Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Lake Life on DIY Network!

We are super excited for our new tv show to air on Memorial Day, May 26th at 10 pm on DIY network!

The show is called "Lake Life" and it basically starts out as a design build show for fun lake projects, but also incorporates a little family life in Central Illinois for not just us, but our clients as well!

Here is a little preview video:
Lake Life Sizzle - FINAL from Back Roads Entertainment on Vimeo.

So anyhow here is a little more information about the show as well: http://giantgooseranch.com/lakelife.html

Hopefully you guys will watch the show and if its on a little too late, make sure to set your DVR's. If America likes the show, we will be filming more episodes in Peoria and Fulton county this summer. If America doesnt like the show, we will just chalk this up as an amazing adventure and keep on pushing some other envelope to the max.

It really is crazy how this has all come about. About two years ago, a production company sent us an email saying they would like to make a tv show about what we are doin.... I kinda totally blew them off at first, thinking yea right, but then a couple weeks later Justin and Allen did a skype interview with them that I walked into and things started rollin from there....

For two years its been quite the ride with many hurdles passed and hoops jumped through and here we are on the brink of the actual airdate. Honestly the chances of actually filming and then getting the show on the air were pretty slim to none, I still am kinda surprised each step of the way... Anyhow, filming the episodes was actually way more fun than I ever thought would be.

Hope you guys tune in and like the show. I will definitely keep posted the latest of whats happening. The episodes will air a few times on the DIY network and then there is a chance that they will also air on the Great American Country Channel as well.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Goose Ranch Bass Fishing Tourney Results

Saturday, May 17th started out at 38 degrees. The water temps were in the low 60's whereas just 5 days earlier they were in the low 70's... The wet, dreary cold overcast weather from the day before was gone and we had the typical post cold front bright blue bird skies for our fishing tournament. Basically what I am getting at is although the weather was very nice for being outside, it wasnt optimum fish feeding conditions....

Here is a pic of the weigh in overlooking the big lake. We ate very good at weigh in. Chef Todd and my mom put together a nice spread:



So naturally the tournament got off to a slow start, but after a couple hours fish started to wake up a bit and some of the guys were able to string a few bites together to make for a very respectable weigh-in! There were about 50 bass weighed in over 3 lbs.


This tournament was alot different than most typical bass tournaments... Actually it was more like two tournaments in one. The grand prize was for the team who caught the most bass and the other grand prize was for the team who caught the heaviest 5 fish over 15"...

Let me just say in private lakes and ponds, largemouth bass OVERPOPULATION is the NUMBER ONE problem. Bass are born every year, and 95% of them need to be eliminated in order to grow BIG bass. In my opinion, only about 5 bass out of a 100 should be returned back into most private bodies of water....

Here is something you must keep in mind when fishing private lakes and ponds- you still need a fishing license and you still need to follow state fishing regulations. I dont agree with this law one bit for following state regulations on private property with privately stocked fish, but hopefully someday it will change. The law is outdated, because the state no longer gives out fish for private pond stocking, so the laws need to be updated accordingly as well.

Anyhow Joe and Jon won the tournament for heaviest 5 fish with 4 fish totalling exactly 14.00 lbs. Curt and Joe had 5 fish for 12.79 lbs and Mike Q had 3 fish for 11.58 lbs and Matt and Elliot had 4 fish for 11.44 lbs....

Bryce Wegman had big bass of the tournament from highrise lake: 5.64 lbs


Chad Schieler came in close second also from highrise lake at 5.60 lbs. That fish needed to keep down her breakfast and she woulda easily won!!


We will be tracking data like crazy of all the bass from all the lakes at the goose ranch. Our goal for next year is to have 5 fish limits for the tournaments in the 18-22 lbs range to win. You will see the weights going upward from here, fish can grow fast when they have what they need to do so!!

Total payout for prizes for this tournament was over $4300! We hope to have another tournament this summer on Saturday, June 21. Email nate@hblakemanagement.com if you would be interested in reserving your spot. More details for it will come.

Hunter didnt get to weigh in a big fish for this his first bass tournament, but he was excited to still win a $50 presleys gift card and get to hold up one of the big bass for a pic!!


We actually saved all the big bass in our big white hauling tank, hit em with a good dose of oxygen and medication for a couple hours and then redistributed them accordingly back into the goose ranch lakes best suited for them!! That helps the fish recover from the stress of the tournament big time!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Doug Stange and Chef Todd Fishing Show

Doug Stange and his film crew from InFisherman TV came to Central Illinois for some fishing Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week to fish with Chef Todd.


While eating dinner in Canton, Pete the camera man, had some funny stories to tell about the adventure! The funniest would be his recollection and account of Doug explaing to Todd that he probably shouldnt mention Fulton County Fat Girls anymore everytime a pregnant bass gets caught... Pets's a funny guy, you can see by his apparel it wasnt a pleasant spring fishing trip...


The next funny story on the list would be the audible level difference between Doug and Todd.. Anyhow, forgive me Chef for mentioning this stuff right off the gate, but for those who know you this is funny stuff. For those who don't know you, the bottom line is this: Chef is very passionate about fishing and this episode of InFisherman TV could be thee episode that gets talked about as FUN, yet also informative, and also has the signature BIG fish InFisherman TV is famous for! Or the editors could do ALOT of editing.

So anyhow Mondays weather (the day before the fishing trip) was 70's and the rest of the week was 50's with off and on cold rain and wind. Basically what I am saying is the weather was less than ideal for filming a fishing show, but them boys hardcored it and got er done. It took 2 full days to film one segment, but they got er done and Chef finished up the show with a good catch in the bottom of the ninth...


Here is a sneak peak of the big fish Doug caught. This is the biggest bass that he has filmed in the state of Illinois. She was caught on the Big Lake at the Giant Goose Ranch!! I'm telling you guys the big lake


The whole gang stayed in the cabin at the ranch. They ate meals from area Canton Restaraunts and obviously anyone who watches the show is going to know that FULTON COUNTY is a bass fishing destination!

Then on Thursday Doug and Dr Ed filmed a show up in Princeville at a clients lake before heading back to Minnesota. These shows will air in quarter two of 2015.

 While Todd was filming his show, Dr. Ed was putting a hurting on crappies at the goose ranch and some surrounding strip mine lakes:


While them boys were fishing, we were out stocking lots of FULTON COUNTY lakes and ponds... Kevin left work a little early to help with the stocking of his new 3 acre smallmouth pond!


Friday we spent working in the Chicago area, and then got to spend a few hours at the Max Mcgraw Wildlife Foundation. The fisheries biologists there know how to grow some big walleye, pike, and tiger muskie, but they havent made much of an effort towards growing big bluegill (until now)....

Saturdays we spend working at the goose ranch... these boys love working with dad probably more than anything... I just give them wood to carry and nails to pound and screws to pick up and they eat that stuff up... the more real it feels the more they like it:


Finally with some good weather forecasted this upcoming week, its crappie time! This is THE week to go crappie fishing so my advice would be to make it happen and then when you get your limit of crappies, get out and fill a sack of mushrooms too.... I dont know what this mushroom season is going to bring, but do know that folks are finally out finding some! Today after church hopefully we can find some for dinner like these that Kyle found:
Kyle A. Essex's photo.