Flysmallie

Is a shot across the bow considered appropriate? And a 2lb weight on a 2 liter bottle isn't going to be anchored very long once a fish grabs it.

We've used them in the past to shuttle our own vehicles and a friend uses them all the time. He just calls them and lets them know where he's going to put in and where he will take out. Hides a key and leaves the money in the truck and it's always where it needs to be when he is done.

Like jet skiers on land. Awesome report, great pics. Living a great life but you still suck.

Yep, right next door. We parked up along the fence between the two. Campsites were right on the other side.

We left one there for 2 nights with no problem. Having the new campground right next door made it seem safe. I felt safer about than I did the access at 44. That's a long ways in two days. But not a bad stretch. Maybe start at 133.

I've enjoyed reading about the chase. Keep it up. Ignore the ignorance.

For me it would be a warm water stream looking for a smallmouth. Probably the lower James, lots of different accesses with plenty of wade-able water. Probably not going to find many crappie but the bass and catfish should be plentiful. Kerr access has always been my favorite. You can go a long ways down river from there and quite a ways up. That also gives you the option of hitting every other access on your way back to Springfield.

If you do the Sand Shoals to Boiling Springs then use Boiling Springs Resort. Great people.

Exactly. I used to run that section all the time and have never had a problem. The trees that Lvn2Fish is talking about at the end of the flat is where the channel cuts back across the lake. You can also run up the middle of that channel with no problems. It's quite fun to take someone up through that area for the first time and starting running up the channel with trees flying by on both sides. Good area to get acquainted to.

I used almost the same setup a few weeks ago on the Gasconade. Except I added one of these. Those fish went nuts over it. That used to be my daughters favorite thing to throw. I was surprised that I could burn it back without it rolling with such a small jighead. I was also surprised that the fish wanted it fast. Middle of the day, 95 degrees, crazy.

That thing was eating like me at a free cheeseburger cookout and still going back for seconds.

Not in all cases. But it would surely help. Me and a friend ran across a man and wife on the James a few years ago and they were keeping everything they caught. We tried to explain the dangers of floating down the river with a stringer full of short fish but he would have none of that. Later on we had the pleasure of meeting them again when the sheriffs deputy and conservation agent were hanging out in their normal spot. They were both given citations. Once he was away from the river fuzz he commented on how it wasn't a big deal. He had done it lots of times and this was the first time he had been caught. He would just float a different section or river. Sometimes you can't fix stupid. But I do love running into the river fuzz down there frequently. It's fun to hang out with them and watch the circus. I've never spotted them but they have guys in the trees, they call in the violators and depending on what they have done they either get to get acquainted to the deputy or agent. It's a good system but they are always on the same section at the same spot. They get plenty of business but wish they would spread the love.

Yeah you will need some hard evidence to convince me that otters are to blame. I've seen it differently with my own eyes. You can strengthen and tighten the regulations all you want but unless you change the issues with enforcement of the current laws it won't change anything. The guy keeping a short fish today will also keep a short fish after the changes.

He would have been awesome in my aquarium!

Oh geez, don't let my daughter see that.

I would like to apply as your assistant. I'm not very good at catching crappie or tracking deer but eating and drinking beer are some of my specialties.

The one spot I'm talking about is on a medium sized river. And yes I have seen many of the two legged predators doing more harm than otters, even seen a few getting tickets for their actions. I've also seen more harm from bald eagles than the otters on that river. And their population continues to increase. When can we start dropping them out of the sky?

Exactly. Why would we drop to their level of ignorance.

Not buying that one. I've caught too many fish in holes that were populated with families of otters. One was over the period of a couple of years and the only thing that ruined the fishing in that hole was a flood that closed it up.

Keep at it. As it starts getting cooler your results will improve.

Yeah you get those too. And it is very sad and annoying. But I've had other fisherman cut right in front of me on a bank or decide to share a point as well. I just don't get it. But if you look around at society common courtesy is a thing of the past.

Because they don't fish and don't know any better.

I agree with that. I might not like it, but I agree with it. I don't think they are on a mission to destroy it but if you want things changed then this is where the pressure needs to be applied. Not the guy on the river or lake that is well within the regs. But i agree, there is not much legal going on in that picture.

I like Ike but I can also see why he rubs most the wrong way. My dad absolutely hates the guy. He did well but he should have since he was on the water that he grew up fishing.

Yes they do. Or they did last time I needed eyes.