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Outside Kansas City, but i ship to your door. I should add that a lot of these are new. I pulled them from their packages. The frog, buzzbaits, all three XCalibur baits, LC1.5 Spin and Sammy 85 are all new and have not seen water.
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Tonight at the Vise: Share Your Creations
fishinwrench replied to Ozarks Chillbilly's topic in Fly Tying Discussions & Entymology
Oh my goodness! I'm a little excited about this one... You bobber guys should jump all over this! -
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Now THAT I find interesting. I had no idea.
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I don't think C&R of walleye will ever become a thing. I know that I myself only get excited about a good sized walleye in the sense of...."Oh, this one is gonna taste GOOD !" If I did much C&R of walleye I probably wouldn't have any fingers left. It's a good thing that I don't catch very many.
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Yep, Whittaker Point is a must. But the best all-day hike I ever did (a serious one) starts out up on the mountain north of Ponca, the Centerpoint trailhead, goes down to a detour onto the Goat Trail, which goes across the face of Big Bluff. We hiked all the way across the Goat Trail, then down an unmarked, obscure trail on down the ridge into the bottom, where it hits the Old River Trail. Then we took the Old River Trail to its intersection with the trail that goes up Hemmed-in Hollow to the falls (even though it may be nearly dry in the fall), then back down and continuing on the Old River Trail, which crosses the river several times and ends up at Kyles Landing. Run a shuttle or get the Ponca Outdoor Center to do a shuttle for you and do this trail one way...it's probably more than 10 miles. And do it in the direction above, don't do it the other direction, because it will be uphill all the way and that's a lot of elevation gain. And, don't do the Goat Trail unless you are completely sober, prudent, and not afraid of heights or subject to vertigo! NO KIDS! So if you did it, it would just be some of the adults while the kids did something else with the more sedentary adults that day. It's a narrow ledge, in some places no more than three feet wide, 350 feet up the bluff. Falling would be fatal. The view from Big Bluff is probably THE most spectacular sight in the Ozarks, and Hemmed-in Hollow runs a close second. Of course, you can reach Big Bluff without continuing on, just go back to the Centerpoint trailhead. And you can reach Hemmed-in Hollow from the Compton Trailhead. But both entail a lot of serious uphill hiking on the return leg.
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pharyngeal teeth of a common carp...if you ever find those in you'll know what they are now
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Thats amazing...Commons run larger on Avg it seems than other Lakes in the 4 state area, at least the ones I catch..., I wonder if zebras occur deeper because carp keeping them thinned down in the shallower areas? temps? fluctuating water levels?....be an interesting study subject.....I know in the great lakes they seem to occur very shallow there... The mouth on older bigger commons seem to get tougher as they get older..its noticeable..I never occurred to me the possibility that it could be from them eating the zebras... in the back of a commons throat are pharyngeal teeth they use to grind or a better term is crush items, seeds.. snails..grains...most any organics that wash into a water..Whole seeds and egg shells are left in baits for the "crunch factor" that the carp seem to prefer. The image of carp head down slurping in mud isn't what they do normally they cruse around like cows grazing in a pasture...all the little tid bits you find on the bottom in a back eddy of an ozark stream is an example..they hoover up an mouth full and some how decide what to blow out and what to push back and eat...one of the reasons they are hard to hook, until they commit to the food item.. Commons where considered almost uncatchable once they got old and wise...but Englishmen Len Middleton and Kevin Maddocks in 1980 credited with the tied hair rig did carp angling blossom, before that natural hairs... horse usually...was used to link the bait to the hook. This is why they called it a 'hair rig'. we use now use complex rigs so that you hook them on the 1st suck so to speak..stiff hinge rigs..chod rigs...d-rigs...KD rigs--zig rigs--all with the complexity a fly tier would appreciate...I have more types of hooks/rigs for carp than I ever did for all my other fishing.....one reason is such a big $ business in Europe... fishing for carp is more like setting a trap to catch an old wise coyote... than waiting for a catfish to eat stink bait...
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Does anybody here know about the Truman "back pump disaster" back in the '70's? I don't, but I've heard about it from the old-timers. Apparently they did some kinda back pump thing to help clear debris at the dam during the walleye migration and ended up hauling out dead fish by the dump truck loads. Lots and LOTS of Walleye. People were outraged and all the old timers HATE Truman dam (and the lake) after that.
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No they didn't, or they wouldn't still be stocking hybrid stripers into lakes that have a native White Bass population. Once you jack up the gene pool of native fish there's no fixing it.
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Yep, if you want more big fish no matter what species, you have to protect the big fish you have, and the ones approaching big fish size. If you want more fish, period, you have to protect the fish you have. Stocking more fish isn't the answer, unless and until you are sure of the genetics of the fish that are already there, and can reproduce fish with the same genetics. Stocking of walleye got us into messes that ended up in screwing up the superior genetics of the fish we had. I've mentioned this before, but in streams that had native Ozark strain walleye that were dammed, such as Stockton and Greers Ferry, fisheries managers thought they needed to stock walleye to boost the reservoir populations. But the walleye they stocked were from up north, where the genetics were different, and the stockers diluted the genetics of the native fish, with the result that the numbers of big fish and maximum size of the fish dropped. There was a time when everybody was convinced the next world record would come from an Ozark lake (or actually the streams above the lakes) and state records fell as the native river fish found improved forage in the big lakes and grew very large. But soon, the spawning runs up the rivers above the lakes slowed to a trickle, and the big fish disappeared. The stockers were lake spawners, and outcompeted the native fish in the reservoirs. MDC learned their lesson, and when they decided to stock fish in the St. Francis River, where there had once been a good population of native walleye that had disappeared over the years, they captured native walleye from the next river over, the Black, and grew their stockers from those fish. As for Meramec walleye, they may have different genetics from the walleye farther south and west, because they don't seem to ever reach that 15 pound plus size that the native walleye of the south-flowing streams can reach. But still, any stocking must be fish of the same genetics, unless you really want to gamble and stock those native walleye of the south-flowing streams in an attempt to IMPROVE genetics. That's usually frowned upon by fisheries managers these days. Hog Wally knows far more about Meramec walleye that anybody I know. Even talking to him has really opened my eyes about the walleye fishery on the Meramec; I can still count on the fingers of both hands the number of Meramec walleye I've accidentally caught over the years (and still have a finger or two left over). Yet he shows that it's possible to target these fish and be successful, so there is certainly a viable population in the river. It just takes a lot of knowledge to find them and catch them. I'm glad he doesn't give away all his walleye secrets. The thing is that walleye have never been really numerous on Ozark streams. Population densities have always been low for as long as there have been records kept, with a few notable exceptions, like the explosion of walleye that happened around the dam at Osceola soon after Lake of the Ozarks filled. One year, massive numbers of walleye looking to spawn in the river above the lake (which were the offspring of fish that had spawned in the river before the lake filled) stacked up below the low dam at Osceola, where they were caught by the boxcar loads. Anyway, it's doubtful that the numbers of native river fish could really be multiplied by stocking, since apparently the habitat limits those numbers. But catch and release needs to catch on when it comes to walleye, if you want bigger fish, along with regulations protecting the bigger fish. The walleye is a great food fish up north, but here, in my opinion, it should be managed not for eating but for producing the kind of fish that the genetics could make possible--fish over 15 pounds, fish up to 25 pounds or more....true trophies, not skillet fare.
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Tonight at the Vise: Share Your Creations
Ozarks Chillbilly replied to Ozarks Chillbilly's topic in Fly Tying Discussions & Entymology
Haha autocorrect is something else. My main targets are: Snook Jack Black drum (if I get lucky. Catching those o spinning rods was a blast) Ladyfish REDFISH! And anything else that bites. I would be ecstatic to catch any salt creature on the fly. -
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Tonight at the Vise: Share Your Creations
fishinwrench replied to Ozarks Chillbilly's topic in Fly Tying Discussions & Entymology
I meant to say *stalking* but auto correct apparently doesn't like that word (took me 4 trys to get it THIS time). So anyway... What kind of fish are you persuing? Reds? Tarpon? SHARK!!!?? or just whatever gets ahold of you? -
less competition make prices go up.....more completion makes prices fall.....I remember when a trip to bass pro had a diversity of products far more than we see today.......mom and pop lure companies like Jim Rogers out of lamar Missouri..are now a dieing breed, I hope those places survive...Big Jim Rogers hooked me and my old fishing buddy to the huge bluegills and red ears in a small lake he fished...he gave us some very heavy but small jigs tied with squirrel tail and had hot pink heads, think I still may have some....last time I knew his grand kids had a sporting goods place still in Lamar, but unsure if they make lures there anymore....I prob should go through and set back some of my old lures and original wood choppers made in Carthage......its a different world today..and I am not so sure we are better for it
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Just about finished with my little river scooter
fishinwrench replied to Flyguide7's topic in Meramec River
Right on my man! 😀 Here's where the old 25XD resides now Water pump was in great shape but all the water passages in the powerhead were clogged with sand. Cooling water couldn't circulate. Throttle pickup timing and linkage syncronization was off a good bit, so when in the "in gear" WOT position the throttle plate was over-traveling and actually closing off the Venturi on the back side. What that means is that when you were at WOT at the carb the ignition timing hadn't advanced yet, and when timing was fully advanced the throttle plate was going closed again. All is straightened out now. She fires right off with 1/2 a pull and we have her on a 1542, it planes out fine. Everybody is happy on this end. Thanks a bunch. -
Tonight at the Vise: Share Your Creations
Ozarks Chillbilly replied to Ozarks Chillbilly's topic in Fly Tying Discussions & Entymology
I've only used spinning rods for saltwater fishing in the past. Right after last year's trip down to FL I really got serious about fly fishing. That being said, I am stoked to head down there with some fly rods this year to say the least. I'm planning on making about 100 flies for the trip from clousers to shrimp to squid to crabs to.... god knows what. So I'm just as inexperienced as well. Can't wait to put In some work and catch some of those salty fish. My dad has a 9wt rod we plan on using. Should be suitable for the inshore/surf fishing I plan on doing. -
Tonight at the Vise: Share Your Creations
fishinwrench replied to Ozarks Chillbilly's topic in Fly Tying Discussions & Entymology
What are you talking out there? I know nothing about salty fish. -
Advice for low water early fall trout fishing on the Niangua?
fishinwrench replied to podum's topic in Niangua River
There was one early fall low water year I remember doing pretty good swinging a soft hackle between Sand Springs and the concrete boat ramp. That was before the riffles there were all choked with gravel. Pic sucks, but it was this one right here, I did real well on it for a couple weeks. The thorax is peacock Ice Dub. #14 -
Where's everybody the waters off!!!
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Advice for low water early fall trout fishing on the Niangua?
fishinwrench replied to podum's topic in Niangua River
The ridge bend at Barclay might be good for a couple if Oneshot hasn't already eaten them all. The other 2 places I wouldn't have much faith in unless a good rise happens this week (not looking very likely). Maybe drive down to Corkery and hit that? -
Location?
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Tonight at the Vise: Share Your Creations
Ozarks Chillbilly replied to Ozarks Chillbilly's topic in Fly Tying Discussions & Entymology
Something a little out of the ordinary tonight. Already getting hyped for winter FL trip, thus I introduce the mini-squiddy! Has some insane UV flouresence, can't really get a good pic of it. Pretty fun to tie up. Should work good at night in around the docks. -
Advice for low water early fall trout fishing on the Niangua?
podum replied to podum's topic in Niangua River
probly gonna wade the area below bennet, nro (staying there) and barclay -
Just about finished with my little river scooter
Flyguide7 replied to Flyguide7's topic in Meramec River
Well the scooter has a new motor. I put it on and was disappointed because it would not plane out . So I extended the tiller and installed an aluminum grab bar and the difference was like night and day. I operate the boat in a standing position which helps me to see on coming logs, rocks and other nasty objects. Very happy with the results. Until I decide to trade my Ranger for a River Pro it will have to do for now. -
Advice for low water early fall trout fishing on the Niangua?
fishinwrench replied to podum's topic in Niangua River
Spend the majority of your time with your line in the faster water areas where it's hard to see the bottom. #14 and bigger hotspot nymphs, leeches or buggers. Where you find one you'll usually find several. Are you floating a stretch or just wading in? -
There are plenty of smallmouth in the river, I must have caught 30 of them on Sunday. River smallmouth are a different fish than lake fish I catch in Michigan. Smallmouth in either environment take a long time to grow. I caught a tagged fish in Michigan. It was 16" long and was 16 years old. I did weigh three pounds. i would venture to guess that a typical Meramec River smallie was a similar growth rate in terms of length. The weights would be different since it is harder in river current to pack on the pounds. I say that to say this. The smallmouth are there but if we want larger fish the bag limit should be changed to be based on a slot length, or a no kill regulation. But if the regulations are not enforced then all the regulations in the world would be of no effect.
