Devan S.

Weight in the mouth, alligator clip on the backside hanging off the gill. No different than a tournament format now plenty of ways to cheat. Actually no different than any form of sport or competition today. Add in ego's and money and people will find a way to cheat. The fish Arkansas removes from TR for the Walleye. They are returned correct? I remember at one time seeing a stocking truck dumping a pretty large amount of healthy brood stock walleye at Eagle Rock one time but cannot for the life of me remember if it was Arkansas or Missouri.

For the group that is in favor of stocking: What level of stocking is needed(i.e. what number of fish stocked, and size of fish stocked)? What key indicators would you use to determine if stocking was successful or not(Tournament weights up to what level, catch frequency levels)?

Let's say hypothetically Missouri began stocking bass in TRL today. We began to see major benefits in 2-4 years(limits of these 5+ lbers like the old days that's always discussed here). Ya'll are already complaining too many boats, tournaments, pressure, ect. What happens when it becomes a premier top notch bass fishery rivaling the lakes discussed? Then what? Does the influx of fishermen/tournaments double? triple? quadruple? Does it get to the point that even during the deep winter you complain about boats like we do in the summer? Is the hope we run the lake so full of bass boats the wave runners and wake boats cant even launch? You guys make it sound like the old pond is so bad the average joe cant catch a fish yet the lake gets pounded for 9-10 months out the year by fishermen. Could it be better? Sure....but don't think some aggressive stocking plan isn't going to come with a myriad of other problems.

One is going to assume they came off HWY 62. In which case they came down a very small 2 lane curvy road, If they continue on 187 they have more of the same with another small bridge crossing. IF they go out through Holiday Island they are headed up and down and back and forth for another 5-10 miles which begs where are they going and why did their GPS take them that way? Not a lot of decent places to turn around once they got off the highway. Still begs the question of WHY?

I've basically accepted this is going to be an out of the state trip. I don't really want to buy a bunch of gear since max I would only go once a year and that's assuming I like it enough to give up other trips. Its basically a one off idea to just go and experience it. I have zero knowledge in in ice fishing. I don't think there is such a thing as guided ice fishing trips but want to be as close as possible for all inclusive at least this time.

Looking to go ice fishing.....have zero gear so essentially looking for a place to completely supply all the gear knowledge, ect. Never been and wanting to add an experience. Any recommendations?

No doubt about aspiring. I think you have done a heck of a job on the build. I'm impressed with the complete paint stripping job. Much, much further than I would have gone. I just don't want you to think its too small to go and do. You put too much work into that to not get out there and do it. I grew up in a smaller boat so I know its plenty capable for fishing and enjoying yourself provided you avoid the summer weekends in the bigger water.

Just remember new stuff can break just like old stuff and I would bet its a lot easier paddling your boat then a new fiberglass one.

Joined only to answer this post....interesting..... Wouldn't by the very nature of the size difference between rivers and lakes mean that a river would be more confined than a lake. Especially factoring in for depth? So why are you okay with a bowfisherman being in the river where one boat could seemingly cover larger percentage of the actually livable habitat of that stream vs. the sheer amount of water a bowfisherman cannot cover on a lake(depth). Why just because they have lived so long do they deserve to live longer? Is the only goal catch and release? At what point is a Carp mature? Out of curiosity for all involved.....What level does high fenced operations become not fair chase? What defines that line? Is it 1,000 acres? 10,000 acres? 20,000 acres? Any fenced operation?

I wouldn't let the weather hold you back(summer boat traffic is another deal all together). Understand that the ability to run back to where you started or out run a storm isn't required. If in fact the weather were to change that fast there are hundreds of miles of bank you can pull a well built tin boat onto to avoid a serious disaster. Sure you're never going to be able to fish from one end of the lake to the other but nobody catches fish running all day. I find even with the ability to run 20 miles either way of my launch I stay within 5 miles either way pretty consistently.

Al has some excellent points here. I didn't look through all the websites but the ones I did just showed the replica itself. That's great for showing off a standard fish but it doesn't give you any idea of how much detail the person is going integrate into your replica. In all my dealings, I would be asking for pictures of the replica along with the pictures of the fish they were trying to duplicate. Pictures identical to what netboy has given you. Then you need to make a determination if your willing to pay $25/inch for a darn close match or is $12/inch will cut it an bring back the memories your looking to re-live every time you look at it.

No they cant but having a database in front of them with demographics coupled with an explosion of social media can and does allow them to establish a potential case to check on. Will it catch every violation no but neither did mandatory check in stations. Items like first time adult hunters and specifically women, very young kids killing deer, first time land owners, ect all can easily be cross-referenced quite quickly to find potential violations. Is it any different than what they had 20 years ago...not really. Its probably just faster and takes less field time which means they should have more time to do other tasks.

I agree the guy that's going out and killing 10-15 a year isn't buying a tag. I know a guy that falls into this category. He gets caught almost yearly and at this point isn't legal to hunt anything but he is flat out broke(probably due to himself) and he is filling the freezer whether legal or not and the government isn't going to stop him. They are out trying to catch the guys on the fringe cheating the system. The guy that's loading a plot with a corn feeder. Has 2 good bucks coming in early in the year. Shoot the first; buys wife a tag and shoots the second. I would also venture to guess he buys his wife the tag after he shoots the second one. The thought being if Joe his buddy shoots off his mouth he at least has it tagged. Or alternatively family's that owns hundreds of acres of land. Use landowner tags but Mikey has moved out of state to the city. He still goes hunting yearly but Pa says to use his landowner tag that he hasn't filled in 30 years. It happens every year and people get busted every year.for it.

I would second the buffalo but sounds like you've already done it. Kings can be done multi-day too its a haul and sometimes getting the water level right can be tricky but definitely do-able.

This is perfectly what I am looking for. I know what you are saying on the 6-6 rod. I know nothing about rod taper/blanks but it feels like the backbone and sturdy section on my 6-6 is shorter or equal to the 6 footer but with 6" extra flimsy tip on the end which adds lots of whip. Kind of like its unbalanced to some degree.

I bought 2 air stream 6 fters last night online. Told myself when/if they came back in stock I would buy them so that is what I did. For you guys that have the 7' rod how does it compare to the 6'6" rod? I originally bought a 6' and liked it a lot. Then I got the 6'6" and it just seems entirely to whippy to me. Never could find a 7' to hold.

I'm like you looked and looked and looked. I think for Crappie/panfish/trout they are a great value and need a handful more. Bass pro website shows they are in stock...online.

You mean a small, private, stocked lake managed strategically for Carp? Sounds like the only think holding you back is money....buy the land, fish, and feed and you have what you need. From a business standpoint if the demand is there then why hasn't anyone created a supply of this type of scenario? We do it with Bass and large game. So why do carp get passed over?

In my experience, Bluegills are generally scatter throughout the water column. If I was fishing for big ones I would definitely start at deeper depths.

This is the one that always made me wonder.....Do certain species take different amounts of DO or do the temperature differentials provide additional stress to Walleye vs. LM? Why isn't the bank littered with dead shad. They die if you look at them funny but never seem to show up during low DO? Assuming it rain at 2 inches per hour for 1 hour super hard rain that volume of water would be minuscule compared to the volume of water in the lake at that point. That might explain 5-10 fishing showing up.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/7-tips-for-shooting-more-fish-this-summer

Derail ENGAGE: http://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/DNR-News-Releases/ArticleID/48/4-Essential-Tips-and-Tricks-for-Bowfishing In the Rough Bowfishing is only for taking “rough” fish. Iowa has a variety of rough fish found in lakes, rivers and ponds such as bigmouth buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, common carp, grass carp and primitive fish such as short nosed gar. These fish are generally very large (but are all sizes), still make for good eating, and you don’t have to worry about length and possession limits. They are usually visible from the top of the water. Be sure you can identify the fish before you shoot. Game fish (ie. largemouth bass, bluegill) cannot be taken by bow and arrow. The restriction exists because it is not possible to catch and release with bowfishing. Excluding game fish gives desirable fish a better chance at reaching maturity. Rough fish often stir up mud in the water, feed on vegetation, or feed on the same food as game fish, such as zooplankton and other invertebrates. Some rough fish, such as bighead and silver carp, are invasive species that damage the ecosystem. A full list of Iowa rough fish species is available in the 2015 fishing regulations booklet. Bring a Friend Big fish like carp may take more than one shot to bring in successfully, and they tend to travel in groups, especially at spawning time. Bring a friend with you to get a shot you missed, a neighboring fish, or just to help you haul in a big catch. You’ll have more fun and probably more success, which means fewer rough fish in Iowa waters. Carp are particularly easy targets at spawning time, as they tend to move to very shallow water and as much as half of their body may be exposed above the surface. Aim From Anywhere Bowfishing is great for those looking for flexibility in their fishing experience. You can shoot day or night from the shore, the shallows, a dock or a boat depending on your preference. However, there are areas in Iowa that do not allow after-hours fishing, and a few that don’t allow bowfishing at all (check locally for ordinances prohibiting bowfishing and in the 2015 fishing regulations booklet). Be sure to check the specific rules at any location you visit. Have Fun Bowfishing is a great outdoor activity that’s fast and easy to learn. That said, remember to have fun and not just try to get rid of every rough fish in an area. The same overfishing problems can befall any angler who takes too much from one spot: the fish will learn not to be there, and you’ll have to find a new fishing point. Even in the case of rough fish, don’t take more than you can use or dispose of responsibly. This is very important if you want to fish from a boat, because too many large fish can sink your ship faster than you’d think. Rough fish must be disposed properly and not left on the bank. Attend the free Iowa Outdoor Expo, September 26 and 27, to learn how to bowfish and discover other new and exciting ways to enjoy Iowa's outdoors. Bring the whole family to celebrate Iowa Hunting and Fishing Day.

This is what kills me the most. He has some legitimate logic going on but instead of giving us the green marble when we ask for the green marble he throws all of them at us at once and says "take that!" However he did start this train wreck and knew it would likely be just that. Good news is the secret followers filling up his inbox are having a good read.

I'm glad someone hit that one out of the park....This thread wasn't complete without it.

Yeah. They would have to leave a sign because they would never get caught. We're told their millions strong, fish all around us, but are hidden in plain sight and we never see them. Best camo money can buy. They don't buy it at Jonny world though because he promotes BF-ers.