joeD

Are shad coming through? It's a yes or no question.

"You guys playing cards?" - Flounder

Big ones came on jerkbaits. Shocking. Boy, truer words have never been spoken. I know it's not pretty fishing, in the classic fly-fishing "A River Runs Through It" sense, but, it sure can be effective on those big browns. Well, at least you're out there doing it, I'm sure not. Thanks again.

RIGHT ON!! Stop bashing our ozark brothers! If we're not careful, the government might even restrict their right to use their front yards as a personal landfill. It's a time-honored "tradition," so you city boys stop yer meddlin'.

As Montgomery Burns would say: "Exxccellent." Thanks for sharing Gavin. If you don't mind, what was the modus operandi for catching fish: flies or hardware?

Retail, name-brand masturbation. Things, things, stuff, and more things. Ignore that, and go forth, young man, and fish, before it is too late...It is the doing, the act itself, that makes us who we are... Now, what about leader brands?

It shouldn't be Dry Fork, but I think it is. Dry Fork drains such a long watershed, and that watershed has changed for the worse, I believe. Certain sections of the Meramec are not clearing as fast as they used to, plus, the Meramec has been quite full almost all year. Combine that with ground that is saturated, especially over the last month, and I think you get a murkfest. I've noticed more high mudbanks, from Blue Springs on up, this year. I think it was due to the constant high water events this year, so, consequently, any rain event seems to erode those banks and dump more mud in the water. That's my theory, and I'm sticking with it until something better comes along.

You spend countless hours on a jig, but you won"t spend 10 minutes chopping off and capping a rod? What's duct tape for anyway? Look at it this way, if it works, great! If it doesn't, "Well, I got a 40% discount, no biggie." Sam: Nothing is as important as sex! Michael: Oh yeah, have you ever gone a week without a rationalization?

Oh Gawd. Enough with the twin spins. I'm sure next year the smallies are going to have so much metal plunking them all over, that they'll think their streams have been overrun with overzealous orthodontists. Upon further review Cricket, those pants can also, correctly, be called "clam diggers." A reference of course, to days gone by, when women went out at low tide to dig for clams, without having to roll up their pants. Just sayin'. Not that there is anything wrong with that...

Really, I've never seen or heard Loomis rods on sale at the retail level. Love the rods though. I wonder, if I added up the cost of my rods (many Loomis), reels, other tackle, canoes, clothes, bags, liquour, cigars, food, gas, other dung , arguments (no, scratch that) discussions or guilt trips, how much money and emotional capital I actually spend on fishing? Let alone thinking about it. That's pretty scary. For me. Yes, it's a sickness and I LOVE IT!

Eric, that'll be easy. My favorite spot is on the couch with the TV on and the remote and a cocktail close at hand.

Loomis sets the price for retailers, and I don't think they allow discounts, even for retailers going out of business.

Are those capri pants? Not that there's anything wrong with that...

I have no life.

Very funny. You better put a gob of nightcrawlers on your jig to make it more attractive. I hear Gravois Creek is red-hot right now, you might want to try that...

Wow. Three "pages" on a lure that hasn't caught a fish. I guess it has potential, like Ryan Leaf had potential. Put it in the water already.

You're assuming,of course, that a fish can see and differentiate color. What if they're color blind, or see in black in white, or fuzzy images? I think you get in trouble projecting human qualities in animals. I don't even know what my 14 year old daughter thinks, and she's a related human (I wonder sometimes), let alone a fish. I quit bothering with whys and wherefore's. If a lure seems to work consistently, I'll use it and be content.

That's my point. One would think "natural" looking baits would be more effective, but sometimes the opposite is true. Chartreuse, white, even "clown colors" are staples in a lot of tackle boxes, yet those colors don't immediately come to mind when one thinks of colors in an ozark stream. Then again, I'm not a fish (though I drink like one), so I don't know what it thinks/reacts when it sees something "so supremely hideous." That's funny Al. Good memory. I remember, not that long ago, when certain lures were deadly on the Big. Now, I don't even bother with it (the Big) anymore. So sad.

Nice striper. Didn't know they were in Taneycomo.

That's what I love about the the twin-spin. Take a good look at Al's picture. Whoever thought that up must have been drunk (not you Al, the twin spin originator). "Hmm, how to catch smallies in the streams. I know, lets bend some wire around, hang some shiny blades off the ends, and, let's attach it to a bucktail jig. Oh, and let's dye the bucktail, I dunno, how about an obnoxious yellow. That'll catch em." I wish one could interview a fish after it smashes ones lure (twin spin in this case) and ask it "what the f*** were you thinking?! Why would you wanna eat a moving, spinning, metal contraption like that?" I think the beer advertisers had it right - "Why ask Why?" I wonder if the smallies will be seeing a bunch of twin spins next year?

Don't forget your bell bottoms, embroidered peasant shirts. leather jewelry, and a peaceful vibe. Ponytails on men of a certain age are OK, I guess. For some reason I thought OMD and the NGDB were on the same bill at the Mississippi River Festival in the mid 70s. Oh well. Trout fishing will probably be your best bet, unless you're hell-bent on floating. Good luck, have fun.

Eric - Ever seen or fished a buzzbait? It's metal and silicone and makes a noise on top of the water that one doesn't see in nature. It catches fish though. I like to fish a white fluke. It's a piece of white plastic with a hook in it. One doesn't see something like that in our Ozark streams too often. But it's deadly. My point is, agonizing over a homemade lure by snipping this or wrapping that, to get the "perfect lure" may not even pay off. What looks good to us may elicit a yawn or worse, ridicule, from the fish. I'm not saying don't do it, but keep your "mistakes" and imperfect lures and fish them. They might be the ones to catch fish, and not your "perfect" ties. Let the fish decide. It's also just a fact of life that our Ozark streams are brutal on any weedless jig. I applaud your effort and I'm sure you'll no doubt be successful. Your creation certainly looks good.

Brokeback Current - "I wish I knew how to quit you..."

I guess little nymphs would be the general choice. Would EHC be asking too much? Just curious. Thanks for the replies.

Very. You don't want to go around trees too much. Long holes aren't much fun either.