Great Days Outdoors - April 2019

Start the new boating season off right with the Ultimate 4-Stroke Outboard from Suzuki. Buy during our Spring Sales Event and get Suzuki’s 3-Year Limited Warranty plus 3 years of Extended Protection at no extra charge.There are Instant Savings on select models, and Low-Rate Financing is also available. See your participating Suzuki Marine dealer for all the details.

3 Years Limited Warranty + 3 Years Extended Protection

Six Years of Protection at no extra charge on all new outboards 25 to 350 HP.

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Instant Savings on select models when you buy during this promotion.

See your dealer for details.

REPOWER FINANCE Rates as low as 5.99% on new Suzuki outboards on approved credit.* [60 Months]

To learn more, visit www.suzukimarine.com.

251.968.2628

6940A HIGHWAY 59 | GULF SHORES, AL 36542 HWY 59 @ COUNTY RD. 8 Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 350 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 04/01/19 and 06/30/19 in accor-dance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledge-ment letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Instant Savings apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 04/01/19 and 06/30/19. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine. com. Instant Savings must be applied against the agreed-upon selling price of the outboard motor and reflected in the bill of sale. (Suzuki will, in turn, credit Dealer’s parts account.) There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 04/01/19 and 06/30/19. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2019 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 3

HUNTING & FISHING IN ALABAMA & THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE

16

FEATURES 8 13

8

BOWHUNTING’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE – TAKING THE WILD TURKEY

By John E. Phillips LAND APPRAISAL - WHAT’S HUNTING LAND IN ALABAMA WORTH

By Great Days Outdoors Staff

16 21 24 28 32 38

HOW TO FISH A CHATTERBAIT

By Charles Johnson GULF COAST FAMILY FISHING VACATIONS - ORANGE BEACH/GULF SHORES

By Ed Mashburn UNIQUE FISHING TOURNAMENTS IN ALABAMA

By Frank Sargeant HOW TO: JUGGING FOR CATFISH

By Ed Mashburn

Bets 6 Best

by William Kendy

FOOD PLOT FERTILIZER – LIQUID VERSUS GRANULAR

By Charles Johnson

36

New Gear for Outdoorsmen

by Great Days Outdoors Staff

40

SPRING FOOD PLOTS FOR DEER AND TURKEY

By Great Days Outdoors Staff

The Gun Rack Solid Rest, Dead Gobbler

42

From the Commissioner April Provides Abundant Fishing Choices

51

48

IN EVERY ISSUE

44

Hunting Heritage The Tradition Lives On A Shared Love of Quail Hunting

46

From the Director Making A Difference….

We All Can Do It!

48

Paddle Fishing Kayak to Find Big Specks in Shallow Water

by Ed Mashburn

24 51

4 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Camphouse Kitchen

by Hank Shaw

FISHING OUTLOOKS 56

Pier and Shore

by David Thornton

58

Gulf Coast

by Mike Thompson

60

Regional Freshwater

by Alex Granpere

64

Prime Feeding Times, Moon, Sun, and Tide Charts

68

Pensacola Motorsports Trophy Room

70 72 73

Great Days Kids Corner

74

Amusing Kids Afloat

by Jim Mize

Classifieds & Fishin' Guides Fishing Tips

by Captain Dusty Hayes

PROPERTY PHOTO HERE

PROPERTY PHOTO HERE

Bear Creek Farm

Frisco City Farm House and Weekend Retreat Monroe County, Alabama, 60 +/-Acres PROPERTY TEXT HERE This scenic farm near Frisco City has it all: A renovated farm house overlooking a large ag field,

Wilcox County, Alabama, 2883+/-Acres PROPERTY TEXT HERE 2,883 acres located between Oak Hill and Pine Apple. This land is loaded with mature hardwood and pine timber. Bear Creek flows through the property, creating the beautiful hardwood bottoms. There is a slight elevation change from the hardwood bottoms of Bear Creek to the pine plantations allowing for great nesting for the abundant turkey population.

Deer can be seen all around Bear Creek Farm and several big deer have been harvested and live on this land. Cattle pastures and hay fields run through the center making for excellent diversity in habitat. Tracts like this do not come on the market very often.

Alabama Listings COUNTY Autauga Autauga Autauga Autauga Autauga Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Bibb Bibb Blount Blount Blount Blount Blount Bullock Bullock Bullock Bullock

ACRES 535 317.65 116 116 10 1995 546 492 425 116 704 346 200 179 111 98.6 30 60 50 5.46 3.76 2.02 186 106 80 48.6

Butler Butler Butler Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Chilton Chilton Chilton Choctaw Choctaw Choctaw Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Clay Clay Clay Clay Clay Cleburne Cleburne

395 54 10 102 100 26.91 25 22.5 636 221 0 107 25 19.37 526 220 54 49 38 160 117 80 42 40 80 57

COUNTY Cleburne Coffee Coffee Colbert Colbert Colbert Colbert Colbert Conecuh Conecuh Conecuh Coosa Coosa Coosa Coosa Coosa Covington Covington Crenshaw Crenshaw Cullman Cullman Dale Dallas Dallas Dallas

ACRES 56.48 254 6 158 40 36 25 2 85 40 10 440 151 100 62 45 43 30 270 134 876.25 289 340 600 463.54 205

Dallas Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Escambia Escambia Escambia Escambia Etowah Etowah Etowah Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Franklin Franklin Franklin Franklin Franklin Greene Greene Greene

140 2000 264 213 90 50 671.6 79 40 27 275 167.3 57 260 232 160 155 133 608 563 552 250 118 2291 90 1

COUNTY Greene Hale Hale Hale Hale Hale Henry Henry Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Lamar Lamar Lamar Lamar Lamar Lauderdale Lauderdale Lauderdale Lawrence Limestone Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes

timberland, fantastic hunting and a live stream. The 3BR 1BA farm house sits inside a pecan and fruit orchard, has covered front and rear porches, den with fireplace, dining room, and heart pine floors. It was renovated in 2018 with new HVAC system with hard pipe duct work under the house, completely rewired with varmint proof metal coded wire, new light switches and receptacles, new carpet in the bedrooms, blown insulation in the attic and walls, 1� meter and new PVC waterline, and new hot water heater in 2017. It has public utilities, trash pickup, and a well that’s never been used. While only a few minutes from the shopping and churches of Frisco City, the property is isolated enough to have all the privacy desired of a rural farm.

ACRES 0.72 186 114 96 92 88 200 104.5 400 330 245 125 94 255 104 92 80 78 76 60 30 80 1.36 1181 790 783

Lowndes Lowndes Macon Macon Madison Marengo Marion Marion Marion Marion Marion Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Monroe Monroe Monroe Monroe Monroe Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery

656 567 930 60 100 772 387 325 250 120 94 1800 260 249 200 192 790 378.49 271.5 238 129 623 430 399 314 275

COUNTY ACRES Morgan 150 Perry 604.33 Perry 386 Perry 200 Perry 189 Perry 140 Pickens 837 Pickens 513 Pickens 450 Pickens 430 Pickens 150 Pike 352.8 Randolph 407 Randolph 329 Randolph 78 Randolph 60 Randolph 52.4 Russell 1403 Russell 711.35 Russell 692.31 Saint Clair 296 Saint Clair 100 Saint Clair 68.13 Saint Clair 40 Saint Clair 29 458 Shelby

Shelby Shelby Shelby Shelby Sumter Sumter Sumter Sumter Sumter Talladega Talladega Talladega Talladega Talladega Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa

253 163.82 43.56 41 740 350 240 213 188 1314 1015 723.5 882 49 163 153 81 72.21

COUNTY ACRES Tuscaloosa 71 233 Walker 65 Walker Washington 1287.41 Washington 1261 Washington 480 Washington 313 Washington 240 2883 Wilcox 2365 Wilcox 2.5 Wilcox 1.5 Wilcox 0.5 Wilcox 279 Winston 84 Winston 2.31 Winston 0.99 Winston 0.5 Winston

INNOVATIVE LAND PROFESSIONALS

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 5

BEST BETS

BEST BETS FOR APRIL These are our top targets for hunters and fishermen this month!

BY WILLIAM KENDY

LAKE MARTIN STRIPER BONANZA

If you combine normally awesome April weather, near perfect water temperature and exceptional water clarity the result is a “No Brainer” striper fishing month on Lake Martin, says Capt. David B Hare of Alex City Guide Service.

According to Hare there really aren’t any April “hot spots” and the fish are all over. The best bite is on natural bait and the “Black Salty” is a good choice. He adds that April is a great time for “pier light” fishing.

“Rig up a spinning rod with 12 lb monofilament and very loose drag with Rapala # 7 Shad Rap black and silver and you should have a blast.”

VOLUME 23, ISSUE 4 APRIL 2019 PUBLISHED BY: Great Days Outdoors Media, L.L.C. PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joe Baya ASSISTANT EDITOR: Bill Kendy CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Wendy Johannesmann OFFICE MANAGER: Lisa Williams ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Samatha Hester

CONTRIBUTING FREELANCE WRITERS:

LATE SEASON LONELY GOBBLERS

When all his hens are bred, layed eggs and are clutch sitting, a gobbler may still have the urge but no takers and that accounts for less activity in early April. Hunters who patiently keep at it, concentrating in mid to late morning on “strut zones” which might be a small opening in the woods instead of an larger, open field, may harvest a “feeling forsaken” tom later in the month.

For more information on late season turkey hunting reference the GDO Late Season Turkey Hunting Tips by Charles Johnson article at https://greatdaysoutdoors.com/tag/gobbler/

EMERALD COAST COBIA

April is the prime time to catch migrating cobia on Florida’s Emerald Coast.

Live eels, crabs, mullet and small fish are top baits as long as you keep them near the surface as fish will be high in the water taking advantage of the waves. The fish will be found from close to shore up to a couple of miles out. If they are running deeper use just enough weight to put it in strike range while maintaining action.

Use medium to heavy spinning tackle as cobia can run from 30 pounds upwards to 100.

Chris Blankenship Daryl Bell Alex Granpere Craig Haney Charles Johnson Ed Mashburn Doug Max Greg McCain

John E. Phillips Corky Pugh Chuck Sykes Mike Thompson David Thornton Jim Barta Jim Mize Deneshia Larson

Patrick Garmeson Hank Shaw Joe Baya Don Green Babe Winkelman Bobby Abruscato J. Wayne Fears

Great Days Outdoors (USPS 17228; ISSN 1556-0147) is published monthly at 951 Government Street B, Mobile, AL 36604. Subscription rate is $24 for one-year, $40 for two-years, and $55 for three-years. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stapleton, Ala. and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Great Days Outdoors 951 Government Street B, Mobile, AL 36604 SUBSCRIBERS: All subscriptions begin the first issue for the month following receipt of payment, if payment received by the 15th. Great Days Outdoors assumes no responsibility for delivery after magazines are mailed. All delivery complaints should be addressed to your local postmaster.

CONTACT US: EDITORIAL | JoeBaya@GreatDaysOutdoors.com ADVERTISING | SamHester@greatdaysoutdoors.com SUBSCRIPTIONS | Accounting@GreatDaysOutdoors.com Great Days Outdoors Media c/o Container Yard 951 Government Street B, Mobile, AL 36604 877. 314. 1237 info@GreatDaysOutdoors.com www.GreatDaysOutdoors.com All rights reserved. Reproduction of contents is strictly prohibited without permission from Great Days Outdoors Media, LLC.

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6 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

it’s about so much more than fish.

Fish some of the richest fishing grounds in the world along the Alabama Gulf Coast. And with so much to do onshore, the fun and adventure never end.

Alabama Gulf Coast Slam April 20-May 19

OrangeBeach.com / 877-475-1534

Bowhunting’s Ultimate Challenge Taking the Wild Turkey

BY JOHN E. PHILLIPS Photos by John E. Phillips

8 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

HUNTING

With the proper set-up, a bowhunter can bag a turkey with his bow.

A turkey hunter needs nerves of steel, the shooting confidence of Robin Hood, the woodsmanship of Daniel Boone and the positive attitude of Dale Carnegie to bag a gobbler with a bow.

without a blind. However, without a blind, you don’t have a place to hide your movement from turkeys when you’re bowhunting.

Most bowhunters agree that going after gobblers with their bows usually means they’ll have 10-1 odds against themselves.

Some of the best turkey hunters and bowmen I know, including Ronnie Strickland, Dale Faust, John Demp Grace, Brad Harris, David Hale and Mark Drury, share their secrets for success here.

“Often when bowhunters set up to take turkeys with their bows, they don’t think about back cover,” Ronnie Strickland observes.

“I also prefer to have plenty of cover on either side of me. The tom can’t watch me draw and I can wait on the bird to step in front of me. Side cover often is just as critical as back cover when you’re hunting without a blind. However, I think using a blind is more critical to your success in the West than in the East where generally there’s plenty of cover available.”

WHAT’S THE MOST-CRITICAL KEY FOR SUCCESS Although manufacturers have designed plenty of equipment specifically for taking turkeys with a bow, most archers name accuracy in shooting as the most critical key to bagging a bird. The bowhunters I know who consistently harvest toms every spring change their equipment very little from how they bowhunt for deer, except for their broadheads. Using the same equipment you’ve utilized during deer season to set-up the same way when you hunt turkeys will increase your comfort level with your tackle.

HOW RONNIE “CUZ” STRICKLAND BOWHUNTS TURKEYS Since turkeys respond quicker to sound than even deer, Strickland with Mossy Oak in West Point, Mississippi, takes his bow apart, separates the limbs from the risers and puts pooltable felt between the risers and the limbs to quieten his bow for turkey season. Strickland also uses large puffs on his string to quieten the string even more, places felt on his arrow rests and waxes his arrows with furniture polish. Strickland says, “You can learn just how noisy your bow is by going into a closed room and drawing it.”

WHAT ABOUT BOW WEIGHT Some hunters believe a heavier bow that produces faster arrow flight decreases the chances of the turkey’s moving during the arrow’s flight. However, if you pull a heavy bow and have to hold the bow at full draw for some time, waiting for the turkey to get into the position for you to shoot, you may miss the bird.

Many turkey hunters consider a 50-60-pound bow more than adequate for downing a longbeard.

WHERE TO PLACE THE SHOT AND WHY TO USE DECOYS Avid bowhunter Dale Faust of Brewton, Alabama, says that, “The best shot to take at a turkey is the spine shot. Because turkeys won’t leave a blood trail like deer and other big-game animals, you may have a difficult time retrieving the turkey, unless you break the bird down. I shoot a 72-pound bow and a Land Shark broadhead made by Simmons (https://www. simmonssharks.com), a broadhead that’s about 160 grains and has a 1-9/16-inch cutting radius.”

“I put a star-type stopper behind the broadhead and use the stopper for extra drag and knock-down power. Also bigger broadheads that inflict more damage on impact will aid in bowhunting turkeys. The large broadhead will go through more parts of the turkey and more than likely will cut more vital areas than a small broadhead will. I use turkey decoys to keep the turkey’s attention focused on the decoy instead of me.”

WHETHER TO BLIND OR NOT Some bowhunters feel they can move quicker and set-up faster

John Demp Grace of Cuba, Ala., both a master archer and a fine turkey hunter, uses a quick-to-assemble blind he’s developed that totally covers him but has several shooting ports on all sides.

“I’ve used this blind in the West,” Grace reports. “In places with very little cover, the blind’s an absolute must, as is hanging or leaning brush against the blind to break-up the silhouette of a blind and keep the material from moving in the wind.”

BRAD HARRIS’S TIPS Brad Harris, a nationally-known outdoorsman and videographer, has hunted turkeys with a bow for almost four decades.

Shooting a 75-pound bow, Harris explains that, “I use the same bow and the same set-up for hunting elk and deer as I do for hunting turkeys. I’m more comfortable shooting off my knees, the position I use when hunting turkeys with this bow at this weight. Because turkey hunting can be very intense, I have to be as comfortable as possible in my stand and with my equipment to shoot accurately. But a hunter can be just as effective with a 50-55 pound bow.

“I prefer a large, 4-bladed broadhead to have an extra cutting edge and cut a good-sized hole. But which broadhead you shoot isn’t as critical as correct arrow placement to take a turkey with a bow.”

Harris, who has mixed emotions about string trackers, allows the terrain and the distance of the shot he must take to dictate whether or not he’ll utilize one. “For shots less than 20 yards in open areas, the string tracker works well. However, I’ve found on shots more than 20 yards away, I lose some accuracy with a string tracker. I shoot without a string tracker most of the time.”

Harris doesn’t advocate the use of arrow stoppers to stop the shaft in the bird and possibly inflict more damage, because he considers shot placement the most critical part of the hunt.

“Since I cover a vast expanse of ground to work numbers of turkeys each day, I don’t want to carry gear like a portable blind.

I run, gun and work as many turkeys as I possibly can in a day. I use turkey decoys at times but only in certain hunting situations where the turkey can see a long distance.”

If Harris hunts alone, he uses a diaphragm mouth call exclusively. However, when he’s calling for another bowhunter, he may utilize a wide variety of calls, including boxes and slates.

“I’ve been involved in effectively bagging turkeys with a bow by putting the archer 30 to 40 yards in front of me and calling,” Harris explains. “Then as the turkey comes in, I’ll change 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 9

Bowhunting’s Ultimate Challenge – Taking the Wild Turkey

positions to manipulate the turkey to the spot with the call to where the archer can take a shot. I always aim at the point of the wing forward to the top of the tom’s head. Although I miss some birds shooting this high, when I do connect with a gobbler, I generally break the turkey’s neck or spine and don’t have to run through the woods chasing after him.”

HOW MARK DRURY BOWHUNTS TURKEYS Mark Drury of Missouri, the founder of M.A.D. calls and co-owner of Drury Outdoors (www.druryoutdoors.com), recommends hunters: •

•

•

•

Shoot Short - “When you hunt turkeys with a bow, most of the time you’ll either sit or kneel,” Drury says. “For this reason, a short axle-to-axle bow works much better than a long axle-to-axle bow.”

Choose a Large Broadhead - “I’ve found that a big, expandable broadhead with at least a 1-1/2-inch cutting diameter puts a turkey down quicker than a conventional broadhead does,” Drury explains. “The broadhead not only has to penetrate the vitals, it needs to have a tremendous amount of knockdown power to break the bird down and prevent it from flying off. That’s why I prefer expandable broadheads. They hit with a big wop, they cut a big hole, and they can break the bird down, so that he can’t fly.”

Hunt in a Blind - “Once you get inside one of these lightweight, portable, total-concealment blinds, you can draw without the turkey seeing you,” Drury reports. “While hunting from a blind, I prefer to hunt the strut zones rather than the feeding areas or the roosting sites. Turkeys usually act more dependable at their strut zones, and they generally remain in their strut zones longer than around their roost trees or in their feeding areas. Brush-up around the blind with natural trees and limbs, since the turkey will know every tree and bush in that area.”

Use Decoys - According to Drury, you really need to use a decoy in states where using a decoy is legal to keep the bird’s attention off the shooter. “Most bowhunters prefer to set out two jakes and one hen in their decoy spread within 10-12 yards of their blinds. Remember turkeys can react quickly to the sound of the bow.”

HOW DAVID HALE BOWHUNTS TURKEYS David Hale, one of the founders of Knight & Hale Game Calls (www.knightandhale.com) in Cadiz, Kentucky, explains, “When you hunt turkeys with a gun, you must remain very conscious of your movement to not spook the bird. As a bowhunter, you have to not give away your position when you attempt to draw your bow or move your bow to take the shot. You have to expect to be unsuccessful bowhunting a turkey more times than you’re successful. I use a mechanical release and camo paint on my hands and face rather than wearing camo gloves. If you wear a glove and shoot a release, oftentimes the glove will make you shoot before you want to take the shot.”

When Hale gets ready to draw his bow, he picks a place in the woods where the turkey will have to step behind a bush or brush to give him those few seconds required to make the draw.

Once Hale pulls his bow to full draw, he favors a shot at the turkey’s back. “I prefer to make a spine shot. If the bird walks away from me or puts his back to me, I’ll have the opportunity to shoot for the spine. If the turkey begins to strut, I’ll shoot for the spot where the wings join the body in an effort to get a spine shot. If you shoot into the turkey’s breast, more than likely you’ll lose the bird. If the turkey has his tail fanned in a strut with his back to me, I’ll shoot for the spot where the tail 10 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

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Bowhunting’s Ultimate Challenge – Taking the Wild Turkey

feathers join the body.

“When I hunt with a good bowman who hasn’t hunted or called turkeys very much, I like to use a three man team to get the novice turkey hunter a shot. We’ll set a turkey decoy in front of the blind to get the bird’s attention. But, always know the state regulations where you’re hunting before using decoys. Then the archer can concentrate on his equipment and making the shot.

“The second man in the blind describes the turkey’s movement and tells the bowman when he should take the shot at the turkey without spooking the bird. Many times the archer is so focused on the bird and where he wants to place the shot that he doesn’t see anything or everything going on around the gobbler he’s planning to shoot.

“The third hunter, the caller, sits 10-20-yards behind the blind, calling to the turkey and trying to work the bird in front of the archer. The caller needs to sit behind the blind, so the turkey’s attention is not focused on the blind. If you call from inside the blind then that’s where the turkey will be looking. Of course, you don’t want the turkey looking at the blind when he gets within bow range because the gobbler may spot the hunter as he draws his bow. Also, by the caller being outside the blind, if the gobbler starts drifting away from the blind, the caller may have an opportunity to move further away from the blind and start calling like a hen that’s leaving the area.”

Always remember you’ll miss more gobblers than you’ll bag when hunting turkeys with a bow. But with each miss and every mistake, you’ll inch closer to success.

Turkey Broadhead Testing The National Wild Turkey Federation tested some paper-tuned turkey broadheads in 2017 (https://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/broadhead-test-2017), and here are the results: • • • • • • • • •

Dirt Nap Gear – Both Mechanical/Fixed Hybrid; 2nd least penetration at 4-7/16-inches.

Dirt Nap Gear – Shred Head Fixed; penetrated to 4-3/4-inches.

Innerloc – 3-blade Expandable; penetrated to 5-3/4-inches.

Muzzy – Trocar Hybrid; penetrated only to 4-3/8-inches.

Rage – Turkey Xtreme Expandable; penetrated to 6-inches - the deepest of broadheads tested.

Shrapnel – Expandable; penetrated at 5-1/4-inches.

Wasp – Jak-Hammer Expandable; penetrated 5-3/4-inches.

Wac’Em – 3-blade Expandable; penetrated 5-1/2-inches.

Other well-known turkey bowhunting tackle: • NAP Spitfire Gobbler Getter - 100 grains and a cutting diameter of 1-1/2-inches. Rounded point delivered maximum shock.

• Wraith Turkey Body Shot - Universal ferrule benefits. Accepts any Wraith blade style and Scooptail design accomplishes in-flight accuracy with a snowplow effect to deliver maximum penetration.

Southern Seed & Feed has a wide range of wildlife feed and seed blends.

We also carry the fertilizers that are needed to grow a great plot.

SOUTHERN BUCK SPRING AND SUMMER MIX

Southern Buck Spring and Summer Mix is a planting blend of seed that will attract many different Wildlife species.

Some of the wildlife that will benefit from this highly nutritional blend are Turkey, Quail, Dove and Deer. This mix is rich in vegetation and seeds that wildlife enjoy. Southern Buck Spring and Summer Mix provides the much-needed nutrients to improve your wildlife’s health. Plant from early March thru July 15. This mix will start maturing 90 days after planting and continue until the end of October.

SOUTHERN BUCK TURKEY DELIGHT

Southern Buck Turkey Delight is a blend of grains that covers the nutritional needs of Turkey. Southern Buck Turkey Delight is a Turkey feed that provides them with the nutrients they need to produce healthy birds. Southern Buck Turkey Delight can also be used to attract the Gobbler of your choice.

We are located in Macon, MS and distribute to many different areas.

EST. 1983

35 We have been serving customers for over 35 years.

YEARS

A FAMILY BUSINESS

Visit our website www.southernseedfeed.com or call 662-726-2638 to find the dealer nearest you.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 11

A love of nature starts early.

Ours did too.

Did you know that frogs are an indicator of the health of water systems? At Alabama Power, we’ve been helping manage and protect Alabama’s natural resources for more than a hundred years, partnering with organizations across the state to preserve the health of our river ecosystems.

Plus, we work hard to care for wildlife habitats and give endangered species the chance for a future. Because we love nature – and frogs – as much as you do.

AlabamaPower.com/Environment

© 2019 Alabama Power Company

12 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

LAND APPRAISAL

What’s Hunting Land in Alabama Worth

Topography features, lakes, creeks, ponds and road access are main considerations in valuing hunting land.

BY CHARLES JOHNSON There are many factors to consider when trying to determine the value of hunting land in Alabama. As with any piece of property location is one of the key considerations. Value can vary widely depending on which county the land parcel is located and if the land is near a city that has development potential. Or it may be a more remote area suited for agriculture, timber or wildlife.

Another factor that comes into play on determining the value of hunting land is the topography. How steep or flat is the land parcel? Rugged slopes may not allow hunting access without some effort. Also, steep grades could prohibit timber harvest. Swampland or sections prone to flooding could inhibit building structures.

Other factors that apply to hunting land values is access to the parcel. The land could be adjoining a public road be it paved or graded or dirt. Deeded legal access is key in determining land value. Creeks, lakes or ponds on the property will also affect the value. Even the shape of the land could be a factor in determining worth.

The first step in in defining the value of a piece of hunting property is to get an appraisal. Professional land appraisers have standardized methods to determine the value of any type of land, including hunting land. “Our first step is to approve the loan application,� said 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 13

Land Appraisal - What’s Hunting Land in Alabama Worth

Recreational aspects of hunting landing can vary widely and affect the value when combined with other factors.

Alabama Ag Credit VP Relationship Manager Dale Williams. “Once approved, we request a copy of the signed contract and legal description of the property to be purchased.”

along with current or past management practices.

The cost of an appraisal for hunting land can vary depending on the lending intuition, size of the property and location.

After the initial paperwork is completed, Alabama Ag Credit coordinates between their land appraisal staff, the real estate agent and the seller for the appraiser to go to the property.

“One of the advantages of financing land with Alabama Ag Credit is that we have our own appraisal department with six full-time appraisers,” Williamson advises. “Our appraisals typically cost the borrowers $200 to $400 which is significantly lower than a typical land appraisal.”

The appraiser uses Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) as guidelines for land appraisals. The USPAP are considered the quality control standards applicable analysis for real property, personal property and other assets in the United States and its territories.

“Hunting land appraisals are valued using the same USPAP standards as other appraisals,” Williams said. “However, the recreational value of the property is considered in the appraisal.”

Recreational aspects may include features such as the timber, ponds, creeks, river frontage, road frontage, topography and of course location. In addition, the type of wildlife that may be inhabiting the property can be a factor 14 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Hunting, timber and agricultural land is valued using a comparison approach. Lands and property in the same general area are compared with the current value. Also, recent sales of similar property are considered in the comparison.

According to Williamson the value of the recreational component is highly specific to the location of the property along with all the features of the property. There could be certain amenities on the land that may make it more appealing. A mountain view or waterfront could add to the recreational component and subsequent value.

So the big question is how much is an acre of hunting land worth in Alabama? We have mentioned several factors

Land Appraisal - What’s Hunting Land in Alabama Worth

above about what is considered in determining the value of hunting land. A general answer would be it depends.

“The value is comprised of all the factors mentioned above and can range widely,” Williamson said. “This range could be between $1,000 to $3,500 per acre.”

Financing hunting land is not any different than with any other type of property. The same credit factors typically apply to hunting land as related to other collateral. These include repayment ability, cash flow, credit history, net worth, collateral and the specific conditions of the loan.

Determining what hunting land is worth is not a simple task. Factors, amenities and considerations can vary widely with the property. And too, what is valued by one owner may not appeal to another.

As with any property, location is a main factor to determine what hunting land is worth.

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How to Fish a Chatterbait

A unique lure that is simple to fish, the chatterbait should be in front of every angler’s tackle bag.

BY CHARLES JOHNSON At first glance the chatterbait appears like a spinnerbait with a bent blade and another missing. Also, known as a vibrating jig or bladed jig, the chatterbait can be fished from late winter through the autumn months, but springtime can be the most productive season for this lure.

A small square piece of metal with trimmed corners attached to the front of a bass jig give the lure its strong vibration. And that is one of the keys to attracting strikes from lurking bass.

The vibrating action puts extra shimmy in the lures skirt.

Add a small soft-plastic trailer and the chatterbait has a larger profile.

Back in 2006 the original ChatterBait patented by Z-Man Fishing hit the fishing market and was an instance success.

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Bass anglers from coast-to-coast wanted to get their hands on this versatile lure. In 2013 the vibrating jig was responsible for several tour wins and top finishes on the FLW and B.A.S.S. tournament trail.

The lure has characteristics of several lures in one. The flash of the blade attracts the bass’ attention like a spinnerbait. The vibration simulates a large crankbait. The jig and skirt profile mimics different types of baitfish. The chatterbait is a special lure and easy to fish.

PICK A SPOT The vibrating jig can be fished almost anywhere and in any type of cover. This characteristic makes the lure very versatile on any lake. The fiber weed guard helps make the lure

FISHING virtually weedless. With varying weights, sizes and colors the vibrating jig should be a first choice for spring bass anglers.

“I like to search the outside edge of docks and piers, mentions B.A.S.S. pro angler David Kilgore of Jasper, Ala. “I will change the speed of the lure until I get that first strike.”

Depending on the lake, the water clarity will dictate what color and size vibrating jig Kilgore will cast. In 2013 at the Bassmaster Southern Open on Logan Martin Lake near Pell City, he favored a 1/2- ounce white Strike King Pure Poison vibrating jig. He won the tournament and secured a berth in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville.

The vibrating jig helped Kilgore catch bass throughout the three-day event even under changing weather and water conditions. On day three, after a night of storms and torrential rain, some areas of the lake were muddy and flooded.

Whatever name you prefer, the chatterbait style lure is an effective tool for finding and catching bass anytime of the year, but especially in early spring.

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“On the final day, some of the weedbeds I had fished earlier were under water,” explains Kilgore. ‘I went back to the piers and focused on the ones in around 10 to 15 feet of water.”

Weeds and grass beds are another top location to fish the chatterbait. The weedless characteristics of the lure help it slide though emergent and underwater vegetation. A slow, steady retrieve will emulate a baitfish feeding in the weeds.

Anglers should focus casting the vibrating jig along the edges of the weed or grass mats. Small open pockets in the weed patches are other top targets that could hold bass. When fishing shallow water, downsizing to a 1/4- or 3/8- ounce size lure will help anglers with a faster retrieve.

Wood or brush cover should not be overlooked by anglers.

Don’t shy away from the thick tangles of brush. The chatterbait is designed to fish heavy cover. Hit the outside edges first and then make some casts to the heart of the cover to entice a waiting bass.

Bass Pro Tour and Major League Fishing pro Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., understands the versatility of the vibrating jig. He keeps boxes with different blades, trailers and colors for various fishing conditions. Martens favorite size is a 3/8ounce Picasso Shock Blade.

“I like to use curly tails as a trailer primarily in the spring months,” Martens explains. “The water color will dictate what color lure and trailer I will use.”

Martens says green pumpkin is a top color for most lakes.

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How to Fish a Chatterbait

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Anglers shouldn’t under estimate the effectiveness of catching large bass on a vibrating jig.

shad spawn, he will opt for a silver blade with a white skirt.

In muddy water situations dark colors like black/blue or solid black performs well.

SKIP SHALLOW OR DIG IT DEEP One advantage of the bladed jig is that it can be skipped under docks, overhanging limbs and brush. The lure is more compact than a standard spinnerbait. This allows the vibrating jig to skip across the water’s surface easier. Bass hiding under docks and brush probably haven’t seen this type of lure.

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Anglers should avoid bulky, heavy trailers when skipping a vibrating jig. A slender or streamlined trailer will allow the bait to skip further. A bulky or long trailer will catch on the surface pulling energy from the cast slowing the lure too quickly.

Former Bassmaster Classic Champion and Bass pro Tour angler Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark uses the Rage Blade vibrating jig by Strike King to fish around underwater cover.

The lure has a unique design with teardrop shaped blade with a lead weight fixed on one end. The special design helps prevent snagging on wood and rocks.

How to Fish a Chatterbait

“The Rage Blade will bounce off cover like a crankbait,” Davis mentions. ‘The streamlined design allows for long casts and can be easily fished deeper. ” Davis feels the vibrating jig has pretty much replaced the oldstyle spinner bait for many anglers. The chatterbait type lures are more compact and just as weedless. The only drawback of the vibrating jig is that it has less flash than a spinnerbait.

On vibrating jigs, the blade is far out front of the hook. Many anglers want to set the hook hard and fast when a strike occurs. However, with chatterbait lures it is better to have a short delay on the hookset to allow the fish to completely take the lure.

Whatever name you prefer, the chatterbait style lure is an effective tool for finding and catching bass anytime of the year, but especially in early spring.

Finding the fish first is the key to catching bass. Davis uses the Pure Poison and Rage Blade to cover lots of water to locate the bass. When fishing the bladed jig, he prefers a little wind and some color to the water.

The retrieve used by Davis is not just a cast and wind. He will cast out the lure, pull it and then let it fall back. It is similar to fishing a regular jig. If the fish are short striking, add a trailer hook like on a spinnerbait to help increase hook-ups.

Generally, the chatterbait lures are fished on baitcasting gear.

Most pro anglers prefer a long rod around 7 feet in a medium to medium-heavy with a parabolic action. This action allows the rod to bend in the middle section and helps increase the odds of hooking the fish.

Line size and type will depend on the cover and fishing conditions. In open water, fluorocarbon line in the 17 to 20 pound-test range works well. In heavy cover like weeds and grass a braided line to around 50 pound-test will assist in pulling big bass form the cover.

ChatterBaits, also known as bladed jig are made in various sizes, blade shapes and colors.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 19

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Gulf Coast Family Fishing

VacationS ORANGE BEACH/GULF SHORES

BY ED MASHBURN

THE AREA- NOT BIG, BUT OH, SO NICE The Alabama coastline is not long. It stretches just a bit over 35 miles from Florida to Mississippi, but this small area offers a wonderful place for families to spend some vacation time.

This deepest of Deep South spots begins and ends with the beach.

Clean white sand and easy, warm Gulf of Mexico waters washing up in gentle waves make for relaxation and fun for the whole family. While the kids splash and play, Mom and Dad can watch the airplanes fly over, the parasailors glide past, and just relax in the sun while the kids have fun.

But the gorgeous Alabama beaches are just the start of the vacation fun.

A couple of very well-informed local authorities offer vacationers some good advice for planning a beach vacation in Alabama.

Kay Maghan, Public Relations Manager for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism and Angelo Depaola, a life-long Alabama Gulf Coast resident and realtor give us things to think about when planning a beach vacation in Alabama.

NO BETTER FISHING ANYWHERE The Alabama coast is a remarkable place for anglers. From small freshwater creeks that empty into the saltwater bays to the magnificent open Gulf of Mexico, there are fishing habitats in a full range for many, many great fish for anglers to chase.

“We have an amazing charter boat fleet. They can take you and your family fishing for just about anything that swims, from trout and redfish in the bays to Spanish and king mackerel on the front beach to red snapper and grouper on Alabama’s prolific artificial reef system which is the largest in the world,” Depaola said.

“There is also world-class big game fishing off the continental shelf and around oil rigs for tuna and marlin.”

Of course, there is always the long, clean, well-maintained fishing pier at Gulf State Park which for a very low fee allows anglers and non-anglers alike some great viewing of fish, sea turtles, porpoises, sharks, and other sea life. Some very big fish are caught regularly on the pier.

And the fishing off the beach is always quite good.

“If getting out on a boat and fishing isn’t your thing, check out Matthew Isbell the Bama Beach Bum (www.staybummy.com),” Depaola said. “He can take you surf fishing where you’re sure to catch pompano, redfish, black drum and whiting. It’s a great time and a great way to spend time with the family.”

DINING- OH, MY YES! Seafood, seafood, seafood and there’s no better location in the world to find delicious, absolutely fresh seafood prepared in a variety of ways than the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area.

All along Hwy. 59 leading into the beach area and on all of the roads along the beaches, a visitor will find a wide range of fine places to eat. From fast food chain restaurants to small, locally owned and operated establishments, there’s something for everyone who likes to eat.

“If you are a foodie, Orange Beach and Gulf Shores should be a must-visit location and I’m amazed by all of the great chefs and dining options,” Depaola said. “A visitor would want to experience The Southern Grace Dinners hosted by chef Bill Briand at Fisher’s located at Orange Beach Marina (https:// fishersobm.com/southern grace).”

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FISHING One of my personal favorite seafood spots is a small, intimate very family friendly restaurant called The Drunken Shrimp (1209 Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores, AL 251-948-0061) This locally owned and operated restaurant offers superb fresh seafood and we recommend the fried shrimp and oyster platter very highly. This is serious good seafood.

Of course, there are also some first-rate barbecue spots in the area, and there are not many things better than coming in off the beach with the family and sitting down to a platter of barbecue and sipping on a cold iced tea.

For boater vacationers who just happen to get hungry, there are several waterfront restaurants such as Pirate’s Cove, FloraBama Yacht Club, Tacky Jacks, Sunset Grill, Flipper’s Playa at Sportsman Marina, the Tikka Hut at Sportsman’s Marina, and Fisher’s Dockside at Zeke’s Marina.

Believe us when we say good food is found at the Alabama beach area.

LAND-BASED FUN Although it’s hard for me to see why anyone would need anything more from a vacation than food and fishing, some family members might want to experience what the Alabama coast offers on dry land.

There’s a world of things for these folks at Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.

“Spring and fall are our festival seasons, and sports competitions

and events are held throughout the year,” said Kay Maghan, spokesperson for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism. “Major spring festivals include Orange Beach Seafood Festival and Car Show in February, Mardi Gras parades in February and March, the March Festival of Art at the Coastal Arts Center and Ballyhoo Fine Arts Festival, the Waterway Village Crawfish Festival, Spring Bird Banding and the infamous Flora-Bama Mullet Toss all in April finished up with the Hangout Music Festival in May”.

A full range of fall festivals occur annually in the beach area.

“Major fall festivals focus on food with September Wharf Uncorked Food & Wine Festival, National Shrimp Festival held in October and the Hangout Oyster Cook-Off which happens in the first weekend in November), Maghan said.

If festivals are not your family’s thing, there are many, many specialty boutiques and shops for those who like to browse and shop, and of course, the Tanger Mall with a huge range of shops and stores is just a very short run up Hwy 59.

Lots of fine coastal golf courses are in the area, and among them are The Peninsula, Craft Farms, and Kiva Dunes. Then there is the Wharf at Orange Beach.

“The Wharf is a family entertainment district with hundreds of fun activities and events throughout the year, including the nightly Spectra Light-Show. Visitors can enjoy shopping at eclectic boutiques and shops or dine at one of the many restaurants from casual and kid-friendly to fine dining,” Magham said. Vacationers can take in a movie or a Ferris Wheel ride, play

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Gulf Coast Family Fishing Vacations

mini-golf or soar on a zip line. The Wharf’s amphitheater hosts a variety of well-known entertainers, and the marina is home to one of the largest in-water boat shows on the Gulf.”

WHERE TO STAY AND HOW TO GET THERE “Accommodation options in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are a mix of vacation rentals, including condos, cottages, houses, hotels and campgrounds/RV parks. We are about 85% vacation rentals, totaling more than 17,000 units,” Magna pointed out.

“We have two full-service hotel resorts, plus numerous limited service hotels, which only means the hotel does not have a full restaurant on site. There are fifteen campgrounds/RV parks, the largest of which is in Gulf State Park with just under 500 sites.”

Locating the best place to stay for any family vacation can be a chore, but with a little help, it can be made easier.

“There are plenty of great rental options in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. I always tell people to look at VRBO.com or AIRBnB.com. Most if not all property management companies are utilizing these websites, plus you see what people who are not using a property management company have available for rent as well. Just log in, put in ‘Orange Beach’ or ‘Gulf Shores’ and your price and dates to see what’s available,” DePaola said.

One of the big advantages for vacationers coming to the beach in Alabama is the ease of getting there.

“We are located on the I-10 and I-65 corridor, so it’s easy for people to hop on the Baldwin Beach Expressway. If you’re coming from the west, we are really one of the first white-sand beaches you get to. If you live close to I-65 and you plan on going to the beach, there is a good chance you’ll end up in our backyard. One of the biggest game-changers for visitors has been the Baldwin Beach Expressway. When that opened up, starting north of Foley, it really made getting to and from Orange Beach/ Gulf Shores much easier. Then it was expanded to I-10, and this made it even easier for people to get to the beach,” Depaola said.

TO SUMMARIZE - IT’S ALL RIGHT HERE “I think what makes Gulf Shores and Orange Beach the best place for a family vacation is the breadth and diversity of things to do here. Granted, the Number One Reason people come here is for our gorgeous beaches, but there is so much to do off the beach- history, exploring nature, fishing, arts activities, boating trips and more,” Maghan said.

“The main thing is that there is really something for everyone.

If you are into fishing, Orange Beach gives you quick and easy access to the Gulf of Mexico. When you combine this with great food, great shopping, great beaches, great concerts, golf, sporting events, and great communities that love to share our passion for the area with others- we have it all,” DePaola concluded.

For More Information Kay Maghan • 251-974-4625 GulfShores.com OrangeBeach.com Angelo Depaola • 850-287-3440 Facebook- Angelo Depaola Realtor The Coastal Connection Angeol,Depaola@exprealty.com 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 23

Unique Fishing Tournaments in Alabama

BY FRANK SARGEANT

Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo draws some 3,000 anglers and crowds up to 75,000 to Dauphin Island each summer. It has both inshore and offshore divisions.

The Orange Beach Billfish Classic always turns out a few monster marlin brought to the docks, as well as lots more released to fight again.

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FISHING Fishing tournaments are not only fun (and lucrative) for anglers, but also bring a lot of business to the communities where they take place as anglers make use of accommodations, restaurants, grocery stores, bars, gas stations, marinas, tackle shops and lots more.

In bass-crazy Alabama, the vast majority of tournaments are aimed at largemouths and there are hundreds of these events across the state every year. Still, the state also has an impressive coastal fishery for a wide variety of species both inshore and offshore, and though saltwater tournaments are fewer in number, some of them are huge in terms of the number of participants, fishing quality and the impact on local communities.

Alabama’s coastline is part of the Gulf’s “fertile fisheries crescent,” an area between the mouth of Mobile Bay and Louisiana where nutrient-rich water flows in from rivers large and small, including the Mississippi River. The Mobile River system, which drains into Mobile Bay, is the third largest system in the nation by volume, draining parts of four states.

The result is a high nutrient estuary loaded with shrimp, menhaden, mullet and other forage species, which produce impressive populations of fat, healthy gamefish both inshore and off, creating a great venue for some highly-competitive angling events.

The Alabama Coastal Fishermen’s Association represents one end of the tournament scale, with monthly events for club members beginning in March and extending through fall each year. See their 2019 schedule here: http://www.acfafish.com/

tournaments .

Club events like these are mostly about camaraderie and sharing angling information, as well as the opportunity for “nonboaters” to share the duties and the fun of fishing from a boat (Boat owners are not supposed to share the cost of gas or other operational expenses, however, since the Coast Guard views this as chartering, which requires a USCG captain’s license).

The Mobile Big Game Fishing Club (http://mbgfc.org) also hosts members-only events, ($150 yearly membership plus onetime $500 initiation fee) from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and though many who participate are big-boat owners, some events also have a special outboards-only division.

When it comes to participation, the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo (ADSFR) out of Dauphin Island and hosted by the Mobile Jaycees, claims to be the largest fishing tournament on the planet, drawing 3,000 anglers and some 75,0000 spectators to Dauphin Island each July—dates TBD The tournament offers close to $1 million in prizes including a random drawing from among all anglers who weigh any legal fish in any of the 30 tournament categories for a 22-foot offshore boat worth nearly $100,000. One neat thing about this event is that despite the “deep sea” designation you don’t need a big boat to participate and there are divisions for trout, reds, sheepshead, flounder and more, and even special “no motor” divisions for kayak/canoe anglers.

Basic entry is just $50, and in addition anglers can choose to participate in jackpot contests for the largest trout, king mackerel,

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Unique Fishing Tournaments in Alabama

The Flora-Bama Yacht Club on Perdido Key is site of one of the more laid back and fun coastal tournaments, the annual Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo.

red snapper or big game fish for added fees.

When it comes to serious bluewater fishing for the billfishes, there’s also plenty of competition as the offshore waters of Alabama produce some monsters, and draw big boat anglers from all over the Gulf Coast. These are high-roller events with big entry fees and huge payoffs, and they are well-attended by the fortunate folks who play in that atmosphere.

The 2019 Orange Beach Billfish Classic is May 15-19 out of The Wharf in Orange Beach. Entry is $6500 per boat. Last year, 53 boats released 25 blue marlin, six white marlin and one sailfish while weighing five blue marlin. Prize money last year exceeded $1 million. The OBBC annually is the first big game fishing tournament of the season along the Gulf Coast and is also the first leg of the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship.

The Blue Marlin Grand Championship of the Gulf , also out of The Wharf in Orange Beach, is set for July 9-14 this year. The event regularly produces fish in excess of 600 pounds, bringing lots of excitement, visitors and money to Orange Beach while also providing some impressive support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Last but certainly not least, and maybe the most fun fishing tournament in the entire state of Alabama, is the appropriately named Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo, held out of the Flora-Bama Lounge and Oyster Bar east of Orange Beach, Alabama. A selfproclaimed “5-Star Honky Tonk” the Flora-Bama frequently holds monster concerts featuring the likes of Kenny Chesney and Jimmy Buffet as well as many local musicians.

The facility literally sits on the state line between Florida and Alabama, on Perdido Key east of Orange Beach, with the docks just 2 miles east of Perdido Pass and the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. (The line runs through here because the pass also once ran through here but storms have gradually pushed it to its current location).

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The 2019 F-B Fishing Rodeo is scheduled for May 31-June 2. The tournament will be held at the Flora-Bama Ole River Grill across the street from the Flora-Bama Lounge & Package Store. It’s a three-day captain’s choice tournament with anglers competing for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in 40 categories including red snapper.

Accompanying the tournament will be a three-day beach party and awards ceremony that will include daily weigh-ins with fishviewing area, live music, food, vendor booths and hospitality done in Flora-Bama fashion. The bar is known for its five entertainment venues, allowing customers to choose live country music, dance, beach music or folk guitar.

A portion of ticket sales will be donated to Operation ReConnect which is a nonprofit organization geared toward providing combat veterans with well-deserved family vacations.

The event gets underway Thursday, May 30 at 6 p.m. with a captain’s party, with fishing Friday and Saturday, May 31 and June 1, and the awards ceremony at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club on Sunday, June 2.

Variable entry fees for various categories allow anglers to bet, make that “invest”, as much or as little in their angling skills and the chance for big cash prizes as they wish. Basic adult entry fee is $50. But there are four levels for speckled trout, for example, with entry fees ranging from $25 for the basic level to $200 for the expert level. The red snapper jackpot entry is $100 per team, king mackerel $250 per team, and offshore slam (tuna, dolphin, swordfish and wahoo) $1,000 per team.

The prizes are always a draw, but for this tournament in particular, it’s more about having a good time at the beach, and maybe bringing home a few fillets as a bonus. If circumstances prevent you from attending the tournament, you might consider other F-B events like the annual Mullet Toss, Paddling Contest, Jet Ski Races, Bull Riding Contests (mechanical bulls, that is) frequent bikini contests and a New Year’s Mullet Drop.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 27

How To:

Jugging for Catfish

BY ED MASHBURN

We had not quite finished dropping off our final low-tech fish catcher when my buddy said, “Look there! We got one already!”

It was obvious that we had come to the right place to catch a big mess of catfish for an upcoming family fish fry because our floating fish catchers were already doing their work.

When we slowly motored up to the bobbing and weaving noodle, a fairly large fish was hooked up below. It took a bit of grunting and pulling, but we rolled the ten-pound blue catfish over the side of the boat. He became the first of many catfish to occupy our ice chest.

Through the afternoon of watching and chasing the noodles, I realized again just how enjoyable is this different kind of fishing, Jug/noodle-fishing is not only productive but also fun.

One of the easiest yet most productive ways to catch catfish is by constructing a few jugs or “noodles” and letting the wind and current do the work for you. This became obvious as we started chasing down the floaters as catfish pulled them around the river, and our ice chest began to fill up with prime blue and channel cats.

about a very promising catfish solution alternative.

HOW TO RIG First off, it doesn’t appear that catfish care even a little bit about whether the floats used to catch them are constructed of recycled soft drink jugs or noodles designed specifically for fishing. We’ll let each angler tell how he rigs up.

“I use noodles. I cut those porous plastic pool noodle floats into 12 to 16 inch lengths. Then I run a piece of small PVC pipe through the middle of the noodle (they already have lengthwise holes made into the noodles. This PVC pipe keeps the line from cutting through the soft-plastic of the noodle float,” Dobson said.

“Next, I tie the line around the noodle and I can wrap the line with sinker around the noodle. I put the hook into the soft-plastic of the noodle, and when I go fishing I can bait up the hook and throw the whole thing overboard; it will unroll on its own.”

Dobson is very specific about certain parts of his noodle rig.

Using empty soft-drink jugs or swimming pool floats (the long, skinny soft-plastic kind called noodles) is a fine way to catch lots of catfish. However, it’s not as simple as it seems.

“I use old-fashioned trotline material. I don’t use mono. The trotline stuff is cotton. It dissolves over time. This way, if you lose a noodle or jug, you don’t leave line in the water. I use a good catfish hook, the kind sold for trotlines. The weight depends; I’ll use ¾- to 1-oz round sinkers. You don’t really need too much weight with noodles. I’ll generally rig my noodles so I’m fishing four- to five-feet down,” Dobson said.

A couple of experienced anglers who use this kind of fishing have offered to share their knowledge and experience with us.

Joe Dunn, who jug-fishes the waters of Miller’s Ferry Lake, and Robert Dobson, who noodle-fishes in South Alabama clue us about their expertise, and we get a little welcome information

Dunn says, “I like a 20 oz. Coke bottle but plastic only. You can’t use glass floats. I paint them a fluorescent color which really helps us see the floats on the water. I use a foot of nylon line with a 1 oz. egg sinker. I tie on a #5 barrel swivel and tie on six to eight inches of 25- to 40-lb monofilament with a 5/0 circle hook;

28 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

FISHING Eagle Claw and Mustad are both good hooks.”

Dunn’s entire length of line below the jug is about three feet. This is his early season jug-fishing setup. For summer conditions, he will go somewhat deeper with a longer line.

One idea that might help keep track of the freely floating jugs or noodles is to number them. That way, the angler will know that 12 jugs or noodles were put out, but only 10 have been found— it’s time to go looking for a jug being towed around by a really big fish.

“I strictly use cut shad and skipjack in the early season,” Dunn said. “In summer, I’ll use small pumpkinseed bream for bait as long as you you catch them on hook and line. However, DON”T have more than the legal daily limit of bream on your boat. It doesn’t matter how small the bream are; they are still subject to the law of how many you can catch and have.”

CATFISH BAIT OPTIONS Catfish anglers have used prepared “stink” baits with success for catfish for a long time. However, some of these baits bring a whole new meaning to the word “stink.” In fact, because of the vile odor, many people avoid fishing for catfish with these smelly baits.

But there are some very good options for catfish anglers who want to have success with catfish.

A product called Yeh Monn! From Fishbites offers the attraction of scent to a tough, long-lasting artificial bait without the odor of traditional catfish concoctions.

HOW TO BAIT Selecting bait for catfish is not difficult. However, like most fishing situations, some things just work better than others.

“I use whatever I can get,” Dobson said. “I do like an oily fish such as skipjack, alewives, and mullet. Some people even use hotdogs on their jugs and noodles. I like fresh mullet, and I’ve even used mullet gizzards with good success.”

“Yeh Monn! Catfish Baits are able to accomplish this through the use of synthetic stimulants which give off no odor in the air, but rather dissolve in water. The one clear advantage Yeh Monn! has over other baits is the ability to concentrate the flavors many times higher than what’s found in nature, and we’re able to make the baits tougher than other pastes and meals found in the catfish aisle,” says Fishbites Vice-President Michael Carr. “It’s not that stink baits won’t work. The question is, why use it when there’s a stink-free alternative?”

WHERE TO DROP THEM Location is everything in fishing, as it is in real estate, so

Easy application!!!

Unlike many liquid fertilizers, Clark’s Plot Nutrients: • Will not settle out in your tank or application equipment • There are no particles large enough to clog spray nozzles • It is readily absorbed by plants because it is a foliar application. Therefore, within one hour 80-90% of the fertilizer is already absorbed into the plant and working • Heavy rain will not wash away the fertilizer See what a difference it can make on your place!

Liquid Food Plot Fertilizer Plus Calcium Clark’s Plot Nutrients is a true liquid fertilizer that is designed to not only provide fertilizer to your food plot, but also supply calcium. Calcium is vital to the development of deer antler growth and egg shell strength in turkeys.

DISTRIBUTED BY:

ENDORSED BY:

CALL FOR PRICING & QUANTITIES

Chris & Kelley Grantham Elba, Alabama

334-233-2687 ALFandSupply@gmail.com www.alfandsupply.com

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 29

Low Tech- High Reward- Jug Fishing for Catfish

potential jug anglers need to spend their time in places which do hold catfish. When asked where they like to jug/noodle-fish, our two experts were most helpful.

“I like McReynolds Lake up in the Mobile/Tensaw Delta,” Dobson said. “There are always good catfish there. Fish River down at the bottom end of Baldwin County is my favorite place to noodle fish and has some fine catfish. I’ve caught some 20 to 25 pound catfish there. And I’ve had two cats that were so big they straightened my hooks when I held the line to try and land them.”

“I like to start noodle-fishing at the Highway 32 Bridge and go upstream from there,” Dobson added.

When jugging for catfish in Miller’s Ferry Lake, Dunn hones in on shallow areas.

“From February to April spring fishing, I’m fishing shallow flats.

That’s the time when the big cats come up on the flats to spawn.

In spring, I go as far back in shallows, ay four feet of water, and throw out the jugs. You can catch some good catfish in shallow water at this time,” Dunn said.

In summer, the big cats will come off the shallow flats and then go on the edges of drop-offs at the main river channels. Also, in summer I look for flats that have some current from the river. The bigger fish will work these current-influenced flats in hot weather, too.” ”I jug-fish below the dam. I like the area behind the floodgates and in the tailrace. There are some huge blues there. In spring, I look for closed gates and slack current. In summer, I get behind

30 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

the powerhouse when they’re generating and I fish the moving water,” Dunn added.

WHAT CAN YOU CATCH? Both of our experts tell us that jug/noodle-fishing can be very productive.

“I’ve caught lots of 30 to 35 pound blue cats, and I’ve caught yellows up to 65 pounds,” Dunn said.

“We’ve caught 20-pound and bigger cats in Fish River, and there are some really big ones in there,” Dobson added.

However, beyond the trophy fish which are always possible, jug/ noodle-fishing is a great way to gather up an ice chest full of two to three pound cats, the perfect size for eating. The uncertainty is part of the fun.

BEST ADVICE FOR JUGGING FOR CATFISH OR NOODLE GAME Dunn points out that Jugging for catfish is one of the best ways for kids to fish.

“They don’t have to be quiet, and kids love to chase down jugs.

They can talk, eat snacks—my kids really look forward to this kind of fishing,” Sunn concludes.

“My best advice for potential noodle anglers? Fix up a dozen noodles, get some good bait, toss ’em in the water and watch ‘em. You have to try it to learn it. Also, my favorite part of noodle-fishing is that I can put out my noodles and then go fishing somewhere else for bass or reds and then come back in an hour to retrieve my catfish,” Dobson said.

GAME CHECK IS MANDATORY

All hunters are required to participate in Game Check, which will help the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources effectively manage wildlife for generations to come.

HARVEST DATA IS CRITICAL FOR EFFECTIVE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

Y L N O IT A S E K TA O T E T MINUE CHECK GAM THE EASIEST WAYS TO CHECK YOUR HARVEST 1. Outdoor AL App 2. OutdoorAlabama.com/gamecheck

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 31

Food Plot fertilizer Liquid versus Granular

BY CHARLES JOHNSON Most wildlife managers understand that all plants require three major nutrients; Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium to grow effectively. These are the basic nutrients in all fertilizers. Overall plant health translates to providing quality, nutritious forage for all types of wildlife.

The Great Days Outdoor staff contacted Chris Grantham of Alabama Liquid Fertilizer to explain the pros and cons of using liquid fertilizer versus granular fertilizers.

Grantham mentions that liquid fertilizer like Clark’s Plot Nutrients is more efficient. Liquid fertilizer is applied as a “foliar” which means directly to the foliage of the plant. The plant can instantly begin absorbing and using the nutrients of the fertilizer. There is no waiting on soil moisture or rain to activate the fertilizer.

In granular fertilizer applications the nutrients have 32 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

to “melt” into the soil before the plant can utilize the fertilizer. In sandy soil Nitrogen can move sic to nine inches after a rain. That means it is possible the plant roots may never receive any of the benefits of Nitrogen.

There is a time lag for the granular nutrients to melt into the soil before the plant roots can receive them. During this lag time wildlife like deer, turkey, quail and others are consuming a less than nutritious plant.

Also, granular fertilizers are not consistent with nutrients in each granule. Plant roots can steer away from granular fertilizers that are high in Nitrogen and Phosphorous.

Granular fertilizers are soil and pH dependent for the plant roots to utilize the nutrients. With a low soil pH level, the plant will not get all the benefits of the granular fertilizer.

On the other hand, liquid fertilizers have the same amount of nutrients in each drop. Plants can absorb liquid

Food Plot fertilizer - Liquid versus Granular

fertilizers more efficiently. Leaves, stems, blooms and fruit can intake the liquid much faster than granular.

With liquid fertilizer the plant begins utilizing the nutrients right away. As a result, deer munching on food plots fertilized with Clark’s Plots Nutrients begin benefitting from the enriched plants. Phosphorus is essential for rack growth in bucks.

According to Grantham there are two major factors in why liquid fertilizer is a wise choice for food plots. One, it makes the plants more palatable to wildlife and the plants just taste better.

The second reason is the liquid fertilizer acts like a mineral lick. Finally, the liquid product also provides calcium which is beneficial to deer and turkey and other wildlife.

Calcium is an essential mineral to help in growing racks on bucks. Does also benefit from healthy development of fawns resulting in better fawn survival. With turkeys and quail, the eggs have a tougher shell. Once deer and turkeys realize how the calcium benefits them, they keep coming back to the fertilized plot.

Other advantages of liquid fertilizers is they are cheaper than the granular. Grantham says his product is around $20 per gallon. The amount of liquid fertilizer required is around two to two and a half gallons per acre. For a oneacre food plot the cost would be around $40 bucks.

With granular fertilizers, most agronomists recommend a minimum of 300 pounds per acre. That adds up to over $70 per acre.

Application is much easier with liquid fertilizers. An ATV style sprayer can be used to effectively spray a food plot in a short time. The liquid is fertilizer diluted with water.

Users will need to determine the amount of liquid their sprayer is emitting. There are charts to determine the amount the sprayer is releasing based on the pump and the speed of the vehicle.

Liquid fertilizer can be applied when the plants are around three to six inches high. An average application of liquid fertilizers will last around two to three months. Also, depending on the plant species, liquid fertilizer can be used year-round.

Grantham mentioned that pump-style or backpack type sprayers can be used to apply his product.

Some wildlife managers may choose to use a granular fertilizer application when planting. Later, they can come back and apply the liquid fertilizer.

Food plot planters and managers will appreciate the fact there is no more lugging around 50 pound bags of granular fertilizer. With liquid fertilizer wildlife managers can save money and have more nutritious food plots.

For more information contact Alabama Liquid Fertilizer and Supply Inc at ALFandSupply@gmail.com.

BUCK’S ISLAND a division of MarineONE Corporation

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Attaches to any ATV, mower, or ZTR. Couplers mount easy for ball hitches. Converts to a farm cart / wheelbarrow in seconds.

Also makes a great firewood hauler.

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1-800-I’M-READY (467-3239) www.bucksisland.com

4500 Hwy. 77 · Southside, AL 35907 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 33

Good Friday Plant Sale 5 for $15.00 4.5’’ (19.3 oz.) & 5’’ pots (25 oz.)

April 11- 20th

at participating co-op stores

Assorted veggies & herbs.

Selections may vary. www.bonnieplants.com www.alafarm.com SINCE 1918

A. Ant A, B, D, F, H, I, J

Aphid A, F, G, I

Armyworm A, B, C, D, F, H, I, J

Bagworm C, G, I

Billbug B, E, H

Triple Action 8 oz. 12244FL AFC #680449

F.

PT. 12245FL AFC #680452

Kill-A-Bug II 2.5# 32314HY AFC #685692 Also available in 10# and 20#

Also available in Qt. & 32 oz. RTS

B. Ant A, B, D, F, H, I, J

Aphid A, F, G, I

Armyworm A, B, C, D, F, H, I, J

Bagworm C, G, I

Billbug B, E, H

Broad Spectrum Insecticide

G.

8 oz. Spray 32027HY AFC #686522

16 oz. 10291FL AFC #680060

Also available in Pt., Qt. and Gal.

32 oz. RTS 10292FL AFC #680452

Earwig A, I, J

Fire Ant B, D, H, I, J

Flea A, B, D, F, H, I, J

Fly F, I

32 oz. RTU 10293FL AFC #680064

Gnat A, F, I

C.

Spinosad Bagwork Insect Control

H.

Japanese Beetle A, D, E, F, G, I

Leaf Hopper A, B, D, G, H, I, J

Leaf Minor A, c, D, F, G, H, I

Mexican Bean Beetle

Bug Blaster II 11.5# 33326HY AFC #685406 23# 33327HY AFC #685408

8 oz. 40690NG AFC #680465

Grub A, D, E, I, J

55% Malathion

Pt. 40691NG AFC #680467

A

Also available in Qt. & 32 oz. RTS

D. Mite A, F, G, I

Mole Cricket B, E, H, I, J

Mosquito A, F, I

Moth C, D, F, G, I

Garden and Pet Dust

I.

1# 32201HY AFC #685675

Pine Tip Moth I

Garden, Pet & Livestock Spray 8 oz. 32004HY AFC #686436

4# 32202HY AFC #685680

Pt. 32005HY AFC #686438 Qt. 32006HY AFC #686440

Scale A, G, I

Silverfish D, F, J, K

Slug D

Sod Webworm B, C, H, I

Sowbug B, D, F, H, I, J

E.

Grub Free Zone II 15# 0.2% 33054HY AFC #685650 30# 0.2% 33056HY AFC #685652 10# 0.5% 33058HY AFC #685656

Black Widow Spider D, F

Thrips A, C, D, F, G, I

Tick A, B, F, H, I, J

Whitefly A, D, F, G, I

Bedbug D, F & Many others

J.

Vegetable & Ornamental Insect Control 1# 32327HY AFC #686151 4# 32325HY AFC #686154

A Full Line of Beekeeping Supplies Available at Your Co-op Bee Smoker AFC #417269

Croplan PM 4611 BMR

Heavy-Duty Hay Cover

Made of heavy, reinforced super-tough poly fabric with 200lb/inch tensile strenth.

Hay Covers available in: 28’ x 48’ - AFC #477249 33’ x 48’ - AFC #477250

Best in class digestibility with leafy compact structure. Extremely uniform height with high yield potential and quick drydown. Resistant to surgarcane aphid, strong disease tolerance and no prussic acid.

Beekeeping Tyvek Coverall Large AFC #417276

Hive10 AFC #417264

The world that bees create inside of their hives is largely self-sufficient, requiring monitoring more than intervention. The infrastructure and hierarchy they create is breathtaking creation requiring not much more time and effort than a garden. Since their flight and foraging patterns include up to 8,000 acres of land, the entire community is helping feed your hive while the bees are pollinating their plants.

Poly Bailer Twine

Sisal Baler Twine

7,000, 9,000 or 20,000

9,000 square or 16,000 big round

Net Wrap

Orange/White, Green & White Sizes 48”, 51”, 64” and 67”

Bee Conservation. Plant Pollination.

Honey Production. Beekeeping might be simpler than you think!

ALAFARM DOG FOOD

Co-op laying pellets

Premium Adult Dog Food 26-18

CO-OP 16% EGG RATION PELLETS OR CRUMBLES

26% Protein - 18% Crude Fat - 50 lb. bag

This feed is formulated to be fed to mature laying hens with free roaming access.

24% Protein - 20% Crude Fat - 50 lb. bag

This feed is formulated to be fed to mature laying hens with free roaming access.

High Energy Dog Food 24-20 Maintenance Dog Food 21-8

21% Protein - 8% Crude Fat - 50 lb. bag

Puppy Food 30-20

30% Protein - 20% Crude Fat - 25 lb. bag

WB-6S Cu. ft.

Wheelbarrow

CO-OP 18% LAYING PELLETS OR CRUMBLES CO-OP 22% LAYING PELLETS

$109.99

This feed is formulated for maximum egg production and hen growth. It contains excellent protein and energy levels for game birds and birds under stress that have higher nutritional requirements.

#85723 AFC #470018

Solo® #425 Backpack Sprayer

300g Pasture Sprayer

Quick-lock Directional Tripod Feeder (30 gallons)

* 300-gal. poly tank. * PTO-driven, 8 roller pump. * Sprayer features jet agitation so you get a uniform application.

* Pressure Regulator & a TeeJet AA17L valve that lets you turn the nozzles on/off right from the tractor seat.

$86.89 AFC #404832

Hedge Shears

Ditch Bank Blade Wood Handle

Wood Handles

$32.59

$11.36 #DT-1640 AFC #400037

AFC #416791

Trophy Rock

$169.99

Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper

Keep Antlers Growing.

20 lb. rock AFC #407100

AFC #458778 Digital Timer Programs up to 6 feed times per day. BackSpin technology. Battery and feed level indicators. Hopper attaches qith Quick-Lock modular system.

#WP-3220 AFC #470406

Use in ornamental grass areas and established lawns.

Can be applied 4 weeks later than other pre-emergences.

12 lb. bag.

Contains Dimension

Chapin Home & Garden 1 Gal. Sprayer

#Hy33030 AFC#687930

Poly Tank. Adjustable spraying nozzle.

Also available in 2 Gal.

$12.99

AFC #624064

WEDNESDAYS • 5 P.M. CENTRAL Sunday, Central Time

Alabama Stations and times

T E L E V I S I O N S H O W

Market Montgomery Mobile Dothan Birmingham Columbus, GA Huntsville

Station WSFA-TV 12 WPMI-TV WTVY-TV 4 WBMA-TV 33/40 WLTZ-TV 38 WAFF-TV 48

Time 6 AM 6 AM 6:30 AM 6:30 AM 6:30 AM 9 AM

www.SimplySouthernTV.net

www.alafarm.com

MID STATE STOCKYARD

Contact your local CO-OP store for all of your farming, hunting, or gardening needs!

Albertville Altha, FL Andalusia Arab Ashford Ashville Athens Atmore Blountstowon, FL Centre Columbiana Courtland Crossville Decatur Demopolis Elba Elberta Enterprise Faunsdale Fayette Florala Florence Frisco City Geneva Goshen Greenville Haleyville Hamilton Hartford Hartselle Hazel Green Headland Holly Pond Jacksonville Jasper Jay, FL Leighton Leroy Lineville Live Oak, FL Luverne Lynnville, TN Madison, FL Meridianville Moulton Northport Notasulga Oneonta Opp Pell City Piedmont Pulaski, TN Rainsville Rogersville Scottsboro Selma Stevenson Talladega Troy Tuscumbia Wedowee Wetumpka

256-878-3261 850-762-3161 334-222-1851 256-586-5515 334-899-3263 205-594-7042 256-232-5500 251-368-2191 850-674-8194 256-927-3135 205-669-7082 256-637-2939 256-528-7188 256-353-4663 334-289-0155 334-897-6972 251-986-8103 334-347-9007 334-628-2681 205-932-5901 334-858-6142 256-764-8441 251-267-3175 334-898-7932 334-484-3441 334-382-6548 205-486-3794 205-921-2631 334-588-2992 256-773-6832 256-828-2010 334-693-3313 256-796-5337 256-435-3430 205-387-1142 850-675-4597 256-446-8328 251-246-3512 256-396-2097 386-362-1459 334-335-5082 931-527-3923 850-973-2269 256-828-5360 256-974-9214 205-339-8181 334-257-3930 205-274-2185 334-493-7715 205-338-2821 256-447-6560 931-363-2563 256-638-2569 256-247-3453 256-574-1688 334-874-9083 256-437-8829 256-362-2716 334-566-3882 256-383-6462 256-357-4743 334-567-4321

NEW GEAR

BY WILLIAM KENDY

The Daniel Defense Delta 5 Bolt Action Rifle

The modular based Delta 5 bolt action allows easy switching of calibers and barrels without gunsmithing and features a threaded forged-to-contour barrel, stainless steel action with a three-lug 60 degree throw bolt, a user-configurable carbon reinforced polymer ergonomic stock an, adjustable single stage trigger and more. Available in .308 Winchester, 6.5mm Creedmore and 7mm-08 Remington with a five round detachable single feed magazine.

Suggested Retail Price: $2,199 www.danieldefense.com

Primal Treestands Introduces Emergency Descender Unit

All treestand hunters should wear safety harnesses and the smart ones also use the new Primal Treestands Emergency Descender The ED lowers a hunter to the ground automatically, hands-free and immediately after a fall of up to 25 feet. With a user weight range from 120 to 300 pounds the Emergency Descender is compatible with any full body safety harness meeting ASTM fall-arrest system standards.

Suggested Retail Price: $50.00 www.primaltreestands.com

New Outdoor Edge TrailBlaze Drop Point Folding Knife - 77

The new Outdoor EdgeÂŽ TrailBlaze drop point knife is suitable for everyday carry yet a fully capable hunting knife.

Available in a 2.5 or 3.3 inch stainless steel drop point blade it’s ergonomically designed glass/nylon polymer handle allows a non-slip grip and features ambidextrous thumb studs for easy one-hand opening and a stainless-steel pocket clip for easy sheath-free carry.

Suggested Retail Price - $20.05 - $26.95 www.outdooredge.com.

36 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

NEW GEAR FOR OUTDOORSMEN

Push a Tom’s Buttons to Pull the Trigger

To bring that gobbler in close, Avian-X introduces the Heavy-Duty Realism (HDR) jake decoy featuring unbeatable detail and durability.

Sized slightly smaller than a real turkey, his quarter-strut posture and subdominant feathers signal he’s content but ready to fight if need be.

The setup includes two removable head designs, one with a curled, aggressive posture, the other straight and submissive, and a carbon stake and carries case.

Suggested Retail Price: $149.99 www.Avian-x.com

New ALTO Flotation Belt Offers Lightweight and Compact Support

The ALTOS flotation belt from Spinlock is designed to be utilized by paddleboarders, kayakers, fisherman and all small-boating users who don’t want to wear bulkier life jackets but need a flotation production solution. Available in two colors, the manually operated adjustable waist belt creates a simple, close and almost “invisible” fit and can be worn around the waist either at the front or back.

Suggested Retail Price: $89.00 www.spinlockusa.com

YakGear’s New Brush Gripper Offers Lightweight Anchoring

YakGear’s Brush Gripper allows kayak anglers and boaters the ability to use brush, small limbs and other shore vegetation as natural anchors and forget about heavy anchoring gear. The Brush Gripper is designed with spring-loaded tension so that the harder it is pulled the tighter it grips. Available in both orange and galvanized silver colors, the Brush Gripper comes with an anchor line rope.

Suggested Retail Price: $15.79 www.yakgear.com

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 37

SPRING FOOD PLOTS FOR DEER AND TURKEY

BY GREAT DAYS OUTDOORS STAFF When hunters and land managers think of food plots most don’t consider a spring/summer plot. However, spring and summer plots can be just as important as ones in the fall and winter months. These plots continue to provide forage and help keep deer and turkeys on your hunting property.

Quality food plots during the spring and summer provide much needed nutrition during times when does are carrying or nursing fawns. Bucks need extra nutrients for antler development. Turkeys benefit from the insects attracted by the flowering plants and the poults have a place to hide from predators.

Selecting what seed to plant for spring and summer plots 38 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

can be a chore. There are many different types of seed varieties from peas, beans, clovers and other plants. Do you plant a single variety of seed, or mix it up? What seed varieties work well together and which ones do not?

These can be tough questions planting the wrong seed or amount can lead to a less than successful food plot. And your time and money will be wasted. The folks at Wildlife Management Solutions (WMS) has already solved this problem with different seed blends specifically for spring and summer food plots.

The Great Days Outdoors staff connected with Daniel Bumgarner at WMS for some seed suggestions and tips for

Spring food plots for deer and turkey

creating beneficial food plots for deer and turkey during the spring and summer.

Bumgarner mentions spring and summer plots need to provide as much nutrition and tonnage as possible.

Leafy type plants in one way to achieve this goal. He recommends a blend of different seed types. The blends provide a constant supply of forage as the plants mature.

One blend Bumgarner says wildlife managers has had success with is the WMS Pea Patch. This is a blend of late growing soybeans, three different types of cowpeas, buckwheat and sunflowers. WMS has already worked out the best ratios of each seed type to ensure maximum growth of each plant species.

The late growing soybeans provide more leafy forage longer. And when the plant matures, deer and turkey will continue to feed on the seed pods.

The three different types of cowpeas have different blooming dates. The plants are more attractive and palatable when blooming. Pea number one will bloom in around 6- to 7- weeks. Pea type number two will bloom out in about nine weeks and pea three in approximately 12 weeks. Even after blooming, each type of pea continues to grow and provide forage.

Buckwheat is a forb with broad leaves that grows fast. The fast growth of buckwheat gets above the peas. Deer love buckwheat and will fed on it while the other seeds continue to grow. Turkeys will feed on the seeds.

The sunflowers are a F2 Hybrid that provides structure to the spring / summer plot. The Sunflowers will support the climbing / trailing cowpeas. Bumgarner says it is best to get the peas growing vertically. With the plant growing vertically there are leaves 360 degrees around the stem providing more leafy forage. If the peas are running on the ground, the leaves grow only in one direction.

Bumgarner also has a solution for bowhunters that are restricted to small areas of less than one-half- acre for planting food plots. WMS Summer Spot is the perfect seed blend for smaller areas. This blend offers American Joint Vetch, Alyceclover (not a true clover) and buckwheat.

American Joint Vetch also known as aeschynomene, is an annual legume. It can withstand heavy grazing pressure from deer and other wildlife. Alyceclover is a warm season legume that has broadleaves and produce good forage. We have mentioned the attribute of buckwheat above.

WMS Summer Spot can last well into the archery season providing bowhunters ample opportunity for a special spot

Wildlife Management Solutions Pea Patch blend has a variety of seeds that produce throughout the spring and summer months. (Photo WMS)

providing bowhunters ample opportunity for a special spot to hunt. The plants can be nipped down to the ground and rebound with continued growth.

Bumgarner suggests WMS Summer Spot and WMS Pea Patch be planted after the threat of frost for your area. The soil temperature should be around 60 degrees F and up. He states that May is a good month to plant any of the above blends.

The cowpeas used in the WMS Pea Patch are drought tolerant and not needy as to fertilizer and soil pH balance.

The blends can be broadcast or drilled at around 40 pound per acre. With the drought tolerance of WMS Pea Patch, the blend can be planted on into June and July.

Bumgarner advises your spring and summer food plots size should be based on the deer density in your hunting area.

He recommends a minimum of one- acre but make the plots larger if possible.

Spring and summer food plots are valuable to deer, turkey and other wildlife. Hunters and land managers will benefit from the improvements of their land. WMS provides the perfect seed blends to ensure healthy wildlife throughout the year.

For more information on spring and summer food plot seed contact Wildlife management Solutions at seedsource@ bellsouth.net.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 39

Solid Rest, Dead Gobbler

One of these tools could save your next turkey hunt.

BY CRAIG HANEY Photo submitted by Craig Haney

Take the time to really make an informed decision on what style of shooting support is best for your turkey hunting needs.

The soft light of breaking dawn was filtering into the white oak bottom where I had earlier settled in to start my morning hunt. I was filled with anticipation as I gave six hoots from a barred owl call and was immediately answered with a double gobble off to the East about 100 yards. I quickly set up knowing the hardwood bottom was an ideal place for Mr. Tom to sit down. As the morning light increased, the gobbler gobbled several times and I answered him with soft tree yelps.

I heard the flapping of wings and saw him pitch down about sixty-five yards from me and go into a full strut with his back to me. I got into a good

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shooting position knowing he would be in shooting range in minutes.

For twenty minutes, the bird stayed in sight drumming and strutting but never came closer. My arms felt like lead and I thought I would drop my shotgun. Out of desperation, I gave three soft yelps, he broke and came almost at a dead run. At about forty paces with arms trembling from exhaustion, I shot. I watched him turn and run off, a clean miss. Exhaustion won!

Many times during spring gobbler season, this scene plays out but for

THE GUN RACK those hunters who take a shooting support or shooting sticks in the field, the outcome can be very different.

There are at least three different solutions to the problem; monopods, bipods and tripods.

MONOPODS Monopods are the easiest to set up and use particularly if you are hunting uneven ground. They are easy to use as a walking stick when covering unfamiliar or rough terrain in the darkness before dawn. If you like to run and gun for your Tom then a monopod is a great accessory. On the downside, they are not going to be as stable as a bipod or tripod for lateral movement. A couple of good examples of monopods for the turkey hunter are the Primos TS Gen 3 Short and the Bog Q-Stick Monopod.

BIPODS Bipods are the most popular of the shooting stick styles selling more than the monopod and tripod combined. They are more stable than a monopod and faster to set up than a tripod. Bipods do an excellent job of stabilizing vertical and lateral motion and set up almost as quickly as a monopod. If a turkey comes in on your flank, then it will take more effort to move the bipod than a monopod. The Swagger Stalker Lite and the Caldwell Shooting Bipod are two good bipods to check out at a mid-range price point.

TRIPODS Tripods are the most solid shooting support a hunter can use in the field. This characteristic comes in handy if you are having an adrenaline rush from working a big Tom and you realize your hands are shaking. Shaky hands obviously can cause a miss. However to get the rock solid rest, we are giving up weight considerations, quickness and ease of set up.

Two versatile tripods to take a look at are the Primos T3 Gen 3 Short Tripod and the Bog CLD 3S Short Camo Shooting Tripod.

CONSIDERATIONS Once you have decided on a monopod, bipod or tripod that is best for your turkey hunting needs, there are some other things to consider in choosing a specific model. Strength and durability are important because you want a rigid and solid shooting platform. Light weight of the shooting support reduces your load when carrying Mr. Tom back to the truck.

Ease of mounting is important so it does not take too long to get your shotgun set-up as well as the type of gun cradle on the particular model you have chosen. Another consideration is the type of feet on the legs of your choice so it will be stable and quiet no matter what’s on the ground from where you are calling Ol’Tom. Smooth height adjustment is important because you need it to be quick and quiet when settle in for your hunt.

Take the time to really make an informed decision on what style of shooting support is best for your turkey hunting needs. Do not buy one just because your buddy in the hunting club has a certain brand or model, it may not fit your needs.

Once you have bought one, then practice, practice, practice with it in simulated hunting situations so there will be no surprises when you enter the turkey woods. Keep it with your turkey gear and always take it with you, you never know when it might save the hunt.

A Must Read for Turkey Hunters.

“Any information that came from outside was highly suspect. Anything that came from inside, even from members of your own family was, in many cases, tarred with the same brush. Nobody and by that I mean nobody, gave away a thing.

The “boy” in this story is blessed with an honest and benevolent grandfather who learned the hard way. Alan covers very well what has come to be called “The bad old days” when you mostly made it on your own or you didn’t make it at all.”

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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 41

April Provides Abundant Fishing Choices Whether you head inland or into the Gulf, plenty of fish are biting April is the month that leaves people who love the outdoors torn. Do I hunt the wily Eastern wild turkeys that inhabit our woodlands, or do I head out to one of our beautiful lakes and rivers or the Gulf of Mexico to catch one of Alabama’s abundant fish species for tonight’s dinner table?

In the best of both worlds, you could hunt turkeys in the morning and go fishing in the afternoon.

Although I enjoy turkey hunting, I really love to fish, and April presents so many opportunities it’s difficult to decide which way to head.

BY CHRIS BLANKENSHIP Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources

If you head inland, our waterways, reservoirs and rivers provide opportunities for a wide variety of species, including one of my all-time favorites for the dinner plate – crappie.

Depending on the weather, the crappie spawn may be in full swing in April or it could be starting to fade. You’ll need to keep an eye on the water temperature.

Crappie start spawning when the water reaches 68 degrees and the spawn reaches a peak at about 72 degrees.

If the crappie are still spawning, hit the banks with vegetation and drop in a small jig or minnow and enjoy one of spring’s fishing joys.

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Bass fishermen will also enjoy the action connected with the spring, whether it’s the pre-spawn or during the spawn. If the bass are still in pre-spawn conditions, they are usually voracious feeders and will hit just about anything with action as the fish move into the staging areas. If the water warms up more than expected, you’ll have to back out of the shallow areas and look for the places the females go to rest and feed after the stressful spawn.

Alabama has many great bass lakes, including Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson, Pickwick, Logan Martin and Lake Eufaula, to name only a few. If you play your bass cards right, you can time your visits to these excellent fisheries to take advantage of the best fishing at each impoundment.

Bream fishermen might pick up a few fish, but the best advice is to concentrate on the other fish and wait for that first full moon in May, when the bream bed and are easy to catch.

In the spring, sometimes high water makes catfish the best fish to target. After a long winter, the catfish go on a feeding frenzy as the water temperature rises.

Our rivers have huge catfish, and you just might be the one to catch the next 100-pounder.

FROM THE COMMISSIONER As many of you know, I was born and reared on the Alabama Gulf Coast and once held down a job as a deckhand on a charter boat.

April fishing in saltwater is a bonanza, especially for the inshore species of spotted seatrout (speckled trout) and red drum (redfish).

For the trout, the weather has settled down from the blustery March winds and the fishing becomes much more consistent.

Salinity and water temperature will be your guides on where to fish for trout.

Springtime trout gravitate toward certain types of structures and habitats that have hard rock or shell bottoms. A living oyster reef with deep water nearby is the ideal spot for the bigger fish.

That means Alabama’s inshore artificial reefs (www. outdooralabama.com/artificial-reefs/inshore-reef-zones) are the ideal fishing spots in the spring. Those reefs have recently been enhanced with new limestone and other reef material, which is already paying dividends with better fishing.

Trout in April are usually not terribly finicky about what they’ll hit. That’s when plastic grubs or plastic shrimp imitations like DOA Lures and Vudu shrimp work great, whether fished with a popping cork or not.

Redfish will be hanging around the reefs also, but you can also cruise the shorelines when the tide is a little higher, tossing weedless gold spoons into the shallow water.

If the fish do start acting finicky, head to your favorite bait shop and pick up a few dozen live shrimp. Just get more than you think you need because just about every fish in saltwater loves to steal your tasty shrimp.

While freshwater anglers pay attention to water flow in the impoundments to target fish, saltwater anglers abide by the tides. The worst fishing will be on a neap tide, which means there is very little tide movement. Fish need water movement to trigger their feeding instincts.

A falling tide is the ideal time to look for those ambush spots where the target species will be waiting for the outgoing water to wash a shrimp, small crab or baitfish within striking distance.

An incoming tide will move the fish up on the flats to search for a meal in the water that was inaccessible on low tide.

For those who love to fish in the Gulf, the Spanish and king mackerel will show up in the Alabama coastal waters in April and can provide steady action as you troll through our state’s recently enhanced nearshore habitat.

Again, whether you love to fish for freshwater or saltwater species, April provides so many opportunities that it’s hard to choose.

I can’t help you choose, but I can encourage you to head out onto Alabama’s productive fishing waters for an outing that could become the fishing trip of a lifetime.

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251-433-3696 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 43

The Tradition Lives On

A Shared Love of Quail Hunting Macon County landowner having inherited a good bit of acreage from his father, Judge Preston Hornsby.

His favorite tract is the Bonny Davis Place, named by his Dad for the man he bought it from over half-a-century ago.

A SCENIC AND WELL-MANAGED PLACE The land there near Fort Davis, south of Tuskegee, is rolling and scenic. The open broom sedge fields are interspersed with patches of brushy cover and wooded draws. Mature pines dot the landscape, with an occasional big oak making for a diverse and interesting landscape.

Hornsby’s active management of the wildlife habitat at Bonny Davis is evident at every turn. The pines’ blackened bases bear testimony to regular use of prescribed fire. Patches and strips of various cover crops are well-distributed across the rich blackbelt soils. A scenic lake near the center of the tract anchors the whole place.

When highly successful Atlanta restauranteur Jim Kourkoulis passed away at the age of 72 in September of 2018, he left a void in many people’s lives. Not the least of these was his former brother-in-law and hunting partner Andy Hornsby of Montgomery, Alabama.

BY CORKY PUGH Executive Director, Hunting Heritage Foundation

Hornsby and Kourkoulis hunted quail together for the better part of an adult lifetime, and shared a passion for birds, dogs, guns, and the land.

Kourkoulis, a larger-than-life man, founded and operated the highlysuccessful and popular Treehouse Pub in Peachtree Hills. His generous spirit and zest for life resulted in a devoted and loyal clientele for over three decades at the Treehouse and at a second restaurant, Harry A’s at St. George Island, Florida.

Hornsby, a retired career federal government administrator, is a prominent

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ASH SCATTERING It was here, at Bonny Davis, where a quail hunt on January 10, 2019 was paused for an informal ceremony honoring Kourkoulis. His ashes were scattered along a hillside overlooking the lake. Hornsby and Kourkoulis’ longtime friend and hunting companion Gene Cook delivered a glowing, heartfelt eulogy and prayer.

Kourkoulis’ son Paul detoured on his way from Atlanta to Denver to bring his father’s ashes. Kourkoulis’ “second son” Nestor, who worked devotedly for him for many years, also drove over from Atlanta.

As Paul scattered his father’s ashes, he remarked, “This is a fine and fitting place. My Dad would have wanted to be here.”

Scattered at the same time and place were the ashes of two of Kourkoulis’ German Shorthaired Pointers, Zoe and Kramer. Hornsby then scattered the ashes of his favorite Judge, named by Kourkoulis after Hornsby’s Dad.

HUNTING HERITAGE THE HUNT RESUMES As the hunt resumed, the sky brightened just a little bit. The stimulating January air became a bit fresher still.

The dogs held point well, and the quail flew like truly wild birds. Despite the aging legs of Cook, Hornsby, and yours truly, everyone’s step became a measure brisker. Cook dusted every bird he shot.

JUDGE’S PROGENY Babe, the daughter of infamous Judge, ranged widely, working hard as she searched for birds. She held point in a manner that any professional dog trainer would have been proud of.

The flushing dog, Bella, a beautiful and spirited Boykin Spaniel, ran circles around everybody, rooting through the dense cover.

Babe and Bella belong to Hornsby’s eleven-year-old granddaughter, Margaret Preston Hornsby, who allows Hornsby to hunt her dogs on occasion.

Hornsby shared that Margaret has expressed an interest in quail hunting, and he intends to introduce her to this fine tradition at the earliest opportunity.

WILD QUAIL DECLINE A generation ago, hunters saw the dramatic decline in quail populations due to habitat loss. As the era of patch farms gave way to large-scale, highly-efficient agriculture, and

open, brushy land was re-forested, quail numbers dropped precipitously In the words of Frank Selman Arant in the 1939 Status of Game Birds and Mammals in Alabama, “The bobwhite quail extended its range and increased greatly in numbers with the coming of the first crude agricultural development (Stoddard, 1932). This increase resulted from the creation of a more favorable environment. The quail is a farm-game bird; it is adapted to border areas adjoining open land, brush, and woods. The clearing of lands and establishment of small fields provided excellent conditions for the growth of wild leguminous plants which furnished food for the birds. As agricultural development proceeded, the fields became larger, clean culture of the fields and their borders was practiced, and as a result of these and other practices, the quail population has decreased in many localities.”

QUAIL HUNTS ON YOUR PROPERTY As wild quail populations declined, hunters began the practice of releasing pen-reared quail to continue the tradition of quail hunting. Hornsby and others are able to shoot quail over bird dogs despite the lack of wild populations.

If you don’t have your own birddogs, or don’t have the ability to handle the pen-reared quail, there are fee-based quail-hunting operators who will bring flight-conditioned quail and really good pointers and retrievers to your property.

One such operator is Will McFerrin at Quail Hippie Hunts (334) 703-1272.

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Making a Difference We All Can Do It!

All it takes is a little hard work and we can stop the decline of hunters in Alabama.

BY CHARLES “CHUCK� SYKES Director of the Alabama Division of Wildlife

The first step in solving a problem is to admit that there is a problem, and we definitely know there is a nationwide problem of declining hunter numbers. Recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) has become the new buzz phrase among outdoor-related industries and state agencies alike. You see, without hunters, state agencies will not have the money needed to fund conservation efforts. Hunters are the backbone of wildlife conservation in America.

and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF)

For those of you who do not know how this works, here is the abridged version in the simplest terms: The 46 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

Pittman-Robertson Act (PR) was passed in 1937 to provide a constant source of conservation funding for state wildlife agencies. Through this act, gun manufacturer pay an excise tax on rifles they produce. Those tax dollars are sent to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to distribute to the states.

The apportionment of money is determined by the size of the state and the number of licensed hunters in that state. To date, more than $20 billion has been generated through the PR program and distributed to the states to perform critical wildlife conservation and management.

FROM THE DIRECTOR When I began my job in December of 2012, our PR apportionment was approximately $9 million. Our 2017 apportionment was more than $19 million. Why? Gun and ammunition sales skyrocketed during the final years of the Obama administration. That’s a great thing as far as money going into the PR fund is concerned. But, with most things in this job, what looks good at first glance can be problematic in the long run. Many of those purchases were made for either personal and home security or target shooters and not by traditional hunters. So, why is that an issue?

In order for Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) to receive the funds allocated to the state, we must have state dollars to match with the federal dollars. For every dollar we generate in state revenue, we can match it with $3 of PR revenue. But if we don’t have enough state revenue to match, the money reverts back to USFWS. Since we do not receive money from the State General Fund, the only state revenue source we have is hunting license dollars, and with hunting license sales declining, therein lies the problem. This is a two-fold problem. First, the revenue generated from the sale of hunting licenses is used for match. Second, our piece of the national pie is determined in part by the number of hunting licenses we sell.

It is extremely rewarding to assist someone, especially an adult, in learning about the outdoors, wildlife management and consumptive use of our natural resources.

Enough with the history lesson. The issue I’m trying to get back to is the decline in hunter numbers in Alabama and throughout the country. As you can see, we need hunters to purchase hunting licenses so that we can have state funds to match with federal funds to provide wildlife management and conservation for the natural resources of Alabama and goods and services for the citizens of the state. So, how do we create more hunters? That’s where R3 comes in. We must recruit new hunters, retain them once they start and, finally re-activate hunters who for whatever reason chose to stop hunting.

WFF, as with many other state conservation departments, has conducted many youth programs over the past few decades with the hopes of perpetuating hunters. What we have discovered is that most of the participants in WFF youth programs would have become hunters anyway.

Although this is a good thing and those programs will continue, we must determine how to create hunters from

nontraditional hunting families because it’s painfully evident that what we’ve been doing isn’t working. These harsh realities lead to the creation of the Alabama Adult Mentored Hunting Program (AAMHP).

Anyone interested in participating must fill out an application online at www.outdooralabama.com. We then rank the applicants based on their hunting experience: Priority 1: Be at least 19 years of age, possess a valid driver’s license, and have no previous hunting experience.

Applicants in this category will be given the highest priority.

Priority 2: Be at least 19 years of age, possess a valid driver’s license and have limited lifetime hunting experience defined as hunting less than five occasions in your lifetime.

Priority 3: Be at least 19 years of age, possess a valid driver’s license, and have limited lifetime hunting experience defined as hunting fewer than five occasions in the last five years.

During the first month, more than 400 applications from seven states were processed. The average age of the applicants was 42 and approximately 40% were female.

Most of these applicants fell into Priority 1 status. During this second year of the program, we offered several opportunities for these newcomers to participate in one of the AAMHP deer, turkey or squirrel hunts. Some were one-day outings at various WMAs, while others were weekend-long programs at the Portland Landing SOA in Dallas County.

These trips are crash courses in Hunting 101. Our staff mentors take each participant through a plethora of activities, including firearm safety, habitat analysis, treestand safety, game-processing and, finally, meal preparation. A special Facebook group has also been created where these new hunters can interact with other newbies with their same interests as well as mentors who can help them progress through their journey to become hunters.

The program has been an incredible challenge for us. It is very labor-intensive and time-consuming. But it’s been worth every second. I truly believe our staff has benefited as much from the program as the participants have. It is extremely rewarding to assist someone, especially an adult, in learning about the outdoors, wildlife management and consumptive use of our natural resources.

We feel this program is going to help us turn the tide on the downward trend in hunters. I want to challenge all hunters to step out of their comfort zones and take an adult who’s never hunted to the woods this upcoming season and pass along our great hunting traditions. Don’t wait to be asked; ask someone to go with you. I can assure you, it’ll be the highlight of your season just like it has been for mine.

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 47

KAYAK to Find Big Specks in Shallow Water

My wife’s kayak is moving slowly across the shallow grassbed. The strange thing is, there’s not a breath of breeze blowing to move her and she doesn’t have a paddle in her hand. There must be some other form of propulsion that is moving her and her kayak.

As she yells to me to come help her land this fish, I wonder what kind of big hard-puller she’s managed to hook up with.

BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn

When I see that this big, strong fish is not a redfish, nor a black drum, and not even a jack crevalle but instead a truly big speckled trout, I advise her to hold on, work the fish carefully, and not pressure it too much.

And she does it all just right, and before long, a big, big speck is finning at the side of her boat for me to work my thumb under its gills and

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gently lift the big fish up. Just by feel as the fish leaves the water, this is a six pound or better trout which is a real trophy fish.

After a few photos, I lower the big old trout back into the water, and she kicks and jets away in very good shape.

It seems that kayaks are some very effective and efficient boats for catching big specks in shallow water, and I decide for myself that I need to work a bit harder to get into the big speck catching myself.

BENEFITS OF SHALLOW WATER KAYAK FISHING FOR SPECKS Probably the biggest advantage of using a kayak to catch big speckled trout is the fact that kayaks are super efficient shallow water craft. Kayaks, even pedal kayaks, can go in water that other boats simply can’t use.

This means that kayak anglers can

PADDLE FISHING work on big specks that rarely if ever see much fishing pressure, and since the bigger specks are very sensitive to having anglers come too close too often, kayak anglers can get in contact with big, unsuspicious specks.

Another big advantage of fishing from a kayak for big specks is that paddleboats are quiet. Even the low hum of a trolling motor is enough to put most big shallow water specks on alert and very reluctant to eat. A kayak angler can ghost along a shallow weedbed with almost no noise from the kayak’s hull or paddle and get within casting distance of some really big specks.

LOOK FOR SHALLOW STRUCTURE- GRASS AND SHELLS Although most kayak anglers who chase after big gator trout in shallow water start by looking for grass, and that’s a very good idea, there are other kinds of shallow water that can prove very effective for good trout in the shallows. So just because a specific location might not have good shallow grass beds, kayak anglers can find big trout holding over other kinds of good habitat.

Oyster reefs can provide very good big speck fishing.

In parts of the Gulf Coast, oyster reefs are the primary shallow water structure and anglers who want to find the biggest specks need to spend some time work the sharpedged oyster shells.

Kayak anglers will soon find that most oyster reefs in shallow water have two sides which align with the dominant tide flows. The deeper side of the oyster bar is almost always the side where specks will hold. By working bait or lures on this deeper, steeper side, kayak anglers can find the biggest trout in the area.

When the tide is highest, fishing directly over the oyster bar where the tide will be running very fast can be good, also.

Sandbars with steep drops and good current are another very reliable shallow water structure for kayak anglers who are looking for big specks to keep in mind. Lots of places along the Gulf Coast don’t have grass beds and they don’t have oyster reefs, but they do have sandbars which form and re-form as currents and tides change.

Many times anglers in kayaks can slowly paddle along these sandbars and work a topwater lure over the bar and into the slightly deeper surrounding water to find feeding specks.

Plain, no-current sandbars tend to be dead water, and kayak anglers need to find sandbar structures which have good tidal flow to move baitfish and shrimp along the bar for specks to chase and feed on.

SPECIFIC SHALLOW WATER HOTSPOTS Just off Highway 59 in Gulf Shore, Alabama where the road ends and the beach begins lies Little Lagoon. This narrow body of water is home to some very big specks, and kayak anglers who work the thick grassbeds here stand to meet up with some very big specks.

Live shrimp under popping corks work well as do top water plugs early and late.

East shore at St Joe Bay - State 30A east of Port St. Joe, Florida runs alongside the clear waters of St. Joe Bay, and these waters are wonderful for kayak anglers to slide a paddle boat in and work the shallows for big specks.

The grass beds are vast and very lush, and kayak anglers who throw topwater plugs and slow-sink jigs can have a lot of fun battling big specks here.

Many times anglers in kayaks can slowly paddle along these sandbars and work a topwater lure over the bar and into the slightly deeper surrounding water to find feeding specks.

Apalachicola Bay/ St. George Island backwaters - These are oyster bar waters, and kayak anglers who work a topwater plug or live shrimp around these oyster bars stand to meet up with some very big specks. Tide flow is vital here, and when the tide is flat and unmoving, the shallows will not be productive. When the water begins to move, then work the backside of the oyster bar and hang on.

St Marks bayous and oyster reefs - Some massive oyster reefs provide a lot of shallow water structure for kayak anglers to find big specks at the mouth of the St. Mark’s River where it flows into the Gulf.

Kayak anglers can put the boat in at the lighthouse at the St. Mark’s Refuge area and be fishing the oyster bars in a few minutes’ paddle.

Some very big trout, and other game fish, call these steep-sided strong current oyster bars home.

AND A LITTLE SECRET FOR THE BIGGEST SPECKS As a little added bonus for those kayak anglers who are looking for the biggest of speck trout in any particular area, if a few live croakers, those golden spiky-gilled fish that trouble anglers using live shrimp for trout, can be captured, they are the absolute best big speckled trout bait possible.

Nose hook a croaker, throw it out under a cork over a shallow structure and let the croaker swim around. It will probably not swim long.

Please make sure your rod is in a good secure holder because the strike will be strong.

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LAND SALES TIMBER SALES HOME SALES SELLING PROPERTIES IN ALABAMA, FLORIDA & GEORGIA FOR FIVE GENERATIONS. MUNFORD, ALA • Talladega County

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Settled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, sits the Lake Mary Tract that features hunting, fishing, a home, and a guest house.

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Nestled in the mature longleaf pines sits a rustic 2 bedroom 1 bath cabin that looks like it was stolen from a Thomas Kincade painting.

HICKS & HORNE TRACT – 360 ACRES – $1,099,995 3450 Tungoil Road

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Smith Tract 55 Acres $109,500 Coleman Tract 110 Acres $148,500 Dyas Creek Tract 212 Acres $212,000 Barbarrow Tract 150 Acres $350,000 BIBB COUNTY Centreville Tract 144 Acres $699,500 BUTLER COUNTY N. Mt Zion Road 81 Acres $169,900 Aztec Road 91 Acres $150,000 Shows Tract 26 Acres $59,995 Pigeon Creek Tract 75 Acres $119,500 McClure Tract 15 Acres $37,500 Ancient Oaks 112 Acres $299,500 < UNDER CONTRACT >

The Joe Reeves Road Tract is a turn key recreation and timber property that is set up perfect for hunting, fishing and timber investment.

JOE REEVES ROAD TRACT – 352 ACRES – $867,000 1483 Joe Reeves Road CRENSHAW COUNTY Faulk Road Tract 194 Acres $368,600 Hudson Settlement Tract 120 Acres $299,500 Provitt Road 96 Acres $211,200 Mothershed Road Tract 109 Acres $189,900 Tomlin Mill Creek 80 Acres $144,000 Dicks Road Tract 274 Acres $625,600 Mayberry Gulley Road 39 Acres $46,800 Mayberry Gulley Road 32 Acres $44,800 Smith Co. Road 77 Tract 386 Acres $868,500 Little Horse Creek Tract. 99.26 Acres $223,335 County Road 4 Tract 86 Acres $162,540

CHEROKEE COUNTY Dobson Tract Cabin and 40 Acres $72,500

GENEVA COUNTY River Road Tract 1077 Acres $1,287,015

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ST. JOE BAY

Coming Back from the Storm

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The forgotten Coast of Florida was devastated by Hurricane Michael.

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St. Joe Bay - Coming Back from the Storm

The crown jewel of this part of the world has always been the big, fish-filled St. Joe Bay with its miles of healthy seagrass beds and its great fishing and snorkeling for visitors to enjoy.

By Ed Mashburn WHAT THE STORM DID When Hurricane Michael made landfall on the “Forgotten Coast” of Florida on October 10, 2018, a lot of things changed, and some things stayed the same.

This hurricane was the real deal. With gusts to 155 miles per hour and a very low barometric pressure of 919 millibars, this was the most powerful storm to impact the upper Gulf Coast Panhandle region in recorded history.

Hurricane force winds blew down massive trees and destroyed houses and other buildings all the way well up into Georgia.

The small coastal town of Port St. Joe suffered major damage. Most of the town’s main street businesses were damaged, and some were completely blown out and flooded. Lovely old homes built long ago on the waterfront were leveled and blown out. Boats were stormsurged out of the big marina and floated all over the town where they settled as the surge retreated.

The town of Mexico Beach a few miles west of Port St Joe was destroyed. This popular little tourist oriented town suffered major damage, and in lots of places, not only were houses washed away, but the beach and land where the houses were formerly located was washed away too.

The Mexico Beach canal and docking areas were torn up and put out of operation..

The big state park at Cape San Blas, a very popular vacation destination for many generations, suffered major damage, and the campsite area is now completely separated and cut off from the rest of the park by a new pass to the Gulf.

People died.

No doubt about it, Hurricane Michael was a bad thing. But bad things don’t last forever.

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St. Joe Bay - Coming Back from the Storm

HOW THE BAY WAS AFFECTED The crown jewel of this part of the world has always been the big, fish-filled St. Joe Bay with its miles of healthy seagrass beds and its great fishing and snorkeling for visitors to enjoy.

It seems that the bay did pretty well as the storm passed.

After all, the bay and its finny residents below the waters have been dealing with hurricanes and storm surge for a lot longer than people have been here.

by the storm’s thunderous progress. After the storm surge died down and the waves subsided, the normal clear water returned, and the fish bit very well.

While the bay is going to be just fine the surrounding shoreline is another story.

Immediately after the storm’s passage, St. Joe Bay had a lot of stuff in it that used to be up on the shore. Boats and parts of boats, docks washed away form their foundations, lots of house materials, and even septic tanks were washed up from the ground parts of small aircraft were found to be floating or sunk in the bay.

THE RECOVERY AROUND THE BAY As far as the actual bay and its water and fish, it’s just fine. The water is clean, and the wonderful sea grass beds which St Joe Bay is so famous for appear to be in good shape and should green up and be lush and life-giving when the waters warm with spring’s arrival.

Navigation was a hazard, and will continue to be somewhat more difficult because of the storm debris.

The state park at Cape San Blas received a lot of damage, and a massive ¼ mile wide pass to the Gulf was blasted through some very big sand dunes. This pass actually benefited the bay itself by providing a new inflow of clean salt water, and this new flow helped flush the bay clean of any storm runoff waters. Nobody knows how long this pass will continue to provide a source of clean Gulf water.

The actual water of the bay was remarkably little affected

Fishing in the bay was very good immediately after the hurricane passed over for those who had fuel to run their boats and the outlook is quite good for the fishing this upcoming year and in the future. All indications are that fishing in St Joe Bay just might be very, very good this year.

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St Joe Bay and its wonderful waters and surrounding area are coming back from a really bad time but the good times are close at hand again.

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St. Joe Bay - Coming Back from the Storm

Big party boats which used to take dozens of anglers fishing were storm-surged high and dry away from the water.

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St. Joe Bay - Coming Back from the Storm

Joe Bay. kayakers should be very vigilant when carrying their paddle boats to normal launch areas. There is still a lot of storm debris scattered about, and most of it has sharp points and sharp edges. Just watch where you walk when launching kayaks on the bay.

While the bay is going to be just fine the surrounding shoreline is another story.

Many parts of the bay’s shoreline have piles of debris which will be removed as time passes, but immediately, anglers and walkers need to be careful. The storm changed the contours and usual runs of the beaches and bay shorelines. Where there used to be broad, flat beaches, there may now be sharp drop-offs and swift currents running. Where there used to good holes for shoreline fishing may now be nothing but sand bars and shallow beaches. Some of the bay and surrounding waters have changed, but with a little care when exploring the poststorm bay, walkers and anglers should have no trouble accessing the water.

Next, there will be some construction noise and bustle as crews get roads back in shape and rebuilders construct and rebuild homes.

On the other hand, there will less crowding on the beaches, and for anglers, fewer other anglers on the bay’s waters, so the fish should be more agreeable. Anglers who put in their boats will want to concentrate their efforts on the side of the bay south of the state park. This part of the bay usually stays cleaner because of the bay’s natural current flows, and there should be lots of speckled trout and redfish over the usual lush, healthy grass beds.

Scalloping is a very popular family activity on St Joe

Biologists tell us that the storm-cleared areas should greatly benefit nesting shorebirds next year. Where there used to be scrub brush and low trees, which a lot of shore birds don’t like for nesting, there are now broad areas of smooth, bare sand which many shore birds do like.

IN THE FUTURE If the passage of Hurricane Michael was a bad thing, and very few folks would deny this, then the recovery from its ravages is nothing short of remarkable.

Utility service was back and helping residents quickly recover. Many coastal residences and businesses had power and water within a week of the storm. All power has been restored to the area for a couple of months now.

In the town of Port St Joe, restaurants and other businesses are back and serving contractors and rebuilders and their workers, and most other businesses are back.

The state park at Cape San Blas is now open for day use and plans are being made to decide how, when and where to rebuild the camping facilities. The recovery efforts at T.H. Stone State Park will take a while, and they will be expensive. Just to rebuild the campground and associated utility lines and parking areas is estimated to run around 14 million dollars.

So, what can visitors expect when they come to Port St Joe and St. Joe Bay this year?

First, there are now and will be later in the season rental properties for visitors to stay in. It would be a good idea to call and book early because the limited number of rentals will fill fast as the summer season arrives.

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St. Joe Bay - Coming Back from the Storm

Bay, and last year was a good year after a red tide event the year before. When and how long this year’s scallop season will be announced at a later date.

Right after the passage of Hurricane Michael, the St Joe Bay area looked very rough. But things do get better and the people of the area are working hard to get things back to their usual state for visitors to enjoy. There’s no doubt about it, the Bay Of St. Joe is back, and visitors this year will get to see a wonderful place as it comes back to life.

For more information updated daily: Gulf County Tourist Development Council 850-229-7800 info@visitgulf.com

Redfish were not bothered by the storm at all, and they are ready to come play.

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CAMPHOUSE KITCHEN

BY HANK SHAW

Photos by Holly A. Heyser and Hank Shaw

Black Bean Turkey Chili Black bean turkey chili sounds like something some lifestyle magazine whipped together to impress the trendy, but it is actually a stew with origins dating to before the Europeans arrived in the Western Hemisphere 500 years ago.

Don’t believe me? Well, for starters it was the Aztecs and Maya (or their predecessors) who domesticated turkeys.

Black beans and tomatoes originated in Central America, chiles from South America. Oh, and the corn? Yep, that’s a New World ingredient, too.

What’s not ancient is the concept of chili as we Americans know it. Chili, to us, is, normally, ground or minced meat with all or some of those wonderful ingredients listed above, simmered into awesomeness and typically topped with green things and cheese.

I’d been tossing around the idea of a pre-1492 stew for a while, when I just decided to go with chili. And for those of you who know me, I take my chili seriously. My normal chili recipe has won untold awards in untold chili cookoffs, dating back a decade or more.

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Camphouse Kitchen

This chili is different. It’s lighter, brighter, with more vegetables and no coffee or molasses. I like it almost as much as my One True Chili to Rule Them All. Almost.

You’ll notice dried field corn in this recipe. I like it a lot, as it’s starchy and wonderful and can cook forever. Unlike my pozole recipe, if you can’t find good dried corn (look in Mexican markets), it is perfectly OK to substitute fresh or frozen sweet corn in this recipe.

You might also notice that I am using teeny black beans; they are black tepary beans, from the Sonoran desert.

Just as the corn I use is from the Tohono O’Odham tribe, so are the beans. That said, any black bean that makes you happy will work — even canned beans. And if you hate black beans, put in different beans. Or no beans. It’ll be fine.

I prefer to use ground turkey thighs for my chili, but any ground light meat will work: turkey breast, pheasant or chicken, pork or rabbit would all be good substitutes.

Finally, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t use real dried chiles in my chili. Unlike my other chili recipe, this chili relies only on either guajillo or New Mexican red chiles, which are sometimes sold as California chiles. The point is that they are very red, dried and mild-ish. If you can’t find them, simply use paprika.

Serve with whatever toppings you like, but I prefer melty cheddar or Jack cheese, some chopped onions and cilantro.

Black Bean Turkey Chili

Prep: 20 mins • Cook Time: 1 hour • Total: 1 hr 20 mins This recipe can be done in as little as an hour if you use the shortcuts, but I do prefer it cooked with the dry ingredients slow and low. Either way works well. Serve your chili with cornbread, rice or crusty bread.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

2 to 3 tablespoons bacon fat, lard or vegetable oil 2 to 3 pounds ground turkey 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 28 to 32 ounce can of crushed tomatoes 1 quart turkey or chicken stock 4 to 6 dried guajillo or New Mexican chiles, stemmed and seeded OR 3 tablespoons paprika Salt 1 to 2 cups cooked corn kernels (1 cup dry if using) 2 to 3 cups cooked black beans, or 2 15-ounce cans

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GARNISHES • 1 cup shredded cheese • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional) Instructions 1. If you are using dried corn and dried beans, soak them in water overnight. The next day, you can either cook them with the chili, which will increase cook time to about 6 hours, or you can cook the corn and beans separately, which will take about 3 hours; the acid in the chili will drastically slow the cooking of the beans.

2. If you are using the dried chiles, about 30 minutes before you plan on starting the chili, put the chiles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them to rehydrate.

3. Heat the bacon far or oil in a large pot like a Dutch oven over high heat and, when it’s almost smoking, add the ground turkey. Sear the turkey over high heat without touching it for a couple minutes, then stir and repeat that process until the meat is cooked and has some nice brown marks.

4. Stir in the onion and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook for 2 minutes more.

5. Pour in crushed tomatoes and stock and stir well. If you are using the dried chiles, buzz them into a puree in a blender and add to the chili. If you are using the paprika, add it now. Stir well and add salt to taste.

6. If you are using the dried corn and beans and want to cook them in the chili, add them now, along with another quart of water; it’ll cook down over time. Simmer the chili until the corn and beans are tender, which will take several hours.

7. If you are using fresh or frozen corn and canned beans, thaw the corn and rinse the beans. Let the chili simmer for 30 minutes, and then add the corn and beans and cook another 15 minutes. Serve with the garnishes once everything’s nice and tender.

NOTE: Cook time reflects canned or frozen ingredients, not dried ones, which will take longer to cook.

Fried Speckled Trout with Black-eyed Peas

Camphouse Kitchen

Fried Speckled Trout with Black-eyed Peas Prep: 20 mins • Cook Time: 20 mins • Total: 40 mins

Obviously this recipe can be done with any white fish.

Other good candidates would be bass, walleye, pike fillets, croaker, black seabass, small codfish or haddock, Pacific rockfish, freshwater sheepshead... you get the point. I wanted the salad to be very Southern, thus the choice of black-eyed peas, turnip and mustard greens and bacon. You can change it up if you feel like it. Want a Nordic flair? Go with Great Northern beans, kale and, well, bacon is a universal...

Ingredients • • • • • •

4 to 6 skinless speckled trout fillets 1 cup milk 1 cup fine cornmeal, a/k/a “fish fry” 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning 2 teaspoons ground black pepper Peanut oil for frying

SALAD • 1 cup black-eyed peas • 2 cups chicken broth • 2 cups water • 1/4 pound bacon • 1 chopped onion • 3 chopped garlic cloves • 1 or 2 roasted red peppers, canned or freshly

• •

roasted, chopped 3 cups chopped turnip or mustard greens Salt, black pepper and cider vinegar to taste

Instructions 1. Start by cooking the black-eyed peas. Bring the water and chicken broth to a boil and add the peas.

Lower the heat to a very gentle simmer and cook until they are tender, but not falling apart. While this is happening, cook the bacon in a large saute pan.

When the bacon is crispy, remove it and chop. Set it aside for now.

2. Saute the onion in the bacon fat over medium-high heat until the edges brown. Add the garlic and the greens and toss to coat in the bacon fat. Cook until the greens wilt. Turn off the heat, add back the bacon, then mix in the red peppers. Cover the pan and set aside for now.

3. Pour the milk into a shallow bowl. Mix all the breading ingredients. Pour enough peanut oil into a frying pan to come up about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Heat the oil to 325°F to 350°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, the oil will be ready when a bit of the breading sizzles instantly when flicked into it. When the oil is hot, dredge the fish in the milk, then coat with the breading. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

4. To finish, warm the black-eyed pea salad and put some on everyone’s plate and top with the fried fish.

Serve with beer or an uncomplicated white wine.

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Camphouse Kitchen

Wiener Schnitzel

At its core, wiener schnitzel is just a breaded cutlet fried in fat and served simply with lemon, maybe a simple salad, cucumbers or potato salad. It is a blue collar lunch, a slightly more refined rendition of that Southern icon, chicken fried steak.

The trick is in the technique. The cutlet must be very thin, the flour light, the eggs beaten, the breadcrumbs applied with a light hand — and, most importantly, the schnitzel must swim in hot fat. Not oil, fat. Lard is ideal, but clarified butter is fine, as is duck or goose fat.

It is very good with veal. But wiener schnitzel is equally good with a pounded pheasant breast, as it is in these pictures.

Pounded wild boar cutlets are wonderful, too, as are breasts from partridges or cutlets sliced from wild turkey breasts.

Wiener Schnitzel

Prep: 20 mins • Cook Time: 10 mins • Total: 30 mins If you’ve never pounded your own cutlets before, read the directions below before you start. It really helps to have a rubber mallet or a meat mallet around, but you can use an empty wine bottle or a small pot. Lemons are a must here, and remember that real wiener schnitzel does not have a sauce! Lots of other schnitzel recipes do, like jägerschnitzel, for example, but not this one.

Ingredients • • • • • •

4 to 8 skinless pheasant breasts or boar loin medallions Salt 1 cup flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup breadcrumbs Enough lard, butter or duck fat to come 1/2 inch up the sides of your frying pan

Instructions 1. Set out a work surface and lay a pheasant breast on a

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piece of plastic wrap. Lay another piece of plastic wrap over the breast and pat it down to seal. Pound the meat out into a very flat cutlet, about 1/4 inch thick. Take your time, hitting the meat with about the same force as knocking on a door. Work from the center of the meat outward. If you are using pheasant or chicken, you will need to pound the thick end of the breast more than the thin end; pork or veal medallions should be evenly cut.

Do one breast at a time. When you are finished with one, remove the top layer of plastic wrap and set it aside. As you finish more, stack them. (Removing the one layer of plastic wrap will make them easier to get off the plastic later.)

2. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a baking sheet lined with paper towels in the oven; this is for the schnitzels as they come out of the frying pan. Set up a breading station. Put the flour in a large tray, plate or shallow bowl.

Do the same for the eggs, and the breadcrumbs. Put the lard or butter in the frying pan and turn the heat to medium-high. You want to fry at a temperature of about 325°F to 350°F. 3. When the fat is ready, dredge a cutlet in flour and shake off the excess. Dredge it in egg, then the breadcrumbs. Do not press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Immediately put the breaded cutlet into the hot fat.

Shake the pan a little to make sure the schnitzel does not stick to the bottom. The cutlet should float in the hot fat.

Repeat quickly with as many cutlets as will fit in your pan.

4. Fry the schnitzels until they are golden brown, about 4 minutes. As the first side is cooking, spoon some hot fat over the other side. This will speed up the cooking process. Flip only once. When the schnitzels are done, put them in the oven on the baking sheet and repeat until you’re done.

NOTE:Serve this with a simple green salad, bread, potato salad or boiled potatoes. And make lots of cutlets: They are awesome eaten cold as a sandwich filling the next day.

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Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook

All things considered, April has to be about THE best month of the year for fishing along the Emerald Coast!

HELLO SPRINGTIME! Spring has been well established along the north central Gulf of Mexico by the time April rolls around. Nature responds to the warming rays of the sun and longer days by infusing more active fish and species into the realm of possibilities for shore-bound anglers. Once the Gulf water temperatures are sustained in the 70s a variety of baitfish along with resident and pelagic gamefish swarm the surfzone. All things considered, April has to be about THE best month of the year for fishing along the Emerald Coast!

BY DAVID THORNTON Photos by David Thornton

King and spanish mackerel are favored targets from the piers beginning this month, along with the prized pompano and cobia. In fact April is the ‘peak’ for landings of both of those species, as anglers line the eastward facing rails of the Panhandle piers from Panama

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City Beach to Gulf Shores in Alabama. But a variety of other fishing opportunities tempt these pier fishers as well. King ‘runs’ and spanish mackerel ‘blitzes’ are not at all uncommon. Likewise, hordes of ladyfish, blue runner and jack crevelle or even ‘bull’ redfish may at times invade the waters around the piers.

The baitfish (sardines, herring and “cigar minnows”) are drawn inshore together into vast schools for spawning, as the gamefish press them shoreward. There are literally so many angling options and opportunities that folks often shift back and forth between target species and gear. It pays to be prepared, and most pier anglers won’t even walk to the bathroom without a ling jig or pompano jig tied on the rod they carry around with them.

FISHING OUTLOOK The weather plays a key role in what species are available to anglers in the near shore waters this month, and day to day. April usually means more stable weather patterns with a little less wind and clouds and a bit more calm and clear water. Sight fishing becomes a much more reliable mode for catching fish this month, from the pier or the beach.

Surf fishermen should have a pompano jig tied on to take advantage of any quick-cast opportunity they may walk up on or might swim by. Yes, even cobia have been caught from the beach!

1,2,3 POMPANO Set rig (bottom) fishing is the preferred method of most pier and shore anglers to target the plentiful and delicious pompano. The “best” terminal tackle varies depending upon the water and sky conditions, and preferences of the fish of course. But this generally consists of a double drop rig with two single hooks (#2 down to #6 kahle or circle hooks) with accompanying brightly colored beads or small floats. These are baited with an inch to inch and a half long piece of fresh shrimp, sandflea or ghost shrimp.

Some anglers like to use a small piece of orange Fishbites as an added attractant. The shrimp and sandflea flavors and especially popular, but all seem to work well at times.

Usually Fishbites is used in conjunction with the natural baits. Just be sure the whole offering is not ‘too large’.

The bait should be no longer than your little finger, and no bigger around than your thumb, as pompano, though fast feeders, have a small mouth with no teeth to cut their prey.

They are used to sucking in small food items like sandfleas, ghost shrimp or coquina clams and darting away. Most often this time of year pompano are found in schools and that bring competition for prey. So if you miss the first bite, a second may quickly come from a nearby fish. So again, it pays to be prepared with that piece of tough Fishbites still hanging on the hook!

How much (and type of) weight to use is another matter altogether. The answer depends on how rough the water is, and how far you are casting to reach the fish. The waves on an ‘average day’ run about 1 to 2 feet high. And anglers using lighter tackle, a -rod less than 10 feet and line less than 20 pounds, can usually get by with one or two ounce pyramid weights. In calmer conditions anglers can use even lighter egg weights on a Fishfinder rig or a single drop bottom rig. Often pompano will feed closer to shore (about 50 feet out) when the surf is calm. Especially when the tide is rising and the water is fairly dingy. Though if the water gets “too clear” their wariness will keep them in deeper water, in the six to nine foot range.

Conversely when the waves are over three feet or when casting farther distances (more than 150 feet), heavier weights, rods and line are necessary to reach the fish and keep your bait in the feeding zone. Subtle bites are more difficult to detect under such conditions, so the baits need to be checked and replaced regularly. Here again, Fishbites can help you.

NO TROUT ABOUT IT By no means are pompano the only option for anglers afoot. Especially in Alabama, where April offers some

great wade fishing for speckled trout in the surfzone. The best of the year in fact during those ‘wet spring’ years when heavy rains upstate have pushed a LOT of freshwater into Mobile Bay and the surrounding estuaries. Speckled trout find the relatively higher salinity (15 – 25 ppm) along the gulf front beaches ideal for spawning. And they may gather in large schools between the beach and sandbar where they are somewhat protected from predators, waves and currents.

But just about any Alabama beach with a nearby three to six foot deep s andbar trough will hold speckled trout at some point during April.

These trout still have to eat and they respond well to a variety of artificial plugs including topwaters like Rapala Skitterwalk, MirrOlure Top Dog, or Heddon Spook. As the sun gets higher or the water clearer, savvy anglers switch to a slow sinking plug or twitch bait. Unfair lures makes a variety of these baits like the Unfair Rip-N-Slash, which are quite effective on speckled trout in the surf.

Schooled up trout will readily strike soft plastics too. The 4 inch Lunker City Fin-S and Zoom flukes can be deadly on trout in slightly off-colored water. Fishing them on a weighted jighead, ¼ or 1/8 ounce, can be particularly productive depending upon the casting distance and fishing depth desired. The green ice or baby bass colors are most popular with surf fishing anglers, but albino and white ice work very well under certain light and water clarity conditions. The idea is to imitate glass minnows the trout feed on.

The ‘point’ of Fort Morgan peninsula, 24 miles west of Gulf Shores, has long been a favored location for wade fishing speckled trout. But just about any Alabama beach with a nearby three to six foot deep s andbar trough will hold speckled trout at some point during April. And areas closer to passes and inlets, like Perdido Pass, Little Lagoon, and Pelican Bay off Dauphin Island, will tend to hold higher concentrations of trout. But any time the gulf is calm don’t overlook the possibilities of wade fishing for specks from the Dauphin Island West End Beach or sand spit at the Public Beach out from the old sand locked pier.

Is it any wonder that April is the most favorite month for fishing along this stretch of coastline for so many people?

The weather is warm enough to enjoy even getting in the water, yet we have no worry about threats from the tropics.

And the fishing options are practically overwhelming for most folks enjoying their great days outdoors!

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 57

Gulf Coast Fishing Outlook

Nice redfish can be caught this month along the beaches

BY MIKE THOMPSON Photos by Mike Thompson

You have to love the warm winds that are starting to blow during the month of April. The weather change stirs the excitement in both fish and the coastal anglers that target them. Let’s look at a few options for this month.

ALABAMA Inshore Sheepshead will be winding down their spawning activities this month and the bite will lessen as well. However, you can still catch the tough battlers around structure. Sheepshead will move up into Mobile Bay as waters warm. Fiddler crabs or fresh dead shrimp will entice the sheepshead.

Redfish will be along the beaches in April. By using waders, you can be in close contact with the reds. Gold or copper spoons will tempt the reds near the surf. You can also do well on soft plastics fished along the beach of the Sand Island Spit.

April is also a great month to target trophy speckled trout. Big bruising specks are known to inhabit Dog River and Theodore Canal. Fish a couple of

days before and after the full moon to locate the big females cruising shorelines looking for a place to spawn.

Offshore During the month of April, Bama coastal anglers can look forward to the arrival of cobia along the beaches. Angelo Depaolo, when not working with the Coastal Connection Team, spends time targeting cobia on their annual push.

“Cobia fishing picks up in April from the beaches of Panama City to Orange Beach. The fish can be targeted with jigs, live eels or a frisky pinfish. Using a tower on the boat you can spot the pods of fish and cast baits to them,” DePaolo said.

Depaolo says by moving offshore to the rigs in 250-500-feet in depth, you can find nice Wahoo this month. “Pulling Mann’s Stretch 30’s or Yozuri Bonito baits can result in great wahoo action.

You can also target fish along the Continental shelf. Out there you should use high-speed lures such as the Ilander and Cowbell for best results. Another offshore target for April is grouper. “I like to target grouper with smaller baits.

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Live baits do well including pinfish and cigar minnows,”Depaolo said.

FLORIDA FOCUS Down in Destin, Florida, the fishing is starting to come alive again in the inshore waters. Captain Shane Johnson, of Southern Renegade Charters, (850635-1459) is busy putting his customers on the hot drum bite.

“We catch a lot of red drum and black drum in and around Choctawhatchee Bay. The black drum average 16-18-inches, while the redfish are normally 18-27-inches. We generally fish in threeto-eight-feet of water. We target structure, such as docks, pilings and oyster beds.”

Johnson explained. “I like to use live shrimp or cut mullet fished on a Carolina rig. I also like to include a good sized red bead to protect my knot at the swivel and to make a little noise too.”

As April moves on and the water heats up.

Johnson will start targeting grass beds, large and small to catch speckled trout. ”The female trout like to lay their eggs in or near grass beds. After they do, they will hang around to protect them and

FISHING OUTLOOK will attack anything they see as a threat,” Johnson said.

During late April, Johnson suggest using live shrimp for bait, fished on a Carolina rig. Other live baits he prefers are live croaker or menhaden. Sometimes Johnson will free-line a live shrimp with no weight.

“While live bait catches more fish, sometimes the challenge of catching trout on artificial can be rewarding. I like the mid-sized MirrOdine in the menhaden pattern or the silver sides/chartreuse back color. Of course, down here in Florida, you can’t go wrong with a gold Johnson Spoon,” Johnson said.

Some of Johnson’s favorite places to target April trout is at the mouths of rivers, Intercoastal Canal and Lagrange Bayou.

MISSISSIPPI Things are no different on the Mississippi Coast as the weather warms. Lots of sheepshead and black drum makeup a typical catch in early April.

Captain Steve Perrigin of Strictly Fishin Charters (228-217-0458) targets the drum and sheepshead till waters warm later in April.

“We can put quite a few tasty fish in the box by fishing structure this month.

Anything with a barnacle attached to it will attract the fish. If available, we will use live shrimp, otherwise dead shrimp will work too,”Perrigin said.

Sometimes, when the weather is calm, Perrigin will head out a little bit to target the larger sheepshead.

“I fish a spot or two south of Deer Island and I also have a couple of old wrecked boats that I fish near the barrier islands. April is pretty consistent for big sheepshead around these wrecks,” Perrigin said.

After things warm up in late April, Perrigin will shift gears and start targeting speckled trout. After a long winter, the trout will be heading to the shallows.

“Lots of good sized specks will be heading out of the back bays. You can target those trout in passes and near shallow structure.

Live shrimp should be readily available by then. We fish the live shrimp in fiveto-six feet of water under a cork. If the bite gets going real good, we will switch to grubs. I love those Matrix Shads. The hottest colors seem to be Shrimp creole,

CCA AL Spring Events APRIL 26TH @ The Wharf Lower Alabama Chapter MAY 2ND Birmingham Chapter MAY 9TH Mobile Chapter

Holy Joely and LSU (purple/chartreuse),” Perrigin explained.

If the weather gets really warm in April, Perrigin will head south. “With unseasonably warm temps we will head to the barrier islands to do battle with redfish.

All of the islands from Round Island to Cat Islands should be holding reds in the surf at this time,” Perrigin said.

CONCLUSION As the weather heats up this month, so does the fishing. Take a close look at the weather before setting up a trip. If things line up just right, there will be smiles to go around for the whole crew! I see a fish fry in your future….

See you on the water.

Important Contact Information

Captain Shane Johnson www.southernrenegadecharters.com Angelo Depaolo AngeloDepaolo@exprealty.com Captain Steve Perrigin www.strictlyfishincharters.com

Show Your Support for Alabama’s Coastal Fishing & Marine Resources.

All proceeds from your TAX DEDUCTIBLE purchase are used for marine conservation in Coastal Alabama.

For more info on the events or CCA Alabama www.ccaalabama.org 251-478-3474 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 59

Regional Freshwater Fishing Outlook

It’s April and the fishing is as good as it ever gets - and that’s pretty good!

BY ALEX GRANPERE Photos by Ed Mashburn

ALABAMA WATERS

MILLER’S FERRY Joe Dunn of Dunn’s Sports in Thomasville says, “It’s all going to be wide open.

Everything will be in full-blown spring patterns.”

For bass anglers that means they’ll want to work the banks at Miller’s Ferry using spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and chatterbaits.

We can’t go wrong if we use white and chartreuse, white and blue, and Joe’s favorite color combination, white and gold in the spinnerbaits.

Bass anglers can also find good bass by flipping jigs in the growing grass mats.

Crappie anglers will also want to be looking at shallow water. Crappie will be on the spawning grounds in the shallows,

and anglers can work the banks with live minnows under floats. Dunn says that vertical jigging around the stumps will produce lots of slabs in April- look in four to six feet of water.

Catfish will be hot too. All of the shallow flats will have catfish in April and jugs with one to foot long lines will work well.

For best catfish catching, fresh cut shad will be the best bait.

For best fishing regardless of the target, anglers will want to concentrate on the sloughs such as Gold Mine, Marina Slough, and Hog Pen Slough where the water will warm faster than the rest of the lake.

LAKE WILSON/PICKWICK Guide and Captain Brian Barton says that

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temperatures should be in the low to mid 50’s and by month’s end should reach the 70-degree mark. Catfish will start migrating into the mouth of the deeper sloughs early this month.

Mouths of major creeks like Shoal, McKernan, Six Mile, and Big Nance will all hold staging fish this month. In the main lake fish should concentrate along the base of bluff lines relating vertically to blow downs and chunk rock where present. Some fish will always be on or near the bottom, but look for fish to start suspending in the water column as the water warms throughout the month. A good way to catch these cats is to use a 2/0 or 3/0 Mister Twister weighted worm hook to medium heavy action spinning tackle and bait with shad, skipjack, or chicken livers and cast toward bluff and allow to slowly fall to the bottom. If live

FISHING OUTLOOK crayfish can be found they are deadly for big blue cats fished this way.

LAKE WEISS “Locating the new growth water vegetation is a matter of high priority for anglers Tops and just off the river ledges will be looking for the best bass fishing. If you good spots to target. The mouths of Indian, can find some fresh green- a mix of old Second, and Bear Creeks will hold plenty and new grass- find the grass with the of catfish in April. Look for these fish in yellow-tipped flowers- the bass like that anywhere from 15 to 35 feet of water. On better,” Captain Lee Pitts says, says Lake the upper end of Pickwick, near the dam Weiss guide Captain Lee. look for concentrations of cats behind wing walls and rock piles that run horizontally along the lake. The barge canal below the dam is an excellent place to fish late in the month. Last year during the In April, it’s a matter of trial and last weekend of April, we took 47 cats on jugs in less than 5 hours. For those who error. You may need to change like to jug fish, set jugs 8 to 12 feet deep color and size of the lure to and bait with shrimp, shad gut, or cut bait. find what the bass want.

The gravel bar at Pond Creek will load up with spawning channel catfish this month.

To target these fish, anchor upstream and along the edge of the gravel bar.

Spinner baits, jigs in 3/8 oz. weights or LAKE EUFAULA soft plastic lizards will all work well in Over at Lake Eufaula, Captain Sam the springtime grass. For the spinner baits, Williams points out that bass will be go with white or white/chartreuse colors, found near brush piles on the river edges, and just slow roll it across the bottom. and anglers will need to look for grass Another good April technique is to let he growing rapidly. Soft plastics rigged Carspinner bait sink, and then slowly hop it olina style and lipless crankbaits will pull back. When the spinner bait reaches the these bass in. Bass will be found in good end of the grass, just let it “die” and sink. groups near the mouths of creeks, and the Often the bass will take it as it falls toward hydrilla should be growing and creating the bottom. thick mats of vegetation which will hold better bass. Anglers should look for the Jig colors which work well on Weiss bass fresh green color, and if this new grass is are black and blue, and green pumpkin near other structure such as blowdowns or colors. The Zoom Super-Chunk is a very old lily pad stems, it deserves some time good addition to the jig. and attention.

Lee emphasizes that location is important The catfish bite will be getting very good in April and that the better fish will be way in April when the whisker fish will be goin the backs of the pockets. ing to the spawning beds. Live bait or big Lake Weiss is famous for its crappie fishchunks of cut bait will work either on rod and reel or jug fishing. Captain Sam says,” ing, and April is great month to get in on the crappie bite. Crappie will be shallow They’ll be up in creeks- look for them around brush piles, piers, and stump rows. in weeds and pads.” Captain Sam tells Crappie will be spawning the whole us that a little caution is in order when month, so the fishing and catching will be pulling on jug lines which seem to have hot if the fish can be located and the anbig catfish on them,” Williams said. gler puts the right bait before them. Lots For white bass and hybrid action, anglers of two to two and half pound crappie will can use lipless crankbaits and spinner be located and caught in April. baits in silver or white colors near creek We like to throw a cork with a jig under and river channels where the fish will it. A Southern Pro jig in 1/32 oz weight in either be heading upstream to spawn or dark colors such as black/chartreuse and downstream back to the main lake body gape and chartreuse are great on cloudy after they’ve completed spawning. days. On brighter days we’ll go with April will also see bream of all kinds start- black and red, blue/sour grape, and white/ ing their annual move to shallow water chartreuse colors,” Lee said. for bedding. Try live bait fished on the Fishing the cork and jig combination for bottom around shoreline cover for April big slabs is pretty easy if you don’t like to bream action. work too hard and too fast.

“Throw the jig with a three-foot leader.

Ease it eight to ten inches and stop. Let it swing and try to shake it under the jig.

Work this rig near cover.”

Lee reminds anglers that most all flats on Weiss have stumps, holes, something that’s holding the fish. Find the structure and you’ll find the fish. We’ll keep working these spots.

MOBILE DELTA “In the Delta, pay attention to the water level. Keep a log book of some kind to note water levels and fishing results.

Then you can come back on a later year and have a good idea of how to start. It’s critical to pay attention to the river stages.

The Mobile radio station gives river stage information every week,” says Captain Wayne Miller at Mobile-Tensaw Delta Guide Service Miller tells us that on most years, the Delta sees waves of spawning fish, so in April, there will still be some fish spawning and other fish post-spawn. A lot of bass will be up in shallow water in April, and they’ll stay there for quite a while after the spawn is done.

Miller says that spinnerbaits, crankbaits, swim jigs, chatterbaits all work well, but blade baits are the most common lure thrown in April.

Anglers are advised to match the size of the spinnerbait to the baitfish present, and this means the spinner may need to be quite small. If the water is still high and stained, a larger, noisier spinner may work better and a spinnerbait with a red blade can work very well in April.

“In April, it’s a matter of trial and error.

You may need to change color and size of the lure to find what the bass want. Size can be very important,” Miller said.

LAKE GUNTERSVILLE “Fish the sloughs off the main river and the shallow flats off the main rivers,” says Captain Jake Davis of Mid-South Bass Guide Service. “The Goose Pond Marina area and the Mud Creek areas are both very good for April bass.”

Bass in Guntersville will often make a bed under the grass mats as protection and cover. This can help anglers locate bedding fish. Any green grass needs to be worked and lizards, worms, chunks, creature baits, all offerings will work when they are dropped into or below the green grass. Try the soft plastics as trailers for jigs in 3/8 to ½ oz weights. Black/blue

877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 61

Regional Freshwater Fishing Outlook

and peanut butter and jelly (purple with brownish steaks) are good colors for the bedding bass. Rattle-L-Traps in red colors if murky water and Texas Shad patterns if clear will work well.

Crappie anglers looking for good slab action will find crappie on the beds on flats, and they will often be in the same general area as the spawning bass which means an addsed bonus.

According to Davis if crappies are spawning on the flats, bass will be eating the crappie. It’s totally possible for anglers to fish the crappie for a good mess of fine-eating slabs, and then fish big silver crank baits or spinner baits on the edges of the crappie beds to catch some big bass which have been dining on the crappie, too. To catch the crappie, try live minnows or small plastic-body jigs work very slowly across the bedding areas.

Bream anglers should start to find bluegills and redears moving into shallower water, and don’t be surprised if bream start to show up while anglers are working crappie beds. Bream will take small crappie jigs, but crickets and red worms fished on light tackle will work best.

SIPSEY FORK Randy Jackson of Riverside Fly Shop on the Sipsey Fork tells us that April should begin some of the best fly fishing of the entire year.

“April is in the best hatching months of the year, and in April we have a good caddis fly hatch usually, but it’s all dependent on the weather. Anglers need to watch the weather and look for days that are not too humid and are calm and cloudy- these are the best dry fly fishing days,” Jackson said.

Last year, the Sipsey Fork had some great fly hatches all summer from April to August.

When the bugs are not hatching off, anglers can use subsurface nymphs like the classic Hare’s Ear in sizes 14 to 16 for good results.

Jackson suggests that for those anglers who have not mastered a fly rod yet, lots of Sipsey Fork rainbows can be caught on ultra-light spinning gear and for the best results ulilize four pound test and fluorocarbon. “ Use a tiny swivel with a light leader and a fly. Put a tiny lead above the swivel and a float above that. The fly moves through the water naturally,” Jackson said.

Skipjacks may very well be up the river near the dam in April, and they are a blast on light tackle. Anything tiny, shiny lure or fly will work for the jumping skipjacks.

Anglers can expect to find nine-inch rainbows quite often, and there are some fine twenty-inch hold over rainbow trout downstream. Remember, there are fourteen miles of trout water on the Sipsey Fork- and the fish are not all up near the dam.

FLORIDA WATERS

WAKULLA/ WACISSA RIVERS Bill Goodroe of Wilderness Way in Shadeville, Florida advises anglers that both of these lovely spring-fed rivers will be very good for post spawn bass fishing in April and the bass will be off the beds and feeding For anglers who go after truly big bass, the Wacissa River down toward Goose Pasture is home to some very big ten pound plus bass. Last year, a 15 pound bass was taken in April from the Wacissa.

Both the Wakulla and the Wacissa hold good populations of feisty Suwanee bass, the Florida equivalent of smallmouth bass, and these little battlers are a lot of fun to catch.

Bass anglers will want to throw frogs and speed worms for the big bass, and early and late in the day Zara Spooks are very good for the topwater bite.

Panfish will be on fire in April. Bream of all kinds will rise to dry flies, poppers, and foam body bugs. Live bait will always work Goodroe says that they will be “all over the place”.

Anglers are reminded that Wilderness Way runs chartered guided fishing trips, and these trips are the best way to learn the better fishing spots on the rivers, and how to fish the spring-fed streams.

LAKE TALQUIN Jeff DuBree of Whippoorwill Lodge at Lake Talquin says that the bass will still be spawning in places and the post-spawn pattern will be good. There will be shad spawning by then in the shallows and that jerk baits matched to the small size of the shad fished around shallows will be very good in early mornings. Any of the lake’s shallows can hold great bass in April.

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Bream will be very good in April here.

Bluegill will be spawning heavily and anglers using crickets and worms can fill an ice chest. Also, DuBree recommends anglers try small Beetle Spins in black with gold spinners for great bream action.

Some big redears will be caught in April in deeper water- say 8-10 feet around sandy humps in the main lake.

Catfish will be quite good in April for anglers who use stinkbaits.

Important Contact Information Joe Dunn Dunn’s Sports 334-636-0850 33356 Hwy 43, Thomasville, AL Captain Sam Williams Hawks Guide Service 334-687-0400 Brandon Jackson/ Randy Jackson Riverside Fly Shop 17027 Hwy 69N, Jasper, AL 256-287-9582 Riversideflyshop.com Captain Lee Pitts 256-390-4145 www.leepittsoutdoors.com Captain Brian Barton 256-412-0960 brianbartonoutdoors.com Captain Jake Davis Mid-South Bass Guide Service 615-613-2382 msbassguide@comcast.net Jeff DuBree Whipperwill Sportsman’s Lodge Lake Talquin 850-875-2605 fishtalquin@gmail.com Captain Wayne Miller Mobile-Tensaw Delta Guide Service 251-455-7404 Millewa2000@yahoo.com Bill Goodroe Wilderness Way 850-877-7200 3152 Shadeville Road Crawfordville, FLA 32327

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Logan Steele, 20, with a good looking Alabama 9 Point.

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KID'S CORNER

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Avery Kyzar with his first deer. Alright Avery!

Smith Rushing, 7, caught a nice cat. Nice job Smith!

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Hunter Travis, 12, with a nice largemouth

Lauren Robinson, 12, with a nice buck. He looks bigger than you Lauren!

Muddy water couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop Tyler Drinkard from boating a nice bass.

It looks like Holden Shiver, 3, is going to be spending a lot more time on the duck boat.

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FISHING TIP

April is a great time of year to be hitting the sand to do some surf fishing!

BY CAPTAIN DUSTY HAYES

While there is a huge variety of fish to catch from the beach during this time of the year, one of the main targets is the pompano.

While targeting pompano with a simple two drop surf rig you have a chance of catching other fish, such as whiting, redfish, black drum. The choice bait to me would be fresh dead shrimp which you can get at most local tackle stores paired with Fishbites.

Fishbites is an artificial bait that you cut in to small pieces about the size of your fingernail and tip jigs with it or just use it by itself on surf rigs. It comes in a variety of fishing catching colors and flavors like shrimp, sand flea and clam.

The beauty of spring is you can surf fish all day long with no mid-day lull like the warmer months but you do want to make sure you have an incoming tide. In terms of location, every public beach access is an opportunity great but you might want to walk a hundred yards to the left or right when you set up to avoid the swimmers that will come out later in the morning.

Fish two to four rods allows you to cover more water and scatter your baits anywhere from five yards off the beach to as far as you can throw your rigs and that allows you to figure out which zone the fish are in that day (it changes daily).

I always recommend keeping a light spinning rod

rigged with either a spoon or a pompano jig ready to go and sometimes it will see some action between bites on your drop rigs.

Captain Dusty Hayes 678-897-0167 Liquid Force Inshore Charters 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // APRIL 2019 73

A GREAT DAY OUTDOORS

Amusing Kids Afloat Plan B - Give Them a Gadget: Kids tinker, piddle, and fiddle with the simplest things. Give one a gadget and he’ll drift like a leaf in a whirlpool.

BY JIM MIZE

Kids sneak up on the sport of fishing as if they’re playing in an old coat.

They will slip into it to check the size.

If still baggy, they drop it, move to something else, and maybe come back later. For those of us whom the coat fits, the challenge is to wait for them to grow into it and to keep them there until they like it.

Parents develop tricks of sorts to keep kids amused afloat. My own recipe calls for a little wonder, a little mirth and a little hair of the frog.

Put another way, I’ll try anything short of stuffing them into the livewell.

My typical battle plan consists of five different tactics, each deployed as the proper conditions arise.

Plan A - Catch Fish: As simple as it sounds, this is both the first plan of attack and the least consistent. That’s because the primary participant, the fish, cooperate about as often as locusts hatch. Still, you can improve the odds.

Think back to your first fish. The pot-bellied bass came later, the whiskered catfish of diver-eating lore taunted you for years, and the broodsized striper still haunts your dreams.

More than likely, your first giggle came on the nibble from a bream, the flap of a crappie or the flip of a horny-head. When you first started fishing, all you wanted was a fish.

Plan A is simply to fish for what bites.

Still, Plan A frequently fails; it’s the other four tactics that will keep your kid in the boat until it works.

Binoculars engage kids so completely you’ll think they’re glued on. For instance, one winter day, my daughter and I trolled the bank looking for fish and warmth. As the sun climbed, the fish napped and my daughter squirmed.

On script, an eagle drifted from behind a ridge, captivating our attention with its control of the airspace. I handed her the binoculars and she perched atop the cooler to steady her hold.

The eagle caught a draft and sailed slowly down the lake, drifting directly overhead. My daughter followed, tilting her head steadily, slowly back, leaning as necessary, until she finally flipped off the back of the cooler.

Since then, I’ve always checked her life jacket connections before handing her any gadget.

Plan C - Play “Let’s Catch a Turtle: When winter breaks and the turtles begin to sun, on many southern waters we’ll see more hardcovers than in a John Wayne war film. Most of the year, however, the turtles suspend with just their heads out of water. So when I spot one, I’ll suggest to my children, “See if you can catch that turtle.”

This does three important things for you. First, it occupies the child.

Second, it tests their casting accuracy.

Third, it puts their hook in the water where the odds tend to improve for catching a fish.

Before we move on, though, I should note that we no longer play this game.

Not that anything happened, but as I watched my kids’ determination in these exploits, I began to fear success.

Plan D - Feed the Chipmunk: For those of you who’ve watched chipmunks, you might have noticed that the only time they’re still is when

74 APRIL 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237

they eat. Kids are the same.

Since the idea is not to feed them, but instead to occupy them, I also use chipmunk food. The best is sunflower seeds. When I take my son fishing, there’s so much spitting of sunflower seed hulls that it sounds like a natureoriented rap song.

But look at what you accomplish. The kid’s happy, the food’s healthy, and with all the spitting, you know without looking back that they’re either content or have swallowed a bug.

Once the sunflower seeds are gone, I resort to my last, desperate strategy.

Plan E - Make Them Say “OOOYUCK!”: Once each year, we make a pilgrimage to some distant lake. On one of our favorites lives an interesting bird the locals call a snakebird and biologists call an anhinga. It perches in dead trees standing in the lake, twenty or thirty feet overhead, wings spread eerily to dry, usually with a cluster of its friends. Its other interesting habit is that it poops. A lot.

Kids find animal poop more amusing than a clown dropping his drawers.

As the poop falls from on high, there’s the insidious glee from the back of the boat generated by the possibility that it might hit Dad on the head.

Sometimes, I’ll even use the electric motor to ease close, but not directly beneath the birds, just to flirt with their threatened bombings. With each kerplop of poop, I hear the customary response back in the boat, “OOOYUCK!” In summary, all five of these strategies rely on the same principle, namely, fill the void with something good and there’s no room for anything else. It’s just a matter of being patient until the coat fits. Time does the tailoring.

JIM MIZE is an outdoor writer adept at dodging anhinga poop. You can find his awardwinning collections of humor at ww.acreektricklesthroughit.com.

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