top_dollar

Came down this weekend to do some fishing. WT was around 80, clarity was 5+ feet down by the dam, maybe 2-3 feet out down by the twin bridges. We trolled crankbaits, pulled spinner rigs, and tossed nightcrawlers and plastics. Trolling and pulling spinner rigs was sporadic at best, we caught a few here and there, but overall it was slow. The best bite was out on points in less than 20FOW near a steep drop, and on brushpiles throwing small swimbaits, or a chunk of crawler on a 8th oz jig head. We caught quite a few total fish, but lots of drum and white bass, but enough walleye and crappie to keep a few. The catfish must be really active right now because we caught quite a few more than usual.

I was there this past weekend. It was up several feet with water way back into the bushes. We were mostly down around Orleans trail and Crabtree cove and it was pretty clear still. Mutton and Ruark had more stain saturday, but not muddy, might be worse now though.

That little cove you speak of was loaded with fish a few weeks ago. We caught several walleye as well as other species out of there on little swimbaits. I would not have expected to catch walleye there, but there were a bunch in there (mostly dinks though). I don't see much aquatic vegetation at stockton so we figured we aughtta check it out and it paid off.

Fished Stockton this weekend with my brother. We fished all over the lake. I forgot what the water temps were, but I think I remember mid 60's around Orleans trail and around 70 further up by Ruark. Fished Orleans trail Friday/Sat. Water was clear, could see bottom in about 10FOW, slime wasn't bad. The water was dead calm. Caught walleyes scattered around, and in unusual locations. Most were in the backs of pockets in less than 15 FOW, near the bank. Caught several shorts as well, but enough keepers to make it fun. Trolling cranks around Orleans was a bust. We fished out of Mutton creek on saturday evening and caught several crappie trolling crankbaits about 15-20feet down over 30-40 FOW. Found the same thing in the middle of Googer creek. Water had quite a bit more stain, probably 3-4 foot of visibility. Sunday we fished out of Ruark and caught a mixed bag of species tossing swimbaits at a bank out to about 20 FOW. Also caught a few keeper walleye and some shorts way back in a pocket shallow along a bunch of other species. Caught several more crappie trolling cranks in a creek mouth also. Caught several short crappie trolling which was unusual. Clarity was a couple of feet. Sunday afternoon we put in at Hawker and trolled the creek. Water was much clearer, could see down at least 5 feet. Caught a few keeper crappie, several shorts, and a keeper walleye. Those fish were mostly about 20-25 feet down over 40-60 FOW.

That spittin image is a great lure. They are great walking baits that dont get talked about much.

That is a great color that you don't see often. Those longears are all over the upper big river where I fish quite often. Ill be picking up some of those dudes!

Im not sure about the ramps at whats up doc or schooner, I have never used them. I think the one on the schooner creek side is pretty flat. The one at Ahoys is a fairly steep ramp.

There are two boat ramps at the whats up doc marina, one in the cove, and the other is on the schooner creek side. I assume those are public and available for use. I have always used the boat ramp at Kimberling Inn where the old Ahoys used to be.

I've heard of that bait finesse stuff. I thought I may give it a try at some point, but id need a whole new dedicated setup. I want to get one though and compare my casting distance vs spinning gear. I often fish for crappie/bluegill from the bank and I've spend countless hours trying to throw a 1/64-1/32 oz jig with a 2 inch swimming minnow as far as I possibly can. I feel I've developed I pretty solid technique and can get that dude out pretty far. I know a weighted cork is a solution, but I hate those and only use them when I absolutely have to.

I stand corrected. I've caught the occasional dumb one on lures, but I had no idea folks actually targeted them that way. Shows what I know lol.

I've never heard of anyone fishing for catfish with crankbaits.

I use spinning gear quite a bit and have a learned a thing or two, here is my 2 cents. 1.) Use larger sized reels than you're used to. I don't use anything less than a size 30, generally a 35, or 40. Pflueger used to make a wide spool reel called an Arbor, but they no longer make it. I still look for as wide a diameter spool as possible. 2.) You may be putting too much pressure on the line when you spool up. Just lay the spool so that it turns the same direction of the bail and let the line move through your fingers with only light pressure. 3.) After you secure/tie the line to the spool, make sure it has no twists in it. 4.) Use lighter line. I personally don't put anything on a spinning reel heavier than 6#. As mentioned, mono is the way to go. Huge fan of 4# S.O.S trout magnet. I have used 4# FC on my reels with no problems, but mono may be easier if twist has been an issue for you. If I have to use heavier than 6# line Ill use casting gear, or braided line. 5.) After I apply my line, I spray it with some silicone spray, and I also spray my eyelets with it. IDK if it does anything, but in my head it cuts down on friction during casting. 6.) Change your line out early and often. I generally change out my line after every couple of trips, and if I have any twist problems I take it off and respool. 7.) I also spool about half of the spool with cheap 10# line. Then I use a piece of tape (Not duct or electrical, they leave a gummy residue. 3M 401+ leaves no residue.) and a small drop of super glue to secure the tape permanently. Saves time respooling and uses less line. I add line until there is about there is just about 1/8" from the spool. Under spooling is better than over spooling, but you will lose casting distance.

You're fishing a 2.8 fat on a 1/4 oz (no underspin) head 10 feet down? That sucker must be haulin. Do you catch them better moving it fast? I'm thinking i fish keitechs too slow. For that range I'd choose a 2.8 fat with a 1/8oz jig and #2 hook. Or even a 3 inch easy shiner on a 1/16 oz #2. Maybe I need to try some heavier weights.

I still use all the old timey stuff and it still works!! I fish out of a 20 yr old aluminum can equipped with paper maps, a 2d graph and some marker buoys. I probably won't be winning any bass tournaments, but I can confirm you can still catch fish with it and it still is fun.

Eventually I guess we will all just wear a pair of 100$ sunglasses that just makes the water disappear around you, but the fish and structure is still clearly visible.

Give it a few years. Soon theyll be cheap enough for us live bait guys in our john boats. In 5 or 10 years they'll probably make a hand held portable one for 200$.

Of course. I remember several years ago, I was fishing at table rock once and Jacob Wheeler just kept following me around all over the lake after watching me catch an 11# smallmouth (I almost had a pic, but my phone was dead). He was practically begging me to teach him my secrets of bass fishing with a rattle trap. Of course I blew him off. That guy was never really on my level though. He and a few other bass fishing athletes were telling me how good I would do at the professional level. Of course I knew if I did that I would become such a dominant champion that it would ruin the sport of bass fishing worse than livescope. I graciously stuck to fishing recreationally.

I can also lie on the internet.

Whew, this kinda makes us meat fisherman with our tin boats, stringers and nightcrawlers not seem so bad huh? At this point they really should just allow live bait in bass tournaments. It sure seems like all bets are off anyway. I guess worm farms just don't shell out the kinda money that garmin does.

Busch is just fine. Generally people who say fishing up there isn't any good only go once or twice a year when conditions aren't great, don't catch much, and don't come back. If you spend more time up there you'll figure out how to catch em. I think the main problem with Busch wildlife is the lack of harvest. Most of those ponds have too many small fish that need to be harvested in my opinion. Although what I explain below flies in the face of that and leads me to believe that environmental factors are more important than any amount of angling pressure, at least with crappie. Conventional wisdom says that crappie will over populate a small pond and get stunted. That does happen at some of the lakes, but other lakes have a much smaller population of larger crappie. It seems that the clearer lakes have the bigger crappie generally, but not always. Some clear lakes are full of dinks, and other dirtier lakes have good eaters. Also, the size and number of the fish tends to change year to year in most lakes. Lake 33 is the most consistent lake up there IMO. It is perpetually stained and crazy overpopulated with 7 inch crappie.

Looks like crappie fishing up here is done for a few weeks as I'm sure everything is froze up. Fishing has been the same as it always is. Lots of dinks, with the occasional big one out of lake 33. All the lakes are low, but 33 is about 1/3 empty. I have never seen so many snagged bobbers on all the brush lol. I have a love/hate relationship with lake 33, but I did catch my personal best there just before Christmas, it was 16" inches at least. I caught it on a 1/32oz jig with about 1.5 inches of keitech tail. The other lakes have been a bit of a crap shoot, but when you find them they are generally eater sized fish. Jigs under a cork 1-5 feet deep. Generally muddier lakes have shallower fish, clearer lakes they will be a bit deeper. I haven't done any bass fishing, or any other species. I did have a successful managed crossbow hunt to add to my grocery haul. Real bow hunting takes too much skill for me, and I cant believe Missouri lets you use a crossbow during archery season, but they do, so I'm gonna use one. I shot that one at 60 yards through a scope 🤣. That is kind of how I feel about FFS, of course it is cheating, but since they are legal, as soon as they make one cheap enough for a bum like me, I'm gonna get one. Since I don't currently have one though, I do reserve the right to complain about how everyone currently using one is cheating.

I like that copper color. It's not something you see too often in a swimbait.

I just purchased a Falcon Cara spinning rod. Model CS-5-173. It is a 7'3 med heavy rod rated for 3/8 to 3/4 ounce baits. It arrived yesterday, still has the tags, and has never been used. I paid 200$ for it because of the tackle warehouse sale. I mistakenly thought it was a med light spinning rod, and it is too stiff and heavy of a rod and I will have little to no use for it. If anyone is in the saint louis area and wants it for what I paid for it let me know. You can come inspect the rod before buying it. Ill also accept a trade for a 7'3 to 7'6 med light spinning rod of equal value.

It was about 430 when I caught it, so it may have been moving shallow as it was getting dark.

I released the two that I caught. I know they are uncommon in the rivers. Stockton and table rock are the place for eater walleye!