stitch

I agree with checking craigslist like a fiend. Good boats can be found cheap, especially during the off season, and ESPECIALLY if they need a little work.

Ok, thanks. We dont have them up here so I was curious. Im a big bowhunter, and Im gonna do my damndest to get on some ground to deer hunt around the place Im looking at down there (assuming we buy it, which Im absolutely sure we will), that way whenever I tag out early up here I can try it down in MO aswell. Itd be cool to shoot a random hog, but I figured I wasnt that lucky!

Are there enough wild hogs (if any) around Warsaw to make it worth driving 4 hours to hunt them?

Thats kinda what I figured, lakes lake. The only reason I was really wondering is because I noticed that there are guys that post in that section and not this one! Looking more, I see that that section gets very little activity, most of the threads are months old.

I see that theres another forum for the Truman taiilwater/upper osage river. Should I be posting these questions here in the Lake of the Ozarks section or over there?

I agree, definitely not a hybrid. Nice fish, Id love to catch one like that.

I wouldnt say 19.5 is too out of the norm, but much over 20 really is.

Theyre definitely here, but it seems like we have a pretty good 20" cap. I've caught 20's from the DSM river, middle Raccoon thee south skunk and the Iowa. Its not real often you even hear of a stream smally over 20 inches in Iowa though it does happen here and there). A lot of nice ones are caught out of the Iowa Great Lakes.

A couple of 22 inchers right around 7 lbs out of Rainy Lake (Canada/MN border) and a 21 inch 6 lbish from Roy Lake in South Dakota through the ice. I know, I know, those dont count, but I just couldnt keep my mouth shut. Ill try and find some big MO smallies this summer to post. We have some good river smallies here in Iowa, but a 20 inch plus fish is pretty tough to find (though they are there and do get caught). Heres the SD fish.

Just sent you a pm nomolites.

That is what that is, definitely cool!

Ok, I know, more questions, more questions. I apologize, I know on our board up here this gets a little old, but buying a place with weekend trips and fishing in mind is a big deal, even if it is an old trailer on a rough lot. So I have a lot of dumb questions. Are there true "striped bass" in Lake of the Ozarks, or are they just white bass and wipers (hybrids)? I know there is always a lot of confusion between species, and up here is no different. There are no true stripers in Iowa (not to be confused with strippers, we have plenty of those), but there are always plenty of people trying to catch them! Ive read that they did an experimental stocking in one reservoir years ago, and it failed. Other than that, we dont have any. I have always wanted to fish for them, so Id be happy if you had them down there, but judging from the pics Ive found on google image search, guides pages etc, its hard to tell if Im seeing hybrids or stripers.

Thanks!

Bluegill arent gamefish in MO then? Sorry if thats a dumb question, your regs on that are totally different than they are here. In Iowa you can use any fish for bait as long as it was legally caught and considered part of your daily bag limit.

Yeah I plan to read up on all the regs before fishing down there.

We have reservoirs up here that I think are more or less identical to yours, but much smaller. I can agree that I think cut gills/crappies are atleast close to as good as cut shad. Ive heard a lot that the fact that shad is much more oily makes it a little better, but I have had similar luck with both. Ive never caught any cats on spoons except through the ice, but Ive caught a ton of nice ones trollings crankbaits for walleyes. There are very few blues in lakes in Iowa, but we get a lot of channels in the same areas the whites are busting shad in. We usually locate the white bass by following seagulls around and find about every other predator fish out there right along with them. Thanks for the advice everyone, keep it coming!

Dont any of you guys ice fish if given the chance?

When you still fish them that early in the year do you fish the main lake or coves?

Its 2 here right now (real temp).

Sorry for all the questions, I have never been down there before, but it looks like Im going to be spending a lot of time down there from now on! We'll be around the first weekend in April. Were going to try and snag some spoonbill and then spend the rest of our time catfishing. If I were fishing one of our reservoirs here in Iowa that time of year, I would drift with fresh shad or shrimp. Will that be a good go to plan down there as well? Also, the crappies will still be out in deep water, correct? Do you guys drift/slow troll for them prespawn? Thats the name of the game up here. I appreciate any help, thanks in advance!

Thanks!

Were planning on being down there the weekend of April 4th. All I keep reading is how low the lake is, do any of you locals think it will have come back up some by then? Will most ramps be usable??

Its towards the back but not all the way back, we wont be down until april.

They said $500 to rent a dock and launch for a year. I explained to them that wed prolly only be down a few weekends a year so it sounded like theyre gonna work something cheaper out. Id be fine with paying a couple hundred bucks a year, beings as how this place is literally a block from ours. Considering its at the ozarks, I dont think even the $500's a bad deal for someone thats there all the time. I dont know what the going rate down there is, but up here in iowa youll pay a couple grand for a slip on a much less desirable lake.

Its a privately owned rv park, atleast thats what they told me.