[ravenloft420]

Ravenloft, I'll take you up on the asian carp contest some day. :smile2: Even if I lose, as long as I catch a bunch it's worth it!

Have you seen anybody pull a spoonbill out of the Mississippi below Alton Dam? I guess that's about the only place to snag from the bank this year around there since they don't allow snagging at Chain of Rocks this year.

actualy I have seen someone pull a big spoony right by the alton bridge.

but he caught it in a huge net he was working.

he gave us about a 20 lb bighead carp for bait and asked me if I wanted about a 20-30 lb blue.

I suggested he throw it back and he said he was going to but I never saw him do it.
I should have took it off his hands and threw it back myself.

it was the biggest cat Iv ever seen in real life.

and the one and only spoonbill Iv seen

 

[Seth]

Well I guess there is always a chance of hooking in to a spoonbill instead of a carp below Alton Dam. I will probably come down and give it a try anyhow atleast one day this spring.

Snagging season opens March 15 and runs till the end of April.

 

[Mi11er]

Which body of water are you hitting Mi11er?

sorry for the late response. We are going down by Oseola. Might go up river or down depending on the fish.

 

[SHOWME]

we are headed for Tablerock and the James River arm, but I like to wait for a while and the water warms and the traffic isn't there either and the fish ARE:wink:

 

[Seth]

we are headed for Tablerock and the James River arm, but I like to wait for a while and the water warms and the traffic isn't there either and the fish ARE:wink:

I hear ya. We snag at night early in the season just to avoid a lot of your daytime weekend warriors. With season opening on a weekend this year, it might not matter a whole lot though. :embarassed: The mouth of Flat Creek will probably look like christmas lights.

 

[bodie]

I personally like snagging at night better than the daytime. Usually there is no wind, less boats and more time to drink out favorite barley pop. Plus I am a nightowl I work for 3:30pm til 2:00am anyways.

 

[Blue Bruiser]

I will be smackin em at the Chain Of Rocks...... Looks to be a good year if we just get some good temps to get that water temp up a bit.


By the way guys. Snagging season runs from March 15th til April 15th, except on the Mississippi River where you have until the end of april.

Good luck boyz.

 

[stlcatman]

Can you snag from a boat at chain of rocks this year. I thought I read that it was closed for bank fishing but I can't remember if you can still fish it from a boat.

 

[Hannibal Mike]

I plan to go to Beaver Lake in early April. Is snagging good on the James for larger spoonies? Are there any guides for spoonies available? Hannibal Mike

 

[FLOAT TRIP WILLIE]

ryan I dont know about snaggin from a boat at chain of rocks, but you can get down there on the banks and have a ball.
I'm hitting there and alton a couple times this year. good luck

 

[Michael Jake]

I plan to go to Beaver Lake in early April. Is snagging good on the James for larger spoonies? Are there any guides for spoonies available? Hannibal Mike

Mike, the James River arm of TableRock holds some awesome spoonies, fish the capefair boat dock area and up a ways... maybe you could find someone at the capefair marina area for help.

 

[bodie]

I will be smackin em at the Chain Of Rocks...... Looks to be a good year if we just get some good temps to get that water temp up a bit.


By the way guys. Snagging season runs from March 15th til April 15th, except on the Mississippi River where you have until the end of april.

Good luck boyz.

Seasons: March 15 through April 30,
except on the Mississippi River where the
season is March 15 through May 15 and September
15 through December 15.

 

[Seth]

There are some guides down there, but if you need any information on catching spoonbill on the James River, just shoot me a PM. Not to brag, but last year we limited out every trip out. The biggest we caught last year was only about 65 lbs, but we've caught them up to 82 lbs down there. My personal best is 74 lbs. The state record was pulled from the Cape Fair area in 2002 and weighed almost 140 lbs!

Let me know if you plan on going down and I'll make a map out for you and show you the spots that we hit the hardest and have had good luck at the past few years.


For you guys who plan on snagging at Chain of Rocks, I read in the Illinois forum that a guy called the conservation and they said it FOR SURE closed this year to snagging. They said that they want to protect the sturgeon in the area or something eventhough they are allowing regular fishing. That stinks because I had a blast snagging down there last year for them silly asian carp. :embarassed:

 

[FLOAT TRIP WILLIE]

There are some guides down there, but if you need any information on catching spoonbill on the James River, just shoot me a PM. Not to brag, but last year we limited out every trip out. The biggest we caught last year was only about 65 lbs, but we've caught them up to 82 lbs down there. My personal best is 74 lbs. The state record was pulled from the Cape Fair area in 2002 and weighed almost 140 lbs!

Let me know if you plan on going down and I'll make a map out for you and show you the spots that we hit the hardest and have had good luck at the past few years.


For you guys who plan on snagging at Chain of Rocks, I read in the Illinois forum that a guy called the conservation and they said it FOR SURE closed this year to snagging. They said that they want to protect the sturgeon in the area or something eventhough they are allowing regular fishing. That stinks because I had a blast snagging down there last year for them silly asian carp. :embarassed:

Thanks seth, that sucks I too had a good time down there last year
I guess alton it is. I dont snag much but every year me and my boys go give it a shot. Heck they love to cast and reel in anyway..........lol

 

[eelamph]

I think the new snagging season is one of the best things we've been offered in years. Awesome fun and it keeps you cooled off.

 

[Seth]

What's the new snagging season? People that I now of have been snagging for decades?

 

[crazy]

I still don't see the excitement in sticking a fish. Although I'm going to give it a try this year.

 

[Seth]

I still don't see the excitement in sticking a fish. Although I'm going to give it a try this year.

Wait till you stick one and you will find out. :wink:

 

[flatheadHunter84]

i went to bass pro today and the snagging rods were flying off the shelf not to mention you couldnt get a decent snagging reel without spending some bucks all the others were sold out. Also to all you who are trying it for the first time, practice tying your hooks, the first few times you try to do it can take a while, but once you got it down it will only take a minute. I just know I like to spend more time fishing than messing with my equipment, and I have seen people get frusterated trying to figure it out while watching others catching them.

 

[crazy]

i went to bass pro today and the snagging rods were flying off the shelf not to mention you couldnt get a decent snagging reel without spending some bucks all the others were sold out. Also to all you who are trying it for the first time, practice tying your hooks, the first few times you try to do it can take a while, but once you got it down it will only take a minute. I just know I like to spend more time fishing than messing with my equipment, and I have seen people get frusterated trying to figure it out while watching others catching them.

Yeah, I have no idea how to tie the the 10/0 treble to the line for snagging. Guess thats why I'm going to have Steve Brown with catfish safari show me how to tie the rig. Then I guess it's pretty simple to find them with the sonar. I have stuck 2 paddle fish before. Although season was not open and neither one was over 25 pounds. Guess I'll find out what one over 40 feels like.