MOsmallies

My quick answer is "Yes" and I wish I could stay down there this whole week... I think this is the first good wave. They should continue for the next 3 weeks I would think. I caught some sight fishing yesterday and will try to post a report up with pictures at some point today. We're in the Midlake section not far from Tan-Tar-A. Get out there because I wish I still was!!! Paul MOsmallies

Based on that picture it looks full smallie to me... maybe a little spot in it

Get a Shimano Compre and you'll never look back... I have several of the older models (cork grips) and love the weight, feel, and action. They now have the black foam split grips. $99.99 with a lifetime warranty. I once bought one, walked out of BPS, put it in my buddy's car and he closed the door on it snapping it in two... I walked back in, the guy just laughed and handed me another one no questions asked. And they have a 7'2" M which seems like the exact rod your looking for... http://www.basspro.com/Shimano-Compre-Bass-Spinning-Rods/product/1110040501177/ Falcon's are great rods too, I've just never tried the Bucoo model. I have a Falcon Cara T7 baitcasting rod that is by far my favorite rod, but that's a little higher than your price range. I've always found Abu Garcia rods to be tip heavy... and most Bass Pro brand equipment is junk. Paul MOsmallies

Unreal... congrats on the great day!

Andy don't tell me these things.... This new baby has just about ended my chances to fish. I was supposed to go last weekend but the river got blown out. I don't know when I'll get a chance to go again and these reports aren't helping!!! mic - I obviously don't have any first hand reports, but I would definitely have one tied on from now until November. Get out there and make me even more jealous. Paul MOsmallies

You going after Crappie or Bass? Crappie spawn will probably be dwindling or over by May 2. The Bass should up shallow ad easy to catch though. I'd definitely have a weightless senko tied on as well as a Carolina-rig with a brush hog or lizard. I'd probably give topwater a shot as well (Buzzbait, Prop Bait, Popper, or Spook). Look for the bass behind dock cables or on pea gravel banks. May is the easiest time of the year to catch bass at LOZ. Good luck and let us know how you do. Paul MOsmallies

Awesome... You're gonna love it, but now you'll be sucked into modifying it. Here's a post I put up last spring with some of the mods I did. They may give you an idea or 2. I have the 2012 model, so Jackson has probably already improved a few of the things I had to modify... Paul MOsmallies

Great looking smallies Cory!

Beautiful Fish!!! Were you throwing a Hard (Jointed) swimbait or a soft plastic swimbait (Hollow Belly/Paddle Tail)? Paul MOsmallies

Yeah I was supposed to go this past weekend and had to cancel my trip due to 2" of rain last Thursday. Raised the river from 45 cfs to close to 7000 cfs in half a day. I'm dying to get out.

20 1/2" caught during the last week of June 2008 or June 2009.... I haven't fished for smallies past October though and usually don't start up again until late march. I need someone with a Jet to show me the winter deal

I forgot to take a picture of the repaired hole before I painted the belly, but here's a couple pics once I was finished... - Removed the larger of the two rear ball bearings and repaired the hole with clear epoxy. - Re-painted the belly - Replaced trebles with size 6 Mustad KVD Trebles (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mustad_KVD_1x_Strong_2x_Short_Triple_Grip_Treble_Hook/descpage-MKVDEST.html) - Hand tied feathers and crystal flash on the rear hook (my first attempt and I'm pretty pleased with the way it ended up) - Added a quality size 1 snap to the line tie After supplies and time spent, this is about a $30 sammy. I sure hope it'll catch a few nice smallies this year! Thanks again for all the tips and suggestions.

Dad packing his son's booze.... Are you looking to adopt? Hope you guys have a great trip. My father in law chased the crappie around for a little bit last weekend around the 25 mile marker and told me I didn't miss anything, but I haven't gotten a detailed report from him. If I do before the weekend, I'll let you guys know. Paul MOsmallies

Thanks dtrs5kprs... I ended up using a mixture of all of your suggestions. The hole i drilled into the Sammy ended up being oval shaped, so I carved out a small thin piece of styrofoam and fit it snuggly into the hole. I made sure that the remaining ball bearing could still roll back and forth freely. I then applied the 5 minute epoxy and placed a strip of scotch tap over it to mold it to the bait. I checked on it this morning and it appears to be a perfect seal. I'l sand it down tonight and get the belly repainted. I'll then replace the hooks with Mustad KVD trebles (Size 4 or 6) with the tail one being feathered. I've added a quality snap to the line tie and this Sammy should be primed to catch some aggressive summer time smallies! I'll try to post some pics up as soon as I can.

Thanks RPS and Al..... I'm going to give it a shot tonight. I'll try to post some pics once it's done

This is probably an April fools joke, but would be very cool if it wasnt

I don't split shot often, but two baits I've had success with are... - The worm Scott and I fish often (4" finesse creature bait) - Yum Wooly Hawgtail I use finesse sliding sinkers (http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-XPS-Finesse-Weights/product/15795/) and then peg them with the rubber T-stop pegs. Usually about 12 inches up from the hook. Usually fish this rig in 1-6 foot of water. Paul MOsmallies

I know this has been covered here several times by Al, but I'm finally wanting to fix mine. I'm tired of having a $15 lure sitting in my tackle box because the action sucks right out of the box. I love the size and profile of the Sammy 85 for the size of water I normally fish, so if I can get it to walk better I'll be thrilled. I drilled into the Sammy 85 last night and removed the larger of the two ball bearings in the rear chamber. Tonight I'm planning on repairing the hole with clear epoxy, but I've never applied this before and I figured I got one shot. I picked up Gorilla Clear Epoxy from Home Depot and some sand paper to smooth it out once done. How do I apply the epoxy without it filling the entire chamber and without falling out at the same time. Any tricks or suggestions? Once this is done, I plan on touching up the belly with white paint and replacing the hooks with Size 4 Mustad KVD trebles. I may use a feathered treble on the rear. Will this kill any action? Thanks in advance, Paul MOsmallies

Nice! Loved the double... Looks like they were pretty close to the current

I don't have an answer for you, but they were all over the upper black last summer. Couldn't keep them off topwater or anything that resembled a minnow. Frustrating when your fishing for smallies and the whites are all only 6-8" long. Hope someone else can give you better current info. Paul MOsmallies

I'm sure they would work on the rivers, but they are probably not an optimal choice. For the most part, the one's used on the lakes are rather large and once fully rigged weigh upwards of 3 to 5 oz. If fished in the right place at the right time, they can be very effective on Bass as well as Whites/Hybrids. If you are serious about throwing one on our ozark streams, I would suggest trying the smaller, "finesse" versions. I would also try to find one with a silicone head, so it doesn't sink as fast in our mostly shallow streams. That should allow you to keep it higher in the water column where the aggressive fish usually are and also reduce the amount of snags... http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/BOSS_Silicone_Head_Compact_Swimbait_Harness/descpage-BOSSCSH.html http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Power_Tackle_Finesse_Get_Em_Going_Rig/descpage-PTGEGRF.html http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Picasso_School_E_Rig_Finesse/descpage-PSERF.html You are correct in only 3 out of the five baits can have hooks (do the middle and bottom 2). The top baits need to be dummies (hookless) or you could use spinnerbait blades to add more flash. It's a very intriguing technique for our streams as smallmouth often run in packs and fight over baits. We've all caught smallies that during the fight have several other smallies trying to rip the bait out of the hooked one's mouth. Let us know how it works out if you decide to give it a try! Paul MOsmallies

Thanks for the replies everyone! Evolution - I was actually checking out the Deps Buzzjet as well. I've heard some great things about it. Do you throw the full size (4" & 1 oz.) or the Jr. (3" and 1/2oz.). I'm thinking I'd prefer the Jr. size for stream smallies, but was wondering if it has the same action. What's your favorite way to work it? And any colors you prefer? Anyone else tried the Deps Buzzjet?

I'm trying to upgrade a few topwaters in my arsenal and was wondering if anyone out there has a favorite prop bait for smallies. I've caught tons of fish on tiny torpedo's but they seem to attract mostly smaller fish. I'm looking at the Lucky Craft Kelly J Jr. but have heard mixed reviews on the action and quality. Let's hear your suggestions! Paul MOsmallies

I can't wait! George and I better be there for the christening!

Phil - Check out Seadek. I used it in my kayak, but it's made for boats. It's a non-skid, closed cell EVA foam material. It's self-adhesive, easy to cut, and comes in several different colors. And their customer service is phenomenal. I think you'd be very happy with it... http://www.seadek.com/