I now live in Lancaster, Missouri. I have been here for about 12 years now. I was born and raised 45 miles north of here in Ottumwa, Iowa. Spring has sprung here in the Midwest. Only here can you find the most delicious fungus grown anywhere, Moral Mushrooms. My story all happened in just one morning. I got up at 4am to get ready to go Turkey Huntin. Well I went to my blind and I did not sit there 20 minutes after shooting time started when here came two huge Gobblers I called in. I took aim on the biggst one and BOOM he went down. He weighed in at 26 and 3/4 pounds two Beards, one 13 inches long and the other just about 8 inhes. He had 3 1/4 in spurs. A pretty nice Bird. Well since that did not take long I always take my favorite old Flour Sack with me during Turkey Season. As you all probably know you can only hunt Turkey in the mornings. I pulled out my flour sack and went over the hill finding the fantastic Morals. I probably found 15 pounds of shrooms that morning that filled my flour sack. So I went back to my blind and took it down. I loaded the turkey, my shotgun, blind, and shrooms into the back of my truck. I thought well what the heck it is still early so I got out my favorite Crappie Pole and went over to the lake to do a little Crappie fishing to go with my shrooms. There is nothing like a supper with fried tatters, shrooms, and fresh Crappie. Well I throwed in my favorite crappie jig into the water. I was almost to my limit for the lake (35 Crappie). Remember now I am fishing with a 6 foot Light Action Crappie Pole with 4 pound test line on. I tossed my favotite jig just in front of this fallen tree that was mostly in the lake. I was just daydreaming kind of on automatic pilot mode cause I was just about done fishin and al of a sudden BOOM my pole bent double. I thought well I either got me a cat on or a turtle. All of a sudden this fish almost broke the water and just boiled about 15 foot in front of me. All of a sudden I was wide awake. I fought this fish in and out of that old tree for about 45 minutes. Finally I wore him out. (I should say her). I could see the jig hook and it was completlyl straightened out. I had me a BIG ole Bass on. I finally got her in. Now this was the biggest Bass I ever caught. She had a big ole belly on her just full of eggs. I took her almost straight to our local Taxidermist. She ended up weighing 10 pounds 8 ounces. I just had to have her on my wall. My Taxidermist was almost as excited as I was. He told me that I probably lost close to a pound as I did not keep her in water while transporting. He told me he would win himself some trophies when he was done with her. You know naturally I had to stop at the local bar and have a cold one just to do some braggin. Remember I caught this 10 pound 8 ounce Bass on a light hook Crappie Jig (that was as straight as a pencil) and on 4 pound test line. Well the excitement all wore off and I ended up having a super supper that night with fried tatters, fresh Crappie and shrooms. A couple of days later my cousin got ahold of me and wanted to go over to Memphis, Missouri to do some fishin. This lake (Lake Showme) I do some Crappie fishin but I like to mostly do Walleye fishin. I have NEVER been skunked catchin some Walleye here at this lake. But they don't start biten until about 11pm, so I did some Crappie fishin for a while and caught around 20 or so, then I figured I had better catch me some little Bluegill for baitfish for later that nght. I caught a bunch and had them in a couple of five gallon buckets. I got this 14 foot pole that is nicknamed Big Red as the pole is red. I have a 9500SS Penn reel on it. As a matter of fact I also use a 9 1/2 footer with the same Penn reel on it too for Walleye fishin. Well finally 11pm rolled around and I had my poles all baited up with the drag set completely light. That way I don't have to see it or hold it because when them ole Walleye pick up that Bluegill and start runnin a little with it and that ole Penn talks to me. (talkin about the drag makin noise). Well I caught 4 Bullhead about 3 pounds each and started thinkin well I might just get skunked for the first time this night. Well I was a sittin on my tailgate drinkin a cold one when Big Red started talkin. I knew it was a Walleye cause she picked it up and run a few feet and stopped. Well I jumped off the tailgate and went over and real slow like tightened up my drag on Big Red and very slowly picked er up. I had the string held between my fingers and I felt her gettin ready to make another run. About the time she took off I gave ole Big Red a big ole yank and BOOM I had her hooked. Course a 14 foot pole I can get a big fish on top of the water in no time. I got her up and was reelin her in. I could tell she ws a big one, so I told my cousin to get the net ready. Well I ended up not needin the net. I got her into the bank about 8 feet out and she gave a couple of big ole rolls and decided to make another run. Well I knew I had her beat so I started reelin her in real fast like. I got her on top of the water and brought her right in and gave her a swing up on the boat ramp. Like I said I could tell she was a nice one. She was 36 inches long right on the money. I caught 3 more that night about 24 inches long. Then also I had them 4 Bullhead and my cousin had 3 nice Channel Cats and his limit for that lake 40 Crappie. Well I had just taken that Big Mamma Bass in to be done so I decided I really could not afford to have my 36inch Walleye done too so we cleaned the fish that night and ended up puttin them in the freezer. About a week later my Taxidermist called me and told me I could pick up Bertha as he called her LOL. He done her real nice with the Jig hooked in her lip(the same jig I caught her on). He mounted her on a piece of drift wood and she was really nice. We was sittin there in his shop drinkin a cold one and I told him about the 4 Walleye I caught and about the 36 incher. I thought he was gonna whoop my ass right there in his shop. He said he would have done her for nothin because he could have won all kinds of awards for her. He does an excellent job on his Walleye. The eyes on them look just like when you catch'em. He does a real nice job. But anyway now you all know, if you catch a 36 inch Walleye just bring him to Lancaster, Missouri and my Taxidermist will do it up for free just for the awards he can win. Well to finish my story, I can say for sure, I had a GREAT week there with my Turkey, all the Crappie I caught, the shrooms, BIG BERTHA and all the Walleye meat I had in the freezer. You just can't beat a week like that.
Good Luck To All You,
Vern Bone
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