2018-2019 Preseason...

[Darren]

Rick, what's the latest on your marsh level measuring stick? Good news was the storm stayed east, bad news it didn't give your region the rain water the marshes so desperately need

[Rick]

Haven't been to our marsh since before the significant rain a few days ago. Zip here from Gordon.

Have been in Cherry Ridge gator fishing, and it's come up some. Not enough, yet, but water's still rising from runoff from above.

Saw several little bunches of teal while out in CR.

[SpinnerMan]

Have been in Cherry Ridge gator fishing, and it's come up some.

Don't be afraid to post up some gator fishing photos

[Rick]

Have to admit there was some "800 pound tree shaker" joshing going on between us and a boat with a couple Cherry Ridge guides along for the show, but Swamp People it ain't, Spinner. For instance our heaviest for the morning had apparently rolled and pulled the hook only to foul hook himself behind a front leg in the process couldn't be dug or drug out of submergent vegetation to be dealt with without tying him off to the boat and using its Pro-Drive. While the longest was readily eased up to the surface and capped without a ripple of commotion. A lot more like work than sport.

Indeed the "sportiest" part may have been our slow, one gator for eight sets, start. Took some ribbing for that, but our little cool front apparently had the gators shut down and us worried for a while.

Anyway, having either had my hands full or no action to shoot, this is as close to an action shot as I can muster:

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Couple work shots were easier, thanks to a handy front-end-loader:

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Only tagged fifteen total, but there were also a couple or three eight-footers in the pile, as well, so it was a good day for the Cherry Ridge Labs.

[SpinnerMan]

I just think gators are cool critters. Thanks for the photos

[Darren]

Very nice, looks like some healthy fellas. Seeing more of them near our lease last couple years, though thankfully only one on my visit few weeks back. Dont think anyone's fishing them out that way, choosing instead to get the ones much closer to the docks.

Glad to hear of the teal bunches, i'm dying to get out there. Hoping for a brief scout outing this weekend

[Rick]

I like seeing pics of big gators but not in the water near our blinds. No way , wish they would fish it again

The 10' 11" (that was substantially heavier than the longest) was caught about ten feet from their #4 blind. Wish it was us who fished our marsh, but Doug gives that to the family owning our access road as a failed PR move.

[Ducaholic]

Dale’s calling style is totally different from the guys seeking high volume and those wanting varying feeding chuckles in tone and pitch. He’s from Avoyelles Parish and style is very local. It also works but it’s not meant to mimic multiple ducks calling from the water. He hunts a private cypress brake on the Red River that borders Lake Ophelia NWR. Good spot good flyway.

[Ducaholic]

Dale’s calling style is totally different from the guys seeking high volume and those wanting varying feeding chuckles in tone and pitch. He’s from Avoyelles Parish and his style is very local. It also works but it’s not meant to mimic multiple ducks calling from the water. He hunts a private cypress brake on the Red River that borders Lake Ophelia NWR. Good spot good flyway.

Sorry I was responding to post on first page.

[Ericdc]

Dale’s calling style is totally different from the guys seeking high volume and those wanting varying feeding chuckles in tone and pitch. He’s from Avoyelles Parish and his style is very local. It also works but it’s not meant to mimic multiple ducks calling from the water. He hunts a private cypress brake on the Red River that borders Lake Ophelia NWR. Good spot good flyway.

Sorry I was responding to post on first page.

Haha I was wondering


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[Rick]

I'm disappointed that no one picked up on Mark's texting while boat driving being the "action" in the shot above. My little jokes are apparently getting even worse with age...

Finished "removing 34 apex predators" (per our marching orders from the owner's biologist) from the Cherry Ridge marsh yesterday without seeing many teal and none at all over the rice en route, though it's clear the squealers have learned most first crop's been cut. Trust we'd of seen more in the marsh if not preoccupied, but moved a lot more woodies than teal traveling between sets.

[Darren]

Have plans for a solo scout mission in the morning, hoping the minor storm surge didn't displace apex predators to places they're not usually found.

[Rick]

Back to the old grind:

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Got a very late start and didn't get it all, but it's thin and going a whole lot faster. Now expect to be able to hunt it, so it's happier work.

[Darren]

Good to hear!

Getting a few scattered reports of birds around Thornwell, south of Maurice, Welsh.....someone somewhere has a few.

[Rick]

At this point most everyone else seems to be seeing them in good numbers, and I've apparently just been in the wrong places or too preoccupied to notice. So I'd guess it should be a good opener.

Spent much of yesterday on the mudhole. Believe the main body of it will now stay more or less open for decoys and that I can keep the newly opened west end showing some water and boat hide slip functional with traffic during the season:

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[Ericdc]

Looks a lot better


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[Darren]

There she is!

Admittedly that storm prospect last week had me in a funk but I’m giddy today making plans for the week and getting my blind bag together.

[Rick]

Was below Gueydan checking on a water control issue, and saw a whoooole lot of shore birds and a fair number of summer ducks moved by this or that, but precious few teal. Which leaves me wondering if they've gotten shy of that area.

Did get to give the teal tuned Deceiver I like so well a go on a little group of six or eight, but they were either too far upwind or far less impressed with it than I.

[DComeaux]

Looking good, Rick.

[Rick]

Looks like the mud hole is ready to open for business!

I wish. Still have gators to fish (elsewhere) and am trying to get organized enough to do all that remains in a single day. Feel a little like you guys working blinds long distance.

Missed a call from AJ while mowing yesterday and didn't catch it until too late to call back, so he may be looking for a spot?

[Rick]

I work at not knowing anything more than "call Adrienne". Last I heard we were pushing 30 total, but have no idea who's in camp or driving in.

[Ducaholic]

Rick why don't you allow more natural vegetation to grow around the blind? Seems it would be easier to cut it back than to have to add. I'm sure there is a logical conclusion I'm just curious.

[Rick]

I absolutely loved having the canes around the blind from the standpoint of hiding hunters who couldn't or wouldn't help hide themselves - as long as we had big ducks to work. But they also blocked my view of the big ponds behind (south of) me that little ducks are most apt to traffic over.

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So the canes hurt us in September and times like last year's first split, when big/high ducks are in short supply. May well have also made wary big birds more apt to study the potential trouble spot.

In any event, I've been thinking about getting rid of the live canes and going back to low, sparse cover for the past few years, and listening to the better teal and ringneck blind shoot while we twiddled our thumbs during last season's incredibly sorry teal and first split sealed that deal. May end up wishing I hadn't, but at least I won't be wishing I had.

[Rick]

...would be easier to cut it back...

Guess I could add that the "island" won't hold my weight and it's a booger to get around and cut much when up to your belly-button or worse in flotant. Not looking forward to removing what spraying left of the canes, as just manually thinning them in the past kicked my old butt.

[Ducaholic]

...would be easier to cut it back...

Guess I could add that the "island" won't hold my weight and it's a booger to get around and cut much when up to your belly-button or worse in flotant. Not looking forward to removing what spraying left of the canes, as just manually thinning them in the past kicked my old butt.

That's reason enough right there!

[Rick]

Glad they could put you up.