Summer Treats
Phil Taunton
Friday, July 11, 2008
The late Jim Ramberg wrote an outdoor article for the Topeka Capital-Journal for many years and told me about fishing the Hog Trough on Perry Lake, where anglers would bait or “chum” a certain section of water with sour, fermented soybeans to attract catfish.
Jim related the fishing was fantastic, but the waters would become so slick with chum, if you dropped your ball hat overboard, it was best to just let the lake have it!
Chumming is legal on state waters in Kansas, but fishermen should check with city or county officials concerning waters managed by them before doing so. They might have local ordinances against using this practice.
Fourth of July weekend found me down at Council Grove and, boy, did the fish cooperate. With my daughter, Tiffany, in the back of the boat and her fiance, Mark, in the front, I was kept busy baiting their lines with an odoriferous sponge dip bait and taking off the fish they caught. We had quite a production line going. Most of the fish were in the 2- to 3-pound range, and several breakoffs did occur.
Being a fan of “Golden Oldies,” I like listening to Salina, KSAL FM radio, 98.5, when I am in that neck of the woods. Besides offering fishing or outdoor reports for north central Kansas, they also keep the listener up-to-date on the latest weather report, which is always a good thing to know if you plan on being out on the water.
A couple of weeks ago, they turned me on to their Web site, www.ksallink.com/outdoors/. Those of you who don’t know the ins and outs of chumming can find a very informative video clip called Marion Catfish on this link. Warren Kreutziger, owner of Canada Bait N Tackle located in the small town of Canada just south of Marion Lake, has caught channel cat up to 17 pounds while chumming. Warren leads you on this fishing video adventure.
If you have any questions concerning fishing Marion or chumming for channel cats, Warren also guides and can be reached at (620) 382-2931 or by e-mail atCanada@southwind.net. Now through late September is prime time to chum for catfish.
Fishing news from Marion Reservoir found on KSALlink.com also states commercial fishermen caught and released a flathead catfish measuring more than 63 inches. This length, according to biological conversion charts, puts the fish at well over 100 pounds. For Kansas, the state record flathead weighing 123 pounds also is the world record. It was caught in 1998 in the Elk City Reservoir.
Flint Hills Gobblers Banquet and Auction
The Flint Hills Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will be hosting its 13th Annual Hunting Heritage Banquet and Superfund Auction on Saturday, July 26, at American Legion Post No. 5, 2921 W. 12th Avenue in Emporia.
The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 7. A turkey dinner with all the fixings and dessert will be served. There will be games to play for adults and kids, door prizes, and the 2008 local chapter’s “Teacher of the Year” will be acknowledged. Many limited edition items depicting the wild turkey and other wildlife species will be sold by live and silent auction.
All proceeds from Chapter Sponsorship stay with the local chapter. These funds are used to support activities and events such as the spring turkey hunting clinic at Camp Alexander and the youth essay contest, where the winner is awarded a youth turkey gun and a mentored hunt.
Please join the Flint Hills Gobblers Chapter for a fun evening with other like-minded individuals in support of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage and traditions. Tickets for singles are $40, and a couple’s ticket including two meals is $50.
For more information call Tim and Shelley Sparks at (620) 342-3839, Yvonne Gardner at (620) 342-4194, Vance Ralstin at (620) 366-0208 or Gib Rhodes at (620) 437-2012.
The Little Engine That Could
An Outdoor Adventure “Tip of the Hat” to the men and women of Emporia’s Sertoma Club in their service to Mankind and for providing an enjoyable outlet to a tired old Grandpa who was in charge of keeping little ones entertained for a couple of days!
The Club offers miniature train rides at Soden’s Grove from June through September, 6:30 p.m. till dark on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays and from 9 till 11 a.m. on Thursday mornings.
Having spent 34 years on the railroad, I thought the grandkids might want to experience the thrill of riding the “high rails” and listening to some of my railroad adventure stories. We had a pleasant and relaxing time at Soden’s mixing a train ride with a visit to the Emporia Zoo, especially the education center.
The tall walnut and aging oak trees along the tracks are simply amazing. In this day and age, what a deal it is for you and the kids! And, as an additional bonus, unlike any Amtrak ticket I ever saw, the back of the ticket stub entitles the bearer to a “buy one, get one free” ice cream cone at Dari Delights Eats and Treats.
The Emporia Miniature Train and Emporia Zoo was sure a breath of fresh air. All Aboard!