JUNGLE JIM 1

First spot didn't pan out so hit option #2. When I got there it was occupied and he was reluctant to give it up so I walked up and around him. Good company and listener, wouldn't reveal where the fish were though. Watched me fish for a couple hours. Thought I hooked a huge crappie but turned into a 17 inch bass. Only got one nice crappie, a 14 incher as I was getting ready to leave. Water temps there was 50 degrees in the shallow water at the bank.

The last time I caught a crappie from this lake was last July which is very unusual since I normally can catch them year round. Only fished it for an hour since it was 11 am when I got there and I was getting hungry. I was using a small 1/48 float n fly, #10 sickle hook. First one was 13.75 inches and the second was 14.5 inches. Also caught a bass between the two crappie. The warmer weather has some fish moving finally, both crappie had big bellies so they must be finding some shad.

I buy all my molds from them along with some jig hooks, spinnerbait forms, etc. They have the best prices on The DO-IT molds anywhere. They actually refund shipping costs, nobody else does that.

That goes to show that when fishing anything is possible.

What a fish !! I hope it is a sauger. Who fishes for sauger with a cricket? Hog Wally does and has a possible state record to show for it. Right place, right time, the right bait. He knows how to get it done.

I think the guys from Minnesota are living in Missouri now. They had a dozen holes made in minutes. The gas augers sure make it easy. Hope the ice is gone in a few days with the warmer weather and sunshine.

With the really cold weather behind us I was curious how thick the ice had gotten so I went to a local city park to check it out. Fortunately there was a couple of gentleman from Minnesota there and they had a gas auger and were drilling some holes. There was four inches of clear ice with an inch of white slush on top. I thought it would be thicker but the snow must have acted as an insulator. Hopefully we will see open water by early March.

If you pour all your own jigs then I would suggest the crappie spin mold from Do-it. I buy my molds from Zeiner's and they have the spinnerbait forms as well. I fish from the bank or wade and I carry way more jigs than I need. If I don't have it with me that's when I want it.

The duck feather spinners in the second picture were actually poured on a Daiichi #4 streamer hook. Nice weather we are having, might have to make some more.

I've been indoors too much this winter and came up with a couple of new ideas for the Gamakatsu B10S stinger hooks. Why not some spinnerbaits and buzzbaits?I modified my Crappie spinner bait mold to take a buzz bait form and poured some #1,#2 and #4 stinger hooks in both sizes. I painted them and started tying. Here are just a few of the finished ones. First one is a twin spin version. The buzz baits weigh 1/4 oz. finished. Way to much indoor time on my hands. Third picture is a Possum Buzzer.

Continue above post. PB Largemouth caught on a 3/32 black craft hair jig fished without the float using 4lb test line at a county park lake. Also caught my only 12" bluegill on a 1/32 f&f tied with duck feathers. Gill weighed 2.52 lbs with a 15.5" girth.

I've been fishing them since before I ever heard the name float n fly. The first jig I ever tied that caught fish was a float n fly. I tie them from 1/64-1/8 using either craft hair or duck feathers and simply fish them under a weighted float. This is my favorite bait for crappie, but catch plenty of bass on them including my PB

All of my jigs are tied and poured by me. I have about ten or so custom one of a kind jig molds that I designed and had made. Cost a small fortune but it's paid off over the years.

Duck feather jig strikes again. Been fishing these since I started tying over 25 years ago and I'm still catching nice fish with them.

About 30 -40 yards from the water cannon is a drain so any excess water runs out so the lake can only hold so much water. Someone simply turned it on and then forgot to turn it off for weeks and by then it was too late. Someone simply just f**ked up !!

Carondelet's Horseshoe lake was wiped out two years ago when duck weed got so bad the lake looked like a putting green and the fish suffocated. I had caught two 13" Redear from that lake and I believe a state record would have been caught from there if it wasn't for the fish kill. I called several times warning them about the duck weed but they did nothing. Only thing in there now are thousands of small sunfish and some catfish. No predators yet to keep the sunfish in check yet. As soon as it gets warmer those dead fish at Willmore will start to float and you will smell it from a mile away.

My last crappie from Willmore. This lake had some really nice fish but not anymore.

I tried a lake that I hadn't fished in many years and caught this crappie. Most of the lake had skim ice on it so was only able to fish a small area. Only had one bite but made it count.

Willmore Park's fish population is wiped out. I had heard they had had died but had to see for myself so I checked it out a few days ago. Water is tap water clear and walking along the bank I could see lot's of dead fish lying on the bottom. Even the carp were dead so if they couldn't make it then nothing will. I fished there on a regular basis since it's close to home and noticed a few weeks ago that they turned the water on full blast to fill it since it was low. The next week it was still blasting out in the lake and I noticed that small bluegill were dying. I guess someone turned the water on and just forgot to turn it off and since the water has chlorine in it I assume they all died from chlorine poisoning. What a shame and waste. I have caught 4 bass over 8lbs over the years and some nice crappie as well.

I'm so jealous of the day you had. Only caught a few hybrids this year but at least I know they are still in the river. I need to fish the rivers more and maybe I'll get lucky and find a few. My shoulder hurts just thinking about them.

Those are some big gills, I fish for them but don't think I even caught one 9 inches this year. Once they get that size they have little to fear. Super fun on ultralight gear. Deep water gills love small jigs tipped with a cricket or waxworm.

They do have water, electric sites and two decent restrooms with showers at one of them. I camp at one of the primitive camp sites almost every year for the past 20 years or so.

It's a lot more fun when you see them take your jig. Is camping allowed at the park now? I like camping there at one of the primitive sites for a day or two during the week.

I guess someone must have dumped their shiners after fishing there. I catch one occasionally but never three or more in a day. I love fishing for redear , once they hit 9 inches they are a ton of fun on ultralight tackle. Not catching as many like past couple of years probably due to more people fishing and keeping them due to Covid. You're catching some fun size ones. One of those c&r lakes at Busch has some nice crappie up to 15 inches but haven't fished it in a few years.

For Longear I would pick any public access on the Meramec or Big River. Micro jigs will catch you some. Not very big but they are colorful. I think the state record was caught recently and weighed 4 oz., so a state record is possible.