Wayne SW/MO

I find it interesting. I try not to judge anything that follows history, it shouldn't be changed for the sake of entertainment in my view. It does drag in many ways, but there's a lot to insert in order to bring a bigger picture in a short time.

Maybe I misread you, I thought you were saying go, but bring a thermometer. My bad. I think it is a good idea to use good common sense and probably stay away from any small streams. I saw on the news where Harrison AR only 1/4" rain this month, they've had two rains that we haven't, so most of the streams coming off the south side of the plateau are hurting.

You don't think that Crane and Mill creek aren't a little to low and likely to lose some stock, without any help from fisheremen minding a thermometer?

No, they try to sell us one to Branson. Occasionaly you will even find one who believes you when you say you live close by, but not often.

Sadly I have to say "You should have seen it 30 years ago". 8# line was questionable and #6 was the norm, you could literaly see 12' at times.

Is that lake kayak friendly?

X2 The little bit of extra distance wouldn't be worth the worry. Cox, would be better, but not much, if you want to save a few bucks..

When I lived up in that many, many years ago the Marais des Cygnes had a rep as an above average flathead river, never knew why.

We got a rain, but that is only the second this month. The rain through this area and northern AR has really been spotty, and we've consistantly missed the spot. Some things are thriving, I have grapes and honeysuckle in one area that's beginning to look like Kudzu.

The government wants to be deep into our lives, it's too bad they can't start where it matters.

I was just curious Mitch, nothing more. It's been real quiet concerning the other one.

No the one Stoneroller put up.

What's going on with the other contest, any reports?

I don't worry about the short term, it's the long term that can be devastating. You see records being broken and you think back to events like the dust bowl, one still waiting to be broken. It wouldn't have the same effect today, it would be much worse.

That's a fine snapshot there. That should be on your puter every morning.

Practice! Maybe you should leave her at home! :lol:

I agree that the Mepps is a good searching lure, but over the decades I've found that Rooster tail is just as good with more options and for less money. I've seen times when a black RT would take fish while a white or yellow would be ignored. If you use a simple seraching bait like an inline spinner it pays to have it in as many colors as possible. Even the blade color can sometimes make a difference. Fish sometimes key on what's abundant and that is where color and size can be a deciding factor. More often then not the more active baits, such as the Rebel Craw will take agressive fish, but the more subtle feeders will pass. It's important to mix it up to find the best strategy for any given day.

Jack take a look at the tried and true Lucky 13, you could even throw a skirt on it like Al does his. The red head has been a good shallow lure going back even before my time.

I hear you Bill, but it's a different world out there. I see the jet ski situation as a safety problem that needs to be addressed by the patrol. Especially considering that no one could claim they have no place else to go.

Exactly!

I think, personaly, they have a mentality to restore what wild animals they can, and I don't have a problem with that, but I do if they want build an unfenced zoo to display them in. I think if that's the plan then they should allow them to roam, then if necessary find a sporting way to eliminate known problem animals. If they are going to tack a bullseye on them then let someone, a veteran, who is no longer mobile do the actually "hunting". That area they put them in was free range in our lifetime, so it's not like it's laid out township grids full of farms and ranches.

No but if they do I would hope it would a useful update. Not much has changed, except the increased use of GPS. If they would update with gps coordinates I suspect everyone would want a new one.

I think they offer the heart of the sport. In quail hunting the dogs do the hunting and humans the shooting, so it would seem they offer everything that a hunt for wild birds would offer. Quail are fragile birds, even a heavy rain can harm the nesting chicks so any releif is probably a good thing all the way around. I hope this thread doesn't go nuts like the lion threads. I've lived in elk country, the same one full of dangerous mtn. lions. First elk are a lot smarter than deer and I cannot remember in the 13 years I lived there hearing or reading of one being hit by a vehicle, I'm sure it's happened, but it can't be very common. I did have a herd run in front of me one time, but I would have had to be asleep to hit one. They will roam. I lived on the high desert and there were a few herds out there, but scattered. The one nearest me was about 5 miles away on a butte, yet on 3 occasions I saw them near or beyond my house, always young bulls and I suppose they were looking for love. The bottom line is still, how do you introduce a free roaming animal and keep it confined short of a fence? Maybe the question is why would you try?

It's been awhile since I've read it, but I believe this is correct.

The spawn is over, what there was of it. They will run in and out of streams, especialy cooler ones. In lakes you tend to see them in large schools feeding on shad in the mornings when the surface temps are lower. They genetically tend to be cool water fish, all that not as bad as their big brother the striper. They don't realate to cover as a rule as in the summer it's generally a case of crossing paths. My advice would be if you catch one in the summer fish hard and quick because they will likely move.