RSBreth

I've used that same color RC Wakebait for river Smallmouths, too. It's a great lure, even at 15-bucks a pop.

I was fishing above the park in Ozark this past weekend when I caught a couple of decent Crappies fishing small cranks for anything that would bite. Just a few Crappies, but good size to them. If I had brought a stringer I would have kept a couple. I also caught a nice number of bigger Rock Bass, and the usual mix of Long-Ear and Green sunfish, plus a couple of decent Smallies. I also caught a couple of decent Largemouth's on a spinnerbait in the park itself.

I fished there for just a couple of hours this weekend, and the Bass seemed post-spawn. Some males still shallow and chasing spinnerbaits and swimbaits around shallow cover in backwater areas. I don't know if that still holds today, but was the deal 3 days ago.

No matter which rod you choose. you'll have better "feel" with Fluorocarbon, or even better, superline (fused like Fireline, or braided like PowerPro) with a fluorocarbon leader. I use several different rods for fishing jigs, everything from spinning for skipping smaller jigs under docks, to a 7'4" casting rod for football jigs. No one rod can effectively fish every type of jig that works on Table Rock.

Check your P.M.'S FlyGuy...

Possible record Musky Caught and Released... Story from original page, at LarryDablemont'sOutdoors.com And he let it swim away...

I like them filleted and cut into strips, seasoned and then dusted with either Panko (japanese bread crumbs) or just plain old all-purpose flour and pan-fried in a tiny bit of oil quick and hot 'til browned, and then served either with Tarter Sauce or Ketchup with a shake or two of Red Hot in it for dipping. Great, now I'm going to have to go catch some....

I love Rock Bass, and it's a good thing because my local rivers (James, Finley, Bull Creek) are just chock full of them. I like them so much I may have even written something for Ozarkanglers.com about them...Rock Bass A.K.A "Goggle-Eyes"

No, not really. When I didn't have a good solo watercraft I'd usually just ask someone that lived close if I could park somewhere out of their way to fish the river. You'd be amazed how often you get the O.K. if you ask nice.

I haven't done it this year, but I do the 125 to Lake Springfield float often. You'd be amazed how good fishing can be even further upstream, but access is spotty. I leave a vehicle at the Ramp on Lake Springfield (under 65 highway) and have someone drop me off at 125. It's a nice stretch for both Largemouths and Smallmouths.

Bass pro has them in their catalog, but I don't know if the local store has them in stock. If they catalog the item, they'll get some to this store free of charge and call you when they come in if you ask nice, I do that all the time for various stuff.

Cool. Gotta love a double. And welcome to OzarkAnglers.com!

I would have liked to have gone down that stretch myself, but I was working. I did swing through the park for a second on the way to work early yesterday just in time to see a local joker string up a 3-lb or so Largemouth from one of the fishing piers. I did inform him that as far as MDC regulations are concerned, the little lake is still considered the Finley River, and River regulations have no keeping of Black Bass until the fourth Saturday in May. I didn't say it nice like that though, there was some yelling and an attempt to get his picture with the camera phone, while he hurriedly put the Bass in the water. It swam away. I think I freaked him out a little, which is fine. The second he finally gets a decent Bass I swoop in like that, he probably thinks there's a camera over there somewhere!

I take tons of pictures too, and one thing I like the most about Smallies is the variance of colors, even in the same stream. I like the smaller ones with cool colors as much as the bigger ones, like several you have here. Good post!

The best way to get cranks to run deeper is thinner line, which means superline, either braided or fused. More action? Use a lure with a more aggressive wobble and/or louder rattles.

That's cool you got one on the Spook this early in the year! I still haven't managed a Bass on a topwater, yet. Yet.

"Fishing" isn't closed, it's the "keeping" part of Black Bass fishing on the James that is. If I remember correctly the dividing line is the old highway "Y" bridge, which is a foot bridge only now.

It's 20 then, I guess. I don't know, I don't keep anything but the little 10- or 11-inch pan size "eaters". I let 18" (or 20") go back . It's kind of like the trophy Smallmouth areas, I always forget exactly how big they would be to keep, because I don't keep any.

I talked to someone who fishes Fellows a lot, and he said that the Crappie are still out a little deeper on points leading into the coves they will spawn in here in a few weeks. They should really be up there in the next week or so if we don't get a cold rain.

The last time I checked you can still keep fish out of the trophy area, they just have to be smaller than 12" or bigger than 18", at least as far as Rainbows go.

Ouch! I'll remember this the next time I think about putting the little cooler under my seat.

I know lots of people who only use Strike king Bitsy Bugs, but I think their weedguard is a little sparse for heavy cover. I like the Booyah Baby Boo in 3/16 and 5/16. I use a slightly heavier jig as a swim jig, but the weight is so it'll stay down when I'm retrieving it fast like a spinnerbait. I like compact trailers on my jigs, too. The smaller Powerbait craw or Smallie Beaver are my two favorites.

I usually put in at the ramp under 65. There's plenty of rude and scruffy people that use the ramp, too!

I fished a little over the weekend on the Lake, and managed to catch a good number of pre-spawn male Bass, mostly on spinnerbaits near shoreline cover. The wind made it very difficult to maintain any kind of control of the canoe, as you could imagine. No pictures. Just too windy!

YES, SOMETIMES PEOPLE CATCH CATFISH IN THE PARK AND IN THE RIVER, UM.. er, I mean yeah, sometimes you can catch Channel cats, but they don't just sit in one spot all year waiting for us to come along. I would try the deepest water with current downstream of a dam durring warmer water temperatures. There are three on the Finley, so take your pick.