drew03cmc

Zipstick, while I believe that fishing the spawn for prolific species like crappie and bluegill is a productive and worthwhile fishing endeavor, I cannot help but be a little peeved that you are targeting smallmouth on the beds on streams that are undoubtedly being "overrun" with spotted bass. If you are doing this, I do not want to hear you complain about the lack of smallmouth in future years. Even removing a bass from the bed for five minutes gives a bluegill or other egg thief an opportunity to go in and eat the free caviar. I fish for crappie and gills in the spawn and keep my fair share, but honestly, smallmouth on the beds should be left alone.

Like Eric said, you just have to be conscientious about where you cast. If you cast to likely bedding areas, you may hook a spawner. Avoid fishing in those areas and concentrate on pre and post spawn habitat and you should be fine.

For your 4wt, you can't go wrong with an 8' 4wt. I have fished the St. Croix Triumph in that configuration and it is a peach. I currently own a fiberglass 7'6" 4wt that I had built for me by Mike B, from Prairie Drifter Rods and a 7'6" Albright Topwater 3/4. I fish the Topwater with a WF4F SA XPS and the Lamiglas 4wt with a WF5F unknown brand line. Either one is great for trout and offer superb tippet protection with COMPLETELY different experiences. The glass is SUPER SLOW and flexes into the grip with even a modest rainbow on and the Albright is a mid flex graphite stick that can throw a lot of line with aplomb. With that said, check into the Echo Carbon 8' 4wt and do not shy away from the Cabela's Prestige Plus line, as is it is SA's Trout taper line, colored differently for Cabela's. For an 8wt, go with the Echo Ion and accept a combo to help on pricing. In the stores, you can substitute lines or reels for what are included. The lines should be ok, but I am not a fan of the Cabela's reels. Ross makes a nice product for a great price.

Already like this in Kansas. Finding public access to creeks and rivers is hell.

There you go (if it uploaded correctly). That is a Neosho smallmouth.

Jesus, this argument again? We hash this out yearly, more often if someone catches a hog from Taney and keeps it. The fight of a fish wears the fish out, the hook stings the fish and touching the fish out of water for any time at all isn't good on the fish. As long as he released the fish unharmed back into the creek, he did his part in accordance with the law. Have a problem with that, bitching here is the least likely way to get something changed. Want a solution? Do your part and fish with hookless flies like they do in Alaska when they get tired of catching grayling, but want to watch the strike on a dry. They never feel a hook, never have to fight and aren't touched. Problem solved.

I recently picked up a Ross Flystik 7'11" 6wt and it is an amazing rod. The power is there for long casts to carp on the other side of that pool in front of you or for throwing that size 2 Clouser you want to throw. I paired it with a Ross Flyrise 3 and a WF6F Rio Grand and I couldn't be happier (other than to have more time to fish).

This is commonly done with Boobie Flies for walleye and other deep water species. Google Boobie Fly and you will see some tactics to use them.

When fly fishing creeks early in the year, try some bigger BH woolly buggers. Throw them in olive or brown and let them drift through the pools and twitch them back upstream to you. Let them swing through riffles into the head of the pools and swim them around structure. You will get hit. Also, you can fish pools that are open to the afternoon sun and get some action from bass and sunfish.

I had good luck with P-Line Fluoro, but you should try Maxima Ultragreen. It will turn you off to fluorocarbon due to its lack of memory and its incredible abrasion resistance. On a side note, I picked up some Vicious Panfish line in green last fall and it has like no memory and is INCREDIBLY strong.

I enjoyed that one...first thing I heard from a KU fan, coworker of mine, was...darn refs.

I would assume the warning is due to the lack of maneuverability of a tube. You cannot make crack adjustments to your float. Most of your movement, sans current, is backwards, and in rapids, you are SOL. In a larger inflatable, you would be fine, but a float tube...not the right one for moving water.

Snowy here. We have snow and ice on the ground 3+ inches thick already.

Anyone with a sound head on their shoulders could have popped it out of gear into neutral and hit the brakes. Obviously someone wanted to capitalize on the publicity from the recalls.

Excellent. If there are redbands in Missouri, I would relish a shot at one. The Columbia River Redband is the o. m. gairdneri. They are all absolutely gorgeous and the fact that the sheer population of redband trout is enough to prevent the McCloud River Redbands from being listed as threatened is disgusting. It is a lot like the Fluvial v. Adfluvial Arctic Grayling debate.

Laker, I thought the McClouds are redbands, but upon further research, the McClouds of Crane are Rainbows, however, the McCloud Redband, as far as I can find, hasn't been transported from the McCloud, but is in danger there, due to hybridization with introduced rainbows. They are all oncorhyncus mykiss, however, the watershed of origin determines the line of genetics, as well as the subspecific classification. For example, the Columbia River Redband is oncorhyncus mykiss gairdneri. The McCloud River Redband Trout is oncorhyncus mykiss stonei. Both are rainbows, but from different native watersheds. So, in conclusion, the McClouds in Crane and Mill are not redbands, but a close relative.

Plain and simple, the UAW, ruined the American car companies. Their demands for wages and retirement compensation, put the companies in a tough spot. When you are paying a floor sweeper $26/hr, how the hell can you compete with some companies whose top assembly line guys make that? They couldn't, and GM and Chrysler had to accept billions from the government, which, I don't believe we should have given. Another story for another time. These companies ruined themselves, and we shouldn't have been obligated to bail their asses out. Buying American is nice, but when the product is inferior or equivalent to an imported product at half the price, why spend the extra money? A similar comparison is my 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier I had right out of high school and my current work car, a 2001 Kia Sephia. The Kia was made in Korea, and the Cavalier was assembled in Mexico. Tell me which is American. The Cavalier had many issues which the Kia has not had. The Kia is coming up on 95k and the Cavalier got sold when it had 105k. I have replaced a serpentine belt, along with brake rotors and pads on the Kia and that is IT. The Cavalier had four sets of struts, three alternators, a starter, exhaust, two sets of ignition coils and other minor parts in the three years I owned it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Kia tomorrow. We also own a 2000 Chrysler T&C which has been great. Guess what, both are paid off, and neither one owes us a thing. My point is that cars, even in the same class, cannot really be compared as I have seen done in this thread. In my experience, imported vehicles are of a higher total quality than domestic, Ford excluded. I work on cars for a living, and I have seen more s*itbox domestics than I have imports. Rust is FAR more apparent on domestics, but that must be a result of the super high quality paint and finish products used, right Eric? Also, while companies like Honda were using independent rear suspension, Chevy was using a solid beam rear axle, which produces a far inferior ride quality, but is guess what...CHEAPER. I love Fox News links. They are full of typical Conservative BS from a Conservative news outlet. Ness, you and I feel the same way on this discussion. I say we get together, do some fishing and have fun!

I caught four five inchers the other day on a #12 red fox squirrel BH nymph or something like that. I was just out there casting in crappy weather and got a couple light takes. I missed a good fish, but caught four. I am going today to see if I can't muster a carp, catfish or walleye in the local outlet.

ness, that is amazing!

Let me know when you come to the Kansas side and we can hook up!

They are gorgeous!

That is a Golden Rainbow Trout, not a Golden Trout. Golden Trout are native to the Kern River drainage in California, along with other streams in that region. Golden Rainbows are not a separate species, they are a color variation which causes the fish to stick out like a skinny kid at Western Sizzler. Here is what the Pennsylvania Wildlife Commission says about them: Golden rainbow trout and palomino rainbow trout are not sterile hybrids, they are simply color variations of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and should not be confused with the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) native to a few drainages in California. It took selective breeding for several generations to result in the development of true breeding golden rainbow trout. Typically, these fish are more of a brilliant golden color than the palomino rainbow trout, which has a color phase intermediate between the golden and normally pigmented rainbow trout.

With close-minded individuals, you seldom see someone able to hold a decent conversation without attacking others and making themselves look like God.

Losing battle brother. I enjoy reading it, but that is a losing battle with this company.

Thanks Al. I appreciate the clarification.