Ryan Miloshewski

I am seeing a bunch of doves at my bird feeder. Might be a stealth mode opening morning.

Well it's about that time of year. Finally found some shells for my 20 gauge and Steve on here hooked me up with 29 boxes of 12 gauge steel for $300 so I am sitting good now. We can use this as a thread for the year. Ready to get out Wednesday and dust off the rust on the ol' 20 ga and shoot 10 doves on three boxes of steel. Anybody seeing any teal yet? I have heard of a few in North MO/Southern Iowa but haven't seen any this far down yet. Looks like it could be a tough season--which, it's kind of been going downhill for a long time, but the drought in the PPR was awful this fall. I feel like they'll rebound, but this year may be sparse. Just what we needed to hear. https://deltawaterfowl.org/state-duck-surveys-offer-mixed-news-for-waterfowl-hunters/ Either way, I'm looking forward to pics like these, duck dogs, and smelly waders.

Louis Freeh and Tom Pickard. There are two nobody has ever heard of that had a big role in silencing the people who identified the plot and players. After the USS Cole was bombed, some in the FBI and CIA wanted to go to Yemen and investigate/surveil the people who did it. Denied. Two of those who helped orchestrate the Cole bombing? Khalid al-Mindhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi--two of the hijackers on 9/11.

I'm not a "jet fuel can't melt steel beams" 9/11 truther, but I 100% believe the U.S. government allowed it to happen. They knew this was coming but did not act. Watch the Frontline documentary "The Man who Knew" about Jim O'Neill of the FBI. He and others knew this attack was imminent, even so much as knowing when two of the hijackers entered and left the country, and that they were associated with al Qaeda. He sent reports to the FBI director and CIA that urged them to look into flight schools these terrorists were training at. Nothing was done. The FBI and CIA powers that be essentially silenced and fired him. He became head of security at the WTC and died on 9/11.. There are countless examples of our worthless government overseeing heinous experiments, military acts, etc. MK Ultra, Bay of Pigs, Operation Paperclip (which worked out I guess), and many others. Why not this one?

How about a perspective from a 6th grader? I was only 11 years old at the time, but I remember it fairly vividly. I had no idea what the WTC was, or any real idea about terrorism, as I was a happy-go-lucky kid. I remember looking out the window through the old blinds as morning announcements were coming over the speaker. The sky was so, so blue. I vividly remember having the thought "that is the bluest sky I've ever seen." Not a cloud in the sky and the thick haze of summer had lifted. Of course, that is a common theme talked about now. But it was weird I noticed it. By this time it was probably when the North Tower was struck. First class of the morning was PE--heck yea! We were playing indoor soccer. Not my favorite, but still fun to start the day playing sports. About 15 min into the game our principal came in and pulled our teacher, Mrs. Lombardo, aside. I still remember the look on her face: panic, fear, uncertainty come to mind. We finished the class and went back to our home rooms instead of the scheduled English. They didn't turn the TVs on for us, which I am now grateful for. We really had no business seeing nearly 3k people die in real time. They must've called all of our parents because we were all picked up by 12pm. I remember my dad saying terrorist are attacking the United States and we needed to get home. I still had no real comprehension, but I became a little fearful. We went home and I remember watching the news coverage for a little. Then my neighbor friend, Tony, knocked on the door. We went outside and played catch. We journaled about it in class the next few days. I wish I still had the notebook to see what 11-year-old me wrote. People often ask why Millennials are so messed up. Maybe it's because a majority of us watched 3,000 people die on live TV, as well as the American way of life pre-9/11? I've since read many books on the tragedy, and I think the best thing I've learned is the heroes who prevented more loss of life and gave everyone a little more hope in humanity: Welles Crowther, Rick Rescorla, Orio Palmer, Moira Smith--all heroes and better people than I will ever be. RIP to all.

Interested. Can you shoot me your number in a PM?

I have two scars on my fingers from those stupid Megabass hooks. I've since learned to change them out, but boy did they hurt when they went it. First one was on a trout and Doty did the line trick on me..except the first time it didn't come out. He about jerked me onto the boat deck while my finger continued to bleed. I also ripped a nail off with fishing line one time..shudder

Man do I hate working with deer hair. Messiest stuff around. Can't think of anything worse in fly tying.

Fish at night. Your eyes will be opened. Also, they are eating even better with the water off it seems. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Use a jig, micro jig under a float, etc.

I'm going to bet he is booked up but worth a shot! He's an awesome guide. Best fly fishing guide on the lake.

Good luck! The fishing is really good, even with the water off.

Had another great week on Taneycomo for my birthday. We hammered fish every day and every way possible, really. Nymphs, midges, streamers, jerkbaits, crawlers, megaworms, jigs, day and night--you name it, we caught 'em on it. Had around 10 people down throughout the week and we landed 11 fish over 20-inches. The size of the rainbows is truly remarkable right now. Stayed at Steve Dickey's place, which if you are looking for a place to stay, it is top notch. Good location and great space. Fished with Duane with my grandpa Wednesday night and Chuck on Thursday morning. Gramps had the hot hand, landing three fish over 20-inches and losing two more that were big. He caught two on Duane's jerkbaits and one on a jig. He told me he was afraid to go to bed after the third one. I caught one brown over 20-inches on a Megabass on Sunday evening. Had a lot of follows. Chuck and I fished for a 30-inch or so brown Thursday morning for three hours. Had him on three times but he shook it every chance I had. It sure was fun seeing how Chuck targets those big ones. He really is the best at it. Can't wait for next year already! All the big fish were between 20.5-22.5-inches and to our best knowledge safely released for another angler.

I've heard yellow is a good one for big browns on the white..hoping it comes to fruition on Taney.

I feel like if I even move one it'll be cool to see. An eat would be a huge bonus. Got my 8 wt ready to rock n' roll!

I've been tying 10-inch, articulated double deceivers. I am dedicating each evening when the water is still running to throwing those and nothing else starting Sunday. If I get one bite, it'll be worth it (so I tell myself).

I'm with @Terrierman. I have spent a lot of the summer in Branson the past two years with Covid allowing me to work remotely. If I never see 76 or its users again I'd be just fine. I could never live in the town. Branson West, maybe, but even that is pushing it. I'd live in Nixa or Ozark. Love the fishing and people on the Lake, but that's about it. I'll say this. I took out a few new people last year, introduced it to others this year. I am about the last person you'd think of when it comes to having patience. But I'll tell you what, when I took those people fishing, I had it. And it was incredibly rewarding to see people get it and have things click. I am by no means an expert, but I tend to know enough. Seeing people catch a big brown or a limit of rainbows was WAY more fun than me catching those fish. Teaching them how to catch fish was mentally and spiritually rewarding. I left every "trip" feeling rejuvenated and super happy. I still don't like people enough lol. Duane always says "somewhere deep, deep, deep down there's a guide in you." I think you'd be good at it, but as others have said, there's a right way to do it--which I think you already know what that way is.

I think it boils down to this: rainbow trout were put on this earth for one thing--to eat salmon eggs and dying salmon.

I know it. The only thing I can think of is everybody who fishes it regularly just needs to educate. And most importantly video of people poaching, license plates, etc. so the true egregious ones are fined. I've never trusted the government or relied on them, so why should we for this? Same deal with the declining turkey numbers. Everybody is clamoring and yelling at the MDC to do something. Well, why don't us hunters do something about it? Take only one bird, don't harvest in the fall. Why do we need the MDC to say so? There's a difference between people sneaking buckets down there for fish hauls and a single mom taking her two kids fishing to try and introduce them to the outdoors and just doesn't now better. Those are the ones who need education. It's our resource, why not make it better?

Talked to Duane for a couple hours today. He said Shane got ahold of him and said the petition isn't going to do anything. Like most, he did his research and concluded the treble hooks aren't the problem. So that is squashed. We agreed the real issue now is educating people on fish handling and enforcing the current rules (which will take all of us).

Bill, I know I've said it before, but can fishing be any better? It is unbelievable.

Heck yea, Phil! You've convinced me to have a "hopper rod" when I'm down next week.

@laker67 Rick, who was it that used to use lighted indicators at night back in the day?

Second this! The lower Niangua in the winter or outside of plastic hatch season is great.

Good deal! Wish we could've met up, up there. Let's do some waterfowling this fall..

I've been night fishing Taney with a fly rod for years. And I can honestly say right now is about the best I've seen it since 2009. It is absolutely phenomenal. If you have the ability to do it, do it. You don't have to go in the middle of the night. Good rule of thumb is when you can clearly see the dam lights casting a glare in the fog, you're good to go. I started at 9:30 and went to 11:30pm last night and I bet I landed 45 fish. The bad pic I posted, fish half in the net and rest cut off, was close to my PB rainbow. It went over 24-inches. If it was 1-lb, it was 7-lbs. She took me to my backing. But, I won..