fishinwrench

They used to fire a cannon when someone was spotted floating the river. I've heard it go off (5 or 6 times) from way downstream, about 8 seconds between shots....so they must either be fast loaders, or have more than one. The OF is apparently not considered a "navigable waterway", inspite of the fact that you can legally access it both upstream and downstream of that particular section. I wish someone would challenge that (the right to float that section) in court....cuz I think it could be won.

Cricket, You need to first get real familiar with a section of "clearer" water (the best night fishing is usually from the dam to Tan-Tara area, or the Niangua and/or Gravois arm). Locate some 8-15ft. brushpiles that are either on or close to structure or close to backend flats. Texas rigged worms and deep crankbaits will catch the brushpile fish (make a pass with the crankbaits, give it a rest, then make another pass with the worms). If the brushpile fish won't cooperate head to the backends of the bigger creeks and coves, there are always some keeper fish cruising those backends at night and they'll eat buzzbaits, big jigs and worms, ect. Stealth is important in those backends, hunt those shallow fish as if you are trying to sneak up on a flock of turkeys. If you make a bunch of noise (or heck...even a little noise) you will miss out on a lot of bites.

I don't use braid myself, but my buddy that does carry's a Swiss army knife.

Looks good. Thanks for posting the pics.

Man that sounds like a blast.....if I could find a spot with fly eating cats in my neck of the woods I'd be all over it. You're gonna mess around and hang a big ol' flathead eventually. If it's connected to the river there's gotta be one in there. Snap a pic of that strip fly if you get a chance, I'd like to steal....I mean SEE it. It will be interesting to see if you can stay on them all Summer without having to resort to bait.... keep up the reports if you can.

I doubt that Wally would bother eating a Cricket......He's foraging on jetskiers.

Gross ! As of midnite I see that it still hasn't crested at Akers.

The upper Gravois and upper Little Gravois arm of Lake Ozark are ate up with huge carp, and it blows my mind that nobody is up here tearing them up, not even the bowfishers. I wouldn't be wading it though...until they locate "Wally" (a 5ft. Alligator that recently came up missing in that area)

You'll probably want to get away from the mid-lake (Osage Beach) area unless you only plan to fish after dark. During the daytime the upper Gravois arm, upper Niangua(s), or upper Osage (above milemarker 45) is where I go when the lake is crowded. But for night-fishing bass it's hard to beat the Dam to Tan-tara area, because those fish get very little pressure at all during the day and can really turn on once the docks stop bouncing.

16ft. Ouachita Jon boat & trailer. Side depth: 20" Beam: 67" Transom: 16" No Title 600.00 OBO in Gravois Mills, MO. 573-692-2926 Boat is solid (few minor dents) and transom wood is in excellent condition. Trailer tires and bearings are in good condition, but the trailer needs new lights/wiring installed. 1 7/16 hitch.

Gotta go with soft plastic. Either a Fluke type bait, or a texas rigged worm.

Now is the time to get'em on the fly if you can find them in the right kind of places. Sounds like Esox has located a concentration in a shallow backwater flat. Enjoy it and get'em while you can, cuz they'll be gone, or spread out considerably in a few weeks I bet. Channel cat up to 5-6 lbs. run up the Lake Ozark tribs in tight schools during the early Fall (Sept.-Oct.) and you can sight fish for them (with clouser type flys) if conditions and timing are right. It's fun if you hit it right....but darn hard to predict.

11.6 ~ on a 1/4oz. lime green buzzbait, January 1998, inner-canal milfoil beds, North Okeechoobee. darn, I've put on a little weight since then !

The wild trout thing really only seems "special" to me if a fish is born in the river....of wild parents who were also born in the same river. And to my knowledge the only river in MO. where that is most likely to happen is the NFOW. I have a hard time buying the Crane creek/McCloud legend, but the fact that I have my own personal (self-induced) doubts doesn't take anything away from Crane, as far as I'm concerned. I just happen to be one of those guys that never rules out a potential conspiracy. I mean seriously, Crane was dry as a popcorn fart for years....then we get one wet season and ShaZam ! Wild McClouds Everywhere ! I've seen hatchery rainbows in Georgia and Tennesee that look so rough, beat-up and pale that they might as well be chubs ... but MO. hatcherys produce some really pretty and healthy trout. Good enough to pass for wild (obviously) or we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Just my opinion.

This time of the year you don't get many head-shot oppurtunitys at Gray's if you are packin' a .22 Too many leaves....and Grays NEVER sit still. Oneshot has the right tool for the job, no doubt.

Ham, they are equipped with a self sealing fuel tank, the news report I read stated that there was "no significant loss of fuel or oil into the water"...but who knows. According to wikipedia the O-H 58 Kiowa Scout's are no stranger to... falling out of the sky. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OH-58_Kiowa I'll never board a helicopter of any kind.....just looking at one makes me nervous. My first thought was that it was kinda early in the season to be detecting a patch of weed.

St.Croix "had" a 6ft. 2pc. SCII casting blank in a med.lt. action. I had a rod built on one that I was real happy with....until it got eaten by a F2 tornado. I built mine with a slightly long handle, so the actual length of rod above your hand was similar to what you'd have with a 5.6 short handle rod. If you wanted a short handle, or pistol grip you could cut some off the butt. I only have need for casting gear when throwing buzzbaits and crankbaits on rivers/streams (which is not often, for me).....everything else "riverwise" I do with either a flyrod or spinning gear.

It was a good morning for it...nice and cool. Good job ! Nice little scattergun too.

Right on Bro, glad you're gettin' out. That first pic brings back memories.....you did that on purpose, didn't ya ?

Not that it really matters to me, but......How do you accurately identify a hatchery reared fish, vs., a stream born fish ? I personally don't buy into the philosophy that all hatchery fish are dull in color and have damaged fins. I catch some really beautiful fish on the Niangua and I know they were most likely reared in a hatchery. Some bows in the Niangua even have the "tell tale" orange tips (that I've heard are supposed to be the markings of streambred NFOW fish). Even in the Trout parks fish often have excellent color, spots, ect., and no noticable fin damage. Browns and Bows included. Just curious.

They must be Redear, especially if they were rooting on the bottom (for crawdads or snails). Some hybrid Redear I've seen don't have the RED "ear-mark"....it's more of a thin white half-circle. I've never found a "school" of them though, just one here and one there. They don't seem to bite flys or mini-jigs as readily as Gills do, and I don't think I've ever caught one on a surface bug.

I haven't been on the lake myself, but the reports I'm hearing in the Gravois Mills and Laurie area... are outstanding. Bass: Good carolina rig, and/or drop-shot bite on the points. And a killer Frog bite in the backs of coves. Topwater bite is consistent early and late. And swimming worms (1/4oz., 6" Culprit's or similar) steadily through 10-12ft. brush will get you bit all day long. Channel cats: are ON FIRE ! it seems everywhere. Crappie: limits of keepers are apparently no problem, once you find them....but big Slabs are getting scarce.

I think they are a Redear/Gill hybrid. We catch those "black bellied freaks of nature" (what we call them) from a certain strip pit up north....they look just like that. They have the blue cheeks like a green sunfish, a dark breast, and a really thin white border on the "ear". That's a nice one !

Man that's awesome ! I'm sure there are several big-browns living out their lives in that hole. It's a definate sanctuary (nearly impossible to fish it thoroughly, from any angle). He must have hit it when they were cruisin' the pool for a snack... perfect timing. What A sh!thooker !!! Meanwhile I'm struggling up here.... Whites are gone, Gills got small, and the creek-bass are scattered and skittish.... it took me 3 hours to catch 5 little dink Smallies this evening.

Poor kids Strainers are the worst thing ever. I'd rather 'round a bend' and be confronted by a dozen hungry crocodiles than to get swept into a wicked strainer in heavy water. I almost got sucked into one upstream from Bird island on the Niangua, during a solo trip , ,(had a rod in my hand instead of the paddle, at the wrong time),, It shook me up pretty good, caught me off-guard, with no PFD, and one paddle stroke away from certain death.