Those are the kind of words that start fishing feuds. :hmmm:

Just went fly fishing last weekend on the Owyhee River in eastern Oregon (about 10 miles from the Idaho border). We fished the river about 1 mile below the dam. We all caught brown trout, the smallest 12", the largest about 23". It was all catch and release so none brought home. It was a great way to start off the season!

I've fished down there a few times. Some of my uncles own property on it. Last time I found a pretty big Septerian Nodule and got bit by a green watersnake. There are nice bass down there.

I've been learning alot more about getting big flatheads the past couple of years too. We've camped and ran lines on the river since I was a kid, but mostly jut channel cat.

Fishing Big Flatheads is an entirely different game. I've got a relative south of Harrisonville who is a big-cat Guru. Several 40-50lbs a summer.

I worst experience fishing.

I was out on a lake with a girl friend in some dinker 12 ft aluminum boat with some wussy little engine that looked like it belonged on a big toy. I rented this heap and we headed out into the big ass lake and it was calm and sunny.

We go out there and I tried every lure and bait know to man and not so much as a hit. I was so into fishing I didn't notice the cloud of doom rolling over. In about 7 minutes it goes from calm and sunny to raining, 40 mile per hour winds and waves from hell. The girl I was with was going nuts thinking we were going to sink and I had to keep on my poker face explaining how "this is just a little squall, not a thing to worry about." It took us about a half an hour to make it back and the boat was about half full of water. (That's after bailing all the way back) I hit the shore and headed into the bar for several highballs. :shake:

The best: Any day I am out fishing way back in the mountains.

I think it was in the 80 lb. range.

Interestinly enough, I got a call last sunday from a farmer who had just built a new pond. He wanted us to "build a bass pond" out of it.

We're going saturday morning and evening to build structure(its already half full). I haven't seen it yet, so I'm not sure how big it is or what shape/depth..I think its pretty good size though, based on where I think its built.

The initial game plan is to Pile some rocks/blocks, build some shaped structures out of a big pile of clay tiles we have, place some cut Cedar Trees, maybe some cement tubes, and tie some Pallets together in a tripod.

If its big enough........might even sink a junk car(no engine-tranny).

Then, I'd like to go start catching up sunfish, bluegill and some RedEar(eat snails, which cause worms in fish) and get them in there, hopefully in time to spawn. He's talked about stocking it this fall, but I'm leaning towards telling him to just let us do it.

We have several ponds where the bass are Really Strong.......After the Bluegill take good root, I'd like to start throwing some decent size bass in, and then the next spring/fall....add some Cats to keep balance........and a few grass carp to keep the moss reasonable.

Any Suggestions?

Wow, that's some serious line. I can't remember what the weight was when we went after Halibut in Alaska. I don't think it was that heavy duty and we pulled in some hoggs.

Hey Otter, do you remember?

That sounds fantastic. It sounds like you have the game plan down. :thumb: My uncle had two trout ponds that had some HUGE rainbows and brookies in them a long time ago, but we got one summer of drought, followed by one really cold winter and killed most of them off. He restocked about 7 years ago so thery should be decent size again.

Stock it with fatheads or another small minnow to serve as a base in the food chain. Some lilly pads if you can transfer them from another pond.

Ice can be scary. But mostly when I go its about 3 feet thick. Although my first day ice fishing we put an atv, trailer, and all of our gear through the ice on Lake of the Woods. For some strange reason I'll probably never understand I'm hooked on it now.

You boys have some decent salmon fishing around there as well don't you?

Always trying to out do me aren't you?

Call Arkasas Pond Stockers and order 10 pounds of "fathead minnows"

If the pond is big enough, toss in a few pounds of Gizzard Shad. Largemouth bass will thrive of them.....and its awesome to see an eruption from a 8+ pound bass in a school of shad!

I thought about adding some of the fatheads...........But don't they grow into Carp?

If I do add them, which I had thought about.....should it be when we add the Bluegill(months to a year before the bass) or WHEN we put the bass in?

I've got a vision in my mind of my dream pond.....Uphill from it(just) would be 2, 3-4'deep gravel bottom frog ponds.........one with fatheads, one with Crawfish. I'd sein each one, once per year and flood the Main Pond with a foodsource.

8lb bass is EXACTLY what I'm shooting for, in Iowa's climate.