The Wappapello Bass Circuit Classic last weekend saw 73 teams take part, and after two full days of fishing, the winning margin was incredibly close.
In the end, two ounces put the winning team on top.
Breckenridge and Cheatham bested the field with a two-day total weight of 24.05 pounds. They were aided by the biggest bass of the event, which weighed 5.75 pounds. The pair earned $10,000 cash for its win, plus another $1,000 for the big bass award.
Taking second place was the team of Harty and Powell with a weight of 23.92 pounds. They had the second-largest bass, weighing in at 4.37 pounds. For their efforts, the pair took home $4,000 plus another $500 in big bass cash.
Third place went to Hughes and Trout, who brought 23.29 pounds to the weigh-in. Their payday was $2,500.
Hutson and Gray grabbed the fourth spot with a combined weight of 21.64 pounds, earning themselves a paycheck of $2,000.
Wrapping up the top five was the team of Manion and Jennings with a weight of 21.28 pounds. They took home $1,800.
Eighteen teams fished the Current River Smallmouth Association’s tournament at Doniphan last weekend, with every one bringing a five-fish limit to the weigh-in.
Black and Roberson captured the top spot on the day with a weight of 10.64 pounds. They also had the second-largest bass, which weighed 3.10 pounds.
Taking second place was the team of Black and Williams with 8.61 pounds.
Third place was earned by McAfee and Rutledge with 8.49 pounds.
Just a fraction of a pound behind in fourth place was the team of Hampton and Warren with 8.47 pounds. They had the day’s biggest bass, which tipped the scales at 3.27 pounds.
Leach and Power rounded out the top five with a weight of 7.63 pounds.
The Current River Smallmouth Association will fish again Oct. 9, when it hosts its annual Classic, based out of Doniphan.
Wappapello Lake has been “yucky looking” lately, according to Charlie Brotherton at Sundowner Marine on the lower end of the lake.
The amount of debris and crud on the water’ surface, he said, leads him to believe the lake, at least in the lower reaches, has turned over already.
“Everybody’s been talking about it,” he said of the water.
Very few anglers have been fishing for crappies lately, he said, though one fellow did have a good 2-pounder earlier in the week.
The warmer temperatures lately probably are the reason the archery deer harvest has slowed after a spurt of activity a week ago.
As of mid-day Wednesday, the statewide harvest was up to 6,220 deer. That lags behind the 8,803 taken at this point in last year’s season.
Locally, bowhunters in Butler County have taken 36 deer, while those in Carter County have killed 77.
In Dunklin County, the tally so far is nine deer, and in Reynolds County, it’s 72.
Stoddard County bowhunters have tagged 70 deer so far, and those in Wayne County have taken home 99 deer.
The archery turkey harvest remains low, as expected, with 293 birds taken so far across the state.
Locally, one turkey has been taken in Butler County, four in Carter County, four in Reynolds County, one in Ripley County, nine in Stoddard County (tied with Bollinger County for second in the state behind Franklin County) and three in Wayne County.
Missouri’s fall firearms turkey season opens Friday and will continue through the month of October.
The limit is two birds, which can be of either sex and can be taken on the same day.
You’ll need a $13 fall firearms turkey hunting permit and a plugged shotgun to be legal.
While the fall turkey season gets nowhere near the attention it used to get a few decades ago, there still are some die-hards around.
While turkey numbers have been declining across the state, and the entire Midwest for that matter, there is some evidence of a resurgence in the population this year.
Several landowners and hunters have reported seeing more birds than in recent years, and while driving to Southwest Missouri last weekend, I saw far more flocks than I have in several years.
Does it mean there are more turkeys this fall? I don’t know, but it does give me a bit of relief to know they’re out there.
I heard from MDC turkey biologist Reina Tyl last week, and she said the results of the annual brood survey should be available soon, and while I’m not holding my breath waiting for them, I am curious to see what they say.
Missouri’s rabbit hunting season also kicks off Friday.
While rabbits don’t get a lot of pressure until later in the year, the opportunity is there.
The season will continue through Feb. 15, with a six-rabbit daily limit (only two can be swamp rabbits).
For waterfowl hunters, Missouri’s early Canada goose season opens Saturday and will continue through Oct. 10.
Technically, Brant also will be open, but you won’t find any around here.
Shooting hours will be one-half hour before sunrise until sunset, with a three-bird daily limit.
Don’t forgot your small-game hunting permit, state migratory bird hunting permit and federal duck stamp.
Of course, any geese around now will be residents instead of migrants, so if you can scout to find where they are feeding, you’ll have the upper hand.
As a side note, there are hundreds of banded Canada geese in the region, thanks to a tracking program MDC has, so you might pick up some lanyard jewelry as well.
If you applied for a pre-season waterfowl reservation through the MDC website, the results of that drawing now are live.
Hopefully you had better luck than me!
If you had plans to visit the Peck Ranch Conservation Area this weekend to see the elk herd, you’ll have to find something else to do.
Peck Ranch will be closed to all public entry Saturday and Sunday while it hosts its annual managed youth deer hunt.
The area should reopen to the public on Monday morning.
Paul Davis is the outdoors editor for the Daily American Republic and can be reached at pdavis.dar@gmail.com.