BilletHead

Well it is time to start looking, I looked and caught! Went to a special spot on the river where I kind of cut my teeth on walleye. Mitch's rule number one. Cannot share the spot but will share the story. Launched the kayak and drifted down to the hole. Dropped anchor and set the anchor off the back of the craft. Had a chartreuse over white brass eyed clouser on. STOOD up to cast Let her swing in the current and at the end of the drift started stripping slowly and get this hooked one! Ha I thought. Sixteen inches, that will work for the first of the season. Then a few casts later a bass here and then again there. Soon whack a good hit and a big walleye hit the kayak deck. Spent the rest of the morning catching more bass and another walleye. I had other fish on and lost them but did get to see one larger that my big two. Pulled out right at noon. Did I tell you I stood most of the time in my kayak? I had to sit too Just funning you sitter folks. I just find it better to cast the fly standing. Got home and weighed the fish. 5lb 14oz. and 5lb 7oz. Did throw a gray over white clouser too but they seemed to want the chartreuse one. The one I caught on was a little over 2 inches long. Pictures, pictures ? You all want pictures? Ok here you go, BilletHead PS Water was darned cold, seen an iceberg float by. Fingers were numb at times from stripping. Landed about eight bass too.

Do what you like and like what you do. I fished out of my kayak today, standing and sitting. Walleye on the fly! I hurt when I set too long and hurt when I stand too long so I'm up and down all the time. The fishing report will come soon. As far as the nucanoe I have seen one in action. Seen the guy paddle like heck in some pretty good current to a bridge pier and smash crappie, then paddle back. A big guy too and I seen him pack it up and down the bank. There is a place in Springfield that last time I was in there carried the line. They are a trolling motor repair center. Can't remember the name of the place but they had one in the showroom. BilletHead

Dang Cody! You are spot on about the weather. Our best day was the worst weather wise. Did the water temp raise a bunch? I think 44 degrees was our water temp low and it got to 54 degrees one day. North wind was our friend and the South wind the enemy. One day the air temps did not get much out of the 30s, mostly it stayed in the upper 40s to 50s. The day we left it got into the upper 70s. We wish our trip would coincide with yours so we could of met face to face and maybe fished together. BilletHead

It was either easy or we were extremely lucky. Whichever it was we will take it. Only a couple of miles inland at the most. Water changed a couple time a day. A foot to a foot and a half. When you are not used to it strange it is. I am used to seeing water flow one way. When it was changing it made a good flow making a pretty good rip along the bank. Fought the wind too at times. BilletHead

JPB, As far as what worked for us, actually I think about anything would work. I used a 7' medium extreme and a all stat 6'6" medium rods. Reels were pro qualifier PQ20's spooled with braid, I think sufflix ? At first I used a vanish floro leader but soon decided it was not needed. Lures thrown were rattiln spot minnows, rattle traps assorted sizes. Then plastics like pictured here on 1/8 1/4 and 3/8 oz. heads depending on the wind. Here again I think all kinds of stuff will work. Rich used one of those beaded, weighted popping corks with a jig under it but I could not bring myself to use them if I did not need to. When working anything we were throwing we held rod tip high and tried to just bounce and tick the tops of the oyster beds. Did not always work because you would hang up and cut your line on the shells. On the fly fishing side I used an 8 weight 10' with floating line. Assorted flys. Anything minnow, crab, shrimpy or like a worm. Bead chain or small leaded eyes. Same thing just stripping slow as possible without getting into the shell oyster bottom. I did not try but Rich did use some of our spoon flys we made out of wal mart reflector tape! All of our flys were tied by us, BilletHead

Goggle-eyed Joe, I am sure your boat would work fine if you fish the way we did in the river itself. Would not use the motel ramp. Silted in badly and with the Winter tide change twice daily an average of a foot to a foot and a half. There are other ramps along the inter coastal waterway much better and public. As far as telling the exact location at this time I am a bit hesitant at this point. The folks at the motel said tell friends and everyone about this place but we talked to gotmuddy on our way home as he was on his way down for the week. He said He did not want the info out too bad. He is there this week and I hope he gives his report too. Ask him for info and if he is responsive ok I would spill the beans. I hope to make this trip again, BilletHead

Wrench imagine all that coastline and rivers that dump into that coastline. From Florida to the southernmost tip of Texas. EVERYONE has a boat. Multiply that with that crusty salt to mix salt with fresh water. Nasty stuff when your used to clean water we have. Answer is yes they need you but we need you here more. I consider it a blessing everyone can ask you questions and you help. I am sure at some time I will need you. BilletHead Duane you could guide in the North during Summer and South during Winter But that would mean no time for duck hunting

We just called them river worms. Did you all know that if you dig them at night and pulled them out fresh they have a green glow? Maybe this is why you get the name green worms? Also There was a guy who tamped them commercially and sold them for bait at his shop at Schell City. Yes tamped them with a gas powered tamper like you would use to tamp ditches during back fill. We watched them after running the tamper picking them up. We would do it bu just taking a big stick, small log and beat the ground and worms would crawl out, BilletHead

Thanks friend, Keep this in your mind BilletHead

Thanks Greasy, Some more photos of "Fish camp" Home for the week and we were the only ones there. Our own personal boat ramp. View out our back door. Fish cleaning area BilletHead

Trip report from the Texas inshore Redfish smack down. It has been a long cold winter and I knew once waterfowl was over it would be tough since the big freeze. Usually my fishing buddy and I hit it hard in late winter starting off on crappie waiting for walleye to start moving. Not this year though it would be a later start. So this adventure started off a while back when Got muddy posted about wanting to find someone to go to the coast with him. I told my bud Rich Mack (non posting OA lurking member) about Got Muddys post and he contacted him about maybe going. Well Got muddy decided to take his wife and kids this time but did tell Rich where he goes and about the fishing. We decided to go and Rich started making plans as I continued to kill ducks and geese. We decided a date of Feb. 11 to go. Then decided again to leave Monday the 10th. Soon we started fidgeting, stewing and fretting wanting to go. Mrs. BilletHead said just go and so on Friday the 7th at 3:30 AM we were loaded heading South pulling our 1756 lowe powered by a Suzuki 50 four stroke. Camper shell on the truck back loaded to the gills with everything we might need and a lot we didn't. 13 plus hours later we made it and bought our licenses and headed to the motel on the water. Opened the doors to the room and peeked inside, thought hummmmmm? It isn't the ritz but lets call it fish camp. If we think of it that way it made it better. There were four units up stairs and our unit on the bottom down stairs. Most places down there are built way off ground because of hurricanes, I think this was built this way and the bottom had been enclosed for another unit. Some water damage from the past was evident. Again no problem it's fish camp! Fridge, stove, couch, recliner, beds and a bathroom. No internet or you all would of got a day by day report. TV with rabbit ears and cell phone coverage if you went outside and got in the middle of the parking lot at the right place, no problem it's fish camp. Got up the first morning to fog and not knowing what the heck we were doing as far as catching redfish. You can read all you want, view videos etc. But if you don't have a guide or someone to hold your hand for the first time it is a bit intimidating. We had high hopes of catching with the fly rod but spinning gear or even bait (forgive me) if we had to. So that morning we headed straight to the grocery/gas/bait and tackle combo store that was closest and bought a box of bait shrimp. As we drove back the fog had lifted and we seen a guy fishing the river throwing towards a oyster bed along the bank. He was fishing from a boat. Ok good place to start. We got back and launched the boat. More info first about the place. We were up a coastal river. Down river about a mile was the inter coastal waterway. A mile further down was the open gulf. We headed up river to the bank where the guy was fishing, he was gone and we picked a spot and dropped anchor. Rich started getting a bait rig ready and I tied on a rattling spot minnow. Third cast over the oyster bed I caught my first ever redfish. Then another and before Rich got his bait out the bait was abandoned and he tied on a crank. Then he began to catch. What a hoot! We were redfishing. Not bad for a couple of red fish wannabees. Then I put together the fly rod. Two casts and I had a fish on. Can this really be this easy? What's the saying? So easy even a cave man can do it? We literally pounded the fish along that place. Pretty clear water but no sight fishing. Did not even see a tail or back. Too cold? I know the water was 45 degrees that day and all trip it did not get above 55 degrees. The fish were not picky biting either. They hammered the baits of choice and even if no hook up they would strike it two or three times before hooking up. I think we caught fish in one foot to five foot of water. A good day one for sure. Trip to town for supplies (Food) and back for a good nights sleep. Day two I was awoke at 4AM buy a critter in the ceiling. It was between the lower and upper floor moving around slowly making all kinds of racket. It headed to Rich's room to awake him. Oh well lets get up and remember it's fish camp! Fished another couple of days just catching and catching more. Even some sea trout and a flounder on a fly. Small fish but a flounder none the less. Day four got up to 35 and a cold rain. A no fishing day but a day to explore. Went to a wildlife management area and took an auto tour. Lots of marsh birds and other assorted waterfowl, rabbit sized deer too. No alligators as they had there noses stuck in the mud with the cold weather. Then to town for lore supplies and a fried oyster po'boy sandwich. Very tasty by the way. Then a drive to the beach. Heck I even drove the truck along the beach. That was a first for me. Then back to fish camp for the night. Up the next morning to high north winds and cold, not Missouri cold but a damp 35 cold. We bundled up and went out and had our best day of all. Had the river to ourselves. No resident in there right mind would be out there but to non residents with no sense would be out. For sure no flyfishing with that wind but big crank baits and plastics on quarter to three eights lead heads were the ticket. I quit counting my landed fish at 40, I think Rich said we had a total of 65 landed. Redfishing rocks I'm telling you. Thursday was more of the same with more fly fishing too. We did find a channel to a backwater bay of sorts where we hammered them too off the river. Friday started off good with fly fishing until the wind came up strong out of the South. Got hard to fish so we headed back for lunch. Was going to stay until Saturday morning but called it good and left at 3:30PM driving back straight through back to Mo. and home. 5:30 Am Saturday morning we pulled in. Things I learned on this trip. Did not know Redfish had lots of little micro teeth in those big gums. First one I grabbed to open mouth to retrieve lure mashed my thumb and finger spinning and tearing my flesh to a bloody mess. This happened all trip. Got to be tough when your stupid. Will not do this again without a boga or lipping tool. Buried a treble in my thumb past the barb. Could not get it pushed through to mash the barb. What to do? I backed it out, again you have to be tough when your stupid. It got sore and swelled up some but I'll live. All in all we caught big and small fish. I would guess the average would be 22 to 26 inches. Biggest on spinninhg gear was Rich's 30" I got a 29.25" My largest on the fly was 26" We figured total of all days over 200 reds landed. We brought home 6 fish each our legal possession. Ate fish twice down there. Pictures for you all, BilletHead

Trip report from the Texas inshore Redfish smack down. It has been a long cold winter and I knew once waterfowl was over it would be tough since the big freeze. Usually my fishing buddy and I hit it hard in late winter starting off on crappie waiting for walleye to start moving. Not this year though it would be a later start. So this adventure started off a while back when Got muddy posted about wanting to find someone to go to the coast with him. I told my bud Rich Mack (non posting OA lurking member) about Got Muddys post and he contacted him about maybe going. Well Got muddy decided to take his wife and kids this time but did tell Rich where he goes and about the fishing. We decided to go and Rich started making plans as I continued to kill ducks and geese. We decided a date of Feb. 11 to go. Then decided again to leave Monday the 10th. Soon we started fidgeting, stewing and fretting wanting to go. Mrs. BilletHead said just go and so on Friday the 7th at 3:30 AM we were loaded heading South pulling our 1756 lowe powered by a Suzuki 50 four stroke. Camper shell on the truck back loaded to the gills with everything we might need and a lot we didn't. 13 plus hours later we made it and bought our licenses and headed to the motel on the water. Opened the doors to the room and peeked inside, thought hummmmmm? It isn't the ritz but lets call it fish camp. If we think of it that way it made it better. There were four units up stairs and our unit on the bottom down stairs. Most places down there are built way off ground because of hurricanes, I think this was built this way and the bottom had been enclosed for another unit. Some water damage from the past was evident. Again no problem it's fish camp! Fridge, stove, couch, recliner, beds and a bathroom. No internet or you all would of got a day by day report. TV with rabbit ears and cell phone coverage if you went outside and got in the middle of the parking lot at the right place, no problem it's fish camp. Got up the first morning to fog and not knowing what the heck we were doing as far as catching redfish. You can read all you want, view videos etc. But if you don't have a guide or someone to hold your hand for the first time it is a bit intimidating. We had high hopes of catching with the fly rod but spinning gear or even bait (forgive me) if we had to. So that morning we headed straight to the grocery/gas/bait and tackle combo store that was closest and bought a box of bait shrimp. As we drove back the fog had lifted and we seen a guy fishing the river throwing towards a oyster bed along the bank. He was fishing from a boat. Ok good place to start. We got back and launched the boat. More info first about the place. We were up a coastal river. Down river about a mile was the inter coastal waterway. A mile further down was the open gulf. We headed up river to the bank where the guy was fishing, he was gone and we picked a spot and dropped anchor. Rich started getting a bait rig ready and I tied on a rattling spot minnow. Third cast over the oyster bed I caught my first ever redfish. Then another and before Rich got his bait out the bait was abandoned and he tied on a crank. Then he began to catch. What a hoot! We were redfishing. Not bad for a couple of red fish wannabees. Then I put together the fly rod. Two casts and I had a fish on. Can this really be this easy? What's the saying? So easy even a cave man can do it? We literally pounded the fish along that place. Pretty clear water but no sight fishing. Did not even see a tail or back. Too cold? I know the water was 45 degrees that day and all trip it did not get above 55 degrees. The fish were not picky biting either. They hammered the baits of choice and even if no hook up they would strike it two or three times before hooking up. I think we caught fish in one foot to five foot of water. A good day one for sure. Trip to town for supplies (Food) and back for a good nights sleep. Day two I was awoke at 4AM buy a critter in the ceiling. It was between the lower and upper floor moving around slowly making all kinds of racket. It headed to Rich's room to awake him. Oh well lets get up and remember it's fish camp! Fished another couple of days just catching and catching more. Even some sea trout and a flounder on a fly. Small fish but a flounder none the less. Day four got up to 35 and a cold rain. A no fishing day but a day to explore. Went to a wildlife management area and took an auto tour. Lots of marsh birds and other assorted waterfowl, rabbit sized deer too. No alligators as they had there noses stuck in the mud with the cold weather. Then to town for lore supplies and a fried oyster po'boy sandwich. Very tasty by the way. Then a drive to the beach. Heck I even drove the truck along the beach. That was a first for me. Then back to fish camp for the night. Up the next morning to high north winds and cold, not Missouri cold but a damp 35 cold. We bundled up and went out and had our best day of all. Had the river to ourselves. No resident in there right mind would be out there but to non residents with no sense would be out. For sure no flyfishing with that wind but big crank baits and plastics on quarter to three eights lead heads were the ticket. I quit counting my landed fish at 40, I think Rich said we had a total of 65 landed. Redfishing rocks I'm telling you. Thursday was more of the same with more fly fishing too. We did find a channel to a backwater bay of sorts where we hammered them too off the river. Friday started off good with fly fishing until the wind came up strong out of the South. Got hard to fish so we headed back for lunch. Was going to stay until Saturday morning but called it good and left at 3:30PM driving back straight through back to Mo. and home. 5:30 Am Saturday morning we pulled in. Things I learned on this trip. Did not know Redfish had lots of little micro teeth in those big gums. First one I grabbed to open mouth to retrieve lure mashed my thumb and finger spinning and tearing my flesh to a bloody mess. This happened all trip. Got to be tough when your stupid. Will not do this again without a boga or lipping tool. Buried a treble in my thumb past the barb. Could not get it pushed through to mash the barb. What to do? I backed it out, again you have to be tough when your stupid. It got sore and swelled up some but I'll live. All in all we caught big and small fish. I would guess the average would be 22 to 26 inches. Biggest on spinninhg gear was Rich's 30" I got a 29.25" My largest on the fly was 26" We figured total of all days over 200 reds landed. We brought home 6 fish each our legal possession. Ate fish twice down there. Pictures for you all, BilletHead

Just got back home from a week in Texas fishing for redfish (report soon). Anyway always looking at the birds around. Snow geese all over, some other puddle ducks mostly teal. The snows did not act like Midwestern birds from here. Funny seeing them in and around brush trees and prickly pear cactus. Here at home you would never see them not in the open, down there a predator could be lurking in the cover to get them. Some photos. Snows, teal in full plumage and some black bellied whistling ducks. BilletHead

It is great some of you can still share hunts with your fathers I only wish I could of shared hunts and what I have seen with my dad. Kudos for doing hunts with your fathers. As far as going other places to hunt anything you guys have posted here would be awesome for sure. I have not been out of my home county on a waterfowl hunt. OH I take that back a hunt with Birdwatcher in a field on the next county South, BilletHead

I know it is time to change to other things but man it can sometimes be real hard to let go. Mrs. BilletHead has been telling me what she has seen on her way home for the past three days. I have not been out of the yard but did see ducks flying in the snow Monday from the house. So this evening we drove to the field to watch the show. Best thing we did not have to go far as the field is less than a mile from the house. Got there at just the right time, just a few hundred starting to swarm. In the distance all you could see was mass after mass of mallards heading to the field. They formed the "Tornado" we all hear about and began to spiral down. We sat there for a half hour watching. I would not even guess the total that were there when we left and they were still coming in from afar off. It doesn't really take much to entertain us here in the boonies. Nature at it's best. BilletHead

Yes Ness it go to us too. Another Thing. I am beginning to here the fat lady warming up now, BilletHead

Old Plug when I could stand up straight, 6' 185lbs. Still 185 and cannot stand to the 6' mark any more. We eat pretty good here. Scott I'm not coming since you got snow down there Cannot come later because we will be snowed on tomorrow night and Tuesday JD they freeze real well if there is any left, BilletHead Old Plug forgot to mention we had wild turkey strips with a spicy coating for lunch. Dipping sauce of hot wing sauce and bleu cheese dressing (chunky). Scott I have those fish too plus some hybrid. More Wild turkey and other assorted gifts from nature.

Nothing better on days like this when your in the house is the smell of hot rolls cooking. The Mrs. made up some dough and put it to rising. After RPS told of the many uses of the waterfowl fat I had rendered I figured we would goose fat instead of Crisco in the dough. After the first rise, Punched down rolled out into balls getting ready for the second rise, Out from second rise and ready for the oven, Out and ready for eating, BilletHead has it made!

What to do with ducks? Pizza! So today it will be gadwall pizza on the charcoal grill. We start off with grilled breast. Grill until rare to med rare. While I am doing that the Mrs. prepared the pizza crust. Store bought in the chilled cans, We have a pizza cooker for the grill. It consists of a base and a coated metal nonstick plate with holes in it. Put olive oil on the dough and grill one side until pretty done, Flip and do the same to the other side, The duck has been resting all this time so it is time to slice and load the pie, Spread the sauce and add your toppings. Today we layered sauce, onions, mozzarella, duck, blue cheese crumbles and another layer of the mozzarella and then back on the grill, Starting to melt down, When melted good we pull and finish under the oven broiler to toast the cheese some, Pig out while enjoying your favorite beverage, BilletHead

Ok good this is what I was wanting to hear. As far as lighting them up mildly to get there attention I can see that but the guy I went with had the thing set pretty high and he was screaming and shocking with a mad tone to him. His dog to him was a tool to be used for one purpose. He does work the dog off season. I know one thing for sure dogs don't live long enough. Our Sadie isn't really supposed to be up on the furniture. We do let her lay on the porch futon where we sleep most of the winter. When we leave her in the house she has this look about her like she had done something wrong. You can go into the bedroom and see and feel a warm place where she had been. A few times I have slipped in and caught her. She lays still and plays the you can't see me card. In her senior years we are a bit more relaxed though. When we have things going where the dog can't go we have neighbors in there late 70's that watch her. She has a hall pass there and they let her do as she pleases. First thing she does is hit the couch next to Ross. BilletHead

I'm telling you Chris, " Goose fat is where it's at " BilletHead

First of all amazing photos and dogs. I am learning a lot and will have a water dog someday. Right now I have a pot licker companion. I know this thread started off hunting dogs but am glad that non hunting friends have been included. Question I have is to you with hunting dogs is are they your everyday pets? I know some here are. I hunted with a guy in the middle zone and he had a high powered dog, just a hunting dog. He kennels this dog. Not a pet like most of us have. Hunts it with a shock collar. It is a young dog, did well but the guy did light up the dog a couple of times. To tell you the truth it kind of broke my heart when he did. I know if Mrs. BilletHead was there she would of lit the owner up There is no way in heck my dog would not be part of the family. Opinions please? Ok here is our Sadie. She is now eight and showing her age. Beginning to get lame on the right back leg. She goes with us everywhere. And at the end of a long day she is doing her job, just laying around, Finally one for flysmallie, BilletHead

Oh yea forgot to mention how a goose almost out ran you. Glad it wasn't me I would of tripped right out of the starting blocks. Next season? I'm counting the days, BilletHead

Well here is why we went again after we said we were done. Mrs. BilletHead on her way home from work was seeing lots of birds. So she got off early yesterday and we did an evening drive. Three photos from yesterday. First one Canada geese, second are specklebellies, Third bunch of ducks. These birds and there was bunches were working three different fields. Got my fever up again, So this morning I went over to visit with my mom and I checked the fields on the way home. Kind of cloudy, windy with a drizzle. So I see all three fields being worked by birds. I start getting giddy and call BirdWatcher leaving him a message saying I am having withdrawals and told him I was seeing birds, a lot of birds. Soon the cell buzzed. What are you seeing he says. Massive flocks , many massive flocks I replied. He says are you going? I said don't really want to go by myself. Quickly he reply's I'll go. Of course if you come up we will go! I'll be right there. I loaded up and waited. When he got here we scoped out the fields. Geese and ducks all over flying and already in the fields. We had three options on where to set up. Ended up where we had seen the most birds just about a half mile from the roost pond. I don't know how many we had to scare off to set up but there was a bunch for sure. The rest of the afternoon we spent flapping our jaws, laughing and watching birds. We seen mallards, pintail, widgeon, snow geese, specklebellies and canadas. Big canadas, lesser, and tiny cacklers. Ducks worked us almost non stop. We even happened to shoot some goose between laughing, Ice coated all our gear as the temp dropped with the drizzle. What a way to finish season. Good times with a good friend. We are both sorry we told everyone we were done for the season NOT ! Chime in here BirdWatcher, BilletHead

Story and photos to come. BirdWatcher is on his way home. Please have good thoughts for his drive. We had ice on the decoys, on our gun barrels, truck wipers were froze down too. Mrs. BilletHead said cars had slid off the road on her way home. BilletHead