MOPanfisher

As I went to work this morning there was a school of small whites busting shad out in front of the dam.

I don't even know what a patty pan squash is, but it is getting to be zucchini season, around here you have to lock your vehicle and roll the windows up or someone will leave zukes in it. Even that doesn't always work if I know where you live. BUT those who take zukes get first shot at cantaloupes later.

I end up fishing alone a lot too, for the same reasons, all of my buddies have lives apparently. Usually a day notice and they are in. Sadly many times I just end up doing yard work instead. I live about 20 minutes east of Stockton but am probably the world's worst bass fisherman. I don't mind pitching to help someone with gas etc, but for some reason get touchy if someone wants to buy me gas, he'll I was going anyway. Now if we stop on the way and eat breakfast or get some drinks and cigars I won't arm wrestle you to keep you from buying them. That's just me though.

Your yard appears to be a little damp yet.

Yep there are musky and walleye both, also LM bass, a rapidly growing population of small white bass, and crappie.

That is AWESOME news Al.

Voice to text has gotten me some questioning replies more than once. Besides several of us laughed.

When I was a kid there were a couple packs of feral and half feral dogs around. Way better chance of getting mauled by one of them, or stepping in a hole and breaking my leg that of being attacked by a bear or mountain lion now. Besides it would give me a defendable reason to purchase a new pistol.

MDC can certainly write a ticket, however after that it goes through the County Court system, and the Prosecuting Attorney has to be willing to prosecute it, then to the judge, etc. MDC can certainly take away the hunting/fishing privileges from the violator, however it is highly unlikely that someone who poaches, etc. is going to be concerned about whether or not they have a licence/tag. MDC also has the ability to take vehicles/guns etc. involved in some cases like caught shooting from a road at night etc. I don't think the MDC wants to be the one setting the fines, just like the MSHP doesn't want to be the ones who set the fines for speeding etc., they make/approve the rules and do the enforcement, the punishment is up to the court system.

Kind of agree that having a few bears around is sort of cool, doubt there will be a big enough population to be a big worry, and if they get that numerous there will be a season on them. I am not in a big tract of wilderness, but plenty of room for a bear or something to come through, compost pile, apple/fruit orchard, fish remains area, deer gut piles in spring etc. I certainly wouldn't be surprised to know there was a bear visiting occasionally. I will happily leave my yard dog out to keep them run off, if it fails or gets eaten, well I never liked it anyway.

I suspect it has more to do with stability, I don't think airboats like rough water, with all that weight on top they do turn over. Our agency has one they have used on the Kansas River on occasion, but I sure wouldn't want to be out in one.

Heck nothing works every time, last week I made a quick run over to the lake with a Ned rig and a pocket full of ned parts, figuring I could spend a couple hours fishing around some docks from the bank catching little bass. I guess no one warned the bass I was coming and that they should be simply swimming up to me to surrender. After an hour and a couple of bluegill shakes I gave up, fully realizing I may not know anything about the Ned, except maybe I simply didn't have the touch or may the cold front changed them etc. I will still try it again and again as I have confidence in the rig from creek/river fishing I know they will eat it, just haven't figured out the nuances yet. Maybe I need lessons.

For my fishing it has made no difference what so ever. I used to use clear, green, black, camo etc. until eyesight changed, then switched to bright colors like Stren Gold and Fluoroscent Green Pline etc. Made no difference at all for me catching fish, have since switched to braided line, mix of fireline and now Nanofil, again I can tell no difference in catch rate, and everyone I fish with has switched to braid as well. I have even tried a mono leader with the braid and am currently at 0 for 2, two lost fish and one lost Shad Rap when the knots failed, both blood knot and an Albright knot and have gone back to tying the braid directly to the bait again. (It was a short lived experiment, maybe I am just a bad knot tier). While I don't fish TR, I have fished some very clear waters both in lakes and streams where I could see the fish come hit the lure/jig. What I do think makes a world of difference is what the person who is using it thinks/feels. just like crappie jig colors if I don't like a certain color I don't fish it the same and don't have confidence in it and won't catch fish with it, same with crankbaits or other baits. If the fisherman has confidence and likes it they will catch fish. I fought with braid for a couple years before I committed but will never go back I don't think, and if I can ever get the leader thing figured out I might try again with momo/fluoro leaders, but at $10 a pop for a lost shad rap, I may be tough to get to try it again. This is all only my opinion and is worth well nothing to anyone else.

Just smile and wave, smile and wave.

I don't recall any lake with homes right on the shoreline that has ever gone from a big boat party place back to a calm quiet one. If gas gets expensive they will just park in a cove somewhere instead of running around. I say keep them at LOZ and TR, keeps the rest of the lakes quieter.

Heck of a good day.

Sarum is a good read albeit it a little slow at times. There is another called The Tell I believe about a settlement in Israel/palestine, kind of a historical sort of book like Sarum only set in Israel. Another one I really liked is called The Walking Drum, by Louis L'Amour of all people. Set in Europe not a typical Louis western at all. I also enjoyed several of the long James Mischner books like Chesapeake, takes a while to read but sometimes I really like the ones that don't require me to set half the night to see what happens.

Nice, I am headed out this afternoon to see if we can pick up any walleye.

Ditto, Thank You to all who wore one of the many uniform of our Armed Services, some gave their lives all gave something, and their families as well. All who wore those uniforms came back different, whether from combat experience or just the experience from having served, including my wife.

I hear ya oldplug, the leader/line makes very little difference to the fish. For several years I have been catching crappie in clear with braid tied directly to the jig, before that Stren gold and bright green p line. The leader is more for abrasion resistance for me, and I am one who hated the old noisy reels, fish couldn't have cared less it just irritated me, took me a while to get used to the feel of braid going through the guide on the rod too, don't notice it as much now and Nanofil is smoother than regular braid.

Hmm those burgers sound interesting. Did anyone else notice that knife on the cuthing board in the picture on that link, that knife looks like it has been sharpened a few times.

Jan z that was policy when I had a pretty teenage daughter. Bears are less of a risk than teenage boys.

I remember, that's why I gotta cut you some slack. Well that and the Jayhawk avatar.

Braid doesn't take abrasion as well as mono, you can see the abrasions on the line but not feel them if you run you fingers down the line. I am only just beginning to use mono or fluorocarbon leaders, have alway tied direct to whatever I was using.

Looks tasty and a lot lighter than what I ended up with. Had a nice big pork loin, after trimming and cleaning it up, make 12 nice thick boneless chops. Seasoned them and put in the bottom of a glass casserole dish, and my wife made her mom's stuffing/dressing and we covered the chops up. Into the 350 for about.an hour and a half. Sautéed some thin sliced parsnips and carrots with seasonings, butter and saved bacon grease, and some "salad in a box". Was dang good even if I did get a little heavy handed with the cajun seasoning. Nap sounds real good right now.