mhall02

Took the kids to Lake 12 yesterday afternoon. They caught 3 nice channel cat on worms and hotdogs, and a number of small bluegill. A nice evening for them. On the sour note, I noticed some parents were fishing with their kids as well, sign they parked next to clearly states kids fishing pond and 1 rod per kid.....hmmm. Didn't see them catch much, but they were still there when we left. What the heck is wrong with people, taking fish from kids? I don't get it.

Anyone ever hook or get in any of the muskie in out of 35? I've fished it a few times, seen some pics of some big cats caught there. In the past have had my best luck on 28, never kept anything but a few trout during the winter. There are supposed to be some white bass/striper hybrids out there somewhere? I thought I read that on one of the lake brocures.

If you don't believe me about gar drowing (personal experience with hoop nets), read this. If they can't gulp air (or break as the article states), they die. A good informational read on gar: http://www.nanfa.org/captivecare/gars.shtml

They will squirm till they drown, gar gulp air and yes, as funny as it sounds, they will drown.

Yeah, I've had some really good luck in this nice pool, caugt a 16-17" brown here last year, made my trip!! I'll have to keep on going down and try where the creek dumps in. It is a bit of walking, I went last year on July 5th, arrived on the stream around noon and left around 5:p.m., nice warm day to be on the water.

Probabally feeding on same tastey rainbow trout stockers to get that big, high in protein!!

I'll third that, just because we know that doesn't mean everyone else does. It is a trout park for goodness sake, people will always be walking behind you at some point, that is how you get from one spot to the next. If someone is back casting, I'll just wait till they lay it out there then pass by. I grew up fly fishing the fly zone at RR, learned to roll cast with the best of them, that is the majority of what I do in the parks with my skud/indicator setup unless I'm fising dries or a bugger. If I'm back casting, I try to be aware who is where, kind of like those trees that are behind you sometimes. Just watch out, its par for the course at a trout park. Trout fishing in MO can be whatever you want it to be, you just have to know where to go. If you don't mind crowds and don't mind a lot of roll casting, go to the parks, if people annoy you go to some of the off the beaten path places where you won't see a soul, non park trout areas mid-week (Crane, Capps, ect.)...heck even sometimes the parks in mid week are pretty sparse.

Ahh, the white crappie jig. One of the most overlooked yet deadly trout killers. Some call them sculpin jigs or other things, but bottom line, they are average, run of the mill crappie jigs. You can get a pack of 10 or 12 at Wally World for around $1.50, 1/32 white are killers, event the 1/16 in high water will provide success. I've had good luck at Benett, Taney, upper Current, and Roaring River on these fine jigs, and the price can't be beat. You do get some funny looks when asked 'what are you catching 'em on?'.

There used to be some monstors below that spring pool at the park, I would find it hard to believe if some of them didn't wash further down.

Your right, on RR Map 6 the lower section zone 2 flies only is labeled Zone 3. Is the catch and release section called zone 2? This numbering system seems to overlap with the fly area/catch and keep area. Maybe call the upper zone 2 'catch and release', then start the fly only section as zone 2? Or 2a for flies only - catch and release, and 2b as catch and keep flies only. Hummm....there are may options here. Bottom line, good maps, good information.

Wow, where did that come from? I have never seen a Brookie there, and I grew up fishing that stream. Best I recall, I remember seeing some big carp years ago in the first hole in the fly area, where the river bends. I always wondered where those came from. I vote for more Bookies!!

Well, my daughter and I got down there a little before 1:p.m. They had already ran out of bait so we were out of luck on that end. Tried some old power bait with 0 success. She played a few games then we went up to the store and bought some of what they were giving away last year. Hit it agin and she was able to get one to suck it in, nice size but we were surrounded by other kids as soon as she got it in. I guess we need to get there earlier next year. I didn't see the stocking truck drive by any, I thought they stocked until 4:p.m.? Maybe I just missed it.

Plan on being there agin this year. Took my 6 year old daughter last year, was very tough to get a good spot, lots of kids. However, after lunch and doing some of the activies, were were able to slide in to a good spot and she limited out in about 30 minutes. Are they going to have that free bait again this year? She caught her limit on the white colored bait provided last year, worked great. I'm not too sure what to use, since I don't bait fish for trout. Any idea what the 'Special Kids Only' fishing hole is? Handicapped kids? Under a certain age (six and under)?

Yep, I'm about 15 minutes away. Enjoy the winter opportunity to fish for trout, have enjoyed taking my daughter out there now and then as well.

There is a pic on Brett Rader's website http://charteredwaters.com/fishingreport.html Go about half way down (April 15th entry), a strange sight to see, indeed.

I also noticed MDC was out in force with weekend. Saw several trucks cruising the parking lots and watching. Also saw three individuals cited for various reasons. The first was in Zone 3 and using powerbait. I thought you could use bait in zone 3? Did you maybe mean zone 2, that is where I have seen in the past the most blatant rule breaking. I remember years ago seeing some guys using worms during they week, they were ripping 'em in left and righ and high-tailed it out pretty quick. Yeah, I would say they knew what they were doing was wrong. I can't wait to get down there this year, great park. Usually use tan or grey skuds and an indicator in zone 2. Grew up fishing RR (lived around Monett) and have many fond memories of the park.

18 MPG highway with a 454 with a beefed up diff and a 4 X 4? Wow, you must have an extremely light foot and drive less than 60 mph. Those Chevy V-8s are very reliable, good to see someone get past 1,000,000 miles on something that is not made in Europe.

Fished zone 2 as well, got there around 930 and did better than I thought I would, size 16 light tan skud did the trick. As far as far as jumping in betweeen two guys that are 20' apart, well, its opening day. Really in some spaces you had no choice but to jump in like that, if you wanted to fish, right or wrong, that is the way of it, just had to make really shot drifts. Maybe that is what your close neighbor was not doing I take it? I also noticed, some guys need to learn how to roll cast, come on, it is a State park on opening day. I didn't see any lunkers caught or see any on stringers, what were some of the big ones that were caught? Weather was great and plenty of hungry fish.

I would venture to guess they meant an oil change every 3,000 miles, wouldn't make sense to do a full tune-up every 3,000. If he is putting 85,000 miles per year on the truck, that is an oil change every ~12-13 days? That is rather amazing....hard to believe the rings and bearings are not shot. Most I ever put on a truck was 220,000, '78 Ford F-100 with the 300 straight six, changed the oil every 3,000 miles but she was losing a quart of oil every 800-1000 miles towards the end, I think the rings were shot. Then again, it took 25 years to get to that many miles, not just two or three. Lots of stop and go, not much highway.

I use 1/16 oz singe hook Rooster Tail spinners, 1/32 oz marabou and/or crappie jigs (white kills em). You can get a 10 pack of the white crappie jigs at Wal-Mart for under $1.50, use 2lb test or 4 if its a little murky. Good luck!!

That is interesting they state the browns stocked in the spring are 8" - 10". I fished Baptist Camp area on July 5 and caught numerous 4"-5" browns, and once nice 16-17" inch brown.

Caught both at the junction of Capps and Shoal, caught some nice smallmouth in the hole just up and the one just down from the second bridge, fishing for trout but hey, they will hit a trout jig as well.

Perhaps he went down Capps, into Shoal and eventually up into Hickory? Humm....

Fished Busch #22 Friday from about 2 till 4, caught only one. They were nabbing some tiny sunfish near the shore and happed to get a black and yellow jig in the right spot at the right time. Only saw one other one caught, it was slow. Next trip will be to Lake 21 or 28 for some catch and release.

They have been in Zone 1 for at least 4-5 years, maybe longer, but they are a rare catch. I saw a nice one (at least 4-5 lbs) while I was standing on the first handicapped ramp looking at the throng of fish Tuesday. I first recall catching browns as Roaring River in the late 80s, I was shocked to see the fish scope out my fly so closly, then turn around and swim away!! It is like they were studying it!! I was somewhat suprised they stocked the winter lakes up here in the St. Louis area w/ browns, there is no trophy potential there, and yep, they wise up pretty quickly in the catch and release lakes.