Rob's Thursday morning Hunting & Fishing log

they were in transition, only that week had a few people started spotting them in beds shallow. we were out a little in staging areas 4-8. as you can see I'm not in any of the pics! really frustrated as any of those would have been my PB, but it was still fun to see 3 different double digit fish (well one was only 9-13) up close. I will keep after them.

 

Very little luck to fishing.

At my Crappie house someone can be right next to me and I will catch 5 to 1 of their fish. To even avid fisherman we aren't doing anything different. I know it well enough that just the way I move line to side and give it a slight bump triggers more bites.

 

Report #: 126

Date & Time: April 20th, 2011 (5:45 to 9:30 PM)

What & Where: Hogs - Pottsboro, TX

Results: 0

Lies & Lessons Learned: My second bow hunting attempt. After dark dark (50 minutes past sunset) I had a large group of hogs move behind me and to the side. My light was on the feeder other side so I could just see their outline in the dark. Would have been impossible to sight them with the bow. I thought they would keep circling and move into the light, but they kept going. In hindsight I should have turned my hat-light on. It may have spooked them, but if not it would have been my only chance at seeing them and my bow sight for an ethical attempt. Still haven't had my first bow kill yet. This was good practice 15 feet up in a tree stand for some of the bow Deer hunting I'll do this fall.
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Report #: 127

Date & Time: April 21st, 2011 (7:00 to 11:00 AM)

What & Where: Turkey - Pottsboro, TX

Results: 1 Turkey

Lies & Lessons Learned: My 2nd day hunting Turkey this season. The day was going just like last time, miles and miles of walking with no luck. First trip a few weeks ago it was too windy to be heard or hear. This time it was raining most of the day and the Turkeys just weren't talking back to us. Finally at about 10:30 AM after another long morning of many miles we got a Turkey to talk with us. We first setup with decoy about 200 yards and although it would respond to calling, it wasn't moving closer. The video below shows when we decided to move in on it and then call him rest of the way.

Expand video to full screen HD with volume up, you can hear the Turkey talking, it walks out of trees through the Cedar limbs and then moves to left of Cedar limbs behind some grass. We didn't have time to set the decoy out so it was getting nervous, I quickly shot it right after it turned and looked like it was heading back into woods.

I thought it was a good shot and feathers went flying. We walked up there and no Turkey! My heart sank, I was so disappointed if I had made feathers fly, but didn't kill it. We then walked down trail it had gone and not 50 yards away it was dead as it could be. They are just tough tough birds. A bunch of hard work, but it is going to be great eating!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV5WxyhHdBw[/ame]
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Report #: 128

Date & Time: April 24th, 2011 (11:00 AM to 1:00 PM)

What & Where: Crappie - FChat HQ at Grapevine Lake, TX

Results: 8 Crappie (two went 1.5 pounds)

Lies & Lessons Learned: Hadn't been to boat house in awhile with all the bass fishing and hunting. Figured the bite was getting better, but we had a storm come through last night and stationary front had temps about 10 less today. So I wasn't expecting a great bite today. It still seemed like a slow bite, but in the end great results with 8 solid keepers. I actually threw back a couple that would have been legal, but just too skinny. Several unders to keep the excitement up. The two big ones in my hand were pound and halfers. Also exciting that 6 of them came on jigs, which is always the most fun way to catch them.
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not good as my 'Crappie Ho' one.

 

Bubba's Bait & Tackle is a direct competitor of Holay's Bait & Tackle. We're mad at them right now because they are selling nightcrawlers below cost to push us out of the market. How can we sponsor a F1 team without profit on our nightcrawlers!?!

 

Dang it, I hate when people steal my fishing spot! They come in and catch MY slabs!
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Report #: 129

Date & Time: April 27-28th, 2011 (6:00 PM to 1:00 AM; 7:00 to 10:00 AM)

What & Where: Hog Hunting & Topwater Fishing - Pottsboro, TX

Results: few catch & release Striper & Largemouths, no hogs.

Lies & Lessons Learned: This is my 3rd time trying to take a hog with my bow! I'm getting closer and closer, but still haven't succeeded. This time I had daylight to see, I had hogs 35-40 yards in range, I fully drew, but I had a limb covering vitals for a 100% clear shot.

Next morning had fun fishing for Striper and Largemouth on topwaters. Fish weren't biting that great after a cold front, but so much fun to have those big fish hit the top.

I put a funny video together of my FAIL's on this trip.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPjPAnlBCHc[/ame]

 

Report #: 130

Date & Time: April 30th, 2011 (3:00 to 6:30 PM)

What & Where: Crappie - FChat HQ at Grapevine Lake, TX

Results: 12 Crappie (all 11-13.5")

Lies & Lessons Learned: Took Jennie, Mia, and some friends Crappie fishing. They were biting pretty good and most caught a nice Crappie, Mia caught 3 of the big keepers! Maybe the way she can't keep still and makes so much noise attracts the fish.
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Report #: 131

Date & Time: May 5th, 2011 (7:00 AM to 3:30 PM)

What & Where: Largemouth Bass - Lake Fork, TX

Results: 10 Largemouth Bass (largest 5 lbs)

Lies & Lessons Learned: I'm still trying to get up to speed on hardcore bass fishing. I'm getting better, but still have a bunch to learn. This day was better than my other bass trips this year. My largest was 5 pounds. The guide caught about 2x as many fish as me with a 6 and 8 pounder.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj9ZHthke-k[/ame]
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I just entered this weekends (starts tomorrow) FLW Everstart Pro Bass tournament as a coangler. Someone put me out of my misery, why do I put myself through these things. I still suck at Bass fishing, my only goal is stay out of the pros way and not get on camera hooking my ear or something.

 

It was a great experience, I didn't fall in the water, I didn't knock a bass off the pros line, I did hook him in the shirt once.

It was a very tough fishing day, my pro thought he was doing terrible with a sack of 5 fish 12 pounds, but he's in 8th overall! I didn't catch a single bass, learned it is very very hard as a co-angler to catch bass, but it can be done. I'm trying to get a break from the Crappie, but they followed me here! I caught 2 that would have gone 14" on a spinner bait.

tomorrow my goal is to catch at least one keeper and get on the board! even just a couple bass will get you in Top 20 co-anglers at this point.

now I'm off trying to stick a hog.

 

FLW is a pro series, but their idea to keep the pros honest instead of fishing by themselves is to have co-anglers. You are basically an observer that gets to fish too. You pay a very small entry fee and pro provides the boat. You just have to bring your own poles and lures. Pro decides where to go and has control of trolling motor up front. Co-angler can only fish areas back half of the boat. Most of the time co-angler is fishing water that the pro has already been through, that's what makes it tough.

There is a bunch of money in pro bass fishing. Besides the sponsor money, winner of this tournament got about $60k and co-angler about $35k. On pro side pays a few thousand down to 30-40th place. Co-angler will pay $500 down to 30-40th place. I tied for 85th in last place with zero weight! Yesterday I had one bass that was 1/4 inch short of minimum length or I would have been on the board and ahead of many.

 

Report #: 132

Date & Time: May 12th, 2011 (6:30 AM to 3:10 PM)

What & Where: Bass Tournament - Lake Texoma, TX

Results: 0

Lies & Lessons Learned: First time I have fished a pro tournament as a co-angler. You get randomly assigned to a pro and basically observing while also fishing for the separate co-angler competition. It is tough fishing because you don't have control of the boat and have to fish from the back, most of the time water the pro has already covered.

I really enjoyed it though, learned a ton today from veteran pro David Curtis who has the nickname "King Texas" for all his Texas tournament wins. He has over $650k winnings in just the FLW tour not counting other tournaments. It was very tough fishing after a thunderstorm night before, but David managed to find enough fish for 8th place for the day.

I didn't catch a single bass, just a couple slab Crappie.

Here is pic of David getting weighed in on set.
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Report #: 133

Date & Time: May 12th, 2011 (7:00 to 9:15 PM)

What & Where: Hog Hunting - Pottsboro, TX

Results: 0

Lies & Lessons Learned: After the day of bass fishing I was only a few miles from one of the places I hog hunt. I gave it a couple hours in the tree stand trying to stick my first hog with an arrow. I heard them close snorting and breaking brush, then they appeared! 5 piglets, not what I was looking for, but still fun to watch them for 30 minutes right below me. Here is quick video of them coming in and then the Racoon. Can you spot me in the tree? Oh well, one of these days I will get mamma or papa.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otDttTTzZxE[/ame]

 

Report #: 134

Date & Time: May 13th, 2011 (6:30 AM to 2:30 PM)

What & Where: Bass Tournament - Lake Texoma, TX

Results: 0 (1 under)

Lies & Lessons Learned: A tough day yesterday turned even tougher after a cold front last night. 2nd cast of the day I had a top water hit and hooked a Bass! I knew it was borderline and measuring confirmed it was only a 1/4 inch short. Little did I know that early that would be my only Bass bite the entire day. So I ended another day empty handed, but had fun with another Crappie and actually hooked a gar which was fun.

I learned a bunch more from my day's pro Joe Erwin. He hasn't won as much as previous day's pro, but Joe is still very experienced. He had a decent day with 3 fish including a 4-01 kicker. Here is pic of Joe at weigh-in holding his 4-01 kicker.

I had a blast and will do the co-angling thing again.
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