stlfisher

I fished forest park today and in a matter of half hour the ice broke off, blew to one end, and then melted. I have never seen it melt that fast and it opened the remaining 3/4 of the lake. What lake did you fish at Busch? I usually fish 28 during C&R, but with the weather has been so bad since Christmas I have only made out there twice this year. I am waiting for the annual massacre that takes place at Forest Park come Feb 1...it is actually quite depressing to watch. I won't even go there the first two weeks of Feb. Last year I was catching trout until mid April at 28 and saw a kid catch one in June at 22 at high noon on a huge popper nearly as large as the fish. Pretty funny actually. He and his mom were very confused until I told them it was trout from the winter time. It made his day though...

Geoff those look good! Let's us now when you get a Musky.

Yep, the catching part sounds much better than the casting part. I think my arm would fall off after 10,000 casts with no fish! I am going to have to add that to my list of fishing adventures for this year. Would love to get one a fly rod...need to buy heavier rod for that, but I imagine that would be insane!

Gavin, I mostly fish for bass at Busch and don't specifically target Musky. Like you I am intrested in trying for those musky this year. There are pictures of some nice musky caught at the park office. I think all three species you mentioned would be the main Musky Forage in 35. There are not Trout stocked in 35 so I am not sure if that would work. From what I hear early spring and late fall tend to be the best times to fish for them. I think summer it is hard to find them as the water warms and they go deep. I rarely see anyone fishing for them so I imagine an accomplished angler with the correct gear could do pretty well.

I realize this is a really old post, but lake 16 has a ton of small bass in it. I fish it often with a 6 weight and bugger. Lot's of fun catching small bass and there are some giant Bluegill in that lake. If they aren't biting at that lake they just aren't biting at all.

I only meant that it may not be fun to spend the night out there alone if your car breaks down. I have never had any problems either. I do remember the Angie Housman story in the early 90's and there are rumors of others like those, but you know how that goes and that happens almost everywhere these days. I fish until dark and often times after dark, but I usually I head to lakes toward the front of the area...just in case. I am tough like that!

I do think that breathable's would be better than Neoprene's, but I agree Neoprene's are better suited if you are budget conscious. I wouldn't feel comfortable buying a cheap pair of Breathable's. You have to spend more on them to get quality, comfort, and durability. It is kind of like if someone had a limited budget to spend on a bass setup and asked about getting a spinning outfit or a baitcasting outfit. If you go cheap on a baitcaster, you can make your life difficult. You can get a nice spinning outfit for less. My 2 cents.

Yep that is so true...I get a kick out of that as well! Those areas by the parking lot's get hammered so much. I really think that standard baits just don't work very well at those lakes. When I was in high school (before I switched to artifical's and now fly fishing) I always did really well with 4-6 inch shiners. Not the small ones the bait shop claims are large. I used to stop at the bait shop up by 94 and 40 to get the largest ones I could find. Interesting little shop to say the least...you will see what I mean if you go there...I always though they had an odd combination of products.

I fish Busch a lot and have had good success at almost every lake. I won't give away any secrets that can't be found on the MDC site, but I believe I can answer some of the questions posed. Muskie's are only in 35 and they are big. No one really fishes for them. Trout are in 21(C/R), 28 (C/R), 24, 22, and 23. Lakes 16, 31, and 32 are catch and release only and artificial lures only. I belevieve that 31 had smallmouth in it for awhile...they couldn't spawn successfully... and I haven't heard anyone catching any in years. There are a lot of small bass and large Bluegill in 16 and 31(very pretty lake). 32 is off colored and not a very pretty a lake to fish, but there are big fish in it. They have Catfish only lakes which are 3,4,5, and 7. They are stocked twice per month, but get fished heavily...use large shiner's for best results. Ther are a few Hybrids in 36 and 34. There are Flathead in 35 and I believe 33. There are some large bass to be found, but I have to keep some secrets. I could go on, but I have fished every lake and pond in that place. You can fish 6am-9pm all year around, but it is not a place you want to get stranded (they close the gate at 10 and tow trucks can't really find you.) Bring a friend if you are going to stay after dark. You can rent boats at some of the lakes from April - October. Clean up your trash if you go and follow the regulations. It can be challeging to fish, but if you are on your A game you can catch fish. As another poster said you need to get away from the parking lot's.

Yeah, I meant to reply to you...inserted the wrong quote. I was fishing the blonde leech just below you guys at the front end of the park when the boom happenned. I think you guys joined me at the end of the riffles for a few minutes before I headed downstream. There were 3 of you guys right?

I was the guy fishing next to you and your friends at the end of riffles a few minutes after the "sonic boom" hit. Still can't get the stink out of my waders....j/k.

I bought a pair of Cabela's stocking foot 3mm Neoprene when I first started (back in September). They were $50 and the boots cost $60. They work great, seem tough, and I haven't had any problems. I think I would spend much more on any breathable's as I haven't seen good reviews on cheap breathable's. I really like the Neoprene for winter fishing. I will at some point purchase a pair of breathable waders for the warmer months as I find that walking long distances in Neoprene's can really wear me out. It can also really make you cold fast if you sweat in the Neoprene's in winter. If you buy the breathable's I would be interested to hear what you bought and how you like them. I will be in the market once the weather warms.

Hi everyone I am a long time lurker and new poster. This site has been a great source of information for me. I picked up fly fishing in September after years of bass fishing and my bass gear has been collecting dust ever since. I am hooked...obsessed might be a better word...and I wouldn't have it any other way. I started fly tying 3 weeks ago and that has been very enjoyable and a little frustrating as well, but that is what it makes it sweet when you catch a fish on your homemade fly. So far I have managed to fish Bennett, Meramac, and Montauk during C and R. I can't imagine trying to fish Meramec during the regular season. Once I get a little more seasoned I plan to hit the wild trout water. I have trouble reading the water for some reason so hoping to refine that as I go. I did catch a nice rainbow (3.5) at Montauk that was my first fish taken on a dry fly. I am afraid I might become a purist one of these days. I have manged to meet some great fellow fisherman through my travels and looking foward to learning from more seasoned vets and meeting some new fisherman and fisherwomen. Hope everyone can get out and catch some fish.