Mitch f

175 fish in an 8 hour day is a fish every 2.5 minutes or so, and thats without taking a lunch or bathroom break. The trout parks don't release as many fish as they used to, so seems a little ambitious. I assume you were joshing a little?

And I'm the opposite of you, just starts getting good in October

If I remember right there was a camo line for crappie fishermen, can't recall the name. I know you use McCoys Mean Green on all your hard baits; what advantages over braid does McCoys have when using hard baits?

Love the heck out out braided line but can't convince myself that I dont need a fluorocarbon leader in clear water. I've had many great fishermen tell me otherwise but I just can't do it.......it's just a confidence thing. Please someone give me proof that the big ones (don't care about the small ones) don't care. It would sure make jig fishing much easier.

Chief, you posted at 4:22 am, you must have to be at work early

I guess the security cameras weren't good enough to pick up the plate numbers.

Open up the picture in Microsoft Paint and reduce the file size and save it as a .jpg

Cricket, of course, you were the one I was referring to!!!!!! Al, you're right on as usual, I guess it works both ways. Seems I've always caught my biggest fish with a presentation that resembled the movements of a drifting crippled baitfish or fleeing crayfish. In other words, I always cast 45 degree upstream or perp to the bank if possible; maybe it's just a confidence thing.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/15/us-enterprise-pipeline-idUSTRE77E42Z20110815?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=22&sp=true

That is a toad!!!! He's hooked forever!

There's certainly crossover with both smallmouth and fly fishing. One of the best bass fisherman I know started out as a fly fisherman. I think the fly fisherman could teach the bass fisherman a few things about finesse presentations.

Seems unbelievable that Missouri's recreational fishing generates 1 billion in revenue

For the record, I've never actually killed an otter. I've carried a .22 cal rifle 3-5 times with me with the intention of killing an otter though. This was back in the "Otter Hysteria" days of the late 1990's. Back then the otters were much more plentiful than the numbers we hear about today. There was a lot of bad press coming from fishing groups back then and I admit that I was caught up in it. We heard of ponds along the river getting completely cleaned out of catfish. We heard of trophy smallmouth being killed by gangs of otters at play. It may or may not have been true. In the last 3 years River otter pelts were going for $100 a piece. The trappers made a ton of cash and helped the fisherman bring the otters down to IMO more reasonable levels. The otter thing doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.

Glad to hear of your trip! I'm planning on making many trips up north to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan when I retire. I love it up there! 21" is a monster, post pics if you can!

Heck, you already have hotdogs and spaghetti, who needs the Catfish!

The important thing is that you got to wet a line!

http://m.stltoday.com/STL/db_109121/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=AocxJWHY An interesting link about St. Louis and the summer heat.

Love the name Wilson for a lab

From the water you're describing, Its hard for me to imagine being able to fish at all. I assume you find a quiet spot and spread out on the the bank. With the river being only 30 yards wide with 3 canoes full of people, You're probably lined up 200-300 yards downstream. Also funny that mans best friend is the one stuck in the raft. I've duck hunted with labs for years and they are such good swimmers. I guess he was so bouyant that he popped right back up quicker than you guys did. Or maybe he thought the raft was a safe haven.

Kind of like stripers vs. strippers...... Although both can be fun at the right time, so I've been told. Now back to work and sell more cars! I know you're at 185% of your personal sales goals, but you are only at 50% of quota

I'm not as strong on the completely unethical part as you are, If we were talkng about chinese big head carp would you feel the same way? the coons, possums, and turtles gotta eat too!

There was a guy form the Missouri fur trappers assoc of Missouri who spoke at an MSA meeting one night. He said those cute little otters were the most ferocious trapped animals in Missouri, even more so than a trapped Bobcat. He mentioned a guy who looking for his trap in knee deep water when the trapped otter lunged at him and almost ripped his chest waders off before he could get away. He commented the otters were only muscles and teeth! IMO, thats a human intervention gone bad. The MDC released the cute little otters in MO, thinking they would only have a pup or two. Instead they spread out like a wagon wheel and multiplied like crazy.Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this thread!

Call me a softy at heart, but when I think of how long that fish has survived to get that big I just can't bring myself to kill it. It's more of a rarity to catch a 17" spot than a 20" smallmouth. I have caught many 20" smallmouth over the years but only one 17" spot. All this coming form a guy who has thrown the smaller ones up on the bank and has brought .22 cal rifles fishing with me to kill otters.

I have a problem with pulling big spots out of the river, I'm talking the ones over 15". I will pull the smaller ones out sometimes. Call me crazy but I just can't see eating or throwing away a 15-17" spot. Once they reach that point I consider them a trophy almost as much as a trophy smallmouth. These fish are very agressive and can sometimes make a slow day of fishing much more fun.

Horrible about the guys who drown, please be careful. I get lazy sometimes and don't wear a life jacket when I should. When rivers are up and rolling the danger factor is off the charts. Some guy in Indiana 3 weeks ago took his little girl on a float when the river was up. The canoe capsized and even though they were both wearing life jackets, they both drown.