MOPanfisher

Honestly I don't believe high water levels hurt the crappie very much. A drastic and fast drop would, but high, or steadily rising I can't imagine would hurt them. I always have to look at Truman, I mean high water (rapid rises) is the norm, but it produces crappie like a slot machine normally, not every year but you seldom hear about missing year class on Truman. On the other hand Truman is a very fertile lake, lots of nutrients wash in from the uncontrolled rivers (Grand and Osage), I don't know how it all comes together but just seems like some lakes have a tough time producing crappie, while others can't seem to stop producing them. Some lakes you have to know the waters very well to produce a nice meal of crappie, others like Truman and LOZ often pay off like a broken slot machine.

I honestly believe there is something else going on witht he crappie on TR, I am not sure what. Looking at the 2014 Annual Fisheries Report, shows a decent size to them but the numbers sampled were low and got lower during the last few years, coincidentally the number of bass went up. There is a terrible amount of abuse of the limits that go on with crappie fishing, however lakes like Truman and LOZ get more crappie caught from them by far than Table Rock and continue to produce, not sure if Table Rock suffers from a lack or cover for young hatch crappie or exactly what is limiting the population and reproduction but it is more than just fishing pressure, or predation.

http://egis.mdc.mo.gov/statewidefishattractors/index.html zoom in on LOZ, looks like three sets on on the upper arms.

Now don't start using facts and logic, that ain't gonna fly .

I have learned that Chief is likely a "closet Ned Head". Me thinks thou dost protest too much Chief. I have learned that 15 years ago a guy fishing from his dock with half a plastic worm threaded onto a crappie jig head was just a city guy who didn't know no better, and we laughed at them, but today he is a genius who might possibly decimate the bass populations if he doesn't mend his ways, and That most of us were happily fishing with one version or another for many years without knowing or caring that it didn't have a cool name. In reality all lures are simply tools, there are no magic lures, some work better for certain folks, some work better for others. As an example I could probably count on my fingers how many fish I have caught on a topwater bait in the last 20 years (outside of a black jitterbug on a creek), or even a large spinner bait, I simply don't like them, don't enjoy fishing with them, and thus don't use them. Goodness knows they have accounted for a lot of fish for other folks, just not me, doesn't make them the best or worst bait ever made, just not my "cup of tea" as it were.

I will tell you a quick story just so you can laugh. I don't like to clean live fish, not because I am squeamish or don't want to be cruel, simply for the reason mjk86 noted, they flop around a lot and sometimes bad things happen. So I generally keep an old fish scaled or even a screwdriver at my fish cleaning station to give any live ones a good whack. Well it so happened one day that both were missing, however for some reason lying there was a large eye-bolt, eye was maybe an inch and a half in diameter and a good heavy duty bolt. Decided to use it, worked fine for the first one or two, being careful to hold it right. But got careless and a good hard whack caught the fish on one side of the eye and the base of my thumb-nail with the other side. I would have liked to have seen the video, it will fold your knees, and make you sick to your stomach, if you smack just the base of the nail. Way worse than smacking your thumb with a hammer.

I can't wait until the Original Rapala swimming minnow comes back as the new hot bait, I will be set. Till then I guess I will fish with whatever either works for me, or trips my fancy on that day. The only way I could ever get 20 pounds in a tournament is if they weighed my lunch and drinks.

In my mind there is also the smell of fresh baked bread, and possibly an apple pie. What more can you hope for.

In my opinion driving them on private property is fine, heck set up ramps and obstacles if you want to, thats up to the adult/parents. Driving them on the road where highway type vehicles routinely travel at speed is asking for trouble.

Yep my livewell is the whole lake, if it isn't something I want to take home back it goes, or if I am simply fishing for fun. I do however have a death well in my boat. If they get sent to the deathwell, their health issues are already settled, ice is good there too depending on time of year.

I suspect the comment "no support for catch and release only", would be more accurate if they stated that not enough support for catch and release only was found to prevent a major hue and outcry, and insulate the department from negative public comments.

Dang Chief why you always bashing on the Ned?

Man Beaver is a tough lake this week. Wrench take some beef jerky next time, you won't have to snack on the Zooms.

Cool trip Dougie. Here is a stranger double for you, one fish 2 lures. 2 different versions, once fishing with my father on Truman in the early 80s catching big bluegill. Big bull grabs his hook then makes a hard run about 8 feet and grabs mine, both hooks well in his mouth. Second scenario wading a small creek several years ago, using a small original rapala, hooked and broke off a bass of at most 2 lbs under an overhanging bush, about 30 minutes laker on my way back cast back into spot and got bit again. In his mouth were 2 small original rapalas, one still tied on and one with a few inches of line. I thanked the fish and sent him back to his bush.

Gotta agree with Joe somewhat. Short of simply carrying the ball around who calls travelling in a fun game with no refs.

As my old departed coach used to say, "don't matter if you did or didnt, if the ref called you for it you did it". He would argue with the ref but didn't tolerate players arguing. So take them fishing, wait until they catch a nice fish then make up a regulation and demand they release it.

Actually they "release" prior to the "catch".

Sadly you cannot put enough Law Enforcement on any lake to stop all accidents. Human beings will be human beings and make poor choices. As a Missouri State Water Patrolman (back when we had such a thing), told me one, "I could be on the water for 23 hours and 30 minutes a day and during the 30 minutes I was at lunch/getting fuel/using restroom someone would either drown or wreck a boat". Dont mistake that for saying I am against enforcement, just the opposite.

You beat me to it Seth. Perfect example also, I have met some real jerks who were tournament fishing, and some of the nicest guys on earth.

I know what you meant F&F. Have watched folks at the lake for many years I fully believe that many of them simply are not thinking, they will do things that if they even thought for a second about they wouldn't do, sadly sometimes there are tragic conseqences.

Such an accident is a horrible tragedy regardless of what laws were broken. That would be a terrible burden to carry around.

As long as there are two people catching those fish one one of the fisherman is marking his by clipping a fin etc. they are still legal. Everyone has their favoritesand opinions on such, personally I hate to even think about filleting a smallmouth, but wouldn't think twice about eating a big flathead or walleye so I understand the sentiment. I certainly would hate to say catching a bass is outwitting it, that would mean if I didn't catch every one of them I got outsmarted by something with a brain the size a jolly rancher candy.

Thanks fellers, I will try to give it a little run time.

Excellent sir.

I feel for you rps. When traveling I have tried to eat at the reccomended eateries by the locals. Have had some fabulous and some of the worst experiences that way. Oddly over all the best ones have been the worst looking dives around, they smell like a fish market on a hot day have the best food and friendliest staff, but sometime they are just dives. Ya buys you ticket and ya takes your chances. That's why it's fun.