Trout God

I meant no disrespect to your neighborhood. In fact, I'm quite fond of the area. But someone from say, the heart of central Missouri might not see the diversity and beauty, but rather the negatives that come along with the area (i.e.; criminal activity, ect.). I was simply stating my opinion, and based on my results at the other lakes, my opinion is that it makes more sense to utilize them versus Jefferson. And honestly, January Wabash is in a MUCH rougher area, by far. Nice fish btw. I love those Little Cleo's. February 1st for the win! Only one month to go!

Hey, I was RAISED in South City, a rough part of the state streets near Roosevelt High School. Where I've lived or haven't lived has no bearing on the fact that I know how to call a spade a spade. The fact is, Jefferson Lake is in a shitty neighborhood, however seeing that monster you have pictured is making me rethink my opinion of whether or not it's worth it to drive through said shitty neighborhood to get to it! Cheers!

I like CC's response. Made sense. Call me crazy, but I still like being the guy with more fish on the stringer than the guy next to me at the end of the day. If fishing with an ultralight and a five dollar Wal-Mart rig rather than a fly that I spent two hours tying and fighting for my trophies for six more hours garners me that, then that's what I'm going to do. I respect the fish. During catch and release days, I catch and release. I use the proper tools to ensure that every fish I don't keep survives so that another might nab him, I do it. But I'm in it for the fight. And like most heavyweights, I want as many fights as I'm allowed before my time. While CC's post made the most sense, I still don't understand why it's almost a lifestyle choice. Most that I talk to who fly fish will never fish another alternative. When they grab a fly rod, that's it, for life. There are so many viable means to landing and fighting the fish of a lifetime, means that aren't cheap, that aren't disrespectful to the sport of the fish, and don't undermine the sport that are NOT fly fishing that I just can't understand why someone would limit themselves to that one particular method. I like Captain Crunch. I think it's the best cereal ever invented. But I'm not going to ignore Golden Grahams because I like what I taste! I've tried fly fishing, and I will try it again, barring that I die in the next few weeks. That doesn't mean that I'm going to give up the Ugly Stik, the spoon, or the open faced reel because my taste buds require variety.

I just noticed all the Lilley's Landing sponsorship. Is this site operated by Lilleys? I stay at the Lilley Pad every January for my yearly guy's trip. Sorry for the subject change.

I'm 31 years old. I've been fishing since I was LITTLE kid. I got my first cane pole when I was 4 years old. I love the sport. I love landing that huge largemouth that's so big you can fit your whole fist in it. But I've never understood the fascination with fly fishing. I've tried it. I'm not knocking it by any means. But it just seems like an awful lot of work with very little payoff. Generally speaking, when I fish lakes and streams where fly anglers are present, I find that I outfish them by a ratio of no less than 2:1, and all by flicking a spoon or something around. Look, I know it takes patience and skill. But so does fishing with a standard rig. Again, I'm not knocking it. It just seems like a lot of work with not much to show for it. Any comments?

This sounds like Blue Springs Lake in Kansas City. I fish there regularly. The Carp are GARGANTUAN. That's a county parks department lake. Their regulations apply, not the Corps'.

Actually, as long as they're not scented, any artificial bait can be used. I use a homemade, non-toxic imitation salmon egg that's harmless to the fish and falls within the regs (as far as I know. If I'm wrong, I would feel pretty horrible, but I've checked with the Cons. Department and they've verified this with me). FFM, Walker is a GEM of a little trout pond! On the south side of the lake there is a little island with a small walk bridge. It has a couple of benches and sculptures. I was casting directly north of it, towards the dock, and almost halfway between the dock and the island and they were just banging away at my spoon, one right after another. I would imagine that at that point, the water is probably only a few feet deep. The water pump, which is just to the left of the island, is another good spot. I was casting just beyond the pump and reeling it back past it and got a lot of good hits. I've never fly fished, so I couldn't tell you if these areas would be good to do so. I would imagine not with the depth of the water and the movement from the pump, but again, I'm not versed on it. I'll swear by my Ugly Stik ultralights til' my last breath. I use a 5 1/2 foot Stik with moss green spider wire 3lb braided line and a chrome spoon called a "Little Cleo". I've attached a small, white rooster tail to the treble hook which conceals it quite well. I've had nothing but good luck at Walker and other local lakes with this setup. I've been taking advantage of the UFP for about the last 8 years and here's what I've learned... Souson is just how it was described earlier. There are a LOT of retirees that live within a few miles of the lake and it gets fished out QUICKLY. Generally speaking, within eight days of stocking, you're not going to have much luck. If you DO decide to fish there, the best chances are at Lake 2, on the East side of the bridge and right about dead center in the lake. About six years ago the lake was drained and a 3 foot deep channel was dug dead center running north/south and filled in with discarded Christmas trees. They fish FLOCK to this cover and it's the best place to cast. I will hit Souson about 2 days after stocking after the fish have acclimated. Boathouse Lake at Carondolet is another spot that gets fished out quickly, but generally gets stocked with more fish. Best place to fish is right off the wooden dock, directly in front of it, about 20 yards out. At Busch, I prefer 28 over all the other lakes. There is a peninsula just west of the parking lot at 28 that goes out about 100 yards into the lake's center which I have good luck at. Just to the left of that peninsula is a HUGE submerged oak that provides good cover and gets a lot of action. 22 is a good backup if they're not hitting at 28, but I can't think of any one particular area that hits better than any other there. I HAVE pulled browns out of there though. I've only fished Koeneman Park Lake once, and didn't catch a fish to speak of. I've never fished at Tilles because I always thought that only people over the age of 65 and under the age of 16 could fish there. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me because I've been DYING to get my hook wet there. Jefferson Lake is a lost cause because they're lining up in swarms the day of the stocking to get at the trout. I've actually seen people stick their hands in after the truck left and pull fish out by hand. That, combined with the fact that you have to drive through the equivalent of South Central L.A. to get there, and you're better off going somewhere else. Wabash is a fun lake. I've had luck all over, and it's such a big lake that there's never a lot of people fishing there. I've had a lot of luck fishing there after Feb 1 with white powerbait. I know it's cheap, so everyone feel free to take shots at me, but MMMM MMMM it tastes good! The East Side of the lake near the maintenance building and about 20 - 30 yards out is where I've had the best luck. I've yet to fish Vlasis or O'Fallon Park Lakes, so if anyone has some feedback, let me know! I hope this helps you guys. Have fun. They're dropping some LUNKERS out there this year. I haven't caught a single rainbow this year in any of the UFP lakes that was less than 12 inches, so imagine how they're gonna look come February when they're nice and plump!

I'm new to this forum, but can see that I'll like it. I've always been a fan of the UFP in St. Louis City. I recently moved to KC and come back to StL every other weekend. This past weekend, I had a chance to fish Walker Lake in Kirkwood with my two daughters and they ripped em up. The stocking hotline reported stocking something to the effect of 500 on November 6 and it blew my mind that they'd put so many fish into what can only be a 2.5 acre lake, at best. Nonetheless, the fish are good size this year. All the rainbow we pulled out were at least 12 inches, (a couple were closer to 15) and weighed at least a few pounds. If these fish manage to grow for another month and a half til catch-n-keep, they'll be monsters. This was my first time to Walker. I generally fish number 28 at Busch, Souson, or Boat House Lake, but I really like this particular public lake. It's very clear, easy to find, and has very little snags to speak of. My kids raked in all of their fish (8 to speak of) on a Taneycomo drift rig with a 1/4 ounce weight, number 6 hook, and two white salmon eggs. I caught mine on a spoon. I'd recommend this lake to anyone who participates in the UFP. I look forward to posting here more.