Come Check Out Our Food Plot Seeds • Sprays & Dusts • Fruit & Shade Trees • Rose Bushes For All Wildlife • Hanging Baskets Spring or Fall Planting • Bedding Plants 1½ miles NW of Hamilton on CC Hwy. • Vegetable Plants Hrs: 8am-5pm Mon.-Wed. Fri. & Sat. • Fertilizer & Mulch THE cameron Shopper 816-632-6543 Spring OutdoorsAPRIL 11, 2017 Photo by Mary Johnston submitted in the Capturing Cameron Photo Contest We’ll Match It, Price Guaranteed! www.walmart.com 2000 N Walnut St. | Cameron, MO | 816.632.9900 H2 Spring Outdoors April 11, 2017 Fishing best bets By Steve Shoot in excess of 15 inches in C-O Outdoor Writer length. Plus, 21 percent were [email protected] larger than 21 inches. That is The Fisheries Division outstanding news for local of the Missouri Department bass anglers. of Conservation (MDC) Plus, this June will mark publishes an interesting the fourth consecutive year softcover booklet entitled: the MDA has stocked hybrid “Fishing Prospects At striped bass (wipers). The Selected Missouri Lakes and stocking rate each year for Streams.” this had fighting bruiser is The 2017 version of this 100 fish per acre, or 9,000 publication showed area wipers every 12 months. The lakes that could produce hybrid striped bass stocking some quality strings of fish program also continues for area anglers, so I thought another two years after this I would pass along some of season. the high points. The wipers are being placed to battle an ongoing Caldwell County - One of Photo courtesy Northland News the best fishing surprises this overpopulation of shad in and for the next couple of the lake, which has led to years may be the Hamilton the bluegill and crappie the channel cat population if Smithville Lake totals installed throughout the lake, City Reservoir, located just populations being stunted. looking quite good and quite 7,190 acres. According to adding great fishing habitat west of the community on There is a 20-inch a few catfish in the 18-22- Fishing Prospects, stable to for anglers to check out with Business 36. According minimum length before inch range are expected to be high waters the last couple of their favorite baits. to Matt Engel, fisheries the wipers can be kept and taken in 2017. years have really been a boon Black crappie numbers biologist for the MDC out of Engel said there will be Clinton County - regarding the reproduction of are very high, but only 8 St. Joseph, the 90-acre lake some of those caught this Although Smithville Lake is all species. percent of the black crappie has an abundance of good- year, especially this fall after located in Clay and Clinton Electrofishing surveys surveyed made the minimum sized largemouth bass. they’ve had another year of Counties, the fishing here revealed an excellent 42 9-inch keeper length. White The surveys showed a growth. promises to be pretty good percent of the bass recorded crappies, however, are a whopping 55 percent of For those who like to chase for those of you who like were over 15 inches in different story. Survey data the bass examined were those popular whiskered fish, to focus on crappies or length. Plus, new brush piles showed 44 percent of the largemouth bass. and hinge cut trees have been white crappies measured Firearms Sales • Service Find your way to Training • Concealed Carry JAMES COUNTRY Classes MERCANTILE Jim & Sharon Thomas FLINT • PERCUSSION • CAPLOCK • INLINE • BLACK POWDER M-T 10am - 6pm • W 10am - 8pm Rifles - Supplies Accessories Th-F 10am - 6pm • Sat. 10am - 4pm CLOTHING Military Civilian 701 N. Country Ave. Mountainman Kearney, MO 64060 Civil War 816-903-0999 Cowboy Action Footwear www.thearmoryonline.com Patterns SUPPLIES Hats • Garments • Leathers Larry Blackburn Historic Patterns Flooring Installation Civil War & History Books CARPET - VINYL - TILE - LAMINATE 111 N. Main Street Liberty, MO 64068 816- 36+ YEARS EXPERIENCE SHOP HERE 781-9473 FIRST Check Out Website To See More Items & Specials WE HAVE Home: 816-632-2675 Cell: 816-288-9083 IT ALL! www.jamescountry.com April 11, 2017 Spring Outdoors H3 surpassed the 9-inch minimum There are lots of largemouth bass DeKalb County - Pony Express 2016 by local anglers. keeper length. in the lake and while many are 12- looks to continue have very good Bluegill and black crappie The walleyes that were measured 15 inches in length, the electrofishing channel cat fishing and this year may numbers remain down due to the in the electrofishing surveys appear survey showed that 20 percent of the be a very good year for quality white competition for food with the gizzard to be in pretty good shape, as well. bass were in the 15-21 inch range. crappie. shad population which is extremely Thirty-five percent of the walleyes If you love to panfish or want Channel cats in the 16-22-inch high in the lake. measured were over 20 inches in a good place to take the younger range are regularly caught at the The 2016 electrofishing survey length. members in your family fishing, this lake. There is a regular channel cat showed numbers for largemouth bass Channel cats and flatheads lake has lots of bluegill, black crappie stocking program at Pony Express were slightly higher, but the sizes for remain popular for area anglers, too. and redear sunfish. and the lake should continue to offer this popular gamefish were smaller Unfortunately, there were no survey Most of the bluegills will be 6-8 fairly consistent catches. than in recent years. About 19 percent results listed for these species. inches and 64 percent of the black Previous electrofishing surveys of the bass surveyed were measured Daviess County - The Jamesport crappie are over 8 inches in length. showed white crappie have been greater than 15-inches, while bass Community Lake is only about 30 The redear population is listed as fairly catchable during the spring over 20-inches in length comprised acres in size, but it has some pretty excellent with almost 15 percent of spawning season. According to less than 3 percent of the sample. good fishing at times, despite a lot of the redear population measured over the report, a lot of 9-11-inch white pressure from area residents. nine inches in length. crappies were taken in 2015 and Brush Piles By Steve Shoot look at kids of habitat C-O Outdoor Writer are now above water. It [email protected] can be a secondary rocky The drought conditions that spared north point, a brush pile, a rock Missouri from deep piles of snow over the winter ledge that drops into threaten to continue well into spring. While it’s deep water or any other still too early to worry about how the weather irregularity the along the conditions will impact our area farmers come fall bottom of the bank. harvest time, there are two positive scenarios that This is where it is have popped up for local anglers. a good idea to take a One of the most important things for fishermen photograph of the spot of all ages and genders is the ability to locate fish. with your cell phone, Fish are a lot like wildlife in general, in that, most of which will allow you the fish species like to hang out around habitat that to jog your memory is favorable to their respective species, especially Bass caught by Steve Shoot once the rains return along the edges of specific types of habitat. the lake or pond to its Crappie caught on bass bait by Steve A couple of gamefish that come to mind are to show lower levels of water. This Shoot regular pool. If you are crappie and largemouth bass. Find a good brush is where the two positive scenarios on a larger lake, just pile and they will haunt this type of habitat come into play. mark your topographic throughout the calendar year. Whenever there are drought conditions present, map with a symbol to provide you an instant If you take a look around at many of the ponds it is a good time to hop in your boat or walk along memory jog when planning your next fishing trip in your area, some of them are probably beginning the shoreline of the pond or lake and take a good or whenever you are on the water having a tough time finding fish. The second scenario that will improve your fishing involves taking advantage of the pond or lake while it is at a low pool level. If you have a Take a Hike TERMITES! place that looks like it ought to hold fish, but it lacks the habitat, this is a good time to get a little exercise. Just pick up some concrete blocks and wire, Buh-Bye BED BUGS! plus fuel up the chainsaw and head to the timber. If you don’t own a place of your own, just find a friendly landowner and ask permission to cut down Adios ANTS! some of their cedar trees. Take the cedar trees and attached them to the concrete blocks with the wire Make us your partner in pest control, and rest and you have created an instant fish magnet when the rains finally fill the body of water back to its easy knowing your home is protected. normal pool. Another great thing about adding structure to a lake or pond is that you are finally able to get back FREE INSPECTION Call 816.632.1090 outdoors after another long, cold winter. You get a workout and you create a future fishing space which sooner or later will pay dividends for years to come…especially when you set the hook on that first fish off the brush pile.