Smalliebigs

How sweet is that????!!!! the family lineage all in the same canoe, that is friggin sweet!!! Kudos to you my friend, those are memories to cherish........Awsome!!!!

My wife was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer at 38 and is getting a major surgery Monday 08/22/2011 followed by several rounds of chemo therapy, I know you guys are a quality group of people and any help she can get right now will be great .

NICE FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! way to go Corn Dawg or is it Dog???? either way 7 lbs is sweet in my book. jitterbug

Hef, the Jackson Coosa is a good yak if not a great yak, I have been using one all summer and have not one complaint. I don't fish lakes out of it, that's what my boats are for. The Tarpon is a good yak too there is nothing wrong with either yak I have paddled both, I have only done two float trips with the Tarpon but, it's very nice. Don't let anyone scare you from either.They both are not going to track all that well but, I was able to paddle from our old cabin below Blue Springs Creek on the Meramec upstream to the boat ramp almost a mile with no problem in my Coosa.I like the Coosa because of the options in seating and it's stability. The Coosa is also heavier because it is millimeters thicker than most yak hulls, I don't care about picking up 65 pounds vs 45 pounds that dosen't bother me. I want my yak to last for years while I abuse it on the rivers.The seat on the Coosa is not a low quality seat whoever told you that is high. Bottom line is both a Tarpon and a Coosa are well suited for Ozark streams and rivers, they are both killer choices.

I agree sandals are only good if there is no silt or gravel. Over many years of trial and error and more error than trial, I use theseMy link they have a Vibram sole that provides great support and they don't let sand or gravel in. The only real draw back is price and they kind of look gay to me but, I laugh when my buddy has to stop and remove gravel from whatever shoes he's trying this time. There are a few companies that make an adequate aqua sock with a good sole and one that even has a Vibram sole but where the ankle is unless your ankle is enormously fat it let's gravel in.

Drew, There are tons of Largemouth in a ton of rivers in Missouri over 22 inches and they get caught all the time. I find it funny that you question Al or anyone who says they catch 22 inch plus Largemouth on Missouri rivers. I guess in Kansas it's a news story if you do???

Fox Spring or Richart Spring if it's on the left as you go down stream. 18 inch smallie you gotta love it

The Jackson Coosa, The Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120, all of my paddle boards have a flat bottom.

"Then, he hooked it and him being only 20foot away he wrestled it around his sit on top and in a split second he grabbed the smallies back, dropped his spin cast, and turned his sit top kayak over and the line broke." All I can say is { gaper Kayak guy} : 0 { alleged 20 inch Smallie} : 1 thank god!!!! go smallie go!!!

Once again chief those are some sweet photos. You're right time flys when you get old the pic of you're kids holding the Green sunny in the creek is an absolutely priceless image.......awsome!!!!

I agree it sucks from Sand Ford to Redhorse......please everyone, stay away that area it's not worth your time

Nice.......

Bill, you have now intriged me with the talk about taking waves well. I'm in the market for a glass boat and was looking at Phoenix, I realize they use AME 5000 resin for the hull, are there some advantages to the hull desing itself that allows it to take rough water as you say???? I have narrowed it down to a BassCat, Phoenix or a Ranger. The speed thing is really a non factor for me, safety and longevity and ease of operation are what I am looking at in a new glass boat. I keep hearing guys brag about how a Phoenix can take waves but, I want to see why it alegedly can. Is it hull design or just because they use a higher grade material than most boat manufacturers?? Thank you in adavance Bill or anyone else who knows Phoenix boats.....I go thru this everytime I buy a boat!!!! but I want to get it right this time it may be my last??? Scott

"Catching a decent limit in 3 hrs. around PB2 the Tuesday after a Sunday C&R event really isn't much to brag about" Totally agreed Wrench, I have friends that consistently fish around PB2 and think they are Bill Dance, little do they know we laugh at them behind their back. I guess guys will do whatever it takes to bring home a check or some self proclaimed glory????

Wow, I am not liking beeing a weekend warrior. Ever since the baby arrived 18 months ago I really only get to fish weekends and it is starting to really wear on me. I think I am going to have to start making time durning the week to fish, like I used to, this weekend fishing is for the birds. We put in a little later than we wanted to @ Sand Ford and went down stream. In what I consider the first 6 or 7 most productive spots there were boats already....ugghh!!!!!! We went down stream 13.3 miles and there were boats everywhere we just came back to the ramp and considered it a wash.We didn't want to combat fish out on the river. I guess that stretch is a fall and winter only deal??, if you want to fish seriously with out the constant roar of jet outboards. I went home and set up the baby pool in the front yard, played with Emily in there and drank some ice cold Busch and dreamed about catching some 20's. Sunday decided to wade fish and the first three spots we went to had people there already no more weekend warrior crap for me.I feel sorry for the people that only get to fish on the weekends. I'm going to try this Wednesday hopefully I wont see anybody. Sincerely, The Weekend Whiner

Chief, it doesn't look like the Largemouth are having problems growing down there!!!! just kidding Awsome pics and Dylan is a lucky young man to go out on journeys like that with his pops even if it's "spur of the moment" great job!!!!

Al, as always what a fascinating read!!!! thank you. I have to agree with HogWally, I fish the Meramec quite a bit and there are two holes between River Round and just below RT 66 ramp that I know hold Walleye all year round. There are also two really good holes between Sand Ford and RedHorse that have some nice Walleye in them as well and are pretty easy to catch. For the record I catch and release all of my Walleye just like the Smallies

I have been using Deka Marine Masters for 20 years now on 5 different bass boats and have never had a battery issue. I have always had an onboard charger and maintained them the best I could and every battery was sold with the boats never had to buy any new batteries. They aren't cheap batteries though but, made in the U.S.A. and very good in my opinion.

Sam, You can fit up to four 8 foot rods in the hull compartment. I liked my Coosa so much I had to buy my wife one, although she hasn't used it yet.....pathetic!!!!

The Eye guru of the upper end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really love your reports.......two wall hangers in a couple of weeks qualifies as "guru". Great job!!!!

Scrow....

"RPS has put in hours on the water and shares his days with us in little regurad for anyone infringing on is stuff. If anyone deserves a great fish like that it is RP." Bill, I could not have said anything more correct than what you said.....totally agreed!!! what a monster eye rps, I love looking at the pic

congrats rps, very nice!!!! you deserve it for sure.

I think it's time to plan a trip to South Africa?????My link I know it's a kid holding that fish but, it's huge!!!!!!

I'm pretty sure they are different fish, I know standing there in a rum induced drunken state she caught a 15 incher and an 18 incher and the bummer was neither were tagged. She hammered some smallies in that little strech.