Bassin' Man

I caught a four pound smallmouth in the Spring Creek Eddy of the Big Piney on October 6th, 1989. I used a 3/8 oz. Strike King jig in Black and BLue with a Black #2 Uncle Josh Pork Frog

Harold go to www.MudHole.com they have a wide selection on blanks and rod building supplies at a good price.

Nope never did. i live up by Rolla in a little town called Newburg. I fish mostly rivers and small lakes, but on occassion I get up to Pomme or Lake Ozark.

That's OK because I use a fly rod too and I am 53 so I'm definitely an "Old Fart", but I'm not afraid to go rogue and tie on a glowball or use a spinning rod. I guess I should have used "Purist" as that is the term they like to be called. I guess its an ego thing or something.

I don't think it would qualify even if you attached a fly to the rapala. The key here is the definition of the word "fly". According the the MDC a "fly" is "Any lure constructed of fur, hair, yarn, tinsel, or thread on a single hook, with or without a spinner attached" By that definition a rapla is not legal because you are adding the fly to another lure instead of using one already constructed on a hook, and the rapala is made of balsa wood, not fur, hair, tinsel, yarn or thread. This would also preclude the use of a fly on the back of a spoon such as a Little Cleo, but a single hook Rooster Tail is legal because the 'fly" is already made into the spinner, also a fly on the back of a Hildebrant spinner is legal too since the Code says "with or without a spinner attached" It is a confusing mess I agree.

I use a ultralight spinning rig with a maribou jig all the time at Montauk in both the C&R area and the fly fishing zone. I have never been bothered by any old farts telling me that I can't use this or that. And I even use the glowballs rigged under a small balsa float strike indicator up in the C&R zone to drive the old farts crazy.

A single hook on a rapala DOES NOT make it legal in the fly only water. A rapala is not a fly as defined by the MDC Wildlife Codebook. The only lures legal in the fly only water are those defined as a "fly" by the Wildlife Code book. However, you CAN use any kind of fishing rod and reel (yes even your Snoopy rod) as long as you use a legal "fly". A maribou jig is considered a fly, and is legal regardless of the rod and reel it is fished with.

There are fish in the Little Piney Creek that is at the mouth of Lane Spring Branch. I have caught trout up to 5 lbs in the Little Piney, but I have not caught anything in the Branch itself. The whole area is a Blue Ribbon tout area with wild trout populations. There is a $2 parking fee to fish the stream. It is artificial only, no plastics or live bait, and you can only keep ONE trout over 18 inches. I just C&R when I fish this place. TIP: Use a brown, tan, black, or olive wooly bugger on #5 flyline if fly rodding, or a 1/32 oz. jig in white or yellow/black if spin fishing, and use no more than 4lb test Maxima line. There are large trout in all the holes downstream from the park to the hwy "W" bridge, but be careful if you fish up by the "Vida Bridge" because it is private land on both sides of the river.

I use 6lb. test Maxima on a 6' spinning rod with a spinning reel when I fish crank baits or finesse fish, but when I use bait casting outfits I go with 10lb. test High Abrasion Resistance Stren or Trilene on a 6'6" rod with a high speed 7:1 retrieve ratio reel, and I use buzz baits or throw a Jig and Chompers. Flourocarbon is a good choice for low stretch and increased feel, but I personally never used it.

Until all the rain they were catching Largemouth up at the Glaize and Gravios arm of the lake on a Jig and pig, a plastic worm, and creature baits fished around points in about 12' of water.

Howdy everyone. I'm ready to chat about fishing, but especially BASS fishing!