Southern Traditions Outdoors - March 2016

1 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MARCH - APRIL 2016

MARCH - APRIL 2016

KING OF THE ROAD BED

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DISCLAIMER - Neither the authors nor Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine LLC assume any responsibility or liability for any actions by readers who utilize any information contained within. Readers are advised that the use of any and all information contained within Southern Traditions Outdoors is at their own risk.

On the Cover

Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine Mission Statement:Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine vows to put forth a publication to promote the outdoors lifestyle in a positive manner. We will strive to encourage veteran and novice outdoorsmen, women, kids, and the physically challenged to participate in the outdoors in a safe and ethical manner. Our publication will bring positive attention to the wondrous beauty of the world of Nature in the mid-south.

Garry MasonWalter WilkersonTerry WilkersonSteve McCadamsKelley PowersShawn ToddEddie BrunswickLarry Self

John SloanRichard SimmsDana WatfordBuck Gardner Richard HinesEd LankfordDrew BrooksJohn Latham

John RobertsRichard HinesRob HurtMark BuehlerRichard FaganNeill McLaurin

Field Staff Editors

Owners - Eddie Anderson Rob Somerville Kevin Griffith Stacey LemonsPublisher - Eddie AndersonEditor - Rob SomervilleMagazine Design -Donny Byrd

Advertising Sales Rob Somerville - Managing PartnerDistribution Johnathan Anderson Mike Robinson

Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PG .................. ARTICLE .......................................................... AUTHOR

8...........................Big Bass In Small Ponds ...................................................Rob Somerville15..........................Showdown In The Roadbed ..............................................Richard Fagan18..........................Ag News - Have You Thanked A Farmer Lately ...............Neill McLaurin22..........................Ag News - Irrigation and Farming ......................................Dana Watford29..........................Fishing Tennessee Refuges .............................................Richard Hines38..........................Girl Power ..........................................................................Shawn Todd39..........................Hunting Morel Mushrooms ................................................Kevin Griffith46..........................Slabs In The Shallows .......................................................Steve McCadams54..........................Trophy Room .....................................................................STO

This gobbler is shown proudly strutting his stuff to enhance some hens into the annual spring mating ritual. Photo by Rob Somerville


Letter from the Editor

I recently watched a documentary film called Brothers in War on Netflix. It is about the Vietnam War and the group of men called “Charlie Company.” These men were of diverse color, backgrounds and regions from across America. The film {using home and military video footage, as well as recent interviews with the survivors} told the story of their arduous journeys from boot camp, to their battles in the rice fields and tunnels of Viet Nam and their very non-heroic welcome home to a country they shed their blood and lost brothers in arms for. The film made me feel the wide stream of emotions these men were put through including innocence of youth, fear, bravery, courage, pride, brotherhood, and finally sadness and disgust at the response they received from protestors and the media when they returned home. All wars are sad, but some are necessary to protect and preserve the freedoms we all enjoy. The Vietnam Veterans truly got a raw deal. They were simply doing their patriotic duty. I don’t believe any of the men and women in our military service get the respect and credit they deserve. We think we have a horrible day if we get wet during a sudden rainstorm, or maybe get a flat tire on our truck. Try imagining getting trench foot from wading in swamps for days at a time. Try a truly bad day being getting an arm or leg blown off when stepping on a mine in Iraq or Afghanistan. Try losing a true comrade that you ate, slept, lived and fought with for the last nine months. My father served for the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was stationed in Guam. He is my personal hero. I believe many of the character traits he learned during his service in the army carried on with him later in life. He was quiet, likeable, calm, alert, detail oriented and loyal as anyone I ever met. I never heard anyone say anything negative about him and he could always make people laugh. When you meet someone who has served, or is currently serving in our armed forces, I encourage you to thank them for their service. I salute the great American heroes that serve not only in the military, but in our police and fire de-partments. Let’s not forget the heroes of 9/11 either. There are many organizations you can volunteer for or donate to such as the VFW, POW/MIA, American Legion, Wounded Warrior Foundation and more. They are all worthy causes. But, the Vietnam Vets may have gotten the worst deal of them all. I pray that all our service men and women always return safely and commend them for fighting for our great country. I pray that our government only goes to war when our freedom is threatened. I pray for peace. STO Magazine salutes you all!Thank you for your service,Rob Somerville

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In my opinion, there are very few activities that are more relax-ing than going to a quality farm pond to fish for bass. The perfect scenario includes just me and one other person ... Mother Nature. A well kept secret among bass fishing aficionados is that you can catch monster-sized bass out of these small, overlooked ponds and the beauty of it is that you don't have to have a twenty thousand-dollar bass boat to do so. Here are some tips on pre-spawn bass fishing in ponds. First of all, if you don't own a pond, you must obtain permission from a landowner. Once permis-sion is secured, I recommend the following tackle. I like to carry two spinning rigs when fishing a pond. I usually bring a six-foot, medium-action rod for fishing a spinner bait, and one six and a half-foot, light-action rod for fish-ing plastic baits. The reason for the light action rig is that I've had more success fishing my weedless, rigged worms with either a 1/16th-ounce bullet weight or with no weight at all. This light action rig performs much better in cast-ing this light bait and the worm sinks in a more natural, appeal-ing fashion with the least amount

Big BassSmall Ponds

By Rob Somerville

Here, Rob holds up a fat 6 1/2 lb. largemouth bass, caught in a local pond on a black lizard with a chartreuse tail.


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of weight. I spool the spinner bait pole with 12 lb. – braided line, for quick, hook-setting power. On the worm rig, I use a limp, forgiving line such as Trilene - Maxi Thin. I always like to wear my rubber waders. They allow me to get out in to the water and cast back underneath the tree branch-es that hang over the pond along the shoreline. My usual routine is to start fishing the plastic baits. This can be done slowly and with a minimum amount of distur-bance on the water. I prefer two of these baits in particular in these situations. For rubber worms, I like the Zoom - Trick Worm, in bubble-gum pink, or methiolate red colors. The reason for these picks is two-fold. First of all, these bright colors seem to perform well under all water clarity conditions, whether clear, slightly stained, or murky waters prevail. Secondly, I like the way the Zoom worms slowly and naturally sink to the bottom of the pond. If I'm using rubber lizards or crawfish, I pre-fer colors in black or watermelon, with chartreuse or blue highlights. These baits can be purchased with natural fish attracting oils and are better than salt-impregnated baits. I start with the plastic baits be-

cause you can fish them slowly and quietly, casting them into the thickest of cover, and keep-ing them in these target zones for a longer period of time than spinnerbaits or crankbaits. I work the shoreline and drop-offs, con-centrating on any type of cover, “fan-casting” the entire area. To use these baits effectively, cast the lure and let it slowly sink to the bottom. Wait a couple of sec-onds, and then slowly raise your rod tip about eight to twelve inch-es, then let it back down again, al-lowing the bait to sink. Only use your reel to wind up the slack line. Always watch your line. If you see a telltale twitch, or the line steadily moving, point your rod at the line and reel in only the slack. Just as your line gets tight, set the hook hard by slamming your rod into an upright position. The bass gen-erally like to hit the plastic baits right when it hits the water, or when it is sinking from your rod pumping action. After fishing the entire pond in this fashion, it's time to break out the spinner baits. I prefer a 3/8th ounce Strike King spinner, with a combination of willow and Colo-rado blades. My best success has been in using colors in chartreuse,

white, or some combination of both. At night or on overcast days, a blue or black bodied spinner-bait works well. I cast these baits just past my target area and retrieve them steadily. Believe

me; you'll know when a big hawg hits it. As a final choice, because it caus-es the most surface disturbance, I recommend a buzzbait. This top water lure sometimes offers just enough commotion to trigger an infuriated bass to explode at the surface and inhale it. Buzzbaits are probably the most fun to use, as you actually get to see the water boil when 'Ole Bucketmouth' hits one. When using a buzzbait, make sure you immediately start reeling the lure in, as soon as it hits the surface of the pond to keep it on top off the water and moving in a constant, chugging, steady mo-tion. I have the most success with buzzbaits just after daylight or right before sunset. There are many types of baits you can use. These are just some of my favorites. Here are some more tips.

Rob caught this seven-plus pound bucketmouth in a farm pond in Lexington, Tennessee on a white

spinner bait.

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A calm pond can soon be sent into an eruption of water, as shown here when the author tied into a “hawg” on a yellow buzzbait, just before dusk. Photo by Rob Somerville

Southern Traditions Outdoors Tips for Pre-Spawn Bass Fishing

in Ponds.• Always keep an extra spool of line, and an extra rigged rod, in case of a proverbial 'bird's nest' of line tangle.• Keep an ultralight rod and reel handy, along with some jigs, and small spinners. If the bass aren't biting, maybe the crappie and bluegill will be.• When wading, move slowly and carefully. If the pond is deep, wear a life jacket. Try not to stir up the muddy bottom, or slip off into a hole. Feel ahead with your front foot before moving for-ward, for safety purposes.• Make sure you understand if the owner will allow you to keep the fish you catch, or wants you to catch and release them. If they let you keep the fish, offer to fil-

let them and share your boun-ty with the owner. If they don't want any, keep only what you will eat, and save the rest for fu-ture anglers. If you are releasing the fish you catch, do it with the least amount of handling and damage from hook removal as possible.• Never litter or rut up roads, when traveling to a farm pond. Doing so could make it your last permitted trip, and ruin it for others.• Bring a camera. You never know when a big bass will create a 'Kodak' moment.• Carry a pair of needle nose pliers to assist in low damage hook removal, and a pair of nail clippers for cutting line. • Always be alert for 'Old Cold-jaws' when snakes inhabit the area.

• Do not bring a guest along, without permission from the landowner.• Continually scan the shore-line for the telltale swirl of bass feeding in the shallows. Fish any points that protrude into the water. These form natural drop-offs, which are ambush areas for bass to feed on. If you catch a bass using these tips, send us a picture and we'll put it in our Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine Trophy Room section. Good luck and bring a child along for the trip. I hope you catch a big one, and always re-member that our kids truly are our most precious natural re-source. They are our futureSee ya,Rob.


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By Richard Fagan

The morning was quiet … too quiet. That’s not a good thing on opening day of turkey season. From my vantage point on the farm I could have easily heard a gobble from any direction. There was nothing. Not a sound. It was time for Plan B. I moved across the field and set out my decoys in the northwest corner about twenty yards off the edge of the woods. Then got into the blind I had set up before sea-son, just for this scenario. It was a pop-up blind positioned under

a tree with a large broken limb hanging down. Cedar limbs and other handy natural items were added to the set up for some addi-tional camo. The blind was almost undetectable. I made myself com-fortable for what I thought was go-ing to be a long day.I waited for a short time before starting to call. My first calls were soft, by my estimate; they would have been heard at one hundred to two hundred yards away. I waited about fifteen minutes and repeat-

ed. I had just set my slate call down and was about to let loose with my mouth call when some movement caught my eye. About sixty yards away there were two gobblers moving in my direction. They ap-peared to be about the same size. They never made a sound or broke into strut. They just carefully and slowly moved through the knee high mustard weeds. As they came closer, I could see they had decent beards (about 6 to 7 inches in length). I watched over my sight bead as they moved into range. Birds that have had encoun-ters with decoys and lived through the encounter tend to become wary of them. These birds were just the opposite, they moved to-ward the hens with no hesitation. My shot put one bird down. The other one took flight in the direc-tion they had come from. I rushed out of the blind to my turkey. As I looked over the bird, I considered how quick everything had hap-pened. It was 7:45 am, early, but you are only allowed one bird per day. I figured my next hunt would be for some breakfast. On my trip home I gave some

“I was answered immediately by a thunderous gobble from the roadbed.”Photo by Rob Somerville


thought as to the way the hunt had unfolded and came to the conclu-sion that the blind had not only offered me complete concealment, but from my seat in the folding chair it gave me a clear field of vi-sion over the tops of the weeds. If I had been propped against a tree I would have been at their height and may have been caught moving by the silent birds, something that happens to all turkey hunters on those “shut-mouthed days”.

One Week Later The weather forecast for my morning hunt forced me to change my strategy. There was a fifty per-cent chance of thunderstorms, with those chances increasing as the day moved on. I decided to hunt from the blind to see how things went before I started mov-ing around. I also didn’t want to get caught in a downpour. As I put my decoys out I could hear a rumble of thunder from the distant southwest. If the storm continued in my direction, I fig-ured I would have less than an hour until the rain set in. With my decoys in place I got in the blind and started my vigil. The hazy light of the morning began and to my surprise I began seeing sunlight popping out. The clouds hadn’t moved in enough to completely cover the sky. Also, to my surprise, after a short time I heard the rumble of distant thun-der. At the sound of the thunder crashing, I heard a very loud gob-ble come from the woods, just off to my left. The bird had to be with-in one hundred yards and from his sound he was mature bird. Before

season, I had spotted four male birds in this field, two of which I figured were the two I had come in on me last weekend. The other two were bigger. One especially showed a massive beard and was visibly larger than the other three. I couldn’t help but thinking that I was on one of these larger birds. As a rule, I never call to a bird on roost, so I waited and watched in his direction. On this part of the farm an old roadbed runs through the woods connecting two large fields. It was over grown some, but was a good game trail. I focused my attention twenty yards off; where the old road emerged from the woods. He sounded off several more times, making me anxious to hear him fly down, so I could respond. The beat of wings I heard weren’t his, but of a hen. She pitched down just to the other side of my decoys, gave them a curious look and be-gan pecking around for bugs. The gobbler did not follow. I waited for what seemed to be half an hour

before I heard what I thought was a bird drop off its roost to the for-est floor. Basically, it was a slight wing beat with a heavy thump on the ground. I watched the hen, as I slid my mouth call in place. If she spooked it would be over. Her back was to me when I gave a couple very soft yelps. I was answered immediately by a thunderous gobble from the roadbed. The hen raised her head for a second, and then went back to feeding. I watched in the direc-

Here is my turkey field. My blind is set up in the right corner. Fields like this make great places to set up and listen for the morning’s first gobble.

Photo by Richard Fagan


tion of the gobble. The first thing I saw was a massive white head tucked into a large body of black. He was standing at full strut, in the middle of the roadbed. That all changed when he saw my Jake decoy.

King of the Roadbed This turkey was not going to stand for the Jake being so close to his hens. He broke from strut. His wings went low, horizontal and semi opened. The large tail did the same. This bird was in his version of beast-mode. He began a slow creep toward my unsuspect-ing decoy. The distance closed to roughly fifteen yards between us. I pushed the safety off and took aim. My old 870 roared, as it is-sued a load of number sixes that took the gobbler down instantly. I hurried over to the bird to inspect my kill. The bird was indeed large.

He had a long beard that was thick and full. The spurs were sharp, with slight curves that made him a true limb hanger. I could only guess that his weight would eas-ily be over twenty pounds. Later on, the scales said he was a twen-ty- three pounder, with an eleven inch beard. This was by far the largest bird I had taken.I stored my decoys in the canvas bag and put them in the blind, in case any of my hunting buddies wanted to try out in this spot. The rain set in when I was about half way to my truck which didn’t bother me at all. I had taken my limit of two nice turkeys in one week. A little rain wasn’t going ruin this parade. I drove over and showed the bird to my friend Mark and his father Mr. Clyde. They both said that was the biggest wild turkey they had ever seen. Mark’s son Eric came up while we were taking a few pictures. He had been hunting in one of the bottomland areas and had a good bird working, but it wouldn’t come close enough for a shot. We discussed the location of my blind and how the old roadbed made such a good trail connecting the two largest fields on the farm. I wished them luck on their next hunt and told Mark it was time to put up the shotgun and get out my fishing pole. After final hand-shakes I left and headed for home.

Paying my Dues I think back on my past experi-ences in the field and the lessons that I learned the hard way about turkey hunting. Fellow hunters offered plenty of advice when I

first started hunting these awe-some birds. Sometimes that ad-vice worked. Other times it didn’t. Some of these tips have worked for me and I’ll share them with you.

My roadbed turkey had an eleven inch beard, sharp hooked spurs and weighed 23 pounds. It is the largest

bird I’ve ever taken.Photo by Richard Fagan

Turkey beards like this one comes from mature birds that are extreme-

ly cautious. One mistake can cost you. Also pictured is my favorite

wing bone call made from my first turkey.

1. Never call during preseason scouting. Be quiet, watch and lis-ten.2. Never call to a bird on roost.3. Pay attention to what is hap-pening before starting to call. If the birds aren’t being very vocal it’s best to follow suit.4. Position yourself in a place where you have the best conceal-ment possible, a good field of vi-sion and a clear shot.5. Watch your movement and take your time. The ground blind was the key to my success during last year’s turkey season. I believe I had put it in one of those magical spots that will produce year after year. I am looking forward to visiting it before season to get it ready and watch for this year’s bird. As the 2016 turkey season is al-most here, I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable one.


IF YOUATE TODAY

THANK AFARMER

Have You Thanked a Farmer Lately? By Neill McLaurin

As I drive around the highways and byways of West Tennessee, I see a lot of crops growing in fields. Some are cotton, some corn, some soybeans, and some wheat during the winter. Now, most of us have never bought cotton, soybeans, or wheat at a store, so where does all this stuff go and what does it mean to us? For the majority of us, being normal consumers, we don’t real-ly give it much thought of what it means to us. So, why do we have be inconvenienced by all these tractors and farm machines mov-ing around and slowing down traffic in the spring, summer, and fall? Well, there is good reason, so in this issue of STO Magazine I want

to try to explain some of that to you and why farming is important for all of us. If you haven’t noticed, younger generations are getting further and further removed from the farming lifestyle. If you ask a child today where milk comes from, or where clothes come from, the most likely response might be Wal-Mart, and that is partly true. So, how did all that stuff get to Wal-Mart in the first place? It most likely was produced on a farm. As it relates to West Tennes-see, I want to talk to you about the main crops that are produced in our area and how each matters to every consumer. In this region, the predominant crops are soybeans, corn, cotton, wheat and rice. Soybeans take up most of the

acreage. They are typically crushed and the meal and oils are separat-ed. Soybean meal is then used to produce many feed items for live-stock, as well as food for humans. Soybean meal is high in protein content and very cost effective as a feed source. The oils are used to produce crayons, newspaper ink, cooking oils, biofuels, and have many industrial uses. Corn is used in much the same way, with the meal and oils being separated. Corn meal, grits, eth-anol, alcohol, high fructose corn syrup (found in many cola prod-ucts as a sweetener), as well as feed for cattle, swine, and poultry are just some of the many uses of corn. Wheat is primarily used for flour to make bread, but it is also used as an adhesive. When you lick an envelope can you taste the wheat? Maybe that’s the funny taste. Rice is pretty basic; it’s used as a straight food source for the most part. It is also used to make beer and other alcoholic beverages. Rice hulls are used a lot as bed-ding for poultry houses that can make good fertilizer and organic matter, which when in turn is ap-


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plied to fields and increases crop production. Cotton, which is my personal fa-vorite, is harvested from the fields and run through a gin to separate the lint from the seed. The seed is again used for the meal as feed stock and the oils are used for many industrial and consumer

products. The lint is used in cot-ton fabrics which include shirts, pant, socks, upholstery padding, and bedding. In other words kids … if you wear blue jeans … you can thank a farmer! So, as you walk around your lo-cal grocery store, remember that the majority of products you pick up off the shelf have some form of one of these crops that you see growing in our region’s fields. Butter, cooking oils, pies, bread, and colas are some, just to name a few. The industrial products are vast as well from motor oil, hy-draulic oil, paint, ink, adhesives and paper, to plastics. In most everything you use on a daily basis, chances are at least a part of it was originated in the fields that we all drive by daily. So, the next chance you get, hug

a farmer and thank him for all the hard work he puts in on a daily basis to feed, clothe and make our lives easier. At least if you get stuck behind a combine or tractor in traffic for a little while, you might want to change your usual hand gesture to a friendly wave.Editor’s Note - Neill McLaurin is a Tennessee Area/Location Manager for Jimmy Sanders Inc.


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Water is one of the great-est natural resources that we have here in West Tennessee, or for that matter, in the en-tire world. Our regional wa-ter sources range from the mighty Mississippi and its del-ta on our west; to the northern flowing Tennessee River to the east (water flowing north took some getting used to for a south Alabama coastal boy). Then, we must include all the smaller rivers, streams, lakes and ponds covering the land-scape in between. Add the fact that we are also sitting on a “huge bowl” of water in the formation or ground below. All of that together gives us an enormous amount of surface water for our use. The benefits we make of this great resource are many. From providing us drinking water, giving us many recreational opportuni-

ties and allowing our factories to process and manufacture the things we need, makes wa-ter not only a great, but also a very precious resource. We remember what we were taught in school about this natural resource. The world we live on is made of 70% wa-ter, some 332.5 million cubic miles of it. But 97% of this wa-ter is undrinkable because it contains salt. Of the remain-ing 3% that is fresh water 77% of that is frozen. Of the 23% that is not frozen, only 1% is available to supply every plant, animal and person on earth with all the water they need to survive. That’s what makes this “great” natural re-source so precious. Contrary to what we might hear on the news, the world’s water supply is not decreasing (remember the “water cycle”

Before modern technology evolved into irri-gation systems, vintage water buggies like the one pictured here were heavy, cumbersome

and difficult to maneuver.Photo supplied by author

By Dana Watford


from school). But, the demand for water is increasing, simply be-cause the world’s population con-tinues to grow - 7 billion now and expecting to double by 2050. Fac-tor in pollution and the amount of available drinking water is dimin-ished even more.The Necessity of Water to Farming Now, here’s where we bring to-gether farming and the use of water through irrigation. Anyone who eats and who knows where their food comes from understands the importance of farming and those who do it. As longs as there has been farming, people have been using water to irrigate their crops, whether a garden patch in the yard

or a thousand acres of corn down in the bottom. Fact is, farming, is one of the major uses of water throughout the world. Irrigation comprises 38% of total freshwa-ter usage. Of that water used, 57% comes from surface water (rivers, lakes etc.) and 43% comes from

groundwater (wells). Methods of irrigation include sprinklers or pivots (51%), flood (41%) and mi-cro or drip (8%). Our American farmers, includ-ing those here in West Tennessee, do a tremendous job in helping to feed the world. While Ameri-

Modern irrigation systems like the one shown here are lightweight, economical and very easy to relocate.Photo supplied by author


ca only makes up about 4% of the world’s population, our farms pro-duce more than 40% of the world’s food! The demand on our farmers will become greater with each gener-ation that comes along. They will have to produce more food (due to more mouths to feed) on less acreage (because more people will require more land to live). Irriga-tion will play an important role in

achieving that. There are many things we can do, but we cannot grow more dirt or produce more water. We have to make do with what our Creator and God has given us. We will have to become more efficient in irrigation. Irrigating more acreage while using less wa-ter will be necessary. Technology will help us to keep pace with an ever growing and changing world.

Soil m o i s t u r e and plant mon-itoring are used for precise wa-ter applications now. Variable rate application, to match water output to differ-ent soil types in a field, is current

technology. Remote monitoring and control of our irrigation sys-tems are being used now to help us become more efficient in our water usage. Such technology will continue to grow. All of us share in the responsibil-ity of being good stewards of what we have received. Let’s enjoy and use this great and precious natural resource. But let us use it wisely and conservatively. As my oldest grandson reminded me when he was very young, “Poppa, cut the water off while you are brushing your teeth”. Good advice … be-cause every drop counts.Dana WatfordSales and ServiceTennessee Tractor [email protected]


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Fishing Tennessee RefugesBy Richard Hines

Most sportsmen know that the primary purpose of Tennessee’s seven National Wildlife Refuges is in providing habitat for wintering waterfowl. But, fewer know that on March 16th, refuges open their gates after a long winter. When this happens, it’s all about fish, and ev-eryone that fishes on opening day will tell you it’s almost as good as the opening of deer season! Every boat ramp is full and cars are lined up around bridges or pipes. It’s an opportunity to cast into virtual-ly unfished waters. The same im-poundments that fed thousands of ducks all winter are now the center of attention for hundreds of anglers pursuing crappie, bass, catfish and bream. I really enjoy casting a line into water flowing out of the various control structures that are drain-ing the shallow waterfowl im-poundments. While some drain-ing starts in February, most of the “dewatering” extends into April. Every water outlet can poten-tially have good numbers of fish stacked around them, but success does vary according to the volume of water flowing out of these im-poundments. This daily variation is used with waterfowl manage-ment, because believe it or not, both the timing and rate of dewa-tering actually effects the response of the duck food planted for the

Pictured here is a nice, early season, Reelfoot Lake crappie.Photo by Richard Hines


next season. This variation also helps keep fish around pipes much longer and will improve fishing opportunities. Of the seven national wildlife refuges found in the state, my two top choices for an opening day trip for what I call “outflow fish-ing” will be Cross Creeks near Dover and the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. Cross Creeks NWR provides great access along the Cumber-land River, plus access to eight pools and two reservoirs called South Cross and Elk. Any loca-tion you find water flowing into the river (Lake Barkley) should be fished. As April approaches, these outflows will slow, but after large rain events additional water will be released again, cranking up some good opportunities for fish. Early in the spring focus on crappie, while later in the spring bream and catfish are going to be your best bet. You can also count on almost continuous outflows at South Cross and Elk Reservoirs well into early summer. Again, these flow rates may vary daily, as the refuge’s staff is always adjusting output ac-cording to rates of dewatering. If you are a bank fisherman, there are numerous locations to fish around these outlets. In the swifter water I prefer a char-treuse, white or black Roadrun-ner®. Small spinner baits such as the Strike King Mini-King® are all great for either crappie and bass. If you have a boat, check out the boat ramp near the South Cross entrance. Here you can access the Cumberland River and in a few

minutes access outflows at Pool 2, Pool 4, South Cross, and Elk. De-watering doesn’t occur at once, so keep an eye on additional rainfall occurring during April. As newly flowing water starts from impoundments, it will attract new fish into the creek channels. Once this fresh water starts flow-ing you will find catfish, bream, bluegill, and crappie moving into these sites to feed on forage fish. If you have kids that want to catch fish it can be a great opportuni-ty to easily access the water and catch a wide range of species. As late April approaches, out-flows from impoundments have slowed and this is a great time to shift over to Elk or South Cross

Reservoirs. Both will have perma-nent water over the summer and produce great bass fishing. Both reservoirs have sections of heavy Milfoil infestation, so think about fishing a large pig and jig or a sim-ilar lure along with some heavy line to entice bass lying under these grass mats. During morning or evening trips I have had good success with floating frogs such as a Booyah Pad Crasher™ Bullfrog. Tennessee National Wildlife Ref-uge is scattered along many miles of the Tennessee River, and with a few exceptions, all of the wa-ters within Kentucky Lake remain open for fishing. For an opening day trip, check out the Duck River

The author is shown with a keeper bass from South Cross Lake.

Continued on page 37


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Unit, near New Johnsonville. Ac-cording to Refuge Biologist Clay-ton Ferrell, fishing on the Duck River Unit is very popular during the first few weeks after the open-ing. “Crappie fishing in the spring is the big thing here, especial-ly around any of our open pipes where fish tend to stack up,” Fer-rell told me. “Draining of im-poundments typically rotates each year between Pools 2, 6, 9, and 10 and the outflows vary accord-ing to management needs for that year. In fact, any open pipe will be a popular fishing spot. If you are bringing a boat to the Duck River Unit your best bet is with small, shallow draft boats that are easy to load and launch. If you don’t have luck at one pipe, just move to another one. It varies from day to day according to flows. Small jigs seem to work best at these out-flows.”

Reelfoot National Wildlife Ref-uge, located near Union City and Dyersburg, won’t provide any out-flow fishing, but with its long his-tory of quality angling little needs to be said about this lake. It’s one of my favorites as well and from hearing stories when my grand-father fished this lake back in the 1920’s I am always ready to fish Reelfoot. During the opening, I like the upper section near Ken-tucky. The southern portion or Grassy Island Unit actually opens February 1st, while the Long Point Unit opens March 16th. The upper section around Blue Basin is good for early trips, because the shallow water in this section of the lake typically warms faster than other locations on Reelfoot. Since this section of the lake has been closed through the win-ter for a waterfowl sanctuary you can get an “opening day” here as well. Small jigs plus a bucket of minnows have always yielded nice crappie around cypress knees and tree stumps. It also looks like the spring of

2016 should provide great fish-ing due to a majority of refuge impoundments being completely flooded last winter. Anytime you have flooding from adjacent riv-ers you can bet fish will move into newly flooded areas to forage. Be-cause large numbers of fish were moving throughout the backwa-ters, many are trapped in these smaller impoundments. Don’t for-get to fish not only below, but also above pipe outlets. And no matter if you are a bank fisherman or you prefer a boat, you will find am-ple opportunities to catch fish on National Wildlife Refuges found across western Tennessee. Other Tennessee refuges that will also be opening to fishing on March 16th include Hatchie, Chickasaw and Lower Hatchie. None of these are really known for the outflow fishing that you will find at other refuges, but you can bet the numerous lakes will pro-vide great opportunities and will be worth a visit as well.

The author’s son just won the “big fish bet of the day” from his dad at South Cross Reservoir. Photo by Richard Hines

Fishing from shore around the outflow pipes at any of Tennessee’s Refuges can be enjoyed by both the

young and the young at heart.Photo by Richard Hines


By Shawn Todd

Greeting to all of our fine read-ers of STO Magazine. Well, the 2016 UKC Winter Classic for coon dogs is in the books. None of our local men hunters won big there, but one local girl did. Her name is Amelia Wooten {age 11} of Brighton, Tennessee. She won the overall bench show with her 8 1/2 year old walker hound, GRCH PR Second Winds Deepwood Dollie. This is no small feat, because she competed against dogs and their much more experienced owners from all over the USA. First of all, she had to show against six Grand

champion walker females. Sec-ondly, she showed against other breed winners, which comprised a total of 24 entrants. There, this group had all breeds and all were previous Grand Champions. Thirdly, she had to come back and show against all the winners from Friday and Saturday. This was for the overall bench show win-ner and this time she had to show against a total of 269 hounds. She defeated them all. Let me give you a little back-ground on the new young cham-pion, Amy Joe. Her first dog show was 2008 at the UKC Winter Clas-

sic in Albany Georgia. She was 3 at the time and it was the kids show. Needless to say, got bit by the bug and she decided that she wanted to grow up and show dogs. Trust me; she is a great handler on the bench. If poison ivy was not her kryptonite she would a SU-PER great handler in the woods as well. Thanks to her grandmother, Sa-brina S. Smith, she got involved with all attributes of the coon hound world. This is a great ex-ample of an older person getting kids involved in the great out-doors. All this old cooner can say is congratulations, Amy Joe; you did something that a lot of people will never do. Until next time see you at the tree.

Amelia Wooten {age 11} of Brighton, Tennessee won the overall bench show, at the 2016 UKC Winter Classic for coon dogs with her 8 1/2 year old

walker hound - GRCH PR Second Winds Deepwood Dollie. Photo by Shawn Todd


Hunting Morel Mushrooms

By Kevin Griffth

“You’ve got Morels,” my fa-ther exclaimed when he heard the news. He and my mother were very excited to hear that there were Morel mushrooms on the farm we purchased near Dyersburg, Ten-nessee. Both of my parents grew up in southern Indiana, where it was a family tradition to hunt these wild delicacies. Each spring, my parents and their neighbors would make a beeline for the

woods, checking out their most productive (and secret) sites while scanning the forest for more. It wasn’t just a search for food. The Morel hunt was a family tradition that was handed down through generations. Parents taught their children how to find, handle, and prepare these tasty fungi. Both of my parents have fond memories; hunting morels with my grandparents and each oth-er. My mother told me how she,

her sister Eunice, and my grand-mother Fyrne would pack a lunch. Then, they would hike out into the woods and spend the day hunting, examining the wildflowers and enjoying each other’s company. After my mom and dad married, they continued this tradition, hunting the forest together. When they moved to Florida, in the early 60’s, they were only able to return to Indiana for to hunt a handful of times. Now, since they’re spend-

Spring crappie on the spawn and morel mushrooms have three things in common. They taste delicious, are best found during the springtime, and are splendid creations of God.

Photo courtesy of Dan Stefanich www.DanStefOutdoors.com


ing several months a year on our farm in Tennessee, they can hunt and enjoy these mushroom again! Morels are an easily identifi-able mushroom standing from 1 to 6 inches tall and having a sponge like, hollow cone shaped top, mounted on a hollow stem (see pictures). Since it’s so easily recognizable, it is one of the safest to gather and consume. For some tips on identification, I found a website with great pictures and descriptions of the various Morel varieties, www.michiganmorels.com. However, many mushrooms are poisonous. So, I caution you to have any you find checked by someone with experience before you eat them! Hunting mushrooms is very much like fishing. It’s an art, not a science, and your success will improve with experience. To get

a jumpstart, I would recommend spending time hunting with a friend or family member. Like an experienced fisherman, they will teach you when, where and how to look. And you’ll get to see first-hand what a Morel should look like, both inside and out. Just in case you can’t find a mushroom hunter, I’ll share with you what I’ve learned. First off, I would recommend wearing boots (in case you run into a snake), long sleeves (for protection from poison ivy) and carrying a walk-ing stick (to push brush and leaves out of the way as you look). You’ll also need a bag or basket to car-ry your find. If you choose a bag, please use a mesh type, like an onion or citrus bag. The reason for the mesh is twofold. First off, mushrooms reproduce by spores. Each one will put off a quarter of a

million spores or more! By using a mesh bag you allow the spores to spread out through the forest as you hunt. Using a plastic or pa-per bag prevents the spores from spreading, wasting your opportu-nity to spread mushroom cheer for future years. The second rea-son for not using a plastic bag is

Morels are an easily identifiable mushroom standing from one to six inches tall and having a sponge like, hollow, cone-shaped top, mounted

on a hollow stem.Photo by author



TRADITIONS TIPS - with Richard A. Fagan1. “Fels Naptha” is a stain remover that can be found in the laun-dry section of most department stores. It comes in a bar like soap. If you have been exposed to poison ivy, wash the areas of skin aggres-sively. Rinse and repeat this process two more times. If you’re broken out, after the washing process, work the soap into a paste and rub on the infected skin. Do not rinse off and allow the paste to dry. This will stop the itching and help dry up the rash. Thanks to Kyle Adkins for this tip

2. Wrap duct tape around your flashlight. This is a handy place to store extra tape in case a need arises and every country boy knows that duct tape can fix just about anything!

4. To keep your cooler cold, freeze a couple of plastic jugs with water and ¼ cup of salt. The salt will keep the ice frozen longer. Remember you cannot use the water in the jugs for drinking, but it saves on buying bagged ice that melts quickly.

3. A hand held scanner with a weather radio is a handy tool during tornado season. Reports from local responders are quicker and more specific for your area and it never hurts to keep tabs on local weather.

5. Small solar lights can be used on camping or fishing trips, or at any outdoor activity. If staking them in the ground is not practical, slide the shaft into the bottom of a clay flower pot as pictured. This works well when night fishing, to light up a truck bed or as a tent light.

Editor’s note: all photos and graphics are provided by the author. If you wish to submit a “TIP” send emails to [email protected].


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Termites do billions of dollars in property damage each year and can cost individual homeowners thousands. And while homeowners insurance covers threats like fires, burglary and lightning strikes, most policies don’t cover the costs of a subterranean termite infesta-tion. That’s why Terminix offers the Terminix Preventive Bait Plan. How it works.• Terminix strategically installs a series of termite bait stations in

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TISHOMINGO COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI CALENDAR OF EVENTS

APRIL 9th - 38th Annual Hollis - Long/Archie Lee Memorial Ole’ Tyme Music Gathering at Tishomingo State ParkAPRIL 16th - 2nd Annual Renaissance Day /Old Tishomingo County CourthouseMAY 7th - 4th Annual Native American Customs & Traditions Festival/ Tishomingo State ParkJUNE 4th - 4th Annual National Trails Day “Less Litter More Beauty Hike” at Tishomingo State ParkAUGUST 11th, 12th & 13th- Dulcimer Festival/ JP Coleman State ParkSEPTEMBER 2nd & 3rd - Iuka Heritage Festival and Car & Tractor Show/ Downtown IukaSEPTEMBER 10th - Bear Creek Festival & Car Show/ BelmontSEPTEMBER 24th - Waterway Festival & Car Show/ BurnsvilleSEPTEMBER 30th & OCTOBER 1st - Trash & Treasures along the Tenn-Tom Waterway, entire County - wideOCTOBER 8th & 9th - 19th Annual Fall Classic Disc Golf Tournament/Tishomingo St. ParkOCTOBER 30th - 30th Annual Fall Fling for the Young at Heart/Tishomingo St. ParkOCTOBER 22nd - Halloween in the Park/JP Coleman State Park

HARRY H. STINE - PRESIDENT & FOUNDER - JOINED STINE SEED COMPANY IN 1964 Harry Stine is synonymous with many titles – innovator, businessman, entrepreneur – but the title holding the most significance to him is farmer. Raised on the family property in Dallas County, Iowa, Harry graduated from Central Dallas High School and then McPherson College in Kansas. In 1964, he joined his father’s soybean cleaning business in Adel, Iowa. Harry’s interest in research and seed breeding started when he found some unusual soybean plants in one of the company fields. He saw the value and profit opportunities that breeding, developing and growing newer, higher-yielding soybean varieties would have for his company and farmers. While yield checking the soybean lines, he came to understand what a conventional breeding program could bring to the soybean industry and growers. Previously done only by universities, Harry began a soybean-breeding program with four other seedsmen. Named Improved Variety Research (IVR), the company was the first private soybean research and development company in the United States. IVR dissolved in 1973, and Harry and head plant breeder Bill Eby formed Midwest Oilseeds, which is still the soybean genetics licensing company of choice in the United States. Interest in corn breeding and genetics inspired Harry to form Eden Enterprises with Bill Eby in the early 1980s. Retail soybean seed sales efforts were launched in 1979, when Harry began selling soybean seed under his own label, Stine Soybean Seeds. In 1992, in addition to being one of the top four soybean seed companies in the United States, Stine began selling corn and soft red winter wheat under the Stine label. Harry is a member of the American Society of Agronomy and the American Seed Trade Association. He also serves on the board of directors of the Trees Forever Foundation (Trustees Emeritus) and has served on a number of other boards, including the Iowa Arboretum and the Brenton Arboretum. Stine Seed Company has continued to be an innovator in getting today’s farmers the best profit yield for their hard-earned dollars. They are a leader in research and agronomy, as well as the development and sales of some of the highest yield corn and soybean seed available. For more information you can go to www.stineseed.com or in our region, contact T.J. Todd - District Manager at 731-225-5217. - Rob Somerville

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moisture. Morels have a high wa-ter content and need to be kept cool and moist, or allowed to start drying. Collecting the mush-rooms in a plastic bag does not allow for evaporation and they’ll immediately begin to rot. The next question is, when do I hunt? There are several varieties that come up throughout spring. The time to start looking in the forest is when the undergrowth (trillium, May apples, wildflowers, etc.) comes alive and the redbuds begin to bloom. Temperature, moisture, and sunlight all play into the equation. The Ideal tem-perature range takes place when it stretches into the 60’s during the day while the night doesn’t dip be-low the 40’s. Mushrooms like the soil moist, but not soaked, and the sun to warm the ground. A great time to look is the day after a rain, when the sun is out and the tem-

perature range is right. Where do I look? This again has parallels to fishing. There are places that are more likely to have mushrooms, just like there are places in a lake that are more likely to hold fish. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll be there. All I can do is share what I’ve learned. The best advice I can give you is that often, and I mean very often, mushrooms will come up in the same place year after year. That’s one reason experienced hunt-ers come back with more mush-rooms. They make a beeline for where they’ve found them in the past. Don’t waste your time ask-ing them where they’ve found their haul. It’s like asking a fisher-man where he caught his stringer of fish! He won’t tell you exactly, just generally. He found it and as far as he is concerned, that place is now HIS SECRET! So, keep a mental or written log of every-where you find mushrooms. And remember, we now have modern technology … even in our phones. Using a GPS to mark your spot is not against the rules. My father, Kenneth, has a sys-tem. He looks under and around Ash, Elm and Tulip Poplar trees. I’ve also been told by others that a good place to look is around the base of larger Sycamore and Cot-tonwoods. My mother, Mildred likes to look around fallen, dead or dying trees. Decaying roots and tree material is an ideal food source for mushrooms. The real challenge to finding Morels any-where is actually seeing them! They blend right in with the leaves, making it easy to walk right past

without notice. In fact, beginners walk by many more than they ever find. The best way to see one is to walk in a crouched manner not looking down at your feet, but 10 to 20 feet ahead, seeking their distinctive cone shape outline. When you find one, STOP. My father taught me that where there is one, there is often more. Sit down next to your find and calmly look in ev-ery direction. If you don’t see any, take your walking stick and close-ly look through the surrounding brush and leaves. More likely than not, you’ll find more! There are several varieties of Morels to train your eyes to find. The first to emerge in the early spring are the black Morels. They are typically smaller, but are espe-cially tasty, with a very strong fla-vor. The greys (also called whites) are next, and are larger and taste great. However, my favorite is the yellow. It’s the last variety to come

Searching for morels is a combination of an outdoor

adventure and a treasure hunt!Photo courtesy of Tony Street

These morel mushrooms are a delicacy in the kitchen.

Photo by author


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up and they are the largest of the species I have found, reaching up to 6 inches or more in height. Once you finish your hunt, and have recorded your now SE-CRET HUNTING SPOTS, it’s time to prepare your find to eat. My mother prepares hers as her mother, Fyrne did. The first task is to soak them in cool salted wa-ter. There are multiple cavities in the crown of the Morel, which house a multitude of small insects. Soaking in salt water drives these creatures out from their hiding places and avoids adding unwant-ed protein to your meal. Also, re-member do NOT pour your soak-ing water down the drain. It’s now loaded with Morel spores! My mother ALWAYS pours her water at the edge of the woods behind the house. She’s now been doing it

long enough that Morels now pop up each spring! Cooking is a matter of prefer-ence. Morels are great when sliced and sautéed with onions. Howev-er, my family is from the country and we like ours sliced, rolled in flower and fried in butter. My fa-

ther and I prefer eating them be-tween two slices of white bread. He even spreads on a layer of butter! This method may not be the health-iest, but the warm and uniquely meaty flavor of the mushroom covered in the crunchy texture of the fried bat-ter surrounded by the soft white bread is heaven to the palate. I love Morels and after doing the re-search for this ar-ticle, I can’t wait

to start hunting them again. But, before I go, I have to share with you one more thing I discovered. There is an amazing variety of Morel I had never heard of before. It’s called the Bigfoot Morel and a single mushroom can weigh up to 4 pounds! No wonder it’s called a BIGFOOT! They are relatively common in the states north of us, and after some more internet re-search, I discovered several posts where people have found them in Tennessee. I’m excited, because I now have a new goal: finding a Bigfoot Morel mushroom! I could feed my whole family with just one! I encourage you to try your luck hunting Morels. Even if you don’t find a one, the day won’t be a waste. The peace and beauty found in the woods can’t be matched by the structures created by man. God is still the master craftsman and al-ways will be. So, enjoy your day in the woods, embrace it for special gift that it is and praise and give thanks to the Creator of it and you!

This picture shows how gigantic a Bigfoot morel mushroom can get. No wonder Sasquatch got so huge. Photo courtesy of [email protected] &

Pharmer.org


Slabs in the ShallowsBy Steve McCadams

Someone call the doctor! There’s an outbreak of spring fever under-way all across Kentucky Lake and it’s spreading fast. Seems it hap-pens every year about this time, when dogwoods bloom, bees buzz around the sweet smell of hon-ey suckle vines and lawnmowers hum a distant tune.

Crappie on Kentucky Lake have a mood swing once March arrives with April on the threshold. Sur-face temperatures have climbed out of the cellar, where gloomy days of winter often delivered bone chilling northwest winds that kept anglers on the defensive. The transition time is here. Both

the fish and the fishermen feel the change coming. Funny how a few warm days, back to back, change the attitude of both. Spawning phases of the area’s most popular panfish stimulate activity and churn the rumor mill of fishing stories, where slabs dominate the conversation. Spring is probably the region’s most pop-ular fishing phase, although other seasons of the year are quite pro-ductive as well. Still, spring fever’s endless itch has but one cure; frequent trips to Kentucky Lake will treat the symp-toms … one fish at a time. Forget the doctor. He can’t do anything for you! The annual transition goes like this: winter begins to lose its grip once March rolls around, but it doesn’t let go all at once mind you. Fragments of spring sneak in the door one warm front at a time, pulling the surface temperature from those chilly low 40’s into the low 50’s. By late March, surface temps keep clawing their way up the lad-der, but not before a few stubborn north winds and cold fronts halt the advance. Sometimes both the fish and fishermen are thrown off course, when gale winds and over-night cold fronts upset the apple cart. The transition of crappie from their deep winter hideouts to

Here's a 3 lb. male black crappie from Kentucky Lake, caught by Rhonda Johnson, of Milan. Sometimes a trophy slab is taken, so keep the dip net

handy! Photo by Steve McCadams


spring spawning venues doesn’t occur overnight. It’s a stair-step maneuver triggered by rising tem-peratures, warmer water, chang-ing lake levels and length of day. The biological clock of crappie really starts ticking once the wa-ter warms into the upper 50’s and stays there a few days. Remember, it takes more than one warm day to start the ball rolling! With longer days comes more sunshine, barring any annoying cold fronts and that slowly warms surface temperatures, giving the fish time to work their way toward shallow zones, but not before stag-ing at times along the way. Actual spawning takes place once surface temps reach the 62 to 66 degree range and stays there. Every year, anglers hope to guess just when that will be, but the weatherman deals the cards and changes the game on a moment’s notice. Generally speaking, Kentucky Lake’s active spawning phases kick in high gear during the first two weeks of April. However, that time frame can vary. Over my 40 year career I’ve seen the timetable moved up and begin in late March a few times. I remember when it lasted all the way through early May too. I’ve also seen the fish make an overnight blitz and make a run for their spawning territory, during a few short days of early April and condense their peak time to just four or five days. There are times when you witness the fish holding off the structure, but staging near-by, waiting for optimal conditions before heading off to structure to

broadcast their eggs. That doesn’t mean anglers can’t find and catch fish both before and after the peak spawning period, as you darn sure can. In fact, most of the crappie taken throughout the year here on Kentucky Lake are caught before and after spawning, as the fish don’t just dry up and disappear after spawning phases. Yet, anglers have grown to tar-get the spawning time as their

love of the sport is fueled by those big pole bending slabs that have moved into shallow areas with an attitude. Spring is a time when the fish and the fishermen and closest together. The aggressive mood swings of the males, once they turn that deep purple color, is what memo-ries are made of. He’s territorial at times too. Once the males occupy some shallow stumps, brushpiles,

Some days are shirtsleeves with light winds and big slabs tugging on your line, but spring is an unpredictable season so be prepared for the worst and

hope for the best. Photo by Steve McCadams


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stakebeds and gravel banks they’ll smack a jig or minnow if it enters their comfort zone. Depths of 2 to 5 feet are popular locales if dingy water color is pres-ent. Clearer conditions may see the fish spawn somewhat deep-er and out away from shorelines, such as open flats within bays or even out on the main lake. Male crappie undergo hormon-al changes, which turns their pig-

ment dark, giving them that hand-some appeal. The change usually begins in mid to late March. They hold their dark color until ear-ly June and start fading back to a light color as they transcend back toward deeper depths once spawn-ing is in the rearview mirror. Females hold on to their pale white complexion throughout the year. So that’s the basic difference in appearance, but it’s true there

are black and white crappie swim-ming in Kentucky Lake, along with a few of what’s called “black nose” crappie. The true black crappie differs some from white crappie in their overall profile. Black crappie are often referred to as “snub nose”, a reference to their short, chunky body that resembles a football, whereas the white crappie is much



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longer and usually leaner. Another distinguishing feature is the white crappie’s vertical bars of pigment. A black crappie sports random freckles with dark sports throughout its body. And, most anglers agree the black crappie is a bit more feisty when hooked. The black nose crappie sports a distinct dark line from its nose all they to the dorsal fin. It’s actually a true black crappie with a genetic marker. Meanwhile, anglers can im-plement a variety of techniques on this mammoth reservoir that, while quite different in their ap-pearance and presentation, pro-duce positive results at the same time and in difference locales. It’s not unusual to see anglers casting jigs along rocky banks finding prespawn crappie staging

there while other boats using spi-der rigs, drifting, or slow trolling long line methods out on the main lake are catching fish at the same time. Such is the diversity of Kentucky Lake’s spring fishing. The upper portion of the famous Big Sandy is shallow and often sports stained water that warms quicker. Thus, spawning phases might kick in a few days earlier than other por-tions of the lake where clear water might be the norm. Again, water levels and weath-er have a lot to do with where and when the fish decide to spawn. Until the peak time arrives, the fish usually suspend off shore, roaming out over main lake flats awaiting conditions to signal the magic time is at hand. That’s why anglers covering open water at times, with various tech-niques, such as trolling Road Run-ner style jigs and curly tail grubs do well. They’re passing through depth zones where fish are stag-ing and not necessarily relating to structure. While crappie are known to be a structure oriented species, there are times when just hanging out in la-la land away from drop-offs or structure is their comfort zone. This period in their prespawn phase offers a short honeymoon to anglers who have mastered the open water trolling and drifting techniques. The armada of boats helps tell the story at times as to the crap-pie’s whereabouts. After a few short weeks, however, the fish seems to transition back to their structure oriented reputation and

throughout the rest of the spring, summer and fall most are taken around natural cover or manmade fish attractors placed at different depth zones. March is a month with a little bit of mean winter left in it. There’s also a soothing touch of spring as the season officially arrives the third week of the month, pushed in at times by the Ides of March that blow your fishing hat off! Veteran anglers know to stay prepared when heading out on these late winter and early spring outings. Take the coveralls or overcoat and keep the sunscreen handy; you never know which one you’ll need! A good day crappie fishing on Kentucky Lake will cure a lot of what ails you. Seems all is right with the world when a few slabs tug on the line, erasing the blues one bite at a time!Editor’s Note: Steve McCadams is a professional guide and outdoor writer from Paris, Tennessee. You can reach him at [email protected].

Black nose crappie swim in Kentucky Lake and sport a unique appearance, with a distinctive black line, running from the nose all the

way to the dorsal fin. Photo by Steve McCadams

Big slab crappie, like this 2 lb. plus fish, can be taken with a variety of

techniques. This dark male's appearance indicates peak spawn-

ing phases are at hand and that often occurs on Kentucky Lake

during the first half of April.Photo by Steve McCadams


Austin Baker of Bartlett, Tennesse caught this largemouth bass while fishing with his grandfa-ther, Alvin Baker on a private lake in McNairy County. Photo submitted by Alvin Baker

Brittany Jade Maness caught this 10 lb. albino catfish on May 5th, 2015, in Dams-ville, on Kentucky Lake, near Big Sandy.Photo submitted by Lankford Taxidermy

STO Magazine field staff editor and expert fisher-man, Clint Newton not only catches monster catfish at Pickwick Lake, but check out this 3.5 lb. sauger he caught this winter!

MARCH - APRIL 2016 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55MARCH - APRIL 2016 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55

Torri Hensley shot this beautiful eight point buck, while hunting by a huge stump in Benton County.Photo submitted by Lankford Taxidermy

Robert “Doc” Jackson is shown here holding up a February Pickwick smallmouth caught on a shiner minnow!

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Southern Traditions Outdoors - March 2016