CORK, BOBBER OR FLOAT

My introduction to fishing came at the end of some black nylon line with a wine cork tied above a worm baited hook. Between the two was tied a bolt. It was pretty rudimentary but functional.

The first time I saw that cork disappear beneath the surface it seemed this fishing stuff was pretty easy, Not!!!

Regardless of which title one applies to these little pieces of plastic or balsa wood, they are an essential tool or the ground pounder. For our purposes here I will refer to them as bobbers.

Bobbers come in basically two classes: fixed position and slip bobber. The wine cork of my first fishing experience is a classic example of the fixed position bobber. It holds the bait or lure in a set position. The disadvantage is that one can only set the depth at what will allow for casting. That distance is seldom more than the length of one’s rod. Anything longer becomes unwieldy to cast.

Slip bobbers are another situation. They are designed for casting. It allows for the bobber to slide up and down the line and stop at the position where you want to suspend the bait. You set the bobber stop so that the bait will be at or a little above the level you expect the fish to be holding.

With crappie, bluegill and sunfish this distance will be a little up off the bottom. One experiments as to how deep or shallow the bobber should be set. For channel catfish this is usually about 9 inches off the bottom. Flatheads and blue catfish it is just above where the fish are suspended as they feed up from their positions.

Channel catfish in put and take lakes are often inclined to feed about 18 inches beneath the surface. I suspect this is because they are accustomed to being fed pellets where they are raised.

All bobbers come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Generally smaller is better. On windy days a low profile bobber is less inclined to be move around by the wind and waves.

Ground pounders need to know the depth near shore and do not have the luxury of an electronic depth finder. A basic way of finding the bottom is through the use of the bobber.

If the bobber lies on its side, it is set too shallow. If it rides vertical then you are just touching bottom or close to it.

The typical slip bobber rig consists of a bobber stop that is slipped onto the line and slid up it to the desired depth. It is a good idea to slide the knot slowly. Heat from the friction of sliding the line too quickly can damage the line and even cause it to break unexpectedly. If the stop fits too loosely, soak it in water. Most are made of thread that will absorb water and tighten on the line.

Next place a small plastic bead on the line and below the top. It will keep the bobber from slipping past the stop.

Then tie a hook at the end of the line. The hook can be a bait hook, a jig or jig combo. About 12 to 18 inches above the hook or jig, place the desired amount of split shot needed to hold the bobber upright in the water. The split shot can also be added to in order to make the smallest amount of the bobber showing above the surface. It makes the float less buoyant so that shy-biting fish won’t have to pull against the extra buoyancy. The stop can be raised or lowered on the line in order to make the hook or jig suspend at a desired depth.

Regardless of whether one uses the fixed position bobber or a slip bobber rig, bobber fishing is basic fishing. Used properly and with an understanding of its purpose, the bobber can greatly enhance a fisherman’s chances to catch fish.


                                                               Don Gasaway - The Ground Pounder

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The Big Girls are Dancing!!!

Dennis Whiteside, my long-time friend whom I have hunted and fished with since we our college days, sent me a message about ten days ago. It went on and on about how good the fishing was about to become, as he envisioned heavy-bodied, tail-walking bass trying to throw a top-water lure. Then he ended it with, “take my word for it, the big girls will dance this week.”

Some of us who fish with him had a good laugh out of it, accusing him of smoking some of those water weeds that grow along the river. But Dennis gets exuberant when conditions are right for great fishing, and he was right. He ought to know, he spends all of his time any more guiding fishermen on Ozark rivers in Missouri and Arkansas.

On the same day he had a pair of smallmouth fishermen wearing themselves out down in north Arkansas landing big smallmouth on buzz baits and surface poppers, Uncle Norten and I floated down the lower stretches of a Missouri stream. We were using topwater lures too. And I lost one of the best double-bladed buzz-baits I have, when a huge bass took it from the surface beneath a rock bluff in water that was 8 or 10 feet deep.

I don’t know for sure how big he was, but I saw him very well, and I thought I had him whipped. When you are using casting gear and fourteen-pound line, you don’t expect to have a bass break off, but I was too impatient, and when I got him next to my boat, he was just too close for my drag to work properly. He was a beauty, wide and green, maybe seven and a half pounds.

And maybe there was a nick in my line. Who knows… he took my buzz spin and splashed water in my face. It is a humiliating thing for a grizzled old veteran outdoorsman to endure.

A few minutes later Uncle Norten landed a bass better than five pounds, and I tied on another buzz-spin, this time a black one, with only one big blade. It was getting dark, and I told him we’d fish another fifteen minutes and go in. I was pretty doggone dejected.

Casting the opposite bank, where the water is shallower, and there were several big logs… I was thinking about how I never seem to land the big ones, and feeling sorry for myself. Suddenly there was a flash of white above a log, a commotion on the surface where my bladed bait was limping along, making bubble tracks on the surface, and it was gone.

You spend all your time fishing a topwater lure, looking for that strike from a big fish and it always seems to come when you least expect it, when you are thinking where you might ought to make your next cast. And right then, in the edge of the evening, while I was expecting it the least, one of the four biggest bass I have ever caught clobbered that buzz-spin with the ferocity of a wolf taking down a young deer. I knew there’d better not be a weak place in the line again, because I had to tighten the drag on my old Ambassadeur reel in order to get her out of those logs.

The old bass knew what to do, and I had to strain that rod hard to keep it from going down deep and hanging me up in that brushpile. When I got her out of that mess, there was open water between us, and she had no recourse but to try to throw the lure back at me by coming up out of the water on her tail. I wished Whiteside could have been there. Sure enough, “The big girl was dancing”.
You lose a lot of big bass when they come out of water and shake their head that way, well above the surface. When I saw that bass, my pulse jumped a little with her. I pulled her down as best I could and told my uncle that this time we’d use a net. And I tried to be patient, as she fought hard down deep, then came to the surface a second time.

The hook was solid in her lower jaw, and I was perhaps luckier than I was good. In the fading light, the picture wasn’t very clear, but we got one, as I lifted her high and marveled at that huge mouth and head. I think, that in the spring, when she would perhaps be better fed and full of eggs that bass would have maybe weighed nine pounds. She was 24 inches long, and that’s huge for an Ozark river. While she was not my biggest bass, she was the biggest I have ever taken on a topwater lure. Her tail was chopped off on top and shaped like a hooked bottle opener, her lower jaw jutted out too far, and she didn’t have much of a body, much too thin and long. That happens when a bass gets old. She was kind of an old lady, but she could still dance. Maybe next spring, she will still be there for another dance like the one last week. For sure, I will know her if I ever see her again.

I need a deer! If some of you bowhunters out there bag one toward the end of next week, we will process it for you free of charge. Joplin taxidermist Don Scott will put on a deer de-boning exhibitition at our Grizzled Old Outdoorsman’s Swapmeet on Saturday October 9, at 2 p.m. You’ll want to see this, if you are a deer hunter. Don will completely remove every bone in the carcass, and leave a complete, de-boned deer hanging, with all the meat intact and ready to be cut up and frozen, with no bones! It is hard to believe, but he swears he will do it, and teach you how to do it too.

Our swap meet, at the Brighton Assembly of God Church Gymnasium, 17 miles north of Springfield, just off Highway 13, will have about 50 tables filled with the following items… Old and new fishing equipment, lots of antique lures, antique guns, antique outdoor magazines and several antique outboard motors. There will be all kinds of artwork, woodcarvings and wooden gifts, canned goods, unique outdoor gifts, some boats and motors and much much more. If you want to reserve a table, or just bring a few items of your own to sell, you need to call me, or contact me somehow. We’ll open at 9 a.m. and stay until at least 3 p.m. It is free to the public. We still have about 10 tables available.

I will be there with all my books, signing them for readers of this column, and the proceeds from those book sales will go to buy coats and shoes for needy Ozark school kids this winter. I hope to meet many of you. The church will have a big dinner at mid-day for all who attend. And we want to recognize all the World War II veterans who attend. See my website for a map and more details about that day… www.larrydablemontoutdoors.blogspot.com or call me at 417 777 5227. My e-mail address is lightninridge@windstream.net, mailing address is Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613.

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FALL WHITE BASS ARE A BLAST

White bass fishing in the fall is a blast. Spectacular fishing occurs from early September through mid October.

During spring, white bass move to staging areas and then into the spawning areas of lakes and rivers. In the fall the process is reversed. Key areas are current areas and rock or gravel points. These are ideal locations for ground pounders.

White bass are a cousin of the saltwater striped bass and as such have much of the savage instinct of their brethren. They will hit light tackle and give the angler more than he can handle.

As the water temperatures begin to fall below the mid fifties, white bass begin to seek deeper water. Generally they will be found suspended over structure or on the bottom in creek channels. This is when vertical jigging with a slip bobber comes into play.

Catching white bass is easy, finding them is the tough part.

White bass are an active fish that feeds constantly. Whites prefer to spend their time in water deeper than 10 feet but will often move into the shallows to feed. Their favorite meal is shad. If the angler can find large schools of shad, chances are that the white bass are near. Late in the fall shad will congregate in coves.

On warmer days whites will feed on the surface, concentrations of seagulls will pinpoint the location for the angler. At close range, he can find them by spotting the splashing water caused by the feeding fish breaking the surface as they chase the shad. At times the fish will stay up for ten to fifteen minutes. More often they will feed for only a minute or two and then dive back down. Usually they will surface again a short distance away.

A little later, the whites become more difficult to find. The easiest way to find them is to go where all the other ground pounders are and join in the action.

If you don't have someone else to follow, it is possible to find white bass by fan casting small deep diving crankbaits. Start in the mouth of the feeder creeks and work back up river until you find the fish. Once you find the white bass, then dig out the jigs and minnows.

For the shore angler, it is possible to wade rock and gravel points and cast into the edge of current breaks. The key to success is to cover water.

Light tackle is a must for white bass. Small jigs are good with line in the four to eight pound test range. Small tube jigs tipped with a plastic grub will do the job. The grubs should be ones with contrasting dark and light colors work.

The astute angler will notice the size of the bait fish and match his lure to that size.

Perhaps the best rig at this time of the year is the tandem rig used often by crappie anglers. Tie your main line to a three way swivel. Next tie leaders of different lengths to each of the other two parts of the swivel. Some good lengths are 12 and 24 inches. To each of these leaders tie a jig with a small minnow attached.

With this rig suspended beneath a slip bobber one can fish on the bottom and also just off the bottom at the same time. It also allows one to set the hook when a fish hits one jig and wait for another white to hit the second jig.

Blade baits and small spinners also are effective on white bass. Fly fisherman report success using a flashy feathered streamer patten.

Angling success tends to be dependant on year hatches. A year with incredible numbers can help carry the population over lean years. The best fishing, in a particular body of water, is likely to be about two years after a large year hatch.

Fall whites are great fun and a way to pass time until hunting season.


                                                           Don Gasaway - The Ground Pounder

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JOE'S VISITOR

Joe stepped through the front door of his cabin onto his porch and walked right into a spider web, with a spider the size of a quarter running across his face. He noted how hot it was for September and cussed the abundance of spider webs. His old hound lay there on the porch scratching away. For some reason, Joe just had all he could take.  He looked toward the heavens and asked God if He had any idea just what he was doing when he made spiders and snakes and fleas and carp.

He sat down in his old rocking chair and nearly jumped out of his skin when he became aware that he was not alone. “Who the dickens are you and where did you come from?” he said with a start, although it was obvious who the visitor was… It was an angel, you could tell by the halo and the wings.

“God sent me to talk with you,” the stranger said with an angelic voice. “You complain constantly anymore Joe, and you once were so happy and cheery. What would it take to make you less grumpy, a little more satisfied with life?"

“Well, you just caught me at a bad time, is all…” Joe answered, “I’m sorta cranky this mornin’ because I didn’t sleep well last night with this sore back, and that thunderstorm yesterday washed all the gravel off my road and the handle is broke out of the shovel… an’ my old hound is full of fleas.”
“Maybe we can fix the flea problem,” the angel said, “I can send some snow in a week or so and get the temperature down in the twenties for awhile.”

“Now see, there’s what aggervates me,” Joe said.“Everything is so extreme. When it rains it just pours down in buckets, and when it don’t, it don’t for weeks at a time.  Now it’s been 85 degrees for a week and you’re fixin’ to give us a freeze-up and a snowstorm! Why can’t there be a happy medium?”

The angel just smiled… “You are thinking of heaven Joe. This is the earth you are living on. Men have made the weather what it is by activities that lacked much wisdom over the centuries. But since you have been a good man, to some extent, over the majority of your lifetime, maybe I can speak to the Creator in your behalf and have some things done to your liking. What are the things you would most like to see changed in your life besides the weather?”

Joe thought about that for a moment, as he glanced at the angel, trying to figure out how this could all come about.  He had assumed this visit meant he was about to be escorted to the pearly gates to explain a lot of things.  Now it appeared someone actually cared what he thought.

“Well,” he said as he rubbed his hands over his white beard. “There’s some little things I guess, like tomatoes. I’d like to see tomatoes get ripe about the first of June around here and keep growin’ ‘til about the first of October… I reckon that ain’t too much out of line.”

“I think it is a reasonable request,” the angel said, “because it would be a good thing for many, and I assume you are thinking a bit of your neighbors.”

Buoyed by that affirmation, Joe continued. “And it would be nice if we had a couple of years with no snakes nor mosquitoes or fleas and none of these dad-blamed spiders… excuse my language there.” The angel nodded, more unselfish things which would be good for everyone in the river valley. He bade Joe to go on.

“Well they’s other things,” the old man said. “Like that hole down there in the river where I fish. There’s carp in there that’ll go 10 pounds, lots of ‘em. But I only caught three walleyes last spring and there wasn’t a one of them bigger than 18 inches. Seems like if God was payin’ attention when he made that river he’d at least of made the walleyes outnumber the carp or made the walleyes big and the carp little.”

“But Joe,” the angel said, “If you had plenty of big walleye, catching them would not be the challenge you now enjoy, and you would be tired of eating them so much. Why there was a time long ago that men who lived along this river complained because there were so many fish and not enough chickens! And as for the carp, God didn’t put them here in your river, men did.”

Joe rubbed his beard again, and thought to himself that whoever brought those carp to the Ozarks ought to have been looked at awfully hard before they were let into heaven.  “Well, that may be,” he said, “but how come the chicken hawks outnumber the bobwhite quail, and there’s more coyotes any more than they is rabbits? Maybe you could do something about that… for the good of all mankind that is.”

“I understand, Joe,” the angel said, smiling, “and while I can’t promise anything, I certainly will make your feelings known.  It is commendable of you to think of others this way, but what would you have me do just for you?”
Joe thought hard about that, wondering if the angel wasn’t just having some fun with him. What was the puzzle? Surely that angel knew how he loved to hunt quail and rabbits. 

“I suppose I’d like to get me a good-sized buck this fall,” Joe said. “Them neighbors of mine spotlight the big ones ever year, why all I got the last year was a forkhorn and a six-pointer that had ears bigger than his antlers. An’ I’d just once like to sneak up over that pond bank of mine about Christmas time and see a big flock of greenhead mallards again…  instead of them darn coots. What made God create coots, I wonder?” 

“And I reckon it’d be a great Thanksgiving if I could get a wild gobbler instead of some little old scraggly hen turkey,” he continued. Then too, maybe we could have one mild winter, with no snow for a change. Last year I was out tryin’ to cut firewood with snow up to my… well… it’d be nice to see jonquils by the middle of February.”

“I understand Joe,” the angel said, as the heavenly guest rose and prepared to leave.  “It makes it hard for me sometimes. The little Thompson twins have been praying for a white Christmas, you know. But…if you are willing to leave with me, you can have all you wish for and much more in heaven. It’s a nice place.”

Joe became a little nervous… “I figured I was still a little young for that,” he said, “and besides I got grandkids and neighbors that’s gonna need me around here for a spell. I reckon I won’t need so much after all, if I stay around here. Things ain’t been so bad, if you get right down to it. Most of the time, I’m plumb happy.”

“It’s good to hear you say that Joe,” the angel said with an understanding nod and a smile. “It’s just that you complain so much I have been worried about you. And remember, only a few years ago you vowed that if God would let the Cardinals win the World Series you’d be so happy you’d never ask for another thing!”

Later that day, Joe headed for the river with his old hound alongside, and his fishing rod over his shoulder. He was whistling as he went, enjoying that beautiful September day, counting his blessings.

E-mail Joe and Larry, at lightninridge@windstream.net, or write to them at Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613. The website is www.larrydablemontoutdoors.blogspot.com

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FLY FISHING IS MORE THAN HOOK AND FEATHERS

Watching a line cut through the misty, predawn, this ground pounder enjoys the serenity becoming one with nature. The line snakes ever further out over the water landing on the surface. With a splash, a fish devours the small batch of glue, feathers, string and hook.

Time was when ground pounders looked askance at anyone who fished with a fly rod. They were seen as elitist snobs who more properly belonged in the northeastern states on a trout stream. There was a mystique attached to the sport. It had its own jargon. After all, what the heck is a "tippet"? What kind of self respecting ground pounder would call his lure a "woolly bugger"?

Fly fishing has become mainstream. Not only is it enjoyed by anglers across the country, it is used to catch all species of fish. Fly fishing is probably the fastest growing segment of angling. Specialty shops are springing up and classes are taught all year around in schools, ponds and tackle shops. They teach everything from fly tying to actual fishing techniques.

In a pro shop, one can find people anxious to teach the novice about the sport for two main reasons. One is that they love the sport and want others to enjoy it. The second is that they depend upon anglers purchasing tackle for their livelihood. Their future depends upon the continued growth of the sport.

The shop operator can explain and demonstrate equipment. He can cut through some of the jargon and tell you what a "tippet" really is and what is its use. He will even show you a "woolly bugger". It is the pro's job to take some of the intimidation out of beginning in a new sport.

Helpful in getting started are the kits marketed by some of the mainstream tackle manufacturers. A kit comes with rod, reel, line, etc. The tackle is usually matched to each other and to a particular species of fish.

There are four basic areas of tackle to be approached: the rod, the reel, lines, and lures. In addition, it would be a good idea to take some instruction, read books and magazines, or view a couple of videos. Check local tackle shops for a fly fishing section. With the right equipment and a little practice, one can quickly get into the sport.

Fly rods come in different weights and are marked on the rod with numbers from 1 to 13. They run in lengths from 6.5 feet to 9 feet. The longer ones are usually for casting large wind resistant lures with heavier line. Shorter rods are for fishing small streams. Beginners are probably better off with the middle size of 6 or 7 which are good for bass and bluegill. Most beginning anglers are well advised to stick to a rod that is made of fiberglass rather than some of the other materials that cost more. A glass rod will allow one to cast medium size bass bugs as well as small panfish lures.

Every rod needs a reel to go with it. The reel in fly fishing has nothing to do with the casting. It is a simple, single action, line holder. The spool is usually about 3/4 inches wide with a friction built in so that the line does not roll off without some pull by the angler. The weight of a reel should balance the rod. It should also match the species one plans to catch. For bass and panfish the reel will only help keep the kinks out of the fly line. For larger fish a different reel with drag is advisable. A quality reel is a lifetime investment that can be passed on to other generations. The angler should purchase the best reel that he can afford.

Modern fly lines are of many types and weights. They are matched to the fish the angler plans to pursue. The best all around line for the beginner is the floating line. It works for bass and bluegill as well as dry flies. Later one can graduate to the floating line with sinking tips, slow sinking and fast sinking liens which are used to put lies at different depths for fish such as northern pike, catfish, and walleye.

Fly lines are tapered toward the leader end and there is only about 30 yards on the average line. For bass bug casting, one uses weight forward line. The extra weight at the forward end of the line helps push bugs or flies. Most good rods will have the size and type of line that is recommended for that particular rod written on them.

At the end of the line is the leader which is usually about 6 to 7 feet in length. Most are tapered to a small size at the tippet. Knotless tapered leaders are easiest to handle. Tippet strength is marked by an "X" number. 2X or 3X are good numbers.

Then there is the lure to consider. Begin with small bass surface bugs in plastic, cork, or deer hair for panfishing. Little sinking bugs can be used for bluegills. Number 10 or 12 are good sizes in dry, wet or nymph flies. Number 6, 8, or 10 are good for streamers which are supposed to look like minnows to the fish. As for colors, choose black and browns or grays and white.

In addition to pro shops, there are numerous sporting goods stores that have fly fishing sections. Fly fishing equipment is also available from the major mail order companies such as Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops.

Finally, one can learn on his own by doing. There are many local lakes, rivers or ponds that lend themselves to fly fishing.


                                                        Don Gasaway - The Ground Pounder

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The Place to Be…Outdoors!

Missouri's special Canada goose season is just ahead inearly October, with a daily limit of three. It is to take advantage of theresident population of giant Canadas which have mushroomed in number over the past few years.

What a time to be an outdoorsman! I don’t think I ever saw so many squirrels and so many hickory nuts.  Up here on Lightnin’Ridge, there’s a carpet of hickory nut cuttings, and young squirrels are fighting over the best limbs to set on. Trouble is, the woodlands are still so green, and there are so many spider webs across the trails. I hate spider webs. 
You can still find a copperhead or two if you aren’t careful… and I ain’t all that crazy about them either!  This time of year they look for warm places as the night cools.  Rock and concrete hold warmth, and they are drawn to concrete driveways and pavement at dusk. Last year one was drawn to my front porch, and another one came into my basement because I made the mistake of leaving the big overhead door open.

I live on a pretty good copperhead ridge, but then again, you take the good with the bad. The number of wildlife species found around my home on this wooded ridgetop is amazing. I love the birds which move in and out seasonally, and about a week ago, late in the evening, there was a bobcat in my backyard. I sit on my back porch sometimes and marvel at the increasing activity. Butterflies are everywhere, doves and rabbits feed around the garden.

Doves are coming to the Ozarks now by the thousands from up north. And the season on them extends through this month. Most hunters quit them within the first week so if you want to hunt doves, some of the best hunting can be found in days ahead.  But another bird is moving in too, the blue-winged teal.  Actually, they are a little behind schedule, but I keep thinking they will get here soon because of the cool weather we are having.
 
They are the first of the migrating waterfowl, little drab-looking ducks with light blue wing panels about half the size of the mallard. If you know how, you can look at the tail feathers and tell if a teal is a mature bird, or one hatched this past spring. Young birds have a notch in the end of the tail feathers. In a good year, there will be three or four young teal in your game bag for every mature one. That tells you that most puddle ducks like mallards and gadwall and widgeon probably had a pretty spring hatch as well. Blue-wings are drably colored now, but when they come back through in April, they are beautiful. The drakes have a white crescent like a quarter moon in front of the eye, and their heads are iridescent black and blue. You can’t describe any beautiful creature adequately. You have to see them.

The teal season opened last Saturday, the eleventh, and I will try to hunt them and doves this week if I can, but then again, I know some places on rivers above some of our Ozark lakes where the bass will be tearing things up, and it is hard not to go after them. If I do that, I can also set some trotlines and try to catch some catfish. This time of year you can occasionally get a forty or fifty pound flathead. I caught really big bass last year on suspending rogues, a bait you jerk and stop. But those lures also catch two other fish moving up the tributaries in the fall, walleye and hybrids (striper-white bass). And from now way into October, it will get better and better. If you ever hook a hybrid that is 12 or 15 pounds in size, you will never forget it. It is a fight that, like the wild ducks, can’t be adequately described.

Archery season opens this month for deer, way to early for me because there’s the fall turkey season in October, and a special Canada goose season from October 2 to October 10.  You are allowed three geese per day, and we have a ton of Canada geese in the lower Midwest now. But goose hunting is a great deal more difficult than hunting deer with a bow or turkeys.  It involves finding a field where they are feeding or water where they are resting, and using decoys.  It can get to be work. Teal hunting is also work at times, and marshes in September have water snakes and mosquitoes. But hunting teal and geese have a special attraction for me because I love to take my Labrador and let them retrieve. If you never owned a young Labrador, you have missed out on much of what makes life worth living. It is a way to have high blood pressure without even trying. 

I have to take this opportunity to clear up something about our outdoorsman’s swap meet on October the 9th.  Someone the other day mentioned that I must make a lot of money out of that day, because I sell a lot of my books there. That’s not why we have the event, we do it to raise money for some specific charitable causes, and the profit made from selling my books on that day will go toward buying winter coats and shoes for some kids who don’t have them. I got involved in that with a big church in Mtn. Grove, Missouri many years ago, and another in Parsons, Kansas. 

I just love having that day, because I get to meet so many of my readers, but there is no money involved for many of us who are working at this event. We decided, since it is held in a church gymnasium at the Brighton Assembly of God, that we aren’t going to charge anyone who wants a table, and it is open to the public free. The church members who are putting on a big dinner will charge for the meal, but not to make a profit, just to pay for the food, and money left over from that meal will also go to charity.

Last year more than 50 tables were filled with all kinds of outdoor gear and antiques, and before noon we had more than 1000 people come in to take advantage of those bargains. We hope those who have tables will sell a lot of items and donate something back to our charity, but no one has to pay anything. It will be a great day, and I hope you can come.  In this column, I will keep giving details as to the outdoor items we will have, inside and outside.

So far about half the tables have been spoken for, but we only have about 50 so if you want a table, you have to let me no as soon as possible.  I think we’ll be full before October gets here.

And when it is all over, we will announce in this column how much money we raised, and some kids in the Ozarks who do not have adequate shoes or coats for the upcoming winter will have some. Last year the sale of my books alone raised nearly five hundred dollars, and the rest of the swap meet doubled that. I would love to raise 2,000 dollars this year. Please come and be a part of it. One fellow last year told me he bought some fishing reels and lures that were worth three times what he paid for them. 

Come and help me that Saturday, we will have a great day. Write to me at Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613 or e-mail me at lightninridge@windstream.net. Call Ms Wiggins to reserve a table. She works here in my office when she isn’t outside trying to shoot squirrels out of my hickory trees. Her number is 417 777 5227.  My website is www.larrydablemontoutdoors.blogspot.com
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In Pursuit of a Big Cat

The first thing you need to catch a big flathead catfish is a nice farm pond full of “perch”. Well, actually, they aren’t perch. They are sunfish, of one kind or another.  “Perch” is a term the old timers in the pool hall gave to all types of panfish in the Ozarks, and it has been difficult to for me to stop calling them that.

Actually, a perch is a northern fish which fishermen in Canada see as a nuisance fish, because they never get very large. The walleye is also a perch, a member of the perch family, but the little yellow perch, which outnumbers most fish in some northern waters, is usually stunted and full of ‘yellow grub’ parasites. When you do indeed find yellow perch that are 12 or 15 inches long, they are as good to eat as the walleye.

You can say that about our sunfish… when you get good big ones, they are very good to eat. In Ozark streams, green sunfish can get very hefty, and so can bluegills in our farm ponds and large Ozark reservoirs.

But most of the time, in a farm pond, you will catch those species just too small to eat. So you convert them to catfish by using them as bait. A third species of sunfish, the spectacularly-colored long-ear sunfish, also known as a ‘punkinseed’ to many, seldom reaches an edible size, but they are great catfish bait. And sometimes in farm ponds around the Ozarks you will find hybridized sunfish, half of one species and half of another. It doesn’t matter, a flathead catfish wants live bait, and any of those little sunfish will do.

So to catch a big flathead, you first have to find a place where you can catch a hundred or so live sunfish and then you head to the river or lake, where you set a trotline in water where the flathead, also known as yellow catfish, would be found.  They like a little deeper water this time of year, around big bluffs, where there are huge underwater boulders or submerged logs of substantial size.  You learn in time, what to look for. Flatheads come in all sizes of course, but if you set a trotline, you are hoping for something between 20 and 50 pounds, and aware that on occasion Ozark fishermen catch them up to 70 or 80 pounds. That’s a tremendous fish.

In lakes throughout the Ozarks, there are also channel catfish, which can reach sizes up to 20 or 25 pounds, but normally are less than 10. The blue catfish is more similar to a channel cat than a flathead, but different in many ways, the main ways being the size to which he can grow. Blue catfish too, can be taken up to 70 or 80 pounds.

It is a good time to go after them, as the water cools and they feel the urge to fatten up for the winter. Both blues and channel cat will take the live sunfish, but they are also taken on nightcrawlers, dead shad, chicken livers, and prepared “stinkbaits”. But, for any of the three species in the early fall or late summer, I prefer the sunfish. And besides, if you have youngsters or grandchildren, they’ll love helping to catch the bait. There’s nothing wrong with going to a farm pond or creek and doing some “perch-jerking” as it is so often called by old-time Ozarkians like me.

If you are a catfisherman, and would like to help a good cause, I have volunteered to help feed catfish to a gathering of senior citizens and veterans at Cabool, Mo on September 18. I may need some help, so you can call me if you would like to donate some fish. But if I don’t get any help at all, I still figure I can do it, after all, I have been after catfish a whole lifetime, guided as a youth by my grandfather and those old timers in the pool hall who reckoned that trotlining was a lot of work, but worth doing.

Ol’ Jim once told me that a little hard work never hurt anyone unless they had a stroke or a heart attack, or fell out of the boat and drowned. And therefore he avoided it. He said that at the age of twenty-five a man ought to be setting trotlines for big catfish, but at the age of sixty-five he needed to think more about cane-poles and crappie… and shade.  Jim was quite a philosopher. It was Ol’ Jim who told me… “if you don’t have somethin’ good to say about somebody, be danged sure it never gets back to ‘em.”

But back to the idea of catching catfish. It only takes one 30 or 40 pound flathead to feed a lot of people, and that’s what I am going after this week. I set trotlines for flathead with rock weights about the size of a man’s fist, one every five hooks along that line. You need big hooks for flatheads or blues, size 4-0. While the 6-0 is plenty big enough for the channel cat, why use them when you might hook a huge blue or flathead. Stay with the bigger hooks and you won’t be sorry. Be sure the hook-lines, off the main lines are between 18 and 24 inches in length, and don’t use snaps. Loop them on, and be sure there are knots in the main line so hooks and stagions won’t slide.

But that weighted line is dangerous. Should you become entangled in it, or hooked, it can pull you under, even if you have a life jacket on. Grandpa and dad taught me when I was very young that it was wise to wear a sharp knife in a sheath for that very possibility. You need to be able to cut yourself free in a hurry. Two sheathed knives on your belt won’t hurt.

Remember if you set trotlines you are only allowed 33 hooks and they must be spaced three feet apart to be legal. If you have a rod and reel in your boat you are using to fish for catfish, you are only allowed 32 hooks on that line. And remember that on one end, you must have a tag of some kind, (I use a flat piece of wood) with a name and address on it, and your fishing license number if you have one.

I’ll let you know if we catch a big one. In the meantime, if you have catfish to donate to that fish fry, call my secretary, Ms. Wiggins, at 417 777 5227, or write to me at Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613. The e-mail address is lightninridge@windstream.net.

I hope to have all the information about our Outdoorsman’s swap meet on my website this week sometime, including a map. It will be held on Saturday October 9 at the Brighton Assembly of God gymnasium just off Highway 13… 17 miles north of Springfield.  We hope to fill fifty tables, so if you want to reserve one to use to sell outdoor items of one sort or another, let me know. Or you can bring a boat or canoe, and set it up outside. Last year this event drew over 1,000 people. It will be great fun again this year, and the church will serve a big dinner after noon.

See all the details on www.larrydablemontoutdoors.blogspot.com, or call for more information. Tell Ms. Wiggins you want to speak to me.

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FALL GROUND POUNDING GREAT EXPERIENCE

An excellent adjunct to the fall hunting seasons is fall fishing. Anglers do not have to have boats and all that goes with them to enjoy some great fishing action.

The key factor is finding an area with abundant shoreline. Scout the area for clues as to the location of fish. Natural vegetation, man-made structures and natural structure can be tips as to the location of good fish habitats.

Most bodies of water have a forage fish. It can be minnows, shad, shiners or a number of other small fish and crustaceans. The big predator fish movement is determined by the aquatic forage. In early fall, they tend to move into the shallows and coves to find warmer water. The predators follow them. The action seems to move near the shore.

Good locations include such areas as may be windblown and those areas near the entrance to bays and coves. A good location is one made for an ambush.

Veteran ground pounders obtain maps of areas they plan to fish. On the maps they mark the location on structure, vegetation and depths of water. They also search out natural conditions such as overhanging branches, fallen trees, submerged timber and flooded brush.

Man-made structures also provide fish habitats. This includes marinas, docks, diving platforms, rip rap, spillways and dams. One angler of my acquaintance has an old refrigerator marked on his map. He claims to have taken some big bass off that appliance.

Areas where streams and rivers enter or exit lakes and ponds attract predator fish. They use the adjacent structure for concealment and then move to the fast water to feed. Eddies in rivers and streams serve a similar purpose.

Before embarking on a fishing trip along one of these shorelines, be sure to have the landowner’s permission. Assure him that you will respect his property, close gates and not break fences. Also, be sure to take all your trash out with you. It helps to carry a plastic garbage bag for this purpose and to pick up any other litter you might encounter. Leave the land better than you found it, and you will be welcomed back the next time.

As for tackle, it is important to rig equipment to match the targeted fish species. However, ground pounders should use a rod stiff enough and line heavy enough to control the cast in the shoreline environment.

A variety of jigs, spoons, crankbaits, topwater lures and live bait rigs will cover most situations. A small tackle box is recommended to maintain the ability to be mobile. A selection of baits smaller than 1/4 ounce is recommended. Light colored jigs are good as they are representative a number of bait species.

Chest waders are recommended for the ground pounders. Using waders allows one more flexibility as to where he can go along the shoreline. Shore anglers are usually most successful if they can quietly and efficiently cast to key areas for feeding fish. These areas may not always be available from land.

Patience is important to the ground pounder. He must wait for the fish to come to him. The good thing about fall fishing is that the fish are hungry and one does not have to wait long to be in feeding fish.

                                                          Don Gasaway - The Ground Pounder

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