stlfisher

Sounds like we have similiar soil. That is one of the reason's I decided to rake the yard and not till. The amount of rock the builders pulled up while building the foundation was unreal and I was gonna have to rake that out anyway....so this is what I have been doing. Good times! The grading has been done near the house and it drains away. The area in the back hasn't been graded much, but is really quite flat. I though about bringing in dirt, but the stuff I have tested fine so it seemed kinda redundant and expensive. I don't mind the work I just want to see the results when the time comes.

Blazerman, Thanks for the advice. Sod is definately out of the question. I think they wanted about $1500 for the front. I cringe when I think about how much the back yard would cost and to be honest I kinda want to grow it myself. This weekend I raked the yard to clean out rock and break up the dirt on the front and sides of the house. I sprayed some additional roundup on the new weeds that have sprung loose. I do have some Tall Fescue seed that I think should work. The yard is in pretty much full sun...I think Bluegrass would fry. My biggest worry is the very back of the yard. I cleared about two tennis courts of weeds about 4 feet high and now I am starting to clear rock and debris from that area and loosen up the soil. I have two concerns about this area. 1) The weeds come back strong again next year and 2) if I need to grade it...it is mostly flat, but is hasn't really been graded. The yard by the house has been graded and I am not worried about water coming toward my house. My last concern is keeping the birds away from the seed. Should I just rake the seed into the soil instead of the straw? If I can avoid the straw step that would save me ton's of time. My concern here is the neighbor's back yard was picked clean before the seed could grow. He did not have it covered or rolled in anyway though.

Thanks for all the thoughts and advice. I have tested the soil and it has turned out fine. The difficult part is removing the rock which I started over the weekend and made some pretty good progess. Raking out rock is not fun, but necessary. The front and sides are rock clear and ready for seeding later in the fall. The back half of the backyard is going to be a chore though, but I think I can get it done by the end of August. I need to decide on what type of seed to lay down. I am seeding this fall though. From what I have read that is the way to go. If the seed doesn't take then I will look at the sod option next year. With the new house and wedding coming sod isn't in the cards this year. Gavin, thanks for the Congrats.

I am paying the 1/8th sales tax too as well as the the fishing license. I don't see why some should pay for a license and some should not. That seems very illogical to me. The money generated can be used in many different ways, if enforcement and regulation of floaters is on your agenda i am ok with that being encorporated as well. Whatever ever the final apporach would be it does need to be an approach accross several disciplines.

Hopefully, this is the right section for this... My fiance and I recently built a new house and now I am tasked with growing a new yard. Our yard is about double the average size not huge but probaby 3/4 of an acre. Right now it is all dirt. The front, half of the back yard, and the sides of the house and have been graded. I have spent the last month killing and removing 4 foot hight weeds from the back half our property to the treeline. I have this completed, but there are a lot of dead weed stalks still left. These have been trimmed to amost ground level and sprayed a second time. They are as dead as dead can be Now I am a bit conlicted as to what do next. Do I need to til the yard or can I just use a rake to lossen up the dirt and remove some of the rock? Any type of grass seed that you would recommend? Should I put down fertilizer with the grass seed? I am planning on laying the seed and straw the last week in August and I really want to make sure that I have the yard prepped correctly. I would rather not do this all over again next year. I really want to make sure I have the weeds under control as well. IUt took me forever to remove them. Budget is a concern as we just bought the house and we have are paying for a wedding in a few months. i am gonna need to do the work myself...mostly by hand, but I don't mind the work and I want a great looking yard. Any thoughts or advice from the experts? .

Since I now live within 20 minutes of smallie water I have had the opportunity to experiment this week. I dusted of my baitcaster and fish the same areas this week I have been fishing with the fly rod. Not surprisingly I did much much better than with the fly rod on all day trip. I caught 15 fish or so in a couple hours of fishing with many more missed strikes. I did catch my PB smallie and then topped it a few minutes later. The second fish was a very healhy fish in the 2.5-3lb range. Totally caught me off guard when it started stripping drag in the current. I would have swore it was much much bigger the way these guys fight. Unreal the strength these fish have. Most importantly I learned where these fish are and in fact there are plenty of fish and some very nice ones as well. Long casts are essential. I am sure I will split time between the fly rod and the baitcaster. The only place I have struggled to catch fish is in the deep holes....I have bumped a bunch of stuff on the bottom (TR worms, craws, senko's etc) but no dice. I know there a bigger fish there...saw a guy last week catch a largemouth that was 4+. Most of my fish have come on Fluke like baits. And on a better note my fiance is at her mom's printing our wedding invitations. She just called and they are having computer problems. She won't be home until later tonight. Looks like i am gonna go fishing after work. Technology breakdowns do have some advantages.

On the surface I would say the MDC would issue the license. Kids let's say under 16 don't need a license. I envision the floating license being an add on to the fishing license. So you buy one you get both. This way current fisherman, who float, aren't paying twice. The floaters who currently aren't paying anything would be the only ones who need to purchase the license. The bonus for them is they would get to fish as well. Since so many seem against any additional fees I figured this would would be a fair, affordable option that takes it out of the hands of the outfitters. When a license is purchased the MDC would provide a small booklet/brochure that just covers the basics of fishing/floating/conservation practices much like a fishing license. The MDC would incur some processing and administrative fees so that would have to be figured in. I am envisioning a license fee in the $7-$10 range per year. The logistics on how that money is spent should be split between conservation/habitat improvements and cleanups, conservation education, and if there are any extra funds then increased enforcement would be ok too. I am sure details i am missing details that would need to be worked out as well....so this is my rough draft so to speak.

So no one likes the floating license idea? You pay once at the beggining of the year and that is it. The outfitters don't have to do anything besided check the license If you rent from them.

Sometimes I think people would just rather nitcpick an idea than actually attempt to come up with one on ther own. I want something to be done before it is too late and I don't care which entity get it done. Increased inforcement would be nice, but it won't matter if we keep polluting and ruining the rivers. No one is going to float or fish down a stagnant stream. Overuse, habitat issues, fishing/floating pressure and many other factors all contribute to the downfall of a stream. I see no reason why floaters can't pay a share (license) when certainly they are a large enough demographic that they leave a foot print. Why whould they get free ride? I am tired of paying for things I don't use, while other don't pay for things they use. We have to change the mindset of all people who use the rivers. I honestly don't think the average person floating with some friends has any idea about mine tailings, habitat issues,poor land practices, growth rates of smallmouth etc. At least if you require them to buy a small license you have an opportunity to not only address floating safety, but also the conservation side. If people realize all the pressures facing a stream or river they might get involved. That is how you change the culture...from the ground up. If you can use some of those funds to repair what damage has been done and help enforce the rules in place is that not a good thing? If enough people get involved the powers that be have to listen. We are just too darn lazy to do it IMO. Whatever idea you back something certainly needs to be done and we have enough in common i would think this is a good as place as any to start.

Looks like a blast...something I need to do someday.

Excellent fish. Very well done!

Wayne, I am not sure why law enforcement keeps coming up. And yes, it would be silly to have LEO's at a river in February...I am not advocating that.

Thanks guys, that is kinda what I figured. I know I have spooked some fish and some nice ones. It is a bit frustrating when you know the fish are there, but you can't quite get to them. When I was out yesterday there were multiple occasion's when i really wish I had a baitcaster in my hand. At the same time Smallmouth are so much fun on a fly rod. Tried the evening bass bugging...I would say that has been my most effective fly...and the most fun. I need to tie a few a bit smaller for easier and longer casting when possible. Sneaky Pete's and Clouser's as well. Tried the Gurgler, but I am not sure if i am fishing it right. No dice on that yet. Always amazes me when panfish hit those huge poppers....

Your totally missing the point, but off course you pay extra for those things. They are built into your ticket! All security is not from public funds already payed by you. And I am not even talking about increased security as that is a difficult if not impossible task. However, the funds could be used to clean up our streams and improve the habitat around the state. It is more about keeping the rivers healthy and repairing the damage we do. Everyone that uses the river has an impact and the biggest user's should help to limit the impact as much as reasonably possible. It is not any more sinister than that. And Justin is right it is not going to happen. It is sad we even have to discuss it.

How does your catch rate differentiate between fly fishing for smallies and using conventional tackle? It seems a bit difficult to sneak up on the smallies with a fly rod on the small wadeable streems...especially when you know a long cast is essential but, there is not room to do it. I am trying to figure out if I am doing something wrong or if my catch rates are the norm. I am getting from 8-12 fish and outing, but I am working hard for them. I can't quite figure out if I am spooking them or if they are just off in the hot weather.

A person who wants to fish once a year needs a license so I would say yeah they need a license. We can have free floating days like we do for fishing. I can't wait to fish that weekend. j/k. People over 16 need a license. Non residents pay more....you can get a one day or multiple day license if out of state. Again just mirror the fishing license fee's so it is fair. And I don't mind the party floaters really and I don't want to kick anyone off the streams. I don't want to tell them how they should enjoy the river. I just think if I pay a little for a public resource that I use and I have an impact on that resource...then they should probably pay a little too. And the expense shouldn't be an issue. It takes more in gas money on one trip than a yearly license is worth.

Craig at Hargrove's hooked me up with 7 weight not to long ago and threw in couple extra's. Hooked my buddy up big time last week as well. That seems to be the norm with him and why I go back. I do however shop at both places, because feathercraft does have some things in stock that I use and that is a bit easier, but I don't linger much. Hargroves certainly has a more friendly feel to it. You won't get a lot of lovey dovey at feathercraft, but sometimes I just want to browse without being "helped". Unfortunately, now that I am out in Hillsboro I might have to shop more online.

Correct and you wouldn't pay twice. The fisherman who float wouldn't be wammied twice. Think of it as a fishing/floating license. You buy one you get the other. The only ones who would currenlty have to pay would be the floaters that don't posses a fishing license. No additonal fees to any fisherman or others already paying for a license.

We do Don't you and I do that when we pay for a fishing license? We both use the same free resource. Make it so kids don't need a license to float. Seems reasonable to me. I am not out to license everything and everyone person that uses a river, but floater's are a large enough group that impact the streams that a small fee should be doable. I don't mind paying for what I use.

Why not require individual floaters to buy a license...like we do for fishing. Make the floating and fishing one in the same so fisherman don't get stuck paying twice and neither do floaters. Both parties use the resource, and money from both fees would used to protect the rivers. If you use it you pay for it...like I do when I buy my fishing license. It wouldn't come out of the business owners pockets and it would be a small enough fee that it shouldn't cause too many issues. Use the opportunity to educate recreational floaters about river use and habitat issues.

Try the lakes behind Fabick at 44 and 270. They are across 44 from soccer park.

I have never had a 100 fish day , but I have had a few 40-50 fish day's for trout....that is all day fishing. If you spend all day on the water and the fish are really biting 100 seems possible, but I am sure not as common as might be reported. i don't keep an exact count either...just a guestimate. Usually if i am catching fish I eventually switch it up...see if something else might work or see if I catch a bigger one.

Nice report. I fished a few streams in the same area you fished over the weekend. One thing I found interesting was the number of big largmouth i spotted. Not just your average largemouth, but 5+ pound fish and more than one. I did see an angler catch one that was 4+. I managed 7 smallies, and a few smaller largemouth, but the bite seemed slow. Thinking I might need to try something else than a fly rod for the smallies. Lot's of follows, but lot's of last minute refusal too. Water felt great in the heat.

I have had the best luck on an egg that is multicolored. Usually, orange, pink, pale yellow, white red combinations work. Solid peach or orange works well at times. I just buy the smallest jig hooks I can find...usually somewhere in 12-16 size and use those for my eggs.

They make software in wich you can control your thermostat from your smart phone. It is about $400 to install, but with the accompaning app you can turn your heat/air on and off from your phone. The initial expense can make up for it in savins over the long run. This may be more conservation than efficiancy, but you can subsribe to wind power. The way it work is I pay $10 extra a month and whatever electricicity I use is replaced on the power grid with wind power. Each time a new subsriber signs up more power is generated by wind. It requires nothing on your part besides an extra $10. If your in Missouri just call Ameren and ask.