fishinwrench

Not anymore you won't. You quit carrying them, "FROM HERE ON OUT",... remember ? LOL Al, What's this "wiggle wart modifying" thing about, care to elaborate ? What is it about WW's anyway do ya think ? Is it the overall shape, the wobble, or what is it that makes them so awesome ? The man that designed the Wiggle Wart should be inducted into the Bass fishing Hall of Fame, seriously.

Uh-hu, I've said that before too.

Yeah, there IS that. But wait, Naaah I can get over that. Bye Y'all, it's been real. Send us postcards, Ok?

I've seen the talk in flyfishing mags bragging about Vibram wading boots, and I just can't imagine hard rubber soles on slippery moss covered rock. That's a recipe for a busted rearend if I ever heard it.

The grass is always greener...ain't it ? LOL I'm easy to please. I'll take what we have right here....all to myself.....after the rest of you assholes move West

Unless you're fishing for Whites/Hybrids you need to be close to, or bumping, Something. I seldom fish crankbaits in rivers for smallmouth, but for Brushpile fishing on L.O. you want to go just over the top of brush, and bump it occasionally. So when fishing brushpiles in 8-10 FOW I like a Bomber 7A (runs about 6 ft. on 12# line). Brushpiles in 12-15 FOW I like a Poes 300 (runs about 10ft. on 12#) Brushpiles in 18-20 FOW I'll use a Norman DD22 (runs about 16ft on 12#.) You can adjust the running depth of any c-bait a couple of feet by changing line size, casting distance, or the position that you're holding the rod. For tickling the bottom from 1-6ft. you just can't beat a Wiggle Wart. For suspended Whites and Hybrids the time tested favorite around here is the old Rebel Fast-trac (looks like a plastic version of a ShadRap... and no longer made). Not sure how deep they run, but it doesn't seem to matter. They are like gold to the serious hybrid fishermen on L.O.

It hit 660.0 yesterday, but it's falling out slowly. the fact that it came up slowly (not really a flash flood) has kept the debris situation from getting too bad in most spots. There should be bass hanging around the ends (edges or corners) of seawalls, and holding on private boat ramps. Actually ANY irregular feature along the shoreline, in the back 1/2 of creeks and coves, has good potential. Try a big noisy buzzbait (it has worked well before in the exact same conditions). And, as long as they are generating close to 30,000 cfs there should be a ton of fish on the ML points of the lower lake. Good luck, and let us know how it went. Wrench

http://www.elkenlures.com/08-retail-web-3.pdf

Max, A few staples for high, off colored trout water are a weighted Amber (or Ginger) colored leech pattern, a tan Muddler fished on a sink tip line, a red or white San Juan worm, or a Glo-ball/Y2K bug. I have FROST on my truck...ya hear me? FROST !

Well I gave it a go. It was less spectacular than I had envisioned, but it was still a nice day to be on the river. I worked my way from the 64 access down about 3/4 mile. I caught one NICE rainbow about 17" and two dinks with no fins The big one was in fast narrow chute that happened to be the only spot in the stretch where I couldn't see the bottom, and he took a #14 green copper John. The two dink rainbows, one Goggle eye, and a bunch of chubs ate a mohair leech on the swing....and that was the best I could do. I missed two decent bites that I know of, and had chubs smacking my flys pretty much all day. Caught a ride back up to the access from a nice guy in a Shoal Runner, which was really great cuz I wasn't looking forward to the walk back up. So....maybe a few jetboats on the Niangua isn't such a bad thing after all

That bottom one looks like a killer ! I'm not sold on titanium frames though, still like the old fashioned silver wire.

Yep, a Casey's pizza and some of that cowboy coffee of yours is starting to sound pretty darn good.

I feel a play day coming on

I'll share one mod I do with SB's that I've never seen anyone else do.... I use tiny tie straps (zip-strips) to hold the silicone skirt on, and cut off the little rubberband ring. That holds the skirt material evenly around the collar, doesn't let the strands get bunched to one side, and the skirt will last the life of the spinnerbait. If anyone wants to start pouring some good 1/8 - 3/16 frames (with DECENT smaller hooks) over the Winter....I'll donate to the cause, and take a couple dozen.

I know you're right, but there aren't enough 3-5lb. Smallies in the streams I fish to justify balancing my tackle towards them. Throwing a 3/8 tandem SB on a ML spinning or baitcasting rig and 8# line just doesn't work for me. You can't increase the size of the fish you catch if they simply aren't there.

I carry a couple of 1/8 oz. willow/colorado combo's, but I seldom use them. Most safety-pin spinnerbaits (even the lighter weight models) have hooks that are too big for stream Smallies, IMO.

I don't use safety pin type spinnerbaits for Smallies much, but when I'm tossing SB's for largemouth or buzzbaits for either I always use a Mann's straight split-tail trailer, or a BPS 3" curl tail grub. A spinnerbait just doesn't "feel" complete without one, to me.

Hiel scheissekopf, ein bin Berliner.

Way cool !

There's so much I'd like to experience yet. All of my travels have (for one reason or the other) been limited to the Eastern half of the U.S. and Canada, I think I've been everywhere I want to go on the Eastern half but I've never been out West, except for a quick 3 day Tournament jaunt to lake Havasu,AZ. in which I got totally skunked.

I have a wood laminate 60 OT with a 7 3/8" blade that I love just as much as my favorite fishing rods. I've had to do a little epoxy touch-ups here and there, and I have this feeling that if it ever blows up I'll never find another that feels the same. Does anyone know (Al ?) if Old Town actually makes their own paddles ?

Yep, it's getting close to the smallmouth savings time switchover. That report is getting me fired up too, thanks. I know you drove down by the river....how's it look ?

Up until 2006 had a whole fleet of bass boats (3) until a F2 tornado ate them all, my OT canoe and favorite paddle survived it though and I only had to replace a seat and a thwart. I kinda took that as a sign and just can't keep a bass boat around for long. I've bought a couple, fished out of them for a month or so...then sold 'em. Still water just doesn't do it for ME anymore. God bless the ones it does though, 'cause they make it possible for me to eat and pay my bills.

LOL, I can't believe you said that. That is exactly what was going through my mind during the last 1/2 of the book. My reasoning being that alot of old timers used to refer to river-bass as Green Trout. Also the fish he stalked were always described to be holding in what sounded more like like smallmouth haunts (never in the fast water, ect.). I would have concluded that was the case except for the discription of the flys he bought at the hardware store ....those were definately Trout flys. The way he described his buddy getting blown up with a hand grenade was unlike anything I've ever read before, he was definately a talented author.

Adding weight to the front of the boat is going the wrong direction if you are trying to eliminate excessive porposing. What you want is a LIGHTER front end, not heavier. Porposing is caused when the motor is trying to lift the bow....but can't quite keep it lifted, it is doing a juggling act between plane and plow. Engine height on the transom, trim angle, prop bite, and raw torque (in that order) are how you diagnose porposing problems. If you also blow out on sharp turns you may need to drop the engine 1 hole, which will probably cure both the blow out problem AND the porposing. If it doesn't blow out on turns BUT the only trim angle you can maintain (without porposing) is one that causes the boat to plow, then you either need a better bite at the prop, OR MORE HORSEPOWER. You can have a good prop shop add a bit of cup (lift) to the blades, that will noticably help. Hydrofoils (IMO) are just a crutch to compensate for poor rigging. And much the same can be said for jackplates. A properly rigged 115 (turning 5500 rpm) should push you darn close to 50 mph in ANY 17ft. bassboat.