MOPanfisher

Just about all ramps are open. As of yesterday Pittsburg Landing was iced in, didn't get to Bolivar Landing, but I wouldn't count on it being open yet. Updated. Lightfoot and Wheatland are open, Bolivar is still iced in. You can see open water about where the long shallow point I know as Watkins Point is. Looked to be a little skim or floating ice above 83 marina, wouldn't want to hit it at 60MPH but wouldn't scare me away if I wanted to fish the area. Lots of little shad doing the "I'm dying please eat me dance" out there.

As of yesterday you could find open water from about Wheatland Park to the dam, however finding a place to launch wasn't gonna happen, would have needed a helicopter. Warm weather and wind will help but when the lake gets this cold it takes a while.

Could be something too it, I've noticed that every time I go #2 at my house I face the same direction! However oddly when going #1 I face the opposite direction. Please send me funding to continue my research I will need money for beer (to keep up with #1 studies), and money for steak and potatoes to keep the #2 moving. Thank you for your $.

A good spray with Pam cooking oil works on the rust on my steel melting pots, might work on the Lee Pot as well ? My biggest problem pouring jigs is always lack of patience and not waiting for the lead and molds to get hot enough. I find that if I pour several blanks with no hooks first and get the mold hot enough to pour them perfectly it will definitely pour better, once you get rolling with good hot lead and a hot mold you can pour them as fast as two people can load hooks into molds without a problem. My 1/16th oz crappie jib mold has an ingot mold on the bottom side and pouring it full a few times really helps heat it up.

I was even more of an untalented cheapskate. I bought a couple of the cheap foam insert rod holders that are made to hold them horizontally and mounted them vertical so that provide twice the rod holding ability. Ended up with a length of 2x4 on the floor with holes drilled in it big enough to hold the butt of the rods.

Personally I like the Lee 4-20 better. I like that it has supports under the pot to help stabilize it, and the little shelf thingy to rest the mold on. I used a buddy's the othe day and it was much better than my system of coleman stove and iron pots, so the Lee 4-20 is definitely on my short list. And while it holds 20 pounds of lead it will certainly work just fine with less lead in it.

Had one of the Rangers check this morning. Some ice at PP bridge access and some at Bolivar Landing, from about mid ramp back into Stinking Creek, am betting that what there is around Bolivar Landing shrinks quickly this week. Leave an X on the bank so I can find the spots too!!

I will try to get around the lake tomorrow (schedule permitting) and check the ramps. My suspicion is that there is not much ice at all. When it was really cold there might have been a little in protected places or if someone launched and the water froze on the ramp. I'll post up if I can get out there to check.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, especially those who are working today or for some reason unable to be with family and loved ones. Special Thank You to those serving in the armed forces, working LE, Firefighters and EMS, hospitals, soup kitchens and the like. God Bless all of you.

Dutch, I haven't heard a peep from anyone on crappie fishing. Cold weather and deer season combined with wind and more wind I think has slowed the fishermen down, don't know if it slowed the fish or not though!

Nah that wasn't really polishing a turd, just shooing away the flies, had I been polishing it, by now you would be writing your congressman demanding to know why they property hadn't been seized before and given to the DNR instead of sold to them. Guess I don't feel sorry for the original owner for turning it into a druggie mecca, personally glad to see it in state instead of federal ownership, and glad it not going to turn into a "dogwood Canyon" either.

Since the story didn't tell me how the State had acquired it I had to do a little research. Basically the owner was arrested on drug charges an forfeited the property to the Federal Government , the Feds having no use for such property offered it for sale, as per protocol other federal agencies get first chance, then the state, county, municipalities then the general public. So the property being close to another state park and other state owned properties the MDNR opted to buy it for $640,000 or just over $2100 per acre so they didn't just take it for free. With the other nearby State Park and other land and its history I bet it gets pretty well patrolled. State Park Rangers have full LE Authority and are certified Peace Officers. While some of the specific authorities are different from the MDC Agents the State Park Rangers are certainly capable. Hopefully the MDNR will take care of the area and make it into another wonderful State Park. Time will tell.

As long as its taken in the same place each time it provides a consistent trend in temps not an exact temp of where you or I may be fishing, there is no perfect place to take temps the wind/sun/current/generation etc. all have their effect.

Wow the best White bass report I've heard from Pomme in a long time. Strong consistent wind used to pile into certain places where you could throw white/silver jigs toward the bank like spring crappie fishing and tear them up. BTW Pomme has no, none, nada, (don't even try), walleye.

Here are the Deer Hunting Rules as well Deer Stand Policy Pomme de Terre Lake 1. Only portable stands are allowed on those lands managed and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Pomme de Terre Lake. 2. No screws, nails or other material that would damage the tree is allowed. 3. The stand must be identified with the full name and address of the owner. 4. Stands may be placed no earlier than 15 days prior to the opening day of archery season and must be removed by 15 after the close of archery season . 5. Stands may not be located within any park, campground, or public use area, or any area posted as no hunting. 6. Access to the stand is by walking only, no motorized vehicles are allowed off of authorized roadways, or beyond locked gates. 7. Any stands which do not follow these requirements are subject to removal. 8. Anyone hunting on lands managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should use extreme caution when discharging a firearm as much of the area around the lake is developed with many homes and building in close proximity. 9. The area below the dam is restricted to archery methods only. No firearms are allowed in that area. 10. Other than the restrictions stated above, all hunting activities are regulated by the Wildlife Code of Missouri, as established by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pomme de Terre Lake The construction and use of all waterfowl blinds at Pomme de Terre Lake shall be in accordance with the following guidelines: No permit is required Blinds may not be constructed in or within 200 yards of any Public Use Area. Stationary shoreline blinds shall be constructed in native plant materials, (dead brush, native grass, cattails, etc.) No living trees are to be cut or damaged. There are no specific material requirements for floating blinds. Stationary shoreline blinds shall have no ownership. These blinds are available on a first come first serve basis. A minimum of 200 yards between blinds is required. In lieu of building a blind, hunters may use a portable or boat blind. These blinds must be removed from the project each day after hunting. A minimum distance of 200 yards between blinds and from Public Use Areas still applies. All Federal and State regulations pertaining to licenses, seasons, bag limits etc. shall apply at all times. Decoys may not be left unattended and must be removed at the end of each day. For further information, call the Pomme de Terre Project Office at 417-745-6411

My absolute favorite way to eat White bass is to fillet them, then with a sharp knife remove that thin layer of red between the skin and meat. Brush with melted butter, season liberally with cajun, and lay them on a cookie sheet dovered with aluminum foil. Eat them hot off the grill or i really like them cold and made into "fish tacos". whip up a little bit of dill or cucumber sour cream, sprinkle on some fresh cilantro and mmmmmmmm good. Sigh , guess I will go eat my ramen noodles for lunch now.

I agree that most break-offs are not because the fisherman used a correctly tied palomar instead of a correctly tied SDJ or whatever, it is usually due to a weak spot in the line from rocks, cables, fish, plain old wear and tear etc. One other thing I really like about braid is that it is so easy to see, many times in a breeze the braid will have more of a bow in the line, but you sure can see the "tic" when something hits it. And yeah when a hook goes through the braid it is a pain, fortunately for me I don't fish topwater so its not an issue for me. I have one reel spooled with Berkley Nano that I really like as well, otherwise I have Fireline, Stren Gorilla Braid, some spiderwire, and maybe even a little of power pro, some feel rougher at first but seem to smoothe out, the nano was the smoothest out of the box. And finally if using the small braid (4# is the smallest I have tried) if you wrap it around your hand to pull a jig loose, keep some super glue handy cause it will cut you before your realize it has happened. Dang, now I want to go fishing!!

Boating Etiquitte is easy and hard at the same time to teach. First be the guy in the boat that is trying to fish while someone else runs past you a few times, at idle, half plane/plowing, at on plane, then change places, simply treat the others like you would wish to be treated. Now if we can just figure out how to teach every one that part the world would be a better place.

I tie the braid directly to my crappie jigs, braid does have a weakness in the lack of abraison resistence, however I use a lot of weedless jigs or with 6# braid can often simply pull them loose, re-bend the hook and move on. I tried using mono leaders but tying a blood knot or whatever it is drove me to distraction the braid slips so easily it takes too many turns to make it hold. Wayne what is the name of that knot.

I'm not a bass fisherman, but I had the same concerns for using it for crappie, walleye, and smallmouth. I now have no reels left with anything but braid. I absolutely love the extra "Thump" when a crappie hits on braid. Most of my braid is 6# but do have some with up to 10 or 12#

Partly curious since I haven't heard any lately. And because I got tired of seeing the "Federal Shutdown Information" topic on the side bar.

I refuse to listen to the wooly worms,, when I find one with a color pattern I don't like, I stomp it.

OK , far as I'm concerned this thread is DONE! All areas are re-opened with signs and barricades removed, and its not even lunch time yet.

Depends on the lake and the time the notice to re-open is received from out agency. I would have someone out the same or next day removing or at a minimum setting aside barricades and taking down signs. Trust me we want them open again too. A full recall of all employees could take a day or two depending upon their status, where they are etc. I really really really hope I spend my evening contacting personnel and giving them a recall notification.