BilletHead

Another one from the BilletHead

Got into them again this morning. One spot produced 99% of the catch. Water down a bit from the last two trips and the fish were more in the main channel instead of the wood. Stripping big eyed zonkers and epoxy minnows under a thingamabobber set approx 2 foot deep. Kept 21. 10" to 13" fish... BilletHead

Yes Chris it is early here also. Strange Spring for sure. They have a new irragiation arm installed on "E" where I hunted the lake next to the road. If we have a Summer like last they will pump that little lake dry. Got a 22" channel cat from my new kayak there Wednesday on the fly rod. Quillback, You just have to look and remember where you find it each year in fencerows. Instead of walking pastures look along roads easy to drive, look right in the fencerows. Birds poop seeds on fences where they sit. Just be stealthy and don't let anyone see you picking. Just like a good morel patch you will have others picking. A good way to find patches is in the Fall when to tops turn a yellow and are easy to see. Make a mental note or better off write it down for next Spring. Billethead

Was real tasty and yes just olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper. Pee stinks though

Scored this morning hitting my wild asparagus patches. I look forward to finding this veggie as much as I do mushrooms. Best thing is you just drive the roads looking in fence lines. Mrs. BilletHead and I grilled the asparagus and did the same with bacon wrapped dove breasts. Good eats and a wild harvest to enjoy, BilletHead

Took a friend back to the area where I hit them good last Wednesday. First cast a big channel cat took the zonker and a good fight was had. We both caught a few crappie in wednesdays spots but not many. Then another channel cat, I like surprises like that. It will keep you on your toes. Went a bit farther up stream to another spot. Had to get out and pull the boat over a set of riffles. This is where we really got them. Many doubles as we just yanked them in. A bunch of brush deep and we had to suspend an epoxy minnow I tie under an thingambobber. My buddy then hooked him a channel cat. We quit as the bite slowed with 32 crappie between us. I kept my channels whice weighed 5lbs 11 oz. and 4 lbs 4oz. Here is some photos of the trip. Thanks for letting me share this with you all, BilletHead Richard and his channel, some crappie and my channels on ice

Thanks guys, one of those time when everything is just right. I was the only one there, quiet and peaceful. If we could get a small river raise off and on those fish will be there all summer long. Marty

Here is 23 of my new friends and I am inviting them to dinner! What a hoot I had today. Hit a place on the Sac River this morning armed with the kayak and fly rod. I will tell you this is skinny water well above Truman. Started looking and found them in two different places. Not in thick brush and not in big logs kind of in between sized wood. You had to hit the sweet spot and when you did they would slam and darn near swallow the fly. Slow strip or just drift the spots letting the current do most of the work. Just used two flys. A big eyed small zonker. Actually it is tied with a stinger hook. My favorite color for a crappie wooly bugger. Pink bead, white center and chartruse tail. A bit of flash in it too. All fish were 10 to 12 inch fish. I caught a bunch of shorts too. I don't know if they just quit biting or I caught them out of the spots but when they shut off no more bites. Also caught a white bass, channel cat, spotted bass and a blugill in the same spots.

Best thing I have found is something with Permethrin in it. Repel permanone is one product that has it. You do not put it on your skin but spray clothes and let it dry. I have put a live tick on my pants and watched it spin in circles and die, yes die dead. Our Wal-mart used to carry it but quit. It is bad stuff I am sure but so is tick born illness, BilletHead

Three I would like to enter in the photo contest. Sac River Photos by the BilletHead

Beauty in the woods, fine fungus photos Ron, Here are some more. Mrs. Billethead and a nice prize hen of the woods. Good eats for sure. A bearded tooth. Did not eat this one but have tried them, tasty too. A couple of others growing out of a log that was across a creek, Marty

Hit three of the patches today, last try was Sunday afternoon. One spot nothing but the other places had some. 21 in those places. Then a friend/neighbor came by and asked if I wanted to hunt a spot of his, sure you bet ya I will go. We found more, ticks too. When he dropped me off he gave up his shrooms too, what a guy! 50 some was the total. Quiche was on the menu tonight. A simple mix of morels, onion and scrambled egg in a pie crust. Yum-o I know we all like them battered and fried but I can anly take so much grease in my system so this is a good option. I like them sauteed too just in butter but there you go again sometimes hard on the gut. Simple tasty dinner though. Get them while you can we know they might not last long. BilletHead

Lots of neat mushrooms around, some edible and a bunch that are not. Thought I might start a thread of fungus where we might share photos of shrooms. They are here year around. I will get this started with todays morel shots. Hit a patch annd found some. I thought why don't I carry the camera? So I hung my bag in the tree and a short walk to the house to retrive the camera. Got back and began to shoot some. When getting down to eye level I had a different perspective of what I was seeing. Soon I spotted more. One just starting to stand up so it is curled under a leaf.... I moved the leaf for a better shot. Box turtles are emerging out of there dens. I got this one but seen several still with dirt on ther shells from emerging. BilletHead

I thought you might like the photos Scott. I like snakes and like them more than a few folks I have met in life, BilletHead

With my camera I remembered the post quite a wile back about our poisonous snakes. Plus every time I see one now Fins and feathers comes to mind. Well today hit the Sac arm of Truman early and made the long ride to the 54 highway bridge looking for fish. Let me say fishing sucked. A few small crappie, some spotted bass, a small hybrid and whites plus a bonus drum. Nice day to be out. A couple of eagle nests with birds on them. Truman has the Sac backed up and there are carp going crazy in some of the edges of flooded fields. OK now to the snake. A nice fat cottonmouth crossing the river at the bluff near coon creek.. Would of liked closer pictures but my fishing buddy is scared badly and wouldn't get me closer. Glad I had the telephoto lens on. He opened his mouth once but I missed the shot. After seeing this one we seen two more nearer the boat ramp, again swimming from the wintering bluffs dens towards the swamp across the river, BilletHead

It was pretty neat Duane, we did not even get a mess last year looking in the same spots. Might look more tomorrow but I need to find a place to take Pat fishing first:) Rivers and streams still a bit muddy and dingy up this way. May just hit a pond or two. Marty

Mrs. Billethead and I hit our spots in Vernon County today. Did pretty fair. 115 assorted sizes were found. From little greys little finger sized up to the size in her hand. So we just had to eat a few with some Ahi tuna we caught at Sam's club. We like our morels cooked on the charcoal grill. Grilled in a grill basket. Coat them first with a mix of butter, minced garlic and salt and pepper. Keep them stirred until toasty brown. Food shots............. Marty

Sounds like a good time Ralph.Way to go, Marty

There are more cottonmouths out there than you all might think. I wasn't looking for them either. Maybe Pat and I are snake magnets. Clear creek in Vernon County, Flat creek in Barry County,Weaubleau Creek in St Clair County and Sac River just upstream of the 82 boat ramp also in St Clair County. Every fall on the Sac they gather on the sunny side of the bluffs getting ready to winter. There they lay in groups in the sun. All the nooks and crannys in the bluffs make nice places to den. They have been there every Fall for the past several years. They do for a fact ride high in the water swimming with there head up. The above Copperhead I posted the photo came from Vernon County. I know places they den near Clear Creek. Marty

This is a rather large copperhead from about 25 years ago. A friend and I were bowhunting squirrels in the fall. A cool morniing and I had missed this in the middle of the trail we were walking on. My friend Rolla screamed and said I had just missed steping on the snake. Needless to say it then recieved a couple of flu-flu arrrow metal blunts to the head. 38 and 3/4 inches long. I don't kill snakes any more, I even stop and help them off the road now. I would much rather have a snake then a mouse or rat around.

We sleep on the screened in porch all winter. They flew last night big time. Night before last Pat awakened me and said do you hear the specklebellies? Man I have the hook set and she has been ruined. Marty

I feel they move as the weather changes to what ther prefer. I have a friend that said they flew over the St. Louis area in waves yesterday. Marty

Thanks Scott, It was my highlight too:) Thanks for the invite to hunt this weekend but my son and his family will be here for a visit. I have 4 doz. Silosocks too, never had them all out yet. I had to help Mom out on a project today and there was one lone snow walking around a pasture on the way over there. I see white birds and think of you now. I called where you recommended for the can mount and asked some questions. May get the bird sent first of the week. 8-10 months is a long time. I could be hunting the next season when I get it back. This was my best season so far here. Especially on the geese. Marty

Don't know them and this shooting was not rabbit hunters. I have a friend who used to help a waterfowl outfitter in that area. They have a bunch of private ground leased. Pat and I seen quite a few whote birds up there three weeks ago. Duane can attest to some up there too as he got some while duck hunting. Marty

You know yesterday morning it was pretty quiet. When it is like that we can hear shooting a long way off. From our hunt Pat and I could hear alot of shooting north and North West of us I would say a line from Walker to Compton Junction area. Maybe even as far north as Four Rivers. I would guess Snow goose hunters. Not Canadas as they would of been done quick as much shooting as there was. Volleys of six to ten shots at a time, Marty