usmcgrunt

Being the one that caught the 10 pound flathead, I can say I've caught a lot of quality flatheads out of Springfield Lake. They're not as rare as you think, you just have to adjust your technique to catch more of them. They're mostly hunters, so stinkbait, cut bait, and the ever present liver and shrimp won't catch as many fish. I prefer bluegills about the size of a credit card for smaller flatties, and then obviously bigger gills for bigger cats. The nice thing about that is the amount of very nice size channels I catch too. In sheer numbers, channels and bullheads outnumber flatheads, but that's true everywhere

I fished from about midnight to 3:30 am and caught 2 cats. One 10 pound flathead, and a 5 pound channel cat. Both were caught on shad on a 3 way float rig. I was at the end of the point, casting just to the left of the dam.

I can't say where theyre biting since I've moved to my catfishing for the summer, but I've always started with topwater early, then to a shallow running crankbait in white or baby bass color, then a medium crankbait or spinnerbait, then to a jig with a craw teaser and have caught some very nice fish out of there

Oh, I misunderstood. I assumed you moved here quite recently. My bad... that could very possibly have been their position that long ago, before rough fish were even given a second thought anywhere

Wisconsin DNR website says this. Rough Fish Suckers, redhorse, carp, and other rough fish (unless listed as threatened or endangered, p. 13) may be taken by hand or hook and line. However, it is illegal to fish by hook and line in a trout stream during the closed trout season. (See separate 2012–2013 Spearing, Netting, and Bait Harvest Regulations). You may return rough fish taken by hand or hook and line to the water. Rough fish taken by spear or bow and arrow may not be returned to the water. Dispose of them properly; do not leave them on shore or on the ice. I don't mean to cause trouble or make anyone mad but this was bugging me since I couldn't see a conservation agency saying that.

And what kind of DNR would tell people to throw rough fish on the bank? If it's an invasive species like Asian carp I can understand, but it still seems odd to me.

Yeah it's a great place to live and fish. Oh, and below the dam is pretty slow right now and it will be until we get some rain moving water over the dam. I've gone out 3 times in the past week and all I've caught was a very unfriendly turtle, and a gar that bit through my line. As soon as we get some water coming over the dam the fishing will pick up and you'll be able to tear into anything that swims there.

Yes it's just north of Springfield. Take Glenstone north, turn left on Pleasant Valley Rd, make a right when the road comes to a T, take the first left and you're there. There's parking on both sides of the bridge, and no boats are allowed on the lake at all.

I've caught catfish, bass, carp, lots of gar, the ever present bluegill. Spoonbill have a season in April, and if you accidentally snag one out of season you have to release it unharmed immediately. And they taste pretty darn good. Just don't eat the eggs, they're poisonous. And carp and gar may not be every anglers dream fish, but they're a blast to catch and gar actually taste pretty darn good (never had carp), so please don't throw any "trash" fish up on the bank. It stinks and conservation isn't a fan of that practice and will give you a ticket for wanton waste of an animal.

True but after dark the bluegill bite turns off. I almost exclusively use shad and bluegill but I catch 99% of my bait with my cast net. You should be able to catch some gills with a chunk of worm on the smallest hook you can find. If they aren't biting then go with shrimp, liver, and worms on separate poles and see what the fish are wanting.

Since its close to a full moon I've noticed that the cats are feeding shallower than normal, so use that to your advantage. You might also want to use a set up that allows your bait to be suspended a few feet off the bottom- I use a 3 way float rig for that. Also, if you have the gear for it, toss out a bluegill or shad that you'd think is a little too big to be bait and just let that sit all night. I'm talking at least 15 pound test and a big hook. During the full moon period, I've noticed that I don't get as many bites, but the fish are usually much larger than average. So instead of quantity, it's quality. Don't let anyone tell you there's no any quality cats in Springfield Lake. I've pulled out quite a few 20 pounders, God knows how many 10 to 15 pounders, and lost count of the eater size. Good luck!

How late are you going to be out there?

Probably not, I've got to work late tonight. I'm going to do my best to get out there real early in the morning though

They're still in the process of adding other colors, and they're working hard at getting enough packages made up to send samples out. I can't promise anything but my mom is pretty good at mixing them to get the right color so you might send her an email asking for your sculpin and olive colors

I'm using 2 ounce sinkers on my slip sinker rig and 2.5 ounces on my 3 way float rig and I've had no problems with snags and they hold the bottom pretty good too.

the website is up, and the shopping cart is finally up and running as well. The website is meglifishfiber.com

Lol well it was fishing and a show, how could I say no?

I couldn't sleep last night and since I didn't have to be at work until 2:30 today I figured I might as well put my sleeplessness to good use and go fishing. I got out there about midnight and set up at the end of the point and casted towards the dam. I had 3 poles set out and was using a bluegill head, a shad head, and a whole bluegill. The heads were on a bottom slip sinker rig, the whole gill was on a 3 way float rig. Nothing touched the live bluegill, but the gill head caught a 4 pound channel cat. He took it and just swam off with it. The shad head caught an 8 pound channel, and he ran off with it too. I was getting a lot of bites, but those were the only ones that hooked themselves on my circle hooks. It was a pretty eventful night; when I first got there I interrupted a couple that were getting to know each other pretty well lol. Then right before I left I heard a lot of gunshots and a car driving away very quickly. I have no idea what was going on but I didn't feel like finding out the hard way.

It may also be because of the power plant. Add a power plant and murky water and you got some people swearing they see mutant fish swimming around. The way I figure, with the power plant right there, the chemical levels are being much more closely monitored than other lakes so in my mind it's safer to eat fish from there. Please don't shoot holes in my logic, it's the only thing keeping me eating the catfish I catch out of there lol

Jack I've fished the river system and the main lake a LOT from my kayak and I've caught about equal amounts of fish from both areas, but in the river system I have to work a lot harder to find them and get one on a hook so I usually fish the hot water area of the main lake. Since first light is too early, I have pretty good luck still in the evening, only instead of starting with my popper and working my way down the water column, I start at the bottom and work my way up until I can't see anymore. I catch more fish during the day but I hook into some real hogs after dark.

I'll be up around the Pittsburg Landing campsite saturday night and I was wondering if anyone has caught any cats up that way, and what they were biting on

I go out to the hot water a lot early in the morning and have yet to not catch bass. My go to baits are a popper right at first light, a white shallow running crankbait, a craw pattern crankbait for the middle section of water, and a football jig with a twin tail plastic. That way I cover every water depth and can pinpoint where the fish are hanging out at. When I go at night and waiting for a cat to bite, I'll use a small shad under a float and catch bass all night long.

I'm usually catfish from the last dock on the point and cast toward the dam. I've pulled a lot of 4 and 5 pounders out of there, and hooked a few that were a lot bigger. I bass fish right next to the hot water discharge and usually do pretty good on top water baits and football jigs.

I've seen a bunch of people out on the main body with boats. I think as long as you keep your horsepower below the limit there's really no problem. And as for your pond prowler, the regulations say this: Boats/Vessels that are NOT required to be titled or registered in the state of Missouri if they are: Owned by out-of-state residents and housed, stored, or operated in the state of Missouri for less than 60 consecutive days; Owned by the United States Government; From a country other than the United States using the waters of this state for less than 60 consecutive days; Propelled solely by paddle or oars (regardless of length); Sailboats or sailboards 12 feet or less in length; or A ship's lifeboat used solely for lifesaving purposes. So if you're planning on just paddling it around, you don't have to register it. But as soon as you put a motor on it, it has to be registered. I'm not sure about trolling motors, but seeing as how it's a motor and the state likes to get their money, I'd guess you'd need it registered. And as for the no title thing, as long as you still have the bill of sale you should be able to get one.

Went out saturday afternoon till about 10 pm. I only had 2 bites from cats, and got 2 15 inch bass on a jig. The cats weren't landed, but the first was barely big enough to get my bait in his mouth so when I set the hook all I did was jerk the hook out of my bait. The second fish on the other hand was a monster. He hit a 4 inch live shad on the bottom and tried to take my pole with him. When I set the hook, he didn't budge at all so I thought I was snagged on a rock. Then he took off like a freight train and never looked back. I was using 15 lbs test line with my drag set pretty tight and he still peeled line like it was nothing up until my hook pulled free. I called it quits soon after before I got carried away by the mosquitoes. I'll be back out in the morning, probably around 4:30 till 8:30 by the hot water and I'll post my report when I get done