ozarkgunner

FYI the water temp at Bagnell dam is 45 degrees. This is up from 39 degrees last week.

I am heading down this weekend to fish Bagnell. I really starts to break loose in April.

I think there use to be a waterfowl hunting zone in that arm. I don't think it still lasts as long, as now they generally go until the end of goose season (late Jan.). Try checking the MDC website.

I have no first hand knowledge of this report. However, I stop at Bagnell on my way back from the trout park on Sunday and talked to man who said the whites were starting run. I bet the snow pushed them back a little bit, but the warm tempatures the rest of the week should make the fising GREAT around Sunday.

I don't know where you are from and if the drive is too far, but the whites are starting up at Bagnell dam. It's a great place to take a kid fishing.

Ding DING DING..... warm rain........... I hope they are running water because it could get good today.

In case you didn't know, you can dump a boat in just north of the hwy 54 bridge. The ramp is a mile down the first road on the Northwest side of the river. It's MDC owned.

Bagnell is a great palce to fish. When it is hot (Spring) a man can easily fill a 5 gal. buck with fish fillets. It is not odd (heck I would say almost common) to catch a limit of bluecats (5), crappie (30) and whites (15) in a day. The river supports lots of fish and a minnow will catch everything, but only keep what you need. Tight line.

A glass boat will work fine if you stay above the 54 bridge (or even a mile below it). I fish below the dam a lot and the water is generally 10+ feet in most parts. The only thing to watch out for are the two islands on the north bank. They have a funny way of coming out of the dark. The whites and crappie will get hot below the dam in the few 3-5 weeks. A few warm rains and it's on!

I was at Pomme this weekend. The lake is 100% ice covered.

What are they taking? Jigs>?

I lived out in Colorado for 4 years. I use to fish the Yampa a lot during Elk season. As a Southern Missouri boy I loved it becuase it was the only place to catch browns in a stream in the state of Co. As of two years ago, there are still LOTS of pike and browns.

Looking back on the year and all of the great fishing trips I have had I could help but think of how usefull the forum has been in planning my many trips. My hats off to Lilley for starting the forum. I am VERY greatful for all of the reports and advise everyone has given over the past year. Merry Christmas and Tight Lines for 2009!

Landowners have the legal right to keep people off of thier property. However, the last time I went on a duck hunt on the James River I was stopped by a Christian County Deputy for hunting in the river. A local landowner had complained I was "shooting by her livestock." The officer was anything less than nice. Luckily an MDC agent came and cleared everything up and explained that I had the right to hunt the river. I put in at an MDC area and was well within my right to hunt where I was located. Further, it was a very safe location. #4 steel shot out of a shotgun is not endangering anything that is 500+ yards away. Especially, when it is shot vertically in the other direction of livestock. I understand people don't like hunters. However, the next landowners who "confronts" me with curse words while I am legally hunting is going to learn the law really fast. Under Missouri law harrassing hunters is a class B misdemeanor. [b]RSMO 578.152. Interference with lawful hunting or trapping in the second degree--penalty Any person who enters or remains in a hunting or trapping area where lawful hunting or trapping may occur with the intent to interfere with the lawful taking of wildlife is guilty of the crime of interference with lawful hunting or trapping in the second degree. Interference with lawful hunting or trapping in the second degree is a class B misdemeanor. Even if the officers will not pursue criminal action, I will spend the filing fee to get an injunction and/or seek damages. I own some property and post it. However, the idea that you own the river because you have private property on one (or both) sides of it, must be debunked. I hope those who use the river respect the property rights of landowners and property owners respect the right of those who use the river to lawfully hunt and fish.

The last time I checked you can't legally hunt deer in Missouri with more than a ten round clip. This makes the effectiveness for hunting purposes of an AR or an AK no differnt than your grandfathers old Browning BAR. Who uses a semi-auto to hunt anyways... oh wait most duck hunters. Don't forget what happened to Jim Zumbo when he made his comments on AR's. I say let people hunt with what ever gun they want so as long as it has a plug or a limited mag. Looks are just that looks... Those evil black rifles can make great hunting rifle for small game and the price tag ($1000 plus for a good ar) makes them anything but junk.

I will tell you this....I am almost done with my doctorate (8 months and yes I know I still can't spell) and I still don't trust a man who doesn't hunt or fish. It's that simple.

Thanks Pat-- I agree the quail population has fallen to a very low level and I don't know if it will ever get back to where it was during the good ol' days. It truely sad to see what has happened to the quail. We use to put up 15-20 coveys a day when we were hunting my dad's farm back in the early 90's (he has 1500 acres in cedar county). Now we would be lucky to put up 2 coveys on the whole ranch. I hope the ice storm we got this Spring will give some more habitat for the birds to use. If you still have the energy to go... I target public ground that is managed specifically for quail. I don't even have my dogs anymore... I have to barrow them now.. no use having a pointer if it never finds birds..... I hope and pray for the good ol' days again.

I was on public land... but i won't say where... there is no catch and release in hunting...... but good habitat is the key.

Thanks.... I try to share as much as I can... and I hope to get the same in return.... but if nobody is fishing there i am SOL. I do notice the "posts" verses "views" and i hope people post even if they had a bad day.... Have a good week and thanks!

I need a fishing report for the tailwaters. Please... I know someone has been fishing there at least once this fall.

I just got back from a opening day quail hunt. I bagged a limit (8) which is great for missouri. I put up two coveys of 40+ birds each. Great day.

I was hunting a small pond and smoked my limit from the 200 or so ducks that came by. I went out today to the same pond and only got to shoot at two flocks of woodies. This weekend is looking like it is going to stink. WAY too warm. I'll be opening up quail season on sat. and might try to draw in at one of the areas on Sunday. The best hunting is almost always during the week.

Dido Seth. I used the gut pockets of skipjacks back in August. Had 12 Skipjack and landed 12 cats on the gut packets in about an hour. One of the best cat baits hands down.

I went hunting this morning in the north zone (I'm currently up in Columbia) and laid into the birds. Shot 4 mallards and a woodie. The birds are down, but we need more snow up north to really get things going.

One Sunday, a priest decided to skip church and go hunting in the nieghbooring forest. So while he was hunting he saw a gigantic grizzly bear the had stopped to get honey from a beehive. The priest thought the bear was good game, so he clumsily shot at it, and he missed. The bear, startled by the shot, jumped up and started charging at the priest. The priest used his only option: he dropped to his knees and prayed. "Dear God," he said, "Please let this bear be a good christian, a better one than I was." As the bear drew closer, is dropped to its knees and said, "Dear God, thank you for this meal I am about to receive."