tjm

See, even them dummies know they ain't bonefish. Different species, different families, different genus; only thing they have in common is they both have gills.

Helped my Dad clean a really big snapper in the spring of '59, Mama made it taste good but not good enough that I ever cleaned another. golly that was a long time ago

sorry charlie, them ain't bonefish. Bony yes. fwiw, bonefish are tropical and salty.

Any meat is better if bled out, otter might not taste good either way ; most carnivores aren't especially tasty-that is why they invented BBQ sauce. Use enough BBQ sauce and any meat will taste like BBQ.

i don't recall ever catching a turtle on a spoon.

I can believe that. Almost all fish tastes like the breading you use and the oil you fry in. The ones that don't are the ones that people describe as tasting too fishy.

I'd sign a petition to remove any dam anywhere, is there one to clear up the White River? The Osage?

whoa up! how is stupidity illegal? Since when? it's a time honored occupation in some segments of our society.

What about them 1200 rattlers MDC stocked in SEMO?? Read about them on the 'net so has to be fact!!

I never thought about it til you brought it up and that is the internet answer, including the hockey and golf. Many whites never swim either, leaning to swim requires easy access to swimming water- in most of the USA that means a pool, and only a small percentage of the population has access to pools and swimming lessons. Myself included, my learning to swim was accidental at age 16. In boot camp at least 30% of my company (way more whites than blacks, but probably percentage wise somewhat equal) failed basic swim tests, most had never been in a pool, I passed the swim test- it was my first time swimming in a pool. Probably the 6th or 7th time I had ever swam. St. Louis lists 8 municipal pools and 2 affiliated, so 10 pools accessible to all 318000 residents, I bet that gets a little crowded? No because they limit admission? No, because the wealthy have their private or club pools? I don't know nor really care. Swimming is in general an upper class pastime. In my county, I know of no, zero, public pools and the creek/river access is limited- with swimming discouraged, never in 68 years have I heard of swimming lessons available to the kids. i take it that that park is near enough to the City that it is accessible to the City residents? Perhaps one of a few places where lower income kids can have free access to water to learn to swim? In St Louis County are most of the poor/lower middle class whites? The drownings are unfortunate, 14 in 14 years, but how many have used that water unsupervised in that 14 years that did not drown? In that 14 years how many in St Louis County died in traffic? I'm guessing there have been as many killed walking on the railroad in St Louis as have drowned in the Meramec . I wonder if more Muslims, Christians or Jews have drowned in the Meramec, is it religiously biased as well as racist? Are the UP tracks racist too? Go on, catch some carp. Eat a bass.

Swimming like golf and hockey are upper middle class pursuits that many blacks don't regularly have access to? ( I read that some where in answer to a question about no colored swimmers at the Olympics) For example you have your own lake. ..

We don't got feral turkeys or hogs and with that in my favor, I see a timber rattler every five or ten years and though I know some of the glades are thick with pygmies I don't recall ever seeing one. Maybe I just don't time it right every time I'm on the creek or at RRSP someone else has just seen a water moccasin and it's been maybe twenty years since I even thought I saw a moccasin. Over all the snake population is way down from what it was 20-30 years ago and I blame armadillos, they increased at the same time snakes decreased. I think they mistake small snakes for worms and eat them, they ain't got a very big brain. The state herpetologist I spoke with agreed with me that the hard shell possums may be responsible , but she thought it was a food competition thing with the armadillos winning.

http://myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/

The guy that posted that Florida picture sure did not believe it had any thing at all to do with run off, he was convinced it was red tide and wind. I believe he said that was Sanibel Island. Guy lives year round on a boat so probably doesn't have a clue.

look to me like the two go together skeleton grip and skeleton reel seats; almost every example of exposed rod reel seat I was able to find also had the goofus handles. Not only that I finely found out what the selling point of exposed rod handles and exposed rod reel seats, both apparently are done to increase "sensitivity" ; as one guy put it As it turns out I may have seen one of those expose reel seats and not been aware of it, I have looked at many split butt rods and asked a lot of salesmen what was the reason for the missing part, best and most frequent answer has been "It looks so cool". And having seen several example pictures, I now understand the need for a close fit on that type seat. I won't ever use one but I did learn something today.

Not having seen something makes me testy? I am of a curious nature and will look into it. My familiarity with modern casting tackle is slim. My rod building books are at least 40 years old, I guess. I have found a couple of forum discussions on their use and some pictures of them, not much impressed by what I see so far; look like design interruptus. Different strokes and all that.

I have lead a sheltered life, never seen an exposed blank reel seat that I know of. Point me to link of how that works, please?

If I understand you there would be no arbor/bushing?

I don't know about the " PROPER way to fit a reel seat" , a very common way is to build the rod diameter up with an "arbor" often masking tape. I have seen this in books and on rods that I have stripped down as well as in Mud Hole's how to videos. A cheaper rod had cardboard strips as an arbor. I have never encountered a reel seat that could not be removed or installed from either the butt or the tip, because the arbor is always larger than either. Are the proper reel seats machined with an inside taper that matches each model of rod? Who sells?

Muck is bad stuff, swimming in discolored water is always a hazard too, stepping off an unseen-unexpected ledge would incite panic in most. But the WW2 hero Ira Hayes drowned in a few inches of ditch water and people have drowned in bath tubs. Death is part of living.

I used to fish with my hard hat on. I'm good enough now that I just wear a sombrero.

Leather boot lace works too.

I had a discussion with a Pennsylvania trout/steelhead guide who told me the most important part of his guide service was the lunch he provided. My baby brother who does not fish but has worked for a few western guide services said that camp craft/cooking is important but rowing the boat is the big thing. My own take on it is that in fishing a lake, I would hire a guide first for the use of his boat and second for his knowledge of the lake itself. I don't take lunch when fishing.

it's been years since I even saw a CO working RRSP, I wondered if the Parks wanted to sell tags more than follow the regs. See all sorts of violations if you look for them. Unlike the Wrench, I don't mind a little enforcement; but I am not going to give up any sleep over the lack of it. People, other than present company, are almost all immoral, ignorant, selfish, entitled morons anyhow. use a piece of pantyhose to hold it and roll cast.

Red tide starts ~40 miles off shore in the Gulf, the swamp water may stink but the ocean killed the fish. Wind moves the algae onto the shoreline.