Bearded Zeechie - Vote YES on Prop B Show-Me Fish Tales 2026-09-21 | Bearded Zeechie - Vote YES on Prop B
Strategies for Low Water, April Panfish Show-Me Fish Tales 2024-05-04 | This 24 April Panfishing excursion took place in a MDC pond (Cooper County, MO). The water level of the pond was extremely low. Heavy rains were due in this area in the coming days so perhaps it has recovered.Two strategies were employed.1. Use a "moving" lure (Z-Man Shad FryZ) near the bank as well as in open water where bluegill are known to congregate off-shore.2. Use a "slow, Ned rig type" of lure (a PBJ Elaztech Mod) resembling a Micro TRD in depths of 3-8 feet. Both strategies worked well, but the star of the show was a Shad FryZ in Dark and Stormy color. A nice bunch of bluegill in the 8.5" category got to take a basket ride. Several nuisance bass were caught along with a decent sized channel catfish. Rudie has his normal cameo, for his fans of course. He always examines what is in the cooler as I usually ice down the panfish right after getting off the water. Enjoy the show.
PB&J Micro TRD (Home Made) for Big Bluegill - MDC Pond Fishing Show-Me Fish Tales 2024-04-27 | In this 15 April 2024 outing, my plan was to use a Z-Man Micro TRD in PB&J. Since I had most of the other colors, but not PB&J, I used cut a Z-Man Finesse WormZ to size and made a lure that worked really well. The lure was a roughly 1.75" section of the WormZ, sliced in two for a thinner profile, and rigged weedless on a 1/20th oz Micro Finesse Jig Head. Several bass joined in the fun as well. Some of the BG were as large as 9.5 inches.Rudie Tootie, everyone's fave Papillon, was very helpful in the making and critique of the home made Micro TRD.Shout out to my friend Dave R "Mr. Finesse" from Lansing KS. Enjoy the show!
Bass, Goop and Golden Shiners Show-Me Fish Tales 2024-04-20 | in this 10 April, Henry County Missouri outing, a nice lot of bass were caught on a couple of Z-Man lures: 1. PB&J TRD on a Finesse BulletZ jighead and, 2. (Best today) A modified Z-Man FattyZ on a 2/0 ChinlockZ hook. The modification was to cut off the "tail" of the FattyZ, thus shortening it to about 4 inches, and then splitting the end into what resembled a TicklerZ or Hula StickZ. An interesting component of this excursion was to identify what kept tugging , yanking and dropping my ElaZtech lures. Initially I thought it was aggressive bluegill, but a Z-Man LarvaZ revealed that the "yankers" were in fact Golden Shiners. I'd not seen GS's this big, but researched them on line and, sure enough, that's what they were. Golden Shiners are really popular big bass and catfish baits in a lot of places in the country. For example, sometimes folks blow up balloons and attach a hook, line and Shiner and just throw it out and wait till something big drags it under. This small pond is truly infested with GS's and perhaps the bass population are foraging on them as a major food source.Rudie makes a photo appearance or two for his fans..... :)Enjoy the show!
Bass Fishing, Pond Prowler Maiden Voyage and Eclipse Show-Me Fish Tales 2024-04-13 | In this 8 April excursion to Pettis County, MO, a nice lake was explored for several purposes. First was to see if the bass have moved onto the banks. No, the spring frenzy/bite hasn't turned on yet but it is currently in progress. A Z-Man Finesse WormZ in PB&J and a Z-Man "Sling Blade" spinnerbait brought a dozen bass to hand.Secondly, my friend Sparky brought his Pond Prowler for its maiden voyage. It performed well for the first time out and a lot of lessons were learned. Unfortunately, the milder, forecasted 11 mph winds turned into a very breezy afternoon with sustained winds of 25-30....not good for small watercraft.All in all it was still an enjoyable day and the next time out will be even better.Rudie Tootie has a nice cameo for his fans hahaha.Enjoy the show!
Odds & Ends (Late Winter 2024 - Crappie, Bass and Trout) Show-Me Fish Tales 2024-03-23 | In this pre-Spring featurette (Late Feb-Mid March), a variety of fish were caught in various bodies of public water in W Central Missouri. These excursions portend a decent 2024 fishing season, especially if we get relief from the persistent, wide-spread drought in our area. Rudie - Papillon and Leila - Yorkie misbehave hahaha for the entertainment of their fans. Spring is right around the corner! Enjoy the show!
Tiny Trout Worms for Big Bluegill Show-Me Fish Tales 2024-03-16 | In this 13 Mar 24 excursion to a MDC public pond in W Central Missouri, tiny three inch plastic trout worms enticed numerous bluegill and, of course, bass. The "back story" is that these worms were sent to me by a You Tube friend (Northwest Angler) in the mid-late 2000s. In the "old days" we didn't have what we call Micro Finesse - anything - and I certainly didn't have anywhere to fish for trout or salmon. So, I've had these little worms hibernating for nearly two decades! Unfortunately my friend Northwest Angler no longer has a You Tube channel.Recently I've caught some trout at a stocked pond in Sedalia (on dough bait) so next time I go there I'll try a couple of these worms.Rudie Tootie appears and provides his opinions and advice to the delight of his fans hahaha.Enjoy the show!
WATER DOGS! Bear Paws Flail Tail Gobies Show-Me Fish Tales 2024-02-27 | In this late Feb 24 adventure, Bear Paws Custom, Handpoured, 4 inch "Flail Tail Gobies" worked quite well in the (still cold) waters of a Missouri conservation area pond. Salamander imitators such as Mud Puppys and Flail Tail Gobies are typically called "Water Dogs" in many parts of the country. The color of today's lure was, fortunately, perfect: Sea Breeze with black and blue flakes. BP lures are available in over 100 custom color and flake combinations and are infused with MegaStrike attractant during the manufacturing process. Rudie Tootie, papillon angling consultant (hahaha) has a nice cameo for his fans. Enjoy the show!Feel free to check out the custom lures at: bearpawshandpouredbaits.com
Bait and Switch Lures for Early February Bass: Micro Finesse Show-Me Fish Tales 2024-02-04 | In this early February 2024 adventure - the day after the ice finally cleared from Arctic Storm Finn - quite a few Z-Man Micro Finesse and Finesse lures performed well during a short float tubing trip to a public pond in Henry County, MO. All the fish caught were bass - it appears that the bluegill are still asleep. Enhanced with MegaStrike attractant, Tiny TicklerZ, Slim SwimZ, GobieZ and Micro Chatterbait worked quite well. Rod/reel combos were "Ultra" ultra-light which made catching the fish a lot of fun. Enjoy the show and Go Chiefs!Not to disapoint his fans, Rudie makes a chilly cameo in the snow hahaha.
Z-Man STREAKZ (Finesse Fluke) Show-Me Fish Tales 2024-01-01 | This short story shows how December bass were eager to be allured by a member of the "fluke family": the 3.75 inch Z-Man StreakZ. Fished with a sink, twitch, sink, twitch retrieve on a 2.0 Chinlockz hook, the StreakZ caught a number of fish abiding along a rocky bank in 3-6 feet of water. The key was to keep casting, casting and casting because if it were there, the fish usually grabbed the lure almost immediately or on one of the twitches/falls. The StreakZ was a fun lure to use and I'm planning to use these types of Z-Man fluke-style baits again in the near future.Rudie Tootie, Papillon angling advisor/outfitter (ha) has a nice cameo for his fans. Enjoy the show and have a happy and prosperous 2024.
Finesse Ribbed Swim Baits for Late December Bass Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-12-25 | In this almost-Christmas 2023 show, the Star is a Bear Paws 2 - 5/8 inch Ribbed Swim Bait in a custom color that I requested be made. All Bear Paws lures are hand-poured and can be made in over 100 color (and many flake) combinations. I think the color that John (owner) poured for me was excellent.In the first part of the show, RSBs worked good for suspended, off-shore bass on a 3/8 oz Big L jig head. I had a whopper crappie on until the last second, too! In the second part, I rigged the RSB on a 1/8 oz "Naked" Micro Chatterbait. Again, it worked really well. Because this particular color seems to work well in a lot of the places I fish, I have some additional crappie catching plans for the future. Rudie Tootie provides some commentary on the proceedings. He's such an excellent advisor. Most of the time hahaha.Sparky gets besmirked once again...all in fun. Cheer up!Enjoy the show, Merry Christmas, Happy 2024 New Year.
Z-Man Naked Chatterbait (December Bass Fishing) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-12-17 | A "naked" chatterbait doesn't have a skirt but just uses the effectiveness of the unique blade design along with some sort of trailer to allure fish like crazy. Sometimes the fish just want a different look.In this W-Central MO, mid-December 2023 video, a regular sized "original" Z-Man Chatterbait with a 4-inch MinnowZ trailer worked really well in and around dead and dying lily pad stems in 10 ft or less.In a smaller configuration, a Z-Man Chatterbait Micro with a 3.75" StreakZ trailer worked really well in depths of 5-8 feet. The StreakZ, without the "boot" tail of a swimbait, allowed the lure to sink quickly and the smaller profile triggered lots of strikes.Rudie Tootie (Papillon) provides commentary and encouragement for anyone who wants to give Naked Chatterbaits a try!Enjoy the show.
Bass Fishing in Cold, December Water - W Central MO Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-12-10 | In this 8 December 2023 excursion to an MDC pond in Henry County, MO, some decent bass were caught on a Z-Man Curly Tail StreakZ and a Big TRD. The drought conditions in the pond are very serious but a few fish have obviously survived and will hopefully make it to next spring. Rudie (Romeo) Tootie and Leila entertain their fans with another smooch festival. Sparky was encouraged to cheer up, as always. Enjoy the show!
Z-Man Micro GOAT - Performance Test Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-11-19 | In this 13 November 2023 excursion to a public conservation area pond, the NEW for 2023 Micro GOAT in Pink Glow color worked really well for panfish, expecially Bluegill. Fishing it with a moving, reel-twitch-reel retrieve allured lots of Bass as well as Green Sunfish. The Micro GOAT was mounted on a 1/20th oz Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead - perfect for this lure.Pink Glow has been a great color for colder water temperatures. In future outings I plan to fish different colors of the Micro GOAT; can't wait to fish the Micro GOAT in a pond with a good population of Crappie.Enjoy the Show!
Z-Man ChatterBait Micro - To the Rescue! Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-11-12 | In this 9 November 2023 excursion to a 15 ac lake/pond in Vernon County, MO, the crappie fishing objective was a big flop, but a couple of Mr. Bs - largemouth bass - showed up and saved the day. The water level was disappointingly low and the plethora of brush piles and lay downs that typically hold a lot of fish were practically on the bank, high and dry. Weather was quite chilly at the start of the day and the N winds made gloves necessary. A variety of lures were employed; but nonetheless fishing was really slow. A few dink crappie were caught on a Z-Man Shad FryZ in open water but that's it. "Bait and Switch" was employed to try different lures and presentations to find something they wanted. Eventually a few bass were located here and there and finally a nice 19" one jumped on a 'slicked down' Chatterbait Micro with a 3" Slim SwimZ. The lure was bumped along the bottom in about 4 feet of water. Another heavy fish grabbed this lure and took me for a ride before it got off. As the 3 p.m. departure time neared, another nice 18" bass topped off the excursion. Per usual, Rudie Tootie (Mr. Outfitter) provided an assist LoL. Enjoy the show!
Combat Custom Baits 2-inch MicroSwim Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-10-29 | In this 21 October 2023 excursion to a local pond in Johnson County, MO, a small - but mighty - Combat Custom Baits 2-inch MicroSwim proved that it caught "everything that swims."Combat Custom Baits is a U.S., veteran owned, small business that has an impressive line of baits for all freshwater applications. Feel free to examine for more information at: combatjigs.comThe video also features a brief description of the Cumberland float tube by Classic Accessories. This is my favorite float tube and IMO it is a Cadillac!Rudie "Romeo" Tootie chimes in from time to time to say "hi" to his fans.Enjoy the show!
Z-Man EZ TubeZ - Flasher Mod Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-10-25 | In this mid-September 2023 excursion, a modified Z-Man EZ TubeZ worked great for early fall transition bass. EZ Tubes are 4" long and come in six great colors. They are really good straight from the package; the "Flasher" Mod adds a slice of orange ElaZtech in the tentacles to trigger strikes. The fish were generally congregated near brush, laydowns and boulders. Texas rigged with a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook and 1/8 oz bullet weight, a lift, glide-drop and scoot retrieve across the bottom maximized the attraction of the bouyant, craw imitating tube. A "how to make" EZ and TRD TubeZ flashers can be found at:youtu.be/5dbbl7wL4TE?si=37OFFSZmc3nrblARRudie fans... just like Arnold, he'll Be Back.Enjoy the show!
Sling a BLADE for Fall FUN! Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-10-10 | This 7 October excursion features a Z-Man SlingBladeZ spinnerbait (3/8 oz, Willow/Colorado, Bluegill Color skirt) with a Z-Man MinnowZ trailer in Houdini. A SlingBladeZ spinnerbait is an excellent, high-quality lure and has become one of my favorites. Both bass and big green sunfish loved chasing the SlingBladeZ. The quantity caught required that only representative fish appear in the video in the interest of time. A Z-Man chatterbait also produced a goodly number of bass but will not appear in this video. Rudie (Romeo) Tootie adds his special brand of Pizazz to the show and discusses his relationship with his girlfriend Leila. :) Sparky gets his well-deserved Besmirk for causing way too many SSBs to hit the lure. Just kidding, of course! Enjoy the show.See all the Z-Man SlingBladeZ spinnerbaits and much more at zmanfishing.com
Spinnerbait and Finesse Fishing - After a Hailstorm Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-09-10 | In this 6 September 23 float tube fishing excursion to a public body of water in SW Missouri, a variety of finesse lures: Bear Paws 3-Inch Garden Worms, MegaStrike 3-Inch Mega Bug and Z-Man 2.5 inch TRD Craws worked really good. All the finesse lures were given a green light by none other than the PTA (Papillon Trip Advisor) Rudie Tootie. However, and somewhat out of character, Rudie mistakenly failed to endorse an excellent choice: Spinnerbait. It was quite a surprise to see a lots of nice bass hit this power lure in shallow water. Sparky (aka Mr. Sorosho) was suitably besmirked and hopefully cheered up at the same time - although nobody cares hahaha. The haze of the Canadian wild fires that blanketed a lot of the midwest has thankfully subsided.Enjoy the show!
Micro Finesse Swimbaits (Z-Man Shad FryZ) for Late August Bluegill (Channel Catfish Bonus) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-08-30 | In this 28 August 23 excursion to a public MDC pond in Cooper County, MO, the water level was low but the fish were biting. Although no large bass or crappie showed up, a goodly number of Bluegill were allured with a variety of colors on the Z-Man Micro Finesse Shad FryZ.A Z-Man TRD HogZ Mod nicknamed the PigletZ also caught a nice 21 inch channel catfish and a Bear Paws Garden Worm caught another 20 inch cat.The cooler weather was very nice considering the very hot stretch we experienced for most of the month. Rudie Tootie - PTA (Papillon Trip Advisor) advised (correctly) that the fish were likely to be abiding off-shore in and near submerged trees in 10-15 feet of water.Good Job, Rudie!Sparky gets his normal dose of "Come Duel" besmirk. Enjoy the show!
Blue Cat (Mid-Aug 2023) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-08-19 | In this 14 Aug 23 adventure, a nice Blue Cat grabbed a Z-Man GrubZ in a public lake in Ray County, MO. It was somewhat reminiscent of the Aug 2018 "Night of the Megalodon" on Lake of the Ozarks with my friend Sparky.This Meg was somewhat smaller than the original and put up a great fight on a ML outfit. Thankfully, no fishing tackle was destroyed this time (unlike the 2018 outing hahaha).Personal advisor Rudie Tootie provides a poignant commentary on the whole situation; thanks, buddy!Enjoy the show.
Finesse Lizards for August Bass and Green Sunfish Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-08-13 | This 1 August video is a companion piece to the Finesse Craws vid; both were filmed on the same excursion. Finesse Lizards ("Snizzle Lizard" is an insider joke with my friend Sparky) are excellent finesse sized lures for hot summer water. They will catch Bass, Green Sunfish, Crappie (at times) and catfish (if any are in there). Because these little lures are best employed in and around water weeds, lay downs and brush piles, a Texas Rig is a very good rigging method to keep them from getting hung up. Finesse Lizards are typically available at most sporting goods stores and come in many different colors, flakes and manufacturer brands: Zoom, Yum, Z-Man, Bass Pro and others. MegaStrike attractant (craw scent) was used as an enhancement. Rudie Tootie joins the show by Face Time (hahaha) from time to time. As an authentic, adorable "designer dog" (hahaha) I don't think he would enjoy getting wet and smelly from pond water.Sparky receives only a mild dose of besmirchment. Enjoy the show!
Finesse Craws for August Bass (and Green Sunfish) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-08-04 | In this 1 August 23 excursion, Texas rigged Finesse Craws perform well to allure and extract (primarily) largemouth bass that were abiding in relatively shallow, weedy, close to shore lairs. Probing in and around water weeds, rocks and brush in a slow, lift-glide-drop fashion triggered the piscatorial plunder fest. Note: Contact Dave R to translate this gibberish.Sparky crashes the party and Rudie helps bring a lot of luck.Enjoy the show!
New Lake Exploration - A Work In Progress! Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-07-23 | When we moved to Johnson County, MO last November, a number of new, different lakes were discovered. The public lake in this video is less than 30 minutes away and is about 35 acres. After several exploratory trips, it seems to have a lot of potential. Thus far, crappie, bluegill, bass and channel catfish have been enticed and allured on a variety of ElaZtech and Bear Paws Plastisol lures. The lake has standing timber, lots of hydrilla and a variety of depth ranges up to 20+ feet in the main channel. This video is a compilation of clips from two recent excursions: 23 June and 19 July. Hopefully the summer doldrums and high 90-100 degree days won't last too long. It will probably take a year or more to figure out the complexities of this lake and I'm positive that it will show various aspects of its personality during the fall and winter months. Fingers crossed!Rudie has a nice lawn mower ride cameo and says hi to all his fans.Enjoy the show!
Garden Worms are HOT in July for Big Green Sunfish and Bass (Bear Paws) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-07-08 | In this 1 July float tube adventure, three different colors of Bear Paws 3" Garden Worms worked really well in a public impoundment in W Central MO.Despite the lowest water level I've seen, goodly numbers of Green Sunfish, Bluegill and bass were still very active. A really nice 10+ inch Green Sunfish came to hand and was allured by a Heaven & Earth colored worm.Bear Paws 3" Garden Worms are remarkably inexpensive, are consistent producers and rival just about any other finesse lure on the market. With over 100 "stock" colors to choose from - or create your own color/flake combination(s) these little worms can quickly become a "go-to" favorite.For information, visit: bearpawshandpouredbaits.comRudie Tootie - Papillon and Leila - Yorkie have a nice cameo and my friend Sparky receives his customary "Besmirking". Enjoy the show!
June Bass and Green Sunfish PART 2 - Featuring Bear Paws Sneaker Worms Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-07-01 | This is the last part (2 of 2) of a great mid-June float tube adventure to a public impoundment in west central Missouri. This show features three different colors of the 7.5" Bear Paws "Sneaker Worm". From the Bear Paws website: "The Sneaker Worm has all of the features of the famous Power Worm while the tail has some of the traits of a Mann's Auger Tail. The Sneaker Worm is a floating worm and it is made with super soft Plastic for a feeling of life like forage. This worm is a throw back bait before the stick baits emerged. If you want to go back to basics. This is a bait for everyone." Despite low water levels and less than optimum, mostly sunny, skies, lots of hungry bass, as well as a couple of nice Green Sunfish, made the afternoon a very enjoyable time. Rudie Tootie weighs in with his assessment of the Sneaker Worms, too. Seems that he really likes them and hopes that I'll order some in Funky color soon. Funky is his favorite color. :)Enjoy the show!
June Bass and Green Sunfish - PART 1 (Micro Finesse Z-Man Tiny TicklerZ) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-06-25 | This 16 June 2023 float tube adventure to Henry County, Missouri will be presented in two parts.In the first, a 1.75 inch Z-Man Micro Finesse Tiny TicklerZ lure in green pumpkin, mounted on a 1/30 oz Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead (hand painted), does a fine job on bass and green sunfish.Despite much lower than normal water levels in the "Aquarium" impoundment, a goodly number of fish were abiding fairly near the shore line in or near rocks, brush and hydrilla and were happy to provide lots of fun. Part 2 (upcoming) will complete the story by showing the success of a soft plastic lure called Sneaker Worm made by Bear Paws Custom baits.Leila the Yorkie has a nice cameo even though Rudie tries to be a camera hog and crash her show.Sparky is suitably besmirked on numerous occasions (all in fun of course).
Hometown Panfish Volume 2 (June 2023) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-06-20 | This 13 June hometown pan fishing trip features a watercraft called the Pitt Boss. This craft is an unsinkable one man mini-boat with two configurations. In this video, it is used in the Kick Float configuration. A variety of lures and baits were used on this outing including Uncle Josh Meal Worms, Crappie Nibbles, Bobby Garland Baby SwimR "Cajun Cricket" color an a Panfish Assassin jig body. The bluegill were very cooperative but nothing over 8 inches was caught. A few smaller crappie and a number of small bass also came to hand.The video has a nice cameo of Rudie Tootie ( 3.5 year old Papillon) and does a great job of "Besmirking" hahaha my friend Sparky. All in fun of course.Enjoy the show!
June Crappie - Micro Finesse Triple Play Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-06-11 | In this 9 June 2023 float tube adventure to Benton County, Missouri, lots of panfish and bass were found abiding along the dam of a private lake (approx 20 acres according to the owner). Because this body of water is full of fish, the challenge was to figure the lure(s) and pattern. "Swimming" a micro finesse Z-Man Shad FryZ was pretty good. However, the best pattern appeared to be vertical jigging Shad FryZ or Tiny TicklerZ in 6-8 ft of water in and around brush or hydrilla. Weather conditions were basically onerous with very little wind and hot, sunny skies. Nonetheless, the bite was consistently non-stop and a lot of fun, especially because two fish were often caught at the same time. Chaotic, but fun. Rudie Tootie (Papillon) and Leila (Yorkie) show up for a smooch festival.Enjoy the show!
Late May FUNKY Bass (Bear Paws Grim Reapers) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-06-02 | In this 30 May bass fishing adventure (first fishing trip since 16 May due to competing remodeling chores - house painting), the MDC "aquarium" water conditions were low and full of hydrilla. After exploring various lures, a Texas rigged Bear Paws Grim Reaper in Funky color was the optimum lure to defeat the hydrilla and appeal to hungry fish abiding along weedlines and in laydowns.The action was very good and a couple of nice 18s came to hand. Once again, Rudie Tootie the Papillon was the lure outfitter (hahaha) and has a cute cameo for his friends. Lastly, a nice thunderstorm rolled in later in the evening...but I don't know how much it affected the water level in the aquarium as it was heading to the NE. Enjoy the show!
Rudies Picks: Garden Worms and Finesse Frogs for May Bluegill and Bass Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-05-22 | This is a nice mid-May 2023 float tube fishing outing to an Missouri Dept of Conservation pond where, despite low water levels, the fish were quite cooperative.Rudie Tootie (Papillon Angling Consultant) chose two great lures: Bear Paws 3" Garden Worms and Z-Man 2.75" Finesse FrogZ. Only one nice 9+ inch Bluegill was caught, but the bass action was exceptionally good and great fun.My good friend Sparky got a nice rod/reel outfit and will covet the bobber and lure as he meanders around aimlessly in Bob's Creek in his sparkly Phoenix - hahaha.Enjoy the show!
Bass Fishing - Top and Under Water (10 May 2023) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-05-15 | This video features the Caddis Nevada float tube, the Z-Man GOAT, the Z-Man Tiny TicklerZ, and three Bear Paws custom handpoured baits: Grim Reaper, Beast and Ribbed Shad.After a 29 day drought with no rain, the MDC pond was at the lowest level I've ever seen in 23 years. Nonetheless, with patience, persistence and a little advice from a consultant (Rudie Tootie, Papillon hahaha) some decent bass came to hand. A number of nice bluegill (not shown) were also caught after I decided to downsize the lure to figure out what was making all the taps and yanks on the line. Both Rudie and Leila appear in an ice festival on a high 80s day. What can I say?Enjoy the show.
Hometown May Panfish (Micro Finesse) Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-05-08 | In this 3 May excursion, a short (1.6 mile) trip to a nearby private pond yielded some nice Bluegill as well as an assortment of small bass and a decent crappie. As the afternoon wore on, the winds picked up and the temperatures dropped as a cold front arrived and it got very chilly. The best overall lure was a Z-Man Micro Finesse Shad FryZ in Dark and Stormy color. This little lure has been really good so far this year.Rudie Tootie helped (hahaha) make this video to show our new friend, Victor from NW Indiana, the steps of rigging up for float tube fishing.Enjoy the show!
April 2023 Panfish of Clear Fork Lake Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-05-02 | This late April, 2023 Panfishing adventure takes place in a public lake in Johnson County, Missouri. It was on one of the very few days where the winds during the last couple of weeks of April were reasonably manageable for float tubing. A Z-Man Micro Finesse Shad FryZ in Dark and Stormy color was the "Lure de Jour" and was mounted on a 1/10th oz Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig head (hand painted in a custom color).Two surprise channel cats showed up as well.Rudie Tootie was very helpful in choosing the right lure for the job hahaha.Enjoy the show
Junk Fishing April 2023: Bass, Crappie,Bluegill Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-04-21 | This adventure shows how bass and panfish were caught in mid-April using a method called Junk Fishing. Because of volatile weather (rain, winds) dominated the first part of April, it was difficult to project what patterns would be successful and what lures would work. Essentially, it was a shot in the dark....so the strategy was to bring a variety of slow moving lures (Ned-style), some swimming lures and lots of other things. As it turned out, the fish were not "chasing" but in fact preferred slow moving lures. So, representative fish will appear that were caught on Bear Paws Garden Worms and Z-Man shortened ZinkerZ (Texas Rigged). The best producing lures were two modified (Mods). First was a Mod called "SticklerZ" made from shortening a Z-Man Hula StickZ or Bang StickZ to 2.5-3" length. Second was a Mod called "PigletZ" made from shortening a Z-Man TRD HogZ. In the end, a nice catch of crappie and bluegill got to come home for dinner.Rudie Tootie the Papillon has a nice role and learns all about Junk Fishing. Enjoy the show!
Pukey Green Bear Paws Garden Worms - For Spring Bluegill and Bass Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-04-10 | This 1 April 2023 W-Central Missouri float tube adventure highlights the great fish catching ability of the 3" Bear Paws "Garden Worms" in Pukey Green color. Bear Paws has over 100 custom colors of their lures. Customers can also order your preferred color(s) and flakes at: bearpawshandpouredbaits.com .Rudie Tootie critiques some nice bluegill (for his fans, of course)!Enjoy the show!
Mid March Bass Fishing - Go Slow or Go BFS Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-04-01 | In this 19 March, west-central Missouri adventure, both slow moving lures and a BFS crankbait allured a goodly number of largemouth bass who were abiding off-shore due to the still cold water. A Sprayed Grass colored Z-Man ZinkerZ "Varmint" Ned rig worked very well as did a PB&J Z-Man TRD HogZ on a Texas Eye Finesse jig head. A Z-Man Hula StickZ in PBJ also got into the act. In the later afternoon, probing a shallow flat with a KVD 1.5 crankbait in Delta Red on a BFS outfit landed a decent fish (but lost two other fish). Summary: Switch presentation techniques and lures and stick with the ones the fish are saying they want. No crappie or panfish participated in this outing; still too early.Rudie Tootie the Papillon has a nice cameo for his fans.Enjoy the show!
Plussino Gold Hunting VIII Rod and Reel Combo Performance Review Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-03-25 | This video shows the features and advantages of the Hunting VIII Telescopic Rod and Reel Combo. PLUSINNO Eagle Hunting VIII Telescopic Fishing Rods and Reel Combos:bit.ly/3mEcd00Extra 20% Off Code: PLG20
Z-Man Texas Eye Finesse Jig Head - Mid March Bass Fishing Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-03-19 | This video shows how well the new for 2022 Z-Man Texas Eye Finesse jig head performed while paired with a Z-Man 3-inch Slim SwimZ in Pink Glow color. The location was an MDC pond in west central Missouri. The weather was miserable, but some really nice bass were enticed by the Texas Eye Finesse and Slim SwimZ combo. Rudie Tootie appears to tell his fan that he hasn't been a big fan of the cold, rain, snow and wind lately but he's doing great.Enjoy the show!
Early March Public Pond - Z-Man Shad FryZ and BFS Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-03-12 | This video is an update report of early March fish activity in a public MDC pond in Henry County, MO. Fishing seems to be picking up pace as spring draws ever nearer. The majority of bass and bluegill caught today were well off the banks. They seemed to be suspending in around five feet of water in between deep 8-10' and shallow 1-3' water; most likely in a pre-spawn mode. Plan A was to use a small soft plastic/ElaZtech lure to search for crappie and bluegill. It appeared that no crappie are stocked in this particular pond. However, several nice bluegill came to hand on a Dark N Stormy colored Z-Man Shad FryZ (Plan A) as well as a Rick Clunn tiny crankbait (Plan B). The Shad FryZ also allured a goodly number of largemouth bass.Plan B was a very inexpensive BFS outfit with 4 lb mono and a Rick Clunn crankbait. My first experience of success with BFS exceeded my expectations and was actually a lot of fun. The action was very good and lots of bass and two bluegill came to hand. I bet my bass boating buddies will now rapidly rush to their nearest tackle shop to pick up a nice BFS outfit and join the joy. HahahaRudie Tootie has a nice cameo for his fans. He's doing great!Enjoy the show!
BEAR PAWS Garden Worms (Bubble Gum) Performance Test - Signs of Spring! Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-03-05 | In this 1 March 2023 excursion to a public body of water in Henry County, MO, the Bear Paws 4-inch Garden Worms in Bubble Gum color did very well.Fished like a Ned Rig on a Z-Man 1/30 oz Micro Finesse jighead, the bass couldn't resist. Oddly the panfish were a no-show, possibly because the water was still cold and stirred up by a windstorm a couple of days earlier. Several of the bass caught had big tummies suggesting that they were getting eggy for the spring spawn.Rudie Tootie the Papillon got his tummy rub because he's a bit chunky too hahaha.Enjoy the show!Bear Paws Garden Worms come in tons of colors (or you can request your own custom color) and are very reasonable. Check out the website at: bearpawshandpouredbaits.com
Windy Day Twins - Bass Fishing on Presidents Day 2023 Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-02-27 | In this Johnson County, Missouri adventure, a nice pair of bass came to hand in a 71 acre public lake. A Z-Man green pumpkin/orange 2.5 inch ZinkerZ Ned rig caught one and a Z-Man coconut ice glow Shad FryZ caught the second. This lake is reputed to have crappie, but none were found in the 41-43 degree cold water on this blustery day. Kudos to fishfindermounts.com for the portable mounting solution for float tubes. I'm still using a Humminbird 197c finder to locate underwater structure in unknown waters; it really helps. This destination is really close to home and will definitely be on the agenda quite a few times this season. Rudie Tootie has a wind blown cameo for his fans.Enjoy the show!
Strategies, Planning and Tips for Fishing Success: Mid-February Bass in West Central Missouri Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-02-20 | As we all know, fishing success can be hit and miss at times. Weather conditions, water conditions, baro pressure and time of year are among the variables that should be considered in advance, if possible. The ups and downs ("That's why it's called fishing, not catching."), can sometimes be mitigated (No Skunkin') with a bit of advance planning. Choosing which rods/reels, terminal tackle and potential lures and techniques to use are all part of the puzzle . Using a Plan A-Plan B strategy, this mid-February, cold water, float tube adventure resulted in a really good, 20+ inch, Largemouth Bass being enticed by a Z-Man 3-inch Slim SwimZ mounted on a Z-Man Micro Chatterbait. My first real BFS attempt (ultra light casting rod; 4 lb line) was a flop, but the story is far from over. The fish were asleep on this particular outing.Rudie and Leila have a lovey-dovey Valentine's Day smooch festival cameo.Sparky gets a nice Christmas Present for his Phoenix "Punisher."Enjoy the show!
LarvaZ and Slim SwimZ - Food and Fun in a Pink Paradise Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-02-15 | This is the Part 2 companion piece/second half to the Green Pumpkin LarvaZ trip released earlier. It features the Z-Man LarvaZ and Slim SwimZ in Pink Glow Color. I doubt that there's any live larvae running around in the cold, 7 February water in West Central Missouri just a few days after a second ice-out, but for some crazy reason the fish were biting really well. The bass went crazy for the Pink Glow LarvaZ on a 1/30 oz Micro Finesse jig head. Quite a few were found very shallow (less than 5 ft) with plump tummies suggesting they were already in pre-spawn.Some nice crappie showed up and were interested in a moving bait. 3-inch Slim SwimZ on a 1/8 oz Mushroom jig head worked well...hard to keep the nuisance bass off though!Rudie, Leila and KC the Cockatiel all show up to make the video a pet-friendly lollapolooza.Enjoy the show!
Micro Finesse LarvaZ Performance Review - Ultra Lite Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-02-09 | Topic: 1-3/4 inch LarvaZ (Part 1). Having had previous success with the other three Micro Finesse lures introduced by Z-Man in 2022, the last tiny lure to test was the 1-3/4 inch LarvaZ. This video spotlights the Green Pumpkin colored LarvaZ mounted on a 1/30 oz Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. A companion video, coming soon, demonstrates the success Pink Glow colored ones. Conclusion: the LarvaZ performed surprisingly well for bass in cold, early February, West-Central Missouri water. Rudie Tootie shows his "wings" and does tricks for his fans, too!Enjoy the Show!
Late January Snow Bass Love Pink Glow Slim SwimZ Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-02-04 | In this short, two hour, 25 January (probably the last outing of the month) adventure, the bass in a Henry County, MO MDC pond were active and feisty in the cold water. A 2.5 inch Z-Man Slim SwimZ, fished slowly in approximately 6-8 feet of water did a great job of alluring and extracting a goodly number of bass. After using Pink Glow Shad FryZ very successfully several times in the past couple of months, it was time to see if the Slim SwimZ had the same mojo. Indeed they did. So, of course I just ordered a supply of Pink Glow 3 inch Slim SwimZ and 3 inch MinnowZ! It will be fun to see if this color will produce in the mud stained ponds after spring rains as well as it does in the clearer, colder water. Spring is only 65 days away but a deep freeze weather pattern is arriving shortly and will result in another ice-out. Oh, well, after all it is winter. Time to sort and clean equipment.Enjoy the show!
Late January BIG BASS in Cold Water Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-01-27 | In this 20 January 2023 adventure to a 140 ac MDC lake in Layfayette County, MO, a "Stanger" Mod (Z-Man Bang StickZ shortened to 4" on a 1/8 oz Stinger jig) enticed a very nice 22 inch LMB. One other smaller bass was hooked but managed to jump off before extraction. This lake has an excellent population of nice bass that I've allured in the past abiding in the summertime hydrilla and pond weeds. There are also reportedly lots of crappie as well as Redear and Bluegill. It will be a very nice, warm water destination now that we are so close - only 32 miles from home!Rudie has a celebratory cameo where he sings (howls) for the big bass.Sparky was AWOL during the filming of this adventure.Enjoy the show!
Mid-January Bass (Micro Finesse) Shad FryZ and Micro TRD Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-01-21 | In this 17 January outing to a 25 ac MDC pond in Johnson County, Missouri, a school of bass were found abiding in fairly shallow lair in 41 degree water. A goodly number were enticed into engulfing Z-Man Shad FryZ and a Micro TRD. A variation of BFS was employed, thoroughly pleasing to my buddy Dave R, with the use of Ultra-Light, Zero power rods. The most prolific extractor was a Z-Man Shad FryZ in Coconut Ice Glow color. This lake is reasonably close to home, has great access (and no mud) and should be really good for top water plundering when the water warms due to the expanse of the shallows festooned with lily pads. Leila and Rudie show up and show off tails and ears for their fans.Enjoy the show!
Early Jan 23 Bass - Z-Man FattyZ and Bang StickZ Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-01-14 | This video showcases a Z-Man FattyZ and Z-Man Bang StickZ in the cold waters of two public MDC ponds during the first week of January 2023. It features the TT ChinlockZ hook and Neko ShroomZ rigging techniques. Cooperative bass were abiding near areas adorned with hydrilla and lily pad stems. Grandaughter "Doc" Allen and Loki provide a cute cameo. Sparky was not physically injured during the making of this video and it is likely that he had a successful spawn during the full moon - hahaha. :)Enjoy the show!
Varmints On Ice - January O.G. Ned Rigs for Bass Show-Me Fish Tales 2023-01-05 | This January 2 bass fishing excursion took place at a public pond in Henry County, Missouri, shortly after the end of winter storm Eliott. Even after many days of mild weather after the storm, the pond was at least 50% iced over at 9 a.m. However, in just a few hours, a great deal of the ice had melted and hungry bass jumped all over a Green Pumpkin Varmint. The Varmint was the pre-cursor to Z-Man TRD Ned rigs and is constructed by cutting a 5" ZinkerZ roughly in two and super gluing the roughly 2.5" pieces onto mushroom "Ned Head" jigheads. A goodly number of bass (est 25+) came to hand by slowly fishing the Varmint along the edges of hydrilla beds in 5-10 ft of water. A brief recap of winter storm Elliott (20-24 Dec) is included. This sub-zero temperatures from this storm was really rough on the pups, especially "Old Man" Winkie. Enjoy the show!
The O.G. Ned Rig Strip Pit Fishing Show - featuring 2.75 TRDs Show-Me Fish Tales 2022-12-25 | In what is very likely the last fishing excursion of 2022 because of impending foul weather, an "old-fashioned" Finesse fishing excursion to a Henry County, MO strip was loads of fun.This video is dedicated to my friend Dave Reeves from Lansing, Kansas. Dave introduced me to the whole finesse fishing genre using Varmint (2.5" Z-Man ZinkerZ) on Table Rock lake several years ago. Dave is also the artisan who makes the mushroom jig heads used in the video.Leave a comment if you are interested in purchasing some of his 1/16th or 1/8 oz jig heads and I'll let you know how to proceed.This OG Ned Rig show was a Mr. B extravaganza. The fish preferred ZinkerZ with greenish colors and were found all over the place. It was very interesting to find a lot of them in less than 5 feet of water.Leila makes a cute cameo running around with her "baby."Sparky is AWOL. :)Enjoy the show and Merry Christmas!
