Jerry Rapp

smb. look at Joe's old lure page. You might save some bucks.

keep that cold air up there where it belongs. Us fishermen would appreciate it. Thanks.

french, you are thinking way to much. Rigging is way over rated, it just sells tackle, maybe you are in the tackle bizz? I used to like tubes, but lost too many fish with the bulky plastic, even when tx posed or skin hooked. I use a jig or creature bait almost all the time now., but preferably a jig as the hook up ratio is still better. But a zoom super hog or centipede can sure catch them.

techo. that post has nothing to do with this post. Wear your 40,000 dollar + Skeeter free hat in style.

Wrench, your post is useless without photos/video...................

the owls prefer a nice cold Bud down here. Because of their size, after about 6 ounces they are pretty darn drunk FW. I try, but I have never been drunker than a hoot owl. But that is on my bucket list

I am guessing you will find a bonanza. I don't think I have ever read anything about catfishing in a White River lake. Keep us posted.

great memory made! The story will just grow with time, and everytime you look at it on the wall the details will get better!

chief - if you ever get down this way in the winter I will be glad to take you out for an afternoon, but the temp will have to be 45+. Yesterday was the best smallie day I have ever had there. Normally 2 to 4 a day in the winter time, but the LM's were not out in the deeper water in what remains of the channel (from mid lake to the dam). There are still enough standing weeds that the LM's must still be holding in them. It is slimy stuff and hard to fish especially with the super clear water and having to stay far away to avoid spooking. Tell your family to just fish the bluff from the dam on up to the laydown log just past the bluff transition with a green centipede on a shakey head with semi light line and they should catch some smallies. Once the LM get out of weeds, then just fish the entire middle of the lake and drag that shakey around, and when you find them, throw out a buoy and fish that area several times. Last winter we had multiple 25+ fish days. Nothing huge, mostly 10 to 14 inchers, but occasionally you will catch a good one up to 4 lbs or so.

I went today to a 100 acre private lake just east of Arcadia Valley. It is located on a trib of the St. Francois. No smallmouths have ever been caught there in it in the warm months that I know of, but today we caught 10 smallies up to 16 inches. My avatar photo is one I caught last winter there. These fish have to come down out of the creek. It happens every year, just like Clearwater and Wappapello.

that is classic FW! thanks for the memories.

my 2 cents. After years of trying them all, I have been using 12 lb Big Game for 50% of my fishing, 15 lb maxima green for topwater, spinnerbaits, buzzers, rattle trap type baits, and Viscous 15lb flouro for finesse jigs because of the sensitivity(improved clinch knot, but spit on it before snugging it down). Spinning reels, 8lb mono, I use a generic brand (drag set light), and for ultra light 4 or 2 lb test mono. I am 55 years old, and have caught more fish in the last 4 years than the 10 prior using this agenda. After I went to this agenda, no more unexplained break offs, with using mono for the most part when I need a new bulk spool of line I don't need to refinance the house to get it. By the way, keep all of your line out of direct light as much as possible. Keep the bulk spools in a drawer, and put the rods you used in a day of fishing away in the rod box or closest when you get home.

did you try a wiggle wart? They are eating it in Southeast MO. Same water temps basically. I thought it was too warm, but I am not very smart and just use what they bite. Bass have a brain the size of good sized corn kernel, don't let them out smart you.

stitch that baby one thumb revoulution at at a time. Try a Zoom Centipe, green pumpkin, inched along bottom, or a shad rap cranked real......slow.

I don't live there and haven't fished there in 5 yrs. Put on a wiggle wart and a spinnerbait and fish windy banks. It works everywhere, and it will be windy tomorrow.

lots of boats? Thursday in mid November?

fyi, for the last couple of weeks more and more smallies are showing up in Clearwater Lake.

is this restriction still in effect on Little Rock Corps District lakes? No fishing within 50 ft of any part of a commercial dock? Not just TR, but Beaver, Bull, Norfork and Clearwater?

that isn't a smallmouth, a little largemouth with a small mouth. You are making progress. Try them rigged wacky style (hook in the middle where both ends wiggle).

by the way, I was sort of joking about the cork. What is best is get some of the foam floats at the lodge with a line tie on the upper end and a swivle behind it. It eliminates 95% of the line twist issue.

I normally put two or four lb test on my ultra light, tie on a strke indicator(cork), and then tie on 3 or 4 feet of thread. I have also used the thread as main line, but it is so thin you need to have a lot of backing. Maybe 1lb test flouro would be as good(but I thought all flouro was invisible, LOL!). I just know what Mr. Smith told me many, many years ago. And it still works for me.

sounds like fun KC! Thanks for the report.

hang in their chief. Sooner or later you will see what is happening.

I doubt if anyone here has ties there, but this is bad, and getting worse. Prayers out to all of them.

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