flytyer57

I guess some people just get bored with the designated trails and want to be pioneers and make their own. Those are the people who ruin it for everyone else.

You'll have to learn to keep your casts up, not side arm, and watch your backcast.

I mounted a Scotty rod holder to my yak. I can change from a spinning holder to a flyrod holder depending on how I plan to fish that day. My cheap yak is too small to mount another holder, but my next yak will have an extra rod holder so I can switch from spin to fly when I want to on the water.

I had a paddle leash that I broke when my yak got jammed in tree snag. Had I not had that leash, I would have lost my paddle. I'm thinking of going out and buying a rod leash too. Almost lost my $150 rod/reel setup. Chief found my water bottle floating down river. You never expect it, but it will happen if you're not expecting it. Lash everything to your yak you don't want lost to the depths or the currents.

Check out Bass Pro or Cabelas for an anchor. I purchased a small anchor that was pretty much designed for those inertube bellyboats. A length of anchor chain could also be used. All you really need is about 3 pounds. Some of the grappling style anchors will not really work in some of these Ozark streams though. They don't do too good grabbing gravel. They also sell mesh bags that you can put rocks in pretty cheap. An eyebolt in a coffee can filled with cement also will work. Search online for some ideas for anchors. I bought some nylon rope and a couple of caribiners along with a big ring. I mounted the caribiners at both ends of the yak, and I can move the anchor position from bow to stern so I can anchor the way that helps keep the yak in a good position for fishing.

Just about every state has a tip line to report poachers. Make use of it and more of these clowns will be caught.

That valve that was supposed to be "Fail Safe" was made by an American company called Halliburton. As you may recall, that is the same company that Dick Cheney was CEO of before becoming the VP of the USA. They were represented at the Senate hearings to determine the fault of this leak. I don't know the outcome of those hearings, but all three companies should be held responisble. From the reports that I have heard, that valve is supposed to be checked every two weeks. It wasn't. The regulators for these off shore oil wells have not ben doing their jobs. Most of them responsible for regulating this well are now looking for new work. Good luck. I have no love for any oil company. Problem is, this country is stuck on the oil idea. We don't want cars or trucks that run on alternative fuels because we worry if they will be able to pull our 20' bass boats up a ramp, or through the Ozarks. We don't like the idea of having wind mills because they are too noisy. We don't want solar panels on our houses because they are too expensive and ugly. Sorry to say, until America wakes up, we are going to keep having these oil spills, coal mine waste ponds busting open or overflowing and spilling into our waterways, not to mention the acid rain. We need alternative fuels now. Instead of giving tax breaks to the oil companies, they should be giving tax breaks to companies that develop alternative fuel sources. And then we can start complaining about what the altrnative fuels do to the environment. But lets at least give them a try.

Yes, it is against the law, and these idiots scream about it all the time. All I'm trying to point out is that because of a certain few, who cannot follow common sense, they have to regulate these types of activities. There are idiots out there who think they can do just abut anything, and wonder why government is always getting bigger and imposing more and more restrictions on them.

I live in Mountain Home on the weekends, and fish Pigeon Creek quite often. The only boat I own is my kayak and my inflatebale pontoon. Still could do a get together and fish with ya sometime if you're interested.

Nice pic. I really like the b&w effect.

Try the manufacurers web sites and they might have diagrams posted. I got a few off Shimano's site a couple years back.

HEY ! ! ! I resemble that remark!!!

And people wonder why government is always creating new laws and restrictions. Proper use of equipment leads to fewer restrictions and government interference. And this goes to not just ATV's, but guns, motorcycles, cars, etc.

A vast majority of the lakes back in WI are weedy lakes. They have plenty of cover for the forage fish which allows for them to grow and reproduce. This in turn provides good eats for the fish. What kind of cover is offered to the forage in CA? From what I've seen so far of Ozark lakes, (mostly Bull Shoals, Norfork and Beaver) there are few if any weedbeds. It almost seems like typical cover down here would include various rocks, stumps and other timber. As for trading, I'm quite happy down here in the Ozarks. There are over 10,000 lakes in WI, and on any given weekend that has nice weather, you are definately fighting the crowds. On a typical lake of about 1,000 acres, there's not too many places a fisherman can go to get away from the jet skis and party animals wasting gas with their Seayrays equipped with 200hp motors just going in circles. Plus there aren't too many toothy critters stealing all my good baits and flies.

The world record smallmouth was caught in Dale Hollow Reservoir, Kentucky just a hop, skip and a jump from the Ozarks. They are consistantly catching huge smallies over there. What makes that lake any different from lakes like Bull Shoals, Norfork, Table Rock or any other Ozark reservoir? Are there humungous sized smallies swimming in Ozark lakes as they are in Dale Hollow? I think they are and nobody has figured them out like they have over on Dale Hollow. There very well could be a 10 pound smallie swimming in any one of the Ozark lakes that just hasn't been caught yet. Maybe Ozark bass are just smarter than Bluegrass bass.

I think it could also have something to do with CA stocking those reservoirs with trout. That's what those 20+ pound largemouth we keep hearing about out there are feeding on.

Sorry. I do think that smallies in the Ozarks can get as big as fish up north. The difference between the Arkansas and Wisconsin record smallies is less than 2 pounds. Arkansas:7 lbs 5 ozs. Wisconsin:9lbs 1 oz. Missouri:7 lbs 2 ozs. All of these fish were caught in lakes. River smallies generally run a tad smaller. I am a firm believer that the next state/world record smallie could come from just about anywhere I go fishing. I most likely won't catch it, but I'm not gonna stop trying. I do think there are a lot of bigger fish in every stretch of water that no-one ever catches. I mean, they don't get big by biting every lure that comes along. I'm sure there are plenty of 6+ pounders swimming in Crooked Creek, the Buffalo River, the Kings River, etc. My goal is to catch at least 1 of them someday. And like I said earlier, I'm not gonna stop trying. At least not anytime soon.

Yes, indeed, it was a lot of fun. Except when I got the yak jammed against that snag and got all wet. I know there's gotta be more pics floating around out there. Didn't anyone take a few pics of the fish caught?

Right now the cap on penalties is at $75,000,000. When they reported over $5,000,000,000 "profit" for the first quarter of the year, that $75,000,000 is a slap on the wrist. Trust me. I hate to see those who pollute this bad get off easy. How many times do we hear about corporate farms and their manure spills killing all the fish downstream for miles? How many times do we hear of power companies, mining companies spilling waste killing all the fish downstream for miles and what do they get? Basically, a slap on the wrist. And repeat offenders, like BP, really piss me off. Until the laws are changed in this country so as to not protect the corporations, they will only get a slap on the wrist.

Nice. Was that fish taken from a crystal clear stream or does it have some color to it. It would seem that the fish I catch in Crooked Creek are all skinny, and that is usually crytal clear water. Both the Milwaukee and Wisconsin rivers are quite fertile and tannin stained. Maybe the water quality/fertility has something to do with it. I was planning on going to Crooked Creek to fish today, but the water is still up to 474 cfs. Kinda hard wading then. If I do get out and catch some big fish, I'll check them for girth to length ratio.

Here's a few pics I took during the OAF Spring Float today. Sorry, the one little fish I caught got off before I could get my grubby paws on it.

The first fish was caught in the Milwaukee River. The second fish was caught in the Wisconsin River. All three fish were caught in flowing water, after spawning season.

I guess they decided that "making the world cleaner" should start with cleaning the Fox of it's fish. A $59 million company, and all they'll get is a slap on the wrist. Just like BP.

What if I have 2 USGS pages listed under my home page??????

I didn't realize it was you who posted the poll, so I voted no. Kinda wierd since I just fished with ya today.