Southern Traditions Outdoors - March- April 2015

Complimentary Copy March - April 2015
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
FISHING FACTORIES
SHELLCRACKERS
BUSTING BLUEGILL
4H – GROWING TODAY’S YOUTH
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DISCLAIMER - Neither the authors nor Southern Traditions Outdoors
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by readers who utilize any information contained within. Readers
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Southern Traditions Outdoors is at their own risk.
On the Cover
Spring is here and love is in the air for big gobblers like the one pictured on our cover, as he struts his stuff in search of a mate.
- Photo courtesy of the NWTF.
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine Mission Statement:
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine vows to put forth a publication to
promote the outdoors lifestyle in a positive manner. We will strive to encourage
veteran and novice outdoorsmen, women, kids, and the physically challenged
to participate in the outdoors in a safe and ethical manner. Our publication will
bring positive attention to the wondrous beauty of the world of Nature in the
mid-south.
Garry Mason
Walter Wilkerson
Terry Wilkerson
Steve McCadams
Kelley Powers
Shawn Todd
Eddie Brunswick
Larry Self
John Sloan
Richard Simms
John Meacham
Buck Gardner
Scott Marcin
Ed Lankford
Drew Brooks
John Latham
John Roberts
Paul E. Moore
Rob Hurt
Mark Buehler
Field Staff Editors
Owners - Eddie Anderson
Rob Somerville
Kevin Griffith
Stacey Lemons
Publisher - Eddie Anderson
Editor - Rob Somerville
Magazine Design - Kalli Lipke
Advertising Sales
Rob Somerville - Managing
Partner
Distribution
Johnathan Anderson
Mike Robinson
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PG................... ARTICLE........................................................... AUTHOR
6...........................Busting Bluegill...................................................................Steve McCadams
12..........................Knight and Hale’s Jim Strelec: Talking Turkey....................John Meacham
18..........................Retirement Plans for Farmers............................................Emily Billingsley
22..........................Fish Factories Part One of Two..........................................Kevin Griffith
30..........................Life is Great: Coons and Kids.............................................Shawn Todd
34..........................Shellcrackers on the Spawn...............................................Steve McCadams
46..........................4H Growing Today’s Youth.................................................Rob Somerville
52..........................Kid’s Korner........................................................................STO
55..........................Trophy Room......................................................................STO
From the Desk of the Editor
Whoever coined the phrase Winter Wonderland should be deported to Siberia. The recent cold,
snow, sleet and ice have created havoc in the Mid-South. Yours truly, the loyal editor of STO Maga-
zine is no exception. I had six leaks in my roof caused by an ice dam on my shingles, icy roads lim-
ited me making ad sales calls and I learned that my 57 year-old body doesn’t recuperate as easy as it
used to from a hard fall on the ice.
But, just as the mail carrier…neither ice, nor snow,
nor freezing cold will prevent us from bringing you
the best in hunting, fishing and farming articles.
Oh, but I long for Spring to be here. I can’t wait to
hear the birds singing and feel the warmth of the sun
on my face. Welcome will be the circular dance of the
bluegill as it bends my ultra-light pole in an arc. Trac-
tors breaking ground will bring us the welcome scent
of fresh dirt. The reverberating gobble of a wild turkey
sending chill bumps down my spine will warm my old
bones from their winter chill. Spring is a happy, but
much too short time. Nature comes to life in brilliant
colors, changing the landscape from drab brown to
lively greens and multi-colored flowers. It is a time to
thank our Maker for all his bountiful blessings and for
youngsters to fall in love.
So, cheer up, loyal readers. Soon, once again, the
dogwoods will bloom, the crappie will spawn and
longbeards will strut and fan in their annual mating
ritual.
I get many emails and phone calls from readers who
tell me how much they enjoy our publication, which
can also be viewed online {in its entirety at www.southerntraditionsoutdoors.com} in case you miss
an issue at one of our multitude of distribution locations.
There is no way we could put our magazine together and get it distributed without the help of many
people including my partners, our distribution friends, Kalli Lipke {our layout designer} and our
awesome writing staff. But, it just wouldn’t be at all possible without our fine family of advertisers,
who we appreciate so much.
So, If you enjoy our magazine, please do business with our advertisers and tell them you saw their
ad in STO Magazine. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to get you the high quality hunting, fishing
and farming articles to you in each issue… for FREE!
I hope Old Man Winter wasn’t too tough on you and yours, and that this Spring puts a little pep in
your step as the sun warms your heart.
In closing, I ask you to always remember that our children are our most precious natural resource.
They are our future!
- Rob Somerville
STO Editor, Rob Somerville, is shown walking out of
the woods with one of the blessings of Spring, a big
gobbler. - Photo self-timed by Rob Somerville

hen bobbers disappear in
rapid succession, light action rods
bend double and monofilament
line cuts the water as though it
was tied to a runaway train, all
is right with the world. Such is
the case when you do battle with
the bronze bombers, we know as
bluegill, at bedding
time.
If there’s anything
that cures ills better
than finding a hot
bluegill bed, please
let my doctor know
about it. All his
pills and remedies
are no match for
this annual ritual
that occurs every
spring, when hon-
eysuckle blooms
fill the air with their
sweet smell, and
waters warm to the
mid 70’s.
From the cane pole days of my
youth, spent sculling a small boat
around the lily pads and
cypress trees of Reelfoot
Lake, to the back country
farm ponds in pursuit of
“bream beds” as we called them,
these powerful panfish have had
me under their spell.
Fast forward to today and al-
though my tools of the trade have
evolved, one thing hasn’t changed:
the fondness of finding bluegill on
the bed. Some things just never go
out of style and catching big feisty
bluegill is one of them.
Each year the finding times get
underway in late April, as winter
has said goodbye and spring is in
full force. May seems to be the
peak time for these fish, as surface
temps climb into the mid to upper
70’s and full moon phases help
trigger fanning from these feisty
panfish that create craters in shal-
low mud and gravel substrates all
over the lakes and ponds of Ten-
nessee.
While bluegill are known to bite
almost all year long in some form
or fashion, it is the peak spawn-
ing time that stands out above all
the others, as big numbers of the
larger adult fish congregate and
usually keep the smaller fish out
of their chosen territory.
Bigger males are the target of
most anglers, as they are defend-
ers of the fort and take on a very
aggressive mood, a scenario that
keeps most of the smaller bait
stealers off the playing field.
Male bluegill often referred to
as “bulls” take on
a dark, purple ap-
pearance courtesy
of hormonal influ-
ences that begin in
prespawn phases,
which are usually
mid to late April.
By May, warmer
water temps enter
the picture and ac-
tive fanning begins,
as males use their
tails to fan out cra-
ters that look like
little pie plates on
the lake bottom.
The females lay out off the beds
until conditions are just right for
broadcasting their eggs in these
underwater condos.
Females are easily dis-
tinguished from males
by their pale yellow ap-
pearance, which greatly contrasts
to the dark pigment of the bulls.
During peak bedding time you’ll
find mostly all males in the bed-
ding areas and they now have an
attitude. They bite a bait not only
from appetite, but in defense of
the nest, as all kinds of intruders
must be kept at bay.
Big male bluegills like the one pictured here are referred to as “bulls” and they ag-
gressively attack baits that enter their spawning beds, making for a heck of a battle
on light tackle. - STO File Photo
Discovering a hot bluegill bed can deliver big numbers of fish in a short period of time. The males are territorial and guard the nests, which
means fine times for fishermen and fisherladies as well. - Photo courtesy of Buchanan Resort
W
continued on next page
BUSTING BLUEGILLby Steve McCadams
During peak bedding time you’ll find mostly
all males in the bedding areas and they now
have an attitude.

Known to bed in depths of one
to five feet, there are times when
bluegill bed even deeper if clear
water is in the equation. Enter din-
gy or muddy water and bedding
takes place in very shallow areas,
where sunlight can penetrate to
the bottom and help stimulate the
incubation of eggs.
Bluegill are opportunists.
They’ve been known to bed
around shallow gravel bars, in
thick grass and bushes, or even
around a stump or submerged log.
There are times they relate to shal-
low crappie beds too and seem to
find a comfort zone in thick struc-
ture.
Unlike their panfish cousins,
such as black and white crappie
who distribute their eggs along the
roots of a bush or stump or other
such wooded structures, bluegill
spawn around the open craters
as the females
return and de-
posit their eggs
in the cleaned
areas where
males have
worked hard to
fan away debris
with their tail
fins.
There are a
lot of bonuses
to finding blue-
gill beds, as
the mid to lat-
ter phases of
spawning will
attract bass and
catfish, along
with a host of
other species
that rob the nest
or feed on the
tiny fry once
Bluegill bedding time means fast action and good times. It’s a
great way to introduce youngsters to the great sport of fishing.
- Photo by Steve McCadams
Little fish bring on big smiles. Young kids and hungry bluegill
were made for each other and May is the peak time to introduce
them to each other. - Photo by Steve McCadams
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they begin to hatch out.
Tying into a hefty catfish or a
big bass is a nice surprise when
fishing light tackle. Other species,
such as yellow perch, are known
to frequent bluegill beds too.
Terminal tackle in the form of
long shank hooks in the number 4
or 6 size works well when assisted
by split shots in the number 4 to 5
range. Small bobbers were made
for bluegill bedding days, but of-
ten times dragging bait across the
bottom entices strikes, yet bob-
bers help regulate depth and de-
tect light strikes.
When it comes to the bait of
choice crickets are hard to beat,
yet redworms are always popular,
as are maggot or wax worm and
larva type presentations. Imitation
grubs have a time and place too,
but the fish will let you know what
they prefer, as they sometimes
have mood swings of finicky be-
havior.
Cold fronts and lake levels
changes can sometimes disrupt
bedding or cause the fish to move
to a different locale. Many anglers
like to time their trips around the
first full moon in May and spawn-
ing phases often kick back in high
gear during the first full moon in
early June too.
Finding active beds usually
takes a little trial and error, yet
today’s side-scan sonar units have
helped anglers locate many open
water bedding areas that can be
somewhat deeper and far away
from shorelines.
Catching bluegill is indeed fun
for all ages, but it is perhaps the
best type of fishing for the entry
level angler. Starting that young
boy or girl off on a good fish-
ing trip and they’re likely to get
hooked on the great sport of fish-
ing with friends and family for
life.
So, hit the road toward a lake
soon, where these feisty fish await
your arrival. They’re fun to catch,
great to eat and their peak spawn-
ing time is at hand. It occurs when
spring weather is about as stable
at it gets.
The stars are in line. What are
you waiting for?
Editor’s Note: Steve McCad-
ams is a professional guide
and outdoor writer from Paris,
Tennessee. You can reach him at
stevemc@charter.net.
MARCH - APRIL 2015 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 9

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he most important rules for
turkey hunters who want to be
turkey killers, according to Jim
Strelec, are: Get out of sight; sit
down; sit still; and shut up!
Strelec, special promotions
coordinator for Knight & Hale
Game Calls, said those basic rules
need some explanation.
Most important factor
Contrary to what many turkey
hunters believe, calling is the
least important factor for success,
Strelec told me.
“I’d rather you understand the
life cycle of a turkey, especially a
gobbler, where you can get inside
his head, and you’ll be a lot better
off as to what you want to present
him with,” he said. “Believe me;
you want to present him with a
hesitant hen that doesn’t want to
do his bidding.”
The key fact to remember is
that in nature the hen goes to the
gobbler, not the gobbler to the
hen, Strelec said.
“When he gobbles, it’s to let her
know exactly where he’s at,” he
said. “When she calls back, it’s to
let him know exactly where she’s
at. She will close the distance, he
won’t.”
There are ways for the hunter to
make the tom reverse this process,
but first the hunter must learn to
respect, but not overestimate his
quarry, according to Strelec.
The wild tom turkey has
excellent eyesight and absolutely
no tolerance about foreign objects
in his “living room” - especially
foreign objects that move, Strelec
said. Therefore, the hunter needs
to dress in full camouflage,
By John Meacham
T
Knight &
Hale’s Jim
Strelec:
Talking
Turkey
including face mask, gloves,
socks and boots with dark-colored
soles, carry a gun with a non-glare
finish and approach and wait for
the gobbler without being seen or
heard. A hunter can’t out-see or
out-hear a turkey, but he can out-
think a turkey, Strelec said.
“The first thing I want you to
understand is, this is a bird,” he
said. “Do not be misled by how
smart this thing is. I’m telling you
right now, he’s good, but he’s a
bird and we’re humans.”
Play to the tom’s weaknesses
The hunter must use his one
advantage - his brain - and learn
to play to the tom’s weaknesses,
not his strengths, Strelec said. For
example, when using an owl call
at first light to stimulate a gobble,
the hunter must call with a rhythm
the tom will recognize, and that
rhythm goes, “Who cooks for
you? Who cooks for you-oo-oo-
oo!” When using a crow call as a
locator later in the day, the hunter
must blow it with enough intensity
to shock the tom into gobbling.
When a gobbler’s location
is pinpointed, the hunter must
remember that the tom’s eyesight
is as good as a human’s aided by
10-power binoculars, and that the
bird is sitting in a tree and has
an excellent view through the
open woods of spring, Strelec
continued. The hunter must use
the terrain to cover his approach
and must not try to approach too
closely.
“Whenever you set up on a
turkey and the terrain makes it
possible, never, never, never get
where you can see farther than
the distance that you want to kill
the turkey,”
Strelec said.
An ideal
set-up, he
explained,
is 20 yards
below the
crest of the
ridge that is
between the
hunter and the
tom.
The average
hunter makes
the mistake
of setting
up facing
the direction
from which
he expects
the gobbler to
come, Strelec
said. Then, if
the bird comes
to the right of
a right-handed
hunter or the
left of a left-
handed hunter,
that hunter is
going to have a
lot of difficulty
making the
shot.
“Here’s
what you
do - you find
a tree that’s
approximately
shoulder-
width or wider
and then,
whichever
shoulder you
continued on next
page
Pictured here is Jim Strelec, special promotions coordinator for Knight & Hale Game Calls, with a 2014 gobbler.
- Photo courtesy of Knight & Hale Game Calls
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will go behind a tree or turn away
from the hunter and fan his tail
feathers. Those are the right times
to reposition the gun, Strelec said.
Other times, though, the tom
will continue to strut in front of
the hunter until the hunter’s arms
start to get shaky.
“All you have to do if he’s in
strut and he’s out there 20 yards
and you want to kill him, you’ve
already waited long enough and
you’ve had all of this you can take
is go ‘putt’ with your mouth,”
Strelec said. “That bird will come
straight out of strut. Do it now!
When he comes out and puts his
head up, nail him!”
Sometimes, though, it will be the
gobbler that does the “putting,”
because he has detected something
wrong and is about to beat a hasty
retreat, Strelec said. However, all
is not lost if the hunter sits still
until the instant the tom turns to
run.
“Don’t wait!” Strelec said.
”Don’t say, ‘Maybe he isn’t
going.’ Kill him, because he is
going. He’s going to put his head
down and go. As soon as he starts
to turn, blow his brains out. It’s
the last chance you’ve got.”
The hunter should always shoot
for the head and neck - never the
body - Strelec added. A turkey
shot in the body is very likely to
escape.
Those pesky hens
Turkey hunters are often
frustrated when real hens go to
the gobbler and lead him away,
Strelec said. The best way to avoid
this situation is to set up between
the tom and the hens and to scare
the hens away when they come
into sight, but many hunters fail
to do this because they think the
hens will make alarm putts and
scare the gobbler off.
“It’s only an alarm call when
the situation means for it to be an
alarm,” Strelec said. ”It’s only an
alarm when something happens
and turkeys scatter and they give
that call and the rest of them see
them go. If they don’t see them
go, they don’t know it was a putt.
It’s the same thing as a cluck, only
it’s just a little bit louder.”
When a hunter spooks a hen
and she flies or runs and putts, he
should call to the tom with yelps,
Strelec said. “He’ll probably
gobble at you,” he said.
How not to miss
It’s a shame for a hunter to miss
a gobbler that presents a good
shoulder your gun on, you favor
that 90 degrees from whatever
direction you think the turkey is
coming from,” Strelec said. (For
example, a right-handed hunter
who thinks a turkey is coming
from the west should face north,
but a left-hander should face
south.)
Don’t overcall!
The number one reason why a
tom hangs up on the roost, or on
the ground out of sight or range,
is that the hunter overcalls, Strelec
said. He said it is a big mistake to
keep answering gobbles with hen
calls.
“He’s going to honor you again
with another gobble, and before
you know it his blood pressure
is a hundred and 95-thousand
degrees and he’s strutting on the
limb and that hen is supposed to
be showing up there for him,”
Strelec said. ”When she doesn’t
show up and he flies out of the
tree in the opposite direction, you
know who’s to blame? You blame
yourself, because you pumped
him so dang high!”
The better tactic, Strelec said,
is to give the gobbler the silent
treatment.
“If you keep quiet, he doesn’t
know whether the hen is still
there, so he’s thinking, ‘Maybe
she’s going away from me,’ and
he’ll pop his head over the ridge.”
Decoys are excellent devices
for luring in reluctant toms -
especially when a hen decoy is
used in combination with a jake,
Strelec said.
“If you happen to be on level
ground and he sees that hen,
he’ll get there eventually, but
sometimes it takes a long time,”
he said. ”But, you put a jake in
there anywhere around that hen,
that jake isn’t supposed to be
there playing that kind of game,
so wherever you put the jake is
where you’re going to kill the
turkey.”
Stealth
Occasionally - often, in fact - a
tom will upset the hunter’s best-
laid ambush by sneaking in from
a direction the hunter’s gun is not
pointed. The key then is patience,
according to Jim Strelec, special
promotions coordinator for
Knight & Hale Game Calls.
“A turkey will not tolerate
movement,” Strelec said. “When a
turkey thinks something’s wrong,
he’s out of there.”
But, if the hunter will sit still and
wait, the gobbler sooner or later
This lonesome hen has caught the amorous attention of three, strutting longbeards. - Photo by Tony Harris – courtesy of the NWTF A proper decoy setup can mean the difference between a futile or successful turkey hunt. - STO File Photo

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shot, but many do, Strelec said.
He said an error that many hunters
make is preparing for a long-range
shot with an extra-full choke and
magnum shells and then calling
the tom to close range, where the
tight pattern is a liability.
“When you put the bead on his
head, if you flinch just the least
little bit, or it you pull left a little
or right a little on your trigger
pull, you’ll wonder why you
missed him,” Strelec said. ”You
need to shoot whatever choke and
whatever shell patterns best in
your gun.”
And you need to practice
making the kinds of shots you’ll
have to make in hunting situations
- from a sitting position with your
back against a tree, he added.
Two beads on the shotgun
barrel will help the hunter avoid
another common mistake - failing
to get the head down properly on
the gun’s stock - that results in a
shot that goes over the target’s
head, Strelec said.
“You can’t shoot it if you don’t
see both the beads,” he said.
”With two beads on there, you’ll
never look over the gun. You’ll
get down on it every time.”
Calls and other equipment
“If you’re starting out and
you’re going to hunt this year,
don’t buy a mouth diaphragm,”
Strelec advised. He said it takes
too long to learn to use mouth
diaphragm calls well.
“Get the foolproof stuff,”
he said. ”Get a single-side or
double-side box. I suggest that
all the time, because on a windy
day you’re still going to be able
to hunt because the sounds will
carry. This kills more turkeys than
any other call out there.”
When using a box call, “Start
in the middle of the box, push
down ever so lightly and start with
half strokes,” Strelec said. “Don’t
stop, because that will sound like
a squeaking door by itself. Put it
together with a turkey rhythm -
short, short, longer, long, long,
long.”
The box call will also make
clucks and cuts, Strelec said.
“Strelec listed two other items
as essential - a sling for the
shotgun so the hunter can carry it
efficiently and a turkey vest with
a seat cushion so he can carry his
gear and sit comfortably on the
ground.
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to them. Instead, much of their
wealth is tied up in land and other
farm assets that they do not want to
sell to provide retirement income.
What many of these individuals
may not know, however, is that
they too can establish retirement
plans for themselves and their
employees, and with the right
planning can have a stream of
retirement income without ever
selling any part of their farming
business.
As self-employed individuals,
farmers may have access to the
following tax-favored retirement
plan options, which unlike typical
employer-provided plans, these
plans are easy to set up and
maintain, with no complex IRS
rules, tests or tax filings. Further,
there are no strict guidelines
on contributing to the plans, so
contributions can be made when
cash flow allows. These options
may not be appropriate for every
case, and this is not an exhaustive
list; however, it does provide a
good overview of some of the
options available:
SimplifiedEmployeePension
(SEP)IRA
SEP IRAs are available to
unincorporated businesses, LLCs,
and sole proprietors. With a SEP
IRA, participants may be able to
contribute as much as 25% of net
earnings from self-employment
(not including contributions for
yourself), up to $52,000 for 2014
($53,000 for 2015). The amount
contributed is deductible from
income for federal tax purposes.
In addition, the account grows
tax deferred until distributions are
taken in retirement.
Solo 401(k) Plan
The solo 401(k) plan is essentially
a traditional 401(k) plan covering
a business owner with no
employees, or that person and
his or her spouse. The owner can
contribute both elective deferrals
up to 100% of earned income up
to $17,500 in 2014 and $18,000
in 2015, or $23,000 in 2014 and
$24,000 in 2015 if age 50 or
over and contribute employer
nonelective contributions up to
25% of earned income. Total
contributions to a participant’s
account, not counting catch-up
contributions for those age 50 and
over, cannot exceed $52,000 for
2014 and $53,000 for 2015. These
plans have a unique feature in that
they can also be tailored to allow
access to account balance through
loans and hardship distributions.
Like the SEP IRA, contributions
to the plan are tax deductible and
the accounts grow tax free until
the money is withdrawn.
s financial planners, our job
is to help individuals and families
meet their financial goals, and
in many cases the primary goal
is a comfortable, well-planned
retirement. In essence, we
have found that there are three
categories of funding that play
a part in the retirement income
equation: sources of income, like
social security; in some cases,
part-time employment income;
and portfolio income from
investments and other savings.
This last piece of the retirement
income pie - income from savings
- is typically the largest, and the
bulk of these savings are often tied
to employer-offered retirement
plans, like 401(k)’s and pension
income. These types of retirement
plans provide not only an easy-to-
use method for savings but also tax
advantages for those participating
and the employer itself.
Given this, it is easy to see why
self-employed individuals and
small business owners, like
farmers, face a unique challenge
in planning for retirement as
they do not have these traditional
retirement vehicles available
RetirementPlansforFarmers
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Plan)
SIMPLE IRA Plans can be
used by sole proprietors or any
small business with fewer than
100 employees. Participants can
put all net earnings from self-
employment in the plan up to
$12,000 in 2014 and $12,500 in
2015 (plus an additional $2,500 in
2014 and $3,000 in 2015 if 50 or
older) plus an employer matching
contribution of 3% if desired. Like
the two plans mentioned above,
contributions to a SIMPLE IRA
are tax deductible and investments
have the potential to grow for the
future without being eroded by
current taxes.
Once the appropriate savings
vehicle has been chosen, it is
paramount that the participants
take as much advantage of the
plans as possible—this means
saving early and saving often in
order to have a nest egg that is
independent of farm assets. It also
gives the important opportunity
to build a broadly diversified
investment portfolio that exposes
participants to unrelated markets,
industries and geographic regions.
If you or someone you know
would benefit from one of these
retirement plans please give
us a call to discuss the option
that best fits your needs and to
set up the plan for you, as this
information is educational only.
Each plan has unique advantages
and disadvantages for different
individuals. In addition, we
are more than happy to do a
comprehensive financial plan
at no cost to you and to review
and provide a second opinion on
any current investments you may
have.
Emily Billingsley, CFP® is a CERTIFIED
FINANCIAL PLANNER Practitioner,
Financial Advisor located at 517 Lake
Rd. Suite A, Dyersburg, TN. Securities
offered through Raymond James Financial
Services Inc. member FINRA SIPC. Davis
WealthServicesisindependentlyownedand
operated. For further comment, Billingsley
may be reached at 731-285-0097. This
information is not meant to be legal or
tax advice. It is highly recommended
any reader seek the advice of a Certified
Public Accountant when considering the
aforementioned information. Any opinions
are those of Emily Billingsley and not
necessarily those of Raymond James.
Past performance may not be indicative
for future results. The information has
been obtained from sources considered
to be reliable, but we do not guarantee
that the foregoing material is accurate or
complete. This information is not intended
as a solicitation. Withdrawal of pre-tax
contributions and/or earnings will be
subject to ordinary income tax and, if taken
prior to age 59 1/2, may be subject to a
10% federal tax penalty. Raymond James
and its advisors do not offer tax or legal
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matters with the appropriate professional.

source was the fishing club on the
lake. The previous owner started
the club in the early 80s, just a
few years after the lake was com-
pleted. Like most newly created
lakes, the stocked fish quickly
grew in size and expanded their
population. For years the fishing
was incredible with huge bass (up
to 10 pounds), abundant bream
(sometimes up to 2 pounds) and
a growing population of clandes-
tinely stocked white crappie (the
crappie were seeded secretly by a
fishing club member with the aid
of a friend with an airplane). The
fisherman were happy and so was
the previous owner.
Over 25 years later, the lake was
showing signs of age. Like most
man-made impoundments, Fyrne
Lake (formally known as Viar
Lake) had been taken over by
thousands of small bass. Large-
mouth bass are prolific breeders
and eaters. They will eat
any living thing that can fit
in their oversized mouth.
Depending upon their size,
a female bass will lay be-
tween 2000 and 40,000
eggs! This invasion of hun-
gry mouths began consum-
ing everything in sight, in-
cluding other bass.
The existing fishing club
members were frustrated
by the small bass that kept
taking their line, making it
difficult to catch the bream,
shellcracker (redear), crap-
pie or the larger bass they
sought. They shared sto-
ries and pictures of the way
things used to be. I wanted
to help, but not only to keep
the fisherman
happy. I also
loved to fish
and I wanted
Fyrne Lake to
be the best it
could be. But,
I knew noth-
ing about how
to do it! Hon-
estly, that was
part of the ap-
peal. I enjoyed
learning, espe-
cially if it was
going to help
me conquer a
new challenge.
I just didn’t re-
alize how much
of a challenge
it was going to
be to turn things
around!
I started my
Tony Osco is holding one of the huge (40 pound plus) grass carps we removed from Fyrne Lake. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake
Fish FactoriesBy Kevin Griffith
Pictured here is a shockboat with descriptive captions. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake
Managing the Fishery at Fyrne
Lake
I have to do what?!?
“To get your lake into shape
you have to remove thousands of
twelve inch and under largemouth
bass, eliminate every grass carp,
catfish and striper (yellow bass)
you can, fertilize the lake each
spring to create a bloom and re-
establish baitfish in the lake and
create acres of fish structure”,
my lake consultant calmly stat-
ed while handing me the bill for
evaluating Fyrne Lake. Man,
what did I get myself into?
Actually, it was exactly what I
wanted. I had dreamed for de-
cades about having a lake to care
for, improve and maintain. And
boy, this lake needed me! My wife
and I purchased this beautiful 110
acre lake surrounded by woods
just outside of Dyersburg, Ten-
nessee back in 2004. It was the
realization of a dream. But now,
just a few months after realizing
this dream, it was meeting with
reality. “Are there any other op-
tions?” I begged. “Yes, you could
kill all the fish in the lake and start
over. However, you would still
have to add acres of fish struc-
ture.” he said.
Why was all this necessary? My
dream for the property extended
way beyond maintaining the lake.
I wanted to maintain and improve
the property as a private natural
park; not just for my wife, children
and me, but for later generations.
I dreamed of it becoming finan-
cially independent, through de-
veloping multiple income sources
that wouldn’t compromise the
private park like setting through
development or create overuse.
One already established income
PART
ONE
OF TWO

to the landing. A key indicator of
the health of the lake was going
to be found through analyzing the
condition of the bass population
(more on that later).
It was interesting to watch the
consultant guide his boat along
the shoreline seeking out struc-
ture to shock, just as a fisherman
would target the same area with a
lure. Like clockwork, a promising
looking structure would yield fish.
Most continued to be bream and
small bass, with the occasional
striper (yellow bass). However,
we did shock up several large
healthy looking bass and one huge
blue catfish. Every large bass we
weighed, measured and tagged on
the spot, then gently released them
back into the lake. The catfish was
another story. We kept him!
As the day went on, the con-
sultant observed that he hadn’t
seen ANY aquatic plants and ex-
cept for a few fallen trees along
the shoreline and rotting stumps
in the shallow end, the lake was
devoid of structure. On a positive
note, he added that the bottom
contours were interesting. His
depth finder was revealing numer-
ous underwater ridges running out
from shore, with steep drop offs
of up to 30 feet. However, even
with the bottom contours, there
wasn’t near enough structure for a
lake our size.
The reason for the absence of
aquatic plants was soon revealed!
As we approached the shallows at
the top of the lake the water came
alive! The combination of our
presence and the electrical field
around the boat had disturbed a
school of grass carp. They were
huge! Luckily, we were able to
creep close enough to stun one.
As the behemoth rolled up to the
surface, the consultant’s assistant
slipped a net over his head. The
net barely stretched past his gill
plates! Now it was my turn. I took
my net and tried getting it around
the grass carp’s tail. As I bumped
it the fish came to and darted for-
ward, driving deeper into the net
around its head and almost ripping
it from the assistant’s hands! Des-
perately, I forced my net around
the thrashing tail and the two of us
heaved the fish aboard. He seemed
even larger in the boat! It was
all I could do to lift him up with
the scale to reveal a weight of 44
pounds! And this was just one of
who knows how many grass carp
resided in the lake.
research by scanning the internet,
subscribing to a magazine called
Pond Boss and located a lake con-
sultant to provide a professional
evaluation. I quickly began accu-
mulating a library of information
on lake management and it led me
to the realization of how many
variables there were to achieve
the quality of fishing I envisioned.
I was hoping the lake consultant
could help me formulate a long-
term strategy. Luckily, it wasn’t
long before he rolled up to the
farm with his shock boat in tow. A
shock boat comes equipped with a
customized generator, transform-
er box and electrodes to suspend
in front of the boat on one or two
poles. Through adjusting the volt-
age, amperage and cycle frequen-
cy on the transformer box, a shock
boat can gently stun fish, bring-
ing them to the surface. The goal
is to net, identify and measure
the fish before they wake up and
rush away. They don’t like being
shocked any more than I enjoyed
touching the electric fence as a kid
on my grandmother Fyrne’s farm.
However, just like my experience
with her fence, the fish quickly re-
cover without any negative, long-
term effect.
The trip on the lake with the con-
sultant turned out to be an amazing
adventure! As we left the landing
he fired up the generator and ad-
justed the dials on his transformer
box. He shared how every lake is
unique and requires different set-
tings to effectively bring up the
fish. Variables like water conduc-
tivity, PH and temperature effect
how deep the adjustable electrical
field penetrates. Also, various fish
species respond differently to the
electrical settings. Experience and
experimentation are necessary
to “dial in” the proper output to
bring up fish. Fortunately, my lake
consultant was very experienced
and it wasn’t long before we were
seeing multiple fish floating to the
surface.
This was a fisherman’s dream!
Fish were popping up all around
us! I wanted one of these! We be-
gan netting the fish and bringing
them into the boat for evaluation.
Most of the bream were huge,
but the bass were small and skin-
ny looking. We released all the
bream, but placed the smaller bass
in an aerated tub to be weighed
and measured when we returned continued on next page
Stunned fish can be seen floating to the surface on either side of the
shock boat’s electrode. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake
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Kevin Griffith is holding a 5 pound largemouth bass that was shocked,
netted and tagged during the initial fish sampling in 2005.
- Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake
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These grass carp don’t jump like
the Asian carp that have invaded
the Mississippi and its tributaries.
They’re also sterile and are of-
ten used in lakes to help control
aquatic vegetation. It turns out
the previous owner had intention-
ally stocked these grass carp in
the lake to take care of a weed is-
sue. The problem was he stocked
too many… about a thousand too
many! And these fish were keep-
ing every sprout of aquatic veg-
etation that reared its head con-
sumed. They had even “hedged”
the overhanging tree branches of
any leaves they could reach from
the lake’s surface. (I later received
reports of fisherman in the fall,
seeing these monsters waiting un-
der oak and persimmon trees to
catch the acorns and fruit as they
fell!)
Man! This lake had issues! But
wait, there’s more! The lake con-
sultant had not seen ONE single
baitfish in the lake! With a know-
ing look on his face, he turned
the boat back toward the landing.
Even though he knew what the
results would be, he and his as-
sistant meticulously weighed and
measured each of the hundred
plus small bass in the tub. Using
the chart included with this arti-
cle, they compared the stats. ALL
of the bass measured were under-
weight for their length.
A healthy 12” largemouth bass
should weight 14 ounces (see
chart). Why did our 12” bass only
weigh 10 to 12 ounces? “Be-
cause they are starving,” was his
answer. Largemouth bass had ter-
ribly overpopulated Fyrne Lake
to the point where these fish had
consumed all of the baitfish (that’s
where they all went!) and were
eating the majority of the small
bream and crappie fry before they
had a chance to mature… and they
still didn’t have enough to eat!
Any body of water has a set
number of pounds of predator fish
it can support, depending upon
fertility, with all other factors
remaining constant. What that
means is if your lake can support
10,000 pounds of predator fish,
your pond’s fish makeup could be
1,000 ten pound fish, 10,000 one
pound fish or some combination
in between. Reducing the number
of predator mouths concentrates
the food source in the remaining
fish to make them larger. We had
so many largemouth bass mouths
to feed that most of ours were not
even reaching a pound!
He explained how control-
ling the bass overpopulation was
necessary to accomplish any im-
provement in the fishing. But,
that was just the first component
of what was needed. The lake was
supporting only a fraction of the
fish population possible, because
of limited habitat and food sourc-
es. Between the grass carp con-
suming all of the natural aquatic
plant cover and the limited struc-
ture (fallen trees, stumps, brush, etc.) present in the
lake, the fish had few places to hide long enough
from predators to mature. The food chain had also
been disrupted by the bass consuming every last
baitfish. We needed to reestablish baitfish in the lake
while also providing cover for them to hide in and
reproduce. Fertilizing the lake, to create a controlled
plankton bloom in the late spring, would provide an
ample food source for the baitfish pumping up the
number of pounds of predator fish the lake could
support. However, we needed to be cautious. Over
fertilization can cause a fish kill. To bring Fyrne
Lake up to where it needed to be, I had some deci-
sions to make.
(Next issue’s article: Our Lake Management Plan)
Reprinted with permission from Pond Boss Magazine
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Life is Great -
ello, to all you great readers
of STO Magazine. I Hope every-
thing is going well on your home
front. I got a phone call the other
day from an old friend of mine,
Hunter Newbill, to see what has
been going on in my café busi-
ness. We were shooting the breeze
about duck hunting and hunting
in general, when I said, let’s take
Betsy (his 12 year-old daughter)
on a coon hunt. He said, “Let’s
do it, we can get Wade Newbill
(Hunter’s older brother) and his
son, Garrett (15 years-old) to
go with us and have a grand old
time.”
I told him to pick the date and he
did. It was on a nice, crisp Sun-
day evening. The kids and dads
had duck hunted that afternoon,
with some success. I showed up
around 6:00 pm at their cabin and
low and behold his mom and dad
were there (Mr. Bob and Mrs. Lou
Newbill). Miss Lou was my Eng-
lish teacher in the seventh grade
and man I thought she was going
to hammer me on my grammar
and punctuation when she sees the
articles I write. Sorry, Miss Lou.
Hunter was cooking dinner, and
man oh man, that chicken smelled
great. Letting the kids finish din-
ner, we all shot the breeze about
ducking hunting in the old days,
with all the Newbills present at
the dinner table. After the kids
finished their dinner, off to the
woods we went.
The kids (Betsy, Garrett, and
Garret’s friend, John Evans also
15 years-old) and I go to the truck
and we start getting ready. I give
the lights to the kids and show
them how they work, we get the
tracking collars on the hounds and
we let the dogs go through the
crisp night air. We sit around the
truck and I show them how the
tracking system works while talk-
ing of hunting ducks and some of
my coon hunts, when my hound,
Money opens up on the trail of a
coon. All the kids’ eyes light up
like it was Christmas morning and
they start asking questions. Those
questions included which dog is
it, is it on a coon, and is the coon
treed? As I was explaining what
to listen for my other dog, Heidi
strikes in on the same track. We
sit there listening and 20 minutes
later and 600 yards deep we hear
them tree a coon. By this time,
Hunter and Wade join us and off
we go.
As we meander through the farm
to the tree, I think, “Man what a
great time….old friends, young
kids and that great music of the
hounds. What a life.”
The trek was easy, until we
get to a 30 foot creek. I thought,
“With the kids along, this is go-
ing to be tough, but they did better
than us old people.” Maybe youth
and enthusiasm will out do old
age and treachery, I smiled to my-
self thinking this. We get to the
tree and it is a den, I ask Wade and
Hunter which way to go. Wade
says one way and Hunter (who
is not a Lewis or Clark when it
comes to trailblazing) says anoth-
er way.
Garret and I listen to Wade
By Shawn Todd
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hound, Heidi and the coon
they shot.
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and 30 minutes later Hunter and the other two show
up. After much harassment to Hunter we go back to
the truck. We release the hounds again and this time
they split, Money about 100 yards to our left and
Heidi about 200 yards to the left, I thought, “Man,
this going to be tough.”
We listen for a few minutes more. Money is now
deep (700 yards) to the left, Heidi is behind a river
bed. Wade looks at me and says, “Shawn, we bet-
ter call them back in. Where they are at is rough as
heck.”
I call them back in and release them again. They
strike and within 15 minutes they are treed. We get
to the tree and there it is, a big coon, sitting on the
outside of the tree in a branch.
The kids are all fired up. Garret has the gun and
starts shooting and after about 20 shots, we have our
game. Needless to say, I tell Garret, “Boy you might
can kill a duck or a deer, but when it comes to killing
a coon you are pitiful.”
The good natured kidding started and laughter
commenced, boy, we rode him hard. Then comes
John’s turn for some good natured picking on. He
has the game vest and we threw the coon in the bag
and it is still kicking. That young man just started
freaking out, trying to get the vest off as fast as he
can. It was hilarious. Going back to the truck every-
one was have a good time, but the night was over. It
was a great hunt.
Maybe I have succeeded and got some more young
people involved in the sport of coon hunting. As I
stated earlier, on this night life was great.
I would also like to congratulate Jason Crum and
his walker dog, Tapp on winning the PKC senior dog
showdown, the grand prize was a new truck. Next
month we will have an interview with Jason on the
hunt and his dog.
Until next time, fellow readers, see you at the tree!
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Dyersburg, TN - 38024
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any seek his whereabouts.
Armed with a variety of tackle the
panfish army enters the war, hop-
ing to do battle with this majestic
warrior on a regular basis.
Like the hare and the hound
during the winter months, this
hunt returns every spring, when
late April loses its grip and May
rolls around. Anglers stalk the
shallow shorelines of Kentucky
Lake hoping to encounter this sly
rascal that has quite a reputation
for outsmarting fishermen.
Perhaps it’s
the power-
ful fight these
hefty olive
drab beau-
ties put up
when hooked,
or maybe it’s
their illusive
behavior as
they have a
unique ability
to hide among
the grassbeds,
buck bushes
and open grav-
el sandbars.
At the peak
of spawning
the males pos-
sess a hand-
some dark
a p p e a r a n c e
where their pigment changes due
to hormonal influence; much like
male crappie do when they take
on that purple complexion at the
peak of their spawning phase.
Added to their beautiful color
phase change is an attitude that
will test your tackle, as he is both
defender of the nest and quite
energetic with a hefty frame and
bulky weight to back up his bark
with his bite. The females are also
beautiful in their own right, sport-
ing a pale appearance of green and
light yellow with a sunburst belly,
but somewhat lighter in their over-
all appearance when compared to
the males.
Shellcrackers, as most anglers
in the South refer to them, are
known biologically as red ear
sunfish. Although a member of
the panfish family they are dif-
ferent from their bluegill cousins,
yet some anglers often confuse
the two.
A distinctive red flap on the
operculum, or gill covering, is
how the fish got its biological
ShellCrackers
on the spawn
Hefty male redear sunfish like this one, commonly referred to as a “shellcrackers”, are tackle testers on light spinning gear. Casting with
bobbers or bottom dragging techniques work great with such popular baits as redworms, crickets and various larva type baits.
Photo by Steve McCadams
M
By Steve McCadams

name and sets it apart from other
panfish. The “shellcracker” term
was pinned by fishermen who
learned the species often feeds on
small freshwater mussels in both
lakes and ponds.
Anglers always seem to relish
the opportunity to catch big fish
and shellcrackers fulfill that de-
sire, although “big” is a relative
term. They sometimes grow to
exceed one pound in weight with
frequent stories of bigger ones
being taken. As a rule, they ex-
ceed the size of bluegill, which is
yet another reason they enter the
crosshairs of anglers of all ages.
State record size always seems
to creep into the conversation and
the current bench mark in Tennes-
see stands at 3 pounds, 6 ounces!
This whopper was taken way back
in 1979, but records are meant to
be broken.
Another feather in their cap
is being good to eat. Their meat
is quite tasty when fried golden
brown and their size makes for a
nice fillet of textured delight.
Finding a bedding area of ag-
gressive shellcrackers is pretty
much like discovering buried trea-
sure, as the enjoyment is nothing
short of wonderful. Although they
often share an area with bluegill,
there are times when they become
territorial and may occupy a small
submerged area adjacent to a log
or tree, and sometimes a buck
bush.
Although bluegill often fan their
craters in open areas, shellcracker
prefer the refuge of some struc-
ture nearby. A little grass mixed
in adds to their comfort zone as
they love to spawn in a mixture
of grass, bushes, and sandy or pea
gravel bottom.
They broadcast their eggs in
small craters or even around grass
and roots of bushes, but their cra-
ters are less distinct that bluegill
and usually hard to see, whereas
bluegill and other sunfish bedding
zones are often quite conspicuous
in clear water, especially if you’re
wearing polarized sunglasses.
With today’s technology many
anglers are finding the use of wide
scale sonar or side-scan to be a
useful tool in the hunt for these
buried treasures that have fooled
fishermen for years. However,
shellcrackers often use shallow
habitat surrounded by cover so the
use of side-scan units, while quite
popular for discovering bluegill
beds, is not quite as practical.
Other popular venues are vari-
ous aquatic grasses that have in-
vaded many of the shallow flats
on Kentucky Lake in the back-
water of bays
and pockets
off the main
lake. Eurasian
watermilfoil,
coontail moss
and pondweed
are a few of
the aquatics
where shell-
craker set up
housekeeping,
as the grass-
beds with little
open pockets
here and there
are also popu-
lar havens.
Techniques
range from
continued on next
page
Catching a bunch of shellcrackers, mixed in with a few bluegill, can fill your cooler and freezer too as they’re great to eat. Daily creel
limits are 20 per person, but you don’t have to land a limit to have a great time.

Shellcracker spawning phases begin on Kentucky Lake each spring in late April, with peak time occurring throughout May. Known to
reach weights in excess of one pound, these powerful panfish are well worth the effort and can please anglers from ages 8 to 80!
light tackle or ultra-light spinning
gear, to cane poles or telescopic
poles, ranging in length from 10
to 12 feet. Casting is quite popu-
lar, especially in clear water con-
ditions, as the fish are finicky and
will spook easily if disturbed from
too much movement and visible
contact.
For that reason most anglers
prefer light monofilament line
in the 4 to 6-pound range. Small
bobbers work well and experi-
enced anglers have learned to re-
sort to neutral color bobbers such
as true cork as these tend to offer a
natural presentation when splash-
ing into shallow areas and won’t
spook the fish as easily.
Known to be bottom feeders by
choice, many anglers fish without
bobbers at times and simply drag
a redworm, wax worm, maggot,
cricket or various larva type baits
through the bedding spots for
deadly results.
When in thick cover casting may
not be the ticket and that’s when
anglers use a vertical presenta-
tion with long poles around small
openings in bushes and grass.
Long shank hooks work best in
the size 4 to 6 range. Expect to use
up some terminal tackle, as break-
ing off and loosing rigs is part of
the game when these babies go
undercover.
Once surface temperatures
reach the upper 60’s watch for
early phases of shellcracker bed-
ding to begin. They prefer stabil-
ity of weather and surface temps
in the low 70’s as peak phases, but
usually get underway before blue-
gill bedding occurs and have been
known to surge around full moons
phases. You may see a little re-
bound as late as early June.
Tangle with a few big shell-
cracker and you’ll quickly come
under their spell and target them
during their peak spawning time
each spring. Before you get too
greedy remember the statewide
creel limit is twenty, per person,
per day.
Fish your blues away with some
redear sunfish this spring on Ken-
tucky Lake.
Editor’s Note: Steve McCadams is
a professional fishing and hunting
guide on Kentucky Lake. You can
reach him at stevemc@charter.
net.

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Visit Dyer County,Tennessee
ASportsman’s Paradise!
Located just 1/2 hour, from beautiful Reelfoot Lake, Dyer
County has something for everyone. From the finest motels,
restaurants, shopping malls, and bars ... we welcome all
sportsmen that are hunting or fishing at the “Quake Lake.”
There is nowhere else for miles that can offer
hunting and fishing licenses, sporting goods,
cost-efficient - yet clean and comfortable
lodging, and a cold beer or cocktail.
Our restaurants can tempt you with every-
thing from a “Black Angus” ribeye steak - to
fast food. The best feature of all, which Dyer
County has to offer, is that you will always
enjoy your visit with us, in a safe and
friendly atmosphere.
So, what are you waiting for?
As far as area ratings go ...
You can’t score higher than Dyer!
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is available to qualified purchasers from participating dealers’ in-stock inventory through 3/31/2014. Example: A 60-month monthly installment
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Ultimately the 4-H youth makes a Contribution
to his/her community.
4-HScienceexploressuchrelevantandcutting-edge
topicsasclimatechange,waterqualityandusage,
alternative energy,robotics,scientificandtechnology
literacyand sustainableagriculture.
4-H Healthy Living is a holistic approach that
includes encouraging healthy eating habits,
physical fitness, the capacity to recognize
and direct emotions and the ability to develop
and maintain positive social interactions and
relationships.
4-H Citizenship concentrates on community
action, leadership and personal develop-
ment, and communication and expressive
arts. Through Citizenship programs 4-H youth
develop concrete skills to become capable,
confident and contributing citizens.
Life Skills - The life skills that 4-H youth learn
are as diverse as the youth themselves.
4-H in Numbers
Youth Served Worldwide - 7,000,000
Counties - 3,068
Countries - 71
Educators - 3,500+
Volunteers - 532,312+
Alumni - 60,000,000+
Editor’s Note: 4-Histheyouthdevelopmentpro-
gramof ournation’sCooperativeExtensionService.
Information was adapted from National 4-H. http://
www.4-h.org/about/
For more information about the Dyer County 4-H
program, please contact Becky Willis or Mary Beth
Neal at rwillis8@utk.edu, mneal22@utk.edu Face-
book - UT Extension Dyer County, dyer.tennessee.
edu, or 731-286-7821.
4-H Today -
Growing Today’s YouthBy Rob Somerville
I happen to serve as an advisor for the Dyer County
4-H program. I do not consider this a job…I consider
it a privilege. In this day and age there are so many
negative influences and peer pressures that can lead
today’s youth astray. The 4-H organization does just the
opposite. It teaches kids life skills such as teamwork,
responsibility, ethics and respect. I asked Becky Willis,
who leads the Dyer County program, to give our readers
more information on what 4-H is all about. After read-
ing this article I hope it encourages children and their
parents to get involved and businesses to help sponsor
this worthwhile organization.
4-H: Our Background
For more than 100 years, 4-H has stood behind
the idea that youth is the single strongest catalyst for
change. What began as a way to give rural youth new
agricultural skills, today has grown into a global organi-
zation that teaches a range of life skills. 4-H is dedicated
to positive youth development and helping youth step
up to the challenges in a complex and changing world.
4-H is dedicated to helping cultivate the next generation
of leaders and tackling the nation’s top challenges such
as the shortage of skilled professionals, maintaining our
global competiveness, encouraging civic involvement,
and becoming a healthier society.
Most Effective Youth Organization
According to an in-depth, longitudinal study conducted
by the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Develop-
ment, Tufts University 4-H youth are three times more
likely to actively contribute to their communities and
have higher educational achievement.
How Do We Reach Youth? Number of US Partici-
pants in:
4-H Clubs – 1,500,000
4-H After-School Programs – 307,000
4-H Camps – 418,000
4-H School Enrichment Programs – 4,000,000
4-H Pledge
I Pledge:
My Head to clearer thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty,
My Hands to larger service, and
My Health to better living, for My club, My community,
My country, and My world.
High Quality Positive Youth Development = Compe-
tence+ Caring+ Character+ Confidence+ Connection.

4-H Today - Growing Today’s Youth
Visit our Jackson, TN office, located at 2690 Bells Highway - Jackson, TN - (731) 660-4072
Since 2003, Best-One of Jackson has provided outstanding tire sales and service along with exceptional mechanical work
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West Tennessee area through honest and courteous service. We also have trained professionals who can perform a variety of
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While you’re hunting or fishing on Reelfoot
Lake, stop by and see Johanna and her crew
for a quick, delicious meal.
Or, beat the heat with their
“World Famous” ice cream.
Dine-in or eat outside on their Patio!!
Home Owned and operated
731-253-6311
HWY 78 - Tiptonville
Less than 5 min from Reelfoot Lake
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855 HWY 51 BYPASS N - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024
731-285-2875 Century@ecsis.net
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Monday - Thursday: 4:30 am to 8:00 pm
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Office: 731-286-0090
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Eric Maupin, Auctioneer
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Dyer County Animal Hospital
Dr. James A. Crisp
Dr. William T. Dickerson
Dr. John Harris
410 Hwy 51 By-Pass West
Dyersburg, TN - 38024
741-285-2043
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WE CARE ABOUT KIDS!
Eli Steffy: Young Outdoorsman
It isn’t easy for kids these days. They are
born into the age of technology with com-
puters, online video games, instant mes-
sages, Instagram, texting, Face Time and so
much more. This was the life of Eli Steffy,
13 year old son of Jason and Heather Steffy
from Hendersonville, Tennessee. At least
that was the case until he discovered the
outdoor sports of hunting, fishing and kaya-
king. Now, he is the total package of a bud-
ding outdoorsman.
His dad, Jason, is a graduate from Tennes-
see Tech with a degree in Wildlife & Fish-
eries Science (ichthyology) at Cookeville,
Tennessee. He was always outdoorsy and
had the passion for hunting and fishing that
his PawPaw instilled in him from an early
age.
However, getting Eli interested in the
same lifestyle was a bit harder. There was
too much electronic influence.
Jason started him out in Cub Scouts and
he loved the camping and outdoor trips but
Wii and X-Box were his first priority. He
graduated to Boy Scouts and while he still
enjoyed camping and outdoor trips, baseball
and X-Box ruled over his time.
This past year, his dad took him on a youth
turkey hunt. One big, beautiful turkey har-
vested and he was totally hooked. The pic-
ture of him packing his trophy turkey out of
the woods turned into an awesome compari-
son between the size of the turkey versus the
size of the boy.
He wanted more and became anxious for
the deer season youth hunt. In the mean-
time, Jason purchased a kayak and due to
his height, it had to be extra tall so Eli could
only view the fun from the bank. This cre-
ated his interest in kayaking.
His next passion was fishing. He wanted
to fish: bank fish, boat fish, or fishing from
his new kayak. I think the boy would have
fished from an aquarium if he had one! He
would eat, sleep and dream fishing.
A trip to Florida with his baseball team,
a deep sea fishing expedition, and a huge
“Red Fish” only confirmed this extreme in-
terest.
Archery became his next passion and he
practiced daily up to the youth deer hunt
date. It was his first deer hunt, but he walked
away with two does and the start of a freezer
full of meat to help feed his family.
We can’t wait to see what is next - maybe a
duck hunt at Reel Foot Lake!
Editor’s Note: Eli Steffy’s story was brought
to my attention by his grandmother, Donna
Steffy. She sent me a photo of him for our
TROPHY ROOM section…then another…
and another. I asked her to see if they would
send me Eli’s story to encourage other par-
ents to involve their kids in the great out-
doors.
I congratulate young Eli and encourage
him in his future excursions, but I also com-
mend his family for getting him involved in
God’s bountiful blessing of the outdoors.

MARCH - APRIL 2015 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 5554 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MARCH - APRIL 201554 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MARCH - APRIL 2015 MARCH - APRIL 2015 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55
Tom Hall of Dyersburg, Tennessee was deep
trolling for crappie at Fyrne lake on Monday,
January 19th when one of his poles doubled
over. At first Tom thought he was snagged,
then he felt a tug and the fight was on! The
fish weighed around seven pounds.
Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake
Tommy Criswell of Dyersburg, Tennessee caught these
two nice crappie at Fyrne Lake on January 20th. He was
fishing with minnows at a depth of 20 feet in 33 feet of
water. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake
Ray Lewis caught this nice 5 pound bass on
December 20th, 2014 while fishing with his father,
Otha Lewis, at Fyrne Lake.
- Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

Southern Traditions Outdoors - March- April 2015

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