fishinwrench

They routinely run 10+ miles up the Lake O tribs. and will hold in some extremely shallow water. They seem practically blind, as you can walk over and kick them before they'll move.

If floatant really worked you could wash the slime off and blow the fly dry....But it doesn't. I have better luck just blowing a non-treated fly off (don't even go there) than I do using any type of treatment. I've even thought about carrying a can of compressed air. Plus I hate what floatant does to peacock herl and dubbed bodys.

LMAO ! You are confusing roughneck country boys with the neighborhood punks that siphon your gas. Chances are they are already on probation for something, and have a lot more to loose than you do. So if you start something with them you best be prepared to finish it. My Grandpa was a bad butt ol'riverrat and one time he suspected someone was stealing fish off his limb-lines on a Salt river trib. He hid on the bank for 3 evenings and sure enough on Sunday evening here came a couple of boys in a Paris water co. boat. As soon as the guy on the bow seat touched his limb-line my Grandpa shot him in the shoulder with a .22 Hornet, and then showed up at the water co. early the next morning to see who didn't show up for work, and where he lived. He paid the guy a visit and sure enough there he was recovering on the couch. They had a long talk and oddly enough became best of friends. Years later at a get together they were telling the story and the the guy (Bob) asked my grandpa "why did you ask the water co. where I lived and then come to my house, was you gonna kill me"? And my Grandpa said "No, but I knew you had MY address from the tag on the limbline....and I was afraid to fall asleep at night". So that's pretty much how hillbilly justice works, I think.

Yeah you definately wouldn't wanna do any teabaggin' The upper ends of the creek arms are iced over pretty good. The open water surface temp ranges from 36 - 42

Yep, the Primrose (yellow) is the only fly of any type that I use copper beads on, it just doesn't look right to me on anything else. Interesting and I never really gave it much thought until now. I carry thread midges in the following colors... (r&b= rib & bead) yellow/copper r&b, lt.olive/silver r&b, turd brown/silver r&b, pumpkin/black r&b (the pumpkin is more like a tobacco/rust color). I'm going to do up a few Cream or dirty white w/copper r&b, though just to try. Remember the old miracle midge ? (white floss over black thread / copper rib/ black thread head) That one was a killer for a long time back in the day before we tied anything on scud hooks, and I don't remember why I quit fishing it.

Aurora black is a must have for Pointers on L.O. Tenn.shad and Ghost in the deep suspending rogues (if you have some that suspend horizontally). I'm sure the X-Rap is as good as Wayne, Ham and others say, but I just have to feel that "thu-thump" to know how hard to pull it, and the X-raps come through the water too smoothly for me. I'm sure it is just a mental hang-up but nevertheless I'm a slave to it.

That would certainly help. I know it only took one guy to get busted shooting the fake deer to put a sudden and abrupt halt to the road hunting in my county. The word gets out fast. Hell, even if you could get the newspapers to print a faux report..... "Joe shmoe looses boat, truck, loss of fishing/hunting priveledges, and fined 5000.00 for gigging gamefish".... at least they'd be looking over their shoulders, and wondering. As it is now NOBODY is on record for a violation of that type, ever, that I know of anyway.

Routinely seeing fish with gig scars, dead floaters with holes in them, and decreasing numbers of sizable smallmouth and browns on the lower Niangua are hard enough data for me. And 10 years worth of noticing it is coming up pretty fast.

We were "getting somewhere" ?

Lucy Oberle / Rick Kirchberg from Colorado are the new owners. I kinda thought the folks at the Fort would jump on it.

The actual "tradition" part of it is the wee-hour gravel bar party and fish fry.... And here's the scenario: A group loads up the boat(s) with a chainsaw, cooler, grease, fire starter, and stuff to prepare and cook with. It's getting late, everyone is hungry and pretty buzzed, but they've only seen a few decent sized Suckers. Are they going to just forgo the gravel bar (or island) fish fry and go home hungry at 4am...or are they going to stick whatever they can and complete what they set out to do ? I know they "prefer" scoring some Suckers, and probably wouldn't choose to stick bass or trout....but on a slow nite with few or only smallish Suckers to be found they aren't going to pass on the island party and a meal of Bass or Trout, and just call it a night. They brought along all the stuff for a big gravel bar fish-fry...and byGod they are gonna have one. At least that is the way it plays out on the Niangua.

Yeah, nothing sucks worse than being treated like a dead-beat Dad, when that is the farthest thing from the truth. Luckily for me, both times it happened (to me) my ex called them and told them to knock it off and mind their own business....if there was a problem she would have reported it.

Some (possibly most) of those suspensions might be because of arrearages in child support. I've been through that myself a couple of times in the past, if you fall behind more than 2 months CSI contacts MDC and they suspend your fishing/hunting license until you are caught up.

Ok, I'm back on track now. Sorry. I haven't decided on any fishing goals, but I'm doing some things to improve my health and fitness (like dropping 15-20 lbs. and cutting back on the smokes)which should inhance my fishing performance. and I'm sure looking forward to Spring.

Maybe I shouldn't touch this, but I can't resist. A goal oriented guy, named Donna ?

The hydrilla and milfoil beds don't withstand the Winter drawdown well enough to sustain themselves. The stain in the water prevents weed growth past 5-6 feet now, so when they draw the lake down during the Winter it exposes, freezes and kills any aquatic vegetation that might be getting a start. In years past when they didn't draw it down as much the milfoil started making a comeback in the Gravois, Northshore, and upper Glaize area....Of course dock owners complained and cussed the weeds. And some threw out pellets around their docks to kill them.

AmeronUE has the answer, and the ability to make it happen, without loosing a dime themselves (except for the dock permit fees)..... Drop the normal pool to 644.0, reclaim the shoreline, and put 70% of those septic systems into "second tier" status. Not sure what they are waiting for, I wish they'd just do it. Property owners can piss and moan all they want but they can't cry too loudly, cuz they have all been in violation for decades. We don't need new laws, fresh legislation just stalls things, the laws we already have standing are fine if acted upon. People don't need to store thier boats in docks on hoists, they can store them on trailers or in boathouses where they can recieve better service, and result in safer watercraft that lasts longer. The local media around the lake is terribly sidestepping and minimizing the truth around here. And yeah, "the Banker" quotes were an obvious inflammation tweek, STLToday knew that everyone would get a charge out of that....but at least they aren't afraid to print an article that guides folks to the REAL condition of things around here. After all, what have THEY got to loose. The truth hurts people here, and yes it hurts ME personally....but people caused this, myself included. It is way past time to sacrifice some convenience for a cleaner, healthier lake. If you can afford to own 2-3 homes, multiple vehicles, and 200,000.00 worth of water toys, they you have more money than you deserve in the first place. DEAL WITH IT !

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/missouristatenews/story/7D1B3946BAAD216786257693001493B2?OpenDocument#tp_newCommentAnchor

Several things in there immediately jump out at me, I'll steer clear of the controversial ones since I'm not in the mood to start a rhetorical debate that I'm sure we've had before, more than once. But there are two easy things I'm curious about that someone here probably can answer.... 1. Why do you think Meramec Springs has a steadily declining number of "tags sold" ? I know My reasons for not going there very often, but I'm curious what other peoples reasons are for routinely bypassing it. 2. How was the data from pages 30-34 compiled ? Was there an angler survey mailed out to Tag holders, and did anyone else here get to participate in the survey ? I apparently missed out on it somehow.

I have yet to catch a spot anywhere above Tunnel Dam on the Niangua. I have not caught a spot between Black Ford and Competition on the Gasconade, but did catch one near Beaver cr. above Competition, ONCE, and it became coon food. The Little Niangua has considerably fewer numbers of spots in the lower stretch than it does in the middle. And I have never caught a spot in the far upper (Mule Shoe) area of Lil'N. But from Green ford to Bannister I'd say that it is 30% Spots, 30% LM, and 40% Smallies. The lower stretch from Bannister down past Fiery fork to the low water crossing at Sulpher Spring the smallies are holding their own and I'd rate it 10% spots, 15% LM, 75% SM. (makes no sense but that's my experience). Gravois creek is 40% LM, 30% spots, 30% smallmouth from the bedrock slab under 5 hiway down to TT bridge (the lake). There are no spots above 5 hwy.(yet), and nothing but smallies and very few LM from McCaslin bridge on up to the gravel raping area in the headwaters. The big bedrock slabs might be a barrier that spots don't like to cross, maybe because of the increased current and long stretch of shallow fast water (calf deep or less for 100 yards). The Whites and Gar don't cross it either, during their spawning runs, FWIW.

Water Shed..... and what ever you do don't sniff it !

Rgardless, you should be able to run 2 LCR's constantly and an intermittant livewell pump (50/50) for 6-8 hours and still have plenty if juice to light up the outboard. When the stator was replaced did they test the rectifier/regulator afterwards to make sure it didn't burn up when the stator did ? If not you're eventually going to be buying another stator, and batterys will either not recieve charging amps,,,or too much and boil dry.

That is a 35+amp water cooled charging system, and one of the best in the world I might add. But that engine does require a battery rated at 900 MCA or better. The Exide Nautilus 1000 (or equivalent) is the perfect igniter for that outboard. You should not be having the problems you are experiencing unless something is amiss. Hard to diagnose over the message board though. You definately need to make sure the charging system is performing properly, because rectifier/regulator meltdowns are pretty common when problems are ignored...and they will melt everything on top of the powerhead (pack, timer base, stator, and regulator). I just recently repaired the results of a DOUBLE meltdown on twin 200's after the battery switch was shut off while underway at 3500 rpm.....Very costly !

Powerheads were manufactured by Yamaha, but ignition and fuel systems are Merc/Tillotson all the way. I'm not aware of any Mariner models with Mikuni carbs, or Hitachi ignition systems, like a true Yamaha has. Merc and Yamaha fell out terribly in a legal battle quite awhile back, and that is where the all to frequent part locating difficulty is blamed. Merc is well known to play that game themselves without a scapegoat excuse, but they really serve it to ya raw where Mariner and Force engines are concerned. Hey, you asked I'm tellin'....FWIW

Do both of those units take the same 5A fuse ? If so the difference has nothing to do with the LCR's I suspect you are going by the voltage indicators within the units themselves, and not by a seperate digital VOM or dash voltmeter. The charging system of your outboard should keep your cranking battery up enough to compensate for LCR demands, even if you only make short 3-5 mile runs.