Sw Missouri Floater

[Etheonut]

Greetings from Newton County, Missouri,

I am a kayaker and fisherman. I spend most of my floating and fishing time on Shoal Creek and the Elk River drainage. It is my goal this year to float at least one day every month of the year.

I float in one of the D10 kayaks from Bass Pro. I really love the small kayak for getting around the waters around here. My only regret is that the D10 gets unstable fast if you get it up on any structure. I have fallen out of it almost as many times as I have gotten out of gracefully at the shore. Oh, and it is the "sit in" version of the D10.

Kevin

[Blazerman]

Missouri Floater welcome to this board, although I have not been around as long as some of the old timers on here but I think I have posted enough to give out some unofficial rules. These rules are presented to keep you in the good graces of all the self-appointed board police. I can share these because I have pretty much broken every one of them at one time or another and felt the wrath of said police on many different occasions.

Rule 1. Never ever, ever say anything about catching and keeping a smallmouth bass. If you do this you can figure you will probably be banned for life and if these police can find you, you will be tarred and feathered.
2. if you do go to a nice Ozark stream and catch smallmouth it is ok to brag and post pictures, but never tell where you caught the fish. Actually even naming the stream is usually taboo.
3. if you sometimes fish with live bait like minnows, you will probably want to keep that to yourself too. Even if you are a great live bait fisherman and don’t often deep hook your catch there is always a chance you could so best not do it at all. Or at least don’t talk about it.
4. I doubt you gig from your kayak, but if you do you will probably be better off keeping that to yourself too.
5. some on here believe the spotted bass is an invasive species like Asian carp so if you catch them on occasion, it is ok to keep and clean them. This only goes for Ozark streams.
6. if you fly fish and especially if you tie your own flies you will move to the head of the class.

There are probably other rules but you will have to learn them the hard way like others on here.

[Wayne SW/MO]

There are probably other rules but you will have to learn them the hard way like others own here.

I think you forgot, ignore Blazerman's rules.

[Etheonut]

Thanks Blazerman,

I will try to keep all of those rules in mind as I post. My fishing is usually done with nets, but I do occassionally find smallmouth in the net. My favorite fish from this area of the country is the longear sunfish. My preferred way to catch them is with my underwater camera. They are a great catch on a fly rod though, but don't worry, I don't tie my flies.

Kevin

[Chief Grey Bear]

Missouri Floater welcome to this board, although I have not been around as long as some of the old timers on here but I think I have posted enough to give out some unofficial rules. These rules are presented to keep you in the good graces of all the self-appointed board police. I can share these because I have pretty much broken every one of them at one time or another and felt the wrath of said police on many different occasions.

Rule 1. Never ever, ever say anything about catching and keeping a smallmouth bass. If you do this you can figure you will probably be banned for life and if these police can find you, you will be tarred and feathered.

2. if you do go to a nice Ozark stream and catch smallmouth it is ok to brag and post pictures, but never tell where you caught the fish. Actually even naming the stream is usually taboo.

3. if you sometimes fish with live bait like minnows, you will probably want to keep that to yourself too. Even if you are a great live bait fisherman and dont often deep hook your catch there is always a chance you could so best not do it at all. Or at least dont talk about it.

4. I doubt you gig from your kayak, but if you do you will probably be better off keeping that to yourself too.

5. some on here believe the spotted bass is an invasive species like Asian carp so if you catch them on occasion, it is ok to keep and clean them. This only goes for Ozark streams.

6. if you fly fish and especially if you tie your own flies you will move to the head of the class.

There are probably other rules but you will have to learn them the hard way like others on here.

You were doing real good til ya got ta #5.

It doesn't apply to all Ozark streams and shouldn't apply to any of them.

I'm sure the disscussion will rise up again someday though and he can decide what team he wants to join. LOL.

[Quillback]

Welcome!

[Phil Lilley]

Missouri Floater welcome to this board, although I have not been around as long as some of the old timers on here but I think I have posted enough to give out some unofficial rules. These rules are presented to keep you in the good graces of all the self-appointed board police. I can share these because I have pretty much broken every one of them at one time or another and felt the wrath of said police on many different occasions.

Rule 1. Never ever, ever say anything about catching and keeping a smallmouth bass. If you do this you can figure you will probably be banned for life and if these police can find you, you will be tarred and feathered.

2. if you do go to a nice Ozark stream and catch smallmouth it is ok to brag and post pictures, but never tell where you caught the fish. Actually even naming the stream is usually taboo.

3. if you sometimes fish with live bait like minnows, you will probably want to keep that to yourself too. Even if you are a great live bait fisherman and don’t often deep hook your catch there is always a chance you could so best not do it at all. Or at least don’t talk about it.

4. I doubt you gig from your kayak, but if you do you will probably be better off keeping that to yourself too.

5. some on here believe the spotted bass is an invasive species like Asian carp so if you catch them on occasion, it is ok to keep and clean them. This only goes for Ozark streams.

6. if you fly fish and especially if you tie your own flies you will move to the head of the class.

There are probably other rules but you will have to learn them the hard way like others on here.

Welcome to the forum. Take most things said in this fashion as mostly tongue-n-cheek. They certainly aren't THE forum rules. Just use common sense, and by all means post your underwater pics!

[vonreed]

I think Blazerman pretty much summed up what I consider the sqeaky wheels of the forum, lol. Sometimes when the rules listed above get annoying to me, I go out and get me a smallmouth for dinner, but I use live crawdads instead of minnows. Welcome.