Your best bragging moment that you want everybody to know please...
Only one??? I have been blessed in that I am one of those people who are pretty good at whatever I try and do. If I put my mind to it that I am going to do something, then I will work hard until I accomplish my goal and I want to be the best that I can be at whatever that goal is. I do not like finishing second! For example, I love to work in my yard and take a lot of pride in the fact that I keep a very neat yard. My hometown gives out a little award from the local garden clubs called “Beauty Spot of the Month”. I wanted that prize! Not only did I win it once, but I won it TWICE! The first was at my bachelor pad and the second was at our present home. All it took was a little hard work and a drive that will never let me be satisfied finishing second.
That same inner drive is what got me to my best bragging moment. After a 4 year baseball career in high school, the game of golf was a natural transition. I love the competitive nature of the game. Not only were you facing other players, but you were facing the golf course as well. I turned myself into a pretty good golfer carrying a handicap of 2 at one time. I won my share of tournaments over the years playing on different teams, but there was one tournament that I wanted more than any other. I wanted to win our home club’s Club Championship. I had played in the tournament for several years and actually finished 2nd one year. The guy who won it beat me by 12 strokes. He was unreal that year. As I came into the 2005 tournament, I felt like I was playing fairly well, but I was definitely not the man to beat. I figured I could make a good showing and place fairly high but I really did not have any great expectations. I finished the first day shooting a 73 and only one shot out of the lead. I had played very well and felt very good about my chances. The next day saw me play some solid golf, but I found myself down by two with two holes to play. It was a two man race at this point and my competition decided to double bogey the 17th. I made a very nice par putt and we were tied going into the 18th. The 18th was a par three with the hole being placed on the side of a bad hill in the middle of the green. Your approach could not be short or you would have to make an impossible putt just to keep the ball close to the hole. I left it short. My playing partner hit the perfect shot past the hole about 20 feet. I admit that I was only thinking about getting the ball close to the hole in an effort to make par. I was hoping that the other guy would miss and we could go into extra holes. I’m a terrible putter but I actually felt pretty good as I lined my shot up to make my attempt at birdie. I struck the ball and it started up the hill and began curving hard left on the slope. As it slowed to barely a trickle, the ball dropped into the hole from the back door. Birdie!! My competition would have to make to force sudden death. He missed! I was FCC Club Champion for 2005. I followed it up the next year by winning my second in a row. It was me that won by 12 strokes in 2006. I am proud that I accomplished a goal and I am proud that I put in the work to make it happen.
Want to play a little and get up a side bet? Editors note: I put golf one notch above my least favorite sports football and Nascar...
What does it take for you to catch one of those monster large mouths? I expect you to disclose your bait offering, time of year, structure, and photos.A lot of luck! Bass fishing is a very funny thing. I have fished for most of my life and most of that fishing was in pursuit of a lunker bass. Everyone wants to catch the big one. Here in South Georgia “The Big One” is probably anything over 8 lbs. I did not catch my first 8 lb bass until a few years ago. Then they came in bunches. I have caught several 8 pounders and one that weighed 9.5. The 9.5 came in the middle of August on a swim bait. I’m guessing that if I had hung her in the early spring she would have tipped the scales at around 11 or 12.
I’m a pond fisherman. I enjoy fishing on a 10 acre farm pond in the late summer evening when the temps have fallen below our normal 95 degrees. I’m not a patient fisherman in that I do not like to fish slowly. I’m more of a chunk and reel type of fisherman. If I had to choose one bait to take with me it, would be a spinner bait. The spinner bait has been very good to me and I know that two of my 8 lb fish have come off of a willow blade spinner bait. I honestly do not remember what color, but it was more than likely white. I also like fishing with a bubblegum colored trick worm. I haven’t caught too many big fish with this set up, but you do get a lot of strikes. I also like the new swim baits that are out there on the market and a Lunker Lure is never left at home either. Got to get my top water fix!
Most of the ponds in which I fish are farm ponds that are used to irrigate crops. Therefore most of them are clean and have little structure. I fish the weed beds or occasional stump pile but have a lot of luck catching big fish along the pond dam in areas where water may be flowing in or out of the pond or where the water may be a little deeper. I also like to fish small lakes that have cypress trees and root beds. There is nothing quite like bringing a wall hanger out from under a big cypress.
As you know a good Bass fisherman does not disclose all of his secrets so that is all I have to say about that!! Editors note: In Maine, try to get information out of a trout fisherman... you'd have a better chance making out with a nun...
Where in the United States would you like to go and what types of pursuits would you enjoy trying?
I could write a book about all of the hunting trips that I would like to take so I will just break it down into simple terms.
South Dakota- Pheasants! I want a super flush!!
Texas- White Tails and wild quailKansas- Monster White Tails
Alaska- Giant Moose
Louisiana- Duck Hunting with the Duck Commander crew
Maine- I want to shoot some sea ducks and catch a lobster or two. I will not however dig for blood worms! You can keep the ice fishing too. Looks to dang cold for this warm weather boy!
Tell me about what would be on our agenda if I were to say, "Luckie, I'm coming down this year. When do I come and what's the plan?"I would offer you two choices. Either late November/early December or the beginning of April and here’s why.
Late November is my favorite time of the year in South Georgia. Thanksgiving means that several hunting seasons are open at the same time. Deer season is in full swing. Duck season begins. Quail season opens and dove season rolls back in. If you were to make the trip I could offer you an early morning duck hunt with an afternoon dove shoot to follow. The next morning could be spent in a deer stand and the afternoon could be spent chasing quail and making South Georgia snow. All combinations are possible and I can promise you that the fellowship that you will find here amongst us good ole boys is the best in the land. We eat well, laugh loud and hunt hard!
The April trip would involve Turkey Hunting and Bass fishing. We would chase Mr. Tom all morning and then head to the fishing hole after lunch. The turkeys are booming in full gobble and the Bass and White Perch are going full bore. The afternoon temps are in the 70’s and the sun is always shinning!
I promise I will not take you Rattlesnake hunting on either trip!
Who is cooler, the Downeast Duck Hunter or the Rabid Outdoorsman? What makes us different or alike?
I have put a lot of thought into this one. I have to say that Rabid is one cool customer who has a great writing style and manages a very nice blog (he has more followers than both of us combined). He is an experienced Maine Guide and did receive that qualification before you did (even if he did sneak in under the old criteria). He hunts AND kills small predators (so far all you have done is hunt them). He is a good father to his kid (you both are really). He gives you the devil with such ease and elegance (one of the main reasons I read his blog) and then there is of course the beard (that thing is epic). Rabid’s beard is a thing of beauty and may just be considered a Maine landmark one day. All that being said it is a very tuff call, but I have to give you the nod on the coolness factor because you do take time to check out my blog quite frequently and support my little writing habit. Editor's note: this did not pan out as I expected, I will be removing Trey from my blog next week. Did anyone else detect a man crush??? Not the answer I was expecting on MY blog...
In all seriousness I admire both of you guys for what you do outdoors. You can tell that you guys enjoy what you do and have a love for the outdoors and each other. Friendships like that are hard to come by and you should feel honored to call each other friend and brother! Editors note: quick cover up to deflect attention from the charter member of the Rabid Outdoorsman Fan Club... Looks like team Duckman has a defector!!!
Editor's note: I thank Trey for taking the time for this and for suggesting that we make this happen. Several years ago I had the opportunity to exchange questions with Terry Scoville of Women's Hunting Journal and enjoyed the experience. I'd like to say that my answers to Trey's questions had the zeal and enthusiasm displayed here, but nevertheless I took an effort to tackle his query. Thanks for reading. Check out Trey's blog here.
