With mild temps, spring is in the air

A sign that spring isn't too far away, as yellow daffodils are blooming and crappie are hitting. (Photo by Ken White/Daily Mail)

The day was Feb. 23, 2007, and although spring was still weeks away, signs of it stood out like an elephant in a parade. Just like this year.

With mild temperatures and a warm 62 degrees I headed for the lake under the bright sunshine. Birds were chirping, even the meadowlarks were perched on fence posts singing their song as I passed down the road to the lake.

With his long beard nearly touching the ground, a big tom turkey rushed across the blacktop road. At the time, I thought it won't too long before we will sit on our back porch listening for those thunderous gobbles that only a big tom makes. Stirring our senses just prior to any turkey season.

As I pulled into the parking lot near the lake, I spotted a yellow daffodil shinning in the sun like a 10-karat diamond. It was the first sighting that year of my favorite flower. Favorite because it's a sign of spring and all the good things to follow. I picked at least a hundred of the flowers to take home to put on the dining table.

When I picked up my ultra-light rod, a long wave of snow-geese, heading north, sailed overhead--another reminder of things to come.

Rigging up a small jig on my 4-pound test line, I made the first cast of the day while I watched hundreds of gulls and two bald eagles walking on the thin ice in the cove. The noise they made was deafening. I soon saw what the attraction was as the birds were pecking through the ice to get to hundreds of shad that had been frozen in the icy water

On my second cast, a tug on my line caused me to lift the rod and hook the first keeper crappie of the day. It measured 11 inches. In the next hour 14 more crappie were landed, it felt even more like spring had arrived. The only thing missing was a mess of morel mushrooms. Of course, that came later.

It was a day that only winning the lottery could have been better, and I'm not to sure about that! Here's hoping history repeats it's self again this year.

Outdoor news

Hunters and anglers are reminded that the annual permits expired at the end of February, so its time to renew them. Hunters, trappers and anglers may pick up a copy of the Conservation Department's 2016 Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations and the 2016 Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet at places where permits are sold.

February 15 was the last day of the rabbit and squirrel seasons, leaving hunters few options until Spring turkey season in April. There are still coyote and snow-geese to hunt. The coyote season runs through March 31 while snow-geese may be hunted through April with no limits.

A couple of items crossed my desk this week that included a list of top brands and preferences for anglers and hunters.

First, the anglers list

* Top freshwater species: bass (60 percent of all freshwater anglers)

* Top saltwater species: striped bass and redfish" (a tie with more than 30 percent of all saltwater anglers)

* Top rod brand: Shakespeare Ugly Stik (20 percent of all purchases)

* Top reel brand: Shimano (22 percent of all purchases)

* Top fishing line brand: Berkley (45 percent of all purchases)

* Top hard bait brand: Rapala (24 percent of all purchases)

* Top spinner bait: Strike King (21 percent of all purchases)

* Top tackle box brand: Plano (43 percent of all purchases)

* Top knife brand: Rapala (36 percent of all purchases)

* Top electronics: Lowrance (more than 50 percent of all radio, GPS and fish finder purchases)

Top brands and preferences for hunters and shooters

* Top game species: deer (62 percent of all hunters)

* Top shotgun sport: trap and skeet (40 percent more participation than sporting clays)

* Top rifle brand: Remington (17 percent of all purchases)

* Top shotgun brand (Remington (39 percent of all purchases)

* Top handgun: Smith and Wesson (20 percent of all purchases)

* Top bow brand: PSE (14 percent of all purchases)

* Top knife brand: Buck (22 percent of all purchases)

Note: This survey shows where a lot of the outdoorsman money goes.