February fishing is fantastic, be sure to bring a net

While some Missouri anglers may travel to warmer waters like Florida or south Texas, there are those who never quit fishing in the state no matter how cold it gets.

Some good fishing, especially for crappie, can be found at one of the marina or private docks from Smithville to Table Rock.

There's always trout fishing at Taneycomo where many anglers consider February the best month to land a lunker trout.

Hank Huffman is one of the diehard anglers who doesn't spend the cold winter months cleaning out his tackle box or putting new line on his reels, he goes fishing.

"I can't wait for March 1 to go trout fishing in the trout parks, so I visit Taneycomo often during the winter and have taken some big fish. Years ago several trout anglers told me that you catch more bigger fish in February than any other month. I tried it and they were right. Several years ago, I caught limits of trout every day I fished in February including an 8-pound rainbow. I never could stay inside and wait for the good spring fishing," he said.

Recently, on one of the warmer days we have had this month, I hit a dock at Stockton and had some excellent fishing.

Using two chartreuse jigs, one about 18 inches above the other, I dropped the jigs in a small space between the dock. With Stockton 10 feet high, the crappie were deep.

After a few minutes I felt a slight tug on the 4-pound test line and I set the hook. Minutes later, I hauled in a one pound crappie, the start of a stringer of great eating fish.

After nearly an hour of fishing and 11 crappie on the stringer, I felt a different kind of bite. After setting the hook, I knew I had a big walleye. It took awhile to finally see the big fish and, without a net, I knew it was going to be a challenge to land the lunker.

Laying flat on the dock, I managed to get my hand on the fish, but it slipped away. I have long since learned not to put your hand in a walleye's mouth.

The fish swam under a boat, but came back out and I was able to get another hand on it.

All of a sudden, I heard the line snap and the walleye swam away with the button jig in its mouth.

A rope laying on the dock had caught the top jig and the fish used this advantage to get free and upset the angler.

I won't be going back without a net, especially after taking a lot of flack about going fishing without one.

I should have known better because a day earlier, I saw Earl and Delanna Long fishing at the same dock and Earl landed an 18 inch walleye and on his next cast, he landed a 26 inch walleye while his wife caught a four pounder, Of course, they had a net.

The Longs can be found nearly every day of the year catching crappie at Stockton. Although they are in their 80s and drive 50 miles from Sarcoxie to get to the lake, they catch crappie all year, sometimes even on Christmas day.

Small jigs are the lure of choice by winter crappie anglers. When nothing else works, Delanna puts Berkley's Crappie Nibbles on the hook and catches fish when others don't. Attractants like crappie candy do help catch winter crappie especially when fished very slow.

One of the best ways to fish for winter crappie is to use the lightest line you can find and a very small jig. Earl Long often uses thread instead of monofilament line.

While fishing at a dock recently, I noticed that one angler was about the only one not catching fish and after looking at his rig I soon knew why. He was using a catfish rod and reel with 14-pound test line and a one-ounce jig. His chance of catching a finicky fish was very remote.

As often happens, some winter crappie fishermen give up too fast. Before I started catching my limit of 15 fish last week, there was another angler who tried several spots and since he didn't get a bite, he headed for home. To be successful in winter crappie fishing and catching, an angler has to slow down and fish a spot where they know there are crappie. Also, be sure to take a net. You never know when a big fish might hit.