DADAKOTA

I'm pondering a move to an 18-20 foot aluminum for fishing and some big water duck hunting. Need more range on the big lakes than my 16 footer with a 25 HP. Suggestions?

Great read. I really enjoyed it.

Lots of long faces at most public places. Birds got stale real quick and avoided working into areas with cover. Tree rows and willow clumps were avoided like the plague. Those that adapted killed some ducks. Those that didn't struggled. On to the South zone.

Real good spot in Central Missouri for a preserve type hunt is the String Creek Game Bird Farm - (573) 796-4282 in Centertown, MO. Tom runs a top notch operation.

Lack of food in the MDC refuges has allowed the birds to spread out like they used to. Lots of birds still up north that have never come down. Now we know how the Arkansas folks feel when our refuges are full of ducks well after the season has closed. Been a decent year so far. Should be a major push in the next week. Hope they get here by the weekend.

Hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and an awesome next year. Stickbait bite is on at Lake Jacomo.

I'm hoping to go through the enormity of tackle I have collected over the years and get rid of many, many lures I don't use. Many have never been in the water. Mostly crankbaits and stick baits. May also eliminate any rods/reels I no longer use. Would like to acquire a larger boat as well.

Let me know what fullbody duck decoys you have and whet you want for them.

Looks like way too much fun

The vast majority of tourney anglers ought to just fish for fun. Most of them do not make any money at it and in fact over the course of the year lose money. They must enjoy competing and donating.

Do the flank feathers pulsate in the water like maribou?

Hey Mike. Sent you a PM about some baits.

Found a blue heron one morning with a wing tangled in fishing line which had cut to the bone. Line was tangled in water willow so the bird was permanently tethered. Beached the boat and threw my net over the heron. Was able to cut the line and free the wing. Surprisingly after a few minutes the heron took flight. Was floating the Sac below Stockton and came upon a family group of geese in a little backwater. One gosling was in distress and the goose was honking up a storm. Figured the little one was snagged with a hook or line so I jumped out of the canoe and waded to it. Got to the gosling and started to lift it out of the water and was shocked to find a snapping turtle attached to its leg. Turtle finally released the broken leg and the gosling swam back to the flock.

Does that have "spot lock"? 😀

Mussel shells, Turtles, snakes, cans, a shoe full of mud, an anchor, several rods and reels, a hand tied castnet made of mono fishing line and adorned with numerous types of lead sinkers. The contraption also had snagged 3 stickbaits, a couple of cranks, and several rattle-traps.

Put your bunks in a little deeper than you'd use to power on the trailer. Use the trolling motor to get up some speed and pull it up before you make contact with the trailer. Boat will go on most of the way. Have the person who backed you in crank it up or climb out onto the trailer and do it yourself. Really pretty easy with the trailer in the water.

Ditto

When you say flats are you talking flat humps?

Congratulations Bill. I can't think of a more deserving guy to catch a record fish. Not only your knowledge but your many, many hours on the water, along with being so generous and sharing all the fishing information you gather with others makes you so deserving. Don't let some jealous wannabes detract from your achievement. You all did everything you could to keep that fish alive and it wasn't to be. Hope to hear the story in person the next time we stay at the Lodge. Congrats!!!!!

What a great read. Felt like I was there. Thanks Al.

Won't be much corn on the westside this year.

Sounds like an awesome tradition

Sac

Wow. What an awesome fish. Congrats.

Congrats. Those are some big smallies.