brownieman

I'll be curious myself...have always wondered what would happen if one of these guys stepped out of the fake into the real world. Will make a huge difference, not being able to practice before hand for your match and someone seriously trying to put the hurt on you instead of just putting on a show...will be interesting to ay the least. I hope they don't let them use metal chairs, trash cans and tables, lol. bm

That's pretty good DD, ...made me think back, my dad used to have some old cane poles in his garage...remember they were longer than the car and he had a sled...old poles were probably 20' or so. I used to tie a piece of braided line off one of dads old baitcasters on the end of the cane pole and whip it back and forth like a fly rod to catch bluegill in a pond by our house...sure was fun trying to lay the line out on the water, sure was fun period...would this be considered youth hillbilly fly fishing, lol...whatever, some things never change. Thanks for joggin a good old memory... bm

I agree Jerod, Any hobby these days is expensive...just the fuel to get to the fishin hole hurts enouph, lol. I can't begin to total up the value of fishing stuff I have but with all I have I really use the same few things. Seems I have bought it all from cheap stuff to, well...high dollar stuff to me. I believe it's wise to really buy gear and equipment that will fill your needs sufficiently. Alot of money can be spent just figuring out what you like and works for you. To be honest I probably don't use 10% of my stuff...i think most have their 'go to stuff', I know I do. I could probably sell most of what I have and on the water never miss it. It would be wise to talk with someone who knows and does the kind of fishing you want to get into...may be less expensive in the long run and keep your investment at a minimum. bm

I have caught free flowing females on the current several times...upon landing the fish the eggs are literally dumping from the fish. it's always been debatable...probably always will be. bm

You're right on thom, It's nice to have good equipment but cheap stuff will catch fish too. I feel the experience of the fisherman plays a much bigger roll than the equipment. You can have a thousand dollars worth of junk hanging all over you and if you are not a skilled fisherman it makes little difference...guess it sure makes you look good though, lol. So many times i have seen guys standing in the water right where the fish feed...don't understand why some feel they have to be out in the water so far with the exception of casting room. IMO one is better off staying on the bank when possible and keeping a low profile...the big fish are very sensitive to movement in and out of the water...they don't get big from being stupid. When fishing we are in their environment...definately puts us at a disadvantage with the exception being the trout parks...the fish there are used to people...when they are in the rearing pools they are the only fish I know of that actually come to people in the hopes of a meal...whether it be a rock or a pellet, lol. bm

Really is a shame...winter fishing can be very dangerous for numerous reasons. I have had several close calls over the years in frigid weather and being by myself miles from my rig...been very lucky. I am hesitant to go like I used to in frigid weather because I'm not as sure footed as I used to be. Once i slipped on a rootwad and dis-located my knee about 2 miles from my rig by myself...if it would have been frigid weather i don't know if I would have made it back to my rig or not...was close enouph for me and taught me a lesson. I always try to fish with a friend if it's very cold...just one mistake can be life threatening. At least this man left this old world doing something he apparantly loved...i can think of much worse ways to go. Regards to his family and friends and we all need to take extra care when on the water especially in cold weather. bm

I hate to hear the St. Francis walleye efforts may not be taking. I knew hatchery staff involved directly with the efforts. The females used were shocked below Clearwater dam, the largest taken being 17 lbs. and several in the 8 to 12 lb. range and numerous smaller fish from what I saw and was told. These fish were tranfered to a hatchery where the egg stripping process took place. IMO you can't rush or interveen on mother nature. These females were injected with a hormone (HCG) if memory serves me right thought to speed up the fertility of maturing the eggs which were extracted from the fish with a pipet and scoped out frequently for progress of egg fertility. Sperm was taken from numerous males to achieve genetic diversity during the spawning process. It was a good honest effort by the mdc to re-establish a population that had dwindled over the years. Most of the huge females never made it back to the water due to the handling and damage incured by stripping the eggs...walleye are much more delicate than one would think and do not take handling well resulting in the death of the fish. A few spawns were successful and hatchery ponds set with the fry. These ponds were fertilized and sufficient plankton blooms were present when the fry were put in the ponds. Walleye are a very difficult species to raise, the fry depend on the zoo plankton blooms present in the ponds for a food source...plankton samples have to be taken daily to ensure the fish have a sufficient food source...if the bloom begins to diminish the pond must be harvested quickly and the fish must be stocked as soon as possible or very small minnow fry put in the ponds for forage...if this is not possible the entire pond will be lost in a matter of just a few days. Walleye are highly cannibalistic and will turn on each other for food which results in death to both the cannibal and the prey in most cases. Walleye are very light, sound, just amazingly sensitive to their surroundings. Hatchery staff told me some intensive tanks were lost for reasons unexplainable by the slightest things...tanks would just go haywire for no apparant reason, the fish would just swirl frantically, gills blow open and the entire tank would perish. No good reason was ever figured out for this behavior. Other hatcheries in other states had experienced the same problems for no explainable reason. Whether in transport tanks, intensive tanks often there is no ryme or reason why walleye react in the manner they do...pretty much has always been a mystery. They are generally stocked at such a small size a small percentage reach adulthood imo. I was hoping the best for the efforts put into this project, Al you stated the jurys still out on the success of this...give a little update now and then with your opinion...I for one have always been hopeful and curious as to the results...I beleive you have said you have land along the St. Francis somewhere which puts you in a better position than most to see the results firsthand...a little update here and there would be appreciated. bm

IMO, If the truth were known these educated idiots probably just wanted a new boat, lol. I'd say if it were their boat more care would have been taken...it's nice to know that if you screw up the taxpayers will replace your boat...a luxury most of us do not enjoy. bm

River Runner, Smallie fishing has never been real good on the upper streches of the Current for me anyway. In years past I have had some outstanding smallie trips from Round Springs down. IMO the water temps play a big part in where the smallies live. We used to float from round springs down to Doniphan and catch good numbers of smallies and some real quality fish. Two Rivers is the confluence of the Jacks Fork and Current...seems that strech has always been good due to the warmer water temps...not that I have not caught a good one here and there on the upper parts just not very many. We always used jigs we made with jig hooks and a 4 1/2 inch purple creme worm and gitzits...we literally caught the tar out of them. I have not fished the lower streches for several years now but friends tell me it's still decent. I would have to say some of my very best smallie trips have been on Sinkin Creek in years past, dumps in the Current just above round springs. A guy used to be able to put in at the sinks and float down to the bridge next to the current but now the private landowners do their best to keep anyone run out of there. I have caught amazing numbers of huge smallies on sinkin in years past...can't even tell you how many 4 lbers we have caught and some larger...we caught a few i know would push 6 lbs, amazing trips...bar none the best i've ever had. I have never seen this but I hear from the locals that alot of smallies fall to guys using spearguns on the sinkin...pisses me off to no end, if thats considered fishing by some give me a break...about as unethical as it gets...there are far too many stricktly out for meat these days by whatever method it takes. smallies have such a slow growth rate I guess some don't realize and some just don't care. As I've said before smallies are pretty much on their own, to my knowledge no hatcheries in the state make any attempts to raise smallies, someone correct me if i'm wrong. To me pound for pound they are the hardest fighting fish there is in Mo. anyway...don't get much better than having a nice one on and 2 or 3 more come up with the one you have hooked, talk about a pump...don't get no better in my book. If more ethics were shown by fisherman and catch and release practiced by more would help more than anything instead of catch and eat...oh well, all I can do is my part and only hope the smallie population can sustain themselves. bm

glad no one was injured...doesn't surprise me though, apparantly they missed safe boat operating class...more tax dollars sunk, sure hope it doesn't put the dept in a financial bind.

I grew up on the big Piney which is where i learned to fish. The past 40 years I have mainly fished small private lakes and the Current. The current has declined so much in recent years it's disappointing. The trophy waters need help...the new regs have done little imo except piss the locals off...money seems to take presidence over the fishery. If a tree falls in the river which would help create good habitat it is cut out to cater to the canoe traffic...seems as if the almighty buck always wins out. The mdc does their own sampling and draws their own results, don't fool yourself if anyone thinks they are going to gig themselves or stick a feather in their hat, think again. The fishery should be the main concern not whether a few drunken canoes turn over...the Current has turned into a complete freak parade during the summer months, just a big party for most with little regard for anything to do with the health of the river. With the low water level in recent years the upper strech is so small i would like to see canoes, at least rentals, not allowed on that strech. Keeping the rental canoes off would cut the amount of traffic down dramatically but we are talking big money to a few influental interests. There is plenty of river from Cedar Grove down and there are no longer any rentals close to the upper strech...imo this would help the fishery tremendously but I just don't see it happening. The hatchery on the headwaters does enouph damage itself by flushing the raceways directly into the river and the campground septic pool has a pipe that drains straight into the river just below the park. This is supposed to be monitored by water samples, whether you disagree or not I will never think this can be good for the water quality...far too much fertility which would not exist if this were not the case. The hatchery used to pump the raceways out instead of flushing them into the river...this method was abandoned years ago and needs to be implemented again. I would say few have spent more time on the Current than myself with the exception of the last 4 or 5 years...these are just observations and my opinion for whatever it's worth. bm

Dano, Since joining this site I have never been able to send pm's...have always been able to receive pm's but never been able to send one...attribute it to being a computer moron, lol. bm

I've tried many different gloves over the years because the bulk of my fishing is in the winter months. I always go back to the wool gloves with the mitten pullovers. I have always tried to reach down and release fish with a long pair of needle nose pliers and avoid getting my hands in the water. When it's 10 degrees, rod eyes freezing up almost every cast my hands get cold regardless. I have to have my index finger uncovered or have never been able to cast well. Wool itself seems to retain a little heating quality even when damp or wet where as nothing else I've used has. I have built many a little fire on the banks to thaw my hands out...have built a few bigger fires also to thaw out a friend after taking a dip in the cold...can be dangerous to say the least. The action of casting always ups the wind chill factor on your hands and rod. I'm surprised someone has not manufactured heated rods with a circuit running the length of the rod that heats the eyes and possibly even the handle...would be great for winter fisherman. If there is such a rod I have never seen one and would be glad to own one...dipping your rod in the water every cast sure gets old but it beats fishing amoung the crowds, seems frigid weather beats most off the water and with good reason. bm

Thanks for the info CC, My old M-1 is all original, wooden stock and the original clip...pretty darn good shape considering the age and nothing on the gun has ever been refurbished...have considered refinishing the stock several times but have been hesitant to do so just because I like the idea of the old gun being in original condition. Have never had any idea of the worth of the gun...matters not would be like pulling teeth for me to give it up, lol...I still can't believe the gun has any power left at all considering how much it has been shot...as most things there was much better quality back in days past. Thanks again for the info. bm

good read CC, made me dig my old gun out, first one i had...can't find a date on it but I received it for Christmas probably around 1960, 62...somewhere in there. Only info i can find on the gun is on the barrel...Crossman Arms Co. Inc, Fairport N.Y. USA, M-1 Carbine BB Air Rifle. The barrel jacks straight down into the stock one time to cock it, nice adjustable peep sights...little lever slides open a small hole on the top of the gun and bb's are fed one at a time into it, probably holds 20 or so. The clip on the bottom of the gun holds spare bb's. I can't even imagine how many shots the old gun has fired...my grandson and I still shoot it. When new for a one pumper the gun shot pretty hard...still is accurate...doesn't have near the punch,you can see the BB but considering it still shoots well. Are you familiar with the old gun? bm

Al, you mentioned the smallie shortage. This is what the local opinion was and my father felt the same. I grew up in Cabool and the Piney was where I pretty much learned fishing. My father and I have continued fishing the piney over the years. He has always gone to Simmons Ford, always been his favorite until recent years. In years past it was nothing to catch allot of smallies,few nice ones but always a bunch of 10, 12 inchers. The last couple of times he fished it he caught very few, 6,8 fish where it used to be 30 or 40...back then generally lost count. During super low water the local farmers ponds were being worked on also they said...most blamed the otters. The river is small on the upper strech and most thought it was the otters working it over hard. I don't know for a fact about the ponds but I did experience catching very few fish where I used to have great trips...no such thing as a bad trip I'm just talking numbers of fish. Anymore my father and I float from 6 crossings to Riches, one of the few floats I know of where the spot is shorter than the float. I don't catch near the number or quality of fish on that strech as in the past and it is the so called trophy area. Almost every time I have floated the piney I see guys just keeping whatever they want...this is probably part of the problem, I'm sure their are several fish stuck intentional or not due to the water clarity of the Piney...several factors I reckon. The Piney has always been an excellent smallie river but I have watched the numbers take a real decline over the years. I just hope the smallies have the staying power because they don't get much help these days...they have always been my favorite fish to catch. JMO, but I feel that if smallies generated the revenue that trout did they would get much more attention but I don't see that happening...they are kinda on their own, best of luck to em, they sure are a neat fish...just hope there will be some around for my grandson, besides on a video game, lol. bm

A little more emphasis placed on walleye would be nice...most walleye are stocked at such a small size most end up as forage...a small percentage make it to adult hood. Yellow perch would be the only non threatening species due to their small size...kind of a unique fish also. Any serious consideration of introducing any species to any non native water should be well thought out...if there is such a thing these days, lol. My one cents worth bm

Good thoughts hoover, They actually feed on phyto and zooplankton?...most species after swim up depend on ample amounts of zooplankton as their food source phytoplankton being of little nutritional value. Considering that, they indeed could be detramental to fry and a few species that rely on them as their food source, spoonbill for one. Plankton blooms can also affect 02 levels...a bad phytobloom can increase 02 levels upwards of 12 ppm or higher and any attempt to correct or kill a phytobloom can end up with a fish kill due to the decaying bloom depleting 02 levels...in smaller settings this can happen very rapidly...don't know how this would relate to larger lakes. Just found your comments interesting for I have seen little concerning aquaculture that gets much of anything beneficial from phytoplankton unless you like a green nasty discoloration of your pond. thanks for the info bm

I have to agree with brian...Taney is an excellent fishery if you don't mind standing behind a giant cement wall surrounded by fisherman...a totally un-natural setting but plenty of fish and people. As far as the total experience of fishing a natural stream the NF is a beautiful river...depends on your personal preference. Fishing what 'The Creator' has given us or fishing what man has made for us...for the sheer enjoyment of becoming "One with Nature" so to speak the choice to me is obvious...I'll take the seclusion as opposed to the crowds, but that's just my preference...kids tend to shed a different light on choices we make. bm

Gavin, what days are you planning on floating and what strech of river and approx. where are you planning on spending the night on the river...just curious...i may try to come down and hook up with you depending on your plans...always glad to meet a fellow fisherman but do not want to intrude so to speak. bm

From my experience it may have put a slight quick rise and give the water a little color at best but is short lived. Until the current watershed receives prolonged soaking rains to help re-charge the springs feeding the river water levels will continue to decline. The springs by volume are putting about half what has been historically recorded...been this way for several years now. The lower on the river you go the more affect the rains have concerning run off and feeder creeks. bm

I always used an ammo box with whatever needed to be kept dry inside in a couple of ziplock baggies tied in my boat...like pat said, a bucket works good, along with bags in it just more bulky...the ammo boxes lid snaps down very secure. Companies that have products that do not work in the fashion described should imo have no problem extending both an apopogy and make good for any damage and expense incured from their products failure...post up the response you receive from them...since you have proof I will be curious as to their response. Glad you have proof...bet they are not so glad, lol. bm

Use the indirect cooking method...place them on the grill and cook over indirect heat approx. 7 minutes per side. this applies to 10-12" trout. Cooking time depends a little on the size of fish. hope this helps bm

I have used light...by using the wet spot on your clothing mark the outside and use a flashlight in a dark room from the inside of the waders. If you can't pinpoint the leak just spread silicone or whatever over the entire area where the leak is at. Sometimes those small holes are next to impossible to find. bm