Seth

Nice catch! I've been tying it like Shaw but wrapping four times. I stand corrected!

The knot Shaw is tying is called the Double San Diego Jam knot. After tying a few, I can tie it as fast a polomar now. http://www.wired2fish.com/how-to-tie-the-doubled-san-diego-jam-knot/ My knot wars app gave the following scores to a few of the popular knots that most fishermen tie. Improved Clinch Knot: 20.4 (mono) 11.5 (braid) 13 (fluorocarbon) Palomar Knot: 17.37 (mono) 17.36 (braid) 15.11 (fluorocarbon San Diego Jam Knot: 17.76 (mono) 17.84 (braid) 15.25 (fluorocarbon) They didn't list the double San Diego, but I assume it's even better than the regular San Diego knot. For line to line knots, I have always used a double uni, but I will be learning and switching over to the modified Albright. Here are the numbers for those knots from Knot Wars. Uni to Uni: 10.17 (braid to mono) 10.53 (braid to fluorocarbon) Modified Albright: 12.97 (braid to mono) 12.65 (braid to fluorocarbon)

Good deal! Which model did you end up getting?

I like feather on popping style topwaters but not on walk the dog baits.

Sure you can. If you weren't allowed to fish when bass season is closed, you wouldn't be able to fish A LOT of places. It's not illegal to catch bass, only keep them from the streams while season is closed.

I don't seem to hear as much about Lowrance having poor customer support like a few years ago. Hopefully that got a handle on that situation. I'm a Humminbird guy myself anyways so it doesn't matter to me.

You can buy the Humminbirds for close out pricing right now. I don't imagine that will last much longer since income tax time is right around the corner. Here's an example from bbgmarine.com. 898c hd si = $860 998c hd si = $1209 1198c hd si = $1839

I would try the braid and the 10oz weight first. You may not need that heavy of a weight. On LoZ, you are usually snagging water that's 40-55' deep, much deeper than the James on average, and people use some pretty hefty weight to stay on the bottom.

Switch over to a low diameter braid in the 80-150# range and run a 16 or 24oz sinker and you should be golden.

13 Fishing Envy Black 7'1" or 7'3" MH If you have big hands, you may have issues with the grip though from what I hear.

How much weight you dragging Meat? The faster you can move and stay on bottom, the better. I think most trollers don't use enough weight and move way too slow. On LoZ where there aren't so many snags, we run dipsy divers in place of lead and buzz around at 4.5mph. The James has too much junk in it for me to try using divers though. Lose a few of those at $13 a pop and it stings the pocket book!

I'll keep you updated with how things go for us when we are down there. I go down and snag right when season first opens but after that I only go down under special circumstances (ie super low or super high water in April).

None of this was taken personally. At first, I was pretty aggravated about getting jumped because I didn't understand what the big deal was. Now I can understand why people said what they did. I'll be more obscure about what I post in my reports in the future. When I post a report, it's only meant with good intentions and never to try and stir up trouble and jack up fishing for somebody else.

How do you feel I should of posted my report? I simply said I caught smallmouth at Meramec Springs. That location is a half mile long. If I had posted in the Meramec Springs section and said I caught smallmouth and trout, how would it of been any different? I guess the only appropriate report I could have made was to not make one at all. There is a thread posted in the Meramec Spring section that includes picture of a smallmouth with the exact location in the background. I don't recall anybody harping on that feller. I'd say posting a picture holding a smallmouth with a background that makes it obvious where the fish was caught is worse than saying I caught them somewhere in a 1/2 mile long stream.

Man that looks like fun!

Better not post anything in the panfish section. You probably gave up somebodies super secret crappie hole and they will show up to lynch you LOL!

I didn't realize opinions only only counted for people who have witnessed rampant poaching and bottoms lined with dead smallmouth. All I know is I catch plenty of smallmouth throughout the year so those evil meat fishermen aren't hurting them enough for me to worry about. Sure hope you hurt another person driving that fast. The important thing is it won't be a smallmouth getting hurt. There are some fellas here who seem to value a fishes life over a humans.

The Bennett Spring forum has more stuff about smallmouth than the Meramec forum I think. Smalliebigs gave a very detailed report with several pics down at Bennett I seen. I guess it is only a big deal if it's posted in the smallmouth section...... It definitely wasn't hard to find other information related to catching trout park smallies. If this data has been there for years, I wonder why the smallmouth haven't been cleaned out by now? My money is on the fact that very few people will actually go out and freeze their butts off to catch fish this time of year. I know a lot of fishermen and not many mess with winter fishing. They pack it up in the fall and wait till March/April. Smallmouth are probably migrating back to their regular haunts by then and not to mention that bass season is not open during that time anyways.

Oh look! It didn't take anytime at all to find another site posting details about catching smallmouth in the same spot. That sure is some secret! I guess the fishery in that area was doomed even before I posted anything related to it. You guys should probably email the website admin and request the remove that material. Don't forget to remind them about how they lack fishing etiquette, ruined the fishery, and the other important details I am forgetting. http://flyfishingwithjeff.com/fly-fishing-tips/winter-smallies-on-the-meramec-river

Phil is more than welcome to wipe it out as I have stated. Whatever makes gods gift to the Missouri smallmouth world sleep better at night.

At least their one person that understands my point of view. I didn't consider a trout park anywhere near the same level as a wintering hole that is hidden among hundreds of mile of river. Those type of spots truly are special in my opinion and you don't see me posting about them. For the ones who don't think I have fishing etiquette can think again, or don't because I truly don't care. You can have your opinion and I will have mine.

I posted this info before I realized it would put every bodies panties in a wad. In my opinion, it wasn't anything special. As I have stated in earlier posts, if a buddy takes me somewhere that I didn't pattern myself then I will never speak a word. There are plenty of other areas that I have under my belt that I haven't mentioned anything about. I now know I must take those to the grave for fear of whiz zing somebody on here off. The comments about being elbow to elbow now is just to poke the fire with everybody who is all bent out of shape about this. If I had known that catching bass in a trout park was the biggest secret to bass fishing in MO, I would have spared myself the trouble of hearing all of you cry about it. I honestly had no idea it was a big deal unlike other spring areas that also hold fish that require a boat and some exploring to find. You can bet I won't ever mention a word about them as they are a bit more personal to myself and other I am buddies with. These are real buddies too, ntw people I talk to about fishing on the internet and have never met in person. In fact, maybe it is best if I just never post anymore information on here that might help somebody catch a few fish. Obviously the right thing to do is just not say anything at all. I sure wouldn't want to offend anybody who targets other fish either. Of course if it ain't a smallmouth then it is probably OK to post details on catching them since it ain't your precious little fish getting caught. Maybe you all can convince Phil to remove this thread if it will make you sleep better at night. I could really give a rats behind. To heck with trying to be a good guy and post useful information on here again. Too many cry babies on here that might get upset about somebody catching "their" fish. I'll be happy going out and catching fish that I figured out on my own and being a Nazi like everybody else about sharing a tip or two to possibly help another angler out.

A fresh batch of cold water crappie would definitely hit the spot right now!

Yep and maybe one day they will realize that the only people who's opinions should count are the trophy smallmouth angler. The guys who legally want to keep some fish to eat don't count. People are still catching smallmouth, even some nice ones, so the regs they have had in place for years must be doing the job that was intended. It's obvious that the majority of the guys who voice their opinions on here are in the my way or the highway club. They have no regard for other peoples opinions.

I was hoping to make it down to the not so secret secret spot but had other things going on and couldn't make it down. Anybody make it down there this weekend to see if there was enough elbow room to fish? Phil, you probably made half the neighboring population of Taneycomo mad by mentioning crappie and a location together. You ruined it. Probably be 50 boats there tomorrow! It's a fact every meat fisher in Mo reads this forum and acts on everything they read.