Since We Can't Fish.....

[Smalliebigs]

Tim, what a sweet Warmouth!!! very nice!! and the pic of your son....priceless...it happens to the best of them. Al, you are correct about the arm posing as I am guilty as hell of that. Pizza Hut and groceries and beer delivered on to the sand bar @ Shady Beach......now that's cool. Man I wish could do a journey like that.

[Mitch f]

I suppose I'm past the first wave of posts here but since most of you apparently don't believe I fish, I thought I would go ahead and dispell that rumor.

These are from Illinois. 20, 19, 18. The Japanese kid is Takauki, an exchange student I taught to river fish when he lived with us. These came from a river in Central Illinois that had 3 species of fish in it during the 50s-70s. Now it has 30 and it's a trophy smallmouth fishery thanks to improvements at a sewage treatment plant and the Clean Water Act.

And here's one to proove there are still smallmouth in the White River.

And here's the biggest one my son caught before I lost him to video games and dating

Had a great time catching 13-17 inch spotted bass in a particular river over the last 5 years.

0.9 pound warmouth. Closest to a record I ever came.

First fish caught out of my kayak. 13 pounds on a John Graham jig. Towed me around quite a while.

We were just talking about stocker trout. This year they got crazy in Illinois and dumped the brood stock...ragged fins and all.

And a few Belize fish. This snook was over 20 pounds. Not sure I want to admit how I caught it. But it was fair chase and I did catch it.

4' barracuda. Biggest fish in a long, long time.

....and the biggest thing I ever helped pull out of the water. Antillean Manatee. Around 400 pounds (not super big). Helped out with a tagging project with Mote Marine Lab.

Tim,

That is a HUGE warmouth!

Here's one for you fly fishers; Dan, the guy with the big Gasconade smallie in my first post also caught this nice brown on a scud at Taneycomo.

Plus 2 nice smallies from the upper meramec wading

ps. Al-I love the leather sun visor with your name on it!!!!!!

[flytyer57]

Ever since that trip I've wanted to do the whole Gasconade in one trip. 250 miles and more than three weeks.

I've always wanted to float from the headwaters of the Mississippi in Minnesota down to New Orleans.

Anybody else interested?

[Tim Smith]

Tim,

That is a HUGE warmouth!

Here's one for you fly fishers; Dan, the guy with the big Gasconade smallie in my first post also caught this nice brown on a scud at Taneycomo.

Plus 2 nice smallies from the upper meramec wading

ps. Al-I love the leather sun visor with your name on it!!!!!!

Thanks, Mitch and SB. SB, you're making the right choices with your family the fish will be here when there's time...and in the meantime, I can recommend a baby backpack that works really great for wade fishing. Not that I ever did that myself. As far as my wife (oops...make that EX wife) knows.

[Mitch f]

Thanks, Mitch and SB. SB, you're making the right choices with your family the fish will be here when there's time...and in the meantime, I can recommend a baby backpack that works really great for wade fishing. Not that I ever did that myself. As far as my wife (oops...make that EX wife) knows.

I can see it now, me driving my jet with a baby back pack!!!!!!!

[Tim Smith]

I can see it now, me driving my jet with a baby back pack!!!!!!!

Slap a pair of these a little sun screen and a life preserver on 'em and you're good to go, Mitch.

Just don't let social services know.