JIG FISHING BASICS

Bass fishing with jigs is a tried and true technique for the bass fisherman with a boat. Shore anglers are beginning to use more with success by fan casting.

There are a number of types of jigs on the market. The little finesse jig with its smaller profile are popular. Some people think that the only place you can use them is in clear water situations or rocky lakes. They work well in stained water as well.

It is just a smaller profile jig with thinner wire hook and weed guard. The finesse jig requires lighter line. Anglers usually add a small crawfish or small chunk. The natural look of the jig is enhanced by staying with basic colors of brown, pumpkin or green/pumpkin. Because crawfish are a basic food for bass, the trailer helps to make the jig appear like one. It is recommended that one stay with the 1/4 ounce to half ounce size it is possible to go with 3/8 ounce.
Bigger jigs that have been popular for years still work. Some people call them Bubba jigs. The best technique in the summer is to punch the jigs through the grass in 8 to 15 feet of water. One usually uses a one and one quarter ounce jig with a really big craw on it. This rig has proven itself year after year.

Many people lack confidence in the jig as a bait. Pros recommend that one stick with the basic colors of: black, blue, brown and pumpkin. It is good to try to develop a feel for the jig whenever you go fishing.

Confidence is a key to jig fishing. If you lack confidence the only way you will get it is by using the jig. You might not get a whole lot of bites the first time. But, if you just experiment and keep trying eventually you will have a day with a bunch of bites. That builds your confidence. You have to develop a feel for it.

When fishing in grass, use the jig on braided line. If fishing in wood or grass then the fluorocarbon line is recommended. It is a lot more sensitive than monofilament line.

Swim the jig around wood type cover. A lot of people too often fish the jig only on the bottom. If fishing a lay down in a river, try using a 3/8th ounce jig and not let it hit the bottom. Just swim it through the branches. Fish like to suspend in such areas.

The urge is to throw into the branches, allow the jig to fall to the bottom and then bring it back to the boat. Keep it swimming through the branches for those suspended fish. Larger jigs have more buoyancy than the smaller profile jig. You can also put a larger craw on it.

Some people tight line a jig. They do not let the jig fall naturally. When fishing a jig on the bottom toss it to the bottom by allowing a slack line. Do not lose contact with the jig. It will fall more naturally than letting it fall with a tight line. If you feel something heavy on the line set the hook. If hoping it immediately releases more line to the jig. The idea is to let the jig fall naturally. It comes with practice.

Sometimes fish just want the jig on the bottom. If that is the plan then do not use a lot or rod movement. Just crawl the jig along the bottom. If you are not having any success with that bring the rod from the nine o’clock position to 12 o’clock and hop it. If the fish really want it way up off the bottom then you can continue to a 3 o’clock position. It is a reaction strike and it is something you just have to play with to see if they want one on the bottom or higher up.

Another technique is swimming the jig around boat docks. Many times after the spawn fish will suspend around boat docks. Target the foam. Look for the dock or marina that has foam around it. Use a light jig because the fish are feeding on shad. Fish the jig like a spinnerbait around that stuff. You just cast up there and hop it back with a swimming action. Keep the jig just under the water like you would a spinnerbait working boat docks.

If fishing a chunk or craw on the back of the jig, try adding a rattle for sound. It can really make a difference.

If one takes a rattleback jig and shakes it in his hand it makes a lot of noise. But, if you put it in the water it does not really make a whole lot of noise. If you put the rattle in the plastic trailer it makes a lot of noise due to the movement of the plastic.

Another change in a jig is to create a small profile jig by trimming the skirt. You can vary the weight of a jig by thinning the trailer or skirt. It is possible to take a half ounce jig and make a 3/8 ounce jig out of it by trimming the skirt and thinning the trailer. Trim the skirt about a half inch below the hook.

In cooler weather stay with dark colors and in hot weather move to the light color jigs and skirts. Although browns are good, the pumpkin colors work well in summer. Pumpkin/green and watermelon work well in the summer. Black/brown/amber have also been known to catch fish in summer. Camo jigs will work in summer.

The jig is a popular lure. One can use it throughout the year. It really shines in the cooler months. You can fish it from a half foot of water to 30 foot deep. In summation, if you want to be an above average angler it is a bit of tackle that you really need to add to your arsenal.

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Call Ms. Wiggins…

On our spring hikes on Truman Lake, we pass at a respectable distance, this nesting eagle, which has nested here for at least 7 years.

Remember last week when I said spring was here and the fishing was about to bust loose… I hereby rescind that column. I don’t know that the fishing isn’t just as good as it was last week when we had those warm days, but I know I quit trying to find out. There were icicles hanging from my oak trees just a night or so ago, and I built a fire in the fireplace. Somebody in the Ozarks hasn’t been living right! This is the latest spring I can remember, and I wouldn’t doubt if every tree frog on Lightnin’ Ridge hasn’t froze to death because of it.

Floating down the river before winter came back, I saw a brand new eagles nest being finished up. And not far away, a pair of Canada geese were nesting in a hollow sycamore about thirty feet above the water. It was where a large limb had broken off, leaving a big hole, and those geese are taking advantage of it. It isn’t far from a nest I found last spring up above a gravel bar against the trunk of a large tree, where an old goose was incubating eggs, and threatened to attack me. A few days after I found it, a big rain raised the river and washed away that nest. Maybe that same pair of geese learned from the experience and selected this hollow way above the river to escape any floods.

If you were to ask a biologist where wild geese nest, he probably wouldn’t name a hollow sycamore thirty feet above the water as a nest site. That’s a nesting place for wood ducks and hooded mergansers. But wildlife species learn to survive by adapting. Giant Canadas have long been known to nest high above the big rivers of the upper Midwest along the ledges of bluffs and rock outcroppings. Seeing those geese in that hollow sycamore is really an unusual sight. I wish I could be there to watch those goslings leave the nest and hit the river.

They might be prey for one of the biggest river otters I have ever seen, only a quarter mile downstream. Maybe she was unusually big because she is about to have youngsters too, but that was a king-sized otter.

There’ll be some great fishing soon, I am sure of that, when it gets to a point where fishermen want to let the fire burn down and the sun is warm enough for just wearing one or two shirts. And I am betting that it’ll get nice enough in the next couple of weeks that we can take one or two of our annual spring trips to a wild area on Truman Lake where you can forget civilization exists for a whole day. We take ten people per trip, across the lake on a pontoon boat to a remote woodland where a pair of eagles are nesting, and you can get a good look at them, without disturbing them. We take a three-hour hike up through the woods; returning for a mid-day fish fry, then hike again for three more hours. You will see some wildlife, if we are lucky, including those nesting eagles, and some trees of several different species that are as large as any you will find. It is a great trip for all you master naturalists out there. We are going to try several dates between now and the beginning of turkey season, and if you want to get on the list, call Sondra Gray at 417-234-9104. We meet fairly early in the morning at Wheatland Missouri, and the cost is $40 per person.

I will be speaking on Friday evening, April 1st at a father and son wild game dinner at the Cass County Elks Lodge at Harrisonville, Missouri that is open to the public. It begins at 6:30, if you would like to attend and bring a youngster. I do as much public speaking as possible, much of it to raise money for charities and different causes. If you would like to have me come and speak to your group, or church for any type of event where country folks and outdoor lovers congregate, you can call Sondra at that number above and she will schedule it. I never charge for such events, and I love to help raise money for good causes.

I remember when I was a boy running that pool hall for my dad in Texas County, there was an old timer who had been a preacher most of his life and never really had his own church. He would just go where he was needed occasionally, to little country churches where the pastor was ill or had to miss a Sunday for various reasons. One Friday evening a country church deacon came into the pool hall and found old Preacher Booker there telling a big fishing story. He asked if he’d be available on Sunday morning, and the Preacher allowed as how he would. Then the church officer asked what kind of money they were talking about and the good Preacher thought a moment before answering. “Well sir,” he said in his deep strong preaching voice, “I most generally give a dollar, but if you’ll allow me a whole hour I’ll be glad to pay a little more!”

I never preach sermons, but I have a lot of good outdoor stories to tell if you won’t charge me too much and you’ll let me stay for dinner.

The man who won the Canadian fishing trip last week at our spring swap meet is David Ball, a 58-year- old truck driver who has never fished in Canada, never caught a walleye or a northern pike or a muskie. He will not be able to say that much longer. David has done some fishing, but not as much as he would like, and he intends to take his wife to Lake of the Woods in September to fish for a week with Tinker Helseth, who graciously provided this trip. We were hoping someone would win the trip who had never been there before.

We’ll have another big swap meet next October. In the meantime, the April-May issue of the Lightnin’ Ridge Outdoor Journal will be out this coming week. If you’d like to get a copy, call my executive secretary, Ms. Wiggins, at our executive offices, phone 417-777- 5227. Ms Wiggins missed our swap meet when she tried to cross the creek between here and town, and flooded out her old ’89 Datsun pickup. Some local folks stopped and helped her get it started but they said she was a real mess by the time they got it running, what with wading around in that creek and getting her makeup all washed off and her fingernails broke and her hair back to looking natural.

Ms Wiggins is a fair secretary, but I don’t want her coming to some public event representing my magazine looking too natural. If you call her, tell her you missed her, not seeing her there, even if you didn’t. She could really use some second-hand parts for an ’89 Datsun pick-up.

My website is www.larrydablemontoutdoors.blogspot.com and my e-mail address is lightninridge@windstream.net You can write to me at Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613.

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CARE AND FEEDING OF A DAY PACK

The modern day pack is a blessing to the ground pounder. It is possible to carry, lunch, tackle, first aid kit, and anything else one would desire on a day along the shore of his favorite stream, lake or river.

Regardless of how a day pack is used, hiker, fisherman, hunter, book bags, it is subject to wear and tear. With a little maintenance a pack can last through many years of service.

When purchasing a pack wear the kind of jacket you will be wearing while using it. Look for extra long webbing on the shoulder belt adjustment as well as the hip belt. If you do not have your coat with you take a jacket off the rack in the store before putting on a new pack. During inclement weather you will most likely be wearing extra clothing not usually worn to the store while shopping. You should purchase a pack with straps that have extra length so that you have room for expansion.

It is wise to pick a pack with a “haul loop” on the top so that you will not be grabbing the shoulder straps. Repeated carrying of a pack by a single shoulder strap can lead to failure of the strap. This usually happens at the most inopportune time.

Proper maintenance helps you avoid problems later in the field.

Keep all the buckles and shoulder strap buckles fastened when the pack is not worn. When storing the pack it is a good idea to hang it on a clothes hanger by looping the straps over and closed around the hanger for support. Open all the compartments and air out the pack before storage. To prevent mold and mildew be sure that the pack is completely dry. Never store a pack that is wet, damp or dirty.

Packs can be cleaned regularly by using a soft brush and mild soap and water. Never use harsh detergents or tumble dry the pack in a dryer. While cleaning check for abrasions, tears and any loose threads.

Inspect your pack regularly. Check any stress points for abnormal wear. Make repairs as necessary before going into the field. Repairs can be made using strong upholstery thread or unwaxed dental floss and a heavy duty needle.

Take care of all the zippers. Clean them often with an old toothbrush and lubricate them with a high quality silicone spray. Frayed fabric should be trimmed back to keep it from getting caught in the zippers.

When ready to pack for the field distribute the load weight carefully so as not to be unbalanced. Day packs are made to ride on the back with the top of it about six inches below your collar.

It is wise to take the time to experiment with your packing arrangement at home before taking to the field. You will then know exactly where everything is when needed in the woods. Things least likely to be needed should be in the bottom. Clothing is an example. Next are items such as pruning shears, knives, etc. They should be wrapped in zip lock bags with a rubber band around the outside. With these two layers the bag is stable when you set it on the ground. Lighter objects go in the upper layers.
Do not overload a pack. Overloading can cause harm and discomfort to your back. The day pack should only hold things that you might need for one day in the field. Items such as: a first aid kit, extra clothing, rain gear, food for lunch, a camera, and ammo are all that is needed. Items that are sharp such as tent pegs, climbing items like tree spikes, etc. can cause damage to the pack. It you need them wrap them in an item of clothing to protect the pack integrity.

Water bottles, maps, compass, G.P.S. units, and fire starting kits are placed in the outer pockets where they are more accessible. You can also place any snack or trail mix there as well.

Don Gasaway - The Ground Pounder
http://www.dongasaway.wordpress.com/

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White Bass Time

It’s funny what spring does to us. It never seems to treat us fishermen the way it ought to. We had a rough February here in the Ozarks, with so much snow and cold. I had hoped for good conditions for fishing long before March arrived, and that sometimes happens. I remember those times when the tail end of the second month of the year gave us some great fishing. It was tough this year because conditions gave us very cold water temperatures to contend with well into March.

If you know what you are doing, you can catch fish even in those conditions, but most of us want to have a day when we can fish without our ears and toes and fingers completely frozen with the effort. Finally we are there. It came later than usual. In years past I remember seeing those first yellow jonquils blooming up here on Lightnin’ Ridge by the third week in February. This year, the first one bloomed on the 15th of March.

As much as I prefer to go out and catch a big walleye this time of year, I know that I will have a great deal more fun catching white bass on topwater lures in the next few weeks, because there are so many more of them, and so much more action. We sort of let white bass take a back seat to everything else because they aren’t quite the game fish that walleye and bass are. And you just cannot make white bass taste like crappie and walleye. But everyone who fishes for them much knows that they are very good to eat if you filet them, and then go back over the filets with your knife to skim off all that thin layer of red meat, and remove the red line down the middle of the filet as well. It takes a little more time, but it is worth it.

I know that late and early in the day, on those same tributaries where white bass run, walleye are also lurking in a little deeper water below the shoals, and as I told you in another article a few weeks back, you can best catch them on those longer, deeper running lures, and jigs. If you want to improve your chances with those jigs, add a minnow to them, by passing the hook through the minnow’s mouth, out the gill and then through the back.

White bass are readily taken on road-runners and just plain jigs, but when you catch them on the little topwater lures that ruffle the surface and look like dying minnows, it is a great deal more fun. The only problem is, those early spring topwater fishing techniques that work so well on white bass won’t catch any walleyes. Every year, I have this nagging feeling that my pursuit of the white bass, which put up such a strong, hard fight in gently flowing water, keeps me from catching walleye or crappie that I might find somewhere else.

Looking for white bass all through April might indeed cost you some other fish, but when you find those big heavy females, which get up close to four pounds in some waters, you just forget about those light-hitting crappie. I always say to myself that I will get all the crappie I want in May, fishing at night under the lights. What I want more than anything is a well-bent rod and a fish that makes my drag whine a little.

There are always readers who want me to pinpoint good white bass fishing spots, and I don’t do that. Learn how to find them and there are a million places in the Ozarks where they will be. The last place I want to fish is in a crowd, so I forsake those spots that attract lots of fishermen, and find them where I can get some solitude.

One year a long time ago, my good friend Rich Abdoler and I were fishing in Arkansas on the Long Creek arm of Tablerock Lake right at the beginning of April. We went back up into a long cove where a small creek was gurgling and trickling in, something you could have jumped across. In the very end of the cove was a deep hole where we found some Kentucky bass eager to take our topwater lures. So we tied up to a snag along the bank and started fishing across that hole, catching one every now and then that would go 14 or 15 inches. The sun disappeared behind a ridge and tree frogs were singing all around us and it was nice and still and warm. And suddenly, white bass just moved in.  We started catching them, and they were huge, some of the biggest whites I have ever seen. We landed a couple dozen of them in the last hour there, and I’ll bet we caught six or eight that would have exceeded four pounds. On the light spinning tackle we changed to, those fish stripped line against the drag and felt like monsters out in that deep, dark pool.

So don’t wait for anyone to tell you where the white bass are, go out and find them where no one else is looking for them. And find a walleye or two. If you catch any big ones, don’t tell a soul where. But call me and tell me, and I’ll check it out and won’t tell a soul where it is!

On March the 19th we had the biggest and best grizzled old outdoorsman’s swap meet we have ever had, and I want to thank all you folks who read this column for coming. As always, when there are hundreds and hundreds of people coming by, it is hard to get to talk to everyone as much as I would like to. But we had a great day, and a great time, with the gymnasium packed all day. Tinker Helseth, the Canadian outfitter who joined us, gave away a free trip to his Lake of the Woods lodge. We had a drawing at 3:00 p.m. and a little girl drew out the name of David Ball from Brighton, Mo. She then drew the name of Larry Wecker from Topeka, Kansas, who won the beautiful smallmouth painting by Al Agnew.

We received 560 dollars in donations from the vendors and visitors, and I will add to that 480 dollars I received from the sale of my books and turkey calls that day, to make a total of 1,040 dollars which will be donated to two benefactors….  a local food bank to feed hungry people in this area, and also to the White Oak camp for underprivileged children, down near Alton, Missouri, which lost much of its funding this year. So we made some difference as well as having a great time, and we will try to do it again. I want to thank all the many people who helped make it possible, and the people of the Brighton Assembly of God Church and Mark Cross, their assistant pastor, without whom we couldn’t have even considered such a get-together.

I gave away a good number of our magazines, the Lightnin’ Ridge Outdoor Journal, which many of you are now familiar with. And now there are some ladies in the Ozarks who want to form a new magazine for Ozark women, and I promised I would help them get one started if possible, publishing it for them and staying as far away from the ‘putting it together’ as possible. They are meeting in Buffalo Missouri next Saturday, March the 26th, and if you have an interest in such a magazine, you might want to attend that.

To find out about the time and place, contact me. Call our offices at 417-777-5227.  My mailing address is Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613, or e-mail me at lightninridge @windstream.net. The website is www.larrydablemontoutdoors.blogspot.com.

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CRAYFISH - THE MIDWEST'S BEST BAIT

From Lake Michigan salmon to catfish in the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, anglers of this state find that crayfish is a fish’s Sirloin steak.

Crayfish, crawdad, or crab, they are all the same. Virtually every freshwater body of water contains them. Fish found in the same water eat them with delight.

Homeowners often find crayfish in small mounds of mud the shape of volcanoes in their well-groomed lawns each spring.

Scientists tell us that although often thought of as aquatic animals, these mini-lobsters will often live in burrows for their entire life. They are a burrowing subspecies from the more commonly seen water species. A cousin to the lobster and shrimp families, there are about 22 species of crayfish in Illinois.
These land based critters need only to keep their gills moist in order to survive. In spring this is no problem due to frequent rains. As summer wears on there are periods of prolonged dry spells. To survive during this time, crayfish will burrow down into the ground to the water level and manage to keep their gills moist there.

As they burrow, the mud is forced to the surface and forms a mound around the mouth of their den opening. Most of this digging is done at night. Warm humid nights are the most active.

Often the mound gets smashed down. This does not hurt the crayfish. They can continue to live in the burrow. They are able to tolerate very low dissolved oxygen levels. A crayfish can live in such a burrow for eight to 10 months without coming to the surface.

Each burrow is different. Some will be near water on a shoreline. Others will be many yards away from any surface water areas. Some will connect to ponds and ditches. Others will just go straight down to the water level. They can go down 10 feet. They will have secondary lateral passages as another exit. The secondary passages will be about half that length. They move a lot of dirt.

Most species of crayfish are omnivorous. That is, they will eat virtually everything. Some will eat only vegetation. But, most will eat insects, grass, vegetation, earthworms and anything else they come across.

All crayfishes are edible but some are better tasting than others. The burrowing types tend to have a smaller tail muscle because they are not always swimming around.

One way of fishing for the crustacean consists of lowering a piece of meat into the hole on a string. The crayfish grasps the meat and is reluctant to give it up. The bait is raised slowly to the surface and the crayfish is carefully removed.

Another sure fire way to catch crawdads is with a minnow trap. It is the easiest to use. The trap is a wire mesh cylinder with an inverted cone at each end. Bait is placed inside. The crawfish crawls into the open end of the cone and cannot figure how to get back out. The bait is usually any type of cut up fish or cat food.

Want to do a little fishing for crayfish? Try placing a piece of fish or worm on the end of a fish line and lower into rocky areas of a stream. Dangle it between rocks and in crevices. The crawfish takes hold and can be gently reeled to the surface.

Crayfish can be kept alive for long periods of time by storing them in a cooler between layers of wet newspaper. Just alternate the layers of crayfish and layers of newspaper to keep them wet. Store them in a refrigerator and use as soon as possible.

For those needing to be stored for prolonged periods freeze them. By freezing only the tails one can store more in a limited space. Freeze them quickly while they are still fresh. When thawed the meat will still be firm and stay on a hook.

Small crayfish can be fished whole. Just hook them through the last section of the body, just in from of the tail. Some people remove the claws and hook the crayfish through the ridge just behind the head. Either method seems to work.

Many anglers just like to fish the tails. They pinch off the tail at the first segment and then peel the shell. The meat is then impaled on a small hook. If it looks too soft to stay on the hook try boiling the tails first. Boiling tends to firm up the meant.

Rigs for fishing with crayfish tend to vary according to species and water conditions. Split shot and bottom walking rigs are popular on a hard bottom body of water. On a soft bottom anglers tend to use jigs. Both methods require fishing the bait slowly.

For the most part, the weight of a crayfish is enough to get it down to the desired depth if a light line is used. If using a heavier line some weight may need to be added.

Panfish anglers tend to use a slip bobber and fish the crayfish so that it dangles just over the top of the rocks or other bottom structure. They often like “peelers.” Peelers are crayfishes that have shed their outside shell. As crayfish shed their shell in order to grow they are without their shell for a day or two. Refrigerated at about 40 degrees, the process can be delayed by halting the hardening process for 10 to 12 days.

Fishing with crayfish tends to increase angler success. It is not as challenging as artificial baits. But, if one is willing to put out the effort and stand the smell on his hands, then it is the way to go.

                               Don Gasaway - The Ground Pounder

                               http://www.dongasaway.wordpress.com/

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Tire Gardening

Burt Blades’ mother, in her 90's, finds gardening in her son's tractor tires much easier. The garden plants are higher, easier to
keep watered and weeded.

Tinker Helseth is a Canadian guide and outfitter who will be at the swap meet Saturday, and will give away a free trip to his lodge on Lake of the Woods by drawing.

I was looking at my garden the other day and it looks too small. I love garden fresh vegetables of all kinds, and I know I have to do some work on it. In the past, March and April have demanded a lot from me. It is a time for hunting turkeys and catching walleye, white bass, crappie and black bass. But you can’t have fish stew without tomatoes and potatoes and onions and things grown in the garden. And most of my readers are country folks who know that anything you buy in a grocery store won’t come close to what you grow in your own garden. So this year, I get to thinking that with prices of vegetables rising so much, it might be a good time to haul in some more rich soil and some manure and double the size of my garden, so me and the raccoons and deer and rabbits and squirrels will have more to choose from, and Gloria Jean will have something to keep her busy while she can communicate with nature.

But a fellow visiting my place last week changed my way of thinking about gardening. Burt Blades and his wife Debbie have a different kind of garden, and it works better than mine. He goes out and gets old tractor tires, great big ones, and puts hardware cloth across the bottom, widens the top by cutting off the top side with a sawz-all, and fills it with soil and manure and has the most perfect, weed-free garden I have ever seen. In one of those tires last year he grew enough green beans to can 47 quarts. In others, he grew tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, onions, etc. And every year, he alternates what he grows in each. The lower cupped rim of the huge tires holds water, and allows the soil to stay moist with less watering.

It looks as if I need some great big old tractor tires now. If you have some, call me. I also need a dump truck full of good soil, as the dirt up here on Lightnin Ridge is a little bit thin. I might trade a boat, a coon dog, or something of that sort, or maybe some of Gloria Jeans antique dishes if you can bring the dirt when she is in town sometime. And maybe what we ought to do is get a bunch of these tractor tire gardens going and do some trading of produce as well. I might be willing to part with some tomatoes and cucumbers and fish for some good roastin’ ears. The doggone coon and her young ones get into my corn each year and I haven’t got the heart to shoot her until her babies grow up, and by that time she has always moved to some other ridge.

Folks know how I view the tire situation in our country. Our government has required that everyone pay several dollars just to get rid of old tires. So there are many who just keep those old tires and throw them in our rivers. Along many of the rivers I float, you can count 30 or 40 tires in a day. What we should do is pay for old tires and recycle them to produce both oil and rubber. But we don’t, we aren’t that advanced yet. Maybe someday we’ll get there, and if we do there will be thousands of dollars worth of tires in our Ozark Rivers to be retrieved. But if you have big tractor tires, I am in the market for some and I am thinking that I have some good things to trade, maybe some coon meat about the middle of the summer.

That earthquake this week was awful, and now we will face the cost of our progress as nuclear radiation will be released to kill many more people. But it is unstoppable… our numbers, and our unquenchable demand for our resources, our destruction of our forests and waterways. We are all a part of it, and we cannot stop the avalanche we have started. Someday our country will face a similar catastrophe. At such a time, it will be nice to be as far away and as independent as possible. It is human greed that causes men to be so dependent, to destroy that around him which keeps him alive. We have to have nuclear power I suppose, but it is like all the things God gave us to make life better… mankind finds a way to destroy himself by using good things in such horrible ways. I don’t know if the Creator sends earthquakes, tornadoes, famine and pestilence. Maybe we bring those things on ourselves by what we do to the earth. It is more than I can understand, I have no answers. Every time I buy a tank of gas, I know I am part of the problem too.

As expensive as gas is getting, I am always interested when my neighbor Don Jones talks about using water and baking soda beneath the hood of my pick-up to create hydrogen to supplement gas fuel. He says he makes his own systems, and can see to it my pickup gets 25 miles to the gallon, whereas now it only gets about 18. Don will be at our swap meet next Saturday to show people how it is done, and his website, if you are interested, and if you can understand that kind of technical stuff, is www.ozarksfreefuel.com.

Uncle Norten told me he is coming to our swap meet with several of his handmade sassafras boat paddles, and the Iconium Country Store folks are coming. They have some of the most beautiful outdoor stuff you have ever seen, lamps and knives and blankets and tables, and all sorts of art. I have written about that store before, one of my favorite places in the Ozarks.

Tinker Helseth will be here this week and I am going to show him some Ozark fishing if we just get some decent weather. This morning there was a white coat of snow up here on Lightnin Ridge, and the river was up. Tinker is anxious to give away that fishing trip for two, to Lake of the Woods, Ontario, at our swap meet. You can hear him talking about Canada this coming Friday morning on my radio program, from Stockton Lake, at 8:30 a.m. Many of you in western Missouri can pick that up on 107.7 f.m.
Another thing I didn’t mention last week is a small lure company just getting started that has some of the best looking small and large spinner baits I have ever seen. A couple of other companies will have new lures, but then there are all those tables with antique lures too. I just found out one carver is bringing a full sized wooden Indian he carved, for sale.

I am busy making my turkey calls, and don’t forget that Myron Nixon and I are working on an old-fashioned wooden johnboat we hope to finish at the swap meet. I intend to float that johnboat down the river this summer and revert back to my boyhood, using the same fishing gear I used back then. Our swap meet is for old-timers, and should be a lot of fun, held at the Brighton Assembly of God Church at Brighton, Mo, 17 miles north of Springfield on highway 13. Call my executive secretary, Ms. Wiggins to get information about it. Her number is 417-777-5227.

More information and directions can be gained from my website, www.larrydablemont outdoors.blogspot.com. E-mail me at lightninridge@windstream.net or write to me at Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613.

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GO SHALLOW FOR CRAB ORCHARD BASS

A lack of underwater structure in Crab Orchard Lake, makes fishing the shoreline shallows a must. Largemouth bass are a species that relates significantly to structure. To catch Crab Orchard bass work the shallows.

Crab Orchard Lake is the largest of three lakes within the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge near Marion, Illinois. It is about a six hour drive south of Chicago on Interstate 57. Created in the 1940's, the lake is shallow and does not have a lot of timber. The standing timber was cleared prior to the original flooding. There are some trees that have fallen into the lake from the shore due to bank erosion.

A significant portion of the Largemouth population is larger than the 15 inch minimum size limit. Growth rates for bass remain good and are attributed to lake productivity and abundant gizzard shad. Annual supplemental stocking of both threadfin shad and bass has contributed significantly to the fishery.

There is some structure to be found within the lake in the form of rocks, stumps, floating logs, brush and changing bottom structure. Most ground pounders rely on a combination of weed edges and wood when fishing the shoreline. The more shallow the areas the better they bite. During hot weather, fish are found in depths of four to 12 feet. The water is fertile and green to brown in color. This is due to 60 percent of the bottom being clay.

Bass are opportunistic feeders. They do not like to travel any further than necessary. Fishing the shallows can be very rewarding, especially if it is near deep water.

Crab Orchard has a number of bank fishing areas with the best known being Wolf Creek Causeway. The causeway divides the lake with a long dike composed of steep rip rap banks. Fishing is good there all year around. There are a number of brush piles and man made structures in this area. Fish relate to them.

Another good area is the rip rap along Illinois Route 13 as it crosses the lake between Marion and Carbondale. The area has a number of fish cribs, placed there to attract game fish. The wooden structures are excellent places for bait fish to conceal themselves from the larger predator bass.

Largemouth can be found in the western end of the lake. They like the wood structure to be found in the coves of the northwest part of the lake as well as the stumps and American Lotus pads of Grassy Bay. On the north side of Route 13, largemouths are taken in the brushy shoreline of Long Neck and Cambria Neck.

All of the larger necks offer good weed growth. Successful ground pounders work the weed edges and some sort of wood along the shorelines. Emergent water willow and stands of cattails can be found throughout the lake. Pondweed is the most abundant submergent species.

Crab Orchard is a user fee area. A permit is required and it can be obtained at the Visitors Center on Illinois Highway 148 just south of Old Route 13. Fees collected are used to repair and improve roads, buildings, campgrounds and trails. It also pays for exhibits, educational programs, natural habitat protection, guided walks and hikes and other visitor activities including visitor safety and protection.

For further information about the refuge and fees, one can call the refuge office at 618 997 3344.

Crab Orchard Lake is a fishing Mecca for shallow water bass anglers. Ground pounders can find fishing action to suit their desires.


Don Gasaway - The Ground Pounder

 http://www.dongasaway.wordpress.com/

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A Good Time Coming

This beautiful painting of Ozark smallmouth bass will be
given away at the March 19 swap meet.

Charles Duren's handmade knives will be displayed for sale...

Handpainted, numbered wingbone calls by Ed and Will Davis
will also be on sale at the swap meet.

 

Have you ever seen an old fashioned Ozark River johnboat? Well, you can watch one being built at our swap meet on Saturday, March 19. Master carpenter, Myron Nixon will be helping me build one like my grandfather and father built when I was a kid on the Big Piney River, guiding fishermen for 50 cents an hour. Boy how times have changed… now I make ten times that much per hour on a good day! Maybe I ought to say I will be helping him… but not much.

We are only one week away from our Lightnin’ Ridge, Grizzled Old Outdoorsman’s Swap Meet, and some readers have been asking about the free fishing trip to Canada for two people which will be given away that day, by drawing. Tinker Helseth owns a beautiful lodge on Lake of the Woods, about an hour north of the Canadian border north of Minnesota. He also has outpost cabins on wilderness lakes where he flies fishermen to fish for bass, walleye, northern pike, muskies and even crappie. The trip will be a four-day outing custom made to whatever the winner wants to do, and will include lodging, some meals, boats, motors and guides.

I am hoping someone wins it who has never been to Canada, because it will be an
unforgettable trip.

Tinker Helseth will be at the swap meet all day to give out literature and answer questions about fishing and hunting in Canada. You will really enjoy meeting this old-time Canadian bush pilot, outfitter and guide. He is the real deal, and can tell you about everything from calling moose to catching muskies.

But we will have a great deal more at our swap meet than Tinker and me. Our editor and outdoorswoman, Sondra Gray, will be there, along with Gloria Jean and a couple of my daughters, giving away sample copies of our magazine, the Lightnin’ Ridge Outdoor Journal. I am hoping to meet readers of this column, and will sell and sign my books there, a great deal cheaper than you will find them in any bookstore. I have seven books, and the profit from those book sales will go to several charitable causes, including the Ozarks Food Harvest, which helps feed the hungry in our area, and also to a Christian camp called White Oak Camp, which is a week long experience in the summer for underprivileged children. At our fall swap meet last October, we raised 1,580 dollars which we gave to five school districts in the Ozarks to use in buying shoes and coats for some children who needed them.

I am making turkey calls, and will have those on hand. Whenever someone subscribes to our magazine, they will get a free hand-made western cedar turkey call that is so good that it will cause turkey hunters to give up the pastime of turkey hunting because it is too easy. We also intend to give away a beautiful painting of smallmouth bass at my table, a painting done by Al Agnew, about 2 feet by three feet, matted and framed, signed and numbered and very valuable.

Outdoor writer Monte Burch will be at the swap meet too, one of the best outdoor writers in the Midwest, with more than forty years of writing for top national magazines. He will have some of his books on hand which he will sign for you. There will be some of Jim Spencer’s turkey hunting books there also, and some old, old magazines, and old hunting and fishing books that are truly antiques. Sondra Gray will even have some of our older back issues of the Lightnin’ Ridge Outdoor Journal for sale.

We expect to have 35 tables with all sorts of hunting and fishing gear, and there will be lots of antiques amongst them. One of our vendors is a fellow who is an authority on antique fishing lures, who will appraise any old lures you might want to bring.
We will have a table full of hand-made turkey calls by craftsmen who are a great deal better at it than I am, and one of the tables has some hand-made and hand-painted wingbone calls that are absolutely too beautiful to use. Another table will feature some fantastic woodcarvings and knives handmade by Charles Duren. He uses antlers for handles on Norway steel blades, and he carves some of those handles with delicate wildlife heads or scenes. Those knives are unique, one-of-a-kind treasures. You can see one on my website, given later in this column.

There should be a number of old rifles and shotguns; some just good hunting guns, and others antiques. But I think what we will have the most of is fishing lures, rods and reels so you should be able to find a good buy on new or used fishing gear. When you throw in furs, art, camping gear and miscellaneous items of that sort, you have the makings of an enjoyable all day event with lots of bargains.

And while we have always forbidden ladies from reading this column… which I write for grizzled old outdoorsmen only, we are going to have a special place for ladies at our swap meet, a room which we will set aside for any women who would like to get away from the men and sell some quilts, baked goods, canned goods, or things of that sort.

If you are a lady, and would like to have a table in that special section, just let me know. If you want to make some cakes and pies and cookies and that sort of thing, I can’t imagine you taking any of them home with you. If you only have a few items, that’s okay, bring them and we will find a place for you, on account of, you are a lady and us grizzled old outdoorsmen appreciate that.

At 1:00 p.m. we will have a special demonstration on how to do chain-saw woodcarving, using a specially made blade and chain. When the carving is finished, it will be given away too.

Dinner will be served between eleven and one o’clock that day by the youth of the church, and I think there may be some biscuits and gravy and coffee there early in the morning for anyone who missed breakfast. The only thing you have to pay for at our swap meet is the food and whatever else you want to buy while you are there. There is no charge for admission and we are not charging for tables, but if you want one of those tables you need to let us know soon, we are running out of space.

All this is in a big gymnasium adjacent to the Brighton Assembly of God Church, which is just off Highway 13, seventeen miles north of Springfield. Look for the Pleasant Hope exit, at highway 215 south, and follow the signs. A map is on my website, www.larrydablemontoutdoors.blogspot.com

Anyone who wants to bring boats and motors or canoes to sell may do so; we will find a place for them close to the entrance of the gymnasium. Call in advance.

The purpose of this event is to help folks sell some of the stuff littering their basement, and have a good time. We are thankful for the people of the Brighton Assembly of God, who make it all possible, and will remember this is a church building. It will be a day that the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it, as the bible instructs us, and be reverent. Come and join us!

You may call our offices for more information, 417-777-5227, or e-mail me at lightninridge@windstream.net.

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LITTLE GRASSY BASSIN

The slow rolled spinnerbait cruised through the water bumping off stumps and other submerged wooden structure. Suddenly, from the darkness appears a streak that snatches the bait and heads for parts unknown. This scene is repeated daily on Little Grassy Lake in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge near Marion, Illinois.

Beginning with early spring, Little Grassy Lake has great bass fishing.

The lake takes its name from the creek that formed it. The lake was built in 1940 as part of the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. It is located about 8 miles south of Carbondale, Illinois just off Giant City Road. The shoreline of the lake is about 36 miles, with an average depth of 27 feet and a 90 foot depth in the channel at the spillway. The lake is four miles long and one mile wide. The shoreline is wooded and rocky and provides some of the most beautiful scenery in the state. Most of the adjoining land is leased to church, school and youth groups, but the lake itself is the property of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The lake does have a moderate amount of standing timber, good shoreline rip rap areas, and assorted vegetation. Known for big bass in the past, the lake did have a problem with fishing pressure in the early 1980's.

Largemouth bass are found in ponds, lakes and reservoirs of Illinois, as well as some rivers and streams. It is essentially a lake bass. Coloration can vary, but they are usually dark green on the back and becoming lighter green on the sides.

Bass generally build their nest in water of about 18 inches to 3 feet depth. But, they can be found as deep as 15 feet. They tend to spawn when water is 63 to 68 degrees in temperature. As youngsters, they feed on zooplankton. Later, as adults, bass eat small, swimming animal life. Fish make up about 60 percent of their diet. Crayfish are an important part of their diet.

Anglers take bass using natural baits including such things as minnows, crayfish, worms, hellgrammites and frogs. Any artificial bait that imitates the above is a good bet. A local favorite on Little Grassy Lake is the plastic worm fished Texas style (weedless) slowly over the bottom around submerged trees and other heavy cover. Early morning and early evening are the best time to seek bass. The most consistent producing times are the two hours just before sundown.

The average life span of a bass in Illinois is about four years, with few surviving more than 8 or 10 years. A four year-old fish will average 13 inches in length and weigh about a pound and a quarter. A nine-year old fish will weigh about 5 pounds and be approximately 20 inches in length.

In addition to the bass, Little Grassy Lake contains good populations of catfish, crappie, bluegill, and rock bass.

                                    Don Gasaway - The Ground Pounder
                                    http://www.dongasaway.wordpress.com/

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