JUNGLE JIM 1

Great price, how's the selection? Probably have more than I need now but I certainly am interested.

I fish the lower Meramec usually where small creeks feed into it. I've caught them out of several different spots which are open to the public fishing from the bank. I use hair jigs first, then the blade baits and then topwaters once it gets warm enough.

I plan on throwing these in the Meramec once it warms up a little for hybrid stripers, love how hard they pull. I lost several of them last year when the hooks pulled out so I made these with 4/0 Trokar jig hooks using craft hair, saddle hackle and a little flash.

We got to get together sometime, nice fish.

I fish the jigs under a small weighted float when I need distance and for shorter casts I take it off. Most important is the small size of the jig, I try to keep them around an inch long or less but vary the jig weight. Usually pour these from 1/24 to 1/80 and use size 8, 10 and 12 hooks with a #10 probably my favorite for Redear and gills but they will catch bigger fish as well. Lot's of little bluegill, crayfish and snails in these lakes for these fish to eat as well as insect nymphs so I try to make baits look like the forage they eat. I like reels with bigger shallow spools and use 2 lb. test which makes a huge difference when the water is clear.

Harvesting panfish is fine on larger lakes but taking buckets full of them from a 2 acre lake during the spawn when they are so vulnerable isn't good for the fishery. I try to educate and release as many as I can before the spawn.

Water has cleared up and you can see the bottom in water over 3 foot deep making it hard to fish right now. I've been fishing this lake for over 50 years and the panfish keep getting bigger. I caught my first ever bluegill that hit the 10 inch mark a couple weeks ago. I saw it cruising a couple feet down and watched it eat my jig, thought it was a redear but no red on the gill flap. Seems like these fish grow about an inch per year so hope to get a 14 incher next year. A fish this size might break 2 lbs. I release them all but I really hate the spawn when they move into the shallows and the meat hunters fill their cooler. They are extremely vulnerable then.

I got out the past two days fishing local park lakes using my new favorite jig I call the green one and caught my PB crappie for this small lake that I've fished for over 50 years, right at 15 inches and fat and lost an even bigger one that would have been a 17-18 incher. Had it whipped but hook popped out while it was on top shaking it's head. Went to another lake yesterday and caught some 9-10 inchers on the same jig. Fry are everywhere, literally thousands of bluegill fry under an inch long so fish will have plenty to eat for awhile.

I learned to swim at a public swimming pool back in the 60's. The pool was Marquette Park and they gave free swimming lessons which was great because if it wasn't I wouldn't have been able to get them. I walked the six blocks almost every day during the summer. Great idea with the crosses until the next high water arrives and washes them away.

Thought I knew the spot but don't see any graffiti on the wall behind you. Lot's of fun on topwater, something I've not had much luck with this year.

Since last April I've been having a blast fishing for Redear and other sunfish using small jigs and ultra ultralight tackle. My 7 foot Shimano Soare weighs 2.4 oz matched with a Stella C2000S reel and 2lb test. This year I've caught almost 50 master angler Redear from 10-13 inches as well as bass, bluegill, channel cats and several large crappie using this tackle. It slowed down during the summer but starting to catch them again this fall. Picture is of the first Redear of the fall, right at 11 inches. Really looking forward to the cooler weather, weeds are making it harder on me.

I remember fishing with a fly rod and automatic reel for bedding gills using a small popper when I was a youngster and had a blast with them.

BH, I used them at the pond and caught a bluegill on the first cast using the 3 wt .Caught a half dozen more before switching to ultralight spinning gear and started catching nice redear so didn't use it anymore. They made the trip to the springs but weren't in the box I started with and forgot about them. I wish I would have tried them now that I think about it. I promise to try one first thing on my next trip out. Maybe let Lucianna try one as well in another color. The 1/32-1/64 were working very well but could have used a split shot to get the lighter ones deeper.

Going to try to get her down there for a couple days before school starts with the weather cooling down. Some little jigs I tied yesterday in 1/32 and 1/64.

The hybrid stripers are so much fun on topwater, nice to see you get some. Really exciting when the hit almost at the rod tip. Had a couple do that, had me shaking so bad and had the heart pounding. Had to sit for a few minutes before I could make another cast.

Blast from the past. Picture was taken five years ago today of my granddaughter Luci when she was 10. She caught this smallie below the springs. She loves to fish and wanted to go but couldn't since she had a Sunday afternoon hockey game. They grow up so fast, hard to believe that she is going to be a sophomore in high school this fall.

Pictures are of the jigs I used most of the two days and what I caught almost all of them with. The star of the show was the first one with the bright green head. The float is a 3/4 inch round weighted float that I color up with permanent markers so fish eat my jig instead of the float. I never would consider using a color like this except for a thread by Johnsfolly showing a picture of one with warm water species attached to it. I think he said he purchased the jig at Bennett Springs. I couldn't get a good look at the jig so I made my own version with a peacock herl/gold wire body. I will be tying more like it soon including a 1/32 for a faster drop and so I can fish it faster.

Didn't take a lot of pics. These are from second day and they were biting too good. Hard to take pics while you are fighting them still.Had one run between my legs while trying to take a picture. I think it was the fish in third picture. Pictures of the jigs I used will come later.

I got down to the springs Sunday morning and it turned out to be a typical average day catching 1-2 at about every spot I fished and finished with 18 trout with several colors producing fish. Mainly used dark colors but later in the late afternoon I got several on a 1/32 pink and white marabou flasher jig with a #10 sickle hook. Total for the day was 18 trout, all sore lipped and released. Around 6:30 I went to the trophy area and started fishing the warmer water and caught 1 smallie about 9 inches long, 6 rock bass and several longear sunfish fishing the rocks.They could use some rain there, water seems about a foot lower than normal. Didn't sleep very well that night due to a sore back, probably from standing all day and a lot of walking so decided to fish the second hole to start Monday morning. It started out overcast so I started fishing with a 1/64 bright green jig with a peacock herl body, gold wire and olive marabou tail and the trout ate it up, got to see most of them eat it. Caught ten in the first hour before the sun broke through and it slowed down. Fished until 10 am when I caught #20. About 15 were caught on the bright green jig, the rest were caught on assorted colors, couple on the pink and white from the previous evening. Average size was about 10-11 inches but did catch a couple 14 inchers. I did take pictures using a new camera and will post pictures once I figure out how to downsize pictures since I didn't bother to read the manual yet. Will take pics of the jigs I used to catch them as well.

I'll try and get the bass pics up, didn't use my phone so waiting for daughter to nsend pictures.

Took my daughter and grandson to local park and did fairly well. Logan started off catching a couple bluegill and then a channel cat that almost pulled in his pole when he set it down. Moved to another spot and he was dabbing a worm along the wall an inch or two below the surface when the bass hit. He had it up and over the wall before I had a chance to coach him. Made my day and his mom is really proud of him. He caught the biggest fish today, I caught some dinks.

I went through a lot of cheap sunglasses myself and managed to break every pair. In 2001 I invested in a pair of Ocean Waves with a blue mirror lens and my kids called them my fish eyes since I saw fish that nobody else did. I know where they are at all times and never sat on them like the cheap pairs I used to get. About five years ago the hinge broke off and sent them in to get fixed. They called and offered a replacement pair for $60 and I jumped on it since the lenses were scratched. Bought another pair with an amber lens which I liked but loaned them to my son and never got them back. Needed a spare pair so this year I bought a pair of Costas with a green lens. It's brighter than the Ocean Waves so lately I 've been wearing them more. A good pair of sunglasses really make a difference in seeing what's below the water's surface. They make a huge difference at some of the clearer ponds I fish. I love sight fishing for trout but don't get to do it very often. Glass lenses are much better than plastic or polycarbonate lenses. Never had an issue with purple haze or anything else with them. Something doesn't sound right. I would check on it, maybe a defective pair.

I haven't been down to the Springs for two years but plan on getting down their Sunday morning and camping overnight so will fish two days. Plan on using micro jigs with smallest being a #16 hook. Weather should be perfect, forecast is for mid 80's. Plan on fishing the trophy area in the evening for smallies and trout. Hope to get some pics, new camera should be here by then, hopefully. Going solo. If anyone is going to be down there say hello and I will give up a few of my jigs. I should have a Huk shirt on, wading without waders and hopefully catching and releasing trout. Have a bunch of jigs tied and plan on tying more before I go. Got some 1 lb. Maxima that needs testing, will use 2 on the other rod.

Losing way to many fish, especially if you are using a countdown rapala with two trebles. I don't care for bronze trebles, prone to rust.If you see any rust at all then replace your treble hooks. I replace a lot of my cranks hooks with Gamakatsu or Owner treble hooks. Another alternative is sharpen up the hooks. Sounds like hooks are going in deep enough.

Nice to see what you are using as well as your gear. A lot of times it looks like they have it but think they miss. Don't know how many swings and misses I've had sight fishing rainbows but it's more than a few. Best part is watching them eat the jigs and sticking them, love the sight fishing. I like longer rods and I'm dying to try them with a 7.5 foot custom rod I got earlier this year. Curious about the average size since you broke a few off.