RSBreth

I saw a Schwan's truck parked near the baseball fields (other side of the road from the Crane city park) one day in 2006 - they do look like a stocking truck.

There will be a deeper-diving version of the Vision 110 next year - the 110 +1: http://tackletour.com/previewmegabassbaits2012.html (Scroll down).

I'm very interested, too. I'm always interested in mold design whether it be for lead or plastic.

Good job - just a couple of years before my little guy goes out.

I'd read everything the "Don't for newbies' over at Tackle Underground. And join there - those guys are very helpful.

I use the same craft glue I get from Hobby Lobby to glue in weedguards on jigs. Works great and less money.

You can't go wrong with a Madame X or Elk Hair Caddis - I tie a Deer Hair Caddis with a bit of bright colored hair on top for visibility. Crane Creek trout eat it up in either 14 or 16. I have never had to go smaller than 16 there - but Blue Spring might be different - haven't been there in years.

I'll second the mid-summer time as best for stable water levels and good fishing. Especially during the week - there won't be too many folks in your way.

The main way lead can be dangerous is if a decent sized chunk hits you in a vital area at a good velocity. All kidding aside, the boiling point of lead is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1700-degrees and most bullet casters and lure makers use it at around mid 700-degrees, so lead vapors aren't an issue, it's impurities in your lead when you melt it that cause obnoxious odors. I melt down and flux scrap lead outside. The main way people get lead in their system is by eating, drinking, or smoking while using lead. How about using your teeth to pinch down a piece of shot on your line? Yeah, don't do that. I knew a kid that carried pellets for his pellet gun around in his mouth. Yeah - he was messed up anyway, but surely that didn't help.

I drove over to Crane for a short "couple of afternoon hours" trip. Hudson the Lab got "snipped" Thursday and it's hard to keep the circus of him and my son from tearing his sutures out - so the boys went away to give the house a few hours of peace. We went down the old railroad track and hit few favorite pools. I caught 5 little 'Bows on my variation of the tan Elk Hair Caddis I call the "Crane Creek Caddis" (mostly it's Deer flank hair instead of Elk) in #16. My son had a great time watching me fish, and he want's to learn to "flying fish" - flyfish. He's 5. He got to see one bigger (maybe 11") fish jump at the fly as I picked it up to backcast, so that's where the "flying fish" comes from. I didn't see another fisherman.

Nice shot - me and my son visited today and caught a couple.

I've always had to miss it - we'll try this year .

Al's right on like he usually is - I go for a medium modulus rod (cheaper) in a lighter power. I do like the Crankin' Stick for it's price point, but I use superlines or superlines/leader on almost every rig I throw, so I need a lighter power/action than most others straight mono or fluoro guys need.

Unless you plan to only hit lakes, the James isn't the greatest to drag around in a john. If you have a jet outboard on it in spring maybe, otherwise it'll be a bear to use compared to a canoe or kayak. When big boats are out any little boat will get tossed around by waves, but I've paddled my solo across many of the creek arms of Stockton while duck hunting, and all over Table Rock and Beaver when I was too broke to run the "big" boat. just use common sense and wear your PFD.

There's good numbers of Crappie in Lake Springfield - I haven't really got a good pattern on them in Fall though. I would try any deeper timber on steep banks out of the current.

I have always read these "big guy versus little guy" threads on the "internets" since it's inception - for fishing tackle, guns, or for whatever - and it always boils down to the same old arguments. I must be jaded or just not have enough hours in my day to ponder stuff - to me it's usually a retail choice, not a bloody religion. I mean - some of the same guys who are all about the "big business sucks" mantra are buying their flies from the same Indonesian shop as Umpqua does, but from some smaller "hip new online business". Same flies, but they feel better about it, so it's O.K. O.K. -yeah, I'm cranky tonight.

I've fished the Am side of the pro-am type tourneys a couple of times - I had a great time each time, but being paired with anyone for anything is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get. I'm sorry Roland was such a jerk - I've heard that about him in the past. On a side note did you see where he finished? 12th. I'm amazed it was that high - he hasn't really been competitive in years. (EDIT- He actually finished 8th. I don't why it was listed as 12th where I checked - it's fixed now.)

I LOVE golf because those first few warm weekends in Spring have people at the course versus the lake.

Probably a little bit of "all of the above", unfortunately. I know several guys who think Bass are just super-tough, one even said the reason he likes Bass so much is the you can "throw the dinks over your shoulder into the deeper water behind you and it doesn't even hurt them". He's probably one of the guys you saw.

Why hang the paddle up- there's great fishing all Winter if you know where to fish... Great pictures btw - I have to get out next weekend!

Lake Springfield is limited to 6HP or less - doable for any paddle boat. I regularly pass overloaded little johnboats with 5HP motors paddling my solo there. But it's your paintbrush - do it how you please.

Like Ham, I find it better around shallow weeds and wood - spinnerbaits are more versatile around the cover we have on the White River chain of lakes. There are days where it does really catch them though...

Yeah, or maybe the James/Finley - you could throw in Lake Springfield with that. Of course, you wouldn't want me to fish it then.

I'll have to go look at the situation this weekend. It's not legal to block river access - but that doesn't mean they won't try too.