Mi11er

Yeah, that Strike King KVD model neon bluegill is hard to beat. Love it. It tracks true and looks awesome. Honestly that is one of my favorites. I still have 4 Bagley fat cats too that I love, but cannot bring myself to use them because I never see them anymore. I guess they are something from my young days that I cannot let go of and just want to keep lol

wow, that is a giant fish. On a fly rod is crazy!! I saw one about that big in Basswood lake bringing in a walleye, dang thing chased the 5 lb walleye all the way to the boat and it honestly scared me when he made a pass at the walleye. Freaked me out, the northern was huge and it just came out of nowhere when I was bringing the walleye into the boat. I was about 20 yards from a sunken island in about 40 ft of water, I guess he was hanging out on that island.

So what is your favorite square bill? Which one has the best action? Somehow the newbie posted this topic twice... sorry

I know this is not the same but it reminds me of when me and a buddy were on the Missouri river catfishing. I had three baitcaster reels set up in the holders and he had three spinning rods in the holders because he cannot cast a baitcaster without it going horribly wrong. I will admit it was about 1 in the morning and we had had our baits in the water for quite a while so we got into the cooler of beer. I was about 5 beers in and one of my rods clickers started screaming. I had caught four or five catfish that night and he had caught none so I said " Take that rod!!" He went up and took a hold of it and jerked with all of his might without first engaging the reel. So.....I was left with 200 yards of 80lb powerpro in a nest about 3 foot in diameter. But the beer was cold and he learned the valuable lesson that it is better to backlash someone else's reel than yours. 5 years later I still remind him that he still sucks......

Wow, those are some great fish. Camp Branch is where I put in also. Everything but the mainlake was chocolate milk so if you go in the under the bridges and go off the main lake the water is going to be dark, so reaction bite baits have been the best. rattle traps, spinnerbaits, etc. This is unless it has cleared dramatically since Saturday.

Yes, I think the biggest was 8.5....some tanks for sure. I think it took almost a 4lb average to win so those guys are really dialed in. I am really just got a boat about 5 weeks ago and am still trying to not fall out of the dang thing when I hit the trolling motor lol. But I am picking it up and having a blast learning the ropes of bigger water fishing. It is not like fishing the farm ponds/lakes I am used too.

Wow, those are amazing looking. Do you just do it for yourself or do you have a tackle shop?

Thank you for the welcome! Well I do not have much to report about...sadly. With all the rain Smithville went from on fire to pretty rough. The crappie were great up to the rain then they had no idea what is going on. Starting to pick up now a little, they are where they were on the bank just 4 foot deeper due to the rain. I have been catching bass in the weeds that was flooded in the main lake coves using wacky rigged senko's and seemed my best luck was on a 4" power worm texas rigged. But that was last Saturday, I bet it has changed with the high pressure and the weather warming up. I already like this site, seems like I have been missing out only just now joining.

Wow, they were not kidding about the active KC area report thread

Thank you, How is the fishing at Hillsdale? Did the rain kill you guys to? The bass and crappie at Smithville (well really the crappie) just turned off after the lake rose 4'. Spawn was just getting good. Bass are in the grass though and hitting wacky rigged senko's pretty good.

Thank you everyone for the welcome!

Hello! I am Jess from around Kansas City Missouri. Been fishing since I was old enough to carry a fishing pole and love to fish for just about any species. Looking forward to learning more and figuring out how to fish a large lake with a boat, I just got a new boat and am transitioning from a small body/bank/occasional boat fisherman....to a two times a week in the boat guy. I mainly fish Smithville lake north of Kansas City and will venture down to Truman and Lake of the Ozarks every now and then.