Now that the Spring Turkey Season has come to a close, it’s time to get all my stored gear away. I cleaned all of my calls and accounts while nearly shedding a tear until next spring. I absolutely love turkey hunting and am always a little blue when it’s over. I didn’t hunt a bird for muse this year, but I did guide seventeen turkey hunters from all over our country and all seventeen carried a trophy gobbler back home. Gotta admit, I’m mighty proud of that.
But, I’ve got some cool times coming up. First, I’m busy organizing the second Annual Toby Benoit’s Mudfish Challenge. The premise of this challenge is to break the state record for a mudfish/bowfin, a fish rarely welcome on the hook. By far, most mudfish are caught accidentally while folks are out angling for other species. It was only a couple of years ago that I learned that a mudfish is considered a game fish and that there are records kept on them. Now, I know an awful lot of folks who claim to have caught a 20-pound or better mudfish and just threw them back in. So, beating the existing state record of only 19 pounds can’t be all that hard, right?
So, aside from paying back 100% of the entry fees to the top three competitors, I offer a bounty of $1,000 out of my pocket to the mud fisherman who catches a record-breaking fish.
How the payout on entries works:
Each competitor can turn in one fish for their entry. The heaviest fish entered wins; simple. First place earns 50%, Second place earns 30%, and Third place earns 20% in both adult and youth classes.
Entry fees are $25.00 in the adult class and $15 for youths. To register for this competition, entries can be paid through Cash App at $RebelYellOutdoors or via PayPal at [email protected]. Entries are due by Midnight, May 1st.
The following weekend, I’m heading back to the Everglades to hunt invasive reptiles, most especially the Burmese pythons. Over the years, I’ve grown fairly proficient at locating and live-catching those enormous, beautiful serpents. And after recently attending the Florida premiere of my new movie, The Python Hunt, I’m really fired up about hunting them again. If anybody would like to join me, you’re very welcome to. And as always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop me a note at [email protected]. God Bless, and good hunting.
