phishtix

I like to use salmon eggs myself. Single salmon eggs fished off the bottom on a slip rig. Seems like I've always done best for the whitefish round about the time when the weather starts to get uncomfortably cold. Steelies show up first and then the whitefish.

Well there's nothing prettier than a full quiver of cedar arrows all crested with barred feathers and all that, but for practicality and efficiency nothing I've found beats a good set of carbons. Especially if you like to hunt small game with your bow. I can buy a half dozen carbon arrows and practice and hunt with them and as long as I don't lose them they'll stay good for years. Aluminum is usually bent the first time you miss your target, and wood usually cracks or brakes clean in two. I've been using the CE maximas 350s with the blazer vanes.

Thanks again! Yes I'm pretty happy. I went over my records this afternoon and so far this season I have put in 90.5 hours hunting. 4 times I put in 11+ hours on stand. The day I shot this guy I had already put in 9 hours when he showed up at 2:30 PM. I was eating chocolate chip cookies and watching the squirrels. In the background I kept hearing what I thought were squirrels making a ton of noise. They were being so loud I thought to myself "man those squirrels are being noisy". I turned my head to see them and noticed the whole tree they were in was shaking back and forth. I was like "wow them are some big squirrels" Realizing it wasn't squirrels at that point I took a better look and saw that it was actually a big buck rubbing on the tree. My heart about exploded but I managed to get my bow ready. He walked right into my shooting lane and I drew my bow. He must have caught my movement cause he stopped. Unfortunately a tree was in the way of his vitals so I couldn't shoot. I held my bow back and kept my aim right in his shoulder waiting for him to step forward. Seemed like an eternity, I know every bow hunter out there knows how it feels, but finally he stepped forward and I let the arrow fly. He ran a short ways then slowed down to a walk with his head low. Watched him till he was out of sight but never saw him drop so I waited about two hours to start tracking him. Long story short I ended up jumping him and he ran off. My heart sunk! By this time it was around 6:00pm. I had to work the next day but I knew in my heart the only chance I had at finding this buck was if I backed out and left him till morning. Tossed and turned all night long. 4:30am I'm wide awake so I figure what the heck I may as well give it a try. After a whole lot of praying and tracking I finally found him at 7:30am. I had shot him through the liver and spleen. Not quite the shot I was trying to make. I think when he stepped forward from the tree he was a little quicker than my arrow. In any case I got down on my knees right there and said probably the most sincere prayer of thanksgiving a human has ever spoken. Dressed him, took some pics, and drug him out. My son was at school and everyone else was at work so I had to do it all alone. Made it to work by 11:30am. Boss was a little miffed, but he was happy for me after he saw the buck. I'm very happy right now. Haven't taken a buck in several years. I've been holding out for one like this. And I'm sure many of you know what it feels like but I've had several disappointments over the years. This time everything finally came together for me. YES!!!!

Congrats! Glad you got one. I'm hoping to put one or two of them in the freezer now too.

Thanks you guys. I'll give you all the rest of the story later tonight. I have to go to work right now.

Got me a pretty nice buck this morning. Worked really hard for this one. I mean really really hard. Nothing like the hunts you see on the outdoors channel. In my world bucks like this don't come easy. All I can say is thanks be to God. I couldn't have done it without him

Good thing you had the other spot to go to.

Congrats on your deer!

I've tried them for turkeys. I had a problem with the stupid blades kept coming loose. Bump my arrow or somethin, next thing I know one of the blades is dangling loose. Happened alot actually. They tend to pop loose inside the quiver too. And the more you push them back into place the weaker the little o rings get till they brake completely. Sounds like everyone likes them but I didn't care for them myself. Whatever works for you though.

Good luck to you too. Looks like the weather is going to be pretty nice. Maybe some frost. Might have to wear my long johns

He's a brute! Congrats.

Thanks Adam. It's funny how those two young bucks have been following the older one around. All summer long everytime I saw them they were together. I guess he's their hero

Nice buck! Congrats he's a beauty!

Well good luck to those who are going out. And to those who aren't, you have my condolences I've been getting alot of pics of this one buck on my trail cam this summer. I recognized him from last year. Glad he survived! I'm hoping to see him broadside quartered slightly away, opening morning

Nice buck for Caleb! Good shootin! Sweet looking rifle too.

I got thursday off work. Yeah buddy I plan to hunt ALL day! Unless of course theres no need to Tonight we're having company. I'm cooking some special ven steaks I've been saving. We're having a big feast then watching escanaba in da moonlight. Thank God fall is here!!!!

Congrats! Sounds like you guys had a great couple days of hunting.

Glad to hear you got one! Good luck on your double. Hope you get another one.

Sorry to hear about your dog flyman I had to put my lab down this past april. All I can tell you is I cried my eyes out. One of the hardest things I've ever done. Everyone keeps telling me I need to get another one. I suppose I will someday, just not quite ready yet. Best dog I ever had. He loved to go fishing with me. If he saw me getting my rods ready he'd get all excited

I haven't been out yet. Just picked up my all my licenses yesterday. You get a 15% discount if you buy four or more at the same time. Almost like getting one license for free. Got my combo, one antlerless permit for public land, one for private land, and one for small game. Planning on getting out tomorrow night after work and see if I can get me some tree rats. I promised a friend I'd make him some squirrel pot pie

Thanks capt Dan. I'll keep that in mind I think this is going to be a better weekend coming up. Much cooler weather coming in. Should make for some better fishin.

I had some cured and some un cured. All of it had been frozen at one time though. I tried casting plugs and spinners too. The smallmouths were biting good on the spinners, but no salmon. Some days are just like that. River kings can be some of the no bitingest fish you ever saw. Then other times they turn on like gang busters. Just got to be there at the right time and this past weekend wasn't it I guess. Least ways not for me Maybe this next weekend I'll get em

I hate when your fishing for river run kings and you come across a hole that has about 100 of em in it, theres not another person around for miles, just you and the fish, and you can't get em to bite for nothin. Don't know if it was just too hot this past weekend or maybe my skeins weren't fresh enough for em, or what. But I could not get them things to bite to save my life. Caught smallmouths and catfish, and even a big ole nasty carp, (actually put up a decent fight) but those stupid salmon would not bite anything I threw at em Hope everyone else is doing better!

Thats really cool! I want one too

I was up to manistee this past weekend. Sat was too windy for the peir. Sunday was better. I got out from about 3:00am til 9:00am but didn't catch anything. Did manage to get a nice steelhead later in the day from the river.