fishinwrench

I should know better than to even step in this puddle because I've been in lengthly arguments before about this...but. I truly believe that leaving "bobbers" in the truck, and learning to fish without them improved my fishing skills considerably. In most all conditions I think they create more problems than they solve, and I continue to be confused about WHY truly skilled fly anglers continue to use them.

Yep, the Slabs eat jerkbaits here I like the LC Pointer, but for two years running a buddy spanked my butt from the back of the boat with that &#!@*& "Yo-Zuri Crystal minnow"....the Crappie really love it, I think the thin profile seals the deal. Nevertheless I'm sold on that jerkbait when it comes to big Winter Crappie. (Man, we hijacked this thread "ATL style", didn't we?) As the Zebra Mussels begin to clean up the water the jerkbait/Crappie bite will even get better....There, now we're back on track

Mocarp, Not more skill, just "different skill". a TR fisherman is not likely to be very good at shooting jigs into 3 inch spaces between blocks of styrofoam without making a bunch of racket, or sneaking around docks skippin' under cables. And a LO guy is probably gonna suck at deep water drop-shottin' or Doodlin' worms. If I was in the mood to argue though I'd search and compare weigh-in results for the two lakes over the last 10 years...but honestly, who cares? Truth be known, I would move closer to TR if given the chance

The one and only......as far as I know

I almost always use a 9 ft. Umpqua leader but the kink in the butt that develops when the fly is in the hook holder and leader bent around the tip guide (eating lunch, or changing spots) could be eliminated if I shorten up to 7 1/2ft. (with a 8'6" rod) How important do you think 18 inches of leader butt is ? I hate that kink, it effects accuracy, drift angle, and causes strike detection problems (I don't use bobbers/or the more PC term "indicators"). The other "fix" i considered was relocating the hook keeper to the reel seat...or reel, thereby only having to alter the leader 6-8 inches. I just want that leader to stay straight, without kinks or bends that are hard to straighten out...those leader straighteners don't do the trick either, they will smooth out the coils, but not a kink like you get when the leader is bent over the tip guide for 20 minutes.

I use a 8 1/2 for 5wt. most of the time on waters ranging from trout parks to the White river, and it is perfect for fishing #8-#18 flys on 4x-6x. When I go to 7x and sz20 or smaller flys (which is rare for me) I always wish for a 3wt..... until the wind picks up.

Drew, Yeah....Kinda, but oddly enough L.O. is probably THE best fishery in the state. Angler catch rates are really REALLY good, and the fish are fat and healthy....blows MY mind....but it IS a fact. You can pass up fishing Lake of the Ozarks for alot of reasons....but none can be because of "poor fishing"....cuz the fishing is GREAT here, and not just on select arms either, the fish community is healthy and overall fish population is awesome from one end to the other. And yeah, we even eat the Crappie, Walleye and Cats...their delicious! and nobody I know has ever suffered from their consumption. Maybe the strain of fish here are ultra-immune or something, even LMBV didn't have a lasting effect on LO..... when at the same time it almost made Table Rock (which is CONSIDERED a much more "prestine" body of water) a dead sea.

I kinda have mixed feelings about what their effect on LO will be, mussels are a good filter and LO could probably use a filtering system. Heck, they may act as a savior for LO.....who knows? They saved Lake Erie. Of all the things (animal/vegetable/mineral) dumped, spread, and spilt in LO over its lifetime I find it hard to get "all tripped out" over Mussels. Exotic intrusion? PLEEEEEEZE!

http://www.100thmeridian.org/Documents/Zeb...he%20Ozarks.pdf I haven't heard anything since this came out.......I am on the water alot and haven't seen a one yet myself.

Drew, there ARE smallies in the upper tribs of the Lamine watershed if you want to search for them... finding deep holes with rock is the biggest problem for Smallmouth in the Lamine basin. I know of several but none are worth the drive from KC to fish them IMO Cedar cr. near Columbia I've heard holds a few, as well as certain sections of Auxvasse cr. I've always wondered about Tebo cr. and Weableau cr. (tribs of Truman res.) They both look like they could support Smallies.

I'll back that statement up. I have been working the Niangua over HARD since late September....and you are right, the Browns are few AND puny. It was reported that they released 5000 12-13in. Browns, spread out at 5 locations....I'm beginning to have some serious doubts about the accuracy of that. Like you I have some "reliable" holding areas located, but the few fish that are there are not worth the trouble it takes to get to them, that's for sure. Even the stocker Bows are small and skinny. Lately on the N. I get more sport from the Chubs than the trout.

Brain, I have given up on taking stream temperature readings after having all the "golden rules of river smallie fishing" broken...over and over again, and I think Wayne and several others will back me up on that. They will move, but there is always a way to get'em to bite. And they still fight like hell in cold water...just don't jump quite as much. Hey, I think we are like neighbors....SunnyBeach hu?