ISOutdoors | June 2016

ISOutdoors enjoying the outdoors and sharing it with you

JUNE 2016

mister whiskers king of the dog days

can’t go wrong with

yellowstone

go go gophers www.isoutdoors.com

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JUNE 2016

CONTENT mr. whiskers: king of the dog days can’t go wrong with yellowstone go go gophers

COLUMNS hitchhiker bass fishing

food plot 101: part 1

big game canine care destination nation field test

publisher Brock RAY

The Electro Mundo Gruppe 202 1st Avenue East Oneonta, AL 35121 205-625-5473 reproduction, in whole or part, retransmission, redirection or linked display is prohibited without written permission from the publisher

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THE ADVENTURE

Let me tell you this story about a very interesting thing that has happened to me. For years and years I have been promoting fishing, big game fishing as well as hunting to ladies but we don’t get a lot of followers. One of the greatest is Nancy Adams, probably one of the best and most famous well known hunters, and not as much a fisherman but a great hunter. Nancy and I have been friends for years and years and she and her husband hunt everything from turkey to African animals. Nancy is a wonderful woman. However, I am also the co-host on Fish Talk Radio and almost a year ago I had an interview with a lady that most of you know from her tv shows Larysa Switlyk from Larysa Unleashed. She has shows on The Sportsman Channel, the Outdoor Channel and has been on Animal Planet. She wanted to come down and fish with Charles and I. She had never fished Baja California Sur so it was going to be an experience for us both. Normally when you take someone new out that you don’t know too much about you are always a little cautious especially a woman –will she be able to handle the sea, if it’s rough will she get seasick, will she be able to handle the marlin, will she need help- these are all things you have to take into consideration before you go.

First we had an interview on the telephone after the radio interview and we decided to talk about a trip to Cabo San Lucas and La Paz. The idea would be for her to fly into Cabo San Lucas and we would fish for Marlin which she has never caught before and we would fish one day on the great boat Blue Skies and then we would drive north to La Paz and fish on my boat there for three days for Roosterfish. This was the plan. I decided to invest in her because we really want women to take up the sport. So we flew here down to see what she could do.

When we had our telephone conversation we were kind of feeling each other out. She said she had watched my shows and read my articles and wanted to fish with me. Then she said that she had some rules. She would not fish in a bikini which I said that was perfect for me because I have a family show and I don’t want a woman in a bikini on my boat-not that I don’t want it but with a family show we respect all members of the family.

So I replied no problem and asked what the second rule is and she replied “I don’t drink alcohol on the boat when I’m fishing.” I said that’s great because I don’t drink on the boat either, no one on my boat drinks on the boat because you have to be safe. Her third request was she not be around anyone smoking so I said perfect.

So we fly her down and I am waiting in Cabo not knowing what to expect-she has seen me in my shows- but I didn’t know what to expect. It was very interesting to sit and wait and wonder what to expect. Well we waited and waited and then this beautiful blonde lady walks out exactly what we expected in her fishing jersey. We said our

hellos, got in the suburban and settled in her in her hotel The Finistera and us in our condominium and we agreed to meet at the hotel the first thing in the morning. Well at 7 am the next morning there she was dressed and ready to fight a big fish. I’m looking at her arms and wondering my gosh we are going after big marlins-will she hold up?

Well we got into the boat, the Blue Sky, a beautiful 43 foot Riviera all set up, air conditioned cabin, beautiful boat. John Henigin, host of Fish Talk Radio joined us as well. It wasn’t about an hour until the reel goes off zzzzzzzz the sound I love to hear. I look up and that young lady is sitting in the chair and this lady is fighting. I go up to the chair like I do with most men to help them along but I’m looking at her but she does not need coaching.

She knows how to pump the rod, how to level wind the reel, I mean this young lady knows what she is doing. She’s catching a marlin that is probably 250 pounds and its jumping and screaming and we’re turning the chair and she’s fighting and she is smiling and she’s laughing and she’s not getting tired. This is incredible her first big marlin.

We get it in the boat, we get a good picture of it, she kisses it good bye and jumps in my arms and kisses me on the cheek (which was actually wonderful) and we let it go home and she called me daddy and I called her my little girl.

That day she caught 3 marlin by herself. I asked her if she was tired and she said no she could go another round. I smiled and looked at her and knew she could. I was never so proud to see that lady catch 3

UNTIL THE NEXT ADVENTURE WITH THE GRIZ! marlin all by herself proving to me if you have the heart and the guts to do it is wonderful and we would like to get that message out to more.

So we head up to La Paz, the capital of roosterfish of the world. My biggest roosterfish there is 124 pounds and every year Charles and I catch about 20-25 roosterfish over 80 pounds. Well Larysa now wants to get a roosterfish. We get to the hotel, the beautiful Costa Baja Resort in La Paz, where she is staying. (And a special thank you to them!)

We picked her up at 5:30am and headed out to Punta Arena which is one of my favorite places for roosters.

We got in the panga and headed out. She caught 5 roosters by herself and she was the happiest lady I had ever met. Let me tell you guys, she can kick your butt. She’s one of the best fishing people I’ve ever seen. If you want a good fishing partner or you want to see a good show look her up. She is a great fisherman and I am proud to call her my stepdaughter and she calls me daddy. If you want the experience to catch marlin or catch roosterfish look us up on our website and you can catch big fish and lots of them-marlin, roosters or dorado and tuna. Get ahold of us and we will be happy to help. www.ASOBonline.com or follow us on facebook. Watch our adventures on Roku on The Griz Open Air Adventures Channel.

Catfish win no beauty contests but, when it comes to hot weather fun, no fish can top these tasty tricksters.

Mr. W King

When your recreational time is measured in hours compared to days, as is the problem of many workers, you want fun things to do that are as sure a shot as is possible. This time of year, if you are a fisherman, you know that most streams are at low flows that make them tough to fish, that the bass at your favorite lake are 20 feet deep, and walleye are scattered like leaves in the wind. Sure,you can fish for these game fish, but catches will probably be few and far between.

Whiskers:

of the Dog Days

by Don Kirk

ISOutdoors

Hot weather and catfish go together like peas and carrots, as Forrest Gump’s mother was fond of saying. Found in most of the streams, rivers, and lakes in virtually every state, members of the catfish clan are perhaps the most widely distributed family of freshwater game fish in North America. In fact,with the exception of Antarctica, catfish are found worldwide. One thing all catfish have www.isoutdoors.com

in common, no matter where they are found, is the fact that everyone loves to eat them.

Named for their prominent barbels, which give the image of cat-like whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior in U.S. waters. The heaviest, the blue catfish, can reach more than 100 pounds, while the smallest caught

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by anglers are the bullheads. Their flattened head allows the fish to dig along the bottom, where they do most of their feeding. Catfish have mouths that can expand to a large size and that contain no incisiform teeth; meaning that catfish generally feed through suction or gulping rather than biting and cutting prey.

Cats And Their Spread Channel catfish are the mostly widely distributed and fished catfish throughout the US. They thrive in ponds, streams, large rivers, tailraces, impoundments, natural lakes, and ponds. The world record channel cat weighed 58 pounds, www.isoutdoors.com

but the average is 3 to 4 pounds, with any catch over 12 pounds rated as exceptional. Easily caught on a variety of baits, including night crawlers, minnows, hotdogs, chicken gizzards and livers, or any of a growing array of commercially prepared “stink baits,� channel cats make great table fare.

The flathead catfish, yellow cat, and shovelhead cat are widely distributed, large-growing species that can live up to 20 years. Ranging from the lower Great Lakes region to northern Mexico, they have been widely introduced and are an invasive species in some areas. Average catches range from 5 to 20 pounds, while

ISOutdoors fish, such as shad. Catches range from 5 to 8 pounds, with the world record blue, which was caught in the Mississippi River, weighing 124 pounds. Like all catfish, blues eagerly take any type of organic offering.

the world record mud cat rocked the scales at almost 124 pounds. Though these cats are more predatory than the channel cat, most of the same baits can be used to catch either species.

The blue catfish is the largest North American catfish and is found primarily in the Mississippi River drainage, which includes most of the U.S. Blues are especially prevalent in tailwater rivers below hydroelectric dams, where water releases contain lots of killed and injured www.isoutdoors.com

Bullhead refers to the three smaller catfish; the black bullhead; the brown bullhead, and the yellow bullhead or fiddler, as it is often called. Bullheads are most commonly caught in seldomfished ponds, small lakes, and creeks.

Bullheads do not get as large as the other U.S. catfishes, averaging 1 to 2 pounds. Bullheads are often confused with juvenile flathead catfish. However, other catfish have forked tails, and all bullheads have a squared tail. Bullheads will hit any type of bait.

What You Need to Land Them Tackle needs for catfish are relatively simple, unless you are fishing where leviathan-size fish might be encountered, such as in a tailwater river below a dam. In most instances tackle as rudimentary as a Zebco 33 outfit will suffice for catfish, although there is certainly a lot to be said for higher quality, more expensive tackle.

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ISOutdoors We recommend medium- to heavyaction spin or bait-casting outfits strung with 10- to 14-pound test line.

Hook size where small to medium-size cats are the likely catch should be 02, while for big fish 04 to 06 hooks are recommended. If you are fishing for really big cats, heavy action rodsand 30-pound-test line are recommended.

There are as many ways to catch catfish as there are people who cast for these fish, and the same is true of the myriad of baits anglers swear by for catching Mr. Whiskers. One thing most people to agree on at this time of year is that the best fishing, not only in terms of catches, but in comfort, as well, is during the late evening, night, and early morning hours.

While catfish are more active than most other fishes in seasonally warm waters, they are predominantly nocturnal fish that forage most actively when there is little to no sunlight.

How to Catch Them If you are looking for catfish hot spots, read the local newspapers for fishing reports. Wildlife departments and local game warders are another good source www.isoutdoors.com

of information, because they typically keep up with commercial fishing activity, which really keeps catfish in the crosshairs. Tailwater rivers are always reliable hotspots but, if you decide to try one of these areas, do so from the banks and plan on using 2 to 4 ounces of lead to keep your baits on the bottom, where most catfish will be feeding. Currents are strong in tailwater river discharges but this, along with the smorgasbord of minced fish passing through the deadly blades of the turbines, are why lots of catfish crowd the first couple of miles below a dam.

On natural rivers, old-fashioned trotline fishing for cats remains popular. Trotline baits are left out at night, using

ISOutdoors 150-pound-test cotton twine or braided nylon, with 12-inch lines spaced 3 to 4 feet across and tipped with baited hooks.

Trotlines are either stretched across medium-size rivers, or set out off a main channel point in a reservoir. You check the lines the next morning by pulling them up or out of the water, removing any caught fish and re-baiting the hooks.

Trotlines are classic hit or miss fishing, sometimes netting dozens of catfish one morning, while other mornings producing nothing. If you have only a day to fish and do not want to stay up all night, then trotlines are perfect.

Jug fishing is a more active approach to the multi-hook trotline school of catfishology. Rather than putting out a 100- to 300-foot -long trotline with 50 or so hooks, when jugging you use discarded gallon- to quart-size plastic milk or bleach jugs. Lines tipped with sinkers and baited hooks are suspended 3 to 5 feet below a jug, which not only keeps the location of the bait easily visible, but when a catfish is hooked the jugšs movement telegraphs that to the waiting anglers. When action is heavy, it is all two anglers in a boat can do to

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chase down jugs in tow behind angry catfish.

There are lots of other ways to fish for catfish. On ponds, one of the most productive methods is to place bait fish on the bottom with a half-dozen or so lines. All you have to do is bring along a comfortable chair and your favorite beverage iced down in a cooler.

Bank pole fishing at night along rivers and big creeks can be an adventure.

Dad used to visit cane breaks, where he would chop out a couple of dozen 7to-8-foot long cane poles. These were strung with 10 feet of line, and baited at dark. The sharp ends of the poles were stuck in the ground, and spaced out every 20 or so feet. Then we would build a bonfire and, about every hour or so until dawn, we would walk up the river to check our poles. One word of warning to the weak of heart, though—this is one of the best ways in the country to see lots of snakes in the moonlight.

Hot weather and angling for catfish go hand-in-hand, so if you have a little down time and feel the need for fishing fun, Mr. Whiskers is your ticket.

Can’t Go Wrong With Yellowstone

Have you fished America¹s “Fort Knox” of trout fishing?

by Ed Rivers

ISOutdoors

If you grew up fly fishing for trout in the East, you probably dreamed about fishing the streams and rivers of Yellowstone National Park. Of course, if you grew up near those streams, every eastern fly-rodder hates your guts.

Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the world, and is located in sections of the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles, comprising lakes, www.isoutdoors.com

canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges.

Besides stellar fishing for trout, the park is also known for its wildlife, geothermal features, varied forest ecosystems, and the dominant subalpine forest.

It would take you years to fish all of the streams and rivers in this large national park. So here’s a thumbnail sketch of the best and some of the least-known waters you can fish in park boundaries.

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ISOutdoors Yellowstone River The Yellowstone River offers spectacular fishing, with some of this flow being easy to access, while other seldom-fished areas require considerable legwork. The section of river from Yellowstone Lake down to Chittenden Bridge opens for fishing on July 15. A road parallels the river for this entire stretch.

This portion of the Yellowstone holds great fly fishing for native cutthroat trout on dry flies. Matching the hatches on this section of river is more important than it is on any other waters in Yellowstone National Park.

Below Chittenden Bridge, the Yellowstone plunges over two gigantic waterfalls before disappearing through the Grand and Black Canyons to where it exits the Park at Gardiner. Downstream of the lower falls, anglers catch native Yellowstone cutthroats as well as brown and rainbow trout. Large attractor dry flies and nymphs are most effective in www.isoutdoors.com

the turbulent canyon pocket water. Here the Yellowstone is big water, and anglers should use caution when wading.

Firehole River The Firehole is a unique river. It offers easy access to great fly fishing alongside Yellowstone best opportunities to see lots of elk and bison. Many of the Park’s most spectacular thermal features are located on or near the Firehole. These are dangerous as well as beautiful, meaning you must use caution when fishing the Firehole. This river is most productive early and late in the season, when water temperatures are below 70 degrees.

Brook trout dominate in the reaches upstream of Old Faithful, while rainbows and browns are common downstream

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of Biscuit Basin. This is an aquatic insectrich flow with outstanding hatches of mayflies, caddis flies, stoneflies, midges, and even damselflies. Firehole trout are picky, meaning that, when they are rising, matching the hatch is the best way to take these trout. When surface action is not occurring, nymphs and soft hackle wets will produce if dead drifted.

Madison River The Madison is easily accessible, and offers a variety of angling opportunities.

The river winds its way ten miles downstream through scenic valleys before exiting the Park near West Yellowstone. The Madison has multiple personalities. Some reaches are largely shallow riffles, while others are deep runs and pools. Other stretches of the www.isoutdoors.com

Madison are more like the tranquil, clear water flows of a large spring creek. In the latter you match wits with sophisticated, angler-wary trout that test the skills of even the most accomplished fly fishermen.

The Madison is most productive early and late in the day during the early July to late September season. The spring creek areas demand a stealthy approach.

However, the runs, riffles, and pools are not nearly as technically demanding.

Drifting a nymph or ripping streamer through the deeper reaches of such sections of the Madison is productive in terms of both trout numbers and size.

Gallatin River Another easily accessed river, the

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Gallatin offers a smorgasbord of water types, from cottonwood-lined meadows to a smattering of fast-flowing, pocketfilled runs and riffles. Since the Gallatin remains colder longer than other park streams, fly fishing there peaks in early July, when mayfly, caddis fly, and stonefly hatches fill the air. www.isoutdoors.com

The Gallatin is best known for its average- to nice-size rainbow trout.

Most ‘bows will tape 12-inches long or less, but donšt let that make you become complacent. Trophy-class trout also occupy these waters, especially in areas with modest fishing pressure. The

Gallatin has a well-deserved reputation for providing great fishing one day and poor catches the next.

Gibbon River If you want it all, then the Gibbon is your best option in Yellowstone National Park.

It is a small river, but along its length one can find placid meadow reaches, fast and steep canyon water, and classic riffle-run-pool habitat, all divided by crashing waterfalls and thermal features.

The road runs along most of its length, making access easy.

Attractor dries and nymphs work well in fast runs, while matching the hatch is critical in meadow reaches. Later in the season, fish feed on terrestrial insects that fall into the river off of overhanging vegetation, so be prepared with hopper, beetle, and ant patterns.

Lamar River Located off the beaten path in the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park, the Lamar is overlooked by many fly fishermen trekking west for trout. It offers both road and backcountry access.

High country runoff often lasts until late July, making the Lamar a late-bloomer in

terms of peak fishing time. Much of the time, matching hatches is not necessary for great fishing, as large attractor dry flies, terrestrial patterns, and stonefly nymphs are always productive here.

Nearby Slough Creek is beloved by dryfly enthusiasts, as the cutthroat trout here liberally sip the surface. This is a meadow stream for most of its length, with periodic fast-flowing canyon stretches separating the meadow reaches. Road access is via the dirt road leading to Slough Creek Campground, but many anglers choose to hike to more remote waters. Fly fishing is best beginning when the runoff subsides, and lasts until the first snows kill off the terrestrial insects that the trout feed on later in the season For more information about fishing and visiting Yellowstone National Park, visit www.yellowstonenationalpark.com

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Go Go Go

XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

ophers:

The Prairie Dog Craze

by MattGuedes, Western Field Editor

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XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

One of the fastest growing shooting or hunting sports is prairie dog hunting.

It is growing so rapidly that when you Google prairie dog hunting you get more than 534,000 sites. Among those sites ishttp://www.ultimateprairiedoghunting. com/, listing itself as a “prairie dog hunting destination website and community.� Also listed areprofessional prairie dog Hunters and then the wide range of outfitters, hunter’s blogs, and even prairie dog lodges.

With the craze of prairie dog hunting comesan increasing market of companies and products to capitalize on this strong and growing community of hunters. All the major companies in the outdoor world are in, or are moving into, the marketplace of the prairie dog movement. So what is it that is driving the rush into the prairie dog world?

The first thing to evaluate is the prairie dog itself. A prairie dog is not a game animal and is considered a varmint.

This rodent is mostly found west of the Mississippi and actually consists of five different species. The animal’s name comes from where they live and from their “bark,� which is used as a warning to

the colony. They live in these colonies or towns, which consist of up to 25 family groups. Their numbers are growing and, because they are viewed by many as pests, the opportunities to hunt them are plentiful.

The Beginning of the Sport Most of the prairie dog hunting that has led to today’s widespread growth started as farmers and livestock herders would shoot these animals, because of the danger to their equipment, crops, and livestock from the burrows that these varmints make. Today many such landowners still will allow anyone to hunt the rodents because of the continued problems they create.

Things have come a long way, from shooting prairie dogs because of the damage they do into the fully developed money-making machine the sport has become. Today there are all kinds of outfitters, hunting lodges, do-it-yourself hunts, specialty gear, specialty guns, and much more that is making the prairie dog market a hot spot among those who make their living in the hunting world.

Most people who venture out to hunt XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

*40VUEPPST

prairie dogs do so because they enjoy the opportunity to hunt a small rodent with various weapons or because they find it an entertaining way to hone their shooting/hunting skills for other game.

It has become a sport of its own, and now there are competitions that deal with shooting the most or shooting the farthest prairie dog. The value in hunting these critters is often two fold.

You get to grow in your shooting skills and you get to benefit the landowner who wants them gone anyway.

How to Hunt the Dogs The most effective method to hunt these wary rodents is to do so at a distance.

They are very leery of anything that XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

gets too close. If you are comfortable shooting at distances of 100 to 500 yards and even beyond, you can wear out a barrel. The need to shoot out to distances of 500 yards and beyond has become a challenge that has driven the market to develop bench guns that are high-end and capable of 1,000 yards and beyond. That also has driven the need for top-notch optics for such guns. These specialty guns, not all that different from those used for groundhog hunting back east, can be very costly and aren’t for everyone. Many big-game hunters venture out with their standard biggame rifle just to practice and prepare for the big-game season.

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When you look into prairie dog guns, you will find a wide selection of calibers and makes. You will find .22, .22 magnums, and .17 hmrs everywhere. That limits most people to 150 yards and in. You then find guns designed for greater distance shooting. Kimber, Savage, Marlin, and many other companies now make specialty rifles just for this type of varmint hunting. Then there are those who buy or build custom bench guns with bull barrels and all the bells and whistles in 6 mm and other small, fast, flat calibers.

Increasing Your Skills at Shooting Where I live, in Colorado, I was introduced to prairie dog hunting by XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

Roy Hisel. Roy uses the great numbers of prairie dogs available and the local landowners’ desire to get rid of them to allow us to even more challenging hunts – we hunt these varmints with our bows in order to really fine tune our ability.

The challenge begins because it is very difficult to get close to this animal. Add to that the fact that the prairie dog is a very small target. Then add the common gusty wind in the open fields, and you find yourself with a real challenge.

With all that difficulty involved, it is easy to see why we enjoy it so much. Our philosophy is that if we can shoot prairie dogs under those circumstances, at farther than normal hunting distances,

*40VUEPPST we will only be that much better shooters in normal big-game hunting scenarios. We will often shoot at 50-plus yards, and Roy has a verified kill at 83 yards, while my longest comes at just over 70 yards. When you venture out you need to have lots of arrows and a great attitude, because it is often a very difficult hunt without a huge success ratio. If your goal, however, is to grow in your abilities to shoot, it will definitely do that for you.

Planning Your Prairie Dog Hunt If you desire to hunt prairie dogs, you have several options. One is to hunt them on public land. There is plenty of opportunity to do that in most western states. Secondly,if you spot a colony on private land, you can ask the local landowner – you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how often you will get permission. The third and growing option is to actually hunt with an outfitter who will give you a fully guided hunt on some great property that is full of prairie dogs.

One such opportunity exists with the Seufer Ranch in Holly, Colorado. Sitting on the Colorado/Kansas border, this XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

outfitter offers you more than 9,000 acres of private land to hunt for a very reasonable $100 a day. They have lodging available and you will enjoy yourself in this pleasant setting. You can reach them at (719) 537-6573.

Another outfitter booking prairie dog hunts in my home state is Hubbard Creek Outfitters in Hotchkiss, Colorado. They offer both guided and unguided hunts and they can be reached at (970) 8723818.

Bio: Matt Guedes is is a follower of Christ who loves all that is involved in hunting.

Matt resides in Mesa, Colorado, with his wife and three children. He enjoys sharing his passion and experience from all of his outdoor adventures. Matt is currently on the pro staffs for Brock Ray’s World of Outdoors, Mathews Archery, Ripcord Rests, Tru-Fire Releases and Broadheads, Norway Products, and Schaffer’s Performance Archery. Contact Matt at matt@mesaairnet.com or on facebook (Matt Guedes) if you are interested in having him speak at your game dinner or outdoor event.

Food Plot 10

Gearing Up Fo

by Don Kirk

So you want to try your hand at creating your own food plot(s), in hopes of improving your whitetail hunting success where you expect to set your treestand this autumn. There’s nothing new in food plots – unless, of course,

you are new to creating your own food plots. This three-part series of articles will cover three key steps to successful hunting over a productive food plot.

This segment addresses the equipment needed to be a food plot farmer. The

01, Part One:

or Food Plots next installment will cover plant sowing choices, followed by actual planting strategies.

You don’t need a barn full of farm equipment to make your own food plots but, frankly, if you do that is really neat.

If you get or have all the equipment needed to do everything there is to do in the world of food plots, the list includes a plow, field cultivator, disc harrow, drag/spring tooth harrow, cultipacker, and seed spreader. Here’s why this list is important.

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What They Do Plows are tilling implements used for breaking ground and turning over weedorgrass-covered soil to begin a seedbed.

The size of the plow is specified by the number of “bottoms� and the size of each “bottom� – 14 and 16 inches are common agricultural sizes. You must be careful to properly choose the size that will work with your tractor or other power equipment. Also remember the soil type greatly influences the power requirement. For example: a 70 XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

horsepower (hp) tractor can easily pull a 3 bottom plow in sandy soil, but the same tractor will struggle in clay.

Guidelines for required plow horsepower are as follows: 2-bottom: 50-70 hp 3-bottom: 70-95 hp 4-bottom: 95-140 hp 5-bottom: 130-165 hp 6-bottom: 150-175 hp 7-bottom: 175-200 hp

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Typically, a field cultivatoris used for secondary tillage – stirring and pulverizing the soil, either before planting (to aerate the soil and prepare a smooth, loose seedbed) or after the crop has begun growing (to kill weeds). These are often used in accompaniment with a chisel plow, which has shanks that work deep beneath the surface, breaking up hardpan. Consequently, cultivating takes much less power per shank than does chisel plowing.

A disc harrow is used to cultivate the soil where crops are to be planted. It is also used to chop up unwanted weeds or crop remainders. It consists of many iron or steel discs which have slight concavity and are arranged into two or four sections. When viewed from above, the four sections would appear to form an “X� which has been flattened to be wider XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

than it is tall. The discs are also offset so that they are not parallel with the overall direction of the implement. This is so they will slice the ground they cut over a little bit, to optimize the results. The concavity of the discs, as well as their being offset, causes them to loosen and pickup the soil they cut.

Drag or spring-tooth harrows are largely outdated types of soil cultivation implements that are used to smooth the ground, as well as loosen it after it has been plowed and packed. They use many flexible iron teeth usually arranged into three rows. These harrows have no hydraulic functionality and have to be raised/adjusted with one or multiple manual levers. They can be used effectively on well-tilled soil to lightly cover broadcast seed.

*40VUEPPST Cultipacker equipment crushes dirt clods, removes air pockets, and presses down small stones, forming a smooth, firm seedbed. Where seed has been broadcast, the roller gently firms the soil around the seeds, ensuring shallow seed placement and excellent seed-tosoil contact. The cultipacker differs from the roller in that it is made up of many sections that form peaks and valleys in the soil where the packer has been used.

Seed spreaders broadcast seed.The smallest can be carried or pushed while spreading seed.The next size up is designed to be towed behind a garden tractor or ATV. The largest are commercial broadcast seed spreaders designed for agricultural tractor threepoint hitch mounts. These are powered by a power take-off (P.T.O.) shaft from the tractor. The basic operating concept of broadcast spreads is simple – a large material hopper is positioned over a horizontal spinning disk, which has a series of three or four fins attached to it. Those fins throw the dropped materials from the hopper out and away from the seeder/ spreader. Alternatively, a pendulum spreading mechanism may be employed.

Next month; what to plant in your food plot

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F I S H I N G

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by Roger Lee Brown, “The Bass Coach�

I know it’s been awhile since my last article, and I certainly appreciate all the daily emails, phone calls, and letters that I have received (at least 200+ per week), but I have been having a bit of a painful recovery after my back surgery last Spring. I also wish to apologize to and thank all of the three-day (bass fishing school) students and charter inquiries that I couldn’t schedule this past season due to a full schedule (along with my recovery). Lord willing, this season I hope to accommodate XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

those of you that I couldn’t get to this past season. I am scheduling three-day students and charters at the present for this upcoming season so, if you wish to enroll in the three-day bass fishing school, now would be the best time to do it! My teaching and charter season usually starts around mid April and continues through October or November (depending on the seasonal climate.)

Now that that’s out of the way, here is the one! Numeral Uno! The cat’s meow!The rig that will definitely make the difference between catching and not

catching fish. I simply call it the “Mo-Wak� rig, because it’s really two different rigs (which are the Mo-Jo & Wacky rig) put into one.First, let me explain what these two rigs are and their presentations.

Mo-Jo Bass Fishing Magic The “Mo-Jo� rig (also known by some anglers as the “Mo-Jo Magic� rig) is rigged by either using a 1- to 2-foot leader with a swivel, hook, and a light weight. This set-up can be also rigged without a swivel, using a pegged weight to allow it to slide up and down whatever leader size you wish. This rig has been used by some of the top pros for years, but has been a well-kept secret because of how well it works at catching bass. I would even go as far to say that 80% of my former bass fishing school students have never even heard of this rig, so the Mo-Jo may be new to you, as well.

The Mo-Jo rig can be used just about any place – under certain conditions. When I rig a Mo-Jo, I usually use the lightest weight I can get away with. First I grab a 3/16-oz. slip weight and put it on my line (always put it on the line point

first!); next, I usually tie on a 1/0 or 2/0 worm hook to the end of my line. Then I grab a toothpick (you can use a rubber peg made by some of the different companies, but a toothpick is much cheaper!), and peg my weight. After this is done, I choose my bait depending on what I feel the bass would want under the conditions and environments where I will fish the rig.

I‘ve found that some of the following baits are very effective on the MoJo rig: (Yamamoto’s) Senkos, (Zoom) Centipedes (also known as French Fries), (Yamamoto’s) Twin Tailed Hula Grubs, XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

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Lizards, Worms, and there are, of course, many more. Yamamoto’s Senkos are probably my favorite!Now, to complete this rig I will choose one of these baits and Texas rig it on the hook, and then I will slide the “pegged� weight up the line to what ever leader size I wish. That’s it!

the Senko, you insert the bait into the middle of the hook, thus causing plastic to dangle on both sides of the hook when working it. This rig can be deadly, and many anglers have been using it in recent years with much success but, like any presentation, you can find a flaw.

Now, cast the Mo-Jo rig to where you think the fish are, let it slowly drop to the bottom. Periodically, slowly lift the tip of your rod, then let it fall again and reel up the slack in your line. The slower you work this rig, the better! If the wind starts to pick up when fishing this rig, you can do one of two things; use a heavier weight, or face the boat into the wind and cast straight in front of the boat.

These two changes will keep some of the slack (or bow) out of your line.

Without any weight added, this can be a very tough rig to work in windy conditions. Sometimes a Senko can be very effective when you just Texas rig the bait without any added weight, but again the wind can be somewhat of a deterrent. This technique can be used just about anywhere you can find fish, with great success.

Go Nuts withthe Wacky Rig The next rig mentioned is the well known “Wacky Rig,� made very popular with the (Yamamoto) Senkos. The difference between the Wacky rig and the Mo-Jo rig is quite simple – the Wacky rig is usually used without any attached weight and, instead of Texas rigging XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

Now, between these two different rigs the best is yet to come. Here are a couple of examples that I have encountered in the past couple of years with some of my students, pros, and a couple of charters.

Catching Bass When They Shut Down About two years ago, I had two students from Nevada that fish club tournaments.

Both of them were fairly new to bass fishing and wanted to learn how to

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F I S H I N G

catch bass during conditions where the bass seem to shut right down (boy does this happen a lot!). Anyway, the second day of the school, sure enough, we encountered those same conditions on Lake Champlain (which is usually where I teach). We tried a good variety of different baits and presentations, but they weren’t doing the job. Normally, when you have a lake shut down, the best technique you can use is the slowest presentation you can muster.

Well, we tried the Mo-Jo rig without much success, then we went to the Wacky Rig, on which we had a couple of short strikes. However, as soon as we went to the Wacky Rig, the wind started to pick up a bit and I knew we needed some weight to fish this rig consistently.

About mid-day, with only a couple of fish caught between my students and myself, I started getting a bit frustrated—like most of us do under these conditions, right? Anyway, after taking three steps back and a deep breath I started thinking of a way to catch these stubborn fish.

That’s when I came up with the Idea of joining these two rigs together. So, I took XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

a Mo-Jo rig and, instead of Texas rigging the bait, I took a Senko and Wacky rigged it on the Mo-Jo, then made a cast. A couple of minutes after it settled to the bottom, a fish just about ripped the rod out of my hand and literally hooked itself! Guess what? To our surprise, about a3½-pound smallmouth bass boated on the first cast. A few minutes after I released the fish, Ron (one of my students) screamed “Yeah – I got one on!â€? and, before he even got it in the boat, Fred (the other student) yelled, “It works!â€?

Long story short, we caught several fish in a short time in the same area where we had been getting the short strikes. So, wanting to be sure about this modification I had made from the two different rigs, we went to another place and the same thing happened. We caught several fish there as well and, for the remainder of the class period, we caught plenty of fish for the day.

Now It’s the Mo-Wak This started me thinking about how to refer to this modification of the two rigs. The name I came up with was the “Mo-Wak� rig.

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Since I have been using and teaching this new rig, all my clients and students have been amazed at how well it actually works, and plan to keep a rod rigged with it always on deck.

NC, Don Pedro, CA, Sam Rayburn, TX, St. Johns River, FL, Santee Cooper, SC, Lake Lanier, GA, Kerr Reservoir, NC, Candlewood, CN, and a few other places.

In every area, I had great success.

Later on in the season, I had a wellknown pro who was going to be fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament out of Plattsburg, NY. He needed some help, so since there was an open slot in my three-day school well before the cut-off period, he enrolled. We went out for three days and fished different parts of the lake, to get him somewhat comfortable with different areas to fish.

Guess what? He was one of these “Drop Shot� fanatics who catch numbers, rather than size, for weight. The same time he was using the Drop Shot rig, I used my Mo-Wak rig, and my fish averaged at least a pound (if not more) that each of his fish.

One question that I get from students is how to work the Mo-Wak rig in grass or vegetation. The answer, quite simply, is to use a hook with a little wire weed guard on it.

Don’t think for a moment that the MoWak rig is just a technique that works only for us “Frozen Brains� up here in the Northeast. Since I have started using this rig, I have taught students on Lake Anna, VA, Shasta Lake, CA, Lake Norman, XXX JTPVUEPPST DPN

I really suggest that you give the Mo-Wak rig a try and see for yourselves. I think that you just may become addicted to it and will use it for years to come.

If you have any questions about the “Mo-Wak� rig, or wish to enroll in my three-day bass fishing school at your home lake or mine, or just wish to charter a day of bass fishing, you can phone me at (518) 597-4240, or visit my website, or email me at rlbrown@capital.net .

Until next time, take care and God bless you always!

www.isoutdoors.com

*40VUEPPST CANINE CARE

he Co e Co an

Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc. Marty Smith, DVM

I am often asked by puppy owners how they can teach their dog the “come� command. For the safety of your puppy, the “come� command is the most important command to teach.

The goal in teaching the “come� command is to have a well-disciplined dog that can always be brought to your side, regardless of the situation. This is as much for your dog’s safety and protection as it is for your convenience.

My method of teaching “come� to a puppy involves the use of a collar and a long leash or check cord. However, your puppy first needs to become adjusted to the sensation of the collar and the effect of the leash. Do not start training until this is done. We prefer a leash or cord that is at least 15 ft. long. Also, choose a training time when there are no distractions.

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Stand with the pup several feet from you and gently pull him toward you with the cord. As he reaches you, give praise by gently reaching down to pet him, rubbing him across the shoulders a few times. It may also help to kneel down in a crouched position to encourage the pup to come to you.

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You don’t need to say anything at all yet, because saying “come” will just be confusing to the pup at this point.

In all training, I believe that a dog should know and understand the action demanded by a command before you ever add human language to it. Dogs don’t understand our words.

They can be taught to understand, but it is not a natural or instinctive process for them. Repeat the pulling-in and praise

a few more times.

The first lesson should only be a few minutes long; a pup’s attention span is short and we want the lessons to be a fun time between pup and owner.

After a few sessions, you will notice that the puppy comes to you more easily each time, until the slightest tug on the cord starts the pup right toward you. This is exactly what we want. Giving treats is not necessary, but since this is such a difficult command for some dogs to learn, it may assist in training.

Co e ’ is the ost i ortant o an o ’ll e er tea h o r og t o l sa e o r og’s li e

Once you are confident that the pup will start coming to you with the slightest pull on the cord, say “come” at the same instant you start to pull on the cord. Just say it once and don’t repeat yourself. Do not raise your voice. The pup will soon

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associate the action of “come� with the verbal command. Repeat this process until the cord, although still attached to the collar, plays no part in bringing the

puppy to you. Rather, the pup comes on his own as a response to the verbal command. At this point in the training, the cord can be removed. Working in a controlled area, the command can be given and the correct behavior rewarded with mild praise. There will be instances when the pup challenges your authority.

Then it is time to go back to using the check cord for a period of time to remind your pup.

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Be careful how you use spoken commands around your pup. For example, the pup probably won’t even hear you as he runs across the neighbor’s yard, playing with another dog.

Screaming “come-come-come� at a time like that only tells a pup that he can get away with disobeying your commands. Use common sense when using the command and make sure the puppy always obeys. Also be sure that all family members use the same word for the same command. One person can’t be saying “here,� another saying “come here, Ralph,� and yet another “over here� and expect the puppy to understand and obey. “Come�’ is the most important command you’ll ever teach your dog. It could save your dog’s life. You and everyone around you will appreciate a dog that is obedient and under control.