MstStudent10

I live in Fair Grove, MO and seen a mountain lion chasing a small dog or something by my house. This was back around 2001, around that time there were a few sightings around Buffalo, MO about 15 miles to the north. Right after I seen it chase the small animal into the woods I heard a screeching snarling sound, I guess it caught what it was chasing... To this day my dad laughs at me about it but there was no mistaking it it was a mountain lion.

Thanks for the heads up. I was unaware that I couldn't get PMs. I think I got it worked out now.

Well I didn't end up going out today. With the forcast of wind like it was, plus the sub 40 degree weather, I decided it was probably a smarter decision not to take my young brother out with me in a 14 ft flatbottom jonboat. My whole goal is to make our fishing trips as enjoyable to him as I can. As windy and cold as it is, it woulda been miserable out there for him, not to mention dangerous as cold as it is. I thought back to that tragic incident on Stockton earlier this year where that father and his son lost their lives out there in a smaller boat and cold weather. Just no reason to chance it. I do thank you for the great tips though, believe me I will make it out there in the near future and it will be extremely helpful.

Hey guys, I'm plannin on taking my 10 yr old brother out this Saturday for some crappie at Pomme de Terre. I'm a bass guy and literally haven't went out for crappie exclusively in about 3 years. I'm plannin on putting in at Nemo and fishing the standing timber just down south around the bend, HarverStick Cove I think? I had good luck doing that in the past but like I said I haven't been there in over 3 yrs. Has anyone been out for crappie lately on Pomme? I'm not looking for spots or specific lures or anything, just a pattern or a depth they've been at. I've been hearing a lot of good things about crappie on other lakes, so I figure I'd give it a try closer to home. I'm plannin on using minnows, as thats all i've done in the past. Does anyone know if that ol gas station just past Nemo Bridge still carries minnows? That's where I used to go to get em and hope they're still there. If not, anywhere else around there to get minnows? And how early do they open? Thanks in advance everyone! I'll let ya know how it goes out there!

Do not get the KVD line of tackle bags thats all I can say. Within 2 months of me getting it, all the zippers were broken, as well as a giant rip down the side where the stitching was. If you are wanting a soft tackle bag for applications as a co-angler for example, I have a couple buddies who do the following: They just have a smaller duffel bag, or gym bag I guess, like nike brand or adidas, or something else like that. Maybe you have one laying around. Then they just buy the clear plastic plano boxes separate, or maybe they already had those boxes. This approach may be cheaper than buying one of those tackle bags. Plus, if you use a duffel/gym bag thats a little bigger than your clear tackle boxes, it gives you extra room to throw packs of soft plastics in there, while not stretching out your bag and breaking it. And you can switch out the lures in your plastic boxes, or even the whole boxes themselves, depending on what your doing or what season it is. As I said, the only prob I have with those soft tackle bags is that they are made pretty snug as is. If you like loading them down with other things like line spools, attractant, or soft plastic packs ( I have all my jig trailers in mine cuz they go with my jig box) they have a tendency to get packed fast, then they bust. But I guess this is more in the case when you're a co angler and you try to pack all your stuff in one compact bag. If you don't pack it like that, they're prolly alright. Good luck to ya, I don't think I really helped ya, lol...

Pro Qualifier Reel... LOVE IT!!! I basically use them exclusively. My dad got me my first BPS Pro Qualifier Rod/Reel 7 years ago. I still use that reel today every trip that I go out. It is still my favorite reel and casts further than all my others. When I got it back as a young teenager, I didn't know or understand a lot about "reel care". I never once oiled it or did anything really to take care of it. I finally oiled it for the first time about a year and a half ago, which was over 5 yrs after I got it. I can't believe the wear and tear that I have put on it and how good it still is today. 2 years ago I bought a couple more pro qualifiers, the black version with sparkles, that has the ribbed thumbpieces on the handle. So far they have performed just as good. I use them as a crankbait reel, spinnerbait reel, and jig reel, and one other that's my all purpose reel depending on season and lake, so they get A LOT of use. I don't have anything bad to say about them. Needless to say, I've advanced to actually oiling and taking care of my gear now, lol. On another note, I know what you mean with your opinion on BPS products. I have a couple buddies that have the tourney special and bionic baitcasters from BPS, and they are horrible. The gears in them seize up, spool problems, etc... But it really seems they get it right with the Pro Qualifiers. Thats where the extra money comes in I guess! PS...I know a bunch of people really talk up the BPS Extreme Reels also. I don't have any experience with them so I can't say. I believe if you look back in the TRL forum back in Early Spring of this year sometime, maybe even back towards New Years, there was this exact topic, with people debating the best baitcasters for under $100. It was a good one for someone in your position, you may wanna go back and look it up.

PS... Water temps ranged from 53 in some areas to 55 on the main lake

Fished Sunday and Tuesday from Sun-up till about 3. Fished the Eastern Leg all over from State Park down to Aldrich. Typical Fall pattern right now. Spinnerbait and crankbait for the most part if there's wind (which there has been non stop). 12 fish one day and ~20 fish the other. 6-8 keepers each day. Nothing huge, all 2-2.5 lbers which I've been hearing has been the norm lately. It has been a "classic fall scenario" in the fact that the fish are really scattered and you have to hit a lot of different spots to catch fish, with many spots not producing, but once you find one fish, more have followed. They are bunched up, so just keep runnin and gunnin till you find that sweet spot to catch a couple from!

SHALLOW! 8 ft or less. It was May though. They should be shallow then.

Ha! So I guess that means a 24 inch bass is only 6 lbs?? That system is probably accurate on fish between 15 to 18 inches maybe... Once you get bass 19 inches and above, you can't make a valid guess based soley on length. Depending on how fat or full they are, they can vary by a large amount. Some of those "classic river fish" have those long skinny bodies and at 18 inches, may weigh 3/4 of a lb less than another 18 inch bass that's fat and plump... ... I've caught a skinnier bass exactly at 24 inches that went 7 lbs 14 oz. There was a bass caught this spring at Lake Fork that was within the slot at 23 and 3/4 inches, and it went about 13 lbs if I remember correctly. Largest Bass ever caught within the slot I believe. That bass was shorter than the one that I caught, yet it was 5 lbs heavier. There's just way too much fluctuation of weight depending on how fat they are.

Yeah. Table Rock in May. Thanks man.

If you like to catch fish and don't care how big they are, now is a good time at Stockton. Went to Stockton out of Ruark Bluff this past weekend fished Sons Creek. From 9:30 to 3:00 had about 30 bass, with ONLY 1 a keeper. They all came on a jig. FIND THE SHAD!!! Where the shad were bunched up the bass were there. They were in about 2-8 ft of water on shallow sloping banks. "Golf ball sized" rock banks seemed to hold more fish. Keep your jig moving. I was working a smaller jig like I work a football jig and dragging it horizontally, just kept it moving while keeping contact with the bottom. . . They were also on the trees in water 12 feet or less. Just flip to a tree, let it sink to the bottom, hop it once or twice, and keep going. Trees on banks like I described above.... Like I said, no big ones, but it sure was fun all day and couldn't bring myself to change up anything.

For Paddlefish?... Deep. That's about as clear cut as it gets...

All around, and only one? JIG! Hands down. You can flip brush with a jig shallow (usually do anyway). Smallmouth-- Drag a football jig deeper (always a fun time)... Night fishing-- There's time when a big bulky jig with big trailer even out fishes the 10 inch worm. Flipping docks--Jig will do... Hey! You can swim em too! Ledges and bluffs, jigs are good to bounce down. Punching jigs through thick vegetation down south... Not only just out of those 3 choices, but if I could only use one lure out of ALL lures for the rest of my life, it would be a jig.

There is a time and place for everything. If the fish want fast moving lures, by all means, give it to them. When they are on, that is the easiest way to get a limit Fast. If they are going to eat a spinnerbait, crankbait, buzzbait, etc pretty good, then nothing is easier than to blaze along and make as many casts and cover as much water as you can in order to present your lure to as many fish as possible.. Let the fish tell you what they want. The problem is that many people don't know when to say enough is enough, and just have it in their blood that they have to speed along and 1 or 2 casts is sufficient enough to a particular area... For example, lets say the weekend before a tournament I was really smacking them in a particular area (such as a certain cove, or channel swing, or an isolated series of boat docks)... So during the tournament I roll up, make 1 or 2 casts to this particular dock, don't catch anything, so I just blaze along and forget about "said dock". I know WAY too many people with that mentality... So if you absolutely know there are fish there, then theres no problem with slowing way down and coaxing those fish to bite. Contrary to what some people believe, a bass won't travel a quarter mile plus for some stupid reason. A lot of times they probably won't even travel a hundred yards. Bass are lazy like any other creature. They will find the closest spot available to them that appeals to their desires at the time... So if you caught a couple keepers lately at a spot like a boat dock or channel swing, don't be afraid to break out the shakey head worm, or smaller jig, or whatever, and probe those spots to death. I have gotten limits off of one medium sized boat dock by literally blanketing it with cast after cast with shakey heads or slower moving jigs... even after other guys had pulled up before me, made the traditional 2-3 casts into the stalls and left. So if you know without a shadow of a doubt there are fish in close proximity to a certain area, slow down and give them what they want. Another tip for "knowing the fish are there"... If you have a GREAT spring spot, where the bass were just stacked up and you smoked them...(referring back to the bass minimize travel)... During the summertime, look for the typical "summer spots" that are closest to or in close proximity to that GREAT spring spot you found earlier in the yr. Those bass didn't travel miles, so most likely they'll be at those summer spots close by, and visa versa. Don't be afraid to slow down and probe an area when you know the fish are there... Ok my book is done!

If color isn't your determining factor, I don't think you can go wrong with the Z Man's Chatterbait. I've used them a ton this year, both down in TX and the MO lakes. Fished stump fields at Fork and caught 4 bass over 7.5 in less than a day. Those crazy FL strains were wrapping me around stumps and everything, the bait held up amazing, and I haven't yet had to sharpen the hooks. If I want another color, I just buy different skirts and put them on, and mix and match with various trailers. It is cheaper too if you just buy different colored skirts and change them out than to buy a ton of different colored chatterbaits. As far as trailers, I've found Zoom Speed craws to work best for me, usually in just the pearl white. The claws on speed craws flap and thump erratically on a straight faster retreive. Here's what I've learned this yr from them... If there's grass and/or a decent amount of other vegetation in a lake, Chatterbaits Rule. Hands down. Also, if you ever swim a jig or the conditions are right for swimming a jig (around boat docks or other things and bass are chasing your jig back or hitting it while you are reeling) and it is also really windy, chatterbaits can sack em, even in the lakes around here. They are obviously in the mood to hit a swimming jig, and with really windy conditions I think the chattering makes it easier for the bass to hone in on it...Plus I think that chatterbaits just flat out piss bass off. I have also had pretty good luck with them up the rivers and creeks around here, such as at Stockton, LOZ, and yes...Table Rock. Whether or not the sun is out, if you have wind and dirty water, chatterbaits have produced. Fishing them a lot like a square bill around cover and lay downs can pay off. I've caught alot back in creeks in dirty water just by randomly getting on a flat and fanning casts all around me in the wind. Overall around here I've found that conditions are best for a chatterbait when it's windy and there's dirty water, with the exception of the "swim jig scenario" and "vegetation" scenario, where water quality hasn't really mattered, but wind still has always been a key.

Jayhawk jokes? I don't think I need to come up with any. Aren't they a joke already?...

Dang that stinks finding out that the State Record is only a little over 1 pound. I caught a yellow perch this spring that was 12-13 inches long and was FAT!!! Only yellow perch I've caught down here and I prolly ate the State Record. Haha.

Ha! I was just making a dumb joke with reference to a band. There really are guitar fish! That's funny.

Not sure if they were Bass or Drum... maybe they were Guitar?

Here's my 2 cents worth on colors for worms... Break it up into 4 situations: 1) Sunny & Clear Water: Watermelon Candy, or Watermelon Purple Flake, or Watermelon with some sort of FLAKE... 2) Cloudy & Clear Water: Green Pumpkin...Done. 3) Sunny & Dirty Water: DARK colored with FLAKE in it, like June Bug, or Green Pumpkin FLAKE. 4) Cloudy & Dirty Water: Black and Blue...Done. This is pretty much my rule and works out most of the time (Doesn't count with DropShot). ps... Green Pumpkin can also be substituted into whatever situation you want at random times. Best color overall out there IMO.

Also, another issue with the wind you can use to your advantage with some foresight. While fishing out of a small boat if you know its gonna be a windy day, before you go out take note which way the wind is blowing from in general. For example, if the wind is coming from out of the Northwest, it may be a good idea to stick to banks that are on the northwest, west, or north sides. This way you have trees and other such things to protect you from the wind. So if it's blowing from the Northwest, the north and west banks of Son's Creek would be well protected from the wind. If the wind is blowing from the Northeast, Masters Cove or the bluff banks across from State Park could be a good option because they are on the Northeast side and thus out of the wind... I know this goes against the "Bass rule of thumb" of going to banks and points with wind beating on them because it pushes the nutrients and shad to that side and the bass follow... But sometimes in a small boat like that there's really not much you can do and ya just gotta go with whats presented to ya... ...On another note, using this concept and letting the wind dictate where you put in at and go on the lake, you can learn a lot about a lake and find areas that you may not have normally fished. This has been the case with me a lot while fishing out of a small aluminum. I may not have wanted to fish a certain area, but it was the only place out of the wind for me to be able to fish and control the boat, and I found something new.. Anyway, get out there and have fun exploring and hopefully catching. Stockton is a GREAT lake.

I have spent the last 3 years fishing both Stockton and Table Rock out of a 14 ft flatbottom with a 9.9. First of all, take a look at what the weather is going to be doing and what the expected wind speed and gusts are going to be. I've made numerous treks across the Main Lake anywhere from Masters to Maze, and State Park straight across the lake. If the wind is supposed to be calm or even if it less than 15 miles per hour I have honestly never had a problem, even crossing the main lake. If you feel like making a longer run, Maze is a good place to fish this time of year, with a lot of options that a smaller boat like ours can have access too. If you're set on staying close by the ramp you put in at, Ruark Bluff has great access to Son's, being right at the mouth. Another option is Masters. I have had Great luck IN the whole master's cove in late August early september for bass. On another note, I've even been out on the main lake on Stockton even on those days people would say I'm crazy. Sometimes things can get rough but also just keep a good mind about yourself. If you use your head, take it slow in the times you need to, ride the waves right, and just be smart about it you should be alright....Now TOTAL Gail force winds and nasty thunderstorms are another thing.. Just stay away from those situations. And always wear your PFD in them small boats while running, I even sometimes wear it even when I'm just fishing if its windy, you know how them gusts can push that small aluminum boat all of a sudden and bam you smack a stump and fly out the boat!...May have happened to me at Lake Fork this Spring. Haha. At least this time of year the water is warm! Good luck out there!

I thought this justly fit into this conversation.... http://www.vostok.es/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/carnivore-support-group.jpg . . .

What is the schedule like for the Thursday evening Tourneys?? Do you have them EVERY Thursday? And when is the last one of the year? Thanks