Unpacking....

[Nickajack Angler]

Unpacking is to say the least, a dreaded task. So, the boys and I employed an age old art of the bonfire to rid ourselves of some boxes. I know if I were in the city, I could sell these sweet corrugated beauties, for I have bought them many times to move and they are not cheap. Even have a case of tape they left in the garage.... So, the boys and I drug out one of the garages today and burned at least 50 of them with all the paper only inside. It got blazin' hot. We are really enjoying the new place and settling into country living for a while. Mary and I have enjoyed cleaning up the old farm style house and even Luke our lab is loving the new place. I haven't had to use the collar on him one time since we got here. The peach trees are engorged with peaches so much so that the limbs hang to the ground. The first "picking" we had when was I drove the new mower under it and the ones that fell onto the deck or in my lap and I caught. A prize peach cobbler was made. I'm sure it has about 10 more of those left hanging on those limbs!!! I may get some canning jars to preserve some. They are really good. The pear trees got hammered by the deer.
Mary had the fine Lowe's delievery people drop off a sweet Husquavarna 42 in mower yesterday, so we've got the ground looking sweet. Have seen lots of burrows around the property. We used to hunt up groundhogs out of them when I was a kid with an old chocolate lab. I was wondering though after seeing some skunks out front by the road, if they live in dens, or deep burrows under logs? I'd hate to have my dog get popped by a dang skunk. I've done that once, and not looking forward to it again. Hoepfully this one has some smarts about him. Some pics of the bonfire activity today with the boys. I've misplaced the bonfire pics... I'll find them...
OH! And last Monday I finally escaped to run over to below Pickwick Dam for a little exploration run. I love doing that in new territory. I drove below the dam below the crowds of people. Mind you it was Monday after the 4th and the camp ground was still pretty full, but people were headin out. I went to the 1st big eddy that I could find with 4 turbines running, the flow was nice and stiff. So, I put on a big swimbait and started ripping.... 1st cast. 3rd crank of the reel, this beauty of a small striper nailed my bait and made my drag scream in the fast water. I also caught a 3 1/2lb bass in the same spot on a texas rigged worm, 7in pumpkin powerworm. Skipjack and hybrids were boiling on top everywhere. Spur I think we can affirmatively say the skipjack are below pickwick with vengance. Can't wait til I lay into a pig of a stripah.... Pics I snapped of my first two fish in hte first 10 minutes of fishing...

 

[SpurHunter]

That is a looong way to go for a skipjack.....put some in the freezer, I will come get them.

 

[Guest]

NA, below that dam is the best sauger fishing in the world, talk to some of the locals about how they fish for them, they may catch them in the hot weather too, they gotta be somewhere.They also have a sauger tournament there every year and offer some big bucks for the biggest and best strings. Now if you could just get Mary to get the Lowe's store to deliver you a nice boat you would be in hog heaven. The bass fishing should be good below that dam, also the big cats. Keep sending us the reports from below the dam. I'll bet the smallmouth fishing is good there too.

 

[polo-dog]

It sounds like you are settling in very well there NA! It's great that you are on the fish already.

 

[Nickajack Angler]

Here's the pics from the bonfire day yesterday.... it was a hot one! And yes, I've already talked to a number of local fishermen down below the dam.... as one might imagine I would... They are really on the striper bite right now. I stood there last weekend and watched a guy pull in a 20+lb striper standing on the wall provided for fishermen where you can cast directly into the boils. It's about three times the size of the area below Chick and a long walk way right on the water a much longer way down right in the fast water. There are a plethera of rock hoppers like me all down the shore on down to the campground ramp. That's where I caught them, middle way down between the ramp and dam. Just too many people at the wall of the dam for comfort, but I saw three fish caught in the 10 min that the family and I stopped to gander on a site seeing/exploration trip with Mary's car that is equipped with GPS. I've also found a few large farm ponds and state park lakes within 10 miles of the house that I've only fished one of so far. Carl says Whiteville is a small impoundment that we will hit soon that is loaded with quality bass.

 

[Bubbakat]

NA I have a real good friend of mine that lives in counce and fishes that river all the time. He has told me about and invited me over for some good sauger fishing. He runs a new lund he aquired this year with a 90 h/p e tech tiller steer crappie boat so if you see it his name is pete just introuduce your self and he will give you some good pointers about that river. Him and his father fished that river for years as comercial fisherman and now he does it for pleasure.

 

[Guest]

NA, I believe you miss us all ready, i guess you get a lump in your throat everytime you get on here. BTW, do you make those boys do everything around the house?, give em a break and let em use the pool to cool off.

 

[Nickajack Angler]

Doc1 - 7/14/2008 2:14 PM

NA, I believe you miss us all ready, i guess you get a lump in your throat everytime you get on here. BTW, do you make those boys do everything around the house?, give em a break and let em use the pool to cool off.

Of course I miss you guys, but as you all said, you are only 1 click away. I'll take some pool pics today just for you Doc. You want the frogs in the water too or just the waterbug Howerton boys????