Feathers and Fins

Nice spamming the site way to insure I will never purchase anything from you, And I eat crappie I don't cradle them.

I will have to dig it out but the picture of my wife and I hand picture with rings at our wedding you can still see blood on my hands from the duck hunt that morning. We intentionally got married during hunting season so we could go places for our honeymoon that were related to our love of hunting together.

The Mudline will be a hot ticket, I would bet if the prediction of more rain over the next week hold true the line might make it to Coppermine or Rocky Branch if so hold on to your rods Mudline = microscopic food = shad = big fish and if it makes it that far some of the biggest stripers and walleye will be caught.

A technique specific forum would be great for easily finding the various techniques.

Maybe we should have run the "How High Will She Go" till December lol. This is pretty neat, we know high water years do nothing but good for the lake, and as long as it stays below gates open im happy and excited to think of what will happen when the migration starts back up lake which should be in the next month or two.

Beef Liver, Chicken Liver or Sardines.

Guys this is the kind of rain I love for catfishing. Im laid up but if not I would be at Prairie Creek running catfish rods near the channel. Other spots are Monte Ne and Avoca. These rains in the past have really turned the catfish bite on the night after to two days after. I know its not a normal year but thought I would throw out the heads up.

Depending on which news media you watch estimates in NWA is 4 to as high as 10'' 10 being out by Harrison by the map. My gauge in Rogers is showing 3.40ish and more rain for the next week. Someone needs to get out to Prairie Creek and get to catfishing.

Marty I see no downsides or mistakes to friends getting together birds or no birds bring Mrs B and we can video the wives doing the nasty to some geese and then all sit around and enjoy some sweet tea and laughs.

Start Blasting Geese Sept 1st here as well. Remember Arkansas early goose starts before Missouri. The way seasons are stacking up for Mo, Ar and Ok it is going to be a long September and 6 teal this year has me dreaming of lots of poppers

Cast nothing. let lines out and start trolling kick back share some stories some jerky and catch and shoot whatever comes our way.

In a normal year I would say no Marty but this has been anything but normal. Special NW Zone hunt I usually find a few busting early though. That is late September, But by regular season its pretty common to catch them in the decoys. I have to laugh but more than one time I have been caught out casting a pencil popper through my decoys when a flock of ducks comes in, its like they don't think a fisherman poses a danger to them. Although I don't dress like a hunter unless its very cold you seen the pictures of me in my bright blue Columbia shirt and Brown pants. Who says you have to have face paint camo and a beard to kill birds lol

Man that's what early geese are good for, Cast n Blast. as you troll for the stripers you shoot simply turn off engine let boat come to a LEGAL complete stop and then blast. Only interferers with the striper fishing long enough to be legal oh and pick up the feathered jerky lol.

Actually here is one for you guys to give you a laugh. Wife and I were driving to the Doctors and a flock of geese was on the side of the road here is the conversation. Me; Look at all those geese! Wife: I call that dinner looking to be shot Me what about that group ahead of them? Wife: Lunch Me; I agree Wife: and that single by itself is Breakfast Burrito Gotta love her lol.

Ya doc has me in house till Monday. wants the full 10 days of antibiotics to work, fine by me I got plenty of walleye in the freezer to hold me over and just found some more Goose Jerky ( I dam well know my wife had it hidden lol )

Well hell come on over and lets play LA DRIVE BY on Arkansas early geese... They are sitting on the corner island in front of the wonderbread store and need to be capped... do it fast enough and there is stripers to be caught. Say limits of each by 9am lol.

The Federal Framework is out and in a very few short weeks it will be time to make things fall from the sky. So who is ready for another year of great reports, fun kidding with each other and finding each others decoys and giving them safe rides home.

Ive switched over to NAT GEO, They have sharkfest going on and though its re-runs they are at least real documentaries and interesting and I had never heard of SHARK MEN until I switched and that's a real interesting show and real time data.

Same reason the Decoy selection, Game Call selections are so huge. TO CATCH PEOPLE I have found over the years that a hand full of lures is all that is needed on any particular body of water, they don't even have to be believe it or not expensive lol. Same with Game Calls I use an old DR85 a massive 7 buck call for ducks and I kill plenty of them and for decoys I have killed birds over diapers and quartered tires and even shot deer while dressed in work clothes and smoking a cigar. Store products are designed to catch the buyers eye fish don't buy the product so they don't care how much you spent.

I just got the call from the doctor and it is confirmed Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The only place I could have got it was in Springfield MO on an appointment I had. Found the tick that evening. I am in better health now ( well before the bite ) than I was before my heart attack 40 pounds lighter and in much better shape and this thing has knocked me out. If you get bit by one go get checked out and the blood work.

It might finally be the nail in the NCAA coffin for players/students. Will be interesting news is breaking all over about this now and the implications.

We were returning from a morning hunt walking down the old red dirt road as we had many times in the past. The corn fields on both sides of this road had turned brown with the autumn seasonal change, the wind was cool against our face and the sky was blue with a few puffy marshmallow white clouds in it. Our labs were walking in front of us from time to time darting in to the corn fields as the scent of something interesting caught their attention. As we came close to the familiar old cabin where we made our turn the old man who lived there was sitting on his porch sipping a glass of ice tea. As we had done for so many seasons past we smiled and waved at him, normally he would just nod his head and smile back. But this time he signaled us over. Never had he done this or even attempted to talk to us, so we walked toward him as youthful curiosity had us wondering what the old timer could want of us to kids. The cabin was made of old barn wood with a covered porch, its cedar beams showed the years of weather. Saws hanging on the wall an old wood stove in a corner and on the front post railroad lanterns, his rocking chair he was always in next to the stove. You could smell the fresh scent of bacon coming from inside the old cabin and the smell of hardwood from the stove. His face told the story of many years working the fields; you knew he had seen many hard seasons. His beard was not neat or well kept well but that of a true hard working man. His eyes were narrowed from the years of sunlight and seemed to look in to you with a look that penetrated to your very soul as if he was reading who you were. He had a old pipe laying next to him and a guitar leaning next to the door. His jeans were not new and had the stains of the red dirt on them. Truly this was a man of the land. We walked up to the foot of his porch and said hello, he said hello back and asked us how we did. Proudly we showed him the two mallards and wood duck we shot and he smiled at us and said have a seat on the steps boys while I get you some tea I have something I want to show you. There were sounds of rustling coming from inside the old cabin and sounds of ice hitting the bottom of glass, when he walked out he handed us both a glass of ice tea. So sweet and cold you could tell it was homemade brewed hours in sun with just the right amount of sugar and a wedge of lemon that it brought a smile to your face. He then reached back in the cabin and pulled out an old and tattered leather bound photo book and sat between us as he was flipping the book open you could see black and white pictures of waterfowl pictures. Ducks and geese filled the picture with young men and old men smiles ear to ear. The old man explained each of the pictures in turn as if they were taken just yesterday, I suppose in his mind they were. As he described each in such wonderful detail you could see a tear from time to time appear on his wrinkled hard face and a quiver in his breath. For you knew at this time some of those men and dogs were long since passed from this earth and only in his memories did they still linger. One picture stood out toward the end of the book, you could tell it was this old man and a beautiful Chesapeake bay retriever with a goose in its mouth. He didn’t say a word but gently took the picture from the book and held it with a reverence of a Sunday School Preacher hold the good book. Looking at this picture brought tears pouring from his eyes and his hands trembled while holding it. He said this was the best dog ever loyal and loving always eager to please and keen nosed that could find a downed bird even in the thickest of cover. I asked him if he still hunted as we never had seen him at the little farm pond? He smiled and just said no not anymore! When my buddy asked him why not? The old man explained; I hunted all my life but have lost all his friends, He told us how Jim and Mike were killed at Normandy and Jerry in Korea. How others had died from cancer and a couple from old age. He was the last and without hi friends to go with he just couldn’t do it anymore as age and strength had left him. He went on to explain that hunting may well provide meat for the table but it was about the company of friends to share the time and memories with that made it so special. We invited him along with us on our next hunt, as we though very young in compare to him understood how special it was to share a hunt with someone else and to make memories that will be forever instilled in our souls. A smile as wide as the ole Mississippi river is long came across his face. He told us how every time he saw us walking back he was reminded of his youth and his friends, Then he said he had to chuckle at us youngsters as the old pond we hunted hardly ever had birds in it! He was right if we managed 4 birds between us we were lucky. I told him it wasn’t about the birds it was about being with my friend. He laughed such a laugh that ole Saint Nick would be proud of and said that is what it’s all about, BUT it sure is nice to get birds because the dogs would appreciate the time more. He told us wait on that old porch steps and he would be back in a few minutes. We heard the rustling again from inside the house and when he appeared he was wearing brown on brown camouflage and had a pair of old canvas hip waders on, a Filson hat on his head and that old pipe hanging from the corner of his mouth. An old Model 12 was in his hands and a hunting vest made of leather around his chest, old spectacles were now resting on the brim of his nose as he said leave your birds on the porch and let me show you something. Our eyes were as big as dinner plates at this site of an old time hunter memories of our great grandfathers surged in both of us as this aged but powerful figure stood before us. For he could have truly been our grandfathers or his friends perhaps even a great uncle even! We started to walk down the old road back to the pond when he said where you pups going? We stopped and looked back as he said this way boy’s. We went out past the back of his house and through an old gate that had a distinct squeak to it as you swung it open. We were walking single file through a corn row having a hard timekeeping up with the old man for he walked faster than us with a spring in his step not even us two youngsters could find. We must have walked for 30 minutes when we came to a rise above us he said get down and come here. As we came to the top of this rise over the crest before our eyes were thousands of ducks and geese and all types of other fowl, deer were feeding on the shores and drinking from the water. A couple raccoons were scurrying around looking for crawfish along the banks occasionally pausing to look for danger. Shore birds were running up and down like waves of the ocean all in perfect harmony looking for worms and grubs. There before us was a crop drainage pond about 10 acres in size and so full of life you felt as if you were there at the beginning of time watching the animals be made by the creator above. The old man said boys this is where all those pictures came from and where since his great grandfather had purchased this land many years before his birth had hunted! As always there had been birds here for it was not just the drainage but a natural spring as old as time itself. Duckweed filled the pond circled by corn that during harvest rains washed in to this magical pond. So rich was the life in and around it you could not help but forget hunting and watch the display of life surrounding it. We after some time gazing upon this site loaded our guns and slowly crept to a log sitting on the edge of the pond but hidden from view just inside some cattail reeds, never a more perfect place for a duck blind was thought of. The old man looked over at both of us and said those magic words. Take um! We started shooting as they got up our dogs were retrieving birds like guided missiles true to their targets. The first volleys saw many a greenhead fall to the water the splash echoing in unison with the blast of our shotguns, feathers floating gently from the sky while others surrounded the birds laying on the water the ripples interrupted by those of the dogs rushing toward the fallen birds. When all was done the dogs retrieving complete and the rush of water shaken all over us from the proud retrievers we sat in amazement looking at the magnificent colors of the birds! The red legs of fresh Mallards the vibrant greens on their heads and the soft brown of the pintail there was a powerful red to the canvasbacks head yet gentle white to its back. We were grateful to the old man for sharing with us this wonderful spot. We started to pick up and the old man asked us where we were going? We said to him all the birds were gone! He chuckled with a smile on his face and said to us sit down boys it’s only just began! The old man understood from years past the birds will be back and he explained to us if we sat still and waited they would return in vast numbers as others from nearby ponds and fields would join them. He was not wrong for within a few minutes the skies again were full of whistling wings and the sounds ow wind rushing at high speed over our heads. He handed us each a small cup of coffee and said leave the guns down boys and enjoy this site for there will be plenty of time for shooting later, but this is the time for memories to be made. The thought of limits seemed far removed from our thoughts as we pointed out to one another the birds as they flew in and landed here and there. Pintail warily circling and Mallards softly quacking! Canvasbacks flying like jet fighters wings barely above the water! There were wood ducks screaming as they flew past, and the calls of Speckle belly geese looking to find a place to join in. The sights and sounds filled our heads and the sweet smell of hot coffee in our hands just added to this portrait of life surrounding us. When we returned to his house we thanked him for this special day and sat around talking about it with him for awhile. We asked if we might be allowed to hunt the pond again? He said yes if we would take him with a wink form his eye and a smile on his face. We both gratefully said yes and we would call him. He said he had no phone but to just knock on his door and he would get up and go no matter the time of day or night. For years after Tim and I would knock on his door and he would always get up and make a pot of coffee and the best home cooked breakfast for us. Fresh eggs from his hen house and bacon from a fresh slaughtered hog, and that oh so wonderful coffee! None before or after has ever tasted so sweet or smelt so good. The hunts were always good because of good company and the stories in the blind we made could never be replaced as Old man Smith would tell them and us two youngsters would listen. But nothing beat those home cooked breakfast he always made for us or the smiles seeing an ole hunter smiling at the site of a greenhead fresh in from Canada.

Na he wont go that way. The thing here is his family unlike many others HAS the money to fight the NCAA and his dad is not the biggest fan of the NCAA. If they ( NCAA ) goes after JFF they may well have bitten off more than they can chew this time. Many other star players all with money are now looking for a lawsuit at the NCAA for the profiting off their likeness. NCAA might have some power but in the courts of this country case law on people likeness always has gone to the person and I do not think the NCAA wants to go to court they would lose worse than ND did last year! It would also destroy the cash cow the schools and NCAA make off players likeness and so forth.

Exactly! In the NFL it is the Player that has sanctions suspensions and fines. In the NCAA it is the school, students and fans who suffer and that is not right. Spank him lmao. first prove he did something wrong! Problem then is he is a superstar already and the NFL will still grab him at very worse the CFL will. I am honestly surprised more kids in other sports even bother with college knowing everyone but them profits off of them.

NCAA doesn't care about the player or school only that they look like they are beyond reproach or they wouldn't have handed Penn a sentence worse than death. Hate to say it but the NCAA only cares about how they look to keep the money rolling in is my opinion. They had no business involved in Penn State IMO and waiting 7 months with this is just more reason I wish we had another option for people. I understand the NFL rules for three years after High School and agree with why they say it. At the same time I wish there was the other option that allowed these athletes to make money off their names. Funny a 18 year old kid can go to any other sport no college and make money but not football.