent choice. Also, be sure and purchase a rugged reel adaptor for your mount. Regulations- Alabama allows for taking non-game or invasive freshwater fish species with your bow. The list of commonly targeted species includes common carp, grass carp, buffalo, gar, bowfin, drum, and catfish. 42 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Important Contact Information Captain Clayton (CT) Meyer theobsessionoutdoors.com @theobsessionoutdoors/Instagram The Obsession Outdoors Fishing Guide/Facebook 502-548-6886

FEATURES:

• All steel construction • Sliding glass windows • Maintenance-free • Locking windows and doors • Full staircase/handrail on most models • Fully carpeted interior on economy blinds • 2” foam insulation in walls, ceiling, & floor in insulated models • Exterior window and door shades • Octagonal shape • Multiple tower heights and sizes to accommodate any hunter • Trailer blind options • ADA accessible ramp option • Door chain

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• No wood to rot • Windows open and close without catching a glare • Pest proof • Enhanced safety when entering/exiting blind • Controls sound and scent • Helps keep rain off windows and doors for visibility • Increased visibility • Increased mobility for hunting any location • Keeps door from flying open and making unnecessary noise

FEEDER FEATURES: • Feeders come with battery and solar panel • Feeders are 52” or shorter • Feeders are on skids • High capacity feeders • Eliminator plate FEEDER BENEFITS: • Ready to use unit just fill and set timer • Fill feeder without climbing, keep both feet on the ground • Easily drag feeder to feed location • Fill feeders less often, less disturbance for wildlife • Hog and raccoon proof feeders!

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 43

Noodling Catfish Like a Pro

BY STEPHANIE MALLORY

44 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING Wrestling a 40-pound catfish out of a dark, muddy hole while you’re partially or completely submerged in water is not everyone’s idea of fun, but it is nothing but fun for Hannah Barron and her father, Jeff Barron. The two Barrons have become famous on social media for uploading images and videos of themselves noodling for huge catfish and enjoying other hunting and fishing adventures throughout the country. Hannah said she became “Insta famous” when she posted a video of herself pulling a 30-pound flathead out of a hole in 2016. That video went viral with approximately 25 million views, and she now has more than 667,000 followers on Instagram. Barron’s exciting social media posts have helped fuel the noodling/hand-fishing craze of recent years. WHEN AND WHERE TO GO NOODLING Noodling typically doesn’t get good until the water heats up in the summer. That’s when the flatheads, blues and channel cats start spawning in underwater holes and hollowed-out structures, like boat ramps, tree trunks, log jams and debris. Some noodlers build and sink boxes or other structures that mimic natural underwater nesting sites. When it comes to finding the right spot to noodle for huge catfish, it’s kind of hit or miss. Jeff says he and Hannah typically fish reservoirs, like Logan Martin, but places like the Alabama River, where there are few boat ramps, are usually unproductive. “I mean, you can catch a few, but you’re not gonna do much,” he said. “Boat ramps are what most of the people are hitting now. You know that’s where the fish are going to be. And most of that’s gonna be on the Coosa River and some of those reservoirs, like Mitchell and Lay.” THE CASE FOR SINKING YOUR OWN NOODLING BOXES The father and daughter duo like to use homemade noodling boxes that mimic underground structure where catfish like to hide. Jeff says they build and use their own boxes because they know no one else is likely to fish them unless they just happen upon them. “Of course, there are people who’ll fish your boxes if they find them,” he said. “It’s sad, but there are people who do that. To me it’s like someone checking your trotline. It’s just not right, but people do it and don’t think anything about it.” When asked whether she prefers noodling out of their own boxes or from boat ramps, Hannah says she’s experienced success with both.

Noodling is best when the water heats up over 80 degrees, which sets off the spawn. Noodling opportunities generally last through mid-July in most parts of the South. In the North, the spawn may last a little longer. According to Hannah, during the spawn, the male catfish will typically scout out a hole and prepare it before the female moves in and lays eggs. Then she leaves and the male stays to protect the eggs. When it comes to finding the right location for your boxes, Jeff says there’s no real formula. “We’ve got some places that we fish that might be 100 yards from shore, but they might be only waist deep,” Jeff said. “I mean the box itself may be 150 yards off the bank. And then you might have a place where you’ve got a box where you go out 100 yards and it’s flat and three or four feet deep. You put a box down and it drops off to 30 feet just right there at the box. It just starts dropping off. The fishing boats really don’t know about them.” He and Hannah typically place the boxes pretty far apart, but in some locations, they may put three or four in one spot – just to experiment with it. “We’ll typically only catch one fish out of all of the boxes we place in one spot. That’s just normally the way it is. It’s like hunting big deer. You don’t have a whole lot of big deer in one area. So, they’re sort of spread out over the body of water. So, we usually spread out our boxes to increase our odds of catching a big one. I do think they are somewhat territorial, especially during the spawn. I know the males are.” Once a box is placed, the two active noodlers don’t relocate it if it’s not producing fish. Hannah says the boxes “are too aggravating” to relocate because they are heavy and nasty, so she doesn’t want to put them in the boat. “I’d just assume build a new one,” Jeff noted. They’ll typically leave a box in its original spot and will continue to check it even if it hasn’t produced a catfish in a while because, eventually, they’ll find a fish in it. “We may have had one that goes a year or two without a fish, but eventually something will find it,” Jeff explained. He says you can’t really predict which boxes will hold fish.

“I mean, really, we’ve done both. We’ve caught fish out of both and we’ve not caught fish out of both. The truth is, they’ll typically get in boat ramps a little better.”

“You know, fish will go in and they’ll blow it out and then just stop. And for whatever reason, I don’t know, they just change and go somewhere else. I never have figured that out either.”

Jeff says boat ramps feel more natural to catfish, like a rock or ledge, so they’ll be more comfortable under a boat ramp than in a box, but there are benefits to using a box, such as they’re less likely to be fished out by others. And, as popular as noodling has become in the South, it’s likely that other noodlers have already targeted most of the boat ramps.

The seasoned noodler says when checking boxes they’ve sunk, he can often tell before he sticks his hand in one if a fish is in there.

SINKING AND CHECKING YOUR BOXES He says when the fish get ready to bed, they’re just looking for a hole that’s not already occupied. “I’m pretty sure they’re probably on a time frame. If there’s a smaller fish in the hole, those bigger fish will go in there and blow those smaller ones out and do their business. You know, they just push them out,” Jeff said.

“When you come up to one of them, you can tell that the male’s been on the outside ramping around outside of the box because it’ll just be a cavern. They’ll almost bury the box.” THE SIZE DECEPTION Males are often smaller than the females. But whether someone catches a smaller male or large female, noodlers often greatly misjudge how much the fish weighs. “People often think they’ve caught a 30, 40 or 50-pound fish, but it’s usually much smaller,” Jeff said. “I’ve literally watched someone say, “Man, I caught

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 45

Noodling Catfish Like a Pro

a 50-pound fish, and I’m like, that fish weighs 20 pounds. A fish’s size can be deceiving. They often look much larger and heavier than they actually are. The fish may look 25 or 30 pounds until you put a set of scales on it. I’ve been noodling for 20 years now, and I can look at one and get to within a pound or two every time, whether it’s a blue or a flathead.”

By Mrs Hermes Recipe and image courtesy of www.allrecipes.com

Oven-Fried Catfish

But sometimes, even the scales can be wrong.

This recipe is a great alternative to pan-fried catfish. A combination of cornmeal and a variety of spices gives this recipe a savory kick in less than 30 minutes.

“The one Hannah caught last year in Illinois weighed 76 pounds on one scale and 61 pounds on another. So, we just split the difference.”

Prep: 10 mins • Cook: 15 mins • Total: 25 mins

When a fish is that large, it can be really difficult to pull it to the surface, and even dangerous.

Ingredients • 1 ½ pounds catfish filets • ½ cup yellow cornmeal • 1 teaspoon paprika • 1 teaspoon dried thyme • 1 teaspoon salt • ½ teaspoon celery seed • ½ teaspoon onion powder • ½ teaspoon garlic powder • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper • ½ cup skim milk • cooking spray

“What people don’t understand is how hard those blue cats fight. It is like sticking your arm in a car door and slamming it,” Hannah said. “People don’t understand how powerful those jaws are and what they can do to your hand – even when wearing gloves. I’ve got a spot on my hand from that 61-pounder, even with gloves on. I know one guy who’s still having surgery on his hand from noodling a big blue cat.” Jeff said there’s been times when a blue cat has chomped down on his foot so hard that he couldn’t pull it out of its mouth. “I had to go down and pry the fish’s mouth open. My feet looked like hamburger meat after our Illinois trip noodling for blues.’ Of course, the bigger the fish, the more dangerous it can get.

Instructions 1.

“It’s hard to swim with a 40- to 50-pound fish,” he said. “We’ve got a place at a local lake where the hole is under water, so they tie a rope to me. I won’t let Hannah do it. Generally, if I can push off the bottom, I can swim up and get some air before I continue wrestling the fish, but you never know. It doesn’t hurt to have that rope tied to you in case you get into trouble.”

Both Jeff and Hannah say the adrenaline rush they get from noodling outweighs the risk, and they both plan to go after the big cats from now on.

46 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. In a shallow dish, stir together the cornmeal, paprika, thyme, salt, celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Dip the catfish filets in milk, then place them into the cornmeal mixture and coat liberally; place on the greased baking sheet. Coat the tops of the filets with cooking spray until wet. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

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42 APRIL 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 47

Selecting the Best Guided Duck Hunts BY FRANK SARGEANT

48 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

HUNTING Going on a guided hunt, whether it’s for ducks and geese in Arkansas or Louisiana, wild turkeys in Florida or Alabama, or elk in Colorado or Montana, are always a bit of a gamble, and an expensive one at that. The traveling hunter has to rely on the expertise of the guide or the outfitter as well as their honesty and integrity to give a good chance that the hunt will succeed. There have been a number of cases in recent years of unlicensed guides and outfitters and their clients being cited for hunting illegally without proper licensing or on land not open to the hunts. And most types of free-range hunting are always chancy, at best. The weather, the migration of game and the amount of hunting pressure always factor in hugely. One way of easing the chore of successfully booking a hunt is to use an outfitter who “vets” the guides and hunting operations in advance Logan Meaux of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a long time waterfowler who decided to do something about the challenges of booking hunts in distant areas. He founded Mallard Bay Outfitters as a one-stop shopping site for hunters to plan and book hunts with outfitters who have proven reliable, productive and honest. “Some great hunting guides may not be Internet savvy,” Meaux said.. “Maybe their website doesn’t really show what they’ve got or the quality of their operation, or maybe they don’t even have a website. We work with guides and outfitters who don’t want the bother and expense or don’t have the know-how for setting up their own site as well as those who already have a website, so the traveling hunter gains access to some really good operations that might be missed otherwise.” Mallard Bay handles both guided hunts and unguided hunts--that is where the hunters simply pay for access to a good piece of hunting lands or marsh. Some of the hunts also offer full lodging including food and transport to the field, while others do not, allowing hunters to match the trip to their experience, their budget and their need for comforts. Though the company started out specializing in waterfowl hunts, it now offers sandhill crane hunts, upland bird hunts, deer hunts, exotic game hunts and freshwater and coastal fishing trips, both inshore and offshore, as well, or in some cases “cast-and-blast” trips that include both fishing and hunting.. Some of the fishing trips are as basic as access to a small boat on a 30-acre lake heavily stocked with largemouths, while others might include an overnight trip 100 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. Trip prices range from as low as $75 for access to a stocked lake to over $4,000 for an offshore tuna/wahoo/snapper trip. The company has outfitters and guides in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana and Texas at this point, and is looking to expand into other states. Meaux says that because his company works with dozens of outfitters, hunters have a chance to choose a hunt that suits them and their party very closely. “Some might like a stationary hunt in a pit blind in the middle of a grain field, where once you get out there that’s all the walking you do, and maybe somebody else might like the chance to stay on the move and go where the birds are on that particular day and put together whatever camouflage they need on the spot. We can match your group to their preferences because we coordinate with so many guides,” he noted. Meaux says that some hunters might prefer hunting food plots and grain fields, others might want to shoot roost ponds, and he has guides who can offer either, or in some cases both. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 49

Selecting the Best Guided Duck Hunts

Another variable in waterfowl hunting is how many hunters are fitted into a blind. Those who enjoy the camaraderie of multiple shooters sitting side by side can opt for a large pit or frame-type blind, while those who prefer to hunt solitary can choose that, as well. “We can also set up a hunt depending on how much gear you want to travel with,” Meaux said.. “Maybe you don’t want the hassle of flying with a firearm, you want to rent a gun when you get there—some of our outfitters offer that, as well.” At the other end of the scale, he can hook you up with operators who simply provide access and allow you to bring your own guns, decoys, blinds and whatever you want to make your hunt successful. For those who enjoy watching hunting dogs work, Mallard Bay indicates which outfitters provide that service, as well. And of course the distance a hunter and his group are willing to travel is a major factor. “A lot of hunters drive to their destinations instead of flying because it’s just easier to take your gear that way and bring home the meat, but you have to determine how far you’re willing to drive and how much time you want to spend on the road,” Meaux explained. “So we break out our hunts by state—if you want to allow a half day to get there, you have pretty much the whole southeast.” Another variable included in Mallard Bay’s data is the target species. “Some waterfowl hunters are avid mallard hunters, while others might want

to take a pintail or a redhead or maybe they love green-wing teal or wood ducks,” Meaux pointed out. “Right now, in most of Louisiana, we don’t have very good mallard hunting but we have a whole lot of other varieties and plenty of geese. So you can find that out up front and go where your chances of success on what you particularly want to hunt will be highest.” The amount of time a hunter can spend on a hunt will also factor in. The longer you can stay, the better your chances of having several good hunts, of course, but also the more the trip will cost. “And if you’re just booking for yourself, or for yourself and your wife, or maybe for your 10 employees as a company outing, that’s a big factor in deciding where you’ll want to go,” Meaux said. “Some operators are not set up to handle big groups, and some are fine with it.” Mallard Bay can also handle international booking to the great waterfowling areas of Canada and Mexico, for those willing to travel. And of course finding guides and operations with open dates on the days you can take a hunting vacation is critical. The Mallard Bay website will soon allow users to quickly filter the options for available dates, as well as all the other factors. And they’ll soon have a mobile app, according to Meaux, to allow users to plan on the fly from their phones. Best time to start planning? “It’s never too soon,” Meaux advised. “The best dates on the best land with the best operators get booked first, so the sooner you can commit the better. If you wait until a few weeks before the season, you’re not going to get the

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Selecting the Best Guided Duck Hunts

pick of the litter and choices are going to be very limited.” He says spring is the time to plan hunts for next fall, not only securing the best locations and prime times, but also giving everyone in your party more time to plan and prepare for a good hunt. Once you’ve picked out three or four operations that look promising, Meaux suggests you investigate a bit farther before booking, contacting them and learning about how much land they have access to and in what locations, how many hunters typically are in camp on a given week and what the prime times are likely to be, as well as to get a feel for the overall expertise and business sense of the operator. Meaux says the Mallard Bay site will be implementing a review process in the next few months. It will allow all who hunt with a given outfitter to report their results and impressions. And it will be a two-way street, allowing the outfitters to respond to a group of hunters who might not be particularly conservation-minded.

Meaux says hunters who choose to make a deposit for a given date at a given location are immediately assured of getting that spot.

Even with the best guides and outfitters, it’s still hunting, and success is never assured.

Mallard Bay charges a basic convenience fee for their services to the hunter, and the guide or operator pays the three percent credit card fee they would pay in any case for accepting a credit card payment.

But some of the prime operations will take it on themselves to work with their clients and offer alternate dates or even the chance to move to the following year if conditions change so much that the chances of a good hunt are nil. (This is more common after one becomes a repeat customer than a first-timer, however—outfitting is, after all, a business and the hunter shares some risk with the outfitter due to the basic uncertainty of hunting.)

For the present, Mallard Bay will knock off the convenience fee for anyone who books as a result of hearing about the company through Great Days Outdoors. For details, visit https://mallardbay.com.

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251-433-3696 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 51

Tunnel vision blinds you to all but what’s within the crosshairs. Ambient noises fade away. The world seems to still, almost as if you’ve entered a realm of slow motion.

them in an understandable manner. Attendees get equal time spent on in-classroom learning and range time instruction. He’s even happy to walk you through a gun purchase.

But none of that is true.

LONG-RANGE HUNTING CONSIDERATIONS Those who shoot long yardages have numerous variables to consider, including bullet weight, bullet length, bullet diameter, bullet spindrift, elevation, flight time, muzzle velocity, rate of twist, twist direction, pressure, temperature, wind direction, wind speed, and more. When looking for extreme accuracy at greater distances, it boils down to how long the bullet is in the air, which determines how these secondary and earth-based factors affect it during flight. Plus, how long is that animal holding still for you to shoot it there?

While being laser-focused on the shot process can make it seem as if there’s nothing in the world except you, your rifle, and your target, everything in the world is still right there, and there are numerous seen and unseen factors that impact the accuracy and success of the bullet you send downrange. Those interested in choosing the best long-range hunting rifle, or who are hoping to attend a long-range shooting school, should know James Eagleman. He is the COO and head instructor for Barbour Creek Long Range Shooting and Hunting School. Before that, he served as a sniper and sniper instructor for 27 years. Since then, he has taught thousands of courses, and he’s perfected the ability to take difficult concepts and convey 52 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Of course, a lot goes into this process. Because of that, having the right gear is important, but so is having the right skillset. You can have the best gear in the world, but it won’t perform if you aren’t equipped to use it.

HUNTING

Picking the Best Long-Range Hunting Rifle Get the gun you want and need for long-range hunting and shooting scenarios BY JOSH HONEYCUTT

Long range shooting isn’t easy, but having the right rifle makes it easier. (Honeycutt Creative photo) That’s why Eagleman tailors his teaching to address this multi-layered skillset. At Barbour Creek, the first hour and a half of his class is talking about the different guns, stocks, and everything. Then, he’ll talk about different bullets and ammunition. He also discusses how to read the wind, and most of the long-range shooting schools out there don’t integrate wind reading. “We developed a technique for U.S. special operations for reading wind back in 1992 over at Fort Campbell,” he said. “I’m the guy who developed it, and we teach really good wind reading at Barbour Creek.”

well as the 1,000 acres of beautiful scenery it sits on. Located near Lake Eufaula, the sights don’t get much better. Implementation of proper shooting skills aside, people might not be aware of what to look for when determining a good long-range rifle, but Barbour Creek has the answers. SELECTING A LONG-RANGE HUNTING RIFLE A good long-range hunting rifle must be able to do everything outlined above. It’s very important to choose the right rifle when focusing on longrange shooting and hunting.

There are many people who’ve attended and passed the Barbour Creek Long Range Shooting School who had very little experience prior to the trip. Consider Stephanie Baya, for example. She’s a dentist who had never shot beyond 300 yards. That said, after a few hours into the program, she was ringing targets at 1,000 yards. That’s incredible, and you can do the same.

A common mistake is hunters thinking the gun they have can shoot 1,000plus yards. In some cases, these might. Other times, these won’t. “Just because they shoot well at close range doesn’t mean they shoot well at long range,” Eagleman said. “That’s why we test guns for 1,100-yard accuracy.”

Plus, the facility is great. Here, you can enjoy their incredible facilities, as

Obviously, accuracy is important. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 53

Picking the Best Long-Range Hunting Rifle

When a pastime becomes a passion.

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“You need a gun that shoots with the accuracy that you need it to, which is at least half a minute,” Eagleman said. “It must shoot under a five inch group at 1,000 yards. That makes sure you have good accuracy on an animal for a clean kill.” There are big differences between guns that are accurate at close range, versus those that are accurate at longer distances. Major characteristics separate a 400-yard gun and an 1,100-yard weapon. As mentioned, the stock plays a role in accuracy, too. The Artemis stock addresses this, and improves the shooting experience, as well as effectiveness. If the gun doesn’t feel well when shouldered, accuracy suffers. “You also need to look at stock design,” Eagleman said. “Certain stocks can contribute to what we call muzzle flip, or the barrel jumping up during recoil. That’s going to hurt you at long range. All stocks are not created equal.” Because of this, Barbour Creek designs its stocks to be resistant to this issue, effectively canceling muzzle flip. It also reduces felt recoil. This helps you to stay on target after the shot. Moving down the gun, barrel configuration is very important, which is addressed in Barbour Creek guns. Barrel contour, material (carbon fiber or steel), and caliber selection impacts effectiveness at longer distances. Another major hurdle is the stress relieving on the barrels. According to Eagleman, they tend to walk as they heat up if they’ve gone through single heat stress relief. Of course, this process costs barrel companies money, and additional treatment costs more. “Another problem you run into is the proper twist rate for stability,” Eagleman explained. “In other words, the bullet is going to hit a certain revolutions per minute, or RPMs. You want to have the right twist rate for the caliber and bullet weight, especially for a long-range hunting rifle. At Barbour Creek, we design these guns to have a certain stability factor, as bullets start to fail at longer ranges due to spinning too fast.” Scope selection is another big factor. “The other thing is having the right scope on the gun that has enough minutes of travel,” Eagleman said. “Because if you’re taking a shot at 1,000 [yards] with a Creedmoor, for instance, you’re at 29 minutes of elevation.” The scope also needs to have a zero stop on it, parallax, and a dialable turret. It also needs ample clarity and magnification. Ammunition is something else to consider. Not all ammunition is created equal. Barbour Creek uses specific ammunition for long-range hunting purposes. It not only needs to have a high ballistic coefficient but also quality powder in terms of velocity changes. Beyond the gun, scope, and ammo, another piece of gear can simplify long-range shooting.

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“You really need a ballistic rangefinder that calculates other secondary effects, such as station, pressure, altitude, angle, Coriolis, and all of that,” Eagleman said. Today, there are a couple of good rangefinders that do all of that for you. Big ticket considerations aside, you certainly can’t ignore case use.

MEMBER

“It’s about whatever the client is looking for,” Eagleman pointed out. 54 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Picking the Best Long-Range Hunting Rifle

The BC-1400 Precision Long Range Hunting Rifle is a fine selection. (Barbour Creek photo)

“That’s why I cover this in our level No. 1 class. It allows them to make an informed decision on whatever caliber they want. Not everyone needs a 300 PRC. They might hunt deer only, and they can do a Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC. If they’re going to hunt moose, elk, and other large game, we’ll bump them up to a 7mm or .300. It all depends on what they’re shooting. So, basically, when I talk to clients, or students in class, we emphasize what they’re going to use it for. You don’t need a .300 for deer.” Once ready to find the right rifle, hunters also need to ensure the gun isn’t too heavy to carry. Younger and smaller-framed shooters might not be able to tote a heavy gun very far or long. Unfortunately, most accurate guns are heavier, but Barbour Creek makes its guns as light as possible for this reason. They have an array of options. AN INCREDIBLE RIFLE The BC-1400 Precision Long Range Hunting Rifle (https://www.barbourcreek.com/bc-1400-precision-long-range-rifle) is an excellent option for someone who wants a great gun that can tackle hard shots. Regarding carry and comfort, the base rifle weight is 7.10 pounds with a steel barrel. Apollo Lite action rifles are 6.6 pounds with carbon fiber barrels. The BC-1400 also minimizes felt recoil and muzzle flip. Both things help you stay on target, which allows you to see an animal’s reaction to the shot more easily, and the ability to get back on target quicker in case a follow-up shot is necessary. It also makes shooting more comfortable. Drilling down on the gun, Barbour Creek builds on the Terminus Action with a 60-degree bolt throw. These are wire EDM cut for true precision tolerances. Looking to the barrel, the company uses Benchmark double and triple stress relieved barrels for consistency. Shifting to the stock, these are designed by Barbour Creek to reduce muzzle flip and felt recoil and are made by McMillian.

MAKING THE SHOT Those who plan to make the shot should take certain steps. Once you have the right rifle and other equipment in hand, it’s time to use good mechanics and proper shooting skills. First, settle in with the proper body position. Next, adjust the parallax on the scope. Third, start controlling your breathing. Then, settle the crosshairs on the target. Flip the safety off and continue breath control. Continue floating the crosshairs on the target, and slowly pull the trigger with the pad of your shooting finger. Exhale, and then send it. Contact Information Barbour Creek Contact Info Barbour Creek Long Range Shooting School 200 Self Rd. Eufaula, Al 36027 (334) 845-0000 www.barbourcreek.com

Each Barbour Creek LR Rifle is shot for groups at 100, 700, and 1,101 yards. These guarantee 0.5 MOA accuracy or better at 1,001 or 1,101 yards, depending on the caliber chosen. Available calibers include 6 mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 x 284, 7 Rem Mag, 7 WSM, 300 Win Mag, 7 BC Warrior, 28 Nosler, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, and 300 Rum. Pricing starts at $5,725. Check out additional offerings from Barbour Creek. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 55

How to Kill Weeds Naturally in Food Plots BY JOE BAYA

56 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

HUNTING As a hunter, be it deer, turkey, upland birds, waterfowl or any combination of all and, if you own property, you most likely have created food plots of one sort or another. You’ve done all the requisite things to the site which encompasses clearing, planting by season and maintaining the plot. All seems to be going well. Until the weeds show up. On the surface it doesn’t sound like such a big deal, until they start choking out what you really want to grow in your food plots. So how do you responsibly eliminate the problem? One option to negate the issue is to just “nuke” them which means applying synthetic herbicides, which are effective and certainly can get the job done but could have some downrange environmental effects. While chemicals are certainly an option, there may be more value in combining herbicides with more “natural:” alternatives to effectively rid yourself of those pesky weeds. Dr. Grant Woods is a lifelong hunter and wildlife biologist, holds multiple college degrees and is a recognized expert on developing and managing food plots with the goal of growing healthy whitetail deer and other species. WHAT IS A WEED? “The best definition I heard of a weed is that it is a plant that is growing where you don’t want it to grow,” Woods said. “A red bud could be a beautiful tree out in the forest. Or it could be a pain if it’s growing through a crack in a sidewalk and trying to get your bicycle around it.” Grant goes on to say that when you evaluate what level your weed situation is at you need to keep in mind limiting factors such as “finite resources” such as competition for rain, nutrients and even sunshine. “Most of us only have so much water available for plants so that these weed plants are competing with your soybeans or whatever you are trying to grow and are taking nutrients. They could also be limiting sunshine which is a huge limiting factor,” Grant said. “If you have a cover of ragweed covering up your new clover field the clover isn’t getting enough sun to photosynthesis as they should to express their potential. Your weeds are competing for resources.” WHAT ABOUT SYNTHETIC HERBICIDES AND WHAT ARE THE ISSUES? According to Woods “Roundup” which contains glyphosate along with some other generic ingredients is a common and effective herbicide that is used worldwide. The component Glyphosate is low in toxicity and doesn’t affect fish, wildlife or humans directly. What it does do is “chelate” or bind metals in the soil together and deprives the plants from getting those nutrients. Still, it has a useful purpose in eradicating pesky and persistent weeds. “I often explain it like this, you know when I was young, I had to go get a root canal. I certainly didn’t want to, but without getting that root canal, I probably would have lost other teeth around it and certainly been in pain for a long time. Well, herbicides may be like going to the dentist, maybe you need it every now and then so you don’t do more damage. That’s kind of how I look at herbicides,” “Woods said. Woods pointed out that some invasive exotic weeds, such as Johnson grass, are very tough and the only way to really kill them is through herbicides. He also said that “food plotters” run on a different calendar than most ag people in that when an ag person focuses on planting in the spring, nurturing the crop during the summer and harvesting it in the fall, foot plotters want to keep that crop out there later in the year to attract, feed and keep deer on the property in order to have the opportunity to harvest them during the hunting season. “Food plotters have a huge advantage in that we should be keeping that soil covered year round, we’ve got a spring crop but we’re probably terminating or planting through a crop that was there all fall long,” Woods said. “I planted a blend last fall but a couple of the components in that blend are

some annual clovers, including crimson clover which is popular in your area and they are coming on super strong right now and I would not want to terminate that because it’s providing a lot of good food.” According to Woods if you create an ideal habitat for “something” that “something” is going to flourish. If you create a limited or negative habitat, that “something” is going to decrease or cease to exist. In the case of food plots, when you plow or disc the soil, you are creating an ideal habitat for weeds and the most fertile nesting place for those weed seeds is basically in the top inch of soil. The weed seeds are in the soil, they may have been there for years, but have been buried six or eight inches down where it is cool and there isn’t any sunlight allowing for germination. Once you plow or disk and the dirt gets turned over suddenly all these seeds see the light of day. Then, when it rains, the soil warms up and the sun shines, these formerly dormant seeds germinate. The result is that you have a big weed patch on your hands. ARE WEEDS BENEFICIAL? “Weeds aren’t always bad and are God’s way of healing soil. Weeds will grow quickly, grow anywhere, get roots and soil and hold it in place. They are the early invaders. That’s why they’re so successful when you display fields or exposed soil,” Woods said. Woods said that when you mow you are not going to terminate the weeds and invasive grass, such as “Johnson grass”. You may cut it down but it isn’t going to die and it really is a case of using herbicides. “You can mow Johnson grass until the moon hits the earth and you’re still not gonna kill them. So there are cases of using herbicide,” Woods said. WHAT ABOUT STANDING CROPS? Woods said that instead of mowing or using a brush hog or flail mower to deal with old standing crops and weeds, “crimping”, where you break down the stem of the plant and crush the circulatory system, is a better solution. Crimping basically kills the plant, aerates the dirt and provides a base for mulch that not only inhibits the growth of weeds but provides mulch that enriches the soil. You can follow it up with a plow or a mulcher. “If you’re opting to disk or plow that’s going to terminate or at least reduce most of the living matter out there and then you spray your herbicides,” Woods said. “If you crimp and terminate a standing crop under three or four inches of mulch. Most weed seeds don’t have enough energy to get through that much soil and mulch and won’t live long enough to compete with the crop.” WHAT ABOUT “SMOTHER” CROPS? A smother crop is a thick, rapidly growing crop that is used to suppress or stop the growth of weeds and competes with them for space, water and sunlight and by doing so inhibits the weed’s generation and growth. Alfalfa, brassicas, turnips, clovers, cereal grains, hemp, rye, buckwheat, sorghum, are some examples of smother crops. “Broadcast the seed over a shoulder backpack spreader at about twice the normal rate because some of these seeds are not going to make it to the soil and then you crimp,” Woods said. “You crimp that mulch down well and that keeps it very moist.” By crimping you are loosening and aerating the soil, breaking the circulatory system of weeds (or whatever vegetation you want to terminate), exposing their roots to air and the combination kills them. Their remains become mulch that enriches the soil and provides a fertile base for the growth of “smother crops” or whatever food seeds you want to plant. The bottom line is that whenever you turn over soil you will have weeds and treating them isn’t an “either-or” scenario. It is a combination of utilizing herbicides as needed with an eye on being environmentally responsible and doing some good old fashion “grunt work” to make sure your food plot is mulched, nutrient rich, weedless as possible and is an “eat for free” buffet restaurant for wildlife. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 57

Essential Fish Habitat for Ponds and Lakes BY WILLIAM KENDY

58 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING Just like humans have basic needs for survival, so it is with fish. Obviously, fish need clean oxygenated water to survive. They need an accessible forage fish food source. They need cover, either natural or man deposited structure, such as Christmas trees, rocks, whatever will provide cover and protection. Natural features, such as drop-offs, cuts, shoals, shelves and other things become fish magnets. Unfortunately, in a lot of ponds, especially those older bodies of water, cover isn’t always available. It may have been there back in the good old days but nature has run its course and now they have eroded down to a shadow of their original stature. Or it may still exist in deep areas of the pond where, during the warm months, is depleted of oxygen so harbor no fish. Norman Latona is president of Southeastern Pond Management (SEP) headquartered out of Calera Alabama. SEP offers a wide range of pond and lake management services, including pond stocking, pond construction, liming, and lake mapping, just to name a few along with a range of products, such as fish tagging kits, SportMax, which is a nuisance aquatic vegetation control, and even custom designed Pond-Toon fishing boats. Chris Blood is marketing manager for Texas Hunter products. Texas Hunter has been a well-known name in the deer stand/blind and feeder industry for years and also offers a comprehensive line of fish feeders, accessories and even small bass boats. In the last few years, they have been working “hand in glove” with SEP along with Auburn University to develop fish structure and attractants to enhance the fish habitat. “Fish are pretty adaptive and don’t necessarily care what the cover or habitat look like, they just know that they can hide in it, ambush forage fish from it and escape predators in it,” Latona said. “Texas Hunter has taken a scientific approach in developing habitat structure that is easily deployable into the lake and very angler friendly in that it is almost snag proof, lasts a long time and is very effective in attracting and holding fish.”

“We make two sizes of fishing pyramids. The first one is about three and a half feet tall and an extra larger version that is about four and half feet tall and four feet wide at the base and is collectively about 146 square inches,” Blood pointed out. “You can suspend them by just simply attaching them to a cinder block and dropping them off the side of the dock or the side of the boat. Or you can attach the cinderblock inside, with some cables that come with it and drop it in, it’ll sink to the bottom.” “You can put it on the bottom, and or you can suspend it out there to create even more shade and structure in that vertical water column and, and the bass will hang out under it and crappie and other fish will swim around that unit.” So there are two ways to install it, depending on what you want to achieve,” Blood added. Latona emphasized the importance of structure, especially in shallow water. The issue all revolves about “lake stratification” which basically means that the water starts to warm up in the late spring and early summer and by the time we get to the heart of the fishing season most of the fish are living in the upper several feet of the water column because that is where the oxygen is. While they would prefer to be in the cooler water, unfortunately the colder the water is the less oxygen there is for the fish. They might make an occasional dash into the colder water to attack a forage fish but there is not enough oxygen in the water for them to survive. “Larger items like the pyramids, with the ability to keep them up off the bottom ensures that fish can use them year-round, particularly in the part of the season, when we’re typically doing a lot of our fishing. You could take these pyramids and rather than drop them in 10,12,15 or even 20 feet of water, where in the summertime, that depth probably doesn’t have many fish, if any, we can take that pyramid and suspend it in eight or 6, 8 or even 10 feet of water, wherever location and depth we choose and those fish will absolutely utilize it.” “They can even be stacked at different depths or used in conjunction with some surface products like artificial lily pads and artificial fish grass,” Latona pointed out.

Blood said that working with the Auburn University school of design resulted in 185 different fish habitat and structure designs which was then whittled down to six new products.

To a point, aquatic vegetation is a good thing. It provides cover and shade for predator and forage fish and the nutrients help a pond prosper. Still, it can become too much of a good thing and make fishing, especially topwater fishing, problematic. Too much aquatic vegetation, either floating or “creeping” can be controlled with proper liming and fertilizing, introduction of carp and even with herbicides.

“We’ve boiled it down to about six new products that we’re proud of and feel like they’re very effective and we’ve got a little bit of everything including top water, midwater shallow water, there’s even a spawning device. So this is our initial launch into the fish habitat market.”

To replace the loss of floating vegetation Texas Hunter has introduced their “Lily Pads” and “Fishing Lilies”. The Lily Pad is a large 30”x30” single pad while the Fishing Lilie is a cluster of different size pads attached together and measures 33” x 38”.

While pond owners can create their own structure out of Christmas trees,rip-rap,pallets, old lumber, and all different kinds of materials depending on how creative the depositor is and how effective they are at scavenging stuff, it is a huge job sinking all of that material and much of the time they don’t last and it is a continuous and strenuous effort.

“They’re made out of a PVC foam material and are a bright green color like a natural lily pad,” Blood said. “They come in a six pack and you can drop them in and anchor them with just a half cinder block with a marine bungee cord that expands and contracts. So if you have a big rain and the lake level rises, the pads will keep floating on the surface.”

“Our products are made out of the same materials as kayaks and floating docks and are environmentally friendly and they are easy to assemble so you can get them out on a boat, put them together, drop them in the water knowing that you won’t have to do this job again for a long time,” Blood said. “They are basically lifetime products and once you get them in the water, they aren’t going anywhere.”

“This is really a great solution for top water action. And we’ve actually got a couple of these things in a lake that fish fairly frequently and it didn’t take but just a few days, literally, to have fish using it and now we know where we can catch fish,” Latona said. “Now, most days, it’s the destination point, be it morning afternoons or whenever we go out, we just head for the lily pads. They really, really work.”

One of the new Texas Hunter fish habitat products is the “fish pyramid”. The best way to describe it is that it looks like a pyramid but squared on the top. It is full of slots similar to a colander, so forage fish, like shad or bluegill, have a place to escape from predators and it offers insertable “shade blades” that provide shady spots for fish to hold in. The unit has teeth on the bottom that anchor it to the ground to keep it in place or, since it is constructed of floatable material it can be attached to a weight, such as a cylinder block and be suspended at different depths.

In addition, the Texas Hunter aquatic habitat line includes “Fish Grass”. “Fish Grass is made out of a polymer material that is buoyant so it floats. The total strips are 16 inches wide and mount to a 16-inch square platform and you can drop them in and they’re just instant snag free vegetation,” Blood said. “We have two and four feet high models depending on the depth of the water you are placing them in. You can drag your lure through without being hung up and it just makes a great bass hangout.” 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 59

Essential Fish Habitat for Ponds and Lakes

The final offering is the “Spawning Colony” which is basically a three-foot round, six-inch-high device that once filled with gravel, allows both predator and forage fish to spawn. It even features slots where fry can escape into to avoid predators “We designed the Spawning Colony, which is a three-foot round device that’s elevated up off the bottom surface by about six inches and you can put your gravel in there and the fish will utilize them to attach their eggs and spawn on these devices,’ Blood explained. “In addition to the spawning feature, we designed fish slots, so that when the fry, when they hatch, can escape into the base of the Spawning Colony.” “What happens in a lot of cases is that fish predators will be there ready to poach those fry, when they hatch and this gives them a chance to grow a little bit bigger and escape from predators,” he said. “They’re also pretty much snag proof and you’d have to try hard to get tangled up in one of these things, which is even nicer than natural vegetation. Theoretically, you could put them in as deep as you want and I think fish would use them in any water depth and they just tuck themselves underneath them.” Latona said. “They’re looking for that cool, shady spot that lends itself to ambushing forage and they’ll just lay there and wait for that frog to come mopping across the top of them.”

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Contact Information Texas Hunter www.Texasanglerproducts.com Southeastern Pond Management Norman Latona – 205-288-1371 www.sepond.com

60 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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Land Financing Interest Rates BY GREAT DAYS OUTDOORS STAFF

Alabama Ag Credit is affiliated with the over 100-year-old nationwide Farm Credit System and is a stockholder owned cooperative. That means that when someone obtains a loan with Alabama Ag Credit they become a stockholder of the association and a portion of those earnings is returned to them through the AGC patronage program, as determined by their board of directors. At closing you make a one-time Alabama Ag Credit stock purchase and that stock ownership entitles you to share in the co-op profits, lowering your loan’s total interest cost. When your loan is paid off, the cost of the stock is refunded to you. In other words, when you borrow from Alabama Ag Credit, you become a stockholder and part owner in the cooperative, entitling you to a portion of the earnings (patronage) when the association does well financially. The more you borrow, the bigger your share of earnings. Alabama Ag Credit doesn’t sell its loans on the secondary market like a lot of other financial institutions. When you have a 20-year loan with Alabama Ag Credit, it owns your loan for 20 years and that loan stays with them. As part of the farm credit system one of AAC’s missions is to service rural Alabama and provide financing for people who want to buy acreage, be it 20 acres for a homestead or more acreage. While it specializes in financing rural and farm land they can finance a residence as long as it is outside of city limits and meets other Farm Credit System requirements.

One of Alabama Ag Credits popular financial products is their 20-year fixed rate loan with a 15% down payment. For rural homesites, the standard is a 15 year loan with 15% down. At AAC, the terms of a land and rural residential loan, such as interest rate and down payment, depend on the applicant’s unique underwriting factors and a number of components, including credit, financials, loanto-value, the type of property, the length of term, the market conditions and other factors. One of the things that differentiates Alabama Ag Credit is that they have a complete sheath of services which makes life easier for the customer and ensures a shorter buying and closing process. For example, one of those benefits that AAC offers is that it has its own appraisal department, which results in a shorter turn-around time for the whole transaction and is also economical. Alabama Ag Credit is headquartered in Montgomery and has nine offices across the state.

Alabama Ag Credit Land Finance Rates (5/10/22)

AAC has terms up to 30 years with rates between 5.00% to 7.50% depending on the fixed rate period. Contact: www.AlabamaAgCredit.com 800-579-5471 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 61

BY HANK SHAW Photos by Holly A. Heyser

Turkey Schnitzel This is a general method that will make a really good schnitzel of any meat, not just turkey. Chicken, grouse, pheasant, pork, or veal all work well here. Prep: 45 mins • Cook: 20 mins •Total: 1hr 5 mins Ingredients Turkey Ingredients • 1 turkey breast, skinless and boneless • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 cup flour • 3 eggs, lightly beaten • 1/4 cup milk • 2 cups fine breadcrumbs • oil for frying Tomato Gravy Ingredients • 4 to 6 slices bacon, or 3 tablespoons some other fat or oil • 1 cup finely chopped onion • 1 heaping tablespoon fine cornmeal or all-purpose flour • 1 14-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes, or 1 1/2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes • 1 to 2 tablespoons sorghum or maple syrup, or light molasses • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper Instructions TOMATO GRAVY 1. In a large skillet, ideally cast iron, cook the bacon slowly until crispy. Remove the bacon. Eat two pieces. Chop the remaining pieces. Leave about 3 or 4 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan. 2. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until it softens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Take your time. Sprinkle the cornmeal or flour over everything and stir this in. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. 3. Pour in the can of tomatoes with their juices. If you’re using fresh tomatoes, chop them up well beforehand, reserving as much of the juices as possible. I seed them, but you don’t have to. Drizzle over the syrup, too. 4. Stir this all in and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes basically dissolve, about 20 to 30 minutes. I cover the pan while cooking, otherwise you might need to add a little bit of water to get it right: You want the gravy to be a bit thicker than Thanksgiving gravy, and a bit chunky. If this bothers you, puree it in a blender. 5. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Smoked salt is a good call here, and you want a lot of pepper, as it’s part of what makes this gravy so good. Keep warm while you make the doves. TURKEY 1. Slice the turkey breast as described above, then cut into pieces roughly 6 inches long and maybe 3 to 4 inches wide. Use this as a rough guide, not gospel. Put the meat between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them thin with a mallet, empty wine bottle, etc. You are looking for about 1/8 inch thick. I like to flip the meat over several times when pounding to make sure the cutlets are even. 2. Salt and pepper the cutlets, then dust in flour. Shake off the excess, then set the cutlets in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, and up to a couple hours. 3. Pour oil to about 1/2 inch deep in a large frying pan. Heat it to 350°F. Put a cooling rack over a baking sheet in your oven and set the oven to 200°F. 4. While the oil is heating, beat the eggs and milk together, then dredge one or two cutlets -- whatever will fit in the pan -- in the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Fry until golden, about 90 seconds to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the rest of the cutlets. 5. Serve hot with your favorite gravy, or cold in a sandwich. 62 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

CAMPHOUSE KITCHEN

Duck with Grapes This is a very simple recipe that I do with fat wild ducks. You can use domesticated ducks equally well. Don’t do this with a skinny wild duck, as the meat will dry out too much. And yes, it must be done with a plucked duck. Substitute pearl onions for shallots if you want. Always eat this with good bread. Prep: 20 mins • Cook: 2 hours • Total: 2 hrs 20 mins Ingredients

• • • • • • • •

2 whole small wild ducks, or 1 large wild duck, or a domestic Salt 1-pound red grapes, on the stems 12 to 15 shallots or pearl onions 2 bay leaves 1 bunch fresh thyme, on the stems 1 cup duck or chicken stock 1 cup red wine

Instructions 1. Salt the ducks well, inside and out. Preheat the oven to 400F. Pour the stock and red wine into the bottom of a heavy, lidded pot such as a Dutch oven. Add the 2 bay leaves. Arrange the shallots, grapes and thyme in the pot, then nestle the ducks on top. Cover the pot and roast in the oven for 90 minutes. 2. Uncover the pot and let everything cook down. This will also crisp the skin of the ducks. This can take anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes, depending on how fat your birds were. Keep an eye on it. 3. Slice the ducks in half lengthwise, and serve everyone a half duck with some of the shallots and grapes, along with lots of sauce. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 63

NEW & Cool gear BY WILLIAM KENDY

AFTCO Adapt Tactical Phase Change Performance Shirt

The AFTCO Adapt shirt is built with the bio-based “Phase Change” fabric that intelligently reacts to changes in body temperature with dynamic cooling and warming. It features a UPF 50, SpeedVent™ hood with integrated face mask, mesh side ventilation panels, thumb holes, moisture wicking and quick drying and sports a custom light gray digital tactical camo print. It is 84% recycled polyester and 16% spandex. Suggested Retail Price: $85.00 www.aftco.com

Taurus Announces 692 .357 mag, 38 spl + P and 9mm Luger Revolver Available in a 3 or 6 ½ inch ported barrel, the Taurus 692 revolver offers the ability to change from the .357/.38 to a 9mm Luger with a single swap of the cylinder offering three guns in one. It offers a seven-round capacity, adjustable rear sights, spurred hammer and Taurus’ Ribber Grip®. Stellar clips are provided with each revolver. Suggested Retail Price: $717.00 - $776.00 www.taurususa.com

The New ALPS Mountaineering Aura System 30°F/15°F

If you are a multi-climate camper, this bag is for you. The Aura system offers three different configurations. It is based on a 30°F mummy bag featuring a two-layer offset construction to eliminate cold spots. When temperatures take a dive, the Aura System can be converted to a 15°F mummy bag by installing the quilt top with enclosed foot box adding an additional layer of heat-trapping insulation. Suggested Retail Price: $149.00 www. alpsmountaineering.com.

Browning Camping Introduces Talon 1 Backcountry Tent

The Talon 1 is built on an 82x43-inch floor plan sized for one person plus gear. The poly oxford floor features 1500mm coating and an optional oxford footprint is available for added security when camping on abrasive surfaces. The tent walls are constructed of weatherproof poly-cotton fabric, eliminating the need for a rainfly. Additional features include steel stakes, reflective guy ropes and an interior utility hook. Suggested Retail Price: $279.99 www.browningcamping.com

Take the Best Seat in the Woods with Tail Mate

The Tail Mate cushion provides complete comfort. The GelCore technology keeps the seat cool on the hottest days and it is ergonomically constructed with an enhanced framed edge support that prevents slipping from the seat. The tough GripTech backing holds the cushion in place and it is finished with a silent fabric that keeps bottoms dry and it will return to its original shape. Suggested Retail Price: $49.99 Shadowhunterblinds.com. 64 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

NEW & COOL GEAR FOR OUTDOORSMEN

DSG Bexley 2.0 Realtree Camo Ripstop Tech Shirt

The Huk Tide Point shirt is constructed using lightweight, breathable, quick-drying, The Bexley Ripstop shirt is made from Realtree Edge® ULTRA LIGHT-WEIGHT breathable rip-stop camo material the Bexley Ripstop shirt keeps you cool, yet covered in warmer temperatures. This stylish light weight shirt features moisture wicking/quick dry plus DWR treatment to shed water from the fabric. It offers an attached hood, soft elastic binding and comfort length sleeves with thumb holes. Available in sizes XS-5XL Suggested Retail Price: $59.99 www.dsgoutdoorwear.com

Guard Yourself from Mosquitoes with Skeeter Hawk

The Skeeter Hawk Wearable Mosquito Carabiner, a stainless-steel carabiner clip featuring a proprietary blend of essential oils naturally repels mosquitoes and other flying insects. It has a reflective logo and lettering for increased visibility while it quickly attaches to a backpack or belt loop. The carabiner comes with two replacement tabs with a life of 30 days. Also available in a wristband version. Suggested Retail Price: $9.99 www skh.acgbrands.com

Swagger Bipods QD42 Offers Rock Solid Shooting Platform

The Swagger “quick-detach” (QD) 42 bipods provide control, maneuverability and stability to maintain a proper shooting position when it is the hunting “moment of truth”. It can be extended from 14 to 42 inches in length to accommodate any shooting scenario. The QD 42 weighs in at only 15 ounces, features push-button operation and a stalker quick detach swivel adaptor. Suggested Retail Price: $129.99 www.swaggerbipods.com

Smith Lawaia Electric Fillet Knife

Smith’s Lawaia electric fillet knife is designed for efficient airflow and the cooling vents and handle placement will ensure endless cleaning capability. The Lawaia comes with two 7” stainless steel blade with sheath for your added protection. The first 7” blade features an extra sharp curved design. The second 7” Flex blade is designed with increased flexibility with easy filleting ability. Included is an XL fillet glove. Suggested Retail Price: $69.00 www.smithproducts.com

New On-line “Shopping Mall” for Hunting Equipment

If you are looking to buy and sell used and even new hunting equipment, look no further. The Hunting Exchange is a new on-line service that can help you find what you are looking for, from boots to bows and arrows, decoys, optics, treestands and blinds and more. Plus, if you have hunting gear that you want to sell, listing and selling it online is easy and safe. For more information go to www.hunting-exchange.com.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 65

Nighttime Feral Hog and Coyote Hunting Offers Extra Opportunity Many hunters are taking advantage of the new law that allows the hunting of feral hogs and coyotes at night. Photo by Grady Gunn

If you think hunting is over until dove season opens in September, you’ve overlooked the newest opportunity in Alabama – hunting feral swine and coyotes at night. A new law passed in 2021 by the Alabama Legislature and signed by Governor Kay Ivey allows nighttime hunting of feral swine and coyotes. The 2022 season for nighttime hunting started February 11 and runs through November 1.

BY CHRIS BLANKENSHIP Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division makes it easier than ever to take advantage of this new opportunity by offering a one-click solution for those who want to hunt these animals at night.

three licenses should cover everything most people need to purchase. This will allow hunters to just click that package instead of going in and figuring out what they need. It’s a convenience for people who would like to hunt feral swine at night over bait and not the regular all-game hunter. Prices vary depending on whether you are a resident or non-resident. Hunters with an all-game hunting license will need to go through the regular procedure of buying the separate licenses for hunting feral swine and coyotes at night and for a bait privilege.

Hunters can choose from a variety of all-access packages, including the “Hog Wild” package that gives hunters all the license privileges needed to take advantage of the new nighttime hunting opportunities.

The nighttime hunting permit makes it much easier on hunters and the WFF staff. Before the law was passed, landowners had to apply for a depredation permit that delegated the people who were allowed to take those animals that were causing crop, livestock and property damage.

In that package, residents and non-residents will be able to click one button and purchase a small-game license, a bait privilege license, which allows folks to use bait while hunting feral swine at night, and the nighttime license. Those

If a landowner had friends or family who wanted to hunt feral hogs at night, the landowner had to contact WFF and get those individuals added. The new nighttime license eliminates that hurdle. Anyone in the state can hunt feral swine and

66 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FROM THE COMMISSIONER coyotes on any private or leased property where they have permission to hunt. If you lease a hunting club, and the property owner approves, you can purchase the license to hunt those animals at night on your hunting club. The nighttime license, $15 for residents and $51 for non-residents, also expands the abundant hunting for the state. Several hunting lodges around the state have added nighttime hog hunting to their list of activities. Although hunting feral hogs at night is a fun and useful activity, we know hunting these animals does little to eradicate the problem. The best way to deal with an infestation of feral pigs is to trap the whole sounder (family group). Several manufacturers have hog traps on the market that can be effective in reducing the number of animals in an area. Feral hogs cause substantial damage to agriculture and wildlife habitat throughout the South. Estimates are that feral swine cause $50 million in private property damage in Alabama annually. The damage to wildlife habitat is difficult to determine, but feral hogs compete with the native wildlife, like white-tailed deer and wild turkeys, for food and also damage the native habitat. Coyotes are also known to be quite effective predators of fawns and can have significant impacts on populations of white-tailed deer. Several regulations were amended to allow for equipment used for hunting at night during the established season. Hunters will be able to use night vision or thermal optics, and lights can be attached to firearms. If you don’t purchase the “Hog Wild” package, make sure you purchase a bait privilege license, which is required for anyone who wishes to hunt deer or feral swine over bait, which includes corn and other food, protein supplements, mineral blocks, juices and sprays. The bait privilege license and the nighttime hunting license do not allow for exemptions for age or landowner status. For those of you who are particularly adventurous, you can catch Alabama’s premier saltwater fish, the red snapper, during the day and head inland to hunt feral hogs at night. Now I’m not saying I’m going to do that, but some folks might find that double dip intriguing. The 2022 private recreational red snapper season opens the Friday (May 27) before Memorial Day and runs each extended weekend from Friday through Monday until Alabama’s annual quota is projected to be met. As I am writing this article, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries has not released the quotas for 2022, but we expect it to be near last year’s 1.12 million pounds. Alabama’s federally permitted charter (for-hire) fleet is not under state management and abides by the federal regulations. NOAA Fisheries has not set the federal for-hire season as I am writing this article, but we expect a June 1 opening with a season length of 70 to 80 days because the for-hire fleet only caught 77 percent of its quota in 2021. Once open, the charter season is open seven days a week until it closes. The federally permitted charter fleet is moving to an electronic reporting system where their catch is reported after every trip. By having the near real-time data, NOAA Fisheries can monitor the catch trends and adjust season dates accordingly. ADCNR’s Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD) monitors private recreational anglers’ and state charter boats’ red snapper harvest with Snapper Check. Anglers landing red snapper in Alabama with private boats are required by

law to complete one landing report per vessel trip of their harvested red snapper through Snapper Check before the fish are removed from the boat or the boat with the fish is removed from the water. Reporting of greater amberjack and gray triggerfish also is mandatory. The easiest way to comply with the reporting requirement is through the Snapper Check feature found on the Outdoor AL app. The app is available from Apple and Android stores. Reports can also be submitted online at www.outdooralabama.com. Paper reports and drop boxes are no longer available. Reef fish anglers also need to be aware that the DESCEND Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress, goes into effect this year. The act requires all vessels that are fishing for reef fish to have a venting tool or descending tool on board and ready to use when fishing. The venting tool is used to release gasses from the fish’s swim bladder to allow it to return to the reef naturally. The descending device is used by attaching the fish to the device, which slowly lowers the fish to a certain depth before releasing it. The goal is to reduce the effects of barotrauma and increase the survival rate of discarded fish. The “Return ‘Em Right” program is a new effort that aims to improve survival of released reef fish by providing anglers with both the knowledge and tools to help return fish to the reef habitat. Visit returnemright.org for more information on how to receive reef fish release gear ($100 value) for free. By the way, if you haven’t heard, Alabama’s unparalleled artificial reef zones recently grew even larger with the addition of 110 square miles of Gulf of Mexico bottom. As part of an overall $8.135 million expansion of the Alabama Artificial Reef Program, MRD recently expanded the 6- to 9-mile reef zone. Before, that nearshore zone was 30 square miles, but the expansions add 23 square miles near Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan and another 24-square-mile area offshore of Orange Beach that is between 8 and 15 miles offshore. In the 6- to 9-mile reef zones, a total of 1,203 juvenile reef fish shelters will be deployed at numerous locations with 3 to 10 shelters per reef site as part of a $2.4 million contract. The largest of the new reef zones is between 13 and 25 miles south of Dauphin Island and adds 63 square miles for the 110-square-mile total of new water bottom for constructing artificial reefs. As Conservation Commissioner, I was proud to execute a $4.9 million contract to deploy 456 pyramid-shaped modules, each 25 feet tall and made of concrete and limestone. At the new reef zone south of Dauphin Island, 164 modules will be used to create 123 reefs. Some of the reef sites will have two modules and others, a single module. In the 24-square-mile zone off Orange Beach, 64 of the pyramids will be used to create 48 reef sites. Farther offshore, 35 miles and beyond, 228 pyramid modules will be used to create 172 new reef sites. At those offshore sites, the pyramids will be deployed in single and double models as well as providing additional structure to existing small pyramids that were deployed in 2004 and 2005. Thanks to MRD Director Scott Bannon and MRD reef biologist Craig Newton for their good work on artificial reef enhancements. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of the abundant outdoor activities Alabama offers in June.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 67

Take Time to Smell the Roses

Me and best hunting buddy Syd with a 6 year old Choctaw county buck.

BY CHARLES “CHUCK” SYKES Director of the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF)

Nationwide, the tenure for a game and fish agency director like myself is three years. After nine years on the job, I can see why. The first three years, I didn’t really have a clue what was going on. The middle three, I was hitting my stride and figuring out the who, when, why, and what of state government. These last three have been pretty rough. I guess I know too much about the process now! Pressure is everywhere you turn. It seems like every day there is a new battle to fight. Personnel issues, legislative issues, special interest group issues, and personal struggles

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can wear you out. Many times, I get so caught up in the battles that I forget about the major accomplishments that have occurred during my tenure. Lately, I’ve found it hard to get in the right frame of mind to accomplish much of anything. The battles have been coming frequently, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) has fallen on several grenades. Despite being battered, bruised, and bloody, the staff keeps moving forward, striving to fulfill the mission. WFF is charged by law to protect,

FROM THE DIRECTOR manage, and enhance the state’s fish and wildlife resources. These responsibilities are met by carrying out coordinated, scientifically sound enforcement, management, research, development, and educational programs designed to ensure protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife populations and habitats for the sustainable benefit of the people of Alabama. One thing I want you to understand is the complexity of the phrase “scientifically sound.” For me, a wildlife biologist, and for most of my staff, scientifically sound has but one meaning — look to the biology. Whether it is fisheries or wildlife management, scientific research yields the best available information for making management decisions. As WFF Director, I’ve had to learn that there are several other forms of science that make things extremely complicated when it comes to making sound wildlife management decisions. Those are political and social sciences. These two sciences are extremely powerful. In most cases, they use emotions over biological facts. And unfortunately, those emotions can trump the best available biological science on certain occasions. Still, whenever we find ourselves leaning into negativism, it’s always good to pause and count our blessings. As the old saying goes, take time to stop and smell the roses. I’m going to do that and highlight just a few major accomplishments that have taken place over the past few years. 1.

February deer season. This is one of the first things I was tasked to investigate shortly after I was hired. It took several years and several iterations to get right. But, through the hard work of the WFF staff collecting deer and calculating conception dates, we not only have a February season where hunters in all parts of the state can enjoy hunting the late rut, but we also have two zones where the deer rut early, and hunters can take full advantage of that as well. This is a case where biological science and political and social sciences all lined up. Well, they did after several years of battles! Special Opportunity Areas. To provide our hunters with additional public hunting opportunities, WFF partnered with the Forever Wild Land Trust to purchase several incredible tracts of land across the state. These properties are well managed, and hunting pressure is kept to a minimum. This provides our hunters with the best opportunity possible to have a fantastic public land hunting experience.

individuals now understand the value of our agency and the services that we provide not only to the natural resources, but also to all citizens. 4.

Game Check. I will never forget the Game Check battle. Good grief, you would’ve thought the sky was falling on this one. At the time, I think Alabama was only one of five states that did not have some type of harvest check system. I can vividly remember traveling around the state conducting more than 50 seminars on why we needed it. The Department had resistance from legislators, hunters, special interest groups, and even the sitting NRA president, who was from Alabama, voiced opposition. It took several years and many bloody battles, but we finally won the war, and now the Department has great harvest information to help us make better management decisions.

I would like to take a minute to thank the members of the WFF Division, both present and retired. I have been fortunate to work alongside some of the most passionate and dedicated professionals around. Heaven knows they don’t do it for fame or fortune. They do it because they love the natural resources of the state of Alabama, and they have dedicated their careers to making sure they are taken care of where future generations can enjoy the same opportunities as we do. December will mark a decade of my service as Director of WFF. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d make it a year, much less a nine and half years. It’s been a wild ride with many ups and downs. Despite the numerous battle scars, high blood pressure, increased BMI, and the astronomical number of gray hairs, I don’t regret it a bit! I can’t wait, and I’m even looking forward to seeing where life takes me over the next decade.

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R3 Programs. R3 stands for recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters. R3 is a nationwide movement to reverse the downward trend in the loss of hunting and fishing license buyers. As most of you know, WFF doesn’t receive money from the state general fund. Our funding comes from the purchase of licenses and the federal matching dollars that come from the Pittman/Robertson and Dingle/Johnson excise taxes. Without the sale of licenses, we cannot provide services to the citizens of the state. We have many programs that can classify as R3; however, the Adult Mentored Hunting Program, Go Fish Alabama Campaign, and Firearms 101 courses are the crown jewels. We believe the way to reverse the trend in loss of license sales is to focus on adults instead of youth. Even if we don’t create more hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters, we have accomplished our goal of educating many Alabamians who did not grow up like many of us did where the outdoors is open to everyone. These

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251-473-3176 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 69

Cool Gifts for Kayak Anglers Everyone appreciates a gift from time to time, and kayak anglers are no exception. We kayak fishing folks like to be treated well, but sometimes, folks who want to get us a special gift just don’t know what sort of gear we might need.

Well, here to help all of the kayak anglers is a list of some very cool tools to improve our time on the water. All of these “gifts” serve to make kayak fishing better and more effective.

This system also uses voice control which means that the angler can start or stop the camera with simple voice commands- very nice when lots of action is going on and hands are occupied with catching fish. Cost- around $300. POLARIZED SUNGLASSES

Bajio sunglasses- better sight, better protection, better kayak fishing.

So leave this article out where someone who might want to get a present for that special kayak angler can see it. Who knows, there might just be a special gift waiting for a special occasion- it could happen!

Of all the “add-ons” which kayak anglers can obtain to improve their fishing, few things will bring more good results than a pair of high quality polarized sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses make seeing fish much easier, and they make reading water depth and depth changes much easier. Of course, they also protect a kayak angler’s eyes from bright sunlight and they provide good protection against injury from flying lures. A waterproof camera can make fishing trips even more fun.

WATERPROOF CAMERA There’s nothing quite like having good photographic evidence of big fish caught on a kayak. However, taking a regular digital camera on a kayak may not end up well for the camera. Kayaks tend to be wet, and wet is not good for most cameras. But if a kayak angler gets a quality waterproof camera as a gift, then the angler will be able to confidently take photos of the big fish, the gorgeous surroundings and the wildlife which makes kayak fish so special.

Bajio sunglasses offer top of the line lens construction and materials and the glasses come in a wide range of style and colors to best serve a kayak angler’s specific needs. Bajio Sunglasses is a Florida-based company which strives to provide highest quality eye protection while also working to protect habitat on land and water. Cost- about $249, and worth every penny

A soft-side cooler can serve many purposes for kayak anglers.

There are many cameras which can do a good job for kayak anglers, but for dependable quality and great photo and video results, the GoPro HERO7 Black is a winner. This tiny camera weighs 118 grams, is waterproof to 10 meters, and can be used with a number of mounts or handheld. BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn

This camera shoots superb 4K video and provides 12 MP resolution for still photos. The battery life is estimated at two hours.

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KAYAK MULTI-PURPOSE COOLER The best items of equipment for a kayak angler are those items which serve more than a single purpose. A truly cool gift for any kayak angler is a cooler which in addition to keeping food and drinks cool, can also serve as an aerated live bait tank, and also provide a good fish cleaning platform.

PADDLE FISHING All of these functions can be met by a single soft-side cooler unit. The Rite-Hite Bait and Fillet Multi- Purpose Cooler provides long lasting live bait maintenance with the included battery powered aerator, and it can also serve as a beverage cooler. A two-way filet board makes on the water cleaning fish easy. There are storage pockets, and a solid shoulder strap make the unit easy to move to and from the kayak This unit would be a great addition to any kayak angler’s equipment. Cost- around $50.

Kayak anglers can profit greatly from a new sonar fish finder/GPS unit.

Here’s the ticket for getting the kayak from the truck to the water.

KAYAK CARRIER Although kayaks can be used in a wide range of water conditions, an undeniable hardship for certain kayak use is transporting the kayak from the truck to the water. In particular, dragging a loaded kayak across a quarter mile of sandy beach is a chore that will wear down an angler before the fishing starts. A wide range of effective and affordable kayak transport carts is available, and a gift of a good kayak transport cart will be much appreciated.

KAYAK FISH FINDER The days of a kayak angler “thinking” the depth of the water is such and such and that the school of feeding fish is somewhere “over there” are over. With the advent of simple, light-weight, easy to install and very reliable sonar fish finders which can be fitted to kayaks, anglers can have many of the high tech advantages big boat anglers have, and at a much lower cost. There are many sonar fish finder units for kayak anglers to consider, but a unit that is perfect for starting kayak anglers or veteran who don’t want to sink a lot of money in a sonar unit is the Garmin Striker 4 CHIRP sonar/GPS fish finder combo. This little unit mounts and detaches quickly to kayak hulls with the built-in quick disconnect mount system. This unit has a small but very bright 3.5 inch display. The unit’s GPS antenna allows anglers to determine their position quickly and to locate good fishing spots quickly. The Waypoint Map provides security to kayak anglers who fish in marsh and other hard-to navigate areas and find the track back to the launch. This is a very good and affordable GPS fish finder for kayak anglers to consider. Cost- about $140.

Academy Sports and Outdoors sells a reasonably priced yet strong cart for kayak anglers to consider. The Magellan Outdoors Heavy Duty Kayak cart comes with durable, puncture resistant ties which will roll easily on soft sand, and the unit features an anodized aluminum frame with tie down straps supplied. This strong lightweight kayak cart will support up to 150 pounds. This is a good, inexpensive addition to any kayak angler’s gear. Cost- about $60.

Important Contact Information Rite-Hite Multi-Purpose Cooler RM Industries 7907 Highway 37 Purdy, Mo 65734 417-442-3277 www.rmind.com Bajio Sunglasses 386-273-3208 www.bajiosunglasses.com Go Pro Camera www.gopro.com Magellan Outdoors Heavy Duty Kayak Cart Academy sports-Outdoors www.academy.com Garmin Striker 4 800-800-1020 www.garmin.com

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Gulf Coast Fishing Outlook

June is all about big red snapper! Capt Brett Tennant with a grown one!” Photo courtesy of Bout Time Charters

BY CHRIS VECSEY

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FISHING OUTLOOK Summer is here!! It’s hot out, the kids are out of school and with a little luck the winds have laid down from spring. June also means fishing is in full swing, with loads of variety and open seasons on most fish. MISSISSIPPI Beating the summer heat usually means days spent in and around the water. For MS anglers, that will mean many days at the barrier islands. Big numbers of speckled trout, redfish, flounder, jacks and others will be found prowling both the gulf and inland sides of the islands this month. They can be taken on a wide variety of artificial and natural baits. This is a particularly good time of year to throw topwater lures in the surf. Heddon Super Spook Jrs and the Yo Zuri 3D Inshore Pencil are top picks although there are many to choose from. Bigger twitchbaits like the Mirrolure MR27 are another good choice. For trophy speckled trout, nothing beats a big live bait. Captain Bill Hancock runs “Reel Outlaw Charters” out of Biloxi. Hancock will focus on big trout a lot this month and pays special attention to the lunar cycle.

minnows or live baits like a blue runner (hardtail) or similar can also score a bonus wahoo while bottom fishing. Gag Grouper come back in season this month. Deep, natural bottom areas of 150-350 foot are generally best and will weed out the “bycatch” red snapper. Both live and dead baits will take gas and a whole, butterflied, Boston mackerel is one the best baits there is. Tackle needs to be stout for pulling grouper from the rocky habitats. FLORIDA PANHANDLE Like Alabama, the Florida panhandle will be loaded with anglers heading out searching for red snapper. Running out of Pensacola Pass, Captain Brett Tennant will be spending most June days in search of snapper with his clients, but Tennant likes to fish a bit differently than most and with scaled down tackle, to entice the heavily-pressured snapper.

“These big trout will be cranking up to spawn and will feed heavily before and right after the full moon,” says Reel Outlaw Charters Captain Bill “Wild Bill” Hancock.

“I will fish Carolina rigs with live and dead baits but my favorite way is with lighter, ¼-1oz jigs or jigheads tipped with cigar minnows, threadfin or others and just let it slowly fall through the water column.” Tennant said. Whereas most snapper fishermen will be using heavy leaders and terminal gear, Tennant likes to use anywhere from 30-50lb fluorocarbon for his leader material.

Hancock will focus on beachfront edges and the channels and drops between sandbars. Grass beds will also produce both big trout and reds.

“We get far more bites on the lighter leader and score more bonuses like mangrove snapper,” he added.

“I fish a variety of baits and lures, but a live mullet or croaker is a must-have when fishing for big trout,” Hancock said.

Tennant always likes to keep a spinning rod ready to pitch to a cobia or mahi mahi should one show up. The last thing you want is for one of these prizes to swim up and not be prepared. A chunk of cigar minnow, a live pinfish or many other options will take the opportunities on the fly.

Hancock will fish these baits both free-lined and under a popping cork. When trying to dial in a pattern, Hancock will often fish 3 or 4 different techniques to find the bite. When Hancock is throwing artificial lures, his favorites include jerkbaits and soft plastics (both paddletail and “fluke” style baits. He also likes to use jigheads on his plastics between 1/8-1/4oz in weight. “Once the early morning bite is over, I’ll go look for redfish to finish out the trip.” Hancock said. “Reds can be targeted in a lot of the same areas as the trout as well as heavier structures and even open water around schools of bait.” Those same schools of bait that attract the big reds will also draw mackerel and big jacks, so it pays to have a variety of tackle on board. ALABAMA There’s a lot of options for Alabama anglers in June, but red snapper will overshadow all of them. It would be hard to argue that there’s a more famous species to target in the northern gulf. Alabama’s artificial reef program has enabled the species to thrive in extreme numbers in an area that would normally be devoid of structure. Targeting snapper can be done in many ways from freelining baits to using heavy three-way leaders to put baits deep. Slow pitch jigging and bouncing large bucktail and curly tail jigs also works well. In addition to red snapper, there are many other welcomed species that will come aboard in the same area. Mangrove, lane and vermilion snapper, red porgy (aka white snapper), cobia and a handful of others will be common bonus species. Varying your techniques while snapper fishing will increase your chances for the additions to the fishbox. Further offshore, June is a great month for wahoo. They can be caught by trolling anywhere from 4-20 knots and in depths of 70 feet to over a few thousand. Their nomadic behavior means covering water is a must. Fish areas like the Nipple, Elbow and Steps as well as any “live bottom” area. Putting out drift lines with cigar

Another fun option, with loads of action, is trolling around the various artificial structures and beachfront for mackerel. “Tis is the time of year I’ll do a lot of bump-trolling with live baits for king and Spanish mackerel. There’s always the possibility for a wahoo, blackfin tuna or even a sailfish while doing this,” Tennant said. The longer runs to the Okaloosa County Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs)will pay off most days. Water temps will be favorable for the usual suspects including blue and white marlin, wahoo, mahi mahi and tuna. A day spent hopping from FAD to FAD should include trolling, live baiting and deep jigging. Kite fishing and chumming/chunking are also very productive around the FADs. Techniques may also vary depending on the water conditions. Satellite imaging services like Hilton’s Realtime-Navigator can help point to the best waters to fish. Swordfishing will remain consistent through June. The best areas to fish will be natural bottom contour areas in 1200-1600 feet. Having a transducer system that is capable of reading bait at these depths is critical to success. Anywhere you find bait in this range, you’ll likely find the swords. Whole squid, mahi and bonito bellies and eels will work. Make sure your baits are rigged for battle and well stitched.

Important Contact Information Reel Outlaw Charters Captain Bill “Wild Bill” Hancock 601-807-5811 www.reeloutlawcharters.com

Hilton’s Realtime-Navigator www.hiltonsoffshore.com

Bout Time Charters Captain Brett Tennant 850-380-1671 www.bouttimecharters.com 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 73

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook

Pompano still please beach fishermen this month.

Spring-like weather will be a fleeting memory much of this month as we move toward the Summer Solstice (June 21st), which happens to be coincident with a NEAP tide period. The earlier NEAP tide period is June 8th through 9th. Between these will be some of our largest tidal fluctuations of the year, over two feet. That may not sound like much in other parts of the world, but along the Emerald Coast it is huge! Such strong tidal changes translate to widespread fish movements, especially closer to the passes and bays.

BY DAVID THORNTON Photos by David Thornton

Typical June mornings start with light offshore “land” breezes and an incoming tide which is high around midday. The afternoon falling tide is often coincided with an increasing “sea” breeze which casts a chop over the shallow surfzone. Fish tend to feed well during both of these periods as volumes of water and baitfish are channeled by the tidal currents and

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winds. All the while, water temperatures will generally rise into the middle 80s. Pier fishing for mackerel (both king and spanish) can be excellent during these conditions. The key for angling action is the widespread presence of baitfish which are pressed around the pier by numerous predatory fish. Besides mackerel, there may be schools of bluefish, “bonita” (Little tunny), ladyfish (“skipjack”), and blue runner (“hardtail”) feeding on or around the schools of baitfish so tightly packed they may discolor the water at times. Kings are usually targeted from the deep end of the piers with either live bait, fresh dead, or frozen “cigar minnows” which are “snobbled” to make them appear to be injured or dying. This crippled fish action singles out their bait from among thousands of others for the hungry predators to zero in on. Anglers can be quite specialized with their

FISHING OUTLOOK choice of baitfish as well as gear and terminal tackle. Because of the likelihood of hooking fast running king mackerel, most folks choose medium heavy class tackle capable of handling them. Eight to nine foot rods with smooth drag reels capable of holding in excess of 250 yards of 20 pound monofilament are the norm. The terminal leader should be metal to help prevent being chewed through by sharp mackerel teeth. Most use 40# single or Sevenstrand wire with a #1 or #2 3X strong treblehook to hook the bait. Though all this can be downsized if no large predators are around, or to target Spanish mackerel. Many pier anglers prefer throwing lures for mackerel, as this is a more interactive form of fishing that usually allows seeing the strike. After all, that is the funnest part, along with that first blistering run! These lures vary from large jigs and spoons to six to nine inch” surface or diving minnow imitations for kings. Smaller ½ ounce to 2 ounce jigs, spoons, or three to five inch plugs will better target Spanish mackerel, etc. The tackle is correspondingly downsized to better match the size of the fish available at that time. Occasionally an angler may miscalculate and hook a larger fish than anticipated. That’s when the real fun begins and the angler’s skill and tackle are tested to their limits. Often the fish breaks the line or strips all the line off the reel. They may entangle another angler, or maybe the leader breaks, or the hook pulls out. But perhaps the drag setting is just right, with just enough pressure applied (at the right time) and everyone cooperates, and everything comes together for an epic catch. Pier fishing for mackerel can be quite addictive for everyone! Currently there are five Gulf beach piers open along the Florida Panhandle (Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach and two in Panama City Beach), with a sixth pier under construction in Mexico Beach, which is the area ravaged by category 5 hurricane Michael in 2018. Alabama has one public Gulf beach pier, that is in Gulf Shores. But it has only been half reopened since hurricane “Sally” breached it September 16, 2020. Bama pier anglers are still awaiting news as to when repair work will even begin. However, inshore prospects have improved in Alabama since the reopening of Cedar Point Pier in April 2022, and the Fort Morgan pier. These will again give shorebound anglers access to inshore panfish like “white trout”, “ground mullet”, croaker, flounder, sheepshead, speckled trout and redfish. Even large red and black drum may be caught from these structures at times. Mississippi inshore anglers have yet to see some of their inshore public pier venues rebuilt since most were destroyed by hurricane Zeta in October 2020. But many cities have reopened public park venues with at least dock or waterfront access for fishing. Gulf beach fishing options along the Florida Panhandle are primarily centered toward pompano, with a large bycatch of “whiting” (Gulf kingfish), plus several species of jacks (“skipjack” and “hardtails”). But when casting spoons, jigs or plugs with light tackle from the beach, catches may include pompano, jacks, bluefish, even spanish mackerel. Wade fishing opens up more water for these anglers, who need to be aware of possible jellyfish or stingrays that can ruin their day. Keep an eye on the sky too, as thunderstorms may roll in with life threatening lightning. The open beach close to a storm is no place to be with 10 foot graphite poles up in the air and when the Gulf is rough, be wary of rip currents and drop offs. Though most savvy

anglers are acutely aware of both, and often use them to their advantage to locate feeding fish. Wade fishers in Alabama and Mississippi have a good chance to target speckled trout while walking the beaches and casting spoons, jigs or plugs into the beach trough or from beach sandbars. Throwing topwater lures such as Rapala Skitterwalk, MirrOlure’s Top Dawg, or Heddon Spook in the early morning “calm’” often produces trout action, especially on cloudy days. Bycatch of ladyfish, bluefish and even large redfish or jack crevalle is not all unusual. As the sun gets higher (and brighter), these fish tend to abandon the shallower troughs and slip into slightly deeper water in the longshore trough. There, they can still be reached by casting slow sinking jerkbaits and twitchbaits like Rapala X-rap and MirrOlure’s MirrOdine. Swimbaits can be effective as conditions change, and winds often increase later in the morning with the seabreeze. Weighted soft plastic minnow imitations like Fin-s and Zoom fluke work great on ¼ ounce jig heads. The lure can be retrieved high in the water column with a medium fast darting action, or “bounced” off the bottom with a slower retrieve. Experiment with the lure type, speed and color to find the right combination to garner the interest of the fish present at that time. Changing lures (or colors) whenever the bite slows down may help you catch more fish, unless they move. June offers shorebound anglers plenty of fishing options all up and down the Emerald Coast for a wide variety of species. So everyone can find their niche and some fish to keep them occupied, and even make a meal or two. Though the weather can get hot, it is often just about right to enjoy your great days outdoors!

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REGIONAL FRESHWATER Fishing Outlook BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn

June is a prime time to find some big bass.

76 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING OUTLOOK

ALABAMA WATERS

LAKE GUNTERSVILLE “The bass should be on shell beds in June. There will be a good top water bite along the grasslines. Anglers can use jigs, crank baits, and swim baits on these shell bed bass,” said Captain Jake Davis from Mid-South Bass Guide Service. Spinnerbaits will be good early in the morning on Guntersville. A very good bite for anglers on Guntersville in June will be shellcracker bream. They’ll be spawning in two to four feet of water. These extra-large bream will respond well to worms fished close to the bottom. White bass, stripers and hybrids will be busting on shad in open water in June. Anglers can throw shad-look top water plugs to attract these hard-pullers.

tired to pull them off the hooks,” Williams said. MILLER’S FERRY Joe Dunn of Dunn’s Sports in Thomasville, explained that in the month of June, water movement is crucial for fishing success on the lake. The water is going to be clearing up from spring heavy flows, and when the dam is pulling water and making current in the lake, anglers can do some real good. ”Bass anglers will want to work major creeks and out in the main lake in June. Crankbaits, Carolina rig soft plastics, and shaky head worms will work well. There will be a good top water bite early in the mornings around grass and on the points. Look for green trees down in the water on the main lake- bass will always be around these,” Dunn said.

“The whole lake should be really good in June- there’s no bad spots to look for fish,” Davis said.

For crappie, angler will want to look out in the main lake in deeper water. Most anglers troll for crappie using jigs, Road-runners and other weighted jig type lures tipped with live minnows in June. Jigs can be a bit larger in June than were used in early spring.

LAKE WEISS The cool spring weather will be leaving us, but the summer bite will just be getting started.

Bream anglers should have great luck on Miller’s Ferry in June. They’ll be bedding, and they will be eating the huge willow fly hatches that will start in June.

“After a great springtime top water bite, bass will still be found in shallow water. The first wave of bass, both largemouths and spots, will be moving off the shorelines and out into deeper water. Weiss is known for open water bass fishing. Anglers should use their electronics to locate old house foundations and other hard material structures in deeper open water,” said long-time guide and fishing expert Lee Pitts

In fact, anglers won’t go far wrong on Miller’s Ferry in June by using bream pattern crank baits when the willow flies start their hatches. The big bass love to eat the bream that are too busy eating willow flies to pay attention to the big bass coming up below them.

For crappie fishing, anglers will want to work docks. There will still be few late spawners holding under docks, and anglers will have good luck shooting docks with jigs. Crappie will be breaking up from their spawning schools and going into a less concentrated pattern. The big crappie are still there, but they’re not found in big schools now. LAKE EUFAULA “Look for bass in and around cover. Hydrilla patches will be very good. After winter, the water is back up to full pool level, and the grass is holding bait. Look for grass and you’ll find the bass,” said Hawks Guide Service Captain Sam Williams. Anglers can find fish on early morning top water lures and then use shallow running jerk baits. Frogs and buzz baits will be good in June. The Eufaula crappie will be on ledges in June around brush piles. The crappie don’t leave the brush. Trolling for crappie in open water around the deep brush piles can be very good for big crappie in June. Williams said that the catfish will be red-hot in June and for big cats he likse jug fishing using cut bait .

WILSON LAKE “I like big chunks of cut skipjack or shad. Worms, chicken livers and even shrimp will work well for smaller catfish,” advised Captain Brian Barton. ”My most memorable fishing trip was in early June about ten years ago. I pulled to the wall of Wilson Dam, and the catfish were schooling on the surface along the dam feeding on newly hatched shad minnows,” Barton said. “We filled a 120 quart cooler with cats and were home by 9:00. That was a day that every cat angler dreams of.” There will be lots of white bass, stripers and hybrids gathering below the dams when water is being pulled through, and anglers can use live shad or large minnows in the live water below the dams to have a ball catching these hard-pullers. Smallmouth bass will be holding along steep rocky shores and along the sheer rock bluffs. Soft plastics in crawfish patterns can be deadly on these north Alabama brown bass. Panfish anglers who work any of the major feeder creeks which empty into Wilson and Pickwick can fill up an ice chest in short order by working worms and crickets close to the bottom where the bream will be holding on their beds.

Anglers need to be aware that in June in case of stormy, heavy-rainfall weather, the south end of the lake clears faster because of its sandy bottom, but the whole lake should be quite good.

SIPSEY FORK “We’re going to see more hoppers by then [June] and when they’re flying around, hopper flies are really good. Also, beetle flies are good, even the big Japanese beetles will be eaten by the trout,” said Brandon Jackson of Riverside Fly shop..

“Shellcracker bream will be bedding, so get some pink worms, and find the big shell cracker bream. You’ll stop fishing when you’re too

Another good point of planning a trout fishing trip to the Sipsey in June is that by then, the generation schedule of pumping water 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 77

Regional Freshwater Fishing Outlook

through the dam will have usually settled down and will be in the normal pattern. This means that during the week, water will be running hard in the afternoons, but water won’t be pumped hard on the weekends. Spinning gear anglers should be able to catch all of the trout they want in June by using small single-hook Roostertails in small sizes as well as Trout Magnet lures in 1/16 oz sizes. MOBILE DELTA According to Captain Wayne Miller of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Guide Service the water should be down to normal levels, and that means all of the rivers will be tidal-influenced in June. The tide affects the river waters far up on the Alabama River and all of the other rivers which feed into the Delta. Miller advises bass anglers to look at the main rivers since the lakes off the rivers will be getting quite shallow with the lower water levels in June. Most bass tournaments on the Delta are won by anglers fishing the middle and upper areas of the Delta, and the lower Delta is just not as productive now. In June, anglers can expect a good early morning top water bite on big spooks and buzzbaits. As the day moves on, heavy spinnerbaits worked deep on wood cover in the main rivers will be best. Big soft plastic and crank baits worked near wood cover will be good, too. Bass anglers need to find deep treetops and work the entire sunken tree structure carefully. These “tops” will require lots of casts to cover correctly to find the fish.

FLORIDA WATERS

APALACHICOLA RIVER SYSTEM Tony Poloronis of Outcasters Bait and Tackle in Apalachicola said that down toward the mouth of the river, anglers should not be surprised if several kinds of saltwater game fish show up on any fishing trip. Reds, specks, and flounder are commonly found in the same waters that bass and bream inhabit. In June, anglers on the Apalachicola system should be able to find some great bream fishing for both bluegills and big shell crackers. These fish will still be bedding, and places on the main river and the smaller streams will work. Look for lily pads, and the bream on beds will be close. Anglers who fish the fingers of the river where it meets the bay will have good luck on bass in June. Soft plastics, crank baits, and spinner baits, especially Snagless Sallies, worked around reed beds will find plenty of bass in June. For some serious hard pulling, anglers might want to run up the river to the point where the Pinhook River enters the Apalachicola. Both hybrid bass and the big saltwater stripers often hold here, and they can get very big. Live bait including shrimp and flashy artificial lures will attract the attention of the big striped bass. LAKE TALQUIN In June, anglers can do very well on catfish using cut bait and stink bait in the creeks and ledges of the main lake according to Jeff DuBree of Whippoorwill Lodge on Lake Talquin. Bream anglers will find lots of bedding bream in shallow water all 78 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

over the lake, and throwing a dark colored Beetlespin is a good way to find the hungry bream. For best luck, fish the full moon. Bass at Lake Talquin will be moving from shallow spawning waters to deeper points and ledges in the main lake. Depending on how hot the weather gets, there can be a very good early and late top water bite. As the month goes along, DuBree said that anglers fishing at night can have very good results for bass around lighted boat docks using lipless crank baits. Crappie anglers do well fishing at night using lights attached to their boats and letting bait congregate below the lights. Lake Seminole “It’s going to be good in deep water in June on soft plastics, and early and late throwing top water frogs. Fish over hydrilla, lily pads, anything you can throw over will hold fish,” said veteran guide Jody Wells. Bass at Seminole in June will average four pounds, with both larger and smaller fish. The bream will be on the beds in June and all through the summer. Crappie, known as speckled perch at Seminole, will be very good all through the summer. June anglers can use live minnows or other minnow-look artificials to catch plenty of crappie. Anglers can find some good hybrid and striper fishing in June, but visiting anglers need to be aware that certain areas of the lake are marked and set off limits for fishing because these are spring areas where the big stripers congregate for water temperature protection. Hefty fines will occur for anglers trying to catch stripers out of these areas. Suicide Shad in pearly shad pattern.

Important Contact Information Joe Dunn Dunn’s Sports 334-636-0850 33356 Hwy 43, Thomasville, AL Captain Sam Williams Hawks Guide Service 334-687-0400 Brandon Jackson/ Randy Jackson Riverside Fly Shop 17027 Hwy 69N, Jasper, AL 256-287-9582 Riversideflyshop.com Captain Lee Pitts 256-390-4145 www.leepittsoutdoors.com Captain Brian Barton 256-412-0960 brianbartonoutdoors.com Captain Jake Davis Mid-South Bass Guide Service 615-613-2382 msbassguide@comcast.net

Jeff DuBree Whippoorwill Sportsman’s Lodge Lake Talquin 850-875-2605 fishtalquin@gmail.com Jody Wells 850-209-2420 Tony Poloronis Outcasters Bait and Tackle 631 Hwy 98, Apalachicola, Florida 850-653-4665 Captain Wayne Miller Mobile-Tensaw Delta Guide Service 251-455-7404 Millewa2000@yahoo.com

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 79

MOON & FEED TIMES

Mobile / Tensaw Delta

PRIME FEEDING TIMES

This chart is specifically designed for fishing times in the Mobile/Tensaw Delta & other tidally influenced waters of South Alabama. Date Day

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

June 2022

Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

80 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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ALABAMA TIDE CHARTS

W 1 11:45 AM / 1.61 11:32 PM / -0.02 Th 2 12:30 PM / 1.61

F 3 01:16 PM / 1.59 12:21 AM / -0.01 S 4 01:59 PM / 1.54 12:59 AM / 0.01 Su 5 02:38 PM / 1.46 01:27 AM / 0.06 M 6 03:13 PM / 1.31 01:44 AM / 0.14 T 7 03:43 PM / 1.12 01:51 AM / 0.27 W 8 10:32 AM / 0.89 01:46 AM / 0.43 Th 9 08:57 AM / 0.96 01:26 AM / 0.60 --

07:03 PM / 0.59

F 10 08:17 AM / 1.12 06:53 PM / 0.33 S 11 08:18 AM / 1.33 07:31 PM / 0.09 Su 12 08:47 AM / 1.52 08:22 PM / -0.10 M 13 09:32 AM / 1.68 09:21 PM / -0.24 T 14 10:24 AM / 1.79 10:26 PM /. -0.32 W 15 11:20 AM / 1.85 11:31 PM / -0.35 Th 16 12:17 PM / 1.85

F 17 01:14 PM / 1.78 12:28 AM / -0.30

Mobile River

Fowl River

Fort Morgan

W 1 12:27 PM / 1.73

W 1 01:31 PM / 2.01 12:08 AM / -0.02

Th 2 01:08 PM / 1.72 12:08 AM / -0.22 F 3 01:49 PM / 1.69 01:02 AM / -0.23 S 4 02:27 PM / 1.62 01:46 AM / -0.21 Su 5 03:05 PM / 1.50 02:19 AM / -0.15 M 6 03:41 PM / 1.32 02:42 AM / -0.03 T 7 04:19 PM / 1.08 02:53 AM / 0.15 W 8 11:02 AM / 0.96 02:49 AM / 0.37 07:10 PM / 0.81 04:55 PM / 0.80 Th 9 09:41 AM / 1.05 02:26 AM / 0.60 --

05:40 PM / 0.49

F 10 08:58 AM / 1.28 06:32 PM / 0.20 S 11 09:00 AM / 1.55 07:33 PM / -0.06 Su 12 09:30 AM / 1.79 08:41 PM / -0.28 M 13 10:14 AM / 1.98 09:52 PM /’ -0.43 T 14 11:08 AM / 2.11 11:03 PM / -0.54 W 15 12:04 PM / 2.15

Th 16 01:00 PM / 2.12 12:09 AM / -0.58

S 18 02:06 PM / 1.63 01:15 AM / -0.18

F 17 01:53 PM / 1.98 01:08 AM / -0.55

Su 19 02:50 PM / 1.42 01:48 AM / 0.01

S 18 02:41 PM / 1.75 01:57 AM / -0.41

M 20 03:21 PM / 1.15 01:52 AM / 0.26

Su 19 03:21 PM / 1.44 02:31 AM / -0.19

T 21 09:54 AM / 0.85 01:01 AM / 0.48

M 20 03:35 PM / 1.09 02:42 AM / 0.10

03:26 PM / 0.88 12:17 PM / 0.84

T 21 10:05 AM / 0.93 02:05 AM / 0.36

11:59 PM / 0.61

W 22 09:06 AM / 1.08 12:53 AM / 0.52 --

07:13 PM / 0.40

Th 2 02:16 PM / 2.01 01:04 AM / -0.02 F

3 03:02 PM / 1.99 01:53 AM / -0.01

S 4 03:45 PM / 1.93 02:31 AM / 0.01 Su 5 04:24 PM / 1.82 02:59 AM / 0.07 M 6 04:59 PM / 1.64 03:16 AM / 0.18 T 7 05:29 PM / 1.40 03:23 AM / 0.34 W 8 12:18 PM / 1.12 03:18 AM / 0.54 05:37 PM / 1.09 03:28 PM / 1.08 Th 9 10:43 AM / 1.20 02:58 AM / 0.75 --

08:35 PM / 0.74

F 10 10:03 AM / 1.41 08:25 PM / 0.41 S 11 10:04 AM / 1.66 09:03 PM / 0.12 Su 12 10:33 AM / 1.90 09:54 PM / -0.13 M 13 11:18 AM / 2.10 10:53 PM / -0.30 T 14 12:10 PM / 2.24 11:58 PM / -0.40 W 15 01:06 PM / 2.32

Th 16 02:03 PM / 2.31 01:03 AM / -0.43 F 17 03:00 PM / 2.22 02:00 AM / -0.38 S 18 03:52 PM / 2.04 02:47 AM / -0.23 Su 19 04:36 PM / 1.77 03:20 AM / 0.02 M 20 05:07 PM / 1.44 03:24 AM / 0.32 T 21 11:40 AM / 1.06

02:33 AM / 0.60

05:12 PM / 1.10 01:49 PM / 1.05 W 22 09:47 AM / 1.20 01:31 AM / 0.76

Perdido Pass W 1 10:00 AM / 1.10 11:08 PM / -0.13 Th 2 10:38 AM / 1.09 11:55 PM / -0.11 F 3 11:20 AM / 1.06

S 4 12:04 PM / 1.01 12:34 AM / -0.08 Su 5 12:47 PM / 0.93 12:45 AM / -0.03 M 6 01:30 PM / 0.82 12:55 AM / 0.04 --

11:16 PM / 0.14

T 7 02:10 PM / 0.67 11:18 PM / 0.21 W 8 07:45 AM / 0.49 11:18 AM / 0.44 01:55 PM / 0.48 11:18 PM / 0.28 Th 9 07:58 AM / 0.63 06:07 PM / 0.22 F 10 08:17 AM / 0.79 05:58 PM / 0.02 S 11 08:30 AM / 0.96 06:04 PM / -0.17 Su 12 08:22 AM / 1.13 06:35 PM / -0.33 M 13 08:45 AM / 1.27 07:16 PM / -0.42 T 14 09:21 AM / 1.35 08:13 PM / -0.44 W 15 10:03 AM / 1.36 09:44 PM / -0.41 Th 16 10:51 AM / 1.30 10:55 PM / -0.35 F 17 11:41 AM / 1.19 11:43 PM / -0.25 S 18 12:25 PM / 1.03

Su 19 12:58 PM / 0.84 12:15 AM / -0.10 M 20 12:38 PM / 0.64 12:29 AM / 0.07 T 21 09:14 AM / 0.52 12:23 AM / 0.23 --

10:10 PM / 0.28

09:24 PM / 0.68

W 22 06:53 AM / 0.64 05:15 PM / 0.18

Th 23 06:52 AM / 1.15 07:20 PM / 0.35

Th 23 08:32 AM / 1.28 07:20 PM / 0.15

Th 23 08:38 AM / 1.44 08:52 PM / 0.43

Th 23 07:29 AM / 0.78 05:47 PM / 0.01

F 24 07:06 AM / 1.32 07:32 PM / 0.18

F 24 08:32 AM / 1.46 07:50 PM / -0.03

F 24 08:52 AM / 1.66 09:04 PM / 0.23

F 24 08:03 AM / 0.90 06:17 PM / -0.11

S 25 07:41 AM / 1.44 07:59 PM / 0.07

S 25 08:53 AM / 1.59 08:28 PM / -0.14

S 25 09:27 AM / 1.81 09:31 PM / 0.09

S 25 08:34 AM / 0.98 06:45 PM / -0.18

Su 26 08:25 AM / 1.52 08:34 PM / 0.00

Su 26 09:26 AM / 1.66 09:10 PM / -0.20

Su 26 10:11 AM / 1.90 10:06 PM / 0.00

Su 26 09:02 AM / 1.03 07:11 PM / -0.21

M 27 09:14 AM / 1.56 09:14 PM / -0.03

M 27 10:05 AM / 1.69 09:55 PM / -0.24

M 27 11:00 AM / 1.95 10:46 PM / -0.04

M 27 09:16 AM / 1.05 07:38 PM / -0.20

T 28 10:03 AM / 1.58 09:56 PM / -0.05

T 28 10:50 AM / 1.71 10:40 PM / -0.27

T 28 11:49 AM / 1.98 11:28 PM / -0.06

T 28 08:59 AM / 1.08 08:24 PM / -0.18

W 29 10:52 AM / 1.60 10:37 PM / -0.05

W 29 11:35 AM / 1.71 11:21 PM / -0.29

W 29 12:38 PM / 2.00

W 29 09:21 AM / 1.09 10:05 PM / -0.16

Th 30 11:38 AM / 1.61 11:11 PM / -0.04

Th 30 12:18 PM / 1.71 11:58 PM / -0.29

Th 30 01:24 PM / 2.01 12:09 AM / -0.07

Th 30 09:52 AM / 1.10 10:56 PM / -0.14

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W 22 08:01 AM / 0.96 07:52 PM / 0.55

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116 E. I-65 Service Road N. Mobile, AL 36607 Phone: 251-476-2699 www.bluewateryachtsales.net 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 81

FLORIDA TIDE CHARTS

Pensacola Bay Destin East Pass Navarre Beach W Th F S Su M T W Th

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

F S Su M

10 11 12 13

T W Th F S Su M T W

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Th F S Su M T W Th

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

11:53 AM / 1.70 12:35 PM / 1.69 01:16 PM / 1.67 01:52 PM / 1.61 02:24 PM / 1.50 02:51 PM / 1.31 02:55 PM / 1.06 10:36 AM / 0.88 09:04 AM / 0.98 -08:33 AM / 1.20 08:36 AM / 1.45 09:02 AM / 1.68 09:45 AM / 1.87

11:33 PM / -0.31 -12:22 AM / -0.33 01:00 AM / -0.33 01:28 AM / -0.28 01:47 AM / -0.18 01:57 AM / -0.02 01:52 AM / 0.20 01:16 AM / 0.42 05:32 PM / 0.39 06:02 PM / 0.06 06:49 PM / -0.21 07:47 PM / -0.43 08:55 PM / -0.58

10:38 AM / 1.99 11:37 AM / 2.06 12:36 PM / 2.05 01:32 PM / 1.94 02:22 PM / 1.74 03:04 PM / 1.43 03:28 PM / 1.06 09:58 AM / 0.84 08:22 AM / 1.02 -08:00 AM / 1.27 08:08 AM / 1.47 08:30 AM / 1.60 09:03 AM / 1.67 09:43 AM / 1.70 10:26 AM / 1.72 11:10 AM / 1.73 11:50 AM / 1.74

10:08 PM / -0.67 11:18 PM / -0.72 -12:18 AM / -0.69 01:05 AM / -0.56 01:37 AM / -0.34 01:49 AM / -0.05 01:28 AM / 0.25 12:07 AM / 0.45 06:16 PM / 0.32 06:26 PM / 0.05 06:58 PM / -0.14 07:37 PM / -0.24 08:23 PM / -0.29 09:12 PM / -0.32 10:03 PM / -0.34 10:47 PM / -0.36 11:23 PM / -0.37

W 1 11:20 AM / 0.83 10:59 PM / -0.10 Th 2 12:02 PM / 0.83 11:48 PM / -0.11 F S Su M

3 4 5 6

12:43 PM / 0.82 -01:19 PM / 0.79 12:26 AM / -0.11 01:51 PM / 0.73 12:54 AM / -0.09 02:18 PM / 0.64 01:13 AM / -0.06

T 7 02:22 PM / 0.52 01:23 AM / -0.01 W 8 10:03 AM / 0.43 01:18 AM / 0.07 Th 9 08:31 AM / 0.48 12:42 AM / 0.14 F S Su M

10 11 12 13

T W Th F S Su M T

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

W Th F S Su M T W Th

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

-08:00 AM / 0.59 08:03 AM / 0.71 08:29 AM / 0.82 09:12 AM / 0.92

04:58 PM / 0.13 05:28 PM / 0.02 06:15 PM / -0.07 07:13 PM / -0.14 08:21 PM / -0.19

10:05 AM / 0.98 11:04 AM / 1.01 12:03 PM / 1.00 12:59 PM / 0.95 01:49 PM / 0.85 02:31 PM / 0.70 02:55 PM / 0.52 09:25 AM / 0.41 -07:49 AM / 0.50 07:27 AM / 0.62 07:35 AM / 0.72 07:57 AM / 0.78 08:30 AM / 0.82 09:10 AM / 0.83 09:53 AM / 0.84 10:37 AM / 0.85 11:17 AM / 0.85

09:34 PM / -0.22 10:44 PM / -0.24 11:44 PM / -0.23 -12:31 AM / -0.19 01:03 AM / -0.11 01:15 AM / -0.02 12:54 AM / 0.08 11:33 PM / 0.15 05:42 PM / 0.11 05:52 PM / 0.02 06:24 PM / -0.05 07:03 PM / -0.08 07:49 PM / -0.10 08:38 PM / -0.10 09:29 PM / -0.11 10:13 PM / -0.12 10:49 PM / -0.12

82 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

W Th F S Su M

1 2 3 4 5 6

09:34 AM / 1.60 10:16 AM / 1.58 10:57 AM / 1.57 11:36 AM / 1.54 12:13 PM / 1.48 12:47 PM / 1.37

T W Th F S Su M

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

01:16 PM / 1.20 08:24 AM / 0.99 07:09 AM / 1.11 06:40 AM / 1.30 06:28 AM / 1.53 06:47 AM / 1.75 07:24 AM / 1.92

T 14 08:10 AM / 2.02 W 15 09:01 AM / 2.05 Th F S Su M T

16 17 18 19 20 21

09:54 AM / 2.00 10:46 AM / 1.88 11:33 AM / 1.69 12:09 PM / 1.45 12:31 PM / 1.18 07:24 AM / 0.89

W Th F S

22 23 24 25

12:20 PM / 0.90 06:48 AM / 1.06 06:32 AM / 1.24 06:11 AM / 1.40 06:20 AM / 1.52

Su M T W

26 27 28 29

06:50 AM / 1.58 07:27 AM / 1.61 08:08 AM / 1.61 08:49 AM / 1.60

Th 30 09:30 AM / 1.60

Panama City

W 1 10:43 AM / 1.68 09:01 PM / -0.27 Th 2 11:28 AM / 1.68 09:48 PM / -0.22 F 3 12:13 PM / 1.66 10:29 PM / -0.14 S 4 12:54 PM / 1.61 11:03 PM / -0.03 Su 5 01:32 PM / 1.51 11:26 PM / 0.12 M 6 02:07 PM / 1.35 11:32 PM / 0.29 T 7 02:40 PM / 1.13 11:20 PM / 0.47 W 8 08:55 AM / 0.87 11:03 PM / 0.62 -04:36 PM / 0.66 Th 9 08:00 AM / 0.99 04:20 PM / 0.34 F 10 07:43 AM / 1.18 04:59 PM / 0.01 S 11 07:33 AM / 1.42 05:52 PM / -0.27 Su 12 07:55 AM / 1.66 06:54 PM / -0.48 M 13 08:36 AM / 1.85 07:59 PM / -0.60 T 14 09:28 AM / 1.98 09:02 PM / -0.62 W 15 10:28 AM / 2.04 Th 16 11:32 AM / 2.03 10:01 PM / -0.54 F 17 12:32 PM / 1.93 10:53 PM / -0.37 S 18 01:22 PM / 1.74 11:33 PM / -0.12 Su 19 02:00 PM / 1.47 11:30 PM / 0.17 M 20 02:15 PM / 1.16 10:21 PM / 0.41 T 21 08:17 AM / 0.85 09:38 AM / 0.87 01:53 PM / 0.85 10:01 PM / 0.54 -05:11 PM / 0.50 W 22 07:10 AM / 1.04 05:20 PM / 0.25 Th 23 07:15 AM / 1.25 05:44 PM / 0.05 F 24 07:28 AM / 1.43 06:11 PM / -0.11 S 25 07:44 AM / 1.56 06:40 PM / -0.22 Su 26 08:07 AM / 1.64 07:11 PM / -0.28 M 27 ‘08:39 AM / 1.69 07:45 PM / -0.31 T 28 09:18 AM / 1.72 08:20 PM / -0.30 W 29 10:02 AM / 1.73 08:55 PM / -0.25 Th 30 10:46 AM / 1.73

10:09 PM / -0.20 10:44 PM / -0.19 11:16 PM / -0.15 11:44 PM / -0.08 -12:07 AM / 0.02 12:24 AM / 0.16 12:30 AM / 0.34 11:58 PM / 0.51 05:46 PM / 0.55 05:35 PM / 0.25 06:14 PM / -0.03 07:08 PM / -0.28 08:07 PM / -0.46 09:06 PM / -0.57 10:03 PM / -0.60 10:54 PM / -0.54 11:41 PM / -0.38 -12:17 AM / -0.14 12:29 AM / 0.14 12:00 AM / 0.41 11:37 AM / 0.82 11:00 PM / 0.57 05:26 PM / 0.49 05:48 PM / 0.24 06:20 PM / 0.06 06:56 PM / -0.06 07:33 PM / -0.12 08:11 PM / -0.16 08:49 PM / -0.18 09:23 PM / -0.18 09:51 PM / -0.16

MISSISSIPPI TIDE CHARTS

Biloxi Bay W 1 11:40 AM / 2.22 10:26 PM / -0.36 Th 2 12:16 PM / 2.19 11:10 PM / -0.32 F 3 12:55 PM / 2.12 11:53 PM / -0.26 S 4 01:33 PM / 2.02

Su 5 02:08 PM / 1.86 12:32 AM / -0.16 M 6 02:39 PM / 1.64 01:04 AM / -0.02 T 7 02:50 PM / 1.35 01:24 AM / 0.17 W 8 11:43 AM / 1.09 01:26 AM / 0.40 Th 9 09:24 AM / 1.16 12:42 AM / 0.64 --

05:47 PM / 0.56

F 10 08:43 AM / 1.42 05:57 PM / 0.15 S 11 08:42 AM / 1.76 06:36 PM / -0.26 Su 12 09:05 AM / 2.10 07:24 PM / -0.60 M 13 09:43 AM / 2.38 08:18 PM / -0.85 T 14 10:29 AM / 2.57 09:15 PM / -0.98 W 15 11:21 AM / 2.65 10:15 PM / -0.99 Th 16 12:14 PM / 2.59 11:14 PM / -0.87 F 17 01:06 PM / 2.41

S 18 01:55 PM / 2.10 12:08 AM / -0.64 Su 19 02:34 PM / 1.70 12:54 AM / -0.32 M 20 02:35 PM / 1.27 01:20 AM / 0.06 T 21 10:44 AM / 1.00 01:03 AM / 0.43 --

10:33 PM / 0.63

Pascagoula W 1 10:49 AM / 1.83 09:18 PM / -0.16 Th 2 11:33 AM / 1.81 10:11 PM / -0.13 F 3 12:26 PM / 1.77 11:06 PM / -0.08 S 4 01:22 PM / 1.69 11:38 PM / -0.02 Su 5 02:10 PM / 1.57

M 6 02:50 PM / 1.39 12:01 AM / 0.08 T 7 03:27 PM / 1.12 12:24 AM / 0.22 W 8 09:12 AM / 0.90 12:47 AM / 0.41 05:14 PM / 0.80 01:12 PM / 0.74 Th 9 08:37 AM / 1.02 01:01 AM / 0.63 --

Share highlights from your great days outdoors with us!

04:30 PM / 0.44

F 10 07:14 AM / 1.27 05:10 PM / 0.07 S 11 07:38 AM / 1.56 05:54 PM / -0.24

info@GreatDaysOutdoors.com

Su 12 08:14 AM / 1.83 06:46 PM / -0.49 M 13 08:56 AM / 2.04 07:44 PM / -0.64 T 14 09:43 AM / 2.18 08:44 PM / -0.69 W 15 10:31 AM / 2.22 09:46 PM / -0.65 Th 16 11:21 AM / 2.15 10:50 PM / -0.53

June 2022 Sunrise / Sunset

F 17 12:16 PM / 2.00 11:43 PM / -0.33 S 18 01:12 PM / 1.76

Su 19 01:58 PM / 1.47 12:19 AM / -0.07 M 20 02:24 PM / 1.15 12:26 AM / 0.22 --

11:44 PM / 0.46

T 21 09:19 AM / 0.91 11:34 PM / 0.62

W 22 08:38 AM / 1.18 06:13 PM / 0.35

W 22 07:55 AM / 1.05 06:17 PM / 0.41

Th 23 08:09 AM / 1.46 06:20 PM / 0.03

Th 23 06:13 AM / 1.24 06:19 PM / 0.19

F 24 08:17 AM / 1.71 06:46 PM / -0.22

F 24 06:36 AM / 1.45 06:06 PM / 0.01

S 25 08:40 AM / 1.90 07:16 PM / -0.39

S 25 07:11 AM / 1.61 06:28 PM / -0.11

Su 26 09:09 AM / 2.02 07:48 PM / -0.48

Su 26 07:50 AM / 1.72 07:01 PM / -0.18

M 27 09:42 AM / 2.09 08:22 PM / -0.52

M 27 08:33 AM / 1.79 07:39 PM / -0.21

T 28 10:18 AM / 2.12 08:58 PM / -0.52

T 28 09:18 AM / 1.83 08:18 PM / -0.20

W 29 10:55 AM / 2.12 09:36 PM / -0.50

W 29 10:01 AM / 1.85 08:57 PM / -0.18

Th 30 11:32 AM / 2.09 10:13 PM / -0.45

Th 30 10:44 AM / 1.85 09:35 PM / -0.15

Savings as local as your fishing captain. Your GEICO Local Agent could help you save on more than just car insurance!

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 83

Pensacola Motorsports

TROPHY

Kayla Shirk holding her first large mouth bass like a champ!

You didn’t see it coming. Neither did the fish.

ROOM

Lucas Cooke with a heavy weight red snapper

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©2018 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. Carefully read the operator’s guide and safety instructions. Observe applicable laws and regulations. Always wear appropriate protective clothing, including a personal flotation device and wetsuit bottoms. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. See your authorized BRP dealer for details.

84 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Sea-Doo.com

[ OR ]

Photo of the Month! Simply share your great day outdoors with us!

EMAIL:

info@GreatDaysOutdoors.com

When Submitting Trophy Room photos, be sure to include as much information as possible about the person and the trophy. Final Decision is made by the editorial Staff of Great Days Outdoors Magazine. Submitting a photo does not guarantee it will be published.

Brandon Ottman and lives in Manchester NH with his carp

Jeff Collum holding a bunch of red snapper filets

Larry Catrett and Tommy Ward with a fine red!

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 85

KID'S CORNER

TROPHY ROOM

Mila Boykin age 12. Personal best redfish in Elaine Rowe tournament

Eyan Gregson, 11 years old and dog Brady

Jazlin White age 11, her first squirrel & didn’t even change out of her school clothes

Ruby, 4 bass in Evergreen, AL

Deer

Braxton Floyd

Connor Rider, 5 (at the time), first deer

Gaddy Rice (10) got his first Marengo County turkey with his Papa, Jerry Gaddy. What a perfect first gobbler experience.

Give us your best shot!

Send your submission to info@greatdaysoutdoors.com.

Submitting a photo does not guarantee that it will be published. We cannot give any guarantees on when a photo will be published. Please include: child's full name, age, mailing address, and any details. We need to know when, where, size (weight, points, etc.), shot or caught with what and any other meaningful information, like first time, etc.. CONTRIBUTIONS WITHOUT THIS INFO WON’T BE PUBLISHED.

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88 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING TIP

Advertiser Index A-Team Fishing Adventures . . . . . . . . 3 Admiral Shellfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 American Hunting Lease . . . . . . . . . 92 ADCNR Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Alabama AG Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Alabama Farmers CO-OP . . . . . . . . . 88 Alabama Liquid Fertilizer . . . . . . . . . 28 Bluewater Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Boaters List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Buck’s Island Marine . . . . . . . . . . 39, 50 Camper City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 CCA Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Clutch Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Cold Blooded Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Deep South Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Dixie Building Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Farm Credit of NW Florida . . . . . . . . 30 Fiber Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 First South Farm Credit . . . . . . . . . . 63 Fishbites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Geico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Gulf Shores/Orange Beach . . . . . . . . 79 Hilton’s Offshore Charts . . . . . . . . . . 60 Huntersmate Lowdown . . . . . . . . . . 25 Hydraulic Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Killer Dock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 MDH Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Midway Lumber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 National Land Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Paradise Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Pensacola Motor Sports . . . . . . . . 84-85 Photonis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Ranch King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Ricciardone Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Slick Lure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Southeastern Pond Management . . . . 7 Stryker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Test Calibration Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 War Eagle Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Spring/Summer Transition BY CAPT. MIKE WALKER

The water has really begun to warm up in early June and summer bass patterns become dominant on most lakes/rivers in Alabama. Anglers targeting shallow water will continue to catch bass but the proverbial mother lode of fish have transitioned to the deeper water. After the spawn, bass will typically begin to group up on offshore structure. Perhaps the most important decision anglers can make during this transition is to focus on lures plus techniques designed to best pry bass from the depths. Let’s list and briefly discuss three of the most productive and prominent techniques for targeting bass in June! Perhaps the most popular and productive bait/technique is targeting bass on ledges and isolated cover with deep diving crankbaits. Typical depth ranges for most deep diving crankbaits are 6’ – 12’. However, there are numerous crankbaits available that can easily cover depths up to 25’.

A football jig is another excellent choice to pick apart the deep structure. Veteran anglers note the jig continues to be a great tool when targeting larger bass stuck to deep water structure. Carolina rig plastic worms/creature baits are a mainstay in many angler’s arsenals and really allow anglers to easily target these deeper depths for bass. Even with current or windy conditions, this technique allows anglers to maintain contact with the bottom and structure. Anglers may continue to focus their attention on shallow techniques early and late in the day however you should keep in mind where the majority of bass have moved and adjust accordingly. Transitioning to these deeper patterns can be extremely productive and with practice will yield greater results for most anglers! Good fishing and be safe!

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 89

A GREAT DAY OUTDOORS

Fishing with Dogs the hair on the seats or the mud in the carpet that gives it away; it’s the drool on the windows. I don’t know what my truck windows taste like, but I guarantee my Lab does.

BY JIM MIZE

A couple days ago, I fished with a lab. No, not as bait, he went with me. Dogs and fishing go together like donuts and dieters; you know better, but you do it anyway. Most people think of dogs as hunting companions rather than fishing partners. Maybe that’s because dogs can’t back a trailer, or at least, the cost of teaching them that trick can be excessive. Also, when hunting, dogs have a specific role; namely, they help you find game and go get what you shot. It makes you wonder if when you take your dog fishing, you should at least take turns reeling in the fish or let it pick the spot. Every dog does something different on fishing trips. Some run around the boat constantly keeping an eye on things. Others fall asleep in the sun. Mine sits and keeps looking at me expectantly with an expression that says, “So, when you gonna catch something?” He can be impatient at times. But there are a lot of good reasons to take your dog fishing. For example, if you have a dog along, you can shoot some good photos even when you catch no fish. This might explain why I have a lot of dog photos. Another reason to bring a dog is to have a witness who won’t talk. There’s something nice about holding up a fish and not being challenged about your guess of its weight or length, or who later corrects your story. Also, whenever you decide to fish is fine with them. They’re just happy to go. I mean, when was the last time your fishing buddy rolled the window down and stuck his head out? It’s easy to spot the vehicle that goes with a fishing dog. It’s not

On the other hand, dogs have a few habits that can make fishing with them difficult. A problem with retrievers, for instance, is that they retrieve and it’s hard to get mad at them when they do. On our last trip, we hit the Trifecta with a shoe, a dead snake, and a dirty diaper. The most irritating part is that normally I would have caught the shoe.

Not everyone is a dog person. And my dog seems to like them best, or at least, jump on them the most. Maybe that’s why they don’t like dogs.

Also, dogs would tell on you if they could talk. They can’t even get away with the things they do. For example, if the leg gets chewed off a chair or you see teeth marks in a fine bamboo fly rod, everyone suspects the dog. Sure, he probably did it, but where’s the “innocent until proven guilty” principle now? Another dog habit that’s annoying is that a wet dog can’t help but shake. It’s his way of saying, “Hey y’all, watch this!” I wonder if wet dogs shake when there’s no one else there. It’s a lot like that philosophical question about a tree falling in the woods and whether it made a sound. Just for the record, when that tree fell, my dog was nowhere near it. Honest. Another thing about fishing dogs is that they tend to ride home wet. This is an inevitable conclusion to the trip. And wet dogs have their own unique smell widely known as “wet dog smell.” Let me tell you, as cute as puppies are, if this were a good smell the leading perfume in the world would be “Eau de Wet Dog” with a soggy puppy on the front of the bottle. Instead, you get an odor that

90 June 2022 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

lingers even after the water is gone. Or maybe it was that dirty-diaper retrieve. One thing dogs don’t understand, however, is catch and release. If you want to irritate your dog, show him a fish and let it go. All along, he thought it was going to be his. Otherwise, what’s he there for? I have heard of dogs that will stick their heads underwater and grab fish. I’m not sure I want one of those. I mean, who wants to get beat fishing by their dog? Not only that, but how long before he starts fishing without me? Does he expect me to sit quietly for one of his fish tales? Not everyone is a dog person. And my dog seems to like them best, or at least, jump on them the most. Maybe that’s why they don’t like dogs. Also, a few other people may not appreciate your dog. For instance, if you stumble upon a bunch of skinny-dippers and your dog retrieves a few items to see if they are yours, you won’t necessarily be rewarded even if you bring them back. Some people are funny that way. The good news is that dogs can do a lot of things wrong and get away with them. That’s something I could never pull off. For example, my Lab can track mud anywhere and with one big grin he’s forgiven. I need to learn that grin. All in all, dogs can make entertaining fishing companions. The only advice I’d offer is that should your dog stumble upon some skinny-dippers, teach him to be more selective in what he brings back.

JIM MIZE has been known to catch

fewer fish than his dog. You can find his award-winning books of humor on Amazon or purchase autographed copies at www.acreektricklesthroughit.com.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // June 2022 91

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