drew03cmc

Wayne about hit it on the head. I catch more bass on buggers than anything else. I caught my biggest largemouth to date on a #6 popper, about three weeks after I grabbed my first fly rod on a whim. Don't forget that bass will hit flies that are intended for gills as well.

I was diagnosed with Lyme around June 5th or so. The symptoms included every symptom except a bullseye rash. I was darn near immobile for about a week, my ocular nerves were so inflamed that moving my eyes hurt, and I lost over 30 pounds in the month I was on doxycycline. The antibodies of the disease remain in your body and without notice can cause flare ups of any symptom. I have noticed that the only thing still affecting me is coffer. The acid in it causes an instant headache. If left untreated, LD can cause meningitis, neuropathy, facial palsy and arthritis. Get checked out.

Holy hell. Good thing you all have boats. Hope everyone is safe.

I didn't do too well in that last mile above Deep Ford, but it is definitely pretty water.

My PB was a 14" Neosho from Shoal Creek. I had a hook in two Neoshos several inches larger the following day but the hooks lost contact with the jaws.

Your Walmart carries Falcon? Ours carries nothing in that range...

I am diggin' this.

Gavin, river time isn't the word. I have creek time up here catching our bass and sunfish species from the many creeks in the KC area since I live a good 3 hours from the Ozarks. Spots vs Smallmouths, a yearly debate on here. I think the temperature difference and habitat loss are the two factors most important here, that are commonly ignored. The dams on the Missouri are MUCH older than the spotted bass "problem", and the Diversion channel, while a convenient scapegoat, isn't something that we could blame the whole situation on.

I remember that picture.

Sure it is. That map indicates native spots in the Meramec basin, and every northern flowing stream with these "invasives".

Crane will humble you. I caught three trout my first trip there and thought I did well, so enjoy the solitude.

I would vote for Roaring River from the horn till 10, driving up to Crane until about two or so, fishing below town, then driving over to Capps Creek on your way home.

Chief, you have redeemed yourself from your negativity, not that I mind the sh*t stirring, as it makes me laugh during a winter without much fishing.

Right, but not right. If people are keeping 12-13" smallmouth where there is a 12" length limit, that is their legal right. If you have a problem with it, tough, that is the law. You haven't read that smallmouth migrate 40+ miles, have you? Smallmouth obviously pack their bags and travel miraculously long distances, calling cousins and the whole deal, on their way to winter holes. It is possible that even a 2 degree difference is enough to draw brownies from 10 miles down river if you listen to the migration believers.

I am intrigued by the CR721 taper, if anyone has any experience with that rod, let me know...paging Eric1978. I like lighter tackle and fish smaller creeks more often than not.

Mitch, what kind of services rendered does it take to receive a dam boat?

It would be easier with the extra $80k per year, IMO.

Yes Wrench, that is it. Everything else is landowner managed.

SC, yes, Kansas says to float, you MUST have the written permission of EVERY landowner, both sides of the creek, as they own the stream bed and banks. There are three bodies of water which you can float, the Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas Rivers. It is a darn joke.

If everyone thought like you do, American manufacturing would be in worse shape than it is now. We should NOT support American workers by buying American-made goods, right?

My main question is how do you all handle those thick nylon weedguards that are on most bass jigs? I can't see them being conducive to great hooksets, but without them, you are open to all kinds of snags.

Sorry guys, Taney is put and take and no natural reproduction occurs. They will just stock more within a few days. I can't say I hold any grudge for killing a trout that was put in the lake to be killed. If it was at one of the Blue Ribbon streams, then it will irritate me a bit.

No thank you. TFO can go to hell. Their rods are made overseas and if I am spending over $70 on a rod, it darn well better be made here, by Americans, making an American wage. I think an Ardent reel is next on my list, made in the USA and all.

Yes, in ONE year, also, the warmest year on record, fish moved Andy. Guess what, the water in Missouri doesn't get as cold as it does in Minnesota, Ontario or Wisconsin. That is a product of latitude. When the study in the Ozarks is concluded, you can use that study as evidence, but for right now, we cannot judge anything from that study. One year, a sample does not make. The sample size isn't sufficient to draw a single conclusion. If the fish are migrating away, where do fish in the Elk go in the winter? Grand Lake? Oklahoma has NO record of smallmouth bass in Grand Lake, sans ONE monster fish that was caught this year, which is likely a renegade from the Elk or Spring River. One fish does not a population indicate. In the streams in the Ozarks, do they migrate to lakes? Do they migrate downstream only to return to their home pools? Do they migrate to spring holes? Do they migrate to find food or just cover? There are so many questions that must be answered before it can be concluded that they do migrate in the winter. Some do move from their summer haunts to a winter hole, but there is no doubt that fish remain in the same areas in the winter, but in deeper water. Come fish Shoal Creek in the winter and you will see what we mean by this. Spring River is the same way, you can find fish in the same areas that you find them in during the summer. I find it hard to believe that there is such a difference between Shoal Creek and the Huzzah or Courtois as they are about the same size. Perhaps it is that Neoshos don't migrate, but Northerns do, but again, I am not a scientist.

Here, here.