MOsmallies

Nice report! That 16 3/4" looks very healthy and great news on the "no spotted bass". I cannot wait for the week long smallie fest and debauchery that is BRL!!!!!

This same fish was being talked about on the Lake of the Ozarks forum... It's a fish tale.... You would definitely hear of something like this from a reliable news source if it was real.

Good to hear... We'll be down that way at the end of June and would love to see more water. Better fishing and floating!

I consistently throw Sammies, Tiny Torpedos, and Poppers for Smallmouth in the warmer weather months, but I haven't spent a ton of time throwing buzzbaits for them. I've caught planty of largemouth on buzzbaits but I feel like that's a little different game. I definitely think they can be a useful tool on some of the clearer streams I fish. In my head, 1/8 oz. is too small and 1/2 oz. is too big, so anything from 3/16 oz. to 3/8 oz. would be the optimum size range. I would also think it's beneficial to have one that gets up on plane quickly since we're talking about fishing them in current. What are some of your favorite brands/models, sizes, blade styles, and colors (skirt and blade) to throw? If you make your own and don't mind sharing pics, I'd love to see them. Paul MOsmallies

Great write-up and nice fish! Thanks for sharing Paul MOSmallies

That 18" smallie is beautiful... The 2nd one (I'm guessing the 16") looks like a hybrid (Smallmouth x Spot). Great pics and thanks for the report! Paul MOsmallies

Thanks for the offer Mitch... I'll see if I can think of something as well. I may just need to spend more time on the water to really figure out what is needed. Paul

Sounds like your finesse worm setup was a wacky rigged senko... Senko's are very productive this time of year at the lake. I was down last weekend but we caught a lot more dinks than you. We caught several in the 15"-18" class, but a lot more 10"-13" fish than in past years. Must have been a strong year class... That just means there will be a lot of 15"-16" keepers in 2 years Thanks for the report! Paul MOsmallies

Agreed...The Sammy 85 is too heavily weighted towards the tail so it sits almost like a long slip bobber and does not have great walking action right out of the package. I also use the 100 size which walks better right out of the package. The 115 will probably catch fish, and maybe some nice ones, but I don't think it's the "optimum" size for our ozark streams. You'll probably catch more and the same quality by fishing the 100 on our mid to large streams and the 85 on smaller creeks. Just my take. Scott - Thanks for attaching that link, because I've been wanting to make that modification. It'll be tough drilling into a $15 bait, but it's equally frustrating having an expensive bait that doesn't work properly and catch fish as intended. Paul MOsmallies

Congrats to him and a huge thanks for releasing it!

Lake of the Ozarks is full of fish. I'm not sure where you plan on launching, but you can really catch them in any section of the lake. I'm not sure how old your son is, but if you're taking him for the first time, you may want to target something that provides quicker action than catfishing. I'd maybe try going after bluegill. Just fish worms and crickets under a float around docks and shoreline cover. If you're dead set on catfishing, here's what I do at Lake of the Ozarks... My setup is a 7'0" MH Rod with a Round Baitcast Reel (Abu Garcia) and spooled with 30 lb braided line. I put a 1/4 to 1/2 oz egg sinker on the line then tie on a strong barrel swivel. To the other end of the swivel I tie a 2 foot leader of 15 lb Berkley Big Game line, and to the end of that a Circle or Kahle style hook. For bait, if you can net shad out of the lake it's a great option, but this time of year it's a little more difficult. My other favorite option is green sunfish which are bountiful all over the lake. Tie on a small tube bait, tiny brush hog, or other small soft plastic and throw it around sea walls or shallow chunk rock. They'll hit like a machine gun. My favorite size sunfish are about 3 1/2" to 4". I'll usually cut the head and tail off and just thread the mid section onto my hook. I always run my hook under the spine so that it stays on the hook better Find some areas where the water drops from 8-10 foot down to 15-20 foot and just throw the rig out. You can also do this along bluff type walls or the middle of coves. I usually just do this off my dock at night while enjoying a few drinks and a fire. You can set your rod in a holder and just watch for your line to go tight. Let the catfish run with the bait for a few seconds before setting the hook. We've caught some nice blues and channels on this setup... You could also try jugging which is a little bit more interactive, but I'm no expert on that. Others might be able to provide better suggestions for that. Good luck and let us know how you do! Paul MOsmallies

I lost a decent bass at Lake of the Ozarks this past weekend on a PB&J Football Jig with a Green Pumpkin Twin-Tail Trailer. Great color combo. Mitch - Scott and I would definitely be willing to do some field testing of your craw down on the Black at the end of June. Those smallies are highly stressed from all the float crowds in crystal clear water and I think something as natural as your craw would work perfectly.

Thank you all for the kind words... Mike - Thanks... I'll have to check out the camera mount, but that purchase may be down the line. I'll also check out the Missouri Smallmouth Cahllenge. Mitch - I definitely fish better when I'm organized, setup, and prepared. And my wife is definitely a keeper. The best part about her buying the kayak is that she WANTS me to get out an use it. Win win situation for sure. Justin - I have the 2012 seat with the zipper pouch on the back of the seat as well and love it. I still want to put something smaller on the side of the seat for easier access to things I'll need frequently (Pliers, scissors, measuring tape, etc.). I have not used the drag chain yet, but will definitely give it a shot next time I'm out. Ness - The SeaDek surface is studded kind of like a lego. It provides great traction and comfort... Scott - Appreciate the kind words man. I'm pumped for the lodge as well. We need to get the Coosas on the water more than just one day this year and catch some nice ones.

My wonderful new wife surprised me with a 2012 Jackson Coosa (Olive Green) last October for our wedding. Needless to say it's one of the best surprises I've ever received. With the weather turning cold in November and not having the proper winter gear to stay safe I wasn’t able to get my boat out on the river right away. Instead, I spent all winter modifying it to my specifications. I spent a lot of time online researching other's Coosa mods as well as searching for the right products and materials I wanted to use. Since so many of the kayak and canoe modification posts on here and Riverbassin.com helped me with ideas for my boat I thought I’d post mine in hopes that they can help someone else. First and foremost I needed to get the essential accessories... After researching PFD's I purchased a Stohlquist Fisherman which I’ve been very pleased with. My good buddy hooked me up with a 240 cm Aquabound Sting Ray paddle for free! And lastly I ordered a pair of the Sperry Son-R-Buckle water shoes. I made a few other non-essential purchases as well that definitely benefit my setup. - 25 qt Igloo Marine Cooler (Modified with latches that don’t come standard) - 1470 Plano Guide Series Waterproof Case (14” x 9” x 5”) - (2) 3740 Plano Waterproof Stowaway Utility Boxes (14” x 9” x 1 7/8”) - 30 L Ascend Dry Bag Once I had the accessories needed for floating I went to work modifying the boat itself. My first project was to simply add (sow) Velcro to the stand assist strap as well as the side straps on the seat. I wanted to keep everything as streamlined and out of the way as possible. The stand assist strap is always lying right in front of me down the center of the boat now. And the seat straps can be Velcro-ed down straight after any adjustment is made. I know it’s anal, but that’s just how I like it. My second project was to lengthen the rod stagers on the front hatch. The best idea I saw was to use plastic dart tips. They were cheap, easy to install, removable, and provide the perfect amount of height needed to keep rod tips in place. I was a little nervous drilling into the Coosa and wanted them to fit snug, so I actually used a nail and different sized screws to work holes into the top of each existing rod stager. I then just screwed the dart tips in by hand and tightened them up with pliers. The dart tips fit extremely tight and can be removed or replaced as needed. Next, I added small bungees near the rear flush mount rod holders. I use these bungees to wrap around my rods in case they fall out. I also purchased the small Flexi brand dog leash to fit in the side handle slot for my drag chain. I know that here in the Ozarks a drag chain isn’t needed often but I wanted one there just in case. I'd actually prefer to run a drag chain off the bow so I can float down backwards and cast upstream. My buddy hooked me up with an already coated drag chain but I may make a heavier one from scratch using logging chain and a bicycle innertube. Now for my biggest modification… I wanted to add some sort of marine flooring to the Coosa to improve traction on the standing platform, reduce sound, add comfort, and to be honest I thought it’d look really cool. I did quite a bit of research and chose what I thought was the best option. I got in touch with a company down in Florida called SeaDek (www.seadek.com) and purchased an 18” x 74” sheet of 5mm material in Storm Gray (I originally ordered the Mica color but it was lighter than expected, so SeaDek was awesome and let me exchange it for free). They offer at least 15 different colors and at a reasonable price. The material with shipping was around $80-$85. I decided I wanted to “SeaDek” the heel wells, the standing platform, the cup holder, under the seat, and the raised strips on the rear storage well. I began making templates of each area using tin foil so I could quickly mold and make necessary adjustments. Once I had pretty good templates made of tin foil, I traced them onto thin scrap foam or cardboard. I could then make really fine adjustments to those templates before tracing and cutting out the SeaDek material. The SeaDek cut extremely easy using sharp scissors and a utility knife. I made final adjustments before peeling the back off each piece and applying it for good. This material is self adhesive and has an extremely strong bond. I’m very pleased with how it turned out. I had plenty of material leftover, so I even “SeaDek-ed” the lid of my cooler and still have more to spare. The last modification I have made to this point was to add additional pad eyes under the seat. This allows me to run bungees over my waterproof boxes. In case I flip, they cannot fall out now. Some more mods may be in made in the future, such as… - Camera Mounts - Rod/Reel Holders underneath in the “Rod Locker” - Paddle Clip on the seat to hold paddle while standing - Utility pouch sewn to side of seat for scissors, pliers, measuring tape, etc. But for now I’m happy with how my Coosa has turned out. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any questions. Thanks, Paul MOsmallies

It sounds like you you'll be fishing at night so these may not be the best options, but this is what I fish when the bass are up shallow and taking advantage of the bluegill spawn... - 3/8 or 1/2 oz. swim jig in a bluegill pattern with a Reaction Innovations Little Dipper or 3.5" Lake Fork Magic Shad in Watermelon for a trailer. I usually add some chartreuse to the tail of the trailer http://www.tacklewar....html#multiview - 4" Tru-Tungsten swimbait in the bluegill pattern. I use the slow/fast sink model as opposed to the waking/slow sink model. http://www.basstackl...-life-shad.aspx - Have never used this, but would maybe give it a try as well. Warmouth from Big Bite Baits... http://www.tacklewar...ge-BBBWARM.html Good luck and let us know how you do! Paul MOsmallies

Thanks guys... I'm really happy with the way the my SeaDek project turned out. I bought the 18"x74" sheet and was able to do my whole boat and cooler lid and still have more to spare. It held up perfectly in the water too. I'll try to put a separate post up with pictures of the whole process... Stayed tuned!

I wanted to get this up last week, but I just didn't have the time so sorry for the delay. I finally hit the river in 2012 and had a chance to break in my new Coosa. A buddy and I drove to one of my favorite Missouri flows on Friday, April 20 hoping the weather would warm up and the rain would hold off for the entire weekend. We setup camp along the river just as the sun was setting and started a fire. Since we were the only ones in the campground, we played some music and enjoyed a few beers while we prepared our gear for the following morning. We got to bed a little later than expected but still had no trouble getting up by 7:30 am. We were wanting to push off around 9:00 or so, but some car trouble delayed our self-shuttle. We finally pushed off around 12:30 pm and were glad to finally be on the water. We had chosen a simple 5 mile float that I knew well since it was my first time in the new kayak. The water was gin clear and ranged from 58-65 degrees throughout the day. I started off with a 4" Tru-Tungsten swimbait, a Popper that I can also walk the dog with, and my favorite finesse creature bait. The first mile or so of the float I didn't fish too hard. I was trying to get a good feel for the Coosa with the seat in the high position. By the end of the day I was very comfortable with it. We stopped for lunch around 1:45 pm since we hadn't eaten yet. While we ate, I watched several nice smallmouth cruising around on a large gravel flat. I finally hooked my first smallmouth of 2012, a solid 13" fish. After a quick release we pushed off again to fish harder for the last 4 miles. The majority of our fish came from one 200 yd stretch filled with large laydowns, boulders, and deeper water with slower current. By the time we finished our float, I had caught 11 smallmouth with only 2 dinks, 7 between 12"-14", a 15", and a 16 1/2". All fish ended up being caught on the finesse creature bait as I couldn't get anything going with the swimbait or topwater. My buddy ended up with 6 small fish on flukes and senkos. I was planning on heading back home early on Sunday, but my buddy convinced me to float the same stretch again. This time we started around 9:00 am and paddled quickly through the unproductive water from the day before. We caught a few in new places, but the majority of our fish came from the same 200 yd stretch again. This day I finished with 6 smallmouth... 1 dink, 3 at 12"-14", 15 3/4", and another 16 1/2". All on the same bait from the day before. All in all it was a great weekend with cool but pleasant weather. The water felt great and the Coosa got some good slime on it. We didn't catch any monsters but several solid fish that I was very pleased with. Only saw one smallmouth on a bed and most were in a very skittish mood just cruising around. Long casts were definitely needed. I've attached pictures of the 4 that were over 15". Can't wait to hit the river again soon!

Agreed... Just replaced most my trebles this winter with these and they seem to be very sharp and strong. I've been throwing soft plastics lately so I haven't put them to the test yet but I expect them to excel after all the great reviews I've read.

Probably not too big unless the fish you're getting to bite are really small. Usually if you're letting the fish run with it and you're still missing on the hookset then your hook is too small. Not sure about a #4 sized hook, but I use Gamakatsu EWG Worm Hooks in 2/0 size for 4" worms/creature baits and 3/0 for 5" baits... Bigger than that you probably need to use a 4/0 or 5/0 once you get up to 10" Power Worms. Paul MOsmallies

Congrats! Awesome fish

For some reason I can't get myself to use braid for bass fishing (Stream or Lake). I use 8, 10, 12 , or 15 lb P-Line CX Premium (Moss Green) on all my baitcasters and spinning reels. I know a lot of you don't think bass are smart enough to notice the line and maybe they're not. I also know a lot of you catch more and bigger fish than me while using braid, but I just can't be confident that I'm presenting my baits as natural as possible with braid. So for me, I think it's strictly a confidence thing. The only situation I could imagine I'd want to use braid for bass, is if I was flipping in heavy grass or working a frog which I rarely do on Missouri waters. Maybe one of these days I'll give it a shot on the streams. I do however use braid on a few of my other species rigs. When trolling or vertical jigging for walleye/sauger I use 15/4 PP or Spiderwire and tie it directly to the bait. I also use 50/12 PP or Spiderwire on my catfish rigs, but I use a swivel and tie on a Berkley Big Game mono leader. The only other situation I use braid is when fishing up on the "big" river. We use bass tackle and throw crankbaits all day. You never know what you're going to catch or snag so I like to have the strength of braid. We've caught/snagged everything from 1 lb white bass to 10 lb stripers and 5 lb drum to 40 lb asian carp. The small diameter also helps the crankbait get down in heavy current. Paul MOsmallies

Man I wish my tough days included 17"-19" fish... Great read as always Al

Hey Mitch - Right before I headed to LOZ for Thanksgiving this past November I purchased a set of snow pant bibs from Dick's Sporting Goods. They were black, insulated, and waterproof. I payed no more than $30 for them and they seem to be pretty well made. Definitely kept me warm on the couple winter trips I made this year. They would be way to hot for warmer weather and probably not the best for rain, but they're perfect for cold and mostly dry weather. Paul

Great looking fish! That's the one I've been trying to catch down there for years. Would love to hear what you caught her on. Congrats

Hey Tom, Long time no see! Hope you're doing well. I am extremely jealous and wish I was going to be at the lake this weekend as well. Here's a couple recent reports that might help... http://www.conservationcafe.com/Fishing/report_detail.asp?state=26&report=5061 http://www.conservationcafe.com/Fishing/report_detail.asp?state=26&report=5062 Looks like the water temps will be in the high 50's and low 60's. Rain may muddy the water up but shouldn't enough to ruin the fishing. If I was heading down I'd be throwing the following... - Carolina Rigged Lizard or Brush Hog - 3/8 oz. Football Jig with Craw Trailer - 3/8 or 1/2 oz. Spinnerbait - Wiggle Wart - Jerkbait (If I found colder water in the mid 50's or below) Good luck and let us know how you do. We should try and meet up to fish this year. Paul M.