Still Gaurding Beds

[Smalliebigs]

I vistited my friends in Lesterville this weekend to help with a buddies Graduation celebration.We fished from Lesterville to the first Smiley face and at least half the Smallies were still gaurding beds and doing really well.Go Smallies protect those babies!!! The water level and color as always was quite simply beautiful. The thing about the Black this time of year with the clarity of that river you can virtualy see most everything in the entire river. It's like floating in an aquarium. I caught a few, all males and one much bigger female, once I pulled the nice female off a bed I quit for the day and just floated and observed....kind of felt bad pulling her off her babies nusery.We saw some eagles and a ton of Cicadas.I did see a group of really nice smallies hammering Cicadas as the fell into the river off of a flimsy overhanging branch.They were just blowing them up but, try as I did I couldn't get them to hit any topwater I had to offer????? Also the MO conservation dept tagged several fish in that river, I saw tons of Smallies with tags???? Sorry I don't have a pic of the big female my wife had the camera at the lodge with the celebration...she was only 17 inches and went right back to her nest....thank god!!!!

Also I really am hoping and praying for friends in Joplin I haven't herd from as of yet....they live on the southern side of town and both work at St.Johns........ God help them.

[MOsmallies]

I sure hope Lesterville doesn't get slammed with rain while all the fry are still trying get the feel for things. I'd hate to see a good spawn wiped out. Can't wait for the last week in June when we'll be chasing them for 7 straight days. Hopefully we can nail another 20 incher this year!

Most Beautiful River in Missouri!