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Post by ncmountainman on Jul 10, 2012 7:54:01 GMT -5
I have carried a Case Trapper 2 blade folding for many many years. Holds an edge very well, easy to sharpen, and can be used for anything from whittlin', gutting and skinning deer, to electrical work. It gets a workout every deer season.
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Post by ncmountainman on Jun 29, 2012 8:05:30 GMT -5
Congrats on the hunt. Any of you ever think about hunting NC, TN, or VA bears? Got lots of them and you get to dog them vs watching a trash barrel. Plenty of local guys would be willing to take someone on a bear hunt for a week in trade for a week of deer hunting.
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Post by ncmountainman on Jun 28, 2012 9:39:46 GMT -5
Had some friends go to Texas to hunt for a couple of years. They said the sendero plays a roll in that it is used to haul you in your truck to the tower stand and drop you off. Also used to keep the automatic corn feeder full and best of all......so that the corn spreader on the back of their truck can spread corn from your stand to approx 200 yards away. That's why those TV shows always have lots of deer eating in the sendero. Like a dinner bell went off when they hear that fast clicking of the spreader on the truck which they are conditioned to. I always wondered if the deer were eating gravel like a groundhog on the side of the road. LOLLLLLLLLLLL To each his own.
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Post by ncmountainman on Jun 25, 2012 8:06:31 GMT -5
I am so green to the smallie discussion, but am learning quickly. While in North Carolina last week, I had an interesting discussion with a local guide. He mentioned that he guides regularly on Lake Hiwasee near Murphy, NC and they also are considered to be one of the states best smallie fisheries (let alone world class stripers). After talking to him about our recent trip to St. Clair, his eyes lit up. It turns out that he knows that lake better than any in the world. His Dad graduated from the "old" Selfridge High School in the 50's and he grew up fishing St. Clair on a daily basis. He thinks St. Clair and Erie are better fisheries than ever! But he was also high on western North Carolina. Based on how y'all have educated me recently (mainly w1 and HH), plus my own research and contacts like the one above, I'd have to roll with Erie and Dale Hollow...neck and neck! But I did find it interesting to throw Hiwasee/Appalachia, North Carolina into the mix! Interesting. Hiawassee Lake is about 20 minutes from me. It is a good small mouth fishery but....the state record SMB for NC came from Chatuge Lake which is by my house and was great for many years but....the local bass fisherman put Alabama Spots in the lake starting in the late '80's and they have now taken over. Never see a SMB any more. Hiawassee Lake now has a good concentration of spots also. More spots caught per tournament than smallies. Sad. Nantahala Lake up on top of the mountain has huge smallies. It is also about 30 minutes away. 5 lakes of approx 7,000 acreas are within 30 minutes of me. All are deep mountain reservoirs. Give me a holler next time you are in the area and we'll go stretch a line.
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Post by ncmountainman on Jun 6, 2012 9:06:28 GMT -5
Tom, Bill said they caught over 50 keepers. The best 5 surely was in the 20-25# range which would have put him in contention to win the tournament. Bill, time to buy a Triton!!!
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Post by ncmountainman on May 31, 2012 7:04:11 GMT -5
CONGRATULATIONS!! Lovely bride, cool place, and super nice trophy bucks. Looks like the lady hunts also. Good deal. I hope you have a lifetime of happiness.
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Post by ncmountainman on May 29, 2012 8:18:22 GMT -5
Cooked two T-bones (rare treat) on the grill Saturday night for me and the wife. Had homecoming, decoration, at church on sunday and man oh man was there some good stuff there. Homecoming/decoration at the old family church this coming weekend. Probably have 60 family over for Saturday BBQ @ 2:00. I will be running two grills at the same time. Then to my 1st cousins property on the creek @ 7:00 for another family reunion with deer/pork/beef cooked under the ground along with multitudes of fixings. Nephew and his wife and 4 year old from Jeff, Indiana should be at the house on Friday. Can't beat God, family, and good cooking all going on at the same time!!!! T
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Post by ncmountainman on May 17, 2012 15:02:25 GMT -5
a lot of guys are missing out on one of the greatest things in life...the music of hounds in chase and treed.. Sad True. Rabbit hunting with beagles, coon hunting with redbones, chase and catch dogs on hogs, and bear hunting with walkers are all great sports that entail some physical conditioning and effort along with great comraderie. Sound of dogs on a hunt is music indeed that God granted these animals the ability in their nature to do for our enjoyment! I would like to elk hunt on private land out west (maybe I'll get rich one day). What I wouldn't shoot if given the opportunity? No birds of prey. Anything else probably will never be given the opportunity and if I did then I would have to consider my morals and character that belong to me myself.
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Post by ncmountainman on May 17, 2012 14:51:53 GMT -5
I'd get a bigger trailer that was rated for the 4000# weight but....if not, make sure you load everything over the axle of the trailer and evenly on each side. Also, make sure the reese hitch you use keeps the trailer level and not nose or rear heavy as that will affect the driving of the truck in curves and stop signs.
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Post by ncmountainman on May 17, 2012 14:06:39 GMT -5
I just hope the DNR is smart enough to end this cheap, otc tag crap for nonresidents and go the Iowa model for that portion of the program. Wow. I thought $300 for a buck and a doe was pretty high. Higher than the majority of states for out of state license. I have a brother has lived and raised his children in Indiana for many years. I visit often. I have hunted on the same landowners private land for 15 years. I stay at his house as a friend. He and his son visit me and fish and stay at mine. I only have one week to hunt and pay the $300 + an extra $25 for an additional doe. I have eaten my buck tag more than once. I guess the green eyed monster is alive and well. Not everyone from out of state is a high paying trophy land robbing bragging feller with more money than brains. By the way, I buy my license online.
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Post by ncmountainman on May 17, 2012 7:42:44 GMT -5
It's a mountain reservoir, Lake Chatuge. 1st lake in the TVA chain. A little over 7000 acreas. Lots of shoreline with flats, coves, hollows, and fingers. Deepest part is 132' at full level out from the dam. About a foot down right now. Super clear water. Lake is in a valley surrounded by mountains. Beautiful place.
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Post by ncmountainman on May 16, 2012 7:59:40 GMT -5
My landowner friend from Indiana along with his girlfried and his adult son came down for the weekend to fish for spotted bass. Friday evening and Saturday were tough as the pattern of a carolina rig for bedded fish was slow and had been hot up until then. We switched to throwing super spooks on main lake points with my boat sitting in 30' of water. No fish breaking anywhere. Man 'oh Man those big spots were blowing up on it. They took home 42 spots filleted with all of them between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 pounds. Most caught on Sunday am and late evening and Monday am. Spots had pulled off the beds and were in open water feeding on bluebacks. I was glad to repay my friends kindness of letting me hunt on the property with a great fishing trip for spotted bass. Glad I figured out that the pattern had shifted like switching a light switch.
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Post by ncmountainman on Apr 22, 2012 15:40:39 GMT -5
Blble, a book or magazine, extra rounds, tags, flashlight, gloves, TP, goody powder, thermos of coffee, and a snack to eat, along with an empty coke bottle (you know-especially with after that thermos of coffee), and some empty zip lock sandwich bags. I like to be comfortable and stay at at least 4-5 hours per sitting.
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Post by ncmountainman on Apr 3, 2012 20:00:02 GMT -5
Man, panfish are my favorite eating fish. That size will sure stink up a frying pan, ?
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Post by ncmountainman on Apr 2, 2012 9:45:26 GMT -5
+4
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Post by ncmountainman on Apr 2, 2012 8:10:18 GMT -5
forum.gon.com/showthread.php?p=6838051Here's a link with pictures to that 66# + striper caught this past weekend in Hiawassee Lake about 20 minutes from my house. The young fellers supposedly caught it in shallow water on a trick worm and on 10# test line. Unreal. What a battle.
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Post by ncmountainman on Apr 2, 2012 5:58:00 GMT -5
I was amazed. Beautiful fish. The team's big fish was an 8 1/2 pounder so all 5 were huge. 2nd place had 25#, 3rd and 4th place were both in the 21# range, 5th took 20#, and last place money 6th took right at 18#. All largemouth except for 4th place had a largemouth of 8.06# and 4 huge spots. I had 8.47# of spots. Largemouth will really be on the bed this coming weekend and the one after. Should be peaking out if weather cooperates. Big spots are still out in 20 foot of water. Next lake over had a 67 pound striper caught this weekend also. New state record.
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Post by ncmountainman on Mar 31, 2012 19:29:26 GMT -5
Best of luck. Should be quite a few largemouth on the bed there. Took a 5 fish limit of 34.26 pounds to win the tournament here at my home lake today. (wasn't me) Catch that string stretcher!!!
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Post by ncmountainman on Mar 31, 2012 19:23:39 GMT -5
Redbud trees are done blooming. Dogwood in full bloom. My Cherry fruit tree in the back yard is in full snow white bloom and is beautiful. Really about 3 weeks early on everything. Strange year.
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Post by ncmountainman on Mar 29, 2012 10:27:10 GMT -5
KL, I was only trying to give advice on a pattern to try when fishing in the wind during the pre spawn period and really will work other times also except dead of winter. That's all...... I live quite a bit south of you yet the bass are not prime time yet for bedding. Lots of difference between bass fishing and crappie fishing. Totally different baits, methods, equipement, and patterns. I usually concentrate on fishing for whatever I am fishing for on that outing. Can't really see catching crappie, bass, and sunfish all at the same time unless fishing with nightcrawlers or small minnows. I bass fish weekly year round and have for 20 years. Crappie, largemouth, spots and smallmouth, and sunfish all peak their bedding season at different times usually in the order I listed above. Always have. The wind is fishable IF you have the proper clothes, a 24 volt trolling motor, and willing. Lake size has nothing to do with it except that the longer time and distance that the wind travels over water before breaking waves on the bank the better! To do anything a person must be willing AND able.
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