FishnDave

@Johnsfolly You did hook me up with someone who had intel on a bowfin spot. I appreciate that! Sounded like a Spring spawn location only(?) based on their catching experience. It looks like it may be on private property, so I didn't follow up too closely.

That's great! Congrats, Pete!

They are on my bucket list. I was searching online for information of bowfin around the Saint Louis area. Found a few folks that are posting pictures, but smartly not giving their spot away. And another guy on an aquarium website that says he know of very good spot in StL for Bowfin. It was a post from 2006, I couldn't figure out how to contact the guy, especially without signing up as a member on their forum. I know @Ham can put me on some.

Switching to flyfishing @ 15-16 years ago, I don't fish with lures with multiple hooks or treble hooks. But before that...doubles happened occasionally. In fact, as a teenager, I was fishing with a floating/shallow diving Rapala stickbait that had 3 treble hooks on it, and caught 3 bass at once! No picture of that...long time ago, WAY before cell phones. Here's one with 2 bass on the same treble. Topwaters like the Rebel Pop-R seem to get doubles more often than other lures or crankbaits in my experience. But that may be because I didn't use crankbaits very often...

Yesterday was my birthday...and I try to always take the day off and go fishing on my birthday. I needed 15 more Grass Carp to reach my "100 Grass Carp in a Year on Fly" goal. My previous best day ever was 14 Grass Carp. Wasn't sure I'd be able to reach the goal in one day, but figured I'd put a good dent in it. Goal reached & exceeded! I caught 17 Grass Carp, 2 small Channel Catfish, and one Shortnose Gar. Here's a picture of one of the grass carp....I turned it to get a different sun angle...and liked both pictures, so....here it is.

I actually ran into him at the creek this Spring. He pulled into the parking lot behind me, we talked for a bit, then went our separate ways to fish. I had a lot more questions I wanted to ask him....he's very knowlegable...but I also didn't want to eat into his fishing time.

Bigmouth Buffalo and Smallmouth Buffalo and Black Buffalo are all pretty tough to catch on flies. You practically have to feed the fly to both of them. For smallmouth buffalo, about the best you can do is place the fly in the path the fish is feeding, and hope it doesn't change course. If it goes over your fly, good chance it will suck it up, at least briefly. I had a Black Buffalo actually turn and eat the fly like a Common Carp sometimes will. For Bigmouth Buffalo, you almost have to put the fly in front of its mouth and hope it sucks it in with plankton. I've caught all 3 on flies, but not in big numbers. Bigmouth Buffalo: Black Buffalo: Smallmouth Buffalo: Bigmouth Buffalo: Bigmouth Buffalo: Smallmouth Buffalo: Black Buffalo: Bigmouth Buffalo:

So far, I've seen all manner of strikes from these Grass Carp. Aggression I never would have expected from these fish. I've had a few that chased down the fly as I was rapidly stripping it in to re-cast. I've had them appear to spook, only to then turn around to see what spooked them, and hit it. I've had ones that were nosing along the edge of the water on the far bank that would turn and come out 10-15 away from the bank to where I'd cast my fly and hit it. I've had pods of them gang-rush/swarm the fly and indicator. Many that just ate the indicator. Lots of them follow the sound of the "plop" of the fly and indicator hitting the water to investigate and eat. Many invisible fish that hit along laydowns or under overhanging trees, or in faster current areas. ...like a smallmouth trout! 😄

Yes, 15 more sounds do-able! 100 Grassies in a year on fly rod...how cool would that be?

When I lived in Illinois, I used to fish the fall run when the Chinooks would run up some tributaries in southern Wisconsin. Its amazing to be standing knee deep in a small creek, and watching these giant fish bump my legs as they'd swim past. Egg-Sucking Leech patterns would get bit. Caught a Steelhead on a Muddler Minnow there during the Chinook run as well. Even caught a Coho or two outside the mouth of the creek. And a 27.5" Brown Trout, 7.5 lbs. And a big Brook Trout in the creek too!

I'm glad you are all submitting your ideas. 😁 Didn't think I'd make it out flyfishing this weekend...but turns out I DID manage to go! Broke my record of catching 13 grass carp in one day (twice), by catching 14 today! Started off good, with a Grassie on my first cast. Then no more for an hour-and-a-half. Then a third an hour after that. And a fourth over an hour later. Considered packing it in. Then fishing finally heated up, with 5 in the next hour. And 5 in the final hour. Those last 2 hours were on a section I hadn't fished before, might be why it was so good. I'm at 85 for the year so far, 106 lifetime Grass Carp on fly. Also caught a nice Goldeye: And a nice Channel Catfish. I measured it at 23", but it sure looked a lot longer than that. Also caught a bluegill, lost some other grassies, including one big one, and lost a longnose gar at the net.

I think you can edit your post...highlight a species and then select the 3rd icon from the right...its an underlined A with a dropdown arrow. That allows you to change the text to a different color. Or make the caught one BOLD. Might be different or more difficult if you are posting from your phone instead of a PC?

You should maybe highlight the ones you catch on your list in your first post, so we can follow your progress.

Grass Carp...As I've probably stated too many times...In Iowa, I put significant time towards the pursuit of the stocked versions that had grown extra large in many of the public ponds around the town I lived in. The effort was high, and the rewards were VERY rare...but worth it when a big fish was finally caught and landed. The darn things were pretty much invisible in the typical stained waters. If they were around, they'd see me and spook before I'd see them. Frustrating! But, you see a big fish, and you gotta at least give it a try. 36", 25 lbs 30.5", 14 lbs: 41.5", 35 lbs: 33", 17 lbs: They were my White Whale for 10+ years...eluding and confounding me. When I'd see one, my adrenaline would start pumping, just like when I see a school of White Bass busting shad on the surface. Meanwhile, I'm watching videos of a guy in St. Louis, MO, flyfishing for Grass Carp and making it look EASY! Many of you may be familiar with him. I was, and still am, convinced that those stocked pond/lake fish are very different behaviorally than the naturally reproducing river and creek fish in Missouri. So, I had something to look forward to when we chose to move here. Its been everything I hoped it would be, and more. Lots of smaller fish than I expected, but that's what a normal population looks like, and not a single year class that has grown big together in a pond for 10 years. Even the small ones are fun. I'm trying to take advantage of it while I can...I may be burning myself out on them, but I won't have any regrets.

Well, the Backwater Barramundi was yet another nickname for the Grass Carp, not the gar. I feel like there is a misunderstanding on how this works... Of COURSE I should pick a great species to nickname grass carp after. I'm trying to raise the status of the Grass Carp. It wouldn't make sense to nickname them "Creek Carpsucker". That's not an illustrious name. Its not degrading the Barramundi, Tarpon, Mahseer by any means. Like nicknaming Common Carp as the Golden Bonefish. It isn't degrading to the bonefish, it is only meant to elevate the carp. Another example...Jewelfish. Of course there IS an actual Jewelfish, but if there wasn't....nicknaming a fish after a jewel...something sparking and colorful and beautiful...Nobody thinks you are making a gem seem like a slimy fish. Everybody understands you are lifting the fish up and comparing it to something greater than it might be. Does this not make sense?? Alright...now...back to my Round-snouted Roosterfish....

When the mask comes off....

Caught a couple gar last night, and 5 "Backwater Barramundi" 😁

You may be on to something! Since "MOMO" is the Missouri Monster...... If we add to it..."Missouri Moss Muncher", we can abbreviate it MOMOMU!

Bruce Wayne? The funding is probably from years of proceeds from the sales of these gems:

Great fish! He gets bonus points for the hat, right? 😍 👍

I like the creativity! 😄 Pruning Permit? Missouri Missile? Finned Phantom? Silver Torpedo? Ozark Amur? oooohhh..."Veg Vacuum"?

Don't make me go with "Veg Tarpon"!

The Grassies in this creek seem to be the top predator. They turn and chase down the fly. Ask @Ham ! 😄 I'm glad you all think so highly of the Mahseer. Sounds like exactly the kind of comparison the Grass Carp needs. Missouri Mahseer. I still like it. I know, deep down, maybe way way WAY deep down....you really love it too. 🥰 Or how about "Goliath Grass Grouper?" Huh? C'mon!!

Check out all that "rip rap"! Same! 😂