On 4/25/2024 at 8:15 AM, Pat Brown said:

Seems like whenever these big insect events happen it really activates the whole food chain and I catch biggins

It seems like you catch biggins if there ISN'T an insect event…

Ive heard a few, but seems less than normal so far…

Went to Russell yesterday, I caught 8 Spots and 1 largemouth.my partner caught 3 Spots.

The Cicadas were covering the woods like leaves on the trees. Had one hitch a ride on my spinnerbait back to my boat.the carp and gar were cleaning up on them on the surface.

The loud singing was nonstop all day long.Never heard anything like that in my life.Sounded like something out of the twilight zone.Just crazy is all

I've seen many reports of the cicadas in southern Missouri. They haven't made it up my way yet, but Iook for them soon.

Still nothing but your garden variety of bugs… lots of horse flys showing up. 
 

I'm on the lookout though lol 

Horseflies can go back to hell where they came from 

Well, all the usual suspects around here, especially skeeters with all the rain. Have not seen

a single cicada.

21 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Horseflies can go back to hell where they came from 

I’ll trade ya all the black flies we have up here this month for all your horse flies. 

21 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Horseflies can go back to hell where they came from 

 

48 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

I’ll trade ya all the black flies we have up here this month for all your horse flies. 

Trade denied 

Isn't a black fly the same as a horse fly?

 

The ones that I have serious encounters with at times are deer flies.  They are brown/mottled looking ones that land right on your face and take a bite out of you.

22 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Horseflies can go back to hell where they came from 

And chiggers

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Isn't a black fly the same as a horse fly?

 

The ones that I have serious encounters with at times are deer flies.  They are brown/mottled looking ones that land right on your face and take a bite out of you.

I think black flies are much smaller and much more numerous , apparently nearly impossible to escape and can draw blood . Granted this is just what I’ve heard on hunting and fishing shows, never experienced it myself 

My kids have been catching them by the dozens.  They are everywhere in our back yard. 

@Siebert Outdoors - live bait for the panfishing times, Mike.

“Them boys ain’t gonna take much to eatn’ bugs”.

Woodrow Call

16 hours ago, gimruis said:

Isn't a black fly the same as a horse fly?

 

The ones that I have serious encounters with at times are deer flies.  They are brown/mottled looking ones that land right on your face and take a bite out of you.

A black fly is your common fly you regularly see from spring to fall. You’ll see black flies around garbage, dead animals, etc.

 

Deer fly are a little bigger and I typically don’t see them around here until mid summer and they’re wings are in the shape of a triangle. They hurt when they bite.

 

Horse flies are even bigger, sound like a helicopter, and really hurt and leave quite a welt when they bite. 

@gimruis “black fly” may be a northeastern colloquialism, but they are very different from horse flies. Horse flies are the big nasty effers, but black flies are tiny and they swarm. When they bite, it leaves a massive welt and an itchy dot in the middle. For about 2 weeks, usually around mid May depending on the severity and duration of winter, the black flies make the north country almost unbearable. After the couple weeks is over you won’t seem them for another year. 

16 hours ago, gimruis said:

Isn't a black fly the same as a horse fly?

Sorry, pal...they aren't. Black Flies and Horse Flies are two different species. Black flies are smaller - rarely reaching more than 3/16" long while horse flies can reach 1" long with a 2.4" wingspan. Both are biters, both can transmit diseases, but the size differential is the main thing.

 

Just like mosquitos - only the females try to get blood - it's to help development of their eggs. Males of both just want flower nectar.

No see 'ems.  The worst. 

No see ‘ems are really bad at night on Table Rock. 

5 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

A black fly is your common fly you regularly see from spring to fall. You’ll see black flies around garbage, dead animals, etc.

 

Deer fly are a little bigger and I typically don’t see them around here until mid summer and they’re wings are in the shape of a triangle. They hurt when they bite.

 

Horse flies are even bigger, sound like a helicopter, and really hurt and leave quite a welt when they bite. 

 

I never really see horse flies.

 

I encounter deer flies when I river fish in the summer.  They are merciless.

Thursday after work Dolly (Yorkie, dog) and I went and checked out a newly refurbished boat ramp on a small river/reservoir. (The jury is still out on taking my boat there or not.  99 Islands Lake on the Broad River, 388 acres)   We walked up to the edge of the water just in time to see some kind of fish eat a floating Cicada.   I haven't seen or heard any Cicadas at the lake I normally fish.   I think that's strange.  They're thick around my house ~30 miles from the lake.   

Our dogs ate so many cicadas this weekend, they wouldn’t quit . I had to pick Bo up and carry him inside, stubborn hound