DoctaJ

The new Johnny Gold is a nice real, but it's heavy like you said. BPS should have designed it a little lighter and not made it look like the elite or signature series. I myself have the chronarc mg and the 100 curado on st. croix legend elite rods. Feels like a feather. I can see if your on a budget and can't afford the nice stuff but most guys who fish just don't understand what a great rod can do for you. Crazy4fishin, I would save some more money unless you can find one on wholesale. The mojo bass rod by criox will run you 89. Simano compre (lifetime warranty) will run you the same unless you go 7ft about 109) Crucial run you 150 for a lifetime INSTORE warranty. If you can look at a Cumara, you won't be disapointed but it will run 209.00. St. Criox has the avid and premeir too. For 50-60 range at retail you are looking BPS Tourney Special, Ugly Stick, Berkely Lighting Rod, Al-star Rod (little more than 60). Let me know what your looking for, I have a 7ft MH compre that I'm willing to party with. But I would check ebay for sure, I'm sure you would get a better deal than retail.

Are you talking about the "fire road" close to the cardiac entrance to the water? Or were you farther up stream?

that's what happens with you go to Cabelas and not Bass Pro =), j/k....sometimes it happens to us too. Yeah, I was down Thursday, it was nice b/c no one was there, everyone is afraid of the rain. I only caught two, but I fish the fast water and no holes. I was using MR. San Juan and a zebra midge for one and the other I had Mr. San Juan and a hares ear. I tried several colors and even tried a glow ball, yes I know. Still only two fish. We were out for 6-7 hours. Most people were fishing up in the park and very few were down towards the river as it was very murky.

Trying to sell a few items to make some upgrades on my boat. Message me here and I'll get back to you if you are interested. 1st. 2008 Trek Portland. Email for pics. The bike has 30 miles on it. I bought it retail at 1700. Trying to get 1000.00. Yes I know, I'm probably stuck with it =) 2nd Cycleops Fluid 2 Trainer. Trying to get 200.00. Paid over 300.00 at Dicks Sporting Goods (It's for any bicycle, makes your outdoor bicycle a stationary indoor one. 3rd. Bob Long Intimidator Paintball Gun and Extras. The Gun has the following updates: New hoses and barbs, critical magnetic trigger, drop forward, new psi guage, new o-rings, dye sticky grips and a clamp feed neck. I sent it off to Bob Long and they overhauled it. The gun has a gun cover (zips up). Everything comes in a Dye bag. I have extra o-ring and screw kit with the lube especially for paintball markers. I have a pure energy compressed air tank, a tank remote (so you can wear the tank on your back, and a scott mask. I have the old trigger. I also have a ram stop for the gun, but I never could get it to fit so I left the original one on. If you get a fast feeder, this gun can rip balls about 13 per sec. This gun has the electronic eyes so no chopped paint! 4th Still have my truck for sale 1989 Dodge Turbo Diesel, automatic, power windows, AC, heat, 109,000 miles.

I'll have to look him up

thanks!!!

Going down to the Rock end of this month and have never fished it. I've heard a few things. I've heard the lake is deep and clear, which I'm use to. I'm from KY and all we have in the north eastern part is mountain resevoirs. I was told at Table Rock I need to down size my fishing line. I was also told that fish doctor and centipedes pretty much ruled in watermelon/red and green pumpkin. Am I hearing right? I saw the reports say jerk baits are working now but my experience with hard lures is that the bite is either on or off. Anyone use creature baits on this lake? Any info to help me better prepare would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

nice day to be fishing for sure. I was down last week, only one. It has been slow everytime I go down. Steve said a bunch were stacked on the right side of the river, just out side of the park; that was about 2 weeks ago. Nice fish, thanks for the update.

nice fish

great report! Steve and I went down to the spring last week, my best combo was san juan and an hares ear. I had to leave, steve went just outside the park and fished on the right side looking down river, he said they were stacked in there. Wish I could have seen it. Next time I go to cardiac, I'll keep my mexican friends and the wolly bugger in mind.

well, BPS last day for the reel trade in was today. That would have been your best price. There are many choices for that dollar amount. You say fast so I assume a 7:1? Pflueger sumit (it's being discontinued) is around 150 and it's a 7:1. There is also the centina which is a 7:1 for around 89. The only beef I have with Plueger is that taking the side plate off with the handle, you have to turn the handle backwards to get it off (feels like your breaking the reel). The Revo by Abu Garcia would be a good choice. The SX (black model) was Bass Masters best buy for the money reel. It will run you around 160.00. It comes in a 6 and 7 gear ratio. The revo's are known for their drag (25lbs). Most people don't know this but BPS helped Gracia design the reel, and the drag that is in the Revo is the same in the Johnny Morris reels. There is a 20 dollar rebate with the revos right now too if you buy one that is 109 and up. Diawa has some good selections too. The TD Pro (which is exclusively made for BPS) is a nice reel, I believe it has 8 bb. All other diawas are high dollar, above 200. I'm not a big fan of quantum, but they have the KVD reel for 109.99. It comes in a 5,6, and 7 speed with left or right hand retrieve. Was a bad reel when it came out last spring, but since they have worked out the kinks of it. The design looks cool too. Last but not least, my favorite, the new shimano curado. The curado comes in a 5 or 7 speed. It has centrificals breaks, no magnets. Very low profile and light in the hands. I don't like shimano the company b/c they are arrogant, but they make some good stuff. Hope this helps, if you have any specific questions pm me and I'll try to help you out.

I will try to remember to look when I go into work tomorrow

haha, I will never tell anyone they are wrong when I'm asking the for advice. Thanks for the information and experience, I appreciate your time. I will def be trying that! Even if smallies are harder to catch on the fly rod, I would almost bet there is nothing like it.

Okay guys, I need some help. I have been using baitcasters and spinning tackle to fish for smallies in the meremac with good success. Most of my success comes in the summer when the river is down and wadable. However, the guys I work with at Bass Pro convinced me to try fly fishing. So I bought my equipment. I have improved dramatically with my cast but still no where close to being distinguished. Steve has taken me to cardiac and we have fished the springs. He was showing me for trout to throw up stream and mend the line to get a natural float. It worked for the trout, we caught several. The first decent fish on the fly rod was amazing. However, trout isn't really my game just yet. I still enjoy smallie fishing. I read in a book winter smallie fishing with a fly rod is dooming yourself. What do I need to do? What flies should I use? Do I need a sinking line or a sink tip when the river is up? Do I fish the current for smallies just like I did with trout? I tried last summer to fish for bass by casting out and just stripping my line in. However, I don't think my fly was getting deep enough and my cast doesn't have enough finesse yet to not splash the water with my heavy streamers and such. I caught one little bass on it last year and was dissapointed with my results. I also fished an 8 acrea pond with a guy in a boat and he out fished me, of course I was using the fly rod. I still caught fish but no where near the number he caught. Currently I have a 7wt 9ft rod and line. I bought the seven for big bass, and bigger trout. So for such a long post, what are the right techniques for the seasons. I know where to target the smallies but what rig I need is unkown. My family has a farm against the meremec right in the middle of the scotts ford area. The river from last years flood has left some really deep holes and it's getting harder to wade. I know how to attack with my baitcasters but not my fly rod. Any advice would be appreciated! Has anyone used a belly boat in the river? I wasn't sure if the current would be too strong to get around with flippers. Thanks again!

let me know when you go sometime, always fun to fish with others. Don't forget to let us all know how things went.

1.92 is around the new normal since last years flood, It use to dip lower than that. 350cfs isn't too bad to wade. When it gets up around 600 and up watch out. I've been out their when the river was close to 1,000 and once you look at it, there will be no way you will get in it. Good Luck fishing!

nice fish, no I was indoors selling the fishing equipment....I always get to play with the toys, and hardly ever use them

wow, that's way cool. I had no idea.

So I was looking through my BPS catalog again for a customer and came across the gift section. On the page was a set of plates with lg mouth bass painted on it, classic art work seen at bass pro that everyone has come enjoy and associate with the BPS. On it has the name by AL AGNEW. I new I had seen that name before but I couldn't place it. It about drove me nuts until I checked today to see if anyone had any updates on the meramec. There was the name again, with the stories and pictures I have read over and over just day dreaming about getting out for a change. So is this the REAL Al Agnew? Lives in MO? Fishing my favorite river?

I have some tires from my truck with at most 14k on them. I bought the truck used and I don't know when he had put them on but when I bought the truck it had 10k on it and I drove it with the tires on until 14k. Talked to my friend that sells tires and he said they are 1000 set at cost for him. He also said that those tires usually get around 75k. I have them on ebay but if anyone is interested email me at doctaj@charter.net. I'll end the auction early and we can just do it locally. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BF-GoodRich...0219258252& this is the ebay link that has some pics. If you need more, email me

beautiful fish, I'm leaving Saturday night and will be fishing it all next week...........can't wait!

well, sorry you don't shop there.

Cumara, I thought you wanted under 200? Shimano bought out Loomis so Shimano's rods are starting to show some of the Loomis technology. You should have went to BPS and came seen me. I would have gladly set you up with a rod. Next time look at the Croix legend series. The cumara is very nice.

thanks, appreciate it....I have a small canoe avaliable to fish it if it's bad. Thanks for the help!

Hey guys, just curious what the graph should read to be "normal" levels of the meremac. I wade down around the steelville area in cuba but I live an hour away and havn't got to see if I'm going to be able to fish the river. Anyone know the regular values or has seen the river in the area? Thanks!