Stoneroller

the yeti coolers are by far, hands down, the absolute best coolers on the market. hence the price. but for the budget minded outdoorsman, I would strongly suggest the Igloo MaxCold or the Marine series. For you kayak fishermen, the igloo Ice Cube 14 Marine fits perfectly inside a milk crate! (although it won't hold a 2 ltr upright...) the igloo maxcold and marine series are both very well insulated and priced within reach. my icecube 14 will keep soda cold with one bag of ice, all day, overnight and well into the next day, even inside a 100 degree+ car in the summer.

I want to say Cookin' from Scratch was on Food Network recently. I think they have a billboard up on 44 about it too. Missouri Hick does have some good BBQ, we usually stop there after camping at Huzzah Valley.

I bought a 'sail' for my kayak and was testing it out that day. it's called a windpaddle, you can check out their website, windpaddle.com. anyway, they don't say the 'maximum' wind value that their sail is rated for. I'm gonna say 35 mph sustained with 53mph gusts, probably a bit too much. I forgot the battery to my gps/sonar so I couldn't get a gps speed, but when I was going with the wind, I was leaving a substantial wake. then I got sideways to the wind trying to reach across it and took a big wave over the side. sitting in water isn't exactly fun, thankfully my bailing sponge and ShamWOW! saved the day, as did a small dry sack emptied of it's contents and used as a barrier between my soaked kayak seat and my pants. I can see why a small craft warning was in effect... but the fishing was good when the water temp was rising and I was happy I made the trek. Too bad there is an Atrazine warning for the bass and crappie or I would have tried catching some slabs.

6 hours, 11 fish the biggest was 18 inches and 3.5lbs. I started fishing the creek at the headwaters of the lake, water was a bit more stained than in the rest of the lake. as I paddled out I noticed that the american lotus are starting to emerge from the bottom of the lake. a few were actually starting to top out of the water. I caught 3 fish in the creek arm, moving towards the back of it, the fish were getting smaller and the water more shallow. So I moved back out into the large flat that makes up this portion of the lake. The water is between 2 and 6 feet deep in most of this area and during the summer it's a tangle of nearly unfishable lotus plants. the wind was 36mph with gusts of 52mph, not exactly good kayaking or fishing conditions but I paddled out into the middle of the flat and started catching fish. the biggest came out of an area that looked just slightly shallower than the surrounding area, but was still more than 3 feet deep. none of the fish were shallower than 3 feet. a couple I caught off the end of windblown points, both were in water around 3 feet deep. water temps were 63-66 degrees, once the water temp started dropping the fish turned off, but while it was on the rise, they weren't too tough to hook up on. I caught all my fish on a white spinnerbait, SS terminator to be exact. slow rolled, if I didn't pay attention and sped it up, I didn't get bit or they'd swipe at it. (caught one on the outside of the lower jaw that way)

well i've learned something about gravel mining. gonna have to look into that some more, I never realized it is as widespread as it seems. I figured we were talking about the gravel pits along the sides of the river like the one near lone elk park. learn something new everyday. i would like to add that river otters were/are a natural part of the ecosystem and if weren't for humans screwing it all up and taking what isn't theirs and destroying what's left, there'd be plenty of river and fish to go around for the otters and the humans.

this was posted on MDC's website, I don't want anyone to think i'm Jim Low or that i'm claiming his work. I bought into the story too, right up to the point where they said his wife used her phone to track his. anyone who has dropped a cell phone into water knows they rarely work after more than a momentary splashing.

http://mdc.mo.gov/blogs/fresh-afieldHome » Blogs » Fresh Afield JEFFERSON CITY—Trey Hooks wasn’t expecting to connect with a record fish or call up controversy when he launched his boat into the rain-swollen Osage River March 15, but he got both on his line. Hooks, of Fortuna, was snagging for paddlefish just downstream from Bagnell Dam at approximately 7 p.m. when he connected with something big. “I was just starting to jerk my rod up when the hook hit,” said Hooks. “I lost my balance and fell down in the boat.” Hooks stopped his fall by grabbing the side of his boat, but in doing so, he dislocated his thumb. That made landing the fish even more difficult than it would have been. Hooks’ wife, Fonda, tried to take the fishing rod from him when she saw how badly his thumb was hurt, but he wasn’t about to give up. “It was just like her to try and get that fish off me,” Hooks said. “I told her to hook her own danged fish.” Snapping at his wife didn’t help Hooks’ situation. When he got the fish to the surface after a 20-minutes tussle, she refused to help him get it in the boat. Struggling to maneuver an oversized net beneath the fish with a bad thumb, Hooks slipped again. This time he banged his chest against the side of the boat. The impact dislodged his cell phone from the chest pocket of his coveralls, and the Nokia E71 dropped straight down into the fish’s gaping maw. At the same moment, the big treble hook he used to snag the fish tore through its skin and the monster paddlefish slid back into the river. “I about died,” said Hooks. “That phone was brand new.” But all was not lost. Hooks remembered that, at his wife’s suggestion, he had put the phone inside a zipper-type sandwich bag to protect it from moisture. The phone was on, and its GPS (global positioning system) function allowed the couple to follow its progress using his wife’s matching phone. “Once I seen how big that fish was, I was sorry I hadn’t helped him,” said Fonda, “so I held the phone and told him where to cast.” Incredibly, Hooks resumed his dropped connection with the fish. This time the fish was tired, and it came to the net more easily. Knowing he had a potential record, he rushed to find to a certified scale and an official with the Missouri Department of Conservation to witness the weighing. The fish registered 223.5 pounds on the scales at Billy’s Bait ‘N Bread in Brixley. That included the cell phone. Fisheries biologist Javiar Roe was on hand certify the fish’s weight and species. The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame’s current world-record paddlefish weighed 144 pounds. In spite of its enormous size, Roe said Hooks’ fish probably will not qualify as a state or world record. The problem, he said, is the way it was caught. “It’s a question of fair chase,” said Roe. “Normally you have to guess where paddlefish are in order to snag one. Mr. Hooks used an electronic device to track this fish and catch it. I know he didn’t intend to violate the rules of fair chase, but his method certainly is questionable.” Roe said he has not decided yet whether Hooks should be cited Under Wildlife Code 3 CSR 10-6.410 (5), which prohibits using an electrical device to take fish. When asked how old Hooks’ fish might be, Roe said, “Fish aren’t like birds or mammals. Deer and eagles and people only get so big, and they’re done. Fish can continue to grow throughout their lives if they have enough food and good habitat.” Roe said an average 10-year old paddlefish measures about 40 inches from the tip of the rostrum (the spoon bill) to the tip of the tail. A 30-year-old paddlefish can be 7 feet long. Hooks’ fish measured 8 feet, 9 inches. “I would hesitate to even attempt to estimate its age,” said Roe. “I don’t know if it was 50 years old or a 150.” When reached by cell phone, Hooks’ fish declined to disclose its age. It did say, however, that the cell phone that proved its undoing tasted a bit ironic. “I’m not a big fan of tongue-in-cheek food,” said the spoonbill. “When you have been eating plankton as long as I have, you aren’t all that interested in foreign food. Still, it did make the electrical sensors on my paddle tingle in a sort of interesting way.” Happy April Fool’s Day. -Jim Low-

you are correct about the duck stamp and car sticker.

If you witness or suspect a wildlife violation, report it to your local conservation agent or call the toll-free number —1-800-392-1111— which is manned 24 hours a day. You may remain anonymous, and you may ask to be considered for a reward if you wish. If you provide information that results in an arrest and you’ve asked to be considered for a reward, your agent will refer this request to a citizen board of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. That board assigns a reward based on the severity of the violation involved. Rewards range from $50 to $1000. Program 1-800-392-1111 into your cell phone— so you can act fast! Your cell phone programmed with the toll-free number will help you take immediate action when you see violations in the field. Do not attempt to intervene yourself. When you call, you will be asked simple questions, the answers to which will be vital to the investigation. Here are a few things to remember when you witness a suspected violation. Nature of suspected illegal activity Date and time of violation The suspect’s identity, if possible Description of the suspects and vehicles Poaching hurts all Missourians You may not “feel the pain” of poaching personally, but this crime can affect you in specific ways. Poachers steal your opportunity to hunt, fish or collect legally. Those who cheat the permit system cheat every Missouri taxpayer. The Conservation Department depends on revenue from hunting and fishing permits to manage wildlife populations and habitat. How can you tell if someone is poaching? A person “spotlighting” and shooting deer from a vehicle is poaching. He’s gaining an unfair advantage over his quarry—and over other hunters. The term “poaching” covers all wildlife violations. A person is poaching if he or she… Sells venison, deer sausage, fish or small game to acquaintances or at work. Collects live animals for sale Many native species of reptiles and amphibians (turtles, lizards, snakes and frogs) are illegally taken for worldwide pet trade. Hunts without a permit or with an inappropriate permit Some non-residents will try to buy lower-cost resident permits, even though they are not qualified to do so. Collects native seeds, plants or roots on Conservation Department lands.

access, I have to agree is an issue. many times it's not because there isn't a place for access, but simply that MDC doesn't own any land where a good access point could exist. no elk/more access maybe? not really feeling the lower length limits though. I like catching big fish and unless there is an over population of fish, thereby stunting growth rates, i'd just assume see them get big. limits are something that require close monitoring of the population and enforcement. i would like to add, collection of native 'minnow' species for bait. especially during breeding times. same thing would go for native crayfish species. more and diverse forage usually equates to larger and healthier predator population. i'd like to see MDC prohibit the collection of stream minnows or crayfish entirely.

In order to utilize the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, including it's lakes, you need to purchase stickers from the Refuge Office located on Rt 148, south of Rt 13. Here is the trick to the stickers, and the guys at the refuge will tell you this if you ask, or end up needed more than just 2 stickers... there is a maximum you have to pay for stickers. each sticker, good for a year is $15, you need one for your vehicle and one for your boat. Maximum you can be charged is $45 (i think) but you can get as many as 6 (i think) stickers. kind of confusing I know, but basically you want to get stickers for you and your buddy's car and boat when you get yours, just make sure you have the registration number and plate numbers of his boat/trailer/vehicle. it's a lot cheaper than $3/day for your vehicle and $3/day for your boat, in the long run. you can always get day use passes if the refuge office is closed, but with 3 great lakes, 2 of which are HP restricted, the yearly pass can easily be made worthwhile.

How does april 30/may 1st work out for everyone? we'll hit duck creek ca pool#1. i'm guessing there are no temperate bass in pool #1? so instead of white/striper/hybrid we can fish for crappie instead, along with black bass, catfish, and pickerel. 1 fish can be submitted in each catagory. I was thinking if we wanted to have a wager on it, $13 should cover all 4 and over all with the following breakdown. 100% payout. top fish in each catagory $2 each = $8 that would leave $5 for the overall pool. if 10 people show up that's $20 for each catagory and $50 overall. you by no means have to be in the $ pool if you just want to show up for bragging rights or just to have fun, that's completely fine. we can just have 2 divisions, open and recreational.

i think gravel dredging tends to be kind of localized, as in it doesn't really happen on a widescale, stream long basis, as least from what i've seen, but you see a lot more water than I do. Riparian corridors I think would be #1 on my list. people just don't get that clearing to the edge of the stream, or even clearing to within say 20 feet of the bank(i think the minimum is actually more like 50 feet) not only increases erosion but removes valuable wildlife corridors and cover. Second I feel would be, poor water use, specifically livestock access to the rivers and streams, especially the smaller streams, along with agricultural runoff. littering is always a top 5 issue. Very rarely am I on any waterway when I don't see a cigarette butt or beer can, or my personal favorite, styrofoam worm container. double whammy. atv use on trails within the watershed of certain high risk streams would have to be in my top 5 too. major erosion/siltation concerns associated with this issue. apparently from the articles i've been seeing lately, old and substandard septic systems throughout missouri are not helping issues either.

most 'freshwater' spinning reels do not have a sealed drag system on them and most of the drags are made from cheap felt, which when dunked, absorb water and become choppy and sticky. Never dunk a reel on purpose, sealed drag system or not. Water cannot be compressed and when it gets inside the reel, it will displace grease in the gears and cause corrosion. i'd recommend buying some good quality 'saltwater' ready reels, or at least reels with sealed drag systems, the better seem to be carbon now. at the start of every season or after an unplanned dunking, make sure to lubricate (and dry out) your reels with white lithium grease and a light machine oil. grease on the gears, be liberal but don't pack the frame with grease. and never, ever use wd-40 on a reel. it's full of solvents that turn grease into a runny puddle of snot and renders it useless. you can spray off sealed drag reels with low pressure water, like a hose, but don't blast them or submerge them and they'll last much longer. (as a rule, reels less than $50 typically are not very good quality, but it's not all about money, you don't need $300 shimanos or penns to catch fish or have a reliable reel) personally I really like the pfluegar president xt model for low gear ration and the supreme xt for high gear ratio, both have sealed drags the supreme xt retails for around $150 and the president xt for around $90.

like this...

you need a kick butt drag boat with a huge engine and a massive water jet. it needs to say "Suck My Wake" on the back...

i got fired over some she said/he said nonsense. its clear they were just looking for some kind of excuse to get rid of me, as they provided zero proof of alleged comments that I supposedly made. meh, such is life. 5 years of driving all over 3 states at someone's beck and call was getting old, lucky I hadn't fallen asleep at the wheel and wadded up the car by now. anyway.... i'll be bringing my kayak. either that or smallie and I will share his canoe, not sure, but i'll have my own craft to float either way.

yeah, just wish the weather would get better so the water would warm up. at least I had a month of pto saved.

barring any change in my sudden unemployment, you can count me in.

you can get a seat that straps to the top of a cooler of your choice and you can sit on it. much easier than sitting on the deck and would be a nice place to plant your butt when going through the riffles. the standups are made for flat water, but i don't see why someone couldn't use one in the rivers around here. as a rule i try not to errantly ram into things on the river, but there will always be those submerged roots, trees, rocks that you can't see/prepare for, avoid. a pfd, might be a good idea as would wearing a helmet, depending on the water. might look like a dedede, but less chance for a head injury.

take some pictures of the water level and get a water temp if you can. this will likely be the first stop on the canoe/kayak trail.

mil dot ranging is really only useful for ranges past 300 yards out to 1000 yards or so. and meant for man sized targets (height-wise). you may find the windage dots useful though for wind/lead computations.

i thought i read something on the mdc website or maybe my map book saying there are northern pike in the missouri river around washington, mo and upstream. i know my book says there are plenty upstream of jeff city in the missouri river and the mouths of the tributary streams/rivers that empty into it especially boonville and up.

duck creek the bonus fish will be chain pickerel council bluff the bonus fish will be redear loz glaize arm the bonus fish will likely be freshwater drum loz niangua arm the bonus fish will likely be walleye or maybe common carp (or vice versa) depends on time of year bonus fish catagory is meant to be a challenge and to provide an opportunity to expand or focus on a discipline of fishing you may or may not get to utilize much and/or showcase a trophy species on a specific body of water.

probably too warm in the bootheel and the oxygen level of the swamps there were probably too low for them to survive. the pickerel would have loved it though. bootheel used to look like the lower cache river area. although there could have been some in the st francis river basin, it certainly has cool/oxygenated enough water to support them.