Rob's Thursday morning Hunting & Fishing log

Report #: 135

Date & Time: May 20th, 2011 (7:00 to 9:15 PM)

What & Where: Hog Hunting - Pottsboro, TX

Results: 0

Lies & Lessons Learned: Gave it a short time in the tree stand still trying to stick a pig with an arrow. I heard some in the distance, but nothing came in. I did have a buck and doe come in within 15 yards and they stuck around 20-30 minutes. Can't wait for Deer season!

 

Report #: 136

Date & Time: May 21st, 2011 (6:30 to 11:30 AM)

What & Where: Striper Fishing - Lake Texoma, TX

Results: Several keeper Striper and Jennie caught 25-30 pound Blue Catfish!

Lies & Lessons Learned: Our annual Striper fishing trip to Lake Texoma. The Striper were slow after a cold front and thunderstorms, but trip was made when Jennie hooked into the trophy 25-30 pound Blue Catfish on 10 pound line spinning reel. She did a great job fighting it and we released it to be caught another day.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh2Z0lnw-VM[/ame]
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Report #: 137

Date & Time: May 23-25th, 2011

What & Where: Axis Hunting - Brady, TX

Results: 0

Lies & Lessons Learned: Hunted hard for a few days trying to take my first Axis. I only hunt low fence fair chase and since they weren't coming to feeders, it made the hunting really tough trying to catch them in transition. We saw Axis every night, but either too dark before they showed or too far off. Last night there they showed up on the wrong side of the field and we stalked within 225 yards, but breathing hard, little light left for scope, and using guides shoulder as base I couldn't pull the shot off. I'll get back out there after them, they are a beautiful animal and just out of velvet now it gives you something neat to hunt outside of Deer season. Almost everyone agrees they taste better than Whitetail too. Did enjoy all the Whitetails and Turkey we saw. Below is pic of one overlook we used and an internet picture of what an Axis looks like.
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Report #: 138

Date & Time: June 2nd, 2011 (12:30 to 2:30 PM)

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

Results: 3 Crappie (12.5-13.5")

Lies & Lessons Learned: Hadn't been to boathouse in awhile. They weren't biting great, but caught a few. More of a summer pattern starting now where you have to be patient for quality fish, but small ones will steal minnow all day long. They are also biting less on the jigs.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QbxhBBjoz0[/ame]

 

Report #: 139

Date & Time: June 4th, 2011 (7:45 to 11:30 AM)

What & Where: Largemouth Bass at Grapevine Lake, TX

Results: 3-4 Largemouth (largest 3 pounds 11 ounces)

Lies & Lessons Learned: My insurance agent called me Friday night and asked last minute if I could join him for some Bass fishing. He has a boat and use to fish tournaments, I have fished with him once before. He picked me up at 7:30 from the boat ramp and made a run across the lake. The first spot was hot! There was a little rock pile that was hard to hit, but there were fish all over it and nice sized. I caught a couple dinks and the 3-11 pictured below. He caught 4-5 that were as big as mine up to 5 pounds. That bite eventually slowed and we never really found them again, just some small ones. Had about as much fun as any guided trips.
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Put together a little video today with the bow. I'm new to archery and wanted to talk about some things I've learned, get some shots on film, and put it out there so people could give me feedback and tips.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb-mDtsy22c[/ame]

 

huh? turn your volume up! I had to turn it up a long ways. Not sure I'm ready for mics yet, pain enough having 2 cameras.

 

Report #: 140

Date & Time: June 8th, 2011 (11:30 AM to 8:30 PM)

What & Where: Largemouth Bass at Lake Fork, TX

Results: 20-30 Largemouth (largest 6 pounds)

Lies & Lessons Learned: Going on a couple weeks now without a serious weather front moving through the fish have been biting better. For the past week I've been seeing great reports from Lake Fork. I had yesterday afternoon available and one of the guides I use was open. He's FLW Everstart and Bassmaster pro Cody Malone. I had to take Mia to school, get some work done, and over 2 hour drive out there so we didn't start until about noon. First spot Cody caught a 4 pounder, but no other bites. The next spot was the best bass fishing I have ever experienced! We worked bridge columns for a couple hours and it is the most and also largest fish I've ever caught in that time period. Smallest fish were a couple pounds, but most were in the 3-5 pound range and Cody even caught a couple 6-7 pounds. He had a 9 pounder on and I knocked it off with the net at boat, I told him I did that on purpose since I should have caught that fish.

We got some quick supper and then back out again first couple spots didn't catch much. We then got on a place with a real infrequent bite, but they were nice sized fish. I caught a 6 pounder, which is my new personal best. Cody caught a couple in 6-7 pound range. The last hour of daylight the 1-2 pound fish were on a top water bite and that is a fun way to catch them. What a day! That's the reason I'm really starting to love bass fishing.

First pic a 4 pound 11 ounce, next pic my new personal best 6 pounds.
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Report #: 141

Date & Time: June 9th, 2011 (5:15 to 6:15 AM)

What & Where: Hog Hunting - Pottsboro, TX

Results: 1 wounded hog

Lies & Lessons Learned: Finally got a good shot at a hog with my bow! I've been working really hard this year learning archery and trying to stick a hog. Hunting with J.J. Kent of Kent Outdoors I had a large group of hogs come into range. I picked out a nice 125-150 pounder quartering away and thought I put a good placement on it. We gave it 90 minutes and got permission to track it on a nearby refuge. We followed blood for 200 yards and another 200 yards J.J. found the hog wounded and mad, it actually treed J.J.. Without any weapons allowed on the refuge we couldn't safely finish tracking it.

With a Deer I would feel really bad and disappointed, but fact is hogs are a huge nuisance in Texas right now and state is trying to exterminate them the best they can. It would be nice to recover the hog and eat it, but at least this wasn't a Deer. Hogs are just really really tough to kill, even with a rifle. I will research ways to up my odds.

Video can be played in 1080p for best resolution, but my volume only worked 480p. Turn your YouTube and PC volume all the way up as sound is faint.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1evTvel3MbE[/ame]

 

Report #: 142

Date & Time: June 16th, 2011 (7:30 to 10:30 AM)

What & Where: Kayak Bass Fishing - Lake Grapevine, TX

Results: 1 Largemouth Bass

Lies & Lessons Learned: First time I've had the fishing kayak out this year. I made a long paddle to an island with point that I've caught fish in a boat. I also wanted to try out a new portable GPS & fish sonar. I forgot my anchor, so had to drift fish this point, caught 1 small bass and got bites almost every pass. Will have to anchor over the point next time.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppHhNVY4apE[/ame]

 

Report #: 143

Date & Time: June 18th, 2011 (5:30 to 10:30 AM)

What & Where: Bass Fishing - Lake Grapevine, TX

Results: 2 Largemouth Bass

Lies & Lessons Learned: Insurance agent took me out again, we started early. They were biting pretty good early. I wasn't getting bites, but Gary was catching a few up to 4-5 pounds. I finally caught a few dinks later in the morning. Not a great fishing day, but at least saw a pretty sunrise!
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agreed and most hunters think he got off way too easy. my dad raised me right that game laws you follow by letter and even beyond that you have your own ethics and practices to follow.

You mix an unethical and greedy “good ole boy” with someone making money off tips and this is the result.

 

Report #: 144

Date & Time: July 1st, 2011 (5:30 to 11:00 AM)

What & Where: Bass Fishing - Lake Grapevine, TX

Results: 8 Largemouth Bass (largest 5.5 pounds)

Lies & Lessons Learned: Better day on Lake Grapevine bass fishing than a couple weeks ago. I caught more fish and a nice five and half pounder on a light setup.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-pIeCvRF54[/ame]
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wow! what is that? I don't know anything about sea fishing. tarpon in the waterway? I saw fishing show last month they were catching these huge tarpon in little boat lanes, people standing on the edges clapping and stuff.

 

Report #: 145

Date & Time: July 7th, 2011 (9:30 to 11:30 AM)

What & Where: Long Range Target Shooting - Leonard, TX

Results: N/A

Lies & Lessons Learned: Today was a first for me, I've shot a Deer at 160 yards, but I have never shot a range longer than 100 yards. I have an Axis hunt next week and wanted to try my rifles at a longer distance.

I started with the OBR 7.62 at 200 yards and worked it dead on. You then have to qualify before you can shoot 300 yards. To qualify you have to shoot 2 of 3 3-inch plates at 200 yards. I nailed the first two and didn't even have to shoot at the 3rd. 300 yards was tough as I didn't rezero anything, I just shot 2 lines down and it was OK 5-8" groups, but will have to work on that more. Picture below is at 300 yards, the black circles are 1" and white circles 3/4".

I then got the 30-06 out going back to 200 yards. Got it on at 200 yards, but really no desire to try at 300 yards. I did however want to practice with the shooting sticks standing up, so shot 3 times at 100 with it. that is most likely type of shot I will have for the Axis.
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not sure on the wind, it was a light wind day and more of a tailwind. however, although I was hitting 2 inch groups at 200 yards, for some reason the 300 yards went up to 5-8 inches so maybe that was inconsistent wind down there. It might also have been I was sighting off the 2nd line down and not that main crosshairs.

there was a 20 year veteran sniper out there instructing, I got his card for a long distance lesson. he was helping a guy with a Deer rifle hit 6-8 inch groups at 500 yards!

 

Report #: 146

Date & Time: July 8-9th, 2011

What & Where: Bass Fishing - Lake Fork, TX

Results: 10 Bass on Friday, 3 on Saturday

Lies & Lessons Learned: First time fishing Lake Fork without a guide. Went back of boat with insurance agent I have been fishing Grapevine with. He hasn't fished Fork in over 3 years, but knows the lake well and is a good fisherman. They were very slow, it was a grind and over 100 degrees. We didn't think we had done well with 25 Bass in the boat Friday and 12 on Saturday, but later found out those were decent numbers compared to others. We also didn't get anything with too much size, my largest was 4 pounder and his was just under 5 pounds.

 

you'll find in the field most of your shots will come in low light first thing or last thing in the day. sometimes to get enough light in scope you have to zoom most of the way out. amazing how quick the focus and light goes away when you start zooming in. I think that's a big reason I missed the Axis last month. It was 240 yards last minutes before dark dark and at that distance I really had to zoom in, but the focus and clarity was awful. My scope is worth 2x more than rifle too, which it should be.