RSBreth

...And good for you in doing that. Someone has to keep an eye out for the slobs.

Everybody's thinking here is going the right way, but I do have to take a second and comment on the idea that overpopulation is a factor in our streams. I fish a small stream (Bull Creek) often, and there is a huge amount of forage in this stream. Crayfish and shiners and shad everywhere, in huge numbers. Overpopulation is not a problem for Smallmouth in Bull, overharvest is, plain and simple. It's pretty hard to call someone out about keeping 5 dinky 12" Smallies if it's legal to do so. Then the next couple of years after "Mr. Fish Fry" has cleaned the creek out it's just got 7" fish, mostly. Any change to that would be welcome by me.

The treatment facility is due South (across 14) from McDonalds along the Finley. Above the Mill Dam you'll be fine. Actually, with the amount of flow this time of year, that stuff is in the James by now. It'll be fine as far as the fish and wildlife go, but I wouldn't want to swim in it.

Wednesday's thunderstorms knocked out the power in a certain area of Ozark, but I didn't even think about the treatment plant over there going down. No back-up generator? I'm going to have to look into this. http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=282765

ltomczyk - check your messages.

You can also get text-message alerts set off by parameters of the gauging station you select from the USGS, but that only works if you are in a spot where you get a signal. Still pretty neat though... http://water.usgs.gov/wateralert/

I would vote it's everything except the last two. My wife loves to fish, and I do write fishing-related articles for money, and I do love to keep an occasional Trout or Crappie or Walleye to eat. So there you go.

If you are in a tandem with a good paddler behind you, it's great to flyfish in our rivers, but solo is really hard. I take a fly rod on most of my canoe trips, but it rides in one of these when I'm not using it: That'll save you from busting it every trip. Maybe.

It's funny that he "invented" a Uni-knot where you go through the hook eye twice before making the standard Uni-knot - like I've been using to tie braid direct for more than 15 years. Anyway, it is a good knot, but you better wet that sucker when tying it with fluoro, it has plenty of "slip" when tying it, which can cause fluoro to "burn" if not moistened.

A semi-permanent law enforcment presence down there might calm it down a bit...

I'd love to take you up on that offer, but both of us won't fit in my solo canoe. Someone on here has to have a jon with a five horse on it though...

The Linden Dam, from the 125 bridge, looking East. Google Street View Isn't technology wonderful?

I have never caught one in the Finley, but I have seen them as I was fishing. They don't get very big, but are pretty neat members of the Pike family.

That's one thing people forget - the James does have some nice Rock Bass in it. Those little cranks really work for them, too!

I haven't fished the lake for a few weeks - been hitting the rivers. Should be able to wrangle something up with a spinnerbait shallow, I'd think. Here's some dude that post stuff on Youtube:Lake Springfield from a float tube

Everyone who fishes around docks has their favorite lures and techniques, I definitely have mine. One of my favorite patterns on "The Rock" and Beaver is a milk run of docks I have done well on in the past. I use a variety of lures that work the entire water column, from just under the docks to down right on the bottom. The Fluke tip is a good one, they work great, but I also use a floating version by Strike King, the Ztoo I think it's called, that floats on a lighter wire 3/0 wide-gap hook. I skip it up there and twitch it back like a topwater, sometimes with very long pauses. I like both tubes and jigs for casting by pilings, either of which can trigger strikes on the fall. For under the dock itself I like a shaky-head rig with a finesse worm. Sometimes it'll catch inactive fish near the bottom when nothing else will. I use spinning gear for all of these lures, and spool braid or Fireline with pretty heavy fluoro leaders. Even the shaky-head rig gets some Orvis "Mirage" tippet material for it's leader in either 2X or 1X. That stuff is tough.

I never said I wouldn't go fishing with you man, but if you come near me on the track, I'm putting you into the wall. (If it's too obscure of a joke for some folks, here's your clue: ) See, it is a fun poll...

And now I'm editing my post to say, well, it's raining again. Watch the USGS Gauge.

This topic kind of went sideways, but I'm there with the idea of taking care of (and looking out for) your local stretch of river. I've been doing this for, well, it seems like forever although it's only a little over twelve years here on the Finley. You have to not only pick up litter, but call either the police (or sheriff) and also get with either the local Conservation Agent, or Operation Game Thief. Put the numbers in your cell phone, and use them. I know the local CA's (Conservation Agents) are sick of hearing from me, but that's their problem: IT'S THEIR JOB! So call them. At the drop of a hat. Take cell phone pictures, get license plate numbers, "drop the dime" as the old saying goes. For meth heads or other obviously "off their rocker" types, stay clear, but put the call in anyway, as soon as you can. Another thing: DO NOT fire a shot into the air, you don't know where that thing went. Fire into the ground. Actually, you shouldn't ever brandish a firearm, but that's a different topic, for another time.

If you want some good rod advice for building from a fly blank, you may want to got either rodbuilding.org, or bigbluegill.com. I know the guys at Bigbluegill.com are big into turning light fly blanks into ultralight fishing sticks. And Al is right, a dinky 4' noodle isn't good for much, except for getting waxed by the guy with a 7'6" rod built from a St. Croix 2-weight fly rod blank.

Seriously, look at the river gauge. Don't be like the idiots I saw at the park this morning who were going to try to launch upstream in their new little play kayaks. It's up and brown and angry, have some sense.

So that's were they went. I haven't seen them in about a year, I thought they went upstream somewhere, not down. Probably why I haven't caught much there in a year or more, too. Thanks for the heads up.

Just a thought...

Green Sunfish. Green Sunfish

I hunt public land (National Forest) often for Turkeys, and have always hear other people coming, because I hike so far in the other lazy people feel they have to use (illegally) ATV's to get where I'm at. But I understand when you're taking the kid along, easier for them is better.