Aaron J Scott

That's exactly what I told my wife when she asked why I'd be out so late tonight.

If I want to get up to the Niangua to wet-wade for trout in the summer, I go up to Barclay in the morning, fish until the floaters start coming in (around lunchtime), then hop in the car and drive up to the 64 access and fish till I get tired and/or annoyed.

Yeah, I poked around the new MDC property by the ballfields a month or so ago and it was low, slow, and pretty littered. The lower access looked pretty good aside from the remnants of a clam bake by the parking lot. Weird.

Here's some intel:

Hey Dave, good to hear you had better luck than I did. Couldn't get anything dialed in. Like I said, it'd been a couple years since I'd been down there. Next time should be better!

Yeah, I didn't get out either. If you have any fun photos from the weekend, you can still play. Doesn't have to be fish photos. For instance, today (Wednesday) on the Fish Itch Facebook page is "best family photo" from the weekend (family as in at least two generations pictured, to be specific). Best photos get a pack of Bass Kandi soft plastics. We're also running an email contest all week--send your Memorial Day Weekend photos to itch@fishitch.com to enter to win a 160-count bait/lure set from Lockett Lures. That kit will be the deal for next week!

Hey guys. With the shortened week, we're not running a deal on Fish Itch right now. Instead, we're giving away free stuff each day via our Facebook page. Today, we're giving away an Optimum Swimbait pack for the best photo of a bass, striper, musky or pike that you caught this past weekend.

Hey guys, less than three days left to score this great deal. BASS Elite Angler Fred "Boom Boom" Roumbanis raves about these swimbaits. Here's a couple videos of him describing the baits featured in this week's deal. Boom Boom introduces the Top of the Line Double Diamond on a jighead technique Take your pick from three color combos for $6.49 each (50% off) now through Sunday night at Fish Itch!

This week, we have a great half-off deal on the hottest swimbaits around--Optimum Baits--with their new Top of the Line model and the Double Diamond Swimmer. The deal is for one Top of the Line and 3 Double Diamonds, and there's three color options to choose from. Each combo is $6.49 (normally $12.95) plus $3 s/h. The "Top of the Line" swimbaits features a line-through hook-on-top design that will keep you from snagging up in weeds and cover. It also ensures the fish doesn't use the bait to dislodge the hook. It has built-in tungsten weights to balance the bait so it swims (and casts) true. The "Double Diamond" swimmers are great to rig up on a jighead. There's a pre-cut slot for the hook shank. The diamond-shaped design gives this swimbait great movement in the water. If you haven't tried out these swimbaits, this is a great opportunity to experiment frugally. Give 'em a shot! Deals lasts until Sunday night at Fish Itch.

I received an email this morning from the chief of staff of Bob Dixon, my state senator, that said this: It'd be nice to hear an actual stance on this issue, but I guess in this case, "no action" on "no action" by the Missouri Senate might be the best action. I've been thinking a lot about this recently, thinking about how the NPS manages other parks and NPS-managed properties. A lottery system was instated on Half Dome in Yosemite NP, another heavily used park, to help manage use while they hash out a new management plan. Much closer to home, in 2009 the federal government sued a developer for 1/2 acre of damage to Wilson Creek National Battlefield (which falls under NPS jurisdiction), caused when a bulldozer "unintentionally" trespassed on battlefield land adjacent to private property. The suit was made on the basis of the Park System Resources Protection Act. (Interestingly, as a parallel to the ONSR issues, the Wilson Creek case involved road-blazing--the developer of the private property had sold 157 acres to NPS for the battlefield but retained a 200-foot strip of land in order to build a road. The problems came when the bulldozer strayed off-course.) What would NPS do if someone had, over time, illegally cut a dirt road through Wilson Creek National Battlefield? What would NPS do if someone parked their RVs in the middle of Yosemite?

Andrew, that's funny you mention a bike gang, because I was passed by a crew of 10 or 11 guys from the Loners Motorcycle Club yesterday while driving back from the Eleven Point. I was stopped next to the at one of the lights in Seymour and, on the green light, they made a glorious racket.

We have a great deal on Bass Kandi Baits this week at Fish Itch. 50% off retail, so $5.79 (plus shipping) for three packs of soft plastics. These baits are all the rage down in Louisiana, where they are hand-poured, but the secret is getting out. I shot the photos on the site of the baits and they have a soft but durable feel--I bet they have great movement in the water. And not only do you get a great deal and a cost-effective way to try some new baits, but with every purchase you make, we'll kick in a portion to conservation efforts. Check 'em out at Fish Itch!

Hey guys. This week, we're running a special on some previous deals at Fish Itch. $5 gets you any one of these, and you can buy up to six total. Great way to stock up on some nice bass worm hooks. The Secret Weapon kit is pretty sweet, too--includes a spinnerbait with interchangeable blades and a Recoil Rig for vertical presentations. • TipSee Grip-On Lights (50% off) • TruTurn bass worm hooks in blood red, sizes 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0 packs (53% off) • Secret Weapons combo kit with quick-clip spinnerbait and Recoil Rig (62% off) • TrikFish Camo line, 8# spool (61% off) Deal ends Sunday night, or until supplies run out. Check 'em out now!

That's why this line is included.

At Recycled Fish, the organization was started with the tenets of C&R, but more and more often, we're promoting "selective harvest." Whereas some fish in almost any situation should be released (top-level predators, for example), there are many other species in which harvesting them is just fine. I'm wrapping up layout of our "freshwater stewardship guide" and we include a grouped list and advice on how to consider whether or not to keep a fish. I've truncated it to only include species pertinent to the Ozarks: