laker67

Don't know about the blue cats, probably so, but "Bman" from the website caught and released an 18lb flathead on the flyrod a few seasons back near the big hole at taney.

That's why the average that Mitch questioned is low. You have to survive that initial run before you can use your fighting skills. It seems to happen alot more on tailwaters than parks. At taney they can head out towards Hollister with little to get in their way. At the parks they have a guantlet of people side straddle across the whole creek. You jump up to heavier tippet and you rip flesh or break your favorite rod trying to stop him. I spent the best part of one summer trying to land a lunker on .75 tippet. Probably lost 30 before landing one. Loved every minute of it.

Not sure why, but browns are notorious for wrapping line. It is either on the fin, around the gill plate, or as is the case with smaller fish, they will actually tie a half hitch around their head and gill plate. Must be in the way they turn back or something.

The reason I ask is that I am trying to remember big browns that were caught around that time. John Teeples had one near 15lb at the rock hole just below, and Foghorn had one at the high bank hole that was 16lbs 15 oz.

Hey Wrench. Do you recall what year it was that you caught that big brown?

Not sure as to what heavier might be. I am extremely comfortable with 6x. FW has got the same opinion as I. The harder you fight a fish the more he fights you. Landing a big fish is more like a gentle persuasion. Let him think that he is in control.

I got one. 1 hour prior to catching my largest brown I lost a big rainbow that would go around 14 or so pounds. I was back looking for that fish when I found the brown. On an average I normally lose about 3 to every one landed.k

You're right Gavin, trying to force feed one is the worst thing you can do. Most fish won't stand for that. You have to let it be their idea to eat your fly.

I would hate to bet against you. But somedays them girls make us look bad.

Yes I do.

You're right Pete, at taney and even the trout parks. It was an every day event to stand on the high bank above #2 and see upwards of a hundred big fish. And at the trout parks walk the creek and fish for 30 lunkers each and every day. And there were several more unfishable because of people standing on top of them and not knowing they were there. Wendell Beard and Mike Curry fished taney in the 60's and it might have been even better back then. I think Phil may have fished there with his father back then. Lunkers probably numbered 50 to 1 compared to now.

I might add that there is at least one more OAF member on here that catches several lunker trout. Not sure he keeps count, but I can tell you that he might be ahead of me on totals. That would be Foghorn

Thank you. I always counted a lunker as 3lb or larger. The 20 inch thing is the new math I guess. Caught my first lunker in 1975. Most of my lunkers have come from the trout parks with bssp and montauk being at the top of the list. Not sure how many have come from taney and arkansas with out counting back in my lunker book. Less than 600 I would guess. I have only caught a handful on the current river but they have been nice fish. I use an occasional egg pattern but scuds account for 99% . And like SIO3 said earlier, it is best to know exactly where that lunker is. Fishing in the blind is ok but not as productive.

You're right about the trout Seth. The little ones around a big fish I refer to as body guards. You gently hook and lead them out if they are restricting access to the bigger fish.

Big record fish in missouri and arkansas are near the end of their life cycle. Turning them out would most likely end up in tragedy anyway. The new triploid fish will reach record size and still have life.

Anywhere from 2 to 4 lb depending on manufacturer.

Next time you are at taney and they generate big water in a hurry, stand 100 feet below outlet 2 and watch big fish eat clumps of moss floating down stream that have been tore loose by the current. Those clumps of moss are full of sowbugs.

the same thing with Rip Collins arkansas world record fish. A stomach full of sowbugs.

Well if I extend it on out to 38.5 inches I can tell you exactly. 1,588.

you got more streamers than most fly shops

You got that exactly right Pete

I have only caught one big fish, " over 30 inches", on a streamer pattern. Leonard's hibernator to be exact. The other 31 big fish, "over 30 inches", came on a #12 or smaller scud and one that I recall on a white egg at night. The majority came on # 14 and # 16. 7x to 6x tippet.

With the invent of flurocarbon, line diameters are not as important as was the case with monofilament. Color was sometimes important with mono as well. I have used alot of 8x and 7x mono in years past. It will make you a better fish fighter and increase your odds of landing big fish in general. Now i rarely use anything but 6x fluro.

A lunker trout is one that weighs 3lb or larger.

I would like to catch 100 lunker trout again.