Flysmallie

Bill catches a lot of crap because all he does is fish everyday. I think that this helps put things into perspective. By the way he didn't name these guys so there is really no harm. The odd thing to me is if it was the clients on here complaining about the guide then no one would say a word and those that did would just be piling on. Great job Bill. It takes a lot of character to hang in there like you do. If they would have been with me they would be dragging the lake for their bodies!!

Yep it's a log perch. Table Rock is the only place I have ever seen one.

1. Createx paint works very well and is what a lot of the custom lure painters are using. Most craft stores carry it. Automotive paint also works well but can be a little pricey. With both of them you have an endless number of colors. 2. I've used a lot of different automotive clears and they work very well but they are expensive. I've started using a two part clear epoxy. It's much easier because you can just brush it on and then put the lure on a drying wheel. It will smooth out as it turns and dries. Gives it a very nice look. 3. Depends on the product. 4. Depends on the product. Head over to the forum at Tackle Underground. Lot's of good information there. http://tackleunderground.com/

I agree with that 100%. The thing that really matters, and I preach it a bunch. You have to use what you have confidence in. It does not matter what you read in a magazine, see in a commercial or hear about on here. If you don't have confidence in what you are using and or doing then you will have little success.

I think a lot of people are of that opinion. That you need to go smaller to catch steam smallies. I'm not sure what the correct answer is but I catch a lot of little smallmouth in the lakes on 1/2 ounce spinnerbaits. I hardly ever use a sb that size in a stream but I'm not afraid to go with a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce bait. It will usually increase your overall size of fish.

Well I'm no JB or Bob Clouser, but I have really enjoyed your book. I was planning on doing a complete report on it once I was done reading it, but I haven't yet. It has brought back a lot of my own childhood memories of fishing small farm ponds in Oklahoma. The stories are well written and are a real joy to read. You did a great job on the book Terry. I can't wait to read many more from you.

Congrats Terry.

The Sac does get close to Ash Grove so yeah, maybe. It's actually the Little Sac that I was talking about around Willard and Morrisville. Which can be confusing because there is a Little Sac arm and a Big Sac arm of the Little Sac. But it could also be Turnback Creek which holds some nice Smallmouth. Of course there are several feeder creeks in the area that also hold some nice fish. Is that clear as mud yet???

That's a very nice seat setup that you are working on there Eric. I might have to steal your idea!! I have/had the same seats in my boat but they really sucked. Too low and too flexible. When I put my big fat butt in them then the would flex and I would sit even lower. With your design your raising them up plus giving them the extra support that they need on the bottom.

They are not bad rivers. Yeah the smallmouth population may not be great but they will surprise you from time to time. I haven't been on the section between the lakes and the water around Ritter Springs is sometimes a little funky sometimes. But once you get out around Willard and Morrisville you are starting to get into better water. Not many points of access but if take the time to get away from the accesses you will find some good water. One very positive thing about the Sac is that when you do find an access you won't find the usual trash that you find around other river access points. And I'm talking about the people, not the actual garbage. Plus it's a pretty good white bass stream in the spring.

I thought you said you were going to Crane??? Looks like a fun trip right up until you ride that bike back to the car!! Maybe I can figure out how to carry a motorcycle in my canoe.

I've heard that you are all about that.

Cool fly, can I get the materials to tie that at Bass Pro?

I've kept out of this conversation until now. I understand the frustration that is caused by the spots moving in. I see the same problems in the rivers around this area that I choose to call my home waters. Now in these waters spots have "always" been there and always will be. The problem that these rivers have is that they are all connected to Table Rock lake. You are never going to be able to stop them. It does seem like more have moved up the river the past couple of years due to the spring high waters but smallmouth fishing remains good in the areas that I fish. So I have learned to live with and love them. My 10 year old daughter is especially fond of them. She is a spot catching maniac. Now that I have said all of that for apparently no reason , my question is that if you kill the spots in the river through harvest or any other way, what keeps them from coming back? You have already said that a small dam would not stop them from moving up, so how does killing all the spots in the river keep more from moving up? I,m not trying to argue with you about this. We know that this is the way to remove them from the stream, but the most important part is how do we keep them from returning. I really wish MDC would just change the regulations on Smallmouth. Make it 18 or 20 inches on all streams and that in effect would make every stream catch & release for smallmouth. What does it take to get this done. I don't want to mess with making some stream Smallmouth Management Areas, I want to make all stream Smallmouth Management Areas. Currently the only SMA's that have a length limit of 18" are the Gasconade from Jerome to Riddle Bridge and the Jacks Form from Buck Hollow to Alley Spring. Big Buffalo Creek and it's tributaries are listed as Smallmouth Catch & Release only. All other SMA's are listed at 15" with a daily limit of 1 smallmouth. That's no different than the lakes where we know a smallmouth can and will grow faster. They either need to set the length limit to 18" or I would prefer 20", or make them all catch and release only.

Yeah its a beautiful place but you will run into problems if you park there or anywhere around there. I would love to throw my canoe on that little lake there. It has to hold some great fish.

Cool, all my mends are sloppy! I think I remember Don and a group of guys fishing the Beaver tailwaters having luck fishing them under an indicator.

The spinnerbait bait on pomme should be really heating up. It's always been good this time of year. Small coves off the main lake with some timber are the best.

The other thing is the amount of 12-14 inch largemouth that seem to be everywhere. You can catch as many of those as you want. Just stop on a bank, pretty much any bank, and drag a worm, pretty much any worm. You will catch fish. Gets kind of annoying after 30 or 40 though.

Cool, I will figure out a date that will work and let you know. Sunday would be better for me as well. Just have to be an early trip so I could make it home if the afternoon. Well I warn you back, every time I fish it's magical

Well then you need to change your evil ways! If I can find the time (wife let's me go) in the next few weeks I would be glad to take you to Stockton and try and get you a impoundment smallmouth. I know where they live but they don't always answer my call. I will be up their Saturday fishing with my Dad. We have been spending quite a bit of time on Stockton lately fishing new locations and doing well on largemouth. Our game plan each time has been to fish locations that we have never fished to learn the lake a little better. But Saturday I will head to my smallmouth spots to make sure they are still there.

They are great guys and both Neil and Kevin are the ones that got me started flyfishing. It must be some kind of law that requires these types of musicians to have one skinny freak and one chunky mellow dude in their group. Gee Kevin, tell your brother just because I'm overweight he doesn't have to be too! Doesn't he remember that I'm no role model. Anyway sorry I didn't make it, looks like everyone had a great time for a great cause. I think we need to have the Wheat Bros play on New Years Day.

Stockton is a great smallmouth lake. Seems like they like a popper a lot better on this lake than the spook. But you need to fish that popper pretty fast.

I'll go and make sure he behaves himself.

My best trips have been in November. Big spinnerbaits, and yeah, definitely a wiggle wart. Love to parallel big chunk rock banks, ledges and some of those walls are pretty good. Better if they have some wind on them. A jerk bait fished in the same locations late in the day will bring up some really nice fish.

Not sure if this has anything to do with the article you guys are talking about. It's a study in Montana on the effects of stocking wild trout streams. Pretty interesting. http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles...DickVincent.htm