Great Days Outdoors - May 2021

VOLUME 1 • NUMBER 1

REPOWER REPORT

MAY 1, 2021

This is the first edition of Paradise Marine Center’s Repower Report. This feature will run on a regular basis and will showcase one of the many repower projects performed by Paradise Marine. Each new report will feature product specifications on different outboard engines for all types of boats. We will also tell the story behind the project, the users, and their boats. In the first issue, we caught up with fishing guide Capt. Tim String, of Southern Outdoors Adventures.

What is the make and model of your boat and how long have you owned it?

My boat is a 2008 21’ Frontier Bay Boat which I have owned for over 9 years. It was previously powered by another manufacturers 150HP 4 stroke.

How do you use your boat?

I guide fishing clients all over Mobile Bay and the Delta. I also chase near shore species in the Gulf at certain times of the year.

How did you decide to repower with a new Suzuki?

I have owned all brand outboards; Mercury, Honda, Yamaha, Evinrude and Suzuki. I had previous

Capt. Tim String of Southern Outdoor Adventures. For trip information 251-610-7849

Suzuki ownership experience. I purchased a 70 HP Suzuki from Paradise Marine 11 years ago for a 17’ Boston Whaler. It had always given me good service and I was very satisfied with it. On this repower decision, I went with the recommendation of Kenny Myers, the outboard Master Tech Mechanic at Paradise Marine. He told me that Suzuki was the only way to go. I decided to go with the 175HP in line 4 cylinder, based on his expertise and our long relationship.

What impresses you most about your Suzuki?

There are four things that stand out for me when I compare it to my previous outboard. In my business of guiding clients, hole shot is an important consideration in shallow water. In this respect, the Suzuki excels. The hole shot is phenomenal, but not at the expense of top end speed. This baby flat out moves my boat. One of the most notable differences is the complete lack of vibration from the engin... it is smooth as silk. You could feel the previous engines vibration while holding the console handrail... not on this motor. There is no transmitted vibration to speak of. My customers constantly tell me how quiet this motor is compared to their 4 strokes. I also like the fuel economy of this engine, as I have 25 more horsepower without any increased fuel burn.

Give us a memorable Fishing experience?

Just the other day a personal friend of mine and

Questions about repowering? Paradise Marine Center is located at County Rd 8 and Hwy 59 in Gulf Shores. 251-968-2628

I ventured to South Mobile Bay to fish. We fished all morning with little success. We decided to have lunch at Tacky Jacks at Ft. Morgan and decide what to do next. We figured we would head back up Mobile Bay, and see if we could change our luck.

On the way, I stopped and netted some menhaden.

We hit our first spot and started live chumming with menhaden and got the trout in a frenzy. During the next three hours, we caught over 60 trout, weighing from 3-6 pounds. We went from zeros to heros in just a few hours.

SUZUKI 175HP Inline 4-Cylinder 4-Stroke Outboard Suzuki's DF175 is based on an inline four cylinder DOHC powerhead with a 175 cu. in. displacement. While the large displacement contributes greatly to producing exceptional acceleration and torque, it doesn't mean that they are comparatively larger and heavier in size. On the contrary, Suzuki's engineers have targeted this big block motor to be one of the lightest four strokes in the 175 HP class.

At 474 pounds, Suzuki leads the class in power to weight ratio in a compact design. Offset Drive shaft for better balance on the transom. Self adjusting, oil bathed timing chain vs. over head belt. No belt maintenance or adjustment necessary. Variable Valve Timing for better midrange torque, Multipoint Sequential Electronic Fuel Injection for Top Performance in All Conditions. 2.50 : 1 vs. 2.00 :1.

Lower gear ratio to swing a larger prop for improved acceleration.

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 3

HUNTING & FISHING IN ALABAMA & THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE

8

24

38

CONTENTS Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo is Back. . . . . . . . . 8

by Ed Mashburn Choosing the Best Compact Tractor. . . . . . . 12

by David Strickland Importance of Spring/Summer Food Plots for Deer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

by Joe Baya Choosing the Best Bass Boat for Rough Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

by David Strickland 10 Good Ways to Be a Bad Shed Hunter. . . . 24

by Josh Honeycutt DIY: Tarpon Trip - Punta Gorda . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

by Ed Mashburn Creating the Best Fish Habitat for Ponds. . . . . 34

by William Kendy Finding and Fishing Bluegill Beds. . . . . . . . . . 38

by John E. Phillips Bottom Feeding Basics: Grouper & Snapper. . 44

by William Kendy Breaking Down the 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.8 Western . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

by Josh Honeycutt Land Loan Interest Rate Update. . . . . . . . . . . . 54

by William Kendy

In Every Issue

44

4 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

48

Best Bets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

by William Kendy Camphouse Kitchen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

by Hank Shaw *Father‘s Day Gifts for Outdoorsmen . . . . . . 58

by William Kendy From the Commissioner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

by Chris Blakenship From the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

by Charles Sykes The Gun Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

by Craig Haney Paddle Fishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

by Ed Mashburn Coastal Outlook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

by Chris Vecsey Pier & Shore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

by David Thornton Regional Freshwater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

by Ed Mashburn Prime Feeding Times, Moon, Sun, and Tide Charts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Pensacola Motorsports Trophy Room. . . . . . 80 Great Days Kids Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Classifieds & Fishin‘ Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Fishing Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

by Captain Richard Rutland A Great Day Outdoors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

by Jim Mize

Cedar Grove Tract

Butler Lisman Timber & Hunting Investment

Excellent hunting, recreation and timber investment tract in the Cedar Grove community situated just south of Vance and west of West Blocton, AL. The property has a great interior road system and several food plots. Topography is rolling with nice hardwood draws that are loaded with an array of mast producing oaks including nice stands of white oaks. Timber was harvested about 3 years ago and regenerating naturally. This tract is very isolated and surrounded by large land owners and timber companies. Strong deer numbers and abundant deer signs! This tract would make a great land and timber investment.

This diverse timber and hunting tract between Butler and Lisman offers a lot.

Enjoy easy access with frontage on Highway 10 and Sandycut Road, access to utilities, excellent hunting, several scenic home or cabin sites, and well stocked stands of hardwood and pine. Timber types include 2003 pine plantations and 30+/- acres of hardwood. A creek traverses the property, providing water sources for wildlife and multiple potential fishing lake sites. Don’t miss your chance to see this one. Land of this quality is rarely available in this area.

Bibb County, Alabama, 653+/-Acres

Choctaw County, Alabama, 122.51+/-Acres

Alabama Listings COUNTY Autauga Autauga Autauga Autauga Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Bibb Bibb Bibb Bibb Bibb Blount Blount Blount Blount Blount Bullock Bullock Bullock

ACRES 530 116 110 41 1995 926 515 240 223 884 342 278 179 74 653 416 368 284 188 211 151.09 81 55 50 4000 2436 167

COUNTY Bullock Bullock Butler Butler Butler Butler Butler Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Cherokee Chilton Chilton Choctaw Choctaw Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Cleburne Cleburne Cleburne Coffee Colbert Colbert Conecuh

99 30 395 166.81 151.05 85.16 66.3 337 80 48 938 421 13.64 175 122.51 620 176 54 49 9.2 856 100 56 41 17.37 10 119

ACRES

Conecuh Coosa Coosa Coosa Coosa Coosa Covington Covington Covington Covington Covington Cullman Cullman Dale Dale Dale Dale Dale Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas DeKalb DeKalb DeKalb DeKalb

0.77 430 128.5 100 99 55 730 360 140 63.04 3 164 20 63 20 20 20 20 5960 1255 1204.51 782 555 338 6 4.53 3.09

COUNTY DeKalb Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Escambia Escambia Escambia Escambia Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Franklin Franklin Franklin Franklin Greene Greene Greene Greene Hale Hale Hale Hale

3.06 194 163 97 30 10 1219 654 19 4.75 672 640 484 473 344 244 234 10 8 965 65 38 2.78 486 420 127 120

Hale Henry Henry Henry Henry Henry Houston Houston Houston Houston Houston Jackson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Lamar Lamar Lamar Lamar Lauderdale Lauderdale Lauderdale Lauderdale Lee Lee Lee

ACRES 89 200 151 26 18 3 325 155 137 93 17.5 80 633 267 202 108 373 202 92 90 75 35 1.17 0.51 4505 171 53

COUNTY Lee Lee Limestone Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Macon Macon Macon Macon Macon Marengo Marengo Marengo Marengo Marengo Marion Marion Marion Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Monroe

20 1.59 1.6 1083 1013 783 656 583 2370 486 483 232 94.12 6214 3000 1164 558 551 286 88 36 1800 439 308 260 160 129

Monroe Monroe Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Perry Perry Perry Perry Perry Pickens Pickens Pickens Pickens Pickens Pike Russell Russell Saint Clair Shelby Shelby Shelby Shelby Shelby Sumter

ACRES 106 95.36 3314 858 788 778 768 610.58 330 270.21 240.75 240 837 430 121 119.55 40 9.2 174 50 1174 200 111.2 90 80 79 2151

COUNTY Sumter Sumter Sumter Sumter Talladega Talladega Talladega Talladega Talladega Tallapoosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Walker Walker Walker Walker Walker Washington Washington Washington

530 400 350 67 266 137 115 112 80 160 500 479 341 281 280 220 154 144 132 113 1320 456.8 240

Washington Washington Wilcox Wilcox Wilcox Wilcox Wilcox Winston Winston Winston

ACRES 213 200 2365 522 436 370.12 117 160 77 2.3

FL Panhandle Listings

COUNTY

Calhoun Holmes Santa Rosa Walton

ACRES 9 127 95 454

Over 700 more tracts across 47 states available...

®

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 5

BEST BETS

BEST BETS FOR MAY These are our top targets for hunters and fishermen this month!

BY WILLIAM KENDY

BEDDING BREAM

It’s not high tech. It’s not as tense or exciting as sitting on a stand on the opening day of deer or turkey season. It doesn’t hold a candle to the thrill that blue water fishermen have when they hook a huge yellowfin or marlin. It’s not even close to playing a big largemouth on a topwater lure.

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 5 MAY 2021

Catching bream on their beds is just plain fun. The key is finding their beds.

PUBLISHED BY: Great Days Outdoors Media, L.L.C.

If you are a passionate bream fisherman read “Finding and Fishing Bluegill Beds’’ by John Phillips in this issue. John interviewed some topnotch bream catchers and got the inside track stuff on how they cash in big time.

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joe Baya

Personally, my favorite lure is a 1/8-ounce white Beetle Spin. On the bait side, big, fat and juicy worms get my nod. Still, nothing beats a rubber spider casted on a 6-weight fly rod.

BUILD AND THE FISH WILL COME For those people who own fishing ponds, spring is a good time to do a little underwater refurbishing or even new construction.

Norman Latona of Southeastern Pond Management, in our “Creating the Best Fish Habitat for Ponds” article explains the ins and outs of how to logically and effectively create productive fish habitat.

Latona pointed out that many pond owners make the mistake of sinking structure (be it logs, trees, rip-rap and even artificial structure) in the deepest areas of the pond. Unfortunately, when the weather turns hot when most of the fishing takes place, the deep cold water doesn’t have enough oxygen to support fish hanging around that structure.

So, place structure in the shallower areas of the pond where the fish are…if you want to catch them.

SPRING/SUMMER FOOD PLOTS

Over on the hunting side, spring is the perfect time to turn your thoughts to food plots for deer, turkey and other wildlife.

Brandon Self, director of operations at the Whitetail Institute in Hope Hull, Alabama outlined the steps that need to be taken to make a spring/early summer food plot a reality. His first order of business is to start as early as possible and have the soil tested to find out what the pH is and whether you should add lime.

He also emphasized that food plots need to have as clean a seed bed as possible and that may entail applying glyphosate to kill broadleaf weeds and grasses that compete with whatever you are planning on planting for wildlife forage.

To get the inside track read Joe Baya’s article on “Importance of Spring/Summer Foot Plots for Deer” in this issue.

6 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Butch Thierry MANAGING EDITOR: William Kendy GENERAL MANAGER: Samatha Hester CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Wendy Johannesmann

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 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.

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 // MAY 2021 7

Family Fun- After a Lost Year- the Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo is Back

Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo 2021- Better than Ever

BY ED MASHBURN

Let’s talk about prizes!

The Flora-Bama Rodeo has some great prizes for winners.

8 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING The COVID pandemic in 2020 caused a lot of misery and some great events had to be cancelled because of the virus outbreak. Perhaps one of the things that was missed most last year was the world-famous Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo. When the Flora-Bama Rodeo for 2020 was lost, it was a shame. Still, the 2021 Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo just might make up for the loss.

On June 11 and June 12 of 2021, Gulf Coast anglers can compete for a wide range of different species and combinations of species from offshore to nearshore to onshore fishing. Let’s be honest- in this fishing rodeo, there’s something for all anglers regardless of age, equipment, and location. No matter what kind of fishing a person prefers, and no matter what the angler’s age, there’s a category in the rodeo for him or her. In addition the contest entry fees are quite reasonable.

Although the Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo doesn’t have the age and long experience of some Gulf Coast fishing rodeos, by all reports, people who take part in the Flora-Bama event, either as active participants or spectators, love the weekend spent fishing or looking at fish on the coast.

Since the Rodeo is held during red snapper season, anglers can go offshore and bring home some massive red snapper to be weighed.

THE FLORA-BAMA FISHING RODEO 2021 EDITION “The tournament caters to all walks of life, just like the Flora-Bama does. We have over 30 categories you can fish for, and there are events for all ages, and we have low entry fees to compete. The style of tournament allows people to fish off the beach, a pier, or a boat, and it gives people of all income backgrounds a chance to win really amazing prizes,” says Jenifer Parnell, marketing and public relations director for the Flora-Bama. “Just like the Flora-Bama, we want all different people to come together and be able to make memories together,” A good thing about the Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo is that it takes place during red snapper season, so anglers can bring in the plentiful and large red snapper for prizes and fame and then have a great red snapper supper afterward.

Another very good thing about the 2021 Flora-Bama Rodeo is that spear anglers who go down in the water after the fish can compete in a special lionfish tournament. Spear anglers can help eliminate these invasive fish from our reefs and also win prizes for their efforts.

There are championships for speckled trout, red snapper and the Flora-Bama rodeo is a Southern Kingfish Association (SKA) sanctioned tournament for king mackerel anglers. One of the most interesting categories for anglers to compete in is the “Trash Can Slam” which allows those anglers, like this writer, who tend to catch “less-desirable” kinds of fish like ladyfish, catfish, and bluefish to gain recognition for our special skills.

Nearshore anglers often find big cobia to bring to weigh-in.

There’s an event for all anglers in the Flora-Bama Rodeo, and this big black drum was a winner.

Of course, there is a wide range of prizes for winning catches in the Flora-Bama Rodeo, and since there are awards for first, second and third place winners in each of the thirty-plus categories of fish, all anglers stand a good chance of bringing something very nice home from the contest.

The captain’s meeting will be virtual this year on Facebook, so interested anglers can watch for the live stream on Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo Facebook page on Thursday, June 10.

HOW MANY FOLKS TAKE PART? With fishing tournaments like many other events, the more who take part, the merrier. It appears the Flora- Bama Fishing Rodeo ought to be a pretty merry time to be on the Gulf Coast.

“Every year we have between 500 and 900 anglers, and the number is usually weather dependent for the variation,” Parnell said. “There are thousands of people who come through Flora-Bama Yacht Club and the Flora-Bama Ole River Grill throughout the weekend to experience our restaurants, waterways, live music, and the sponsor area and weigh station.”

“There is a sponsor area that will have a fish viewing station so kids can see different kinds of fish and be able to touch them,” Parnell said. “Face painting,

One of the best things about the Flora-Bama rodeo is the events held just for the kids.

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Waves lapping. Warm coastal breezes. Pelicans and herons soar overhead. Steam rising off a plate of fresh shrimp. A big fish pulls on your line. When you’re ready, come experience the sights, sounds and scents of the Alabama Gulf Coast.

We’ve missed you.

877-341-2400 10 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Gulf Shores.com

OrangeBeach.com

Family Fun- After a Lost Year- the Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo is Back

The Flora-Bama Rodeo is a sponsored SKA tournament, and some big kings come in for this contest.

games for the kids and adults like corn hole, vendors selling clothes and a variety of products for non-anglers to peruse as well as live music all weekend will be at the rodeo this year.”

IT’S NOT JUST A FISHING PARTY Although catching some big fish and hopefully gaining bragging rights for a year is an important element of the tournament, the Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo is not simply about a lot of folks catching some big fish to show off and brag about. There are real positive results of the weekend’s activities.

“We give a portion of our proceeds to ‘Operation Reconnect’ which brings military members back from deployment to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach to reconnect with their families for a week-long uninterrupted free vacation. The tournament is all about fun, and it’s a low entry fee, but we have some of the best prizes on the Gulf Coast. This is a family-friendly weekend,” Parnell said.

Operation Reconnect allows veterans and their families to enjoy some downtime in a gorgeous place without having to blow the family’s savings to do it. Bringing our military service people back into the civilian world is important, and Operation Reconnect does a great job of welcoming our service people and their families and thanking them for their service.

This year’s rodeo will be held on June 11 and 12, and the fun awards presentation will happen on June 13 at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club. For specific dates and information about the Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo, go to www.florabamafishingrodeo.com.

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 11

choosing the best

Compact Tractor

BY DAVID STRICKLAND

The terms small, compact, and utility are used to describe a smaller framed tractor introduced a few decades ago and has evolved into something similar to a “Swiss Army Knife.” Although once considered a miniature tractor with limited use, it has transformed into a multipurpose machine with an impressive array of attachments. Because of their smaller size, versatility, and ease of use, more businesses, homeowners, and farmers are taking advantage of this agile class of machinery.

The term “Compact or Utility” loosely refers to smaller tractors having less than 40 horsepower at the Power-Take-Off (PTO) and a gross weight not exceeding 4,000 pounds.

After speaking with Rusty Walters at SunSouth Tractor, he informed me that John Deere has around 20 models in the compact category and that some models push the boundaries of that definition.

12 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

“We have so many models in the small tractor category that helping a landowner or small business make the right choice is usually just a matter of asking a few key questions,” Walters said.

Walters has worked in agricultural sales for nearly a decade and has learned what it takes to match the right tractor to his customers’ needs.

He said their 2021 lineup added a few tweaks and upgrades to last year’s models, so I asked him what would be a good model for someone who didn’t have a lot of experience with tractors or just needed a new one.

“For someone looking to purchase their first tractor, I would recommend a John Deere 3025E,” Walters said. “It can fit into tight places, has a small footprint with a three-cylinder diesel engine and a hydrostatic transmission. It’s a smaller mid-sized compact with four-wheel drive and plenty of power for the homeowner or small landowner with 2-5 acres.”

LIFESTYLE

A backhoe adds versatility and options for projects around your homestead

Compact tractors can mow grass or weeds, auger holes, dig trenches, and move piles of dirt, gravel, and mulch.

“They have smaller footprints that enable their use in yards, near homes, shops, and on job sites,” Walters noted. “Their versatility is due in part to the large variety of attachments available for the front, back and under the belly of these tractors.”

USED TRACTORS Walters had some advice for someone working with a smaller budget and hoping to find a better bang for his buck.

“For someone on a tight budget, I would recommend looking at the used tractor market. We usually have a good selection of used models in our inventory. Often owners upgrade to larger models after they

become more familiar with their machines’ operation and abilities. Many still have warranties and can be purchased at considerable savings, and we usually have a good inventory to choose from,” Walters said.

CATEGORIES OF COMPACT TRACTORS The following categories and specifications are generalizations to give you an idea of the many choices available to landowners: 1. Sub-Compact- Suitable for 1-3 acres - 20-25 horsepower- weighing 1,400-1,600 pounds with 1,000 pounds lift capacity.

2. Small-Frame Compact- Appropriate for 2-5 acres- 24-30 horsepower- weighing 1,600-2,200 pounds with up to 1,200 pounds lift capacity.

3. Mid-Size Compact- Adequate for 5-15 acres- 25-40 horsepower- weighing 2,200-2,900 pounds with 1,600-2,200 pounds lift capacity.

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14 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Choosing the Best Compact Tractor

4. Full-Size Compact- Good for 10+ acres- 40-60 horsepower- weighing 3,300-4,400 pounds with 2,100-3,000 pounds lift capacity.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TRACTOR Someone who has never owned or been around tractors might be intimidated or hesitant to consider owning one. Some of the older models had a steeper learning curve than today’s newer hi-tech machines.

With clutches, manual transmissions, and cumbersome hookups, many older models required some serious drive-time before most owners were comfortable operating them. Today’s compact models are much more user-friendly and the variety of attachments available is impressive. They have innovative features that make installing or unhooking implements an easy task.

One method that can assist a buyer in the market for their first tractor is to make a list of the tasks you wish to perform with your new machine.

Be realistic as you determine the type of work you expect to do with your new tool. Here are some of the more common tasks performed with the aid of a tractor with the appropriate attachments: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Grass Mowing Brush clearing Road maintenance Firewood processing Fence building Ditch cleaning Trenching Stump removal Digging and grading Garden preparation and maintenance Food plots Spraying Moving pallets of material

Work on your list to determine the tasks you will be performing most frequently. This list can help you select the right tractor along with the implements to accomplish those jobs. If you decide that you want an enclosed cab with heating & cooling, it will add a little to the price and might require a step up in horsepower, but it will allow you to operate your machine in inclement weather comfortably.

HORSEPOWER Tractor specifications list two different horsepower ratings. Engine horsepower is calculated with no attachments and PTO horsepower is the load capacity minus the power used for hydraulics and transmission. PTO horsepower is the better rating to compare when choosing the size tractor you need because it is the actual number used when operating attachments.

TRANSMISSION OPTIONS Modern compact tractors have two transmission options: manual shift or hydrostatic. The manual option can have three configurations.

1. Manual- The basic design within this category has 3-5 gears with 2-3 ranges and uses a clutch when changing speed or direction.

2. Manual Shuttle- This differs from the standard manual version in that a dedicated lever is used for forward and reverse.

3. Power Shuttle- This option is generally limited to larger models and uses a wet clutch. It allows shifting from forward to reverse without depressing the clutch or stopping.

Hydrostatic- A hydraulic motor powers this transmission and allows for infinite speeds and quick direction changes. There is no clutch and

Compact models with as little as 25 PTO horsepower can use this 8 foot brush cutter

pedals control both direction and speed.

There are good arguments for each type, but it boils down to what attachments you will be using, along with the kind of work to be performed. If you can test drive both manual and hydrostatic or talk to someone who has experience with each, it can help you decide.

TIRE OPTIONS There are three good tire options for compact tractors: 1. R-1 (Ag)- R1 tires provide the best traction in dirt and mud. The trade-off is that the aggressive tread will damage softer soils and grass. Ag tires are usually the most narrow option available.

2. R-4 (Industrial)- R-4 or industrial tires are the most popular option on compact tractors. R-4 tires are puncture resistant and have the longest tread life. They also provide good flotation but provide less traction in mud and on hillsides.

3. Turf- Turf tires provide excellent flotation and usually cause significantly less damage when operating on softer soils or grass. They work best on level surfaces due to their diminished traction.

TIRE BALLAST If you plan to use a loader attachment, you should have additional weight or ballast for stability. A simple option is to have the rear tires filled with beet juice. It’s heavier than water and won’t freeze. It weighs almost 11 pounds per gallon and adds significant weight.

FINAL THOUGHTS If warmer weather has you planning some strenuous tasks around your property and your back is already protesting, then I recommend you make a call to your nearest SunSouth Tractor dealer. See what model they would recommend to make short work of those projects, and take care of your back.

Important Contact Information SunSouth sunsouth.com Rusty Walters (770) 358-3580 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 15

IMPORTANCE OF

SPRING/SUMMER FOOD PLOTS FOR DEER

BY JOE BAYA

16 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

HUNTING When it comes to food plots for whitetail deer, I think that most hunters put their emphasis on fall food plots and, for various reasons, summer food plots are overlooked.

I also believe that if your goal is to grow healthier and bigger deer and other wildlife then spring/summer foot plots need to be an integral part of your resource management program. Spring/summer food plots help provide the protein needed for antler growth for bucks and help does with healthy milk production and benefit turkeys and other species.

To provide some insight on the importance of spring/summer food plots we interviewed Brandon Self, Director of Operations at the Whitetail Institute in Hope Hull, Alabama on a recent GDO Huntin’ Land podcast.

The Whitetail Institute was founded in 1988 and was instrumental in launching the deer-nutrition and food plot movement and industries. It focuses on research, development and testing to provide top performing food plots and deer nutrition products to help hunters and managers improve the quality of deer.

“We’ve been in business for close to 30 years and we’re kind of the flagship of the food plot industry and because we’ve been around so long our food plot knowledge is very extensive,” Self said. “We are the leader in the high-end food plot seeds.”

Self noted that while summer food plots are not as popular as fall plots, people are starting to recognize their value in maintaining healthy whitetail deer. In addition to providing constant nutrition and protein summer food, depending on what you plant, plots can grow thick, tall and even “gnarly”. That cover enables hidden deer travel routes and even bedding areas.

If you get into spring planting of perennial products like clover or the Institute’s Fusion blend, which is clover and chicory mix, in addition to deer, these plots can benefit turkeys and other wildlife and birds.

Can summer planting help build soil?

“A lot of people are just now starting to learn that their rotational planting, especially spring and summer annuals, can help your fall plantings tremendously,” Self said. “You can plant soil builders and we’re in the process of developing a new product that is going to be strictly geared towards those soil building properties.”

Decisions, decisions…Annuals versus Perennials Self said that the main benefit of planting perennials in spring/early summer is their longevity and a constant good protein food source for three to five years. The disadvantage is that you have the summer heat to deal with and you may have weed competition and for those who don’t live close to their hunting land, can be inconvenient.

When it comes to annuals Self pointed out that annuals offer the option and benefits of rotational planting. It also means you can change up your offerings to tickle a whitetails dining fancy.

“You can plant a spring/summer annual and just let it go. Then plant a fall annual. The attraction of fall planted annuals is that they can draw deer a lot better than a perennial because since the perennial is there all the time, the deer will use it when they want it,” Self said. “But if they’ve got something over here that gets really sweet at a certain

time of the year, then it could attract better.”

In terms of cost, Self believes that perennials are more economical over the long run than annuals, especially if the soil is prepped correctly before planting. You will have to fertilize, lime, apply herbicide and mow. With annuals you are going to have to do basically the same things so it is kind of a wash.

Can you combine annuals and perennials in your food plot?

Self explained that you can “overseed” plot to combine both types of seeds. Another option is to dedicate a portion of the plot, maybe corners, for annuals or just planting a different annual plot.

“The deer are still going to use that perennial plot during the deer season until it goes dormant or they eat it to the ground and there is nothing left to graze on,” Self said. “The only way to incorporate annuals into your perennial plot is by overseeding, which is just broadcasting a fall annual that can be top seated at a very low rate.

“If you have an established perennial plot, I suggest planting maybe a corner of it in annuals or even a whole separate field in the fall,” he said.

According to Self, there is more to high producing food plots than just clearing an area and throwing out some seed.

“We always recommend soil testing to find what your pH is and if you find it is a little lacking you have to add lime. If you want to plant something in the spring you need to do your soil test in the previous fall so you can add it and then so you are ready to go,” Self said. “Also, you need to have as good a clean seed bed as you can so spray a glyphosate or something like that. You are looking at least a month or so to get that dirt prepared before you plan any spring planting.”

In terms of an actual spring/summer plot calendar planting schedule Self emphasized that you don’t want any frost after you plant them.

A good rule of thumb is when the farmers start planting their spring crops, you are pretty safe.

If you want to put in a spring/summer food plot but haven’t had the opportunity to do the appropriate site preparation and check the pH and add lime if needed Self said that the Whitetail Institute has a solution to prep the soil in order to get the early food plot in and growing.

“We have a product called Imperial No Plow and it’s really designed for the fall but it is being used in the spring/summer because a lot of customers don’t have a way to get in and prepare the seedbed correctly and they need something that will get them by and Imperial will do that,” Self said. “They may have to replant in the fall but it is an option.”

“You can apply a glyphosate to kill off the existing vegetation, drag the plot to break everything up to expose dirt and broadcast the seed along with some fertilizer and you should be fine,” he added. “As long as you get good seed to soil contact you’re going to have germination.”

How do you go about choosing the right type of mix to match your soil type?

On the perennial side, WI has more options but Self pointed out that, 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 17

Importance of Spring/Summer Food Plots for Deer

as a general rule, clover base products, such as their Fusion seed, which is a clover and chicory mix, likes bottom ground.

“If it is a good soil with a good pH and doesn’t hold much moisture, like a hillside or some land with a little sand in it that drains, Alpha Rack Plus, which is alfalfa chicory and cover does well as does Extreme,” Self said. “We have options for any kind of soil type you can think of.”

“If I were going to pick one perennial mix that would work in all types of soils, it would be the clover and chicory mix Fusion.”

On the annual side, Self said that the Power Plant is the “go to” in the spring/summer mix. It is geared towards a moderately drained soil and doesn’t do well in really wet bottom ground that is going to hold a lot of moisture.

“It has sunflowers, soybeans, forage beans, peas and also sunn hemp and you can spray it with grass herbicide in the early stages to keep competition out,” Self said. “The sunflowers and the sun hemp both grow up really tall and are basically a trellis crop. The beans and peas climb up the stalks and that prevents the deer from overgrazing them.”

Self said that he has seen Power Plant fields where the deer feel so comfortable in the “gnarly, tangled up mess” that they eat themselves out from the center.

Contact Information Whitetail Institute www.whitetail Institute com 800-688-3030

the Power Plant is not planting enough,” Self concluded.

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Choosing the Best Bass Boat for Rough Water

BY GREG MCCAIN

BY DAVID STRICKLAND

The Skeeter ZXR20 hull is tested by sharply turning the steering wheel at full throttle to achieve a 90 degree turn with no loss of stability.

(Photo courtesy of Skeeter Boats)

If all of us fishermen waited for bluebird skies and calm conditions to take our boats out, we would miss out on a lot of fishing. Most serious anglers have a good rain suit stowed away and have learned to endure the sudden change in weather conditions that often accompany a day on the water.

ions. Anyone that competes on the professional bass circuit requires a boat that can perform in the harshest conditions, and even weekend fishermen can benefit from choosing a hull design that will slice through waves, curl the water back down, and keep you and the inside of your boat dry.

Those sudden changes can produce waves that rival their saltwater counterparts in the Gulf of Mexico, and drivers quickly figure out how far they are willing to run after those first few waves. Even rivers and smaller lakes can challenge a boat's hull under the right conditions.

I made a call to Buck's Island Marina, a family-owned business near Southside, Alabama. They have provided anglers, skiers, and recreational boaters with sales and service of new and used boats for more than 70 years. Since 1948 they have witnessed the evolution from the blunt-nosed flat bottom designs typical in the earliest B.A.S.S. tournaments to innovative hull designs borrowed from the boat-racing industry.

I called Angela Britt, the service manager at Buck's Island Marina, to discuss some of the characteristics to look for in a bass boat that allow

If you want a bass boat that can cruise through rough water and allow you to slice through whitecaps to get to those distant sheltered coves, then speak to a few seasoned tournament anglers and get their opin20 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING

it to handle the formidable waves that boaters sometimes encounter.

I asked Angela if she would comment on some of the latest hull designs in bass boats that handled well in rough water. "I'm going to transfer you to Dan O’Sullivan in marketing; he knows a lot about bass boats," was her reply. Just a few sentences into our conversation and I realized that Angela's statement couldn't have been more accurate. Dan O'Sullivan wears many hats, but his passion for bass fishing is at the center of them all. Dan O’Sullivan and several co-workers at Buck's Island are seasoned anglers who have traveled extensively competing on the bass tournament trail. Dan spoke about why a well-designed hull can slice through rough water and the design features that contribute to their stability and ride.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE BASS BOAT Flat-bottomed aluminum boats with tiller-handled outboards and hand-controlled electric motors were the norm before Ray Scott founded the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society in 1967. The following year Forrest Wood began building his “Ranger” boats to compete with the early fiberglass offerings, and nearly all resembled the flat-bottom aluminum designs with tri-hulls and stubby-nosed fronts. Ranger, Skeeter, and Bass Cat were some of the earliest fiberglass brands and the innovations to their design, construction, and layouts are still ongoing in 2021.

In 1975 boat racing champion Earl Bentz joined the R&D team at Hydra-Sports. Bentz contributed design elements that he learned from winning nine National and two World boat racing championships. Bentz later resigned from Hydra-Sports and founded Stratos Boats. He later founded 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 21

Choosing the Best Bass Boat for Rough Water

Bass Cat Cougar- The owners have been designing hulls since 1971. Their hull is vacuum molded with a transferable lifetime warranty.

(Photo courtesy of Bass Cats Boats)

Javelin and then Triton, and in 2018, founded Caymas Boats. Many boat makers have adopted some of the design features introduced by Bentz in his lengthy career.

DEADRISE Dan O’Sullivan discussed the term deadrise and told me about some recent experiments Skeeter Boats carried out on Lake Pontchartrain, in Louisiana.

"In 2019, Skeeter experimented with the deadrise on their FX line of boats. They increased the angle from 15 to 17 degrees and did extensive testing at Pontchartrain. They calculated there was a 32% improvement in the ride with those two additional degrees of deadrise.

The result is the Skeeter FXR/ZXR line of boats," O'Sullivan said.

Deadrise relates to the design of the bottom of a boat's hull. It is a standard measurement that helps determine how smooth and fast the ride will be, especially in choppy conditions. It is traditionally measured near the transom because only the rear 30-50% of a hull has contact with the water once it's on plane. It is the degrees of angle measured across the bottom of a boat's hull. The deeper the “V”, the softer the reentry impact; however, a flatter bottom has more stability and shallower draft. Some early offshore racing boats had over 24 degrees of deadrise and were designed purely for speed. Modern bass boats need a compromise between stability, draft, ride, and speed.

Problems can arise when conditions prevent adequate speed to lift the hull to full plane, and some designers use a "variable deadrise" from the transom to the bow to help address this issue. The amount of deadrise can vary by several degrees from the rear to the front, and it can help when the bow drops down after going over a giant wave.

DRIVING SKILL Dan O’Sullivan explained that a boat driver needs considerable experience before feeling comfortable cutting across the more sizable waves. He mentioned that the trim buttons are a driver's best friend, and learning to adjust the nose for a smoother ride takes a little practice. He added that having advanced bilge pumps, a 4-5 blade prop, and softride seats benefit drivers in rougher conditions, but that driving skills are critical and only come with practice.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BOAT 22 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Buck's Island Marina carries a complete line of boats made by Falcon, Skeeter, and Bass Cat. "There are several of us on staff that compete in numerous bass circuits, and we helped choose these particular brands because we've fished them all and can personally verify the quality, ride, and comfort these boats provide," O'Sullivan pointed out.

"I fish a Falcon F205 and can tell you that they have a rock-solid hull with a three-stringer configuration and four cross beams. It's enclosed with closed-cell foam and has zero twist in the entire structure," O'Sullivan added. "I can run hard over two-foot waves and cruise in the mid-70s in normal chop.” He said that switching to a 4-5 bladed prop and trimming the front down is sometimes necessary when fishing big water in rough conditions.

Often choosing a boat boils down to eye appeal, what you grew up fishing in or what boat your friends fished.

"We endorse every boat we sell and our staff of experienced tournament anglers knows that every model we carry will exceed your expectations for ride, comfort, stability, and safety," O'Sullivan explained.

"We sell Falcon, Skeeter, and Bass Cat boats for the serious fisherman here at Buck’s Island, and sometimes deciding on a particular model is just a matter of personal preference," O’Sullivan said. "Whether it's a Falcon F205 or F215, the Skeeter FXR or ZXR, or a Bass Cat Cougar or Puma, I can assure you that the ride, stability and comfort will impress any fisherman, especially in rough conditions."

If you are looking to trade up or purchase your first boat, and need some more information about your choices and what will be a good fit with your fishing style, make a call and speak to someone at Buck's Island Marina. You can have a boat that won't confine you to fishing only in good weather and will carry you comfortably through water conditions that keep many boaters at home.

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24 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

HUNTING

10 Good Ways to Be a Bad Shed Hunter Finding shed antlers isn’t easy, but we can try to avoid the things that make it harder

BY JOSH HONEYCUTT Those who shed hunt understand just how easy and how hard, it can be to find cast antlers. There are days where it seems there’s a shed under every tree and along every trail. Others, there isn’t an ounce of white gold in sight.

These are the two ends of the spectrum and, if it seems someone is perpetually finding themselves on the ugly end of it, perhaps it’s time to diagnose the problem. Chances are good one or more of these 10 things are hindering success.

1. Choosing the Wrong Time Timing is a crucial component of shed hunting. Move in too early before the deer shed and you won’t find any. Move in too late and run the risk of predators, scavengers, rodents and other shed hunters getting to them first.

“Greenup” can make it more difficult, too. This is a delicate balance.

The best way to move in at the right time is by monitoring the antler drop, and consulting with other hunters. Do this by scouting from afar and using trail cameras, and seeing what family and friends have to say. Forums and Facebook groups are great for gauging the drop, too.

Lastly, don’t forget water sources. These are great locations to find antlers.

Deer are naturally spooky around water sources and that means increased chances of running, jumping, jerking, etc., which means sudden movements capable of losing an antler (or two).

3. Failing to Use Your Eyes You have to train the eye to find shed antlers. It’s like anything else in the fact that it takes practice. You won’t immediately become a great shed hunter.

For starters, think small. Don’t look for a whole antler. Look for the tip of a tine, pearly glisten of a beam and things like that.

Also, change your perspective. Crouch down. Stand up. Get up high on a vantage point. Doing these things can make a difference. Things block your view. Move around to overcome that obstacle.

Once you no longer see deer with antlers, or don’t see many, you can feel confident most of them have dropped.

It’s important to know when conditions are best for your vision. Cloudy days are better than sunny ones. Just after a heavy rain is better than shed hunting in dry conditions. Have your eyes accustomed to the light outside.

On sunny days, wear lightly-tinted sunglasses. On cloudy days, don’t wear them at all.

2. Looking in the Wrong Places It’s important to not only look at the right time but also in the right places.

You can’t find something that isn’t there. You have to shed hunt where the deer spend the late and post seasons. Do that and you’ll be in the thick of it.

Don’t and you’ll have long days ahead as a shed hunter.

4. Glassing Incorrectly Optics are important for shed hunting. They’ll save you a lot of time and energy. Sometimes things can look like a shed at a distance, only to be sticks or brambles. Pulling your binos up and confirming one way or another will sometimes save you from having to walk over and see.

I like to focus first where deer spend the most time — bedding areas. That’s where I find the most shed antlers. Find thick, unpressured areas where deer felt safe during the late season. That’s likely still where they are now, too.

Optics are also necessary for checking food sources for antlers. Walking an entire ag field can be a significant waste of time. Instead, driving around and glassing them in sections can be easier and yield better (quicker) results.

The next best places to look are food sources and trails that connect bedding areas to them. Cover both major and minor trail systems in order to find antlers dropped by bucks of all ages. Younger bucks will generally use major trails more and mature bucks tend to use those smaller, secondary trails, most of the time. Walk the edges of major food sources and glass the interiors of the openings.

When choosing a pair of binos, don’t use some that are really high-powered.

Choose a pair in the low- to mid-power range for optimum performance.

5. Walking Less Than You Should Shed hunting demands time. You must invest it to find sheds. It’s that simple.

More time means more antlers but don’t rush it. Move slow. Stop and look.

Ease along at a slow pace. Move too fast and you’ll miss a lot of bone.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 25

10 Good Ways to Be a Bad Shed Hunter

Ah, a match set.

A top goal.

While time is important, so is distance. The more territory you cover, the higher your odds of finding success. Be smart, though. Don’t search randomly. Look in high-odds areas first. Then check spots that are less likely to have antlers in them.

6. Losing Focus Focus is key. Don’t let your mind wonder. Don’t start looking at the sky, treetops and tweety birds. Keep eyes on the ground. That’s where you’ll find antlers. If you find antlers in the treetops, you might want to pack a sidearm.

There’s a big kitty on the loose.

Staying mentally tough can be hard and it isn’t easy. Doing so will result in more shed antlers for your collection. There are ways to help with this.

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First, listen to some music while out there. I stay focused better that way.

Next, grid out the area so you have a plan and you’re not just aimlessly bumbling around. Set goals. Tell yourself five, 10, 15 (or whatever the number) is your goal for the day. Setting that goal will push you to achieve it.

Know when to quit. You won’t shed hunt everything in a day. Once you get to that point where you need to stop, do so. Then, start fresh another day.

7. Enlisting No Help One of the best things you can do is invite others along. It’s a great way to introduce someone to the outdoors plus it’s another set of eyes. Have your buddy come help you. Then return the favor and help them shed hunting their property(ies).

26 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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10 Good Ways to Be a Bad Shed Hunter

You might even learn something from them. They might use a tip or tactic you haven’t heard of or tried. They might even have some advice you need to hear. I learn tips and pointers from my friends. They learn from me. That’s how it works.

And not to mention that you can cover amounts of ground exponentially faster this way. It’s a win-win for everyone involved. Seriously.

When is the best time? Right after the bulk of bucks have cast their crowns. But you can look for them well into spring.

8. Going Without a Dog Dogs are extremely helpful for finding sheds. The fact that I still don’t own one is my No. 1 shed hunting mistake. (I plan to change that within the next year or so.)

Dogs have an incredible ability to find shed antlers. While it isn’t easy to train a dog to do it, the rewards are certainly worth the time and effort. If you can’t, have someone else train your new pup and enjoy the fruits of their labor instead.

9. Taking It Lightly Your shed hunting mentality should be no different than your hunting mentality. The goal is the same and that is to find the deer. Except in this case it’s, find where the deer was so you can find the antler it left behind.

This is an easy task, really. Just implement your late-season game plan for hunting. Then tweak it a bit to take into account shed hunting rules and concepts. Before you know it, you’ll be finding all sorts of sheds.

10. Forgetting to Make a Plan Shed hunt with a purpose. Go in with a plan. Use maps to grid off your

search area. Mark off where you’ve been. Plot points for sheds you find.

Focus on areas with the highest odds. These are all little things you can do to increase your success. Each will help you get the most out of the shed-hunting experience.

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10 Good Ways to Be a Bad Shed Hunter

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28 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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DIY: Tarpon TRIP

Punta Gorda

A Trip for the Whole Family

BY ED MASHBURN

Englewood Beach is a great place to kick back, watch the waves come in, and relax.

30 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING PUNTA GORDA AREA- NOT FAR, AND VERY NICE It has been a long, difficult COVID 19 isolation year we’ve made it through. For many of us, our homes and immediate work have been the only places we have experienced for several months.

It’s just about time with the vaccines becoming more available for more people for us to start thinking about taking road trips for some exciting fishing and family destinations. And for some first-rate beaches, large protected bay waters, and backwaters along with some wonderful family fun, a place that is worth some consideration is the Punta Gorda area of Charlotte County on west coast Florida.

When we consider the world-class fishing for snook, redfish, and the ultimate inshore big game fish, tarpon, Punta Gorda is a place where anglers and anglers’ families need to visit.

One of the best things about a visit to Punta Gorda and its fishing and fun activities is how close it is to our home waters. From the Mobile, Alabama area, Punta Gorda is a nine-hour, 610 mile trip. Since it is freeway all the way, this trip is very possible for boat towers and RV pullers. The navigation to Punta Gorda from our home territory is just about as easy as a road trip can be. Take the “Mother-Road”, that’s I-10, of course, east to the exit at Lake City, Florida and then head south on I-75. Go around Gainesville, Ocala, Tampa/St. Pete, and the Punta Gorda area is right there.

Depending on each individual’s driving endurance, this trip to fishing paradise can be made in one day, but there are plenty of comfortable motels and lodges for stops along the way if rests are needed.

The Charlotte County/ Punta Gorda area offers great white beaches for swimming and beach walking and some great surf fishing for reds, snook, and tarpon is always possible. There are many miles of gorgeous backwater mangrove and grass flats fishing inshore in Charlotte Bay, and visitors can realistically expect to catch snook and tarpon from the shoreline anywhere in the back bay that can be reached on foot.

Folks, this is a special place.

NOW, ABOUT THIS TARPON FISHING Let’s get one thing straight from the outset; Punta Gorda and the waters of Boca Grande Pass may be the best place in the world to find tarpon and lots of them. Literally thousands of big, hungry and aggressive tarpon crowd the waters of Boca Grande Pass and Charlotte Harbor during the late spring and summer seasons. Magazines and the internet are full of accounts of folks hooking, and sometimes catching, big tarpon here. Visiting anglers can get in on this fantastic action. But visiting anglers can’t just bring their bass gear and expect to catch big Boca Grande tarpon.

“Fishing for tarpon is different. Numbers of locations to catch tarpon in this area is incredible, and hiring a guide greatly shortens the learning curve for visiting anglers,” says veteran Punta Gorda guide Captain Jay Withers. Rigging is crucial for successful tarpon fishing. Withers recommends a a heavy spinning rig like the Shimano Saragosa 8000 reels mounted on Shimano Terramar XX eight-foot extra heavy rods with 50 pound braid and 60 pound fluorocarbon leader as a good set-up for Boca Grande tarpon.

Day in and day out during the main big tarpon season, a big live crab hooked on a 7.0 or 8.0 circle hook is the best bait to tempt the big, hungry Boca Grande tarpon.

For visiting anglers who bring their own boats to fish the Punta Gorda

area, Withers says that there is ready access to the water.

“There are several good boat ramps for anglers who want to get into the action,” Withers said. For easy access to the beaches and Boca Grande Pass, Placida Park is the closest, and the busiest boat ramp. El Jobean Bridge ramps give good access to the main Charlotte Harbor waters in the middle range, and Lashley Park ramps are good for accessing the upper parts of Charlotte Harbor.”

There are some very special considerations for anglers who come to Punta Gorda and Boca Grande especially. On any day during the tarpon season, there will be dozens of boats in the pass fishing for tarpon, and the water can get congested and stressful. To be honest, it can look like a boat parking lot at times.

When asked for his best advice for visiting anglers who want to go tarpon fishing Withers say that it pays to be observant.

“Observe first. If you’re in Boca Grande Pass, see the fishing etiquette and the positioning of boats. If you do it wrong, you will be told about it.

Just go out and watch to see the system. It’s been around for years. And if you are doing it wrong, people will tell you all about it,” Withers said.

FUN THINGS TO DO FOR THOSE WHO DON’T FISH Charlotte County offers a wide range of family-centered activities for folks who don’t want to spend all of their vacation time fishing.

Families can paddle through incredible waterways on kayaks or paddleboards while learning about local plants, wildlife and ecosystems from certified paddleboard instructors who have a passion for watersports.

Paddleboard at Hooked on SUP PaddleSports (941-504-1699) rents paddleboards and kayaks for those who don’t want to bring their own boats.

For those who prefer the sit-down kind of paddling, kayaks are the perfect craft to explore the Charlotte country Blueway Trails. Over 200 miles of paddle trails are maintained in the second-largest marine estuary in Florida. Paddlers can expect to see manatees, dolphins, and much more wildlife along the way. Charlotte County publishes a great Blueway Trail Guide available online (Charlotte County Bluewater Trail Guide). And just a suggestion: have a light-medium spinning rod along with you on your kayak trips. These kayak trails are fantastic baby tarpon waters and the baby tarpon respond eagerly to soft plastics tossed up under the mangroves and docks.

There are over 70 parks, preserves, and recreational areas in Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach for hiking, biking, or birding on both inland paths and waterfront walkways.

For those who like to ride comfortably while exploring, Babcock Ranch Eco Tours (800-500-5583 or info@babcockranchecotours.com) will take visitors on narrated 90 minute swamp buggy eco-tours to spot alligators and other wildlife while learning about the diverse ecosystems of this area of Florida.

And for those who love to see Flipper in the wild, King Fisher Fleet (kingfisherfleet.com or 941-639-0969) offers sunset sailing and dolphin tours which allow families to safely sightsee the Charlotte Harbor area. Fishing guides and other rental boats can be arranged through Kingfisher, also.

PLACES TO STAY There’s a wide range of housing possibilities in the Punta Gorda area ranging from inexpensive chain motels in easy driving distance to beaches and waterways to first-rate condos and houses on the beaches.

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DIY- Tarpon Trip- Punta Gorda

Here’s the star of the show- big tarpon will be there, and they will bite.

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32 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Managing Wild Turkeys Through Teamwork

For campers of all kinds, there are many parks and camping areas.

Several RV parks in the region make camping a pleasure and quite easy. It would be a very good idea to call and make RV reservations as soon as possible because these comfortable RV parks can fill up quickly during the tourist seasons.

And a very important element for those who trailer their own boats to Punta Gorda- many public accessible boat ramps can be found throughout Charlotte county including county parks, public and private marinas.

For specific information about housing and RV parks, go to www.pureflorida.com/where-to-stay/rv-parks/ and a multitude of possible places to stay will be presented.

For specific information about docks and ramps for trailer boats, www. pureflorida.com/boating-watersports-ramps/ will give good specific information and directions to ramps for all sizes of trailer boat.

Contact Information Captain Jay Withers Silver Lining Charters 941-204-5229 captjay@embarqmail.com Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor and Convention Bureau 1700 Tamiami Trail, Suite G-2 Port Charlotte, FL 33948 visit@pureflorida.com 941-743-1900

42 APRIL 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

DIY- Tarpon Trip- Punta Gorda

the money spent on turkey permits, which is part of the licensing requirement to hunt turkeys in Florida, goes into that fund.

“Many hunters and NWTF members are heavily involved in raising funds for the wild turkey and its habitat by participating in NWTF hunting heritage banquets, whereby a portion of those funds raised goes into the cost-share program,” Nicholson said. “Hunters’ purchases of hunting equipment also helps support wildlife conservation through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, which brings federal grant funding to state wildlife management agencies such as the FWC.” Through this combined effort from the NWTF, FWC, FFS and Florida turkey hunters, the wild turkey population is healthy and flourishing in Florida. And, if you’re a turkey hunter, then you must be getting excited because spring turkey season and the youth turkey hunt weekends are just around the corner.

Contact Information Wild Turkey Cost-Share Program Florida State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Folks who prefer Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservationquieter Commission (FWC) paddleboats Florida Forest Service (FFS) can find some Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area (WMA) paddle wonderful Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership trails in the Punta Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program Gorda area.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 33

Creating the Best

Fish Habitat for Ponds

BY WILLIAM KENDY

BY WILLIAM KENDY

This is an angling fact.

Whether it is a lake, a pond, a stream, a river or even an impoundment, good underwater structure means good fishing.

Regardless of what the body of water is, fish need structure and cover not only to hide them from predators but for concealment from the other fish they want to prey on.

Structure provides hiding places for baitfish and areas conducive for the growth of algae, plankton and other food sources. If the pond has any type of current or water flow, cover allows fish to hold out of the faster water, saving effort and energy, while they wait for the water flow to float something worth eating by. The right structure and bottom composition can also enhance spawning.

Specifically, pond fish structure and cover can consist of a combination of rocks, logs, trees, vegetation, concrete, dirt and sand and even long-lasting artificial structures.

Norman Latona is president of Southeastern Pond Management, which offers services that cover the waterfront of pond development and management in the Southeast US. SEPond provides ecosystem analysis, management programs, pond construction, liming, fertilizing, fish inventory assessment, removal processes, stocking of forage and game fish, pond maintenance and development and more.

“I just spoke to a contractor who is building a pond and he told me he had access to cracked up culvert pipes, concrete rubble and all sorts of construction debris like gravel rock, sand, riprap and should he use any of it in his pond and I told him absolutely use everything,” Latona said. “When you are starting with a new pond or even an old pond which has become barren, it is a blank canvas and your imagination is the limit in terms of what you can put down.”

Latona pointed out that because fish are so adaptive, they won’t perish without a lot of structure and they will 34 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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Creating the Best Fish Habitat for Ponds

use whatever is available. That includes any available gravel, sand and small rocks for spawning habitat and as means to hide in order to ambush prey. The prey fish will utilize the small nooks and crannies to protect themselves and have a safe haven from predator fish.

He advises people to utilize what they have on hand. He also said, in the case of new ponds, to dig ditches, artificial canals and channels, benches in steep banks and other bottom modifications that provide its own structure to hold and shelter fish.

“It’s not an exact science in terms of how much and what type of cover you need and we tell folks to utilize whatever resources they have at their disposal. If you have timber left over from a logging operation or even extra dirt, use it,” Latona said. “Instead of having a 10, 12 or even 15 foot vertical bank, you need to get out three or four feet and, and build a bench that you can pile some rocks on or build a brush pile or pile down some timber, something to provide structure.”

Latona said that one of the biggest mistakes pond owners make when it comes to structure is putting too much of it in the deepest regions. He believes that doing that it is most likely a waste because the ponds

36 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Creating the Best Fish Habitat for Ponds

“stratify”. Thermal stratification is basically in the spring and summer, when the majority of fishing takes place, the water temperature drops the deeper you go and the deeper and colder the water is, the less oxygen it has.

“These ponds stratify thermally and chemically and in the real cold deeper water there isn’t sufficient oxygen for fish to live for extended periods of time and they are forced to live in the shallower areas,” Lationa explained. “That break point where it goes from warm to icy cold and plenty of oxygen to none is called the thermocline and it is the deepest and coldest part of the water that still has sufficient oxygen for fish to survive.”

“Depending on the depth of the pond, at some point, at some depth, particularly in the summer, when the sun starts warming everything up, you’re going to have that thermocline and if you’ve got a bunch of structure and the habitat below that depth is not going to be utilized at all,” Latona added. “They’ll chase something that they want to eat down below the thermocline but they aren’t going to set up camp there because they can’t breathe.”

“Focus your structure placement, your habitat placement, in shallow to moderate depths because that’s where the fish are going to be,” Latona added.

What about investing in spawning? Since fish are going to find a place to spawn regardless of the physical characteristics of the pond does it do any good to place pea gravel and/or sand to provide areas for “beds”?

“Yes, it really is and I prefer to use a mix of sand and pea gravel because just sand alone tends to get covered up with silt and sediment and the gravel and sand mix just holds better and it is a fantastic habitat enhancement,” Latona said. “It doesn’t have to be a big area and doing it in a three-to-five-foot water depth is ideal. It is deep enough to keep predators from above at bay but shallow enough so that you get some water warmth and you stay above the thermocline.”

lily pads and create top water fishing. They have got grasses and leafy items that are designed to deploy and sink and to the bottom and stands up.”

There are other companies that offer options that are easy to deploy, get down to where it should be and provide cover, hold and protect fish and are made of material that can last for decades.

“The point is if you’re interested in ratcheting up your habitat game, and you want something that’s going to last and it’s fairly easy to handle, to deploy and get down to where you want it there are a lot of really good options out there,” Latona said. “We get heavily involved in developing a planned design and then going out and installing the stuff and it lasts for a long time.”

Contact Information Norman Latona Southeastern Pond Management CP: (205)288-1371 nlatona@sepond.com www.sepond.com Office: 888-830-7663 Texas Hunter Products Phone: 210.734.5189 Toll Free: 800.969.3337 Email: info@TexasHunterProducts.com www.texashunter.com

“If you spread that gravel and sand, bass but especially the bluegill and shell crackers who will find it 100 times out of 100 and I guarantee that they will spawn there,” Latona said. “They may spawn other places but they will spawn on that gravel and they prefer it especially in cases where the bottom is silky and mucky. They fan their beds out to get something solid and clean.”

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER You may put out logs, brush, Christmas trees, even concrete, but whatever stuff you place or sink in your pond be advised that in a few years not all will be well in paradise. Nature has this habit of reclaiming its own and the substantial structure you put out there a while ago may now be just a fraction of its original size. In and of itself, that that isn’t a bad thing because the decomposition just adds to the health of the pond. The bad thing is that you have to replace it.

It could be time to expand your horizons and add artificial cover to your underwater structure and habitat mix.

“There are a number of viable options that have been created by various companies that are artificial elements, artificial structure that are fairly economical and last forever,” Latona said. “In the last several years these companies have gotten super creative. They make trees, bushes and other things with limbs.”

“Texas Hunter makes all kinds of fish feeders and they are launching some amazing stuff like lily pads that float on the surface to simulate 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 37

ll i g e u l B s d e B

Finding and Fishing

BY JOHN E. PHILLIPS

You can fish for bedding bluegills throughout May and many of the summer months.

Generally the most-popular baits for catching bluegills in May are live crickets and worms. Fly fishermen use rubber spiders and poppers. Bluegill anglers also catch bedding bluegills by fishing hardnose baits like the Keystone Jig Minnow made by Renosky and the small Pradco crankbaits like the Wee Crawfish.

My favorite way to fish for bluegills is with the 1/16-ounce Keystone Jig Minnow in the Dace color, using two to four pound-test line with a light weight on a 4-4 ½ foot spinning rod. I can fish this jig in less than one foot of water or as deep as 10-20 feet of water. Bluegills usually will attack the bait so violently that I don’t have to use a hard hookset. I can cover a lot of water quickly and test different depths of water for bluegills.

Another favorite hard bait I also enjoy fishing is a Rebel Wee Craw crankbait in the chartreuse or brown colors. I’ll use this lure on the same rod, reel and line set-up that I fish with the Keystone Jig. The Rebel Wee Crawfish features a tight wobble and can be reeled slowly or fast – close to the bottom.

Let’s look at other tactics to pinpoint bluegill beds, and remember bluegills bed several times a year – throughout May and the summer.

38 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

HOW TO LOCATE BLUEGILL BEDS I interviewed Billy Blakely, the chief guide at Blue Bank Resort at Tennessee’s Reelfoot Lake, about how to find bluegill beds. Blakely said he’d always been pretty confident that he knew where many bluegill beds were on Reelfoot Lake because he’d fished there since his boyhood.

“Old-time fishermen taught me how to find bluegill beds by going to shallow water and looking for bubbles coming up from the bottom.

Once I found some foam-like bubbles on the surface, generally bluegills would be under them. When bluegills were on the bed, they fanned their beds with their tails, which released the bubbles trapped on the bottom of the lake,” Blakely said. * Use a Depth Finder: Some years ago, Blakely began using a Lowrance high-definition side-scanning depth finder to identify bluegill beds.

“I’d take that side-scanning depth finder to the locations of bluegill beds, look at those beds on the screen of the depth finder and see what resembled honeycomb cereal with numerous indentations in the bottom,” Blakely noted. II learned that the more holes I could

FISHING May is a great month to take family and friends on a bluegill fishing trip, if you pinpoint the beds first to almost guarantee success.

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Finding and Fishing Bluegill Beds

see on that side-scanning depth finder, the bigger the bluegill bed would be, and the more fish it would hold.” * Take a Day and Search with Your Depth Finder for Bluegill Beds: You may be amazed at how many bluegill beds you’ll discover out in deep water - well away from the bank.

An advantage to using the side-scanning depth finder is you can set the range as to how far from the center of the boat you want the side scan to cover.

For instance, you may want to keep your unit on 40 feet, which means you’re seeing a section of the bottom that’s 40 feet out on the right side of the boat and 40 feet out on the left side of the boat. Mark those beds as waypoints on your depth finder. More bluegill beds seem to be out in open water than in the shallow water close to the shore. Bluegills will bed around a stump, a log, a tree limb or on a hump in open water.

The bluegills will be bedding this month, and no matter which tactic you prefer to use, go, and get you some.

* Smell Bluegill Beds: My longtime friend, Gayland Gillikin, fishes the Mobile Delta on Alabama’s Gulf Coast where several major river systems drain and create a maze of waterways. The Delta has stained water, and every place you look, including weed beds, logs, trees fallen in the water and bushes hanging out over the bank, seems to be possible bluegill beds.

“I smell the bluegills out,” Gillikin explained. “When bluegills spawn, they give off an odor that smells like ripe watermelons. Then start drop fishing out from and down the bank until you catch bluegills.” * Use Your GPS hand-held receiver to mark bluegill beds as waypoints: Many anglers believe that bluegills only bed in shallow water from one to four feet deep. However, in many lakes and reservoirs, you may locate bluegills bedding in water 8-20 feet deep or even deeper. Bluegills prefer to bed on hard sandy bottoms and underwater ridges. Not easy to find, deep-water bluegill beds will produce fish because most anglers won’t take the time or go to the trouble to hunt deep water and locate those fish.

Always mark these places as GPS waypoints. * Search Near Boat Ramps and Dams:

Catching fat bluegills like this one on tiny jigs with light line and loose drags can be so much fun and produce fine eating this month and throughout the summer

40 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

1) Boat Ramps – After I’ve thought about boat ramps, I realized that when an angler is putting his engine into reverse to back it off the trailer and later throttles down to push the boat onto the trailer, that prop wash is cleaning the debris off the bottom. So, the bottom at a boat ramp may be one of the hardest and debris-free bottoms in the lake which are two things bluegills prefer.

2) Dams – Bluegills don’t like to feed in strong current but prefer to lay in wait and let the current bring their food to them. At most dams generating hydroelectric power, you can discover bluegills holding in the light, back current that runs back toward the dam

Finding and Fishing Bluegill Beds

Throughout May and the summer months, Billy Blakely, left, earns a living finding and catches big bluegills, pictured here, using his depth finder and small jigs.

and the spillways on the face of the dam.

While scuba diving, I learned the type of dam site habitat and cover that bluegills preferred. I discovered bedding bluegills by locating: some type of offset like a ladder or a break in a straight concrete wall; a place to get up to the top of the lock or to reach the side of the dam; an eddy area of a reverse current; and the top of the underwater concrete making up a spillway.

HOW TO CATCH BEDDING BLUEGILLS Catching a number of bluegills from the same bed is like picking cotton that is by picking the cotton bolls on the outside of the plant first.

When you hook a bluegill, it will run from the shallow water to the deep water. If you start fishing the beds in shallow water first, then each bluegill you catch will run through the bed, spooking the fish off the bed. But instead fish for the bluegills in the deepest section of the water first, and next move closer to the bank and fish the beds in more-shallow water. * Billy Blakely’s Tactics of Light Tackle, Live Crickets, Slider Jig Heads and Rubber Grubs. Blakely uses six pound-test line and a light wire No. 6 bream hook that he bends back and forth several times before baiting his hook, to give him the ability to unstick his hook from a limb or a log.

“I use an inexpensive slip cork that allows my bait to drop to the specific depth where the bluegills are. I also use a No. 3 shot lead

attached to the line, about three to four inches up from the hook.

On an average day, my clients and I’ll catch bluegills as shallow as one to one and a half feet from the bottom to as deep as lsix feet – perhaps 50 to 60 bluegills that will weigh an average of about 1 pound,” Blakely said.

“We consistently catch more big bluegills fishing with crickets instead of worms. However, I’ve also learned from Charlie Brewer, Jr., of the Slider Company, another technique for catching bluegills with 1/16and 1/24-ounce round jig heads with small rubber grubs attached to them,” he added. “We didn’t use any other type of tackle like bobbers, leads or hooks, and we’d swim those little jigs through the bluegill beds, using a tight-line technique, reeling slowly and keeping the jigs just a few inches off the bottom.” * Les Maske’s Seed Shrimp Technique: Many big bluegills live in brackish water along the bays, rivers and channels that feed into the Gulf of Mexico. According to my late friend and avid Gulf Coast bluegill fisherman, Les Maske of Magnolia Springs, Ala., “You have to use seed shrimp – those tiny, little, 1/4-inch shrimp that you see up in the eel grass at the mouths of rivers, coves and sloughs in brackish water. Use fine hair hooks to hook them through the tail or the horn. The weight of the hook usually will carry the bait down to where the big bluegills are. They’re accustomed to eating the small seed shrimp.” * Build Bluegill Beds: Some anglers successfully have built bluegill 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 41

Finding and Fishing Bluegill Beds

beds by sinking rubber tires and filling their insides with pebbles to attract bluegills,particularly close to boat ramps. * Artificial Bream Bugs, Crickets and Poppers for Fly Fishing: A No. six hook will allow you to miss the small bream, while hooking only the big ones, when fly-fishing. The color and the number of legs the bug has are important. Most commercial bream bugs don’t have enough legs to suit the trophy-bluegill fly fishermen. Rubber legs create action on the water and draw bluegills to the bug. Those legs go to shimmering and shaking, and a trophy-size bluegill just has to come off its porch to take a bite.

The visibility of the bait causes a bluegill to bite. Most fly fishermen consider white the best color for catching big bluegills. Although yellow is the next-best choice, black will be the most productive in clear water. Of course, some anglers swear by chartreuse. Spots, stripes and pretty designs on bugs are decorations more to catch fly fishermen then bluegills. * Live Worms: “Bluegills favor worms that wiggle at both ends. So, I hook my worm in the middle, swing it into the bedding bluegills and let it sink to the bottom. The bluegill will suck its bait in rather than bite it,” Gilliken said. * The Method of Hunting and Pecking: A good angler can locate a bed like a quality bird dog finds a covey of quail. The hunt-and-peck tactic often will discover bluegill beds that other techniques won’t.

Small spinners like Zero Mepps, Panther Martins and Beetle Spins can be deadly. Cast them to the bank, and work those lures close to the bottom.

Another example of successful hunt-and-peck bluegilling took place at St. Vincent’s Island that homed big bluegills near Apalachicola,

Florida. My late brother, Archie, years ago, cast his white Beetle Spin with a red dot on its stomach into the middle of the lake. Soon, he started hauling in buster-sized bluegills. He discovered a bed in the middle of the lake that had been totally missed by all the guides and anglers.

Most bluegill anglers fish for bluegills shortly after they put their boats in the water. Anglers who catch the most and the biggest bluegills locate several bluegill beds first and then start fishing.

Important Information about Bluegills

* Beetle Spins - https://www.purefishing.com/products/ beetle-spin-nickel-blade-1285598 * Blue Bank Resort - https://www.bluebankresort.com/ - 877-258-3226 * Keystone Jig Minnow by Renosky - https://www. facebook.com/renokylures/ * Lowrance - https://www.lowrance.com/ * Panther Martin - https://www.panthermartin.com/ * Rebel Wee Crawfish - https://www.lurenet.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=+rebel+wee+craw * Charlie Brewer’s Slider Company Fishing - https:// www.sliderfishing.com/ * Zero Mepps - https://www.mepps.com/information/ ultra-lite-kit-00-and-0-lure-assortment/217#KUL

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Bottom Fishing Basics for

Grouper & Snapper

BY WILLIAM KENDY A good snapper out of Pensacola

Bottom fishing for grouper and snapper is exactly what it sounds like. You lower a weighted and baited hook down through the water column to the bottom, or close to it, and then wait for one of these deep-water bruisers to snatch it.

Right?

Aah, not really.

If you want to consistently catch grouper and snappers, there is much more to the game.

It is a given that most saltwater fish are attracted to structure for both shelter, protection and in hope of finding food and that is especially true with red snapper and grouper. Wrecks, 44 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

natural and artificial reefs, oil rigs, jagged or coral and rock bottoms will draw and hold fish.

To get a better handle on how to effectively bottom fish I interviewed long time fishing guide and Captain Delynn Sigler who has made a career out of helping anglers connect with red snapper and grouper.

“I generally catch snapper and grouper in different places although they do overlap. If I’m going to target red snapper, I am going to stay in water that is between 90 and 240 feet deep and I’m going to look for big snappers on wrecks, rocks and natural bottoms,’ Sigler said. “If I’m going to target gag grouper I’m going to start at about 120 feet deep and work my way out to 350. If I’m targeting scamps I’m going to look

FISHING for them in the 190 to about 360 feet to 400 feet deep. For red groupers it is around the 260-foot level.”

When it comes to tackle Sigler says mid-range sized reels in the 20 to 25 size Penn or Shimano reels work just fine and are the right size to handle just about anything you hook up with.

“They are all good mid-range reels and they aren’t super small or super big and you can catch a little bit of everything on them, including snapper, grouper and amberjack,” Sigler noted. “These fish aren’t going to run. They are just going to circle the bottom and that is as far as they are going so line huge capacity isn’t an issue.”

Regarding line Sigler said that either monofilament or braid is fine and it really depends on an angler’s preference. He uses monofilament in shallower water but in deeper water he uses braid because he can feel the bite better.

Sigler spools his reels with 60-to-100-pound braid (Power Pro) and he uses a 30–50-foot monofilament (Ande) “top shot” because it doesn’t twist up or knot as much as braid does, is less visible and more abrasion resistant. He top shots on all of his outfits.

“Another reason that I top shot is that when I’m in deep water with a lot of current, braid will cut through the water a lot better when you are fishing more vertical and straight up and down and you can see and feel the bite a lot better with braid,” Sigler said. “With braid I can get a fish off of the bottom way easier than with monofilament the mono stretches.”

Sigler changes up the game a bit and uses 6 to 6 ½ foot medium action rods in the 60-to-80-pound line class.

“Because I’m using braid with no stretch, I want my rod to be fairly limber and I love solid fiberglass rods for this kind of fishing. You are fishing straight up and down and not casting. They are a little bit heavy but that keeps you from pulling more hooks,” Sigler said.

Sigler’s “go to” snapper and grouper setup is a Carolina rig with a 12-to-20-ounce slip (barrel) sinker and a five-to-sixfoot leader tipped with either a 2x or 3x Mustad Perfect circle hook. If he needs additional hook strength, he will jump to a 6/0 or larger size.

For leaders, Sigler simply uses the same pound test as the fishing line he spools. If he uses 80-pound braid line, he has an 80-pound top shot and an 80-pound leader. He did point out that if the fish are being picky and finicky you can go down in leader strength.

On the bait side, Sigler believes that the best bait for grouper and snapper is the cigar minnow.

“I use more cigar minnows more than anything else. Every morning before we head out, if we have five people fishing, we will have five Sabiki rigs in 10-50 feet of water and we catch between 50 and 150 cigar minnow,” Sigler said. “I use a two-ounce sinker and generally when they are feeding the cigar minnows will be on the bottom every time you jig that rig up that sinker has to smack the bottom and that seems to

trigger the minnow bite.”

Sigler is a huge advocate of “lively and frisky” bait. He hooks the minnow through the lips, the nose or somewhere in the face so that if you are fishing in 200 or 300 feet deep the minnow is lively and not circling or swimming around backwards as it would do if it is hooked in the tail.

“If you are fishing around structure and ledges and you have a five-foot leader a frisky minnow has plenty of line to get to that cover and the movement may be just enough to trigger a bite even though a fish may not really be hungry,” Sigler said WHERE TO FISH Sigler says that aside from the depth factor there isn’t any significant difference between locations to target for snapper or grouper He is going out to around 90 to 100, 150 feet of water and fish private wrecks and less popular rigs and structure.

“I start out fishing in around 90 to 150 feet of water fishing private wrecks and rigs,” Sigler said. “I seldom fish public wrecks because there is just too much pressure on the fish.

It also is harder to catch big fish and you have to fish a lot closer with lighter line.”

“I go out 20 or 30 miles and fish private wrecks and places that don’t get fished everyday so instead of dropping 50- or 60-pound test line I can get away with using heavier 100-pound test and I don’t have to pull right up to the rig because these fish haven’t seen a cigar minnow for two or three weeks and they aren’t so skittish.”

Sigler says that he is a fairly impatient fisherman and his game plan is to “hop” from wreck to wreck and he doesn’t stay don’t stay in any location very long.

“I’m an impatient fisherman and I give a location just a few minutes and make only a few drops and if we don’t get a bite, we go somewhere else,” Sigler said. “I’ve found that typically in offshore fishing like this you will get a bite in the first 10 seconds or so and a lot of the time your biggest and most aggressive will bite first.”

“Let’s say that you are fishing a private and it is only five by ten feet square and the water is clear on the bottom. You run your bait down and they see it and know it is coming but I don’t get any bites. I can stay there and maybe pick up five or 10 fish or I run from spot to spot and on my fifth spot put 25 fish in the boat so I think it is worth it to keep moving.”

In terms of technique Sigler doesn’t believe that the bait has to be in constant contact with the bottom. When the fish are biting, he tells his clients that when their bait hits the bottom don’t wait for the bite and just start reeling back up.

“When the bait hits the bottom come up four or five turns and that way, since you are using circle hooks that work best when the fish grabs it and swims away from you. The snapper or grouper sees that bait up there, they swim up and grab it and then immediately swim right back to the bottom and that is your best opportunity to hook them,” he said.

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Bottom Fishing Basics for Grouper and Snapper

Delynn Sigler with a 57 and 48 pound gag grouper

46 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

HOG RUSH

Bottom Fishing Basics for Grouper and Snapper

“THERE WILL BE BLOOD”

BY MARBALET

Recipe and Image courtesy of allrecipes.com

Cajun Red Snapper Prep: 5 mins • Cook: 15 mins • Total: 20 mins

Ingredients • 1 teaspoon paprika • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 0 • ½ teaspoon onion powder • 1 teaspoon dried thyme • 1 teaspoon dried basil • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano • 2 teaspoons butter • 1 teaspoon olive oil • 6 (6 ounce) fillets red snapper • Salt to taste

THERMAL NIGHT

HUNTS

IN ALABAMA

Instructions 1.

On a large piece of wax paper, mix together paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder, thyme, basil, garlic powder, and oregano.

2. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter or margarine with oil. Brush both sides of the snapper filets with the butter mixture, reserve the remaining butter mixture. Coat both sides of the filets with the seasoning-mixture.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles on it. Drizzle half of the remaining butter-oil mixture on one side of fish fillets. Place fillets butter side down in the pan.

Cook over a high heat until the fish is deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Drizzle remaining butter-mixture over the fish and flip the fish over.

Cook until fish is browned and flakes when tested with a fork, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt.

334-430-8111

www.HOGRUSH.com 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 47

Regardless of the caliber or cartridge, you still need one that will mushroom out and deliver the payload effectively.

(Honeycutt Creative photo)

48 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

HUNTING

Breaking Down the 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.8 Western

BY JOSH HONEYCUTT

Released in 2003, 2007, and 2021, these three popular sporting rifle calibers are some of the latest newcomers to the firearms family.

Long have certain calibers of old ruled the roost. While many of these are still popular, they’ve had their day as kings and there is a new crop of calibers taking the hunting and shooting sports worlds by storm, including the 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.8 Western. Each of these options have their advantages and disadvantages, of course.

Here’s the rundown on each.

6.5 GRENDEL Created in 2003, the 6.5 Grendel is the lightweight of the bunch. It’s a fast-shooting, AR-platform type caliber.

“I think the best thing the Grendel has done is sell rifles,” said Sonny Vincent, president of Bay County Armory in Panama City, Florida, which is a firearms dealership and also builds custom ARs in both the 10 and 15 platforms. “You can only sell so many .30-06 rifles. So, at some point, you have to create a buzz and sell more rifles.”

Ben Frank, senior product manager for Winchester Ammunition, says the Grendel is usually the cheapest, certainly the smallest, and definitely the least powerful ammunition of the three on this list. This caliber is quite a bit different than the Creedmoor and Western.

With a 120-grain bullet, the 6.8 Grendel has 1,467 foot pounds of energy (ftlbs) of energy at 100 yards, 1,183 ft-lbs. at 200 yards, 943 ft-lbs. at 300 yards, 747 ft-lbs. at 400 yards, and 588 ft-lbs. at 500 yards.

“I don’t think the Grendel has much of a place in the bolt-action world. I think it’s primarily a semi-auto caliber,” Vincent said. “Today, that equates to an AR. It’s a good attempt at making a fast, flat round out of an AR-15, versus having to move up to the larger-framed AR-10.”

Regarding trajectory, by using the same bullet weight and setting it 1.2 inches high at 50 yards, it will be 2.4 inches high at 100 yards, zeroed at 200 yards, 10.1 inches low at 300 yards, 30.5 inches low at 400 yards, and 63.1 inches low at 500 yards.

That’s a lot of drop, which is a tradeoff. But the recoil is much lower and it’s certainly enough to kill a deer, hog or similar-sized game.

“These are good enough to kill whitetails, for sure,” Frank said. “Its heavier weights than say a .223, and maybe even more capable than 300 Blackout.

But you are limited in long-range capabilities. You don’t have that sleek, long, high ballistic coefficient bullet. You’re not carrying as much energy when you get out there farther. You might be able to hit them, but maybe not with as much lethality.”

While it has some advantages, there are also some downsides beyond the long-range trajectory. Vincent said it suffers from a lack of variety in projectiles. Still, if a fast, flat round is the goal, this will do just fine. That said, there’s another option Vincent really likes that isn’t as popular.

“When people think fast and flat, and widely available AR cartridges, Grendel is really first to mind, but I think the 6.8 SPC should also be part of that conversation,” Vincent said. “I’m personally partial to the 6.8 SPC, having a larger variety of available factory load projectiles. And there are other cartridges out there that I think are worthy of discussion — one is the 7mm Valkyrie.”

6.5 CREEDMOOR In 2007, four years after the birth of the 6.5 Grendel, the world fell in love with the 6.5 Creedmoor, thanks much in part to a flurry of press and a staunch marketing campaign. Still, despite the hype, it checks boxes.

“Ballistically, I think it falls neatly into that gap that a lot of other rounds have narrowly missed from a performance standpoint,” Vincent said. “It doesn’t become the primary round for competition shooters for no reason.”

With a 142-grain bullet, Winchester Ammunition positions the 6.5 Creedmoor at 2,061 ft-lbs. of energy at 100 yards, 1,844 ft-lbs. at 200 yards, 1,645 ft-lbs. at 300 yards, 1,463 ft-lbs. at 400 yards, 1,297 ft-lbs. at 500 yards, and 685 ft-lbs. at 1,000 yards.

Those numbers are good for whitetails and mule deer but it can get a little dicey on bigger big game. According to most experts, you really want at least 1,000 foot pounds of energy for whitetails and at least 1,500 foot pounds for elk.

“Much bigger than that and I start to worry about the energy and retained bullet weight,” Frank said. “You can certainly use different bullets to try to help with that, such as solid copper bullets.

“It’s not so much a negative of the cartridge or caliber but that people use it for unintended purposes, at least in terms of its original case use,” Frank continued. “It was developed around long-range shooting, and that turned into people trying to use it for bigger and bigger game. I think some hunters try to make it one of those cover-all types of cartridges and people can get overconfident with it.”

Looking at trajectory, by using the same bullet weight and setting it 1.9 inches high at 100 yards, the gun will be zeroed at 200 yards, 7.9 inches low at 300 yards, 22.4 inches low at 400 yards, 44.4 inches low at 500 yards, and 306 inches low at 1,000 yards.

“The 6.5 shoots relatively flat, but it’s all in what you’re comparing it to,” Frank 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 49

Breaking Down the 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.8 Western

said. “Typically, these are usually really high ballistic coefficients. But then again, we make some bullets within 6.5 that aren’t super high ballistic coefficients. Your trajectory is really dependent upon muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient. If you want the flattest, and the most energy out to 500-plus yards, you want something with the highest ballistic coefficients you can find, which is usually in the 140- to 142-grain bullet.”

All specs considered, the Creedmoor is very accurate, has very little recoil, is easy and is really fun to shoot. Plus, ammo is affordable. And getting bullets to the right spot is where it excels.

“It has replaced some units in the military for anti-personnel sniper operations as the primary cartridge,” Vincent said. “It’s replacing the .308, which has metric tons of data written about it and there’s a reason that it did that. It is the more accurate long-range round. I think it’s due to bullet weight and shape, as well as the shoulder angle of the cartridge. It’s wiggled its way into that sweet spot in long range.”

6.8 WESTERN Released in 2021, the 6.8 Western is the newest caliber in this roundup. It’s the heavyweight of the three, but it’s no fatty. This thing has a body made for performance.

The 6.8 Western is basically a short magnum. It is designed after sound principles, which makes it extremely accurate. It shoots straight.

“There are various 6.5s, and when we launched the 6.8 Western, there was a thought of well, should we call it a .270 or 6.8?” Frank said. “We knew immediately that people would be comparing it to the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC. For the average joe who doesn’t know a ton of information about all of the cartridges, the 6.8 is bigger than the 6.5.”

According to Winchester, with a 165-grain bullet, the 6.8 Western has 2,902 ft-lbs. of energy at 100 yards, 2,605 ft-lbs. at 200 yards, 2,333 ft-lbs. at 300 yards, 2,084 ft-lbs. at 400 yards, 1,856 ft-lbs. at 500 yards, and 996 ft-lbs. at 1,000 yards.

“The 6.8 allows you to use heavier bullets, like 165-175 grains,” Frank said.

“This is more lethal and gets more penetration and retained weight than any of the 6.5 Creedmoor bullets. At 500 yards, you’ll have almost 60% more energy in a 6.8 Western than 6.5 Creedmoor. Not only is the bullet a lot heavier, it’s providing a lot more energy. You’re able to push it at velocities that have much more energy at 500-plus yards.”

Looking at trajectory, by using the same bullet weight and setting it 1.5 inches high at 100 yards, the gun will be zeroed at 200 yards, 6.3 inches low at 300 yards, 18.1 inches low at 400 yards, 36 inches low at 500 yards, and 247.8 inches low at 1,000 yards.

“It has more recoil, but it’s very manageable,” Frank said. “It also costs a little more. It’s higher performance, but comes at a cost premium compared to 6.5.

“It’s truly a cartridge that can take you from whitetails up to elk, whereas that’s a bit of a stretch for the 6.5. These are all great cartridges, but don’t try to overuse them, because they all have limitations.”

Contact Information Bay County Armory Sonny Vincent (www.baycountyarmory.com) Winchester www.winchester.com

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OUR LOCATION 1159 South Broad St. MOBILE, AL 36603 1-800-239-2191

50 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

251-433-3696

Breaking Down the 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.8 Western

SHORTAGE CONCERNS

Those who haven’t gone into full hermit mode will likely know that there is an ammo shortage. And so, we asked Ben Frank, senior product manager for Winchester Ammunition about that.

“It’s just unprecedented demand, and so many people out there,” Frank said. “As soon as it hits the shelf, it’s gone. We have new shooters that are coming in and buying guns for the first time.

Even just the new people have taken up a fair amount of the supply. With all of the stacking of events, it drove demand way up. We’re making as much ammo as we ever have and then some.”

Of course, ammunition manufacturers are building as much as they can as fast as they can, but the demand is exceeding supply chains.

“Everyone is doing the best they can to catch up, but it’s probably going to take a while. The shelves are empty. When this happens, it takes a while for the pipeline to fill back up and that’s assuming that this pent-up demand slows down.”

The new 6.8 Western is a stout round, and outperforms the 6.5 Creedmoor in numerous categories.

(Photo courtesy of Winchester)

CUSTOM MADE

“I view my company and the products I build more as sporting rifles than tactical rifles,” Vincent said. “Tactical has been done and everyone produces one. I try to focus on the hunting and sporting market.”

Bay County Armory offers four different tiers of rifles. When deciding what’s right for you, ask yourself three questions. What’s the anticipated use of the rifle? How much will it be used? And how much customization am I looking for? A custom-built AR platform isn’t for everyone. But for those seeking a carefully crafted modern sporting rifle, it just might be a new favorite.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 51

Breaking Down the 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6.8 Western

The 6.5 Creedmoor is a popular caliber but is it overhyped?

(Photo courtesy of Winchester)

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52 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

ENDORSED BY:

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334-233-2687 ALFandSupply@gmail.com www.alfandsupply.com

Remember!

GAME CHECK IS MANDATORY FOR EVERY DEER & TURKEY HUNTER

All hunters are required to report their deer & turkey harvest using Game Check.

Doing so helps the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources effectively manage wildlife for future generations.

Game Check your harvest in seconds at OutdoorAlabama.com/GameCheck or by using the official ADCNR mobile app Outdoor AL

App Update!

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Use the WMA Check-in feature on the Outdoor AL app prior to or upon arrival, and Check-out when departing the WMA. Hunters who do not use the digital WMA Check-in on the Outdoor AL app must have a signed paper copy of the WMA Map permit in their possession and necessary paper Daily Permits.

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 53

Land Loan Interest Rate Update

BY WILLIAM KENDY

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

AAC has terms up to 30 years with rates between 4.0% to 5.5% depending on the fixed rate period.

Contact: www.AlabamaAgCredit.com 800-579-5471 54 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 55

BY HANK SHAW Photos by Holly A. Heyser

Wiener Schnitzel Prep: 20 mins • Cook: 10 mins • Total: 30 mins Ingredients

• • • • • •

4 to 8 veal or pork cutlets, or skinless chicken or pheasant breasts Salt 1 cup flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup breadcrumbs Enough lard, butter or duck fat to come 1/2 inch up the sides of your frying pan

Instructions 1. Set out a work surface and lay a pheasant breast on a piece of plastic wrap. Lay another piece of plastic wrap over the breast and pat it down to seal. Pound the meat out into a very flat cutlet, about 1/4 inch thick. Take your time, hitting the meat with about the same force as knocking on a door. Work from the center of the meat outward.

If you are using pheasant or chicken, you will need to pound the thick end of the breast more than the thin end; pork or veal medallions should be evenly cut. Do one breast at a time. When you are finished with one, remove the top layer of plastic wrap and set it aside. As you finish more, stack them. (Removing the one layer of plastic wrap will make them easier to get off the plastic later.)

2. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a baking sheet lined with paper towels in the oven; this is for the schnitzels as they come out of the frying pan. Set up a breading station. Put the flour in a large tray, plate or shallow bowl. Do the same for the eggs, and the breadcrumbs. Put the lard or butter in the frying pan and turn the heat to medium-high.

You want to fry at a temperature of about 325°F to 350°F. 3. When the fat is ready, dredge a cutlet in flour and shake off the excess. Dredge it in egg, then the breadcrumbs. Do not press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Immediately put the breaded cutlet into the hot fat. Shake the pan a little to make sure the schnitzel does not stick to the bottom. The cutlet should float in the hot fat.

Repeat quickly with as many cutlets as will fit in your pan.

4. Fry the schnitzels until they are golden brown, about 4 minutes. As the first side is cooking, spoon some hot fat over the other side. This will speed up the cooking process. Flip only once.

When the schnitzels are done, put them in the oven on the baking sheet and repeat until you’re done.

56 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

CAMPHOUSE KITCHEN

Scallion Pancakes Making these pancakes requires a little bit of skill, but I will walk you through step by step below. Any sort of green onion will work, from regular green onions to chives, garlic chives, ramps or any wild onion. I use tri-cornered leeks here. It also helps to have a tortilla press to quickly flatten the pancakes, but you can certainly use a normal rolling pin. These are best served warm, but are almost as good at room temperature.

2. Take the dough out and cut it into four pieces. Put three of them

3.

4.

Prep: 30 mins • Cook: 20 mins • Rest: 30 mins • Total: 50 mins Ingredients

• • • • • •

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup hot water 2 cups minced green onions, ramps, etc 1 tablespoon salt Sesame oil for brushing, about 2 to 3 tablespoons Peanut or other vegetable oil for frying

5.

6.

Instructions

1. Put the flour in a large bowl and mix in the salt. Make a well

in the center. Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat.

When the water stops bubbling, pour it into the well in the flour.

Stir together with a fork until you get a shaggy mass. Wipe the goopy flour off the fork and knead the mass into an elastic dough, which should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Put the dough into a plastic bag or wrap it in plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

7.

back into the plastic bag. For a work surface, I use a baking sheet flipped over that I’ve lightly oiled with vegetable oil. Roll out the piece of dough into a roughly rectangular shape; it doesn’t need to be precise.

Paint the dough with the sesame oil, then sprinkle with about a half teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle minced scallions over the dough generously, leaving about 1/2-inch free space on all sides of the dough.

Roll the dough into a tight log starting from the longer side of the rectangle. Slice the log in half and pinch close the ends of the log to keep the scallions from spilling out. Take one half of the log and roll it tightly into a snail. Flatten the snail with the palm of your hand.

Cut up a Ziploc bag or some such into large plastic squares that will cover your tortilla press. Place the flattened snail on one piece of plastic, cover it with another. Squash the dough with the tortilla press, or roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 quarter of an inch.

Now you need to fry the pancakes in a little hot oil. I fry and press as I go, keeping the finished pancakes in a tortilla warmer lined with paper towels. You could also put them on a baking sheet in an oven set to 200°F. But if you are a beginner, roll out all your pancakes first.

I fry the pancakes in a large sauté pan with about a tablespoon of vegetable oil. I prefer peanut oil because it’s used a lot in Chinese cooking. Lard is another good choice. Get the oil hot before you drop the pancake in and cook for about 2 minutes per side, just until you get a little browning on them. Serve by themselves, with soy sauce or with a sweet-spicy dipping sauce.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 57

Father’s Day Gifts

BY WILLIAM KENDY

Fitzgerald All-Purpose Series Casting Rods

These workhorse rods are designed, built and tested to provide quality and performance.

Based on the Fitzgerald Fishing proprietary high modulus blank that is engineered for sensitivity and durability, they feature high quality cork grips for comfort, a carbon fiber reinforced reel seat and American Tackle Guides with saltwater gauge stainless steel frames.

Available in medium, medium heavy, heavy and x-tra heavy actions.

Suggested Retail Price: $189.99 www.fitzgeraldrods.com

Henry Single Shot Turkey Camo Shotgun

Henry Repeating Arms’ single shot turkey break-action 12-gauge shotgun features fully-adjustable fiber optic sights, a drilled and tapped barrel for optics mounting and a removable turkey choke. Clothed in Mossy Oak Obsession camouflage from buttpad to muzzle, the barrel is topped with adjustable fiber optic sights and is also drilled and tapped for a Weaver 82 base. It weighs 6.8 pounds and can shoot 3 ½ inch shells.

Suggested Retail Price: $687.00 www.henryusa.com

GREAT GIFT IDEA Quite possibly the only fish and seafood cookbook you’ll ever need, from the author of the James Beard Award–winning website Hunter Angler Gardener Cook.

Hunting For That Perfect Gift?

BLACK BELT BOUNTY

Celebrating the heritage and traditions of hunting and fishing in Alabama’s famed Black Belt region

Hook, Line, and Supper zeroes in on broad categories of fish, both freshwater and saltwater, that can substitute for each other, and provides clear techniques and carefully developed master recipes that will help you become a more competent and complete fish and seafood cook.

The most comprehensive guide to preparing and cooking fish and seafood, Hook, Line, and Supper will become an indispensable resource for anglers bringing home their catch and home cooks looking for new ways to cook whatever fish or seafood strikes their fancy at the market.

Hook, Line, and Supper

by Hank Shaw

This deluxe hardcover coffee table book is filled with striking images from some of todays most gifted wildlife photographers and artists and their visual offerings are perfectly counterbalanced by words from an impressive bevy of outdoor writers and recipes from some of Alabama’s award-winning celebrity chefs.

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58 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

• • • • •

The Tradition—the rites of passage; first hunters and gatherers; folklore The Land and Water—the landscape; lakes and rivers; conservation practices The Hunt—field trial history; renowned dog trainers; game and bird hunting The Cast—well known bass, crappie and catfish lakes and rivers The Table—sustainable living; wild game, sides and dessert recipes

ORDER YOUR COPY OR FIND A RETAIL LOCATION NEAR YOU Alabamablackbeltadventures.org/blackbeltbountybook

FATHER’S DAY GIFTS FOR OUTDOORSMEN

Ombraz “Sidearmless” Sunglasses

By eliminating sidearms, Ombraz sunglasses are virtually indestructible and since they have no sidearms, relieve tenderness and pressure points where traditional sunglass sidearms meet the side of the head and eliminate any discomfort. They feature high-quality Zeiss optics, are smudge and scratch-resistant and incorporate an in-molded adjustment system and re-optimized nose pads for comfort and reduced fogging. Available in varying sizes and lens colors.

Suggested Retail Price: $140.00 www.ombraz.com

Morakniv Stainless Steel Floating Knife

Weighing in at under two ounces, the Floating Knife from Morakniv has a 3.8-inch razor sharp blade made from 12C27 Sandvik stainless steel with a Scandi grind, which makes it easy to maintain. The comfortable and secure barrel-formed ergonomic handle features a highly visible lime green polymer core surrounded by cork ensuring floatability and the lime color makes it easy to spot in the water.

Suggested Retail Price: $29.99 www.industrialrevolution.com

Under Armor Shorebreak 2-in-1 Amphib Shorts

The super-light UA Shorebreak 2-1 Amphib shorts blend water repelling storm technology with breathability. It features lightweight stretch-woven fabric with a 4-way stretch construction that offers a UPF 40 rating that protects your skin from harmful sun. The UA Iso-Chill waistband feels cool to the touch. External hydrophobic drawcord and open hand pockets and hidden secure zip back pocket completes the package.

Suggested Retail Price: $45.00 www.underarmour.com

https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/ WITH SPOT, NEVER WORRY ABOUT LOVED ONES’ SAFETY OUT IN THE WILDERNESS AGAIN. USING GPS SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY, SPOT TRACKS YOUR ASSETS, SENDS/RECEIVES MESSAGES, SENDS YOUR GPS POSITION/ STATUS, MARKS WAYPOINTS, TRACKS YOUR PROGRESS AND NOTIFIES SEARCH AND RESCUE OFFICIALS IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY.

SPOT X – 2-way satellite messenger. When you’re off the grid or beyond reliable cellular coverage, SPOT X connects to your smart phone via Bluetooth wireless technology. Exchange messages/emails, send S.O.S., track your journey, check-in and access a compass.

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PERFECT GIFT! ORDER YOURS TODAY!

Slam 8 Fish Cleaning Canopy by KillerDock Finally a fish cleaning station that both functional AND beautiful.

It’s built in the USA from marine grade aluminum and then ceramic coated to make cleaning up easier and to protect it from the environment. Every model has built-in hose stations and King Starboard cutting surface. You choose from multiple table draining options, mounting base types, and other add-ons like sinks and lights. Both canopy and non-canopy models available, in different widths.

Slam 8 price starting at $3,995.

www.killerdock.com 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 59

Prescribed Fire Benefits Habitat, Wildlife

If you were in the Birmingham area earlier this spring, you might have noticed a significant plume of smoke rising south of Alabama’s largest city.

The good news is this wasn’t a wildfire. It was a prescribed fire at Oak Mountain State Park, a 9,940-acre jewel in the Alabama State Parks System.

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

In fact, if you were traveling anywhere in Alabama this spring, you likely saw plumes of smoke as the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Divisions of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF), State Lands and State Parks conducted controlled burns to improve the native habitat and benefit our wonderful diversity of wildlife. Landowners and land managers also took advantage of the right conditions to apply controlled fire.

The benefits to both the habitat and wildlife are realized when controlled burns are conducted in a safe, effective manner.

Before igniting a fire, landowners and land managers must give a great deal

60 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

of consideration to neighbors, adjacent roadways, and safety aspects, (like fire breaks) before trying to conduct a controlled burn. Before conducting a controlled burn, they must also consider humidity. If the humidity falls below 30 percent, burning can become more risky. Other parameters also determine how to safely and effectively conduct a controlled burn. One crucial factor is to obtain the proper training.

Federal law states that for a prescribed burn to have liability protection it must be supervised by a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager. A training program conducted by the Alabama Forestry Commission has been established to meet the requirements of the National Prescribed Burning Act. The Burn Manager Certification Course, covering 32 hours, includes discussion of fire behavior, burning methods, safety, planning, smoke screening and Alabama fire laws.

Visit https://forestry.alabama.gov/Pages/ Fire/BurnManager.aspx for a list of classes for certification and re-certification that begin in June. If you go ahead and get the Burn Manager Certification this summer, you’ll be

FROM THE COMMISSIONER ready for the ideal burning conditions next winter and spring, and the certification is good for five years.

Control Association and Safari Club International, WFF administers the program in two forms – youth and adult.

At the ADCNR, we conduct two types of prescribed burns, dormant season and growing season. The most common are dormant-season burns conducted during the winter and early spring not only to benefit the wildlife but also to reduce the fuel load to lower the chance of wildfires.

The Basic Youth Workshop is recommended for ages 7 and up. Youth ages 7-15 must be accompanied by an adult (limited to two youth/ adult). Those 16 and older are not required to have an adult present but it is recommended. Class size is limited to 25 students.

Growing-season burns are designed to control the growth of woody plants. They allow more sunlight to reach the ground to promote the growth of early successional plants that benefit a variety of wildlife species, including bobwhite quail, wild turkeys and white-tailed deer as well as numerous non-game species. The forbs and legumes and grasses that regenerate after a fire provide forage in tender vegetation and insects.

As many people in Alabama know, especially hunters, the bobwhite quail population dwindled to dangerously low levels during the past 40 years. The ADCNR is doing everything possible to promote the reestablishment of wild bobwhite populations throughout the state, and one of the main tools is prescribed burning. Managers who burn for bobwhites suggest setting fires on smaller parcels of land so the birds can find cover quickly when predators threaten the coveys.

Both turkeys and quail prefer areas with a burn regime. The birds will use areas that are freshly burned to three years old. After three years without a prescribed fire, the birds will look for habitat better suited for nesting and raising their broods.

That regrowth of native plant species also results in flowering and seed production, which attract insects that provide forage for turkey poults and quail chicks for several weeks after hatching. Regrowth also provides cover from predation for the young birds.

Speaking of predation, trapping is another tool that wildlife managers can use successfully to minimize the effect of predators such as raccoons and coyotes on a variety of wildlife species.

Raccoons are notorious predators for ground-nesting birds like bobwhites and turkeys. Coyotes have been shown to negatively impact the survival of whitetail fawns and the abundance of small game like rabbits.

Trapping was once a widespread activity in Alabama, but the demand for furs have waned significantly. However, trapping remains an effective tool for predator control when used properly. Trapping technology has improved significantly, allowing trappers to target specific species without posing a danger to other animals.

The ADCNR provides opportunities for youngsters and adults to learn a new skill through its youth and adult trapper education workshops.

This outreach program gives students and parents the opportunity to learn an outdoor skill that was prevalent during the days when Alabama was being settled.

Attendees will learn the historical aspects of trapping, biological information about furbearers and furbearer management. The workshops also teach the proper techniques that include the use of trapping as a sound wildlife management tool.

With assistance from groups like the Alabama Trappers and Predator

The workshop is also limited to 25 participants per event. A registration fee is required for both youth and adult workshops.

Those who sign up for the upcoming winter workshops on Saturdays and Sundays will start with classroom instruction on the history of trapping, responsibilities of trappers, different types of traps and preparing baits and lures for better trapping success.

That first afternoon, attendees will set trap lines with their mentors. On Sunday morning, attendees and mentors will check traps and collect the animals. Experienced trappers will provide instruction on how to prepare furs for market.

Visit www.outdooralabama.com/trapping-alabama/alabama-adultand-youth-trapping-education-workshops regularly this summer to check for workshop dates for the winter of 2021-2022. For questions, contact Mike Sievering at 205-340-1183.

Whether you choose to conduct controlled burns or learn the skill of trapping, take advantage of these opportunities to improve Alabama’s beautiful landscapes and the health of our native wildlife and plants.

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850-832-2238 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 61

The Auburn Turkey Project

the Results are in.

After 6 years and $3.4 million, the results are in.

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

What to do about the turkey population? That topic has divided Alabama hunters over the past year more than who to cheer for during Iron Bowl week. Hunters are never shy about voicing their opinions on topics they are passionate about it. Believe me, turkey hunters, like myself, are passionate, and each one identifies a specific cause to the problem and has a little different solution to the issue.

Board (CAB) meeting of the year, where the highly anticipated reveal of the data from the Auburn University Turkey study took place. In preparation for this meeting, I spent several hours researching the minutes from previous CAB meetings. The first time members of the board inquired about issues with the turkey population was at the May meeting in 2013.

Only five months after I took this job.

“Too many unmanaged pine plantations. Too many predators. Too many improvements in hunting technology. Too many greedy and selfish hunters. Idiots in Montgomery who don’t know anything about turkeys or turkey hunting”. All of these have been presented to Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) staff as causes to the perceived turkey population decline in Alabama.

Later that same year, the WFF brood survey indicated recruitment rates at the lowest point in the past 24 years. So, WFF assembled a “Turkey Committee,” made up of WFF biologists, a biologist from the Alabama Wildlife Federation, a biologist from the National Wild Turkey Federation, and researchers from Auburn University to discuss what information was needed to make informed decisions on what to do about the perceived decline.

“Stop prescribed burning during the growing season. Reduce the bag limit to three birds and give hunters an additional ‘turkey tag’ for every 25 raccoon tails turned in to WFF. Ban the use of turkey decoys. Just apply changes to the season and bag limits to public lands and leave private property alone. Fire everyone in Montgomery and start over.” All of these have been presented as solutions to the turkey population decline.

I’m writing this article on Monday March 8, two days after the first Conservation Advisory

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The “Auburn Study” as it’s commonly known was initiated in 2015 to gather scientific information on the status of the turkey population in Alabama. Keep in mind that, during this same time frame, many of the other southeastern states were experiencing the same issues as Alabama and had begun their own studies. The first thing we needed to know was the current conditions of our turkey population and what would happen under different harvest frameworks.

FROM THE DIRECTOR Here is some beneficial background data that helped drive our questions.

FIGURE 1

Over the previous decade, 2005-2015, the statewide harvest index to population trend was declining at a rate of 3% per year, and our hunter numbers were declining at 1% per year. That’s a 30% decline in harvest and only a 10% decline in hunters during that 10-year period.

That attributed a 20% decline in harvest to something other than loss of hunters. In a healthy system, one would expect the declines in harvest and hunters to mirror each other. (See figure 1.)

During the 10-year period from 2010-2020, the statewide turkey reproductive trend was declining at an alarming rate. Alabama was experiencing a 30% decline in brood size and a 30% decline in poults per hen (Figure 2). This 30% decline was the same as the 30% decline in turkey harvest. This suggested that the population is definitely not healthy, proving that the hunters and landowners who had approached the CAB prior to the May 2013 meeting were justified in their questions.

FIGURE 2

Fast forward 6 years and $3.4 million later, and the Auburn Study was completed and presented to the CAB on March 6, 2021. The end result of all the AU research was a decision support tool, or model, that would predict turkey populations based on different season and bag limit options. That’s an over-simplified explanation to the outcome so I won’t blow past my word limit with this article.

Dr. Barry Grand, the lead scientist for the Auburn Study, made a presentation to the CAB members and the public explaining the model as well as the season and bag limit options that would satisfy the most hunters while reversing the declining turkey population trend. In short, this model would predict future turkey population if the status quo option (current season framework) was selected, if a shorter season was selected, if a later opening date was selected, if a reduced bag limit was selected, and hundreds of combinations of options.

The outcome that most often improved the turkey population and what hunters told us they valued most was to start the season later, reduce the bag limit, and shorten the season. Keep in mind this was the best solution, not necessarily the one my staff would recommend. The WFF staff then looked back at historic departmental turkey restocking data before making their recommendation to me.

FIGURE 3

WFF data shows that after a five-year closure post-restocking in Colbert County in north Alabama, the season was opened in 1955 on April 10. In 1961, the season was opened on March 24, and in 1962 it was changed again to March 20. After approximately 10 years, due to concerns about negative impacts to the population, the season had to be closed again. When it reopened in 1977, the opening date was set back to April. (Figure 3) Similar scenarios were experienced in several other north Alabama counties.

Combining the department’s historical data with the Auburn Study, the WFF staff recommended to me a start date of April 1 for most of the state, a one bird bag limit for the first 10 days of the season, and kept a five bird bag limit, and this is what I proposed to the CAB at the meeting.

Ultimately, the CAB recommended the season begin on March 25 each year, the limit be reduced to four birds per season, and no decoys be used during the first 10 days of the season. If this recommendation is implemented, only time will tell if these changes were adequate to protect or improve the turkey population.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 63

Handgun

Choosing the Best Holster for Your

Kydex holsters have become popular with outdoorsmen carrying their favorite snake slayer in the woods.

Recently at the hunting camp after a breakfast of too much venison sausage, too many biscuits with sawmill gravy and too many eggs, three buddies and I got into a vigorous discussion about which holster material is the best. Sam had recently bought a new compact 9mm pistol but could not make up his mind as to the type holster he wanted or from what material it should be made. The discussion lasted too long and did nothing to help our breakfast “settle” and, as usual, there was no clear winner.

There are a number of holster materials on the market of varying quality, utility and price but the group decided that leather, kydex or a hybrid of both was definitely the best choice.

BY CRAIG HANEY Photo submitted by Craig Haney

NO NYLON? Nylon holsters are often recommended to first-time gun buyers because of their low cost but here are some reasons not to choose a nylon holster. First, they are flimsy compared to the other three choices. When you draw your weapon, they do not stay formed in the shape of your gun which makes it hard to re-holster your gun without using two hands. Also many do not have retention straps to keep the gun safe and secure.

The inside the waistband nylon holsters use a thin

64 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

metal clip that does not attach positively to your belt and may change position. If you need to use your gun, it may not be on your belt where you expect it because of moving around.

You get what you pay for with a cheap nylon holster particularly in the terms of wear and fraying if you wear it a lot.

LEATHER Leather holsters for this discussion include those fully molded for a specific make and model of gun and are made primarily from cowhide, horsehide, bull hide or exotic leathers like ostrich or elephant. A quality leather holster is a combination of durability, comfort, quiet when drawing your gun and will protect your gun for decades.

“Inside the waistband” (IWB) holsters are very popular for concealed carry and can be made from lighter weight suede leather which makes it easier to conceal and does not imprint as much under clothing. The retention for an IWB holster is provided by the friction between your belt and body holding the holster in place. An IWB holster made from thicker bull hide give a little more retention to your gun and “breaks-in” or

THE GUN RACK molds to your gun. The leather is a little bulkier but many feel it is a good trade-off.

For “outside the waistband” (OWB) holsters, there are a number of models including “small-of-back” (SOB), thumb break, high ride, shoulder (horizontal or vertical), pancake, ankle and more. These are made from heavier weight leather molded for your specific gun compared to the lighter weight suede IWB holsters.

In addition to the fit of the molded holster, leather straps designs such as the thumb-break style of holster provide the retention for the hand gun.

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A negative of leather holsters for some people is the higher cost of a quality, molded leather holster but for others the aesthetics, comfort, quietness and durability outweigh the cost.

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KYDEX Compared to leather, Kydex is a fairly new material used in making holsters.

Kydex is a plastic-like composite material designed originally for use in aircraft interiors. The name Kydex belongs to a proprietary formula of polymer, a type of PVC, invented by Rohm and Hass Corporation and now owned and manufactured by Sekisui LLC. The name Kydex has come to be used as a catch-all name for similar materials for making holsters even though the formula for each is different.

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The Kydex material is made in thin sheets which are heated up and molded around a gun or replica to perfectly fit all the contours and angles of the gun.

The Kydex cools down and retains the exact molded shape and combines rigidity, durability and excellent retention qualities. One-handed holstering is easy because of the holster’s rigidity. Kydex is the lightest holster material and less expensive than leather. Another plus is care as you can wash it off with soap and water and keep it looking new. There are not as many styles of Kydex holsters as leather but that doesn’t affect their popularity.

Firearm retention is excellent in quality kydex holsters and may be adjusted by retention screws on the holster. Many manufacturers go a step further providing a second method of firearm retention and safety for the user.

Safariland, for example, with their Automatic Locking System (ALS) retains the firearm in all directions with no straps or snaps to manipulate. Once the weapon is holstered, it is locked into place. A simple straight-up draw is used to place the firearm into service.

One of the main complaints about Kydex holsters, especially for IWB carry, is that they are not as comfortable because of the harder angles of the holster compared to leather. Also, the firearm’s finish may wear quicker because of specific parts of the holster that rub against the Hybrid holsters.

Hybrid holsters seem to offer the best of leather and Kydex features such as the comfort of a leather base area with the security of a Kydex retention shell attached to it. The base can also be a neoprene mesh or a sandwich of layers to create the holster base. There are hybrid IWB and OWB holster designs available from a number of makers.

Many hybrid holster users feel they are more comfortable than either leather or Kydex while those with negative experiences report retention shells that have detached from the base or the base collapses or bends over the mouth of the holster.

AND THE WINNER IS…?

The winner is the holster that fits your needs the best. Spend time at a gun shop with an excellent selection of quality holsters and find out for yourself which holster style will make sure you have your gun when and where you need it. For myself, I use both leather and Kydex holsters depending on how I plan to use the gun.

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The Best PFD for Fishing Kayaks

Choices, choices, choiceslots of different styles, colors and forms for kayak anglers to choose from.

IS IT THAT BIG OF A DEAL, REALLY? Let’s put our minds on a very unpleasant but very real possibility for each kayak fishing trip we take.

The angler moves wrong, gets off-balance and falls out of the kayak. This sort of thing happens, and if you are a kayak angler and it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will. What happens next will determine if the angler has a funny story to tell buddies later or if the angler becomes a headline on the local news.

Now, when the angler and kayak part company on the water, the kayak will float off and be perfectly fine, but the angler may not. Even strong swimmers get tired, and in cold water, hypothermia happens very quickly, and an angler can soon become a sad statistic.

BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn

If the angler is wearing a properly fitted and sized personal floatation device, then the potential for disaster is really quite small. The kayak can be recovered, the angler and kayak can be moved to shore, and things can turn out damp but safe.

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It all comes down to having the right Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

Indeed, the very first “accessory” purchased by all kayak anglers should be a good PFD. It’s that important.

The “best” personal floatation device in the world is worthless if it’s not worn. A very expensive top of the line PFD is just something to get in the way on a kayak if the angler can’t or won’t wear it. The biggest reason most kayak anglers don’t wear their PFDs all the time when on the kayak is that they can be uncomfortable, but they don’t have to be.

Like nearly everything that has to do with kayak angling, selecting a PFD comes down to personal choice and individual fit. Some anglers find “Brand A” PFD perfect while others find “Brand A” to be uncomfortable and even painful. Each kayak angler should try on and test several brands, sizes, and configurations of PFD to assure they are getting the right life-saving device so it will be worn and not just carried along for the ride.

Yes, having and wearing the PFD is that important.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR As if being a lifesaver were not enough, modern PFDs also provide kayak anglers with some convenient gear storage, which is always welcome on limited-space kayaks. All modern fishing PFDs have pockets and loops and rings which allow convenient gear attachment and storage. Some

PADDLE FISHING PFD have pockets large enough for cameras, small tackle boxes and other gear that tends to get kicked around when used on a kayak.

The pockets built into a good fishing kayak PFD should have thick, robust zippers, and the heavy plastic zippers are probably best because they are less prone to saltwater corrosion. A little silicone lubricant can go a long way to keep PFD zippers working properly.

Since each PFD will be used by a specific angler and since anglers come in a wide range of sizes, there needs to be easy and secure adjustment possibilities built into the jacket. Straps need to be attached along the sides and front and even the back of the jacket to allow easy adjustment to fit the angler properly.

Mesh panels, especially in the back of the PFD, allow the angler to be much more comfortable in warm weather than old-fashioned solid all-around jackets.

Mesh panels allow cooling breezes to reach the skin of the angler, and this is almost always a good thing. In cold weather, a PFD offers kayak anglers another layer of insulation to help keep the angler warm on the water.

Many PFDs built for kayak angling have a feature that can be very helpful in times of distress, reflective patches. These patches will show up in flashlight or searchlight beams, and they can help rescuers locate a kayaker who has gone into the water much easier than non-reflective PFD’s. These patches can really make a difference when times get bad.

My personal favorite PFD and the one I use for all of my kayak fishing trips is an inflatable model. This PFD is small, light, and after I put it on and adjust the fit, I forget I have it on. I’ve even neglected to take it off when I was through paddling and fishing and have worn it home.

Some Good Ones to Consider NRS Chinook Fishing PFD $139 16.5 lbs. flotation High-back design for comfort 2 large pockets-zippered 2 small pockets 1 accessory pocket

Kokatat Bahia Tour PFD $99 High back design Mesh panels Multi-adjustable fit Side & shoulder straps Several pockets

Stohlquist Fisherman PFD $129.95 Camo or high-vis colors Open sides Multiple pockets Dual-side adjustments

Onyx Curve MoveVent Dynamic Vest $64.99 Reflective material Expandable zippered pocket Attached whistle Front and back vents

Mustang MIT 70 $109

Automatic inflation Smallest inflatable PFD High visibility Can be re-charged after use

Astral Women’s Linda Life Jacket $100 Back panel super-thin foam Mesh back strip Front center zip-closure Large arm/shoulder openings Fitted for female anatomy

Most of the modern inflatable PFD’s have a depth detecting system which triggers the inflation when the PFD gets wet to a certain depth. The inflation can also be triggered manually by the wearer. Once an inflatable PFD has been used, the cartridge which holds the gas for inflation can be replaced and the PFD is usable again.

FOR THE LADIES For those who have not noticed, women are not built like men, and since most PFDs started out being designed for men, finding a good PFD that fits well and feels comfortable for women has been a problem. It also seems that the more “endowed” the lady in question might be, the worse traditional PFDs fit. I have been told by ladies who I trust that trying to paddle for a while wearing a badly fitting PFD can very soon get painful.

So, something had to be done, and it has been done.

Most of the major PFD makers have now expanded their lines to include models specifically made for female anglers. This can include the jackets being cut fuller, and jackets with larger arm and shoulder openings, and some PFDs even include built in “pockets” to better fit the female anatomy.

So, there really is no excuse for any kayak angler to not have and not wear a PFD when on the water. These modern PFDs are much more comfortable, and in the case of an accident, can make all the difference in the world.

So, the best PFD for any kayak angler? The one that the angler will actually wear.

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www.advanced-transmission.com 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 67

Gulf Coast Fishing Outlook

Brothers Clint and Luke Tanner tag-teamed this pompano and many others!

Photo courtesy Chris Vecsey

BY CHRIS VECSEY

Something we hear often in fishing is the “magic hour”. It’s that time when everything comes together for the bite to heat up. It’s the peak of a feeding period. If that magic hour could be stretched out into a month, it would be May. The bite is hot and the weather is generally pleasant.

low-pitch style of rattle system get the job done.

Weedless soft plastics like flukes, Slick Lures and paddletails make a great alternative, especially when hard falling tides cause a lot of treble-fouling, floating grass. Other good lures include wakebaits like the Berkley Wakebull or Yo Zuri Surface Minnow.

From inshore to offshore, the northern Gulf of Mexico is the place to be in May. At this point, all pelagic species have migrated back into the area and most inshore species are in their summertime haunts. Cobia, pompano, mackerel and other springtime runners are still here in full force as well.

For live bait options, shrimp, finger mullet and small pinfish will work, but nothing beats a live croaker.

Some bait shops sell these in waters along MS and around the Mobile Bay area of AL, but more often than not, you’ll have to net these yourself. It can take time and effort to collect enough for a day of fishing, but it’s worth it. You can freeline croakers or rig on a carolina rig. A few glass beads placed in between the weight and swivel on your carolina rig makes a good fish-calling rattle everytime the croaker moves.

Inshore through our area, the speck and redfish bite will be in its prime and the fish will be in a wide range of locations. Grass flats and shallow docks will be prime locations in low light hours and the topwater fishing can be as good as it gets during these times. Walk-the-dog style lures with a loud,

68 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Out at the barrier islands off of MS and in the surf off

FISHING OUTLOOK of Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan, most anglers will find success with the above tactics as well as using heavier jig/plastic combinations and with popping cork combinations. Twitchbaits also become a major player for surf-caught specks.

Off the beaches, pompano will still be in great numbers and stay that way until water temps ramp into the upper 70s at which time they will become less abundant in the shallower stretches. At that time, it pays to fish deeper cuts that are further off the beaches to stay on the action. There are many different rigs that’ll take these fish but the standard two-hook style of rigs that can be found in most local tackle shops will get the job done. Best baits will be small pieces of peeled shrimp, sand fleas and ghost shrimp. Jigs will be very effective this month as well. Use bright colors and work your jigs fairly aggressively. Whiting will be a welcomed bycatch and they will hit the same styles of rigs and occasionally the same jigs.

Off the beaches, both king and Spanish Mackerel will be abundant for anglers trolling just offshore. Bonito, big jacks and others may crash the party as well. Pulling deep diving plugs, spoon/planer combinations, mackerel trees and various other lures that imitate smaller baitfish will provide plenty of action. Best speeds are usually between 4-5 knots and at depths ranging from as shallow as 20 feet to over 100 feet. Use your depthfinder to find bait and feeding fish and pay attention to water temperature. Temperature breaks can be particularly active spots especially with temp differences of a full degree or more.

It’s not quite red snapper season yet, but there’s plenty of other options in bottom fishing, especially by avoiding larger, artificial structures and focusing on natural bottom contours. Scamp, red grouper, lane snapper, vermilion snapper and others will be targets. Target “live” bottom areas

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between 160-350 feet for the best action. Frozen baits like cigar minnows, squid and mackerel will work, but nothing beats live cigar minnows, threadfin herring, sardines, etc. Sabiki rigs will fill the well with these prime baits just off the beaches, in the inlets and around navigational buoys. Use your depthfinder to find clouds of bait.

Blue water fishing will heat up big time this month. Billfish, wahoo, mahi mahi and tuna will be reliable opponents around the gas and oil platforms and at closer structures like the new Okaloosa County FADS offshore of the panhandle and the tried and true bottom contours like the Nipple, Elbow and Spur. Subscribe to a satellite imaging service like Hilton’s Realtime Navigator to keep you in the optimal water conditions and to locate rips, temperature breaks and monitor water color. Trolling Ilanders, Mold Crafts and lure/ballyhoo combinations is standard but live baiting with bigger hardtails and small bonito and blackfin can be extremely productive.

Swordfish will be also be a #1 target this month. Broadbill action is very consistent through May in depths of 1200-1800 feet. The key is having proper electronics to mark bait at these depths. Find bait and you will find swords. Keep your baits at zones within 50-200 feet of the bottom and if deploying a second rod with a buoy, set your bait at 800-1000 feet unless marking fish at other depths. Whole squid and rigged strip baits are always top picks but whole mullet, mackerel and others take plenty of swords. These fish really aren’t picky on what they eat, but proper bait rigging is critical to survive repeated strikes from their bills. Pick your hook sizes to match your baits and rig on 250-400 pound mono or fluorocarbon.

Keep a light jacket ready, but put your winter clothes away. Everything is warming up and the best time for the most variety is here!!

Show Your Support for Alabama’s Coastal Fishing & Marine Resources.

All proceeds from your TAX DEDUCTIBLE purchase are used for marine conservation in Coastal Alabama.

For more info on the events or CCA Alabama www.ccaalabama.org 251-478-3474 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 69

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook

Rare sightings, like this whale at Pensacola Beach have occurred in May.

“In May you just never know what will happen (or swim by) next.”

BY DAVID THORNTON Photos by David Thornton

THIS MAY BE IT? Of all the months of the year along the “Emerald Coast”, May usually offers the most to shorebound anglers. Our spring weather is often outstanding, with a full slate of fish species available to keep folks guessing what will swim by or bite their line next. Coastal water temperatures rise through the 70s to 80 by the end of the month. This makes for more comfortable wade fishing and gets the fish more active.

Many fish species are spawning this month, gathering in large schools that provide bait and catches for eager anglers.

near shore pelagics may visit at any time.

It is not uncommon to see dolphin fish (“mahi”) caught this month, or occasionally even a blackfin tuna or sailfish, or tarpon.

And every now and then something really unique happens; like the pygmy sperm whale (about 30 feet long) that swam by Navarre and Pensacola Beach Piers on May 11th, 2004. Even huge ocean sunfish (“mola mola”) may venture by the piers briefly, along with the “usual suspects” like dolphins, sea turtles and huge rays. In May you just never know what will happen (or swim by) next.

The beach pier fishermen are well occupied by opportunities from cobia, jack crevalle, king and spanish mackerel, redfish, bluefish, flounder, little tunny (“bonita”), ladyfish (“skipjack”), and blue runner (“hardtails”).

There is also the element of surprise as

Unfortunately for long term vacation planners to the Gulf State Park Pier, the same can be said for their fishing prospects this month. At press time, still no definitive plans or dates have been announced about possible closures to refurbish the

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FISHING OUTLOOK deteriorating pier deck and facilities. We will just have to wait and see. Trusting the planners will make the best decisions available to them and hoping that won’t interfere with your plans. Meanwhile in Navarre Beach, replacement of the pier deck (started in midFebruary) should well be completed by May. So, there is another option available to resourceful anglers, especially those willing and able to make the drive.

Historically speaking, May is a great month for pier fishing from Panama City Beach to Gulf Shores, Alabama. In particular in Alabama, where speckled trout invade the surfzone in the spring before moving up into the estuaries as salinity and water temperatures gradually increase. Pier anglers, as well as those in the surf have ample opportunity to target speckled trout with live bait or lures. Live shrimp is the bait of choice from the pier and jetties, but they can also be caught wade fishing with a variety of lures.

Topwater plugs are a favorite for calm, early mornings. At that time trout may be shallow, near the beach in just a few feet of water. Later as the fish move deeper with increasing sunlight, topwater lures are replaced by sinking twitch baits and swim baits that cover more of the water column. Anglers should do well along drop-offs where the deeper water falls to the 5 to 10 foot deep range. Shoaled areas along both sides of the Fort Morgan peninsula and Dauphin Island are ideal for this type of fishing.

are moving out of the surfzone and offshore to spawn. The ¾ ounce pompano jigs are still quite popular for beach fishing. But the tandem Doc’s Goofy jig or Silly Willie rigs can be even more effective at times when pompano get finicky. Sometimes just tipping the jig with a sandflea or piece of peeled shrimp and dragging it along the bottom will entice those stubborn fish to bite.

Besides pompano, these anglers can expect to catch occasional redfish, black drum, bluefish, ladyfish and even flounder. Again, you just never know what might bite!

Such a variety of species and venues make May such a special time all along the coast. And when you add in the usually very pleasant mild weather and clear water it’s easy to see why this month has become a favorite for many anglers as they get away to the beaches and enjoy their great days outdoors.

Catching trout limits has been common and should be even more so this year with the tighter creel and size limits in place. Alabama anglers are now allowed to retain six speckled trout in the 15” to 22” slot, with one trout over 22” allowed each day.

Flounder also become more numerous this month as they move from the deeper gulf waters toward the beaches and bays to spend the warmer months. They can be caught (at times) from any of the beach piers by anglers using live bull minnows, live shrimp or on a variety of jigs. “Old school” method was to simply use a ¾ ounce white jig with a strip of fresh LY, mullet or stingray belly bounced along the bottom around the pier pilings. But a tandem combo of Gulp shrimp (one weighted and one unweighted) can be even more effective. Along the gulf beaches anglers can find flounder along those same drop-offs they might target speckled trout, redfish and black drum. Flounder also have tighter restrictions now, so be sure to check the regulations for the area you are fishing.

As well, each beach pier has slightly different rules to keep the peace and provide for the safety of and best possible experience for their angler clients and sightseers. Some piers will not allow certain types of fishing activity at all. Such as no trolleys, float fishing or overhand casting. Or may allow some activities along certain parts of the pier like no sabiki fishing on the end, no snagging, no bottom fishing between the lines. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with these rules, especially if you are new to the sport or haven’t been to the pier in a while. The rules do change sometimes.

Also be familiar with certain ‘unwritten’ rules of etiquette for each pier.

Anglers should almost ALWAYS cast perpendicular to where they are standing to minimize crossing others’ lines and not “tie up”rail space.

There is room for all as long as everyone is working together.

MAY BE THE BEACH IS YOUR THING? Anglers fishing from the gulf beaches can still target pompano. Not just with “set rigs” but casting jigs and moving along the beach. This method can be especially productive this month as more pompano

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REGIONAL FRESHWATER Fishing Outlook

BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn

May will find bass all over the region ready to eat and fight.

72 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING OUTLOOK

FLORIDA WATERS

LAKE TALQUIN Jeff DuBree of Whippoorwill Lodge on Lake Talquin says that the bream fishing will be very good as the bream really get going on the spawning beds in shallow water. For both bluegill and shell crackers, anglers who throw Beetlespins on light tackle will have success. Live crickets always work for bream here. Working the bream on full moon times can be very effective.

“The bass will be post spawn in May, and there will be some schooling action and bass anglers will want to fish main lake points early and late,” DuBree said. “The bass will move into deeper water in May, and anglers can catch them on crank baits and jigs if they work the sandy points.”

The white bass in Talquin will still be scattered and anglers can look for diving birds which will show where whites are chasing shad in open water.

Make a quick run to the birds and throw shad-look lures into the feeding area, and the whites will respond.

Catfishing on Talquin will be good in May. By using stink bait and pond worms, anglers can expect some good eating size catfish. Work water in six to twelve foot depths for best catfish action in May. APALACHICOLA RIVER SYSTEM Over in Apalachicola, Tony Poloronis from Outcasters Bait and Tackle said that in May a lot of the saltwater fighters such as redfish, trout, and flounder will be making their way up the river past the town of Apalachicola. Freshwater anglers should not be surprised to find these fish taking lures and bait sent for freshwater fish.

Poloronis noted that bass anglers will find some good bass near cover using soft plastics, spoons with some flash, and especially Snagless Sally spinners. These should be worked close to the cover. If an angler can find some large minnows or shiners, the bass will jump all over them.

Shellcrackers will still be on the beds in places in the backwaters, but many of the big bream will have pulled back to deeper open water. Live worms are good when fished near the bottom.

SEMINOLE LAKE Catfish anglers can fish drop off sand ledges where the catfish will collect in ten to twelve foot water after their spawning is complete. All kinds of live bait and prepared stink bait will work on the cats in May. “Bass fishing is good. The fish are mostly post-spawn with some fish still spawning. There is also a shad spawn going on all over the lake. Target main lake grass lines with a ½ oz. Buddha Blade in sexy shad, the new one with serrated blades puts out more flash and seems to attract more strikes,” says long-time bass tournament angler and guide Captain Matt Batty. “Also, a 3/8 oz. Buddha Bait buzz bait in white with silver blade works well for early morning top water shad spawn bites.”

There are also fish suspended in the timber in Spring Creek. Use a Lowrance Down Scan to locate schools of bass suspended next to stumps in the creek.

A good bait to catch the suspended bass is a five-inch Big Bite Baits Suicide Shad in pearly shad pattern.

ALABAMA WATERS

LAKE WILSON/PICKWICK LAKE Veteran guide and big catfish specialist Captain Brian Barton tells us that catfish will be feeding heavily in the days leading up to their spawning. Fish can be caught from 2 to 70 feet of water this month depending on where

you want to fish.

To locate shallow fish, check out logjams in cuts along the main river bank on both sides of the river. Logs stack in the backs of these pockets and cats seek their cover for spawning.

“I fish these areas by rigging spinning tackle with 14 lb Vicious mono and a 3/0 Mister Twister Keeper red worm hook. I place a 1/16 or 1/8 oz sinker about 8 to 10 inches under the hook creating a dropshot rig,” Barton said.

Barton advised that anglers should cast your bait up against or just under the floating logs and hold steady keeping a tight line. Worms, shrimp, shad, and skipjack all work well with this application. For larger fish, seek out 15 to 40 feet of water in the mid to rear potions of sloughs on the south end of the lake.

Pickwick Lake, like Wilson, will be hot for cats throughout the month. Fish will be on top of and along river ledges as well as the tops and backs of humps and mounds in the river channel. Blues will be staging heavily at the base of Wilson Dam this month.

It’s not uncommon for local anglers to catch 50 to 75 fish each day along the tailrace. Eddy pockets and any slack water areas downstream of the dam are likely to be holding cats.

“A favorite spot of mine this month is to fish the knees of cypress trees from Seven Mile Island downstream to the Sinking Creek area,” Barton added.

“Channel cats will often load up in droves under these trees for spawning. I cast worms, prepared baits, or chicken livers underneath the trees to catch the fish.”

SIPSEY FORK The year-round rainbow trout fishing at Sipsey Fork is prime in May, and Randy Jackson of Riverside Fly Shop told us the trout bite at Sipsey Fork will, as always, be weather related, and if typical spring weather occurs, a caddis fly hatch will come off in May, and also lots of terrestrial bugs, especially ants, will be on the trouts’ menu.

Toward the end of May going into June, the first mayfly hatch should come off, and these will be larger mayflies. Dry fly fishing should be quite good.

Anglers can target the size of trout they seek by focusing on different parts of the river. Up close to the dam, the oxygen levels are higher and there are lots of smaller bugs, and the trout tend to be smaller and somewhat easier to catch. As anglers move downstream away from the dam, the trout tend to get larger, more like wild trout, and they eat larger bugs. At any point along the river, anglers can expect to catch trout from nine to sixteen inches long, with the bigger fish farther downstream.

If the skipjacks come up to the dam in good numbers this year, they should still be around in May, and they are loads of fun to catch on flashy, fast-moving flies.

Jackson said that Riverside Fly Shop carries a huge assortment of flies for anglers to select, and as a help in the choice, flies which have been productive recently are marked with orange tags.

To make trip planning easier for anglers, the generating schedule for the Smith Dam is posted every day on the Riverside Fly Shop website, or a call to the shop will provide current conditions.

LAKE EUFAULA Captain Sam Williams from Hawks Guide Service says that the topwater bite for bass at Eufaula should be very good in May. The frog bite in particular 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // MAY 2021 73

Regional Freshwater Fishing Outlook

should be good. Fish around the grass and other growing structure. Don’t be afraid to throw a weedless frog into the roughest cover possible- some big bass will be up in the shallows.

In general at Eufaula in May, bass anglers need to start each day with gold colored lures. For whatever reason, Eufaula bass seem to prefer gold colored lures.

Crappie can be very good in May at Eufaula. Anglers can find the slabs with small jigs in a wide range of colors. Start with chartreuse, and then work other colors to see which color the crappie prefer on particular days.

It’s always a good day to go catfishing at Eufaula, and May is one of the best months for catfish. Big chunks of cut bait fished on the bottom where feeder creeks run into the main lake are great spots to find some big cats.

WEISS LAKE “May is about the tail end of crappie spawning, and this means that we’ll be shooting deeper docks as the crappie pull off their shallow water spawning waters and head out toward deeper open water,” said crappie fishing expert Captain Lee Pitts.

For about two weeks in May, the crappie will be stacked up under certain docks. Anglers may have to look around a bit to find the best deep docks, but when located, the crappie will be thick.

For bass anglers at Weiss Lake, May is a great time to be on the water.

Pitts said that May is the kickoff of a great spinner bait bite. Also, the top water bite will really get going.

The bank grass at Weiss along the shallows will hold lots of bass, and Pitts pointed out that anglers can catch bass just about anywhere on topwater lures, especially soft plastic frogs.

There will be a hot jig and trailer bite on the grass, too. Pitts recommends the Gene Larue Wheeler Punchout Craw as a trailer on jigs.

In May, bass anglers can’t go far wrong by fishing very shallow water. The bass will be found in water much shallower than most anglers think possible.

When the trolling motor starts throwing up mud, the angler is getting in good territory for Weiss Lake bass.

LAKE GUNTERSVILLE Spring bass fishing on massive Lake Guntersville can be red-hot, and veteran guide Captain Jake Davis from Mid-South Bass Guide Service said that in the middle and later parts of the month, the shad will start their spawn, and this really gets the bass feeding. Throwing light colored willow leaf spinner baits over the flats where the shad gather to spawn is a good bet.

Bass will be found on the main channel docks, and emerging grass beds will be places to find bass on the feed.

For the top water bait, anglers can try buzz baits or Spooks. Throw over emerging grass or along weedlines for good top water action.

caught on Road Runners and tube jigs vertically jigged around stumps and other wood cover.

Many of the crappie will be taken on drop-shot rigs baited with live minnows out on the main river channels. Trolling the larger creeks will produce crappie in May if the angler uses live minnows and jigs.

Bass at Miller’s Ferry will be off the beds by May, and anglers should look around shallow grass with spinner baits. Major lake channels will be hot for bass when fished with crank baits and soft plastics on Carolina rigs.

A key point for Miller’s Ferry anglers looking for success is to try and plan trips around moving water. When the dam is releasing water and there’s some current in the lake, the bass just bite better. Anglers can call the Miller’s Ferry powerhouse at 334-682-4896 to get water release schedules for each day.

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

The middle sections of thet lake should be very good. The Goose Pond area can be hot in May

Captain Matt Baty 229-726-0153 bassinboots@yahoo.com

Crappie will be back in the deeper creek mouths, and anglers looking for some real light tackle fun can find big shell crackers bedding up on deeper hard bottom areas and shell banks.

Tony Poloronis Outcasters Bait and Tackle 631 Hwy 98, Apalachicola, Florida 850-653-4665

MILLER’S FERRY Joe Dunn from Dunns’ Sports told us that the crappie at Miller’s Ferry will be out of bedding areas and in five to twelve feet of water. Crappie can be 74 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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Braxton’s Hill’s gobbler was 20 lbs, had a 10 inch beard, and 1.25 inch spurs. He was taken in Gateswood, Al.

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Catfishing is Ahstyn Carnley’s idea of a good time.

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FISHING TIP

Wading Mobile Bay for Redfish and Specks

BY CAPTAIN RICHARD RUTLAND

When I think about May Mobile Bay redfish and speckled trout fishing I think about fishing shallow water. By stealthily wade fishing around grass flats, sand bars and oyster shell while avoiding a mud bottom, I have a good chance of landing a trophy sized speckled trout or slot redfish.

In early morning I typically start out throwing topwater baits and my favorite in calm conditions is the Rapala Skitter-V and in a little chop I fish a Heddon Super Spook. A topwater lure is a great search bait to start out with because it may help you get a blowup or two and find a school of fish quickly. After the sun starts to come up I switch to subsurface baits like The Slick Lure or live croakers. For The Slick Lure, which is a soft plastic jerk bait, I like to use a 7’3’’ medium fast to extra fast casting rod with 20-30 lbs braided line tipped with a 4-5 foot section of 15-20 pound fluorocarbon leader. I twitch it very slowly on the retrieve and my favorite colors are Cool Beans, B-Cat, Pink/ Chartreuse and Goblin.

For fishing live croakers I use a short section of 20 pound fluorocarbon leader with a 2/0 Khale hook on 7’6’’ casting rod spooled with 12 pound monofilament. I like to cast and slowly retrieve my bait back to me before making another cast. I feel you have a better chance of a fish seeing your bait while slowly retrieving it rather than soak it in one spot.

Wade fishing is great because you don’t even need a boat or you and your partner can spread out and help lead each other to better catches.

Keep Em Tight Capt Richard Rutland Cold Blooded Fishing 1-251-459-5077 www.coldbloodedfishing.com

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A GREAT DAY OUTDOORS

Almost a Marlin Story beds. It’s a full moon, you know.”

BY JIM MIZE Sitting at my computer trying to channel my best Hemingway, I pictured myself looking off the stern of his boat, Pilar, my arms strained, sweat on my brow, with a marlin tail-walking across the water throwing spray. Just as I began to type the first word, I heard a knock at my door, it swung open, and in walked Beanpole.

“Isn’t that pond posted?”

“Are you sure a cup of Crisco is enough? Sounds like you have a lot of fish.”

“Sort of.”

“Oh, I have oil to fry the fish in.”

“How can you ‘sort of’ post a pond?”

We sat quietly and Beanpole’s hand slid up his leg again for another quiet scratch.

“Well, his third cousin and my third cousin got married, so I’m kind of family. But just in case, I went in from the other side away from his house.”

“Hoping not to be seen?”

“Just in case. Anyway, there’s a bull over in that field that’s not too friendly. I was trying to sneak by when it spotted me. So I had to jump over the barbwire fence and landed in a blackberry patch.”

“That must have hurt.”

“Hey, can I borrow a cup of Crisco?”

“I got a few scratches. But that’s not the worst.”

Beanpole strolled on in and sat in a spare chair while my brow furrowed and I tried to stay in my marlin story.

Beanpole adjusted himself in his chair and tried to hide a few scratching motions.

“You workin’?” he asked.

“Trying to,” I muttered in response.

“Well, I don’t want to bother you,” he said, still sitting quietly in the chair.

“Too late,” I replied while turning to face him.

“I need some Crisco,” said Beanpole.

Coming back into the present reluctantly leaving a marlin tail-walking across the Gulf Stream, I let my mind settle on his request.

“You frying up some fish?” I asked.

“Not exactly.”

“Then what’s the Crisco for?”

“Well, I went fishing,” said Beanpole. He liked to start at the beginning so I settled in and waited for the whole story. Watching Beanpole get started was like pressing rewind on an old VCR movie to find just the right place to start. He fidgeted, adjusted himself in the chair and started from the beginning.

“You know Ol’ Man Chaney’s pond? The one with the big bluegill?”

“Anyway, I had to follow the opposite side of the fence down to the pond. I was neck-deep in weeds and couldn’t see my feet.”

“Sounds like a good place for a snake.”

“That’s what I thought,” said Beanpole. “So I crept along for a while and then decided to outrun them.”

“Snakes run fast?”

“Not as fast as me. Anyway, I finally made it down to the pond and I could see a few bluegill sipping on the surface. So I slipped quietly over to the beds and started fishing.”

“Then what’s the Crisco for?” I asked.

Beanpole looked a little sheepish. “You know how I said I landed in the blackberries and then high-stepped through the weeds?”

“Yes.” I waited patiently for him to go on.

“Well, sometime during all that I got into some chiggers.” Beanpole looked down as if he could see them. “And they got into some places I’d just as soon not talk about.”

“So you need the Crisco for the chiggers?”

“Yep. I heard that if you mix Crisco with salt and put it on the chiggers it kills them.”

“Probably make your pants slide on and off better, too.”

“Well, that’s not a problem, skinny fellow like me.” He looked at my girth and thought better of mentioning the comparison.

“So do you have some Crisco?” he asked.

I nodded, went into the kitchen and brought back the entire can.

“You know they sell this stuff in the store?” I added.

“Sure, but I didn’t want them to know what it was for.”

Beanpole stopped his story and scooted left and right in his chair as if hoping I wouldn’t notice.

With that, Beanpole strolled out like he had come in, perhaps scratching just a little bit more.

“Catch any?” I asked, mostly just to move the story along.

I sat back down at the computer trying to empty my mind of bulls, chiggers, and Crisco. I did my best to imagine the stern of the Pilar, my arms sore from fighting the monstrous fish, and the sun baking in the bright blue Gulf Stream. Still, as hard as I tried, I couldn’t get the story back. Somewhere during the recount of the bluegill trip, I had let the marlin get away.

Fish can be like that when you lose your concentration.

“Oh, yeah. I caught a sack full. You should have seen them. Slabs all of them. Every time a cricket landed one of those big boys just sucked it in. Some of the best fishing I’ve had in a while.”

He stared off wistfully and scratched a little more.

I nodded, hoping to take up less time. I still had a marlin to catch.

“So you are planning a fish fry?” I asked. I still wasn’t sure where this story was headed.

“Well, I went over there hoping to find them on their

“You bet.”

86 MAY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Anyway, this was almost a marlin story.

JIM MIZE has more experience with chiggers than marlin. You can find his award-winning books at www.acreektricklesthroughit.com.

Ron Davis

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