TroutRinger

please don't taunt me with stories and pics and fish and beautiful scenery all week ...

If by puke, you mean Mustard colored, then you have found the most consistent smallmouth lure I know of. Try using 1/8 marabou crappie jigs in yellow, green, white, and brown for hooks instead of plain jig heads. and awesome fish btw!

Nope. Caught those fish mostly on 7" plastic worms. and to your comment Dennis, yes there was lots of traffic. One particularly obnoxious woman on a kayak yelled at my friend and myself twice saying "this river isn't for fishing" and that we were in the way. I just ignored her the first time. The second time I was losing patience and asked if rivers were just for floating drunk and being rude to patient fisherman. She tried to stop and continue the "conversation" but couldn't control her kayak which hit a rock near shore causing her to drop her paddle. By the time she picked it back up she was far downstream, and we didn't see her again.

First time fishing the Niangua. Fishing was a bit inconsistent. Caught 5 trout (1 brown) in the first 30 minutes all between 10-12 inches. Then it would be real spotty the rest of the day with fish coming in bunches of two to three at a time then nothing. Probably caught around 20 total with all smallmouth after the first hour. My new kayak and the additions I made all worked perfectly. I was extremely pleased and won't be adjusting anything. I actually caught a majority of the fish while in the yak and not wading. Sorry no pics. My digital camera crapped out on my yesterday. Maybe an excuse to buy a waterproof one. Also, fished Lake of the Ozarks in the kayak on the Little Niangua (about 1 mile upstream from Big Island). Fishing was DEAD from 1-3. Went back out at 6:00 and killed the bass until dark. Caught 6 keepers with the largest over 4 lbs. All others were over 12 inches. ...all fish were released as always.

Ya I'd piggie is a good word to describe that fish. Nice going

I agree. I was using the cheap, thin zip ties while experimenting so I could cut them and not worry about the cost.

That's actually extremely practical. Might have to get or make one.

Didn't see the Monday part . I floated on a Saturday with a big group it was an absolute zoo. I still brought my rod and caught several small smallies.

Not sure what section that is, but I can assure you it will be extremely crowded.

How do you store your line? Having a lot of trouble figuring out how to do it and keep it untangled and out of the way. I am very close to using the retractable dog leash method, especially since I have limited space (8ft yak). p.s. I have completely redone the anchor system. The way I had it set-up, I could not reach the anchor when pulling it up. It would only come up to the very front of the yak (my mistake). Instead, I am using a mini trolley system that runs from the front carry handle location to about 1.5ft straight back to a deck loop (which you can see in the first pic). This way, when I pull the anchor in, the trolley will simultaneously bring the anchor line and anchor within my reach.

I am still playing with ways of making the rigging stop at the handle while still having everything removable so I can take it off for transportation. I may cave in and buy a cam or clam cleat, but I'll probably play with it a little more first.

What kind of snake and fish are those. ...and Cocry, I know how you feel.

Nothing like cool spring water on a hot day! I have 3 float trips in the next 4 weeks and will spend a lot of time just drifting with my legs hanging in the water.

Took a while to get it right, but I got the anchor system ready. First off, the anchor is a 5# dumbell from Walmart. The line runs from the anchor through the loop for bow carry handle. It then comes in along the side and under the solid, side carry handle. It then runs through a carabiner (I might remove this step) and goes to a deck loop back, and left of the seat. From there it heads back up towards the solid handle where it ends at that clamp thing I found at Ace Hardware. That final piece actually turned out quite well. In case of an emergency, it can be released very quickly simply by pulling the loose end. The end of the slack rope will also be attached using a quick release knot. Both releases will be close to each other on my none rod holding hand so they can be pulled easily. I think I can simplify it a bit. If it doesn't work smoothly, I'll eventually install a clam or cam cleat.

I like the drop down bench feature a lot! Gives you room to set stuff while rigging and frees up your hands. Are there any over the shoulder versions of that in a similar price range?

8ft Lifetime Calypso (fits inside my Explorer) Has square back. Designed to be stored inside standing up which was key for me and my space limitations. $200 from Walmart (yes Walmart) Came with padded back rest and paddle. I was very pleased with the quality of both...not to mention they were free. Bought a $60 paddle for my old kayak and don't really notice a difference in quality or weight. First three are of how it came. Materials: 14x16 Sterilite crate from Walmart, multi-purpose wire, 2 zip ties, 11" pvc pipe, 1 bungee cord, 1 bungee loop thingy?, 3/16 braided anchor rope, 2 caribiners, and drill. Front of the crate is connected very securely by the wire on both sides Back is held down by bungee cord The set-up is very stable and sturdy. Doesn't move at all. I am going to make one minor change to the rigging on the back to make it even tougher. I wasn't originally going to rig it up like this at all (front or back). However, I realized there would be some times when I would have to transport it on a roof rack. In which case, the basket could, but probably shouldn't stay on. With this set-up, I can take it on or off in a minute or two simply by twisting the wire and removing the bungee cord. Mostly finished product. I am going to add one more rod holder. Used zip ties to hold this one in place. The yellow bucket is really just there for perspective. It is an empty cat litter bucket I use to store fishing stuff. There is a bungee running through the crate that holds the tackle boxes in place whether or not the bucket is there. I still need to do some touching up on the anchor system. I need another caribiner, and once I find an anchor, I need to work out a storage system for it. I opted not to run the anchor trolley to the back although I could have. With a square back, I think it would swamp too easy if held down. By the way, what weight and type of anchor would you recommend. I was planning on getting a mushroom shaped one but don't know about weight? I think I mentioned earlier how easy this set up was because of the great placement and numbers of deck loops and other fixtures. It also has the built in cup holder, 2 small trays, a paddle holder, and carry handle on the side. Overall I would give the layout a 10 out of 10. I spent $300 on my last 10.5' Sit-in yak. It had nowhere near the functionality of this one, with or without modifications, and it was awkward to carry and store. Can't wait to test this one out!

Just got finished (well kinda finished) working on it. Mostly done but will be doing some fine tuning and minor additions in time. I was EXTREMELY pleased at how perfectly everything was laid out. Didn't have to drill a single hole into the boat. This is my second yak. I will have more details and a lot of pics tomorrow.

I am picking up my kayak today and have some customization to do. One item will be an anchor trolley. It's a SOT without any hatches so I will not be able to use bolts to attach any of the deck rigging. What is your preference for attaching such items? Do you use any sealer? Advantages and disadvantages of your choice? SEE PICS AND DETAILS BELOW

We are just joining a much larger group (30+) so I have to take what I can get.

I fished that section last summer (or two summers ago I cant remember). It was last minute so all I had was smallmouth stuff. The only thing I could manage to catch was about a million rock bass. Maybe I'll start off with something generic like rooster tails. Ain't much out there that won't hit those.

I was originally just floating the Current around Two Rivers on Saturday, but the girlfriend's family will be floating floating Cedar to Akers on Thursday. I was not about to pass up 2 free nights staying at Montauk and an extra float trip so we are extending the weekend a couple days. How's the fishing in that section, and what would you recommend for spin fishing tackle. I was probably going to bring what I would take spin fishing at Taneycomo: an assortment of jigs, spinners, jerkbaits, and maybe some floats for flies and jigs. Also, any regulations I need to know about? I have a trout stamp but will not be keeping any fish, and I believe the lure restriction is just no live bait, right?

That is correct. Can't really think of much else on the way. Crane Creek wouldnt be terribly far out of the way. Others could help you out better than I.

Thanks for detailed pics on the rod holder. my new kayak will be arriving in about a week. hopefully i can install something similar to that.

6-8lb p-line cx is about all I use. maybe some Vanish in 6lb which is actually somewhere between the 6 and 8 of p-line in strength. 6lb P-line is strong enough to bend the hook back on most light hooks which is all I need.

What section did you float? and can you tell me about that rod holder? I like that a lot. Is the foam holding it in the cupholder and where did you get the actual holder?