cullinby9

I think it takes the trust of the anglers. So many circuts to choose from if the tournament directors run a profesional circut that treats every participant the same wether they're buddies with the guy or complete strangers I feel the better fisherman gravitate towards those circuts. I've gotta say that if you're spending 500 bucks on a one day tournament that only draws 40 boats then you must eat 30 ounce ribeyes or drive around the whole lake. I'm fishing this event and if there's 5 boats I'm still gonna go fish just as hard as if it's a 200 boater. I think what Mike is doing is a good idea. If I know going out that I don't have have to beat 15 touring pros and 5 guides it might make it a little easier to relax and let the day unfold intsead of forcing things trying to catch 20 pounds. Everyday that I get on the water gets me that much closer to competeing at the highest level. If it's only about the return then the only option is flw or b.a.s.s. I don't know very many guys that make a profit not fishing some level of those two circuts. I think this is a good way to let guys build confidence whether they're new to the sport or co-anglers wanting to try to fish out of the front.

Bill are you saying your taking guys that are in the bfl out Thurs and Fri?

abu garcia veritas 7'11" 99.99$ Its lightweight for its size I matched mine with a Lews and its perfect. I throw bigger baits and needed as much rod as I could get its held up so far to my abuse before I was using a 7'6" all star extra heavy it snapped trying to unhang from a tree. The garcia is much more comfortable to fish with all day.

I'm lookin for a place to sleep and get electric next week I'm not sure if mill creek is open the first week of march. I've stayed at the campground in schooner creek before not sure if its year round either. Any suggestions are appreciated thanks.

Its to late now the 26th was priority deadline. The waiting list will be long for co-anglers as always good luck. Flw has a forum on its site to help people link for gauranteed status. If you live close enough to take a chance drive down to the pre-tournament meeting alot of times a couple boaters will sign up at registration if your there you can jump in if no one is present they just start down the waiting list.

If you don't mind sharing how far towards the mouth has the stain gotten?

my two biggest where caught on impoundments the biggest a touch over six# on Pickwick lake in a championship tourney I was so dissapointed that I only had two keepers and that she wasn't gonna get a sniff at big bass I didn't snap a pic. The other was a 5 3/4 # bute from Table Rock on Christmas eve 08 I have a pic of that fish somewhere on an old hard drive. My biggest river fish came on the gasconade and was bout 5# I didn't weigh or measure it no pic of her was in a crowded stretch landed her in the net and let her go. THOSE ARE ALL SOME TREE SHAKA'S nice fish fellas

That was my original intention to inform about adverse conditions. I know my bodies of water pretty well and I expected people translate it to they're home water. This creek isn't just outside St.louis. I grew up by the Daniel Boone home on hwy f and used to have a small creek where I could catch bass. This isn't the same thing its a big feeder creek that runs into a huge lake. It would have to be a much better trip than what it was to brag about it.

I can tell you this with confidence the mdc could change the regs all they want to it aint gonna stop Bubba from walkin down the back forty and getting dinner. So why even worry about it I don't. Litterbugs and people giggin bass are the only problems I have with "those people".

I agree completely when BS was 30ft. high I caught whites above long creek. Just the amount of gar,big carp, flat heads and skipjack tell me that the lake constantly feeds the creek. The same can be said for all the creeks that feed the white river the execption is bull and it has fish that come up in it to they're just alot prettier than the aboved mentioned species.

Thats good stuff my 7th grade science teacher used to show these old videos to his classes that was some of the only classes i didn't try to sleep thru.

I would like you to share some specific examples of a stream that has been ruined by an internet post? I said this in an earlier post there is not one creek that I have fished from big sugar and shoal creeks east to the Current, north to the Gasconade that isn't full of bass. Years ago I saw a show on pbs produced by the mdc about smallmouth fishing in ozark streams the show was filmed on Bull Creek the host volunteered up that info. Its still full of fish today. I understand that you gentleman want to preserve the good fishing we have but I think you are completely overreacting.

Everyone who floats that creek regularly see's the local bait fishermen with stringers of bass. Some how the creek is still full of fish. Its my opinion that most of the people that harvest bass out of any river or creek live in the drainage area of that creek. I've floated from 76hwy to the lake in june during the spawn the amount of fish above Rome is flat out jaw dropping. The first 15 miles or so I don't even fish just put on a snorkel and interact with the defensive fish. My 5% calculation is just a guess at how many anglers can consistantly catch the 2-5 lb fish. Live bait is the obvious equallizer and in the spring when the fish are aggresive they are easy to catch. The better fish are not so easy to trick they are super spooky when the water is gin clear and the right cast the first time, not letting them see the boat are crucial to getting the bigger bites.

So whats the point of having a smallmouth forum if we can't talk smallmouth fishing. Is it just to get on here and complain about the mdc?

Kind of we were going to fish all day monday but the rise in water made for a quicker descent. We also had a monster head wind sunday afternoon and monday making us paddle stretches that I know were holding fish but if I stopped paddling it would blow me back up river. There are no outfitters below Bradleyville its a long float with not very much access. At 3 ft. plus there are several false lines were the main flow runs into strainers if you don't know the lines it coud make for a long day when its cold out.

Kissee Mills although I prefer cross timbers. We camped Sunday night down from Cane when those winds came in I thought my tent was done for. A friend lives down there he picked us up monday morning at the bridge.

The creek was as clean as I've seen it in a couple of years it got rolling pretty good a few weeks ago and flushed the leaves and algea off bottom. I think there are two kinds of fishing pressure, inteligent pressure,and everyone else maybe 5% of the anglers can put the boat in the right spot make the right cast,adjust to conditions to consistanty catch the bigger smallies the other 95% could read this go to the creek maybe catch a few thats why I don't worry about posting these reports. Of the 5% that can really catch them I'd like to think they will practice catch and release if they choose to use the info posted.

The dams on Finley Creek provide an oppurtunity to catch some big largemouth and smallmouth and keeps enough water to sustain a healthy population of bass. Portaging around them sucks but I'll glady do it to get to unpressured bass fishing. My friend caught this pig 2 years ago in march.

Old age maybe I've caught a couple in the James below springfield lake that have that look. I know big old largemouth in the lake will get a pronounced bump on the head. That fish looks like it spent the better part of its life moving rocks to get to the crawdads. I don't have a clue as to a scientific reason its just my best guess. She looks healthy nice and chunky.

We put the canoe's in saturday night at about 7 pm night floated in a steady rain down to the first wintering hole below the second Bradleyville Bridge. Set up camp in a flash and managed to get a fire going. The rain fell all night I had to check on the boat several times. I woke with dawn and the rain let up the creek was still clear when I finished cofee and set the boat in the water. The fish were stacked up I hooked up almost instantly with a solid 2 lber that had several fish with it I actually had two hooked up for a split second as the other fish tried to steal the crankbait out the mouth of the one hooked up. I landed the fish as I swung it in she regurgatated a couple crawdads. The first hour was looking good I caught another on the crankbait and two on the tube. My buddy got on the board with a solid 15 incher and a couple of dinks. We were pumped to think we are still in the first hole and catching multiple fish,but around the bend was the first bad sign of things to come, a little feeder is pumping brown water in the creek. Things began to change quickly the steep rock banks where they wanted to be started to flush to fast to fish. The smallies seemed to dissapear in an instant leaf and stick clutter the surface making the crankbait uneffective. The creek had rose a couple feet in a couple hour's. High flow muddy cold water not a great scenerio but we kept a line wet as much as possible and figured out the fish had moved to the head of the pools and were setting up in the eddies on the mud banks I manged to catch 2 more smallies and a couple of largemouth. The floating was great the influx of water had the creek cresting at 700cfs and catching a few in Febuary on the creek is always fun.

Central pro am banned it I think thats the only larger circut in the area to do so.

Here's an idea not sure how easy it'd be for you to do. Make a little questionaire about the a-rig mail it with a schedule and ask the anglers who support your circut what they want, send it to all who fished with you the last year or two. Make your desicion based off some evidence cause either choice you make will make a % of the field upset. I use the rig some and I think the sport we play is better without it one rod one lure one line.

I go nine turns on the braid and six on the flouro I've not had any issues since i made that adjustment it was a tip I saw from Edwin Evers.

I use yellow powerpro braid with an eight foot leader of flouro 8-12#

Yey it was barely floatable it was 2.36 on the gauge 93 cfs did the lower section down to long creek had to walk the ledges. It needed the flush it got I'm sure its gonna need a few more. I saw alot of fish only caught them in two little holes.