We’ve certainly reached the dog days of summer, and the stifling heat has kept a lot of folks from spending much time outdoors.
Fishing still is pretty good, but from what I’ve seen, not a lot of people have been giving it much effort. Even on Saturday, there were only a couple people fishing the Wappapello spillway and a couple more on the fishing pier at the People’s Creek Recreation Area.
This is the time of year when bass fishing early and late in the day is good, but fishing topwater lures at night might be the best option of all.
And, it’s pretty much a given that catfishing should be pretty good right now as well.
Water levels in our area’s rivers and lakes have been stable for a while now, so anglers don’t have to deal with rising or falling water.
I haven’t heard of very many people giving squirrel hunting a try yet, though their numbers appear to be up this summer.
An early morning hunt, combined with picking some blackberries, is a good way to spend some time outdoors.
The blackberries, like a lot of things, seem to be a bit behind schedule this year, so we should start seeing more and more ripe ones over the coming days. Don’t wait too long to go pick them, however, because they can get scortched in the hot sun in short order and won’t last long.
The East Ozark Bass Club will host a tournament Saturday at Wappapello Lake.
The tournament is open to anyone, so you don’t need to be a member to participate.
The launch time is set for 6 a.m. at the Chaonia public ramp, and fishing will conclude at 2 p.m.
There will be a $100 entry fee per team, and you’ll have to be signed up by 5:30 that morning to take part.
If you’d rather try crappie fishing, the Wappapello Crappie Club will host its annual His and Hers Tournament on Sunday.
Launch time will be 6 a.m. from any ramp on the lake, and fishing will conclude at 1 p.m., after which the weigh-in will be held at the Sundowner pavilion.
You can sign up to fish the event beforehand at Sundowner Marine off Highway T, or between 4:45-5:15 a.m. the morning of the event at the Sundowner pavilion.