Showing posts with label journal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journal. Show all posts

Fishing Journal Entry 16 - James A Reed - Coot Lake

7/29/2016

After what felt like an extremely long week at work I was able to sneak away for a few relaxing hours of fishing with my dad at James A Reed Memorial Wildlife Area located in west-central Missouri.  
James A Reed Wildlife Area, Fishing, Weather
Today's Weather Stats
The weather for today was very pleasant as you can see from the snapshot above.  I may begin adding the weather details for the fishing and hunting journal entries this way as it is a very simple way to record and share all of the important data that I usually include in these posts.

Sunfish, Fishing, James A Reed Wildlife Area
Dad looking impressed with a small bluegill
This little bullhead was one of three bullheads caught during our outing.
Catfishing, Catfish, James A Reed Wildlife Area
One tiny bullhead
This channel catfish was the biggest of the day measuring about seventeen inches long.  He was released unharmed at the end of the evening.
Catfish, Catfishing, James A Reed Wildlife Area
Decent little channel catfish
This little bass was hungry as anything you've ever seen and did its best to put up a good fight.
Tiny Bass, bass fishing, James A Reed Wildlife Area
A little bass
In all we caught only six fish, but we still had a great time relaxing while waiting on the fish to bite.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day

Fishing Journal Entry 15 - Lake of the Ozarks Truman Dam Public Access

7/23/2016

Today I took the family fishing at one of my favorite places - Lake of the Ozarks public access area below the Truman Dam.  The weather was extremely hot with a temperature of 98 degrees.
Crappie Fishing, Fishing in Missouri, fishing
Emilee with a crappie
The wind was blowing off and on at about eight miles per hour.  The skies were clear to partly cloudy throughout the day.  Unfortunately I forgot to record the barometric pressure on this trip.
bluegill, small fish, fishing
Cody with a sunfish
Having spent the entire day from noon until 11:30 at night fishing from a dock I achieved sunburned status.  We fished with all types of bait including minnows, gizzards, shrimp, night crawlers, and cut bait.
catfish, tiny catfish, catfishing
Even the baby catfish were hungry!
We managed to catch fish on everything except the chicken gizzards.  Although the fish were biting fairly steadily we didn't catch any giants.  
fishing, catfish, crappie
Some of the fish caught below the Truman Dam
The crappie were biting like crazy at a depth of about 12 feet with the biggest crappie of the day measuring eleven inches long.  
Crappie Fishing, Truman Lake Crappie Fishing, Lake of the Ozarks
Some of the crappie caught throughout the day
We caught several catfish throughout the day. Although many were small, they were still fun to catch.
Catfishing, fishing, Fishing in Missouri
Another small catfish
I was unable to keep track of the total fish count on this trip, but we caught a lot of them!
Fishing, Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Dam
Cody with another fish
Although we didn't catch any big fish on this trip the whole family had a blast.  In my book that's what makes any outdoor experience a successful one!

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day

Fishing Journal Entry 14 - The Turtles Win

7/22/16

Today I took my son along with a friend and his son to a small fishing pond to enjoy some fishing and relaxing.  We had a great time talking and catching fish.
Pond Fishing, Bass Fishing, Fishing In Ponds
A view of the pond
Having fished in many other places recently, I decided it was time to return to this beautiful pond to see how the fishing would be in the middle of the summer.
Catfishing, Fishing in ponds, Pond Fishing
2nd view of the pond
There was an enormous amount of aquatic vegetation growing in the pond which brought with it some fishing challenges, but we were able to cope with the situation.
Crappie Fishing, Fishing In Ponds, Pond Fishing
Another view of the pond
The weather was extremely hot with a temperature approaching 100 degrees.  The barometric pressure was 30.00 with a UV index of 9!
Catfishing, Pond Fishing, Fishing in ponds
Catfish
The wind was blowing at twelve to fifteen miles per hour.
Bass Fishing, Fishing in ponds, pond fishing
Largemouth Bass
We caught three decent bass.  They were just shy of being keepers.

Crappie Fishing, Fishing In Ponds, Pond Fishing
First Crappie
We caught three crappie.
Catfishing, Fishing In Ponds, Pond Fishing
Channel Catfish
We caught six catfish.  Most were big enough to filet, but we released them all so they could get bigger.
Catfishing, Fishing in ponds, pond fishing
Catfish
We used minnows, night crawlers and even some stink bait to catch these fish.
A couple of the catfish were rather small, but a fish is a fish.....right?

Catfish, Catfishing, Fishing In Ponds
Catfish
As the crappie started biting I began placing them on a stringer.  Upon catching the third crappie I pulled the stringer from the water to find that the first two had been mutilated by turtles.  One was completely gone except for its lips and some of the skin around its facial area.  The other had about one half of one side destroyed.  Once I saw this, I decided we wouldn't be attempting to keep any more fish.  It is better to catch and release than to feed the turtles. 
Turtle, Pond Fishing, Fishing In Ponds
One of many turtles
In all we caught twelve fish and two turtles, but in the end.....the turtles won.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day (even when the turtles are stealing your fish)

Fishing Journal Entry 13 - Lone Jack Lake

7/10/2016

After working late all week I finally managed to sneak in a little fishing time today.  My son and I decided to try fishing at a Lone Jack Lake.  Having never fished at this lake before, we weren't sure what to expect.  

While out fishing, the skies were partly cloudy and the sun was blazing down.  It was partly cloudy and hot with a temperature of 90 degrees (the weather monitor on my phone said it felt like 96 degrees).  The barometric pressure of 29.90 and holding steady with a UV index of 3.

Partly Cloudy Skies, Clouds, Mostly Sunny Skies
A View Of The Sky
This lake is in a beautiful area surrounded by trees and some cropland.  The lake itself is not overly large, but it is big enough that several people can fish there without feeling crowded.

Lone Jack Conservation Area, Small Lake, Lake Fishing
A View Of The Lake
Here are a couple of pictures of Lone Jack Lake from the area where we were fishing.

Lone Jack Lake Conservation Area, Lake Fishing, Small Lake
Another View Of Lone Jack Lake
We fished with minnows about three feet below our bobbers.  We also fished with shrimp on the bottom in an attempt to catch some catfish.  Cody was having a good time, but the fish refused to bite for him.
Father Son Fishing, Lake Fishing, Summertime Fishing
My Son Enjoying This Little Fishing Trip
About half an hour before we packed it up to head home, I managed to catch a tiny bass.  I was almost surprised that he could even get the minnow in his mouth; however, bass do have big appetites.

Baby Bass, Bass Fishing, Bass
The First Catch Of The Day
Not long after reeling in the baby fish I managed to hook into a decent one.  I had a blast reeling this one in!

Bass Fishing, Lake Fishing, Fishing For Bass
The Second Fish Of The Day
I released both fish after photographing them.  Perhaps they will get bigger and I'll have a chance to hook into them again (especially the bigger one).

At least I was able to catch a couple of fish today, for a while I thought I was going to get skunked for the first time this year.  I know it's bound to happen sooner or later, but it ended up not happening today.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day

Fishing Journal Entry 12 At James A. Reed CA Missouri

Saturday June 25th 2016

I had a blast today fishing with my daughter, son and dad.  We spent about three hours fishing and caught upwards of 40 fish between the four of us.  For bait we used mainly minnows.

Crappie Fishing, Lake Fishing, James A Reed
A beautiful day for fishing!
The temperature was about 92 degrees with the barometric pressure at 30.00 and holding steady (for the most part).  The pressure actually fell to 29.90 and then rose back to 30.00.  The sun was shining with a few clouds in the sky. 

Children Fishing, Small Crappie, Crappie Fishing
Emilee's first fish of the day
The four of us had a lot of fun during this little outing.

Perch, Sunfish, Tiny Fish
Cody's first fish of the day
Cody loved catching the little bluegill.

Crappie Fishing, Lake Fishing, Small Crappie
Dad's first fish of the day
Dad was in need of some R&R and I hoped he would find it while we were out fishing for a while.

Crappie, Small Crappie, Lake Fishing
Another fish for Emilee
Even with her broken hand Emilee finds a way to catch fish!

Small Bluegill, Lake Fishing, Perch
Cody's 2nd fish of the day
Cody's found his favorite way to fish....Without a fishing pole.

Crappie Fishing, Lake Fishing, Crappie
Dads 2nd fish of the day
Dad keeps reeling in the small fish, but he is having a blast!

Tiny Crappie, Crappie Fishing, Lake Fishing
My 1st fish of the day
I could barely hold this little thing by its mouth.

Crappie, Lake Fishing, Small Crappie
Dads 3rd fish of the day
After losing a rather large fish, dad reels in another one for the tiny record books.

Channel Cat, Catfishing, Catfish
The big fish of the day
Using shrimp for bait, I finally had a bite from a respectable fish and managed to land it!

Catfish, Bass and Catfish, Lake Fishing
We managed to bring home two keepers today
Overall it was an excellent day filled with a lot of fun!  The weather was really nice, although it would have felt much hotter if it wasn't for the sustained 16 mile per hour winds blowing out of the south.  The dock we were fishing on was also covered which helped us out with its shade.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day

Fishing Journal Entry 11 - Chased From The River

Disclosure:
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June 20th 2016

After work this afternoon I decided to take my son to the river for a bit of fishing.  Being the first day of summer I figured there was no better way to welcome the season.  I drove down to the parking area  and my son and I began the half mile walk to one of our fishing places.  Upon arriving at the waters edge the day seemed perfect....well almost. Thank goodness I had my ThermaCELL Other than the mosquitos, the scene was picture perfect.

Little Blue River, Missouri River, Mouth of the Little Blue
Inlet To The Missouri River
The temperature was 92 degrees with mostly sunny skies.
Little Blue River, Missouri River, Mouth of the Little Blue River
Mouth of the Inlet to the Missouri
The barometric pressure was 30.20 and slowly falling. 
Missouri River at the Mouth of the Little Blue, Big Muddy, Missouri River Photo
Missouri River
The wind was blowing SSE at eleven miles per hour.

The river was up more than I had expected as it has been rather dry and hot around here for a while now.  I baited each of my lines with a minnow which resulted in one missed gar about 18 inches long.  My son also missed a gar that was similar sized. After fishing for about 15 minutes or so my brother arrived.  Sneaking up on us he decided it would be funny to scare the life out of me by reaching out with the tip of his fishing pole and poking me in the shoulder blade.  Yep....It caught me off guard!  I thought he was going to fall over from laughing so hard.  I have to admit...It was pretty funny.

Missouri River Fishing, Fishing on the Missouri River, Mighty MO
My son enjoying fishing time on the Missouri River

Once the excitement of missing the gar had passed, I decided to bait one line with shrimp which seems to be an off-and-on favorite meal for the catfish in this particular spot.  It worked.  Not long after sending this morsel upstream I was helping my brother out and noticed my line had a lot of slack in it.  I began reeling and by the time I had the slack line back on the spool I noticed that the business end had moved quite a ways downstream.  I pulled the rod up and set the hook on a channel catfish that would make a couple of good filets.

Channel Cat, Missouri River Channel Cat, Missouri River Catfishing
Perfect eating size in my book
After catching this one I managed to reel in a soft-shelled turtle that was about ten inches long.  I should have taken a picture of it but I was too busy removing the hook from its mouth while trying to keep from getting bit.  When my brother and I were much younger I watched as my pet turtle bit into his knuckle and decided right then that was something I could live without experiencing.

I re-baited my hook and the weather began to change in a hurry.  A storm was moving in.  We attempted to wait it out as the wind began to push through, but when the lightning began to flash on the other side of the river it didn't take us long to decide to pack up our gear and head for the trail leading back to our vehicles.
Missouri River Storm, Missouri River, Mighty MO
The storm began to arrive
Storm over the Missouri River, Big Muddy, Mighty MO
The Storm Arrives
Missouri River Storm, Mighty MO, The Big Muddy
Another view of the storm's arrival
Although we found it necessary to head for the hills before we were ready to leave, the time spent with my son and brother was a lot of fun.  We decided we'd rather head out than to take a chance on being struck by a stray bolt of lightning.  There will surely be another day to head back down to the river and pick up where we left off.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day.... Even when mother nature chases you from the river.

Fishing Journal Entry 10

June 18th 2006

Today I took the family on a fishing trip to Warsaw, Missouri.  We fished below Truman Lake on the Osage Arm of Lake of the Ozarks.

The weather was a bit on the hot side, but in my book that is perfect fishing weather.  The sky was mostly sunny with a easterly wind of five to ten miles per hour.  The barometric pressure was 30.10 and holding steady.  

Fishing, Lake, Below Truman Dam
A beautiful day at Lake of the Ozarks

We fished with minnows the entire time we were out there and caught enough fish that I lost count of the total.  I did however catch the biggest fish I've ever caught in my life.  

Giant Spoonbill, LOZ Spoonbill, Paddlefish
Huge Spoonbill
The spoonbill pictured above was about four feet long and a very conservative guess on the weight is about 50 - 60 pounds.  It was an old fish and I didn't remove it from the water to release it.  I simply knelt down on the dock and let it go.  I didn't want to injure it as it looked like this thing had lived a rough life.  There were scars on it's body (probably from having been snagged at some point in the past) and it's paddle was broken.  No sense in taking a chance on adding any more wounds.

Little Fish, Perch, Tiny Fish
Cody having a blast
Small Bass, Cody's little bass, Little Bass
A tiny bass
Crappie, Tiny Crappie, Small Crappie
A little crappie
Cody and the rest of the family had a ball catching and releasing fish all day!

Blue Cat, Blue Catfish, Catfish
Blue Catfish
Channel Cat, Small Channel Catfish, Channel Catfish
Channel Catfish
Tiny Channel Catfish, Tiny Channel Cat, Tiny Catfish
Tiny Channel Catfish
Above are some pictures of a few of the catfish we had the privilege of catching on this outing.

Small Crappie, Crappie Fishing, Crappie
One of several crappie
Small Crappie, Crappie Fishing, Crappie
Another Crappie
Tiny Crappie, Small Crappie, Crappie Fishing
A small crappie
Above are a few pictures of some of the crappie we caught throughout the day.

We even had the opportunity to observe some deer while fishing.  Below is a video of them running back into the woods after being spooked by a passing car.



Overall we had a great day of fishing as a family.  This post is a little late being posted as we didn't arrive back home until a bit after midnight.  Needless to say I was a bit too tired to write a post....But it was worth it!

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day