Feathers and Fins

Some of my favorite stupid laws are: Shell Restrictions in a Shotgun! You are only allowed (X) amount of birds so no more than (3) shells is just a stupid regulation. Putting the word (Hunters Responsibility to know) in the baiting regs! I don’t know how many citations I have seen written for hunting over bait when the hunter had NO CLUE or LEGAL WAY to ascertain if he was hunting over bait. For instance there was a cases in California and Arizona where numerous hunters were cited for hunting near bait. The bait was a ¼ mile away along a railroad track ( grain car spillage ) however the property near the tracks and that they went through was private property and illegal to trespass on. Second case in Kansas, Guy was cited for hunting near bait. His neighbor had a couple deer feeders out and the warden said it was “altering the flight path in his favor”. In Fishing the separation rule is stupid for people in boats but I get it so just use different color zip-ties to separate fish you plan to keep. But still IMO a stupid rule especially for Crappie, Brim etc. Length limit measuring: I have seen some for pinched tail some for non-pinched how about laying a fish on the golden rule no manipulation if it’s not (X) length laying flat it’s not legal! I could go on and one, the simplest rules would be best

Did Blackened Striper again

Here is my personal take on Non-resident license sales as a whole. If it was any other commodity and anyone charged non-residents more they would be visited by the State Attorney General for price gouging. I think licenses should be one price across the board in all states for resident and non-resident. I have never understood how DNR's get away with it and to my knowledge it is the only think that non-residents have to pay more for.

I agree as well with AB.

To me High Fence operations should all be BANNED from the face of the earth and there should NEVER be a record of genetically altered Freaks. I am actually ashamed of SCI for allowing such creatures in to a "record book" Those operations can and imo do create and spread disease to natural heard. At very least they should be USDA and AZA and State DNR inspected twice a year full blood work done. After all they are nothing but a slaughter house IMO.

Because if they can grow the bucks large and sell them to operation the price is insane http://oakcreekwhitetailranch.com/PriceList.aspx

My biggest complaints about MDC was in the lifetime license, it should have at least 1 deer and 1 turkey tag included in it. The other complaint was they seem to cater more to deer hunting than anything else. I would really wish they had a good waterfowl hunting area in the SW area of the state something on Par with 4-rivers and my final complaint is they need to do more for Quail, with grow out technology the way it is and simple planting of fence rows or just hedges on their properties they could really help bring quail numbers way up. All are simple things but in the long run they take money and that money from what I have seen from MDC takes away from Deer, Lumber and actually involves a commitment to things other than deer. Don't get me wrong I like deer hunting but there is far more to the outdoors than deer. And yes I do have a lifetime Mo license so I did invest in Mo when I lived there.

Nick, we did not mark anything from the water plant at Edens to Point 12 like a dead sea in that zone. Point 12 we marked plenty of stripers and they were shallow but with this front it will put them down, But with the weather pattern if we get the rain they are predicting and warming temps I would be willing to bet the white bass will be on the move. It is that time of year we should start getting some really good spring rains and that typically triggers the whites and walleye to head up river. Bad thing is the stripers will also and spawn out decreasing their weights so those 40's will go on the ultimate Jenny Craig and drop the weight in preparation for their summer suits.

Whats the water temperature? Not surface but at 10 and 20 feet down? Die-offs typically occur when water temperatures drop to between 40-55 degrees a front with high winds may cool the water by five degrees or more, increasing the potential for shad die-offs, but only in shallower lakes or surface area. If the shad are deep they may be in more stable water and not nearly as affected. I try and check the water at different depth to keep and eye on the temps. Yesterday at Point 12 on Beaver for instance I HAD SURFACE TEMP OF 42 but when I dropped the gauge out in the channel it was 48 at 20ft. It more about acclimation than the temp especially in spring. I have seen shallow shad shocked in spring with a drastic wind aided warm-up. All you need to do to see a great example of this is be up the white river when they generate, be in the right place and watch the shad float up and boy do the walleye, bass and trout appreciate generation lol.

How much did those Elk cost?

Glen if its to make licenses 2.00 then yes it would be a major hit to the MDC but if its a law to make handling fees 2.00 then its BS especially for an onsite purchased license.

Ok I am really confused by this, All it looks like to me is a law to make it Only $2.00 handling fees, if that's what im reading then there would have to be a butt load of lost licenses to make 42 million

Ok so unless I am reading it wrong or this isn't it but it is listed with todays date Please tell me the big deal as this is what it says.

Heh boat troubles happen, you know what Boat stands for lol. But hey as much as I use it and abuse it in all season and a fuse is the most that's gone wrong I wont complain one bit.

No fish in Monte Ne so Yak and I ran up to point 12, my wonderful boat decided to break down and no way to fix it on the water so we decided to troll back down toward Hickory and not 2 minutes out I popped another big striper 44.3, they were thick up there but with engine trouble it was best to get back to the ramp. Thanks to several people who offered and helped get us back. At the ramp the hood came up and a stinking blown fuse was it. Oh well the man upstairs still blessed a great fish. BTW It had at least 5 to 6 Gizzard shad in it all about 6'' long and it was a male not one egg but plenty of juice.

Summer time fish between 32 and 38 pounds, Winter time 38 to 44 pounds.

If I had to guess I would say cost on that bait is about to produce is about 3.80, then add their profit say 1.60 about it has to be shipped say 0.35 per bait and then the retailer adds on their percentage 3.24 an there you have 8.99. Keep in mind the retailer does have to pay bills also so his profit off that bait is probably 1.30 if he is lucky.

Congrats,

Here is what I would like to see in the future. All day coverage on ESPN, just one of the many they have would be fine say ESPN2 The host should be in a room that is silent, watching the live coverage and hearing all the background noise was annoying. Take a lesson from other sports with huge crowds guys. Weigh in should never have any pauses in it or other events in it just weight the fish. Move the Classic to April, The last two classics could have resulted in someone getting killed on the way to or from with the weather conditions. I mean come on Boats frozen to trailers is bad but with a guy having to pull a boat from the lake to weigh in on slick icy roads is just not warranted. And if you really want to make it interesting give extra ounces for anyone of the pro’s that can knock down one of the many drones flying around them.

Ya like I was going to let the day go by without reminded everyone to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a prankster and great friend.

Gotta agree, way to much dead time and lousy camera... You would think ESPN would have it live with great cameras and no dead time.

I let the fish tell me what to do. I am constantly watching the sonar and the surface of the water. When they go deep I will slow retrieve or roll it on the bottom when they are on the surface I watch to see if it is a violent surface strike or a subsurface flash-hit and work the bait accordingly.

I catch most my stripers in much shallower water than one would ever guess and most my bass in deeper water than one would guess. And there is many reports I get that is never posted as it was in confidence and you are correct. There is many many big fish caught out of the lake each year.

Maybe why I could never be a pro. If it aint working I will switch it up to find what is, My strength without doubt is Spoon-Fishing I love and have so much confidences in it I just know it will get a bite. BUUUUUTTTT if it aint working I will go to plan B throwing a crank and then to a Jig. Now granted I fish multi-species but im in it to catch fish not sit around all day wishin I was catchin

Ya saw it and then said to myself after thinking about it. With wake boats, jetskies and just other boaters you launch without control of your boat you may end up damaging it or others and if you forget to turn the power on to the unit you could find yourself watching the boat float away and no chance to get it back anytime soon. This could be the one time I would sit back and not help someone because of their own stupidity relying to much on technology instead of a good old fashion rope.