MOPanfisher

Wait, What? I though TR didn't have a crappie population to speak of.

As a general rule I don't get upset at the Jerks, and inconsiderate fishermen. Maybe for a second or two, then I calm down and either keep fishing or move. I fish because I enjoy it and am not going to let them drag me down to their level. I don't approach it like a job, I don't have to catch fish (sure is more fun when you do), don't have any money or prestige on the line. And its surprising how often the ones who are in a hurry and you keep going behind them, how many fish you can catch. I fish because I like to fish, I like to eat fish and it is fun (usually). Why let someone else ruin my fun, besides after they have left I will be fishing and they will still be jerks. I also don't like it when someone fishes right up against folks who are fishing from the bank or a dock, give them some room.

There are liable to be some females spawning in some of the bigger party type coves around Memorial Day.

NO, It cannot have started yet as I don't have the opportunity to go. I refuse to allow it. Reckon that will hold them off a week or two.

We do that a lot on Niangua and a few other places, but there are some small creeks that I like to fish where it simply isn't wide enough to drag a canoe through. Honestly I just take one rod and if I feel the need I will switch out lures, otherwise I live and die with what I have tied on.

As long as they stay in the party cove and big boat country I am fine with it. Dogwoods blooming, warming up, LOZ should explode with crappie spawning any minute, heard a few reports of it beginning.

mmmm, is that hot oil I smell.

A fishing buddy used to carry two rods wading. He would tuck the rod/reel under his left arm and arm pit, with the tip pointing behind him. He would cast with his right and reel with his left keeping it tucked up tight. He could do it fine, I could sort of do it but didn't like it, and had a tendency to forget and drop the second rod once on a while.

Some of my buddies love Flicker Shad, I have several and fish them a fair amount, but always liked Shad Raps better, honestly can't tell a lot of difference in catch rates. Flickers are a fabulous crappie trolling lure as well.

There are always whites and hybrids in the main lake. As for walleye about now is the time to start looking for some points on the main lake or even a channel swing with a point on it. Throw crankbaits, shad raps flicker shads etc. at that point, right up to the water line, usually in the evening and wind is a good thing. Of course right about now begins the crappie moving up shallow late in the evenings too so whats a feller to choose. Generally I never go further down than the mouth of the osage and if walleye fishing will launch at Fairfield and work up the lake. Its easy to stay too late and it get dark on you though, we usually head back before too dark and fish some of the points nearer the launch ramp and catch some there. Some day are zeros and some days well they can be very very good, take a net.

Behind those cables is also where some dandy crappie live, if you can get them back on light gear. Some dock owners I think get a kick out of strategically placing brush just at the inside of the cable making it dang near impossible to catch a crappie and get it back over the cable, but they are easy to fish from the dock or walkway. but sure is fun trying.

I might remember the bigger ones, or I might just remember the perfect cast into the perfect looking place that caught NOTHING, or I might remember the 12 inch smallie that came from nowhere and smashed my jig, in a place he shouldn't have been, then fought like a demon and threw the hook. I might just remember the how good the breakfast was that morning on the gravel bar, or maybe the snake that swam close enough to really freak out one of my buddies, who knows what I will remember. Some trips the most memorable thing was the Dr. Pepper slushy we got on the way home. Every trip is a joy and every fish is a prize to me, I don't mind if others want to count every fish, species etc. they catch and use a clicker for each species, no worries for me. I would even happily fish with them as long as when they ask me how many I have caught they can accept the answer of "I don't know, several, with a few good uns thowed in"

Way too long, actually though it would probably be good exercise for my knees, way back in high school jumping rope was part of basketball practice and I was pretty good at it, also 30+ years younger. Hmm on second thought maybe I will just hang it in the barn for another purpose yet to be determined.

Yeah, and I have broken a couple of rotten ones then tied them to the hook at least one is still in use several years later still re tied and working fine. I really am not.concerned about breaking it and realistically it is probably the easiest to do. I may end up using that method. But then what will I do with the halter rope I salvaged from somewhere?

Pomme or truman? Haven't heard much from Truman, but a while back whites were going good up the Pomme and lindley both. Haven't heard anything lately. Whites on Pomme got hit hard a while back by a virus and are just now starting to come back. Last fall the little whites up the Pomme were like piranhas, and are growing every day, hope they last a while this time, have had some poor crappie days turned into white bonanzas.

I have had some good trips in an east qind, usually just before the storm hits, it is drawing in air just don't stay too long or it can get ugly. Definitely more related to a cold front, north and east winds tend to put crappie off, but doesn't seem to bother walleye as much. I have changed plans when wind changed and opted to garden or mow yard instead, don't like to crappie fish after a cold front. Would rather fight white caps out of the south, I can always find someplace I can fish, seems that I need a little "crappie chop" at least to catch anything, hate calm days.

Lies, all lies. Photos are fakes, and the muskie have eaten all the crappie, bass and walleye. Nothing but them water coyotes, and drum left. Dale and his wife at Nemo Bridge Resort are good folks. Actually most of the resort owners on Pomme are pretty good folks, some of the digs are a little dated but well maintained for the most part.

I was looking at my set up this evening and I am going to give the short halter rope a try, hooked to the bow eye and "Oh Crap" chain it should give me almost 6 feet and it it stout with nice locking snaps. I am thinking I can back down like normal, drop the tramson ties, unhook the bow hook and snap on the halter lead, back out just enough for it to float and tap the brakes to make it float back a few feet, then pull for ward jus enough that i can climb in wit dry feet. With that couple feet extra I can climb in and power it off with the motor, and if it doesn't start , (nah couldn't happen could it) it is still enough on the trailer I can climb back out and winch it back on. It my mind it works perfectly, we will hopefully see in a few days how well it works in reality. Joints are still stiff but a couple days of walking a lot looking for mushrooms is actually helping to loosen up the knees. Dang doctors who would have thought they were right , AGAIN. Actually I think it was the Nurse Practitioner who told me to tough it out and walk even more, she has given me more practical and useful information than anyone else. I knew when my dad gave me his boat after I graduated college that he didn't intend to go anymore. I took him out a few times but his heart just wasn't in it anymore.

I have met some jerks who were fishing a tournament and would tell you there were thinking you should give them the spot. I have also met rude fishermen who are no more tournament fishing than they were water skiing. By the same token I have met some absolutely great guys who were fishing a tournament and ask if we minded if they fish behind us, as we were crappie fishing. We talked a little while and let them go past us as they were fishing at a much faster pace. Even told them of an area we left because the bass wouldn't leave us alone. Good folks and jerks come is all shapes, sizes and jersey colors.

Different strokes for different folks I guess. My previous boss would tell you exactly how many fish he caught whether it was 6 or 124. I always thought it was funny, I keep a crappie counter so I know how many crappie I have in the live well, everything else is just enjoyment for me. Partly why I almost never have a picture of a fish that isn't about to get filleted, I know whether or not I have had a good day or not. Some days you actually catch more fish but for some reason didn't enjoy it as much as a day when you had to work a little for them. Neither is right or wrong.

Looks like its the same basic process as using a separate rope. I only like the rope idea because for some odd reason I am protective of that strap, I need it to get home. If he can launch as fast as when someone is helping him, he needs a better fishing buddy, because with a buddy its a simple pop and drop and gone back up the ramp to park, run back down hop in and go fishing. Ah the good old days when running back down the boat ramp didn't hurt nearly as much.

Loading is no problem I can keep the trailer a little further out of the water and power it on n or almost all the way on, then finish it with the winch. I hear you about the slick ramps in aummer, closest I ever came to drowning was at a ramp on Pomme late one summer while working. Waded out to fill a 5 gallon bucket and started sliding, kept my balance and the bucket, when the water got almost to me my belly button I said screw it and threw the bucket and started flailing for the side of the ramp. Finally got back to enough gravel and grit I could climb out. Weren't fun at all.

Damp paper seems to keep them plenty moist in the little Styrofoam boxes. Heck they store them in a fridge at the bait shops, and I have kept them for a couple weeks in the fridge at home, if they need a little extra moisture there is plenty right over the side of the boat.

Wrench that is how I have always done it, howe've last year after a diagnosis of multiple myeloma and subsequent massive chemo and bone marrow transplant, joints simply don't work quite as well as they did. Part of the issue is that the ramps I use are just right that for the boat to float up at the stern I have to wade a little water to get up on the tongue or climb up over the side of my pick up which is worse than climbing into the boat. If weather is warm no problem I wear my sandals and it feels fine, colder water in spring well I am a wuss. It would probably help me slide it off if I back in a little further and make sure bunk boards are fully wet. Plus after a year of Dr. and wife forced no fishing I simply haven't been enough to get my groove back on launching yet. I may try the short rope because I can float it back a few feet then pull up enough I can climb up on the tongue and up over the bow if left knee will cooperate a little bit. Working at the lakes for many years I have seen a lot of ugly accidents at boat ramps and would really like to avoid being one of them. Definitely not being in a hurry is a huge part of it. Will see how this spring goes and maybe adjust as I go along. Thanks fellers. Heck maybe I should take my wife with me more often, she can do the final few feet of backing for me.

From what I remember of the pics Tanderson had a rhino lining type vinyl liner. Would actually be really handy for keeping a boat clean. Only sure thing about carpet is it will wear and it will get dirty.