Another Newbie From St. Louis

[MattTucker]

Somebody left the door open, so another newbie walked in. My name is Matt Tucker from Byrnes Mill, Missouri (about 30 minutes southwest of downtown St. Louis). Been doing a lot of research before I embark on my first smoker build, which is going to start soon. I will start a separate build thread to share some photos of the process. When I am not cooking, I can be found in my drift boat on an ozark trout stream with either a fly rod or a camera in my hand. You can check out my blog from chasing ozark trout on the fly at www.ozarkchronicles.com and I am also on the book of face. Looking forward to learning and sharing with the community.

--Matt Tucker

[Miketheforester]

Welcome to the party. Feel free to ask any questions that you might come up with. Also, if you are going somewhere to float on an Ozark stream you are probably going right through the HQ neck of the woods and ought to stop in sometime.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I847 using Tapatalk 2

[Gizmo]

Welcome Matt!

[The Czar]

Welcome for sure!!

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[SmokinFF]

Welcome from across the county line. This place is great. I think you'll like it.

[Clover Ridge Smokers]

Welcome. Glad you found us.

[Smokeone]

Glad you joined us.
Yep you are gonna have to journey to HQ, or better yet HQ may have to journey to your "office."

[MattTucker]

Yep you are gonna have to journey to HQn

I will start driving through Rolla pretty much every other weekend on my way south to fish. Might just have to do that.

[Frank_Cox]

Welcome Matt! I know those streams well myself. I used to do the fly fishing thing few years back. Been wanting to start up again now that my son is 9.
Stop by HQ for sure!

[Rodcrafter]

Matt, we look forward to build and fishing reports. hehe

[MattTucker]

Been wanting to start up again now that my son is 9.

I fish with my 11yo daughter as often as i can. There is a REALLY COOL place just across the border in Arkansas called Dry Run Creek at the base of Norfork Lake Dam. It is for kids under the age of 16 and for mobility impaired adults. It is a special place, that is completely free to fish. My daughter has caught some pigs there. Here is a link to some of the blog reports from our trips there.

Thanks for the warm welcome guys.

[Clover Ridge Smokers]

Nothing like fishing with your kids. I take mine as often as I can.

[Gizmo]

I tried fishing with my son once when he was little.
He got bored and took the casting reel apart to see how it worked…..
We still had a great time though….

[Clover Ridge Smokers]

Sounds like a chip off the ole block there Rick.

[Rodcrafter]

That made me laugh. Sorry, Rick it was sort of at your expense.

[Gizmo]

Ever try reeling in an 4 pound fish with a casting reel that's in a hundred pieces in the lid of the tackle box?

[Rodcrafter]

Not yet.

I did hold the reel and did the cranking while my son held the rod. He had a 8.5 lb bass on, I didn't think it was that big but after a little while I noticed he wasn't gaining any ground on it and told him to tighten the drag. He did and as soon as he did the reel hit the first guide and all he could do was hold on to the rod, so I helped crank it in. It was one for the books, so I had it mounted for him. Too funny.

[Gizmo]

GOOD TIMES!

[Rodcrafter]