Southern Traditions Outdoors - Summer 2018

1 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MAY - JUNE 2018
MAY / JUNE 2018
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Advertising Information:
Southern Traditions Outdoors | Rob Somerville
(731) 446-8052 stomag1@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER - Neither the authors nor Southern Traditions Outdoors
Magazine LLC assume any responsibility or liability for any actions
by readers who utilize any information contained within. Readers
are advised that the use of any and all information contained within
Southern Traditions Outdoors is at their own risk.
On the Cover
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
Dana Watford
Buck Gardner
Richard Hines
Ed Lankford
Drew Brooks
John Latham
John Roberts
Richard Hines
Rob Hurt
Mark Buehler
Richard Fagan
Neill McLaurin
Sam Bradshaw
Daryl Ratajczak
Field Staff Editors
Owners - Eddie Anderson
Rob Somerville
Kevin Griffith
Publisher - Eddie Anderson
Editor - Rob Somerville
Advertising Sales
Rob Somerville - Managing
Partner
Distribution
Johnathan Anderson
Mike Robinson
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The springtime bass spawn is on and huge bucketmouths like this one are there for the taking
at local lakes. Photo by Rob Somerville
PG.................... ARTICLE ...........................................................AUTHOR
7 ......................... Buck Bush Bass ..............................................................Steve McCadams
15 ......................... Top Ten Megatrends in Agriculture ..................................Rob Somerville
19 ......................... What NOT to do When Gardening ..................................Rob Somerville
25 ......................... Pawpaws ..........................................................................Kevin Griffith
29 ......................... Getting Involved in Conservation .....................................Sam Bradshaw
34 ......................... Kayaking for Smallmouth Bass ........................................Richard Hines
42 ......................... Obion River Adventure .....................................................Richard A. Fagan
45.......................... Spring Bass .....................................................................Richard Hines
48 ......................... Traditions Tips ..................................................................Richard A. Fagan
52 ......................... Trophy Room....................................................................STO
53 ......................... TWRA News .....................................................................STO

Letter from the Editor
From the Desk of Rob Somerville
WD-40 Uses:
1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floor that ‘just-waxed’ sheen without
making them slippery.
5. Keeps the flies off of Cows, Horses, and other
Farm Critters.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue
grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terracotta garden pots from
oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water
spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and mar-
ble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on both home
and vehicles doors.
18. Removes that nasty tar and scuff marks
from the kitchen flooring
19. Remove those nasty bug guts that will eat
away the finish on your car if not removed
quickly!
20. Gives a children’s playground gym slide a
shine for a super-fast slide.
21. Lubricates gearshift and mower deck lever
for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22. Rids kids rocking chair and swings of
squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows
and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to
open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dash-
boards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles,
wagons and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers
and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws, saw
blades, and other tools.
31. Removes grease splatters from stove-tops.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the
smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands,
and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
38. The favorite use in the state of New York , it
protects the Statue
of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live
bait or lures and you will be catching the big
one in no time
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting
away immediately and stops the itch.
41. It is great for removing crayon from walls.
Spray it on the marks and wipe with a clean rag.
43. If you spray it inside a wet distributor cap, it
will displace the
moisture, allowing the engine to start.
P.S. - As for that Basic, Main Ingredient.......
Well.... it’s FISH OIL!
Everyone knows that all redneck tool boxes contain three basic, but important tools that can just about
fix anything with. They are duct tape, baling wire and the always present can of WD-40. I think you will
be as amazed, as I was, at the many uses of WD-40.

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BASS
BUCK
BUSH
By Steve McCadams
HAND TO HAND COMBAT FOR ANGLERS
Each year, when water levels
reach peak summer pool elevation
on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes,
shoreline habitat becomes a Mec-
ca for bass on these two popular
reservoirs.
Bass transition during May and
June to vegetation comprised of
buck bushes, willow trees, weed
beds and all sorts of visible struc-
ture. However, it’s the popular buck
bushes that really get the attention
of anglers that are anxious for hand
to hand combat.
Practically every fishermen who
ever wet a hook can relate to fish-
ing structure they can see. Deep
ledges are different and sometimes
intimidate anglers who aren’t versed
in sonar interpretation, but shore-
line cover appeals to most any bass
buster.
Each year, both reservoirs have
annual drawdown that begins in
mid-summer and goes through late
fall. Water levels are pulled to low
ebb in the fall and winter months
for storage capacity, but reser-
voir filling begins
in April and by
May 1, which is
the target date for
summer pool lev-
el, shorelines get
fresh water and
this level is held
until early July.
That means an-
glers have about
two months to
utilize pitching
and flipping tech-
niques. Stalking
the buck bush-
es gets even bet-
ter when the res-
ervoirs jump up
a little bit above
n o r m a l s u m -
mer pool as it
adds more wa-
ter to even more
bushes.
B a s s l o v e
spawning around
the endless num-
ber of buck bush-
Big largemouth bass like this one are not uncommon,
while flipping a soft plastic bait into buck brush,or
chugging a top water bait around this vegetation.
Photo by Rob Somerville

es, which not only have a canopy of
shade at times, but a unique root
system. When mixed with grass
beds the bushes are a haven for bass
who find a comfort zone there.
Bushes provide both spawning
territory and great feeding areas
long after spawning takes place. The
bush bite begins in May and runs
throughout the month of June.
From small bluegill to schools of
recently hatched shad fry, bass find
a buffet of forage roaming shore-
line bushes. When current is pres-
ent it can work in favor of anglers
as it puts the pin minnows in eddies
behind bushes on river island rims.
Other times, bushes just hold
schools of shad fry that have hatched
in their locale. Backs of bays often
hold bass in shallow water even
during warm weather if the forage
base is there.
It’s not unusual to find bass relat-
ing to buck bushes in relative shal-
low water even when surface tem-
peratures climb to the upper 70’s
and low 80’s. Dingy water seems
to work in favor of anglers who
like getting up close and person-
al with flipping sticks and a short
heavy line.
Dingy water filters light and
makes it a bit easier for angler to
slip up on the fish without spooking
them. However, in clear conditions
wise anglers adjust and lay back off
shorelines with their boat, making
long casts to shallow hideouts.
Using floating “fluke style” worms
works great when clear water is
present, as they don’t scare finicky
fish. The quiet and delicate presen-
tation is deadly for anglers who
know how to put a bait in the right
place with precision casting.
Same goes for some top water
jerk baits. Such popular selections
as Rapalas, Zara Spooks and similar
styled stick baits are not only deadly
but a joy to fish. Seeing placid wa-
ters erupt to the careful cadence of
a well- placed jerk bait walking the
dog around a bush is a heart stop-
per at times.
Loud clicking buzz baits and jerk
baits with blades have a time and
place too. Sometimes it’s tough to
wrestle a hefty bass out of thick cov-
er but it’s a challenge most anglers
yearn for.
When muddy or dingy water pres-
ents itself, it’s a flipping and pitch-
ing style paradise. Armed with a
stiff 7 foot or longer flipping stick
or perhaps a pitching stick with a
lighter tip can help the anglers put
the bait in tight spots that simply
couldn’t be reached by casting.
Stout line and a relatively heavy
lure such as a jig and craw, jig
and pig combo, or perhaps a Tex-
as rigged worm or lizard is deadly.
Putting the bait right on the nose
of finicky bass is the goal and buck
bushes are the target.
Watching an accomplished angler
hit the little pockets or tiny open-
ings of a buck bush is like watch-
ing an artist with his brush. Fishing
the buck bushes using flipping and
pitching techniques is not for the
faint of heart.
Snagging or wrapping a line
around twigs comes with the ter-
ritory. This style of fishing will test
your patience and sanity at times,
These two men are shown flipping into buck brush, during a bass tournament at Kentucky Lake.
Photo by Steve McCadams.

especially when battling a big bass
on a short line that has home court
advantage.
Losing a lot of fish is the norm,
but dragging one out is worth the
price of admission. Sometimes the
fish hold tight to cover. They might
not move or make any effort to
strike a bait unless it’s place right
smack dab on their nose.
Stalking the buck bushes can, at
times, be the only way to go. Some-
times you just have to break a few
eggs to make an omelet.
Whether pitching and flipping or
laying offshore tossing a spinnerbait
in an effort to cover a lot of terri-
tory, working the bushes it a tackle
tester. Anglers get a quick education
in knot tying and monofilament se-
lection. Some opt to go the braided
line route and manhandle their way
in and out of thick cover.
Knowing how to read the bush-
es is an art within itself. Some are
more productive than others at
times for a variety of reasons.
It may be just locating the bays,
pockets or islands
that harbor the
schools of bait
fish at times. Oth-
er times lake levels
and current can be
key factors.
For example,
bass may choose
a bush that’s up
shallow during
rising lake levels,
as the fish often follow the rise to
new territory.
Other times, the ones located on
steep bank shorelines are the most
productive, especially during falling
water scenarios. The fish may pull
out of shallow structure and favor
bushes on the outside next to deep
water, which gives them a short es-
cape route to deeper venues.
All bushes are not created equal.
That’s why logging a lot of time on
the lake and learning to eliminate
some shorelines is mandatory for
consistency.
Knowing what bushes produce
fish at certain lake levels takes time.
There’s no substitute for spending
a lot of time on the lake and not
only choosing the right colors and
lure selection, but knowing where
the fish are likely to be when lake
levels vary.
Beating the bushes is quite re-
warding, yet challenging at the same
time. It’s a great way to find the
winning stringer for a tournament,
or just find the winning combina-
tion for a great day of bass fishing.
Anglers only have a couple months
of adequate lake levels, so the win-
dow of opportunity is short…but
sweet!
Editor’s Note: Steve McCad-
ams if a professional guide
and outdoor writer from Par-
is, Tennessee.
Once you get a bass through the
gnarly roots of the buck brush– get
ready for some tail-walking action!

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By Rob Somerville
These micro and macro shifts
will shape the industry!
Smart producers keep mi-
cro and macro changes in their
mind’s eye because it allows them
to remain competitive. More flex-
ibility is needed moving forward,
says Richard Brock, president of
Brock Associates, a commodity
marketing service that identified
10 emerging themes in agricul-
ture in a recent report.
“One of our megatrends, possi-
bly understated, is the rap-
id adoption and impact of
automation technology,”
Brock notes.
Technology including
auto steer and plant ge-
netics could have a big ef-
fect this year as equipment
completes more work in
less time. Corn yields are
due for a breakthrough
year, something last seen
in 2004-05. Based on data
from breakthrough years
since 1990, yields could
range from 170.7 bu. per
acre to 185.8 bu. per acre,
well above the trend yield
of 162 bu. per acre.
As a result, harvest corn prices
have fallen to the $3-per-bush-
el range. For producers in some
states with record yields in ex-
cess of 250 bu. per acre, prices—
though painful—don’t look as
bad because of falling breakeven
prices.
These megatrends underscore
the fact that producers need to
be more flexible moving forward,
Brock says. “Farmers also need
a growth strategy to survive,” he
says. “Plan to grow by 6% per
year.” To succeed, they need to
examine risk management tools
and educate young producers,
Brock adds. In the past three
years, futures and options usage
fell, and those least likely to use
the tools are young producers,
who are used to corn priced $6
or higher, he says.
Niche markets with premiums
will accelerate, he says. Low-cost
producers will also have a place.”
in Agriculture
Top 10 Megatrends

Changes Producers Should
Watch Carefully
1. Shifting Farm Structure. A
large transfer of farm assets to
younger producers will occur
soon. The average farmer is 57
years old, and 30% are over 65.
A typical Midwest farm of 2,000
acres could conservatively be
worth $10 million, just including
land valued at $5,000 per acre.
The trend toward larger farms
will slow until it hits equilibrium.
2. Acceleration in
Technology. Data anal-
ysis in the years ahead
will supplement what
farmers know intui-
tively—and in some
cases challenge those
a s s u mp t i o n s . Ne w
products rely on aerial
satellite imagery, green-
ness sensors, soil maps
and millions of weather
data points. The ques-
tion of data ownership
will be a subject of growing de-
bate.
3. Biotechnology Strategy
Evolves. GMOs are here to stay
but face political and public re-
lations hurdles. In states such as
Vermont, where labels are re-
quired, implementation is expen-
sive. Yet some GMO advocates
back a federal labeling solution
that would halt state efforts. The
industry can benefit by helping
turn public opinion.
4. Specialization to
Continue. Agricul-
tural production is
becoming more spe-
cialized. In 1982, 35%
of all farms produced
corn, but in 2007
only 22% did because
of economies of scale,
technological ad-
vances and govern-
ment policy. Today,
farmers have diver-
sified with organics,
non-GMO products,
high-oleic soybeans
and high-starch corn.
5. Resource Scarcity.
More than 40% of the
food production increase since
1961 has been accomplished
through irrigation, but ground-
water supplies aren’t infinite.
Concerns have grown about the
Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies
30% of U.S. irrigation groundwa-
ter. If trends continue, the aquifer
will be 69% depleted, according
to one study. Climate change also
poses challenges. Scientists esti-
mate that for each 1.8°F increase

in temperature, key crop yields
drop 10%.
6. Changing Commodity En-
vironment. From 1980 to 2004,
the correlation of corn prices to
crude oil prices was 0.35. From
2005-13, that figure more than
doubled to 0.87. Other commod-
ities similarly illustrate the strong
relationship between energy and
crop prices. Future crop demand
growth appears less bullish than
in recent years because biofu-
els demand has “largely run its
course.” Although future demand
for soybean exports will remain
strong, China, which now buys
two-thirds of all soybeans traded,
has built its soybean stock levels
from virtually zero to 17.4% of
use. That will ease its import ap-
petite.
7. Meat Consumption Shift. U.S.
meat consumption declined 7.8%
from 2007-13. Meanwhile, China
has been the world’s top meat
consumer since 1992. By 2012,
China’s consumption more than
doubled that of the U.S. By 2022,
China’s red meat and poultry
consumption is projected to rise
15.2%. The U.S. likely will ship
more pork and fewer feed grains
to the country. That’s because it is
more cost-effective and efficient
for China to import finished
goods, a factor reflected in the
Shuanghui International acquisi-
tion of Smithfield Foods. Regard-
less, U.S. grains and oilseeds will
be needed by meat producers, as
total world red meat and poultry
demand is set to rise 15.1% from
2013-25.
8. Public Scrutiny of Livestock
Treatment. Consumer demand
and regulatory insistence on a
range of safeguards for raising
livestock in ways deemed sus-
tainable and humane are causing
rapid changes in the food sys-
tem. Large food companies and
supermarket chains are phasing
out the use of sow farrowing
crates from their supply chains.
The change also has been forced
by state legislation. Amid height-
ened consumer interest, trans-
parency can be a powerful tool:
Cargill, for instance, won over
some skeptics in 2011 by taking
reporter Lisa Ling on a tour of a
slaughterhouse in Fort Morgan,
Colo., as part of a segment for
“The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
9. Environmentalism’s Influence
Grows. From fertilizer to pesti-
cides, farmers have to be mind-
ful of a complex, growing web
of regulations. One of the fierc-
est battles is in the Chesapeake
Bay watershed. A judge ruled
in federal district court that an
agreement between the Environ-
mental Protection Agency and
six states to implement a total
maximum daily load (TMDL) of
pollutants fits within the frame-
work of the Clean Water Act.
Farm groups had sued to try and
stop implementation of the 2011
agreement, and they warn that
the ruling will have implications
nationwide.
10. Government Policy in Flux.
Successive administrations in the
U.S. and other countries have es-
tablished approaches to land use,
biofuels, GMOs and monetary
policy that seem likely to contin-
ue. The biggest change is likely to
occur in China, which is slowly
embracing GMOs. Chinese ac-
ceptance of GMOs for domestic
crops would go a long way toward
maintaining self-sufficiency and
potentially turn the country into
a net exporter.

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mahindraofkentenn.com

used the “Blue Stuff O’ Death” at
one time or another, especially
when first starting out. I’m not
hugely proud of it, but I did use
Miracle-Gro when I first started
gardening. I used it because Mira-
cle-Gro was all I knew at the time.
The problem with the Miracle-Gro
plague is you find it everywhere.
Walk into a Lowe’s, Home De-
pot, or Wal-Mart Garden Cen-
ter and the shelves are lined with
nothing but Miracle-Gro and
other synthetic fertilizers. This is
where most of us shop when look-
ing for gardening supplies, so it’s
easy to think that’s what you are
supposed to use. It’s not. Throw
those bottles of synthetic fertiliz-
ers away and opt for creating your
own organic compost, use earth-
worm castings, fish and seaweed
emulsions, and leaf mold instead.
In fact, if you use these amend-
ments you can reduce, or even
eliminate the need for fertilizers
all together. Your vegetable gar-
den will grow ten times better and
be far healthier.
Do Not Plant In Too Much Shade
Planting vegetables in a shady
area is a really big no-no. There
are a handful of veggies that do
not mind a little shade, such as
lettuces and peas, but most veg-
etables need at least six to eight
hours of direct sunlight in order
to thrive. Less than that and you
could end up with underperform-
ing plants.
Shade is something I battle with
every year because I have a huge
tree in my backyard. Luckily,
these trees shade a section of my
vegetable garden during the hot-
test times of the day – between 11
am and 4 pm.
Unfortunately, I planted my
first (and second) 100 sq. ft. gar-
den in complete shade. It resulted
in a rather disappointing outcome
growing only three tomatoes from
two plants, and two banana pep-
pers from one plant.
If you are starting your first veg-
etable garden make sure to watch
the sun throughout the season
to find the area that gets the best
sunlight. It’s better to check the
sunlight in the spring, summer,
and fall because what is sunny in
early spring might be shaded in
summer once the trees have filled
with leaves.
Do Not Forget to Amend the Soil
We are going to step back a
minute to compost. I mentioned
previously about using compost,
earthworm castings, and other or-
ganic amendments for your vege-
table garden. Amend Garden Soil
with Plenty of Compost. There’s
a saying in gardening that goes
something like this, “Feed the soil
so it feeds the plants”.
This is extremely important and
should be embedded in your gar-
dener brain. If you start out with
vibrant, healthy soil you will grow
vibrant, healthy plants.
Let me say that again. If you
start out with vibrant, healthy
soil you will grow vibrant, healthy
plants.
I just can’t say that enough.
Amending your soil in the spring,
throughout the season, and in the
fall with copious amounts of or-
ganic matter is the absolute best
thing you can ever do for your
garden. When it comes to com-
post and other soil amendments
you really want to pile it on. With
adding compost, more is better.
Do Not Over Water
Just like over fertilizing, over
watering is a very common mis-
take many gardeners make. When
I started my very first tomato
plant I watered that poor thing to
death – literally.
I would grab the water hose
and water and water and water.
Then, I’d water again. I did this
every single day because I thought
if I really socked the water to it
the plant would grow like gang-
busters. It did grow well …. for a
little while.
Then after a few weeks of the
water onslaught it all of a sud-
den died. I dug it up and took the
whole plant to a friend of mine
who told me it had root rot. I
had watered the thing so much
that the roots of the plant actu-
ally died.
Keep in mind that most vegeta-
bles need about an inch of water
per week. A good rule to remem-
ber is to keep the soil consistently
moist, but not soggy.
I like to use the “finger check”
method to see if a plant needs
water. Simply take your finer and
stick it in the soil about an inch
or two deep. If the soil feels dry
to the touch, water the plants. If
the soil feels moist, do not water

and re-check again the next day.
If you want to get fancy you can
purchase a soil moisture meter to
help determine whether the soil is
moist or not.
I always recommend mulching
around plants. You can use straw,
dried grass clippings, unfinished
compost, dried leaves, or non-col-
ored bark mulches as excellent
mulch for the vegetable garden.
A thick layer of mulch will help
conserve soil moisture and even
help keep weeds from getting out
of hand.
Do Not Plant Seedlings Too
Deep… Except Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the only vegetable
that you can actually plant deep.
I made the mistake of planting
some cucumbers deep so only the
top two leaves were above ground.
A week later, I was re-planting
cucumbers because the first two
died. Every vegetable except to-
matoes should be transplanted so
the soil line of the seedling is lev-
el with the soil line of the garden.
Tomatoes are the rare exception
because the tiny hairs found on
the stem of the plant will actually
form roots. Planting the tomatoes
deep will cause the plant to grow a
bigger, stronger root system.
So, when transplanting vegeta-
bles into the garden make sure to
keep the soil lines the same, ex-
cept for tomatoes.
Do Not Start Out Too Big
Once you get the gardening bug
it is difficult to restrain yourself
from wanting to go full bore and
plant an expansive vegetable gar-
den. The temptation is great. The
temptation was so great for me
that I went all out my third year of
gardening, and it was too much.
I was completely overwhelmed by
everything.
Keeping up with weeds, wa-
tering, mulching, tending to the
plants, trying to figure out what
bug was eating this and what’s
these yellow spots on the leaves,
and what do I do about this pow-
dery mildew ….on and on.
Stop the insanity! I was in way
over my head.
If you are just starting your first
garden resist the urge to plant
a huge garden right off the bat.
Start with a few easy plants like
tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green
beans, or lettuces.
Once you start getting com-
fortable growing those vegetables,
expand on to a couple more veg-
etables. As your experience and
confidence grows, start diving into
My beautiful wife carefully planned out exactly where each species of
plant and vegetable seed would go.

more difficult vegetable to grow,
like broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
Avoid growing a huge garden
during your first at-bat. Doing so
can lead to you becoming over-
whelmed and frustrated.
Do Not Use Broad Spectrum
Pesticides
Insect pests can be downright
trifling when they start their end-
less pursuit of destroying your
precious vegetables. You spend a
lot of time, blood, sweat, and tears
just for some little winged thing
to come along and mess it all up!
Spotted Cucumber Beetle. That’s
when it becomes far too easy to
run to Lowe’s and buy the most
potent pesticide known to man
and just start spraying it around
like Rambo. The problem with this
is that you may end up killing the
nasty insect that wreaking havoc,
but you are also killing the ben-
eficial insects like bees, ladybugs
and lacewings that might be vis-
iting your garden.
You could also be coating your
plants with the awful chemicals
and ingesting them later down the
road when you are enjoying that
first fresh salad from your garden.
Whenever you come across a
pest issue it is important to iden-
tify the culprit first. Once you
have the pest named then you can
come up with selective means of
deterring, or eliminating, the pest
from your garden. You want to
use a method that targets that pest
and that pest alone, so that you do
not harm any potential helpers in
your garden. Many times there is
an organic solution for dealing
with a pest that is much better
for the health of your garden, and
your family.
Bonus Tip: Do Not Step On
Seedlings
Not stepping on your seedlings
sounds simple enough, doesn’t
it? Once you get your vegetable
garden filled to the rim with new
plants it can actually be easy to ac-
cidentally step
on a plant be-
hind you. Well,
at least it’s easy
for me. While
planting my to-
matoes last sea-
son, I stepped
on a tomato.
I had just
finished trans-
planting a Cher-
okee Purple to-
mato and went
on to the next
spot to trans-
plant the next
tomato plant. I
kneeled down,
transplanted
the tomato, and
then took a couple steps back to
admire my newest member of the
garden.
CRUNCH!
I heard that all too familiar
sound of a stem breaking. I felt
a bit queasy. I swayed from the
dizziness. I was too scared to
look down to find what had made
that sickening sound. After a few
minutes of praying that I had not
done what I think I had done I
looked down. Sure enough, my
foot was on top of the Chero-
kee Purple I had just transplant-
ed, and it was in a couple pieces.
Luckily, I was able to salvage the
plant, but it goes without saying
to watch where you are stepping
while working in the garden.
Gardening can be fun and
watching your garden grow and
eating its bounty can bring you
happiness and a healthier lifestyle!
Four back-breaking hours later our garden was planted. Stay tuned for later results. Keeping
my fingers crossed.

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Do you remember the old folks’
song, “Way Down Yonder in the
Pawpaw Patch”? It harkens back
to an era when most of the South
and Midwest were much more
connected to the land. Just a few
generations ago many rural resi-
dents depended on hunting and
foraging to round out the food on
their family’s table. Hunting has
turned into a recreational sport
while foraging in the woods has
been displaced by supermarkets,
microwaves and increasing dis-
posable income. This displace-
ment has also caused a societal
loss of once treasured knowledge
that had been passed down gener-
ation to generation. Even if pro-
viding food for our table is not an
issue, this knowledge is still a part
of our shared history and worthy
of passing on to our kids.
My personal connection to this
heritage came through my moth-
er, who was reared in a log cabin,
in southern Indiana. She’s shared
countless stories of her parents
foraging in the woods for per-
simmons, berries, morel mush-
rooms, pokeweed and pawpaws.
I cherish every one of these sto-
ries and seek to keep each alive
through creating some of my own
to share with my family, friends
and now you! Today, I want to
tell the story of my recent expe-
rience with a fruit very few peo-
ple have ever heard of, let alone
eaten... a pawpaw. It’s a unique
fruit that’s native to my parents’
southern Indiana home and our
area of Tennessee. In fact, they
can be found in the forests of 26
states and as far north as Ontar-
io, Canada!
So, what is a pawpaw? A
pawpaw (scientific name: Asimi-
na Triloba) is the largest native
fruit found in the United States.
It’s tropical in aroma and flavor
and smells very much like a blend
of banana and mango. Over the
years it has acquired a few nick-
names including; wild banana,
Hoosier banana, poor man’s ba-
nana and banango! The fruit is
shaped very much like a large
bean measuring up to 6 inches
Pawpaws ready to eat! These are truly tropical fruit with a banana/mango
taste and custard like flesh that’s best eaten with a spoon! Photo by author
By Kevin Griffith
Pawpaws

in length and up to 3 inches in
diameter. When ripe, the flesh is
yellow, custard like and contains
8 or more large brown lima bean
shaped seeds that can be from 1/2
to 1 and 1/2 inches long.
Native American Indians were
the first to recognize the value of
the pawpaw. Besides eating them
raw, Indians dried the fruit into
cakes, mashed the flesh with wa-
ter to make a sauce and used it as
a sweetener for cornbread. One
of the companions of Hernando
de Soto during his 1540 Span-
ish expedition up the Mississip-
pi even observed Indians tend-
ing and cultivating the trees. 200
years later, settlers moved across
the Appalachians and incorporat-
ed the fruit into their diet. Paw-
paws even sustained the Lewis
& Clark expedition when their
provisions ran low on their re-
turn trip through the wilderness
of western Missouri.
There was a good chance the
woods on our family farm near
Dyersburg, Tennessee contained
pawpaw trees. After hearing my
mom’s stories, I just had to find
this fruit to experience the unique
taste myself. After identifying the
tree’s appearance, I found hun-
dreds of trees! But alas, no fruit.
It turns out, there’s more to find-
ing pawpaw fruit than just find-
ing the trees. I had been looking
for trees in the wrong places!
Even though pawpaw trees grow
well in the forest understory and
in fact need protective shade in
their vulnerable early years, a
pawpaw tree will not bloom or
bear fruit until they have extend-
ed direct sunlight.
Once I learned that, I fo-
cused my search along the tree
line and broken canopy areas
within the woods. The follow-
ing spring, I discovered many
blooming pawpaw trees and I
was excited! Maybe now I would
find some fruit! Checking back
on these trees in mid-summer
I found a few small green orbs
growing randomly among the
branches. It was nowhere close to
the number of blooms I had seen
in the spring, but there were baby
pawpaws!
As fall approached I anxious-
ly monitored the growing fruit,
awaiting a new experience. Then
harvest day arrived! My excite-
ment soon turned to disappoint-
Pawpaw blooms come out early in the spring, before most trees have leafed out. Their downward facing blooms give
out a faint rotting flesh aroma in the hopes of attracts flies for pollination. Photo courtesy of Bravebrownbag.com

ment as I inspected the trees to
find that many of the fruit that
made it through summer had
been harvested the night before!
It turned out I wasn’t the only
one waiting for them to ripen.
Forest inhabitants beat me to
them! However, I wasn’t ready to
surrender! I thoroughly checked
over every tree and eventually
found a small handful of fruit my
competitors had missed. It was
just enough to taste and share
with my family… and I loved
them!
By the following fall I had lo-
cated a huge pawpaw tree that
was loaded with fruit. Now I was
faced with a different problem.
Pawpaws don’t have a long shelf
life! In fact, they taste best eaten
ripe off the tree. The fruit devel-
ops an unpleasant aftertaste after
only a day of two of setting out
on the counter. Now we pulp
and freeze any pawpaw not con-
sumed the same day in one cup
portions to use in recipes. So, I
bet you’re thinking, “What can
we make with this native fruit?”
A LOT! I found several websites
with recipes with the most ex-
tensive one being www.pawpaw.
kysu.edu/pawpaw/recipes.htm.
During my research I also dis-
covered that many of the dis-
tinct tropical components of the
pawpaw flavor will dissipate in
high heat. Thus, breads, pies and
ice cream recipes work best. My
mother has been experimenting
with pawpaws in place of bananas
in breads. She discovered that to
obtain her desired “moist” result
an additional portion of pawpaw
pulp is required.
After getting hooked on the
flavor of the pawpaw, I wanted to
find ways to encourage the rest
of my blooming trees to produce
more fruit. I didn’t want my sup-
ply to be dependent on one mon-
ster tree! My first question on this
quest… why did only a few of
the blooms end up turning into
fruit on the smaller and medium
sized trees? One reason was that
the larger the tree the greater re-
sources it has to devote to fruit
production. That explained why
my monster tree could carry so
many fruit to ripeness. But, it
didn’t explain why so many of
the smaller blooming trees only
randomly put on any fruit at all.
It turns out their main challenge
is pollination.
The pawpaw’s unusual up-
side-down blooms are not polli-
nated by bees, but by flies. Rather
than having a sweet nectar aro-
ma, a pawpaw bloom radiates a
faint rotting flesh smell that is
only marginally effective at at-
tracting flies. My large productive
tree was located next to a coun-
try road, across from a farm field
and near running water. Lots of
insects were in the area includ-
ing flies! Well… maybe I could
help attract flies to the blooming
Pawpaw fruit only weeks away from harvest. Notice the large, magnolia type leaves. They’re unique and a
great give-a-way when out looking for pawpaw trees! Photo by author

trees that weren’t in such an ide-
al location! My mind immediate-
ly recalled the fly covered bod-
ies of dead fish I had seen along
the beaches of Florida after a red
tide. Why couldn’t I use fish?
Maybe even hang a few dead fish
among the pawpaw tree branch-
es? I know that may sound a little
crazy, but it’s not without prece-
dent. Believe it or not, commer-
cial pawpaw orchards (Yes, there
actually are commercial pawpaw
orchards!) hang rotting meat
in their trees to attract flies for
bloom fertilization. So, maybe my
idea would work!
Gathering fish would not be a
problem. Besides the lake, we had
multiple ponds on the farm. Af-
ter partially filling a bucket, I cut
short sections of wire, threaded
one through the gills and out the
mouth of each fish, twisted the
loops shut and fashioned a hook
with what was left. I ended up
with slimy and soon to be stinky
Christmas type ornaments to dec-
orate my pawpaw trees!
All seemed to go well. I hug my
fish and the flies arrived. How-
ever, when I made my rounds
two days later most of the fish
were gone and some of the trees
were damaged. Apparently, flies
weren’t the only animals the rot-
ting fish attracted! I gathered an-
other round of fish, but this time
I used a long stick to hook the
aquatic ornaments much higher
in the trees and out of the reach
of most animals. This time the
fish were left mostly unmolested
and the flies filled the air.
Soon after I finished my stinky
fish project, I was scouring the
internet and discovered anoth-
er method to maximize paw-
paw production on The Califor-
nia Rare Fruit Growers website
(https://crfg.org/wiki/fruit/paw-
paw/). Below is a pull quote:
“Bees show no interest in
pawpaw flowers. The task of pol-
lenization is left to unenthusias-
tic species of flies and beetles. A
better solution for the home gar-
dener is to hand pollinate, using a
small, soft artist’s brush to trans-
fer pollen to the stigma. Pollen is
ripe for gathering when the ball
of anthers is brownish in color,
loose and friable. Pollen grains
should appear as small beige-col-
ored particles on the brush hairs.
The stigma is receptive when the
tips of the pistils are green, glossy
and sticky, and the anther ball is
firm and greenish to light yellow
in color.”
Hand pollinate… Why didn’t I
think of that! At least that would
maximize production from the
low hanging blooms. The web-
site also mentions that pawpaw
blooms require pollen from ge-
netically different trees, meaning
not the same tree or one that has
sprouted from one of its suckers.
Next year I plan to use a com-
bination of hand pollination for
the reachable blooms and my
stinky fish ornaments in taller
trees. Bottom line, I’m hooked
on pawpaws. But, more than that,
I’m committed to find memora-
ble ways to pass down our coun-
try heritage to later generations.
And, I hope I’ve inspired you to
do the same.
This pawpaw tree is full of blooms, along with a few random flies drawn
in by the slimy fish ornament we hung among its branches. (See the fish
silhouette near bottom of picture.) Photo by author

Time is an interesting concept.
It never stops, slows down, or
wanders. What does change is
the course of the future by the
way we act today. Everything we
do impacts the future. Whether
that be brushing our teeth every
day, planting a tree, picking up
trash, or even releasing turkeys
to new habitat.
The year was 2005, and I was
asleep in the back seat of a Chevy
pickup headed to Clarksville, Ten-
nessee to trap and relocate wild
turkeys back to Dyer County. At
that moment I wasn’t aware of
the impact that day and others
would have on our area. This day
was set into motion several years
prior, and I credit the success to
our local National Wild Turkey
Federation (NWTF) chapters’
hard work, and diligence in its
conservation efforts and it could
not have been possible without
the cooperation and teamwork
with the Tennessee Wildlife Re-
source Agency (TWRA).
After we arrived at the trap site
in Clarksville, daybreak hit and
here came the turkeys. We were
in the midst of a very nice sub-
division and the turkeys actual-
ly walked between houses, across
the street, and finally around a
playground set to get to the bait
site. BOOM! The cannon shot off,
propelling the nets into the air
and trapping the birds in a flash.
We jumped out of the truck and
ran down in a mad dash to secure
the nets. It was a rush! We had
a successful cannon shot, and in
the nets were sixteen hens, and
one gobbler. This would be a per-
fect start to a new flock for land
barren of turkeys. We then pre-
pared to start the journey back to
West Tennessee.
Once we arrived back at our
release sight, people were ev-
erywhere, prepared to watch the
release! If I remember correct-
ly, there were close to 30 people
in attendance to watch and take
pictures. Local papers were even
present to share the experience
with the public. After everything
was in line, we then started re-
leasing the birds one by on.
The gobbler that rewarded us of our efforts thirteen years later, at the
same site we relocated turkeys at. Photo by author
Getting Involved
in ConservationBy Sam Bradshaw

Luckily for me I was able to
open a box and watch a hen fly
out to her new home. It was an
unbelievable experience that I
will not soon forget.
That day was memorable since
I was there to experience it, but
there were also three other days
that turkeys were released in this
same scenario at other locations.
One other release site was a
tract of land my family owns. Pri-
or to the release there had only
been one turkey sighting in over
25 years of my family owning
the land. We had an agreement
with the NWTF chapter not to
hunt the turkeys for a minimum
of three years in hopes to build a
sustainable flock. It worked. In a
big way! After the second spring
hatch on our farm, it was evi-
dent turkeys were meant to roam
in those hills. To this day there
are still turkeys gobbling every
spring. Since moving home from
College I have noticed just how
much these birds have spread
into adjacent properties. Which
puts a smile on my face knowing
our efforts from over a decade
ago are still flourishing to this
day. Now I’d like to share what
sparked my interest for sharing
this story.
By mentioning the NWTF and
our local chapter, the Forked
Deer Longbeards, one person
comes to mind, Mike Sentell. He
is the main reason that all of this
even got started. Luckily for me
he let me tag along with him ev-
ery spring until I was old enough
to drive teaching me everything
he knew about turkeys, and tur-
key hunting. For the past sever-
al years we have both been go-
ing different ways during turkey
season, hunting various different
locations, but this year I want-
ed us to share at least one hunt
together.
I especially wanted us to at-
tempt to harvest a turkey on the
farm we released those turkeys
on thirteen years prior. Late one
afternoon, in April of 2018, I had
just enough time to run over to
the farm and attempt to roost
a gobbling turkey. Fortunately
for us after about ten minutes of
owl hooting, coyote howling, and
gobbling, I managed to have one
respond letting me know his lo-
cation. Instantly I picked up the
phone to see if he could go the
next morning. Luckily he could
make it, and the weather was
perfect.
The author {as a young teen} is pictured here releasing a wild hen turkey in 2005 in Dyer County.
Photo courtesy of the Dyersburg State Gazette

Daylight came and we were set
up above the gobbler on the same
ridge. This was a perfect setup for
everything we thought we knew
about turkey hunting. Wrong.
He went straight down the hill
and away from us, gobbling every
step, right to where I had gobbled
the evening before!
After we made a slight move
in our setup, we prepared to wait
him out. After an hour of call-
ing back and forth, he came to
give us a look. If there has ever
been a perfect turkey hunt, this
was it. The bird approached us
directly in the sun while in full,
strut gobbling every few minutes.
Once he moved inside twenty
yards, the show was over after
the gun went off. I’ll never for-
get the first words out of Mike’s
mouth, “Don’t get no better than
that, does it?” While we were very
excited by the hunt we just ex-
perienced, and I did fully agree,
I believe what “don’t get no bet-
ter” is men and women being in-
volved in conservation efforts in
the outdoors.
To be blunt,
I’m not sure ex-
actly what each
individual read-
er will pick up
from this article.
That’s for each
of you to decide.
But, if there is
a light bulb in
your mind for
conservation, I
hope that it’s burning bright. My
purpose is to encourage each of
you to participate and take time
to get involved with conservation
groups such as the NWTF. There
are tons of different groups to
join, and each is very beneficial in
today’s world. We are losing hab-
itat daily, and each day there are
more and more people who are
against the hunting lifestyle. Will
Primos says it best, and says it of-
ten, “You protect what you love.”
Take the time, and get involved!
The annual Jakes Day {2017} held by our NWTF chapter of Dyer County hosts 200+ children each year for a
day of learning about the outdoors and wild turkeys.

RECOMMENDED PLACES TO VISIT
STUMP JUMPERS BAR & GRILL
& MAGNOLIA CAMPGROUND
ON REELFOOT LAKE!
The husband and wife team of Mike & Vickie Alford had a dream.
They wanted to build a high class, neighborhood bar and restaurant,
with an adjoining campground on Reelfoot Lake, with Vicky being the
boss lady.
After months of hard work and thousands of dollars in construction
their dream came true in what is now called Stump Jumpers, which is
appropriately named for the thousands of stumps that fishermen and
hunters must avoid, when boating on the Quake Lake.
Stump Jumpers has a unique maritime theme, and the rustic log walls
and bar transport customers back to the days of the high seas, up to and
including an eight foot tall Captain Morgan that greets you at the door.
A state of the art lighting and music system, compliments Dee Jay
Mike as he spins everything from country ballads to popular dance mu-
sic, to customers belting out their favorite karaoke songs.
They serve delicious and unique meals, such as the best burgers in
town, {10 oz. rib-eye steaks while they last} and wood fired pizza along
with the coldest and most affordable beers, and liquor by the drink, as
well. They are open on Fridays 5:00 pm to 1:00 am and Saturday from
4:00 pm to 1:00 am or later. I have visited Stump Jumpers many times
and highly recommend it to both locals and visitors to the Reelfoot Lake
area. They are located at 3060 Hwy 21 East, in Tiptonville, Tennessee.
For more information, call Vickie Alford at 731-676-2951.
- Rob Somerville
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
VISIT MISSISSIPPI NOW!
JUNE 2: 6th Annual National Trails Day “Less Litter More Beauty Hike” Tish. State Park
JUNE 4: Fishing Experience ~JP Coleman State Park
JUNE 9: Rockin on the River Boats Festivial~ Eastport 662-279-0538
JUNE 9: Motorcycle Ride and Fundraiser~Burnsville Fire Dept. 662-427-9526
JUNE 23: Picnic in the Park~Tish. State Park
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SEPTEMBER 14-15: Needle Chasers Quilt Show~Iuka Baptist Church
SEPTEMBER 8: Bear Creek Festival & Car Show~Belmont 662-454-3381
SEPTEMBER 22: Waterway Festival & Car Show~Burnsville 662-427-9526
SEPTEMBER 29-30: FLW/BFL MS Division Tournament ~JP Coleman State Park
OCTOBER 5-6: Trash & Treasures along the Tenn-Tom Waterway~ County- wide 662-423-0051
OCTOBER 6: Celebration of Hispanic Culture, Food and Music~Tish. State Park
OCTOBER 11: 32nd Annual Fall Fling for the Young at Heart~Tish. State Park
OCTOBER TBA: Iuka Elementary School Fall Festival 662-279-1244
OCTOBER 27: Halloween in the Park~JP Coleman State Park
NOVEMBER TBA: Annual Celebration Festival-FCR/Crow’s Neck~Paden 662-438-7727
DECEMBER 1: Santa in the Park, 1:00-4:00, Tish. State Park
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DECEMBER TBA: Dickens Christmas~Downtown Iuka
1001 BATTLEGROUND DR. - IUKA, MISSISSIPPI - 38852
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I made one quick cast into the
eddy and a smallmouth took the
buzz bait the instance it hit the
water. Fish for smallmouth bass
long enough and you develop a
second sense of where they are
hanging out.
Early summer is prime time for
floating Tennessee’s smaller riv-
ers and pursuing smallmouth
bass, or as we call them smallies.
While catfish and largemouth
bass are top choices on larger riv-
ers, you should consider fishing
some of Tennessee’s smaller riv-
ers for this feisty member of the
black bass family.
Anglers in West Tennessee have
limited opportunities to catch
smallmouth bass. Smallies are in
the Tennessee River, but the best
place to catch them are small-
er rivers with small equipment.
Smallmouth bass are not found
in the rivers within the Missis-
sippi River floodplain because
of sand and silt bottoms. Small-
mouth bass prefer rocky and
gravel streams which makes the
Buffalo River a good destination.
If you are new to little river
smallmouth fishing, the best way
to get after them is wading, or
floating in either kayak or canoe.
My favorite method is in a kayak,
because they are capable of float-
ing in shallow water, sometimes
as little as four to five inches. The
two styles of kayaks are sit in and
sit on top. Maneuvering and han-
dling is simple especially if you
are an old canoe hand. If not, it
just takes a little practice and it’s
well worth it.
West Tennessee anglers will
find the Buffalo River a good
choice, because this stream is
lined with limestone and gravel,
all of which are perfect for small-
mouth. The underlying limestone
increases production of insects,
crayfish, and min-
nows and all are
primary foods for
smallies.
Floating lit-
tle rivers is read-
ing water. Fish-
ing a lake, you
watch for bushes,
tree tops, or sub-
merged logs. It’s
the same on small
rivers, but take
note of currents.
Learn to identify
a riffle, a chute, a
slide, and a pool.
Each of these nat-
ural features hold
The author is pictured here with a nice Buffalo River Smallmouth that he caught on a
buzzbait. Photo by author
Kayaking for Smallmouth
Bass
By Richard Hines

smallmouth but the size of fish
may vary. Riffles seem most pro-
ductive due to large numbers
of insects, darters, and crayfish.
Larger smallmouth hang out im-
mediately below riffles waiting for
food to float by.
Eddies or whirlpools form along
the sides of riffles and as you float
through, so get ready for a quick
cast into the eddy. Larger small-
mouth will station themselves
along these spots because food is
continually flowing by them. Ad-
ditionally, these eddies are next to
still water, enabling smallmouth
to sit motionless without expend-
ing energy.
Fast flows of riffles will push
you through quickly and you will
only have time for one cast be-
fore the current pushes you into
the pool. Fast accurate casting is
a must and if you have not per-
fected your casting skills, fishing
a stream will test your limits. But,
one cast is all you need if you lay
your bait into the right pocket of
still water.
As you drift into the pool be-
low the riffle, try to stay on the
side. Normally you might want
to fish the banks but pay atten-
tion to bubble trails or drift lines
winding down the pool. Called
a seamline, it’s where currents
run through the pool creating a
source of food. The bubbles and
leaves moving along the pool are
your casting locations. Small-
mouth suspend along seams just
as bass are waiting in eddies.
Watch for logs and debris that
washed in during previous floods.
If it appears fresh, a couple of
casts is enough, but old treetops
that have been in place for years
are worth a few more attempts.
Chutes are generally a side
channel where the water has been
diverted. The current is swift and
not worth too many casts. These
sites don’t provide a lot of cover,
because fish must expend more
energy hanging out here.
A slide is a wide area with swift
water. The elevation slopes down
enough for the water to pick up
velocity and again slides are hard-
er to fish for the same reason.
Riffles are characterized by piles
of rocks where water is flowing
around drops. For the most part
I concentrate my efforts on riffle,
You don’t have to have a kayak or canoe to catch smallmouth bass, wading
is another great way to fish small rivers. Photo by author

pools or the lower side of chutes
and slides.
I keep two rods rigged and I am
constantly switching. The Strike
King Mini Spin is my go to bait
for most smallmouth streams.
Surface baits are very effective
on the Buffalo and a buzz bait
or the Rebel Popper both got
results. The Rebel Crawfish is a
top choice. Keep several colors
and rotate through them. In-line
spinners, such as a Rooster Tail
are effective, and we caught lots
of sunfish on these as well as bass.
I fish ultra-lite rods with 4-pound
test, but 6-pound is also good, if
fishing in slightly murky or col-
ored water. When fishing plastic
lizards or worms my third rod is
a medium action spinning reel
with 8-pound test. It’s perfect
for throwing weedless rigs into
brush.
Where to go is always a ques-
tion and you will find numerous
put-in locations along the Buffa-
lo River. If you don’t own a ca-
noe or a kayak, consider renting
one at local canoe liveries. Last
year, we hired Bones Canoe and
Campground in Hurricane Mills
to shuttle our personal kayaks.
Normally a five mile stretch of
water may only take a couple of
hours to float but if you are fish-
ing, plan on five or six hours to
intensively fish the same stretch
of water.
I sometimes paddle back up
though a productive pool to fish
a second time or after floating
through a fast slide or chute I
pull over and walk back upstream
to fish. Although the water is
swift, there are occasionally pock-
ets to the side that may hold
smallmouth.
For their size, smallmouth bass
are an extremely aggressive fish
and if you have never experi-
enced small stream smallmouth
bass fishing give it a try this sum-
mer. You’ll find there’s not a bet-
ter way to spend a summer day.
This hefty smallmouth bass is chasing an undersized rubber bait on an ultralight line and pole.

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Obion is a Chickasaw word
meaning “Many Prongs”. This
name was given to the area of
Northwestern Tennessee long be-
fore the river of the same name
existed. There was a large lake of
flooded timber that was known
as the “Obion Lake”. After years
of development by settlers, and
channelazation in the mid-nine-
teen hundreds, the river formed,
as we know it today. The river
has four forks and serves as the
main runoff for this area. When
the heavy spring rains fall the
riverbanks swell and the current
moves swiftly. During dryer times
such as summer, the river has
a slow steady current that me-
anders down to empty into the
Mississippi River at the Dyer and
Lauderdale county line.
This Year’s First Trip
I checked several different areas
of the main channel of the riv-
er and found the water was still
muddy and the current was too
swift for my canoe. I decided to
fish one of my spots that I usually
fished when the winds were high.
It is one of the many large bod-
ies of water that the river floods
when it is high. This helps to keep
it stocked.
The morning started off cool
but clear. The sun would defi-
nitely help to warm things up as
it moved higher in the sky.
I made sure I had all my gear
loaded before I slid my canoe into
the water, then I paddled out to
where I was going to set the first
of four groups of noodle lines.
The Set
There are many different baits
people use for catfishing. I gener-
ally stick with two. I like to use
as my number one bait; a good,
fat nightcrawler. My other bait is
bait shrimp. I like to thread the
crawler on the hook then put a
piece of the bait shrimp on the
barb. This gives the fish a white
visual attractant in murky water.
My set is generally from five to
seven lines. With the water still
being so cool, I figured a good
depth would be from 9 to 12 feet.
I baited them up and dropped
them. Then I headed for my next
spot to repeat the process. I fin-
ished up with four sets of lines
that was spread out in areas that
I had caught fish before. I could
only hope the sun and warming
temperature would bring the fish
in hungry and ready to bite. Now
it was time to wait.
The First Check
In between checks, I will fish
with my rod and reel, or if the
time is right, I jig around the
Obion is a Chickasaw word
meaning “Many Prongs”. This
name was given to the area of
Northwestern Tennessee long be-
fore the river of the same name
existed. There was a large lake of
flooded timber that was known
loaded before I slid my canoe into
the water, then I paddled out to
where I was going to set the first
of four groups of noodle lines.
being so cool, I figured a good
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The author begins his trek, kayaking along the Obion River.
Photo by author.
By Richard A. Fagan

banks for crappie. It was still too
early for crappie to be in the shal-
lows so I spent about and hour
and a half throwing a four inch
plastic worm for bass. Nothing
at all was hitting. This didn’t give
me much hope for my lines.
I paddled back and checked
my sets. Several hooks had to be
re-baited which made me believe
there were either some small “bait
stealers” at work or the fish were
there and just not biting hard. Af-
ter taking care of my lines, I de-
cided to occupy my time between
my next check another way. There
was an area at the back bank
that went for about two hundred
yards before it opened up to a
large field. I paddled there and
banked my canoe.
A Short Hike
I hung my camera over my neck
and started looking for any thing
interesting. Something caught my
eye. Just off the edge of the field
located about thirty yards inside
the woods was an old planter. It
was all metal and appeared to
have been used during the time
when tractors were a new inven-
tion. Looking at this seeder made
me wonder who had used it. While
people take old equipment like this
and use them for yard decorations,
this one had spent the years in the
quietness of these woods.
After taking a few pictures I
moved to the edge of the woods
and scanned it for any wildlife
that might be out warming in the
sun feeding. There was nothing to
be seen. The field was covered in
yellow mustard weed, as so many
were this time of the year that had
not been plowed. I took a few pic-
tures of the field and headed back
to my boat.
Fish On
The first set was still floating with
no movement. I pulled the lines
and checked them. They were still
baited, so I dropped them back and
headed for the next set. Before I
got to the set I could see one of the
noodles dancing around. I hooked
the noodle and paddled over to the
bank. It is much easier handling
even an average size fish at the
bank where you are stable than to
take a chance getting off balance
and ending up cold and wet. The
fish was fair size. The size we call
in this area “good eat’n”, between
3 and 5 pounds. This fish appeared
to be close to four pounds.
My next set of lines yielded the
same results; one fish that was
smaller, but still a keeper. I now
had two nice catfish, which tech-
nically could be called a “mess of
fish”.
This antique planter made me wonder about the pristine “good old days”
in the history of the Obion River. Photo by author.
This field of yellow buttons added color to the serene beauty of the Obion
River area. Photo by author.

I moved on to my last set and
found it empty. It did appear that
things were getting better as it
warmed up. It was still early and
I figured I could run my lines a
few more times. I paddled back
to my truck to grab a bite to
eat and to put the fish in my
big cooler.
I sat on my tailgate and en-
joyed the classic fisherman’s
lunch. A double stacked balo-
ney and cheese sandwich, beanie
weenies, chips and a soda. I lis-
tened to my radio as it gave the
weather report. Rain and thun-
derstorms would be moving in
by early afternoon. I decided to
pull my lines on the next run
and call it a day.
At my next to the last set I
found two of my noodles doing
the dance. Both fish were keep-
ers and now gave me a respect-
able “mess”. I had figured my
first fishing trip would be more
or less a check of my equip-
ment. This catch was an added
and welcome bonus.
In Closing
I loaded my canoe and gear
and headed for home. This trip
was the perfect thing to get me in
the fishing mode. I also got some
good pictures. The WMA’s and
rural landscape along the Obion
River system offer some of the
best photo opportunities for cap-
turing the beauty of this region.
I’ve already set my sights on
my next trip. That will be to
float one of the channels with
my lines and hopefully enjoy the
bright sunshine, warm weather
and dancing noodles.
Thanks and remember wear
your life-vest. R.A. Fagan
This is one of the “mess of catfish” the author caught during his adven-
ture on the Obion River. Photo by author.
One of my catfish noodles standing straight up and swimming away,
showing me “ole whiskers” was on the line. Photo by author.

When I fish I tend to find myself
locked in on routines, but when
pursuing spring bass you better
have a selection of soft baits, spin-
ner baits and crank baits handy.
Early spring bass are aggressive,
finnicky and it seems they can
have an attitude change at the
drop of dime.
I have fished numerous lakes
from East Tennessee to West
Tennessee and while physical
characteristics of lakes and condi-
tions are obviously different in the
deep clear lakes of the east verses
the shallow waters of west, one
thing remain consistent. Spring
bass act similar. Bass are coming
out of the depths where they have
spent a lot of time reserving en-
ergy over the past winter and are
now ready to eat and spawn.
My normal routine also seems
to adjust colors of baits accord-
ing to water color regardless of it
being clear or murky water, I al-
ways start with spinner baits. It’s
always been my go-to bait. My
first stop will always start with
working banks, and depending on
where I am fishing, I try to stage
myself where there are drop-offs
along banks. These fall lines are
where bass will be staging for
the annual change from deep to
shallow water, so my routine has
always been throwing spinner
baits and alternating with crank
baits. The “do it today and not
tomorrow” attitude of spring bass
makes it dif-
ficult to find
one thing
that works.
One thing
I never hesi-
tate to do is
learn what
I can from
o t h e r a n -
glers. A cou-
ple of years
back, while
I was attend-
ing the Ten-
nessee Out-
door Writers
Conference,
I had an op-
portunity get
in a couple
of days of
early spring
fishing with
a local fish-
ing guide by
the name of
J.B. King.
King spends most of his time
on Dale Hollow Lake and as a re-
sult knows the lake like the back
of his hand. In addition to guid-
ing on Dale Hollow he also guides
Spring Bass
J.B. King knows plastics are a top bait for fishing in early
spring runouts.
By Richard Hines

on Lake Cumberland, which is
just north of Dale Hollow in Ken-
tucky. King also branches out on
other Tennessee Lakes through-
out the year, including Old Hick-
ory and Kentucky Lake. As King
and I were fishing he provided
me with some good insight into
some methods that have helped
him win or place in bass tourna-
ments both on and away from his
home lake.
“Early spring is a prime time to
fish for bass; be it largemouth or
smallmouth,” King said, “during
early the early spring months of
March and April, jerk baits are
very effective on both smallmouth
and largemouth bass”.
Like most anglers King also
focuses on runouts coming
into lakes. This
spring has been
rainy, and these
are hotspots for
catching large-
m o u t h a n d
smallmouth.
Immediately af-
ter a rain there
is a tremendous
amount of de-
bris washing into
the lake from the
surrounding for-
est and all this
mud and debris
is loaded with
potential food
for bass. These
r u n o u t s a r e
dumping insects
that smaller fish
eat, not to men-
tion an occa-
sional salaman-
der, making it a
go to place for bass. That’s why
King uses a lot of plastic baits at
these locations. “I really fish plas-
tic baits such as Finesse Worms”.
Fish that go to these runouts will
eat anything that looks edible.
Don’t overlook crank baits such
as a Rattletrap or Bombers,” King
added, “if you are fishing plastics
throw the bait as far up into the
running water as you can, let it
flow with the water, so it pushes
it along. In most cases any natural
food that is being washed into the
lake will be going with the flow,
so try to keep your bait within the
same flow.”
Jerk baits are hot for small-
mouth bass after they have spent
the winter in the depths and they
are ready to start eating vora-
ciously. When casting these baits,
fish seem to hit on the pause so
alternate your jerks about every
20 to 30 seconds. These baits also
seem to work a little better if the
water has a slight chop. I think
the chop may help break up the
pattern just enough to make it
difficult for bass to see details on
the bait. Two of my go-to favorite
jerk baits are made by Smithwick
Here is expert guide – J.B. King with a Dale Hollow
Lake smallmouth.
Here is a typical runout to seek out that attracts both largemouth and
smallmouth bass in early spring.

and Rapala.
Which crankbaits to use de-
pends on water depth. In east-
ern lakes the deeper the better,
and if the water shifts from clear
to murky, try going a little dark-
er on lure color. Lipless crank-
baits also work well by throw-
ing around flooded buttonbush.
Brighter colors such as chartreuse
will get their attention as well in
murky water.
If you are fishing parallel along
long steep banks King said, “I like
using umbrella rigs”.
Exactly which of these baits to use
depends on water temperature.
Basically, water temperatures
should help you decide which lure
to start with. King said, “When
water temperatures are in the 49
to 54 degree range it’s a perfect
time to use jerk baits. However, as
water temperature moves above
56 degrees you may find jerk baits
less effective. At this time move to
crankbaits or worms.”
One thing for sure, spring bass
are changing daily and if you are
going to consistently catch good
fish you need to be persistent and
be able to change daily.
While most folks will be heading
to Kentucky, Barkley and other
large lakes over the region, don’t
overlook smaller lakes found on
state parks, national wildlife ref-
uges, and TWRA Wildlife Man-
agement Areas. Applying some
of these techniques on any of the
smaller lakes will increase your
success.
If you have always wanted to
fish some of Tennessee’s deeper
lakes, why not give it try. I would
suggest calling J. B. King at 931-
864-3963. He is currently booking
trips on Dale Hollow.
Don’t overlook small state WMA
or Federal Refuge lakes for quality
early spring bass fishing. This fish
was caught at South Cross Lake
near Dover, Tennessee.

TRADITIONS TIPS - with Richard A. Fagan
1. Tic-tac boxes make great containers to store small weights.
2. Spam {lunch meat} makes a good catifsh bait, is easy to store
and also makes a good sandwich.
4. Use some ready-mix concrete, a hook, and a 2 liter soda bottle
to make an affordable boat anchor
3. When night fishing use a small led light. They can be
purchased at most all fishing supply stores.
5. A floating fishing lure can make a great keychain and will keep
keys afloat if dropped overboard. Remove treble hooks.
Editor’s note: all photos and graphics are provided by the author.
If you wish to submit a “TIP” send emails to rafagan59@hotmail.com.

731-285-1154 2100 Pioneer Road
Forcum Lannom Materials
Here yesterday, today and tomorrow.

MOTOTRBO™ Linked Capacity Plus
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easy-to-use system, then Linked Capacity Plus is your cost-effective solution.
Leveraging advanced repeater software, it is available in both single-site and
wide-area configurations.
Whether crews need to talk to each other in the field or back at the office or they
need to use data applications such as text messaging, location tracking or work
order tickets, Linked Capacity Plus makes their work safer and their work day more
productive.
WEST TENNESSEE
COMMUNICATIONS
1295 HWY 51 S BYPASS
DYERSBURG, TN - 38024
731-286-6275
WWW.WETEC.COM
PERFECT FOR:
FARMING, CONSTRUCTION,
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OWNER: BILL RAY
BILL’S PRODUCE

WE BUY, SELL & TRADE FOR VINTAGE:
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FREE APPRAISALS OF YOUR
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52 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MAY - JUNE 201852 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MAY - JUNE 2018
Hunter Thorne proved why he was named
Hunter, as he killed his first buck, a nice
8-pointer, while hunting with his dad.
Photo courtesy of Lankford Taxidermy
The beautiful fishergal, Sharon Ray,
with a perfect “eatin’ size” bass
caught at a local honeyhole.
Trophy room regular, Robert “DOC” Jackson,
with another huge smallmouth he caught at
Pickwick Lake last month.

MAY - JUNE 2018 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 53MAY - JUNE 2018 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 53
One year old – Paisley Page is overjoyed with Caleb Page’s
1st buck harvest!Photo courtesy of Lankford Taxidermy
Caleb Page with his second buck from last
season,
harvested in Huntingdon, Tennessee.
Colton Ulmstead showed just what a very deter-
mined turkey hunter will go through to get a 24lb.
gobbler with an 8” beard.

TWRA LAUNCHES NEW ELK
CAM FROM HATFIELD KNOB
VIEWING AREA
The Tennessee Wildlife Re-
sources Agency’s has launched
a new elk cam located at the
Hatfield Knob Viewing Area on
North Cumberland Wildlife Man-
agement Area.
The new cam has undergone
testing and is now active for pub-
lic viewing. A link to the elk cam
is located on the TWRA website.
It can be viewed on a cell phone,
personal or desktop computer.
The elk cam, which is operated
by solar power, will be live during
daylight hours.
As many as 75 animals have
been viewed at a single time on
the cam. The area is off limits to
any type of hunting. Viewers are
encouraged to visit the site often
as the elk move around and are
not in viewing range all the time.
"We know not everyone can
drive to Hatfield Knob to see
elk, but this elk cam lets you see
them up close without any distur-
bance to the animals," said Doug
Markham, the agency's commu-
nications manager. "Of course if
you want to travel to the tower,
and many people do, it is a great
place to visit."
The elk viewing area tower was
constructed in 2005. Thousands
of wildlife watchers have made
their way to the tower located
north of Lafollette in Campbell
County. Elk were reintroduced
to the North Cumberland WMA
in 2000.
“The elk cam is a work in prog-
ress,” Markham said. We realize
we might sometimes lose power
or streaming service. However, we
will do whatever we can to make
improvements and keep the elk
cam live."
BECOMING AN
OUTDOORS-WOMAN 2018
WORKSHOP
SET JUNE 1-3 IN
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
The Tennessee Wildlife Re-
sources Agency (TWRA) will
host the 2018 Becoming an Out-
doors-Woman (BOW) workshop
June 1-3 in Crossville at the Clyde
M. York 4-H Center.
The popular annual event is
hosted by the Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency is conducted in
a relaxed atmosphere. The BOW
workshop is an opportunity for
those 18 or older to learn out-
door skills usually associated with
hunting and fishing.
However, the workshop pro-
vides useful for other outdoor
pursuits and interests. Workshop
participants will
have a chance
to select from
a variety of
courses over
the three days
and the class-
es are taught by
experts in their respective fields.
This year’s workshop offers
classes in introduction to fire-
arms/safety, basic fishing skills,
advanced fishing techniques,
all-terrain vehicle (ATV) opera-
tion, basic archery, paddleboard-
ing, boating safety education, out-
door cooking, wild edible foray,
beginning fly fishing, nature pho-
tography basics, basic canoeing,
introduction to kayaking, basic
shotgun, survival skills, backyard
habitat, map/compass, introduc-
tion to muzzleloading, introduc-
tion to turkey hunting, introduc-
tion to deer hunting, introduction
to waterfowl hunting, basic trap-
ping, reading the woods, scuba,
and stream ecology.
The workshop fee is $225 and
includes lodging at the Clyde M.
York 4-H Center, meals, T-shirt,
and a 2018-19 Tennessee Hunt-
ing and Fishing License. Regis-
tration is taken on a first-come,
first-serve basis. Applications
may be obtained from the TWRA
website at www.tnwildlife.org, or
any TWRA regional office. For
more information contact Don-
ald Hosse, Wildlife Education
Program Coordinator, at don.
hosse@tn.gov or telephone (615)
781-6541.
TWRA NEWS

OUR EXPERIENCED STAFF IS HERE TO FILL YOUR
EVERY NEED DAY OR NIGHT!
DYERSBURG ELEVATOR COMPANY
300 PRESSLER RD - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024
731-287-7272

Southern Traditions Outdoors - Summer 2018

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