gonefishin

Bill: First I want to agree with everyone on here in that I don't like to see people taking fish they shouldn't or to see them fishing illegally. I certainly would not mind mentioning to someone if they were breaking the law to see what the response is and then make a decision of how to pursue it from there. As you say some people simply don't know and I think it is better to let them know they are breaking the law than to see them get a ticket for inadverently breaking it. If they don't seem to care or if I see them repeatedly do the same thing then I would certainly not be against calling an enforcement agent. In regards to fish growth what you say is true up to a point. It is true that any fish can grow if given enough food and time but not all fish are going to grow at the same rate nor have the potential to become true trophys. There are rough averages that say a fish will grow at X rate per time however, some fish will simply grow faster and larger than others and some slower than others. No different than people or animals how else does one explain Ethel at Bass Pro or the various sizes of trout in the hatcheries that were hatched on the same date. Why are some bigger than others. Ethel wasn't the biggest Bass because she was fed more or because she was the oldest bass alive; she was the biggest because of a genetic pre-disposition to be so. About food availability I have heard a lot about how one small fish will eat more than a big fish. This simply isn't true. It takes X number of calories per lb for a fish to maintain its weight and X+ for them to get bigger, up to a point. Therefore it takes more calories for a 20 lb fish to maintain its weight than it does a 2 lb fish. Some fish will simply convert what they eat to body lbs faster than others hence it seems to me to have a decent population of large fish one would want to remove the smaller fish that aren't growing as fast so as to give the fish that are growing faster (the slot?) enough food and time to continue to grow and become trophys. If I remember correctly isn't mortality caused by playing the fish for a long time which causes lactic acid build up in the system thus causing them to die later with the general thought being that bigger fish are more prone to mortality because of longer play time produces higher levels of lactic acid in their system? At least as I recall that is the decision a few years ago as to what was killing bass 1 to 2 days after a tourney. That was why they recommended heavier lines to bring fish in faster so the mortality would be less. I couldn't agree more with with your assesment of the DO rate. In low oxygen levels people should use larger tippets and settle for less strikes. One final thought. The trout hatchery is a big industry in Branson because of take fishermen. If no one were to take fish there would soon be no need to stock trout in Taney. What would happen to the hatchery industry? I think it takes a balance of all the above to create a world class hatchery. Anyway there are, I am sure, a lot of people who know a lot more about this than I do and I simply try my best to follow the rules so all the above is just my two cents worth. Bud

moose50: Thanks for the reply and sorry it has taken me so long to respond. Like you I am usually happy if something is just biting. I have heard that Mark Twain is up and comming. I would like to hear some reports. I have never fished there but if the fishing heats up I would come over and give it a try. I plan to try some of the lakes up in the north western part of the state this year. According to the MDC there is some really good redear fishing up that way. I have caught a few redear out of the rock but not with any consistancy. Of course the rock is a big lake and I may not be fishing the right areas. I would appreciate it if people would let me know where or if they are catching them. I will let you know how they are biting in the areas I fish. Bud

Bill: I have a lot of respect for what you say but unfortunatly in this case I have to agree with Thom and Vince. The water will only support so many trout. Also not all fish have trophy potential so the smaller fish should be removed on a regular basis so the fish with trophy potential can grow. Further the problem I see with a no kill zone is that a certain number of fish are going to die of shock from being caught and handled. The longer it takes to land the fish the higher the mortality rate therefore, the bigger the fish the higher the death rate. The only way I really see to have a no kill zone is to not fish or as Phil, I think it was, said to cut the hook off the flies and settle for strikes only. That being said I think if people want really big fish then then the slot should be eliminated and fish over 15 or possibly even 16 inches should be returned to the water unharmed period. I also think the daily limit for smaller fish should be raised back up to 5 or even 6. This way the fish that have trophy potential could truly become trophies. I don't think however that a lot of people would be happy with that so the only other way I see that it would work would be to change the slot. If the slot were changed to where any fish between 15 inches and 24 inches had to be immediatly returned to the water unharmed. It would give the fish capable of attaining trophy status the opportunity to do so. Again I believe smaller fish have to be removed regularly so the limit for smaller fish should also be increased in order to leave ample food and habitat for the larger fish. I am in full support of a trophy area and I think extending the trophy area to Fall Creek would be great if one of the above plans were adopted. Bud

What are your favorite flies for Bluegills and Redear? I plan to go fishing this weekend. I will report on what I catch, if anything, and where. Bud

What are the best flies to use for Bluegill on Taney? Colors? Bud

Russ are you talking about carp or suckers? A lot of people confuse the two. When I was really young I had family members who cooked carp regularly, I remember thinking fish just weren't fit to eat and wouldn't touch it. A few years later I ate real fish and realized there was more to fish than carp. Years later I was on a fishing trip with some friends who caught some carp in some really clear cold water. They were telling me you that you never leave the skin on carp and you have to trim off all the red meat. There wasn't a lot of meat left when they were done cleaning those carp however, what was left was decent tasting after it was fried up. They told me carp has to be eaten fresh and hot and to never freeze carp as it gets really strong tasting and mushy after being frozen. Too much work for me when there are other fish swimming around. A lot of people confuse carp with suckers; there is a big difference. One is that carp aren't a native fish to America they were introduced in the 1800s if I remember correctly. Another thing is suckers prefer clean water; they don't wallow around in the mud and stir it up like carp do. Suckers don't have nearly as much red meat on them as carp. Suckers arent bad eating at all. Suckers have a lot of really tiney bones in them. The best way to handle them is to score the fish before frying it. To score them just take a good sharp filleting knife and cut through the flesh about every quarter inch for the length of the fillet. Then roll the fillet in corn meal/flour salt and pepper, or curshed corn flakes and work as much it into the score marks. Deep fry the fillets in very hot oil. The bones are so fine that they will all but dissolve in the hot oil. The Europeans love carp of course what would one expect from people who eat kidneys. Personally I think we should gather all of our carp up and send them to Europe. Bud

That sounds like a blast to me. If everything works out I will come up and give it a shot. Do you know if anyone is catching anything below the dam? Weather is supposed to be decent Sat so I have been thinking about coming up if there is anything biting.

I dunno....Pics of fish for fishermen to look at.........Kinda sounds like a porn site for fishermen. Just kidding I think a gallery would be fantastic. I don't catch many fish myself so if there were a gallery I could live vicariously through others by drooling over all the fish that other people catch.

Do you trade just for fishing equipment or other items as well?

Can anyone get in on this shindig or is it invite only?

There are others on here that are better suited to answer this question than I am but I would suggest the following: Bass Pro Hobbs Creek Combo or better yet White River Classic Combo Temple Fork Outfitters also has some nice, reasonably priced equipment http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/rods/series1.html

Hi Duckman. You aint kidding. I have caught a lot of 'blls up there. Even had family that lived just up the road from the Old Oar House years ago. Is the OOH still in business? I live around Springfirld not so I will probably fish around here especiall if I can find someone with a boat to take me.

Ron: Ain't no prob. Just drop by anytime your in MO for a catfish dinner. Or you could just send me your address and I'll overnight you some. Like Brian I could be happy to trade tomatoes for flies. It gets harder every month it seems for me to tie them. If I would quit chasin other kinds of fishing and settle down to fly fishing only I would probably be a better fly fisherman. Problem is I just can't seem to leave them other kinds of fish (like Flathead or Spoonbill) alone. I wonder if there is a local catfishing fishermans annonoymous. I think I need help if I am gonna quit. Heh heh. Hey! Check that out. I cant spell either.

I have been using a nail knot to attach but thought mayber there was a better system. I guess there is in the splicer you posete. Where do I get one of those? Cost? I generally use an improved clinch or a Stren knot to tie the fly to my tippet. I would like to know more about putting leaders together. Does vanish work well for leader/tippet material? Is it to dense to use with dries?

Heh heh Ron. Everyone knows Southern Women are the best cooks. I figured you were from Montana but thought it best to ask before making assumptions. Like you I am disabled. I have RA. I still get out and fish all that I can. I love fishing too much to give it up. I have heard the trout fishing in Mt is great and the hunting even better. Any truth to the rumors?

Sam: I am glad someone is posting here on Pomme. I have fished the lake a few times and really like it. I have never caught a Muskie but have caught some Nice Crappie, 'Gills, and Small Mouth. I would like to know more about the lake and where and when the fish are biting. So keep postin Bud

What is the best knot to use for attaching the leader to the fly line?

I agree with Greg. I have a White River Classic with a Battenkill reel that I have used for several years. It quickly became and still is my favorite outfit.

Hi MTM. I take it you are from Arkansas but where are you living now? I do appreciate the diversity of fish in the Ozarks. Keeps things interesting. Like you I surly like Crappie and Catfish. My ol' Ma could really cook em'too.

I have been on a quest for the perfect rod all my life maybe I will find it yet. Good luck.

Bass pro sells a really nice light action 8 ft Crappie rod that works great and arent all that expensive. Mine is labled Micro-lite. I dont think they make that particular rod in that brand anymore. I have however, seen the same rod there in the Crappie rod section.

I ran a trapline when I was younger. It is a lot of fun for sure, at least I enjoied it. I used to trap a lot of bobcats when they were worth something. Made a fair amount of money doing it but nowdays if a person wants to become a millionaire trapping it is best to start as a 2 millionaire.

No kidding!!

Fantastic fish!! And looks like a really good fishing partner too.

You can check on fur prices here. Fur Prices