El Dorado

[smallriverrat]

I was wondering if there was any interest in a fall El Dorado get together. I got some vac time to burn and didn't know if anyone was interested in meeting at El Dorado and do some fishing? I am sure Calvin would be up for one.

Dave

[tackleman]

I've never fished El Dorado. So it sounds good to me.

[Calvin]

I'm always up for a fall fishing trip at El Dorado. You can't beat the fishing and the weather is good too. When did you have in mind?

[Catfish Fever]

Calvin, I'll keep an eye on this thread, I'd still like to fish El Dorado. Can't remember, is that where the nice little motel is located, or was that Pomona? :crying:

[Calvin]

Its at ElDorado Jim. Kathy still runs it and I'm sure she will give you a good deal.

[bigflathunter]

I'm game for a get together at El Dorado, but I don't know when I'd be able to go. By the time I'd have a weekend to use, it'd be the middle of November. Looks like I won't have a say in this one unless everyone wants to go out November 11-12. :D Just about too cold by that point, so I'll just wait for the pictures of the monsters that Calvin pulls off of his lines.

[McFlat]

Aaron, are you kidding? Calvin has the warmest, driest, pontoon on the water. Besides....with the monsoons and all how can you resist another stay in my brigade size tent?

[bigflathunter]

That weekend will never be forgotten. "Warm" and "dry" are subject to interpretation by the user. Monsoon seems about right though. At the time it was kinda scary, but it sure made for a good story. That and the fact that the aircraft hangar of a tent we were sleeping in didn't seem to be fastened to the ground. :eek:

We should for sure do another one this spring. I'd love to shoot another turkey at El Dorado. Maybe we could even get some fishing in.

[Aquacat]

Does anyone fish lake chaney? If so, how's the fishing up there? I hope all of you have a great time together! :)

[Calvin]

The week of the 7th. I'm planning on going to Keystone. If you guys want to do it on the 11th we can combine some catfishing with hunting. If you like to camp in Kansas I think November is the best month. The damned hot weather is over and the fishing is usually still good.
Squire, I very rarely fish at Cheney because I think El Dorado is a lot better. Cheney doesn't have the catfishing that El Dorado does. I think at times it is pretty good for channels though.

[tackleman]

The 11th sounds good to me. Always wanted a good reason to to fish El Dorado.

[Calvin]

If that is a date yiou guys can live with I'll mark it down and plan on it.

[bigflathunter]

Calvin, when you mentioned hunting, it dawned on me that pheasant season opens that weekend, and I'll be leaving for Russell on Friday afternoon when I get off work. I'll be spending opening weekend with some family friends out there, hopefully filling the game bag up both days. Looks like I'll just have to wait for spring, unless the 18-19 is not too late for anyone. I camped out last year on a night when it got into the 20's and slept in a huge tent by myself and survived. The weekend of the 19th of November last year is the last time I had my boat out before I tore it down, and when the sun started to go down, boy were the crappie biting! We were trolling up and down this little lake (Cowley state lake) with shad colored Rapala's and the crappie were nailing them. We didn't even try to fish for cats.

I hate to ask to push it back another week, but opening weekend of pheasant season is sacred ground for my me and my dad. I know I can handle the cold, and Calvin has a camper for himself to stay warm in, it's just a matter of if the fish will still be biting. Fall is just a good general time for fishing, but is mid-November too late at El Dorado?

PS Calvin - I turn 21 at the end of this month, so you won't have to worry about me getting caught drinking. Feel free to share your beer. :D Kidding.

[Calvin]

Any time in November isn't too late. It can get chilly at that time of year but not that bad. I'll be sleeping in a tent or on the ground too. If there isn't ice on the water we can catch fish. I enjoy camping in cold weather so you don't want to rely just on my opinion. I have a good sleeping bag and won't mind it no matter how cold it gets. If we do it during cold weather you want to make sure you are prepared. I can bring a wall tent with a wood burning stove if we need it.

[brad kilpatrick]

Wold love to join ya all at el dorado but all ready have plans to open the upland season in Mankato. keep me posted and maybe I can join you guys next time.

[bigflathunter]

You can count me in tentatively, Calvin. I think I can survive the cold. I just cannot sleep in the heat, so cold weather camping should be fun. This would be the latest in the year I've ever camped, so I'm looking forward to it. It'll also be a nice change of scenery to get to the lake for a weekend.

The house I lived in at KSU two years ago had a very poor ventilation system. Everyone slept on the third floor in one big room with windows that did not come even close to sealing. The heaters didn't generate enough air movement to get the warm air up to the third floor, so whatever temperature it was outside, it was in that room. Not much we could do about it.

[Calvin]

Sounds good to me. I'll plan on it. Hey Brad, do you know many people from Mankato? My Uncle grew up on a farm there. I haven't been there for a while but the bird hunting is usually really good there.

[center12]

Dang, will be on my 7 straight days on the 19th, oh well I wouldn't have been fishing anyway..........quack!!!!

[Calvin]

I hear ya Charlie. You can bet my gun and decoys will be with me then too.

[center12]

Should be decent early this year, seen a fair # of ducks on Perry last weekend while scouting. This cool snap can't hurt either. As soon as I get off my 7 days(Wednesday), I've got the next 13 off...........should kill some quacks then :) Also have 2 weeks off after Thanksgiving, I've got big plans on putting some Mallards in the freezer............and turning Ozzy into a real duck dog.

[smallriverrat]

Sorry guys that I have not been on for awhile. Been very busy with job and yard/new house and crap. But if you are thinking about Nov. 18/19 then I should be able to go down there for awhile. I usually work wed, thur, fri, and a half day on sat. So I will probbly been down after work on sat. Also if there is a place to do some target practice down there then I will be willing to take afew guns down there and go shooting with anyone. Figured if the fish was not biting we can do alittle shooting.

Dave

[Calvin]

They won't let you target shoot at El Dorado for some stupid reason. You can hunt all you want but they frown on target shooting or sighting in a rifle. Bring yiour gun anyway.

[smallriverrat]

Ok I will bring it and well you all be at the same campsite?

Dave

[brad kilpatrick]

Calvin Don't know anyone in Mankato except Jan and Larry, the couple that runs the Crest-Vue Motel. I have opened the season there for seven years now. Last year Mankato was excelent, went back three times and hunted, Its a good four hour drive from Kansas City so you know we were gettin in birds.

[Calvin]

Mankato is good deer country too. My uncle sent me a clipping from the local paper this morning and they reported eleven car/deer accidents in the past couple of weeks. That's a lot for such a small town.

[brad kilpatrick]

I've saw a lot of deer hunters there last year. some of them had some nice bucks one truck had two twelve pointers in the bed. seemed like a bunch of out of staters hunting up there last year saw guys from texas georga tenn etc. sure is good hunting in that neck of the woods

[smallriverrat]

Well guys last week my steering gear box broke in my truck and it send me bouncing off of the cement walls on the highway. So I will not beable to make it do to the truck being totalled out. I am going to by it back and fix it cuz there is mainly just body damage and I have put alot of time and work into this truck and it is a good running truck. So my weekends from now on are working on the truck. My friends are telling me that I need to rebuild the frontend. The truck has 221k miles on it so I probbly need to change afew things out. I am really going to miss you guys. I will be there in the spring tho.

Dave

[Calvin]

I'm sorry to hear about your truck Dave. The important thing is you weren't hurt or killed. My son Matt rolled his truck four times north of my house on Nov. 1. It totaled out the truck and damned near killed him. He won't be able to go back to work until December sometime. He swerved to miss a critter and that's the last he remembers.
If you have over 200 thousand miles on your truck you might want to consider looking for a little newer one. We can all plan on getting together next spring. By then yoiu should have some wheels........

[bigflathunter]

I probably won't be heading down either. With the warm weather last weekend I had my hopes up that it would stick around. Since it turned cold I decided that I need to get the rest of the stuff done around the house that I've been putting off for the last two months. This will be the first weekend that I've had time to do chores for awhile. I'm needing to take the chainsaw out and get a few truckloads of firewood and get that split up, etc. And with just me and Calvin it wouldn't be much of a gathering.

On the bright side, gas is under $2.00 a gallon here. :) At least I could afford the gas if I was going.

[Calvin]

We might want to consider a trip to Keystone or Milford or Kaw sometime this winter to fish for blues. Cold weather is the best time to catch them. Gas is less expensive now and it will probably go back up next spring.

[smallriverrat]

Thanks Calvin
Well I will not be getting that much money out of the truck and it is not as bad as it could have been. Mechical wise it was really nothing (just needed a steering gear box and new tire, and intake gasket) but body wise it is what will cost (bed, right front fender, touch up on the tailgate, two new bumpers, touch up on the driver side door). I have decided to keep the truck and this weekend my friends and I rebuild the steering in it (we just did it to be safe with a truck with that many miles). Now just need to put a intake gasket and change the brake hoses then mechically it will be good. What totalled the truck was the age and miles. So I can live with the body now and after it is all said and done I will probbly have about $1500 without body work out of the truck. I just have alot of money and time invested in that truck and it is a good running truck. I would like to try to get something newer but since I now have a house payment and switched jobs I am not getting as much money and with the added expense of a house. I don't think right now I can afford a car payment. But everything takes time and I will slowly get back up there. Who knows I might even think about a boat in a year or two.

Dave

[Calvin]

Good luck with the truck Dave. Having a rough body won't keep it from starting and taking where you want to go.

[smallriverrat]

Truck update. Body still rough but it runs fine.

How was El Dorado? Really wish I could have came down.

Dave

[smallriverrat]

Well since I started this thread then was unable to attained I feel bad but I have that craving to see some great KS folks again and will try to be there rain or shine. So does anyone have a date on the next El Dorado get together? If so I will start saving now for some ribs so Charlie can slow cook them. He is awesome folks. Just got to say that. I am truely sorry for missing the last one but the lake is calling to me again and I need to answer the call.

Dave

[center12]

Thanks for the compliment Dave. Sounds like at the next gathering all I need to bring is the cook'n gear, you guy's can supply the vittles :) Did I mention I got a new gar recipe, umm tastie.

ribs
pulled pork
brined chicken
spiced gar
deep fried flathead and taters
need to do the hushpuppies
and made a mean fish chowder for dinner this evening

can't wait!!

[Calvin]

Charlie, did yiou get any of those flatheads out of douglas County Lake? How bout them Jayhawks...

[lakeith]

I thought about going down there this wknd but, w/ the Hawks playing early and poker sat. night didn't have much time. I also thought about 45 degree sucking mud up to hip and that is kinda keeping me away. Did you guys watch the game? Rush was evidently told to start shooting more and that's a good thing. He also let the guys that started play and get comfortable. Overall it was a good tonic for worried nerves.




Bruce

[center12]

Never did like a circus Calvin so I stayed away :rolleyes: Did you see the pictures in the Journal World, it was my best friend Tracy helping to pull people out of the mud............boats capsizing, people getting stuck, game wardens..............I'll pass, beside still have plenty of fish in the freezer. By the way, I decided to get a muzzleloader instead of a .204. Have a .54 Hawkens now...........guess I will buy a deer tag or 2 next year. It is a blast(pun intended) to shoot :)

It was a great win for the baby boys, should start putting a little swagger in their walk........they need it!! Only thing that woories me is Rush's comments about being able to "turn it off and on"...........Langford said the same thing. If you want to go to the pro's, that switch better be broke in the "on" position. He will now be questioned about "taking the game off" everytime he has a down game.

Bruce, you coming fishing over the way this year??? Since you have a boat now we can haul more gear in for a campout, got a few places in mind.

[lakeith]

Oh yeah, i'll be coming down your way, the itch is just starting by Feb, it will be unbearable. What kinda places you got in mind? I'm thinkin' about Coffey County/Wolf Creek sometime early just to see what it's like on that incredible fishery. Melvern's always one of the best in the state also.

[smallriverrat]

Anyone doing any fishing at El Dorado? If so how good are ya doing?

Dave

[Catfish Quiver]

Had a good time last trip, would like to try it again. I can make it most anytime if I know in advance.

[Catfish Fever]

Dave,
Ditto here with what Jerald said, we had a good time, except when it rained, only on my side of the then though, OF COURSE!:lol:. We'll sure be up for it, I know Calvin will too.
Jerald and me will be going to Marion here in the near future. We checked it out on the way home from El Dorado, pretty nice looking little lake too. I can get a camp site for $8.50 a night, and put a camper and three tents on it. It has electric, but no water hookup, hydrants close by though, restrooms too. I can beach the Toon about 20 yards from the camp site.

[janton311]

Sounds awesome, let us know when...:smile2: