Flysmallie

The problem is access for wading. You can float through there with no problems. It's a jungle in places and you have to pull a canoe over and through a lot of stuff. It's fun though.

Nope. I'm still in love with the trebles.

Those are horrible. Send them to me and I'll dispose of them properly.

Great suggestion budman. I've been outfished by a friend using a pistol pete before.

You can pretty much catch a smallmouth on anything that looks like a meal. Kind of like me, they aren't that particular about what they eat as long as it looks good. I've searched a long time to find the best smallmouth flies. And I've tried a lot of different things. Some were successful for me and some were not. I'm sure you will get a ton of answers but I think you have to find what works the best for you and your style of fishing. After all of this time and all the different flies I have tried I have two that will go with me everywhere. One for the top and one for the bottom. I haven't settled on a streamer though. Mainly because if that's what it takes then I'll probably be throwing a spinnerbait or a fluke. For me the best option for up top is a gurgler. The biggest smallies I have caught on a fly rod have come on a gurgler. I think the reason it is the best for me is that you can fish it so many different ways. Like a popper. Just dead drifting it. (not my favorite way either but these are where the biggest have come from). Or skating it across the surface. That is my favorite way because the takes are so explosive. Color combinations are endless. Gurgler Now if you don't find any love on the top you can always (usually) find some on the bottom. I've tried hellgrammite patterns, crawdad patterns, worm patterns, blah, blah, blah..... Some have worked at times, some have never worked and some are just a pain in the butt to tie. One thing I'm looking for is something that is quick and simple that's not going to cause a breakdown when I hang the thing 30 ft. up in a tree. So I came up with this. I don't really have a name for it, not sure what it really is. Is it a jig....or a fly......not sure but it does work. We'll just call it the flysmallie pig. I like the olive but different color combos work as well. Black/Blue Flysmallie Pig There are a lot of good patterns out there but it's up to you to figure out what you like to fish with. You are going to catch more with something you have confidence in over something that somebody else told you about.

A Mexican bass. Same as a USA bass but it didn't speak English. Some crazy assed salt fish that kicked my arse. Not my fish but I've been interested in big bass for a long time. Yeah that's me on the left.

First time I ever met one of them I ran into Dion in BPS in Springfield. And when I say ran into, I mean we collided. Good thing I was a good sized boy too. What a great guy with a great family.

He's a politician. I've got a bazillion dollars that says he was lying.

That's crazy. And they wonder why these models are failing. Most of these papers are so poorly ran its astonishing. We used to subscribe to the Springfield News Leader. And we did this for years. But it got to the point that it was just a waste. My wife would grab the coupons and the rest would go into a pile that I use to start charcoal. Over the summer I told my wife that I had enough charcoal starter to last a lifetime and we needed to cancel. She called and cancelled and they quit billing us but we still get the paper. 9 months later it still comes every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. She has made numerous calls to let them know. It still comes. We get calls all the time asking us to subscribe again. We tell them we cancelled but still get it and we don't want it. It still comes. I've told the person that throws it. It still comes. Maybe if I send them a bill for cleaning their waste off my lawn they will get the hint.

Good luck on your quest. No matter what it will be a good time. I'm surprised that the MO record smallmouth hasn't fallen. I bet there is one in the depths of TR that would smash that record and I've seen a monster smallmouth that would certainly exceed that on Stockton.

I wonder what he was paid to withdraw it?

Depends on what I threw in the car. Might be a 6' spinning or a 6'6" baitcaster or a 7' 3wt or and 8' 8wt. Who cares. There are no hard rules. Whatever, it's fishing.

If you want a DSLR and video camera combined I think Canon seems to be the best, even though I'm a Nikon guy. I've had a DSLR with video capabilities for years but rarely use it. I'd rather use a good video camera. I think it's just personal preference though. Brian Wise puts together some awesome videos from his DSLR. Just remember that no amount of equipment makes you good. Just like an 80 grand bass boat does not make you a better fisherman than the guy standing in the bank.

I saw that fish last time I was there. Amazing. Jimmy is a great guy.

Maybe there are multiple motives. But you are right, that deer farming thing was definitely the breaking point. And that's what caused the biggest push. A few big players didn't get their way and somebody is going to pay for it. To them the money means nothing. Again it's just speculation, I hear things from the inside, but who really knows if they are really in the know.......ya know. Either way one is just as childish as another. It's a game of fools.

Yep. It's not so much as a cash grab and it doesn't have any upside, it's all revenge based. It's schoolyard tactics as usual for the politicians. It didn't go down the way they wanted it so they will ruin somebody in the process and they really don't care who that hurts.

They are politicians, it's normal.

Except maybe fishing. I've been floating some at night and wasn't the only one out there with bright lights and such.

I want a ride.

I fished with him once in some little ditch he took me to. I wasn't invited back.

Nice article. The writer is a bit of a weirdo though.

Those are my favorite kind.

True, but the only spot that comes to mind is on the Buffalo.

Sounds a bit like a trout park.