Southern Traditions Outdoors - March- April 2015

Complimentary Copy March - April 2015

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:FISHING FACTORIES

SHELLCRACKERSBUSTING BLUEGILL

4H – GROWING TODAY’S YOUTHwww.southerntraditionsoutdoors.com

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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 CoverSpring is here and love is in the air for big gobblers like the one pictured on our cover, as he struts his stuff in search of a mate.

- Photo courtesy of the NWTF.

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 Brunswick

Larry Self John SloanRichard SimmsJohn MeachamBuck Gardner Scott MarcinEd Lankford

Drew BrooksJohn LathamJohn RobertsPaul E. MooreRob HurtMark Buehler

Field Staff Editors

Owners - Eddie Anderson Rob Somerville Kevin Griffith Stacey LemonsPublisher - Eddie AndersonEditor - Rob SomervilleMagazine Design - Kalli Lipke

Advertising Sales Rob Somerville - Managing PartnerDistribution Johnathan Anderson Mike Robinson

Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC

TABLE OF CONTENTS PG .................. ARTICLE .......................................................... AUTHOR 6...........................Busting Bluegill ..................................................................Steve McCadams12..........................Knight and Hale’s Jim Strelec: Talking Turkey ................... John Meacham18..........................Retirement Plans for Farmers ...........................................Emily Billingsley22..........................Fish Factories Part One of Two .........................................Kevin Griffith30..........................Life is Great: Coons and Kids ............................................Shawn Todd34..........................Shellcrackers on the Spawn ..............................................Steve McCadams46..........................4H Growing Today’s Youth ................................................Rob Somerville52..........................Kid’s Korner .......................................................................STO55..........................Trophy Room .....................................................................STO

From the Desk of the Editor

Whoever coined the phrase Winter Wonderland should be deported to Siberia. The recent cold, snow, sleet and ice have created havoc in the Mid-South. Yours truly, the loyal editor of STO Maga-zine is no exception. I had six leaks in my roof caused by an ice dam on my shingles, icy roads lim-ited me making ad sales calls and I learned that my 57 year-old body doesn’t recuperate as easy as it used to from a hard fall on the ice. But, just as the mail carrier…neither ice, nor snow, nor freezing cold will prevent us from bringing you the best in hunting, fishing and farming articles. Oh, but I long for Spring to be here. I can’t wait to hear the birds singing and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. Welcome will be the circular dance of the bluegill as it bends my ultra-light pole in an arc. Trac-tors breaking ground will bring us the welcome scent of fresh dirt. The reverberating gobble of a wild turkey sending chill bumps down my spine will warm my old bones from their winter chill. Spring is a happy, but much too short time. Nature comes to life in brilliant colors, changing the landscape from drab brown to lively greens and multi-colored flowers. It is a time to thank our Maker for all his bountiful blessings and for youngsters to fall in love. So, cheer up, loyal readers. Soon, once again, the dogwoods will bloom, the crappie will spawn and longbeards will strut and fan in their annual mating ritual. I get many emails and phone calls from readers who tell me how much they enjoy our publication, which can also be viewed online {in its entirety at www.southerntraditionsoutdoors.com} in case you miss an issue at one of our multitude of distribution locations. There is no way we could put our magazine together and get it distributed without the help of many people including my partners, our distribution friends, Kalli Lipke {our layout designer} and our awesome writing staff. But, it just wouldn’t be at all possible without our fine family of advertisers, who we appreciate so much. So, If you enjoy our magazine, please do business with our advertisers and tell them you saw their ad in STO Magazine. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to get you the high quality hunting, fishing and farming articles to you in each issue… for FREE! I hope Old Man Winter wasn’t too tough on you and yours, and that this Spring puts a little pep in your step as the sun warms your heart. In closing, I ask you to always remember that our children are our most precious natural resource. They are our future!

- Rob Somerville

STO Editor, Rob Somerville, is shown walking out of the woods with one of the blessings of Spring, a big

gobbler. - Photo self-timed by Rob Somerville


hen bobbers disappear in rapid succession, light action rods bend double and monofilament line cuts the water as though it was tied to a runaway train, all is right with the world. Such is the case when you do battle with the bronze bombers, we know as bluegill, at bedding time. If there’s anything that cures ills better than finding a hot bluegill bed, please let my doctor know about it. All his pills and remedies are no match for this annual ritual that occurs every spring, when hon-eysuckle blooms fill the air with their sweet smell, and waters warm to the mid 70’s. From the cane pole days of my youth, spent sculling a small boat around the lily pads and cypress trees of Reelfoot Lake, to the back country farm ponds in pursuit of “bream beds” as we called them, these powerful panfish have had me under their spell. Fast forward to today and al-though my tools of the trade have evolved, one thing hasn’t changed: the fondness of finding bluegill on the bed. Some things just never go out of style and catching big feisty

bluegill is one of them. Each year the finding times get underway in late April, as winter has said goodbye and spring is in full force. May seems to be the peak time for these fish, as surface temps climb into the mid to upper 70’s and full moon phases help

trigger fanning from these feisty panfish that create craters in shal-low mud and gravel substrates all

over the lakes and ponds of Ten-nessee. While bluegill are known to bite almost all year long in some form or fashion, it is the peak spawn-ing time that stands out above all the others, as big numbers of the larger adult fish congregate and usually keep the smaller fish out

of their chosen territory. Bigger males are the target of most anglers, as they are defend-ers of the fort and take on a very aggressive mood, a scenario that keeps most of the smaller bait stealers off the playing field. Male bluegill often referred to

as “bulls” take on a dark, purple ap-pearance courtesy of hormonal influ-ences that begin in prespawn phases, which are usually mid to late April. By May, warmer water temps enter the picture and ac-tive fanning begins, as males use their tails to fan out cra-ters that look like little pie plates on the lake bottom.

The females lay out off the beds until conditions are just right for broadcasting their eggs in these

underwater condos. Females are easily dis-tinguished from males by their pale yellow ap-

pearance, which greatly contrasts to the dark pigment of the bulls. During peak bedding time you’ll find mostly all males in the bed-ding areas and they now have an attitude. They bite a bait not only from appetite, but in defense of the nest, as all kinds of intruders must be kept at bay.

Big male bluegills like the one pictured here are referred to as “bulls” and they ag-gressively attack baits that enter their spawning beds, making for a heck of a battle

on light tackle. - STO File Photo

Discovering a hot bluegill bed can deliver big numbers of fish in a short period of time. The males are territorial and guard the nests, which means fine times for fishermen and fisherladies as well. - Photo courtesy of Buchanan Resort

W

continued on next page

BUSTING BLUEGILLby Steve McCadams

During peak bedding time you’ll find mostly all males in the bedding areas and they now

have an attitude.


Known to bed in depths of one to five feet, there are times when bluegill bed even deeper if clear water is in the equation. Enter din-gy or muddy water and bedding takes place in very shallow areas, where sunlight can penetrate to the bottom and help stimulate the incubation of eggs. Bluegill are opportunists. They’ve been known to bed around shallow gravel bars, in thick grass and bushes, or even around a stump or submerged log. There are times they relate to shal-low crappie beds too and seem to find a comfort zone in thick struc-ture. Unlike their panfish cousins, such as black and white crappie who distribute their eggs along the roots of a bush or stump or other such wooded structures, bluegill spawn around the open craters

as the females return and de-posit their eggs in the cleaned areas where males have worked hard to fan away debris with their tail fins. There are a lot of bonuses to finding blue-gill beds, as the mid to lat-ter phases of spawning will attract bass and catfish, along with a host of other species that rob the nest or feed on the tiny fry once

Bluegill bedding time means fast action and good times. It’s a great way to introduce youngsters to the great sport of fishing.

- Photo by Steve McCadams

Little fish bring on big smiles. Young kids and hungry bluegill were made for each other and May is the peak time to introduce

them to each other. - Photo by Steve McCadams

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they begin to hatch out. Tying into a hefty catfish or a big bass is a nice surprise when fishing light tackle. Other species, such as yellow perch, are known to frequent bluegill beds too. Terminal tackle in the form of long shank hooks in the number 4 or 6 size works well when assisted by split shots in the number 4 to 5 range. Small bobbers were made for bluegill bedding days, but of-ten times dragging bait across the bottom entices strikes, yet bob-bers help regulate depth and de-tect light strikes. When it comes to the bait of choice crickets are hard to beat, yet redworms are always popular, as are maggot or wax worm and larva type presentations. Imitation grubs have a time and place too,

but the fish will let you know what they prefer, as they sometimes have mood swings of finicky be-havior. Cold fronts and lake levels changes can sometimes disrupt bedding or cause the fish to move to a different locale. Many anglers like to time their trips around the first full moon in May and spawn-ing phases often kick back in high gear during the first full moon in early June too. Finding active beds usually takes a little trial and error, yet today’s side-scan sonar units have helped anglers locate many open water bedding areas that can be somewhat deeper and far away from shorelines. Catching bluegill is indeed fun for all ages, but it is perhaps the

best type of fishing for the entry level angler. Starting that young boy or girl off on a good fish-ing trip and they’re likely to get hooked on the great sport of fish-ing with friends and family for life. So, hit the road toward a lake soon, where these feisty fish await your arrival. They’re fun to catch, great to eat and their peak spawn-ing time is at hand. It occurs when spring weather is about as stable at it gets. The stars are in line. What are you waiting for?Editor’s Note: Steve McCad-ams is a professional guide and outdoor writer from Paris, Tennessee. You can reach him at [email protected].

MARCH - APRIL 2015 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 9


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he most important rules for turkey hunters who want to be turkey killers, according to Jim Strelec, are: Get out of sight; sit down; sit still; and shut up! Strelec, special promotions coordinator for Knight & Hale Game Calls, said those basic rules need some explanation.

Most important factor Contrary to what many turkey hunters believe, calling is the least important factor for success, Strelec told me. “I’d rather you understand the

life cycle of a turkey, especially a gobbler, where you can get inside his head, and you’ll be a lot better off as to what you want to present him with,” he said. “Believe me; you want to present him with a hesitant hen that doesn’t want to do his bidding.” The key fact to remember is that in nature the hen goes to the gobbler, not the gobbler to the hen, Strelec said. “When he gobbles, it’s to let her know exactly where he’s at,” he said. “When she calls back, it’s to

let him know exactly where she’s at. She will close the distance, he won’t.” There are ways for the hunter to make the tom reverse this process, but first the hunter must learn to respect, but not overestimate his quarry, according to Strelec. The wild tom turkey has excellent eyesight and absolutely no tolerance about foreign objects in his “living room” - especially foreign objects that move, Strelec said. Therefore, the hunter needs to dress in full camouflage,

By John Meacham

T

Knight & Hale’s Jim

Strelec: Talking Turkey

including face mask, gloves, socks and boots with dark-colored soles, carry a gun with a non-glare finish and approach and wait for the gobbler without being seen or heard. A hunter can’t out-see or out-hear a turkey, but he can out-think a turkey, Strelec said. “The first thing I want you to understand is, this is a bird,” he said. “Do not be misled by how smart this thing is. I’m telling you right now, he’s good, but he’s a bird and we’re humans.”

Play to the tom’s weaknesses The hunter must use his one advantage - his brain - and learn to play to the tom’s weaknesses, not his strengths, Strelec said. For example, when using an owl call at first light to stimulate a gobble, the hunter must call with a rhythm the tom will recognize, and that rhythm goes, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-oo-oo-oo!” When using a crow call as a locator later in the day, the hunter must blow it with enough intensity to shock the tom into gobbling. When a gobbler’s location is pinpointed, the hunter must remember that the tom’s eyesight is as good as a human’s aided by 10-power binoculars, and that the bird is sitting in a tree and has an excellent view through the open woods of spring, Strelec continued. The hunter must use the terrain to cover his approach and must not try to approach too closely. “Whenever you set up on a turkey and the terrain makes it possible, never, never, never get where you can see farther than the distance that you want to kill

the turkey,” Strelec said. An ideal set-up, he explained, is 20 yards below the crest of the ridge that is between the hunter and the tom. The average hunter makes the mistake of setting up facing the direction from which he expects the gobbler to come, Strelec said. Then, if the bird comes to the right of a right-handed hunter or the left of a left-handed hunter, that hunter is going to have a lot of difficulty making the shot. “Here’s what you do - you find a tree that’s approximately shoulder-width or wider and then, whichever shoulder you continued on next page

Pictured here is Jim Strelec, special promotions coordinator for Knight & Hale Game Calls, with a 2014 gobbler. - Photo courtesy of Knight & Hale Game Calls

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will go behind a tree or turn away from the hunter and fan his tail feathers. Those are the right times to reposition the gun, Strelec said. Other times, though, the tom will continue to strut in front of the hunter until the hunter’s arms start to get shaky. “All you have to do if he’s in strut and he’s out there 20 yards and you want to kill him, you’ve already waited long enough and you’ve had all of this you can take is go ‘putt’ with your mouth,” Strelec said. “That bird will come straight out of strut. Do it now! When he comes out and puts his head up, nail him!” Sometimes, though, it will be the gobbler that does the “putting,” because he has detected something wrong and is about to beat a hasty retreat, Strelec said. However, all

is not lost if the hunter sits still until the instant the tom turns to run. “Don’t wait!” Strelec said. ”Don’t say, ‘Maybe he isn’t going.’ Kill him, because he is going. He’s going to put his head down and go. As soon as he starts to turn, blow his brains out. It’s the last chance you’ve got.” The hunter should always shoot for the head and neck - never the body - Strelec added. A turkey shot in the body is very likely to escape.

Those pesky hens Turkey hunters are often frustrated when real hens go to the gobbler and lead him away, Strelec said. The best way to avoid this situation is to set up between the tom and the hens and to scare the hens away when they come

into sight, but many hunters fail to do this because they think the hens will make alarm putts and scare the gobbler off. “It’s only an alarm call when the situation means for it to be an alarm,” Strelec said. ”It’s only an alarm when something happens and turkeys scatter and they give that call and the rest of them see them go. If they don’t see them go, they don’t know it was a putt. It’s the same thing as a cluck, only it’s just a little bit louder.” When a hunter spooks a hen and she flies or runs and putts, he should call to the tom with yelps, Strelec said. “He’ll probably gobble at you,” he said.

How not to miss It’s a shame for a hunter to miss a gobbler that presents a good

shoulder your gun on, you favor that 90 degrees from whatever direction you think the turkey is coming from,” Strelec said. (For example, a right-handed hunter who thinks a turkey is coming from the west should face north, but a left-hander should face south.)

Don’t overcall! The number one reason why a tom hangs up on the roost, or on the ground out of sight or range, is that the hunter overcalls, Strelec said. He said it is a big mistake to keep answering gobbles with hen calls. “He’s going to honor you again with another gobble, and before you know it his blood pressure is a hundred and 95-thousand degrees and he’s strutting on the limb and that hen is supposed to

be showing up there for him,” Strelec said. ”When she doesn’t show up and he flies out of the tree in the opposite direction, you know who’s to blame? You blame yourself, because you pumped him so dang high!”The better tactic, Strelec said, is to give the gobbler the silent treatment. “If you keep quiet, he doesn’t know whether the hen is still there, so he’s thinking, ‘Maybe she’s going away from me,’ and he’ll pop his head over the ridge.” Decoys are excellent devices for luring in reluctant toms - especially when a hen decoy is used in combination with a jake, Strelec said. “If you happen to be on level ground and he sees that hen, he’ll get there eventually, but

sometimes it takes a long time,” he said. ”But, you put a jake in there anywhere around that hen, that jake isn’t supposed to be there playing that kind of game, so wherever you put the jake is where you’re going to kill the turkey.”

Stealth Occasionally - often, in fact - a tom will upset the hunter’s best-laid ambush by sneaking in from a direction the hunter’s gun is not pointed. The key then is patience, according to Jim Strelec, special promotions coordinator for Knight & Hale Game Calls. “A turkey will not tolerate movement,” Strelec said. “When a turkey thinks something’s wrong, he’s out of there.” But, if the hunter will sit still and wait, the gobbler sooner or later

This lonesome hen has caught the amorous attention of three, strutting longbeards. - Photo by Tony Harris – courtesy of the NWTF A proper decoy setup can mean the difference between a futile or successful turkey hunt. - STO File Photo



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shot, but many do, Strelec said. He said an error that many hunters make is preparing for a long-range shot with an extra-full choke and magnum shells and then calling the tom to close range, where the tight pattern is a liability.

“When you put the bead on his head, if you flinch just the least little bit, or it you pull left a little or right a little on your trigger pull, you’ll wonder why you missed him,” Strelec said. ”You need to shoot whatever choke and whatever shell patterns best in your gun.”

And you need to practice making the kinds of shots you’ll have to make in hunting situations - from a sitting position with your back against a tree, he added.

Two beads on the shotgun

barrel will help the hunter avoid another common mistake - failing to get the head down properly on the gun’s stock - that results in a shot that goes over the target’s head, Strelec said.

“You can’t shoot it if you don’t see both the beads,” he said. ”With two beads on there, you’ll never look over the gun. You’ll get down on it every time.”

Calls and other equipment“If you’re starting out and

you’re going to hunt this year, don’t buy a mouth diaphragm,” Strelec advised. He said it takes too long to learn to use mouth diaphragm calls well.

“Get the foolproof stuff,” he said. ”Get a single-side or double-side box. I suggest that all the time, because on a windy

day you’re still going to be able to hunt because the sounds will carry. This kills more turkeys than any other call out there.”

When using a box call, “Start in the middle of the box, push down ever so lightly and start with half strokes,” Strelec said. “Don’t stop, because that will sound like a squeaking door by itself. Put it together with a turkey rhythm - short, short, longer, long, long, long.”

The box call will also make clucks and cuts, Strelec said.

“Strelec listed two other items as essential - a sling for the shotgun so the hunter can carry it efficiently and a turkey vest with a seat cushion so he can carry his gear and sit comfortably on the ground.

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to them. Instead, much of their wealth is tied up in land and other farm assets that they do not want to sell to provide retirement income. What many of these individuals may not know, however, is that they too can establish retirement plans for themselves and their employees, and with the right planning can have a stream of retirement income without ever selling any part of their farming business. As self-employed individuals, farmers may have access to the following tax-favored retirement plan options, which unlike typical employer-provided plans, these plans are easy to set up and maintain, with no complex IRS rules, tests or tax filings. Further, there are no strict guidelines on contributing to the plans, so contributions can be made when cash flow allows. These options

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(Sep) iRA SEP IRAs are available to unincorporated businesses, LLCs, and sole proprietors. With a SEP IRA, participants may be able to contribute as much as 25% of net earnings from self-employment (not including contributions for yourself), up to $52,000 for 2014 ($53,000 for 2015). The amount contributed is deductible from income for federal tax purposes. In addition, the account grows tax deferred until distributions are taken in retirement. Solo 401(k) PlanThe solo 401(k) plan is essentially a traditional 401(k) plan covering

a business owner with no employees, or that person and his or her spouse. The owner can contribute both elective deferrals up to 100% of earned income up to $17,500 in 2014 and $18,000 in 2015, or $23,000 in 2014 and $24,000 in 2015 if age 50 or over and contribute employer nonelective contributions up to 25% of earned income. Total contributions to a participant’s account, not counting catch-up contributions for those age 50 and over, cannot exceed $52,000 for 2014 and $53,000 for 2015. These plans have a unique feature in that they can also be tailored to allow access to account balance through loans and hardship distributions. Like the SEP IRA, contributions to the plan are tax deductible and the accounts grow tax free until the money is withdrawn.

s financial planners, our job is to help individuals and families meet their financial goals, and in many cases the primary goal is a comfortable, well-planned retirement. In essence, we have found that there are three categories of funding that play a part in the retirement income equation: sources of income, like social security; in some cases, part-time employment income; and portfolio income from investments and other savings. This last piece of the retirement income pie - income from savings - is typically the largest, and the bulk of these savings are often tied to employer-offered retirement plans, like 401(k)’s and pension income. These types of retirement plans provide not only an easy-to-use method for savings but also tax advantages for those participating and the employer itself. Given this, it is easy to see why self-employed individuals and small business owners, like farmers, face a unique challenge in planning for retirement as they do not have these traditional retirement vehicles available

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plAn) SIMPLE IRA Plans can be used by sole proprietors or any small business with fewer than 100 employees. Participants can put all net earnings from self-employment in the plan up to $12,000 in 2014 and $12,500 in 2015 (plus an additional $2,500 in 2014 and $3,000 in 2015 if 50 or older) plus an employer matching contribution of 3% if desired. Like the two plans mentioned above, contributions to a SIMPLE IRA are tax deductible and investments have the potential to grow for the future without being eroded by current taxes. Once the appropriate savings vehicle has been chosen, it is paramount that the participants

take as much advantage of the plans as possible—this means saving early and saving often in order to have a nest egg that is independent of farm assets. It also gives the important opportunity to build a broadly diversified investment portfolio that exposes participants to unrelated markets, industries and geographic regions. If you or someone you know would benefit from one of these retirement plans please give us a call to discuss the option that best fits your needs and to set up the plan for you, as this information is educational only. Each plan has unique advantages and disadvantages for different individuals. In addition, we are more than happy to do a comprehensive financial plan at no cost to you and to review and provide a second opinion on

any current investments you may have. Emily Billingsley, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Practitioner, Financial Advisor located at 517 Lake Rd. Suite A, Dyersburg, TN. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services Inc. member FINRA SIPC. Davis Wealth Services is independently owned and operated. For further comment, Billingsley may be reached at 731-285-0097. This information is not meant to be legal or tax advice. It is highly recommended any reader seek the advice of a Certified Public Accountant when considering the aforementioned information. Any opinions are those of Emily Billingsley and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Past performance may not be indicative for future results. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. This information is not intended as a solicitation. Withdrawal of pre-tax contributions and/or earnings will be subject to ordinary income tax and, if taken prior to age 59 1/2, may be subject to a 10% federal tax penalty. Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.


source was the fishing club on the lake. The previous owner started the club in the early 80s, just a few years after the lake was com-pleted. Like most newly created lakes, the stocked fish quickly grew in size and expanded their population. For years the fishing was incredible with huge bass (up to 10 pounds), abundant bream (sometimes up to 2 pounds) and a growing population of clandes-tinely stocked white crappie (the crappie were seeded secretly by a fishing club member with the aid of a friend with an airplane). The fisherman were happy and so was the previous owner. Over 25 years later, the lake was showing signs of age. Like most man-made impoundments, Fyrne Lake (formally known as Viar Lake) had been taken over by thousands of small bass. Large-mouth bass are prolific breeders and eaters. They will eat any living thing that can fit in their oversized mouth. Depending upon their size, a female bass will lay be-tween 2000 and 40,000 eggs! This invasion of hun-gry mouths began consum-ing everything in sight, in-cluding other bass. The existing fishing club members were frustrated by the small bass that kept taking their line, making it difficult to catch the bream, shellcracker (redear), crap-pie or the larger bass they sought. They shared sto-ries and pictures of the way things used to be. I wanted to help, but not only to keep

the fisherman happy. I also loved to fish and I wanted Fyrne Lake to be the best it could be. But, I knew noth-ing about how to do it! Hon-estly, that was part of the ap-peal. I enjoyed learning, espe-cially if it was going to help me conquer a new challenge. I just didn’t re-alize how much of a challenge it was going to be to turn things around! I started my

Tony Osco is holding one of the huge (40 pound plus) grass carps we removed from Fyrne Lake. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

Fish FactoriesBy Kevin GriFFith

Pictured here is a shockboat with descriptive captions. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake


Managing the Fishery at Fyrne Lake

I have to do what?!? “To get your lake into shape you have to remove thousands of twelve inch and under largemouth bass, eliminate every grass carp, catfish and striper (yellow bass) you can, fertilize the lake each spring to create a bloom and re-establish baitfish in the lake and create acres of fish structure”, my lake consultant calmly stat-ed while handing me the bill for evaluating Fyrne Lake. Man, what did I get myself into?

Actually, it was exactly what I wanted. I had dreamed for de-cades about having a lake to care for, improve and maintain. And boy, this lake needed me! My wife and I purchased this beautiful 110 acre lake surrounded by woods just outside of Dyersburg, Ten-nessee back in 2004. It was the realization of a dream. But now, just a few months after realizing this dream, it was meeting with reality. “Are there any other op-tions?” I begged. “Yes, you could kill all the fish in the lake and start over. However, you would still

have to add acres of fish struc-ture.” he said. Why was all this necessary? My dream for the property extended way beyond maintaining the lake. I wanted to maintain and improve the property as a private natural park; not just for my wife, children and me, but for later generations. I dreamed of it becoming finan-cially independent, through de-veloping multiple income sources that wouldn’t compromise the private park like setting through development or create overuse. One already established income

Part one

oF tWo


to the landing. A key indicator of the health of the lake was going to be found through analyzing the condition of the bass population (more on that later). It was interesting to watch the consultant guide his boat along the shoreline seeking out struc-ture to shock, just as a fisherman would target the same area with a lure. Like clockwork, a promising looking structure would yield fish. Most continued to be bream and small bass, with the occasional striper (yellow bass). However, we did shock up several large healthy looking bass and one huge blue catfish. Every large bass we weighed, measured and tagged on the spot, then gently released them back into the lake. The catfish was another story. We kept him! As the day went on, the con-

sultant observed that he hadn’t seen ANY aquatic plants and ex-cept for a few fallen trees along the shoreline and rotting stumps in the shallow end, the lake was devoid of structure. On a positive note, he added that the bottom contours were interesting. His depth finder was revealing numer-ous underwater ridges running out from shore, with steep drop offs of up to 30 feet. However, even with the bottom contours, there wasn’t near enough structure for a lake our size.The reason for the absence of aquatic plants was soon revealed! As we approached the shallows at the top of the lake the water came alive! The combination of our presence and the electrical field around the boat had disturbed a school of grass carp. They were

huge! Luckily, we were able to creep close enough to stun one. As the behemoth rolled up to the surface, the consultant’s assistant slipped a net over his head. The net barely stretched past his gill plates! Now it was my turn. I took my net and tried getting it around the grass carp’s tail. As I bumped it the fish came to and darted for-ward, driving deeper into the net around its head and almost ripping it from the assistant’s hands! Des-perately, I forced my net around the thrashing tail and the two of us heaved the fish aboard. He seemed even larger in the boat! It was all I could do to lift him up with the scale to reveal a weight of 44 pounds! And this was just one of who knows how many grass carp resided in the lake.

research by scanning the internet, subscribing to a magazine called Pond Boss and located a lake con-sultant to provide a professional evaluation. I quickly began accu-mulating a library of information on lake management and it led me to the realization of how many variables there were to achieve the quality of fishing I envisioned. I was hoping the lake consultant could help me formulate a long-term strategy. Luckily, it wasn’t long before he rolled up to the farm with his shock boat in tow. A shock boat comes equipped with a customized generator, transform-er box and electrodes to suspend in front of the boat on one or two poles. Through adjusting the volt-age, amperage and cycle frequen-cy on the transformer box, a shock

boat can gently stun fish, bring-ing them to the surface. The goal is to net, identify and measure the fish before they wake up and rush away. They don’t like being shocked any more than I enjoyed touching the electric fence as a kid on my grandmother Fyrne’s farm. However, just like my experience with her fence, the fish quickly re-cover without any negative, long-term effect. The trip on the lake with the con-sultant turned out to be an amazing adventure! As we left the landing he fired up the generator and ad-justed the dials on his transformer box. He shared how every lake is unique and requires different set-tings to effectively bring up the fish. Variables like water conduc-tivity, PH and temperature effect

how deep the adjustable electrical field penetrates. Also, various fish species respond differently to the electrical settings. Experience and experimentation are necessary to “dial in” the proper output to bring up fish. Fortunately, my lake consultant was very experienced and it wasn’t long before we were seeing multiple fish floating to the surface. This was a fisherman’s dream! Fish were popping up all around us! I wanted one of these! We be-gan netting the fish and bringing them into the boat for evaluation. Most of the bream were huge, but the bass were small and skin-ny looking. We released all the bream, but placed the smaller bass in an aerated tub to be weighed and measured when we returned continued on next page

Stunned fish can be seen floating to the surface on either side of the shock boat’s electrode. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

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Kevin Griffith is holding a 5 pound largemouth bass that was shocked, netted and tagged during the initial fish sampling in 2005.

- Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

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These grass carp don’t jump like the Asian carp that have invaded the Mississippi and its tributaries. They’re also sterile and are of-ten used in lakes to help control aquatic vegetation. It turns out the previous owner had intention-ally stocked these grass carp in the lake to take care of a weed is-sue. The problem was he stocked too many… about a thousand too many! And these fish were keep-ing every sprout of aquatic veg-etation that reared its head con-sumed. They had even “hedged” the overhanging tree branches of any leaves they could reach from the lake’s surface. (I later received reports of fisherman in the fall, seeing these monsters waiting un-der oak and persimmon trees to catch the acorns and fruit as they fell!) Man! This lake had issues! But wait, there’s more! The lake con-sultant had not seen ONE single baitfish in the lake! With a know-

ing look on his face, he turned the boat back toward the landing. Even though he knew what the results would be, he and his as-sistant meticulously weighed and measured each of the hundred plus small bass in the tub. Using the chart included with this arti-cle, they compared the stats. ALL of the bass measured were under-weight for their length. A healthy 12” largemouth bass should weight 14 ounces (see chart). Why did our 12” bass only weigh 10 to 12 ounces? “Be-cause they are starving,” was his answer. Largemouth bass had ter-ribly overpopulated Fyrne Lake to the point where these fish had consumed all of the baitfish (that’s where they all went!) and were eating the majority of the small bream and crappie fry before they had a chance to mature… and they still didn’t have enough to eat! Any body of water has a set number of pounds of predator fish

it can support, depending upon fertility, with all other factors remaining constant. What that means is if your lake can support 10,000 pounds of predator fish, your pond’s fish makeup could be 1,000 ten pound fish, 10,000 one pound fish or some combination in between. Reducing the number of predator mouths concentrates the food source in the remaining fish to make them larger. We had so many largemouth bass mouths to feed that most of ours were not even reaching a pound! He explained how control-ling the bass overpopulation was necessary to accomplish any im-provement in the fishing. But, that was just the first component of what was needed. The lake was supporting only a fraction of the fish population possible, because of limited habitat and food sourc-es. Between the grass carp con-suming all of the natural aquatic plant cover and the limited struc-

ture (fallen trees, stumps, brush, etc.) present in the lake, the fish had few places to hide long enough from predators to mature. The food chain had also been disrupted by the bass consuming every last baitfish. We needed to reestablish baitfish in the lake while also providing cover for them to hide in and reproduce. Fertilizing the lake, to create a controlled plankton bloom in the late spring, would provide an

ample food source for the baitfish pumping up the number of pounds of predator fish the lake could support. However, we needed to be cautious. Over fertilization can cause a fish kill. To bring Fyrne Lake up to where it needed to be, I had some deci-sions to make.(Next issue’s article: Our Lake Management Plan)

Reprinted with permission from Pond Boss Magazine

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Life is Great -

ello, to all you great readers of STO Magazine. I Hope every-thing is going well on your home front. I got a phone call the other day from an old friend of mine, Hunter Newbill, to see what has been going on in my café busi-ness. We were shooting the breeze about duck hunting and hunting in general, when I said, let’s take Betsy (his 12 year-old daughter) on a coon hunt. He said, “Let’s do it, we can get Wade Newbill (Hunter’s older brother) and his son, Garrett (15 years-old) to go with us and have a grand old time.” I told him to pick the date and he did. It was on a nice, crisp Sun-day evening. The kids and dads had duck hunted that afternoon, with some success. I showed up around 6:00 pm at their cabin and

low and behold his mom and dad were there (Mr. Bob and Mrs. Lou Newbill). Miss Lou was my Eng-lish teacher in the seventh grade and man I thought she was going to hammer me on my grammar and punctuation when she sees the articles I write. Sorry, Miss Lou. Hunter was cooking dinner, and man oh man, that chicken smelled great. Letting the kids finish din-ner, we all shot the breeze about ducking hunting in the old days, with all the Newbills present at the dinner table. After the kids finished their dinner, off to the woods we went. The kids (Betsy, Garrett, and Garret’s friend, John Evans also 15 years-old) and I go to the truck and we start getting ready. I give the lights to the kids and show them how they work, we get the

tracking collars on the hounds and we let the dogs go through the crisp night air. We sit around the truck and I show them how the tracking system works while talk-ing of hunting ducks and some of my coon hunts, when my hound, Money opens up on the trail of a coon. All the kids’ eyes light up like it was Christmas morning and they start asking questions. Those questions included which dog is it, is it on a coon, and is the coon treed? As I was explaining what to listen for my other dog, Heidi strikes in on the same track. We sit there listening and 20 minutes later and 600 yards deep we hear them tree a coon. By this time, Hunter and Wade join us and off we go. As we meander through the farm to the tree, I think, “Man what a great time….old friends, young kids and that great music of the hounds. What a life.” The trek was easy, until we get to a 30 foot creek. I thought, “With the kids along, this is go-ing to be tough, but they did better than us old people.” Maybe youth and enthusiasm will out do old age and treachery, I smiled to my-self thinking this. We get to the tree and it is a den, I ask Wade and Hunter which way to go. Wade says one way and Hunter (who is not a Lewis or Clark when it comes to trailblazing) says anoth-er way. Garret and I listen to Wade

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and 30 minutes later Hunter and the other two show up. After much harassment to Hunter we go back to the truck. We release the hounds again and this time they split, Money about 100 yards to our left and Heidi about 200 yards to the left, I thought, “Man, this going to be tough.” We listen for a few minutes more. Money is now deep (700 yards) to the left, Heidi is behind a river bed. Wade looks at me and says, “Shawn, we bet-ter call them back in. Where they are at is rough as heck.” I call them back in and release them again. They strike and within 15 minutes they are treed. We get to the tree and there it is, a big coon, sitting on the outside of the tree in a branch. The kids are all fired up. Garret has the gun and starts shooting and after about 20 shots, we have our game. Needless to say, I tell Garret, “Boy you might can kill a duck or a deer, but when it comes to killing

a coon you are pitiful.” The good natured kidding started and laughter commenced, boy, we rode him hard. Then comes John’s turn for some good natured picking on. He has the game vest and we threw the coon in the bag and it is still kicking. That young man just started freaking out, trying to get the vest off as fast as he can. It was hilarious. Going back to the truck every-one was have a good time, but the night was over. It was a great hunt. Maybe I have succeeded and got some more young people involved in the sport of coon hunting. As I stated earlier, on this night life was great. I would also like to congratulate Jason Crum and his walker dog, Tapp on winning the PKC senior dog showdown, the grand prize was a new truck. Next month we will have an interview with Jason on the hunt and his dog. Until next time, fellow readers, see you at the tree!

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any seek his whereabouts. Armed with a variety of tackle the panfish army enters the war, hop-ing to do battle with this majestic warrior on a regular basis. Like the hare and the hound during the winter months, this

hunt returns every spring, when late April loses its grip and May rolls around. Anglers stalk the shallow shorelines of Kentucky Lake hoping to encounter this sly rascal that has quite a reputation for outsmarting fishermen.

Perhaps it’s the power-ful fight these hefty olive drab beau-ties put up when hooked, or maybe it’s their illusive behavior as they have a unique ability to hide among the grassbeds, buck bushes and open grav-el sandbars. At the peak of spawning the males pos-sess a hand-some dark a p p e a r a n c e

where their pigment changes due to hormonal influence; much like male crappie do when they take on that purple complexion at the peak of their spawning phase. Added to their beautiful color phase change is an attitude that will test your tackle, as he is both defender of the nest and quite energetic with a hefty frame and bulky weight to back up his bark with his bite. The females are also beautiful in their own right, sport-ing a pale appearance of green and light yellow with a sunburst belly, but somewhat lighter in their over-all appearance when compared to the males. Shellcrackers, as most anglers in the South refer to them, are known biologically as red ear sunfish. Although a member of the panfish family they are dif-ferent from their bluegill cousins, yet some anglers often confuse the two. A distinctive red flap on the operculum, or gill covering, is how the fish got its biological

ShellCraCkerS on the Spawn

Hefty male redear sunfish like this one, commonly referred to as a “shellcrackers”, are tackle testers on light spinning gear. Casting with bobbers or bottom dragging techniques work great with such popular baits as redworms, crickets and various larva type baits.

Photo by Steve McCadamscontinued on next page

MBy Steve MCCadaMS


name and sets it apart from other panfish. The “shellcracker” term was pinned by fishermen who learned the species often feeds on small freshwater mussels in both lakes and ponds. Anglers always seem to relish the opportunity to catch big fish and shellcrackers fulfill that de-sire, although “big” is a relative term. They sometimes grow to exceed one pound in weight with frequent stories of bigger ones being taken. As a rule, they ex-ceed the size of bluegill, which is yet another reason they enter the crosshairs of anglers of all ages. State record size always seems to creep into the conversation and the current bench mark in Tennes-see stands at 3 pounds, 6 ounces! This whopper was taken way back in 1979, but records are meant to be broken.

Another feather in their cap is being good to eat. Their meat is quite tasty when fried golden brown and their size makes for a nice fillet of textured delight. Finding a bedding area of ag-gressive shellcrackers is pretty much like discovering buried trea-sure, as the enjoyment is nothing short of wonderful. Although they often share an area with bluegill, there are times when they become territorial and may occupy a small submerged area adjacent to a log or tree, and sometimes a buck bush. Although bluegill often fan their craters in open areas, shellcracker prefer the refuge of some struc-ture nearby. A little grass mixed in adds to their comfort zone as they love to spawn in a mixture of grass, bushes, and sandy or pea gravel bottom.

They broadcast their eggs in small craters or even around grass and roots of bushes, but their cra-ters are less distinct that bluegill and usually hard to see, whereas bluegill and other sunfish bedding zones are often quite conspicuous in clear water, especially if you’re wearing polarized sunglasses. With today’s technology many anglers are finding the use of wide scale sonar or side-scan to be a useful tool in the hunt for these buried treasures that have fooled fishermen for years. However, shellcrackers often use shallow habitat surrounded by cover so the use of side-scan units, while quite popular for discovering bluegill beds, is not quite as practical. Other popular venues are vari-ous aquatic grasses that have in-vaded many of the shallow flats on Kentucky Lake in the back-

water of bays and pockets off the main lake. Eurasian watermilfoil, coontail moss and pondweed are a few of the aquatics where shell-craker set up housekeeping, as the grass-beds with little open pockets here and there are also popu-lar havens. Techniques range from continued on next

pageCatching a bunch of shellcrackers, mixed in with a few bluegill, can fill your cooler and freezer too as they’re great to eat. Daily creel

limits are 20 per person, but you don’t have to land a limit to have a great time.Photo by Steve McCadams


Shellcracker spawning phases begin on Kentucky Lake each spring in late April, with peak time occurring throughout May. Known to reach weights in excess of one pound, these powerful panfish are well worth the effort and can please anglers from ages 8 to 80!

Photo by Steve McCadams

light tackle or ultra-light spinning gear, to cane poles or telescopic poles, ranging in length from 10 to 12 feet. Casting is quite popu-lar, especially in clear water con-ditions, as the fish are finicky and will spook easily if disturbed from too much movement and visible contact. For that reason most anglers prefer light monofilament line in the 4 to 6-pound range. Small bobbers work well and experi-enced anglers have learned to re-sort to neutral color bobbers such as true cork as these tend to offer a natural presentation when splash-ing into shallow areas and won’t spook the fish as easily. Known to be bottom feeders by choice, many anglers fish without bobbers at times and simply drag

a redworm, wax worm, maggot, cricket or various larva type baits through the bedding spots for deadly results. When in thick cover casting may not be the ticket and that’s when anglers use a vertical presenta-tion with long poles around small openings in bushes and grass. Long shank hooks work best in the size 4 to 6 range. Expect to use up some terminal tackle, as break-ing off and loosing rigs is part of the game when these babies go undercover. Once surface temperatures reach the upper 60’s watch for early phases of shellcracker bed-ding to begin. They prefer stabil-ity of weather and surface temps in the low 70’s as peak phases, but usually get underway before blue-

gill bedding occurs and have been known to surge around full moons phases. You may see a little re-bound as late as early June. Tangle with a few big shell-cracker and you’ll quickly come under their spell and target them during their peak spawning time each spring. Before you get too greedy remember the statewide creel limit is twenty, per person, per day.Fish your blues away with some redear sunfish this spring on Ken-tucky Lake.Editor’s Note: Steve McCadams is a professional fishing and hunting guide on Kentucky Lake. You can reach him at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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Ultimately the 4-H youth makes a Contribution to his/her community.

4-H Science explores such relevant and cutting-edge topics as climate change, water quality and usage, alternative energy, robotics, scientific and technology literacy and sustainable agriculture.

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4-H in NumbersYouth Served Worldwide - 7,000,000 Counties - 3,068 Countries - 71Educators - 3,500+Volunteers - 532,312+Alumni - 60,000,000+Editor’s Note: 4-H is the youth development pro-gram of our nation’s Cooperative Extension Service.Information was adapted from National 4-H. http://www.4-h.org/about/For more information about the Dyer County 4-H program, please contact Becky Willis or Mary Beth Neal at [email protected], [email protected] Face-book - UT Extension Dyer County, dyer.tennessee.edu, or 731-286-7821.

4-H Today - Growing Today’s Youth

By Rob Somerville

I happen to serve as an advisor for the Dyer County 4-H program. I do not consider this a job…I consider it a privilege. In this day and age there are so many negative influences and peer pressures that can lead today’s youth astray. The 4-H organization does just the opposite. It teaches kids life skills such as teamwork, responsibility, ethics and respect. I asked Becky Willis, who leads the Dyer County program, to give our readers more information on what 4-H is all about. After read-ing this article I hope it encourages children and their parents to get involved and businesses to help sponsor this worthwhile organization.

4-H: Our Background For more than 100 years, 4-H has stood behind the idea that youth is the single strongest catalyst for change. What began as a way to give rural youth new agricultural skills, today has grown into a global organi-zation that teaches a range of life skills. 4-H is dedicated to positive youth development and helping youth step up to the challenges in a complex and changing world. 4-H is dedicated to helping cultivate the next generation of leaders and tackling the nation’s top challenges such as the shortage of skilled professionals, maintaining our global competiveness, encouraging civic involvement,

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According to an in-depth, longitudinal study conducted by the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Develop-ment, Tufts University 4-H youth are three times more likely to actively contribute to their communities and have higher educational achievement.

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4-H PledgeI Pledge:My Head to clearer thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty, My Hands to larger service, and My Health to better living, for My club, My community, My country, and My world.

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Eli Steffy: Young Outdoorsman It isn’t easy for kids these days. They are born into the age of technology with com-puters, online video games, instant mes-sages, Instagram, texting, Face Time and so much more. This was the life of Eli Steffy, 13 year old son of Jason and Heather Steffy from Hendersonville, Tennessee. At least that was the case until he discovered the outdoor sports of hunting, fishing and kaya-king. Now, he is the total package of a bud-ding outdoorsman. His dad, Jason, is a graduate from Tennes-see Tech with a degree in Wildlife & Fish-eries Science (ichthyology) at Cookeville, Tennessee. He was always outdoorsy and had the passion for hunting and fishing that his PawPaw instilled in him from an early age. However, getting Eli interested in the same lifestyle was a bit harder. There was too much electronic influence. Jason started him out in Cub Scouts and he loved the camping and outdoor trips but Wii and X-Box were his first priority. He graduated to Boy Scouts and while he still enjoyed camping and outdoor trips, baseball and X-Box ruled over his time. This past year, his dad took him on a youth turkey hunt. One big, beautiful turkey har-vested and he was totally hooked. The pic-ture of him packing his trophy turkey out of the woods turned into an awesome compari-son between the size of the turkey versus the size of the boy.

He wanted more and became anxious for the deer season youth hunt. In the mean-time, Jason purchased a kayak and due to his height, it had to be extra tall so Eli could only view the fun from the bank. This cre-ated his interest in kayaking. His next passion was fishing. He wanted to fish: bank fish, boat fish, or fishing from his new kayak. I think the boy would have fished from an aquarium if he had one! He would eat, sleep and dream fishing. A trip to Florida with his baseball team, a deep sea fishing expedition, and a huge “Red Fish” only confirmed this extreme in-terest. Archery became his next passion and he practiced daily up to the youth deer hunt date. It was his first deer hunt, but he walked away with two does and the start of a freezer full of meat to help feed his family. We can’t wait to see what is next - maybe a duck hunt at Reel Foot Lake!Editor’s Note: Eli Steffy’s story was brought to my attention by his grandmother, Donna Steffy. She sent me a photo of him for our TROPHY ROOM section…then another…and another. I asked her to see if they would send me Eli’s story to encourage other par-ents to involve their kids in the great out-doors. I congratulate young Eli and encourage him in his future excursions, but I also com-mend his family for getting him involved in God’s bountiful blessing of the outdoors.

MARCH - APRIL 2015 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 5554 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MARCH - APRIL 201554 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MARCH - APRIL 2015 MARCH - APRIL 2015 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55

Tom Hall of Dyersburg, Tennessee was deep trolling for crappie at Fyrne lake on Monday,

January 19th when one of his poles doubled over. At first Tom thought he was snagged, then he felt a tug and the fight was on! The

fish weighed around seven pounds.Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

Tommy Criswell of Dyersburg, Tennessee caught these two nice crappie at Fyrne Lake on January 20th. He was fishing with minnows at a depth of 20 feet in 33 feet of

water. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

Ray Lewis caught this nice 5 pound bass on December 20th, 2014 while fishing with his father,

Otha Lewis, at Fyrne Lake. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

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Southern Traditions Outdoors - March- April 2015