laker67

The 18 pound 1 ounce rainbow was caught in august of 04. It replaced a 16 pound 13 ounce fish also caught at RR.

A very hungry 10 pounder. What more could you ask for?

Thanks! Park fish take on the football look. Not much current to fight so they lay up and get extremely big around the girth. A 25 x 16 would be around 8 pounds, and a 25 x 20 would be 10 pounds. Taney's rainbows would be pushing 29 to 30 inches with less girth. Most of these football fish are females. Males are long and skinny as a rule. I caught a 31 inch male that only weighed 10.25, that was at BSSP.

Well it's all about timing in most places. And I assume by 25 inch fish you are referring to 10 pound plus. At T-como that is possible any time of year. Naturally there is a bigger concentration of 10 pounders in the fall. For browns, in and around the trout parks, July and August are the prime months. As the river waters warm, the browns will migrate into the spring branches. Rainbows, in and around the trout parks, is an all year event if the fish are available. A 10 pound rainbow is getting to be a rare item in recent years. Winter season is a good bet for rainbows because of some large brood stock turned out about every 3rd year. I have caught 10 pound fish at t-como, RR, BSSP, and Montauk. I lost the only one that I have ever hooked at Meramac. As far as the rivers go, I have fished for some 10 pounders on the current, but 9 pounds is the largest that I have landed there. Below RR I have fished for some large browns, but never hooked up with any. Right place at the right time is the key. In the past 34 years I have been fortunate enough to land 29 trout over 10 pounds. All were released unharmed with the exception of one very large brown that I kept. All of these fish were caught in the missouri waters that I have listed above. All of these waters are capable of producing large fish at the right time of year.My choice of fly would be a 12 or 14 grey sowbug.

The sequal to Deliverance was being filmed on the 11 point. It never made the box office because someone raided their tents and stole all of the tapes and camera gear, plus all of the loaves of bread that they had.

Best bring your rough water survival gear, the longboats are out in force.

I would be cautious about using that gesture around the boat ramp at Taney.

Absolutely priceless!!

Good point!!!

He should move all of the warm water lakes to that forum. Plus the gardening, hobbies, and every thing unrelated to cold water fishing. That would give it a jump start.

I think it has more to do with the length limits that MDC established back in the 70's and 80's. Growing up on LOZ, a four pound bass was something that you wrote home about. I can remember fishing the "Rock" when the rapala was born. You would catch 60 fish a day and not a one over 12 inches. A few years after the lenght limits, 3, 4, and the occasional 5 pounder were becoming common place.

According to google, it is called black spot disease. The parasite host are birds. When they poop in the water, the parasite finds a new host such as fish, snails, etc. They say it is not harmful to humans if cooked properly. I guess if you like sushi bass, you might end up with the black spots as well.

OFF44, Take away the muddy water and the sometimes over abundance of canoes below baptist, and you are left with one of the finest fishing experiences that Missouri has to offer. Your first impression of the current pretty much sums it up. The current still has the capability of producing large fish. Two of missouri's state record brown trout have come from the current, way back before any blue ribbon restrictions. In 1977 a 15 pounder, and in 1991, a 19 pounder. Glad you had a good trip, and thanks for the report.

What!!! No fur bug, mini-jig, purina fly, or gut fly. They must not have surveyed any self-respecting park fishermen, such as myself. These flies are just like your master card, "don't leave home without them".

Bman, Sounds like you and Matt had a great day out on the water. Thx for the report.

#1-- Brown Boulevard, water on. #2-- Rebar, water off. #3-- #1 outlet, water on. #4-- #2 outlet, water off. #5-- After dark for all of the above. All of my above 5 choices, have the capability of producing large, to extremely large fish. These are the "top gun" choices that missouri has to offer. 3

Bman, I am certainly no rod expert, but IMO a 9 foot 4 wt would be on the order of a wet noodle with a lead weight attached. IF you are strickly wanting a play rod, I would at least shorten it up to 8 foot to give it a running start. I know you love to fish taney, and I know that you and I fish similiar styles. I personally think that you will be very dissapointed in the way that a 4 wt will perform and especially handle a big fish on the tailwater. I bought a 4 wt several years back and traded it for a 5 wt after the first trip out. As far as lighter tippets, I have fished 7 and 8x on 5 wts for years. When I break off it's not the rods fault. I am sure that someone is about ready to tell me ,"that according to the winston fly rod manual", that my way of thinking is way off track. And I am ok with that. Like I said, I am no fly rod expert. I am only speaking from my own personal experiences on the water.

A very fine tribute to a fisherman, and a grandfather. No doubt that he has instilled in you a love for fishing. My condolances to you and your family.

What you have just described, must be a common, every year happening on LOZ. The few times that I am on the lake for early crappie fishing, I see this almost if not every year for the past twenty or so years. I don't have a clue what it is, but it is always adult bass that I witness in this condition.

More beavers, they are attracted to higher water during their mating season. Don't be wearing that fur hat while you are wading at night.

Not correct. Cannot be tied, superglued, roped, lassoed, half-hitched or permanently attached to the hook. The way that Bman and I used to fish zone 3, is a no-go these days, thanks but no thanks to jim rogers and company. That grumpy old b--s---d should have been kicked out of bssp years ago. He has way too much power and say in a taxpayer funded operation.

Seeing a huge brown with fly in mouth, is quite the experience. An experience that doesn't fade out with time. That picture will always be brightly painted in your mind. Your description, " as big around as my thigh", and Bman's, "looked like a railroad tie", are classic examples of the excitement generated by a large fish. Win or lose, it's all about the fair chase and how we played the game. When I stop and think, we "are" the victors even when the fish wins the battle.

Thankyou! A very nice looking rainbow.

Tim, how big is the rainbow in your avatar?

Well, this is not the largest trout that I have lost, but it was the largest rainbow that I had ever hooked. Back in "88", T-como was making a good recovery from the early 80's slump. It was in Oct., weekend, and I had caught 2, 8 pounders the day before at #2. Also one of the local guys named Pat, had caught a 14 pound rainbow the same day. Sunday morning # 2 was overcrowed with people, so I wandered up to # 1 for a look see. As I was fishing # 1, a huge rainbow made a swing through the outlet and continued upstream. About 20 minutes later, she came through again. I was fishing a # 10 grey sowbug, so I would lay the fly in front of her as she moved through. I could get 2 good cast on every pass. She did this pattern several times before I fooled her. Her first run was upstream, and then across. I worked her in three times before, for no good reason, the hook just pulled out. I had her on top of the water with my net dropped when the hook pulled out. Having just recently caught a 14.5 and a 15 pound rainbow, I am estimating the weight of this large female between 18 and 20 pounds. I have yet to hook another rainbow that large.