tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25277556460390534192024-03-13T11:21:23.583-05:00FISHING AFIELDHere you'll find articles ,photos,ads and my own personal experiences of fishing as well as links to other great fishing websites and magazines. I'll try to give tips and tricks to use to catch more fish next time you go afield.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-71173865866942967772010-03-15T05:21:00.003-05:002010-03-15T05:52:59.104-05:00Fishing Season is upon us.2010 has come around the corner with a blast of cold artic air coming down from the northlands but none the less just like clockwork the fishing season has stated. Since the end of deer season I've been talking hunting and fishing with a co-worker and he's invited me to go with him this year on a walleye fishing trip. Now I've never caught a walleye so this will be a new experience for me if it happens that I get lucky on the trip. I've gotten my bass rod out and put new 14 lb spider mono line on it to try out this year, Picked up some 30- 1/2 ounce neon green jigs,checked the fishing regulations for any changes this year and checked the fishing reports at the river we'll be fishing. At present the water is still way down at winter pool which has put the boat ramp some 12- 15 feet out of water but there are other ramps which can be used to launch our boat. The walleye are still moving upstream into the river channels and haven't reached our honey hole yet. I predict that within the next week or two the fish should be in our honey hole and schooling up there well enough that we should have a great day fishing for them. There are reports that 6- 8 lb fish are being caught approximately 300 yards downstream, more in the lake body in 20- 30 feet of water. Though my knowledge of walleye fishing is sparse to say the least I do know that the best way to catch them here is with a jig and trailer or live bait. This should prove to be a interesting fishing trip for me as well as one of a learning experience. After the fishing trip I hope to be writing a post to update everyone on the outcome of my new experience. In the meantime at work they are planning this years fishing tournaments again and have scheduled one for the weekend of March 27th. If I go to this bass tournament I'll also be posting a report on that as well.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-31051884355717830372009-07-06T22:00:00.004-05:002009-07-06T22:09:26.469-05:00Catfish Season is Over.This is just a very short post to let everyone of my readers know that catfish season is over with for me now and that I'll be posting more to my hunting website then here. I'll still post here just not as often. Our bass tournament is still going on at work but this past tournament was cancelled due to lack of entries and the 4th of July weekend causing the lakes and rivers to be to crowded. I'm overcome with home duties and other obligations but will continue to post here as often as possible. Thanks for your devoted patience and support of my websites.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-62230634654915425802009-06-19T12:34:00.003-05:002009-06-19T13:48:15.574-05:00Outdoor PreservationHave you ever walked outside and stopped just to hear the sound of nature at it's best. It doesn't matter what time of day ( or night ) it is, you can always hear nature at it's best. Whether it's the rain falling, the birds singing, squirrels playing in the trees, the wind blowing, frogs, dogs, coyotes and even people are all a vital part of this our mother earth. Now lets pretend that for some wrong reason we began losing some of our natural habitat. Lets say we lost the frogs and the birds from our world. Just what exactly would happen? First thing we notice is we lose some beautiful sounds, then we might notice that there are alot more bugs that the birds and frogs might eat and finally we might find that we have lost creatures of beauty that are normally taken for granted will always be there. Now let us look at reality. In today's world of the outdoors there are so many creatures that are being harmed by chemicals that most of us don't even know exist and many of the population could care less about. Chemicals are used daily by farmers, large companies and residents everywhere trying to eradicate some sort of pest problem which in turn actually does more harm then good. These chemicals have actually been found in our streams, ponds, soil and even the very foods we eat contain some sort of chemicals. We are the watchdogs of our mother earth and have all the say in whether or not we want our outdoors to be destroyed and turned into barren wastelands with no beauty to it at all or we want a lush beautiful green world for years to come. We humans are the only ones that can protect our lands and waterways from certain death and it's every ones responsibility to act on that tiny thought in the back of our mind. Preserving our outdoors is a must-do if not for ourselves then for our future generations. Think of your kids growing up with no parks to play in, no woods to hunt in, no streams with fish, no skies with birds, no pets, and so on. Is this the outdoor world we want our kids growing up to? By working together we can give future generations an outdoor world we can be proud of. Although there are some anti-outdoors people out there that could care less about our outdoors and some outdoors people with little respect for our outdoors, we can all become more protective of the great outdoors to combat their effects and prevent the destruction of our outdoor world. Everyone has a cause in today's society so lets make ours the great outdoors. Protect and preserve mother earth.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-56367579607191904852009-06-12T06:03:00.004-05:002009-06-12T06:37:10.671-05:00Fishing Update.Saturday evening, June 6th, my daughter Amanda,two of her kids Dustin and Danny, her boyfriend Daniel and a family friend James went fishing over at Rock Island State Park and they came home with a cooler full of catfish. They didn't get home till 1:30 a.m. so they waited till Sunday to clean the fish. Everyone had a great time with the exception of the slippery rocks which caused everyone to fall at least once. June 10th, I ended up going off catfishing by myself and when I got to Rock Island, they had the turbines running which meant high water. I waited to see if they would shut off the turbines and meanwhile decided to drift fish my bait through the currents hoping to catch a catfish. As things worked out I did hang one but the hook pulled off due to my kids using my rods and not knowing the proper way to tie a secure knot. I then moved above the turbulent waters and just as I was setting up to fish the turbines began shutting down so I moved back to the bridge and settled in for a 5 hour stay. My plans was to stay until 2:00 a.m. but ended up leaving around 12:00 midnight with 3 nice catfish of which the biggest was 10-12 pounds. These fish were taken to my workplace and given to my plant manager ( Jim Wilkerson ) who had been wanting a mess of fresh fish for over a year but couldn't find time to go.Jim told me he was going to smoke the largest catfish and bring some in for me to try this coming weekend. I've never tried smoked fish before so I guess I'm in for a treat. I enjoyed the relaxing time I spent by myself fishing. It was quiet and peaceful except for the sound of the waterfalls just below me.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-60260760275369666462009-06-06T21:22:00.007-05:002009-06-06T22:41:40.090-05:00Free Fishing Day With The Grandboy's and A Tragedy<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/Sis15SmpVeI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/RtlmqCmPqfo/s1600-h/Cody+%26+Kaleb%27s+fish.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/Sis15SmpVeI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/RtlmqCmPqfo/s400/Cody+%26+Kaleb%27s+fish.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344424641167971810" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/Sis0R3GUShI/AAAAAAAAAJI/mCSOc_Qh2Lc/s1600-h/fishing+trip+with+boys.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/Sis0R3GUShI/AAAAAAAAAJI/mCSOc_Qh2Lc/s400/fishing+trip+with+boys.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344422864258091538" /></a><br /><br />Today was free fishing day for everyone in Tennessee and the rest of the week is free fishing for 15 years and under so today I took my grand boy's fishing. We got up a little later than I wanted to but still managed to get on the road by 4:50 a.m. for a road trip that took us 45 minutes. Once we reached our fishing hole the first thing we noticed was the generators were off and the water levels were fine. We had alot of area fog this morning which helped out with the length of time the fish would bite. See down where we went the fish bite up until the sun hits the water then it's all over with till just before dark. We tied on hooks and picked our locations along the bank then everyone baited up and began fishing. After about an hour of fishing Cody hooked into a really nice catfish which gave him an awesome fight. This seemed to break the ice and the boy's started bringing in fish faster then I could get them on the stringer, mostly because they were scattered up and down the bank giving room for all to fish comfortably. Cody got the second fish, Kaleb got his first fish and then Kaleb got his second fish then tragedy hit. Cody walked up behind Bobby ( who was squatted down by his rod ) and not watching where his rod tip was just happened to stick it into the seat of Bobby's shorts. Bobby jumped up quickly and began screaming and crying. The hook had hooked him in his ( excuse the language ) ass and he had grabbed the rod while Cody was trying not to move it either. Unfortunately both boy's were tugging on the rod which was moving the hook making things worst till I managed to cut the line and get Bobby to hold still and listen to what I was telling him to do. I quickly assessed the hook, explained what had to happen and began to use my multi-tool to cut the eye of the hook so I could get the hook though Bobby's shorts where I would be able to see better if we would have to go to the hospital or I would be able to get it out myself. Once the hook shaft was through Bobby's shorts he began working the hook around fighting back the pain and finally removed the hook on his own. I then checked the site for bleeding and damage and found none whatsoever. Bobby then decided we would stay fishing longer but that he would quit fishing at which time I keep him with me and talked about the accident and explained that accidents do happen but not very often when people are careful. As we talked Bobby became more at ease with his injury and was finally able to sit down and relax, then finally began fishing again. After talking to Bobby, I then called all the grand kids over to me and explained that for now on they were to leave their rods on the bank where they were fishing and retrieve their bait then return to their rod and bait up. Cody was scared the whole time I was removing the hook and was letting Bobby squeeze his hand until it was over.Cody apologized over and over the whole time until we left and even on the way home. On the way home we all discussed the accident and the fun we all had fishing and their were all wanting to return again this evening for more fun fishing. Accidents can happen at any time regardless of how safe you think you are being. Though this accident wasn't real serious it could have been a really bad outcome for Bobby in more ways then one. He could have had to go to the hospital and he could of given up fishing for life but he remained a strong trooper throughout the whole ordeal, listened to me and choose to continue fishing. Bobby told me he's been hooked every time he's gone fishing but none of the times were real bad.Bobby cleaned his wound upon our getting home and has been at my house most of the day today. I've checked with him on how he was doing and he says he's okay. I'll be checking with him tomorrow just to follow-up and make sure he's not getting infected but I pretty sure it will be fine. All in all they all said they had alot of fun fishing with the accident as an exception. Above are a couple of pictures my granddaughter took with her camera phone of the fish and us all. The first is Kaleb on the left and Cody on the right then (left to right ) one of Pepaw (deerslayer ), Kaleb, Cody and Bobby. Though I didn't weight the fish I estimate the big fish to weight about 15- 17 pounds.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-9585829179397078882009-05-29T04:04:00.005-05:002009-05-29T04:40:05.913-05:00Company Bass Anglers Tournament.Well I've joined our companies Bass Anglers Tournament which we're trying to have every two weeks ( my weekend off ) and so far my partner and I have come in second place. We're kind of working in the dark on this thing as nobody knows the next tournament location or times until it's posted on the bulletin board at work. The fish are still on beds but should be off by our next tournament which should be June the 7th. Although we have just begun this tournament we are already looking to add other companies from around the area to join in the fishing fun but with little luck on that right now. This could be due to the fish being on beds ( I'm hoping ) and nobody wants to fish till their off beds. Our tournament June 7th is going to be a night tournament but the location and exact times haven't been set yet. I believe there would be more participation if we had a set schedule posted so folks would know in advance about the tournament dates and times and could work them into their daily schedules. I've come up with a t-shirt design for sponsorship of the tournament but we're waiting right now to see if we can get more companies to join us so we can add their company's logo to the shirts before having them printed up. Right now we don't even know if we can get our company to sponsor us with the t-shirts but we're going to try anyway. Maybe I'll try contacting field dressed.com about sponsoring us with one of their t-shirts-- I don't know. Anyway I'll be posting more news on our tournaments and the standings to keep everyone updated on the outcome of our tournament and any other fishing I'll be doing this summer.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-85180285652346846602009-04-13T05:48:00.008-05:002009-04-15T21:54:52.499-05:00Fishing Trip with My Grandsons.Saturday morning plans were made for a fishing trip with one of my grandsons, Kaleb. As usual another grandson, Cody decided he wanted to go by late Saturday afternoon. I spent the day Saturday going over all my tackle checking it and getting it ready for Sunday's adventure. 4:15 a.m. Sunday morning my two grandsons and I got up, had breakfast and coffee and discussed facts about fishing. My grandsons had been fishing before but were anxious to learn all they could about fishing from me. So many questions and a lifetime for them to learn. Although I have many years of fishing behind me and more memories of fishing than I can ever disclose to them, I only hope I will be here long enough to show and teach them everything I know about fishing and the outdoors. 5:00 a.m. we loaded the gear up and headed to my favorite honeyhole. As it was still dark out, on the way there was conversation about the road, the fog, a opossum which crossed the road in front of us and of course fish and fishing. As we went through town, we stopped at Wal-mart Supercenter to replenish my supply of 5/0 laser point catfish hooks then back on the road again. 6:00 a.m. and dawn was just breaking. We were just minutes away from my honeyhole and my grandsons were already seeing the water beside us above the dam. As we pulled into the parking lot we could see the Great Falls waterfall and that the lights were flashing on the construction bridge to the Hydro-plant, indicating that the turbines were running and the dam flood gates were open. We got out of the truck and walked the upper trail as the lower trail was under water. Kaleb and Cody were both in awe over all the swift water, the falls, the vultures flying around over us, the fog hanging over the water, the wild flowers and wanting to know where we were going to be fishing. When we finally found a place along the bluff where we could get down to the waters edge to fish we went back to the truck and got our gear. Returning to the water, I began showing both grandsons how to put the chicken livers on the hook, how to cast the bait easy enough not to throw it off, how to cast out and handle the large catfish rods so as not to throw them in the water and how to cast into the swift currents and eddy's without getting crossed over each others lines. Though my two grandsons were more into casting out and reeling in to quickly to give the fish time to bite, they both did a wonderful job of listening to my instructions, and their casting out skills were well appraised, however they were both in open waters without trees, protruding rocks or logs and stumps. Although we all started out free lining our baits, I decided to put a sinker on and try bottom fishing. Knowing this to be a mistake in the fast moving current, I wanted to see if the fish were on the bottom of the river. As anticipated, I got hung up and lost my hook and sinker which turned out to be a good opportunity to show my grandsons how to tie on a hook. We'd been fishing for about 2 hours now and both grandsons were beginning to get alittle dis-interested due to not catching any fish. We decided to move to another fishing spot, one where the water wasn't swift and fast currents so we moved to a spot above the dam next to a bridge. Unfortunately after fishing there for another hour or so and still not catching any fish we decided to head for home and try fishing another day. On the way home we discussed the day of fishing and the fun we had even if we didn't catch any fish. Before reaching home they wanted to know when we would be going again. My only reply was " maybe the next weekend I'm off work". Another great memory for my collection.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-31268782332348581652009-04-11T18:06:00.006-05:002009-04-11T18:19:04.096-05:00Fishing We Go.Well just a short update on my fishing. This Sunday ( April 12, 2009 ) I plan on getting up at 4:30 a.m. and heading out to Rock Island State Park for a morning of fishing for catfish with my grandson Kaleb. If all goes well we should come back with a nice bunch of fish for the skillet but they'll have to wait cause I'm cooking up a nice deer roast with all the trimmings. We'll be using chicken livers and fishing just below a spillway along the river ledges drifting the livers free lined. To date the smallest catfish I've ever caught there was probably 5-6 pounds. I'll give you full length report on our fishing outing later this coming week.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-12324737537007195052009-02-28T20:16:00.003-06:002009-02-28T20:34:16.242-06:00Weekend Fishing Update.Well I had planned on going fishing this weekend but the weather just didn't cooperate so I ended up visiting blogs and giving my support to my fellow bloggers and doing some research on a sickness I've just been diagnosed with. I did check the fishing report for my area and found out that the fishing was slow right now due to the weather and the cold running the fish down deep. Most fish ,of those being caught, are running from 10-35 feet deep on channels or drop-offs. These fish are being caught on mostly jigs or live minnows. Hopefully I'll get the chance to go fishing two weeks from now when I'm off on the weekend again. There has been some rumors that the catfish are biting now for the past month or so, so maybe I'll give catfishing a try when I go. March usually starts the catfish feeding good and getting ready to start going on beds so it should start getting exciting around here through the last part of July or August. Anyway I'll give a update to you on the fishing here after I go in two weeks and hopefully the weather will be better by then and the fish will be biting.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-63835559931021100122008-12-07T22:16:00.005-06:002008-12-07T22:27:55.135-06:00Fishing Was On Hold.My fishing has been put on hold since the beginning of deer season and besides that I usually only fish for bass and catfish now which I do normally during the first part of the year until as I said deer season begins. Anyway with deer season about over you should start getting more post here on my fishing afield for the 2009 year. Perhaps in 2009 if the deer hunting gets slow I may try some fall and winter fishing. Who knows I may even take up fishing for crappie and walleye. My camping trips with the wife this year were all but a disaster so in 2009 there probably won't be any camping trips or at least not with her but maybe with some of the guys from work or my grand kids, only time will tell.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-21047585930102687422008-08-31T21:37:00.006-05:002008-08-31T22:00:01.247-05:00Just A Fishing.A couple of weeks ago I'd pondered all night while at work about going fishing after work the next morning. Unfortunately, I was to tired to drive the 12 - 15 miles to my catfish hole and ended up going down to the nearby river to fish for bass. I parked by the Hwy 111 bridge, climbed down the embankment and slide into the water by the bridge and began fishing upstream all the way to the dam with nary a bite one. I then started back down stream and had stopped at a big poole using the same spinner bait but reeling it very slowly, so as to allow it to fall to the bottom and to my dismay began cacthing 10 - 12 inch redeye bass. I stayed at this poole for about 40 minutes and left with a nice stringer of redeye bass. I didn't have my watch on so I figured it was about time I get home to the wife before she grounded me from fishing the rest of the year. Those fish made some nice eatin and the wife was happy to boot.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-8490410877122574922008-08-16T22:15:00.003-05:002008-08-16T22:44:11.218-05:00Doctor's Released Me.Tuesday August 12th, 2008 the doctors check-up was good but not a total relief. The doctor looked at the wound and said it was healing good but to be careful cause it could still bust open again and I'd be back to square one again starting all over on the healing process.The doctor released me to go back to work but on a light duty release only for about another 7 - 10 days or so. I went to work on the 13th and 14th and they put me on the forklift and told me to " just be careful and chill out and not lift anything", but my packing balled up on me and felt like sitting on a rock. I even changed the packing but it didn't do any good the pain was already there and hard to handle without my pain medication. I kept trying to prevent taking any pain meds. due to them being narcotic drugs and not wanting to get dependent on them. Saturday around noon I had my grandsons over to help clean up the yard so it could be mowed and I started hurting again just walking around so now I've been inside sitting around trying to stop the pain again. I think I may have rubbed the covering off the wound and have it opened up again but haven't had the wife check it yet. I'll have her check it in the morning after my shower before dressing it. I just hope I can make it at work the next few days without any more pain. It's good to be able to get off the couch anyway and tomorrow I plan on trying to mow the yard with just the riding mower at least. I may not be able to do that but I have to try. Dad and mom came by today to check on me and they have been seeing a few deer in the lake bed with a couple of nice bucks. Now I just have to finish rebuilding my deer stands and get them up before season starts and re-sight my bow.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-48291296956194531892008-08-08T22:54:00.003-05:002008-08-08T23:19:32.942-05:00Doctors Visit.Went to the doctors today for check-up and they told me the wound was worst not better. The wound has opened up even more and the infection gotten worst. They put me off work through the 12th of August now and have me doing what they call a wet and dry packing on it ( which is changing the dressing from a wet pack to a dry pack every four to six hours and nothing during the nighttime to let it air out and breath ). I also have to use Hydrogen Peroxide and water ( 50-50 % ) solution on it twice daily to help the infection clear out. It just doesn't look all that good to me but then I'm not a doctor and not making the big bucks for those decisions. Since lying on the couch is all I can do I've been watching alot of hunting and fishing shows on tv on the Outdoor Channel, writing blogs in my website booklet ( which I need to post to my hunting site ) and sleeping alot of the time. I 've been doing paid surveys online but they all want you to buy something or try something free for a fourteen day trial, so I guess I be giving this idea up of making money at home with the internet. I can't win from losing any more. Depression starting to set in some now I think so I'll close till the next doctors visit or I feel like writing something else.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-63709085672069595062008-08-05T05:07:00.005-05:002008-08-05T05:50:19.630-05:00Complications from SurgeryWent to doctors appointment today, they were upset cause fiberplasty has broken lose and infection set up. Seems as though I wasn't supposed to be sitting in a tub of water for my bath or sitting at all. My release instructions weren't explained to me just written on paper. Now I'm off work for at least another week and my pain medication doubled and a strong antibiotic to boot. Now I may end up losing my job over this surgery due to missing too much work, even though I was under a doctors care I can only miss 8 days in a year even with a doctors excuse. I go back to the doctor Friday the 8Th at 11:00 a.m. and hope the antibiotics are working and the surgery healing up but for now will just have to wait and see. First time surgery you never know what to expect or what questions to ask when your released to go home.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-88909001468268787802008-07-31T07:19:00.003-05:002008-07-31T07:58:09.752-05:00Surgery update.Surgery had me worried but it's all over with now and wasn't as bad as I figured it would be. Though I haven't talked to the doctor myself yet, my wife, mother and father was there with me during the surgery and spoke with the doctor after surgery while I was in recovery. The doctor told them everything went well and that he was sending the warts off to have them checked for the possibility of cancer. As for my endoscopy, the doctor said I had an ulcer and ask my wife if I had been under any stress, said that is what causes ulcers( with all the kids staying with us, health problems,financial problems,work not getting done around home,not sleeping good and trying to stop smoking and cut way down on the caffine---no stress here at all). Anyway I'm scheduled to return to the surgeon for follow-up only this time Monday August 4th at 3:45p.m. and then I'll have alot more questions for him. The hospital called yesterday to check up on me and told me to lay around the house buck naked so the wound would get air to it and heal faster. This part I like but have to make sure I lock the doors. Get to bath for the first time today since surgery on Tuesday and man do I need a bath. Pain pills are the strongest he can give me and at times they just don't seem to be working at all (Dilundid 2 mg every 3-4 hours). I'm just glad they didn't have to do any skin grafts. Okay enough for now will update more later as reqiured or needed.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-84991447807317357722008-07-28T20:18:00.003-05:002008-07-28T20:34:23.812-05:00Health Update.Was supposed to go fishing tonight but had a doctors appointment and he scheduled me for minor surgery on my leg tomorrow. the doctor has taken me off work till Monday August the 4th so since I can't do anything but sit around the house I'll try to post a few articles on all my websites for everyone and visit alot of sites as well. Catfish are hitting really good here right now as they are coming off beds and filling their gut. Have been getting alot of reports of big 18,19 lbs and bigger fish being caught on crawfish, nightcrawlers, chicken livers and shad and minnows and bream. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of any of them just reports. Keep on fishing and posts me some articles and THANKS EVERYONE for your concerns.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-41488154580932854542008-07-19T04:52:00.004-05:002008-07-19T05:19:25.810-05:00Fishing UpdateIt's been some time now since my last post so let me fill you in. I've been busy with my job,working around the house and helping out my dad so I really haven't had the time to get online. I have managed to go fishing some after work for a couple of hours and early mornings and late nights. I caught a nice 12 1/2 lb. channel catfish three weeks ago that gave me a really good fight on my ultralight rod with 6 lb test, then three days ago I caught a stringer of nice red eye bass at the river using a small spinner bait on my ultralight rod and that was a ball. I 've fished a few ponds at night and caught a few decent largemouth bass which I threw back , so I guess that's about all the fishing time I've been able to do lately. My dad's health and mine too is worst now so I have to try to help my parents with their work around their place and keep working on my place as well which doesn't leave much time for my fishing. Hunting season is getting close and I've got to get all my ducks in a roll before it gets here or I won't be going come opening day if my health allows me. I've missed out on reading everyone's post and leaving comments on their stories so much that everyone has probably forgotten me but that will change now. Everyone keep fishing and post those articles as I will do the same.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-31022824736020952892008-03-25T19:49:00.004-05:002008-03-25T20:26:30.801-05:0040 Years of Heritage40 Years ago in a small town in Tennessee, lived a family of five brothers growing up to the wonders of the great outdoors. It was around this time that I have some of the most fondest memories of growing up fishing on the banks of rivers and streams with my dad and four brothers. Fishing for me back then was probably the best I've ever known cause at that time I never had to worry about license, rules and regulations or what kind of fish I was going to try to catch. Back then all I had to worry about was getting my chores and school homework done and coming back home on time. Sometimes when I would go to wade the creek, which was just 1/4 mile from my home, I would get up at daylight and be gone all day long fishing and swimming till I got tired and still didn't want to go home then. On Sunday morning us boys would have our chores done by 9:00 a.m. so dad would carry us to the river. I remember the cardinals singing in the tree tops and the fish would be biting even if it was nothing more then bream and perch. These were the good times and my how they have changed. Now days a body goes through an act of congress just to get ready to go fishing but it's all good and fine as long as I have great company along to enjoy the day or night with and make new memories for when I can't go any longer. Isn't this what fishing all about anyway, making memories and sharing them with the ones you love. Make plans now to get together with someone you know and go fishing this year or find a new fishing partner to go with you and make someone else happy too. Passing on your fishing expertise is always an experience in it's self and keeps our heritage alive for years to come.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-21281560093159619092008-03-14T22:53:00.001-05:002008-03-14T22:55:11.649-05:00Bring Gas Prices DownThis was sent to me in an e-mail , see if it makes sense to you. THIS IS NOT THE 'DON'T BUY' GAS FOR ONE DAY, BUT IT WILL SHOW YOU HOW WE CAN GET GAS BACK DOWN TO $1.30 PER GALLON.<br /> <br /> This was sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. If you are tired of the gas prices going up AND they will continue to rise this summer, take time to read this please.<br /> <br /> Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea.<br /> This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May!<br /> It's worth your consideration. Join the resistance!!!!<br /> I hear we are going to hit close to $ 4.00 a gallon by next summer, and it might go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down?<br /> <br /> We need to take some intelligent, united action. The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas.<br /> <br /> It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.<br /> BUT, whoever thought of this idea has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read on and join with us!<br /><br /> By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $2.00 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $3.19 for regular unleaded in my town.<br /> <br /> Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..not sellers.<br /> <br /> With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action.<br /> <br /> The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. <br /> <br /> How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas.<br /> <br /> But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.<br /> <br /> Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL.<br /> <br /> If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. <br /> If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.<br /> <br /> But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!<br /> <br /> I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x10 = 3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers.<br /> If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!<br /> <br /> If it goes one level further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!! <br /> <br /> Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all!<br /> <br /> (If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people.... Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. But I am . so trust me on this one.<br /> <br /> How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days !!!<br /> <br /> I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you!<br /> Acting together we can make a difference.<br /> <br /> If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $2.00 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK.<br /> <br /> Keep it going!!!deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-44781450487294438192008-02-29T21:42:00.006-06:002008-02-29T22:05:20.047-06:00Spring Fishing's ComingI can't wait for spring to get here. The rains come, the creeks swell, the fish move up into the creeks and then when all returns to normal and the waters warm just a little bit, the fishing is really great everywhere. I love fishing creeks and rivers in the springtime cause the action is so fast and you never know just what you might catch. There's lots of ledges and over hanging tree branches that hold fish but you have to take your time fishing these spots to be effective and catch the fish. Sometimes you have to wade back thru a hole and change baits to get them to bite but its worth it just to get the full enjoyment of creek fishing. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time when you go creek wading so you can fish the holes slowly and be sure to take in all the scenery as you wade. Remember to that the bottom of the creeks are going to be very slick up until mid summer, especially if there's any current at all, due to the winter cleansing. Remember also to keep just the fish you intend to eat or put in the freezer and only keep the fish of legal size limits.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-84034467342981430972008-02-16T12:39:00.009-06:002008-12-11T12:58:36.109-06:00Lake Sturgeon Project in Tennessee<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7c-KP3cInI/AAAAAAAAADg/04IoBzUXB7A/s1600-h/Lake+Sturgeon.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7c-KP3cInI/AAAAAAAAADg/04IoBzUXB7A/s400/Lake+Sturgeon.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167667443209609842" /></a><br />In the year 2000 Tennessee Wildlife resource Agency began stocking lake sturgeon in the French Broad and Holston rivers near Knoxville, Tn. and again in 2006 stocked Cheatham Reservoir of the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tn.. The lake sturgeon is Tennessee's largest species of fish growing to weights of 300 lbs. and lengths of 8 feet long and living for up to 150 years old. To date more than 50,000 Lake Sturgeon have been released into Tennessee's rivers. Movement studies of the lake sturgeon have already shown that they travel great distances after being released and some fish which have already been caught and released have shown the fish traveling 250 miles and going through 4 dams before being caught by an angler. Some of the lake sturgeons are equipped with transmitters for research study and monitoring of the fish . Lake sturgeon are an endangered species in Tennessee and should be released immediately without harm to the fish. If a lake sturgeon is caught by any angler, TWRA would appreciate a photo and approximate length of the fish if this can be done without harm to the fish or delaying the release. In addition to the photo, your name, address, phone number, when and where you caught it and what you were using for bait should be sent to your regional office or call the Fish Management Division at 615-781-6575. A numbered Lake Sturgeon Certificate will be sent to you as appreciation of your report. TWRA is hopeing to be able to allow a managed sport fishery of this primitive species in years to come if the program succeeds.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-44820273065748271362008-02-15T21:55:00.004-06:002008-02-15T22:43:25.838-06:00Wading Creeks and StreamsCreeks and streams are abundant all around the world and many of them are have some really great fishing in them if you find the right spot. Most people who fish are what I call the " seldom fishers " , who I refer to as those group of people who only pretend to know what they are doing when they go fishing and end up fishing from the banks somewhere where they can drive up to the edge of the water and fish almost out of their vehicles. The next group of people who fish I call the " amatuer fishers " who know something about fishing but catch very few fish when they go. Then we come to the " professional fishers " who seem to know everything there is to know about fishing and usually can catch fish anywhere they go and at anytime. As for me, I guess I'm whats called an amatuer fisher and only catch fish if they are biting. My favorite way to catch fish is by wading the creeks and streams at a slow pace, usually wading upstream so as to keep any mud and debris that is stirred up from the bottom flowing behind me. Depending on the time of year as to the type of bait or lures that I take with me and what kind of bottom I fish. During spring thaw the smallmouth bass run upstream to the dams to spawn and can later be caught just about anywhere in the creeks and streams as the water temperatures change. Just about all species of fish will spawn in early spring with the exception of a few species which will wait till the water temperatures have warmed to around 65-68 degrees. As you wade these creeks and streams there are a few hazards you want to be carefull of such as slick bottoms, snakes and swift currents and even fences across the waters. Wading creeks and streams can be an enjoyable event but it can also turn out to be a very bad situation if care is not taken while fishing. Please make sure you use caution when stepping off ledges in the waters as these can sometime be very deep drop-off putting you in over your head. Next time you go fishing give this method a try and see if you don't come out with some great fish but remember to keep only what you can eat and release the rest for someone else to have a great time catching.Please remember also to check your size limit in your area before you go fishing and when in doubt throw them back.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-80640146617735271052008-02-12T19:13:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:58:37.124-06:00Big Catfish -- Catch-em if you can<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JPK_3cIkI/AAAAAAAAADI/K3M4S93ZLtE/s1600-h/Amazon+Catfish.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JPK_3cIkI/AAAAAAAAADI/K3M4S93ZLtE/s400/Amazon+Catfish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166278772908630594" /></a><br /><br />Catfish are thought of by many people as strictly bottom feeders when in all reality they are just like any other species of fish, feeding at any depth. Most species of catfish crave certain foods for their diet but will eat just about anything you put before them. Understanding these fish and doing alittle research and study work will allow anybody to be able to catch one of these monsters of our waters,whether it be from a lake,reservoir,river or pond. As of 2007 there are 36 extant families and about 3,023 extant species of the catfish family. The largest flathead catfish ever caught to date was taken in Independence, Kansas weighing 123 lbs. 9 ozs but is no match for the world record Giant Mekong Catfish of Northern Thailand, the largest of which was caught May 1, 2005 weighing in at an unbelievable 646 lbs. Today the Giant Mekong Catfish are on the critically endangered species list and are illegal to fish for in certain waters of Thailand.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JJNv3cIiI/AAAAAAAAAC4/nF035x2AQrM/s1600-h/Giant+Mekong+Catfish.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JJNv3cIiI/AAAAAAAAAC4/nF035x2AQrM/s400/Giant+Mekong+Catfish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166272223083504162" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JJtv3cIjI/AAAAAAAAADA/lgu1DGs83SU/s1600-h/European+Wels+Catfish.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JJtv3cIjI/AAAAAAAAADA/lgu1DGs83SU/s400/European+Wels+Catfish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166272772839318066" /></a> Other catfish around the world of substantial size include the European ( Wels ) Catfish and of our very own yellow catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish and the shovelbill catfish (spoonbill ). Now I do a good bit of catfishing in the summer months and do quite well at it but it depends on where I go as to how I fish for them. In one area of a river I fish I use a 2-4/0 hook with no sinker and let my big chunk of chicken liver drift under the ledge rocks producing some nice 10-25 lb catfish where as at another spot I fish I like to use a sinker and fish the bottom for channel catfish and flatheads producing fish from 1 lb to 15 and up to the 78 lb fish posted on one of my other websites. Fishing for catfish can be slow,easy and laid-back or it can be fast and furious with lots of action and excitment.Don't expect to catch any perticular species of catfish all year long as each species go on bed at different times are just don't feed while on beds. It all comes down to one important fact about catching catfish, you have to be at the right spot at the right time to catch fish. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JPc_3cIlI/AAAAAAAAADQ/SqRLVHSa2-g/s1600-h/Dances+With+Catfish.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JPc_3cIlI/AAAAAAAAADQ/SqRLVHSa2-g/s400/Dances+With+Catfish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166279082146275922" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JP1P3cImI/AAAAAAAAADY/8eXipspjLHw/s1600-h/Flathead+Catfish.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9SqET9raEE/R7JP1P3cImI/AAAAAAAAADY/8eXipspjLHw/s400/Flathead+Catfish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166279498758103650" /></a>deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527755646039053419.post-91932060594148290032008-02-07T19:53:00.000-06:002008-02-07T20:32:06.797-06:00Technology and Tackle.Todays fishing world is just as full of fish of all sizes and different species as it was over 100 years ago but the technology to catch these fish have changed dramaticly over this time and more so just recently. Rods and reels, boats, electronic eqippment, baits and lures, lines and even the technics have all changed to make fishing more productive and enjoyable. As you walk through your favorite fishing tackle store or look through your favorite fishing supply magazine take a moment to notice just how many different varieties of the same type lures or rods you'll find that do exactly the same thing. Now they say choice is good but too much of a good thing can be confusing to alot of people. Me myself, I like to run into my tackle store grab exactly what I'm after and get out to the fishing hole,but let a salesperson or someone in the store that knows you see you there and it's 20-30 minutes before you get out of the store to go fishing. There is one great way of getting your fishing supplies before your trip and that is to go grocery shopping with the spouse everytime and depending on where you get your fishing supplies either drop her (or him ) off and go get your tackle or like at Walmart Supercenter just go to the other end of the store and have them meet you there when their done shopping. In the next few post I plan on discussing ways of catching big catfish and wading creeks and streams for fast action fishing.deerslayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280092809884128793noreply@blogger.com1