podum

same flyguy

The only person that will ever really know whether he was threatened or not is the hunter that shot the cat. All else is speculation. We all carry a world view into the woods. Some of us would crap our pants if we saw a cougar and shoot first and ask questions later. Some of us would stand in awe of the beast and fire only if the cat had its fangs in us. I'm probably in the middle somewhere, but glad that these sightings and incidents have made me think about the possibility in advance of a possible encounter. The good news is that there is a wildlife management plan in place such that cougar sightings are happening and will continue to happen in the Midwest. The end.

This makes me smile. Hope you have a great trip.

You're gonna murder the whites on windy points and banks.

Man, think about what that bat was thinking when it was stopped in mid-air ... like an air trout.

I was at Smithville Lake, just north of KC on Saturday morning fishing for white bass. It was cold and windy. While walking the 1/2 mile back to the truck I went through a grove of trees that blocked the wind and saw butterflies. Looked up and there were 50-100 Monarchs above me but below the tree tops, just staying out of the wind and cold. It was surreal. Never seen anything like it. I sat there for 20 minutes.

windy points for white bass. eighth ounce jig head with a plastic trailer. tube, curly tail or slider

We've caught good ones sporadically. The big ones are cagey for sure. That fish looks thick for sure. I've seen 20 inch fish that weigh lots less than the pictured fish. I think river browns run like river smallmouth. Some are current fish that look like torpedoes, some are pocket fish that look like footballs. The Niangua is full of surprises.

Buy the flyfishing gear! Buy it! Buy it.

Don't use anything with a bronze hook. 30 mins in the salt will ruin it and cost you fish. 1/4 oz jig heads with steel hooks plus all manner of plastics and gulp would be my choice.

I love 1/2 oz casting spoons. Like the cabelas real image spoon. You can stay back and throw them a mile. Keep rods rigged up with a spooks and a lightly weighted sassy shad, and as you ease in while casting the spoon, start throwing the other baits.

plez share BBQ sauce recipe . . .

I've canned pickles, peppers and green tomatoes 5 of the last six sundays. Nice wet summers make everything come off in spades.

That. Is. Awesome.

Throwin' the little varmit. Nice.

based on Wrench info, our original poster is camping at Stockton Lake and enjoying himself capitally.

you can trust Wrench on these matters

Ditto on Bee Tree. That lake was clear and full of big bass in the nineties. After the "improvements" it muddied up and the fishing suffered. Kinda sad.

PM me if you want some Lake City info. Have been there for a week the last 6 year. Happy to help. Fabulous area with lots of options.

Annual trip. 10 of us staying at NRO. River levels are off the hook for the time of year. Weather was fantastic. Lots of fish. Flies that worked... Bead head pheasant tails #16-14. Pats rubber legs #10. Powerbait in orange. The stocked fish are quality size and there are more browns than we've seen in the last 5 years. Hope they all last through the silly season. Cheers.

There are no trout in the Niangua River below the spring. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Congrats Brian. The Allen reels are fantastic. Customer service is superb. Great company to rep.

I got tangled up in some braid while wading at Barclay. Heard chainsaws all morning.

I was down three weeks back and caught 5 small browns (10-12 inches) at Barclay. Encouraging if they can avoid the people who don't know the difference or don't care.

Wow. Very nice!