No Drought This Year

Last year, I posted about the Santee Cooper lakes experiencing a drought. Well, that is not an issue this year, as it has been raining buckets here as of late - I can't keep up with the grass in my yard.

The lakes are beautiful, by the way. Full pond or near-to-it.

Fishing has been so-so. It is hot out there and I've been chased in a few times by the humidity.

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Assorted Ramblings for May 27, 2009

-Almost one month after turkey season and I've still got turkeys on the mind. If I keep on this course, I will have gone crazy by next season.

-My boat decided to go haywire on me - so that went in the shop a few weeks ago, so fishing is on temporary hold. I took the boys out last week and tried some bank fishing but it was very windy. I NEED MY BOAT!

-This is the time of year when my blog is neglected while I catch up on other things I enjoy doing. Thanks for hanging around and reading despite sparse posting.

-Boy oh boy how I envy guys like Michael Waddell - who can hunt and do outdoors-related stuff for a living. I don't have outdoors television in my future (face for radio) but I'd love to experience that life for a few days!

Until next time...enjoy the outdoors! Be safe!

Catfishing Blues

I've got fish on the mind...

More specifically - The Arkansas Blue Catfish. I fish the Santee Cooper system here in South Carolina, and it's full of these cats.
The Blue is a beautiful thing to behold - especially a 20-pounder hanging on the end of your line. It is a nice-looking, nice-eating fish. I'd rather catch one nice Blue Cat instead of ten channel catfish or flatheads. Well, I'll take that back - a "small" flathead has a nice mottled coloring to it...as if God spray-painted it with patches of green, brown, and black.

I'll be out there trying to angle for these cats...if you see a crappy-looking pontoon out there with about four rods in the water, it might be me. Say hello!

It's Over

Turkey season is over, and I have struck out.

Last hunt of the season saw me pull every trick out of the book to score a bird. It came to a point where I was trying to sneak up on a pair of gobblers that had hung up on me just out of gun range. I could not get to them without spooking them, which I did at the very last possible moment, then when I was having luck calling them back in after they scattered - a hen shows up, cutting and aggressively purring and clucking at my calling, and the boys went to her and then they all disappeared. This was the same group of gobblers that have been stumping everyone that has tried to hunt them at the club. Their uncanny skills no doubt will earn them a name around our club. I hope they survive until next season so I can try again.

So, as I sit here and stare at the fan and beard mount of my first turkey from last season, I am wondering how long it will be before I get another one.

Beginning of the End

Turkey season is winding down this week, with the last day on May 1st. I had high hopes coming into this season for filled tags, but I'm steeling myself for the possibility that this season will be a bust. I'm no stranger to this, as the seasons prior to last year were the same way.

And it's not for lack of trying - I've been out there many times this year. I've seen birds, heard them, had a few come close but not close enough to seal the deal. I had my gun on a jake during one hunt, but I let him walk - opting to let him grow for another year.

I'm going to go a few more times this week if work schedule allows. Time to start looking ahead to deer season, I reckon...