Link: http://www.moldychum.com/hurricane-harvey-relief/
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts
The fellas over at Moldy Chum (great site by the way) had a post today about some early relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. You can check out a few of the companies with fishing ties that are trying to help those in need at the Moldy Chum site or directly at the links below. I also included a link to the American Red Cross as well.
Link: http://www.moldychum.com/hurricane-harvey-relief/
American Red Cross Link
Link: http://www.moldychum.com/hurricane-harvey-relief/
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Miles- 115 pounds of catfsih
Have you ever sat and wondered what 115 pounds of flathead catfish look like. Well this is it! These beasts were caught by members of an amazing family that have a fishing tradition at least 3 generations deep. These cats were caught on the Missouri River and if I didn't know better, I would say these boys have a little muddy water surging through their veins. Congratulations on an amazing haul fellas and keep up the good work!
Also, don't miss seeing the big cat hanging from the tree. It tends to blend in.
Also, don't miss seeing the big cat hanging from the tree. It tends to blend in.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Don't Go Fishing if There is Lightning!
Seriously, just don't do it! Here's some pretty amazing stories that might keep you safe on the water.
Monday, August 28, 2017
Pictures from the weekend
I got to hit a local lake over the weekend with my youngest son and then a little time by myself. The boy and I got into a few bluegill and a really nice redear. After mommy came to pick him up (patience ran out), I hooked into a hard fighting channel cat that went 3-4 pounds. I have no idea why this new Woodard 4 weight is such a catfish magnet, but it is and I am certainly not complaining!
Friday, August 25, 2017
Fly Fishing Alphabet
Last January I wrote a post about a project that I wanted to undertake and I am finally getting around to working on it. You can find the post here, but essentially it involves taking pictures of fishing/fly fishing related scenes. These scenes should resemble a letter from the alphabet. After you snap your picture, you can assemble the pictures into a scene that can spell out whatever you want. You could spell out your last name, favorite fishing spot, your kids' names, whatever. The possibilities are endless. Here's a link to the site that I borrowed the idea from.
Link: https://personal-prints.com/products/fly-fishing-letter-art
I started working on my own, personal alphabet project last weekend and it is coming along nicely. I will be sure to post some final products as they get completed, but here's a small sample of what I have so far. So if you're looking for a fun weekend project, get out there and take some pictures of cool stuff that looks like letters. Weird? Yes. Fun? Absolutely!
Link: https://personal-prints.com/products/fly-fishing-letter-art
I started working on my own, personal alphabet project last weekend and it is coming along nicely. I will be sure to post some final products as they get completed, but here's a small sample of what I have so far. So if you're looking for a fun weekend project, get out there and take some pictures of cool stuff that looks like letters. Weird? Yes. Fun? Absolutely!
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Pond Construction, Management, and Rehabilitation
I've got a cousin with a pond problem. He lives WAY out in the country and has a couple of ponds on his property. He wants to improve the fishing in each one but each one poses its own unique problem. We were discussing his problems and I volunteered to do some research for him in order to improve habitat and fishing conditions. I was able to use some resources on the Missouri Department of Conservation website and found some solutions for him. Specifically, the Pond Management Handbook was a great resource.
Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/property/pond-stream-care
Pond 1: Too Many Green Sunfish
This small 1/4 acre pond has had different species of fish in it over the last 40 years, but currently it only has one resident. Well it sort of has one resident in the sense that it only has one aforementioned species residing in it; the green sunfish. It is so overrun with greenies that you can literally catch them on a bare hook. Some people have come over and used throw nets to catch the little suckers for bait. They reproduce about as fast as they get pulled out. My cousin stated that he wants it to be a crappie pond if possible.
Possible Solution: A Few Bass
Unfortunately for him, crappie are a bad choice in most Missouri ponds. In most cases, only a few survive to grow to a large size or more often, they overpopulate and stay small. According to the information that I found, there were two possible solutions. The first involved using a chemical called rotenone. This chemical blocks the absorption of oxygen by the fish without killing things like frogs, turtles, plant life, or birds. That's the good news. The bad news, you start from scratch with your pond which means lots of small fish for a while. Solution number two involved stocking 10-12 inch bass at a rate of 10-40 per acre. However, my thought was stocking some 15 inch bass that would total 12-15 in numbers. While the green sunfish problem might be around for a while longer, the bass will have plenty to eat and hopefully grow at a consistent and fast rate. Also, the site doesn't recommend transplanting fish from other bodies of water. However, there is another nearby pond that is full of 15 inch bass that are free of parasites and EXTREMELY aggressive. They have also stunted their growth in this pond so taking a few out might free up the others to start growing again.
Pond 2: Too Much Aquatic Vegetation & the Bass Won't Grow
This pond used to be a pretty clean pond with a nice balance of bass, catfish, and bluegill. This is pretty much the standard Missouri Pond configuration. However, after a lack of management for a few years, the catfish stunted their growth, the bluegill took over and the bass disappeared. In an effort to restore order and balance to the pond, some bass were transplanted from another pond. While the bluegill population is under control and the catfish and growing again, the bass are stunted now. Also, there is an abundance of aquatic vegetation that makes fishing difficult and frustrating at times. This pond used to have a grass carp but it died a few years ago.
Solutions:
First of all, I was absolutely shocked that a grass carp will eat 2-3 time its body weight per day! Wow! That should clean things up a little big if he stocks a few of these critters! So the plant problem might be solved, but what about the bass problem? In essence, the solution has already been eluded to; take some bass out. Bass growth will be stunted in a pond if there is over competition for food. Removing some bass will decrease competition for food and growth can start again. It is recommended that some fish annually be removed by anglers in order to maintain balance in the ecosystem. This will also create different ages and classes of fish as well, which is also healthy.
One More Thing
I snapped some pictures of parts of the Pond Management Handbook and thought I would share some parts that I found interesting as well as useful. I hope this helps if you know about a pond management problem.
Pond 1: Too Many Green Sunfish
This small 1/4 acre pond has had different species of fish in it over the last 40 years, but currently it only has one resident. Well it sort of has one resident in the sense that it only has one aforementioned species residing in it; the green sunfish. It is so overrun with greenies that you can literally catch them on a bare hook. Some people have come over and used throw nets to catch the little suckers for bait. They reproduce about as fast as they get pulled out. My cousin stated that he wants it to be a crappie pond if possible.
Possible Solution: A Few Bass
Unfortunately for him, crappie are a bad choice in most Missouri ponds. In most cases, only a few survive to grow to a large size or more often, they overpopulate and stay small. According to the information that I found, there were two possible solutions. The first involved using a chemical called rotenone. This chemical blocks the absorption of oxygen by the fish without killing things like frogs, turtles, plant life, or birds. That's the good news. The bad news, you start from scratch with your pond which means lots of small fish for a while. Solution number two involved stocking 10-12 inch bass at a rate of 10-40 per acre. However, my thought was stocking some 15 inch bass that would total 12-15 in numbers. While the green sunfish problem might be around for a while longer, the bass will have plenty to eat and hopefully grow at a consistent and fast rate. Also, the site doesn't recommend transplanting fish from other bodies of water. However, there is another nearby pond that is full of 15 inch bass that are free of parasites and EXTREMELY aggressive. They have also stunted their growth in this pond so taking a few out might free up the others to start growing again.
Pond 2: Too Much Aquatic Vegetation & the Bass Won't Grow
This pond used to be a pretty clean pond with a nice balance of bass, catfish, and bluegill. This is pretty much the standard Missouri Pond configuration. However, after a lack of management for a few years, the catfish stunted their growth, the bluegill took over and the bass disappeared. In an effort to restore order and balance to the pond, some bass were transplanted from another pond. While the bluegill population is under control and the catfish and growing again, the bass are stunted now. Also, there is an abundance of aquatic vegetation that makes fishing difficult and frustrating at times. This pond used to have a grass carp but it died a few years ago.
Solutions:
First of all, I was absolutely shocked that a grass carp will eat 2-3 time its body weight per day! Wow! That should clean things up a little big if he stocks a few of these critters! So the plant problem might be solved, but what about the bass problem? In essence, the solution has already been eluded to; take some bass out. Bass growth will be stunted in a pond if there is over competition for food. Removing some bass will decrease competition for food and growth can start again. It is recommended that some fish annually be removed by anglers in order to maintain balance in the ecosystem. This will also create different ages and classes of fish as well, which is also healthy.
One More Thing
I snapped some pictures of parts of the Pond Management Handbook and thought I would share some parts that I found interesting as well as useful. I hope this helps if you know about a pond management problem.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Fly Tying Nation
I have no idea how I haven't heard about this blog until now, but this is pretty amazing. Fly Tying Nation is a blog (also found on blogspot aka blogger) and this guy is pretty doggone creative. There are a lot of flies that I have never seen before. My personal favorites are the Franken Mouse and the Water Dragon. Anyway, if you have the time to peruse this site, I hope that you will find something that will catch your interest.
Link: http://dronsworld.blogspot.com/
Link: http://dronsworld.blogspot.com/2016/12/franken-mouse.html
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
The Lake Sturgeon
What a cool fish and an amazing story. I didn't know much about this fish, but I do now! This success story wouldn't be possible without our good people from the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It's nice to see our government helping the environment as well as a fish that isn't going to win any beauty contests!
Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-researchers-discover-lake-sturgeons-swimming-hundreds-miles-through-mississippi-river
Link: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-researchers-discover-lake-sturgeons-swimming-hundreds-miles-through-mississippi-river
Monday, August 21, 2017
Fishing During the Solar Eclipse & Pictures From Last Weekend
Solar Eclipse
There is an interesting research study being conducted by a University of Missouri employee that focuses on feeding habits of fish during the solar eclipse. Anglers are being recruited to participate in the research and (sorry for the late notice) but if you want to participate in the study, please check out the link below!
Link: https://www.bassmaster.com/news/help-study-fish-behavior-during-solar-eclipse
Last Weekend
So last weekend I was lucky enough to hit one of my favorite farm ponds and catch a few fish on a fly. While I didn't catch anything big or put up any grotesque numbers, I was reminded why I (potentially "we") fly fish or fish at all for that matter. I was able to appreciate and admire every single fish and was in awe of their beauty. I was able to snap a few shots while I was on the water but they don't do our wild Missouri fish the justice they deserve.
There is an interesting research study being conducted by a University of Missouri employee that focuses on feeding habits of fish during the solar eclipse. Anglers are being recruited to participate in the research and (sorry for the late notice) but if you want to participate in the study, please check out the link below!
Link: https://www.bassmaster.com/news/help-study-fish-behavior-during-solar-eclipse
Last Weekend
So last weekend I was lucky enough to hit one of my favorite farm ponds and catch a few fish on a fly. While I didn't catch anything big or put up any grotesque numbers, I was reminded why I (potentially "we") fly fish or fish at all for that matter. I was able to appreciate and admire every single fish and was in awe of their beauty. I was able to snap a few shots while I was on the water but they don't do our wild Missouri fish the justice they deserve.
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