EddieRay

Those are some very good points, Lilley. I do agree that we can just choose the forums we want to participate in but the trouble I perceive is there aren't too many people participating in the fishing forums. This is the Ozark Anglers Forum after all. I guess I think that if some members weren't so busy arguing they would have time to impart some of their knowledge in the other forums. Also, many of these threads aren't overtly provocative so you don't know they are argumentative until you start reading them. Regarding numbers, I don't think that 6500 members is an unmanageable number and, as you stated, it is always just a few members who carry it too far. The forum I have participated in for 6 years has an extremely diverse membership of over 30,000 members from all over the nation and from other countries. This problem doesn't exist on that forum. However, that forum chose to prohibit threads of a political or religious nature a few years ago and there is an emphasis on agreeing to disagree. I will take your advice and "turn the channel off" on the threads where the bickering occurs. I just wish more people were interested in talking about angling rather than putting others in their place.

I just read the Linn County Mountain lion thread, one of many about the mountain lions sighted in Missouri. Similar to a number of threads in the Conservation topics the wheels have come off this one as well. I believe this is the most argumentative fishing forum I have experienced. I have been a member of three other bass fishing forums, one for almost 6 years but I have never seen this amount of rancor among the members. Most of the time fishing and fishing related items are the subjects. I see a tremendous lack of respect for differing opinions among a few members of this forum. It really makes it difficult for a new member to participate. I know some of you will tell me if I don't like it, I can leave and that's an acceptable response. I can leave if this forum does nothing for me. I am more than willing to look at myself and make changes if necessary, including leaving a forum. I'm asking those of you who want to argue all the time to look at yourselves and see if maybe you need to make a change too. How much more participation from other members would there be if there wasn't so much bickering going on? I'm sure many of you have a great deal of fishing knowledge that you could share. This is a fishing forum, isn't it?

I thought the story about the hunter handing the landowner the gun to shoot the cat was rather odd. So I guess this calls into question the rest of their story as well about the evidence that the cougar was attacking his livestock.

There won't be any charges as far as I can tell from this article. It appears that the man followed the law. The man had evidence that the cat (or cats) had been feeding on his calves and it is legal to shoot a predator that is harming one's livelihood in Missouri. See the link below. http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/03/2558645/officials-relieved-ray-county.html

lol. I stand corrected.

I spend a lot of time on another forum where such topics get shut down quickly when it devolves into nothing but an argument. I like lively debate but sometimes it can be irritating. It is amazing how, otherwise, intelligent people base their opinions about very important subjects on information obtained from Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc on the right and Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, etc on the left. All talk show hosts that I have listened to and researched cherry pick the facts to support their own views, not to mention some news organizations. They conveniently leave out the facts that don't support the idea they want you to believe. If you follow a talk show,research the facts on your own. And please, don't just cherry pick conservative or liberal blogs or sites. Go to sites that actually provide facts like factcheck.org, politifact.com, etc. (Be wary. Some fact checking sites are partisan sites portraying themselves as non-partisan. Research the research. ) If you are going to read blogs read both sides, not just your side. You will be shocked at how misleading some of your favorite talk shows are. This the very reason for the quote I have in my signature.

I guess the coolest would be the fish that fought the hardest for me. In October, 2009, the wife and I went saltwater fishing in Baffin Bay down in Texas. We caught a few redfish in addition to some spotted sea trout and black drum. The bigger redfish were awesome taking quite a bit of time to fight and land. We had a few in excess of 30 inches with the largest right at 35 inches.

Here's another vote for the Citica. The E models are incredible for the price and you can always find a deal online for less that the MSRP.

I live in KC in Platte County. There have been a few reports that have turned out to be bobcats, etc. This one is for real this time.

Thanks for the article. We all need a wake up call at times. I'm going to post this on the other fishing forums I frequent.

I tend to use more subtle trailers in the Winter also. I know some anglers who say that the action of the pincers is Ok in the cold as long as you are moving the bait slowly. They state that as long as the movement is extremely slow the action of the pincers is fine. The jury is still out on that one for me but I'm open to testing their ideas. I use those also. The Rage Tail line has some awesome action. I'll often use the Rage Tail Shad instead of a buzz bait. Some of you mention the Netbait Paca Chunks and I have heard nothing but good things about them. I'm going to have to try them out.

Nice. The whites can be a lot of fun to catch there. I haven't been out on Smithville in a couple of weeks and I need to get out there before the Winter weather.

I just read this on the main page before accessing the forum. I am a reservoir fisherman with an extreme love for the outdoors and this article makes me want to quit working and hit a river. Your picturesque descriptions would make any nature lover long for the outdoors. Excellent!

It caught my attention. Funny.

Yes, there are some rivers that are closer. I read an article in Missouri Game and Fish Magazine awhile back that the Gasconade was one of the best Missouri rivers if one is looking for larger smallmouth. That is why I plan to go there. Depending on time constraints, I may look at other waterways that are closer to my vicinity. I appreciate all of the responses from everyone.

That's the plan. I only believe in selective harvest of smaller fish on ponds and lakes that have too large of a population of bass for the forage base. Otherwise, it's always C & R.

Thanks, everyone. I appreciate all the replies. This is good information. Wayne SW/MO makes a good point. I didn't clarify what I mean by the next few months. I am referring to the seasons of winter, prespawn, and even into the spawn but the months of late February, March, and April would probably be the most likely time that I would fish the river depending on the weather of course. I'm sorry for not making that clear. I'm sure that the way I approach this in the Winter will be different from the prespawn and spawn. I'm in Kansas City so it's a good trip for me to fish the Gasconade. I want to start making two or three trips per year to do some river fishing. I've caught a few smallies out of lakes and as you guys know all too well a largemouth just doesn't fight like a smallie. Any information about any season is welcome.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I should clarify my question. I've been bass fishing for years in lakes and ponds. I have rarely fished rivers. I am very familiar with all of the general rules of thumb that apply to bass such as looking for the prey that requires the least amount of expended energy. In the lakes I fish, bass generally feed on shad, crayfish, and small sunfish. I assume the bass will feed on crayfish and small fish in the Gasconade as well. What I want to know is what are those small fish, and what lures do you use to imitate them on the river. (I plan to have jigs, hair jigs, and grubs with me when I fish the river but if I'm going to match the hatch with color and size I need to know specifics about the forage.) Which small fish are the main course? Are we talking minnows, small goggle-eyes, sunfish, small crappie, crayfish, or all of the above?

What are the main forage types for the smallmouth bass in the Gasconade River and what do you use to imitate them? Does the main forage change with the season? I'm trying to get as much info as I can about this River because I would like to fish it in the next few months.

I'm not sure if any of the links give a straight-up comparison between rubber and felt. This link discusses cleansing and may be the same New Zealand study you are talking about. Read pages 30 - 31 of the .pdf for their conclusions and recommendations (numbered as 24 - 25 at the bottom of the pages). http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/pests/didymo/didymo-decon-feb-05-rev-aug-06.pdf

Al Agnew, thanks for the excellent reply! I appreciate the information.

I have been a bass fisherman for many years but most of my fishing has occurred on lakes. Only on rare occasions have I fished a stream and that was from the bank. The last couple of years the desire to fish while floating a river or stream has become a goal of mine. I have been doing some general reading about some Missouri streams and the special management area on the Gasconade River in Phelps and Pulaski Counties has really piqued my interest. I have a number of questions about fishing this area (or any others that you might recommend) that I want to post here for those of you with lots of experience on these streams. I prefer to fish an area known to produce larger smallmouths and to fish on an uncrowded stream, but these characteristics are somewhat negotiable. What are the crowd levels like on the special management section of the Gasconade in the months of March, April, May, or June? I prefer to float rather than use a jetboat. What type of craft do you recommend (canoe, jon boat, kayak, etc.)? Based on crowd levels and Springtime water levels, what would you recommend as the best time to fish the Gasconade Special Management area? What outfitters would you recommend for the Gasconade area that I am looking at? What other sections of the Gasconade would you recommend for smallmouths (size and numbers)? What other streams or rivers would you recommend other than the Gasconade? Thanks for any information you can provide. Since I haven't nailed down exactly where I want to go I placed this in the General Angling section so I hope this is in the correct forum.

Thanks. I mentioned that there was research and provided a "stopans" link on page two of this thread. See below. We can all agree to disagree, but there are factual data on which to base our opinions. Why not use it?

There are studies. Whether one chooses to believe them or not, or question the validity of the study methodology, is up for debate. The attached article quotes one of the original didymo studies and a more recent one. The study links are highlighted in the article. http://www.stopans.org/Science_of_felt.php