Like I’ve said before (probably many times, ‘cause repeating stories and advice is what we geezers do best), turkey hunting is a lot like trying to pick up women.

  First of all, they are both an exercise in promising romance. Depends on the “game’ I reckon. I mean, after all in both cases you’re out their presenting your very best efforts at either calling, cluckin’ or gobbling on the one hand, or struttin’, braggin’ and shuckin’ on the other.

  An example is that first contact. You’re in a bar, tavern or nightclub. What are your chances of breaking up a group of woman sitting together during their ‘ladies night out’? Just about as much as hitting that big ol’ tom at 75 yards with number 7 shot through the brush. Zero to none!

  But, if you can get one of ‘em off to herself, your odds of success rise drastically. Maybe as much as 75%.

  Same with a gobbler. Get him in the 35- 40 yard range, load # 4 shot and he’s deep fried this weekend.

  So where is this leading?

  Okay, it’s a very similar situation when turkey hunting. You gotta break up those “hen parties’. Most times the old tom in the territory won’t respond to your efforts cause he’s been spending his nights roosting up there with a bunch of hens.

  Now I ask ya, if you were already surrounded by those of the female persuasion and another slight possibility sauntered by, what would you do? Hmm? Leave that sure thing for a slim chance at upping your dubious score? Nope. Same with the smart toms.

  So what to do? Well, if it’s legal where you hunt, go out the night before the hunt and scatter those birds off their roost. They will in all probability find a solitary roost for that night. The tom too. And he’ll be calmed down enough by daybreak to get back to what’s utmost important in his mind - finding at least one of those friendly hens from the night before. Now just do your best to make him think that you are that hen!

  Nothing ruins the occasional fishing trip more than driving a long distance to your favorite spot, only to find out it's been raining for the last few weeks and the water is the color of chocolate milk! Many years ago, I was like most weekend anglers, and would immediately try to find another lake or river that might be a little clearer, or just turn around and go home. But I found over the last 20 years, that it isn't necessary to give up so quickly on muddy water.

 There are many times when a creek arm or a certain portion of the lake or river isn't as muddy, or there is a transition zone where it goes from muddy to stained, which can be a good area, but, even if there is no clearer water, there are many things you can do. Most game fish react the same way to muddy water, they go shallow and they move closer to structure. This could mean a lot of different types of structure, such as brush-piles, lay-downs, rocks, stump fields, pads on shallow flats, anything! When the bass are holding tight to cover, because of low visibility, the lure presentations sometimes need to be precise, such as when flipping a log or tree roots with a jig. Below are the 6 basic choices you should have rigged for fishing muddy waters.

 Plastic Worms:

  I know this sounds like a strange choice, but a lot of times when bass are holding real tight to cover, a larger, bulkier worm, with some rattle inserted, possibly with a paddle tail, worked real close in the cover, can work well. I use a black or a black/red combination in muddy water. I also use the new Big 7 inch Senko that is out now, and drop it right into heavier cover. I have been using the new Cut-Tail worm for this also.

 Vibrating Rattlers:

 These baits such as the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, Cotton Cordell Diamond Shad, or the Rattlin' Rapalas, are excellent choices for probing different depths of muddy water, and where muddy changes to stained. The noise and vibrations of these baits, along with a realistic shad shape, make these great baits for stained to muddy water.

 Crankbaits:

  I use a lot of the real fat bodied crankbaits in muddy water. I choose different baits with a wide wobble, and sometimes rattles in them. I usually stay with darker colors like red and copper in muddy water. These colors with a wide wobble are easier for bass to find.

 Spinnerbaits:

 The bass will be using their lateral line more in the muddy water, so a spinnerbait with a heavy pulse such as a Terminator night bait, with a black skirt, and Colorado blade, is a perfect choice. You could even add rattles to this bait, which I have had success with in the muddy rivers and lakes in the Northeast. I always use a single Colorado blade on the spinner baits in muddy water, but in stained, or warmer stained water, I do go to an Oklahoma Blade sometimes with good results. ZAP Custom Baits has 2 spinnerbaits that we have been using for these situations that work real well.

  Topwaters:

  These are my favorite baits to use in muddy water. There are so many baits that shallow, muddy water bass will hit! The buzzbait worked slowly around cover will draw tremendous strikes. We use a ZAP clacker type buzzbait for this. The walking type baits, such as a Zara Spook, and Fenwick walking baits, Jitterbugs, Crazy Crawlers, and a variety of other topwaters, including poppers with rattles, are excellent and exciting choices for muddy water bass. The bass will all be in water that is 1-4 feet deep, eliminating a lot of the water, making them easier to catch!

 Jigs:

  Jigs in Brown/Black or Blue/Black with a Zoom or Uncle Josh trailer, with some rattles, are an excellent choice to flip into lay downs, and shallow stump fields, and of course on docks. Terminator makes a new jig for these situations that we really like. Make repeated casts to give them a good look and provoke them.

 If you stick with these baits and methods the next time you run into muddy water, you will never be afraid to see it again. It will become a friend, as it has become to me. – Steve vonBrandt

  Most hunters just measure the length of the beard and spurs after taking a tom or jake but there’s a little bit more to it than that. Here’s the procedure to get the “official” score on that big tom you plan on taking this season.

 Step one – Weigh the bird to the nearest ounce on scales certified as accurate for trade by the state Department of Agriculture or on an accurate scale by a licensed guide or outfitter, or on the official scales of a governmental wildlife agency.

 Step two – Measure the length of the beard. It must be measured from the central point of protrusion from the skin to the end of the longest bristle.

 Step three – Measure the spurs along the outside centerline from the point at which the spur protrudes from the scaled leg skin to the tip of the spur.

 Step four - Total up your overall score. Add the left and right spur lengths together. Multiply that total by 10. Multiply the beard length by 2. Now add the spur total, beard total and weight together. The sum is your overall score.

 Example: Left spur 1½” + right spur 1½” = 3 multiply by 10 = 30. Beard length is 7” multiply by 2 = 14. Weight is 20 lbs. 30 + 14 + 20 = 64.

  * Beard and spur length measurements are measured to the nearest 1/16 of an inch. In order to standardize measurement, all measurements are to be recorded in sixteenths.

 Thanks to the National Wild Turkey Federation for some of this info. For more information visit them at: www.nwtf.com.