The annual SEMO Sportsman's Association fried-chicken dinner and banquet is coming up Saturday in Poplar Bluff.
The event will kick off at 5 p.m. at the Brown-Mabry American Legion Post 153 off Kanell Boulevard, which is a new location for the banquet.
As always, the SEMO Sportsman's Association uses this event as its primary funding mechanism for the annual Kids Fish and Fun Day, which will be held on May 19.
Besides the fried-chicken dinner, the banquet will feature entertainment (usually in the form of a conservation-related movie or live music), networking and camaraderie and lots of door prizes, which are donated by local businesses.
The cost to attend the event will be $6 per person, which includes the dinner.
For more information on the event, call Randy Daves at 573-718-1790.
Good Fishing
I've been out of the loop lately with the birth of my grandson, but I've tried to keep up with the fishing at Wappapello. By everything I've seen, crappie fishing remains good, particularly in the upper reaches of the lake.
It also looks like paddlefish have begun to move up in the tailwater, with several being caught over the last few days.
The lake's level was at 355.8 feet earlier this morning and it was dropping slowly. The discharge graph shows Corps officials have been tapering the discharge down slower and slower.
Over at Clearwater Lake, things are back to normal, with the lake level back to its 494-foot conservation pool.
There is rain in the forecast for the coming week, so both lakes likely will see rises again. The rain, at this point at least, looks to be spread out more so than last time, so maybe the lakes will see only mild rises.
Bass Circuit
The Wappapello Bass Circuit will be hosting its first tournament of the season Saturday out of the Sundowner ramp.
Fishing is slated to begin at 6:30 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m.
A pre-tournament meeting will take place beginning at 6 p.m. Friday evening at the Wappapello VFW off Highway D, north of the dam.
For more information on the event or the organization, give Justun Buchanan a call at 573-429-6312 or Matt Allison at 573-778-6969.
Puxico Pintails
The Puxico Pintails chapter of Ducks Unlimited will host its annual fundraising banquet March 24, and committee members are making plans for the big night.
In years past, the event has been held at the Puxico High School, but this year, it will take place at the Wappapello Eagles, located at 9103 Highway T, south of the dam.
The doors to the event will open at 5:30 p.m. for a social hour full of games, raffles and a silent auction.
A dinner will follow the social hour before a live auction concludes the night's schedule.
Various items will be available in the games, raffles and auctions, including exclusive Ducks Unlimited merchandise, hunting gear, framed art prints, home decor and more.
Several guns also are expected to be given away during the event, including the Ducks Unlimited Shotgun of the Year.
Tickets purchased on or before Saturday cost $40 for a single or $60 for a couple, while the prices go up $5 after that date.
Greenwings tickets for children age 17 and under cost $20, and sponsorships are available for $300.
Tickets should be purchased in advance of the event and you can get them by calling Matt Franklin at 573-614-2653 or Renee Holt at 573-614-0864. They also can be purchased online at www.ducks.org/missouri/events.
Drawing Results
Finally, if you applied for a managed spring turkey hunt in Missouri, the results of that drawing have been posted on the Department of Conservation website, mdc.mo.gov.
If you were drawn, you should get an information package in the mail in the coming days.
If you weren't drawn, you'll see only the standard "Your party was not chosen for a hunt" message.