denjac

Falcon cabo rod for 08 is called the T7 . It is half the diameter of last years cabo. Not available in spin yet but will be soon. $179. for the T7 and $159. for last years cabo model at Southtown in Joplin. Will have one of the new T7 in the spin when they come out.

I think it would be cool! I could also see idiots renting it and thinking it would be fun to sit or stand on the platform while the big motor is running. But for the serious angler what an advantage having that spotting platform.

I too use Falcon rods and love them, but too say they are bargain rods might be a stretch. They start at low to mid $100,'s Maybe compared to a Lommis they are a bargain, but they aint cheap. Just wanted to clairify that, didnt want someone thinking they could get one for $30. and have there heart skip a beat when they priced them.

Best thing I have found for squirrels is paprika. Sprinkle it on plants or whatever they are chewing on. Had a squirrel that was chewing my grill cover last year. I put paprika on it. Two days later I found a dead squirrel 10 ft away from it. I didnt know it would kill them but I guess it did.

Glad nobody was hurt. Bet those guys feel like idiots now, I would. And I do appreciate their effort.

Black jig with smoke grub, drop shot, and clear spook.

JEFFERSON CITY-One person’s dream can be another’s nightmare. The Australian red-claw crayfish is a perfect example, with serious implications for ecological damage to Missouri. The Australian red-claw, Cherax quadricarinatus, sometimes is called the “freshwater lobster,” because it grows much larger than most crayfish, topping out at more than a pound. Under favorable conditions, it can grow much more rapidly than crayfish native to Missouri, reaching three-quarters of a pound in its first year of life. Naturally, commercial crayfish growers are interested in a species with that kind of growth potential. Actually, that is just the start. Equally important to crayfish culturists are the red-claw’s ability to tolerate a wide range of living conditions and spawn several times a year. On top of that, Australian red-claws lack the burrowing habit that makes some crayfish species difficult to maintain in man-made ponds with earthen dams. In short, the red-claw seems to be an aquaculturist’s dream. So it is not surprising that the Missouri Department of Conservation receives periodic inquiries from crayfish producers asking about the possibility of importing the Australian species. Those calls send cold shivers up Resource Scientist Bob DiStefano’s spine. DiStefano’s experience with crayfish goes back to graduate research into the effect of acid rain on North American species. His early work for the Conservation Department included studies of the importance of crayfish as food for smallmouth bass and other sport fish. He also is active in the International Association of Astacology (IAA), a group whose members include both scientists and commercial crayfish culturists. DiStefano says that crayfish form a tremendously important link in Missouri’s aquatic food chain. They inhabit every watery habitat in the state, from muddy Mississippi River bayous to pristine springs and caves. In many habitats they are extremely abundant. Crayfish will eat almost anything. One of their staple foods is detritus - bits of leaves, dead insects and other organic debris that settles to the bottom of lakes and streams. Crayfish are, in turn, eaten by everything from bullfrogs to herons. They make up the overwhelming majority of the diets of some predators, such as goggle-eye sunfish, smallmouth bass and, in the warm months, river otters. “The more than 30 crayfish species native to Missouri are a huge part of the food chain that sustains our lakes and streams,” said DiStefano. “Our studies showed that goggle-eye eat almost exclusively medium-sized crayfish, hardly ever large ones. There is no telling what would happen to fish populations if those native species disappeared and were replaced by crayfish that grow too large for most fish to eat.” DiStefano said there is reason for concern that red-claw crayfish could replace native species if the Australian species was ever introduced into Missouri waters. “Their size is a concern,” he said. “In the crayfish world, size is a very big factor in competition. Large crayfish usually displace smaller ones. We are worried about our native crayfish fauna because these Australian crayfish are so much bigger.” Competition is not the only worrisome prospect for DiStefano. He says the introduction of North American crayfish into Europe provides a sobering case study in what can happen when people transplant crayfish to new areas. A fungus carried by new world crayfish without ill effects proved devastating to European species, decimating the native crayfish fauna. “We have very little idea what these Australian crayfish might carry or what effect their parasites and diseases might have on our local fauna. Based on the European situation, it is not unreasonable to think that these Australian crayfish might carry some pathogen that could get out into our environment and cause a lot of damage. It has been a huge problem in Europe and a wake-up call to those of us who work with crayfish.” For instance, said DiStefano, the red-claw crayfish is known to carry a 1-inch parasitic flatworm. Whether this parasite might devastate Missouri crayfish species is unknown. He said Australian red-claw crayfish can survive out of water and often move short distances overland to new habitats. “I have a friend who is a crayfish biologist in Australia who raises these crayfish,” says DiStefano. “He cautions me that they are nearly impossible to contain in a culture situation, even indoors. He says he would be very skeptical of anyone’s claim that they could totally contain Australian red-claw crayfish in a culture situation without a few of them escaping to the wild.” DiStefano said the Conservation Department is not opposed to crayfish culture. In fact, he routinely advises people on crayfish culture, and has contacts in the crayfish culturing community both in Missouri and worldwide through the IAA. He said many international crayfish biologists and crayfish culturists do not support the establishment of red-claw crayfish in the United States until they are thoroughly researched. He said he is not aware of any federal restrictions on importation of Australian crayfish, but the Conservation Department is taking a cautious approach and trying to keep them out of the state at this time. The Wildlife Code of Missouri prohibits the importation or possession of Australian crayfish. Only species on the Approved Aquatic Species List may be cultured. “I’m not sure if that will be forever,” said DiStefano, “or if at some point, years down the road, these crayfish will be researched well enough to convince us that they are not a potential threat.” The Approved Aquatic Species List is available at http://www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/current/3csr/3c10-4.pdf. DiStefano urged people who want to import crayfish or other aquatic plants or animals into Missouri to contact the Conservation Department first. Further information about invasive aquatic species is available at www.protectyourwaters.net/. -Jim Low-

Wanted to say thanks to all the outside help we recievced here in Jopin. Everything is pretty well back to normal now, but still lots of brush to haul. Our neighborhood is pretty tight and we all helped clean up each others yards. Gave me an excuse to buy a chipper shreeder. lol. One thing I am proud of here in the our 4 state area is that you didnt see on the people on the news saying: wheres the Federal goverment or FEMA, even during the Miami floods. We all do what we can in times like this and dont wait for the goverment to help. Again thank you all for your help. Neighbores helping neighbors as it were.

I lived south of the cities in a little town called Kenyon. Straight east of Fairbuilt.

Hey, what part of minn are you from? Lived in the Southern part of the state for 6 years. You will find the walleye fishing is better down here.

When I feel the need for a workout I will throw a Manns 20 plus instead of the wart. For me it catches bigger fish. No dispute here on the wart , they are fish catching baits. Be prepared though the 20 plus is a man killer, sorry for the pun, but will keep you warm on those cold days.

I wouldn't mess with starting it every week. Put fuel stabaliser in the tank, open the livewell drains and drain plug. Keep the motor in the down positon and keep the boat covered. When winter fishing I always drain all the water from the lower unit at the ramp by putting the motor all the way down for a few minutes before leaving.

My son was down there then. He said ir blew hard enough it spooked him and he went to the truck. Didn't say anything about a water spout though.

Don, maybe you can earn some extra winter money pushing the Branson Belle with that new boat. Noticed it has a tug pushing it around, heard a gearbox went out on it. All kidding aside your new boat should work well when the boat traffic gets bad.

I know alot of deer hunters are on this site, so wanted to pass this on for this upcoming weekend: Keep your eyes open for sighns of the little girl that came up missing Friday night from Stella Mo. Her stepfather has an unexplained absense for about 5 hours Friday night and saturday morning. Doesnt look good, she could be anywhere in 3 hours drive from Stella. Keep your eyes open for her this weekend. No this is gruesome but needs to be addressed. STELLA, Mo. | Searchers continued to comb the rugged Ozarks countryside Wednesday for a 9-year-old girl last seen in her bed Friday night, while the girl’s distraught mother warned other parents to keep tabs on their children. Rowan Ford was reported missing Saturday after her mother, Colleen Spears, returned home from a night shift at a Wal-Mart in a nearby town and found the girl had disappeared. Rowan’s stepfather, David Spears, told investigators he last saw the girl asleep in her room around 10:45 p.m. Friday before he left her alone and went out with friends. At least eight FBI agents have joined the investigation by the Newton County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Ken Copeland has said he believes foul play was involved but has not elaborated. No charges have been filed. The Sheriff’s Department said there were no developments as of midday Wednesday and searchers were still out, although a department spokeswoman declined to specify where. Colleen Spears said investigators have told her that a three-county area has been searched. Stella, a village of less than 200 people, is surrounded by miles of thickly forested hills, narrow valleys and cattle pastures. Temperatures have dipped to near or below freezing for the past two nights. “There’s not been any news yet. So we’re still looking, still hoping. Everybody around here is praying that she’s going to be all right,” a red-eyed Spears told reporters as she hugged an oversized teddy bear of Rowan’s outside their ranch-style home. Spears told other parents to “never, ever leave your kids alone.” “If you go out to check the mail, when you come back, check on them,” she said. Spears appealed again for anybody with any information on Rowan to report it. She said she was grateful for support from the community, including a candlelight march Tuesday night that brought out more than 200 people for a procession from a nearby church to Spears’ home. David Spears has said he did not harm his stepdaughter. He spoke Monday, after the sheriff said the stepfather had been uncooperative with investigators and initially withheld some information about his whereabouts the night Rowan vanished. Colleen Spears said she saw Rowan just before she left home at 8:30 p.m. Friday to go to work. David Spears and two male friends were with the girl until they went out around 10:45 p.m. Spears returned home around midnight when one of his friends dropped him off, Copeland said, but did not check on the girl. Spears later acknowledged that he called his mother sometime after 1 a.m. Saturday and asked to use her vehicle. She took it to him about half an hour later, then stayed at his house while her son left for about 5½ hours, Copeland said. Colleen Spears got home around 9 a.m. Saturday and discovered that Rowan was not there. She and her husband spent much of the day looking for Rowan at the homes of acquaintances where they thought the girl might have gone, then reported the girl missing at 6:50 p.m. David Spears, who is staying with his parents, said it was wrong for him to have left the girl alone.

Vince, We were throwing and trolling with small deep diving crankbaits. Seemed the sweet spot for us was 6-12 ft working the points and down the banks 100 yards or so. Tried small rattle traps too, they wouldnt take it. Had to be a deep diver. By small I mean about 2 inches long. Had alot of wind yesterday so they were shallow and feeding. Calm days might need to back out to 18-20 ft.

I think as mentioned before by someone that the biggest help on all the corp lakes would be to hold the lake level steady as much as possiable during the spawn. I bet we would be amazed at how many nests[all speices] either get high and dry or too deep to hatch.

We had a good spinner bait bite in Birch Branch all shallow in the brush. Also tore up the Walleye from Mutton creek to Ruark. No biggies all 13 -16 inches, and at times it was one ever cast. A few brown thrown in the mix. It was a good day to be out.

I think Table Rock still has plenty of cover, but having more isn't bad. Just one more brush pile to run too.

What did it take to win the Heartland?

I think maybe the corp ought to post some sighns at the ramps to alert folks of the problem. Maybe a boat washing station wouldn't be out of the question. Makes you think if dredging equipment hauled from one body of water to another might be the carrier. They do stand in water for long periods of time. No way of telling though how they got here.

The zebra mussels will take care of that. Cut your waders to shreads if you shuffle.

I believe the naysayers suffer from a complex called bow envy! Leonard, keep on with the great posts.

Now that Labor Day is over with its my turn to have the Lake. Waited most of the summer as was tired of fighting the boat wakes. MMMM Fall fishing!

Great fish Leonard! Bet you caught her in that deep hole straight out in front and a little to the right of outlet 1. Everytime I have a hung a big one, its been in that hole. Did it go on the wall. It needs to.