Johnsfolly

Great report Ham! I loved my last trip there and would love to get back. If I could get the time, would love to have a OAF trip.

Looks great Chief. Also looks like your grill defies gravity. I need to learn that trick with ours.

Ever since we had a raccoon get into our chicken coop and kill my pet black silky "wooly bugger" we have been actively catching coons and what ever else ends up in our yard. I caught a small opossum this morning. I packed into the car and I brought along our kids .22 LR rifle and drove down to a nearby section of National Forest land to release the opossum and try for a couple of squirrels. I hadn't been out yet this year. I went about 250 yards from the car into a wooded creek bottom. I kicked up a young turkey on the way into the woods. It flew in the direction that I was headed. I headed into a stand of oaks and saw a squirrel up in the top of nearby tree. It was feeding on buds of some sort. I got a rest using a small sapling, but could not get a clear shot with rifle. During this time the turkey started clucking on the other side of the creek. I heard a second squirrel behind me and saw it in a walnut tree. No shot. turned back to the first squirrel still no shot. After about 25 minutes and moving to a couple of different trees in a effort to gain a better shot on the squirrel in that tree, I finally spooked the turkey which was in a tree near the one where the squirrel was feeding. If I had a shotgun I am sure that I would have taken that squirrel easily. I prefer head shots with a rifle than a bunch of shot from a shotgun. Too much meat damage. The squirrel must have had its fill and moved into the oaks surrounding me and headed towards where I has seen the other squirrel. I heard material dropping from the trees and thought at least one was in that stand of trees. Near the walnut were two large oaks and a couple of dead trees. The dead trees didn't look like good escape routes for the squirrels. So I tried to sneak in from the walnut tree side. There were several thin cedars that I used as cover. I got distracted when I found several ripe black raspberries. I picked a couple and heard a squirrel climbing up one of the dead trees above me. It was a young fox squirrel and it appeared to be eating the fungus from the trunk of the tree. I started hunting in Pennsylvania and there were only grays and little red squirrels where I hunted. When I got to MO and saw fox squirrels, I loved I idea of shooting a 2-3 lb squirrel. Then I ate a bunch. Now I typically don't shoot fox squirrels since they can be rather tough, but this one was a young one. I didn't have a rest, but felt pretty comfortable with my offhand position. This young squirrel didn't easily give me a shot opportunity. I now saw what may have been the gray squirrel that I was hunting all morning also eating the fungus. The young fox gave me a shot and it fell to the ground. The gray didn't know what happened, but headed up a long branch then turned and gave me a shot. It also fell to the ground. A couple of nice squirrels with a single head shot for each of them. I got them skinned and broken down. The fox squirrel was a young male that hadn't even had his testicles drop yet. Should be pretty tender. Looking forward to trying out the braised Aurora dish that Billethead posted recently with these squirrels. I can't wait until the hickories nuts are ripe this Aug, which is my favorite time to hunt squirrels. For now I will take what is provided.

Tonight we had grilled center cut pork chops with an apricot/ginger glaze with sweet corn on the cob and green beans with toasted almonds. The kids really liked the pork and I will have to make this one again.

The arcade on the boardwalk had to have over 5000+ redeemable prizes. They had a sports memorabilia kiosk with 50+ signed baseballs, 100+ baseball cards, and at least 30 signed pucks with most of them being Flyers and Rangers players. I don't think that I am a good enough fisherman to catch 15-20K fish in a single year. I target certain fish and bodies of water, which doesn't often equate to large numbers of fish on any given trip. Still hard to think about catching more that 1K fish from the bank in a year.

Buzz and Ollie - I agree with Bfishn that these are most likely cardinal shiners. They are one of the few minnows in the Elk that have that red breeding coloration and would create a spawning school like what is seems that you guys came upon. Pretty cool story. I would have loved to have dropped in a #12 hook with a piece of worm to catch some of those fish to really confirm what species they were. Were you guys fishing from the bank or a boat?

Here is the little tomato that could. I don't think that this plant has grown at all since we planted it , but has put all its energy into this tomato. Almost ripe. Our tomatoes this year certainly don't look as massive or as good as the Billethead's or Ness' plants. My wife works with the garden. Been a lot of issues that she has dealt with this year, we're happy to have some fruits and vegetables. I spend my gardening time on plants like my Schefflera that has been in training for the last 6-7 years.

I love the photos especially the ladyfish. I always think about Don Knotts in the "Incredible Mr. Limpet" when I see a ladyfish. I haven't had any problems with my Olympus, but would like to hear how they handle your warranty.

Travelled to the Jersey shore the week of the 12th for a reunion with my wife's family. The 20+ hour 2-day road trip out was unpleasant on my recovering body. When we got to the shore rental house, we were not real far from the boardwalk. The kids and my wife enjoyed the boardwalk very much. I had planned on trying for some of the minnow and inshore species around the shore. I wasn't sure when I would be able to get out to fish any of the inlets or the shore. On the day that the family was going to amusement park, I would not be able to go on any of the rides. So I got to go for my first fishing outing. I looked over maps of the area and found a couple of likely spots around some of the inlet bridges and seawalls. I fished a bridge between Nummy Island and Stone Harbor Island. The tide was coming in when I got to the bridge. I was fishing a small squid strip on a #12 hook with a couple of split shot about 9 and 18" above the hook. I first started fishing in between the rocks expecting quick fish action. There wasn't any response. I only started getting some strikes when I cast out beyond the rocks. After the third cast I was finally able to get a good hook set and reeled in my first marine fish of the trip. I was surprised that I held a juvenile black sea bass. I caught my first sea bass when I was a boy fishing wrecks off of the coast of Cape cod and always thought of this species as a deep water species. Well they were quite common inshore species as it turns out. I caught a couple more at this location. Near the shore I noticed a school of minnows. I was hoping to catch a mummichog topminnow on this trip. This looked like my chance. I switched to a #20 long shank hook and a minute piece of squid. I snuck through the boulders to get close enough to fish this school of minnows. I was able to lie upon a large granite boulder and drop my line in front of these fish. The fish were not shy and soon I had my first mummichog in hand. This was my eleventh new fish species that I have caught this year. I caught about half a dozen mummichogs before the sand gnats became unbearable. I left the fishing and the inlet and headed back to the rental house. I went out a couple of more times during this trip looking for new shore birds and caught more sea bass, but no new fish species. I spent time with my family, got to watch the Penguins win the Stanley cup, and saw a new bird species to add to that life list. Also my family played enough games on the boardwalk to get me a Rob Scuderi signed hockey puck for Father's day. All in all a great trip.

BH - Look's awesome! I have not yet gone out for squirrels this season due to work, surgery, and NJ vacation. Now you have put the fire under me to try out this recipe. I would prefer a couple of squeals (young of the young "veal" squirrels), but with the braising in this recipe a couple of old fellows would work as well.

Awesome photo. Is that the "Grumpy sculpin" photo?

Congrats on the Jack Crevalle. Jacks like the jack crevalle and permit are like the bluegills of the ocean. They are some of the strongest fighting fish for their body size. No need to claim old age when a big one wears you down.

I have only caught and landed common carp on bait. I foul hooked a 15-20 lb common carp below the dam at Truman lake last year on a small jerkbait, but popped the hook right at the bank after a 10 minute fight. The two largest common carp that I did land were 9+ and 13+ lbs on 4# test line in the small 3/8 acre pond at my work place. They were very spooky and I had to make really soft casts just in front of them with a tiny split shot and red worm on a #12 hook. Once hooked they fought all over that little pond. I have never looked at them as a trash fish after that. I would love to go after them with a fly rod, especially a nice grass carp like Billethead's. They just look like a fish that can really fight with that slender body shape.

Congratulations on the permit and tarpon! They are both great sport fish. Still on my bucket list even after living in Florida for 6 years. Did you catch any other types of fish on your trip?

Dan - looks like a great day in spite of the heat and humidity. Always like to see a variety of fish being caught and you guys put a bunch in the boat. Congrats! Happy Father's day Dan!

Gator - thanks for the update. Keep us posted on what you find out. Thanks.

Russ that is tremendous news! Thanks for giving us your update.

JHK - great reports and photos! You got me dreaming of heading down to Taneycomo. That spot was a football and you had some great healthy trout last night. Sounds like a great time. I appreciate that you were able to get your dad out. I have read your other posts and know that you enjoy taking time fishing with your family. Keep it going since those are memories that last.

They're booing in San Jose! What classy fans! I would have loved to have seen them win the Cup at home, but they won a hard fought game both teams should be proud. Jones was a wall for most of the game just too many shots going his way. Whew! Now I can relax. Had a guy give me a hard time since I wore my Penguin shirt. Had to remind him that the Flyers weren't playing for the Stanley Cup. Maybe I will stop at his shop tomorrow.

I agree with Wrench. I accidently ended up fishing the Sunday of the free weekend last year and really didn't have any more incidents than on any other weekend. Now I didn't begin fishing until after 9 am. So that may have helped as well.

I mighty have to start tipping my crappie jigs with goldfish. Real nice crappie from Stockton Lake. Everton angler catches state-record white crappie Congratulations to Colby Conn on breaking the state record by catching a 1-pound, 5-ounce white crappie with a trotline on Stockton Lake. DADE COUNTY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports Colby Conn of Everton became the most recent record-breaking angler in Missouri when he hooked a white crappie on Stockton Lake on a trotline. The new “alternative method” record fish caught by Conn on May 21 weighed 1-pound, 5-ounces with a length of 14 5/16 inches. Conn’s recent catch broke the previous state-record of a 12-ounce white crappie caught on a trotline in 1993. “Once I pulled the fish up into the boat, I had feeling that the crappie was going to be a state record,” Conn said. “I was super stoked!” Conn was using goldfish for bait to try to catch catfish, but instead he caught the record crappie. MDC staff verified the fish using a certified scale in the town of Greenfield. Once MDC gave him confirmation he had a state record, Conn said he was in shock. “This year was the first year I have ever put out trotlines, and out of nowhere I catch a state-record white crappie. I really can’t believe it,” he said. “I would love to break another state record in the future, but I am fine with just having this one.” Conn added he plans on having the state-record white crappie mounted. “2016 is shaping up to be a year for state-record fish,” said MDC Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson. “We have already had 13 new records so far, which is more than we see in an entire year sometimes. The mild weather we have had this year means more anglers are fishing, and catching big fish.” Missouri state-record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include: throwlines, trotlines, limb lines, bank lines, jug lines, spearfishing, snagging, snaring, gigging, grabbing, archery, and atlatl. For more information on state-record fish, visit the MDC website at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zk9. Colby Conn of Everton became the most recent record-breaking angler in Missouri when he hooked a white crappie with a trotline on Stockton Lake. The fished weighed 1-pound, 5-oz.

FB - I have always focused on trout fishing and never fished above the spring and now you have me intrigued. I had a buddy fish south of I-44 and he caught a bunch of smallmouths. I just haven't got a trip scheduled to fish those areas. maybe later this summer. Thanks for the information.

Dan - great day on the water! you had their number on Sunday. Good job!

Great trip report! Glad to hear that you were able to gear up to stop the breakoffs and land some of the those fish. When my wife and I talk about what we miss about living in Florida, it is fishing like you have described that I miss the most. Your post brought back a lot of good memories.

Ness - Just makes my mouth water looking at the pictures. We were already planning a trip to NJ next week and I had been craving steamed clams with drawn butter. Now after my gall bladder removal, that is no longer a consideration. Maybe just one or two and we'll see how the GI keeps up.