Showing posts with label Bass Fishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bass Fishing. Show all posts
Friday, September 25, 2015
Friday, September 18, 2015
Friday Funday
What's your passion?
Well if you're at my site, it might be fishing.
If you've stopped here before you already know I've been passionate about fishing from four years old till now. And if I die with a fishing pole in my hand, I'll be happy.
So let me tell you about today's fishing trip.
I arrived at one of my favorite ponds just before daybreak, and from the first cast it was "Fish On"!
First cast, first fish, just the way I like it, and it was a nice 16" bass so I invited him to supper, and in the bucket he went.
The fish were biting so well I only covered a small section of this large pond. When they slowed down in one spot I'd just move my casting distance down the bank and keep catching.
Finally I walked to the dam thru the tall weeds. At one spot I counted 15 casts and caught 14 fish, talk about some serious catching, man was that fun!
Then the wind shifted, and they slowed down... A bunch. By this time I've bucketed over a dozen so I work my way back.
At the corner of the dam I cast along the bank, wham! Big bite! I reel it in, drag singing It's pretty tune and land a huge 12" bluegill. Now that was fun.
Thanks for visiting folks, now get out there and have your own great fishing trip this fall.
Jon
Well if you're at my site, it might be fishing.
If you've stopped here before you already know I've been passionate about fishing from four years old till now. And if I die with a fishing pole in my hand, I'll be happy.
So let me tell you about today's fishing trip.
I arrived at one of my favorite ponds just before daybreak, and from the first cast it was "Fish On"!
First cast, first fish, just the way I like it, and it was a nice 16" bass so I invited him to supper, and in the bucket he went.
The fish were biting so well I only covered a small section of this large pond. When they slowed down in one spot I'd just move my casting distance down the bank and keep catching.
Finally I walked to the dam thru the tall weeds. At one spot I counted 15 casts and caught 14 fish, talk about some serious catching, man was that fun!
Then the wind shifted, and they slowed down... A bunch. By this time I've bucketed over a dozen so I work my way back.
At the corner of the dam I cast along the bank, wham! Big bite! I reel it in, drag singing It's pretty tune and land a huge 12" bluegill. Now that was fun.
Thanks for visiting folks, now get out there and have your own great fishing trip this fall.
Jon
Monday, June 15, 2015
Handicap Accessible Public Fishing
This is Maniteau lake in Moniteau county. It's a conservation lake that I fish sometimes. About 400 acres and the best public fishing lake in central Mo. It's stocked with catfish, crappie, bass, bluegill, green perch, & shellcrackers. I've caught many bluegills in the 10 to 12 inch range and this lake is known for huge gills & big catfish. It's also one of the very few public lakes that I fish, but then it's worth going to. If you're in central Mo. stop and wet a line, fun fishing and Handicap accessible.
Such a beautiful lake!
Friday, May 1, 2015
Stormy Saturday
So I grabbed my trusty Android, messaged my brother and we met at a favorite fishing hole.
When I get there he's already fishing, so I get my gear and head to the water.
The fish are hitting lite due to a cold front moving in but we dealt with that. Finally about half way around the pond I toss a couple or big perch in my bucket and continue around the bank.
The wind is blowing hard but we manage to set the hook on many large perch and bass, no crappie today but I'm OK with that.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Fishing Missouri Creeks and Ponds
Hi Folks,
Creek fishing is something that I grew up doing. From about 8 years old I began roaming the area surrounding my childhood home, there was a creek behind our house just down the hill. As a boy I'd grab my rod and reel and walk down to the water to fish and play in the creek.
Catching bass, perch and catfish just about anytime during the year was my kinda fun. Bullfrogs, crawdads, minnows, turtles, lizards, and most any water creatures were my quarry and fun as a kid. Children now days make pets of those critters, for me they were everywhere I looked.
So for me creek and pond fishing are second nature, how I 'cut my teeth' so to speak. When it comes to reading the water, well I learned that as a boy, and haven't forgotten how. When I fish a new pond, as happens every year, if they're biting I'll find them and catch them .
A couple weeks ago I went to a local creek. This time of year it's not wading weather, for me anyway and this section I fished has limited access. The fish just weren't biting there, but I was watching a school of bass from 2-6 LBs swimming around. This about drove me nuts since they saw me too and just wouldn't bite.
Oh well... I moved on to a pond that was close by, fished for a while and finally started catching fish. Normally at this pond the crappie were snapping at my jig, this day however they ignored everything I threw their way.
I walked around to the farthest side which is really shallow and started getting strikes, caught some bluegill and tossed them back. That's a good sign at least, for the first 45 minutes I didn't even get a strike. Tossing my jig/bobber combo out, nearly across the pond something attacks my bobber.. A Bass!!
No hookset though so I keep casting. For the next half hour I catch some bass and perch, one of the bass is 3 and a half pounds and 2 are about 2 LBs which gives me fresh fish dinner. Anyone who's had fresh fish from the water, to the skillet, to the plate, knows just what I mean. That's all I really wanted anyway so I'm happy. <(;HF+<
Creek fishing is something that I grew up doing. From about 8 years old I began roaming the area surrounding my childhood home, there was a creek behind our house just down the hill. As a boy I'd grab my rod and reel and walk down to the water to fish and play in the creek.
Catching bass, perch and catfish just about anytime during the year was my kinda fun. Bullfrogs, crawdads, minnows, turtles, lizards, and most any water creatures were my quarry and fun as a kid. Children now days make pets of those critters, for me they were everywhere I looked.
So for me creek and pond fishing are second nature, how I 'cut my teeth' so to speak. When it comes to reading the water, well I learned that as a boy, and haven't forgotten how. When I fish a new pond, as happens every year, if they're biting I'll find them and catch them .
A couple weeks ago I went to a local creek. This time of year it's not wading weather, for me anyway and this section I fished has limited access. The fish just weren't biting there, but I was watching a school of bass from 2-6 LBs swimming around. This about drove me nuts since they saw me too and just wouldn't bite.
Oh well... I moved on to a pond that was close by, fished for a while and finally started catching fish. Normally at this pond the crappie were snapping at my jig, this day however they ignored everything I threw their way.
I walked around to the farthest side which is really shallow and started getting strikes, caught some bluegill and tossed them back. That's a good sign at least, for the first 45 minutes I didn't even get a strike. Tossing my jig/bobber combo out, nearly across the pond something attacks my bobber.. A Bass!!
No hookset though so I keep casting. For the next half hour I catch some bass and perch, one of the bass is 3 and a half pounds and 2 are about 2 LBs which gives me fresh fish dinner. Anyone who's had fresh fish from the water, to the skillet, to the plate, knows just what I mean. That's all I really wanted anyway so I'm happy. <(;HF+<
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Spring Time Mamma Bass
Back in May 2011, a buddy of mine and I hit my favorite lake, fishing for a good mess of crappie
This little lake is well taken care of, the owner manicures about 2/3 of it. The rest has trees growing thickly next to the waters edge.
We were fishing the tree lined side, adding a few decent crappie into our buckets, when I walk down to the shallower end. There's nearly 2 doz. keepers in the bucket, mainly crappie with a couple of decent bass.
I cast next to a log sticking out in the water, something slams my jig, and the fight is on!!
I play this fish over 10 minutes, finally I see it, what a fish, it's Big ole Mamma Bass, what a pretty sight to behold. She's starting to tire so I work her over to the bank, reach down and lift her up into the air.
Would ya look at the belly on that girl, what a lunker. I holler at T,"Look at this Baby" he looks over and his jaw drops.
Well after he put his jaw back in place, he says "That's gotta be at least 7lbs maybe more with that belly" I agree with him, but don't have weigh scales with me. I don't care really since I plan on turning her loose soon anyway. Now here's the kicker folks.
I walk over, ease her into the bucket, hey I want to admire her for a bit OK.
I walk back to where I was, about 30 ft from my bucket and resume fishing. A couple minutes later, my buddy walks over to add another crappie to our catch, he calls me over there. I look in the bucket, Oh no she's gone, so is most of our catch.
Big ole Mamma Bass, well I guess she had a mission. Laying that bellyful of eggs, and she wasn't about to let me stop her. So we caught another mess of crappie to replace the ones she took home with her, had a lot of fun doing it too.
Now that's been 4 years ago, I think it's about time to catch another big'un from that lake, I believe I'm ready too.
Thanks for visiting folks
Jon
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Childhood Fishing Ponds Revisited
Hi Fishing Friends
I made a trip back to my hometown this last May 2014. My sis Lois had some business to take care of there, and asked me to ride along. So we loaded our gear, and 'hit the road'.
We get to Fulton, she gets her business dealt with, and off we go, to my old favorite clay pit. When we get there, we grab our rods and tackle, walk about an eighth of a mile thru the brush and scrub and approach the water. This pit is a pale blue/green, and about 40 feet deep.
I scan the water along the edge, looking for bass, and all I see are perch. For the first half hour or so, we catch a few bluegill and shellcrackers. Finally Lois hangs into a decent bass, and lands a 2 LBer, good enough to keep so she puts it on a stringer.
By then it's time for me to move, so I work my way on around the shore to 'the spot'. It's pretty overgrown since hardly anyone fishes this hole anymore. Fighting, thorns, briars, and thick brush, I finally clear a place well enough to fish at.
Now you may ask, is it worth it?
Well my first few casts weren't. That third cast though - wham! That bass hit hard, then it took off running for cover. I lowered my rod tip, reeled some line in, and horsed him away from the brush. Oh man, I love it when a big ole bass starts 'tail dancing', shaking his head the whole time. Sorry bud not getting away this time, I reeled him into shore to my waiting hand. As I lifted him from the water, I could tell he was nice 5 pounder, sweet!!
First one for me on the stringer, and I'm not a bit disappointed in my ole fishing hole. The next few casts I catch some perch and smaller bass, from about one to three pounds, add a couple more to my keepers, and man am I having a blast.
I work my way around the bank a bit, to a slightly less overgrown place, then make a few more casts. The darn perch keep hitting my jig. I make a long cast, quickly a perch gets
hooked. As I'm reeling in, A BIG bass attacks the perch I hooked. Oh baby, Fish On!!
This bass dives deep, I can't even turn him, no control at all. And then, SNAP!!! Grumbling as I reel in my line to retie a new jig on, oh well, plenty more bass in this pit. Pretty disappointing though, I didn't even get to see that one, it had to be a monster bass.
Still all in all, no disappointment in the fishing trip, I had just as much fun here, as when I was a boy, to me that's what counts.
We kept 8 nice bass that day, between 2 & 5 lbs, I sure do 'love them pits'. I'll be back next spring to catch that huge bass, we have a score to settle. :-)
Well folks thanks for visiting. It's the beginning of March now, in about a month, I'm heading back to that old pit, look out monster here I come!! (((-: j
I made a trip back to my hometown this last May 2014. My sis Lois had some business to take care of there, and asked me to ride along. So we loaded our gear, and 'hit the road'.
We get to Fulton, she gets her business dealt with, and off we go, to my old favorite clay pit. When we get there, we grab our rods and tackle, walk about an eighth of a mile thru the brush and scrub and approach the water. This pit is a pale blue/green, and about 40 feet deep.I scan the water along the edge, looking for bass, and all I see are perch. For the first half hour or so, we catch a few bluegill and shellcrackers. Finally Lois hangs into a decent bass, and lands a 2 LBer, good enough to keep so she puts it on a stringer.
By then it's time for me to move, so I work my way on around the shore to 'the spot'. It's pretty overgrown since hardly anyone fishes this hole anymore. Fighting, thorns, briars, and thick brush, I finally clear a place well enough to fish at.
Now you may ask, is it worth it?
Well my first few casts weren't. That third cast though - wham! That bass hit hard, then it took off running for cover. I lowered my rod tip, reeled some line in, and horsed him away from the brush. Oh man, I love it when a big ole bass starts 'tail dancing', shaking his head the whole time. Sorry bud not getting away this time, I reeled him into shore to my waiting hand. As I lifted him from the water, I could tell he was nice 5 pounder, sweet!!
First one for me on the stringer, and I'm not a bit disappointed in my ole fishing hole. The next few casts I catch some perch and smaller bass, from about one to three pounds, add a couple more to my keepers, and man am I having a blast.
 |
| #2 H&W Claypit This is also where I learned how to swim.<(;HF+< |
hooked. As I'm reeling in, A BIG bass attacks the perch I hooked. Oh baby, Fish On!!
This bass dives deep, I can't even turn him, no control at all. And then, SNAP!!! Grumbling as I reel in my line to retie a new jig on, oh well, plenty more bass in this pit. Pretty disappointing though, I didn't even get to see that one, it had to be a monster bass.
Still all in all, no disappointment in the fishing trip, I had just as much fun here, as when I was a boy, to me that's what counts.
We kept 8 nice bass that day, between 2 & 5 lbs, I sure do 'love them pits'. I'll be back next spring to catch that huge bass, we have a score to settle. :-)
Well folks thanks for visiting. It's the beginning of March now, in about a month, I'm heading back to that old pit, look out monster here I come!! (((-: j
Monday, March 2, 2015
Pond Fishing Love
Hi Fishing Friends
So you love pond fishing too, well YOU are in the right place. Here at my little site we can share that passion!!
My fishinglove bond
Began in a pond
My passion is plain to see
Scroll down my wall
Come one, come all
What pondfishing means to me.
So you love pond fishing too, well YOU are in the right place. Here at my little site we can share that passion!!
My fishinglove bond
Began in a pond
My passion is plain to see
Scroll down my wall
Come one, come all
What pondfishing means to me.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Pond Fishing at my Childhood Fishing Holes
Hi Fishing Friends
I grew up on the outskirts of town, there were 6 houses on a mile and a half stretch of road where I lived. With a nice little stream running beside the road, that also flowed behind my house. To the east & west of my house were 4 pits, 2 clay pits to the east with 2 rock quarry pits to the west.
One of the rock quarry pits, is where I caught my first big bass, the ignited that fishing passion that I hold so dear. But it was the 2 clay pits that I fished the most later on. After a short quarter mile stretch, with rod & reel and my gear in pockets, I'd usually bring home a fine fish dinner. (After I cleaned them, of course)
I recall one trip where I even got a pierced ear. Using a mini-Lazy Ike, dual treble hooks, I'd been catching some decent 2-3 lb bass that day. The wind started blowing pretty hard in the afternoon, I was making a cast, had too much slack in the line, and the wind caught it. The next thing I know I have a fishing lure for an earring, ouch!!
It took a bit to gather my catch & gear up, but I did, then headed home, walked into the house shouted MOM! She came running, I told her, " Mom I caught the biggest one ever". Then I turned my head so she could see my new orange and black spotted earring. After she quit laughing, she scooted me to the hospital. (((-:
I was pretty fortunate that the hooks only stuck in my ear, not my head. And lucky the doctor didn't trash my favorite Lazy Ike, he just clipped the barbs from the hooks, pulled the hooks from my ear gave me shot in the butt, then gave me my lure back.
And again Mom laughed, (behind her hand this time) So I squalled a bit, sit funny on the way home, but was back fishing the next day.
I still hate needles!!
Well folks that happened over 35 years ago, now for the fun part of my story.
I started fishing that pit again this spring, and the catching was even better. When I got to the water, it was still a clear lite green. At first, all we caught were a few small perch, but after walking around to the far side I started to see the bass..
And that my dear fishers, is tomorrows story. ;-)
Hey happy fishing to you folks, see ya soon. (-: jono
I grew up on the outskirts of town, there were 6 houses on a mile and a half stretch of road where I lived. With a nice little stream running beside the road, that also flowed behind my house. To the east & west of my house were 4 pits, 2 clay pits to the east with 2 rock quarry pits to the west.
 |
| #3 H&W Claypit One of my Childhood Fishing Places |
I recall one trip where I even got a pierced ear. Using a mini-Lazy Ike, dual treble hooks, I'd been catching some decent 2-3 lb bass that day. The wind started blowing pretty hard in the afternoon, I was making a cast, had too much slack in the line, and the wind caught it. The next thing I know I have a fishing lure for an earring, ouch!!
It took a bit to gather my catch & gear up, but I did, then headed home, walked into the house shouted MOM! She came running, I told her, " Mom I caught the biggest one ever". Then I turned my head so she could see my new orange and black spotted earring. After she quit laughing, she scooted me to the hospital. (((-:
I was pretty fortunate that the hooks only stuck in my ear, not my head. And lucky the doctor didn't trash my favorite Lazy Ike, he just clipped the barbs from the hooks, pulled the hooks from my ear gave me shot in the butt, then gave me my lure back.
And again Mom laughed, (behind her hand this time) So I squalled a bit, sit funny on the way home, but was back fishing the next day.
I still hate needles!!
Well folks that happened over 35 years ago, now for the fun part of my story.
I started fishing that pit again this spring, and the catching was even better. When I got to the water, it was still a clear lite green. At first, all we caught were a few small perch, but after walking around to the far side I started to see the bass..
And that my dear fishers, is tomorrows story. ;-)
Hey happy fishing to you folks, see ya soon. (-: jono
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Again At The Pits
Hi Fishing Friends
Do you ever have the urge, to just get away from it all. Away from people, no tech, just you and a fishing pole, a little bit of tackle, some snacks maybe. Well now you're talking my kinda fun.
Whether in a small boat, or from the bank, whichever I choose it's probably at a pond of some sort.
A couple of Sundays ago we (my sis Lois & I) did just that. We packed a few things, grabbed some snacks, and headed out to my brothers farm. Now, about 4 years ago he had a pond built, it's a nice little pond about 12' deep, he and his sons stocked it themselves with bass, perch, crappie, channel and flathead catfish.
<(;HF+< (Tip) See my fishing pole there, if you see the bobber, it's one of those weighted ones. They're great for helping you cast farther, and without any extra sinkers, your bait has much better action too.
Anyway that is the first pond we hit that day, not much luck there that time, but we've caught some decent fish there before. Dave got home and we jumped into his truck loaded gear, and set out for another place.
Here's a photo of this beautiful pit, it's too big to show it all, but you get the idea.
So we get here, unload boat, gear, trolling motor, battery, get everything ready, we all jump in, and a few minutes later, we are fishing. The simple life, luv'in it!!
I took the 1st pic right here, this is where Dave caught his first fish of the day, a nice keeper bass less than 3 lbs. This ole pit is SO clean, since Coal, like Clay are both good filters the fish from here taste amazing.
We caught a dozen good keepers from here, bass and big perch, loaded everything back up (the wind was getting fierce) and 'hopped' to the next place.( no worries next time I'll take pictures of the fish too!!)
For my family 'hopping' from pond to pond is great family fun, and usually we catch plenty of fish to eat.
So... to the next one, just a couple of miles away by gravel road.
We arrive at this small lake, and decide to leave the boat on it's trailer, it's just too windy!!
We're not fighting the wind, and ruining a fine trip. We grab our gear, walk a short distance to the water, and in 5 minutes we're back to fishing.
This is such a beautiful little lake, clean and very well taken care of too. The crappie weren't biting this trip but we caught many bass and large bluegill, one 'gill' at 13."
We ended the day at this place, took home a fine bucket-O-fish, and had some great fun and quality family time.
Thanks for visiting folks.
Jono <(;HF+<
Do you ever have the urge, to just get away from it all. Away from people, no tech, just you and a fishing pole, a little bit of tackle, some snacks maybe. Well now you're talking my kinda fun.
Whether in a small boat, or from the bank, whichever I choose it's probably at a pond of some sort.
A couple of Sundays ago we (my sis Lois & I) did just that. We packed a few things, grabbed some snacks, and headed out to my brothers farm. Now, about 4 years ago he had a pond built, it's a nice little pond about 12' deep, he and his sons stocked it themselves with bass, perch, crappie, channel and flathead catfish.
<(;HF+< (Tip) See my fishing pole there, if you see the bobber, it's one of those weighted ones. They're great for helping you cast farther, and without any extra sinkers, your bait has much better action too.
So we get here, unload boat, gear, trolling motor, battery, get everything ready, we all jump in, and a few minutes later, we are fishing. The simple life, luv'in it!!
I took the 1st pic right here, this is where Dave caught his first fish of the day, a nice keeper bass less than 3 lbs. This ole pit is SO clean, since Coal, like Clay are both good filters the fish from here taste amazing.
We caught a dozen good keepers from here, bass and big perch, loaded everything back up (the wind was getting fierce) and 'hopped' to the next place.( no worries next time I'll take pictures of the fish too!!)
For my family 'hopping' from pond to pond is great family fun, and usually we catch plenty of fish to eat.
So... to the next one, just a couple of miles away by gravel road.
We arrive at this small lake, and decide to leave the boat on it's trailer, it's just too windy!!
We're not fighting the wind, and ruining a fine trip. We grab our gear, walk a short distance to the water, and in 5 minutes we're back to fishing.
This is such a beautiful little lake, clean and very well taken care of too. The crappie weren't biting this trip but we caught many bass and large bluegill, one 'gill' at 13."
We ended the day at this place, took home a fine bucket-O-fish, and had some great fun and quality family time.
Thanks for visiting folks.
Jono <(;HF+<
Monday, September 15, 2014
Sunday Save
Hello All Fishers,
Anyone reading my stories, by now knows that I rarely miss a Sunday fishing trip, this one was no different.
I have many ponds to fish in, so this Sunday I decided to stay close to home. There is a small group of houses just a couple of miles out of town that I hadn't fished in about 4 yrs, since I had permission from one of the owners I thought I'd try there.
It's a little chilly out that morning, but a beautiful day. When I get to the water, and begin fishing, I've been there about 10 minutes, caught 1 -1 1/2 lb bass, And one of the owners comes riding over in his golf cart and starts talking to my fishing partner.
After a couple of minutes, I see her heading to the truck, so I stop fishing & walk 1/2 way back around the large pond to talk to him. I walk up to him, greet him pleasantly, find out what the problem is and assure him that I have permission to fish this pond.
Well he is a new owner there, and we talk for about ten minutes, finally I convince him, find out he & his wife like fish, so I tell him that if I catch some that I'll bring him some.
I go back to the truck, hop in and drive around to the dam side of the pond. Deeper water,less moss, good cover for the crappie to lurk in & a slight wind blowing towards us.
Now I can get back to some serious catching, that's just what I did. I was using a bobber & my favorite SECRET bait, catching bluegills much bigger than my hands, if they make a nice fillet, in the bucket they go.
I ended up with 5 gills & 1 decent crappie, walked back over to the mans house & filleted him a small mess of fish, and you know what, I think I even made a new friend.
Now if that isn't a Sunday Save, I sure don't know what is.In my book any day you can enjoy a beautiful September day, catch a mess of fish, and make a new Friend, is a Great Day.
Thanks folks, God Bless you, and come on back.
Jon
Anyone reading my stories, by now knows that I rarely miss a Sunday fishing trip, this one was no different.
I have many ponds to fish in, so this Sunday I decided to stay close to home. There is a small group of houses just a couple of miles out of town that I hadn't fished in about 4 yrs, since I had permission from one of the owners I thought I'd try there.
It's a little chilly out that morning, but a beautiful day. When I get to the water, and begin fishing, I've been there about 10 minutes, caught 1 -1 1/2 lb bass, And one of the owners comes riding over in his golf cart and starts talking to my fishing partner.
After a couple of minutes, I see her heading to the truck, so I stop fishing & walk 1/2 way back around the large pond to talk to him. I walk up to him, greet him pleasantly, find out what the problem is and assure him that I have permission to fish this pond.
Well he is a new owner there, and we talk for about ten minutes, finally I convince him, find out he & his wife like fish, so I tell him that if I catch some that I'll bring him some.
I go back to the truck, hop in and drive around to the dam side of the pond. Deeper water,less moss, good cover for the crappie to lurk in & a slight wind blowing towards us.
Now I can get back to some serious catching, that's just what I did. I was using a bobber & my favorite SECRET bait, catching bluegills much bigger than my hands, if they make a nice fillet, in the bucket they go.
I ended up with 5 gills & 1 decent crappie, walked back over to the mans house & filleted him a small mess of fish, and you know what, I think I even made a new friend.
Now if that isn't a Sunday Save, I sure don't know what is.In my book any day you can enjoy a beautiful September day, catch a mess of fish, and make a new Friend, is a Great Day.
Thanks folks, God Bless you, and come on back.
Jon
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Throwback Thursday
Hi All Fishers
*Throwback Thursday* Maybe you've seen this term today, when I saw it, I was reminded of another pit fishing trip.This trip was at a series of river "scour holes" along the Missouri River at a certain conservation area.
No motorized vehicles were allowed there, hiking trails/ bike paths allowed access to the fishing area that we wanted to fish. My brother David & I loaded up backpacks,our mountain bikes,lunches and fishing gear for the 5 mile bike ride to reach this fishing area.
About a 30 mile drive from his place to the parking lot, gave us time to visit and prepare ourselves for the long bumpy bike ride back to an awesome fishing hole. Of course we traveled lite with backpacks well stocked and water easily reached, fishing poles broken down securely fixed to our backpacks.
We arrive at the water around 8:30 in the morning, unload our gear and begin fishing.
DNR Picture- Marion Bottoms Conservation Area
The crappie are biting hard & fast so filling our stringers presents no problem.There are 5 or 6 super spots to fish here and every time we fish these waters massive crappie are strung up.
The holes ( 2 of them ) are connected by a trench that's only 3 ft wide by 2-3 ft deep, by the time we reach the second hole our catch is pretty heavy.
At this hole there is a beaver dam on the far side, that's where we head . I'm standing beside the beaver dam, catching crappie every 4 or 5 casts while David hooks something HUGE.
His lite crappie tackle won't allow him to " horse " this fish so he plays it for 15 minutes or so, he's hooked a spoonbill, from what I can see it's 50 lbs or so. Finally his hook pulls loose, wore the man out, it did, meanwhile I've landed a few more nice crappie.
We start back with full stringers, as we struggle along I get the idea of using a long " beaver pole " to drape our heavy stringers over, which we prop on our shoulders to carry our huge catch.
When we get to where we're going to fillet our fish we count them,
26-crappie, from 12" to 16"
1 ea.13 lb flathead catfish
5 ea. lg mouth bass 3-5lbs
1 ea.3lb white bass
1 walleye at 17".
We fillet our fish, bag them in gallon ziplock bags, repack our backpacks and bike back to the truck.
WOW what a fishing trip, we're whupped by the time we reach the truck, but both of us have big smiles on our faces regardless.
Now if you have been following along, I had said that "scour holes" were awesome fishing.
Now you know why, not many fish were thrown back on that Throwback Thursday.
Thanks for following & Happy Fishing
Jon
*Throwback Thursday* Maybe you've seen this term today, when I saw it, I was reminded of another pit fishing trip.This trip was at a series of river "scour holes" along the Missouri River at a certain conservation area.
No motorized vehicles were allowed there, hiking trails/ bike paths allowed access to the fishing area that we wanted to fish. My brother David & I loaded up backpacks,our mountain bikes,lunches and fishing gear for the 5 mile bike ride to reach this fishing area.
About a 30 mile drive from his place to the parking lot, gave us time to visit and prepare ourselves for the long bumpy bike ride back to an awesome fishing hole. Of course we traveled lite with backpacks well stocked and water easily reached, fishing poles broken down securely fixed to our backpacks.
We arrive at the water around 8:30 in the morning, unload our gear and begin fishing.
The crappie are biting hard & fast so filling our stringers presents no problem.There are 5 or 6 super spots to fish here and every time we fish these waters massive crappie are strung up.
The holes ( 2 of them ) are connected by a trench that's only 3 ft wide by 2-3 ft deep, by the time we reach the second hole our catch is pretty heavy.
At this hole there is a beaver dam on the far side, that's where we head . I'm standing beside the beaver dam, catching crappie every 4 or 5 casts while David hooks something HUGE.
His lite crappie tackle won't allow him to " horse " this fish so he plays it for 15 minutes or so, he's hooked a spoonbill, from what I can see it's 50 lbs or so. Finally his hook pulls loose, wore the man out, it did, meanwhile I've landed a few more nice crappie.
We start back with full stringers, as we struggle along I get the idea of using a long " beaver pole " to drape our heavy stringers over, which we prop on our shoulders to carry our huge catch.
When we get to where we're going to fillet our fish we count them,
26-crappie, from 12" to 16"
1 ea.13 lb flathead catfish
5 ea. lg mouth bass 3-5lbs
1 ea.3lb white bass
1 walleye at 17".
We fillet our fish, bag them in gallon ziplock bags, repack our backpacks and bike back to the truck.
WOW what a fishing trip, we're whupped by the time we reach the truck, but both of us have big smiles on our faces regardless.
Now if you have been following along, I had said that "scour holes" were awesome fishing.
Now you know why, not many fish were thrown back on that Throwback Thursday.
Thanks for following & Happy Fishing
Jon
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Fishing in the Pits
Hello All Fishers,
Oh Boy, I have a fine story for you tonight, about Pits. Fishing in any kind of pit, whether it's a clay, coal or old rock quarry is one of my favorites.
I'm truly blessed, in that I've fished in many and still have access to quite a few. There's an old coal pit way back in the sticks that one of my brothers has permission to fish in, and sometimes I'm included when he fishes it.
This particular time one of my sisters ( Lois ) & I went out to visit my brother ( David ). We arrive at his place have a quick lunch with him, and head to the pit. It's an absolutely beautiful day, perfect temp., slight wind and the water is crystal clear.
We launch a small pond boat, add trolling motor, battery, vests & gear, all climb in and we're off fishing.
Here's Sis, ready to "Get to Catching Fish"
I think about every 3rd cast at least one of us has a fish on the line, there's lots of cover and overhanging trees, so yeah we get hung up a few times, but the CATCHING is so great it doesn't really matter.
No one's counting fish, but it doesn't matter in private waters, and a couple of hours later we have a 5 gallon bucket full of 2-3lb bass, bluegill and green perch, all of them good filleting size.
WOW what a great trip, as well as the fun family time we had together.That's a fine example of why I love fishing those great Pits.
Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoyed the story.
Jon
Oh Boy, I have a fine story for you tonight, about Pits. Fishing in any kind of pit, whether it's a clay, coal or old rock quarry is one of my favorites.
I'm truly blessed, in that I've fished in many and still have access to quite a few. There's an old coal pit way back in the sticks that one of my brothers has permission to fish in, and sometimes I'm included when he fishes it.
This particular time one of my sisters ( Lois ) & I went out to visit my brother ( David ). We arrive at his place have a quick lunch with him, and head to the pit. It's an absolutely beautiful day, perfect temp., slight wind and the water is crystal clear.
We launch a small pond boat, add trolling motor, battery, vests & gear, all climb in and we're off fishing.
I think about every 3rd cast at least one of us has a fish on the line, there's lots of cover and overhanging trees, so yeah we get hung up a few times, but the CATCHING is so great it doesn't really matter.
No one's counting fish, but it doesn't matter in private waters, and a couple of hours later we have a 5 gallon bucket full of 2-3lb bass, bluegill and green perch, all of them good filleting size.
WOW what a great trip, as well as the fun family time we had together.That's a fine example of why I love fishing those great Pits.
Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoyed the story.
Jon
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
New Waters
Hi All FishersRecently while I was out in the country, I was driving down this gravel road. Looking along both sides of the road for new ponds, as is my habit, I spotted a fine looking pond out in a field.
I drove up to the house, got out, knocked on the door, no answer. No worries I'd come back another time. <(;HF+< (Tip) Here's a little tip when looking for new waters to fish, be persistent and pick a different day of the week to return.The 1st time I went there was on a Saturday, the next time that I returned it was Sunday, and now they're home. So I knock on the door, the Lady of the house answers, we visit for a few minutes and she directs me over to talk to her husband.
Now most of the Mennonites in my part of Missouri are great people, this man was no exception. We visited for 15 minutes, he gave me permission to fish Both his ponds and I had a great time catching a decent mess of catfish, perch & bass.
Nothing real big, mind you, but maybe next time.I just thought I'd share one of the ways that I find New Waters to fish,hope you learned a little something, until next time.
Jon
Just a short update here, the top photo is the lake I saw from the road. Stunningly beautiful pond with Bass, Catfish, and perch in it.
I took these pictures in Jan. 2015 on a nice day we had this winter. The other pond on the left here was hidden, we didn't see it until we began to cross the dam of the first pond. Didn't catch any fish this time, but we'll see about next time. It's pretty cool though getting 2 new ponds at once, and the best part is having permission to fish at any time, what a great community I live in!! (-: jono
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Artifacts, Arrowheads, and Fishing
Hello All,
Sunday, My day to commune with God by the water, by Fishing!!
Today I went to my favorite creek, not a big creek but so much fun to fish. Stopped at the old concrete slab bridge, big hole of water there 6' or so deep and almost clear.
Not a lot biting at this hole, so with shorts & watershoes on I waded on downstream.
As I was walking on a gravel bar looking where I was walking I spotted something, reached down, picked it up.
Whatta ya know, a craftsman rock, ( indian arrowhead) one little chip, nearly perfect.
BONUS to my fishing trip, now ya know one of the reasons it's my favorite. Another reason is the bass that I see as I quietly sneak up on the next hole, many bass.
So my 1st cast, one of them nails my jig, it makes a run for it, jumps up shakes it's head, and I flinch as my jig just misses my left ear. Close one!!
Not my idea of an earring (chuckle) so moving on, I do catch a few, enough for a mess for lunch, but nothing to brag about.
There have been times of catching 3-4 lb bass here though.
Hey Fishers have a great day, or night depending on where you are in this world.
Happy Fishing
Sunday, My day to commune with God by the water, by Fishing!!
Today I went to my favorite creek, not a big creek but so much fun to fish. Stopped at the old concrete slab bridge, big hole of water there 6' or so deep and almost clear.
Not a lot biting at this hole, so with shorts & watershoes on I waded on downstream.
As I was walking on a gravel bar looking where I was walking I spotted something, reached down, picked it up.
Whatta ya know, a craftsman rock, ( indian arrowhead) one little chip, nearly perfect.
BONUS to my fishing trip, now ya know one of the reasons it's my favorite. Another reason is the bass that I see as I quietly sneak up on the next hole, many bass.
So my 1st cast, one of them nails my jig, it makes a run for it, jumps up shakes it's head, and I flinch as my jig just misses my left ear. Close one!!
Not my idea of an earring (chuckle) so moving on, I do catch a few, enough for a mess for lunch, but nothing to brag about.
There have been times of catching 3-4 lb bass here though.
Hey Fishers have a great day, or night depending on where you are in this world.
Happy Fishing
View other Indian T-Shirts
This is a personal creation, I also found all 3 of these artifacts while fishing one of my local creeksSaturday, September 6, 2014
Ponds - What I mean
Hello All,
Today I want to start by telling what I mean by "Ponds".
It's a pretty generic term really, so let's clear the waters, so to speak.
This includes, small to large farm ponds, lakes, to lets say 50 acres, all pits such as, clay pits, coal mine pits, rock quarry pits, for a few examples.
Pits are my personal favorites, due to their depth and ability to hold an abundance of large & diverse fish, most are also harder to access so that fishing pressure usually isn't a factor in catching larger fish.
In addition along large rivers you will find 'scour holes' from flood years that are really interesting because of the size & diversity of the fish there.
Many a trip to these 'scour holes' or 'blue holes' as some folks call them, have netted me 18" Crappie, large Flathead Catfish, and even Spoonbill in the 50 lb range. I know, sounds unbelievable, but still it's true.
I've personally fished these river 'scour holes' for over 20 years now, having many incredible 'catching' trips.
In fact one of my most memorable fishing trips was...(see "Throwback Thursday")
That story is for another time, sorry about that I almost got sidetracked with that Awesome Memory.
River 'scour holes' to me are in a class all by themselves, not ponds, not pits, or lakes either, just some great fishing nonetheless.
One more thing before I wrap this up, any body of water that is less than about 5 ft deep usually isn't worth wetting a line in, yes there are some exceptions, such as spring fed waters, but in dry years fish quickly die without depth to the water.
Thanks for checking out my fun little project here at the "Pond Fishing Club" I have some really cool stuff coming for you all in the near future, Please help me get better by leaving a comment, if you would be so kind.
I promise I'll respond to you as soon as possible, have a Great Day & Happy Fishing.
Jon
Today I want to start by telling what I mean by "Ponds".
It's a pretty generic term really, so let's clear the waters, so to speak.
This includes, small to large farm ponds, lakes, to lets say 50 acres, all pits such as, clay pits, coal mine pits, rock quarry pits, for a few examples.
Pits are my personal favorites, due to their depth and ability to hold an abundance of large & diverse fish, most are also harder to access so that fishing pressure usually isn't a factor in catching larger fish.
In addition along large rivers you will find 'scour holes' from flood years that are really interesting because of the size & diversity of the fish there.
Many a trip to these 'scour holes' or 'blue holes' as some folks call them, have netted me 18" Crappie, large Flathead Catfish, and even Spoonbill in the 50 lb range. I know, sounds unbelievable, but still it's true.
I've personally fished these river 'scour holes' for over 20 years now, having many incredible 'catching' trips.
In fact one of my most memorable fishing trips was...(see "Throwback Thursday")
That story is for another time, sorry about that I almost got sidetracked with that Awesome Memory.
River 'scour holes' to me are in a class all by themselves, not ponds, not pits, or lakes either, just some great fishing nonetheless.
One more thing before I wrap this up, any body of water that is less than about 5 ft deep usually isn't worth wetting a line in, yes there are some exceptions, such as spring fed waters, but in dry years fish quickly die without depth to the water.
Thanks for checking out my fun little project here at the "Pond Fishing Club" I have some really cool stuff coming for you all in the near future, Please help me get better by leaving a comment, if you would be so kind.
I promise I'll respond to you as soon as possible, have a Great Day & Happy Fishing.
Jon
Friday, September 5, 2014
Passion Ignited - My First Big Fish
Hi Fishing Friends
I thought that I'd tell you a story about a little carrot top boy who began his love of fishing.
When I was about 4 yrs old my family & I went fishing in this pond near our home, it was really an old clay pit , but I didn't care, I just knew we were going fishing, oh boy was I excited,couldn't wait to get there.
"Are we there yet" I asked, Mom told me "almost son, settle down now". We get to the old fishing hole, Zoom, there I go, "I'm ready to fish" I told my Dad, as he was getting the gear from our car.
Finally everyone is set-up, poles in hand, lines in the water, bobbers set to depth, I wait for a bite, & wait, ya all know 4yr olds, ain't built to wait. So I prop my pole up on a Y shaped stick & start playing with the baby frogs hopping around.
Of course I'm not paying my bobber any attention, lots of frogs to chase, Mom hollers "Jon you got a bite", I run to my pole, grab it up, yank back, and start cranking the reel.
The line is not coming in, I can't see my bobber. So... I clamp my hand tight on my rod, turn tail, & run up the bank.
First thing I thought of & you know what, it worked, cause soon that great BIG fish was flopping on the bank.
Mom hollers out "Jon you can stop now" I turned around, saw that fish & couldn't believe my eyes, it looked like a Whale.
Really folks it was a large mouth bass, near to 5lbs according to my family. I don't recall that part, I just remember it was a BIG fish.
And that is when my love for fishing began, in an old pond.
Jon
I thought that I'd tell you a story about a little carrot top boy who began his love of fishing.
When I was about 4 yrs old my family & I went fishing in this pond near our home, it was really an old clay pit , but I didn't care, I just knew we were going fishing, oh boy was I excited,couldn't wait to get there.
"Are we there yet" I asked, Mom told me "almost son, settle down now". We get to the old fishing hole, Zoom, there I go, "I'm ready to fish" I told my Dad, as he was getting the gear from our car.
Finally everyone is set-up, poles in hand, lines in the water, bobbers set to depth, I wait for a bite, & wait, ya all know 4yr olds, ain't built to wait. So I prop my pole up on a Y shaped stick & start playing with the baby frogs hopping around.
Of course I'm not paying my bobber any attention, lots of frogs to chase, Mom hollers "Jon you got a bite", I run to my pole, grab it up, yank back, and start cranking the reel.
The line is not coming in, I can't see my bobber. So... I clamp my hand tight on my rod, turn tail, & run up the bank.
First thing I thought of & you know what, it worked, cause soon that great BIG fish was flopping on the bank.
Mom hollers out "Jon you can stop now" I turned around, saw that fish & couldn't believe my eyes, it looked like a Whale.
Really folks it was a large mouth bass, near to 5lbs according to my family. I don't recall that part, I just remember it was a BIG fish.
And that is when my love for fishing began, in an old pond.
Jon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)