Gavin

No worries...I wear tin foil under my waders to protect me from the sattelites.

Thanks...Thats close but I dont like the barring..I'm looking for something like this...I can get the color in the 3.25" size, but I usually fish lures in the 4-5" ranged.

ping

Think I'd really like a couple LC slender pointers in a good black & gold color scheme...I cant find Aurora Gold or Ghost Aurora Gold anywhere.

Almost done...need to glue the legs so they dont pull out and trim them up but thats it..Were should I send them?

Overpopulation...I dont see that on the streams I fish...Not many big heads and skinny bodies like you find on LMB in an out of balance pond...They look like a healthy smallmouth but there arent many fish over 15". Plenty of 11" fish though. It would be nice if landowners took care of their streambanks...but many dont. It would be nice if we could keep the gravel dredgers out of our streams...but we cant. Control the weather...forgetaboutit...The only thing we can control is the fishing regulations so its the logical place to start.

http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/17006.pdf Looks like the Protection Division only gets $14.1M a year (8.61% of total expenditures).......see page 7.

Meramec Springs has been open or C&R seven days a week so those fish have been well educated by this time.....if the water is clear.....I'd go with small midges 28-20, scuds 16-18, and light tippet 6 or 7x......especially for fish holding in slower water..use a small indicator and set it so your fly is driftng at the level of or just above the fish. Add a shot about a foot from your fly if needed....... If the water has some color it...eggs and buggers should work....You can usually pound up a few by fishing deep in the plunge pools if all else fails. Good luck.

Looks good Thom. I got my popper heads machined up last weekend....Glued em on the hooks last night, added the eyeballs, and started tailing. Just need to finish up the tails and add some more rubber legs.....Should have em ready to mail later this week.

Not trying to dig on you Wayne....I dont think that the higher ups at MDC trust the biologists enough to let them make adjustments.

How can you tweak inaction? I think a slot might be the answer....The New River in Virginia is one of the top smallmouth streams in the country, and they manage it with a slot...5 bass in the aggregate, 14"-20" protected slot, and only one bass over 20" in your daily limit...I think its worth a shot.

I wouldnt be willing to spend more for more enforcement....MDC has a $171 Million Dollar Budget...$103 Million of that is from the 1/8th cent sales tax...and permits only account for $31M...Most of their costs are payroll related......Check the numbers yourself..(Their financials are at the back) http://auditor.mo.gov/press/2009-113.pdf They have the funds for more enforcement, but they choose to spend it on other things.

Not sure if I'm a current member of MSA or not..I havent found a newsletter in the mailbox in awhile...guess I better renew.

Just a thought...maybe these 25 or so stream sections dont "qualify" for smallmouth special management status..Thats OK with me. But I'd still give that White paper an F because its just "yes" or "no" without much in the way of explanation. Where are the recommendations for highest and best use for the sections they studied? The report implies that they"studied" these areas...I'd like a conclusion about highest and best use for each one of the sections they studied, and some recommendations about how we can get there....

Speaking of 17" crappie...My wife and her mother ate a 17", and an 18" along with a 13" dinker a couple years ago..We were fishing a private lake up by Troy....I caught one of the 17's and the 14, but my boat partner caught the 18 and gave it to me to round out the lot. He doesnt eat fish.....Neither of us are crappie fisherman. Showed a pic of them to a crappie fishing bud of mine and he was horrified. We probably should have mounted the 17 and the 18...who knew?

My main objection is that they evaluated over 25 stream sections and selected none. One or two of them should have made the cut, but I dont think there is a will to do that.....Joachim creek? C'mon....there is no access there. I'd gladly toss that one back for a new SMA on one of the larger rivers..

21% eliminated for "lack of regulatory support". Thats a big who cares to me. It doesnt that the county wont prosecute because its doubtful that any one will be there to write a ticket in the first place, even in the spots were they say regulatory support is good. 12% kicked for "Diversity". Who cares if their is a nearby management area, there are plenty of places to fish. If we they are truly serious about improving the smallmouth fishing, they need to set aside the spots with the best growth potential & habitat. So what if its near another area with good growth potential & habitat. 9% kicked for "Other Mgt Goals". Who cares about rock bass studies....they are fun to catch & tasty, but I dont need to know much more. I'm disappointed to say the least.

Thats one heck of a write up. Not sure where to start, but here are some comments. The Huzzah & Courtois ought to be managament areas given the pressure they recieve...Lots of sub 12" dinkers, but I've caught some really nice bass on those creeks. Pretty rare when I dont hook up with one or two better than 15". I really dont think that the Meramec SMA is in the right area....I've always caught better smallmouth above and below the current SMA. Current River ought to have a management area. Black River ought to have a management area. Big Piney...wouldnt mind seeing the area expanded up to Mason or Higher. Bourbeuse River grows some nice ones..But it doesnt seem to get much pressure.

Thanks for the tips Troutfishn...I have a few musky flies left over from a trip up North...Will have to give it a shot.

I think lake 35 holds some...but I've never fished it...Numbers are probably pretty low because they stock less than 100 per year. I do fish for chain pickeral on occassion though... McCormack Lake near the Greer Access on the 11pt, and Noblett Lake on the way to the NFoW have a bunch, plus any backwater slough on the 11pt usually holds some. Most are little hammer handles in the 12" range, but its not uncommon to hook up with some that are twice that size. They hit flies occassionally, but I've done better with bluegill colored crankbaits, spinners, and minnow cranks. They tend to hang near submerged vegetation. Cheers.

:lol:Corn and marshmallows, fished from a dock...how positively boorish! Grandfather said this would occur when fishing was allowed among the hoi polloi

I've always liked this story.. http://www.whiteriver.net/northfork/manleys.htm Record fish usually dont come to those who want them the most. And thats a good thing...I also see no reason to knock any of the folks who have been unfortunate enough to catch one...Seems that somebody will always find fault with your catch, or fault you for taking it home...Plain Silliness, IMO. Life gets a heck of alot easier if you dont take it to seriously..Quit trying to find fault, and be glad for other folks when good things happen to them. Cheers.

Your best bet is between the spring and dry fork creek this time of year (warmer water)..good luck.

Santa, knows better than to get me fishing tackle...but I can always use a couple weekend hall passes.

Dunno...if I was ever fortunate enough to catch a record fish, I'm not sure what I'd do. I can see the logic of keeping a record fish to have your catch recorded and to make a mount. Guess it just depends on your personality. If records and and an acurate mount is important to you...keep it...if not take some pictures, a measurement or two, and toss it back. Either outcome is fine with me. At least its going to a place where they can make a couple nice replicas of it. I'm sure folks will enjoy seeing them when they are done. Cheers.