I love my wife and kids to death, and I would do anything for them but I FINALLY got a day to myself for the FIRST time in 4 1/2 years.  My wife works weekend option and holidays as a nurse and I work the standard m-f, my kids go EVERYWHERE with me and I love it but there are things they cannot do yet that I would like to.

I put together my bow fishing for the first time in 5 1/2 years and headed out to the backwaters of the mississippi river today. It was nasty, muddy, full of ticks, Mosquitos, cottonmouths and who knows what else.  It was hard hard walking to get to some pools to find some fish.
 

 

I pushed my hip waders to their limits in some crossings and my lab that won't swim was NOT happy that he had to eventually get in if he was to stay by my side.

Water clarity was about 1/4" and made hunting tough along with the low angle go the water I had so I only saw two far at my first stop, both too far out to shoot .......but I slung arrows anyways. Both misses.

After about 1 1/2 hrs of tromping around and falling in knee high mud I decided to pull out and look elsewhere.

I walked a little over a mile to get to the rivers edge and low and behold it HIGH which worked in my favor because the ditches were full and I hit pay dirt!!!!!





Not alot of action but fun none the less.
Missed a few shots then got on a roll


Next three hit my mark




Only saw one carp and I missed about 1/16" high, if a fish could scream in surprise I'm sure I would have heard it!!!

I'm done here so I decide to load up and try my luck on the lake down the road.

Brian I'm glad you had some time for yourself! BTW I got the fuse fixed and my computor is back up. Your going to have to put your kids in the deerstand with you.

I made it to the lake and let me just tell you, if I had more days to hunt  this would NOT be my first choice but time is of the essence and it was close by.

Only two killed here in about 5 miles of walking.  Only 4 places along the south side to even get to the waters edge.  


12 ft straight down at the edge here and WINDY.


Grass was chest high


The what seemed like never ending trail, I did catch a big black snake though, that was cool.

I crawled in here to get to the waters edge....no fish

I killed my two gar on the lake in this jumble, no pics as I lost them ripping my arrow out of the mess.

Well now I am whooped, muddy , covered in mosquito bites and ticks. I got sunburned , I stink , my brand new caravan ( yeah I traded off the man truck and now sport a man van ) is filthy and smells of wet dog and swamp mud BUT you CAN NOT knock the smile off my face!!!!!!!!!!!!  I thank the Lord for all days but this one has been fantastic. I spent time with my best friend Bo , got to hike and enjoy the outdoors some more.


Stotler Game Buster rigged up (I tried attaching to my Berrys but alas could not find a good place on the small risers)





My overweight and under worked lab BO. His job nowadays is mobile vacuum cleaner for the kids!!!

Cool stuff Brian, glad ya got some free time and congrats on the fish. Do you eat the filets? I heard they're pretty good...

Great day and job!!!  

Damon,
I did not keep these, I donated them to the coons and turtles. Too far a walk in some nasty terrain this go around,  but smoked gar is fantastic!!!!!!!

Thanks for sharing.

Coons and turtles gotta eat, too. Looks like fun anyway!

A man just NEEDS to go get in the MUD every now and then!!! Thanks for sharing.

You're right they sure are fun to shoot.  I tried eating them but need a better recipe.

Medic,
I soak mine in saltwater like I do most fish and wild game, I then pat it down and use a rub on it, then smoke untill done. Absolutely amazing

We have some big long nosed gar in Bama, looking forward to taking a few out.  Our daily creel limit is 2.

Awesome Job Brian ... good on ya buddy!!  Sorry for being quiet for so long ... I will try to call ya tonight!

Bob.

What part of Ill are you in?

Chester,
I'm 13miles from St. Louis ,mo, in Collinsville

OK I was just wondering, I was born in Chicagoland, but went to High School in the Quad Cities north of you. I miss the river now that I have been away for a while.

Brian, Read your post and smiled knowing I'm not alone in this world!  My wife is a nurse also, I have four young kids and very little time for myself.  (I do take one week off in early November that I told my wife before we got married "Honey, this is as close to a prenup as you're gonna get, this first week of November is Sacrosanct and I will never be home during it.)  You know though, as much as I hate to admit it, it sure does make you enjoy and appreciate what time you do get.  And hang in there buddy, all that time spent with the kids is just grooming your future hunting partners.

Mike,
I hear ya on the quality time. I try and expose my children to alot of things and avenues. TraditiOnal archery being one of them. I would never trade my time with them for anything in this world. My 4 y/o already wakes me on Saturday mornings at 5:30 or 6  am with a very loud , " inside is boring!!!! Let's go to the woods". Ha, I love it