Gavin

Thinking spot Bouiliabaise...Gumbo tends to overpower most flakey white fish.

www.cares.missouri.edu Very nice...Thanks

Enforcement....you cant control the kill everything no limit crowd so why bother to discuss it? I've been trying to think of this in different ways...Matt Wier had a good point at the meeting...Would you rather have a bunch of little fillets, or fewer bigger ones...Decided to look at it from a meat yield perspective, assuming 50% waste... 12" fish...about 1.08lbs pound,,,round to a 1/2lbs in fillets...x 6=3lbs of usable meat.. 15" fish...about 2.10 pounds...figure 1lb in fillets x 3=3lbs of usable meat.. Why not 3 over 15?...The meat yield is about the same..The meat eaters will have fewer fish to clean for the same amount of meat, and we might get some bigger fish. Seems like a win win to me. .The conversion chart I used.. http://www.in-fisherman.com/2011/10/22/bass-length-to-weight-conversion-chart/

Float/Hike Distance Calculator http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/ Free Topo Maps http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/(ctype=areaDetails&xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&carea=%24ROOT&layout=6_1_61_48&uiarea=2)/.do Real Time Stream Guages for Missouri http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mo/nwis/current/?type=flow Historical Stream Flow Information (Trip Planning Location of Guages) http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/adrgmap/index.html MODOT County Road Maps http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/CountyMaps.htm

It's not something I fish often...but when I do, I use one of those little foam bobbers with the lead weight on the bottom...Wrap your line around the bottom clip a couple times to fix the bobber, dont run your line through the top clip on the bobber...easy to change depth w/o tying knots.

The MDC folks did get beat up a bit last night..Think that most of the fireworks were the result of pent up frustration from passionate anglers who wanted a regulation change announcement instead of an update on smallmouth research as advertised. We got what was advertised but it wasnt what the folks in the room wanted to hear. Sorry to those MDC folks. In hindsight, I'm thinking that the repetitive answers that I complained about were the results of repetitive questions from those in attendance. Same question asked ten different ways...mostly when and why not this type of stuff. I dont see them dragging their feet anymore...They never said when the tag survey was gonna end and I'm optimistic about the tag surveys outcome. I've read some of the biological studies...Increased length limits will work if fishing mortality is a significant component of total mortality. I'm pretty sure that they have good estimates of annual mortality...but this one could produce a data set that quantifies annual fishing mortality for adult smallmouth bass. I'm gonna hold any further criticism until I see what happens after the tag study results are released in 2015.

I use google earth to scout new locations alot...but but it does not beat a drive by.......Download MDC's Google Earth KMZ file from their website and it will show you all the MDC river access points & CA's along with a link to an area map & area regulations. More research is usually required for potential access at state, county & municipal parks. USGS has a google earth patch that will show you stream guages...plus free topo maps can be downloaded from the USGS Store..print em yourself in whatever size you want. Missouri Highway Department also has county by county road maps in pdf format...Its a good supplement to a Delorme Gazateer...helps a bit with local road & place names but not geographic details. I'm sure there are other sites out there...but these are some favs... .

There is lots of good fishing around Ft. Leonard Wood. Big Piney, Gasconade, Osage Fork.. Plenty of free maps and a list of outfitters is available at the following..Maps are outdated..so check access beforehand. http://www.missouricanoe.org/

Didnt know you were there Joe....Stoneroller, Hammerstone, and LarrySTL were there too...We all shoulda had a couple beers and cigar in the parking lot instead of listening to chorus after chorus of "if harvest is the limiting factor but we arent certain that it is...needs more study".. The migration study stuff was pretty cool......Tag return rates seemed pretty high.....and they said most get turned in the week after Memorial Day....Wonder if folks gig all winter and turn their tags in then? Several more years of $ for smallmouth tags coming...Tag study report due in 2015...No action possible till that is done is what I gleaned from the talk.

Might check out some of the wacky heads...Just ordered a bunch of ball & standup heads from Bite Me Jigs...good stuff. http://www.bitemejigs.com/ Elken has a bunch to choose from too. http://www.elkenlures.com/jigheads.htm

Sorry you lost your job....Go fish! We camped on the river between Baptist & Parker...Wednesday round 3pm till Sunday around noon......Water came up about 6" on Sunday after Saturday nights freezing rain....4-6 hours of steady drizzle...lots of frozen stuff to pack on Sunday...fishing was better up above Ashley..First time that nobody has caught & released a legit 20"+ brown trout on a 5 day trip in a long time. Some decent fish in the 16-19" range...a few toads rolled but no eat....Still fun..

Good luck...didnt hear a report of anything over 19" this weekend...low water...slow fishing.

It was dead low earlier this week...came up about 6 inches on Sunday but it wont last long w/o more rain.

Sad story, and I can see how it happenend...They were spotted at 2pm 8 miles from camp. It gets dark around 5pm. Several miles from camp, dark, and the temp is dropping...it starts to rain....Cell phone doesnt work, flashlight dies, cold & walking in circles while lost...... A couple poncho's, firestarter, topo map & compass, coulda been a different story.

Release the Kraken!

Mods? Looking forward to trying the TD when we take the pool cover off. Saw some interesting spook mods the other day...take the back hook off...tie some silicone around the split ring....balance I guess...upsize front hook. Looked pretty good...probably needs some tank time to get one where you want it. Headed off the grid in the canoe tomorrow...back early next week sometime. Yall tear em up!

Thanks RPS....I know that you like it...finally got one to try...the shape reminds me of the Crease Minnow...a saltwater fly that can be very productive at times....in freshwater streams, its been at its best when ripped fast across riffles. Will see if it makes the cut...

Theres a big leak in the dam at Lone Elk...Used to have to call for a boat reservation, and bring your own trolling motor and battery. Fishing was darn good before the dam started leaking. Call St. Louis County Parks Department and ask them about it. Lots of big carp in that lake.

Its not entirely about the ginseng...Its also about folks stealing the public's property in order to produce untaxed cash income. You might be surprised at the amount of cash that comes from illegal activities on national lands...Meth, Moonshine, Mary Jane, Timber theft, Ginseng theft, Illegal harvest of fish & game...There are lots of ways to make a buck on the peoples lands.

Get a Zip n Ziggy...

Bought a couple years ago....Never caught a fish with one...but my daughters enjoy playing with their fishies (sans hooks).

$10 or less....Buzzbaits..you can toss em on spin tackle, but better on casting. I like white, chartruese, and black...I'd probably start with some Zip n' Ziggy's, Sexy Dawg Jrs, and Excalibur Zell Pops. I carry and use most of whats been mentioned so far...but I also like the LC Gunfish, and Spook Jr...Sometimes a different profile, or slightly different action makes all the difference. Have fun.

Its biology 101. Big browns are nocturnal fish eaters.

Walking baits mostly...Do you spin or bait cast? How much do you have to spend?

Should be....Chatted with Stoney the other day he said the 2013 Challenge will allow 2 fish pics a month, 14" minimum.