Free Fishing Days In Missouri June 11-12 2016



Black Crappie

Have you ever wanted to try fishing but didn't know if it was for you?  Here is your chance to go fishing without spending money on a fishing license you may only use once.  Every year Missouri offers a chance to fish state waters without a Missouri fishing permit, trout permit, and prescribed daily area tag.  Some fees and permits may still be required at county, city and private lakes.

Don't have a  rod and reel?  In some areas there are rod and reel loaner programs to help people discover fishing. Check here to see if there is a loaner program in your area:  http://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/fishing/get-started-fishing/rod-and-reel-loaner-locations

This is a great opportunity to take the whole family fishing and spend some time in the great outdoors.  So be sure to take advantage of Missouri's free fishing days June 11th and 12th, and make some memories that will last a life time.

Fishing Saturday 4/17/2016

My wife and I went fishing for a few hours Saturday evening.  It was 75 degrees, breezy and partly cloudy.  The evening started out slow with a few small fish, but we ended up taking home 10 crappie and a bass.  Here are a few pictures of fish we caught.

Fishing Sunday and Monday

Colder weather came back to Missouri over the weekend with highs in the 50's and lows near the freezing mark.  This cooler weather slowed the bite considerably, and drove the fish to deeper water.  On Sunday only two bass and three crappie were caught, and on Monday I caught one bass, three crappie, and three bluegill. I took home two crappie my dad caught and the three that I caught on Monday.  A warm front is coming towards the middle of the week and temperatures are heading into the 70's by Wednesday and should stay there at least through the following Monday.  Hopefully this will make the fish more active and the action will pick back up.  Here are a few of the fish caught Sunday and Monday.

Hopefully  when it's warmer Thursday or Friday I can get back out and have better luck.

Hone Your Shooting Skills During Squirrel Season

Spring turkey season will be here soon in Missouri, but after it's come and gone Squirrel hunting is about the only firearms hunting opportunity until October. This causes some hunters to put their guns in the safe until fall turkey and deer season arrives, but savvy hunters know that squirrel season gives them the perfect opportunity to hone their shooting skills while providing them with a tasty dinner.

Missouri offers a long squirrel hunting season, stretching from late spring through the middle of February the following year.  The long season offers hunters plenty of opportunities to get out and hunt when other wild game is not in season.  Hunting squirrels is a great way to introduce children to hunting, and doesn't require much more than a suitable gun and some camouflage.  Shotguns, .22's, and high powered pellet rifles can all be used for squirrel hunting. 

 In Missouri there a two species of squirrel, the eastern grey squirrel and the fox squirrel.  Fox squirrels are the larger species, and can weigh up to three pounds.  Fox squirrel prefer open woodlands where trees are spread farther apart.  Fox squirrels are active between sunrise and sunset but their major active times are right after sunrise, noon, and right before sunset.

 The eastern grey squirrel prefers mature forest with thick canopy's, so they can travel and forage without having to spend much time on the ground where they are more vulnerable to predators.  Grey squirrels are most active two hours after sunrise and two to five hours before sunset in the spring, summer and fall.  During the winter they are most active two to four hours before sunset.

Here are a few squirrel hunting tips.

• Wear camouflage that matches the season.  Try using a face cover also.
• If you spook a squirrel sit down and wait, It will usually show its self again.
• Your ears are your best tool, listen for rustling leaves or gnawing.
• Look for squirrels along creeks bordered by hardwoods.
• Try hunting hardwood edges that border cornfields.

Squirrel hunting is often an overlooked season, leaving you the opportunity to have the woods to yourself.  When your out in the woods hunting squirrels don't forget to take a little to time to scout for deer and turkey. 

Fishing for Bluegill

Photo: courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation

Bluegill are found in lakes and ponds all over Missouri, and can provide a fun filled day of fishing whether your eight or eighty.  These feisty little fish can reach 9.5 inches in length, weigh up to 12 ounces, sometimes more (Missouri state record is 3lbs) , and put up one heck of a fight.  You can catch bluegill year round, but in Missouri the best action in usually in May.  During May the when water temperatures rise into the seventies the bluegill will begin spawning and the bite becomes fast and furious. 

Like other fish water clarity determines spawning depth, if the water is murky look for bluegill in12- 24 inches of water and if  it's clear look for bluegill at depths of  3-6 feet.  Often times finding bluegill in clear water is easier, simply look for them swimming around and cast a worm under a bobber or a 1/32 ounce jig from a distance so you don't spook them.  In murky water you will have to search a bit more, but a worm under a bobber in shallow water should get you on them pretty fast.

After the spawn Bluegill will be looking for food and holding near cover.  Cast near brush piles and weed beds along shorelines with a worm under a small bobber just off the bottom.  Later in the summer bluegill will  move to deeper water, often more than 10 feet deep.  Fishing in the early morning or in the evening  produces the best results.

Small tackle is the key to catching bluegill.  An ultra light rod and reel, with 2-6lb test line will allow you to feel the bite better, and provides exciting rod bending action.  A Bluegill's mouth is small so stick with small hooks, a size 6-10 hook is recommended. Be sure to take along a pair of needle nose pliers to make it easier when getting the small hooks out.  If your a fly fisherman catching bluegill on fly rods is a great way to practice your technique and have a fun day on the water.

Bluegill fishing is a great opportunity to get kids involved in fishing, the fast action will hold their attention better than any other type of fishing.  Make it memorable by taking pictures of kids with the biggest bluegill, take care not to keep them out of the water too long if you.  Take some home for a tasty dinner or release them so you can catch them another day. 

Addicted To Fishing

Fishing can be addictive when you find a spot than continues to produce quality fish day after day.  This is the fourth day this week I have been fishing at the pond I discovered last weekend.  This morning started out pretty cold and by the afternoon it warmed up into the upper fifties, with strong gusty winds between thirty and forty mph.  The colder weather seemed to slow the fishing down a bit today for the crappie and bass, although the bass would hit when you found them.  Only two crappie were caught today between my brother in law and I.  For some reason I missed more fish than I caught, not paying attention and using a new fishing rod were my excuses for the missed fish.  I also hiked further into the woods and found the other pond I was told held huge bluegill.  This pond is about a half mile hike into the woods from the first pond I was fishing at.  The pond had crystal clear water and you could see almost to the bottom six feet out.  I spent a little time fishing at the pond with no luck and decided to finish my day back where I began.  Below are some pictures of  bass we caught today. My brother in-law caught the biggest of the day, it could probably eat the ones I caught.



Brother In-laws Bass 20"

Here are some pics of the pond I hiked to further in the woods.

It looks like it will be a day or two before I can get back out, hopefully I don't start going through withdraws. 

Did A Little Fishing This Morning

It was a cold and rainy start to the morning here in Missouri, but not bad enough to keep  me from going out and trying to get a little fishing time in.  In my last post I told you about a pond I found using google maps, that is where I went this morning.  I ended up catching seven crappie and eight bass.  I forgot to take a picture of the stringer of crappie, but I did get some of the bass.



This is what happens when you cast over a branch and a bass hits as soon as it lands in the water.

I had a great time today even if it started out cold and rainy, I might try to get back out there tomorrow depending on how the weather is, the winds today were around 25mph all day and tomorrow the gusts are going  to be around 40mph.  If I get out I will post the results tomorrow.

Fishing 4/3/2016 Blue Springs Lake, James A Reed And Lone Jack Lake

Sunday was a great day to go fishing, 79 degrees and sunny.  The only thing that kept it from being a perfect day for fishing was the wind gusting at 30-40 mph.  I started out my day at around 2:00 at Blue Springs Lake, the wind was horrible and after an hour of no bites it was time to move on.  The next stop was at James A Reed.  It was still windy so I found an area blocked by trees and started fishing.  After about two hours all I had to show for my time was four tiny bass, one is pictured below.

 

James A Reed Small Bass

I finished up my day around Lone Jack Lake where my luck began to change.  I ended the day here catching two bass and five crappie.  Here are a few pictures.



Black  Crappie

1st Bass

1st Bass 2nd picture

 



2nd Bass

 

Not a bad way to spend a beautiful day in the great outdoors, can't wait until next time.

A Walk To The Missouri River

Close by my home on a dead end road, there is an old access road that takes you the Missouri river at the mouth of the Little Blue river.  When you get to the gates blocking the old road there is a small parking lot, and from there it time to walk.  The beginning of the walk is about 1/3 of a mile down hill and then it levels off at the railroad tracks.  After you cross the tracks you walk an old dirt road the rest of the way to the Missouri river.  My brother and I took  a walk on Thursday to check the river level and see if it was dry enough to get down to the river and fish.  As we were approaching the river I noticed smoke coming out of the woods a little off the river bank.  When we arrived at the smoke, it was a small campfire that was left burning with no ring to keep it from spreading. 

We looked around and found an empty pop bottle and made multiple trips to the river to put the fire out.  This type of irresponsibility is how we outdoorsman loose privileges to access fishing and hunting areas.  I apologize for the little rant, but this kind of thing bothers me.

While at the river I took some pictures of the Missouri and the mouth of the Little Blue.




Missouri River

 



Missouri River @The mouth of the Little Blue


It was a nice day in Missouri to get out and take a walk.   Take some time to get out and explore the outdoors.

Do Your Part, Keep Missouri's Fishing Areas Clean

If you have ever fished on any of Missouri public lakes, there is no doubt you have seen the trash and fishing line strewn about the shore lines or floating along the banks and in coves.  Trash along the shoreline will ultimately end up in the water either by wind or rising flood water.  The Missouri Department Of Conservation spends around 1 million dollars per year on litter clean up around Missouri lakes, streams, and rivers.  That may not seem like a lot of money state wide, but think of the other great things this money could be spent on instead of cleaning up trash that could have easily been disposed of properly in the first place.  Lets look at a few things everyone can do to keep litter out of Missouri lakes, streams and rivers. 

• Carry a trash bag in your vehicle on outdoor trips to collect your litter.
• Keep trash in a secure place on boats to prevent it from blowing out. Try using mesh bags.
• Don't leave loose trash in the bed of your truck.
• Pick up and recycle monofilament fishing line.
• Leave the area better than when you arrived
• Get your kids involved and teach them about litter.

 

Doing these few things can have a big impact on litter around Missouri's lakes, rivers and streams.
If you want to make an even bigger impact, take a little time on every trip to pick up trash around the area. 

Do you have any tips on keeping fishing areas clean?

Photos were taken of Blue Springs Lake in Jackson County Missouri.  Four bags of trash were removed at the time the photos were taken, in an area covering only about 150 feet of shoreline.

Fountain Bluff Park, Liberty Missouri

Today I tried fishing at Fountain Bluff Park in Liberty, Mo.  Fountain Bluff Park is mostly sports fields, but the area has 8 ponds ranging from one to three acres.  The ponds are managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation in cooperation with the city of Liberty Mo.  The park is located on the south side of Liberty off old 210 highway about one mile east of 291 hwy. 


It was 74 degrees and sunny.  Winds were from the south gusting to 35 mph.  I started out at the back of the area on a small pond. I spent about half an hour working the banks with no takers.  After trying there I moved up by the entrance to the park behind the main building. I spent another hour fishing that pond with jigs, then switched a night crawler under a bobber.  No fish today maybe next time.  While I was out there people were catching fish I probably should have asked what they were fishing with.

Spring Turkey Hunting

As cold gives way to blooming trees and greening grass, there is no doubt you have seen turkeys out in fields looking for spring feeding grounds.  This can mean only one thing... It's almost time for spring turkey hunting!  Now is the time to start scouting for your prime hunting location.  If you are hunting a new area try getting an overview of the area using google maps.  Looking at the map ahead of time can give you clues as to the best areas to focus your scouting efforts.  After you find some locations to scout print the map and mark these areas so you can refer to the map when your out scouting.  When scouting an area look for turkey tracks left in mud or snow.  Check ridges for signs of scratching by flocks of turkey, when you find fresh scratching the area will be moist.
Look for fresh droppings, fresh droppings will be moist and soft.  If your scouting early in the morning listen for gobblers on the roost.  Try to find out how the birds are getting to the fields and back to the roost.  Another way is to go out in the evening to an area you have scouted with good signs of activity and listen for birds flying onto the roost. Once the birds are settled in for the night wait until its dark and quietly sneak out.  It is also a good idea to mark the spot using gps so can find your way back in the dark.  Now all that's left for you to do is get out early in the morning an fill your turkey tag.  

What do you do when scouting for spring turkey? 

Free Turkey Hunting Classes In Kansas City Offered By MDC

                                          Photo Courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation


The Missouri Department of Conservation will offer free turkey hunting classes for new hunters to learn basic turkey hunting Skills.  Attendees will learn about scouting for turkeys, using calls to attract toms, use of blinds and decoys, patterning shotguns, and turkey hunting safety.

Registration is required, so register now to learn turkey hunting skills you will use for a lifetime.

The classes will be held at  Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, Parma Woods Shooting Range, and the Lake City Shooting Range.  For more information or to register for a class visit the MDC here:    http://mdc.mo.gov/node/32462

Tips For A Successful Camping Trip

The glow of a warm campfire, cooking hotdogs on a stick, making smores, and listening to nature serenade you as you drift off to sleep.  For me those are a few of my favorite things about camping.  Camping is a great way to spend time with your family and friends while spending time exploring the great outdoors.  Below are some tips to prepare you for an enjoyable camping trip.

• When planning camping trips around holidays make reservations. Campgrounds are often booked up weeks in advance of holidays such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day.
• Arrive before dark. Trying to set up camp in the dark can be frustrating especially if you are trying to set up tents and other gear you have never used before. Setting up usually makes some noise, and if it's after dark you might be disturbing neighboring campers who are trying to sleep.
• Locate restrooms.  When nature calls you need to be prepared to answer.
• Bring along something for kids to do while setting up camp. Bikes are a great way to keep kids busy and get them exercise.
• Waterproof your tents. Nothing is worse than being woke up in the middle of the night with water dripping on your face, or waking in the morning and finding all of your clothes soaking wet.
• Find a level spot for your tent, and clear rocks and sticks from the area.
• Put a tarp under your tent. This will keep moisture from seeping up into the floor of your tent.
• Keep food stored where animals will not be able to get to it. At night put your coolers in your vehicle.
• Keep trash up off the ground to keep animals from making a mess of your camp site.
• Don't leave valuable items at your campsite when your are away.
• Buy your firewood where you are camping. Bringing your own firewood could unintentionally spread invasive species of bugs. Some states have laws against moving firewood over a certain number of miles.
• Keep fires small and inside the fire ring. Before you head off to bed put your fire out.
• Bring a first aid kit, sun block, and bug spray
• Don't forget your flashlights.
• Respect Quiet hours and campground rules.
• At the end of your stay clean up your camp site, deposit trash in the proper location, and make sure your fire is completely out.
• Most importantly enjoy your time outdoors with your friends and family.

What would you add to the list? Share your tips for having a great camping trip.

Early Season Catfish

As the temperatures rise and the water becomes warmer, catfish start becoming more active. Coming out of winter cats are moving out of their lethargic state, and are ready to start adding body weight they lost during the winter and getting ready for the spawn. Catfish moving to their feeding grounds offer a great opportunity for catching spring catfish. Here are a few tips for catching spring cats.

• Fish shallow north banks where the water will warm faster.
• Fish the mouths of feeder creeks, the water from the feeder creek will most likely be warmer.
• Bigger catfish like cut bait more than worms.
• Try minnows, shrimp, and chicken livers
• Try baits that resemble what is available in their environment.
• If you don't get hits within 15-20 minutes cast your bait to a different spot. Don't fall in love with one spot. The fish are moving around searching for food, so be prepared to change spots.
• Talk to your local bait shop. They usually know where they are being caught and what baits they are being caught on.

Do you have any tips for catching catfish? Share them in the comments section.

Check out these tips for Spring Crappie Fishing.

Spring Crappie Fishing

Spring crappie fishing can be some of the most action packed fishing you do all year. If you can locate where the crappie are spawning, you need only cast out a minnow under a bobber, or a crappie jig and start reeling them in. In Missouri crappie usually start moving to spawning grounds when water temperatures reach 55 degrees. Crappie prefer sandy or muddy bottoms to make their nests. Water clarity will determine the depth at which crappie spawn. When the water is stained or muddy crappie will spawn in shallow water sometime in as little as 1 to 2 feet. In clear water crappie tend to go deeper, sometime as deep as 20 feet. Males usually arrive to the spawning grounds first to find and prepare the nesting area. Females usually hold in water a little deeper until they are ready to spawn. After laying their eggs females will move to deeper water nearby to feed. The males will stay behind to fan and guard the nest from predators.

Here are a few tips to try to get you on the crappie.

• Fish towards the end of warm fronts. Watch for incoming cold fronts after a string of warm days.
• After storms look for crappie in thick cover.
• Try putting a minnow on a crappie jig.
• Warm rain brings crappie to shallow water.
• Fish in shallow coves that offer protection from wind and waves
• Use the smallest bobber you have so it is easier to see when you have a bite.
• Remember your hot spots. When fish are removed other crappie will come and take over prime nesting sites.
• If the bite slows cast all around where you where catching fish. Other fish are often within inches in either direction
• Don't move to a new location until the bite stops.
• Crappie don't spawn all at once, they lay eggs over a period of weeks. Keep coming back to your hot spots.

Try out these tips next time your out and you just might go home with a mess of delicious crappie.

If you have any crappie fishing tips or tactics you want to share let us know.

Fishing At James A Reed 3/14/16

Location: James A Reed Memorial Wildlife Area

Weather: Partly Cloudy Temp: 65 Wind: Breeze out of the SE

Water clarity: Stained

Bait: Small minnows

On Monday I took a trip out to James A Reed to try some crappie fishing. For those that don't know James A Reed Memorial Wildlife Area is located near Lees Summit Missouri just south of 50 highway on SE Ranson Road. There are 12 lakes that vary in size from 1 to 42 acres, the lakes have crappie, largemouth Bass, bluegill, channel catfish, and varieties of sunfish. Some of the lakes are even stocked with hybrid striped bass. One of the 12 lakes named Honker Pond is for Kids only, so if you have kids it is a good place to teach them about fishing.

My day started out on Lake Nell. I started fishing by the brush piles of the jetty on the south side of the lake, and it didn't take long to hook up my first fish of the season. After getting the Crappie within two feet of the shore it shook loose of the hook and I lost my first fish of the season. I continued fishing the brush piles with out any luck, and moved to the end of the jetty to fish in open water. After about 30 minutes I hooked into another feisty crappie and got that one to shore. I was feeling good after landing my first fish of the year, the first is always the hardest. After another hour and only two small 8in bass it was time to try out another lake. No luck at Bodarc lake or Gopher lake, so on to the next. I ended my day at Cottontail Lake, catching two small crappie in brush piles by the dam. After losing two setups to the brush piles I decided to call it a day. I didn't catch a pile of fish, but any time you can get out on a beautiful day and go fishing it's a successful day in my book.