FishnDave

This is my first Spring here also. You're doing well! Congrats on your bass! I tell you what, the last couple weekends have been a struggle. I fished most recently on Sunday. I flyfished 5 bodies of water, scattered around the area...I'm sure I drove well over 100 miles. Some waters are ones you mentioned. I got skunked at 3 of them, picked up @8 small crappies from one, and the last one I fished produced @ 10 nice bluegills, @ 15 nice crappies, a bass, and a nice redear/hybrid sunfish.

Its certainly possible. Others have done it. I caught a number of them on lures, back before I got into flyfishing. Once I started flyfishing, I stopped fishing those places that had flatheads. 🙄

Keep sharing your pictures, I luv 'em and they are an inspiration! 😊👍

Guess who has two thumbs and has never caught a Blue Cat?

That's awesome! You're living my dream!

Coprolite? 💩

This marked my 30th fly rod species in Missouri since moving last mid-July. 9 months. Not bad, especially considering this period included the Winter months! In ~15 years of flyfishing in Iowa, to the best of my recollection, I managed 38 species in-state. Without going Micro, my list of possibilities is growing shorter. Fish still on the "would love to catch on a fly here" list include: Longnose Gar Rock Bass Blue Catfish Hybrid Striped Bass Bowfin Warmouth Redspotted Sunfish Chain Pickerel Flier Brown Trout I'm sure there are others I could go after as well...various suckers, bigmouth buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, black crappie, flathead catfish, muskie... I haven't set any deadlines, so I'm in no hurry. Rock Bass is probably the easiest on the list, you suppose? Or at least requires the least travel?

(FND14) Black Bullhead (Longhornica poutus): Went out for an hour last night in the drizzle, caught 4 bullheads by sightfishing muddy water with a fly rod. Big wide head on this one:

https://flylordsmag.com/chunky-goldfish-on-fly/?utm_source=The+Flylords&utm_campaign=a41c62634f-Newsletter+4%2F5%2F21&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_985ec1d746-a41c62634f-81647055 Biggie!

I didn't see the fish until I set the hook. But I could see a boulder that it was apparently next to. The microjig was suspended about 3' below the indicator. I looked away for a moment...when I looked back, the indicator was going down, I set the hook and then saw the big fish dive over the side of the boulder for the deeper water. I had been casting across the creek, and the end of the retrieve brought it next to that boulder for many casts with nothing. Persistence paid off. Or luck. Earlier I had fished along the bottom without an indicator, trying a couple weedless black bugger/sculpin looking streamers, hoping for a Drum. No takers, so I switched it up. I was actually kind of trying for a Goldeye when the Grassies and Drum hit.

When I caught the goldfish, I was actually hoping for one of these: Bullhead. But none were visible that day. Went back the next day without a rod, and saw a dozen or so...including the one above.

I've already caught Goldfish this year...just showing this one as it is my new MO PB Goldfish. Still caught bigger ones in Iowa, but this one was a really nice fish at 11":

(FND13) Freshwater Drum (Percussia goodagua) 21"....my new fly rod PB.

(FND12) Grass Carp (Eatusome fescue) Caught 2. Both were tiny trout-sized Grass Carp. I'm sure I'll get bigger ones yet this year.

That's a great-looking crappie, Jim! Congrats!

Taint you sorry you assked?

Here's a nice little key with photographs from North Carolina, but many of the Missouri species are the same. https://ncfishes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NC-Suckers-and-Identification-Key.pdf

Here's a Golden Redhorse I caught. Good-sized scales. I think you ID'd yours correctly. And here's two presumed White Suckers I caught, for your comparison...I'd buy that you caught at least one of these:

I think they are better earlier in the season. Later on they get a bit fuzzy...like giving a cat a bath.

As we've lived and learned, we have a lot more stuff to remember. But I'm working with 1960's vintage memory equipment here! The manufacturer stopped supporting my software and hardware versions decades ago!

"Somewhere in the contiguous U.S." is usually fair game? 😜 If it can be reached by passenger jet, train, bus, cab, car, or boat? The further I go, the more fishing spots I'm passing by to get there. 😬

I got a really good look at one that was looking over something floating on the surface. It had black chin whiskers, so probably a Black Bullhead. I can't imagine there would be any Brown Bullhead around here. I'll let you know if I catch one. 👍

Its big to some of us (me)! I haven't caught one over 7 lbs in over 20 years! You've seen some of my fish posted around here....I have no problems showing small fish...obviously. 😬

Jumbo! That beats my biggest one by 3/4"! Since you brought it up...I've located a 2nd body of water nearby that appears to be loaded with goldfish, and a few bullheads. I've walked around it that past 2 evenings with my wife, but haven't fished it yet.