Wayne SW/MO

I think Sam is talking about the wilderness east of 65. While 4' wide shoulders are there on occasion, 2' is more the norm I think.

Extreme cold has a way of bringing out the worst in hydraulics. It shrinks up seals and raises pressures.

I've fished Bennett for 50 years off and on, lived in the park for a short time, and never fished opening day. I doubt, no I know I never will. It is a "To each his own" affair and I'm not criticizing those who do.

I suspect that my change if you had a big pussy cat breathing down your neck.

Bill my son was wondering what you thought of the Cuarado, 100D I belive, you had on the new Falcon? I was wondering what you thought of the Bou Coup (/ sp)? I'm a Falcon lover, so my question is really in comparison to the Low Rider or Original.

I don't know if you have to wade, but if you don't, there are bank areas. Cooper Creek has a nice fishing dock, Rockaway has an Island that provides access to deeper water, and Empire, at Ozark Beach, has a dock and a lot of back space. There are also some trout below Powersite dam, but they can be elusive at times. All of those are public.

I was very informative, enjoyed it immensely.

Trout? I'm not sure I'm aware of anywhere that you can fish for them "out of season". As far as catch and release mortality, what makes you think its that common? If populations continue to hold up in the face of natural predation, then one could assume its not a problem.

Just don't forget that cold water can be unforgiving and deadly.

Sam I think its because of the lack of stretch. The stretch in other lines dampens them I believe.

Get off of 60 at Glenstone, cross Republic and stay on Glenstone to the end. The thing you need to know is that the Glenstone you want is an outer road on the south side 60 heading east.

Depending on the bottom width of your 18', the paddle jon would probably draw more water under power. Its impossible to know how much without having some idea of the weight its carrying. Its always hard to know exactly how much you're drafting, but with two lightweight guys and a little fishing gear, no motor, about 2" possibly a little more. Sand is going to wear the impeller, no doubt. The new stainless steel units are better, but again, impossible to know a time. Different conditions give different results. I spent a lot of time on the Thompson, known as the Grand then, and I it seemed to me there were always channels that offered a little more depth. You wouldn't be "in the sand" that often I would think?

I made the transition from Cortland Camouflage to mono, but I don't think you can compare. The lines of today simply don't resemble the first monos and the co-polymers have made mono virtually obsolete. Fireline, the original, is the mono of superlines. There are so many superlines today that its hard to keep up with the differences, which in my limited experience seem subtle. Fluorocarbon has gone from too stiff and unmanageable, for all but leaders, to a viable line in just a few years. The bottom line is that they all have their pros and cons, but because they are so important to the end result, you can't ignore them, no matter how little you fish. It is the last link and it always affects the success or failure in fishing.

Short filling a spool restricts the flow of line off of the spool and affects distance and accuracy. What do you mean by a "mess"? Braid is not a perfect option for mono, or its variants. There are times when mono because of its stretch is an advantage as is its sinking ability. Braid can also be touchy in the 2-4# diameters.

I agree that faster is the place to start, but smallies can be very stubborn at times and if you don't do it their way, you don't do it. I can remember one river where it couldn't move or be more than 3' from the bank, period. I've had a couple of nice Bamboo's, but I got rid of them. Sometimes nostalgia sucks.

You can eliminate most of the problems with spinning reels by doing 3 things. With new line pull off about 50 yards of line and then wind back on slowly between thumb and forefinger. Take the spool of and put it in real warm water for about 5 minutes. When you fish it close the bail manually. After a fishing trip you can repeat the first and second step for more security. This will virtually eliminate the problems if you're using a premium line in 12# and under breaking strength.

Normally you can see them. If the water is up and colored they don't bite that well anyway.

One could put in at Riverside, if he was adventurous, I would imagine there are some virgins up there now.

So what do you think about the coated co-polymers?

What can you do? Its just something we have to live with. :lol:

As said the Sammy is a Lucky Craft top water. They're expensive and on rivers when throwing tight to brush, etc the braid helps get them back. Just as important, to me, is the fact that braid floats and stays in contact with the bait. I think it gives a slight edge for walking the dog on top.

As said, more than fly selection, stealth is critical. Crane is small and clear, and the trout are wild. If you don't get your knees dirty, you aren't fishing it right.

I have seen that knot, and I've seen the knot he describes as an Albright, but it doesn't fit the older tying of the Albright. In the one I learned a long time ago you you take the line you're going to wrap straight down the loop, and then wrap back. For the most part you're only making one warp around three strands, instead of two wraps around two strands. You can strengthen the original with half hitches at each end, but I think glue makes a slimmer knot.

You can camp up on the ridge with a tent. You should probably make a reservation to be certain of a spot. I suspect they will be hard to come by the first few days of march. All the common people were relegated to the woods and out of sight when they decided to build the high dollar cabins. If its full then Riverside would be your best bet. Call the Sands motel for more info. Here's a link BENNETT CAMPING < link

There is wading at Barclay also. It's a little more level dependent then at 64.