fishinwrench

It never has before, not on any lake or river that I know of. Well put Sir. Like I stated earlier,if you wish to be low-key, secretive and go un-noticed there are easy ways to do that....and it even LOWERS your overhead cost.

I understand what you're tryiing to say....but I'm gonna nit-pick it anyway, just for sport First off, you still didn't "find the fish and put together the pattern on your own" so really how proud of yourself can you be ? Secondly, How can you be sure that some of the "spots that met the described criteria" were not one of the guides money holes ? I could go on and on....but I'm just pointing out a few details that make this whole scenario redundant. And yeah I was once a full time guide, off and on for 12 years, and I know the business as well as anyone I think.

You can eliminate a lot of the followers and hole hunters by electing not to dress yourself and your boat, motor, truck, trailer with all the "bling". The caliber of people you wish to avoid drawing attention from are still attracted to that rolling, walking, and floating billboard thing. It was a cool fashion statement 20 years ago, but I think it is time to let it go unless your "sponsors" demand it. Especially if you truly wish to reduce your paparazzi. Don't take this the wrong way bro's, but....you kinda sound like a group of chicks dressed in thongs, bitching about guys watching them.

Right on ! Which river gave it up ?

Did MDC ever clear a road to the river at Berry Bluff ? The last time I was down there ('05) the MDC map showed it as a "river access" but you couldn't get a vehicle anywhere close to the river. The farmer at the entrance (really cool ol'fella) told me that there was a property dispute going on. Just wondering if they ever got it straightened out. I ended up putting in at Bird island and paddling up. It was a wicked stretch of water there at the time. Heavy water and big strainers everywhere..... but I did catch some pig Smallies.

No truer words have ever been spoken. The effects of the mental (zen) aspect of any technique is so true and valid that it borders on magic, especially in the hunting/fishing game. When you "feel" it happen....and then it does, you just experienced it. I wish I could learn to apply it at will, and into other areas of my life.

Pretty stream. Isn't it cool how fish can materalize from out of nowhere on streams like that. They'll sit over a crack or crevice in the bedrock, or in the shade of a twig. They can be 20 feet from you....and you won't spot them until they move.

Week before last there was a guy with two kids fishing balls of nightcrawlers under bobbers at the spring hole (container of crawlers setting right in plain view), a park ranger got out of his "cruiser" and I thought "ah-ha he's gonna get it". But no, he walked right past them and started giving another guy a bunch of crap for having a dog unleashed. A very well behaved dog I might add, that hadn't left the guys side the whole time. Rules are Rules I guess....Well, some of them. hu?

I know ! And I guess he needed a Case Jacks worm... to chase it down with

People start telling lightning stories and I just gotta feed off into it.... #1 I was at the Superbowl of Motocross in Fulton co. Georgia back in the late '80's, we were watching the race from the parking lot when a bolt of lightning came from straight up and hit one of the racers in mid air....he never even knew it and kept right on riding. 10 seconds later while everyone was still screaming and freaking out about it, ANOTHER bolt hit the bleachers on the west side from a 45 degree angle, several people got taken to the hospital and we later heard that one of them died. The thing that really blew me away was that the race kept right on going while the ambulances were pouring in and people were scrambling around trying to get out and screaming for help. It also never rained a drop that night and nobody in our group ever heard any thunder. It was crazy. #2 I was running from a bad storm on Lake O in the Fall of '94 trying to get back to Shawnee bend access before it hit, I had a 19ft. Champion/200 Merc lit up and screamin' as I rounded the twin islands at the 8MM when a bolt that was bigger around than my boat was long, shot from the ground up about 100 yards to the starboard. I'm not sure if the heat I felt on my ears was from the lightning or from a sudden rush of adrenaline, but it was close enough and big enough that I'm pretty sure I almost got burned. I blew right through the No-Wakes at SB still turning 6000rpm......I remember thinking "Fine, give me a ticket...just let me off this lake NOW" ! Lighning is Scary business, sure enough......but Don't even get me started on Tornado's

I'm breaking in a new fishin' buddy, we named him River He's our new 9 week old Lab. I know alot of guys think a dog has no place on float/fishing trips (spooking fish, getting tangled up in lines ect.) but if you love dogs and train them right from the beginning they are really great to have along. Especially on those otherwise "solo" trips. This one will most likely be with me on all future trips, short or long. I caught a few fish, but the real reason for the trip was just to get him in the environment and see how he handled himself. Seems to be hell outa the gate... but not much for stamina....yet, as he was completely spent by 3pm and had to be carried to the truck at the end of the day. And 5 hours later, back home, he is STILL sleeping "must be the Pedigree" Anyway, here's the pics.....

There's a ramp under the Hurricane deck bridge, or a better one at Red Oak resort for the lower Osage. Mallard Bay on J rd. or the Conservation access outside of Climax Spring is a good put in for the mid-Osage. There is a new access near Wig-Wam also off of 135 hwy. that puts you above the Buffalo's. Good Luck, Wrench

It is "legal" in zone 1 also.

Dave, I glue a sheet of white razor foam (the real thin stuff) onto a sheet of black craft foam with 3M spray adhesive. Then cut into 3/32" strips with a razor. The white makes it easier to see on the water. You have to put a drop of Zap-A-Gap on the hook right before tying the body on so it doesn't roll around the hook. Then I tie in 3 strands of black deer hair on each side for legs.

I was down last Friday on a terrestrial binge. Hoppers couldn't get a sniff for me, nor the Beetle, but I did pretty good on this Ant pattern....

No kidding ! After the DNR's latest caper here on Lake Ozark I have absolutely no use for them. What exactly is it that they reportedly "do" to justify their existance anyway ? Seriously, What do they do that the MDC couldn't (or shouldn't) cover ?

That's awesome, congrats to your bro. Good job ! Did the bite last through the nite or did he get'em early and late ?

Gavin, Actually I don't think the WP has done a blasted thing (positive) thus far concerning the Niangua river....Just being "a presence with a different shaped patch on the shirt" doesn't really justify the cost IMO. So I guess I gotta applaud this decision. Presence of "THE LAW" will still be there in a big way as long as there is "bait". So whether it's the MSWP, or Laclede/Dallas co. and the DTF, really doesn't matter. Just my point of view, FWIW

Glad you got to get on it. I looked it over last Friday at 64 access but the head count was more than I was in the mood to deal with. I don't see why they wouldn't stock them at 6-8 inches, as that's a tad big to be food for "Niangua-sized" Smallmouth. I see no reason to keep feeding them pellets when they can eat for free in the river. I have learned one thing....and that is "you can't believe much of anything that biologists or friends of biologists tell you", cuz it's all pretty much BS. Or at the least "useless info". Don't have to tell you that though, as you obviously proved that yesterday, hu?

I haven't been out on the lake personally, but from what I'm hearing everyone (even the catfishermen) are doing better mornings & evenings. The dark-of-night bite, at least on the Gravois and mid-upper Osage, is kinda slow I think.

DT, Ollies is on 64 (south side), next to where the old Creel Store used to be. Friendly folks and Excellent chow. Dave, Sounds good, give me a shout when it gets closer to time.

Been awhile since I had been down....I noticed lots of changes in the bottom in lower Z1 and upper Z2. Lots of weedbeds that were home to dependable mayfly hatches last Summer are all but gone. Kind of a bummer, but as they say..."a river is forever changing". In Z1 I went terrestrial most of the afternoon, the Ant trumped the beetle 8 to 1, and I couldn't even get a sniff on a hopper. In Z2 a couple of little browns ate the Ant, but still no takes on the #14 beetle that was so awesome last Summer...No suprise here, that's always what happens when you tie 4 dozen of any given pattern. Switched to a #16 scud and #4 shot and stuck 5 chunky rainbows on my first pass up through the High bank riffle. The crowd was building rapidly by 6pm and I wasn't really in the mood for socializing so I headed down to try a few spots in Z4 but there was a pawty goinown downdear also, so I called it a day, hit Ollies up for a Tenderloin on the way home. On the way home I counted 6 vehicles stopped by the law between Bennett and Camdenton. City cops, HP's and the County Rambo's....all hard at it this weekend apparently. So, take some Ants, wear those seatbelts, don't drive buzzed, and watch your speed if you're headed thataway this weekend. Later guys, Wrench

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Ness, I had a really good male Lab that was great for that too. He was way cheaper to feed than a 13 y/o boy and minded really well when I needed to re-rig, but the downside was one particular trip when he decided to wander off on his own during a portage to roll in a dead Gar while my gear bag was strapped to him. And then another time he got carried away trying to snap a horsefly and got 3 points of a F-9 Rapala imbedded in his jowls.

The good, what ? "Good" sugarcoated, biased, feelgood media bulls#!t ?