A Priceless Weekend Fishin’ with the Family

Three motley fishermen in a two-man boat! Dad, with Coleman and Alex…and a dead trolling motor.

Search for morels or go fishin’? That was the question. Last week was St. Pats and historically a great time to start looking through the woods under the elms and big oaks for the tastiest mushroom ever to grace the woodlands. But if the weather hasn’t been right, mid-March is a little too early for mushrooms. This was one of those years when there was not a definitive answer about whether or not the weather conditions had been suitable enough for long enough to produce mushrooms – they might be up but it might be just a tad early. We had had about a week of nights in the 40’s and 50’s and days in the 60’s and low 70’s prior to St. Pat’s weekend so the decision was tough. The kids wanted to fish but I didn’t want to miss the first good mushroom bloom. When it came down to it my wife reminded me that I had promised my youngest son, Coleman that we would fish, so fishing it was. And I think I cut it just right because I heard only a few stories about mushrooms so the big bloom is hopefully yet to come!

Proud fisherman Coleman Stephens with a crappie caught on a crankbait!

Saturday evening we crammed the kids, fishing poles, grill, chicken breasts, and sliced potatoes in the truck and headed for Moose Head Lake for the 2^nd weekend in a row. I had to do some reconstructing of my beaver sets because the high water from last week had filled the traps with debris and washed out much of my trap bed work. Upon arriving, my son, Alex and I reset the traps and helped get the fire going. Mom, Ashley, and Coleman were on cooking detail. Alex and I jumped in the two-man boat and headed up the lake.

Just before the big lightening strike - angler Alex Stephens with one of the many small bass that really got active as the low pressure swept in from the northwest.

There was a low pressure area just west of us as we began fishing. I was hoping that the brewing storm would stir the big fish into activity. Alex was casting an open-faced reel with 10# test line, a medium-heavy 6’ rod and a #11 Rapala Fire Tiger. I was pitching a bait caster with a 6’ rod, 10# test line, and a white-headed single spinner with a chartreuse skirt. No sooner had we started up the north bank than we started catching fish. The water temperature was still a little low so the hits were light and sluggish. You could say that they were more of a drag than a hit.

The old man even got into the fishing groove. One-Eyed Hillbilly, Greg Stephens with a an Ozark lake largemouth bass. Not a big one but better than a poke in the eye...trust me on that!

As the evening’s light began to fade the flashes of lightening could be seen in the distance and the fish activity increased. Just as we started hooking fish consistently the wind picked up, blowing from the north. One big bolt of lightening later Alex looked at me and we both decided it was time to ‘bug out’. Of course we were two hundred yards from the dock and the battery went dead on the trolling motor and we only had one paddle. Each time you made a stroke with the paddle the whole boat shift left or right. It was a ridiculous spectacle as I paddled for all I was worth fighting the north wind all the way and zigzagging back and forth like an over-active stick bait! By the time we made it to the dock I was soaked and out of breath. But it was worth it because we had been on an exciting springtime Ozark fishing adventure and caught several small bass in the process.

If that isn't the grin of a proud fisherman full of orneriness then I don't know what is! Coleman Stephens with a large mouth bass.

The next day turned out to be beautiful and we decided to go again. This time Coleman and Ashley got into the fishing groove as well. After having slower luck with the lures from the day before we switched to a green and blue deep running crank bait and immediately began getting hits. Alex and Coleman caught several bass as we drifted in the wind down the south shore. Ashley on the other hand had a little bit of a challenge casting the open faced reel. You never knew whether the lure was going to land in the boat, behind the boat, or five feet in front of the boat. She didn’t manage to catch a fish but she had fun trying and we had fun watching her! Next time she will hook one I’m sure.

After the storm and a good grilled chicken dinner - the family poses with the dock and lake in the background. A priceless weekend!

As we packed up to leave mom asked me if we might let Ashley drive the Tahoe down the ½ mile driveway to the road since she didn’t get to fish as much as the boys. She is now almost 15 and anxious to learn to drive. So, I put her between my legs with the seat all the way back and off we went. The drive to the road was about as ridiculous as the boat ride back to the dock the evening before – zigzagging all the way! I’m worried about my insurance rates in the next few years… How do you put a price tag on a weekend like that? I’d call it priceless. So says the One-Eyed Hillbilly.




Greg Stephens is a 35-year veteran & life-time student of the great outdoors. His column appears weekly in print & online publications. You can email him at gregstephens@one-eyedhillbilly.com. For more columns go to www.one-eyedhillbilly.blogspot.com.

Mother Nature at the Helm

There are few things in life more calming than seeing dusk's last light glimmering off a calm wilderness lake. Of course, setting traps while watching the last light is even better! The One-Eyed Hillbilly setting for beaver at Moose Head Lake.

A friend called this past weekend to ask if I could come out to Moose Head Lake to trap some beavers that were making a nuisance of themselves. Always looking for an excuse to trap, I told him I would be there. Saturday evening the family sat on the dam cooking hot dogs while I dug out the beaver’s handiwork from the spillway. Looking at the damage the critters were beginning to inflict I was once again reminded of how, no matter how advanced mankind becomes, Mother Nature will always have the last word and she will always be at the helm, whether we think so or not. A perfect and ominous example fresh on my mind was the terribly tragic earthquake in Japan. Japan is the largest economy in Asia with, arguably, the most technologically advanced society on earth. Yet, in the face of all this advanced technology and society, Mother Nature showed us all that she is definitely in control. With her there are no guarantees outside of survival of the fittest, and we are little more than pawns in the chess game of nature. At best, we should just learn to enjoy the ride and stay in the saddle as long as we can while we’re here.

Make sure those safeties are on! Carefully setting the trigger on a 330 conibear trap, Greg shows his son, Alex how to do it safely.

And enjoy the ride we did Saturday evening. I stood thigh deep on the edge of a beautiful private lake deep in the Ozark Hills. Far from the nearest highway, the only sound outside of the kids playing was that of the peepers in the trees surrounding the lake. After I cleaned out the beaver’s dam work from the spillway, using some of the beaver’s poles I hurriedly built barriers with float poles to guide the industrious critters to my traps. I set two 330 conibears at the spillway, one at the spot where they were climbing out on the bank, and one at the end a beaver run through a weed bed where they were gathering mud for the damming project. It was a great plan. The strategy was right. The implementation was perfect. They wouldn’t know what hit them until it was too late. I was in control and the result was little more than a forgone conclusion…so I thought. But that is for later in the story. We did get one thing right; we got in the saddle and enjoyed the ride on a beautiful Ozark evening.

The last step - the One-Eyed Hillbilly gingerly taking off the safeties at a dive-stick set. Next he will fence the gap with beaver sticks to guide the critter around, down, and through the trap.

LaDonna, Ashley, and Coleman were on dinner duty while Alex and I set the 330’s. I always like to have a second person with me when I’m setting 330’s because it can be difficult to remove the darn thing without help if you accidentally get it on you…and it will happen, trust me on this! As I bedded the traps and removed the safeties, Alex was always within several feet of me waiting with the setters, just in case. Luckily this trip I did manage to keep the whole clan from rolling around in hysterical laughter at me by not getting hung in a trap – it’s one of the few times, too! Just as the last light was reflecting off the calm surface water of the crystal clear lake we finished up the traps and mom yelled that it was time to eat. Perfect timing!

It’s amazing how good a hot dog tastes on the bank of a lake on a cool Ozark evening. As we sat around visiting and eating the kids began fighting over who would be the unlucky person that only got one hot dog. There was enough for everyone to have 2 hot dogs apiece except for one person. And who only got one hot dog you ask? The 14 year old girl – I don’t think so. The 13 year old boy – are you kidding, no way. The 7 year old boy – there’s better chance of Bass Pro running a close-out sale on .30-06 ammo the night before deer season. So, you guessed it, mom and I shared the last hot dog – it just wasn’t worth the fight!

Learning to enjoy the ride like its the last ride of our lives. Folks from the hills enjoying hot dogs on the lake dam after setting beaver traps. Greg, LaDonna, Coleman, and Ashley.

As the weekend came to a close the great plan with the right strategy and the perfect implementation was once again foiled by a Mother Nature curve ball. It rained all night and all the fencing work and trap setting was for not – the traps were under an extra 18 inches of water as the lake rose over night. The beavers were laughing at me. This was just a small example of how Mother Nature is always in control. We had sat on a dam designed to control the natural flooding of water while providing recreation, scenic beauty, and fishing for mankind. Mother Nature introduced beavers, muskrats, and erosion into the equation and in the court of time that strategy will ultimately prevail over this man-made structure. This is a more pronounced example that Mother Nature will always have the final say. Finally, as we pray for the well-being of the unfortunate victims of the Japanese earthquake we are witnessing an ominous display from Mother Nature that human life is just as susceptible, despite our advanced society and technology, as any other life on earth when nature decides to assert her dominance. There are no guarantees so live every day like it’s your last. Get in the saddle and enjoy the ride in the Great Outdoors. So says the One-Eyed Hillbilly.

Greg Stephens is a 35-year veteran & life-time student of the great outdoors. His column appears weekly in print & online publications. You can email him at gregstephens@one-eyedhillbilly.com. For more columns go to www.one-eyedhillbilly.blogspot.com.

Overwhelmed at the Missouri Deer Classic

USSA works hard to preserve, protect, and grow our great American outdoor heritage. USSA Field Rep, Greg Stephens working the firearm drawing, meeting people, and talking U.S. Sportsmen Alliance at every opportunity.

Have you ever anxiously taken a child to a giant toy store hoping for them to have the experience of their young life only to be disappointed as you watch them stand and stare in a sensory overload stupor? They generally will come out of it after a brief pause and you better have them on a leash or you might not get them to leave the place. This past weekend I witnessed the same phenomenon in Columbia, Missouri at the Missouri Deer Classic. Outdoor enthusiasts from 13 to 93 walked through the front doors and stood there staring with tears in their eyes and drool hanging from their lips.

A real-life indoor fishin' pond made out of wood and plastic - you know we folks from the hills (hillbillies) had to come up with this marvel of modern times! I want one at my house.

They were blocking the entry way doors standing there trying to decide which direction to venture and it was almost embarrassing. You would have thought they had never seen outdoor celebrities, outfitters, guides, outdoor equipment manufacturers, retail outdoor equipment sellers, archery groups, fishing groups, trapping organizations, hunting organizations, food plot specialists, jewelry retailers, specialty food vendors, outdoor seminars, antler scorers, taxidermists, bow fishermen, 3D archers (…whew, I need to catch my breath!) turkey call specialists, cutlery manufacturers, outside wood furnace vendors, portable sawmill manufacturers, and many more all under one roof!

Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club provided antler scoring for the general public

And many of the folks wouldn’t have left if the vendors hadn’t started breaking down their booths at 4:00 pm on Sunday. There was just too much to see in this wonderland for outdoors enthusiasts.

Table after table of certified scorers scoring racks brought in from the general public.

We were there representing the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance in a booth distributing information about the organization. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is an organization dedicated to educating the general public about the value of our outdoor heritage in the U.S. while vigorously fighting the anti-hunting, anti-fishing, and anti-trapping movement on all fronts. USSA is responsible for programs such as the Bear Hunter Rights Coalition, Bow Hunter Rights Coalition, International Hunters Rights Campaign, and the Sporting Dog Defense Coalition.

Outfitters and Taxidermist were out in force at the 2011 Missouri Deer Classic.

They are also the creators of the fabulously successful Trailblazers Adventure Day program and the Families Afield program. As we distributed our gun drawing tickets and spoke to the hundreds of enthusiasts as they filed by in the isle, I got a comforting feeling that with the folks from all over this great state there is still a firm foundation for our connection to the Great Outdoors.

On Sunday my wife, LaDonna, was with me at the booth so I had the opportunity to venture out into the show. It was truly sensory overload for an outdoorsman, especially an outdoorsman with only one eye – I couldn’t look around fast enough through the crowd to get a good look at everything! The latest and greatest equipment was everywhere. The outdoor celebrities were sharing their secrets in seminars. The vendors were marking down great equipment to unheard-of prices. If I had brought any money my wife would’ve had to ride on the top of the Tahoe on the way home to make room for all the new stuff I would have bought! But, wisely, my wife didn’t let me bring the money.

The NRA got into the groove by bringing in the Great American Whitetail Collection. There were some freak-of-nature monsters to behold - including the Missouri Monarch.

So I went about talking to all the various outdoor groups that could volunteer at Trailblazers Adventure day programs in our local Missouri schools. We were able to add several archery groups and a bow fishing group as potential participants for our upcoming programs. If you know of a school or organization that could benefit from a Trailblazers Adventure Day program don’t hesitate to contact USSA at 614-888-4868 or online at www.ussportsmen.org These events are fun-filled days for children and adults with activities including, but not limited to, fishing, casting competitions, BB gun ranges, archery ranges, fur and trapping demonstrations, falconry, model airplane flying demos, mountain man demos, hunting demos, and many more. These events are an opportunity to pay it forward and introduce a child to the world of real life interaction in Mother Nature. And, best of all, they are free!

Groups dedicated to disabled and youth hunters were working hard at the event

By Sunday afternoon as the event was winding down I had my mental Christmas list burned into my mind for the next several years. The only thing left for us to do turned out to be the highlight of the event. We had held a gun drawing during the course of the event and met many hundreds of folks in doing so. My greatest hope was that we would be able to give the gun to an enthusiastic outdoors person who would see to it that they passed on the heritage to a child. At 3:30 pm we pulled the name of Raymond Wilburn from Moberly, Missouri from the box of drawing stubs. It was Raymond’s lucky day!

The best part of raffling a hunting firearm is when the winner is a youug'un that will carry on the heritage! USSA Rep. Greg Stephens with lucky winners Raymond and Patrick Wilburn.

When he arrived at the table he had his young son, Patrick with him and Patrick was all smiles. According to Raymond this was the first time that he had ever won such a prize. They chose the Mossberg Model 500 Grand Slam shotgun for their prize and indicated they would be testing the scatter gun this spring turkey season. Congrats to Raymond and Patrick! It does my soul good to see a father-son team getting a new gun that can provide memories for a lifetime. So says the One-Eyed Hillbilly.

Greg Stephens is a 35-year veteran & life-time student of the great outdoors. His column appears weekly in print & online publications. You can email him at gregstephens@one-eyedhillbilly.com. For more columns go to www.one-eyedhillbilly.blogspot.com.