fishinwrench

The statement that that bass is oddly marked is purely anecdotal and lacking in facts. You just haven't fished enough to see all the others that are marked similarly. See how that works?

Well yeah. They are never out there. Kinda hard to catch someone violating a game law if you refuse to get your boots muddy. If they can't afford to patrol the rivers from time to time then maybe they are spending too much on Spoonbill and Walleye. It's kinda like my step-son who can't afford gas and insurance on his car because he spends all his money on stereo equipment. He has a sound system that is beyond compare....but he can't go anywhere with it. ? Now stop baiting me. I'm in no mood to argue with you, Chief. You're right and I'm wrong. You win.

Writing down some regulations and not really enforcing them doesn't spread funding evenly. That didn't cost anything except whatever was spent on some posters. The COE goofed and did a back pump at Truman in the late 70's, and killed so many walleye that they had to haul them out in dump trucks. For some reason MDC took responsibility for that and went full tilt into a walleye restocking program that has cost GKHM, and it really has been a waste of time and money for going on thirty-some years. I don't know if the COE was ever made financially responsible for that, and if they were then fine..... But if not then I feel it has been/still is a waste of our conservation related funds. I'm reasonably certain that the Walleye fishing would be just as good in LO if they had done nothing, because it still pretty much sucks.

Found this one in a boat I took in on trade. Says "Heddon Zara Puppy Pop" on it. I was like....What? I googled it and came up with nothing. The guy that owned the boat was from Wisconsin, so it must be an exclusive Up-North thing. White bass really like it, but it doesn't throw very well. Too light.

See? Ya didn't listen!!! I told ya you needed 656 at McCormick's. That'll teach ya. ?

If the presence of a snake will keep you out of a fishing hole then you should lose your rods and your man card. ?

Now that's crazy. I have spent alot of time between Moon Valley and Riverfront, and have never seen one. They are probably everywhere equally, you just have to be at the right place/right time to see one. The most I've ever seen in a single day, where I could say for sure that I wasn't seeing the same snake twice, was 4, and that was on a float that was less than 5 miles. Those 4 may have all been brothers/sisters.

That blk/red spoon looking one is actually wooden. I think it is a very early "Moss Boss" type thing that probably had a skirt on it at one time. Nobody has ever been able to identify it. I threw it in our pool one day and it has a wicked surface action. I actually considered trying to make one to throw because I think it would get bit bigtime. The bottom left (below the Bagley) is a Heddon Zara Puppy Popper. Bet you never knew such a thing existed. Can't even find one on a Google search. It walks and pops like a Chug Bug.

Let's see how y'all do with these...

Good stuff, Ed. Everyone that comes by my shop is smokin' 'em on Wiggle Wart type cranks and finesse jigs/hula grubs. It seems there's a good bite on shallow pea-gravelly banks, and a bite on steep chunky stuff too. Even had one guy with 19+lbs on a C-rig Brush hog. Basically I'd say the bite is just ON. I'm dying to get out there. Monday or Tuesday I might get a chance.

In the Camden county courthouse are some photos from Zora (Big Buffalo creek) from back before Lake O was impounded. Those stringers full of big smallmouth are impressive to say the least. And that was from a 2.5 mile stretch of a pretty small creek that is mostly under the lake now. I don't know if the Osage was any good for smallmouth up that way or not back then, I kinda doubt it. The 10 miles of the Gravois cr., and the 5-6 miles of Indian cr. that is now underwater were probably darn good, way back when. We lost ALOT of quality miles of Smallie water when they started building dams. Kinda sad really. The MDC goes all out with huge funds to try to make up for the altering of walleye and spoonbill migration routes because of dam construction, but the loss of all that good smallmouth water just gets a blind eye. That's just not cool.

Only one of the rivers I fish regularly, the Little Niangua, has a substantial population of them, and on certain days they are really out and on the move. The river doesn't get alot of traffic but it is served by 2 outfitters so it gets "some". It kinda surprises me that I've never heard of anyone getting bit there because they truly are pretty thick, and I have messed with them enough to know that they aren't the type to run away from you. They'll stand their ground even if you get rough with them. I'm always afraid that my dog is going to get nailed, but so far he hasn't. (Knock on wood)

Sender's vary in design (30.00 - 80.00+) Guages run about 26.00 - 40.00 depending on bezel and faceplate design. As for average labor on a sender swap...It depends on how hard the tank is to get to. Most bassboats are a piece of cake, but some of the newer ones are a real beech. Some Stratus and Skeeter rigs require removal of the steering helm to replace guages, and that takes about an hour. Otherwise guage swaps can be done in 15-20 minutes.

Sounds like the Wiggle Wart bite has begun.

You're OK at anything above 654.0 at Gravois access. Below 654 you have to take it real slow and pick your path or you'll drop a trailer tire off the edge. At 656 you can still get in/out at the old McCormick's Marine (lk rd. 5-18) in the backend of Soap cr. (costs 5.00) The Harbour (off P rd.) is still good. It's on a channel bank. Back end of Soap cr. and there probably won't be anyone there wanting money. All the others (besides Coffman) are high and dry now. Millstone (off O rd. outside of Laurie) is still good. Puts you right at the mouth of the Gravois. I think they charge 5.00 but not sure.

When I was a teenager you could spend the whole weekend on the river and not run into another fisherman. And if you did it was more likely to be and old dude soaking a ball of nightcrawlers than it was to be another bass fisherman. When "bass fishing" first became cool and popular (late 70's) hardly anyone fished rivers, they were all fishing lakes, pits, and ponds. My dad and grandpa were River rats, they didn't like fishing lakes as much, and while I don't remember anything in the 20" catagory during my early years the 15-17 inchers sure seemed alot more plentiful (and stupid). In the 70's the rivers were a mess. Literally. Trash, old appliances, old cars, buses, tires, Falstaff bottles.... crap everywhere. Bridges were used as disposal sites, and floods scattered the debris evenly. Thankfully we've cleaned up our act since then.

??

Depends on how you use the term "amateur". Having seriously honed skills capable of competing against the best anglers in the area....but not actually making your living by fishing, might define you as an amateur in the business world, but definitely not in the fishing world. If I walked away from my shop today and started a landscaping business would I still be a professional Marine technician, or would I cease to be one, and immediately become a professional landscaper? (even though I have no skills in landscaping whatsoever, except that I look really cool when leaning on a shovel).

"It ain't even fit to hike". Funny stuff there. Somebody wants to sell or barter that property someday, and they know it'll be harder to quickly unload if it gets named after some political figure. That's my guess.

Yeah, but here's the thing, and it's kinda funny if you have a sense of humor similar to mine.. During the Winter-Spring-Fall alot of "lake folk" drive around and fish off of each other's docks. If a MDC agent comes cruising up in a boat and asks for a fishing license, the fisherman says "ooops left my wallet on the table, I'll go get it". Guy walks up the hill, gets in his car and leaves. The agent sits and scratches his @ss until he eventually figures out he got punked. "Gee I wonder who that guy with no ID was?". Unless MDC agents are given retina scanners, handcuffs, tasers, and are quick enough to tie up their boat, hop out and still outrun the dude with 20 short crappie and no fishing license up the hill.......Yeah, not much sense in even trying to enforce that type of non-compliance, is there? An agent in a boat is not much of a threat to a guy on land. The only people that are gonna stick around when they see a game warden idling in are the ones that are 100% legal. I guess the MDC didn't consider that when they bought 3 brand new Regal boats to patrol dock fishermen on LO with. How many fishing violation fines does it take to pay for and maintain 3 new boats ? Yeah I dunno either. ? Maybe renting would have been a better option.

They checked a guy and his neighbor while crappie fishing off their docks over the weekend. Asked both to see their fish but didn't ask either one to show a fishing license. Whaddaya make of that?

Amateurs are very scarce these days. Every fisherman I know is right up there nipping the heels of pro-level. Just give them some financial backing and keep their wives happy for a bit..... and they would be taking their share of the glory. No doubt about it.

Speaking of someone who is dating the wrong women..... ?

If I told y'all how I handled Valentines day this year not only would it offend Donna, I would most likely be kicked off here for good. As far as holidays go I have a hard time deciding which I like best. Thanksgiving and Valentine's day are in a dead heat.

Looks mid '90's If you can get the last 3 letters of the model number it works like this.... INTRODUCES 1234567890 (So EU would be 1997, and EC would be 1998)