Paul Henderson and his son, Kason Henderson, really have figured out the smallmouth bass fishing on the Current River this year.
Not only did they win the regular-season Angler of the Year title from the Current River Smallmouth Association, but they also won Saturday's CRSA Classic event.
The pair brought 9.50 pounds to the scales during Saturday's Classic, bringing their total season weight to 57.36 pounds.
For Paul Henderson, the best part, he said, was being able to accomplish the feat while fishing with his 14-year-old son.
"This is the first time I've won Angler of the Year and the Classic in the same year," he said.
Second place went to Kram and Williams, who had 9.10 pounds. They also had the day's big bass, which weighed 2.90 pounds.
Third place was earned by Joachim and Joachim with 8.91 pounds, and fourth place went to Gresham and Stewart with 8.22 pounds.
The top five was capped by the team of Neal and Neal with 8.16 pounds. They also had the second-largest bass of the day, weighing 2.62 pounds.
The club's regular season now is officially over, but they sometimes host winter tournaments, and if they do, I'll try to pass them along.
Angler's Choice
Troy Fowler and James Lee were the top anglers in Sunday's Angler's Choice/Bass Quest tournament on Wappapello Lake, bringing 16.64 pounds to the scales and winning $1,385.
Second place went to Justin Mosier and Matt Allison with 14.46 pounds, good for $830, and third place was earned by Dell Walker and Danny Walker with 14.38 pound. They took home $480.
The fourth spot was captured by Jerry Carpenter and Jeff Slinkard with 14.04 pounds, good for $275, and the fifth position went to Gale Breckenridge and Doug Cheatam with 13.42 pounds.
Steve Seiter and Steve Hardin had the day's big bass, which weighed 6.8 pounds and was good for $290.
Sunday's event was the last of the season for the Angler's Choice circuit, and after its winter break, the organization should be back on the water in early April.
Crappie Survey
Fisheries Management Biologist Dave Knuth, who oversees Wappapello Lake for the Department of Conservation, has been working on his annual trapnetting survey this week and so far, he said, the crappies just aren't in their fall patterns yet. While he didn't mention it, that likely means his sampling rate is low.
He'll finish up the survey today, and we should know more about the condition of the fishery next week.
Much Better
It appears like deer movement is starting to increase dramatically and bowhunters are spending more time in the field, and the archery harvest reflects that.
While last week the statewide harvest was 10 percent below the same point a year ago, this week it's a bit above 2016's numbers. A lot of things can influence the harvest numbers from year to year, like weather and acorn production, so I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock in them. They're simply an interesting factoid.
So far, hunters across the state have taken 14,126 deer with archery gear.
In Carter County, the tally yesterday afternoon was 200, and in neighboring Ripley County, it was 213.
In Butler County, the total so far is 131 deer, and in Stoddard County, it's 182.
Dunklin County hunters are well ahead of last year at this point with 32 deer tagged, and 294 deer have been checked from Wayne County.
I've been able to hunt very little this season, so I darted out for a quick bowhunt after work a few evenings back with a plan to just sit on the ground instead of climbing a tree. Just my luck, I had a small flock of turkeys come to 45 yards, but they offered no shot opportunity. An hour later, I had a nice 8-point buck stroll past at a measured 34 yards. I'm not antler-obsessed or a trophy hunter by any means, so I don't know why I hesitated to shoot him, and by the time I decided to, he was on a steady pace out of range. If I get the chance to get back out and he comes by again, the outcome will hopefully be different.
Managed Hunts
There are a few managed deer hunts this weekend at both Wappapello and Clearwater lakes and at the Peck Ranch Conservation Area, which will affect access to some lands.
At Wappapello, a mobility-impaired managed deer hunt will take place both Saturday and Sunday. While no roads or areas will be closed during the hunt, officials ask the public to be respectful of others who may be hunting in their chosen area.
At Clearwater Lake, a Wounded Warriors hunt will be held both Saturday and Sunday in the Watchable Wildlife Area below the dam, on the west side of the Black River. The area will be closed to public entry during the hunt.
At Peck Ranch, there will be a managed archery deer hunt over the weekend, and all roads inside the fenced refuge area will be closed to the public from Friday until Monday morning.
Crappie Tournament
The Wappapello Crappie Club will host a monthly tournament on Saturday, with fishing from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Participants can launch from any ramp on the lake, and the weigh-in will be from 2-3 p.m. at the VFW off Highway T.
If you're interested in fishing the event, give Dave Maddux a call at 573-718-2756.
New Series
There's a new bass tournament series hitting the water at Wappapello Lake, and its first event will be Saturday.
The USA Bassin' Tournament series' Southeast Ozark Division will fish from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. out of the Chaonia Landing ramp.
Additional events are scheduled in December, February, March and April.
For more information on the series, call tournament director Doug Warren at 573-924-2215 or 573-366-5007.
Gigging Workshop
If you've never been fish gigging and want to learn the ins and outs of the sport, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and Missouri Department of Conservation will be hosting a free "Gigs and Ghosts" workshop beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday at the lower landing at Round Spring.
Participants will gather along a gravel bar to learn about gigging, then head out on the water with conservation agents to try their skill at the primitive sport.
To cap off the night, staff from the Twin Pines Conservation Education Center will prepare a traditional sucker fry for all participants to enjoy.
If you're interested in attending, Riverways staff ask that you call the Twin Pines Conservation Education Center at 573-325-1381 ahead of time to reserve a spot and get more information.
If you go, you're also asked to dress warmly and bring along a flashlight and lawn chair.
Youth Event
An outdoor event geared especially for young hunters ages 7-15 will take place Saturday at Dudley, Mo., when the Riceland chapter of Delta Waterfowl will host its inaugural youth waterfowl education day.
The free event will run from 1-5 p.m., but space is limited to the first 30 children who pre-register by calling Chris Figge at 573-953-0041.
Educational activities during the event will include waterfowl identification, gun safety, shooting instruction, duck and goose calling instruction, decoy strategies, a hunting regulations overview and more.