Kicknbass

Tabby Cat.. There are stripes on the cat..

Find some big bull bluegill and have fun.

Yes the 4th is typical. I was hoping / worried, they might ripen earlier due to the early spring weather we experienced this year.

Anyone found any ripe wild blackberries yet. The spots I have are loaded with red berries. I was at the farm this weekend hoping to find some ripe berries, but no such luck. Still a couple of week away I guess.

How to survive a Couger attack.

http://www.ecrater.com/p/3318883/fish-gigs-spear-or-fishing-gig You should be able to get an 1 inch or 1 1/8" pole from your local lumber supplier in Steelville or Cuba. If not, the hardware store in Ellington mo has them.

Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded

Live Bluegills, the bigger the better. Woody structure. Find a place where the wind and waves move the wood back into the backs of cuts and coves off the main lake arms near deep water (30 plus) Tie on to a snag, pull the line to another nearby snag say 75-200 ft away. Weight the line near the ends to get it down near (not on) the bottom. Your hooks need to be at multiple depths starting about 10 feet down to about 25' deep. Your only allowed 33 hooks in the water per person at a time. No need for that many in one location. Only place about 10 hooks at any location. Bait up in the evening, due to most fish will be caught at night, but re-baiting in the morning after checking your lines, will yield fish as well, not as many as at night, but you'll catch fish during the day. Move your lines often. If you don't get bit first night, try a new location fast. Also, if you catch a few then the bite stops, move. Remember, more hooks in the water doesn't equate to more fish, but multiple locations will. 6 locations with 5 hook per location will yield twice the fish as 10 hooks at three locations. Find a place that you can catch sunfish every cast, and set your line close by. The fish will be caught deep, but not below the thermal-cline. I'll be down next week running a few lines, I'll let you know how they are biting after next week. Good luck.

Google canoe rentals in Van Buren and you'll find an outfitter. Powder-mill to VB could be done in 1 long hard day if you stay moving (About 12 hours). I wouldn't recommend as a one day float. The river moves steady. If you want to take it in, 2 days would be comfortable. If you fish hard, 3 days possible. Powder-mill to log-yard is about 3 hours of floating. Lots of jet boats on the weekends above Log-yard, and below Waymeyer. Sunday PM can be worst that Saturday. That's the locals day on the water. Below logyard jet boat traffic much less. Beautiful stretch of river worth doing.

Are you sure that it wasn't a Muskrat? Can't tell from the photo. I assume you saw him well enough to be certain it was and otter and not a rat?

Good Luck... I don't have any idea. Are you fishing w/ a trot-line or line and pole? Ya might try Walmart's frozen seafood section:)

What will be your home Jet boat water. I think that means a lot.

I'd call him and ask him "when is the fish fry"

I like Al's slot limit idea. Breaking it down by stream section based on use is a reasonable way to regulate to best meet the needs of the various use groups. A 3 fish 14-20 slot. Would protect larger fish and improve the average size catch in the streams. The 3 fish under would allow the folks that like a fish fry a reasonable creel for a meal. The 1 fish over 20 would allow a trophy to be taken. Ozark Trout fisher: There has been no time in history that the fish in MO streams were not harvested. For thousands of years before the Ozarks were settled, the Ozarks were inhabited by the Osage Indians that lived of the land. Fish included. State wide catch and release is absurd. A slot limit is the best all around management practice. A whole lot better than the current 6 over 12" limits that we have today.

I agree. Let the big ones swim free. 3-12" or smaller fish would be perfect in my mine. State wide. If your going to put a 1 + limit on the fish, it needs to be huge. 24" or so. (I'd hate to be required to turn back a state or world record...not that that is ever going to happen)