Randall

Or a late night visit... I went out sunday with about the same results, 2 rainbows at the back of Coot. Took the girl out and she caught her first trout, so the day was pretty okay.

If its the one I'm thinking of its also called a "shad daddy." Here's a link to the recipe: http://www.taneycomotrout.com/howtotieshaddaddy.html Its pretty easy to tie and looks super effective for the shad kill.

When it warms up... its just been too cold lately to justify spending a day out there.

If I'm thinking right bout where they placed them, get a streamer down by those root wads and see it there isn't a little piggy hiding out in there.

Cool. Guess I'll have to fish it this spring or summer to see.

What did the water look like? Was it a little off color or real clear? Try PM-ing "Lilley" about uploading pics.

I didn't see anything when I was there in November. I'd like to see em do something about all the mini ponds, like shallow them up with gravel. Some of that water is good for streamers or spinners and bait but all the weeds and slow water is not what I look for in a trout stream.

OTF and Nortrad covered the bases pretty well. Probably not as relevant now, but when the river is up and a little off color the streamer bite is pretty good.

I've got a lot more spinning gear than flyfishing when it comes to hybrids. I generaly throw soft plastics like sassy shad and wildeye minnows at places like Blue Springs and the Truman tailwater. I tied up a bunch of big clousers and I've got a few crease flies and gummy minnows for the flyrod. Haven't had a chance to use them yet though. What I was kind of thinking was that some of the streams that feed the local lakes holding hybrids might see spawn runs. I imagine I'll be going to Reed at some point this spring... might head over to the Kansas side and chase em there too. Warm weather can't come soon enough.

I've been searching around for places near Kansas City to hit the hybrids with a fly rod. I fished Blue Springs lake at the Jacomo spillway last year with spinning gear and did okay. Where else besides B.S. and James A. Reed are hybrids stocked and are there any streams they move into to spawn? I've got the gear, I just need some place close that I can throw it.

I bought a Professional blank from TFO a few weeks ago and when I started placing the guides on the tip section I noticed that that section was not straight. The lower three sections are straight, but the tip winds sort of like a tree branch. Is that normal for the Professional Series or should I get ahold of TFO and trade it out? I have been really pleased with everything I've used from TFO and was really surprised to see the tip shaped like it is.

I probably should fish more topwater because the takes are exciting but I generally throw clousers and other streamers when I fish for bass with pretty good results. I totally agree that fishing topwater bass bugs slow is more productive. Streamers on the other hand... I think that just kind of depends on some variable I have yet to identify. As for the bamboo... not a huge fan. I've only cast a few in parking lots but I didn't really like how they felt... they just felt too soft. They sure do look pretty though.

When do the Walleyes really start to turn on? I only ever caught one and that was while fishing for hybrids in '08. I've seen guys just catching the fire out of em and I just couldn't figure it out.

Legal scholar... that might be the least offensive thing I've been referred to as in a while. I probably should go ahead and say that I am not qualified to provide a legal opinion and any statement I make should not be relied on in any manner. Later.

Gavin, I like you so don't take this the wrong way. The language describing the fishing methods used is permissive which means that anything not listed is not going to be legal (for instance trot-lining). You were right on point there. Your interpretation of "Flies only" is creative and reasonable. However, that phrase may also be interpreted as referring to the variety of flies that may be used or to refer to the number of fishermen expected to be fishing at any given hour allowed. I agree that the use of "single fly only" clears the matter up, but the regulation does not currently say that. It would also be much more clear if the legislative intent was to permit the use of droppers to add a provision for that which would read something along the lines of, "any number of flies may be attached to the terminal end of the line so long as each individual fly is attached such that the distance between any two flies is not less than six inches." But now we would have the issue of wind knots causing a tangled mess and creating a potential (albeit faint) for criminal liability.

Now the question I have is where does the 6 inch language come from? Then regarding the 33 droppers, where is that language? I'm curious because an incorrect affirmative representation by law enforcement is not a defense if you are in violation of the regs.

I'd say that's about where the colder water from the river is really mixing with the warmer park water, not to mention the snowmelt. Either way, I'm jealous. I know I understand that. I'd also have a hard time calling the law on a father-son outing barring a pretty egregious offense. Kind of a tough one; maybe if I was completely sure, I'd advise them of the rules. I say you probably did the right thing.

I tend to agree with jd. If at Bennet and Roaring, where the same regs are applied, droppers are legal, it may be that droppers do not legally add a second hook point. On the other hand, it may be that the agents at those parks interpret the law that way and agents elsewhere may not. Let us know what the agent says.

Right on... well come late March or April I think I'll be going out there on the weekends to start getting a feel for the area. Anybody wants to go just give me a shout.

How far down from the park? I wonder if the water wasn't just too cold for them to feed actively from snowmelt or something. If nothing else I imagine it was a nice break from not being able to fish.

How often do you go after them? I really want to get out there this spring after the disappointment I had at the Jacomo spillway last year.

Man you got some cajones. There's no way I'd be anywhere near the water when there's a "-" in the temperature.

I thought they closed that place. Did they re-open it?

Interesting... Why would a person do such a thing though? I occasionally enjoy disappearing for a couple days or so when the mood strikes but thirty years? Interesting.

So if they postpone it for a week I can go... think they'll go for it?