Bill Hilts Sundays

“Show Me” a Quest for Personal Best Bass

“What goes around comes around.”

Many
people believe in that statement and follow a path in life that
subscribes to that way of thinking. To a certain extent, it
worked for Scott Pauley and me during our recent visit to the
“Show Me” State in and around Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.
Pauley, who is contracted out by the state’s Division of Tourism
for promoting its fishing resources (hint, hint I Love NY
people), visited Niagara USA a few years ago on his way back
from attending the Outdoor Writers Association of America
conference in Lake Placid. He enjoyed a couple of days of
fishing, including some pretty darn good bass action on the
Niagara Bar, during his September stop-over. He offered to take
us out with the hopes of showing off his home state. More on
that a little later.

We ended Part II by checking in to Holiday Shores Resort

www.holidayshoresresort.com , located between Osage Beach
and Lake Ozark. We unpacked the Tahoe and headed over to the
Tropic Island, a 75-foot luxury yacht that offers 90-minute
narrated cruises around the lake at a nominal fee. Capt. Omer
Clark runs a tight ship and the trip was very informative

www.tropicislandcruises.com . Back to our temporary home at
Holiday Shores. What was cool about this place was that we had
our choice of three different floors for sleeping options.

We were up bright and early to meet up with Marjorie Beenders
and Kyle Stewart for breakfast (at Stewart’s of course for
another cinnamon roll and a pork chop breakfast) for a recap of
what we had experienced so far and plans for what was yet to
come. Of course, they were happy the trip was going well … but
it’s what they expected. They had much pride in the area, as
well as the state. They couldn’t wait to “show me” more.

Off to Lake of the Ozarks State Park
www.mostateparks.com ,
the state’s flag ship park at nearly 18,000 acres. Not only is
it the biggest, it is also the most popular as far as visitation
is concerned. I’m still amazed that there is no fee to enter any
of the state parks in Missouri. A total of 12 hiking trails are
available. That’s not all though. The park offers up a
self-guided aquatic trail, mountain biking options and
equestrian trails for those that like to ride horses. The park
also has boat rentals, public ramps and docks. Fishing is always
just a cast away.

Inside the park was another attraction we needed to see: Ozark
Caverns. This one was entirely different than the Bridal Cave.
There was no internal lighting (we had to carry lanterns on the
tour) and we couldn’t take anything extra into the caverns (like
wallets or cameras) due to the threat of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS)
spores being carried out and transported to another area. WNS is
decimating bat populations throughout the continent. Since it
was first discovered in Howes Cave in New York in 2006, more
than a million bats have already died. It’s important to become
informed on the issues.

The tour itself was very interesting, featuring an impressive
“angel shower” – one of only 14 in the world and the only one in
the United States open to the public. The “angel shower” pours a
never-ending stream of water out of appears to be solid rock …
and into a bath tub made of calcite. The source of the water,
despite some intensive research, has not been discovered. For
more information on the caverns, call 573-346-2500.

After we left the caverns, we took a quick tour around the park
and visited the Swinging Bridges of Brumley – a historical
attraction off the beaten path. We actually caught some of the
locals doing some “bridge jumping” (not recommended) as we drove
across the 400 foot long antiquated structure. It has stood the
test of time, an early adaptation to the construction of Lake of
the Ozarks back in 1931.

Not knowing how far we were from any kind of a gas station (and
with our gas gauge flashing an early warning) we used Onstar to
locate the nearest petrol store to avert any kind of
embarrassment. Technology can be wonderful. Onstar sent the
Tahoe directions immediately to the navigation system and we
were filling up within five minutes. We were closer to
civilization than we thought. Tip: Check the gas tank

We hit a couple of wineries during our stay, finding many of the
selections to our liking. Shawnee Bluff Winery

www.shawneebluffwinery.com  in Lake Ozark offered a
great view overlooking the lake with an indoor tasting room and
bistro that was pleasing to the palate. There were several other
wineries in the area, too – a great way to break up the trip.

While golfing didn’t fit into our itinerary this time around,
the area offered up some amazing courses. If you enjoy hitting
the little white ball around, you’ll want to check out this
region for sure. The only golfing we did was at Sugar Creek for
a quick round of miniature golf. Even those courses are
elaborate, giving us the option of two different 18-hole
courses. (
www.sugarcreekminigolf.com . As we’ve been saying all along,
fun for the whole family!

Another side trip was to Tour L’Osage Caviar facilities, a
subsidiary to Osage Catfisheries, Inc. Founded by Jim Kahrs in
1953, the caviar side of things blossomed because of the
declining wild sturgeon populations in the Caspian Sea. In 1981,
the family began paddlefish production – a fish found abundantly
in the lake – and started its “paddlefish ranching program” in
1984.

“Aquaculture is a huge part of our business right now,” said
Steve Kahrs, part of the next generation of family running the
show. “We have 32 different species of fish that we offer to
aquariums and research facilities around the world. You can see
some of our fish in Bass Pro and the aquarium in Scottsdale,
Arizona to name but a few.”

The icing on the cake, so to speak, was the final fishing trip
courtesy of Pauley. Big Ed Franko, Lake of the Ozarks fishing
guide (
www.bigedsguideservice.com  ) and co-owner of Bass &
Baskets Bed and Breakfast in Lake Ozark (
www.bassandbaskets.com
) with his wife, Deb, also offered to help take our little group
out in the morning before the sun chased us indoors. It was
going to be a hot one!

We met at Big Ed’s lakefront accommodation and boat dock. Pauley
was already there. We hopped on board and within five minutes we
were fishing. Laurie Calvert from Oregon City, Oregon was the
first to create excitement, hauling in a four and a half pound
largemouth – her first fish ever! She was bouncing a rubber worm
along the bottom. Her husband, Joe, will now have to include her
on future fishing outings!!

Everyone caught fish for the few hours we were on the water.
Crankbaits, swim baits and rubber worms were the three most
popular enticements. It was near the end of our trip when my rod
doubled over while drifting a rubber worm in 25 feet of water.
Several times the fish stripped out line. Finally, after about a
five minute battle, we pulled in a hefty six pound largemouth –
a personal best. What a great way to end our trip, after
exploring a new area and making new friends along the way.
That’s what it’s all about. We can cross the Ozarks off of our
bucket list, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be back for some
more fun in the sun … and on the water. Check out the Ozarks
Convention and Visitor Bureau’s website at
www.FunLake.com ;
1-800-FUN-LAKE.

Beginners Luck Reigns True for Summer Derby … Again

For Chad Fenstermaker of Warren, Ohio, this was a maiden voyage
on Lake Ontario out of Olcott, fishing with Capt. Mitch Shipman
of Signature Charters. Little did he realize he was about to
make derby history by setting the pace in the 7th Annual Lake
Ontario Counties (LOC) Summer Derby held July 1-31, 2016 –
winning the $10,000 Grand Prize by reeling in a 31 pound, 7
ounce Chinook salmon the final weekend of the contest. They also
won the $1,000 weekly salmon prize.

It started Friday morning, July 29. Weather was a bit rough but
they decided to head out in Shipman’s 21-foot 2010 Ranger 620
named Signature Charters about 10 am. At around 12:30 pm,
pulling a Raspberry Shadow Moonshine spoon 90 feet back on a
dispy diver set on No. 2 over 205 feet of water somewhere north
of Wilson off Niagara County, the big fish hit.

“It took out over 500 feet of line when we hooked the winner,”
said Fenstermaker, reeling in his first and biggest salmon ever.
He told the crowd at Captain Jack’s in Sodus Point that he will
split the Grand Prize with Captain Mitch. Fenstermaker is a
signal maintenance employee for Norfolk Southern Railroad and is
also in the Air Force Reserves. His share of the money will
probably go for a honeymoon. He was married to his wife Rachel
last November and they’ve not had that special celebratory trip
yet. Remember Chad, Niagara Falls is the honeymoon capital – a
perfect place after your Niagara USA king!

First place in the Salmon Division was Larry Wills of Lewiston,
NY with a 30 pound, 15 ounce king salmon reeled in on July 8.
The fish held up in the race for Grand Prize for three weeks
before the last weekend heroics. Fishing with his brother-in-law
Don Stephenson and Timothy Wills aboard Wills’ 24-foot Penn Yan
“Reel Therapy,” they made a last minute decision to take off
from work late in the day and meet at the Wilson launch ramp.
“You need a pass in the derby if you want to get on the boat,”
said Wills at the awards gathering. “It was my biggest salmon
ever and it took about 40 minutes to bring to the net.” They
were fishing straight out from Wilson 40 feet down over 400 feet
of water with a purple colored Warrior spoon off the downrigger,
hooking the fish at 6:30 pm. They won $1,000 for first place
plus $1,000 for the weekly salmon prize.

Top Youth salmon catcher was Nicolas Curtiss of Overland Park,
Kansas with a 28 pound, 5 ounce fish reeled in off Olcott while
fishing with Capt. Vince Pierleoni and Thrillseeker on a spin
doctor and A-Tom-Mik fly. He placed 13th overall in the
division. John Powell of Niagara Falls, NY weighed in the
largest salmon by a Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association
member to win an extra $500 in addition to his 11th place
winnings. The fish checked in at 28 pounds, 8 ounces and was
caught out of Wilson. It was interesting to note that the 20th
place salmon weighed in at 27 pounds, 7 ounces.

In the Brown Trout Division, Guy Witkiewitz of Ontario, NY set
the pace by reeling in a personal best 18 pound, 14 ounce
brownie to win the $1,000 first place prize and the $250 weekly
prize. Second place Brown Trout went to Thomas Gies of Ann
Arbor, Michigan with a 17 pound, 6 ounce. He caught the fish on
July 3 and it held up almost the entire derby. Fishing with
Capt. Dan Evans of Lone Wolf Fishing Charters out of Wilson,
they were trolling over 220 feet of water – an unusual place for
a big brown – especially since they had been catching salmon.
Gies’ personal-best brown bit an Ice Shadow Moonshine spoon 45
feet down. They were fishing out of Evans’ 32 foot Luhrs that
sports the name “Lone Wolf.”

Top Youth Brown also came in through some unique circumstances.
Adam Flachbart of Fairview Park, Ohio was casting off the pier
in Olcott with his dad when a 14 pound, 5 ounce trout grabbed
hold of his Yo-Zuri crankbait – “a color they don’t make any
more.” While the fish didn’t make the Top 20, he still received
a nice trophy for his efforts.

In the Lake Trout Division, the winning catch this time around
came from Henderson Harbor as the east and the west continue to
have a slug-fest from derby to derby. Ephraim Burt of Watertown
was fishing with angling buddies Chuck Trump and Joe Sabadish
took the lead on July 16 and never looked back when they weighed
in a 24 pound, 3 ounce laker. Second place laker went to the
Western Basin when Bob Turton of Sanborn registered a 23 pound,
7 ounce fork-tail, a fish he caught with his father (Roger) on
July 3 for the early lead. Fishing from their 19-foot Crestliner
named “RT and Son,” they were trolling the Niagara Bar with a
green Kwikfish lure in 80 feet of water. They caught the fish at
10:30 am and it took them about 15 minutes to reel the fish to
the net. “Dad” also managed to place a fish on the board, a 19
pound, 1 ounce laker that finished in 12th.

The Rainbow-Steelhead Division saw a tight battle for first.
Wade Winch of North Tonawanda was crowned the overall champ by
virtue of his 17 pound, 10 ounce personal best trout. He caught
the winning fish with Pete Baio while fishing out of a 21 foot
Cruisers named “S & K.” They were trolling off Wilson in 180
feet of water using a purple Dreamweaver spoon behind a slide
diver set back 185 feet on a No. 2.5 setting. It hit their
offering at 8 am. This was the first time the two anglers fished
together.

Just two ounces back for second place was Alfonse Gouker of N.
Versailles, Pennsylvania. He caught the personal best steelie
out of Olcott while fishing with Dave Pasquale (Captain Dave)
and John Cyprowski aboard Captain Dave’s 24 foot Imperial boat
named “Way-In.” They were fishing straight out from Olcott in
230 feet of water using a spin doctor and green A-Tom-Mik fly
behind a dipsy diver set on No. 3 and pulled behind 220 feet of
line. They caught the fish at 9 am. Gouker was driving the boat
when he jumped up to grab the rod.

Top Youth division catch was a 16 pound, three ounce fish
winched in by Francis Holly IV of Wilson. It ended up in 4th
place overall. Fishing straight out of Wilson with his father,
Francis Holly III, they were in 90 feet of water, using
downriggers 40 feet down with green Stinger spoons when they hit
a double – a salmon and a steelhead. They boated both with a lot
of luck. Francis III also placed 15th in the Steelhead Division
with a 12 pound, 5 ounce fish. They were fishing out of their
21-foot Sea Nymph named “Blue.”

Next up on the derby calendar is the “Return of the King” Fall
LOC Trout and Salmon contest slated for August 19 through Sept.
5. Over $66,000 in cash will be up for grabs including a $25,000
check for the largest salmon; daily prizes for largest salmon
($500), brown trout ($200) and steelhead ($200). For more
information or to find a list of weigh stations and registration
outlets, go to the derby website at
www.loc.org

* “There’s a beauty in the river
There’s a beauty in the stream
There’s a beauty in the forest at night
When the lonely nightbird screams
And there’s so much time for singin’
And so much time for words
There’s so much time to listen
And so much time to be heard”

 *Ozark Mountain Daredevils

Growing
up in the “Land of the Ozarks” had to offer a certain amount of
inspiration for the band Ozark Mountain Daredevils. After a
recent visit to Central Missouri, we could certainly relate to
those lyrics. We could even add a verse or two of our own as we
spent a week in and around the Lake of the Ozarks – the largest
manmade lake in North America. The state motto – “Show Me” – was
fulfilled time and time again …

It started with a gentle prodding by Marjorie Beenders, a
tourism maven in the state who kept asking when we were going to
come and visit … every time we saw her. After doing a little
research on the lake and the region, we couldn’t take it any
longer. We graciously accepted her invitation to check out “the
best recreational lake in the nation.” That was after a national
vote conducted by two separate groups – USA Today and 10Best. It
would live up to its name.

After a week that was jam-packed with activities, where do you
even start? At the beginning of course! We left Lockport in a
2016 Chevy Tahoe LTZ packed to the gills, picking up Joe and
Laurie Calvert of Oregon City, Oregon at the St. Louis airport
along the way, adding even more luggage. The drive from New York
was roughly 17 hours and it was a comfort ride all the way. We
were impressed with the various alerts on the vehicle including
the blind side zone that flashed warning in our mirrors and gave
us gentle vibrations whenever some threat became available on
the road or in parking lots. More on the vehicle later.

We arrived at Lake Ozark and our first destination, the Alhonna
Resort and Marina
www.TheAlhonnaResort.com  in the middle of a
thunderstorm. It had been so long since we had seen rain, we
didn’t mind the drops as we hurriedly unloaded the vehicle.
Timing is everything as the rain stopped long enough to finish
the job. After a great breakfast outside at the in-house
“Bobbers” Restaurant, we headed out to Willmore Lodge
www.willmorelodge.com
) at Bagnell Dam – where it all began for Lake of the Ozarks.
Along the way, we continued to find New York connections, like
the fact that this lodge was an Adirondack-style lodge that was
now a museum documenting the formation of the lake back in 1931
(a lodge built in 1930).

The dam (that created the lake) was actually built from 1929 to
1931, employing some 40,000 people along the way – at a time
when the country desperately needed it. Workers from every
state, as well as from 9 countries, were employed, making it the
largest and last major dam in America built entirely with
private financing. To make this project happen, 22 different
towns and villages had to be destroyed and relocated.
Approximately 30,000 acres of timber land had to be cleared.
Over 900 miles of fences and numerous buildings had to be
removed. A total of 32 cemeteries were moved to higher ground
along with other scattered graves.

When the dam was finally completed, the Osage River provided
most of the water. It took three months to fill up. The end
result was a lake that was 94 miles long, providing 1,375 miles
of shoreline. Average depth is 60 feet. It is almost entirely
privately owned as far as the shoreline is concerned, allowing
residents to build properties within a few feet of the water.
Alhonna was a good example of that, allowing us to sit on a
porch overlooking the water … and fish if we wanted to. In the
neighboring cabin, we watched them fish off a similar porch and
reel in bass and bluegill on a consistent basis.

After a little driving around to get our bearings, we headed
back to Alhonna to take a paddleboat out for a couple of hours.
Joe and I opted to not take fishing rods for this trip because
of the funny looks we received from the ladies when we mentioned
trolling. We also made arrangements to take out a fishing
pontoon boat the next morning to really get a feel for the lake
from the water and do a little fishing along the way.

The next day started with another breakfast at Bobbers following
by gathering up all the gear for the pontoon boat ride. Since it
was early morning, the lake hadn’t really come alive with
activity yet. It was peaceful as we motored 10 miles up the
lake. As I rigged up a rod for Joe, I sent a crankbait toward a
downed tree along the shoreline – explaining the use of the
spinning rod along the way. It took about 15 seconds to catch my
first fish, a nice largemouth that hit a new Berkley bait that
mimicked a small shad, the top forage in the lake. It proved to
be the winner for the daily scratch-off contests that filled our
time in Missouri.

We motored to different areas around the lake, hoping to find
some active fish along the way. Magnificent homes stood out as
sentinels to the lake. We all agreed it was a beautiful area
with lots of potential. It should be on everyone’s bucket list
of places to visit. In fact, Sandy went so far as to say that if
we won the lottery, we would be getting a home here.

Alhonna
Resort has everything you need to spend some quality time
with family and friends. The facility offers up a full service
marina with over 25 rental boats – everything from bass boats
and pontoon fishing boats to ski boats, pleasure pontoons and
deck boats. Non-motorized water craft is also part of the mix
including kayaks, paddleboards and the paddleboats we sampled.
In addition, there’s a nice pool both indoors and out to cool
off in – something we needed for the week we were there. And if
you show up when the weather is a little cooler, they even have
an enclosed fishing dock with wood stoves! It seems as though
Mike and Sheryl Elia have thought of everything in the 37 years
that they’ve been running the operation. Our cabin made us feel
right at home with a full kitchen and more. It was both clean
and comfortable. The hospitality was top notch.

Our final evening at Alhonna was a light show offered by Mother
Nature herself as a spectacular lightning display lit the skies
all around us. Three nights went much too quickly and we wanted
to stay longer … but like we mentioned earlier, we were just
scratching the surface. It was time to move on. We’ll continue
with part two next week. In the meantime, check out the Ozarks
Convention and Visitor Bureau’s website at
www.FunLake.com  ;
1-800-FUN-LAKE. We were singing our way to the second phase of
our journey …

Making Dream Come True with Hunt of Lifetime

As
the saying goes, when life throws you a lemon, the best way to
approach it is to make lemonade. For Leah Manth, a freshman at
North Tonawanda High School, her lemon if you will is a rare
neurological disorder called Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2). She
is lacking a protein and as a result she develops tumors along
her nervous system. She has several tumors on her brain and
along her spine currently and just in the last five years she
has had to deal with eight major surgeries. She has partial
hearing loss and some facial paralysis. It’s a hardship no one
should have to endure, let alone a young lady entering the prime
of her life. She’s a fighter, for sure.

Leah is a member of the Junior Honor Society, Varsity Cross
Country, Varsity Indoor Track, Varsity Outdoor Track and the
DECA Club. She loves school, arts and crafts, playing games,
running and triathalons. She also loves to hunt and fish. This
is a story about Leah and a hunting adventure that she was able
to go on this year thanks to an organization called “Hunt of a
Lifetime.”

“Hunt of a Lifetime” is an organization that was formed out of
necessity. When Matt Pattison of Pennsylvania turned to the Make
a Wish Foundation to fulfill a dream of enjoying a moose hunt
with this father, he found out that the organization didn’t
grant wishes involved with hunting. Matt’s mother, Lisa,
literally took matters into her own hands and was able to put
together a hunt of a lifetime – a moose hunt in Alberta, Canada
– thanks to donations from a long list of giving individuals.
Six months after his hunt, Matt passed away … and his mother
took up the cause of forming HOAL. That was 1999.

Hunt of a Lifetime ( www.huntofalifetime.org
] has been helping
terminally-ill children fulfill their dreams since that time, be
it a hunting or fishing adventure. Leah’s father, John Manth, is
a high school teacher at Erie BOCES 1 and last year he was made
aware of HOAL when one of his students received an elk hunt
through the organization. It came highly recommended so Manth
took it upon himself to fill out the paperwork with Leah to try
and go on a hunt in Quebec for caribou and black bear. They were
granted their wish earlier this year.

The end of August saw John and his daughter, along with his 16
year old son Chris (and Leah’s brother), make the trip to Leaf
River, Quebec – the farthest north that the province allows for
outfitting. Their outfitter was Leaf River Lodge and their guide
was Remi Laprise, a weeklong adventure into the Canadian
wilderness.

“The hunt was more than just a hunt,” said Manth, “it was an
adventure for the three of us. We drove from North Tonawanda to
Montreal where we boarded a plane for the first leg of their
journey.” Rough weather forced them to wait three hours before
they took a float plane for the last three hour leg to Leaf
River.

The first step was to sight the guns in and, after several weeks
of practice with a Savage Arms .270 that was donated to her from
the company, young Leah hit the bullseye first time out to prove
that she was ready for the hunt – outshooting the other hunters
who were participating in similar hunts through this outfitter.
Game on!

The Outdoor Beat show airs on Channel 22 in Niagara County. It also
airs in Erie County. If you don’t have Time Warner Cable you can go
on the website at www.lctv.net  to watch it live simulcast or you can
check the On Demand section of the website in a day or two to see
this show and any of the other Outdoor Beat episodes. The 4 pm shows
also air on 90.5 FM if you want to catch it on the radio.