RSBreth

The Boy Scout have a motto, what is it again? Seriously though - it almost seems like the AGFC has a grudge against this guy.

That's alll I did to mine - added a seat back rest. I thought about moving the seat forward like Al said - but in the end I was pretty happy with the way it paddled stock so I left it alone. For poking around SWMO streams and lakes I think it's a great little boat.

I found a 4-piece Redington Crosswater rod left behind in a rental - but it's missing one piece! If you have this rod I'll give you the three pieces - thankfully the tip isn't missing so it would be a great spare. The second to the top piece is the one that's missing. I don't want anything for it - I just thought someone might find it handy.

You're probably already out there trying it out - you'll find out the Pack feels "tippy" until you paddle it around a bit. It's been said it has only fair initial stability (why it feels tippy when you first get in it) but good secondary stability (it's actually pretty hard to tip over.) I'd ditch the trolling motor mount for river fishing because it'll just get in the way. For Lake Springfield it might be handy but it looks like you'll need a handle extension at least - that's why most motor mounts are offset - puts them closer to the back seat and easier to grab. That mount would make it so you have to turn almost halway around to grab the tiller handle even with an extension.

Yeah the scent thing can help too - I like to take the lures that aren't scented and throw them in with the one that are. Yum's have a good "stink" to them.

The ZMan plastics are really tough - the Zinker Z is their Senko type lure. Zman Zinker Z Another one that seems to hold up pretty good is the Wave Worm Tiki Stik. One more option is raid the Bass Pro outlet store for the bulk plastics - I have probably 15 pounds of their Stik -O's in half a dozen colors from doing that. Yum Dingers hold up a little better, too. But sometimes a really soft Senko is the lure they want more than anything - then it gets expensive. Oh yeah - Jack, the next time your buying some tackle look at the Senko type plastics - like was said they're pretty heavy and even the 4" ones can be cast a long ways.

Really any good rod thats been made in the past 20 years or so will have ceramic guides - the exception is Recoil guides - which are nickel-titanium or some such hi-tech material. Your old metal guides can, and do, wear out. Another thing - the top guide is called the tip-top, not a ferrel - a ferrel is what connects the different pieces of a multi-piece rod, so when you go to replace it make sure you know what your getting. Any decent tackle repair shop can replace ttem for you if don't feel up to it.

I love exploring and trying new spots - sounds like you found a good one.

I went to Fellows one day early this year on the weekend. I saw exactly one other person on the water, fishing from about 8:00 A.M. to about 3:00 P.M. It will be more busy when it's warm, but geez - it's open to the public.

Most people would consider anything above Hootentown the middle - say up to Lake Springfield. Anything above the lake is the upper James. From Hootentown down is the lower James. At least that's the way I think about it.

When they aren't bedding a small grub or worm worked right on the bottom usually does the trick. I like that stretch of the Finley - it's an easy float, and has some nice views for being so close to urban areas. I fished further downstream this weekend but didn't do any better, really.

There's no gate or any other way to block the ramp - I've put in and taken out at all kinds of odd hours too - the only concern is a vehicle left there in the wee hours.

If they were splashing everywhere they could have been carp.

You have to go a ways upstream from the ramp under 65 to get to the river - basically find the first riffle and you're there. Also - you can't do it on foot from the road near the bridges - you'd have to be in a boat or canoe or whatever.

I've used Norman tiny N and Deep tiny n for Crappies for about twenty years. The newer ones are pretty good - I like the Strike King mini 3 (which is the same thing as the crappie crank). Try retrieving them slow and steady - erratic doesn't seam to work as well. Tiny cranks are great for little creek Bass and Goggle-eyes, too.

I've seen it too - I don't think they are missing it.

So he had a gun on his hip - did he actually say anything to you or you just assumed he was strapped for your benefit? There's a guy down there that always has a little .22 revolver on his hip - half the time he stops me to chat about the river.

Mushroom head jig and half of a ZinkerZ - it's like a Senko but the plastic is really tough. Great "do-nothing" lure.

I fished Sunday and was catching them off windy secondary points in mid-lake creek arms. If I could have only got my brother-in-law to back off the bank more we would have done better I was doing good on shaky head worms and my tiny 3/16 finesse jig.

To drive down all the way from the K.C. area and then get stumped like that makes me sad. Rent a canoe right there at Hootentown and all will be good.

There's plenty of water on the upper parts of rivers here in the Ozarks that most people would think of "marginal" - but really hold some good fish . The upper Finley is like that - you won't catch many big fish, but there's more Smallie's up to about two pounds than most people would think. Like you already mentioned, and it can't be stressed enough to let them go when you do catch them. And watch for people who are keeping them - smaller waters can't take much catch and keep fishing - the more good people who are conservation minded out there watching and spreading the word is better than all the regulations in the world.

I usually catch bigger fish further downstream versus in that area - but there's still plenty of fish up there. You also might try faster lures (crankbaits, spinnerbaits, soft jerkbaits) and see if that gets you more and bigger fish next time - works for me.

Nice! That'll teach you to put some heavy compact spinnerbaits in your bag, but then again the jig worked, right? You might try some 3" or 4" swim baits as trailers for swim jigs - I like them better than grubs in faster water - actually the fish like them better.

I really like the thin superline/fluoro leader for cranks - but I throw them like that on spinning gear with regular guides - no issues.

Thinner braid will allow a crank a deeper dive, try it. And even the thickest braid won't "float" a typical bass jig. Doesn't happen. Although the micro-guides don't sound like the ideal setup for leader knots - I think they are a gimmick. The micro-guides, that is.