Reelfoot Lake

[gadwall2]

Who all has hunted Reelfoot and whats it like?

[MemphisStockBroker]

kinda like asking to describe a tree.... can mean a bunch of things. are you wanting to know about one of the public blinds?

[webfoot]

Each year I spend time at Reelfoot Lake, I have a friend Dwayne Dunn @ http://www.cypresscreekoutfitters.com. You will not find a better family to treat you and your friends to a great time. His son is becoming one of the better known youth callers in the Mid-South with several state and regional titles to his credit.

A large amount of Reelfoot is open water hunting, with several refuges along the boundaries of the lake. Some years it is HOT and some it is mild, like last year. Reelfoot Lake has many blinds that are “grandfathered” and the others are on a yearly draw.

There are many other outfitters located on the lake, one is Ronnie Capps a game warden, he is booked for several years. He recently released a video called Hunting 21st Century Ducks on the Quake Lake

[mallardhunter]

I've hunted it a few times over the years. If your hunt coincides with the arrival of a big front, it can be very good. Otherwise, the hunting, for the most part, is only so-so.

Having said that, it is a unique place, very beautiful, with somewhat different traditions and every duck hunter should go there at least once in his lifetime. If you go, I'd suggest hiring a guide. It's not very freelance-friendly. No wade-in hunting and lower-unit-eating cypress stumps everywhere!

[Goat Roper]

I also hunt Reelfoot each year with Cypress Creek Outfitters. Good folks and a great family time. Me and my two sons looks forward to this trip more than any other. Give him a call and tell him that Webfoot and Goat Roper sent you.

http://www.cypresscreekoutfitters.com/

[acornman]

I lived in the immediate area of Reelfoot Lake for 27 years. I experienced my first duck hunt there in 1965. Reelfoot can be a unique experience for duck hunters who have never hunted on open water. Also, it can give you a bad taste for commercialization of the sport and others shooting ducks on your swing. The annual draw blinds have come into being since I moved away from the area; they give the public a chance to hunt on the lake nowadays without having to use a guide. Local politics and traditions have ruled the lake for years; only recently has the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency made any gains there.

Others have posted the names of reliable guides for you; I agree with their advice. You should use a guide by all means on your first visit. Reelfoot can be dangerous in the wintertime to someone who is inexperienced in running a boat in stump-filled water at 5 AM. Reelfoot is a beautiful place where the sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking. If the weather is right, you can see more migrating/traveling ducks in one day at Reelfoot than you could see in a year somewhere else. If you are going to spend 20-30 years duck hunting, Reelfoot is a "have-to-do-it" thing. Send me a PM if you need more information.....good hunting....acornman

[gadwall2]

thanks for the info. I'll put it to use.