need some bass advice

[shawncat]

Can't remember ,it's been years.MDC I think,right after they changed to artificial only on that stretch.I was fishing in the riffle below cardiac and hooked a couple of trout while they were in sight.They may have just wanted to give me space while the going was good............or..make sure I wasn't using bait.I was using a white rooster tail.

[Crippled Caddis]

mcp633 wrote:

<It's like any other L.E. agency, publically funded = a lack of adequate resources on the ground. Determined by someone who hasn't ever done the job, or has been behind a desk so long they've forgotten how.>

And the personnel increases always seem to be more paper-pushers while the 'soldiers' on the frontline suffer from ever greater workloads without enough 'warm body' additions to eliminate the problems for which the agency was originally created. Indeed, solving the pre-existing problem is the very last thing that bureaucracy wants----were it to do so then the very reason for its' existence would become moot. Bureaucracy is the curse of 'big government' and is in virtually every category inimitable to the public weal. Bottom line: 'Bureaucracy' is both a French word and a French 'invention'. Is it surprising that it is inefficient, expensive and a burden to the citizenry? CC

[brownieman]

mcp633 wrote:

<It's like any other L.E. agency, publically funded = a lack of adequate resources on the ground. Determined by someone who hasn't ever done the job, or has been behind a desk so long they've forgotten how.>

And the personnel increases always seem to be more paper-pushers while the 'soldiers' on the frontline suffer from ever greater workloads without enough 'warm body' additions to eliminate the problems for which the agency was originally created. Indeed, solving the pre-existing problem is the very last thing that bureaucracy wants----were it to do so then the very reason for its' existence would become moot. Bureaucracy is the curse of 'big government' and is in virtually every category inimitable to the public weal. Bottom line: 'Bureaucracy' is both a French word and a French 'invention'. Is it surprising that it is inefficient, expensive and a burden to the citizenry? CC

AMEN to that one CC...believe in their mindset it's called "job security", lol.

[cwc87]

All great Threads. I'm hunting and fishing year round and only been checked 3 times. I'm 38 and live in crawford county. It may be that I have that look of a law abiding citizen. Whatever it is the agents and water patrol and I have not crossed paths very many times.

I do know that these agencies are understaffed and overworked. I could'nt pay all their overtime pay they accumulate in one month. Geez these guys have to deal with the problem people in this world when they mess up on our outdoor turf. Not a real secure feeling issuing citations when your in the middle of nowhere.

For years I've had a grudge against agents for not going beyond the call of duty, however they are only human and sometimes they must ask themselves is this really worth getting shot over. I'm just glad to see em when I do and can only pray they are here in force to keep our outdoors safe.

[fishinwrench]

[hank franklin]

I've been on the Meramec several times this summer and my advice is to get down deep. I haven't had much action on the surface, except late in the day. The best mid-day pattern has been to work soft plastics deep (3-4 feet minimum, preferably deeper). I like to fish crankbaits and haven't had much luck, except in the twilight hours, when fishing has been pretty good at times. The mid-day fishing for me has been tough, and for whatever reason I haven't found many active fish in the riffles in mid-day. It seems in past years I could find smaller fish stacked up in the riffles and ready to chase something most all day. This year they don't seem to be around, or at least they're not likin' what I'm throwin'.

Also, I haven't been above the Huzzah-Meramec confluence this year. Most of my fishing has been around Sullivan and St. Clair. The pattern up higher might be a little more faster and surface-oriented.

[713lefty]

I've seen or spoke to water patrol 2 out of every 3 LOZ trips, over the last 5 years, many trips. I spoke with an MDC agent at PB-2 during a tournament weigh-in. Yes he was disguised, and I eventually figured it out and then he introduced himself. A very tough job, I wouldn't like it. That close to water and not fishing much would kill me. I've seen MDC agents about 1 in every 4 trips to the Meramec or Gasconade. I have seen many suspicious vehicles parked along the rivers. I applaud them for the job they do, there's just not enough of them!

And the one time I forgot my License, it was in my other tackle box in my vehicle way over there. He gave me a warning. It is now back in my wallet where it belongs.

[Kyle]

Sorry guys I had forgotten about this post and thought there still might be some of you interestred in how we did.

We got on the river at sunup and fished for smallies pretty hard down to the spring. I caught about 4 three of them under 10" and one that was 12" or so. He put up a good fight. We then fished the spring pretty hard and Randall caught about 4 or 5 trout and I broke off twice and lost a couple. From there on down he fished for trout and I was back and fourth (mostly smallies). Randall caught a few more trout from there through what I am guessing is Sucide hill(because of the fishermen we saw) and I caught 2-3 smallies and had the big one on for a fraction of a second. I did actually see him hit my crawdad crankbait though. Probably a 16-18 incher. The lase 2-3 miles of the float were hell. No fish, except a few google eye, and a lot of paddling. I had forgotten how slow it is there. On a side note I did catch probably 10 nice little google eye and did happen to see one smallmouth that I am certain would have gone 5+ pounds. So I know there are still at least a few good one out there.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and help.

Kyle

P.S. I can vouch for Randall that those are all largemouths from a private lake, because he had told me the story long before the controvercy on this site.

[shawncat]

Sounds like a good trip Kyle.Thanks for the update.I wish I was there......right now.