Fly_Guy

Does anyone have any reports/news on the little sac around 215 bridge, Taylor or Iron Bridge, or has this cold temp, and cold rain gotten to em? Do you think it will heat up, or will it be a continual trickle of spawning fish? Haven't heard any reports lately, so thought I'd ask. I'm going to try to go up to the Stockton Lake dam tonight for walleye - we'll see...

Have/Are the walleye spawning around the dam, or has it been hard to tell with this weather? Is the spawn over already, or do you think it will pick up? I'm particularly interested in spending a night at the dam sometime soon, but dont want to bother if the walleye aren't there. Do the walleye spawn as shallow as the crappie? Lots of questions Thanks Brian

Here's my dilemma - I need to catch some food for sister-in-law's bday tomorrow - she says she wants trout fried my way! I know I can quickly catch 4 at RR, but RR gets a little old - crowds, and 'dogfood' fed fish (not bashing trout parks OF COURSE - hehe). I'd rather go to Taney, but with the rain the generation will be crazy tomorrow - and when the waters up with no boat, catching fish is not a gaurentee (at least not fish within the slot limit on the trophy area), and not off the docks with heavy generation. So I log on to Ozarkanglers, and decide to head up to Bennett for food and change of pace (not wilderness fishing experience), and I hear that there aren't many fish stocked! Egad - is nothing sacred anymore? Guess I'll call Taney tomorrow and see how the water is running - though it's put and take, the typical taney trout is a tad more wild (and better tasting) than a fresh park stocker. again, not bashing trout parks!

If you do this, make sure you catch fish! That makes em even madder - and keep a stringer handy - best thing you can do is slosh up to a serious fly fisherman with a stringer of 2 or 3 and catch a fish in front of him. Look for a guy fishing with drys and casting at rising trout, then arch a 1/16 oz jig smack into his rising fish (I might add that I'm both spinning guy and serious fly fishing guy) - just joking of course - be respectful, and everyone loves you. In addition to little cleos and jigs, you might try some small rebel crankbaits (crickhoppers, minnows) Good luck!

I hear you about lower taneycomo - there's got to be some monsters in there, but you're right - people keep enough 16"ers (heck - i would, if i were hungry) that only a lucky few reach 'monsterhood'. Nothing wrong with that i suppose, but Taney could easily grow a world record, and a lake wide slot limit probably would probably help. If I were forced to bet $10, I would say there is a world record in Taneycomo, if not several. Off topic, but if I could have one wish granted, it would be to take a boat and jigging spoon right up next to Table Rock dam. Oh - and my post wasn't directed at you at all - it seems that users of this forum tend to care a lot about their fish - and that's awesome. To dissuade slingshot guy at RR, we could rope off that section with construction or crime scene tape

I always wait for the fish to pull out of my grasp when I hold its tail. I never catch trout big enough to matter anyway Aren't fishermen great? I'd like to see a hunter shoot a deer, run over, stop the bleeding by applying gauze and pressure, load the deer in a truck, take it to the vet, hold it's hoof while the vet does surgery to take out the bullet, and read it Bambi as it recovers. Yep, we fishermen care, that's for sure! It's true though - it may seem silly to some, but there is nothing more heartbreaking than a big fish that won't revive. I have, as well as others, gone to great lengths to make sure they swim away. Thank's for everyone's input - I feel the same most of y'all do - it feels wong, though it isn't, to keep a big trout if they can swim away. The "silver bullets" are tasty - no doubt. I guess when MDC puts the trout in, it's not a crime to take em. Even in the 'trophy area'. I won't keep a smallmouth bass - no problem with those who will, but I won't. I've eaten largemouth, and I'll take the taste of crappie over bass any day - especially when crappie are in abundance at any of the big lakes around here. Thinking of going down to RR this wednesday for some food fish actually - I'll keep an eye out for a big gasping fish in shallow water, and I'll keep a #1/2 treble hook ready

Swimmin minnows were the bait of choice. As far as colors, the best color was red/yellow, on a plain jighead. Steady retrieve. Also used purple swimmin minnow with good results as the sun started setting. When the sun was up, i also used a white split curly tail - pinched off most of the body so it was basically a undulating tail on a jighead (helped with short strikes - which were many) Most were caught on swimmin minnow red/yellow tho (probably 75%)

Fished yesterday started at taylor and moved upstream, then downstream of bridge. Caught 2 very big gills, and a bunch of little largemouths, but no whites or walleye. I talked to three different fishermen/groups around taylor - and the results were pretty much the same - a couple of whites (one fellow caught five, fishing downstream of taylor), and heard of one walleye caught in the am. From everyone I talked to, the general consensus was they just aren't there in #s yet. Went to a spot on the main lake a buddy showed me (I'd better not blab - it's not a secret spot, but it doesn't get much bank fishermen) where there was some timber, and did well on crappie - together we probably caught 25 or so, but kept one limit of 15 (which I got the joy of cleaning till 11 last night ) The smallest was 11 inches, and the biggest 14. Hopefully this picture will work.

And I should add that I totally and completely respect y'all's opinions on this - I just have a different background and different opinions.

That scenario sounds awful - why would people do it? I will say this for pro fishermen - they've worked extrordinarily hard to get where they are. To be able to compete at that level is impressive. But still, nine-to-five guy doesn't want to hear pro fisherman complaining about the one that got away. I completely understand that I don't understand the stresses of fishing (stresses of fishing!! - what a phrase) on that level. If I showed up at my job and complained that my research didn't turn out just right - and that's what caused me to not get published in a prestigious journal, and get a million dollar grant, you wouldn't want to hear it - and you would be perfectly within your rights to tell me to shut my mouth, and do better, more thought out research. Many of us work exhausting jobs, and in all jobs (save government positions), performance determines not only pay, but whether you keep a job. Once again - I don't mean to be demeaning - i know pro fishing is ridiculously challanging, draining, taxing, worrisome, hectic, competitive, and mentally exhuasting (I can't believe those words describe fishing - it's a wierd concept for mr. weekend fisherman). But, when pros start complaining about it, it makes me think... hmmm... maybe time for them to change careers.... I know most don't complain, and aren't whiners. Most, I am confident, are class acts. But Bill originally posted this topic because whining was apparently going on during FLW, and he was tired of it. I understand. I think I'll go fishin like Crooked Creek - it sounds fun.

I have no doubt I'd get "clean smoked" - the same could be said for any other professional sport I would be foolish enough to endevour without years of practice and training. I'd get smoked at golf by the pros - but not because golf is the most difficult professional sport. No doubt pro fishing is tough - but if you compare relative failure, I would wager I would fail less (though still miserably) against a pro fisherman than I would against, say a boxer, or linebacker, or one-on-one soccer or basketball. Who knows - I may have more one-on-one success vs. Kobe Bryant than vs. Mike Icon, but I doubt it. Bottom line - pro sports are taxing and draining, but I still think fishing is less so than other sports. And as I do my nine-to-five, I don't want to hear people complaining about how tired they are after fishing for eight days straight. I know I can't relate, but still... More power to the pros and glitter boats, making a mega-money "sport" out of something that, at it's highest 'level' should be (in MY opinion of course) be a low-pressure, local tournament with friends and neighbors competing. The pros can have their cash, sponsors, prestige, quality equipment (and I recognize that it is worked for - I work to be the best microbiologist/researcher - and it is tiring and tedious). Sorry if I'm offending folks, but hearing a pro complain about how hard it is to fish all the time is always a treat, when most of us work just as hard at our respective jobs.

Sounds like tough times ahead - and you know what they say..."When the going gets tough, the tough go fishing!"

best way? small airplane.

Three different colored soft plastic minnows (w/ curly tail) - gray/black, smoke/glitter, and red/white. White bass was on the red/white. Bunch of largemouth down on Taylor using the same.

If professional fishing is the toughest sport, my name's Micropterus salmoides!! Gimme a break. Oh my, how rough, I got a slight tan while buzzing around the lake in my glitter boat. Oh no - I think I pulled a muscle reeling in that 5 lb bass! Sure it is a challenge. But the toughest professional sport??!! I would like to nominate boxing, or soccer, or football..... or curling..... or ANY other "sport" than fishing. just my humble opinion, tho.

I think you have to keep head and tail attached - i fillet - but the trout is still intact head to tail. I keep them in a bag until i leave. Personally, I like the fish that have been there for a while - fins are sharp and meat is firm. mmmmmm!!

I have cleaned em right there a few times OOPS! I just think of it as weeding out the small ones so they won't get in the way of the trophy hunters

Hey y'all I rarely see anyone keep trout up by the dam in the trophy area. There are bunches of under 12''s - the littlest ones are the tastiest anyway! Is it "frowned upon" to keep a few up by the trophy area? I tend to notice more "purists", who are in it for the bigger fish. Is it considered 'tacky' to carry along a stringer? (I must keep up on my trout etiquitte [or however you spell that bloody word]) Thanks, Brian

Oh yeah - huge fish She was one of the wash-ins on Taney when it flooded last year. 19 inches - and super fat! - I'd guess at least 15 lbs, but I didn't have a scale Of course though - ya should've seen the one that got away! hehe. And I hear you - tournaments do give a different dimention to fishing - and I would guess that Bill was irked at the tone "Man - if I hadn't lost the big-un, I'd've been in the money" rather than the good ol boy's "Man - you shoulda seen the one that got away" Just a guess.

I should've stated that the above opinions do not reflect the majority on this post I, like brownieman, am of the opinion that when you factor in cash, it changes it a bit. Also, there is a difference in the weekend angler that fishes the occational homelake tourney, and the person who does it for a living. Fishing for a living means fishing for cash - which is fine for some - don't get me wrong - it's just different than what I picture fishing to be. And trust me Wackem - little bluegills are the norm for me Tournament Fishermen are great people! (for the most part) I just think that money CAN be a corrupting force. It makes for a different brand of fishing. MY OPINION of course!

I would throw in some marabou jigs as well - browns and blacks, and whites. If you have some pink marabou, it's worth a shot - I had good luck yesterday on a 1/64 offensively bright pink marabou jig i tied under a float. But you can't go wrong with scuds - as large as #12 and as small as #20 - on a bright sunny day, a super small scud can do wonders. My favorite color is grey - it closely resembles the color of the scuds if you scoop some up.

When you say you caught him on a #22 zebra midge, do you mean a 22" zebra midge? Or perhaps a #22 slick brownie (22" brown trout)?

Went down last friday (late on the report - sry!) and caught about 8 Lgmth (biggest around 12inches). Closer up past the Iron Bridge caught 3 real nice crappie (they were tasty!), and had a white on, but didn't catch em. I am hoping for the rain Wednesday night (20-30% chance - fingers crossed everyone!!), and the warmer temperatures to help out - planning on going thursday and maybe friday. I'll let y'all know - and thanks all for the reports.

Thanks for the advise!

What? A bunch of ego drivin competitors complaining about the circumstances of the 'game'? That's what happens when you make what should be a recreational activity a sport. The most passionate fisherman is one that does not care if he catches more and bigger fish than the other person - that is not the essence of fishing. That's not how you "win" in fishing. Here's the problem - a true fisherman is also the master of fish stories. "The one that got away" should be the first and foremost story of every fisherman's mind when they get off the water. "Hey Bob - ya catch anything?" "Yeah - a few, but you should've seen the one that got away." If a fisherman hasn't memorized this story by the time he/she is roughly 12 years old, there is little hope for them. This story, as Bill most effectively pointed out (in a round about way), only holds merit when you are fishing for FISH, not a pot of CASH. Telling the 'One that got away' story makes you sound like a true fisherman when you are fishing for FISH, you sound like a whiny brat when you are fishing for CASH. I respect the professional anglers who aren't blowhards (and I expect that the majority aren't). As for me, I will keep my story of the Missouri state record smallmouth I lost right below the Table Rock Dam. I'm allowed to after all - I am fishing for the FISH.