Somervile will come up to pool level or beyond this season just like most of the other reservoirs in the state iffin El Nino kicks into full gear this year. But that will only make things worse as it will be the usual 3 ring circus it has become over the years. It has been sad to see that lake become what it has become over the last 6-7years... you guys wouldn't believe me if I told you how good it used to be only to yield to todays 60-70 trailers at the ramps on a opener which started some years back. There may be ducks there before the season opens but when the skybusting, kazoo screaming Barnies come out of the gate at legal on the 31st, you can kiss what birds may be there goodbye. That lake gets absolutely no rest, even during the week. And the show in FP is comical...

Oh the good ol' days......sad to see they are just memories

Oh it is still huntable but there is a very specific lake level that until it reaches that level I don't go. I just keep slobbering on the screen waiting for that number. I know you have probably hunted the same spot when it gets the right height. I just get there early and most of who can get there are pretty respectful. They will shine off when they see a light. I just try and get away from the butt clowns and they are usually concentrated in the flats outside of flag. I have a meadow that I go to, it is too small for another group.

I've hunted/guided on Somerville since the early 90's. Ain't 1 square inch I don't know about at any water level. I can count on one hand how many times I've been out there in the last several years. Sad to see a great bottomland piece of water get destoyed by a bunch of wannabe yahoos. But if anything it has given all the idiots a new place to congregate and keeps them off of my other areas around the state, so it's a trade off. But I do miss the good shoots that USED to be had there though...

I do believe I agree with you on the change up there. Used to be a great honey hole.

Sad. When I was at A&M back in the late 90's it was pretty good. I even got drawn for one of the spots out there. Lots of good memories.

If you think about it and we are honest with each other then we should be able to conclude there are very few hidden spots left. With the sale of every mud motor, mine included, those hidden spots become more and more available to the next guy in the line.

I drew this conclusion 2 years ago when the honey hole down south got over run with Brney the butt clown. That hole just like Sommerville and all of the honey holes got a beatin and really no way to recover.

So I concluded this and thought either sell it all or change. I opted to change what I do and make the best of it. My only option was to go private which in my opinion is not an option, or a good one anyway. Pivate is good until you hunt it then it takes a lot of time for that spot to recover. Hunting clubs suck, so that is not an option.

Last option is what I chose. It is to do what most other duck hunter are not willing to do. Travel a long long way to get to the spots where Barney the butt clown doesn't have any desire to get too. I travel as much as 14 hours to go where he isn't. get as far away from the weekend metro kazooer as I can.

I haven't dialed it in yet but I will. I will also have a good time finding the new spot. the new spot will last for a few years and then word will creep out and eventually butt clown will eventually work his way there and it will be over too.

Hopefully by that time I will be retired and this a mute conversation because the bus and I will be in Canada for the opener every year.

I completely agree. My buds tease me sometimes cuz I have sold alot of the mm's that now roam areas I used to hunt. But the way I look at it if I didn't sell it to them, someone else would have. They were gonna get one either way come heII or high water.

I'm like you though, WAL. I may chase a few teal here locally because Barney doesn't bother me cuz it's basically a "dove shoot" anyway. But as far as finding an area within 100 miles of where I live where I can find good birds and work them without being boom scouted or bothered, ain't gonna happen. Sooooo, I put many miles on my truck getting to where others aren't or are too lazy to put in the effort. I enjoy finding the acorn as much as ,or more than, the hunt itself. My mindset about hunting birds has changed over the years. I'm all about the chase, not so much the kill. I liken it to a guy deer hunting lookin for " that buck". While he may have 30 bucks walk within easy shooting distance, he passes until he sees "the one". I see it the same way with ducks. While there may be a few birds around my place, #1 they ain't mallards( sorry but I lean to the green), and #2 central Texas is loaded with Barney's that love to setup on each other, skybust and don't know a goose from a water turkey. So on the yellow brick road I go 8 out of the 12 weekends of the season, some weekdays, all holidays , most of my vaca days and even a few sick days.

This is what it has come to though, and you either deal with it or quit hunting all together. Well I still got a little pizz and vinegar left in my bottle and are mad at 'em just enough to stay on 'em. But I'm sure, if things continue on the way they are, I'll be giving it up for a few quality shoots in Canada, Idaho and Arkie each year and getting more sleep and less aggravated by public water idiots....

I do believe we are seeing the same horizon. Your absolutely right about if you didn't sell it to them the next guy would. It would be like stoppingthe tide. I know better than using the stick your finger in the dyke cleche.

Man you guys seem to know somerville pretty good, yall think u could tell me some good spots to go out there

I know you are joking MM9, but true story........

Back in 2002, I had a feller in a shiny new G Trax with a MB 29 Kawa longtail walk up to me at the ramp as I was abou to launch and proceed to tell me that he had heard that this was a great lake for ducks. Then he goes on to ask me where should he hunt ....I knew the end was near for Somerville at that point and my thoughts were correct as it only got worse and worse and worse.........

I miss the days of winching at flag pond.

I miss those days I don't miss the winching

All a bunch of yahoos

Twenty years ago there was just as many people at the boat ramp , with mostly john boats, but there was some air boats. The problem is two many idiots, that drink beer and sky blast, there are , and also after they hunt they proceed to lawnmower around and screww everyones hunt up. I have an air boat and a go devil, the only reason people dont like airboats because they dont have one. I see these guys out in the middle, or on the edges hunting out of there boat, pass shooting or shooting off of someone elses spreed.I laugh, because it would take me one time, even if I wasnt a duck hunter to use my brain, to say ha, we are in the open and we stick out like sore thumbs. Hum, that might be a clue, you should try something else. Maybe you wont screw something up for the people that take things serious. I have hunted summerville for 25 yaers and every year you see another thing that makes you say, Look at that yahoo, I havent seen anyone do something that stupid. Every year, its funny to think about it.

i was in somerville sat running lines its still down low, and i gave up duck hunting it and even fishing it during the first two weeks of the season years ago way too many barnys. Nothing like having to call the warden cause some idiot is in your blind at daylight, haveing a guy work a plastic worm in the dekes or someone yuhoo rattle you blind cause they got and walked up the bank. My personal fav is the people that think can blow call and take pass shots at ibys or water turkys. Even during the week that lake is over run and airboat said it best around 930-10 when they get bored they ramble on over anywhere someone have dekes. The funny thing i saw last year was 4 college boys had a 12 ft flat bottom way over loaded luanch without the plug in the dark it took them aboud 3 mins to relize y water was coming in the boat almost sunk there boat in 3 ft of water The icing was when they tryed to winch the boat back on the trailer not just drag it on the bank and drain the water . They snapped the rope cause the boat had prob 8 inches of water in it , then they guy driving takes his foot of the brake while in nuetral to help and almost lose the truck too . classic

The best was when I pulled down to the boat ramp, and the yahoos were pulled up, boat not unloaded, putting waiters on, and playing load music at 3 in the morning. Like they own the place.If you are going to luanch, put the boat in, and get out of the way. I proceeded to put my boat in, barely enough room, unloaded and then pulled my truck off. Then they tried to hurry up, while being in the way of everyone else still, and tried to pull out in front of me. Well, i hated to do it but, since I brought my airboat that day I couldnt resist. Wind in the face. Sorry, maybe if they had any consideration, I would too.

I'm headed out to summerville for the first time this year. A buddy of mine was lucky to draw a blind. It sounds like the lake is overcrowded. I hope it's not as bad as you guys make it sound, but i'm guessing it is.

As much as it saddens me to say, it ain't worth getting out of bed for anymore.....

As far as the college kids at the ramp, if I had a nickel for everytime I saw a F250 pulling a 14 ft jonboat with a 9.9 Yammie back down to the ramp and 4 kids pile out along with a case of empty beer cans falling all over the place, I could retire!! I'm really surprised that no one hasn't gotten fatally shot out there yet with all of the drunk kids with shotguns! But I gots news for folks, Victor and Sofi are drawing the line this year...so if anyone thinks that hunting out there is just a continuation of the frat party they just came from you'd better think again... Some folks are going to jail this year

Who is Victor and Sofi?

I believe those are the GW's out there

That would be correct

Is Sofi the first or last name?

Bring your hard hat, You will be peppered, or bring your ear plugs, so that everytime you hear someone skyblasting, wont get mad. One more, maybe if your blind, cant hear, and need to be shot go there. If they got rid of the beer drinkers, and illegalls, we be set again.

good luck with the skyblasters on the levy, that always gave us a heads up that ducks might be heading our way

has anyone hunted the wma on the bank for ducks?

Guilty!