What A Week

Larry R

Old Mossy Horns
Little brother and I went to Rhodhiss on Monday bow fishing. A very slow start for the day. I think we saw three before noon and didn't get near close enough to them for a shot.

Just afternoon we pulled into a long cove and could hear and see carp at the very end of the cove. They were in grass but the grass was still dead and brown and floating basically on top of the water. As we approached the head of the cove we saw "mud trails" where it seemed like hundreds of carp were running. We turned off the sonar and the trolling motor and drifted up to the edge of the dead grass. For the next 10 - 15 minutes it became a free for all. At first fish were just swimming around and we would shoot them (shoot at some of them LOL) as they came into open spots in the dead grass. When we hit one it would begin to flop and splash. That would draw others to the same spot and we would get another shot. This was extremely fast action, couldn't get one in and off the arrow fast enough to keep from missing a half dozen more opportunities. After that business slowed down to a more livable pace. They began to move out of the dead grass and back into deeper water. Good part was that we were sitting within feet of the channel where they would come out going to deeper water. So in essence we ambushed them as they tried to swim out to deeper water. At times both of us would have a carp on at the same time.

Once they had all left for deeper water we backed out and went to another location in the cove. Wasn't quite as exciting there but still had a field day. Wound up killing 90.10 lbs of carp. We shot several that got off before we could get them into the boat. Biggest one was 29.12 lbs which was a grass carp. Bet the coyotes are smelling fishy lately. I put them on one of the bait piles at a friends "condo". lol. Seems like the coyotes like to wallow in them more than they care to eat them. In the past I have noted from my game cameras and from actually sitting in my condo that far more bobcats respond to the bait pile when I put out bow killed carp. To bad they aren't legal to kill at night. They aren't near as nervous as the coyotes. I have actually watched them for half an hour or more. They would eat their fill, crawl up on a log and proceed to lick and clean themselves. Not sure at times that they didn't actually take a nap before leaving.
 

Larry R

Old Mossy Horns
Thursday my older brother and I went bass fishing to Kerr Scott. The day began good and bad. It was calm and smooth as glass, the good, but the bad was that nothing was hitting. My brother caught three before noon. I caught zilch. The worst was that the wind began kicking up pretty good within a short time and fishing was miserable. I hate fishing in that kind of wind, but being the dedicated fishermen we are (or think we are) we stuck it out. After noon I began to catch fish. I wound up catching nine total. Biggest was 3 1/2 lbs bass but the best one of all was a 17 inch white crappie.

My brother wound up getting five into the boat but I know he hooked and lost at least 15 -20 and all were nice bass, fourteen plus inches. I told him that premature catch and release did not count. LOL. I think I also wound up loosing five nice bass.

They were not actually attacking the bait to eat it but only appeared to be slapping at the bait. He caught one and I caught the crappie and those two were the only ones that actually had a hook inside the mouth. All the rest of those that we caught were hooked in the side of the jaw or just behind the jaw. The water temperature was between 65 and 67 degrees. We did not see a single fish on what could be called a bed. I saw one which was bigger than any we caught. It was just swimming along the bank as we motored in to retrieve a lure that one of those nasty ole bushes had reached out and grabbed and refused to turn it loose even after we gave the bush a good cussin'. LOL. We did see what looked like where maybe a bed had been cleaned out but no fry or bass guarding the beds or frt were seen. None of the fish we caught appeared to have been working a bed, no worn tails, etc etc. Also none of the fish appeared to be sows with eggs. So bottom line is I'm not sure if the spawn has begun, finished or what.

While bow fishing in Rhodhiss in one cove we went into, which was maybe 150 yards deep we saw 15 - 20 bass that were 16 to 20 inches (or better, don't want to exaggerate but they were monsters) and they did not appear to be on a bed or to be spawning. My theory is that so many darn changes in the weather and water temperature has them completely confused.
 

smith-n-stokes

Old Mossy Horns
Sounds like you've had a fun week!

Now get in the condo and shoot some yotes.


Sent from wherever I was at the time...
 
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Larry R

Old Mossy Horns
I shot another coyote last week and another one on Tuesday night. Only problem is that I cannot upload photos on UTube or photobucket and without photos the stories are useless and not verifiable. I'm waiting for my son to come visit. His profession is computer programming for BofA and Wells Fargo. I went to PC Matic for assistance but I am unable to go thru the steps they outline to I think they called it "refresh my browser". I understand what they told me to do, it's there in black and white but when I attempt to begin the process it no workie. LOL.

One of the coyotes snuck in on me after daylight and after I had gathered up all of my things and was preparing to go to my vehicle and come home. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement and the darn thing went right to the bait pile. I had found a road killed deer a couple of days before, got the game wardens permission to remove the deer from the roadway and place it at the bait pile at my friends condo. I had to open the window, sit down, place the sand bag on the shelf, get the rifle up and pop him. A young (last years male I am sure) and he never knew what hit him.

The second one came in to the outer dimmer cone of light of my NV binocs but left back down the hill before I could get the rifle up. Two minutes later he (another young male) came back up on the far side of the bait pile and crossed above the bait pile before I could get on him. He didn't stop. Dang the bad luck. About five minutes later he came back down the hill between me and the bait pile. Turned and went directly towards the bait pile. He got within three feet of the bait pile and turned down hill broad sided to me and stopped for an ETERNITY.

On the second one I had two HUGE AND I MEAN HUGE possums come in at least a dozen times during the night. Those suckers must eat every ten minutes. I think they consume more of the coyote bait than anything else, well perhaps on par with the dang crows. Only thing different is the crows come in during the daytime and use up my camera batteries in no time. I'm averaging 300 to 400 video clips in a 24 hour period. I have set the cameras up to film only between say 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. but after a few days the cameras begin to malfunction. Sometimes I can return the cameras to default and re program them and they will only take videos at night. Sometimes that causes them to practically stop filming at all. The cameras are all out of warranty a long time ago so no help from Covert in this problem. All they want to do is have me send that camera to them and charge me a "nominal fee" for a more modern camera which leaks the first time I have it deployed and it rains. So I have $500 invested in a camera that leaks the first time it rains. No thanks.

BTW I do have one more bit of "good" news. Today I got my hearing aides from the VA. Not exactly what I was expecting as far as design and looks but they work. As I arrived back home I saw a couple of small birds that I see every day. Only difference today was they were very happy to see me, they were singing like crazy for the first time in a long, long time. LOL.
 

smith-n-stokes

Old Mossy Horns
Your hunt stories are great reads even without pics. Congrats on the hearing aids[emoji1360]


Sent from wherever I was at the time...
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
I wish I had 90lbs of carp! Only have 16. That'd bait a mess of crawfish traps for a WHILE
 

Larry R

Old Mossy Horns
Justin: Next time we go bow fishing (probably Sunday) I'll give you a call. Not sure how we are gonna get them to you but you are welcome to them. LOL.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Haha that's ok. I'll just go to the creek and catch em on light tackle like I did last weekend. Thanks for the thought though haha
 
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