MoJohn

If you feel you are being unduly harassed by one of the sales associates go to the customer service desk and ask to speak to the Manager on Duty. Voicing your concerns calmly and politely usually work. And the Manager will address the issue. If you still don't feel that your issue was properly handled call and complain. 417-873-5000 ask for Retail Administration.

Should be good. It's expected release coincides with the end of the Chineese year of the Dragon. Wonder if that was planned.

Just recently finished the Hunger Games in prep for the movie. Getting ready to start my re read of the Wheel of Time series to get ready for the final book in Jan. I have always reread the series before each release.

Welcome to the Forum

Al and Chief I seem to recall along with the 4 smallie limit there was some what of a 6 total bass possesion limit too. So if someone had caught 4 smallies they would only be allowed two other bass in total. I went back thru old threads myself but couldn't find it. I got a survey that I believe was part of that 70% that thought tighter regs were in order but I never indicated that total C&R was what I wanted. I rarely target smallies as my goal when fishing. I have on occation and caught a couple in the 3lb. range on the James. I think smallies taste nasty and would never keep them to eat, however my 93 year old grandpa loves them. The few times a year he is actually able to go fishing an catches a keeper I believe he should be able too. I rarely get involved in these due to the fact that they never really change anyones opinion and most can't even agree to disagree, kinda like the CCW issues. and I seem to recall "There are so many people who are totally incapable of or resistant to education and change, and those people are gonna have to be brought with us on leashes, kicking and screaming, to the new world." being somewhat close to a favorite statement of PETA.

Follow the trail that heads down river below the dam. If you go past the low water bridge there is a warm water overflow that comes out the backside of the power plant. This is one of my favorite Jan/Feb cold weather smallie spots. Lots of nice size gills there too.

Not sure if you guys are talking about the two wide black bands on each gate, but when I was down there last week they look to be there to keep the gates from going over the other way. Maybe to protect from a high wind gust or something. As far as I could tell they looked to be made of rubber.

Not sure how late there open on Sun. the wife and myself usually are coming back to Springfield on Sat. evenings from RR. Our usual stop is in Monett at the Acambaro Mexican restuarant.

Both links worked for me also.

I started out with a Trout Flytying kit from Bass Pro. It has served me well but I have found that I need to upgrade my vise to make things easier but the rest of the tools still seem to work. I would have bought everything seperate probably if I did it again however the video that can with it did help with basics. The one thing that has helped me out quite a bit is the step by step recipes on taneycomotrout.com. I know there are others out there but I like the way it is layed out and pertains to the area's I fish most.

I'll start by saying that I don't agree with the shooting of both of these cats, however on this second one with what I have read I can see were it could have been agressive. Not by choice but by situation. From what I gather there was about 100 hunters on the property in the area. The cat may have felt threatened by all the people and trapped so to speak. If he felt cornered he may have felt a need to stand his ground, however the hunters probably could have slowly backed out and kept an eye on him giving him some place to run to. With everything that seems to have been going on he may have very well attacked out of a survival instinct, but I wasn't there so I'll have to let others decide on wether it was legal or not.

Definitely sure it's not mainstream. Just made do with what we had. Don't do it much anymore, just a couple times a year more for nostalgia than anything. Got into flyfishing this year again, hadn't flyfished much since I moved to Missouri 20 some years ago, and that occupies most of my fishing time.

As I responded to you all is good. Thought I'd put this here though. I bowfish with several relative and we have been doing for about 20yrs. from a canoe. It just and old aluminum 17footer. We do it tandom with shooter in front and another in back to paddle and help steady it. We use plywood clamped to the rail as a kneeboard in the front with some padding. I'm 6'4 so the way it is designed my head is about 5' above the water giving me a good sight angle. The rest is lots of trial an empty live well.

Have no idea how I missed this the last few days but I'd like to raise my hand for Cricket. I bowfish exclusively from a canoe, hell I say a canoe is the best thing for me to catch fish from because it is all I own. If you own a kayak and fish exclusively from it or the bank then the kayak is the best thing for you to catch from. I know many people who catch alot more fish than I do from jetboats but since I don't own one my canoe is the best thing.

Not sure if its the one you are looking for but Amazon has some used from 1950 listed. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_at_ep_srch?ie=UTF8&search-alias=books&field-author=J.+Edson+Leonard&sort=relevancerank hope link works. It's #5 on list.

On a normal fishing trip I usualy have Ozzy, Sabath, Nuggent and similar music going, however when I plan on flyfishig for trout, especially somewhere remote Iron Butterfly's In a gadda da vida is my set the mood chill out song. All 19 minutes of the live version.

I've caught a few over the years while floating the James and drifting a small spoon. Usually in the late fall just below where Crane Creek dumps in. I believe the little creek just below there is Wheeler Creek (or what my grandfather calls it) about 3/4 miles down stream. Caught one just below Kerr Access in one of the deeper holes trying for smb.

From Springfield head south on 160 past Nixa and Spokane to 176 West. There is a sign there saying Galena 9miles, also a brown conservation Kerr Access sign. As you come into Galena just over the James River turn South on 248 South. Just before you get to the square 248 turns back to the west, its also W. 3rd St. in town. Not sure of exactly how far Blunk road is from that point. Maybe a mile or so up on your left. There is just a standard street sign. Once on Blunk Rd. just follow it to the river. I don't have a boat so I typically follow Blunk Rd to Sandstone Rd. (James River Canoe is at Sandstone Rd.) then follow Sandstone til it ends at a parking area. There you can go over the fence, owner put a stair case in to get over fence, and follow the trail down to the river. Hope this helps

Fished the Upper Section on Friday afternoon and caught quite a few. My flyfishing skills are still limited in wooded areas so I stuck close to the bridge holes for that, caught several small ones on a brown/olive wooly bugger. On the light spin tackle I was catching them on a 1/32 brown/orange marbou jig I had tied(thanks to Phil's video on how to tie them). Biggest was just at 16". Caught it in the hole at the second bend down from the bridge where the creek goes back south from east hidding behind the big tree there. I'm 6'4" 230 so big objects make stealth easier Will post picture of 16" er as soon as I can figure getting it from my phone to on here.

There is a trail that leads from the Dam down to the Bridge. I was down there last Monday and caught alot of 12-14" LM on a Nickle Super Duper and a Lindy Jig Spinner rigged with a 1/4 oz wht jig with pumpkin craw on it. The road that is there to my knowledge is controlled by the city and only accessable by city employees. It's not that bad of a walk and there are lots of fishing spots along the trail to hit. Also since the water was back down I came home with 8 jigs, 5 spinners, 7 jerk baits, 3 bobbins and a small Shimano reel. Reel was toast I believe but I will try to revive it. There are a couple holes past the bridge where I have pulled a few nice SM out of over the years. This is a good time to hit the area, not alot of people or snake and tics.

Trying to keep this short and to the point, I like the ideas put foward so far. As for the ribbon system I think if it could be close to that of the trout one it would lower confusion for the many of us who love to trout and smallie fish. If its one fish over X" only make it Blue Ribbon much like the trout areas. Might take a little work but anglers would be use to the basic principal already from years of trout areas. This might make a transition a little easier.

I release all the smallies I catch but I don't care to eat them either. I think we need to add more SMA areas to the State or lenghten a few we already have. I do however know a few fisherman who like to catch and eat smallies, they like them. I would be all for a slot limit with only one being over 18"-20" and reducing daily to four total. I may be wrong but I am of the opinion that you have to take some out or they will overpopulate, thus lowering available food supplies and hurting growth in the long run.

Welcome to the Forum.

Pretty new here so I don't know anyone personally as to were I could recognize them on the water with the exception of a couple who have photo's of themselves on the water posted. However I was out at Crain on the North Wire Road area on fri. fishing when I came across two guys fly fishing. Had a short talk and I told them of a deep hole that had fish in it that wouldn't bite anything I had, a couple looked to be nice size. When I got back by the parking area I noticed the vehicle had a business logo on it and the name Jeremy Hunt. Wish I had know if it was you so I could have formally introduced myself and walked you up to the area where the hole was. I did catch another one though in the hole just above the bridge on a 1/16 oz chrome/silver prism super duper. He was only about 9in. long though. Out of the three I caught that day all were on different lures. Well two lures an one fly. Water was extremely clear and fish overly spooky.

Not sure where to catch all the eye's but I did catch one just over 21" at the pothole on Sat. Catch 6 rainbow over the 2lb. mark and numerous over a pound. All were caught on the North side right up against the dam, casting a nightcrawler with an 3/8oz egg weight about 24" up. There was some slack water alond the North wall about 20" out from the dam, saw 2 monster browns chaase a silver 3" grub on a jig head but stop the chase at the surfice. My wife caught quite a few bass an trout floating a worm along the rocks behind the chainlink fence which was underwater or the most part Sat.