Wayne SW/MO

I think once a lake, any lake, gets past its youth it is really hard to place them on a numerical list, IMO. I doubt there is a bass fisherman alive that hasn't had bad days on their favorite and even guides have to "look" at times. It is true that some lakes fit a persons likes and skills better than others and no doubt that will influence a choice. In my time I've seen so many lakes evolve and change that I can't see how one person could have enough experience to rank them. It's kind of like the coaches football poll, does anyone really think a coach has the time between Saturdays game and the polls release to know jack about many other teams?

I always thought there was something different about you. Now that I know what it is I'm going to keep it too myself. No I won't, You're Paul Dallas's cousin.

Over the years I've reduced my poundage. I think today's lines are more dependable and if you take care to monitor the first 24" you can get by with less. Smaller diameter can mean more fish, deeper runs for cranks and longer casts.

I started when I was about 12 after watching my dad catch bass on top at a pond. My dad had actually just started himself at the urging of a friend. It took a little while to collect the money, Kids earned most of their own money then. Eventually I got the rod, don't remember the brand, but the reel was a .50 cent Sears and Roebuck and a level line in some alphabet weight. I used the outfit until the late '50's and then bought a Shakespeare President and a Medalist. My first trout came about 1954 from Roaring River on a multicolored streamer. I was pumped because It was my second day at the park and i had been skunked the first day in spite of seeing that the place was full of fish. I started tying when I was about 15 when a friend ,and fellow fly fishermen, decided that would help alleviate a lack of funding for flies. My first big challenge was to tie nice Royal Coachmen, I never did, but I learned a lot trying.

Probably that nasty stuff you light with a match.

No they're talking about Bledsoe Ferry, below the dam. it's the old river channel and opposite of the generation and spillway area. I believe it also has a length limit.

That's interesting. I would assume they can't cross breed, they aren't trout, and I don't know what they would off. In parts of the west they stocked them in a lot of lakes, but I don't know what made them desirable.

People have been doing it a long time. That's where my son likes to fish if it's available. It was the favorite launch site for the RC boats before they banned them.

That would be dad, female bass ain't great mothers. I think anyone wanting to start bass fishing should concentrate on plastics. Rig them weedless and fish them fast, slow, different colors and styles and you'll learn a lot.

There's a small lake in SW Oregon that has lahontan's in it. It's quite the trip to get in there in the spring and fish it. It can be muddy roads, winds around 30 and cold, but the fish probably average 20".

Funny you mention that. I can't count the times I've fished Bennett and a lot of it around the Long hole. Last year my son and GK's made a trip up there and I witnessed the phenomenon for the first time. I have to wonder what has changed to cause it because I know it hasn't always been there. Floating pellets, different feeding method, what? I don't think they were feeding floating pellets for one thing, but I'm not positive about that.

My theory is that black is easy to see in colored waters and bigger is also easier to see. It seems to work pretty well. Orange also seems to work better in off colored water, for some reason?

The one I tie is simple. On a 12 or 14 2X long hook, wrap the shank and tie in a strip of yellow, 2mm, foam at the bend, facing away from the eye. wrap the thread forward a little more than 1/3rd, pull the foam over and secure it and about an inch of leg material. Wrap forward to the 2/3rds area and repeat. Pull the foam to behind the eye and secure, then fold the foam back to the last leg tie and finish. Trim the foam left. You can cover the shank with estaz or chenille, but I've never noticed that it helps. These are simple and the fish like them.

Gitnby, my reference was to people who tried to take advantage of the storm to enhance their view of the lake. They were claiming that the trees were damaged when in fact they only had minor branch damage. The COE didn't buy it and some were fined, but of course they cried foul.

I would think there might be some whites in the Lil Niangua.

Snowing!! Good grief it's April. If the water is colored, and it isn't too crowded, I've done well on black buggers or leeches, 12 or 14's fished at the seam. The seam is generally close to the bank and can be hard to fish if it's crowded though.

I remember when the tornado went through the Pomme de Terre area and damaged a lot of trees. Some people got fined then and cried foul because the COE had told people they could cut down heavily damaged trees on public property. Apparently a broken branch on a view blocking tree wasn't what they meant by heavily damaged.

My son and I fished the old channel last Sunday and there were a lot of crappie in it, but staying on them was nearly impossible with the wind. A 25# anchor wouldn't hold.

abkeenan he should have smelled a rat there, they don't collect fines. As far as tree trimming, I think they should fine some. People who go on public property and cut down trees to enhance their view are no better than thieves. As far as private dock owners go they and their signs should be ignored. Those docks are there under a permit and it doesn't allow them any private space. The commercial marinas are off limits for one reason, safety, to avoid collision or accidents in an area that be very busy. It's not just the docks that are off limits, but the whole basin where marked.

Nice report. Too bad the scum found you, but that can be a problem.

Looks a little like a spotters perch for grabbers.

Oh great, raw fish or eel.

What would be your educated guess for Sunday and Monday? Have you heard if they catching any crappie in the outflow. I plan on being at Outlet Park, but may have to run to Warsaw to fish.

I've only been up there once in the summer, but about 10 years ago, or so, we spent 4 days up there and it was crazy.

Yeah they kind of exposed themselves in the Vogel's buy out. They said it was to give the park more river access and people assumed it was for them. Instead, in spite of hundreds of private livery canoes available, they decided to rent canoes. So instead of limiting future numbers of canoes available for rent, they joined and put the use of the riverfront to the exclusive use of launching their canoes. What good can be said of a government agency that goes in business in direct competition with private business. No you can't say that on here. :lol: