FishnDave

Sweet! Is OAF gonna sponsor the team's entry fee and traveling expenses? I noticed they have a category for "sunfish".... and another category for "other sunfish". 🙄

Black Bullhead: Jumbo Goldfish: Goldfish:

Along with other species, I caught a handful of Shortnose Gar on fly yesterday. Amongst them were some melanistic (black) individuals, and some nice-sized ones. I measured four that went 26", 28", 28", and 30.5" (my new PB!).

Spot on about waiting for the rods if they don't have them in stock. Worth it, though. I received an Edge 7wt Archetype fly rod, and an Edge 8wt Gamma Beta fly rod in Feb & March 2023 that I ordered in late 2022. Great rods, great feel, great casting. GREAT PRICE. My ONLY complaint is the rod sections need to be checked and pushed together throughout a fishing trip because they will come apart. Certainly not a deal-breaker. I've had similar issues with TFO fly rods, which are also otherwise great rods for a great price. Even the rod sections of my 8wt St Croix will eventually loosen up. Compared to other rod brands... I feel like you get WAY MORE for your money with Edge.

Black Crappie 32" Grass Carp Common Carp Eyetail Bowfin Grass Carp

Eyetail Bowfin Green Sunfish Shortnose Gar Warmouth White Bass

Common Carp 24.5" Eyetail Bowfin Shortnose Gar Freshwater Drum Grass Carp Common Carp Bowfin 26" Shortnose Gar Common Carp

Striped Shiner Bleeding Shiner Longear Sunfish Creek Chub

April: Koi Redear Sunfish Bleeding Shiner Creek Chub Blackspotted Topminnow

Eyetail Bowfin Freshwater Drum Channel Catfish

March: Spotted Gar Common Carp Shortnose Gar Largemouth Bass Common Carp Green Sunfish Grass Carp

For those who enjoy fish pictures as much as I do. Getting a late start on this, but.... Nothing from January. February: Koi Goldfish:

Roanoke Bass aren't very widespread... like 3 or 4 main river systems they are native in, plus a few where they've been introduced.

Do you have a Roanoke Bass yet, to complete your Ambloplites genus? I still need one.

Cool stuff! My brother had a Jack Dempsey cichlid when we were growing up. It had a lot more iridescent spots on its sides. Interesting what tannic waters can do to fish coloration! I gotta say... that little Sheepshead is really cool!

Mud Sunfish, Lined Topminnow, Redfin Pickerel, Flier, Redbreast Sunfish, Ruddy Bowfin, Warmouth, Magnolia Crappie... That's good multispecies action right there!

Fire just north of St Louis as well. https://www.ksdk.com/article/weather/severe-weather/wildfire-burning-outside-st-louis-county-under-control-spanish-lake-columbia-bottom-conservation-area/63-d4f19b31-65e3-40b4-a5e6-418d66e9be76

Really? I mean... maybe when its your time to go, it just is. But how often have you heard of somebody talking to another person, making eye contact... and either person dropping dead? Seems like.... never. So... just keep gabbing away. Don't go to sleep! 😅

Selling any fly gear?

I've had amazing success with game changers. But I haven't fished them much the past few years, as I haven't target bass for some time. Might have to see what Bowfin think of them this year...

Those are fat gar! I assume females? I caught one that long (49.5") in 2023, but it was NOT a fat one. Longnose Gar are COOL!! Missouri's record, caught in 2021, is 32 lb 10 oz.... I couldn't readily find info on it's length.

Perch spawn really early. I remember catching really fat (eggs) Yellow Perch through the ice in Iowa... not spawning but getting close!

Cool! Yeah, you should! I'm sure I've shown it here before.... When I still lived in Iowa, I had one of their conservation plates that had a Brook Trout on it. The top plate is (was) mine "FSHN"... and the bottom one was one we saw driving around... I never got to meet the owner... but if you've heard the song Gone Fishin' by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong.... "Gone Fishin' instead of just wishin'..."