FishinCricket

Thats re kinda job you are just happy to be alive when you collect the paycheck! Nice, decsriptive story... Kudos on your bravery, I don't know if I could do that...

I am actually with you to a degree Al. Thats why I kinda stressed in my post that presentation is what pull up the quality stream fish.. You are right in that aspect for sure, presentation is key when they aren't on, but when they are hitting cranks they are hitting most of them (crawdad or otherwise).. And spinners and swimming minnows and purple worms too..

You just have to keep posting, I think... All things come in due time, eh?

Hehe, you said Cricket hook.... LOL (is it a big, skinny, gangly hook with gapped teeth? LOL) Seriously though, solid advice...

It's one of my go to lures on the niangua, dude.. fishing from an anchored boat (or standing in the middle of the stream) you literally just toss it downstream into a deep pocket and let it swim.. Trout and bass even set the hook themselves! I have found that the smaller the better, and if it's early in the season and they aren't chasing it, you can tie on a couple split shots and let it drift down into the pockets and holes (watch out for snags and keep it moving just a little) and yank em out left and right! Tips I could give include having a variety of colors and trying to match what color the streams crawdads have, always go with the smaller ones for streams and rivers, and crank it slow.. slow, SLOW I say! Keep an eye on the eyelet too, if it strays too much left or right it will mess up the lures action, bending it slightly back the opposite direction tends to fix the issue... Good luck!

Glad to see you guys made the most of it.. I was reading where you went back to find barclay a muddy mess and considered leaving ad I was thinking "Wonder if they tried the put-in hole, the fish always stack up in there during high water..". Glad to see you guys hit it, don't suppose there's any crappie left in there? Great report, glad to see you guys dodged the weather bullet, I was concerned the river was gonna be blown out..

Wrench, you sure know how to make a man jealous! LOL Maybe I will bump my visit up to Wednesday, but I won't have secured a fly rod (to embarass myself with) by then...? Guess I'll just have to have you set the hook on em with my ultralight (still say it's the worst luck I have EVER had with that dang spincaster!), then let me reel em in! LOL (Just a joke MDC, nobody does that) I'll decide on it tomorrow and call you.. Still stocking the fridge with trout, so it'll be a long day! (but worth every yawn)

That looks like it could be modified to fit the front bumper of my Geo Tracker (think roller skate, Wrench does LOL) Looks like a decent price.. Just curious, how is the fish finder (winch replacement?) doing for holding your boat in place? Just teasin'.. Hehe

Thanks wrench.. With a name like Cricket I can handle a little pickin'. LOL It was pretty embarassing to put up a fly rod in front of someone who uses one so well, glad you think I did ok.. I felt like a monkey trying to tag a football.. (Looks like that little guy there is doing a better job than I did, is he for hire?) I will see if I can't make it down there this next Sunday, you think they'll still be running?

Thank you very much Phil, I appreciate the help.. I always try and self moderate as much as possible, and I don't enjoy asking for help at all.. LOL I was born with a keyboard in my hand, so I should be able to figure it out.... LOL

Allot of us have had similar experiences with accidentally finding this jewel of a forum.. I say welcome aboard! Peace

definitely a great way to do a report.. I like the video advice showing how to cast and strip and such.. Need more of that.. Good stuff.

Guts, just guts I tell ya! I know how to filet a fish! Really I do.. (next time I'll flip you 5 bucks to do it for me.. I really mucked it up, didn't I?)

Thanks for the advice, I'll check into those kits as well. I'll hit up the local fly shops, they always seem to have good equipment. But I would say I will be one of those guys who always "in the market" for a good deal or some solid advice. Thanks again for all the support (I am sure some of you were itching to get fly reports from Bennett), hope I will make you all proud..

Never!! LOL

Yes, and I thank him from the bottom of my little "Bug" heart.. LOL I am told that the magical moment when you get a fish to bite on a fly rod is something that you will remember forever..

Thanks! Received and replied...

Hooked indeed... Literally and metaphorically... One of our forumites here was kind enough to invite me on a fishing trip yesterday, and after watching him catch fish til his arm was sore (and me not even getting a bite) for an hour and a half I finally said "Would you mind if I tried that?" How kind he was to hand his (probably really expensive) 9 foot flyrod to me and show me how to do what he was doing. After about 10 minutes of figuring the cast out (at least figuring it out enough to get the lure out and churn the water into butter) I finally got it out there far enough to strip it in, and WHAM! I'll save the fishing report for another time, but sufficed to say I am now in the market for a fly rod. Any anglers out there willing to retire their old fly rods by giving them a new home in the front of my boat? I am getting one soon either way, but if I can get one that's already been broke in (and depreciated) then maybe my wife will allow me to invest that much more money into fishing. If not I will just have to lie to her, LOL. I look forward to the replies..

I second that....

Yeah it's still just spittin here right now, I hope the forecast is wrong for your sake. The river gauge hasn't budged from this last rainy spell.. We shall see.

This is a perfect suggestion.. I further suggest we make the ribbon bright pink (because we are the kinda guys that can handle that, and our women anglers won't mind it either, plus it'll ward off and weed out the idiots) with www.ozarkanglers.com across it in shiny black.. Great suggestion.. (one of these days I will actually make it down to Lilleys Landing and meet Phil.. And when I do I am buying a hat!)

Well, pack a loaf I bread and some sinkers sonny.. At least that seems to work best for the locals. I always suggest spoons (Lile the rainbow Kastmaster brand) or little swimmers, like Rapala Crawdads or those little "Onw inch wonders" or the Strike King Bombers.. As for the fly rod, can't help much there, other than to tell you that the fly guys I watch on the river are using sinking line and little black jigs. I am told you can't go wrong with San Juan Worms. Other than that, fish the deep spots. If you like catching smallies or Goggleeye at all you might bring some 16th ounce black and white Maribou Jigs. Fish em around rocks and other current stops. For more specific advice, feel free to call me. If you need a boat, lemme know.

LOOK OUT! there's a HUGE bear behind you? LOL

My 16 foot John boat would have a hard time fitting on that stretch of river, wouldn't it? Please advise.... (and thanks for any and all pro bono advice you give here, I am very grateful)

Depends upon what type of fishing you are doing.. Are you guys using fly rods or spinning rods?