The Daily Times

The deadline is Feb. 8 for filing spring turkey hunt applications; the sign-ups must be done online or at any license agency; they cannot be mailed. The turkey quota hunt instruction sheet is available at license agencies or online at http://www.tnwildlife.org . The 2012 regular season will run March 31 – May 13. The Statewide Youth-only Hunt (ages 6-16) will be March 24-25.

• True bass anglers do not winterize their boats. This is the prime season for smallmouth bass on nearly every lake and river in East Tennessee. Unlike largemouths, smallmouths love water temperatures in the low 40s. They are going for every kind of lure and are found at all depths, depending on water clarity, weather conditions and personal preference.

Hot walleye fishing is about to arrive. February and March are the months that walleye migrate to the headwaters for spawning. Norris Lake is one of the best fisheries for walleye in East Tennessee. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has been monitoring this Norris gamefish with gill net sampling and electro-fishing, and the walleye numbers are good.

Water temperatures in the lower part of Norris are near the high-40 degrees, the threshold that will trigger the spawn. The Powell and Clinch river arms are still too cold but the water color and flow are good. Walleye anglers should get ready.

• Last year the East Tennessee Chapter of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation passed the one million dollar mark in funds raised for local elk reintroduction and wildlife conservation. This year’s 24th annual banquet will begin the quest for the second million.

The fundraiser is set for March 10 at the Smoky Mountains Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, located at 4010 Parkway. The doors open at 5 p.m. for a social hour including games, silent auction and the display of the variety of outdoors equipment, guns and art for the live auction. Check out the Progressive Rifle Drawing with its special Remington model 700 in .280 caliber. Raffle tickets are half-price when purchased in advance with your banquet tickets.

The banquet costs $35 for each dinner and $35 for an annual membership. For tickets call John Mechler at 865-609-8202 or e-mail (johnmechler@gmail.com)

• The special red deer hunt in Campbell County in late January was meant to eradicate the non-native exotics that escaped from a local ranch. So far no official report has been published, but a TWRA wildlife officer told me that only seven or eight animals were taken from the herd of about 25 that are roaming free on public and private lands. We can expect to have another hunt next year.

• Announcing the 2012 Rapala Photo Contest. Enter a snapshot to win monthly prizes and recognition in Bassmaster magazine. B.A.S.S. is a co-sponsor of the contest.

For the best snapshot each month the winner will receive six Rapala lures selected by the company’s pro staff. The photo must be of an angler with a bass caught on a Rapala lure. B.A.S.S. membership is not required.

Photo criteria: Fish size doesn’t matter but photo quality does, and the Rapala lure used to land the fish must be visible in the photo. Make sure your digital camera is set to a fairly large file size because a tiny file can’t be turned into a magazine photo.

Email your digital photos to (facebook@bassmaster.com) with the subject line “2012 Rapala Photo Contest.” The monthly winners will not only appear in the pages of Bassmaster, but also in the dedicated Rapala album that will soon be on the B.A.S.S. Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com .

• It is time for my annual reminder to watch out for skunks. Mid-winter is their mating season and they are extra mobile. More skunks are hit by motor vehicles in February than any other time. Drive carefully, remove outdoor pet foods and guard your dog at nighttime “duties”.

Tom Wiest welcomes news, questions and comments from readers. Contact him at (wiest.tom@gmail.com)

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