Phil Lilley

I thought it was a fumble. The announcer said they had looked at it. The official in the booth determines whether a play should be reviewed and they didn't think it should be. Warner didn't have control of the ball as his hand went forward BUT it could have gone either way. The facemask call is what got me. It was a hand in the face if anything. 15 yards. Kept the drive going in 4th quarter.

Man, two things bothered me about the game. The officials had too much say in the outcome. And did the Steelers pay off the time keeper!??? One play they really botched. I think with about 5 minutes left, a Steeler player ran out of bounds. They stopped the clock but started it back up after the officials spotted the ball. 15-20 seconds ran off and no one caught it. Then it stopped again at 2 minutes just as the Steelers started the play. Stopped for 2-3 seconds before starting again. The time didn't make any difference. The last play of the first half killed Warner. Great game. Roethlisberger played an incredible game.

Wallbash - using a big plastic worm, this phase is used when setting the hook. Jerk his lips off! - another adoring phase describing what you want to do to a big bass when setting the hook. Both are from my youthful days of pond fishing in Kansas with Greg Thompson. Purple grape 9-inch plastic worm was king.

They didn't get any pics of fish except this one of Gerry's rainbow. I pulled this off the facebook page. I have a full day today. Have to write and post reports late tonight. If I can get to the videos I will but they take along time to do. Facebook- all you have to do is sign up. I haven't gotten one spam email from signing up with them. I think that's why alot of people don't sign up with stuff like facebook is they're afraid their emails will get sold and passed around to spammers. Megan does alot with facebook and it's way easier to post videos than vimeo or youtube. Better quality too- not sure why.

Gezzz... Megan is way ahead of me. She's already posted videos and pics of the tournament of our facebook. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1639762773 Got to have a facebook account before you can view it. Sorry.

No generation, first day that the water didn't run all week which usually puts trout down for at least part of the day. Blue bird day- high sun and little wind. 60+ degrees. Water was good color. Usually not good fishing conditions but I guess not yesterday... good fishing reported by most. First time in a long time when you can catch bigger trout below Fall Creek than above. Alot of these trout were caught downtown.

Mona- change your birthday date... no one will ever know.

Masters 2009 Dwiggins/Wucher - 11.22 with a 4.12 lb rainbow (Gerry Dwiggins) Masters started in 1995. This is the 4th time Gerry and Bruce have taken first place. This is no small accomplishment. I consider these guys who fish this tournament some of the best trout fishers around. Very good jig fishermen. 2. Lutz/Fitshenery - 10.92 3. Allen/Allen - 9.92 4. Canter/Canter - 9.40 Gregg/Peele - 9.04 Dudley/Neal - 8.96 Weldele/Cross - 8.70 Boswell/Kalkbrenner - 8.68 Burckhardt/Black - 8.64 Daiels/Hattfield - 8.54 R Dwiggins/Freise - 8.38 Backer/Godefroid - 7.90 Hittler/Dietl - 7.68 Beam/Topolsky - 7.62 Rasnick/Rasnick - 7.46 Brengarth/LaBoube - 7.16 Slagle/Hunter - 7.16 Cartwright/Sullivan - 7.04 Hawkins/Hawkins - 7.04 Bracy/Bracy - 6.38 Steuck/Billings - 6.14 Ray/Fricke - 5.74 Fuhrman/Taylor - 5.56 Dressel/Kotomos - 5.12 Wheeler/Wheeler - 5.02 2 teams did not weigh in.

Got to go to my little girls b-day party so can't type much at this time. Will say these weight are by far the best we've ever seen ever on Taney. 11+ won with a beautiful 4.1 lb rainbow 10+ 2nd high 9's won 3rd and 4th. Most others were in the 8's, few in the 7's and not many below that. Very nice trout. Lots of males which always are heavier than rainbows. I know there were alot of people trolling down by the bridges. Most caught on jigs. Winning team threw 1/8th oz jigs all day. Dark colors. Pics and VIDEO later.

You all share birthday days with my daughter, Sara, who turns 27 today. DOITLOOKIT(65), wenonah31(37), FISHnOZ(39), DD'sMC(39) Mona - come by the office, I have something for you. Call before you come. Jim- thanks for all the emails... keep 'em coming.

I would double check your homeowners... don't assume it's not covered. You'd be surprised what's covered in a homeowners policy. We've had clients who rent boats here damage props and lower units and every time it's covered on their policy, if they have one. I'd think fishing tackle would be covered even though it's on in the boat on in your house. It's your property, it should be without a rider unless there's a stipulation in your policy that it is not.

The guys who makes my rods make some of Falcon's too. I used to have 5'6" rods made but I sell alot more 6'. The 6' is really 5'9" anyhow.

Like I said in my article- I have a rod made in Harrison, AR that I think is perfect for jig fishing. I have a 6" and a 6'6". One piece. $49.95

I deleted the script. The ad company told me it would only come up 2 times per person per day. When I asked about it they asked me if I cleared my cookies. Not sure what that means but... they would look into it. It was late in the day. I'll talk to them Monday. But till then, no more wallet. Kinda cool- the first time. But it was coming up every refresh.

In 1988, a young chemical engineer changed the face of trout fishing forever. Combining a formal education in chemistry and a lifelong interest in angling, Pure Fishing research scientist John Prochnow created a national fishing phenomenon: PowerBait. In the two decades since the world was introduced to Berkley's ubiquitous moldable floating bait, tens of millions of trout anglers have caught hundreds of millions of fish on "formula" baits, and dozens of similar products have appeared on tackle store shelves from Ketchikan to Key West and everywhere in between. These baits are effective, convenient and easy to use. Berkley's Power Bait and Eagle Claw's Nitro Bait are the most popular. But, surprisingly, the majority of anglers who fish them miss out on some of the benefits. "A lot of people I see using these baits don't really know how to fish them effectively," said Buzz Ramsey, western regional manager for Pure Fishing (purefishing.com). "I see anglers not getting the right combination of hook size and size of bait needed to float the bait up off the bottom. They may not experiment with leader length, which makes a difference depending on the amount of water clarity and daylight on the water. There are just a lot of little things that most anglers don't do that would make a difference." Formula handling 101 The basic theory behind these floating trout baits is that they provide two critical elements: attraction and buoyancy. Their function is to float off the bottom and into a fish's strike zone while dispersing chemical elements that stimulate strikes. Most anglers, however, aren't cognizant of both the positive and negative effects they can have on their bait's attraction. It all starts with the handling — or lack thereof. "Anytime you handle a bait, you risk contamination from whatever you may have on your hands," Prochnow said. "Skin oils, whatever you had for lunch, whatever fuel or oil you got on your hands when you handled your motor. It can all influence the scent." For that reason alone, trout anglers should have a baiting device in their tackle boxes, right next to the jars of formula bait. "Using a baiter is quicker. It eliminates you getting your scent on the bait, and it packs the bait around the hook so it stays on better," Ramsey said. Size matters Different bait brands have different levels of buoyancy, and hook size can also affect a bait's ability to float off the bottom. Consequently, bait sizing is an inexact science. However, packing enough bait onto your hook is critical to your success. "Start with a dime-sized bait, but make sure you have enough dough to float it off the bottom," Ramsey said. "The more dough you use, the more buoyant it'll be." Rigging right The standard formula plunking rig starts with a small treble hook — size 14, 16 or 18 — but you can upsize to a 12 if fish are overly aggressive and you're able to fish bigger baits. A 2 to 4-pound, 18-inch fluorocarbon leader works well in most lakes or reservoirs, but leader length should be adjusted according to water conditions, light levels and general habits of fish in each unique water. "When you're casting out into a shallow lake under bright sun, a 12 to 18-inch leader keeps the bait down where the natural feed is," Ramsey said. "When you have fish hugging the bottom, you don't need too long a leader. But on overcast days, when fish are higher in the water, you want to lengthen the leader to 24 to 30 inches." More terminal tips Many anglers crimp small split shot just above the leader and a No. 12 swivel, but a ¼ to three-eighths-ounce sliding egg sinker is a better bet, because it allows line to slip through when a fish bites, resulting in deeper hookups. Ramsey also adds a small bead above the swivel, and takes the terminal rig a step further by adding a No. 52 duolock snap onto the swivel for quick changes after he's landed a fish. "I'll have an extra rod ready, so when I get a trout in, I can unsnap my snap, snap it on the other rod and throw it right back out there," he said. "That way, you can still be fishing while you're dealing with the fish. It can make a difference in keeping you fishing if there's a bite on." River riggin' Although the vast majority of formula bait usage occurs in lakes, ponds and reservoirs, moldable trout baits can also be very effective in rivers and streams. Yum! Baits (yumbaits.com) — which recently entered the formula bait market with TroutKrilla — put paste baits in the hands of several guides on Arkansas' famed White River for testing, and immediately discovered that it could be used in several different ways in fisheries with current. "Our team of guys on the White River uses a rig that's similar to a three-way rig, but they tie a dropper onto the line instead of using a swivel," said Jeff Samsel, public relations coordinator for Yum! Baits. "They'll use a bell sinker and short leader to the hook, so it's suspended off the bottom, right in front of the fish. Depending on how hard the water is running, you can either drift with it right alongside your boat, in the feeding lane, or anchor up and fish it stationary, right on the bottom." If you're on a river or stream where trout are actively rising, you can also dead drift formula baits right on the surface. "You can anchor perpendicular to the current and use ultra-light line — 2- or 3-pound test — to drift your bait on the surface on a small (No. 12 to 14) light-wire hook," said Samsel. "It's a really fun way to fish, but you have to have a really buoyant bait. All you do is set up upstream of a hole and manually feed out line so it drifts downstream. When a fish hits, you flip the bail and set the hook. It's almost like you're fishing a dry fly." Making scents of it all Regardless of which technique or fishery you're applying a formula bait to, it's almost always a good idea to add a scent boost to your bait by either dipping it into a liquid scent or applying it to terminal tackle. Pautzke Liquid Krill, Eagle Claw Trout Gravy, Berkley Trout Dip and Pro-Cure Bait Sauce are good choices. "Each bait had its own scent, but it's a good idea to give it an extra super charge," said Lisa Villani, product manager for Eagle Claw, which manufactures Nitro Bait (nitrobait.com) and several forms of scent. "People tend to forget that when they're driving to the lake, or petting their dog, those scents get onto their hands. Fish are extremely sensitive to scents. I personally put some of our Grease on my hands before I go fishing."

Lots of money! Lots of money!!

They were supposed to just pop up a couple of times per day... they are popping up on mine every time. I'll put in a word... Sorry about that. Phil

Never know- hopefully 25-30

Sent to me by Kendall Staton-

Sent you a PM

Look on the Upper Taneycomo Forum- I have descriptions and photos there. Yes, we're open.

Sorry- I'm not driving down there... too much going on here. I just meant it was going to take someone seeing it and reporting back cause I doubt you'll see anything on the news. How many docks did State Park lose? Good time to go in the dock building business!

It'll take someone driving out and taking a look... State Park had several dock collapse I heard. No other word.

People have been using the Cooper Ramp today.

Close? Can't. It would be like closing a street with houses and driveways. Anyhow, ice is melting and we're out of the woods.