J.E.

Okay, let's discuss. Geese do not belong on a golf course. Fishermen, all fishermen do belong on the water. I for one as a tournament/fun fisherman have witnessed both good and bad behavior. An example is last Friday I was at Pomme fishing a bluff point when a pontoon boat came flying past me on plane and then stopped right in front of me not two/three boats away. I have never had a tournament fisherman do that to me. I guess you could call that "crap & do the natural thing". "Now, when the rest of the flocks come in from all over the county to converge & eat & crap & do the natural thing "excercising their rights", on your maintained & supported golf course, every weekend......then your attitude changes." Who maintains and supports the waterways we have in Missouri? Fisherman, all fishermen. The old fight between tournament fishermen and fun fishermen is an old battle that will probably never end. Mostly due to the reasoning of some that it's "their water" or "their spot" when in fact it's all of ours. We all have a choice to be a good neighbor or not. To be cosiderate on the water or not. I've been on Pomme when there were so many ski boats, pontoon boats, and pleasure boaters that it was so rough I took a beating in my 20' bass boat, so it's not tournament fishermen only, it's just boaters. I've also been on Pomme when there were three good sized tournaments going on. Where there a lot of boats on the water? Yes. Where there boats on every spot? Just about. Did it do any good to complain? No, so I just went fishing. When people try to take possession of public property and tell others how to use it when they are acting within the laws and regulations, there will always be conflict. So how about it, let's go fishing. Be there tomorrow.

Let me know if you need any help working/fishing. When you have a date or two under consideration please contact me and I'll try to work my schedule to assist.

Dog gone CMAC, guess I'll have to start drinking again!!!!!

Don, I'll be tying up your jigs tomorrow night. Special ones just for you!

Football jig............ got any Capt. Don?

Just take a look at Capt. Don's picture! Can't you see he gets all the beauty sleep he needs!!!!! Love ya Bro!

Capt. Don, Back in town Friday night. Send me that email!!!

Don, I did not see a hat on your list?????

Don, Rick probably did not tell you but, I took 16th and had big bass at 6.22#'s up at lake O this weekend.

Gonefishin, I'm sure Capt. Don does have better eyes than you do when it comes to legal and illegal fish as he does it every day. Even with that a mistake can be made however, I've never seen or heard of DNR running someone off a spot. A livewell check is perfectly legal and if you have short fish you receive a ticket, summons, and or a fine but as long as you have a legal fishing license you can keep on fishing.

Vonreed, Your post sounds a little angry? I will agree that some people who fish tournaments simply are stupid about how to take care of fish in their livewells. I for one have oxygenators in my livewells in addition to catch and release chemicals and place ice in the wells through out the day when fishing hot summers however....... The people who catch fish and release or eat them withoug knowing how to care for the fish kill many, many more that real tournament anglers or associations. Do you know how to relieve a bass's stress due to temperature and depth changes? Do you know what the min/max oxygen levels are for a bass's survivability? Do you know how to fizz a fish? Do you know the prime ph level for a bass's comfort and survivability? Do you know how to remove a deep hook with minimum injury to a bass? Most real tournament anglers do and work hard to care for the fish we all love. I have found many a floater around ramps from weekend fishermen deep hooking or deciding not to clean their catch after a long day. I've watched many a trout float up due to deep hooks released by "meat fishermen" who thought they were to small to put in their livewell We may be tournament fishermen but most of all we are people who make the maximum effort to conserve this resource. Thanks for the opportunity. Gonefishin, All I can say to you is go work a release boat, learn what is done, the money spent, the focus and efforts of the people (and I have done so) who work to sustain this resource. Then we'll see if your opinion is the same. Thanks again.

Capt. Don House lives and works that area. You can contact him on Rick LaPoint's web page at www.strikebass.com

Techo, Rick has a 987 for sale or did last week. It's last years model but a great unit. The main feature is the side finder. ANY depth finder of higher grade will allow you to dropshot be it Lowrance, Humminbird, Garmin, etc. just do what my Dad told me years ago, buy the best you can afford and take care of it. You can call Rick or Capt. Don or, the web page is www.strikebass.com tell him J.E. sent you and he'll charge you an extra 10%!

Gary, On the money and I might add, cell phone. If you see them at the ramp a vehicle description and license plant numbers passed on to any law enforcement agency as a "good car check" will go a long way.

RPS, That hurt! Just about sprayed my Pepsi on that one! Love it! I just tie on a super spook and throw around them when they come flying buy. I used to have stickers when I live in KC that had little jet ski's with x's that I put on the boat to look like fighter pilot's kills. Got a lot of attention at the ramp.

SKMO, Hope the shoulder if well. Give me a call sometime for a little R&R. I'm off to FL next week for a little saltwater fishing, don't think I'll be taking my drop shot rig. A note for the funny bone, last Sat. I fished a Teen Anglers derby up at Pomme. I had a great kid with me and while landing a fish I dropped one of my rods overboard. I tried to snag it for 15-20 minutes but did not want to take up to much of the kid's time. I went back up this Sat. with my scuba gear but did not need it. I snagged the rod after another 20 minutes. Got it back with just a little slime on it!

Jigs, Jigs, Jigs........ and one brushog! Main lake points.

I had the opportunity to fish with a group on Sat. that produced one of those days that you'll rember for a long time. I received a call Thursday evening about a couple of us Skeeter boys supporting a group called "Teen Anglers" on Pomme. This group takes Jr. High and High School young men and women and provides an avenue for them to learn, experience, and grow in the sport of fishing. I had the pleasure of fishing with a fine young man by the name of Trent Butler from Skyline High School and had a great day. We caught fish all day long (7-12:30) catching a limit of bass before 10 AM. Several orgainzations are supporting this group including Center City Marine, Skeeter,Yamahs, Humminbird, Luck E Strike, and others. If you get the chance to throw in with these folks please do so. Just like everyother thing in life, when you give a little back you receive so much more yourself. Thank Gregg for the invite and great day! J.E.

I was driving form KC area last night and yes...... it was raining!!!!! I had to stop once around Lamar to let the big stuff go buy and at that time, around 7PM the median was starting to fill. Muddy water fishing???

Careful CMAC, dunt da dunt da dunt da dunt da..................... What did the old Jaw's movie capt. say? "We're gonna have to get a bigger boat." Sorry, laughing so hard I srayed my screen!!!!!!!! Okay guys.............. it hurts!!!!!!!!! Laughing way to hard.

Wish I could tell you. Lowrance told me the first few times they were just "weak" ducers. I used to keep an extra in the boat (puck) just in case. I've had Humminbird's go bad also so I don't think it's something special to Lowrance. My thoughts are that the beating I give it on the nose of the boat may shorten the life span but, SKMO is much stronger on those tech details than I am.

Hunter, I used to run a LMS480 and X15, both units work great. The only issue I had was with transducers. Make sure you're okay there first.

Bill, Half and half. Before dark on the DS and after on the jigs. Most night fish were coming out of the trees.....

SilverMallard, A late Happy Birthday to ya!

So, now that we're back to fishing............. Sat. night I had a limit of Kentucky's for a total 12.9#. Good enough for first place in a little derby. Caught several with no shorts, most on DS and Jigs in the White.