Valascus

Shake it Avid!!! ;D

I am down for at least another 10 weeks...maybe more. Broken left forearm (ulnar fracture in a hard cast), broken pelvis (minor, I can still bear weight on my left leg and walk without pain), and a compression fracture of the t10 vertebrae in my spine which forces me to wear a back brace 24/7. Sustained all these injuries on a fall through a hole in the floor from the 7th floor to the 6th floor of the building my crew an I were working in. Happened on May 26th. I have an appointment on Monday with the orthopedic and spine doctors. The trauma doctors I saw today essentially said that whether or not I could fish while I heal is those doctor's call. I am not talking bass fishing here...probably bluegill and crappie...anything to keep me from going insane with cabin fever.

I am in the Saint Louis, MO area. I would say 3 lbs is decent in my book. Anything 5 and over is big for this area.

I like fishing for catfish, but despise handling them. Y'all can call me a sissy. I have been "finned", "stung", or whatever you wanna call it one time by about a 19 lb channel cat...and that was about enough for me...hurt like hell. So when I catfish I use a pair of fish grippers now.

How was the officer being a *****? He was doing his job. You were the one who made the mistake of going out without the license. How long would it have taken you to buy a license before your fishing trip that day? probably just a few minutes. I say good job to that officer for doing his job. Here in Missouri our licenses can be purchased on the 1st of March and are good all the way until Feb. 28th (or 29th). First of March every year the first thing I go do is plop down my $11 on the counter at Walmart for my 1 yr. license.

Bigger than anything I have ever caught. Congrats on the beast...er beastess.

I'll let everyone know how I do todaay in the fishing outings section. I think I am going to mainly fish a 1/4 oz. blue black jig. That or I can t-rig some black 7" power worms. I don't know what the water temps are but man...it has been nice temp wise the last week heck it hit 80 degrees yesterday for crying out loud. if the jigs or power worms do not work I'll just work my way through my tackle box until I find a pattern that works...which I WILL find. Like I said...I'll let everyone know what worked...and I'll be armed with the good 'ole digital camera. I am shoving off here in a few hours...wish me luck!

Muskrat's mostly eat aquatic vegetation such as cattails, arrowheads, and duckweeds. Occasionally eats crayfish, snails, mussels, frogs, insects, and slow-moving fish. I don't think you need to really worry about him...unless you are worried about him spooking the fish or tearing up the vegetation that the fish normally use for cover. If you start seeing lots of fish carcass' though I might consider contacting your state's conservation department and let them assist you in removing him.

Alright. I got a couple spots I could pitch and flip about a 1/4oz. black/blue jig at. The choice will come in the trailer. I have some pretty small Arkie Crayfish that I could use for trailers or I could use some Uncle Josh #350 Ripple Rinds. That about all I have in the way of smaller trailers and jigs. I have a few 3/8 oz. but as senko said I'll try and use the smallest I got. I am already fishing on spinning tackle with 6 lbs test P-Line Cxx. So I'll give the good old jigs a shot. I'll post how I do in the fishing outings section.

This weekend I am going to go back out to Busch Wildlife once more to face a new set of nasty conditions...a cold front is scheduled to roll through the St. Louis area Friday night into Saturday. What can I say...I am a glutton for punishment...cold water and heavily pressured waters. Bring the pain. The high Sat. is going to be 55 with a low of 35. The temps have been in the 50's for lows and as high as 76 over the past week and the weather has been pretty stormy lately...in fact they are predicting more severe weather tonight. So...my question to everyone on the boards is, what is the most effective way to fish a front such as this one? Should I change my approach at all? Are certain types of baits more effective than others in these conditions? Thanks to anyone in advance for any input.

I agree...they are all fun to catch. I will fish for whatever species of bass seem to be biting.

I voted for Largemouth, simply because around me that's what is the most accessible fish to catch. I get the feeling once I hook into my first Smallie they will quickly change my mind.

Nice Job!!! Congratulations on you Jr. WR catch. Can't wait to see the pic and here the story of this beast.

Wow...are you kidding me? They actually spiked those trees in hopes of killing another human being to save a tree? That's a shame...there is something seriously wrong with a person like that.

No way that is true. That is got to be one of he stupidest things I have ever heard.

Welcome to the boards! Tons of people here who are willing to help out their fellow anglers.

LOL...and t's all so true too. ;D

I don't think what Weakley did getting a camping permit in order to get to the fish first was wrong. He simply happened to know that he could do that. That was fair game. If the other kid would have known the same thing he too could have done it.

He may not have been a stand up guy for trying to bribe the gentleman, but I think he is a stand up guy for at least admitting that he did it. He probably knows that a lot of people will see it the same way you do avid. It takes a man to step up in front of the entire world and say "Yes...I did this...I made a mistake." If he had really wanted to he could have continued on and submitted to the IGFA despite all the controversy swirling around it. Probably wouldn't have been approved, but he could have done it.

Heh. He sounds like a good enough dude to me. It seems to me that he came clean. I respect that. But this much is certain....at least everyone knows that Perry's Record isn't as untouchable as everyone once thought it to be. Tons and tons of dreamers wanting to catch the WR. Well now eveyone knows that it exists and can be done. Should be fun to watch for it to fall sometime soon...and it looks, to me anyway, that it will happen in CA. Although TX has it's fair share of beasts. Don't know if there are any as big as that CA toad...but who knows. Weakley also makes a good point about the IGFA. I read through the rulebook over the last few days. He is right. There are some gray areas in the book that should be refined. And I am with him on the fact that the WR fish should come out of public waters. So EVERYONE has a shot...and a fair shot at that.

What scales can IGFA certify? IGFA can certify scales up to 100 lb. This means that all hand-held spring scales and digital scales can be submitted for certification. Dial-face scales in the lower ranges can be certified as well. Those in the higher ranges can be certified by state agencies. Heavy-duty digital scales can be certified (and adjusted) by the manufacturers. How does IGFA certify a scale? Every scale goes through a test where known weights are hung on the scale, and the readouts are noted. I usually test each scale at 5-lb intervals. To be certified, a scale must not be off by more than one increment. Spring scales and dial-face scales pass this test for the most part. If the scale does not pass the test, it is usually because of age rather than poor quality. Hand-held digital scales get a 2nd test. The scale is zeroed out, a mid-range weight is placed on it and a reading is taken. This is done three times. These three tests must match the reading in the first test, meaning all four tests must be the same. If there are any differences from one test to another, then the scale cannot be certified due to inconsistencies. A large portion of hand-held digital scales is not certifiable due to a failure in one or both of these tests. What scales can IGFA recommend? IGFA cannot recommend any particular brand of scale, but we can recommend a style to give an idea of what is available and what to look for. What works best for anglers depends on how they will be using the scale. Individuals going out to catch and release fish for potential world records should use hand-held spring scales. They are portable, they are accurate and they are sturdy. It is up to the anglers to determine which scale would work best. They would want to get a scale that is big enough to weigh the fish they are attempting to catch. Using a 100-lb scale (with 1-lb increments) to weigh 5-lb fish would not benefit the angler. Remember estimated weights are not permitted. If the scale reading is between two marks, the angler must round down to the heaviest known weight. On a scale with 1-lb increments, the angler could lose up to 15 oz. Using a scale that has 1 or 2 oz increments would be the best option for that particular angler. Marinas or weigh stations would want to get either a dial-face scale, or a heavy-duty digital scale, depending on the species and weights of fish they expect to weigh at that location. These scales would be permanent, to an extent, since they are not easily portable. If the marina expects to weigh fish in the 100-200 lb range, then a dial-face scale would be the best bet. If the marina expects billfish and shark, etc., then the heavy-duty digital scales would be the ones to get. Certification information: 1. Only IGFA members can have their personal scales certified. This includes Associate members, Regular members, Junior members and Lifetime members. Certified Guides and Captains and Certified Weigh Stations can have their scales certified. Of course, it must be no larger than 100 lb. 2. The cost is $30 per scale. If they include a FedEx or UPS number, then the return postage fee is waived. Certified Weigh Stations pay no certification fee- it is covered in their yearly membership fee. Certified Guides and Captains pay a discounted fee of $24.60. 3. If a member brings in the scale in person, it takes about 5 minutes to certify a scale. If they drop it off, it can be shipped to them or they can pick it up the next time they visit. If a scale is sent in to IGFA, the scale will be on its way back within one or two weeks.

Except for the fact that chumming is horribly illegal in most states. I know it is in MO. I would go with LBH's suggestion and start dropping small cedar trees and the like in deeper water a little further away from your dock where you cast to.

Is the law broken as soon as you remove the foul hook and retain the fish in order to take some video and pics and then release it...or is it broken if you don't release the foul hooked fish at all?

Im didn't realize that they had used a digital scale to weigh the fish. The rules in the IGFA concerning the certification of a digital scale are really rough. They may have trouble getting that scale certified. The IGFA themselves recommend against using a digital scale.

That is indeed true. If the fish was INTENTIONALLY foul hooked then it is disqualified. If the hok is set out of instinct and you happen to foul hook the fish it still has a chance at being considered a world record. It is kind of a grey area in the IGFA Rulebook.