brownieman

Wrench, Give me a holler dangit...I'm starting to believe you don't want me over there tearing there lips off with my infamous streamers. I'm feelin kinda left out...don't you feel bad now, lol. later on

Laker, When and where you gonna be...the only outlet on the Current is from the sewage lagoon just below the park, lol. Fishin should be good, weather and water are fine right IMO. Oh yeah...there is one more outlet in the park itself...where the rearing pools dump tons of crap in the headwaters to one of the nicest streams in the midwest...makes little sense to me, may as well have a pig farm directly at the head of the watershed. Dangit...there I go again, lol...JMO. later on

OTF, All this depends on the accuracy and reliability of the MDC results. The bioligists doing the shocking compile their own data, draw their own results and put whatever they please on paper and no-one questions it. I know often times the bioligists that are in charge of certain bodies of water live no where near it and spend little actual time on it...but they are the experts...what the heck do I know, I just walk up and down the river a lot Guess it depends on how much faith you have in the 'Powers That Be'...ya know. later on

Stickbaits, cranks, flies, whatever...match the hatch. IMO live shad are the very best...if you don't fish bait duplicate it best you can. I've experimented somewhat on giving artificials scent...if it's not live would be nice if it would at least smell like it is, ya know. later on

That's a decent looking fish. Has it's fins and some skin left on it's nose, lol. Appears it may not be a worn out old brood stocker which is what the bulk of the so called 'Lunkers' are in the parks. Did it put up a decent fight ?...generally a tell tale sign. later on

A guys last name so I take it no. He used to be the hatchery manager at Meremac. later

No offense meant here so please don't jump all over me. The times I have been to Taney there are so many people packed around those outlets it looks like opening day at Montauk...just not my kind of fishin. I'd rather catch a fish that has been raised to stay away from people rather than come to them...their food source considered here, pellet fish ya know. Just doesn't seem right when the fish don't spook. Not sayin it's not fishin just not my bag. A good day on the river to me is seeing absolutaly no-one and the fish spook at the hint of a fisherman. JMHO...generally not worth much, lol later on

joeD, Are we talkin Doak ?? later on

joeD, just curious...what's Skip know. bm

Seems like the harder it is on us the better for them and visa versa. Unfortunately some rivers cater to the canoe traffic, whatever?? I do know where you're comin from about logjams, a few are ok but enouph is enouph. Pretty fish...nice to see a wooden paddle, makes for a much better picture. later on bm

Appears you had a good day...kinda hard to beat. IMO smallies definately have to be my all time favorite fish...absolutaly terrible eatin though best I remember. The rivers overall look better for this time of year than I've seen for several years. Glad to hear you had to portage around a couple of logjams...wish they would leave some of those on the Current. Glad you had a good day... later on bm

The single best thing I've ever done to a plug. I don't sight fish but do like to see my plug, fast water, murkey water...Sometimes a fish will roll on it deep and if you can't see exactly where your plug is you won't see him cause chances are, if you make the same cast you'll nail em. I mask off and paint a chart. stripe right down the middle of the back the length of the whole plug...just a narrow line down the back and it's amazing how much better you can keep an eye on it. This has definately helped me more than anytning else I can think of. later on bm

Gavin, I used to use a rig identical to that on the lower Current for walleye...just parked it at the end of the riffles where the water breaks from shallow to deep. It is a good way to rig several baits, later on bm

That's a good lookin little 'Ozark Gem. good one dano bm

What works for me is use about a # 4, 6 hook or so, nothing tinsy and enouph split shot to bounce it off the bottom in fairly swirt water...just drift fish the riffles ya know, cast upstream and drift it down below you keeping your line tight as you can and keep it down. good luck...good thing about crawlers bows, browns, cuts...heck, almost any fish will eat a worm. later on bm

You are right smallie...years ago when I ran the river alot in my old long jon I had a few run in with folks. They cussed me for having a motor on the river and I was more than considerate. Half of em couldn't even steer a canoe and would ram my boat no matter how far to the side I got...then cuss me for being there...go figure. I bought a pistol and started hanging it right up in clear site on the front seat of the boat...it did indeed cut down on how many smart a$$ remarks I received...although I gotta admit, many times I just felt like welding 2 or 3 pitchforks to the front of my boat and just lettin er rip, lol. Quite comical really to see how some couples act when they start a float trip and how they grow to despise each other before the trip is over. I've seen some pretty wild stuff happen on a few gravel bars in my time, lol. I gotta laugh but it really is pathetic to say the least. later on bm

Sounds like a great time and seeing nobody...all the better. Isn't it amazing how much better anything cooked on a gravel bar tastes...I swear I could eat a dog turd on a gravel bar...on second thought, believe it would have to be burnt just right, lol. Good memories, good times...that's what it's all about. later on bm

Hey Wayne, You wanted to see one...here's the best I can do and you're right, they are/were a fish catching machine. The good ole days... later on bm

Nice to see a kid that age hold something besides a gameboy, lol. Like FF said...makes us all wish we could be a kid again...beautiful fish !! later on bm

Just my personal preference but I always use a 75 lb. rated chrome (black will work if chrome's not available) barrel swivel on any thing with the exception of bait fishing. For me it seems to keep the nose of the plug down a tad when you want to rip it, adds a little more flash in the water and I can run through every color I have without retying. I work the plug so fast in then water it seems to make no difference as far as fish hitting it. I always use a barrel swivel (no snaps) and pinch it shut good with my pliers before I throw it. I also think it helps somewhat with line twist with spinning tackle. I almost always replace the hooks on rapalas...have had too many hooks straightened out on them. One of the biggest trout I ever hooked was pulling so hard in swift water I finally turned him and using 15 lb. test thought I had him beat...not!!.. After holdin my own for what seemed forever (actually 30 seconds or so) it just popped off. When I reeled my plug in the fish actually tore the wire out of the body of the plug and the middle hook was gone. I tore the plug apart when I got home and found the wire inside the body of the plug is not a solid loop...there is a break in the wire between the middle and rear hook making that a weak spot. I like rapalas but they are not the most durable plug there is...I have a graveyard of them with broken bills, peeling paint, just various things. Anywayt, bla, bla...ramblin once again, just felt that plug cost me possibly the biggest trout I ever hooked...might have been a darn carp, lol...just wouldn't think so on a big minnow. later on bm

Never hurts to drown a crawler...just make sure you're legal. later on bm

When it comes to the rivers at least I feel I am an 'Educated Idiot", lol. Many years ago I had 3 buddies swimming at Cedar Grove put in the hospital by some 'idiots...they had words with a couple of canoes telling them to get out of their way...they thought, not too bad odds...3 of us, 4 of them so they promptly told the flatlanders where they could go, about that time the rest of the fraternity came around the bend of the river...one of my buddies ran (the smart one) and the other 2 ended up with their heads split open from boat paddles. Park rangers were waiting for them at Akers Ferry, guess they got in trouble but probably not near enouph. So there is one of my 'Drunken Idiot stories'...one of many unfortunately. later on bm

Just curious because when the MDC does their shocking they generally clip a piece of a fin off to mark the fish so they can tell if they hit the same fish twice while shocking the same area the second time. Just think they could find a better way to mark fish other than cutting a chunk of fin off, ya know. later on bm

Can't help but to ask Tkid, Did the fish you did catch seem to have their fins intact ?? Just curious... later on bm

Eric, On the bottom of the plug it says...'Heddon Crazy Crawler' I have a bunch of old Jitterbugs too.. I have the box to some plugs...not this one, dangit ! later bm