So, we're hours away from July, it's 100 degrees and most of Oklahoma is under severe drought conditions. Are you thinking about deer season?
If not then you should be. Now is the time to be scouting! Yea, it's hot, so take all precautions as far as that is concerned. But what a time to be out looking at trails and preparing stands.
It's so hot that most animals are nocturnal, only moving in the day time out of necessity. It's also still 3 months away from archery season, so the deer will have plenty of time to readjust to their old familiar routines.
So get out there, find some trails. Pick out your feeder spots and start doing whatever trimming you have to for your deer stands. Now is also a great time to build some natural blinds. On my personal lease I'm going to build some fallen timber blinds that look just like timber piles, with the area you sit in right at ground level. Should be interesting to say the least, lol. Also, if you trim limbs now when they have foliage on them, you can guarantee you will have clear shooting lanes this fall when the leaves start to fall.
So pick a weekend and get to it! Just stay safe, stay hydrated, and watch for snakes!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Welcome Pro-Staffer Jarrod Hertzler
Pro-Staff Jarrod Hertzler
Staff Sgt. Jarrod Hertzler is an Army veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan over a 10 year Army career. Jarrod is a Scuba Diving Instructor, and a team member on the Carter County, OK Dive Team. After proudly serving his country, Jarrod is now attending the University of Oklahoma majoring in Nursing, with future plans to enlist in the Air Force as an officer. Jarrod enjoys deep sea fishing, diving, and predator hunting.
Staff Sgt. Jarrod Hertzler is an Army veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan over a 10 year Army career. Jarrod is a Scuba Diving Instructor, and a team member on the Carter County, OK Dive Team. After proudly serving his country, Jarrod is now attending the University of Oklahoma majoring in Nursing, with future plans to enlist in the Air Force as an officer. Jarrod enjoys deep sea fishing, diving, and predator hunting.
Summer Is Definitely Here
Well it's June in Oklahoma, but it feels like late August. Highs in the 90's every day, no rain in the forecast, and I'm currently rocking a sunburn.
The good news is that the fish are biting like crazy! I've been tearing them up in a little 2 acre pond in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. This pond, like many in the park, is very clear and has a clay/sand bottom, with lots of rocks. It is also home to a ton of Hydrilla, a very invasive aquatic plant nuisance that is making a big entrance into southern Oklahoma. Currently the vegetation mat extends about 10 feet off the bank, which makes it difficult to fish, but extremely rewarding also, because it provides incredibly good coverage for my favorite fish: Largemouth Bass.
Yesterday I fished some in the morning and some in the evening, and caught about 18 or 19 largemouth total. Most were in the 1 pound range, but some were in the 3 or 4 pound region. A couple were definitely keepers, but like I always say, a keeper right now is a wall hanger in a few years.
I was fishing Berkley's PowerBait worms, deep purple color with blue flakes and bright red tails. I combined that with 8lb Spider Wire monfilament, which is tough as all get out and casts so smoothly through my refurbished early 90's Zebco 33. Using a small bullet sinker and Texas rigging the worms, they were weedless and could punch right through the vegetation. Catching a decent fish every 5 minutes is fun no matter where you are. The best strikes were right in front of the Hydrilla, but I also caught some hawgs out in the middle of the pond, in the 10 foot range.
If you've got a little farm pond or are lucky enough to have public land with fishing areas, right now is a great time to get out and fish heavy cover in the shallower areas. And remember, no bass can resist a fire tailed plastic worm.
The good news is that the fish are biting like crazy! I've been tearing them up in a little 2 acre pond in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. This pond, like many in the park, is very clear and has a clay/sand bottom, with lots of rocks. It is also home to a ton of Hydrilla, a very invasive aquatic plant nuisance that is making a big entrance into southern Oklahoma. Currently the vegetation mat extends about 10 feet off the bank, which makes it difficult to fish, but extremely rewarding also, because it provides incredibly good coverage for my favorite fish: Largemouth Bass.
Yesterday I fished some in the morning and some in the evening, and caught about 18 or 19 largemouth total. Most were in the 1 pound range, but some were in the 3 or 4 pound region. A couple were definitely keepers, but like I always say, a keeper right now is a wall hanger in a few years.
I was fishing Berkley's PowerBait worms, deep purple color with blue flakes and bright red tails. I combined that with 8lb Spider Wire monfilament, which is tough as all get out and casts so smoothly through my refurbished early 90's Zebco 33. Using a small bullet sinker and Texas rigging the worms, they were weedless and could punch right through the vegetation. Catching a decent fish every 5 minutes is fun no matter where you are. The best strikes were right in front of the Hydrilla, but I also caught some hawgs out in the middle of the pond, in the 10 foot range.
If you've got a little farm pond or are lucky enough to have public land with fishing areas, right now is a great time to get out and fish heavy cover in the shallower areas. And remember, no bass can resist a fire tailed plastic worm.
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