Hello, I'm FishnDave

[FishnDave]

Actually, FishnDave is a nickname bestowed upon my by my long-time friend's father.  Back in our college days, my friend's dad knew I liked to fish, as did both of them...and so he would ask, "How's Fish'n Dave doing?"  I liked it....and so it has stuck...for the past 30+ years.

Speaking of college..I got a BS degree in Biology, with a Fish & Wildlife minor, and while taking classes I worked for a year for a professor doing a research project on the aquaculture of walleye.  I loved fish and fishing and wanted to be a Fisheries Biologist.  When I graduated, I discovered there were very few such jobs, and very low turnover rates.  A Master's degree would have helped, but I was tired of being a poor college student.  Like everyone else, I made my way into the world.

My love for fish and fishing has never waned.  I enjoy catching any and all species of fish.  I was fortunate to spend 7 years in north-central Illinois, near some good smallmouth bass streams and some good small lakes.  It is there I began teaching myself flyfishing... way before the days of internet information and helpful YouTube videos.  I didn't get hooked on it right away, but after moving back to Iowa, everything clicked, and flyfishing is now my preferred approach to catching pretty much everything, from carp and catfish to trout and bass, and from white bass and redear sunfish to crappies and gar.

I was elected to 2 annual terms as President of Central Iowa Anglers, and served additional years on its Board of Directors.  I still live in a town in central Iowa....one that has tripled in size in the 18 years I've lived here, and is one of the fastest growing places in the U.S.  Its a great small city just north of Des Moines, with just over 60,000 residents, and over 20 PUBLIC PONDS!   I've got probaby 9 of them within a 10-minute drive from my house.  Its hard to drive by them just to go farther to fish somewhere else.  I'm spoiled.  

I'm currently in my very early 50's.  My 2 kids are both in college.  As it turns out, my wife and I...along with our younger child... are planning to move to the St. Louis area in the Spring/Summer of 2020.  And that's why I'm here.  Having moved about a bit, I know it takes a fair amount of time and effort to learn all new places to fish.  I also know social media is a BAD place to discuss specific fishing spots.  Any tips and suggestions will be very appreciated, I also enjoy "doing the research".  I've ordered some books on Missouri smallmouth bass streams.  The MDC fishing apps and website are informative, although I wish there was more specific details on some things.  I feel like maybe I haven't found all the good information sources for Missouri fishing yet.  If you can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate that! 

One thing I've been wondering about...Iowa's laws say that folks can fish any rivers in the state that flow year-round...as long as they stay within the riverbed...although there are also some such streams in NE Iowa's Driftless region that are considered private and trespassing is not allowed even if you stay in the water.  What are Missouri's laws on that?

Let's see....what else....I'm a CPR angler (catch-photo-release).  I do tie MOST of my own flies...I will buy some on occasion.  I have a blog I've sort of slowed up on:

www.fishndave.blogspot.com

..and if any of you are on Instagram, I've been posting my fishing pictures there for a number of years... my username there is "fishndave68".

Thanks for reading this far.  Expect to see me pop in more frequently with questions as it gets closer to the time we move to MO.  You guys are the experts!

[Flysmallie]

I think you found the right spot to figure out what you need to know to get going. Welcome to Missouri, whenever you actually get here. 

[Quillback]

Welcome indeed, that's quite the fishing resume!

 

[Johnsfolly]

Welcome to the forum. Lots of great information being shared by a great group of contributors! Should be able to find what you are looking for to get you started on fishing what MO has to offer.

[fishinwrench]

Welcome to the fray.  🍻

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Um, yeah, you sound kinda overqualified for us.  But welcome anyway.   LOL.    Really, welcome.  There are a few of us on the St Louis side also known as the "east siders".  Not to be confused with the "East Side 7" or something like that.  I was born and raised in St Louis City, and fished a few public ponds growing up.   They can be fun.  Looking forward to seeing your reports.   Show us a few Iowa fish pictures.   We like fish from all around.  

[moguy1973]

14 hours ago, FishnDave said:

 

One thing I've been wondering about...Iowa's laws say that folks can fish any rivers in the state that flow year-round...as long as they stay within the riverbed...although there are also some such streams in NE Iowa's Driftless region that are considered private and trespassing is not allowed even if you stay in the water.  What are Missouri's laws on that?

 

 

For the most part if you stay below the high water mark on a stream and it has public accesses somewhere on it, it's floatable and wadeable legally.  Now does that mean that there aren't any really hostile landowners that will chase you off it you go wading through their stream?  Nope, there's lots of those.  All the major creeks and rivers are fair game though for floating and fishing on them though.  I'm sure others will chime in but that's a real basic overview of the river laws here.

[FishnDave]

17 hours ago, Daryk Campbell Sr said:

Um, yeah, you sound kinda overqualified for us.  But welcome anyway.   LOL.    Really, welcome.  There are a few of us on the St Louis side also known as the "east siders".  Not to be confused with the "East Side 7" or something like that.  I was born and raised in St Louis City, and fished a few public ponds growing up.   They can be fun.  Looking forward to seeing your reports.   Show us a few Iowa fish pictures.   We like fish from all around.  

Absolutely!  I love fishing pictures too...  I'll see if I can get some attached here:

A couple nice flyrod-caught Smallies from a central Iowa stream:

19" Brown from NE Iowa:

Bullhead on the fly!

Channel catfish on a topwater bass fly:

Brook Trout from NE Iowa:

Lunch hour carp on fly:

My Blue Sky Boatworks 360 Angler....pretty fun to fish from!

21.25" Bass:Pumpkinseed Sunfish:

[Flysmallie]

Cool boat

[Gavin]

Nice Fish & Nice Boat. There are several good fly shops, and 2-3 fly fishing clubs, a smallmouth club, and several lake fishing clubs in the St. Louis area. Stop by Hargrove's Fly Shop on a Wednesday evening and introduce yourself when you get to town (BYOB).