Monte Ray

Unfornately, this is the first I've heard of this and I've only taken the last few minutes to do some brief reading. I've been fishing for 35+ years and my life experience tells me that MDC does a better job than many of the states around us. I will gladly support MDC as well as keeping rules and regulations out of the hands of politicians. What are some key points/statements I should make when contacting my representative? - i.e. - do we oppose all parts of the bill(s) or just certain elements? Again, I haven't taken the time yet to read through everything thoroughly.

Web is right - it's not deep in that area. In fact most of the lake isn't very deep at all. Take a canoe out sometime and you'll be amazed at just how shallow it is and how often you can easily touch bottom with a paddle.

I heard the Beaver Creek Rec Area was closed - will it be possible to launch a boat there on Saturday? With the rain we are supposed to get tonight will it be worth a trip from Springfield on Saturday to try for some whites?

I've done some searching and haven't found much. I'm looking for some white bass reports in the area. I haven't fished for whites in about 15 years and I finally have the means to do so again. Any good links for reports? Thanks, Monte

I have a SOT kayak I used on the upper part of Taneycomo some this year. I bought a 3 lb claw style weight - can be used as a claw or folded up. DO NOT use any kind of anchor in moving water. Very slow current is ok but even 1 generator running would be enough to flip the yak. Tie up to a tree or something on the bank instead. If you anchor in moving water and the nose of the yak dips below the surface, the yak can flip very quickly and can then plane downward to the bottom - possibly with you attached. This was an issue I initially took very lightly but after reading some stories I've realized just how serious it is and how easily it can happen.

Once again - I'm a kayak newbie, but I've learned alot the past couple of months. I've had some lengthy discussions about kayak design with a couple of guys on other sites. Specifically about these 3 models. With the way SOT kayak fishing is expanding and the demand for river boats, I think we'll see some good river SOTs come out in the next several years. Our streams are rough on these boats and they won't last forever. Hopefully by the time mine is ready to be replaced we'll have some river specific models to look at. I agree - the keels on all 3 of these boats are more than we should have to deal with for river use. Keels are great for beginners or lazy paddlers though!

Thought I'd chime in on this since I just got an anchor for my SOT. I have a 3 lb anchor that folds out with 25' of line. I used it on Taneycomo last weekend - with no generators running. Worked out very well. I just tie it to 1 of my side handles and adjust the length as necessary. Anchoring in moving water is very dangerous - if water comes over the top it can easily flip the yak and the current will cause the kayak to plane to the bottom.

I got a Camelbak HAWG in 2006. I mostly use it for hiking but I used it a few times while wading some creeks this year. I really like using it. Very comfortable on my back and I can attach a few things to the front straps - clippers, etc. I can carry up to 3 liters of water - which stays nice and cold for hours with some ice. I picked it up on Ebay for about $50 I think. Lots of room for my tackle and other stuff if you wanted. I bring along a couple of energy bars, some camp sized TP, etc. I have an over the shoulder pouch I've been using for years but decided to try out my Camelbak this year because the pouch cuts into my shoulder too much and after 2 or 3 hours, my shoulder really hurts. The Camelbak totally elimated that. I haven't looked at the Fishpond packs - they might be alot better because they're made for fishing. I keep most of my tackle in Plano boxes and just grab what I need and toss them in my pack along with a couple of bags of soft plastics.

Ham - I will respond to the above comments. I'm not saying the Tarpon is a lesser boat - in fact, I think it is on par or superior to the Redfish and the MR in some areas. Also keep in mind these are only my newbie opinions and all based on what I've read (which is alot). The hatch with leakage problems on the Tarpon 120 I speak of is the middle hatch - refer to this link - http://www.wildernesssystems.com/tarpon-120 The old Manta Rays have a scupper hole directly under the seat - and that scupper is easily damaged. A guy on another board started having problems after just 40 river trips. The new 2008 Manta Ray under the Native name will not have that scupper hole - it has been removed (unless I heard incorrectly). The Tarpon and MR have more rocker than the Redfish and the MR has a more rounded hull as well - and it probably handles the best of the 3 boats. I find the seat on the Tarpon to be comfortable. I haven't been in a Tarpon but I have paddled a Synergy 12 - same type of seat. I simply prefer a removable seat like that of the Redfish. No rivets to hold the seat in and I can upgrade to a STS seat if I want. I'm not saying any of these 3 boats are better than the other. Each will perform well in lake or river setting, but each is a little stronger in some areas than the other. It's then up to the individual to make their decision. The performance differences in all of these boats are minor. It comes down to what an individual wants. However, I think these 3 boats are some of the best available SOT kayaks right now - for stream use. Some brands - such as Ocean Kayaks - have no business on our rocky streams, the scuppers on them just don't last very long. Here are the hull pictures. The keel on the Redfish is less pronounced but squares off at the rear while the MR has an angled keel. Manta Ray Redfish

Keep in mind I'm still a newbie in the kayak department, but I have learned alot the last few months. Yes I considered the WS Tarpon 120 and the now Native Manta Ray 12 (previously a Liquid Logic boat) before going with the Redfish. I've also paddled a Synergy 12 on TRL - and didn't like it, the front storage area filled with water too easily. I think the trade offs between a Redfish, Tarpon and Manta Ray are small - all 3 would have done what I wanted a kayak to do. Each might have been slightly better for 1 purpose than another. Beyond that - the features separate the boats. The Tarpon and Manta Ray have more rocker to them and while I haven't paddled them, I think they would handle a bit better. The Redfish 12 has a large piece of foam block running down the center of the boat - from the console area to just behind the seat. This helps support the weight of the paddler and takes pressure off of the scupper holes (the weakest part of the boat). I'm a big guy, so that was important to me. I also like the seat of the Redfish better. I can upgrade to a better seat easily. The Tarpon and MR both have seats that are riveted. Seats with rivets mean more holes in the boat and more places that could eventually leak. I've read about the center hatch of the Tarpon leaking water, some guys don't have a problem, but quite a few do, I just decided to avoide that issue altogether. The Manta Ray will be under the Native Watercraft line for 2008. The only thing changing is the seat - it will be like the Redfish seat. I had my kayak out on Taney for the first time last weekend. It worked out great. I fished from the launch near the hatchery down to Fall Creek.

I took them to Cow Creek for a Scouts campout in September - the largest wakes were not an issue for stability. I was curious about that myself, so I took the largest waves from every angle. Broadside was not a problem, water wouldn't come over the sides, the kayak just rolled with the waves, I never felt tippy. The center of gravity is quite low while in these boats. One advantage I like about these over canoes is that I don't feel as tippy nearly as quickly as I do while in a canoe. As I took a few big waves head on, some of them would crash over the bow, but they didn't present any sort of problem. Storing them is easy as well - they go on the wall in my garage.

I decided to get a sit on top (SOT) kayak this summer and I thought I'd post some pics on this board. I did quite a bit of research on them before I made a decision. I wanted a boat that would let me do river fishing and that I could take on lakes too. The boat is very stable and handles well. I use the rear tank well to stow my tackle and a cooler. I keep a small anchor, drift chute, and some other accessories in the front hatch. I have 1 rod holder up front and 2 behind the seat on either side of the small hatch. I find the seat to be comfortable and drains water well. I can sit side saddle with both feet in the water on 1 side of the kayak - very easy to fish like this or to access the rear storage. Here are some pics taken at Table Rock a few weeks back. The yellow is 10' and the sand color is 12'. These were taken at the Cape Fair public use area.

I agree with Al. I got a sit on top kayak this summer and I love it. I looked past canoes because kayaks seemed so cool - however, I might still end up with a solo canoe at some point. The Old Town Pack looks pretty decent, nice and light. I've seen a $750 price tag on it though. I will be using my kayak on lakes and traveling 2 to 4 miles with it, so the kayak is nice for paddling those distances. I'm also considering a Wenonah Solo Plus - so that my wife can join me on some floats.

I'm a total newbie to fishing on Taneycomo and I'm still in spinning gear mode. I've done alot of research the past few weeks for what to throw on spinning gear. Here's what I've figured out so far. Rapalas - floaters and husky jerks - from smallest to about F5 or F7. Countdowns when water is on, although I'm going to try out the smallest Countdown (1" with 1 treble hook) this weekend, water on or not. Gold, Silver, Brown trout and Rainbow trout colors. Super Dupers - I've heard great things about these, but I've yet to use them. I've picked up a couple this week and plan to try them out this weekend. Silver, Gold and rainbow colors. Rooster tails - smaller is better during the day, or so it seems. I caught a couple of browns near Fall Creek a couple of weeks ago on 1/6 oz dark colored about 10pm. I think a variety of colors and sizes are worth trying. Jigs - up to 1/16 oz. Little cleos I'd love to hear some other people chime in on this. Fishing with spinning gear does not seem to be as productive, at least compared to the fly rod users - which I plan to start this winter or next spring.