Topwater fly fishing

May-June 2022 Topwater fly fishing can be addictive

By TERRY AND ROXANNE WILSON

Dew glistened in the first rays of morning light in contrast to the water, which appeared foreboding, dark and mysterious. The stillness was shattered by the noisy splashing of surface feeding bass, and our strides toward the source hastened.

Our deer-hair popper lit with a splat in a pocket of lily pads, causing miniature shock waves to alert the subsurface world to its presence.

A twitch of the rod tip caused a gurgling lurch of the brightly colored puff of deer hair before it disappeared as the pond bottom exploded with the violent strike of a largemouth bass. Time stopped as the battle raged until the assailant was subdued, admired and released.

Be forewarned: Topwater fly fishing for largemouth bass is addictive.

Everything about the largemouth bass lends itself to indulging the dry-fly soul of fly fishers, from the explosive strike to the visible fight that is often waged above the water’s surface. Their eyes are located nearly on the top of their heads. So the bass’s natural inclination is to search above its position for a meal. This aggressive, ambush predator’s cavernous mouth and extensive menu remove selectivity from the fishing equation.

Our weapons of choice are 7-, 8- and 9-weight rods. We need a strong fighting butt to wrench big bass out of heavy cover, and our large, wind-resistant surface flies require big rods with bass taper floating lines to deliver them efficiently. Leaders tapered to tippets of 8- to 16-pound test balance the delivery system.

POPPERS AND

FLOATER/DIVERS

We use various popper types, colors, sizes and materials, and a selection of floater/ divers to fill our topwater

Flies like this Hula Diver are must-haves for the spring and summer flybox. – Roxanne Wilson photo A twitch of the rod tip might be all you need to make the story of the summer. – Roxanne Wilson photo

bass boxes. Poppers with cupped faces create surface disturbances, which imitate struggling prey, triggering the predator’s instinct to search them out and attack. Yet, the cup faces cause the movements without allowing the flies to advance very far across the water’s surface. This is a decided advantage when fishing small pockets in weeds and moss.

Whatever your material of choice, try these poppers in sizes 2/0 through 4/0. If the largemouth waters of choice contain strong-stemmed weed growth, such as milfoil or lilies, the addition of weed guards will save lots of aggravation. White, yellow and chartreuse are our favorite popper colors because they are easily seen by the bass as well as the fly fisher. Floater/divers are another class of flies that seduce bass from the water’s surface. These flies float at rest but are fashioned with a sloping head that enables them to be pulled under the water a few inches, then pop back to the surface when line tension is released. Their effectiveness can be traced to the appearance of vulnerability created as a hapless creature tries to swim but cannot go far before coming to rest again. Also, floater/divers provide a more visual target to the bass even when wind makes a choppy water surface.

MUDDLER TO HULA DIVER

Six decades ago, Don Gap-

of fishing his creation, the Muddler Minnow, by dressing the deer-hair head with floatant, then pulling them under before allowing them to resurface. It took another 20 years before Larry Dahlberg clipped deer hair to form the sloping-style head that now bears his name. Once again, cork, foam strips and deer hair have been used to create buoyant heads for these flies, while a variety of tailing materials, such as strands of tinsel, rabbit strip, feathers, craft hair and rubber hackle are utilized to provide flash and action. Using the same principle, we tie Sili Legs tails onto a clipped deer-hair head, resulting in a fly we call “Hula Diver.” Those tantalizing legs continue to wiggle after the fly returns to the surface. We favor bi-colored deer hair in yellow/orange and chartreuse/ red on a size 2 Tiemco 8089 hook. Floater/divers can be fished successfully in a variety of ways. One of our favorite en described the effectiveness Generations of fishermen have become enamored with the surface strike of largemouth bass. – Roxanne Wilson photo

retrieves involves a strip to pull the fly under, followed by moving the rod tip in the same direction at an accelerated pace before releasing the tension. This technique is designed to simulate distressed prey desperately trying to escape. Predators such as largemouth bass are stimulated to attack by the possibility of the prey’s escape.

THE DRY-FLY SOUL

Weed lines, especially pockets in the weeds, can provide excellent targets for surface flies, as can wood structure such as downed trees, brush, and docks. Target the shady side of these structures for the best results. As summer progresses and waters warm, fish early mornings when the surface is coolest after the long night.

It’s easy to understand why generations of bass aficionados have become enamored by the explosive surface strike of largemouth bass. It satisfies the dry-fly soul in all of us.

Minnesota tribes’ protected fishing returns

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Each spring, Native American tribal members in Minnesota preserve their cultural heritage while providing a vital food source for tribal communities by harvesting fish through netting and spearing.

This legally protected, regulated harvest of fish usually begins in mid-April at ice-out.

With the tribal spring harvest season underway, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) expressed support for tribal members exercising their harvest rights within the 1837 Ceded Territory and within reservation boundaries.

The 1837 treaty reserves to tribal members the right to hunt and fish in the ceded territory, free of state regulation.

WALLEYE UNDER TREATY

The DNR reminded state residents that it is illegal to interfere or attempt to interfere with tribal members exercising treaty rights, including the spring harvesting of walleye.

“As we look forward to warmer spring weather and ice-out, we are taking the important step of expressing the DNR’s continued support of tribal fish harvests,” DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said. “These activities are sustainably managed and profoundly important to Native American communities.”

The tribal harvest within the 1837 Ceded Territory is regulated by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Every season, both the state and tribes agree on the amount of fish that can be harvested, based on the long-term health of the resource. Each tribe then declares to the DNR how many of each species of fish they intend to harvest from each lake in each ceded territory.

“The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is looking forward to the spring harvest to exercise our treaty rights to hunt, fish and gather,” Fond du Lac Chairman Kevin Dupuis Sr. said “Collectively, with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, we look forward to preserving this important cultural, natural and economic resource for future generations.”

EACH FISH IS COUNTED

Harvest begins shortly after the ice melts, with fishing permits issued by the tribes to their members. Each fish – whether harvested by spear or net – is counted individually and recorded for data used in fishery management, including lake-by-lake determinations of when the year’s declared harvest is reached and further harvest is closed for the year.

“The Band’s harvest of fish in the ceded territory is a right that was retained and guaranteed by the 1837Treaty and affirmed by the courts,” Mille Lacs Band Commissioner of Natural Resources Kelly Applegate said. “Our ancestors knew the importance of the rights to hunt, fish and gather resources to preserve our culture into the future.”

Tribal members follow conservation codes set forth by the governing bodies of their nations for harvest within reservation boundaries.

It is illegal to interfere or attempt to interfere with tribal members who are exercising treaty rights, including the spring harvest of walleye. Prohibited conduct against any tribal member includes, but is not limited to: stalking, obstructing access to lakes, recklessly operating watercraft, creating hazardous wakes, threatening violence or committing acts of violence.

Here’s a fine pair of fishy tales

By GERALD J. SCOTT

A relatively recent but very avid reader suggested I write a column about some of my most memorable fishing moments. It was a challenging request. I’d been fishing somewhere around 68 years, so I had ample time to gather thousands of memories – the majority of them good.

Plus I’d been writing professionally for 34 years, so I’d already told hundreds of my best fishy tales.

But be that as it may, here are two tales that logic would deem to be virtually unique. The first was pure fun; the second, not so much.

1: THE HIGH

DIVING BULLHEAD

Pipe Creek bisects my maternal great-great-grandfather’s Ottawa County, Kansas homestead. In the 1950s, it was still a living stream with a few pools deep enough to float your hat. Big bullheads were Pipe Creek’s main attraction, and multiple generations of my family spent many a Sunday afternoon on its banks, catching them by the dozen.

Of course, you can’t have big bullheads without having little bullheads, and on this particular morning, my grandfather and I were trying to catch little bullheads to use for flathead bait. It was, as Walter Cronkite used to say, “a day like all days,” until we came to a high-banked pool. Since nobody – me, that is – wanted to walk 50 yards and then clamber down the bank to where we’d tied our floating bait buckets every time either of us caught a fish, I set a halffull bucket of water between us when we sat down on the bank to fish.

The 12-foot cane poles we were using made being five feet above the water irrelevant, and we started sorting through big fish in search of small ones. As anyone who’s fished for them knows, a bullhead can swallow a hook almost before you know you’ve had a bite, so we both had quick strike reflexes whenever our bobbers wiggled.

That may explain why my grandfather swept his pole upward rather vigorously when his bobber disappeared. A sixinch bullhead was rocketed out of the water and flung upward until it reached the height not just of the 12-foot cane pole but also the 11 feet of line attached to it. At this point, the bullhead came unhooked and continued upward for an undetermined distance. Then, while dramatically rotating slowly, end over end, it dove into the nothing-but-net center of the bucket of water.

I asked him to do it again, but he declined.

2: WHEN PIKE

STRIKE BACK

My wife Amber and I were fishing a small lake deep in the Canadian bush when I attempted to bring an 18-inch northern pike into the boat by grabbing the line just above the steel leader – something I’d done at least 1,000 times before. As the fish cleared the gunnel, I lost my grip, and the fish hit the side of the boat. It flopped and buried one of the lure’s three treble hooks into my right thumb past the barb.

I called Amber for help and, amazing as it sounds, the fish remained motionless while she worked her way past a mountain of fishing tackle and camera equipment to reach my end of the boat. The obvious first step was to unhook the fish, which she did. But now what?

This was the first time in my life I’d been the “hookee,” but I’d read somewhere that the proper technique was to push the hook on through the flesh, clip off the barb and then pull it back out. A tentative push on the hook convinced me that this was a procedure best done under a general anesthetic. Besides, doing it that way would leave a wound channel that would be virtually impossible to clean.

A QUICK HOOK

I was in the process of explaining another alleged technique that involved pulling out the hook with a loop of line, when Amber took my thumb in her left hand, her needlenose pliers in her right hand. and instantly solved the problem.

Fast forward 24 hours. I’m fishing the same shoreline with the same lure when it came time to land another pike about the same size as the first one. This time I was gunshy and determined to stay out of trouble. I don’t know how, but I wound up with a hook buried to the bend in my right index finger. This time it hurt like blue blazes, a situation that the thrashing pike didn’t help one bit.

As I recall – Amber may recall it differently – I had to beg to get her to come to my aid. She did, of course, but this time her hook removal technique was, shall we say, unceremonious. I’m certain she said something about not coming back there again.

I’ve only had one hook in my hand – or any other part of my body – since. I removed it myself, using the Amber method, and went back to fishing.

It’s Time To Pack Up & GO!

Connect with the Area’s Most TRUSTED Family-Owned Dealers.

47 West Trailer Sales

26 Dream Hollow • Troy, MO 63379

636.528.4301 Colman’s Country Campers

#2 Fun Street • Hartford, IL 62048 618.254.1180

Apache Village

9001 Dunn Rd. • Hazelwood, MO 63042 877.665.4449

Bill Thomas Camper Sales

101 Thomas RV Way • Wentzville, MO 63385 636.327.5900

Bourbon RV Center

I-44 • Exit 218 • Bourbon, MO 65441

573.732.5100 M.B. Thomas RV Sales & Rental

275 Lemay Ferry Rd. • St. Louis, MO 63125 314.631.5600

Midwest RV Center

6200 Heimos Industrial Park Dr • St. Louis, MO 63129 314.487.8000

Van City RV

3100 Telegraph Rd. • St. Louis, MO 63125 800.467.3905

Byerly RV Center

295 E. 5th St. • Eureka, MO 63025 800.878.3325

May-June 2022 McClelland’s approach to post-spawn bass

By JOHN NEPORADNY JR.

The post spawn can be a time for either slowing down or speeding up to catch recuperating bass.

Major League Fishing pro Mike McClelland acknowledges there is a period during the post spawn when bass get sluggish while recuperating from the rigors of spawning and prefer slower moving lures.

“I don’t know when that window really is because I don’t know exactly when every fish spawns,” he said. He also notices that once bass get past that phase, the fish get “super aggressive” – especially when they start schooling – and chase faster moving baits.

So McClelland favors throwing a lure throughout the post spawn that he can retrieve at various speeds. “There are so many ways to catch bass during that post spawn period but for me, I like to throw a bulked-up football jig,” he said. “A crankbait is a phenomenal post spawn bait, but it is one of those baits that you almost have to have the right water conditions. A football jig is one of those baits that, regardless of the clarity of the water, you can typically catch fish on it. You can work it in so many different manners. You can stroke it or drag it on the bottom.

“Sometimes you have to drag it around to get the first bite, but once you get that first bite and get the school fired up, you can stroke the jig or even swim it at times,” McClelland said. “You can throw it out, let it hit the bottom and then almost wind it like we do with a hardhead (jig) or something like that.”

USING BIG BAITS

Football jigs can be used as finesse baits by selecting smaller jigs and trailers, but McClelland favors beefing up his baits by selecting larger jigs and “bigger than average”

Mike McClelland is prepared to use varying speeds during the post-spawn season.

soft plastic trailers such as the Big Bite Baits Creature Bait or Battle Bug for hungry postspawn bass. “They generally want to eat big baits then,” he said.

A couple of factors determine which size jig McClelland selects during the post spawn. “You have to consider the type of lake and the depth the fish go to,” he said. “Sometimes in the post spawn period on Ozark lakes, it seems like you catch bass as deep as you will catch them right during that period when they start feeding back up.”

When those fish are feeding in deeper water, McClelland favors jigs ranging in size from 5/8 to 1 ounce.

IN THE SHALLOWS

For shallow-water presentations, McClelland usually

See NEPORADNY page 26

Relax!

You’re On Float Time

Waynesville, MO • www.rubyslanding.com

HOME OF SUMMER FUN! 1-800-333-8007

www.vacationbsr.com

Located on the Upper Meramec River in Bourbon, Missouri

Only 1-1/2 Hours from St. Louis

• Canoes • Rafts • Kayaks • Tubes • Swimming Pool • Lodging • Group Rates • Catered BBQ’s • Riverfront Camping • Horseback Riding www.bassresort.com • 573.786.8517

reservations@bassresort.com

The Rural Rambler

There’s no time like May and June TAKE 5

Improve your shotgun bird hunting skills!

Owls have a more positive image these days.

By RUSSELL HIVELY

May and June are the end months of spring and the beginning of summer. These are times when most trees and shrubs have reached their peaks, and blossoms abound, some so small and beautiful that you don’t want to mow your lawn, and for sure never put weed spray on it. These are times when the fish bite next to the shore.

***

Owls have a more positive image with humans these days than in the past. People still stop when they hear an owl. Today it is probably fascination and not fear.

***

Making homemade ice cream has always been a joyful family event. Today, electric motors power the machine. Years ago, kids turned a handle “until you can’t turn the handle any more.” The smallest child usually sat on top of the machine to keep it from jumping around.

***

Did you realize that most of Forsyth, MO, was once moved to build a dam to create a good fishing lake?

***

How many hunters today adhere to the old legend that if a rabbit crossed your path, you were to go back home and start over?

***

4Wages have improved over the years. John Ross, the first postmaster of Jasper, Missouri earned $7.09 in 1845.

***

Bragging about how good a coon dog is makes many men liars. For example, one coon dog was found treeing a coon in a hollow tree. When the tree was cut down, the coon had been dead for an estimated two weeks.

***

Bat guano found in caves was once a source for the manufacture of gunpowder.

***

The making of the movie “Jesse James” in McDonald County, MO, required nearly 100 horses.

***

Did you realize that 90 percent of the world’s self-storage is in the United States? An old-timer found this easy to explain. He said, “Americans have too much junk.”

***

Did you know that one deer can eat 300 acorns per day?

***

Picking cherries when they first ripen occurs in May. An old-timer once remarked, “If one robin eats one cherry, the crop is gone.”

***

Outdoorsmen and women 2 can satisfy the need to be outdoors by picking wild and tame blackberries, strawberries and blue berries in early summer. Some people even pick mulberries for pies and fruit sauce. Do youngsters today even know what “sauce” is?

***

Persimmons are a snackable treat while treading through the fall woods. The persimmon trees bloom in May.

***

Why does joy in our life

1always arise when we hear the sound of a bat on a baseball?

***

Children always marvel at the sighting of the first lightning bugs of the summer. Soon jars with holes in the lid will be filled with the shining bugs.

***

Some red cedar trees release so much pollen it looks like clouds of smoke.

***

May and June are those beginning months. They begin with late spring and move into early summer. There are days which are hot and nights that are cold. Still, they are a time of rebirth and a time for all outdoorsmen to enjoy with walks in the woods and full days of fishing. Anyway, that’s what this old rural rambler thinks.

1 2 3 4 5

– San Diego Zoo photo

Andy Dalton Lake City Jay Henges Parma Woods August A. Busch

Targets in 5-stand shotgun shooting imitate the flight patterns of popular game birds. Shooters rotate through five stations where clay targets can fly left and right, toward, and away and at different angles and speeds – even bounce on the ground. Both MDC shooting ranges in the St. Louis region are hosting 5-stand at the following times through Aug. 31:

August A. Busch Shooting Range Thursday 1 - 7:30 p.m. Friday 10 am. - 4:30 p.m.

Jay Henges Shooting Range Wednesday 1 - 7:30 p.m. Thursday 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

5-stand is excellent prep for game bird hunting and can sharpen your shotgun skills. $4 per round, cash or check only. Includes clay birds; eye and ear protection available.

No reservations, first come first served.

Visit

mdc.mo.gov/shootingranges to learn more.

Page 22 Outdoor Guide Your Guide to GREAT GEAR

Lightweight Salomon boot ranked best of ‘22

When the Switch Back Travel website ranked its “Best Hiking Boots of 2022,” only one could come out on top, and that one was the Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX.

Now that’s a mouthful of a title, but this is a worthy boot, too, in the lightweight category, weighing just under two pounds in waterproof Gore-Tex.

They called it “fast, light, flexible and reasonably priced,” saying it was built like a trail running shoe but with extra ankle support and toe protection, for both comfort and low weight.

It’s also one of the only lightweight designs made in wide foot sizes, and it beats out other lightweights on durability, support and traction.

Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX lists for $165. A review is at https://www.switchbacktravel.com/reviews/salomon-xultra-3-mid-gtx.

Outdoor dish set brings a touch of class to the campout

The GSI Outdoor Cascadian Table Set makes your campground dinner like a night out on the town.

The set has everything you need and nothing that you don’t with its four 91/2-inch plates, four 6-inch bowls, four 12-ounce cups and a mesh storage bag.

It’s lightweight and flexible, made of food-grade polypropylene plastic, easy to pack, stack and carry.

Each piece is made for a long life-cycle, but they are fully recylable when the time comes. The whole set weighs only 27.6 ounces, so bring it along.

The GSI Outdoor Cascadian Table Set can be seen and purchased at rei.com for $34.95.

Hunter’s Devotional lets outdoorsmen bring God along

Since his “A Look at Life from a Deer Stand” first made a splash, Steve Chapman has been writing books encouraging hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts to bring God along.

One of his more recent books is called “The Hunter’s Devotional,” a small volume designed to come along on hunting trips.

It features stories from Chapman’s hunting and fishing adventures written into devotionals that include scripture, insight, anecdotes and prayers.

He has also written “Another Look at Life from a Deer Stand,” “A Look at Life from the Riverbank” and “Stories from the Deer Stand,” among others.

“The Hunter’s Devotional” sells in hardcover for $7.99 at amazon.com. Used copies can be had for $4 plus shipping.

Suuntu compass has all the basics for under $30.

Suuntu of Finland has been making a name for itself by creating accurate and durable compasses that also are affordable.

The Suuntu A-10 compass is described as “fast, simple and accurate.” Features include a high-grade steel needle with jewel bearing, a liquid-filled capsule for stable operations and a detachable snaplock lanyard.

The analog compass is only 1.06 ounce and is 4.09 inches by 2.2 inches. It includes a ruler and is balanced for the Northern Hemisphere.

The Suunto A-10 is available for under $30 from REI, Amazon. com, Suunto.com or Moosejaw.com.

Blackout firewood hammer ready for nails, or zombies

Hardcore Hammers’ new Blackout Survivalist Hammer adds a black matte finish to its American Hickory curved, 18” handle that matches its blackened, treated head and custom black leather sheath.

The 19-ounce head is toughened with FNC (Ferritic Nitrocarburizing) that uses heat, nitrogen and carbon to toughen the steel surface.

The head is 4140 tool steel, known as “ordnance steel” for its use in guns and cannon. It’s more durable and corrosion resistant. A nail or tent stake puller is incorporated into the design.

Hardcore says it’s great “whether it’s pounding nails, chopping and splitting firewood, or fending off the zombie apocalypse.”

The Blackout Survivalist Hammer lists for $164 at hardcorehammers.com.

Mossberg offers optic-ready, autoloading 940 shotgun

The newest member of Mossberg’s 940 Pro family of 12-gauge shotguns is the optic-ready 940 Pro Tactical 8-shot autoloading shotgun, based on Mossberg’s clean-running and redesigned gas operating system.

The 940 Pro Tactical delivers ease of operation, reliability, adjustability and performance-driven features including optic-ready receiver; oversized controls; stock adjustability and an 18.5” barrel with interchangeable choke system.

It has corrosion-resistant internal parts and finishes including nickel boron-coated gas piston, magazine tube, hammer and sear. The durable gas system is compatible with factory-manufactured 2.75” and 3” shotshells.The stock is user-adjustable with a range of 12.5” to 14.25”.

The 940 can be seen online at www.mossberg.com. List price is $1,120, and it weighs 7.5 lbs.

Daiwa brings out versatile Emcast LT spinning reel

The Emcast LT Bite ‘n Run Spinning Reel is the first “live-liner” or “bait-runner” reel to be built on Daiwa’s LT Light and Tough platform.

The versatile reel includes a secondary drag system that can be engaged while live or chunk bait is in the water, reducing drag pressure and allowing fish to run after taking the bait.

Flip the rear switch or turn the handle, and the reel then re-engages its Advanced Tournament Drag System, placing up to 26 pounds of smooth drag pressure to put the brakes on the target – more effective than opening the bail or loosening the primary drag.

The Emcast LT has a lightweight but highly rigid carbon body and rotor, making it one of the lightest live-lining spinning reels.

Sizes range from 2500 to 5000, with models suitable for both fresh and saltwater live bait anglers.

Daiwa Emcast reels can be seen at tackledirect.com with some available for $99.99 plus shipping.

Updated star-gazing guide ready for backyard observations

There are cheaper guides to star gazing, but “The Backyard Astronome’s Guide” has been a classic for 30 years, now is in its fourth edition, and this may be the best one.

Written by Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer as a straight-forward field manual, it has been updated to cover the latest discoveries.

It now has 416 pages, illustrated with star charts and photographs. Five new chapters discuss binoculars, telescopes and Moon tours, written by astronomy author Ken Hewitt-White.

Techniques for observing the sun, moon and solar and lunar eclipses are described – just in time for solar eclipses coming in 2023 and 2024.

“The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide” is available at Barnes & Noble.com for $49.95.

Deuce #2 will do when you need a ‘number two’ hole

This might be something you want to look into, but not too closely! It’s the Deuce #2 latrine trowel that can come in very handy when you need it to be.

TentLab, from Colorado, makes this smart new two-way tool of aluminum in several colors. It has four teeth on the leading edge of the blade, shaped and placed for cutting roots up to half an inch thick using a thin edge of aluminum, but they don’t obstruct normal digging.

The Deuce weighs just 17 grams, or as much as 75 cents, and finger-grip contours ensure a secure hold. It’s 6.8” long and 2.5” high, and weighs just .6 ounces. Other uses for it include sand stake, shoehorn, bottle opener and sandcastle sculptor.

TentLab’s Deuce #2 comes in red, blue and green and lists for $19.95 at REI.com.

Huffman tells all about crappie

By CARL GREEN Editor

Tim Huffman stands behind no one in his knowledge of fishing, especially for crappie. And unlike some, he’s totally willing to share that knowledge.

That’s why it’s great news that he has published a new book, “Crappie Annual and Product Guide.” It’s a steal for $12.99 online from Huffman Publishing at MonsterCrappie.com.

Most of the book is a great read in itself, with chapters explaining the do’s and don’ts and some of the why’s of crappie fishing, for beginners or for higher-level crappie fans who would like to compare notes with an expert. The last third of the book really distinguishes itself, though, with a thorough, illustrated survey of crappie fishing equipment that names names, reveals prices and explains how to use dozens of crappie fishing products, including an assortment of baits, poles, rods, reels, racks and rod holders. He includes gear for young anglers, too. This part of the guide takes up a full 70 pages.

Other useful topics in the book include: • Telling the difference between a black and a white crappie. • Recognizing a blacknose crappie. • The seasons of crappie fishing. • Using technology such as LiveScoping to find crappie.

EXPERT ADVICE

While Huffman qualifies as an expert, he is willing to bring some other crappie mavens into the book to give the rest of us some lessons, such as: • Eric Cagle on the importance of casting. • Scott Williams on spider rigging. • John Godwin on pulling rigs. • Kyle Schoenherr on using underbody spinners.

• Todd Huckabee on fishing in rocky areas.

• Ronnie Capps and Steve

Coleman on slow trolling double-hook minnow rigs.

The foreword states:

Huffman’s Crappie Annual & Product Guide provides how-to chapters on a variety of crappie fishing techniques and situations, discussed by experts, guides and tournament fishermen and illustrated with photographs. Their experience provides solutions and tips to make your next trip to the lake or river a more productive one.

Setup, finding fish and presentations are included, whether you’re pursuing shallow-water crappie, loners or deep wood-hugging slabs. The chapters in the last section are guides for finding and buying rods, reels, jigs and pole holders. Numerous manufacturers are listed, along with featured companies and products. Also, there are two destination trips you’ll want to add to your bucket list.

TWO DESTINATIONS FOR FINDING CRAPPIE

In one chapter, guide Will Hutto describes 18 ways to catch fish at Lake Washington in Mississippi – and how they work in other waters, too.

Lake Washington is a 5,000acre, natural oxbow lake believed to be about 700 years old, with depths from 6 to 22 feet. It’s along the Mississippi River near the town of Glen Allen. Places to stay and to eat there plus fishing tips are included.

Another destination is closer to home – Grizzly Jig Co. in Caruthersville, MO, founded in 1986, which founder and owner Louie Mansfield says is the largest crappie store in the world, with customers coming from 35 states and the annual Grizzly Spring Tackle Show the weekend before every Super Bowl.

So don’t you want to know more of what Huffman has assembled in this manual? What a gift for a dedicated angler! Just go online or get a teen-ager to do it for you at monstercrappie.com.

By the way, Huffman’s 2019 book, Limiting Out for Crappie, is still available from

amazon.com for $12.99.

Winchester event lets you shoot with pros

Registration is open for the first-ever Winchester Shoot With the Pros event, to be held June 7-9 the Winchester headquarters in East Alton, IL and the NILO hunting and shooting preserve in Brighton, IL.

The cost to attend this experience is $3,500 per person, with only 18 slots available. The event includes: • Training with six of the most accomplished clay target shooters in the world. • An exclusive tour of the Winchester shotshell facility. • Shooting at legendary NILO and the Winchester trap and skeet facility. • Meals, lodging, ammunition, clay targets and a Winchester gear package.

SKEET

• Kim Rhode, six time Olympic medalist, and the most decorated sport shooter of all time, plus Frank Thompson, two-time Olympian.

TRAP

• Matt Bartholow and Foster Bartholow, both Grand American Trap Shooting champions.

SPORTING CLAYS

• Zach Kienbaum and Desirae Edmunds, both sporting clays national champions. For more information and to register, contact Donny Ballard at (618) 258-2000 or dgballard@olin.com.

When power tools slip, try cowboy coffee

Photo and Text By RANDALL P. DAVIS

The wound looked innocent enough. My disposition, however, refused to agree.

You see, for me, a slip from a high-speed drill burying a No. 2 Phillips head bit into my left thumb is typical. Usually it occurs when mounting a cage trap overhead where a female raccoon – in the throes of labor – has breached a client’s soffit, choosing a comfortable nursery within the attic, generally right above the client’s bedroom.

But this time the maiming developed from a simple project of building a few shelves in the tool shed to house my ever-expanding supply of trapping equipment.

At that instant of cold, spinning steel penetrating tender tissue, there was an immediate orchestra of loud and blue language detailing my incompetence and foolish impatience to get the job done a little too quickly.

OutdOOr Guide HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL March-April 2020 Magazine

OUTDOOR

May-June 2020

GUIDE

MAGAZINE

A SPECIAL TRIBUTE to Bobby Whitehead upon his retirement, starting on Page 18 OUTDOOR July/August 2020GUIDE MAGAZINE

The Big Woods ........ Page 5

The Visiting Otter.............Page 8

A Bluegill Pond ...............Page 12

Spicy Squirrel ....................Page 15

Wrangling Badgers ..........Page 24

MISSOURI ILLINOIS AND OTHER EXCITING OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS

Fishing for Trout .............Page 31

She’s fishing again ... Page 4

Elk hunt lottery ........ Page 5

Spoon feeding ........Page 15

Amazing wolves......Page 24 CELEBRATING 30

YEARS

HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL

Missouri - Illinois - And Other Exciting Outdoor Destinations

Beaver’s lesson ....... Page 8

Missouri wildlife .....Page 12

Coyote language .....Page 20

Kayak fishing .........Page 21

Devil’s Lake ...........Page 24

Missouri Illinois And Other Exciting Outdoor Destinations

HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL CELEBRATING 30 YEARS

The Authority on Hunting, Fishing, Boating, Camping and Outdoor Travel is NOW available for pick-up at over 80 locations.

If your advertising needs an extra punch, consider taking advantage of the expanded reach of Outdoor Guide Magazine.

ILLINOIS

Moto Mart-Rte 157 Edwardsville 62025 Caseys General Store Wood River 62095 Randalls Wine and Spirits Fairview Hgts 62208 Eckerts Belleville 62220 Belleville Sports Sales Belleville 62221 Town Hall Archery Belleville 62223 Rural King Belleville 62226 Rural King Collinsville 62234 Moto Mart Columbia 62236 Caseys General Store Freeburg 62243 Dori Marine Freeburg 62243 Moto Mart Freeburg 62243 Gary’s Restaurant Freeburg 62243 Rural King Highland 62249 Caseys General Store Mascoutah 62258 Toms Market Mascoutah 62258 Rural King Waterloo 62298 Schneiders Market Waterloo 62298

ST. LOUIS COUNTY

Chesterfield Power Sports Chesterfield 63005 Sybergs Chesterfield 63005 Smokee Mo’s BBQ Arnold 63010 Top Gun Shooting Sports Arnold 63010 Clancys Irish Pub / Grill Ballwin 63011 Randalls Wines Ballwin 63011 Uncle Bills Ballwin 63011 Balabans Chesterfield 63017 Daves World Famous Bar/Grill Chesterfield 63017 Terra inside Ace Hardware Chesterfield 63017 Bones French Quarter Ballwin 63021 Lazy River Grill Ballwin 63021 St Louis Powersports Fenton 63026 Vivianos Fenton 63026 Brannons Marine Fenton 63026 Denny Dennis Sptg. Goods Fenton 63026 Buchheits Herculaneum 63028 Kettlehuts Smokehouse Crystal City 63028 Main Street Café Crystal City 63028 Las Fuentes Mexican Rest. Florissant 63031 Mattingleys Sport Bar / Grill Florissant 63031 Tri-State Marine Electronics Hazelwood 63042 Metro Shooting Supply Bridgeton 63044 Buchheits House Springs 63051 Imperial Farmers Market Imperial 63052 Dave Sinclair Dodge/Jeep/Ram Pacific 63069 Pickup Outfitters St Ann 63074 On Target Valley Park 63088 Bobby’s Place Valley Park 63088 Valley Park Hardware Valley Park 63088 Redexim Turf Products Valley Park 63088 Sugarfire 44 Valley Park 63088 First Gunsmithing Valley Park 63088 Jim Trenary Cycle Washington 63090 Missouri Athletic Club St Louis 63102 Maggie OBriens St Louis 63103 Randalls Wine and Spirits St Louis 63104 Clayton Car Wash Clayton 63105 World News Clayton 63105

ST. LOUIS

Marx Hardware St Louis 63106 General Grant’s Car Wash St. Louis 63123 Triple Threat Armory St. Louis 63123 Schwarz Taxidermy Studio St Louis 63123 Mid America Arms St Louis 63123 Kenrick’s Meats & Catering St Louis 63123 Mungenast Motorsports St Louis 63123 NuWay Concrete Forms Inc St Louis 63125 Helen Fitzgeralds St Louis 63127 Randalls Wine and Spirits St Louis 63136 OB Clarks St Louis 63144 Trainwreck Saloon Rest. St Louis 63144 North Broadway Truck Stop St Louis 63147

ST. CHARLES COUNTY

Big St Charles Motorsports St Charles 63301 Grafs Re-Loading St Charles 63301 Kirkwood Outfitters St Charles 63301 Wm Nobbe John Deere Outlet St Charles 63303 Farm & Home Supply Cottleville 63304 Bullseye Bait & Tackle O Fallon 63366 Red Wing Shoes St Peters 63376 Lou Fusz Chevrolet St Peters 63376 St Peters Rexplex St Peters 63376 Charlies Farm / Home Wentzville 63385 Rural King Wentzville 63385 U Gas Wentzville 63385

MISSOURI

Family Center Bonne Terre 63628 Save A Lot Bonne Terre 63628 Save A Lot Farmington 63640 Rozier’s Countrymart Ste Genevieve 63670

Cowboy coffee always helps.

LOLA STEPS IN

What was unique this time was that my wife, Lola, was assisting in this endeavor,and after my initial convulsive fit, strongly suggested we go to the house and properly treat said wound.

Being me as I am, I waived such a generous offer. It would delay progress. However, two minutes later and with a continuous flow of life’s essence, I had a rational thought – and went to the house.

Now, I’ve treated many wounds in the past – mine mostly – so I proceeded to thoroughly wash the epidermal crater and applied generous amounts of alcohol. After the third bathing – and with gritted teeth and teary eyes –I bound the hole with an antique bandage I found in an equally antique first aid kit.

Finally, I had regained enough composure (I was still seething about my ineptitude and time lost plugging holes) that I returned to the work site.

Retracing my earlier path I noticed one or two splotches of blood. Then some more. And then MORE. In fact, I could easy track myself back to ground zero, like following a blood trail from a wounded deer.

Once back, I showed Lola I still had my medical prowess (even though the bandage had soaked up with blood) and that I could easily handle most situations presented to a M.A.S.H unit. She wasn’t impressed.

GOING DEEP

But two days later, this wound was a little more than it appeared. I guess that bit head dug really deep into the hypodermal layer and, for a nano-second, spun and chewed at my delicate flesh. More simply, I think I messed up some deep tissue, as there still was little feeling in the area.

And too, at the time, I had lanced it twice to expel the infection and re-medicate it. I know, I know, “You should have went to the doctor.” Well, from my experience they would have done the very same thing I had ... with a whopping gratuity expected.

We completed the project, and I felt that after such a traumatic industrial accident, I needed a strong cup of coffee to settle my nerves.

THE LEGEND OF

COWBOY COFFEE

Now, I’ve read in vintage outdoor literature about old woodsmen and trappers making cowboy coffee – the culinary technique of throwing fresh grounds on top of the old.

Historically, this was produced in the latter part of winter when supplies were running low and staples had to be stretched to last until spring. In my case, I needed something just south of bourbon to settle my nerves. I thought of cowboy coffee.

What assisted the motion was that the coffee grounds were already in place from yesterday, and the only effort required to complete this ensemble was an additional healthy, quarter-cup scoop of

See WRANGLING page 25

Page 25 Camping season ’22 is finally here!

Photo and Text By BOB HOLZHEI

Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of the 2022 camping season!

Not only does camping allow travelers to spend time outdoors in the fresh air, camping has become more popular than ever during the pandemic. Some dealers are having difficulty keeping RVs on their lots.

Camping is very budget-friendly, too. It has allowed our family of six to afford more time vacationing than if we were to stay in motels. Our current RV is a self-contained, 30-foot motor home with a kitchen, dining area, bath, shower, living room, televisions, and a sleeping area which accommodates eight.

Choosing where to camp involves deciding on a state or national park, or maybe a luxury, full-service RV resort offering of amenities including a clubhouse for social gatherings, a swimming pool, a hot tub, bocce ball, golf cart rentals, horseshoes, and shuffleboard.

DOWN IN FLORIDA

An RV resort in Arcadia, FL, that just opened three years ago is expanding with additional RV sites and an elegant clubhouse scheduled to be finished by next winter. The clubhouse will have exercise equipment, a pool table and weekly activities such as dances, poker nights, bingo and pool exercises. One weekend, seven hosting campsites offered complementary snacks and drinks at their campsites as a meetand-greet social event.

At the resort, the spacious RV sites are 20 by 70 feet and are paved with a brick base. The bulletin board in the on-site laundry had a sign-up sheet for additional activities including golf, pickleball and Mexican train dominos.

During our first winter camping trip to Florida, my wife and I were surprised to discover food trailers arriving at the RV resort each week. Our initial week stay quickly turned into a month reservation and led to reserving a spot for a longer time

• Wrangling from page 24

Folgers’ finest … you know, to punch it up a bit.

With all the elements in place, I irrigated the reservoir, flipped the lid to go, and went to find a clean bandage while the modern appliance earned its keep.

Returning 10 minutes later, I discovered that Mr. Bunn had not intended for his creation to be involved in fanciful forays regarding some antiquated cowboy/barista technique.

A KITCHEN VISION

The countertop was under a shallow brown pond, complete with regurgitated grounds, while the coffee maker sat squarely in the center, like a cherry atop a sundae. The carafe housed a black, viscous, fluid perfectly suited for lining pickup beds – or perhaps back in the day, melting quills from porcupines.

Apparently, cowboy coffee is best brewed in an enamel percolator – or frying pan – where the contents can moil (obviously for days) unencumbered.

Put out because now this endeavor had taken more time than if I had brewed coffee “the right way,” I fumed as I quickly mopped up the evidence before spousal detection could occur.

However, in the spirit of outdoor adventure and in honor of those old timers who did what they could with what they had, and to firmly affix in my mind that the “Good Old Days” weren’t always so good, I sat there and drank the mess.

Lola then appears and inquires, “How’s the thumb and your coffee?”

I gave a throbbing thumbs up, a tip of the cup, and then lied, “Both are great!”

ONE-THUMB SALUTE

I’ve got to salute those old cowboys. They must have not had a taste bud in their mouths.

As for the thumb, it’s much better now, getting more feeling in the flesh. I may do some hitchhiking. Amazing what alcohol, Epsom salt, sharp utility blades and a little cowboy coffee can do.

So, should you need any in-the-field medical advice or treatment, it’s always available here at the Outpost! next winter.

“It looks like we’re eating out tonight,” said Becky, a fellow camper whom my wife Shirley befriended.

An assortment of various food trailers arrived weekly, offering pizza, burritos, chicken wings, fries, filet mignon, porterhouse steak, plus salmon and other fish dishes. Other amenities included poker nights, bingo, pool exercises and social meeting opportunities.

INFORMATION PLEASE

Across the United States, you can request free state campground directories, which list the locations and amenities offered. Reading through the literature during winter is a great way to prepare for the upcoming camping season.

As new amenities are offered by RV parks, roughing it has taken on a brand-new meaning!

You never know what you’re going to find at America’s RV resorts.