Much to do in the outdoors

Much to do in the outdoors Luke Clayton Tue, 02/13/2024 - 8:24 pm   The white bass run is soon coming to a creek or river near you. It’s hard to beat an early spring day catching and cooking white bass. Photo/Luke Clayton Some outdoor folks ‘sit out’ the month of February and await the spring warm up for springtime events such as turkey hunting and fishing but there is a great deal going on right now for those of us that don’t mind dressing for cool or cold weather and getting outdoors. WHITE RIVER TROUT A few friends and I are making plans for a trout fishing trip on the White River in northern Arkansas. Winter is spawning time for trout and my friends at Gaston’s Resort tell me lots of good eating rainbows are being landed on a daily basis and drift fishing with cut bait has produced some jumbo size German browns. The stretch of river below Bull Shoals dam is one of the premier trout fisheries in the country. I honestly don’t know of another spot where trout catching is as dependable as here. Gaston is, to my knowledge, the oldest camp on the White River, it’s been in operation since 1958 and generations of Texans were introduced to trout fishing here. Rates are discounted during the winter months and the fish are fat and aggressive, no better time for a winter get away or, a summer vacation for that matter! We are planning on catching our limits and having the cooks at the restaurant prepare them for dinner. For those that don’t wish to bring a boat or hire a guide, bank fishing is usually very good when current is at normal level. WHITE BASS RUN It won’t be long, possibly as soon as a couple weeks, until the white bass run in creeks and rivers above lakes and reservoirs all across the state. There is something very special about tossing a little Roadrunner or Beetle Spin into a slow moving current and snagging a hard fighting white bass, also something very special about crunching down on a crispy fried fillet cooked in a cast iron skillet on the creek bank. For several years, a few friends and I assemble on the banks of a feeder creek adjacent our friend’s property above a popular white bass lake. We have developed a system that makes for a fun day in the late winter woods. First, we set up a little camp in clean spot along the creek bank. Here we stack dry firewood, cast iron skillet, cooking oil, everything necessary to fry fish. Next, we walk upstream about a quarter mile, spinning rigs and plastic 5 gallon buckets in tow. White bass seem to stack up in certain spots, often the deeper holes in the creek bed just below sharp bends. We fish along the creek until we find a concentration of white bass and often catch several from the same spot. When the action slows, we move on to find another hot spot. When we make our way back to our little ‘cooking camp’, we always have at least enough fish for lunch and very often several limits which we fillet and cook later. It’s hard to beat fresh caught fish cooked along a creek in late winter, it’s the stuff great outdoor memories are made! TROPHY BLUE CATFISH Now is trophy hunting season, no not for a big whitetail buck, that season has come and gone! It’s time to hook into the biggest catfish of your life. Lake Tawakoni is the mother of all Texas blue catfish trophy lakes and I am good friends with two of the top guides on the lake, David Hanson and Tony Pennebaker. The past couple weeks, they both have been putting clients on some jumbo size blues as well as lots of what we call ‘eater’ fish weighing less than 10 pounds. Granted, the big blue trophy bite attracts anglers to Tawakoni from all over the state/country but there is a contingency of fishermen like myself that enjoy landing and releasing a big catfish but if given the choice, much prefer a lot of action on the smaller fish. CRAPPIEFEST On Saturday, March 23 the 11th Annual Crappiefest will be held at Caney Point Recreational Area on Hwy 154 at Lake Fork. A minimum of $40,000 cash will be awarded as well as raffles and prizes. This is a tournament I am eager to attend. Director Jay Don Reeve invited me and friends Larry Weishuhn aka “Mr. Whitetail” and Jeff Rice to help him on stage. Highlights of the event will also be filmed for our weekly TV show “A Sportsmans Life” on Carbon TV and YouTube. For more information and to register online, visit www.crappiefest.com. The 5th Annual Luke Clayton’s Outdoor Rendezvous is scheduled for Saturday March 2 on the grounds of the Top Rail Cowboy Church in Greenville. Although I helped get the event started 5 years ago, It is certainly not all about Luke Clayton. It is a day to celebrate the outdoors with chuck wagon cooking, many booths with folks marketing everything from jewelry to outdoor gear, live music, food. Larry Weishuhn has been with us every event except the first. The event is just a great way to get out socialize with friends around several campfires and enjoy a day in the outdoors on the beautiful 14 acres under the oaks. We ask for a donation to the church for booth space and welcome everyone. For more information, call Pastor Charlie Nassar at 903217-3778, or drop me an email through www. catfishradio.org. The Lake Fork CAMPFIRE EXPOwasrescheduled from the original Feb 10 (rain out) date to Saturday February 24. There is a great deal of interest in the upcoming event to be held at Fisherman’s One Stop on Hwy 515. To reserve a booth spot and for more information, contact Donna at 469 552 1824. Larry Weishuhn (aka. Mr. Whitetail) and I will be there to visit with folks. SPRING TURKEY HUNTING SOON We’re not far from the opener of spring turkey season. It’s time to chalk up those box calls, check all your turkey hunting gear and secure a place to hunt if you don’t already have one. Rio Grande turkeys were stocked near my home a few years ago and I monitor them closely with trail cameras and scouting. On sunny days, I have already witnessed gobblers strutting and it won’t be long until the large flocks that wintered together begin to disperse, the hens looking for nesting sites and the Gobblers looking for hens. Don’t forget whitetail deer hunting is allowed through this month on TPWD managed land ranches with landowner permits. PREDATOR HUNTING Now is also prime time for reducing the number of coyotes. Through much of deer season, many of us pass on shooting coyotes but seasons are closed now and coyote breeding season is at hand. Nature is a complex system of checks and balances with a delicate balance between predator and prey. Coyote numbers are way out of control in many areas and it’s up to hunters to keep numbers in check. Whitetail fawns are hit hard during early summer by coyotes and studies have proven that fawn survival is much higher in areas where coyote numbers are kept in check.