MOPanfisher

Nice photos sir!

FW you are making me feel better about being a tightwad and no opting for a 4 stroke on my boat on the basis that there are 2 stroke boat motors older than I am and still running better than I do. Mine is only a 90 though and a 4 Stroke would have been too heavy to balance on my 17.5 alumacraft.

Oh Man I am confused now. Gigging in general OK. Gigging of bass or any game fish bad. Generally certain groups of giggers causing problems not all giggers, check. Giggers can do some damage to the larger fish in a population, check. Catching and releasing a fish = cruel, WTH. I have never felt any remorse for catching a fish, whether released or eaten, guess I am cruel and heartless, OK I can live with that. Free speech gone, and replaced with Political Correctness, yeah sadly so. younger generation not going to care for environment, nope don't agree. younger generation going to stop hunting and fishing, nope don't agree either. Honestly I think that the younger generation is going to have a better tie in with protecting environment and resources, and conserving wildlife that previous ones, as a whole anyway. We (my generation) tend to be more of a "Whats in it for me" grouping, I like my hobbies and places and want them protected, most of the younger generation are getting more of an overall protecting, and conserving of all resources attitude, and while it can go overboard pretty easily I like that a bigger segment of the population is becoming aware and active.

My wife really shakes her head when I take the jig and hook it on the top strand of the Barb wire fence, back up a ways and pretend I have caught a fish as I "play" the fish and walking forward. I would be embarrassed to admit even on here how much time I spent last summer doing that and practice casting in the yard while I was prohibited from fishing.

Dang it I may have to try them, although honestly I don't like BBQ flavored chips, but if I see them somewhere I will buy a bag. Wife was off today and has baked a ham, and is making some smashed taters and some green beans out of the freezer from 2 years ago.

About once a week right now I end up in the boat barn messing with my walleye, crappie and by default white bass rods. I have cut off and retired different jig heads, weights, hook sizes, bodies etc. To the point it is almost embarrassing to anyone who doesn't understand, like my wife.

I use mono backing on some reels but it's more to take up space than to prevent spinning or digging in. A couple of wraps of Teflon plumbing tape seem to prevent spinning on the spool as well as some of the newer reels have little rubber inserts that help as well. I always set my drag loose enough to slip on the hook set since it doesn't stretch. It does have issues with bowing in wind when casting jigs for crappie but by using a brighter line I can see that little twitch in the line that means set the hook. As for what you like confidence is everything, I have a fishing buddy that doesn't like it won't use it, says it spooks fish, but for some reason when we fish together there isn't a noticeable difference in who is catching more fish.

There are some differences in the legalities of what is allowed for leases (marinas and resorts) and licenses (most subdivisions and similar), however I could only tell you for sure how it would work at Pomme. If you have a question on the public-ness of a ramp by all means contact the COE, their information and assistance is part of what you pay taxes for. Often the ones that are required to be open to the public try to bluff folks to keep outsiders from using the ramp.

If there is no "tesspassing law" on docks then you would most definitely have the legal right to pull into a dock to get out of the weather, regardless of the dock owners sentiments. Bad form if the owner is there but I have never had one say anything other than "You better get under the roof before you drown".

Sorry I forgot to tell everyone that all the passes are now available at Pomme.

Correctly stated that the ramps are open to the public, what often happens though is that there is no parking space or if you park there you compromise everyone elses ability to be able to turn around and launch, which is not looked kindly upon. Parking on Private property can get you towed.

LOZ is public water not private, it is considered "waters of the state". As for the law I think is very much a solution in search of a problem. The law as written would offer nothing to any dock owner on any COE lake, as the docks definitely don't attach to private property. If they want to have that law it would seem easier to say any privately owned boat dock on waters of the state is private property subject to the same trespassing laws as real property. I realize that lawmakers in Jeff City don't realize that there are other lakes besides LOZ, and to a lesser extent Table Rock and mostly don't care.

I use Nanofil on light crappie rigs, tie directly to jig (6# and 8#). Abrades easier than mono if lots of rocks. use Fireline 6# mostly on general spinning outfits, and have some 10# and 8# on medium casting outfits for cranks, and one rod rigged with 14# Stren gorilla or something because it was on clearance. Absolutely love it on spinning rods, not as much on casting but certainly better than mono. I have some braid that has been on the reel for 5 yrs, no memory, but I do spray with KVD line conditioner. I don't do leaders on any of them, tied directly. Knots I use either the occasional palomar, or my preference is a Fish'n Fool knot, lube it up good with saliva or it will cut itself.

Largemouth are a fish that you sometimes catch while fishing for crappie or walleye, or occasionally creek fishing for gogglers and smallies. Sort of like drum, edible but you don't want anyone to know you did it.

Being a non swimmer I am pretty sure I would stand there smoking a cigar and say, "well &#!%". I have really wanted to tie a rope on the boat and float it off that way but seems like there is a just right amount of speed to float it off without breaking the rope. Maybe I will man up and try it with some good rope like 3/8 braided nylon. I have worked accidents where people have been injured falling off or out of a boat at ramp, driver starts to pull forward as operator is standing or close to edge. Injuries ranging from badly broken bones to bruises or stitches. Quite often someone doesn't fall out but it can be rather hard on rods, tackle boxes, depth finders when they fall in the boat.

A few years ago jumping from the boat onto whatever surface was available, never any thought about it. Now a few years, bone marrow transplant and some really stiff joints and I don't even jump off a the tailgate of the truck.

I heard an amazing coincidence for today. Today is obviously Nation Snack and Grazing Food Day, but apparently the NFL has some sort of important football game on later. Who Knew.

2 years ago I planted a bunch of butternut in my garden and they did very very well, had 60 or so in boxes with straw and ate on them all winter long. Even tried to make butternut soup but that didn't turn out too well. I am more that happy to split them and microwave them till soft (takes a while) and then put some butter and shake on the Paula Deenes House seasoning. I can eat them about every night. As for the Italian dressing eh it's OK, would rather do a soy sauce and coca cola marinade. Either way can you imagine pulling that out of the cooler for lunch on a float trip, would need a shady spot to nap afterward.

While I agree that I would love to giggers who target illegal species busted and hung out to dry, I don't think that it is a limiting issue for smallmouth bass in mo, any more than some harvest of bass in impoundment is a limiting factor. I would love to see some giggers busted, I know several giggers who have been checked by agents but those never make the news. Groups who set up on the gravel bar for a fish fry are very likely to get checked. I know people who have been checked and had an illegal fish they didn't want to throw away so they kept it, boom, ticket. I don't know any agents personally who would not issue a ticket for an illegal fish. Heck just a couple months ago there was a bust publicized in Polk county, bass and catfish.

I LOVE butternut squash.

Hmm I don't hear much from the muskie guys this time of year. Will usually start getting hits from them though in March throwing jerk baits like a rogue or crankbaits. Pretend you are walleye fishing and one of the dang things seem happy to take your lure away.

Thanks chief, my son drooled all over my phone watching the video. His words were "That's Glorious". And that is after he already ate supper.

I can almost smell it baking.

Can't remember what make my buddy had, was spring loaded and would swing up with the increased output when you throttle up. Was plastic I think. Worked fairly well until one day in truman when backing up and hit a stump and broke it off. I haven't been able to bring myself to buy one either. I have enough trouble keeping transducers alive fishing truman.

Should work.