GotaFish

Dave sorry to see you getting rid of all of your stuff. Would you happen to have any old spinner baits called an "Aggitator". I used to get them in South St. Louis at Paul's bait and tackle. They are my favorite spinner bait, but they have not been manufactured for many years.

Dutch, Thanks for your offer, I would appreciate it if you could make the following for me: 200 total , 50 each of the Swim Bait head in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 5/8 150 total, 50 each of the tube head in 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 150 total, 50 each of the football jigs 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 If my math is correct that is 500 total at a cost of $125. PM me with your address and I will send you a check and then plan to pick up the jig head on my way down to Bull later this spring.

Following is an excerpt from my hunting log that I type into my phone as I am sitting in my stand and also update later. I have been doing this for the past couple of years and I find it is cool to go back and have this level of detail years later. Before anyone else says it, I will say these had to be the two unluckiest turkeys to ever walk the face of the earth and they were also two of the tastiest. I will be 60 in February, been shooting a bow since I was 4 years old and bow hunting every year since I was 15 years old. In my nearly 45 years of bow hunting I killed one turkey with a bow and on this day I killed two with one shot, well actually two shots if you count the first one where I missed. Friday, November 5 It is a clear morning, 32 degrees and no wind. Woke up about 4:30 AM stayed in bed until 5:45 PM and almost allowed myself to stay in bed. But because the rut is starting and I have to travel out of town Sunday to Tuesday I decided I better go hunt this morning. Made my tea and had some breakfast. Put my camo in the dryer to refresh the scent blocker and warm them up. Put in new contacts and left the building around 6:35 AM. Carried most all my clothes and got dressed by the black pipe ground blind. Scared a couple of deer while I was walking in. Got in the stand at 6:59 AM. 7:30 AM heard two bucks fighting out in neighbor’s field. Through binoculars I could see two deer in the middle of the field and heard another snort wheezing. I rattled and they both looked my way. One of them started my direction, but I never saw him again. About 8:36 AM a deer was snorting from the other side of the neighbor’s field. Then I saw at least three deer running across the bean field and into the woods. There were a lot of birds squawking and squirrels running around this morning. Heard blue jays, woodpeckers, crows, hawks and I think eagles. 10:00 AM I start packing up, put my quiver on my bow and dial in to a work conference call. About 10:10 AM I see some turkeys coming up the hill out of the field. There are some big gobblers. I put my phone away and grab my bow. I wait until most of the turkeys are behind some trees and slowly stand up. Miraculously they do not see me. They need to go about 10 more yards for me to have a clear enough shot. I range them to be 40 yds. Half way between me and the turkeys is a leafy limb. When the little breeze we have blows the limb goes up and I have a clear shot. When the breeze stops the limb is blocking me. I shoot and the arrow is just low and I will come to learn buries in a tree root. The Turkey I was aiming at leaps, but the others do not really react. Then a Turkey comes over and appears to be inspecting my arrow. I knock another arrow, draw my bow, range at 40 yards, get to my draw point, bend at the waist, aim just a littler higher this time and place the pin on the bird. I let the arrow fly and the bird starts flopping. Awesome, I just got a Turkey with a bow at 40 yards. The other birds scatter and I quickly climb out of my treestand to go over and claim my prize. When I get there to my surprise there are two dead birds. Both are young hens shot through the head. Basically, both birds were decapitated. It appears the rage hit the first bird just above the eye taking off the top of her head, then with the blades deployed the other bird was hit in the neck just below the head and decapitated. I retrieve my first arrow from the tree root sans broadhead (there goes $15). My brother drives up in the UTV to help me look for my arrow. We look for a pretty long time before I find it about 15 yards directly past the birds. So the arrow traveled 40 yards, decapitated two Turkeys and traveled another 15 yards. It is pretty good to shoot a Turkey in the head with a bow and arrow, but to get two in the head with the same arrow is probably a one in a trillion shot. In addition to my surprise that I had two birds, I was surprised they were hens. The first few birds I focused on were definitely large gobblers. On several occasions this fall I have come upon groups of Turkeys on our property and they have been a mix of gobblers and hens. This time of year I thought the gobblers hung out in bachelor groups and the hens & young ones hung out together. Later when my friends and family ask me if I was aiming for the turkeys head's I say of course I was 😊 We all know that is not true, at 40 yards I was aiming at one turkey and somehow decapitated two. Sorry the photo is upside down, it has taken me a month to figure out how to get it off my phone and onto the site. Also in case you are wondering, the broadhead in the photo is not deployed because that is not the actual arrow I used to shoot the two birds.

I have a 2016 utility trailer and a 2013 Dodge Durango. About two years ago the running lights stopped working on the trailer. Brake lights, turn signals and flashers work fine. I figure it was just an issue with the trailer wiring and I would get to it someday. Then the other day my friend borrowed my trailer and the running lights worked great on his Chevy pickup. So obviously the issue is with my Durango. Any ideas where to begin trouble shooting on the vehicle would be greatly appreciated.

I am so sorry for you loss and I pray that you will take each day as it comes. That friends won’t scatter, but will stay close by, that you and your wife will journey the valley together and not apart, that guilt won’t take the place of grief when it subsides. But also when grief comes again, I pray that you are not starting from square one. I pray that you will know that God knows the same pain. But because of his Grace, every day that passes is not one more day further from your daughter, but closer to being with her again.

Ok resending again .

Did you receive my PM and contact information.

Just what I have been looking for and my birthday is coming up. I will send you a PM.

Thanks for all of the advice, I am not looking to go fast, just trying to get up the river to float back down and fish.

Logperch, Since you already have a motor and fish the Niangua, maybe I should just go fishing with you 😄 What sections of the river do you typically fish?

Wrench, Thanks for the advice, so what size jet engine would you recommend for a 20'6" Shawnee? I won't have much in the boat with me when I am motoring up and I don't need to go up the river 100 MPH, just trying to motor upstream a reasonable distance and then float my way back down.

Looking for a small outboard jet to propel my Shawnee up rivers like the Niangua. Not looking for a big motor, just need something that will push me up stream at a couple of miles per hour. Will take it slow so as to not punch holes in the boat, but would like to have the flexibility to motor upstream. Is it possible to find a reliable jet as small as a 9.9 HP

I am interested to see responses to this question as I have a much older model Shawnee that I am hoping to refurbish. This boat is much older has obvious cracks in the fiberglass and it appears the support spines may be rotted / wet. Was planning to drill holes and pump epoxy into the spines to reinforce them before working on the fiberglass. With the spines in this condition is it a lost cause or is it possible to repair this boat to a safe condition?

Anybody know how I can get hold of Brian Flanary at Bird Island. I believe his boys used to work for NRO or one of the other outfitters. Would love to catch up with Brian and visit him at Bird Island, but have not been able to get a hold of him.

Just went on line to purchase one of these reels and they are already out of stock

Seems like a good deal, I am interested if they are still available. Where are you located?

I haven't fished Mark Twain in a few years, but this time of year I would find where all the waves from the water skiers are pounding the bank and then fish crankbaits parallel. Find the banks where the waves are really poinding and you almost have to keep the front of the boat facing out from the bank. The bigger the waves the better. Good Luck!

Bill, Thanks for the offer. I am looking to upgrade to a heavier rod for chatter bait and worm fishing. What do you think of the Cara St Micros: CCM-7-173 Arnistad and CCM-6-1610 Head Turner Would either of these rods be a good fit?

Anybody floated and taken out at Bird Island this year. My friend went down to Bird Island last week and the place looked deserted.

My wife and I just purchased a new property with a three acre lake near Warrenton, MO and she thinks she wants a paddle boat. Please let me know if you have one that we can take off of your hands.

I am looking to float in the Lead Mine area this Friday and hopefully Saturday. Any information on the River and Fishing Conditions would be appreciated.

Guys you should check out these lures. I contacted Mike last month to make some custom spinner baits. He was great to work with, turned the baits around in a couple of days and they are of high quality. I personally will be ordering more baits in the near future.

Good Morning Michael, Your baits look awesome. I am interested in some custom made spinner baits. Please let me know how I can contact you to share the sample bait that I would like you to construct for me.

For pumping the water out of my Shawnee I picked up a cheap bilge pump at Walmart and attached some alligator clips. I keep the pump in dry storage and when the water begins to build up in the bottom of the boat I hook it up to the trolling motor battery and in just a couple of minutes the boat is empty. Given the pump is portable if necessary I just move the battery to the front or middle of the boat to complete the pumping of the water. I have had this pump for about ten years and can tell you it is the best $12 I ever spent.