End of Summer...Deer Season is Getting Closer!

A couple weeks ago I had a couple guys from the Kansas State Fishing Team come out for a morning of fishing on LQ. Ben Fuchs and Keith Cole were fun to fish with, even though the fishing wasn’t all that great. It was a treat to spend time with them, and really learn about all the time and effort that goes into the sport of college fishing. Collegiate angling is really making leaps and bounds towards the perpetuation of the sport of tournament angling. I really look forward to working with these guys more in the future!

The day after Ben and Keith came out to fish, we had a youth fishing derby at LQ. Mason won the panfish division, and got to bring home a really neat bluegill trophy. There were lots of kids out fishing, and it was great to be a part of it. One boy caught a 30 lb. grass carp! With the way the bass fishing has been out here lately, I might have to think about becoming a carp angler! The kids started school last week, which is pretty exciting for us. Mason is in first grade and Makayla is in kindergarten, and they were so happy and excited to go to school!

As summer comes to an end, I find myself really getting excited for deer season. I have been working hard in preparation of the season, putting in food plots, bow practice, and hanging stands at my Dad’s farm and mine. Every year my goal is to have stands hung before Labor Day weekend, this way the deer have plenty of time to get used to the new object in their environment.

Last weekend I went to the Triton owners tournament on Truman, out of Long Shoal. I was the weigh-in MC and had a lot of fun doing it. I didn’t get to fish this event, but I did see all of the fish that were weighed-in, and thought it was worth noting that there were no dead fish brought to the scales. I really think this is a testament not only to the effectiveness of Triton’s live wells, but of the health of the fishery at Truman. I got to say, as excited as I am about deer season, this weekend really made me want to get out and do some fishing! Next weekend I will be at the ABA fish-off on Big Hill for Labette county. Should be fun to watch the weigh-in, and hang out with some fellow Kansas fishermen.

While there isn’t really a whole lot going on this time of year, I still have to work on my schedule. At the beginning of October I will be going to the Gander Mountain in Hattiesburg Mississippi for a Costa Del Mar promotional event. After that I plan to head down to New Orleans to do some scouting around for the Classic. I am going to take as much time as I need to try and get an idea of where I want to spend my official practice. There are about 3 or 4 key areas down there that typically produce, but they are all cyclical, so it will take some work to find the most productive areas. I’m also kind of keeping my fingers crossed that I come across some redfish too! Those things are so much fun!

Kids, Grass Carp, and Graduation

Been having a good time at home the last few weeks. Bobbi’s family came to visit after we got back from ICAST, and we had some fun. Mostly trying to stay out of this awful heat lately, but managed some fishing with my son and nephew. We went out crappie fishing and caught 15 or 20 crappie, a couple of walleye, tons of bass, and some carp. The kids have been seeing some big carp up shallow lately, and really wanted to catch some. We chummed the water with corn, and the kids caught several nice carp. Mason caught a grass carp that went 45 lbs! I couldn’t believe it!

Went to Labette county and helped out with a youth fishing derby in Parsons over the weekend. It was a pretty cool deal to be a part of. Eagle Claw helped out a lot with prizes and give aways, and KDWP helped out too. That night I headed back to LQ, and got ready for my 20th high school reunion. With all this stuff going on, it made for a busy weekend, but we had fun. It was really cool to see old friends, and people that I haven’t seen since graduation.

Not a whole lot going on in our world lately, but that is just as well! It’s really nice to have some time off, and be able to be at home. Next weekend, a couple guys from the K-State Fishing Team are coming out to do a little fishing. It’s going to be hot, but I think we will be able to get on some fish.