Johnsfolly

And making onion volcanos😆

Definitely maybe even an understatement since I swear I saw one jump up onto the bridge and flop towards us trying to get our baits 🤣.

@BilletHead gooseberry jam 😉 Delicious!

That smile says it all! Great guiding dad!

I'll take a look when I get home tomorrow. May have to contact Bob for an opinion.

Our Midwest trip is winding down and I had one last trip planned and that was a multispecies trip with @Ham. At my request we were going to fish Georges creek for what would bite. I really wanted to catch a whitetail shiner (one of my favorite minnows) and an Ozark darter. Ham was willing to sacrifice the likelihood of catching any new species to allow me the opportunity to add a bunch of new yearly fish and also a possible lifer species or two. We only had a few hours and I felt that we made good use of our time on the day. Ham started with the flyrod to catch a few to add to his flyrod catch total for the year. While I was fighting a difficult eddy to catch a darter, Ham was landing a few fish. The first new flyrod species was a striped shiner. He followed up that catch with several longear sunfish. I called it on the darters to be able to catch a few fish on my own as well. Instead of a fly I took a meat approach and fished a trout magnet mini-jig head with a bit of worm. I was fishing a new rod that Ham gave me (very appreciated my friend!) and landed a hornyhead chub. Followed that with a duskystripe shiner (with crapy photos to follow). One unsual situation that we faed was an aggressive nature of the stonerollers in the creek. Normally you nearly have to force feed then a bait but these guys were ready to feed on the baits that we threw at them. This guy used to be a central stoneroller, now might be the Plains?!? We both caught a few of the stonerollers as well as whitetail shiners. After losing a big male before a photo, I did manage to get a nice WT into the bag and photographed. Ham was able to catch a wedgespot shiner. One of the dreaded they all look pretty much the same Notropis species (Spoiler alert - another shows up later). With limited time we moved to a hole upstream that Ham assured me had lots of darters. That was an understatement - they were very abundant 😁. And agressissive which helps when you are targeting a lifer darter. I played with several males before landing my first Ozark darter! I think that I even smiled 😉. We both caught a few more males, immature males and females in that spot. Ham was able to get a creek chub to bite his fly adding another flyrod fish for the day. He'll have to respond to which other fish he caught on the long pole. We moved one last time and got into more minnows than I have seen in a year out in MD. Lots of darters that were less than willing to play and super stud studfish. Running out of time before needing to head home. so a run down of some noteworthy fishes. Ham's ozark minnow We both caught another mystery Notropis that will need Id work. Appreciate any thoughts. Also my first studfish of the year. Missed bagging a super male, but Ham caught and bagged one! So much more to add. Will let Ham add his thoughts. As always the trip ends much too soon. I had a great time and appreciate Ham for taking me out and putting me on fish that I just can't get out East!

FIFY

JF #78 Bantam Sunfish, Lepomis gottogotomingoensis or L symmetricus Lifer and #11 Lepomis species caught out of 13 total in that genus😉

JF #77 Redspotted Sunfish, Photoisin livisphonicus You'll have to trust me on this one 😉 Now for the Photo!

Livie #67 Western Mosquitofish

Livie #66 Blackspotted Topminnow, Inthewayof otherfishies

JF #76 Female Starhead Topminnow, Fundulus dispar

Livie #65 Redspotted Sunfish, Lepomis frustrationus The area where I have caught the every other time was dirty with little water movement and they just weren't there this time. Had to find them elsewhere in the pond. It took Livie awhile to catch this fish and culled through a number of bluegill to land it.

Livie #64 Black Bullhead, Easypeasy kittyfishie Actually took longer to get gear together than to sight fish and catch these guys. Pretty agressive on our baits, even a microjig. Goldfish spurned all attempts to catch one no matter what we threw at them. So it all balanced out in the end.

JF #75 Black Bullhead, Threequarters thewaytherfish Thanks to @FishnDave for the intel that led to catching this Lifer!

I'm sure you did🙄. If I wasn't fixated on a PB and Mingo trip I might have fished your secret creek or the koi pond. Though I can't complain about that choice. So next time in MO will be focused on the fish of St Louis area. I will once back on my computer post results from your other pond.

Awesome catches @FishnDave! Jealous of the gar and skipjack. Glad that you are getting it done in MO on the species. Still lots more out there.

That's a toad for sure Bret!

Great trip making memories buddy! Awesome catches of bluegill and redear sunfish!

I thought that I remember your son with a big beautiful DRC brown trout. Good luck to your kids and posts photos for sure.

That would have been awesome. She did catch her first ever brook and brown trout when we went in 2019. Missed a giant brown that inhaled her jig and spit it out. It will spoil a kid for sure! Just threw in a photo since I know that you and @liphunter like them😅!

JF #74 Blackstripe Topminnow, Fundulus notatus close-up of dorsal surface showing the lack of distinct black spotting.

That's 4 more than I have ever caught. Congrats on catching a toad smallie!

Covid Killed my last chance to get my daughter back to Dry Run creek prior to her 16th Bday😒. There would have been photos for sure!

I can't see them not catching fish. Even not they are works of art!