wily

i was looking on cabelas.com today -- there are some killer sales on lowrance units

pm sent

you might check that expiration date before you go...in oklahoma the fishing license expires 12/31.

ya, but you probably won't get a free hotdog...

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by throwin -- i mean casting i've always assumed that they were casting. i just see them as i drive past them in my boat. it seems to me like they are outside the channel on the edge.

seth, the majority of boats i see fishing for spoonbill around the bridge are on the side closest to grove, and on the downstream side (SW side) they are close to the rip rap...throwin out into the channel. this is a little piece of the hotspot map to give you an idea. the best ramp to use would probably be the city ramp in wolf creek...it's about a mile or so south of the bridge and just out of the map area.

most of the early spring snagging is done in the neosho river from twin bridges (near wyandotte ok) north to miami but they also snag around the sailboat bridge in grove pretty much year round. i've attached a link to ivan martins site...he's the best guide on grand lake. keep an eye on his report...there'll be some spoonbill talk soon. http://grandfishingreport.com/pgs/reports/reports.htm

i usually use 10 or 12's but i'm sure 8's will be fine. with the dough bait mold it so none of the hook is exposed. with the salmon eggs it's harder because you have to pierce the skin. another important thing is to have a long leader on your c-rig. 4 or 5 foot is ideal.

good work on the guide trip phil i took both boys today it was another great day. we got to cooper creek about 1230. the boys used a white gulp egg, and one red salmon egg. jake who's six caught the most which was about 8. joe is 4 and he caught the biggest. i'd cast it for joe, and he did the rest. he caught 3 but boy they were all three toads. i didn't have any time to fish...but i made 5 casts with my jig and float, and caught one so i quit...and went back to the chineese fire drill. only saw one eagle...there were a lot of people at cooper creek. i even saw one boy swimming down by monkey island. i guess all this sunshine in january got to him, but boy he had to have a bitter reality pill afterwards.

good work with the camera. the boy had his hands full. congratulations

thanks for the report -- we're planning to come down tomorrow. might try a glow ball instead of a micro-jig has the water cleared-up? thanks

here's the article that phil mentioned ------------- Babler's Jig-n-Float Method, Bill Babler We are using a 7'2" rod designed by the Rod Shop in Kansas City, it has an extremely fast tip, with a solid middle section and extreme strength in the butt portion, with extremely long cork handles. Before most all the rods that were used before this were ultra lite, but were extremely wimpy and buggy whippy. This rod is the real deal for jig and float. How to fish this method is probably our biggest topic at the seminars that Phil and I do and I will try to explain our setup. First off you need a full size spinning reel with good line capacity, I am a shimiano man and use only stradic's in the 1000, or 1500 versions, these reels also have a marvelous drag system. Spool the reel with 4 lb. fluorocarbon, you don't need to over fill the spool, just about 2/3 full. The fluorocarbon throws like a rock and remains memory free and is all I will use. Lots of good brands out there. From the main line, I place a foam strike indicator on the line and then use a no 12 swivel below the float. I will also insert a small finish nail in the bottom of the float or a small split to help it throw. I tried a tungsten bead on the line but it cut the line and would not work. Float colors of either chartreuse or flo-orange work best. From there, depending on conditions I use 2lb. fluorocarbon to my fly, judging the length of the tippet on the speed and condition of the water. For actively midging fish I usually go about 2ft. of tippet, on most other times I try and stay near the bottom If I can. On extreme fast water, I will throw 9 to 10 ft. of the tippet material on the 7ft rod with no problem, that's how I got them yesterday. This is where the swivel really comes in handy, when throwing this much line, it prevents twists in your tippet material. The main thing to remember is you have to stay in contact from your rod to the strike indicator, at all times and cannot let your attention be diverted, as the fish even on a fast flow, just will not hook themselves. Keep your slack picked up without drag on the indicator and you will catch fish. I am constantly shocking the indicator will little rod tip snaps, this tells me I'm on the indicator and ready for a hook set. If I twitch the tip and the indicator doesn't move, you need to pick up the slack. Start on no flow or soft moving water, and then graduate to full flow. On full flow, fish the fly down stream from the boat with no drag and you will have a blast. As a footnote for the most part, I am adding on weight to the line to get the fly down. I either use weighted nymphs or micro jigs. If you attach even splits to the tippet and they hit the bottom they will just add another element to the tippet to catch the bottom and foreign material. I have had way better success with weighted bugs. Fluorocarbon sinks and that also helps get your trout appetizers to the bottom. -------------------- My advice -- i don't use a fly rod or a swivel. i use a float n fly rod from bass pro. 8 foot micro-lite with a shimano ul. also doubles as a good crappie rod. i think you could use any rod, but the longer rod helps with casting and for staying in contact with the float. use a medium sized carrot float...run the stop thru from the top and put a bb size split shot just under the float. you can get away with 4 lb, but you'll probably catch more on 2 lb. use a micro-jig or similar small jig...or a zebra midge you really need to stay in contact with the float, and watch it for subtle movements. if it wobbles, or stops...it's probably a fish. sometimes they'll take it all the way under but usually it's subtle.

i'll post our bass club's schedule below -- not sure if anybody in the area is interested in joining but I'll post it just in case. it's a good time, and you can learn a lot from the guys. if you don't have a boat -- no worries -- there are plenty of boats to go around. plus the dues are cheap... meetings are the tuesday before the tournaments at Pizza by Stout. Tournament Schedule for 2009 Miners Bass Club Jan. 17th Sat. Banquet at Logans at 6:30pm. Feb. 28th Sat. Day Tourn. At Eucha Mar. 21st Sat. Day Tourn. At Grand- Honeycreek April 18-19th Sat-Sun. Day Tourn. At Table Rock – Big M May 8th Sat. Night Tourn. At Stockton- Mutton May 29th Fri. Night Tourn. At Grand- Wolfcreek June 5th Fri. Night Tourn. At Eucha (Split) July 10h Fri. Night Tourn. At Table Rock – Cape F Aug. 7th Fri. Night Tourn. At Grand - Honeycreek Sept. 4th Fri. Night Tourn. At Stockton – Mutton Oct. 17-18th Classic Sat-Sun. At Fort Gibson - ????? Nov. 7th Sat. Day Tourn. At Table Rock - Cape F Dec. 5th Sat. Day Tourn. At Stockton - Mutton

look up in the articles section -- phil and bill have a post in it that deals specifically with the jig and fly method. i don't use a fly rod. i use a float n fly rod from bass pro. 8 foot micro-lite. also doubles as a good crappie rod. i think you could use any rod, but the longer rod helps with casting and for staying in contact with the float. use a carrot float...run the stop thru from the top and put a bb size split shot just under the float. you can get away with 4 lb, but you'll probably catch more if you run 4 lb test to a swivel and 2 lb underneath. use a micro-jig or similar small jig...or a bead head you really need to stay in contact with the float, and watch it for subtle movements. if it wobbles, or stops...it's probably a fish. sometimes they'll take it all the way under but usually it's subtle.

we didn't have any problems at the ramp...launched and loaded without a hiccup. we fished on the opposite side of the resort at the end of the bluff. jake caught his fish on a mini c-rig with a long leader. he used one white gulp egg, and one red salmon egg. i fished an olive micro jig about 4 foot under a carrot float. we both had our limit and ate our pack lunch in less than two hours. we had two bald eagles in a tree about 5o yards from us the whole time. all in all a great day. i've taken my boys fishing lots of times. bass, crappie, catfish...you name it. but the most reliable and enjoyable way to take a kid fishing is to go to taneycomo....you can always catch fish using phil's advice at taneycomo.

troy, thanks for the tip...i'll try it

thanks, we planned to stop by the shop for some supplies, so hopefully see ya then

we're thinking about coming down tomorrow...the weather forecast looks good albeit a windy. my only concern with the wind is the ramp at cooper creek. the generation always makes launching and loading the boat pretty tricky...but coupling that with the wind is double trouble. it will only be me and my 6 year old. I'm used to launching a boat, so i guess i shouldn't worry. i just wish they would have built a current break for the ramp. anybody have any advice?? we'll fish between fall creek and monkey island. he'll be fishing with bait, and i'll fish a jig or midge and float. thanks

phil, i was curious if you are having any trout tournaments this year? i remember last year -- there was a pretty good buzz about them with trav and all. i'm trying to plan a weekend to bring the family down this winter, and thought this might be the ideal time. we'd probably fish with bait, which might preclude us from any prizes but i thought my oldest might like to be around the excitement. thanks

SOUNDS like you might want to practice a little bit on the shooting or get a scope.? LOL that's what jake, my six year old said too -- the bad thing is -- i took it out two weeks ago and did just that -- practiced at 50 yards. did ok that day -- did terrible this weekend -- it's a cool gun though -- Ruger 44 Deerslayer -- built on the same frame as a 10/22 but shoots 44 mag. it didn't live up to its name this weekend

i have the small game permit because we do quite a bit of squirell hunting, but i didn't even think about a fur bearers permit. i looked it up on-line, and the way i read it is -- you wouldn't need it -- only if were doing a large volume would you need the additional permit. Resident Permits PERMIT TYPE FEE Resident Small Game Hunting Permit* For frogs, birds (except turkey), mammals (except deer), and frogs, and to sell furbearers taken by hunting. A federal duck stamp also is required by federal regulations for hunting waterfowl and a Migratory Bird Hunting Permit is required by state regulations for hunting waterfowl, doves, snipe, woodcock and rails. $10.00 Resident Trapping Permit For trapping furbearers, rabbits and groundhogs, and to sell all these except rabbit carcasses. Date Change! Valid until June 30, 2009. $10.00 Resident Fur Handler’s Permit For possessing, processing, transporting and shipping legally taken pelts of furbearers from February 16 through June 1. Must also have resident hunting or trapping permit to take furbearers or be exempt. Only pelts taken by the permit holder may be possessed. Pelts sold within Missouri to a fur dealer or buyer must be fleshed, stretched and dried. Date Change! Valid until June 30, 2009. $10.00

The oldest boy and i went deer hunting on opening morning. we saw a bobcat early...before the sun came up. jake wanted me to shoot at it, but i was hesitant because i wasn't 100% sure it was a bobcat, and I didn't know the regulations -- Plus I didn't want to scare any deer that might be in the area. well about 15 minutes passed and we saw 3 does, so we watched them and hoped that they would come out of the brush enough to give me a shot. we watched and watched...after about 15 minutes or so i guess i got antsy and shot a couple times...i thought i might have it hit it with the second shot because it jumped straight up and kicked. as we were waiting to go look for a blood trail -- another doe came out in the same area. so we watched and watched...waited and hoped. but same deal. the deer wouldn't give us a very good shot, so after a bit the deer seemed to offer a good shot, so i shot a couple more times. this time i was pretty sure i missed. there was just too much brush between us and the deer. so here it is...i've shot every bullet that i brought with me, and haven't gotten a deer...but at least it's been exciting. we climb down out of the stand and go look for some blood hoping that i hit the first one, but as luck would have it i missed it. so we went back to the truck -- and called it a morning. my fil had gotten a doe, so at least jake got to watch him field dress it and skin it once we got back to the house...all wasn't lost. that afternoon i looked up the regulations for bobcats, and realized that i could have shot it. the season opens Nov 15. sunday morning we went back to the same stand...and it was cold. jake was getting antsy by the time the sun came up. his feet were cold and he was ready to leave. so about 7:30 i started to unload the gun before we climbed down from the stand. the noise of me ejecting the shells must have startled something because about that time we heard some movement. jake and i looked around to see if we could see it...well there it was...the bobcat. about 20 feet from the base of our tree. so i take my aim, and shot but i shot under it. the bobcat jumped twice and was gone across the opening and into a briar patch. it was quite a sight. the bobcat stretched out and raised its tail. it looked like a deer jumping a fence. awesome experience...although i would have liked to have got it. i think i would have had it mounted if i would have hit it. we had a greatweekend of wildlife viewing -- 4 deer, the bobcat twice, and a coyote, but i had a terrible weekend shooting. any of you guys ever got a bobcat? i read on-line that average density is 1 every 6 sq miles. it was quite an experience to see it -- i'm almost glad i missed.

i think so...i wasn't aware, so i checked and there's a stren series tournament this weekend. $90k to the winner -- $40k on the amateur side

water is low, and dirty. water temp was 63. took the oldest boy this afternoon, and fishing was tough. caught a couple on a spinnerbait around wolf point, and then went under the bridge. i felt like we were in a pretty good spot up there to catch some fish, but never did. shad were flippin all around us...but no luck. the boy got tired, so we only stayed a couple hours. beautiful day to be out.