Opening Day

[MrDucky]

We will be there forsure Thurs 3/1 and Fri 3/2 , we are not sure about camping yet

[Roaring River Veteran]

ducky,

don't let anyone fool you. opening day is an experience that everyone should try at least once. I have been doing it for 20+ years now and love it. I have changed jobs recently and will only get to be there for the first few minutes this year but I will be there. I will also be around that weekend so let me know where you will be and I will try to stop in and say HI. The new job doesn't require me to work nights or weekends and it is a lot less hours so I hope to start fishing a lot more and getting a few more reports out here.

Good luck and Good fishing

RRV

P.S. get there early campsites will go fast. If you need me to I can probably go down and put a lawn chair on a site for you to save a spot as long as no one moves the chair.

[MrDucky]

That sounds great , However the wife Say's NO WAY too Camping . It will prob be to cold . Next question I no not to use my fly-rod first thing so i will probaly use spinning gear and im gonna try to fish zone 1 , Is there anything bait wise anyone would recomend , I have single hook roosters some jigs and power bait . any suggestions would be great

[timsfly]

Hard to beat a black/yellow 1/64th-1/32nd ounce jig, white, brown, and olive are good colors right at the siren. I like the white jig best, easy to see and has always worked good for me when I was spin fishing. The black, skunk, or olive roostertail in a 1/16th ounce size is good to start with. You can fly fish in the afternoon, a lot of people will be there at the siren, but a lot will be gone by 1:00. There are alot of flies you can use on your spinning rod, a cork and a jig, cork and a pheasant tail, or about any other jig under a cork is good, when you don't have room to cast your fly rod.

If you fish the upper end, a rapala minnow or a rebel crawdad can work for the bigger fish, you'll get lots of small fish also, but those big ones seem to like the rapala and the rebel lure actions. Good luck, and it might be warm enough for camping, you never know what it will be like around that time, I've seen it 50 at night and I've seen it with 10" of snow on the ground and all the power out in the park that was a night. Good luck.

[MrDucky]

Can you use Rapalas in the upper end ? Like F3 and F5s . Tim the upper end @ the hatchery ? if so i have plenty LOL

[turkeyhawk2005]

and dont forget hacthery flavor power bait ...it works for me .....hey i will be looking for you all i will be on the upper end ...near the pond (spring ) i usally wear a desert storm boonie ......

[timsfly]

Yes rapalas are leagle in zone 1 and zone 3, and they work great. Any small crankbait will catch trout at roaring river. Small Spoons are good to, treble hooked lures are leagle in zone 1 and 3, so bring your hardware and have some fun on march 1st.

[MrDucky]

Cool I CANNOT wait till March 1st

[Terry Beeson]

Cool I CANNOT wait till March 1st

Now MD... Prison orange jumpsuits would NOT be very flattering on you... So you BETTER wait until March 1st....

[Terry Beeson]

THIS JUST IN from the Springfield News-Leader website:

"Roaring River State Park opening day is scheduled March 1, the Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce announced today.

The chamber will present trophies to those getting the largest fish in the men’s, women’s and youth divisions. The fish must be weighed at the chamber’s weigh-in station at the historic lodge’s lower level.

About 30 to 40 chamber volunteers will serve hot coffee along the river banks from 5 a.m. until the starting gun is fired."

Hey, Mr Ducky... Just watch where Mrs. Ducky asks you to stand around starting time. If you see a guy with a gun, make sure he's pointing it in the air at starting time!!