Clear water

[Chief Grey Bear]

Well I'm glad to know I'm in good company! I thought maybe I was the only one!

[MOPanfisher]

2 hours ago, thewhitesnoop said:

 

Al also makes the statement that he can hold his own with anybody on non jet-boatable streams...... I have my reservations about that

I am pretty sure I can hold my own, certainly  nobody else is gonna hold it for me.  When it comes to competition the is no one around who can fail as miserably as I can. I have a knack for getting bullheaded about  it and decide i will catch fish my way instead of promptly switching over to whatever someone else is killing them on.  I am also a short distance fisherman and tend to work a small area hard and then have to pass up some spots to make back by dark.  But i havent hit a river for smallies since 2014, have caught a few while boating up some local rivers looking for crappie, whites and walleye or bank fishing dor walleye on Stockon, but places like the Niangua or Crooked creek hasn't seen my pale white legs for way too long.  Ought to sell my dang canoe and buy a yak so I can at least fish a few small spots by myself.

[tjm]

15 minutes ago, MOPanfisher said:

  Ought to sell my dang canoe and buy a yak so I can at least fish a few small spots by myself.

How does that work out? I was thinking I might get a kayak, they are supposed to be it all and lighter too, by the time one is big enough to carry a grownup and stable enough to stand in/on the length and weight are in the range with canoes?

[MOPanfisher]

I am most certainly not much of an expert.on kayaks, I have used a couple that belonged to friends.  The ones I used worked just fine they seemed tippy at first but have some sort of secondary stability as it basically stopped after a certain point.  As for standing in one I nonlonger have the balance necessary to even try that.  I honestly don't like fishing from one all that much, when I fished the creeks and small rivers I am.more of a slide it up on the gravel and wade fish the holes thoroughly.  I just don't have enough time in one.to be that confident.  I do like the ability to load, launch and come back to the launch point by myself, allowing me to fish some holes I couldn't strictly by foot.  The lonhgest one I have been in was a 13 footer, it was considerably lighter than my Old Town 169 and easier to load/unload.  I would probably be better of with a small creek jon and gas paddle truth be told.

[tjm]

About 4' lighter. I used to carry, launch and solo in a 17' Lowe Line , stand to pole it. Think it weighs about 80#, at Cabalas the guy had me looking at a kayak that was about 70# just carry my fat and have enough over to be  safe. Been a bit since I looked on line seems that it was in that neighborhood for most of them. My interest in the kayaks was actually more about the  rooftop transport. I need to go up the pasture and see if I can still tote that old Lowe, been a few years since I did. But iirc a 12' O.T. canoe was around 50# and could float 500#

[Trout Addict]

You might check out native ultimate. They make a 12' and 14'. I did some research and bought a used 12' one a few years ago. I wish I would of bought a year newer for the high/low seating, but I can't complain for the cost difference. Fish's great, pretty stable and 49 lbs equipped. I think it would be easier to stand up in from the high seat position.

https://nativewatercraft.com/product/ultimate-12/

[Hog Wally]

5 hours ago, thewhitesnoop said:

He should have said he catches the easy to measure fish.

Al also makes the statement that he can hold his own with anybody on non jet-boatable streams...... I have my reservations about that

I can say this, Al misses no bites   He might break a big one off though.   He quickly fishes a hole then methodically picks every inch of it apart. If you figure a bite out before he does, you dang sure better believe he will be changing lures to even the odds. Unlike me.  I keep fishing and watch him catching. To me Al is a legend on the river period.  He has a photographic memory of very specific structure.  He understands that it's not about where you've caught big fish in the past.  It's about the specific circumstances when it was caught, time of year, water temp, weather, etc.  Al is aggressive and wants to catch every fish   It's like he's fishing for a million dollars every time he casts.    If you've never fished with this maniac man you wouldn't know 

[thewhitesnoop]

From what I have read on this board, an average day for Al is around 48 bass and a good day is 75-80 bass. Not keepers.....total fish.....TOTAL FISH 

I don't care how much like a maniac you fish, those numbers shouldn't achieve legend status.

Just because a guy can make an adjustment to the bite when you can't seem to, doesn't make him an amazing angler. 

I'm willing to admit he is probably in the upper 10% and he does know a ton about streams, but in some ways I would dub him the Bill Dance of stream fishing.

Al misses no bites?? The dude never misses a bite or never misses a pattern? Now that IS amazing!

In addition, his paintings are legit. I like them

 

[Old plug]

11 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Hasn't been a banner one for me either.  Blamed it on low water mostly.... but that's undeniably a cop out.

I think you just got stubborn about the skinny water and ir caugh up with you . I had a pretty good season in the deep. 

[Jim Spriggs]

I’ll reiterate my plea to keep this forum civil. I’m as competitive as the next guy, and I’ll certainly talk smack with my friends.  But, I don’t see any point to posts that go after someone.  Yes, I’m referring to a few posts about Al Agnew.

 I know Al only from his posts on the forum, and he seems like a thoughtful guy who loves the river and is an awesome angler.  I look forward to his posts, and they don’t read to me like he cares about whether he is the best on the river or is in the top 10%.  

What I can say for sure is that I don’t have many days that are as good as Al’s, and I’m not too proud to admit that.  I spend  a lot of time learning the craft of caching smallmouth by reading (and forums like this one are good for getting advice from people) and, of course, spending as much time on the water as possible (I’m on the river at least once per week).  

Let me put it another way.  You have heard of this thing called the Golden Rule.  Let’s  follow it here. 

 I wish you happy holidays and tight lines.