Survival Fishing

Simplicity.... I love it! This pic shows the most basic way to build a trigger snare. With a knife or cutting instrument everything needed to make this is likely right near the water (pond).

The hardest part to this snare is the trigger, but with a bit of simple carving it's easily done. 

Your bait is as varied as your imagination, dig a worm, flip over a rock, catch a grasshopper, anything that fish eat will work.

It's best not to be in a survival situation, but if it happens "be prepared" burn this image into your mind... It may save your life

😀🎣jono

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+<

How to Fillet Crappie Easily & Quickly

Crappie!! Filleting The Easy Way

Hi Fishing Folks

Here's a little 5 minute "How To Video" that I just made and added to you tu.be this week. Please bear with me folks, this is my first ever video. By now you know I'm just a simple ole country boy, but I can sure enough learn! I filleted quite a few fish that day and I'd been wanting to make a video for a while, so here's the result. About 40 years of fish cleaning practice wrapped up in a 5 minute video. <(;HF+<

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K9tPVbP91rk/VQfYH79yZVI/AAAAAAAAAqE/G7QZop0exAs/w380-h675/20150312_171205.mp4

Early Spring Crappie Fishing

Hi All Fishers
The Crappie Fishing was amazing today!! Yesterday...Not so much. But today my fishing rod and I, had great fun. And I even have some pretty cool 'crappie fishing tips' for you, in good time. hehe. ((-;

So for the 12th of March, we here in central Missouri near the Lake of the Ozarks, are having beautiful weather. It was 55 by 11:00 AM today and I was already at my favorite lake. For this early in the year the water temp is warming nicely, so I was hopeful the fish were biting.

3-12-15 First Fishing Trip in March
My Favorite Lake

I love crappie fishing folks, when they're biting the action is hard to beat. Today it started off slow as I walked to the shallow end of the lake, making a few casts along the way. When I get to the willow trees (red arrow) I start to see some fish movement beneath the trees. So I ease my way close enough to cast near the swirls.

Strike...And a miss! A few more casts, still nothing hooked, so I walk on down to the point of the cove. Now usually there's some slab crappie hanging out in this area, not today though. I started here because the water would be slightly warmer, but the wind is blowing towards the dam, the opposite end of the lake.

So after catching a couple of crappie, I work my way to the dam. Now here's a little "crappie fishing tip", whichever direction the wind is blowing, fish at the bank that it's blowing towards. The choppy water stirs the baitfish and that's where the bigger fish will be feeding, and that increases your chances of catching more fish.

I've been here about an hour, and it's warmed up a few more degrees, the fish are starting to bite more, so I've added a couple more to my bucket. This time of year in ponds and small lakes, the crappie are usually hanging close to the bank. I was casting 4-5 feet out from the bank and catching some 9-10" fish.

I like to use a bobber this time of year, about 12-18" deep. This keeps the jig at a consistent depth where the crappie are feeding and with a solid weighted bobber you can cast farther even with a strong wind

3-12-15 First Mess of Crappie

So I'm walking along the bank, casting ahead of my direction of travel. Finally a good solid hit, there's a slabbie, a nice 13 incher, in the bucket she goes. Prespawn crappie fight like the devil and I'm having a blast. I've added 8 to the bucket by now, and since crappie like shade I'm headed to the tree lined side of the lake.

Now it's warmed up to about 70 and the fish are really starting to bite. My next 5 casts I land 3 nice slabs. Next I cross the fence and sit down on a boat that the owner keeps there, this is a nicely shaded area, and the crappie have really started to bite.



For the next hour I land over 30 fish, some small 7-8" but out of those I have 14 nice keepers 10-13". I also kept a few small bluegill to fertilize my tomato plants, that makes those tomatoes taste so good! I ended up keeping 22 nice filleting size crappie, what a great relaxing early spring fishing trip.

Thanks for visiting folks
(-: jono

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.

#3 H&W Claypit One of my
Childhood Fishing Places 

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

Catfishing in the Extreme

Hi Fishing Friends

Pursuing catfish on a regular basis can be an extreme sport. On  Sunday Oct. 19th that's what I did.

I was at a new pond that I fish from time to time and at first the catching was slow. After about an hour and making one round of this fishing hole, I'd only caught a couple of perch. So not being a quitter, I caught me a few grasshoppers and walked around to the old dock.

<(;HF+< (Tip) Now here's a very important 'how to' tip, my friends. Catfish love grasshoppers!!

I set up a catfish rig, with my favorite live bait, and put it out there. I secured my pole on the dock, then picked up my other rod already setup with a crappie jig and started casting. Then the fish start biting, so I toss a couple in my bucket.

Spring fed pond that I caught this Catfish from
 (pic taken- 3-11-15)

Seeing movement out on the surface, like a big catfish swirling, I reel in my cat rig. Recasting it near that splash I secure my rod back down and start catching nice sized perch with my other one.

Making a cast, my jig gets hung in a tree, I break my line and begin to retie. Hearing a noise, I look up. My catfish rod is bent over, hanging by the biggest eyelet on the dock rail.


Quickly dropping my rod I run the 25 feet to my rig. Grabbing my rod, I set the hook and the fight is on. WooHoo it's a bigun' too. With my drag singing to me, (love that song) I walk down off the dock to a good spot on the bank.

It takes a few minutes to bring in my fish, oh man, what a fish it is, a big fat catfish. When I pull it out of the water, flopping around, I know it's well over 10 lbs. Loading everything up, I head to the local bait shop to weigh my huge channel cat.

Now a 10 lb channel is a big fish, I've caught many under 10 lbs. This monster weighed in at 14 lbs with a huge belly on her. Biggest channel that I've caught on a rod & reel. That's some catfishing in the extreme to this ole country boy. :-)

Hoping you have a great day my fishing friends.
Jon

The Hopper Diner

Hi All Fishers

<(;HF+< (Tip) Fish love them " grasshoppers it's what's for dinner." Almost all of the big fish that I have landed, are because I was using hoppers.

A largemouth bass, at 8 lbs 4 oz.
A channel catfish, at just under 15 lbs.
And I accidently landed a 40 lb grass carp on a hopper.

 Funny that, the grass carp was the most fun to catch. I'm not a carp fisher, normally, that's why it was an accident. I mean I landed it on purpose, it just wasn't what I was fishing for.

So, if ya can catch them, hoppers are awesome bait, free too, and that's always a plus.

As I write this, I've been chuckling, thinking about most folks reaction to using hoppers for bait, ew gross, I've heard that a few times!

So in the fall of the year, when the grasshoppers get big enough to string on a hook, slip on your fishing pants. And head on over to " The Hopper Diner " and see if you can catch bigger fish too.
                                                                 Have a great day/night folks.
                                                                                   Jon

New Waters

Hi All Fishers
     
Recently 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

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

I Love Arrowhead Hunting T-shirts by pondfishingclub

View other Indian T-Shirts

This is a personal creation, I also found all 3 of these artifacts while fishing one of my local creeks

Fishing More Peaceful Waters

http://www.wealthyaffiliate.com?a_aid=e2def492

Hello Folks,
         My name's  Jon

I'm just an ole country boy, who was raised in central Mo. with a fishing pole in my hands, from about 4yrs old until now. Just thought I'd start a blog, about my peaceful private pond fishing, and share some of my great fishing trips, with new and old friends alike.

Do you ever get tired of the 'Rat Race"?

Maybe want to do something different with your life?

Is there something that you're passionate about!?

Well for me it's fishing and writing that I'm Passionate about!

Since I've always been an avid reader, the local library being one of my best friends.(-: Researching comes second nature to me.

Now here's the "kicker" I was 'Technically Challenged', could just barely turn a computer on, scared of them, truth to tell.

But I wanted to learn! So I made my mind up to get 'Tech Saavy'.
So I started researching at the library, found the Best Place Online to Learn!

Wealthy Affiliate where I learn all I need to build websites, about online marketing, how to avoid Scams and many other useful things about the "World Wide Web"

Just click my link above and join me there. Take a free look for the 1st 7 days. You'll be happy you did!
                                                          Jon Wright