Trav

Got mine already! See you guys on the water!

What he said....Exactly!

Slow… OK…I am being nice. It was darn tough. Initially, I launched up Lindley Creek at the Pittsburg ramp. The water was quite muddy and 50 degrees. I ran downstream a half mile or so and it dropped to 50 degrees. I did a one-eighty and went a half mile upstream from the ramp and found some 54 degree water. The visibility was zero. I didn’t even wet a hook. I am not a big fan of fishing chocolate milk. So, I pulled out and drove to the State Park. It was 47 degrees at the picnic ramp but at least the water had some clarity. The wind was howling so I spent most my time hiding behind cliffs. I did get out in the choppy water a little but not for long. My boat is pretty light so riding two-foot swells makes for tough handling. I had to go see if the windy side was holding fish though. It wasn’t really. Most of the baitfish I found was still clustered at 30 feet in 60 to 70 feet of water. And as much as I found, the graph didn’t show any fish working them. At Pomme, my usual routine for success is to find the baitfish schools when the water is cold. I did more cranking than I have been doing lately but finally resorted to the “slow fishing” and the grub. Even did a little drop-shotting and for kicks trolled a DD3, to no avail. Again, I had another day of fishing with little to share for my efforts. It is always fun to do some scouting though. One bright moment, my fishing partner was pretty proud of herself. She caught her first Largemouth and it was the only fish of the day.

Was thinking 500 .........

It's cold rain. Won't warm the lakes any so it probably won't effect the fish at all. We need sunshine! Lots of it!

It sure is nice when you spend four hours on the lake and never see another boat. Put in at High Point around 3PM and fished until almost seven. The snow melt had the water stained and cold. It was 46 degrees at the ramp. I expected as much but I was on a scouting mission. I worked upstream toward Aldrich Bridge. It was 48 to 49 degrees in the channel and I couldn’t find water over 50 degrees, even in the sun. Saw a lot of fish on the graph but they were positioned a foot or two off the bottom in 20 to 30 feet of water. Everything I found was on the deep side of the submerged rip raps. They were shut down, not interested in anything. If I got out of the channel at all it instantly dropped three degrees. I only caught one fat white but what a pleasant trip it was to have that end of the lake all to myself. I just love Stockton and Pomme De Terre for that very fact. During the week it is always so quiet and I usually only find locals working the water. It is such a contrast to The Rock where the tourists flock. Sorry I couldn’t say much about the fish biting but there is a reason why it is called “fishing” and not “catching”. http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=7ff33bfb04ac30ae6530c83888b37835&#!/photo.php?pid=274956&id=100000008753152

Have you seen this topics? http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?f=433&t=198257 http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?f=431&t=257653

I would pay for a nice boat graphic for OAF if one was available.

http://mdc.mo.gov/fish/sport/bass/bassid/

make me an offer....I just want it out of my driveway. I will be willing to give a good deal but I am not going to just give it away. I will consider a trade of some sorts as well.

I agree but if your just adding a "booster" population then future wild breeding with the stock will maintain genetic diversity. I believe the Texas Lunker program is basically using eggs and seed of already naturally healthy fish to improve the geneology. It is no different than taking a known excetionally proven race horse and studding it out.

Haha... It would be nice to know who I am cussing under my breath when a boat doesn't consider courtesy as their wake pounds my boat. Or when I am working an area and somebody stops to fish ahead of me on the same shoreline. It would also be nice to know who I am laughing at as I watch people out there zig zagging all over the place because they don't have a clue where to start fishing. Or when I see someone beating brush when the water is 40 degrees. I am playing.... The social attribute of being identified might not be worth it after you have had a few boats run up on you because of those who want to introduce themselves. I can see how it could be of a benefit at the ramps though. I used to have an OAF sticker on my last boat but when I switched boats I couldn't exactly switch the sticker. Might I suggest establishing "OAF outings" where a member can attend if they chose. A simple date and time to gather at a particular ramp perhaps. After the initial introduction there wouldn't be a need to have ribbons. You will simply know your new buddy's boat. Of course, if the gathering was on a weekend I wouldn't attend. Ramps are too busy for my liking on weekends. You can't miss my boat though. I run a blue deep V aluminum and my name is right on the side of it.

Texas has an outstanding concept. Many other states should take notice of their efforts. The idea of genetic handpicking is used in almost every aspect of farming so why not use the same approach to improve a fishery?

slow and boring..........

KVD don't pay for his toys. He fishes for free. It is called endorsements.

This subject is so burnt on this forum. Yet, given a few comments of dissension aimed in my direction on a certain thread has ministered this topic. It is unreal how passionate people are toward both sides of the subject. It is a topic that is rehashed over and over on this and every other fishing forum. I have my opinions but they are as relevant as those who may think otherwise. However, lumping Trav in with a bunch of liberal wildlife zealots such as PETA only proves you don’t know the man at all. My feelings of the topic are simple. It is legal to keep fish. So as long as the law gives fishermen that right I can’t and won’t debate the practice. I fish with family and friends who love to eat fish and pack their freezers full of crappie, trout, whites and catfish. With humor, they tolerate my preaching when I am with them. I do project my catch and release adamancy when it comes to Bass, Walleye, Muskie and any trophy sized fish, no matter the species. And if you know me, you take it in jest and do what the heck you want, knowing that I won’t hate you for thinking different than myself. I will always say what I feel and will continue to state my disgust with the practice of keeping large fish whether it is popular or not. This does not mean I take it personal. Laugh at me and do what is your legal right. I will dig out a stringer to keep your fish on. The fact I use my live well to store gear is something you have to accept. My opinions are just that. A philosophy of what I strive to express. I simply state a comment and if it ruffles feathers then I have achieved a little satisfaction. Come on! If you are going to get angry then you are taking it a bit more serious than I am. With that said, allow me to vent. I snipe at things and state reality. If you find it offensive, get over it. The law is in fact on the opposite side of what my perfect world is. Now, to respond to the comparison made to hunting. It is down right comical. Hunting can’t even be considered in the same category when it comes to the regulation aspect as fishing. I am not a deer hunter but I do enjoy the mentality I have as a bird hunter. As a pheasant enthusiast, it is the practice to shoot roosters and leave the hens to repopulate. The difference between deer and pheasants is simple. With deer, it is about population control not population success. That is why buck tags are limited and doe tags are unlimited during most seasons. If only fishing can be so black and white. Hunting has seasons and game is protected during the time of year they reproduce and raise young. Unlike fishing where everyone is arming themselves to nail those fish the minute they are at their most vulnerable. Secondly, there is the matter of pressure. I don’t know the numbers precisely but I will dare to assume for every hunting license submitted in the state of Missouri there are 100 fishing licenses. I am not even considering the tourists who visit and expect to take home a cooler full of fish. Let’s see. The acreage of land versus the acreage of water needs to be considered as well. The numbers of hunters are spread equally across the state where the numbers of fisherman are concentrated to less than ten percent of the same geography. Using my “off the cuff” numbers you have a hundred times more anglers working ten percent of what the hunters have available. The idea of harvesting fish as a population control is ludicrous given this fact. The idea a fishery will be stunted by keeping the biggest of the species in the water doesn’t even make sense. The difference between a fish population and a wildlife population is blunt. Wildlife is controlled by predatory behavior. We have to kill deer for there is no longer a natural predator to keep the population in check. When it comes to fish, the water controls itself. If there is a population of large fish then they will eat the small ones. It is that simple. The small fish which make it through this gauntlet and learn to grow big. The circle of life is complete. Throw in the obvious factor of fishermen taking out those big fish then you will have a stunted small sized population of fish. Harvesting to have a trophy fishery has nothing to do with it. It is about maintaining the large fish to keep the small ones from over populating. Let’s not forget that a large fish will have better genes and produce more offspring than a small one during a spawn. In a perfect world, any fish making it to the peak of appetite consumption will be protected. That is the natural checks and balances. Granted, the current cycle of fishermen harvesting the cream of the crop creates an environment in which a level of imbalance is created. So my question is this. Is the philosophy of a population check of fish the fishery’s fault or ours? Let me remind you. This is not a debate. It is a dead horse conversation with so many of us with differing opinions it is pointless. I simply raise questions and if you don’t see the answers meeting my own it is to be expected. We don’t need to argue over this. I just see things my way and if you don’t see them the same, I am willing to agree to disagree. After all, it is a known fact only ten percent of the fishermen catch ninety percent of the fish so it really doesn’t matter most of the time. I am only grateful to be in the top ten percentile and let the big ones live. My opinion should not threaten yours.

noted....I saw fish and shuddered. Truth be known...walleye are more of a valuable recource here in the Ozarks than bass. They aren't as prolific here as their counterparts up north. I release everything but let us NOT open the "catch and release debate" again. It is so dead. That horse is already being fed to the dogs. Marty... I have a link to both my email and my Facebook page on my OzarkAngler profile. Feel free to use either if you want to communicate with me in the future. It is all good. Peace

Have to say ....the idea of dead bass on a "pose board" is sooooo disturbing.......

Bill......If you notice the date I put on this report...it was for yesterday. It was cold and tedias. Don't let anyone fool ya.

I seen that show a couple weeks ago. They didn't find any evidence other than some people have caught a few over the past years. I used to raise them. They are robust but not Missouri tough.

http://mdc.mo.gov/fish/fishid/carpid.htm

Cold and slow…… Put in at the Viola ramp in the King river arm at 7:30 am. I found warmer water up the James last week. Surface temps were barely 47 degrees at the ramp. I had to run to Jackie Hollow before I saw 50. I did find an intermittent 51 near Big Hollow where I also found some crappie wishing winter would end. At first I thought the graph had found a bunch of whites but nope, cold lethargic tight lipped crappie. They were hovering in 15 to 20 feet of water just on the edge of the channel. Lots of them but only two of them were interested in what I was throwing. Sorry fellas…not much in the way of tiny finesse lures in my tackle boxes. Don’t think I own anything smaller than three inches. So I surrendered to going back to the frigid 48 degree water just down stream from Sweetwater Creek. I wanted deep water to suit the conditions. I was focusing on 30 to 20 feet of water where the channel crosses between the point and Homestead Bluff. I picked up one spotted sport. Around 10:30 or so, the traffic cops must have unleashed the masses. In a fifteen minute span a dozen boats jetted up river. I assume they were looking for warm water. Less than an hour later, half of them returned back down stream. I assumed they didn’t find what they were looking for. I noticed the report this morning about bass being caught on a wart. Maybe I was too focused on the deep water? I did quite a bit of observing and nobody was killing them like in that report where I was fishing. Yet most the guys were thinking like me…deep. I was using 4 inch grubs with ½ ounce darter heads, long counts and very slow methodical retrieves. Boring!!! Who knows…maybe I should have worked shallower water. I never even touched water less than 15 feet. Personally, I didn’t expect much. March has never been one of my good months for bass on The Rock anyway. I was mostly scouting the area and checking where the water temps were sitting. Wetting some hooks is just a necessary requirement when I get in my boat. I think I am going to wait until I see redbuds and dogwoods before I hit the water again. All we need is a week of near 70 degree weather for that. I hope it will be soon!!

Did the rain muddy up the King arm any? I will probably be there tomorrow....just curious what I am going to see.

I have seen the StructureScan demo.....it is very impressive. Don't get me wrong. I am not anti-tech. I just had to vent a bit. I think it is wrong to phase out practicality. You have to forgive me sometimes. I like to rant. I find it amusing how much conversation is focused toward the most expensive products on the market. I realize a majority of it is bragging (Boys and their toys syndrome) but it does start to feel like people have some vested interest in the companies who overprice their wares. I am sure it is also a form of peer pressure to buy the latest and greatest. Dare I say a bit of it might even be justification to ease some buyer’s remorse? I do admit some of the stuff is pretty nifty even if it isn’t very thrifty. You don’t always get what you pay for though. I have learned the hard way myself. Maybe we should have some conversations about comparison shopping? It might prove to be quite beneficial instead of Name-brand competitive shopping. I know I sound like a doting housewife with a fistful of coupons while talking to a teenager at the mall. Look at it this way though. Gas is supposed to be almost three bucks a gallon this summer and not saving some extra cash for that reality only means you have fancy toys and no money left to actually use them. Trav is just thinking out loud here.

I have noticed a disturbing trend, the phasing out of actual decent electronics to force anglers into complexity. A perfect example being Lowrance discontinuing the production of the 510 c from their line up and even Hummingbird has rumored a limit to their counterpart of their 2400 watt series. (of course I am sure EBay will have plenty in the near future due to this trend.) I am certain the rational of discontinuing certain graphs are going to turn such items into the “Atari” of fishing but it will hurt the accessibility of the average angler. Not all of us are willing to put in a sonar unit which makes us think harder than a weatherman, yet alone one that costs as much as an entire weeks pay. Let’s be real here, unless you are making money off your tools you can’t exactly write them off on your taxes. After all…it is a hobby related to humble folk who if they were taught even a bit of the salt by their family they can catch fish without it. Who is going to pay a grand when it takes them a week to earn it when they have mouths to feed?? The idea of sonar for most of us includes only the basics. We want water temp, depth, bait fish, structure, contour, bottom texture, and for us Ozarkers who love the dropshot, the ability to see our line under the boat. All of which can be properly utilized with a 2400 watt transducer. All of which is being negated to sell higher tech. Granted, I have to admit the 4000 watt radar with fancy side viewing and GPS options can be tempting but as cool as it is to see the old bridges or road beds from 1940, you still have to keep in mind that what you are looking for is fish. Even with the advancements, the new radars continue to show the typical arches when displaying fish no matter how high tech it is. Think about this…unless they can tell you the fish are green or rainbow it is still radar. My grandfather could tell you every crappie spot with an old flasher. So I know electronics don’t make the man. I only write this because I feel there is too much hype and intimidation/competitiveness lately when it comes to fishing. I feel the majority of us think boat gas is more important than the hype portrayed by electronics and 15 dollar crankbaits. Who wants to pay 6 dollars for gulp minnows when you can pay 4 dollars for twice as many flukes? It is skill not trademarks that succeed. And as much as I detest live bait fishermen they still reign as the obvious rulers. Sucks…but it is true. When it comes to electronics…..I do fall under the demographic of using it more than I should but those who know the water and have spent the time to learn it will continue to out fish me. It takes time and years to be a master of a particular body of water and we should never underestimate knowledge passed down from generation to generation. Everything I know is an accumulation of experience and I am very content with my discontinued 510 c Lowrance with 2400 watts. It’s a shame fishing is getting too expensive for the average Joe. I grew up on lower Taney and spent my formative years fishing Iowa and Ontario. I have guided Canada and spent four years as a guide on Lake Gatun in Panama, even spent a year in Honduras. I have history doing dozens of bass tourneys in the south, the Carolinas, Georgia, Louisiana and Alabama. Also do a spring trip annually to Texas. …I have fly fished much of the north in Montana and Wyoming and even did a summer as a guide in Estes park in Colorado.. . I did every moment without a single bit of electronics. It wasn’t until 1991 until I bought a 400 hummingbird and I admit knowing the depth helped me but it was no substitute to knowledge. I guess what I am saying.. you don’t have to spend money to catch fish. Anyone who has followed my posts here on OzarkAnglers can confirm I am low budget. And I do very well. You don’t need to hire a guide either. Learn your own patterns and seek knowledge here from guys like me, Phil, Bill, Tom, Brian, Leonard, Jim, John, ….the list is long. Just don't buy into the bull that it is going to cost you too much money. Don’t let society force you into buying the newest stuff when a simple 2400 watt graph will serve you good. Don’t buy Gulp when flukes will serve you. Don’t buy a 15 dollar Mcstick when a 7 dollar rogue does the same thing. Truth known…a simple 3 inch grub with a ¼ ounce darter jig head will be the best and it is so cheap to fish that way. I am used to this forum negating my crazy outspoken opinions. Those who can see through my bull and see the truth always benefit the most.…"wink" Who made fun of me because I typed “wink”…??? …..I forget. Doesn't matter…..just fish to have fun……….If you make it serious you lose.