BredMan

One thing for certain, with the water down so low this definitely offers a perfect time to reference the present stream topology and a perfect time for map updates. The posted pictures are pretty amazing. There has to be plenty of rusted old tackle exposed in the stream bed too! From what I viewed in the pics of the boulder placement, wade fishing still remains at the mercy of water levels but the added habitat should be a benefit 'when accessible'. Boaters running prop motors better have a good idea where the boulders are placed or there may be few oil slicks now and then. I would not run that 60K+ Phoenix full bore through the new boulder slalom course either but you could always rent one of Phil's jons when you take clients up there! :>)

Does anyone know if the MDC has completed the fish habitat project on Taneycomo below Table Rock? Any pictures to share? Would like to know and see where they have placed the habitat structures.

A gentleman working at Dick's in KC told me that if the store sign has 'Sporting Goods' consider going somewhere else for anything fishing. Sporting Goods stores are all about clothes these days. This guy has been working 30+ years with all the previous stores that eventually became Dick's and has seen fishing merchandise slowly decline over the years. Sports Authority ditched most every piece of fishing gear at our stores here this past year as well. Not that Sports Authority has been much of a player recently but at one time they offered a pretty good selection. Cabelas and BPS have cut back on store stock and what you need they never have anymore. Both pushing the online business. Walmart just sucks. IMO we can thank corporate greed along with a rotten economy now for killing the real sporting goods industry! In the St Louis area years ago we once had Grandpa Pidgeons and Central Hardware that had it all. Both are long gone.

Was drifting past Coopers Creek and thought I hooked into a big one. As I got it to the surface I realized it wasn't a fish but what on earth was this. Long braided wire with 4 - 3" corroded blades space evenly on the wire and wrapped around an old tree branch. One end had a flat square piece of plastic attached and the other end had a big swivel attached. Tossed it in the boat and showed it to a guy at the dock. He told me it was a "Cowbells" rig. Sure enough, there was a name on the plastic 'Les Davis' and I was able to google it. So now I know Cowbells are used for trolling in big lakes such as Lake Michigan etc to attract fish. Anyone ever used or seen them on Taneycomo before? Obviously someone has tried! http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/store/Luhr_Jensen_Cowbell_Lake_Troll.htm

I have looked at the Didymo issues on the web as well. You Tube offers some pretty good videos of this nasty stuff. Other states and countries that are infested have already implemented the guidelines that are being discussed here. I don't see this as another 'government conspiracy' or 'cry of wolf'. Didymo is invasive and very nasty. I would hate to see this cover the bottoms of our streams. Waiting for an infestation to occur before pro-active measures are taken could be a prescription for disaster. The cost of prevention to me out weight the cost of an entire fishery being wiped out IMO!

Wow, that's an excellent idea......'Lilleys Tackle Store and Salon' Maybe you could convince Curtis to do the nails and pedicures!

Awesome pictures ..... love the 'dad and daughter' pictures!

This was on the TV news and in the newspaper here in St Louis during the American Idol shows. They even interviewed Tom Hargrove (Hargrove Fly Shop) about the increase in his sales of feathers for the lastest hair style fad. Hair stylist were buying up his stock at a fast rate to meet the demand. This was all generated by American Idol judge Steven Tyler (Aerosmith fame) who's trademark of having feathers braided into his hair caught on with the millions of viewers who watched the show. When this fad fizzles out there should be lots of 'chicken feathers' available and if the hackle companies try to push the price limit they may find themselves selling them for pillows!

Those are some very impressive pictures Phil. It definitely looks to be a boaters nightmare for most and more so if the water level drops even more. How ironic that just a few weeks ago the water was at a record high and now so very low. Pretty amazing how the power of water can change and rearrange. I hope Phil can get some pictures on up to the dam. I can't get over the excessive gravel bars and the docks setting on them high and dry!

I must agree with 'Greasy B'. It's just a short trip for me to have some very enjoyable time catching bluegill and red ears with my fly rods. I also enjoy catching small bass and crappie with light spinning gear but haven't landed any lunkers either. I really don't expect any more. It is what it is.

My daughter is a college softball coach and she gets very upset when her pitchers blow a lead. I have to remind her that it happens in the majors too. Cards should be OK if they can resolve the closer issue and avoid any major injuries. Berkman is playing like a mad man right now and I hope he can keep that pace all year without injury. Many fans here were really skeptical about that deal.

Very good opportunities at most all the lakes at Busch if you enjoy fly fishing for bluegill and small bass. The water level on all lakes have remained high and the normal out of water grass and weeds have been flooded for some time now. Bluegill and bass are hanging in these areas. Last 3-4 weeks have been very good fishing with a fly rod. Even light spinning with small marabou jigs have been very good. Soon the ticks and mosquitoes will be a problem so now is a good time to go.

I really liked Damyl Tectan when it was available at Cabalas but it's very difficult to find now. So I started using PLine and to me it's just as good. I have converted all my light reels to PLine CXX and PLine Floroclear in the light green colors. Pline CXX is available at BassPro in 2lb test.

Wow.....That is an ugly mess,

I just picked up a Ross Airius-1 reel from Cabela's for $99 and spare spool for $38. Both items were in the 'Bargain Cave' online. Haven't fished it yet but I have been doing some backyard casting. The reel feels very smooth and looks very nice. You might want to check out Cabela's Bargain Cave. They are constantly moving items in and out. Not always just clearance items either.

That's a classic. My wife would have laughed too but never would have thought to "Get the Kodak".

Couple years ago I looked into the Albright A5 rods when they were around the $200 price but it seemed the popular sizes were always out of stock. I contacted Albright and was told at that time the A5 was being replaced by a new version of the A5 (A5-NS series). At the time I was wanting to buy a good but inexpensive rod and happened to read an article where the A5 rated 6 out of 10 in the '2007 5-Weight Shoot Out' on the 'Yellowstone Anglers' site. Many top notch rods were tested and graded by various categories. Just recently I noticed that the replacement A5-NS rod sells at $550! That was a very substantial increase in the last 24 months. Has anyone ever used an Albright A5 rod or any Albright rods?

Yep, not worth getting a thick coat of limestone paste all over the vehicle just to see. Got to be frozen like every other duck pond around but it sure would be some 'cabin fever' relief if it would thaw out soon!

I would say #6 first but all have some impact. Although I feel if anglers were more responsible for their actions and if young anglers were educated to know the harms, that alone would have some positive impact on the fishery. We have all been guilty of inducing some harm to a fish on occasion but most would never on purpose. Being an example as a responsible angler promotes good habits for others and for our younger generations. The worst examples are those easiest to see, that being many of the celebrity fishermen on TV who claim to be the best fishermen in the world.

Funny thing about the Ugly Stick. My old neighbor was an early developer of fishing rod mandrels. He later provided mandrels to rod companies such as Loomis. He once told me that the Ugly Stick was actually a mistake. It needed one additional wrap for a smooth finish out to the tip but it wasn't done for cost reasons. Being fiberglass it was virtually indestructible anyway so it was left as is and the rest is history. Of course it wouldn't have been so popular without the promotional endorsement of the 'Hulkster' himself, (Hulk Hogan)!

This story carries some real 'stink' to it in my opinion. I would like to know how that cat posed such a threat to a 'group of hunters' that it had to be shot. My gut feeling is that one or more in the group got trigger happy, shot the cat, and then they came up with some wild @$$ story to cover it up. I may be wrong, but it doesn't sound right to me either!

Do any of you toss a lighter or a heavier weighted line on a specific weighted rod? Example: 4wt rod with either a 3wt or 5wt line. I haven't deviated with anything other than my 5wt rod that works real well with a 6wt line but not as well with 5wt line. Just bought a couple 4wt rods and reels w/extra spools and wondered if I should experiment with a lighter line or heavier line on them. I don't know if there would be any advantage and that's why I am asking. I'm cheap and the price of line is outrageous these days so I don't want to waste the $$ on something that doesn't work. Just trying to get some ideas on what others do.

Well said.......and agree 100%.

Welcome aboard. Lots of knowledge spread about on this forum. Every question on fishing that was ever asked has an answer tucked away here somewhere. Enjoy, and BTW I have heard of Wentzville.....live just a few miles east in O'Fallon.

Rob I troll with the current in 10'-15' of water in the river channel along islands or banks that have lots of rocks to keep them from eroding. I use a 6'6" - 7' medium heavy to heavy spinning or baitcast rod, 15-20lb test line, and most any type of deep diver lure. The old Arbogast Mud Bugs with the metal lips work great if you can find them anymore (the metal lips take the rock beating better than plastic). Basically I use my trolling motor to keep up enough speed so that the lure is tapping the rocks on the bottom. If the current is strong enough I don't need to use the trolling motor all that much. Drum like swift water and rocks and that is where you will hook into the big ones. You will definitely know when a big drum hits. I have always thought about using a fly rod but haven't tried that yet. That could be a real challenge!