Outdoor Girl

These guys put on a tournament last year and it was one of the smoothest run we have ever seen. These guys and gals are raising money for a fishing apparatus to take disabled youth out fishing. It's an amazing device which gives kids the ability to cast and reel all on their own. They took one girl out fishing with it last week and she had a blast being able to catch fish by herself! I hope each of you can fit it in your schedule. Some of the disabled kiddos will be there along with the apparatus they bought last year for hunting and the fishing one too!strutters tourn page2.pdf

Fish and humans share a lot of the same traits. When it’s been as hot as it has this last month we all headed for the coolest spot we could find. The A/C works for us and deep water is where the fish find that cool comfort. Back bass: Want to have some fun and you’re not fishing in a tournament. Go find some old standing timber, even a single big old tree out by itself in deep water will work. Grab some night crawlers, a # 4 or # 6 bait hook, a small # 3 split shot and get right over the top of that old tree and drop the hold works straight down as close to the tree's trunk as you can get and keep searching different depths until you get a bite. Most of the bites will be nice bass, but don't be surprised if some nice cats jump on your worm. The bass are deep during the day and can be caught with deep diving crank baits. You may have to trick them a little with extra weight or by long lining, but they have to get down to at least 25 feet somehow. Deep cranks without a noise chamber seem to be turning the bass on better than a noisy one. The bass seem to holding or suspending on deep channel bends and deep humps or really long sloping points. The Alabama rig is starting to come back and if you can get it down to the depth the bass are holding at and just run it at a modest speed to keep that depth; you will catch some nice bass. Drop shotting is also coming on, along with Carolina rigs and if you can spot the shad schools on your graph and can hold your rigs close to that depth you will catch some good spots at least. There’s a new trick that is as simple as letting the wind or your trolling motor drift you along at that depth (strolling it’s called) and go from one school to the next. Crappie: Now these guys are serious about finding cool water and staying out of the sun. We have a great night time bite under lights that’s been going on for a couple of weeks. We have some guys bringing in some really dandy crappie and are at the cleaning station when we open the marina and they aren't giving away any fillets either. They've been working the bigger cove arms around any private boat docks that look like they have brush piles around them. They are putting their lights over the brush piles, waiting a few minutes and then dropping a crappie minnow down to 15 or 20 feet and having a ball all night long or until their lights go out. Catfish: They are biting, but it's not all that good and then mostly after dark. Deep trot lines baited with perch and gold fish will take cats, but you have to run your lines really often or they will die on the hooks. Some of the guys around the marina are using night crawlers after dark and catching some smaller good eating channels from the bank. It’s just a question of if you’re chilling or fishing, your choice.

Thanks guys! We try to be as helpful and fair as possible. Just give us a call at 417-538-4163 and we'll see what we can set up. I'll work harder on trying to get the fishing report posted....summer's are really busy and bit less concentration on fishing. It's been too hot. That being said, we have heard of some good fish being caught. I'm back to work on Friday and will put up the latest report. Have a great night!!

Green around the marina and south. From Virgin Bluff up the James it is muddy from the rain. The fish have been biting like crazy!!

Yes it is! The marina will be open by 5:30.

We carry everything at Cape Fair Marina.

Here you go....didn't see many yesterday, but today has been a little better...

Come join us this Sunday...the weather looks to be much better than last week!

This last Wednesday wasn't as productive as last for the fishermen... 17 boats/3 fish limit... 1st Place: Jim DeWitt & Tim Reed 8.62lb BB 5.94lb 2nd Place: Dennis Hahn & Craig Noblett 7.78lb 3rd Place: Jim Nelson & Bill Gilbert 7.06lb 4th Place: Don Cooksey & Dan Boyer 6.60lb

A variety of fish are being seen around here....now that Spoonbill Snagging is open, we're seeing more of those than anything. Saw 45 crappie last night....

Prizes are being donated also!

This little baby is struggling to live while his parents are struggling to survive the financial strain....please come fish this tournament to help them out! Here's a little correspondence on Chandler...Tom Blakemore is the gentlemen who decided to put on this tournament when he found out about Chandler. This is a letter from his daddy when he found out about what Tom was doing: Thanks Tom. Its definitely taken its toll on my family but we are constantly reminded everyday here that no matter how tough or how bad we think we have it, someone else is having a tougher time. We look at it as a blessing that my son has had the options to have surgeries and hopefully he will recover to have a long life. Many kids up here aren't so fortunate. I honestly can't stress enough how much the prayers and all the kind words from fellow BBC members helped get me and my family through the last 4 days. I was just wanting to make a post on getting an estimate on how much I could sell my boat for and to see how so many people/strangers cared about the well being of my son Chandler was extremely heart warming... I just can't put it all in words. Then the fact you guys are willing to put on a benefit tournament for my son is just amazing. I must tell you that when I read your original post about putting on the tournament it made me very emotional. Its one of the nicest gestures that I can ever remember anyone doing especially someone that didn't even know myself or my family. If there is anything I can do to help out with the tournament please let me know. We are still in the early stages of recovery so I don't know when we will be able to come home but if we aren't here at the hospital then I will definitley be there! I will have to go back home this week and check in with work, etc. When I do, I can get with my bank and set up an account in Chandler's name. This all has had such a positive effect on me and I can't wait to get back on our feet and return the favor to another member/stranger in need! I will try to call you today. Thanks for everything, David The latest update: Just wanted to update you the latest on Chandler. Not too much has changed since the last time we talked. They are not doing any breathing treatments anymore. His lungs are sounding better and better. The docs are still weening him down on his meds and trying to ween him off the oxygen. They have him down to 1 Liter on his oxygen and everytime they try to take him down to .5 he doesn't quite tolerate it yet. He is also having issues with reflux when he eats. He is only taking 1 to 2 ounces per bottle before he gets choked and irritated. His docs put him on some Prilosec but it takes 2-3 days before it really becomes effective. Because Chandler was on the ECMO machine, it is standard procedure to have him do an MRI just to make sure everything still looks good. Unfortunately this is about a 1 hour test that he has to be perfectly still for so they might have to intubate him for that hour or so. No wonder he is having so many problems eating! Not to mention he is cutting a couple more teeth right now so you don't know if he is uncomfortable from his heart surgery or something as simple as his teeth hurting. I can't wait till this little guy can talk!!! It's great to see him start to get his personality back again. As you can see in the pictures, he is such a happy little man. He was growling at me tonight. As much as I wanted to watch the Mizzou game this eveningt, Chandler had other ideas and wanted to watch Mickey for the 1000th time. haha I've about got his Mickey Mouse movie memorized by now... lol. So hopefully he can come off the oxygen and start eating a little better and we might get to see our home soon. That is going to be a great day! CHANDLER BASTIANFLYER.pdf

Remember.....we will be having this tournament again this week and every Wednesday through June....looks like a beautiful day to be out fishing!!

The rain was unrelenting, but 13 boats braved the weather to fish our Sunday tournament. Some nice bass were brought in for weigh-in....Here are the results: 1st Place: Andy Eustler & Jared Essary 5 fish BB 6.46lb 18.92lbs total stringer weight 2nd Place: Don Branstetter & Robert Swearngin 5 fish BB 4.54lb 18.44.lbs total weight 3rd Place: Mike Sisco & Josh Kritch 4 fish BB 5.76 14.92lbs total weight 4th Place: Larry Foster & Brian Thompson 5 fish 14.56lbs total weight BBass went to John Haley & Buddy Sims with a 6.78lb fish Thanks to all who fished. Hopefully the weather will be a bit nicer this next Sunday!

Yes, yes, and yes!!