Rambling Angler Outdoors Spring 2024

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Rambling Angler Outdoors Issue 1 Spring 2024

DEPARTMENTS COOP’S CORNER

EDITORIAL

ALASKA CONNECTION

EDITOR & PUBLISHER Ken McBroom

tells from afield 6

stories from the last frontier 14

THE FLY

EDITOR AT LARGE Bill Cooper

OUTDOOR READS

CONTRIBUTORS

ENJOY THE HARVEST

Bill Cooper Troy Seal Benjamin Stevens

at the bench & on the water 16

reviews and suggestions 17 recipes from afield 24

TACKLE

tips and techniques 32

On The Cover Nice crappie Old Hickory Lake.

BACK IN THE DAY

at the bench & on the water 48

Photo Ken McBroom

FEATURES Project Redear

4

Hunting Big Redear

8

Springtime Bushytails

18

Planer Board Crappie

20

Breaking Down Brush

26

Turkey Gun Setup

28

Project Redear is my personal quest to learn more

Reelfoot Lake Crappie

38

Stockton Lake

42

Slow Rollin Heavy Spinnerbaits

44

Turkey Tips

48

Garmin Was a Drifter

52

dos and dont’s for more bites

childhood excitement rekindled

dos and dont’s for more bites early spring spinnerbait bite

get your boat away from the boat

breaking down brush for more crappie

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34

when to go small

where to look for big redear

bag more gobblers

Finessing Big Smallies

to use this spring

an enlightening story about livescope (fiction)

Editor’s Note

This is the first edition of Rambling Angler Outdoors. This digital magazine is years in the making starting as a dream as a young man, more than 30 years ago, in Juneau Alaska. I was hunting bears alone and remember the evening that I decided that one day I would create my own magazine. At the time I had not even written an article much less had one published. It would be many years later before that would happen. In the meantime, I wrote fiction and articles for my website to sell custom fly rods and hand-tied flies as I traveled throughout Alaska as a helicopters mechanic in the bush. For twenty years I would enjoy Alaska for the summers then come home to Tennessee and Indiana to bow hunt, turkey hunt and fish.

Our mission is to promote the outdoor lifestyle. Fishing, hunting, camping and cooking will be the main focus, but anything outdoors is fair game. My connection to Alaska will never go away, there will be Alaska stories for sure. I now live in Kentucky but grew up in Lynchburg Tennessee where I hunted, fished, trapped and of course hauled hay and tobacco in the summers.

This magazine will evolve, and my hope is to gain input from readers and create a magazine with your stories and ideas. As a storyteller, I have always enjoyed the stories behind the catch or the harvest. Our mission is to convey these stories in ways that entertain, teach, and stimulate thought about ways to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle. Learning to fish, hunt, cook and camp is a never-ending journey and much can be gleaned from the articles and images that outdoor communicators love to share.

Spring is my favorite time of year. Much like the fall, spring is a time when it’s difficult to choose just what to do. I have never been one to settle on one thing and it will show here. I love hunting gobblers as much as I love catching bass or crappie.

While we will mainly focus on the Midwest and southern states we will include destinations and travel articles to wherever our adventures take us.

If you would like to contribute content to Rambling Angler Outdoors, feel free to contact me at ramblinganglermedia@gmail.com SPRING - 2024 - 3

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About Project Redear Project Redear is my personal quest to learn more about the redear sunfish. The mission is to learn the habits and different ways to catch these elusive, hard fighting, and excellent eating panfish. Personally, I like to put these fish in a league of their own. In a pound-for-pound fighting ability, flavor, and beauty. To consistently catch the redear sunfish is a challenge. For some, it’s the challenge that makes them so alluring to those that live the struggle every year to locate and catch these fish.

I hope that with Project Redear fellow anglers can come together to share their knowledge of techniques and where and how to find these masters of the vanishing act, here today gone tomorrow. If you would like to be a part of Project Redear email me here ramblinganglermedia@gmail.com for more information or to share your Redear tactics.

As I work on my book Redear Project I am using the information from anglers across the country. As I know the Redear on my home lake there’s so many other tips and techniques for different bodies and types of water.

If you want to be a part of Project Redear and learn more about the Redear Sunfish feel free to sign up here SIGN UP to be notified when the book is complete and recieve Redear information as I learn more.

Are You A Redear Angler If you’re an avid redear angler and would like to help others learn more about them we welcome your input. Project Redear is for us all to gain kowledge about the redear sunfish. We welcome any myths, rumors, grandad’s tactics or modern techniques that work.

Do you know any legendary redear anglers? We would love to interview them for their valuable information to pass on.

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Bill Cooper has published over 1,500 articles and hosted TV and radio shows

Bill is also a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame and still going strong. We welcome his experiences and outdoor communicator skills to Rambling Angler Outdoors and look forward to all the remarkable stories and adventures ahead.

Corner

over a half century as an outdoor communicator. Recognized on the floor of the Missouri House of Repesentatives in 2016 for his career of promoting the outdoors, Bill has stood the test of time through his unwavering love of the outdoors.

Bill Cooper

It’s no joke, mushroom I.D. mistakes can superintendent of Maramec Spring Park, one be fatal. There is a great deal of controversy in of the four trout parks in Missouri. A Missouri the Ozark Mountains surrounding false, or red Department of Conservation employee, Spud morels. Make an informed decision before you Gibson, first introduced me to false morels, or as decide for yourself, and do not mix fact with he called them: red beefsteak mushrooms. fiction.

Red flags immediately went off in my As my interest grew in mushrooms as a head. I recalled false morels from my studies. possible wild food source, I began to study field They are listed in every book I have ever guides and read magazine articles to educate read on mushrooms as being poisonous. Spud myself about edible fungi. It became an intriguing immediately laughed when I challenged him on process that resembled a chess match with life or the validity of his claims of eating false morels. death consequences.

Being a rather small man, As a result, I wisely he quickly responded, erred on the side of “I’m sure yee have caution and selected noticed me small stature. I only the easiest twas discovered under the mushrooms to identify umbrella of a toadstool for food purposes. and have been eating this After I finished one and that one from me college, I accepted a birth.” park superintendent’s Attempting to decipher job in the Missouri what Spud was saying to Ozarks. I quickly found me, I quickly surmised myself immersed that there must be some False morels are considered edible in some regions of the country. in the mysticism connection between false surrounding the Ozarks mushroom culture. Tales morels and the vast store of tales about ghosts of Leprechauns and deadly toadstools filled my that inhabited every hollow in the hills where mind with intrigue and superstition. Fascinated by mushrooms were known to grow. Our discussions the tall tales of the locals, I dove head long into became a matter of suspicious intrigue. I wasn’t the world of wild mushroom hunting to learn and sure that this wee gentleman from the hills wasn’t to live, albeit closer to the earth. simply enjoying a bit of old-fashioned Irish fun My first remembrance of encountering with me. hill folks consuming wild mushrooms centered Spud soon called my bluff by bringing around the hills of Phelps and Crawford Counties a huge batch of fried red morels for lunch one in Missouri in March of 1973. I became the new day. I often joined the Missouri Department of 6 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

Conservation guys in their office lunchroom. They were responsible for raising rainbow trout at the park and stocking the spring each day of the catch-and-keep season from March 1 through October 31. He ate heartily while offering me a big slab sliced from an especially large false morel. He had a photo of the monster fungi, too. I declined. Spud knew exactly what I was thinking. I’d wait to see if he survived and maybe try false morels on the second go around.

Two days later, Spud had more false morels. In the meantime, I had re-read the warnings about eating false morels. A book on Missouri fungi stated that false morels were classified as poisonous.

However, on the other hand, the author did note that toxicity of the attractive fungi varied from locale to locale. Too, I had discovered that people of the Meramec River Hills region commonly ate false morels. As per the warnings, when eating wild mushrooms for the first time, I took one small bite of Spud’s false morels. Then I waited to see what kind of spells I would have cast on me and prayed that I would live.

The fried false morel I ate proved quite tasty. Fortunately, I did not suffer any side effects and I soon asked Spud for more. Next, I began picking my own red morels and preparing them for household meals. However, I have never practiced eating a lot of false morels in one sitting, with one exception. Convinced that I, too, was perhaps exempt from the toxins of the false morel, I ate a large quantity one fine evening. A little ale may have been involved in that event. Regardless, I vaguely

Hunting morel mushrooms is a fun sideline activity during Missouri’s spring turkey season. Photo Bill Cooper

recall being awakened to the sound of an Irish jig. The wee people danced merrily under the expansive white caps of Death Angels and laughed heartily at their new recruit.

The gist of the matter is that one should use caution when eating any fungi for the first time.

First and foremost, be sure you have the individual fungi identified correctly. Next, eat only a small bite to make sure you are not going to have a reaction. Of course, the perfect plan is to have a buddy eat first.

I’ll assure you that I will be eating those delectable red false morels this spring. I’ll keep on the frugal side and eat only one mushroom steak the size of a dinner plate in one sitting. And if the wee people of my turkey hunting spots find favor in me, I‘ll add a breast of wild turkey with my first red morel dinner of the year.

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Hunting

Redear

The redear sunfish, also known as the shellcracker, is arguably one of the

best fighting, best tasting, and hardest to find and catch throughout the season than any panfish you pursue. Fishing for redears has become an annual endeavor for me and a time during spring that I look forward to every year. Until the past few springs, I picked up a redear incidentally fishing for bluegills. I only began targeting redears a few years ago. I’ve learned a lot about fishing for redears but have only managed to extend my season by a few weeks. My mission was to find ways to locate and catch redears throughout the entire year and that has not happened. You’ll read below a few bits of redear information that’s very interesting.

Dragonfly Larvae, I believe, is one of the redear’s favorite foods as the water warms

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FIND THE FOOD The redear sunfish are know to eat snails and crawdads and can be their prey for most of the year. However, in the spring, when I do my redear fishing, the redear are up shallow and I feel prefer some of the great morsals, like the dragonfly emergent, available at this time. The more you know about what redear eat at your fishing hole will only help you hunt down the redear in your waters. It is my belief that some of the big redear that I catch in the spring are not spawning but instead are up shallow feeding on these emerging insects.

THE DRAGONFLY NYMPH

Common green darner aquatic nymph. Douglas Mills, Creative Commons License 2.0.

Dragonflies are hemimetabolous bugs;night. It remains stationary with its head out of

with no pupal stage they go through a fragment- the water, while its respiration system adapts to ed transformation with a progression of nymph- breathing air, then climbs up an emergent plant al stages. Eggs laid inside plant tissues are nor- or wood, and molts. While most anglers will tell you that redear feed down on the bottom this mally molded like grains of rice. A dragonfly can lay up to 1500 eggs. They require about sev-might be a time when you could get a few with en days to hatch. These nymphs will shed their a fly on top with an emerging dragonfly pattern.

The emerging dragonfly attaches itself exoskeleton multiple times as they grow. Most of a dragonfly’s life is spent at this stage and are firmly in a vertical position with its claws as vulnerable to fish and other predators. This is its exoskeleton begins to split at a weak spot especially good to know for the redear angler. behind the head. Like the photo shown in this The dragonfly nymph extends its mouth article dragonflies love to emerge within stake beds that protrude the water’s surface, keep this that is folded under, to capture its prey. The in mind. The dragonfly crawls out of its exodragonfly nymph can catch insect larvae and even small fish to eat. The dragonfly can remain skeleton and arches backwards. This allows its exoskeleton to harden. Curling back upwards, in the nymph stage for as long as five years, and smaller species lasts between two months it completes its emergence, swallowing air and pumping hemolymph (a fluid equivalent to and three years. When the nymph is ready to blood) into its wings. This causes them to exmetamorphose into an adult, it stops feeding and makes its way to the surface, generally at pand to their full extent.

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Pleurocera or as an angler calls snails Redear or shellcrackers consume these snails, hence the name shellcracker. Redears are equipped with a set of “crushers” in the back of their throat. These crushers consist of an upper and lower pad attached to a set of very strong muscles. These crushers are called pharyngeal teeth. They crush shells on these snails and other types of clams, mussels and mollusks.

This is why, in my opinion, that redear are so tasty. These shelled vittles as well as other favorites of the redear like crayfish and those big juicy nymphs. By being equipped with their crushers redear can consume these morsals that create a flaky and flavorfull meat.

I call redear a delicacy and prefer them over caviar anytime.

All of the species in this pleurocera genus have thick-walled high-spired shells, and 12 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

some attain a length of over 4 cm. The shape of the shell is elongated or cylindrical. These “snails” are prevelant where I fish here in Kentucky. Locating these snails in abundance is a great place to begin hunting for big redear sunfish. The best way to find where these snails flourish is to check the shoreline. Where these snails are abundant, you will find snail shells in the gravels along the shoreline.

One trick that my dad used in Florida when searching for bluegill beds works in locating gravelly bottom and snails. With a long piece of cane we would ease along the vast lilipads and stab the bottom with the butt end of the cane. Mucky bottom is soft and quiet but when you find hard bottom that has been cleaned by bedding redear or a patch of snails you will hear a distinct crunching noise and you will feel the hardness as well.

The Quagga Mussle There are so many other foods that the redear consume. It depends on where the redear are located and what is available to them. I have learned about a few other favorite redear foods like fiddler crabs in the swamps and estuaries near the ocean. Also there is the Quagga Mussels in Lake Havasu. The belief is that these mussels are attributing to the massive size that redear reach in Lake Havasu. As I learn more about these great fish I will be sharing the information with you. Redear is one of my favorite species to fish for.

A The Quagga Mussels are attributed to giant redear on Lake Havasu. photo Wikipedia

Yellow Flowers If I had a nickle for everytime I have heard “look for the yellow flowers” I would be a rich man. Yellow flowers have always been a great place to find bluegills, bass and redear. However, I have also found nothing around those yellow flowers. I always get excited when I find an area loaded with these flowers but more times than not, for me at least, they did not pan out.

I will say that I have found spawning and/or post-spawn feeding redear around the stems of these yellow flowers more often than around them when they are bloomed out sprinkling many perfect looking coves.

Two things that I have concluded in my limited wisedom. First I think that these flowers, which by the way are called wild mustard flowers, grow in the preferred bottom that fish like to spawn. This could be all there is to it but I’m beginning to wonder if the redear aren’t within the dead stems, post-spawn, to find those dragonfly nymphs crawling up the stems to morph into an adult leaving them vulnerable to big redear cruising through and gobbling them up.

Troy Dorman-Kentucky SPRING - 2024 - 13

CONNECTION After 20 years as a helicopter mechanic in the Alaskan bush, and living on a boat in Southeast Alaska, my heart and soul is still and forever will be a part of Alaska. My writing career began in a tent in Chicken, Alaska and I owe Alaska a great deal for who I am and for inspiring me to write. I hope that you enjoy the stories herein as we bring you the great history, outdoor adventures and more from The Last Frontier.

Benjamin Stevens

Benjamin Stevens Rainbow trout are commonly caught in size 22 dry flies and near microscopic nymphs, fished under an indicator. Delicate presentations are often thought to be the most effective and stealth is key to success, especially in small streams. Not in Alaska.

Rainbow trout swim up high mountain streams by the hundreds, ramming the sides of spawning sockeye salmon to knock loose eggs out. They follow closely behind the female salmon and gulp down eggs as fast as they can. Brown bears line the riverbank and tear into the salmon, scattering pieces of flesh into the water, creating feeding frenzies for piscivorous trout. To add to the intensity of the situation, the high grass on the riverbank is teeming 14 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

with small mice. Red-backed voles, to be more precise. Voles are a very common tiny rodent that regularly tumble down the riverbanks into the jaws of opportunistic trout.

For my birthday, my wife rented a remote cabin in the Chugach Mountains, right on the bank of one of these streams. We hiked in 11 miles and were greeted by a beautiful little wooden house. A 10x10 cabin outfitted with bunk beds, a table, and a wood stove.

These cabins are managed by the state of Alaska and are rented out to hikers, fishermen, and hunters. The guest book inside is full of previous guests’ tales of bears and fish. We quickly unloaded our backpacks and headed upstream with fly rods and bear spray in tow.

Salmon swam past our feet in groups of about 40. The schools of fresh fish were mostly silver. Bright red fish spawned in pairs in the shallow rapids. It didn’t take long to locate trout. I casted a foam and rabbit hair mouse into a small pool directly behind a pair of spawning sockeye. As I stripped my fly toward me, a silver bullet shot across the river from the far bank and crushed the mouse imitation. He didn’t get hooked, turned into the current and charged again. It was his third attack when the hook finally grabbed him. It was like watching a great white shark jump out of the water with a seal in its mouth. The trout flew into the air and shook to kill its prey. I fought it to the net and squealed with excitement.

What followed will forever be remembered as one of the most exciting days of fishing

I’ll ever have. My wife and I walked the banks of a mountain stream casting for trout, our bird dog watched us fish intently. Brown bear scat and tracks littered the water’s edge. We spoke loudly and sang to the dog so that we would not surprise any bears.

The tactic we settled on was to cast the mouse 45° upstream and twitch it as it floats down. Short fast strips seemed to trigger more bites than long slow ones. Also, if a fish hits the mouse and doesn’t get hooked, resist the urge to cast again. Instead let the mouse drift down as if it is stunned and the trout will return to consume it.

The video below is a fishing montage my wife made of me catching trout after trout on these foam mice. Notice how the foam is torn from trout teeth by the end of the video.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR- Ben is an avid outdoorsman living in Kenai Alaska with his wife Brittany and their two dogs Bonzi and Berkley. Ben is an excellent artist and is now pursuing commercial vedeography. Check out Ben’s YouTube channel at Benjamin Stevens and be sure and subscribe.

Ben lives in one of my favorite places in the world near the Kenai River where I caught my first rainbow trout 30 years ago. It is an honor to have Ben writing for Rambling Angler Outdoors. I look forward to one day fishing with Ben on the mighty Kenai.

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THE FLY

at the bench & on the water It is our goal with this department to provide fly tying and fly fishing information. While we endeavor to cover all aspects of fly tying & fishing we want to hopefully inspire and recruit more people into warm water options and our content will reflect this. Expect some history and interesting stories that involves the art of fly fishing.

The Master Splinter Mouse Fly As a tribute to Benjamin Steven’s excellent article in the Alaska Connection department I decided to highlight a mouse fly here. I have been fortunate enough to fish the mouse fly in Alaska but have always wanted to try it on some streams here in Kentucky. I am sure that those big bronzebacks would love to see a mouse drift by for dinner.

The Master Splinter Mouse Fly is as simple as they come. Created by Mr. Joe Cermele to catch big browns and rainbows on the upper Delaware River. I know that one of my favorite writers, Zane Grey, loved fishing the Delaware and he loved the smallmouth bass, so I have to wonder if they have used the fly for big smallmouth.

Whether you are planning a trip to catch big rainbow trout or want to have fun catching big bass on your local lake, the Master Splinter Mouse Fly is durable, and it works. Watch the video for instructions on tying this fly as well as the profile from underwater view. Have fun and let us know how you do.

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OUTDOOR READS reviews and suggestions

BUY HERE The Ozarks conveys a different mental image for everyone. Some visualize long black beards, moonshine whiskey, and corncob pipes, while others imagine canoe trips down clear, free-flowing, gravel-bottom streams, oak and hickory forests, a log cabin nestled in a wooded grove, and a wisp of blue-gray smoke floating above a native stone chimney. Life in the Missouri Ozarks was hard and taken seriously. At the same time, the folks who scratched out a living from the rocky ground never lost their sense of humor and the zest for life. Pie suppers, turkey shoots, and church were time for folks to get together and catch up on what was happening with their neighbors. Between the covers of this book, you will experience colorful characters, boyhood shenanigans, and a real feel for what is was like to be a big-city kid moving back to his ancestral roots. If you haven’t experienced the sweetness of a ripe watermelon chilled in a cold spring and laced with high-quality moonshine, you should add it to your bucket list.

Or better yet, discover the experience through the tale of an innocent boy’s first taste. Amazon description

A friend suggested this book to me and I am so glad that he did. If you love reading stories of country living this book is for you. So many of Mark’s stories rang home with my childhood as I am sure it will for many people that lived in small towns where everybody knew everybody and neighbors were there to help. Throw in a little fly fishing and creek time adventures and you have a very entertaining backdrop for a great read for anyone that loves the outdoors.

There is always material for anyone that grew up on a farm free to roam and explore.

I’m sure that Mark had to weed through the memories to come up with the many great stories that he shares in his book. This book is well written with just enough description to make you feel like you’re right there along with him and his friend Donald Ray. I am so glad they left the hundred pound sack of fertilizer behind. review by Ken McBroom SPRING - 2024 - 17

Chilhood Excitement Rekindled Hunting with a lever action .410 shotgun has rekindled a childhood excitement for me.

There’s something about squirrel hunting with a lever action that brings it all back to earth.

Back to those days of hunting the hills, hollers and hardwood ridges of Tennessee. Scanning the branches for a glimpse of the twitch of a tail or listening for the sounds of cuttings raining down from high atop an old hickory tree or the rustling of leaves. The beginnings of a good hunter often involves chasing bushytails as a youngster and honing those senses so vital for hunting other game.

Those squirrel hunts, back in Lynchburg, Tennessee as a young boy, remains forever stamped into my mind like little video clips called up occasionally for reference or just to remember the good times.

Those days were spent cradling my first gun, a 16-gauge single-shot Winchester, in the crook of my arm or broke over my shoulder.

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As a kid the excitement seems to be almost overwhelming and is still there. Maybe slightly diminished with age.

To reach that level of excitement again, you would have to journey back in time, cradling that same shotgun and walking those same ridges where your name still lives, carved into a giant beech tree. Your favorite spot to watch the sun rise and smell the sour mash drifting from Jack Daniels distillery in the backdrop.

Recently I was able to regain a little of that childhood excitement hunting squirrels with my new Henry lever action .410 shotgun.

Lever guns have always been a favorite of mine and to have one chambered for the .410 round was exciting enough. The perfect, get in close, squirrel gun was born.

The lever action .410 is perfect for hunting bushytails. With its 24-inch model you get a threaded barrel for interchangeable chokes.

While the range of the .410, with its 2.5 inch chamber, ain’t going to knock your socks off it will knock a squirrel off a limb and bust through some foliage to get there.

The Henry .410 lever action is best used when the leaves are still on the trees. With our spring squirrel season, here in Kentucky, much of the hunting we do for squirrels is with the leaves intact. Spring makes for the perfect lever action bushytail time of year. These leaves can make it tricky to locate squirrels high in the tree-tops, but it can also help you get in close, using the foliage as cover as you slowly make your way into range. It is this close-range hunting that rekindled my excitement for hunting squirrels again.

Squirrel hunting has taken a back seat recently to so many other outdoor quests. We

should have kids out chasing these woodland game animals that offer good numbers, just the right challenge and delicious table-fare.

We expect a young hunter to arrow a 140 class whitetail or slam a sage old gobbler. It’s time to give credit where credit is due. To remember our childhood and what it meant to chase these critters with a shotgun down a fence row? Or in the hardwoods with little to no worries.

Try grabbing the Henry .410 lever action and stalk your way up an old dry creek bed. Or sit motionless near a big hickory tree.

See if those memories come flooding back like they did for me. Those wonderful days, long ago, smelling sour mash and watching the sun rise next to that old beech tree. Where my name still lives.

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Early Spring Planer Board Slabs

With David Jones

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ow of the boat alone can spook fish in clear water. You could be fishing all David Jones is a crappie guide around the crappie and never get a bite. on Green River Lake https://greenriverLeave it to a few serious crappie anglers lakecrappietrips.com/. David has many to figure out how to catch the crapachievements within the crappie world.

David has a National Championship vic- pie they are spooking. By using Planer tory in 2014 and was able to land the lake boards.

David informed me the night berecord on his home lake at Green River fore that we would be fishing for susLake. It was a 3.36 pound black crappie. pended crappie. That morning he dug I’m honored to call David a friend and a out several planer boards from a bag. mentor when it comes to crappie fishing The line is attached to the desired depth and I take every opportunity I get to fish with and learn from David about crappie that you want your bait to run from the board. Different lengths of line are let fishing. out on each rod to stagger the baits as So, when David offered to show me his technique for catching big clear water the planer board pulls further from the crappie on Dale Hollow Lake I jumped at boat as you increase the amount of line the opportunity. Here’s what I learned that let out.

When set up correctly, the planer day on a chilly March morning using livescope to locate the schools of crappie and boards on the left and right form a V planer boards to keep our baits away from behind the boat. This technique keeps all your baits away from the boat. It the boat. also presents your baits up to a 60-foot spread, or more, to cover more water.

David informed me that we would be using planer boards to catch suspended This is vital when the crappie schools crappie. It would be an excellent opportu- are scattered, following the baitfish.

There are several nity to gather content for an Getting your ways to determine the article about a lesser known depth to fish when or used tactic for catching baits away from best longlining for crapmore crappie. I knew this the boat, espe- pie while using planer was going to be a great trip to learn from one of the best cially in clear wa- boards. One way is just trial and error. This is crappie anglers in the counter, will increase the way I do it for the try. most part and while it By this time of year, your bites. works it does take a little crappie have moved out of time to get it tuned in for the spawning bays. They all lines. follow the baitfish to deeper water and By running each line at a different suspend in the water column. Crappie can depth, you will find that one will get be a little skittish as the boat approaches them, especially in clear water. The shad- more bites than the others. You can then SPRING - 2024 - 21

set all your rods to that depth to target those active fish. I will usually run one line shallower or deeper, just to keep them honest.

If you are serious about long lining with planer boards then there are a couple of things that can really help you quickly determine where to set your lines to run at a certain depth. There are apps that tell you how much line to let out for a specific crankbait or jig size to put it at a certain depth in the water column. One great app is the Precision Trolling Data App. It has many of the most popular crankbaits listed and even compensates for line size and more. This app takes all the guesswork out of trolling depth.

On this day the primary bait was the Crappie Magnet Fin Spin Pro Series. These baits work great when long lining with planer boards. The Fin Spin Pro Series offers several color combinations and weights to meet all conditions and

depth.

Another great option is our Li’L Tuffy Swimbait. The Li’L Tuffy comes in 5 colors and can be rigged with different sizes of jigheads for the weight you need to reach the depth of the crappie. You can also rig the Li’L Tuffy Swimbait with underspin heads to add a little more flash and vibration.

Planer Boards are a great way to troll crankbaits. Crankbaits are a popular presentation here on Kentucky Lake in the summer. Sometimes mixing up the spread with a few running jigs and a few running crankbaits can help put more crappie in the boat. The best color will vary with the day so run a few different colors to see what the crappie want.

Learning new techniques for catching crappie can certainly help you catch more fish. Planer board fishing is one that not too many people have tried, but it’s catching on.

The Li’L Tuffy Swimbait is a great bait for longlining for crappie. Photo Ken McBroom 22 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

David Jones with a planer board slab Dale Hollow Lake. Photo Ken McBroom SPRING - 2024 - 23

People are always asking me for new ways to cook crappie. Everybody loves fried crappie. Nothing wrong with fried crappie but I like to mix it up from time to time.

This Blackened Crappie Fillet with Sriracha Sauce is fast becoming a favorite recipe of mine. It’s delicious by itself, but I like to add a few little friends to the skillet to keep the fillets company. Usually, I add shrimp or scallops. These are perfect compliments to crappie and adds a little more refinement to the dish.

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Blackened Crappie with Sriracha Sauce INGREDIENTS • 4 Crappie Fillets • Lemon Juice • Blackened seasoning • 2 tbsp Olive Oil • 2 tbsp Butter • 3 Shrimp or scallops (optional) INSTRUCTIONS 1. Drizzle lemon juice over the fillet and sprinkle blackened seasonings on the fillets 2. Heat olive oil, butter and garlic until the garlic is sizzling 3. Place the fillets in the sizzling garlic butter and olive oil 4. Add your 3 little buddies, usually shrimp or scallops after one side of the fillet is cooked.

About 4 minutes.

5. Gently turn the fillet using your fillet spatula and a fork to lay it over without breaking the crappie fillet into pieces. Cook for about 3 minutes on this side or until the fish is flaking easily.

6. Drizzle sriracha sauce over the fillet and its friends and Enjoy the Harvest

Here’s some tips on the blackening process and cooking blackened crappie Set the fillets out and cook them after they reach room temperature or close to it.

Bring the olive oil and butter up to temp and sizzle the garlic and shut the burner off. I let this sit while the fillets get up to room temperature. It lets the garlic meld with the oil and butter.

You can use just olive oil or just butter, the olive oil added to the butter slightly raises its smoke point and helps prevent the butter from scorching.

Blackening is a cooking technique used in the preparation of fish and other foods such as chicken or steak. It’s a violent form of cooking. Therefore, a firm fleshed fish like redfish, snapper, grouper or salmon is usually chosen for blackening. However, I have blackened many other species of fish with great success. Here in Kentucky, I have learned that blackening catfish, crappie, and bluegill works great. The flesh is soft and flakey, but if you are careful these fish can be excellent for the blackening process.

Fish fillets like crappie can fall apart when being blackened. Using a fish spatula under the fillet and another utensil, like a fork or another spatula on top, will help you flip the fillet without it breaking apart.

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S

ince I started using forward facing sonar for catching big crappie, I found out that while most brush piles I find have fish, many of them are small or at least not as big as I want to catch. By hitting as many brush piles as possible with Livescope I can locate more big crappie.

Small brush piles are easy enough to fish effectively. Since they are small you do not have to break it down like you do with a bigger brush pile. When a big brush pile is found I always Spot-Lock my trolling motor on it. I start at about 40 feet out and let the boat find its point. I might cast to the edge of the brush pile at this time. I want to fish the brush pile as quickly as possible so this initial cast can get the front of the brush pile fished before moving in to break it down.

One thing I learned, first as a fly fisher in Alaska and then during my bass tournament days, was to break down a piece of cover like a tree or a brush pile to catch more fish. You want to always start at the front of the brush pile and work your way into it.

You never want to cast your bait all the way over the brush pile initially. By starting at the front, you can catch a crappie without spooking the others that might be in the brush pile further back.

Start by throwing your bait to the front edge and work it over the top letting it dip just into the brush or stake bed tops. When little deeper. During this time, I might hit my jog the crappie are biting good, they will come from feature on my Ultrex trolling motor and move the bottom to chase your bait down and engulf in a little closer. You will learn that not only are it. When the crappie are this aggressive it can be you able to work your bait a little easier, but that an enjoyable day without many hang ups. Do not crappie sometimes prefers a certain angle on the be discouraged if you do not see a crappie with presentation. By moving in closer the angle of your Livescope. Oftentimes, they will be buried your retrieve changes slightly as you work your at the bottom of the brush pile and not visible bait back to the boat. with electronics, always be ready. I have been After working the middle of the brush, it is surprised by giant crappie coming from out of time to go deep. This is when you might hang up, nowhere to aggressively strike and snapping my but it can often produce big crappie if they do not line when I set the hook too hard, startled while want to leave their station for whatever reason. watching my screen. Be ready.

Usually when a big crappie will not chase your If working your bait over the top of the bait and you must get in there with him it means brush does not get a response, it’s time to go a that he is not hungry or has been pressured and 26 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

This sounds like it might take a lot of time. However, you can work a big brush pile with Livescope in just a few minutes and move on to find another. Sometimes you can catch a few crappie from one brush pile but most of the time, I have found that catching one big crappie will shut the other crappie down. They might follow or they might lock down but either way they are done biting for the moment. You can return later to the same pile that you caught the big crappie in and pick up another one. You especially want to do this when you see a good one or two in the brush pile that are worth returning to try and catch.

Locating brush piles and other cover using forward facing sonar is a highly effective way to catch a lot of crappie. When looking for big crappie you need to work the brush pile as described and not only ignore the smaller crappie but even keep your bait away from them because if you catch a small one it might lock down the big crappie and they become even harder to convince to eat your presentation.

One tip for working a brush pile as efficiently as possible is to consider getting a Loc N’ Knock by Leland Lures. With this tool you can fish deep in the brush and when you hang up you can move up over the brush pile and drop the Loc N’ Knoc down onto your jig to dislodge it. This saves lures as well as allowing you to move on to find another brush is just reluctant to bite. So, work your bait slowly pile or drop back and continue fishing. If you through the base of the brush pile. Many times, I have thought I was hung and when I pulled, I saw are careful, you can dislodge your bait without spooking the crappie within. This little tool never on my Livescope that I had a big crappie hooked leaves my boat, even when I wash it. I have left up.

Once you have worked the front edge of the it at home a couple of times and soon realized brush pile it is time to go deeper and work the mid- how often the Loc N’ Knoc comes in handy. dle. Work the middle of the pile or tree the same CONCLUSION sequence as the front section. Top, middle then botCrappie fishing is changing all the time. tom. Again, by doing this you reduce the chances of As more and more anglers release crappie, somespooking any crappie in the other parts of the pile. thing you never heard of in the past, crappie beWhen fishing for pressured crappie they will stop come educated and harder to catch. By learning biting when they see one caught. After working new tactics like breaking down a brush pile, you your bait through the middle section, you can go to can catch a lot more crappie. the back and work it the same way.

Breaking down

Brush

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bag more gobblers fancy turkey guns were getting very popuI remember as a young man hunting lar, along with turkey hunting. turkeys in Tennessee. I also remember when Before 3-inch magnum shells and the 3-inch magnum shotgun shell made then the 3.5-inch shells we all had 2 ¾ -inch its appearance in our little town of Lynchshotguns and used them for everything. We burg. I was shooting what most people shot might change a choke out here or there beback then which was a 2 3/4-inch 12-gauge. tween quail, squirrels, or dove. My shotgun The same shotgun I hunted squirrel, quail, had a full choke and that’s all I ever used in rabbit, and dove with. I also remember all that old Winchester. It’s my friends running to the sporting goods still in it today. It did well for me and the store to get a 3-inch turkey gun. Later I only thing I would question it on would be started hearing about the 3-inch magnum. quail. By the time turkey hunting was upon I thought they were crazy, but I must admit us though, the quail had dwindled down to those turkey guns looked cool. All camo a point none of us were chasing them anycovered, barrel and all, and according to more. them they were the best shotgun for turkey Why do you miss with your turkey hunting. gun? This is a question I asked my friends I was picked on for using my old 12 many times when they missed several turgauge Winchester for turkey hunting. It was keys after getting their turkey guns. Here’s my grandfather’s shotgun and I liked using why. When we were young men running the it. Besides that, I had never missed a turkey ridges of Tennessee by morning and crappie with that old 12 gauge, and I had watched fishing by afternoon, we were great turkey several turkeys go free from misses by my callers. Well at least my friends were great friends with those fancy turkey guns with callers, I never really had to call because their super tight chokes. The patterns were they loved to call them in for me so much. so tight that they started missing turkeys.

They always got my bird into range of my 2 3/4-inch Winchester. It was the years of getWhy We Miss With A Turkey Gun ting turkeys so close that conditioned us to Back in the day, turkey hunting was big do so with every bird before we shot. Why in my hometown. We chased turkey’s the shoot when the gobbler is still coming? whole season. If one of us limited out then As I continued to kill birds as usual they would call for the others. This was be- with my grandfather’s old 2 ¾ Winchester fore or right around the time when the big my friends started to miss them with their 28 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

new and more powerful turkey guns. Missing wasn’t something they did very often.

The turkeys were too close for their big 3-inch magnum turkey guns. The pattern was great from these guns out to 40 yards and beyond. They never really patterned their turkey guns in closer than say 30 yards, after all if the gun patterns at 30 then it surely patterns at 10 or 15 yards, right?

Well yes and no.

The big guns patterned tight in close.

The problem is that it was so tight it was almost defeating the purpose of a shotgun.

This tight pattern was not as forgiving when the turkey was in close. This took a while to figure out but finally my friends began taking the shot before the turkey got so close.

They hardly ever missed after that.

Parker Henshaw with a nice gobbler Lynchburg Tennessee SPRING - 2024 - 29

3 Inch vs 3.5 Inch Shells

There is much debate on 3-inch vs 3.5-inch shells for turkey hunting. I’ve read a lot and have been researching whether to move up to a 3.5-inch shell. The findings have been almost straight down the middle. Some turkey hunters say the 3-inch shells shoot better and more consistent than the 3.5-inch shells.

Others claim the opposite. The one thing I did conclude was that almost all the pro-3.5-inch shell turkey hunters said they had to try different chokes and shell brands to find the best pattern for their turkey gun.

Personally, I don’t like having to buy multiple chokes or ammo if I can help it, so this was a check in the 3-inch box for me. I feel I would be better off spending my money on 3-inch TSS shells and not a new gun and

chokes. So, I will continue to carry my Mossberg 20 Ga into the turkey woods. I have thought about a single barrel 12 Ga to make a lightweight and more quiet turkey gun. The rattle of my pump drives me crazy during certain situations.

12 or 20 Gauge Turkey Gun

There’s been an age-old debate over the 12-gauge and the 20-gauge shotgun. When I was young, I wanted the 12-gauge but as I age the lighter 20 gauge is better. It isn’t that much of a difference on the scale, but it sure seems to be substantial when chasing a big tom two ridges over.

Today, with the introduction of the TSS shotgun shells, the 20-gauge is becoming more and more desirable for turkey hunting. TSS is an abbreviation for tungsten super shot. Tungsten shot is harder than lead pellets and much denser. This makes the TSS shot heavier than lead shot creating The Run & Gun Sling is a simple sling that can be used tighter patterns making smaller on all your rifles and shotguns. Easily transfereable from one gun to another. Sitting on a log hunting whitetails, still gauges more viable on longer hunting for squirrels or setting up for a big gobbler comshots. Hence the popularity in ing your way, this sling can be easily removed from your the lighter 20 gauge for turkey gun and slipped quietly into your shirt pocket or pack. hunting.

There were die hard The Last Sling You Will Ever Need 20-gauge turkey hunters long before TSS loads came along.

I remember this being the case back in the day. There were people that preferred the 20 gauge for the weight difference as well as the reduced recoil.

To them they could hit with the 20 gauge just as well as they did with a 12. Now, with tungsten shot, the 20 Gauge is becoming even more popular.

The Run & Gun Sling

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Scope or Bead Sights

I see many turkey hunters debating and bashing others about the use of a scope on a shotgun for turkey hunting. I don’t really understand but I guess it’s like all the other things people argue over. As I get older, I’m thinking more about putting a scope on my shotgun. Remember, that there are many reasons people do things differently and scoping a turkey shotgun is one of them.

In recent years I’ve found it more difficult to find an opening in the brush. I feel like a scope would absolutely help in that department. I never even thought about that until it started happening to me in the woods.

For now, I’ll hang on to a bead for as long as I can. It isn’t the seeing the bead that troubles me it’s seeing the bead and the turkey out there 35 yards that’s harder than it used to be. I also like simple setups when

I’m hunting. I move a lot on public land and drag my gun through some thick stuff.

This is the same reason I like my peep sight on my rifle. However, I’m considering a low power scope soon just so I can get on the turkey better in thick cover.

Conclusion

Whatever the setup you prefer the important thing is to get out there and enjoy the turkey hunting opportunities. Stay focused on the hunt and learn all you can about those challenging mature gobblers, and you will be rewarded with many shots and memorable hunts. Tinker around with your turkey gun, after all it is part of the fun. Settle on a setup that works for you and remember to consider taking a kid with you or introduce someone new to the turkey hunting lifestyle. You will be happy you did, and they will be too.

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Seal the Deal

Troy Seal

tackle tips and techniques

Troy is an avid angler from Bean Station Tennessee. Troy is a “nothing fancy” kind of guy well except maybe for his tackle. Troy is a multi-species angler but loves panfish, especially the sun fish. He has tinkered with and honed his tackle and techniques to target these great panfish. Fishing from a small aluminum boat without electronics or any of the modern day gadgets Troy loves getting old-school in a new world of fishing. We are happy to have Troy’s expertise within these pages and I think you will be too. Troy has the popular Facebook group The Bluegill Network

Summertime gills are notoriously tough in southern reservoirs when the water temp gets high and oxygen levels are lower. If it's getting tougher where you're fishing and you don't want to fish deep and slow with a dropshot and live bait, go to the river or a creek. Those places have cooler water temps and fish are always more active not to mention shallow and easier to find.

When fishing rivers, creeks, and streams very few lures are suited as well as an inline spinner for moving water. Everybody that knows me knows I'm a beetle spin guy, but sometimes especially in open water with fewer wood cover snags and less grass, an inline spinner is golden! The numbers of fish that commit to an inline spinner that won't touch a jig or other lures can be mind-blowing at times.

Rooster Tails, Mepps, Panther Martin and others are all great and have different characteristics. Some work slow better than others and some more shallow than others so don't just use one type. Experiment with different blade shapes and weights. Some of my favorites are the Blue Fox Vibrax spinner in a #0 or #1 size with a single hook. You can add a soft plastic or tie a fly or piece of hair on them for more color/attraction.

Black, chartreuse and the minnow colors are my favor32 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

ite. Mepps makes a small spinner with a fly on a single hook. It's a fish catcher for sure. My son has so much confidence in a yellow rooster tail with a silver blade that it's the only one he buys. And he catches tons of fish on it.

I'm not crazy about treble hooks when fishing for Sunnies.

I usually cut one of them off to make a double hook. They are just way easier to unhook that way. Another inline spinner that is under the radar in much of the country is the Joe's Flies spinner, though it has a cult following in Appalachia. My favorite is black wooly worm in 1/8 oz.

It's bigger than most spinners I use for Sunnie’s, but it has a tiny treble stinger hook with a little puff of red marabou on it and it nabs gills that follow and nip at it. Plus, the number of smallmouth and rock bass you catch is a bonus. Some of my biggest redbreasts have come on this spinner. I know I said I didn't like trebles but this one is tiny and doesn't fill their mouth so you can get it out easy enough.

Too hot to fish? Nope, go slide into a river and wet wade in a old pair of tennis shoes and shorts with a tiny box of lures in your pocket. And make sure you got some spinners. It's the best way to spend a hot summer day and sure beats work or sitting on the couch.

It’s an honor to offer Kevin McCarley’s K-MAC Series Bogy-Fry in our online store. Kevin is a successful crappie tournament angler and guide from Alabama. The Bogy-Fry is an excellent crappie bait whether casting or verticle fishing for crappie. The action is great and has a subtle tail action needed to catch crappie when the bite is slow. By allowing Rambling Angler Outdoors to sell his bait Kevin supports our mission and helps to fund our adventures to share with you.

Check out the K-MAC BOGY-FRY at our STORE SPRING - 2024 - 33

Finessing

BIG

Smallies

When to Finesse Big Smallies

Smallmouth bass are notorious for being a little lure shy. This is not always the case of course as they are also notorious for being ultra-aggressive. Any smallmouth angler, that has experienced a day when the smallies seem to bite anything that you throw at them, will tell that story for years. However, more times than not, smallmouth bass tend to be a lot less willing to eat your presentation and can frustrate the most patient of anglers. They seem to know that there is a hook in the bait they are chasing. This is when finesse tactics win out and can be the difference between a wonderful day of fishing and a long ride home.

The Bait Finesse System

There is a new tactic in town. The Bait Finesse System is gaining more and more in popularity and has added a new dimension to finesse fishing. The Bait Finesse System (BFS) was developed in Japan. First for trout but bass anglers soon learned that it was the perfect system for catching highly pressured bass. Under intense fishing pressure, bass will refuse to bite the run of the mill bass lures.

The bait finesse reel offers distance and accuracy and my favorite, less line twist, than spinning reels. There are specially made rods for the Bait Finesse Sys34 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

tem. The system allows you to cast very small baits, even 1/32 oz jigs, but with a bait this small a limber fast action rod is best. If you don’t go below 1/16 oz then a good fast action medium light rod will suffice. However, to get the full benefit of the BFS a BFS rod is best. These rods really help when using light line, a must when finesse fishing for smallmouth bass.

The great thing about these BFS reels is the drag.

While it does have a magnetic drag system to help prevent backlash when casting small baits they also have smoother drags than the bigger heavier baitcasters we are used to.

The very shallow spool, that helps make long casts with light lures, also helps the line to be pulled from the reel smoothly while fighting a fish, a must with light line. Now that I have explained my new favorite way to finesse smallmouth bass let’s look at when you might need to use finesse tactics.

Clear Water

Here on Kentucky Lake the water seems to be getting clearer all the time. It has also started to show signs of an improved smallmouth fishery. While it has always been a good smallmouth lake I think in a few years it could become a great smallmouth lake, if not already. If you fish where the water is crystal clear you should be looking at using finesse tactics to catch more smallmouth bass.

Clear water allows the bass to get a good look at your presentation. This calls for small diameter fluorocarbon line and small baits. Also, lures of choice should be as realistic looking as possible.

Think match the hatch as in fly fishing.

This is why I love to throw a Li’L TUFFY Swimbait in clear water. These little swimbaits in shad color or blue matches perfectly the small minnows that smallmouth eat.

When fishing clear water smallmouth bass will often track your bait half way to the boat or swirl at your bait right at the boat. Keep this in mind and keep your retrieve steady all the way back to the boat. Even if the smallmouth are hugging the shoreline, they might be tracking your bait, especially a swimbait, so don’t assume that the bass are not on the bank just because it hit your bait at the boat. This is why realistic baits are important as they will follow it and decide to eat it or not. If they do, they probably decided that it was a real minnow.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK THEM OUT

SPRING - 2024 - 35

Fishing Pressure

Typically, during high pressure days, when the skies are clear, bass will move Fishing pressure can put a damper on the bite. When smallmouth bass start to see the closer to the bottom and refuse to chase your same baits over and over due to heavy fish- bait. Their strike zone shrinks, and ing pressure, they will decide to stop biting you must get your bait close to the fish to anything that resembles these popular lures. get a bite. High pressure days usually call This is a great time to do what no one else is for bottom baits worked slowly around stumps or rocks where bass tend to want to doing or at least fewer anglers are doing.

The lighter the line the better. I know be during this time. Ned rigs, shaky head worms and other botthat even considertom finesse baits like ing using 4-pound the drop-shot can be test line on a lake the best way to get where there is a more bites. real potential of hooking into a Low Barometric 6-pound smallPressure mouth sounds When the barometric crazy. My philospressure is falling, ophy, for what it and a cold front or is worth, has alstorm is rolling in ways been if you smallmouth, like most don’t get a bite, fish, becomes more you can’t catch active. They feel more the fish. So, if comfortable and will you want to catch roam around chasing more smallmouth baitfish. This is a great bass, when they Nice Dale Hollow Smallie on a Li’L Tuffy swimbait. time to throw those don’t want to bite, Photo T. McBroom little finesse swimbaits use the lightest line like the Li’L TUFFY Swimbait or any small that you dare. Have courage and rememprofile bait. Remember even though the ber you might fish all day with 6-pound or 8-pound test line and not get a single bite or fish are more active when fishing bodies of water that are clear or high fishing pressure, use 4-pound test and hook into 6 fish and then finesse is still optimal for catching land 4 of them. Which would you prefer? more smallies.

As I am sitting here in my office, I can High Barometric Pressure Most people love to go fishing on those sun- see Kentucky Lake and it’s drizzling rain with a cold front moving in tonight. So, I ny bluebird days. This is a great day to be on the water but not always the best time to can tell you as I watch the clouds materialcatch fish. When the skies clear and the sun ize with the sunrise, I am going to be on the shines bright and warm the barometric pres- water in about an hour to chase some big smallmouth this morning. Days like this in sure is at its highest. This the fall can really trigger those big bass into can cause bass to become less enthusiastic feeding up for the long winter ahead and I about chasing down your bait. With rising pressure or high pressure, a swimbait might want to be out there when they are. not be the best bait to use.

36 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

Finesse tactics are sometimes needed to get bites. Photo Ken McBroom SPRING - 2024 - 37

Reelfoot Lake Crappie Dos and Don’ts for Getting More Bites crappie on Grenada lake, breaking the record for the biggest fish ever weighed at a Crappie Reelfoot Lake is a premier crappie Masters tournament. So, when Brett talked, I fishing destination and has been for many listened. Our conversation was also about our years. How could I refuse an invite to the daughters who love to play softball but when On the Hook TV show media camp? As an outdoor writer I’m fortunate that through my Brett spotted a big crappie on Livescope the conversation stopped. writing and photography I can hang out in Reelfoot Lake such a great place is full of standwith great people ing timber, and I that are also some overheard someof the best crappie one say at breakanglers in the counfast that there try. So, even though wasn’t any need I would normally for waypoints on be up a tree someReelfoot. This is place hunting deer because there are the opportunity to so many trees still spend a few days at standing under Blue Bank Resort on the water’s surReelfoot Lake and face that you only learn a little more need to find one about crappie fishing with a crappie on was too good to pass Brett Luther with two nice ones. Photo Ken McBroom it. Even if you up. Seeing a small catch that crappie, you can circle back to it buck chasing some does in my backyard as later and oftentimes there’s another big crapI pulled out of my driveway didn’t make things any easier, but I was looking forward pie there waiting for your jig.

Brett found a good sized crappie susto the trip. The deer could wait. pended off the bottom a few feet. These Fishing With a Record Breaker crappie are usually more willing to bite. Brett The first morning on Reelfoot Lake I was worked a small jig into position to entice paired with one of the best. Brett Luther is the big crappie into biting. As the small hair a crappie tournament angler. Brett told me jig slowly entered the strike zone it brushed about fishing tournaments with his dad Robagainst the tree. In the process of lifting his ert and how great it was to spend jig to get it around the tree and to the craptime together doing what they love. Team pie, Brett felt it rub the side of the tree. The Luther brought in a 4.26-pound monster crappie spooked and Brett knew exactly why.

38 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

He told me that the sound of the bait dragging across the wood wasn’t natural and the crappie knew something wasn’t right. “Don’t let your bait hit the tree”, was all Brett said. I filed that away into my don’ts list of fishing standing timber as we moved away to find another crappie. Brett ended up catching several nice crappie on those standing trees and taught me a valuable lesson as well.

Perfecting the POP My next trip out was with Jeremy Mattingly, host of On the Hook TV show. Jeremy has moved into the crappie world in stride.

Jeremy also has a line of landing nets for crappie fishing as well as some great plastic baits for catching crappie. You can check out Jeremy’s website at www.othfishing.com to check out his lineup.

It wasn’t long with Jeremy until I learned a great tip that he has perfected, and he aptly calls it Perfecting the POP. Often, this trip no exception, crappie will develop a little lock jaw. When crappie refuse to eat there are a few tricks that crappie anglers have up their sleeves. Some might tip their jig with a minnow when the crappie refuses their jig. Others will change colors of their jigs to see if that works. Jeremy introduced me to his technique for getting more bites and he calls it Perfecting the POP. Finicky crappie will sometimes snub their nose at about any presentation. The crappie was about half and half on this trip.

Some came enthusiastically to the presentation and wasted no time engulfing the jig when properly presented. For those crappie unwilling to play Jeremy had a little something for them. Presenting your jig or minnow just above the crappie’s nose is usually

enough. However, when they act like a jig is the last thing on their mind Jeremy would pop his rod to impart a slight twitch in the bait.

The POP that Jeremy uses is a little different and definitely works wonders on those lethargic and less cooperative crappie after a cold front or maybe too much pressure. The POP is introduced with a quick snap of the rod. This quick snap imparts a noticeable bounce in the rod but by the time it works its way to the jig or minnow it only causes a subtle twitch in the bait leaving the bait in one place but causing enough of a twitch to entice a bite and get a tough crappie on the hook. Perfecting the POP is a great way to simulate a nervous twitch in the bait and as I saw on the boat with Jeremy can get that crappie to bite when it was obvious that he wasn’t going to. Try this on your next trip and see if you can get a few more bites.

SPRING - 2024 - 39

Adding a Little Scent If none of the tricks up your sleeve are working, there’s one more tip for a tough bite.

Scent. When I see people gathering around the front of their boat whispering and snapping photos I always investigate. Many times, at these media camps, there’s a new product that hasn’t been released yet and it’s

ward, ready for your next encounter. The buz around the boat ramp was super positive about the new scent balls and I saw it work firsthand while fishing with Jeremy. Check out all the great EZ Drift products at www. ezdrifttrollingsystems.com

usually being tested by these great anglers.

This media camp was no different and I would find out about a new scent that Brad Chandler is testing before putting it on the market. This new product is a scent infused ball that stays on the hook very well enticing many reluctant crappie to investigate and eat your presentation.

The scent balls by EZ Drift Trolling Systems are easily deployed using the EZ Drift Bait Pen. These scent balls load easily into the pen that you can hang around your neck or within easy reach of your position. By using the slider incorporated into the pen you can hook the scent ball on your hook then slide the loaded scent balls for-

The On the Hook media camp was a hit and as fun as it gets. The lessons learned will last a lifetime and there’s no better place to do it than Reelfoot Lake. Our stay was exceptional due to Blue Bank Resort’s facilities and hospitality. Blue Bank Resort offers everything needed in a fishing destination and then some. There are things to do for the whole family and whether you are a hard-core angler or just like to add fishing as a part of a wonderful vacation, Blue Bank Resort will not disappoint. Check out all the great things that Blue Bank Resort and the area around the lake has to offer at their website www. bluebankresort.com. Tell them Ken sent ya.

40 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

Great Media Camp

Jeremy Mattingly-On the Hook TV Show. Photo RA STAFF

SPRING - 2024 - 41

Stockton Lake A Sleeper Crappie and Walleye Destination Bill Cooper

Crappie and walleye fishermen are a dedicated lot and often fish for these favored species in the cold weather months. However, if duty and responsibility kept you off the lakes and streams over the winter, don’t despair. You can still get in on the crappie an walleye action at Stockton Lake.

Kris Nelson, owner and guide of Tandem Fly Outfitters on Stockton Lake, in western Missouri, says that Stockton is an underutilized fishing resource. Stiff winds and pelting rain greeted us as Kris swung his big SeaArk boat into open water. We had launched at Stockton Lake State Park in the shelter of a well-protected cove. Our only consolation at the moment was the fact that temperatures had soared into the fifties, after a long spell of bitterly cold temperatures. Kris had guided a trip in 8-degree weather just the week prior to our fishing trip. We were braving the elements to pursue walleye, best known for its culinary qualities. The delectable fish is known by most as a northern species and pursued heavily in Michigan, Wisconsin and surrounding states.

“The Missouri Department of Conservation does an excellent job of stocking Stockton with walleye,” Nelson said. “I’d say it’s the best walleye fishery in the state of Missouri.” Nelson and his wife, Amanda, own Stone Creek Lodge on Stockton Lake. They have a dozen or so clean, comfortable rooms along with a cafe and tackle shop just a stone’s throw up the hill from the lodge. It’s a perfect combination for anglers visiting Stockton Lake.

A close friend of Kris's joined us for the day. He bounced into action as soon as Kris motored into a cove sheltered from the wind.

“We’ve been catching crappie like crazy in here for several weeks, Kris said. “We’ve been catching limits in an hour or so. I want to check on them before we start walleye fishing.”

Kris maintains the latest electronics on his 42 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

boat and as soon as he walked to the bow of the boat, he pointed to the Lowrance unit and said, “look at this Bill.” I didn’t know what I was seeing, but Kris indicated the blob on the screen was a huge ball of shad accompanied by an equally large ball of crappie. Bob stepped to the front of the boat and dropped a Shad Daddy bait rigged on a jig head into the chilly water.

He halted the jig at about 25 feet.

Seconds later his rod arched, and he swung a fat crappie into the boat.

“I’ll grab the video camera,” I said as Kris snatched a Lew’s crappie rod out of the rack and joined Bob on the front of the boat.

By the time I dug the camera out of my bag, the guys had a double on. “I think you’ve found them, I teased.

Many consider Stockton Lake a sleeper fo “Ooh, can find them on a regular basis. photo Bi they’ve been here for some time,” Kris retorted. “My clients caught limits here yesterday.” What happened over the next thirty minutes was some of the best crappie fishing I

had ever witnessed, but that is another story. We really had walleye on our minds. “We gotta stop this and catch some walleye,” Kris said. Thunder rolled in the east. Bob checked the weather radar. “It looks like we are on the edge of some heavy stuff, he said. Lightning flashed to the north. “I think we’d better head for the shelter of the dock,” he said.

We quickly racked our rods and Kris fired up the big boat motor and sped towards home base back at Stockton State Park. When he swung the SeaArk into the main channel, we were greeted by big waves and a dark curtain of heavy rain bearing down on us. I was especially grateful that Kris ran a big boat. Rain blew at us sideways as the boat easily cut through the rolling waves, providing us a safe and comfortable ride back to the dock.

“It would have been impossible to find the dock in that squall without the electronics,” Bob pointed out. We or crappie and walleye, but Cpt. Kris Nelson all relished the ill Cooper cover of the boat slip and checked our phone messages and e-mails while the squall blew over. Twenty minutes later, we were water borne again. I fully expected walleye to be in a

different location, but Kris swung the boat into the very same cove we had left earlier. He and Bob began rigging rods.

“Here they are, Bill,” Kris said, as he pointed at the LED dispaly. Groups of walleyes were strung out on the bottom in 30 feet of water. Kris worked on cutting up a fresh shad, while Bob rigged a big, fat worm on a jighead.

He yelled, “walleye on,” before Kris had finished cutting up the bait. “I think I will go with a worm rig,” Kris laughed. I joined them.

Kris controlled the trolling motor to maintain the boat on a drift course that paralleled a long line of walleye strung out on the bottom. It was easy to feel the jig bumping the rocky bottom. The fishing method involved slowly, but steadily, sweeping the rod forward and reeling up the line and repeating the process.

“I’m stuck,” I muttered under my breath.

“Oooh, that rock moved,” I muttered again.

“Here we go guys,” I chuckled. “Good fish!”

Kris slid the net under what had become the first walleye I had ever caught intentionally. I had caught them incidental to bass fishing.

“What do you think about that, Mr. Bill?

Kris asked. “I want to do it again!” I said. We were about to complete a drift when Bob hooked up again. “This one is bigger,” he said. On his next cast his rod arched. “Oh, this one is bigger, he said. Shortly after his third cast, he moaned, “I think this one is bigger.” The bite had really turned on.

In short order we all had a limit of walleye in the boat. We had scarcely noticed the steady rain and heavy wind. “That’s the way it is when you are catchng wallleye,” Kris said.

We paused for photos. “This is amazing,” I said.

“We haven’t seen another boat all day.” “I’m telling you,” Kris responded. “Stockton Lake is the most underutilized fishing resource in the state of Missouri. It’s a real sleeper.”

I believe him. The crappie walleye bite at Stockton Lake changes as spring and summer approaches, but Nelson can still find fish. To get in on the action, call Kris Nelson at 417-8392762, or look him up on Facebook at Tandem fly Outfitters.

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Slow roll a big spinnerbait for some good springtime largemouth. Photo T. McBroom 44 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

Spring is here and the bass are slowly migrating towards their annual spawning grounds. The

migration has actually been going on for longer than you might think. The more adventurous anglers, adventurous could be substituted with crazy if you like braving the cold weather and relentless cold fronts but they have been rewarded with those early pre-spawn bass that tend to move to the spawning areas sooner than other bass. This staggering of the spawn is intentional as a way to be sure that there is a successful spawn. The numbers are few early on, but it can be a great time to catch a giant.

When Bass Come Shallow During March and April, the water is beginning to warm and the days are getting longer triggering a wave of bass to move shallow. It is at this time that the spinnerbait shines and when properly applied can get strikes from otherwise lockjaw bass. The good thing about April, here in Kentucky and Tennessee, is that there are about as many days when bass are aggressive and active as there are days that they are lethargic and not so aggressive. The following paragraphs I hope will shed some light on a few of these situations and how to apply a spinnerbait tactic to catch more bass.

Herron and divers on a main lake point leading to spawning grounds. Better throw a spinnerbait. Photo RA Staff

Rising Water With spring comes fluctuating water levels. The spring rains can cause the lakes water levels to rise a foot or even more in just a day or two. When the water is rising look for bass to move up with it.

Bass love to get shallow during rising water. I have caught bass in 6 inches of water in March when the water is rising. This is true even when the water is still cold. Casting a spinnerbait to shallow cover during rising water can be deadly. Pulling the spinnerbait through the cover can trigger some SPRING - 2024 - 45

violent strikes. If the target is a brushpile or treetop start by throwing to the outside fringes then throw right in the middle of it. Be sure to keep your spinnerbait up to keep from hanging. I like to drop my rod tip as the spinnerbait gets to a hole in the brush to let it flutter down a split second.

This can be all it takes to get a bass to slam it.

Falling Water I would be remiss if I mention rising water without discussing falling water. Falling water is just as common in the spring as rising water. When the water begins to drop, especially when it drops quickly, bass will quickly abandon their shallow cover and move to slightly deeper areas to wait out the drop in water level. They won’t move far and they will still bite. The best way to fish a spinnerbait during falling water is to cast to the bank and allow the spinnerbait to fall along the contour of the bottom. You can do this by pausing your retrieve to allow the spinnerbait to fall a few inches throughout your retrieve. If the water depth is gradual then a slow roll will let the spinnerbait follow the bottom just right. A little twitch with the rod tip periodically can cause a reaction strike from an otherwise uninterested bass.

Spinnerbait Skirt Color Before I go into the spinnerbait blades, I want to mention skirt color for your spinnerbait. There are just a few colors that I use in my spinnerbait skirts. When fishing clear water silver or white with some chartreuse is hard to beat. You want the skirt to closely resemble a baitfish and a baitfish is camouflaged for obvious reasons. In clear water you want your spinnerbait to blend in like the real thing.

In stained or dirty water, the white and chartreuse is still a good color for your skirt. The chartreuse still has some contrast to the dirty water and the bass can still locate it. This is especially true when paired with a big Colorado blade. Another great color for dirty water is black or black and blue.

Black will contrast well in dirty water and is very visible to a bass.

Colorado Blade Dirty water is commonplace in the spring. Spring rains can turn an area that was clean one day into murky and dingy the next. Dirty water can be great for a spinnerbait in the spring and the best blade to use then is a Colorado blade. There is something about the thump of a single Colorado blade that drives pre-spawn bass crazy. Another great thing about the Colorado blade is the ability to slow roll the spinnerbait and still get the blade to spin. With a willow leaf blade, it won’t spin when the retrieve is super slow.

A ¾ ounce to 1 ounce spinnerbait is best when throwing a big Colorado blade. The torque from the blade will cause a lighter spinnerbait to roll on its side and foul the presentation. You want something that swims true at a slow speed. You might be surprised how shallow bass will get even in 45-degree water especially in the early spring after a warm rain dirties the water. To help keep the heavy spinnerbait from dropping into cover like a rock a bulky trailer is perfect. A matching swimbait as the trailer will help you get the spinnerbait moving before it has time to drop into a treetop and with a boot tail it can also add a little more vibration to get their attention.

Willow Blade The willow blade is a great way to match the hatch. Matching the blade to the size of baitfish can really make the difference. This is especially true in clean water where the bass can see your 46 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

spinnerbait well. A willow blade spinnerbait is great when you need to fish the bait a little faster or a lot faster. Sometimes the bass want the bait moving fast especially as the water warms up into the fifties. The bass can see the spinnerbait good in clear water so your bait should mimic the existing baitfish as closely as possible.

Another great benefit of the willow blade is the ability to burn it through the water. The reduced drag of the willow blade on a spinnerbait, as opposed to the Colorado blade, allows you to speed up your retrieve without fouling the presentation. This is often referred to as burning a spinnerbait.

Burning a spinnerbait is a presentation used in clean water. You don’t want the bass to get a good look at your spinnerbait to determine if it is real or fake. By burning the spinnerbait by them they have less time to make a decision and will often react to it burning by.

Because of the speed that you’re moving the willow blade spinnerbait, a trailer is usually not necessary. If you want to add a trailer then a straight tail fluke style bait works great. A curly tail can add a lot more action to the spinnerbait and is streamlined enough that is works well when burning a spinnerbait. A boot tail swimbait trailer will work but create enough drag to make a fast retrieve more difficult.

Don’t get me wrong a willow bladed spinnerbait can be slow rolled to a point and is what is needed sometimes. I like to throw a willow blade on those 45 degree gravel banks for pre-spawn bass but give me a big old Colorado blade spinnerbait when the bass are tucked up in the shallow treetops and stumps. The most vital thing about fishing a spinnerbait is to gain confidence in it by fishing it and learning what you can do with it. I can assure you when you feel and sometimes see that awesome spinnerbait bite in the spring, you will be hooked.

A big heavy spinnerbait is hard to beat early spring. Photo T. McBroom SPRING - 2024 - 47

to use this spring

PUTTING GOBBLERS TO BED

to take advantage of the fly-down. Survey the Locating the tree where a big tom roost at night area around the roost and mark a good spot for your set-up before you leave. The next morning is not just a good way to get a jump on him ease into your spot well before daylight to get the next morning but it’s also just plain fun. into position to call when the gobbler flies Locating a gobbler’s roost will put you within call range come sunrise and help you bag a tom down.

Once into position and the sun begins to early before he gets henned-up which can make light the horizon give a few subtle clucks and success rates plummet for the turkey hunter, yelps. These subtle calls let the turkeys know unless you have a backup plan. where you are. He could respond with a gobble The best way to find a roosting gobbler while still on his roost. This is your sign that the is to keep moving in the evening, looking and gobbler has acknowledged your location and is listening for turkeys flying up to roost. You interested. When this happens, stop calling. If will know when you hear a flock of turkeys you call too much the gobbler might think the flying up to roost. If you never have it’s an hen is on the ground and he will stay on roost obvious disruption to the still evening woods. waiting for her to come to him. Get the gobbler Turkeys have a fly up cackle and the flapping to acknowledge you then wait for the fly-down of wings, as they settle into the tree limbs are unmistakable, even if it’s just one turkey. When before calling again.

When you hear the gobbler fly down and a flock flies up to roost, it’s noisy. Oftentimes for hit the ground immediately call to the turkey several minutes, as they reposition themselves with your best fly-down cackle. A great addition for the night. This can help you locate a roost to your fly-down cackle is to flop your hat or a from a good distance away. turkey feather erratically on the ground. This When a roost is located it’s important to sounds like a turkey flying down and really gets get as close as possible the next morning. The gobbler will still be on the same roost if it wasn't a turkey’s attention. More times than not this disturbed during the night. Getting close is vital is more than enough to get the gobbler heading 48 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

straight for your position where he thinks there’s will yelp and cluck to keep track of the flock. a hen waiting. Get your gun up and ready for a Whenever you hear a young gobbler shot. A mature tom is looking for a hen and will doing this and it’s off to the side of the flock, see any movement you make. you have a chance. Slip in as close as you can and try to make the subordinate believe one of FOOLING SUBORDINATE TOMS the dominant gobbler’s hens is calling to him.

With the turkey population at an all-time high The best way to do this is by using a subtle across America, you have a pretty good chance yelp call. He will usually come in quick and of coming across a dominant gobbler traveling confident with his guard down. He thinks he’s with hens, jakes, and subordinate gobblers. It finally getting the attention he deserves. Don’t can be next to impossible to call a dominant risk gobbling at this time because he’ll think the gobbler away from his hens. However, it can dominant gobbler is onto him. This will put him be pretty easy to call that flock’s subordinate on alert and he will avoid your calls and the hen gobblers into range. Subordinates are usually he thinks is just inside the wood line.

2-year-old birds that have gotten beat up by Some turkey hunters only want to hunt the dominant gobbler a few times. To keep mature gobblers. For those that just want to fill from upsetting the dominant gobbler these their tag and put some fresh wild turkey on the subordinate gobblers will rarely gobble, but they table remember this tip. You might find a little

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more success when those big gobblers refuse to leave their hens. Calling to a subordinate gobbler or a jake takes a slightly different approach when the flock is all together. Done right can lead to success on your next hunt.

INTRODUCING KIDS TO TURKEY HUNTING

If you plan to introduce a kid to turkey hunting this season make sure they have a shotgun that fits and feels comfortable. Buy a youth model or trim the stock on a full-size shotgun. This is important so that the youngster can comfortably reach the trigger and look down the barrel.

A 20-gauge is best for younger hunters and packs a little less punch on the shoulder. It’s vital to practice with the youth so there’s no anxiety about pulling the trigger. There will be enough nervousness to go around with a gobbler strutting within shotgun range. No need in adding the fear of shooting a big gun. Take your young hunting partner to the range or backyard and have them shoot. This is a great time to go over all safety precautions for handling a gun. Teach them the importance of patterning your shotgun and take their mind off the kick on their shoulder. Practicing like this will eliminate any apprehension they might have. Making the hunt that much more enjoyable.

During the turkey hunt, place the young hunter tightly by your side or inside your knees to help them align the shotgun on an incoming turkey. Before the hunt begins discuss a signal for when to take the shot. A simple signal is to tell them when it’s OK and to fire when ready. This is when the turkey is in range. Explain before the hunt to wait for a clear shot. You don’t want to be explaining for them to wait because there’s another turkey too close or too much brush. Make sure they understand all this before you go to the woods.

If the youngster does get a turkey, they’ll be thrilled. Admire the bird with them, smooth its feathers, feel its beard and spurs. This lets them know it’s OK and it’s a great accomplishment. Be sure take lots of photos. Let them see how proud you are of the job they did. Even if they missed.

Explain to them that missing is just part of it. Immediately get after another bird like it’s no big deal. If you keep the kid up, he will remember the hunt forever. If they get down on themselves for messing up they may never turkey hunt again. Keep an upbeat attitude no matter what happens and you might have a hunting partner for life.

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Nice gobbler taken by Mr. Hunter Sills. Photo Hunter Sills SPRING - 2024 - 51

Garmin Was a Drifter Around 19,000 years ago the people used spears to catch their fish. One day a young boy watched as his people speared fish in the stream. He began to laugh as the spear anglers tripped and splashed about trying to spear a little fish. It took all day to get dinner.

The young boy was convinced there was a better way and set out to create something. Eventually the boy fashioned a small hook from a piece of woolly mammoth tusk he had found while hiking in the lowlands.

The boy began catching fish like nobody else and he thought that he would be celebrated and cheered. Instead, the boy was ridiculed and jeered. The people ignored him and even left him alone to catch fish with his hook. They yelled over their shoulder, cheater! Loser! As they found a new place to spear fish. The boy had a few followers that wanted to try the wooly mammoth hook and some even improved on it and the group grew larger.

Of course, the girls finally came around as they watched these great anglers catch dinner in just a few minutes. They kicked back by the fire and told stories and drank fermented plums until their bellies nearly popped.

Life was good for the losers and the cheaters while the spear people struggled with their spear as many changes took place on the stream as time progressed.

The hook people finally had enough and left the streamside homeplace for deeper waters. With the hook they could ply many more bodies of water and catch many more species of fish. Their bellies grew large with the bounty that the bone hook afforded them and the extra time they had to perfect their plum beer. The stories grew like their bellies with time and fish tells became a thing. Life was good.

This went on for hundreds of years maybe even thousands until one day a drifter came into the hook people’s camp and joined them for dinner. Later, around the campfire, the drifter had his own story to tell. He told of the great spear people that finally went extinct. He said that he was the last of the spear fishers and he had left to find the hook people and join them. He said that the story of the hook people was forbidden even after the spear people couldn’t spear enough fish to save them. The story had become a legend, a myth among the spear fishers, but the drifter believed it was true.

This drifter slept good that night and dreamed of his first fishing trip with the hook that he traveled so far to see. He could see the fish in his dream casually gulp the worm and the hook into its mouth. He could even see the fish fighting against the hook and the 52 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

line as he pulled it from the depths. The next day the drifter caught so many fish that his arm hurt but the smile never left his mouth.

Before the drifter left the hook people to search for new waters and experience new adventures he asked if they would show him how to fashion a hook from bone. The hook maker was more than happy to show the drifter his hook making skills and spent several days with the drifter until he had it right.

It was a perfect morning when the drifter bid farewell. The anglers were preparing to go out in their new invention, the canoe, to try and catch a few fish for fun and food. The drifter waved goodbye and began to leave camp with his knew found knowledge when one of the hook people yelled.

“Hey drifter, we never did get your name.”

“The drifter turned back to see who had asked then responded. My name is Garmin and thank you for the lessons.”

Listen to my interview with Crappie Kirby at KCMO talk radio in Kansas City.

Crappie Kirby reads Garmin Was a Drifter on his radio show, Right Outdoors.

Here is the show. Enjoy

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54 - RAMBLING ANGLER OUTDOORS

BACK IN THE DAY

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