Chief Grey Bear

Live bait or natural bait if you will, is certainly not unethical. Now Powerbait or corn, that is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I won't use them but that is me. And I will not cast a finger at anyone that does. Unless they are on a stream that is above White Ribbon status.

Don't leave out the Lazy Ike. For anyone wanting to start using some old school baits, you can find these on the cheap and they work like the dickens! Talk about a wobble, you can't get a bigger wobble. And talk about some classic colors? Wow man!

That is right eric. Over the last few years I have grown fond of the nostalgia of useing the older plugs and even rods. I guess it is like somebody fixing up an old car and driving it. It looks good and it is funner than hell doing it and you will get some looks. Thanks Gavin! Skirts are about the best thing you can do for a crankbait. I have always put all my skirts on the front hook. I learned that from my dad as a very young river rat. I just grew up thinking that is where they were supposed to go. It wasn't until later in life that I saw everyone else was putting them on the back. Well Tim, once again they have quit making them. All the better though, I didn't like the paint schemes. You may be able to go to your local bait shop and still find some. If not you might look at Ebay. But expect to pay for it. It is hard to find one for less than $10. I still pick up a few there but I spend a lot of time watching it. I just have a few colors that I am looking for so I am camped out for awhile! Glad to see you key in on them. I don't think anybody use them anymore. I love them. I like them better than a wart. These babies produce fish!!!! Lots of fish and big fish!!!! Ahh eric, you are missing a lot of fun using them old babies! I understand brownieman's point in that, yes, they are collectable. But as Buzz can attest to, I don't loose these babies! For any reason. I am not saying I don't get hung up but he has seen me do some pretty crazy things to get them back. Then only up to date equipment that I use is really my reels. I really like that technology!

Well you should be ok KC, I took these on the breakfast table. Now what the heck are you doing walking on the furniture? Looks like a lot of crap but, I carry it in four Plano 3750's.

I will tell you guy's a couple of mod's that I like to do. I figure that is what this place is for. I will tell just about anything short of where I was. One I like to do is add gold hooks when I break one or just change them out for one reason or another. I don't know if it really helps but I like to think it does. I usually only do it on the rear hook. Another one I used to do to crankbaits was to take some colored pipe cleaner and wrap around the shank of the hook. I used to like to use orange or purple or a bright green. PC beat me to the punch but, here is most of what I like to carry. The only thing I didn't take a pic of was the soft plastics.

Good move getting the Barlow catalog. That was going to be my suggestion and Wayne hit it on the head.

That is where you have to be disciplined. I completely agree that it can become frustrating. But wait until you up the ante to 5 fish per plug. Now I don't do this every time I go floating, but I do it quite a bit. I usually save this for the better days. That is also why I carry 4 rods. Another thing I like to do is when the fish are biting and I catch a few on a certain plug, I will change to a different color of the same plug. It can be interesting to see how many colors you can use and still catch fish.

Here is a little game for ya. My dad got me started on this. Well I don't practice it much as he does. But as I get older and I have many more bass under my belt, it provides a new challenge to it. Start out with what works for you. Like you said, we all have a fav that we always rely on to catch them. So go ahead and start with that. After you catch one, switch. Put on a different bait. You can't switch again until you catch another one. At times this will make you fish your butt off. Other times you will be switching quite often. You can learn alot about the habits of bass doing this.

Now Al, I know you haven't fished Hickory. Otherwise it would be at the top or your list. Like it is mine!

Thanks for the heads up. Looks like Buzz and I have Crane trip on our schedule coming up in a few weeks. Maybe we can meet up over there and do a little fishing and BS'ing?

One MDC restriction on stocking your pond is that it must be at least 8 ft deep.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=...rds&spell=1 Here are the results from Google. I haven't looked at any of them. Hope this helps.

First let me say thank you for asking my opinion. I do appreciate it. Personally, I say dump all the political post. In my opinion they cause undue hard feelings against some. And do we even really know the person? Al makes a great point too. But, in reality I don't see it ever happening. I wish we could though. How may times has it been said to use facts and not conservative talking points or FOX News. Ok, well maybe FOX News wasn't really pointed out but it should be. I would also say that it seems the majority here, that do a fair amount of posting, don't want the political postings. I guess the democratic thing to do would be to post a poll. And stick to the results. I have told myself that I am not going to get in on these post anymore but, like eric, I never seem to be able to stay out. And that is my fault.

I will address your last sentence first. I sure don't. I know we are on the same team. I just research before for I jump on the finger pointing band wagon. As for the first part of what I quoted, I offer the following. I found it while looking for something else the other day. I don't know how anyone could make the assumpiton that this admin is anti outdoors. http://www.newwest.net/main/article/parks_...e_get_stimulus/ Fortunately, he added, several of those measures were included in the final bill passed by Congress. The press release included the following examples: $375 million for restoration of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, the nation’s largest recreational fishery. $280 million for the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service for refuge operations and maintenance and $165 million for resource management. $230 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s operations, research and facilities. $500 million for USDA Forest Service wildland fire management efforts. $27.5 billion investment in highway infrastructure includes set asides for park roads, parkways, forest highways and refuge roads. $290 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s watershed and flood prevention operations. $125 million for the Bureau of Land Management for projects including abandoned mine and well site remediation, road and trail maintenance, watershed improvement and high priority habitat restoration.

Just give it a few days and it will be back to normal. No it won't wash the fish down. Now some of this years hatch, I am sure some of them get moved on down but the old timers, they will still be there.

With out a doubt bman! One would be surpised at the size of forage that predetor fish consume. If it will fit into their mouth, they will eat it! Did you see the photo in my other "Down the hatch" photo? If not, take a look at the size of the pincher sticking out of that brownies throat! That craw must have been half the size of the fish! And he still wasn't done, he took my crankbait too!

I sure do. That Chicken Little tidbit is nothing more than a membership drive. Same thing the NRA does every four years. I haven't heard a word out of them since Jan. 20. Members don't either except for the propaganda mag they send out. Lets be truthful here, the only reason this post and the one below(that is locked up now) are still here as with a couple of others, is that they are to bash the current admin. Nobody is being fooled.

That looked like it was written by the fishing branch of the NRA. I really liked that after reading all of that propaganda, there was convenient link to join B.A.S.S. How ironic.

Well I am not for sure. Since this was a brownie, I thought for sure it was a Kentucky. Seriously though I believe it to be either a Creek Chub or a Central Stoneroller. It is really hard to say. There is not much to go on there.

I snuck in a little fishing Wednesday, thinking it would be the last good day for fishing for a while due to the weather reports of what was coming. I was right about one thing, it was the last great day to fish. I don't think the fish had the same thought. I floated a section that I really don't like and it reminded me again just why. It SUCKS! I should have hit a different section but, didn't think about it until it was too late. Anyway, the reason for this post is the following photo. I just thought you guy's my like it. I also snapped this photo, basically, because I didn't have anything esle to take a pic of. I almost got to get a photo of a coyote. I looked down stream and he was watching me. I went for the camera and before I could get it focused, he left. Oh well. But hey, here comes another one. He froze in his tracks and looked at where the other one had gone and then looked at me and vanished. Anyway, enjoy.

Thanks again eric. We didn't get to weigh her but I did measure her and she is 19 3/4. For a creek bass, that is just huge in my opinion. One thing I noticed about her was that she sunken eyes. They looked to be sucked back into the sockets. I think this must be a sign that she is very old. Maybe not. That is my thought though. Maybe Al will see this and lend us his thought. I know it is near autumn and the leaves are falling but, I wouldn't put those crankbaits away yet. They are still working there magic.

Thanks for the comments guy's. It is a real pleasure to read them. Like Buzz said, we thought it was going to be a very tough day due to the weather patterns we had over the last few days. I really thought they would be holding very tight to cover and would have to be bonked in the head to garner a strike. That was not the case at all. These fish were definitely in a feeding pattern. The water was so clear that we could see the chase. There is nothing quite like witnessing a bass chase your plug as you roll it over the top of a submerged log and it dives back down. That is what Ozark river fishing is about! Usually when I am floating, I usually have my rod tip in the water when my plug gets close. I can't tell you the number of fish I have caught by having my plug in the water just that last little bit. Most of those strikes come with barely two foot of line left to reel in. I think it drives Buzz nuts when I do that! But it sure will increase your catch ratio. It never did really warm up this day. It would be cloudy, then sunny, then clouds then sun. And the wind. Jeeze the wind. Other than rain, it was about the worst fishing conditions you could ask for, but as it turned out, it was just another typical day on a creek in the wonderful Ozarks of SWMO!

I am confused. Who is Bucks Hot Dad?

Looks like I posted some bogus information. The 147 I spoke of is not $380 but $480. And it doesn't have have the 3rd seat either. But I can tell you that Dlylan, Buzz and I have floated many times in a 12 ft. jon and a 15 ft. canoe without any problems. You just have to watch your casting a little. But you will have to do that anyway.

Well, here we go again. I will agree that aluminum has no business being formed into a canoe. But fiberglass? There is nothing wrong with that choice. If fact it does have at least on positive about it that all other materials don't. It is a snap to patch if you put a hole in it or you simply wear out the bottom floating over riffles. I grew up in a fiberglass canoe and now also own a royalex canoe. I will readily admit that fiberglass can be a little heavier but not all the time. Buzz has fiberglass canoe that I think may be lighter than my royalex. I am not big on the Coleman type of plastic canoes. I have seen a lot of them and the bottom seems to have a problem warping and being very wavy. A royalex canoe will pop out and be like new. It really boils down to how much you want to spend. Like was stated, go to Craig's list. You can narrow you search by typing in canoe. Watch the list religiously! I mean every evening! If you see one you may want, you better contact right then! Or you will be left behind. I played that game this summer. KCRIVERRAT did too and you most likely wont get the first few you look at. They move that fast. Hopefully being this time of year, things have slowed and you get one. If you do go by the list, have them send you lots of photos and ask lots of questions! Academy has a Old Town 147 for about $380. It has the third seat and some cool molded in seat backers that fold down. Could be a great first canoe! Some will argue that is a little short and though it would be tough to disagree, I think it would be ok. You can't carry a bunch of stuff if you have both boys with you but, chances are you are floating for the day and not going on a 2 day overnight trip. So I would say you would be ok.