SPOON FED

Summer is definitely here.  Temperatures are scorching now and it's really not unexpected for July or August in Kansas.  Another given for fishing this time of year is a tactic that gets as hot as the afternoon sun.  Spooning for various species of white fish is a killer technique and works well.

Spoons of assorted sizes and styles work well.  The shad hatch has been going on for weeks now and anything that resembles this dead or dying bait fish is a good choice.  An old standby is the Kastmaster which has been around for decades.  Others work similarly well when fished vertical or pitched and retrieved.  Much of it is personal preference.  As long as it has some flash and a good treble hook it will surely catch fish.

I headed out one evening recently to El Dorado Reservoir with my twin 13-year-old sons, a buddy and his 19-year-old son for a pleasant evening on the water.  I graphed a nice break and some fish in about 18-feet of water and dropped a marker.  Before I could get my boat turned back around fish were being caught from several seats.  The action was fast and furious as spoons were fished and jigged on or near the bottom.  Most fish were small wipers, but the occasional decent fish was tricked, too.  We caught 40 fish in the first 30 minutes.  Regardless of size, my boys were having a blast and I was having fun watching them.

The action slowed so we motored around looking for more schools of fish.  It wasn't long and we found some, but nothing compared to the first action we encountered.  We fished for another few hours and caught more wipers and white bass, crappie, walleye and some monstrous drum on our spoons.  Our final tally stood at 87 fish.  We didn't have many really nice fish and I wasn't interested in cleaning any anyway, so all were returned to the water.  

The spoon action will remain good for weeks.  It's a great way to beat the heat and an evening on the water is a perfect ending to any day.  Give it a try.  You might be surprised how simple it is and most of the time it really works!    

FRIDAY THE 13TH NOT TOO UNLUCKY

I've never been a big believer in superstition.  Granted, I don't make it a habit to walk under ladders or break mirrors, but I don't worry about it too much.  So when another Friday the 13th rolled around last week it wasn't even on my radar.  I was on vacation camping with my family so it was all good.

My daughter and I planned to hit the lake early with hopes of catching some big ol' channel cats.  My twin boys were still in town at the last day of a week-long tennis camp so my boat was emptier than normal.  That's okay as it gave Ashley and I a chance to spend some time together before she heads back to her second year of college shortly.

We were on the water at about sunrise and it was a pretty morning.  Temperatures were in the mid-70s and still comfortable when we dropped anchor on a hump and started fishing.  It wasn't long and the action heated up.  Ashley was having a little trouble feeling the bite so I gave her my rod spooled with Power Pro line.  She liked its sensitivity much better and was catching nice cats routinely in no time.  It didn't help her confidence much when I grabbed her rod and started using it and doing the same.

"I guess it's not the rod, huh?" she laughed.

"I've had more practice," I smiled back at her.    

We had a blast netting fish and pitching a few back that most anglers would keep.  I was keeping a mental tally of fish in the livewell and we were in the mid-teens when I counted to double-check my math.  I told Ashley we needed to make the last few fish good ones to make the morning last as it was barely 8 a.m.  She agreed.

The last few cats added to the livewell were in the 6-7 pound range.  It was about 9:30 a.m. when we decided to call it a morning and go clean fish back at the camper.  Actually, "we" didn't clean fish but Ashley added moral support as she texted pictures on my phone of our successful morning to all her friends and a few of mine, her brothers and grandparents. 

"Wow, today is Friday the 13th, too," Ashley laughed when she glanced at the date on my phone.  "I guess it wasn't too unlucky, huh?"

 It was anything but unlucky.  There likely won't be too many more Daddy/Daughter (she doesn't call me Daddy much anymore, except earlier that morning when she tangled with a fish big enough to nearly pull the rod completely under the boat and she pleaded for help..."DAAAADDDEEEEEEEE!") trips as she finishes up college and starts her own life.  It was indeed a fine morning and likely one of the things I remember as she drives off to school again next month.

4TH OF JULY FUN

Independence Day is a great time to celebrate.  Fireworks, cookouts and time with friends and family are all on the day's agenda.  It's not a bad time to get in a little fishing, either.  That's exactly what a couple friends, Jim and Rodger, and I decided to do bright and early before all the day's festivities. 

We all commented aloud about the early wake-up call at 0-dark-thirty.  We've all hunted waterfowl together for a couple decades now and normally our pre-dawn meetings involve big black (or sometimes yellow) dogs, lots of decoys and MUCH cooler weather.  We didn't have any dogs or decoys and the temperature was already 81 degrees and the sun wasn't even in the picture yet.  And today rather than greenheads and gadwalls we were after whiskered ones with stinkbait and chum, the latter aromatic enough to gag a maggot. 

We anchored my boat at both ends and dropped baits.  It wasn't long and we were catching fish.  Some were nice ones in the 3-5 pound range and we had plenty of "dinks" to contend with as well.  The highlight of the day was a big, fat, bullheaded channel cat that stretched Rodgers line for quite some time and later tipped the scale at nearly 9 pounds.  Fishing was good but catching wasn't spectacular.  Just the Sunday prior Jim and I had caught a near-limit of big channels in less than 90 minutes.  Today wasn't as good for whatever reason but we did manage a dozen nice keepers to clean to quench Rodgers fresh fish hunger. 

Even though it wasn't a 5-star fishing day it was still fun.  We all hadn't been together in some time and the jokes and jabs were flowing freely.  As we fished we chatted and pointed out this spot or that spot where we'd killed ducks in the past. It was nice to think of cooler times as the morning's sun quickly heated things up to the mid-90's well before noon.  It's all good in the great outdoors.        

TOO HOT TO FISH...ALMOST

Yeah, there's not much doubt that it's hot and miserable outside.  This summer is shaping up to follow last summer's lead and I don't much care for it.  These continuous weeks with 100-degree-plus days flat-out suck.  The old country song that mentions, "Too hot to fish," isn't far off and nearly true. 

But I still really like fishing.  And it's often the highlight of summer camping trips with me and my sister's families.  There's only one way really to beat the heat and that's to get up and go early.  Which leads to another problem as I've got a couple just-turned teenage boys who like to sleep.  And my daughter works all week and is taking a couple online summer college courses so she's tired by weeks end and not likely to get up with the chickens.  I don't blame them a bit.  But I'd rather lose sleep than skip fishing.  Plus, I've become the master at a big ol' power nap mid-afternoon and I'm good at it. 

We try to get on the water by at least 7 a.m. or so.  I'd rather go earlier but figure I'm pressing my luck with that departure time.  It gives us 3-4 hours of solid fishing which is usually plenty, particularly if the wind isn't blowing.  The heat index goes up way too quick with no breeze.  If it's breezy we're good 'til noon or so if the fish are biting. 

We had some luck on our last camping trip catching walleye, catfish, white bass and wipers.  Fishing wasn't fast and furious but it was still fun.  Early morning is a nice time to spend with family on the water and the boat traffic is typically not too bad.  It doesn't look much better for the coming weeks so I guess it's up and at 'em early again.     

BAND ON THE RUN



Clarissa Peterson holds a Canada goose gosling about to be fitted with a
leg band and released.  Information gathered from band recoveries will help
guide the future management of Canada geese in Kansas.
Photos Courtesy of Clarissa Peterson

 Fish and wildlife management can be interesting work.  Biologists gather field data and evaluate their findings to determine the best plan of attack for providing opportunities for wise use of these resources as well as goals for future management.  One way to gather data on waterfowl species like ducks and geese is to band them.  

Bird banding has been around since the 1800s.  A simple leg band is placed on a captured bird and released to live its life.  Band recoveries can provide information on movement, reproduction, harvest and a myriad of other data.  The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) currently has a couple bird banding studies underway now.  One focuses on doves and the other is looking at gathering information on resident Canada geese.  The latter is in full swing right now.

Canada geese adults are flightless as they go through a molt each summer.  It typically lasts several weeks and the birds don't venture far from water as it's their only means of escape during this time.  It's also the perfect time to round them up and do a little reasearch. 

Framed nets are laid flat on the ground in an octagon-like shape.  Adults and goslings are herded into the center and the frames are lifted and walked towards the middle to form an enclosure.  Both adults and goslings are fitted with a numbered, metal leg band issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.  The bird is then sexed to determine its gender and this information is recorded and now corresponds to a specific bird.  It's released and other than some new "bling" and possibly a few ruffled feathers no worse for wear.  

More than 600 Canada geese were banded last week in the greater Wichita area.  About 8 KDWPT employees from several divisions took part in the effort.  It was a long day that started shortly before sunrise and lasted until about sunset.  It's a hot, sweaty job and geese aren't always friendly, nor do they smell good when they all get nervous and loose green tootsie rolls everywhere. 

It was interesting, though, and nice to know that efforts like these will help guide the future of Canada goose management in Kansas.      

SHINY AND NEW

The cool temperatures and fall trapping season are still many months away.  However, trappers are likely readying gear right now even when the mercury soars and approaches triple digits.  Sweat equity now will translate into a smooth transition once the season gets here and there's nothing left to do but lay steel.

Trap preparation is a critical component of success.  Using equipment that is proper and adequate for the job increases the likeliness of a catch.  Many old time trappers prefer to treat or coat some of their traps with dye and wax to keep them in good working order and lasting.  New products on the market in recent years allow trappers to coat their traps with other liquids mixed with gasoline or water.  Much of the choice is personal preference and some depends on target species. 

BEFORE SOAK

AFTER SOAK

Used or old traps can be readied by a good cleaning using a pressure washer.  Extensive rust can be removed by soaking traps in a 50-50 mixture of vinegar and water for a day or two.  A light coating of rust is preferred before treating traps as it helps the dip stick better to the metal.  Hot days are perfect to dip traps as the heat helps cure and dry the traps quickly.  Most traps need several dips to get the desired results.

Once the traps are dipped it's simply a matter of checking their operation.  Pan tension can be adjusted and is personal to some extent and also depends on target species, too.  Traps should be in good working condition in order to facilitate a smooth transition to the field come fall.

Now is also a good time to check the rules and regulations concerning trapping  All traps must be tagged with either the owner's name and address or they can also use their KDWPT-issued license number as identification.  It's not a bad idea to read-up on what traps can be used where and which ones have restrictions.  Knowledge goes a long way in preventing conflicts with others using the outdoors and is good public relations for all trappers. 



     

RAT PATROL

Summertime means lots of things to different people.  But chances are there aren't many outdoor folks that have June 1 on their radar as an important date.  And I'm guessing most people couldn't tell you the significance of the date, either.  That's because it signals the opening date of one of the most overlooked small game species Kansas has to offer.  Squirrel season is open now and there's a good chance you'll have most any public area all to yourself.

I love squirrel hunting.  Or, more accurately, I love calling squirrels.  You can have the "go sit under a tree and wait," as that's not my style and I can't sit still anyway.  Calling squirrels is as exciting, on a relative scale of course, as bugling in a bull elk.  I like to refer to squirrel calling as the "Extreme" sport of the small game hunting world.

Calling squirrels relies on using a distress call.  Tree rats are territorial and overly protective.  Once they think a hawk or owl has one of their own they go absolutely crazy barking and often come running to check out the commotion.  I often joke about having to shoot the very first one I ever called in self-defense, but it wasn't far off.  He was ticked and coming down the tree trunk I was standing against.  Ten feet above my head he met his match.  Bright-eyed and mouth agape I was hooked.

I went out for the first time this season last Tuesday morning and witnessed a gorgeous Kansas sunrise.  I stepped into the woods at 6:05 a.m. and started calling.  At 6:55 a.m. I killed my last in a limit (5) of fox squirrels and was headed back to the truck.  I left several squirrels still barking at the last stop.    

Unusually successful?  Nope.  It often works that way in good habitat.  I don't know that I've ever done anything hunting-wise that worked as well as calling squirrels.  It's a great chance to beat the summer heat, introduce a kid to hunting or just enjoy a nice morning. 

Give it a try....it's a hoot!