Buzz

Shimmerhorn ( spelling? ) Park, right under the highway, would be the take out in Galena. It's been a while since I've been there, I think it's Main Street. I haven't heard any stories lately, but there used to be some landowners on the Kansas side that used to give floaters a hard time. Kansas laws are very different than Missouri.

Those are great suggestions CDC. There are also a couple of floats that don't start or even end at MDC accesses. From Neosho's Lime Kiln access down to Tipton Ford access there are 3 good floats, each one can be anywhere from 6 to 10 hours depending on the water speed and how hard you fish them. Some of these floats might have to be overnighters for CDC . Just joshin' CDC. All should be good for a solo canoe. If you look at a map you would have to locate Old Scenic Route rd., which pretty much follows the creek, but you would probably have to drive it to see the different take-outs. They are obvious spots that have been used for decades, they just aren't managed by the MDC. We have named a few of them, but they wouldn't help a newcomer much.

I think the next take-out on Shoal Creek would be Smackout. It's right off of Hwy. 60 about a half mile before you get to the bridge, while traveling West. It's a pretty long float, generally, but with the water moving like it is it would probably be about a 6 hr. trip, maybe. Last summer my son's and I did it in 10 hrs., but we started upstream from Capp's at the next bridge.

Sounds like fun. How many times did you have to portage? Last time I was there, there was a lot of pretty big trees in the creek. I've wondered about floating it, but just haven't done it yet.

Yeah, Shoal Creek should be better by next weekend. Right now it's still a little high and off color, but should clear if we don't get any big rains. There are still some nice trout in Hickory Creek, in the harder to get to spots.

Man, that sounds like a lot of fun. I wish I'd had the opportunity to hit some water today. I guess thats what I was thinking about when my Mom asked, " What's wrong with you, you aren't saying much?" Yeah, I was thinking that I would rather be fishing. Oh well, theres always next week.

Thanks Phil, that made it very easy. I'll put one dot at the back and one at the front.....of the canoe. Also one on the back glass of the old Ford. See ya guys on the water.

Great report. Good for Alberto. I'm sure he'll never forget the experience of fishing with a couple of good ol' Ozark boys.

I've gotta great fly for that situation. Anyway, it looks like all of the added help will be needed this year. I'll have the old canoe in the back of the truck like always.

You beat me to the punch S.T.G.S. I thank you for your input.

Thanks csfishinfool, you help make my point. Which would be, we have a great system here in Missouri. The fish are coming back like they always do. They may not be 15 pounders like Texas, Florida, and California, but it is what it is. Who wouldn't be trilled to catch a 7 pounder, especially while fishing a tournament. Walcrabass, I have read the literature that has been posted, and it is encouraging. Except for the fact that we are above the I-40 corridor ( as listed in the Oklahoma sites) and Florida's don't perform well and the hybrids don't seem to do much better than the Northern strain above that line. As far as the Spots go, I'm sort of on the fence. I have yet to see or hear any honest evidence that they are a serious issue in S.W.Missouri lakes and resovoirs. I find it hard to believe there is not one single guide that is not reading this thread. I think thier opinions would be useful, even if they differ from my own. I know and understand the biology of the fish and still have not heard from anyone who says that they are a significant problem. Now don't get me wrong, if there was a problem and the MDC decided to address and or manage it, I would go along with it. Maybe even a slot limit that allowed the bigger spots to grow bigger. I applaud your efforts on this subject. I really do. Good luck with your endeavors. I guess what I'm trying to say is, " It's not always about the size of the fish, but the quality." This has been a great debate, and you seem to be a great guy, DO NOT think that there is any malice intended. I, like many other guys, only want the best for our fishery. Buzz out.

Thanks for clearing that up AL.

Thanks for the info Tim. I talked to Chief earlier and he said both Shoal and Hickory were running high and dirty. I hope at least one of them clears by the weekend. I also heard another round of rain may hit us on Saturday. I hope it's a nice little warm rain.

I can't speak for crappie fishermen, since I don't fish for them. I do fish for all species of bass. I don't mean to get on you or anything,I'm just asking for some kind of reasoning for putting the Kentucky so high on the list of fish that should pay for this proposal. I enjioy catching them just as much as I do largemouth, and I feel they have earned thier place in our lakes and fill a niche that would otherwise be lacking. Just my 2 cents worth.

Solus, if you are interested in the subject you should consider going. Tim can and will offer up his knowledge freely. I know I've had some good talks with him in his shop, when he's not too busy . Also, please don't take any of these comments out of context. I'm sure they weren't directed at you personally. And no, I didn't notice the Largemouth/Spot in the picture. Although I looked at it several times and thought it just wasn't quite right.

I will read them when I get the chance, but that doesn't explain why you would want to put the spots on the chopping block. Have you ever caught a 3 or 4 pound kentucky on a topwater bait. They are great fighters and I don't think I could get behind your proposals at thier expense. As far as the rest of it, I'm skeptical that we would see anything better than what already exists. Stockton and Table Rock are known all across the country, if not the world, for being great fisheries. For the climate that we have here, it would be extremely hard to introduce another strain that would benefit what we already have. After the big fish kill a few years back, the lakes are finally coming back. I think if we would just give it a little time you might see that these drastic ( IMO ) changes would be of no more use than introducing Triploids in to Taneycomo.

... Roaring River and Tim are synonomous. He's a great guy who really knows trout.

Walcrabass, when did the Kentuckies become a problem on Missouri lakes? I know and understand the situation on the streams on the eastern side of the state, but have never heard of anything like this on our big lakes. I've not even heard any complaints from any of the guides that the Kentuckies are taking over or causing any problems. If you have any proof of this I would like to see it. As far as I'm concerned, there is a place for them right along side largemouth and smallmouth in the lakes.

That's a bad deal. I'm sorry for the family. I spoke to my son today and he knew the older boy who survived, but didn't know the boy that died.

http://local.yahoo.com/results;_ylt=ArX8EAU8WSzmrOd_XiX307WHNcIF;_ylv=3?p=The+Undercliff&csz=Tipton+Ford%2CMissouri+ Hey Brian. Go to " Get Directions" and type in your address, this should show you a map to the Undercliff. I'm not sure, but you might be able to talk to the owners about a day pass to fish the property. You'll just have to call them or go in and ask. This week is probably shot with the water the way it is, but it should clear up sometime soon. I usually fish mainly jigs and spinnerbaits, and haven't seen any topwater yet. It should heat up pretty soon if the rain doesn't hit us like it has in the last few years. There are some good places around the campground that hold fish if you can get in there. I saw a couple of guys fishing there a couple of weeks ago.

Nice fish. I bet they were both excited when that fish hit.

Be sure you fish the deep water below the low water bridge. There were still a couple in there Wednesday. If you don't have waders it might be a little tough to get to some of the places that still hold fish. Don't get me wrong there are still a lot of fish left, you just have to get off the badly beaten path to find them. Like jtram said, work the moving water thoroughly. I fished Hickory today and sometimes didn't get a hit until the third or fourth drift. Zebra Midges worked for me today and have been working for the last few trips. If you need more info just PM me and I'll try to help.

From what I've found out about the Golden Rainbow trout, it is a true rainbow but with a naturally occurring mutant gene. It was first found in a hatchery on the east coast back in the 40's or 50's ( I'd have to dig up my references to be sure) and has since been grown as it is. There is a hatchery caled Crystal Rivers over near Ava, MO that grows them still. They are funky looking and a pretty easy meal for a predator, but to my knowledge they weren't created in a lab. Now, what they've done since is a different story. Edit: here is a link to some info http://www.fish.state.pa.us/images/pages/qa/fish/trout_golden.htm

Those fish are definitley Golden Rainbow Trout, not palominos. I have an 8 pound male hanging on my wall that was verified by an MDC biologist. I have a picture of it on my profile page.

Nice fish Jiggg. I caught one similar to the big one at another wild trout stream. It's really hard to tell how these fish came to be in some of these streams. From what I know, some were private stockings and others were escapees of hatcheries. Either way, it's great that these fish have survived and flourished in our state. Just keep the secret.