new guy

[Fishin' Doug]

Hey Guys,

Just found this site a few weeks ago. Seems to be a lot of good stuff. I grew up in Mid-Missouri and fished Truman Lake for years,but haven't made it down there in years. Work has brought me to St. Louis but I still make it back to the farm to catch a few crappie every once in a while. For the last few years I have been limited to our small farm ponds and a few private 3 to 7 acre lakes at Country Clubs, but I have to admit, that is sometimes the best crappie fishin'! Seemed like the fishing at Truman was getting slower and slower, but that was about 8 years ago. Has anyone had success there lately?

Doug

[TwainGang]

Welcome aboard the board Doug. I spent quite a while in Columbia and moved to St. Charles county just about 2 years ago. I've seen some very big crappie come out of farm ponds, but the MDC doesn't really encourage folks to stock crappie in their ponds- just bass, bluegill and channel cats. I go down to Truman every spring and try to luck out and hit the spawn. We hit it good several years ago and but the last couple years we've hit cold spells. Mark Twain is closer to me and is what I call my "home lake". You ever tried it?

[Fishin' Doug]

Yeah, a farm pond can get overstocked pretty quick but we have a solution: 3 of us spend a weekend during the spring and keep everything over 9 or 10 inches! stocking 5 pounds of fathead minnows helps out with that too.

Never tried Mark Twain. How has your luck been up there? I have heard decent things about Thomas Hill and buddy and I might try it when it warms up. ever fished that lake?

[crichison]

Hello Doug, I live about 20 min from Thomas Hill, this and Longbranch are where I do most my fishing. Let me know if you want to come over this way, and I'll see if I can help ya out. Have not been on Mark Twain but once, didn't even fish, would love to find some good spots there. Good luck.

[bugman]

crichison, what's the story with hazel creek? i have heard there is alot of big crappie in that lake. welcome fishin' doug.

[CrappieOutlaw]

hey bugman, how'd you let that monster crappie they caught in the Glaze Arm get by you?

[TwainGang]

I used to fish Thomas Hill quite often- I found a couple decent spots where I limited out on 11-12 inchers- but that was about 3-4 years ago. It is always a good early spring lake and if the crappie aren't biting, you can go for the hybrids-they can be a real blast. There was one time when me and my boss were pitching red-headed Roadrunners with white curley tail bodies along the rip-rap of Highway T and we killed them- crappie, channel cats, black bass and a few hybrids that went over 20 inches. We thought it was weird to catch channel cats with a lure like that, but it was the time of year when they were spawning and they liked the rocky rip-rap.

I was meaning to make it up there this spring time, but the weather has to moderate in order for it to be worth the drive, since it is about 3 hours away for me now.

[bugman]

Outlaw, give me the specifics i havent heard about it. I did see a picture of a 3.6 that came from the upper osage last fall.

[Fishin' Doug]

I have heard that about Thomas Hill-if one thing isn't biting, something else will be. That is fun fishing if you ask me. Crichison, I may have to have you guide me to some hot spots if I can make it up to Thomas Hill in a couple of months.

[TAE73]

Bugman, it was close to 4lbs 19" long and almost 12" tall came off a condo dock on the Glazied Arm. I have heard but not seen it that the local bait shop here in Jeff City has a pic of it.