Jump to content

DavidB

Members
  • Posts

    76
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by DavidB

  1. Bill, I haven't made the jump to FFS, although many here on Toledo Bend have, and I know it would be helpful on our upcoming 42nd annual trip to The Rock. Can you talk a bit about the learning curve for a FFS sonar newbie? DavidB
  2. You might try Happy Hollow, on Long Creek across from Big Cedar. Nice, clean cabins with their own launch. I'm sure there's no problem with leaving your boat on your trailer, although we prefer to leave ours in a boat slip at their marina. Very convenient.
  3. I assume that my experience with the Ghost's spotlock is similar to that with Garmin or MinnKota. If I hit spotlock while moving, it will immediately return to where I engaged it. The faster I'm going when I engage spotlock, the more likely I am to be thrown off balance. Advancing age might have something to do with that😎.
  4. If you have Lowrance electronics, the Ghost is a great motor. It will operate on 24v or 36v, is easy on the batteries, and is very quiet. Mine is mounted on a 19 1/2 ft. Skeeter, and offers far more power than I use on 24v. My primary reason for replacing my Motorguide was the Ghost's spotlock feature. I've been very impressed with how quietly, and how well it works when on spotlock. Used the feature a lot during our week on Table Rock, last month.
  5. Thanks for the suggestion, Bill. We're on our 4th resort since 1982. The others were bulldozed or bought out by BPS. We've been staying at Happy Hollow now for several years, and it's a very nice place to stay--our home away from home. We finally learned how to target smallmouth after several years of Toledo Bend power fishing. We don't catch the size we did then, but chasing smallmouth has been a blast! I would hate to leave the dam area if it meant fewer smallmouth. Catching them makes our trip from Louisiana special.
  6. Thanks as always, Bill. That's a regular tutorial. I'd bring you another Cajun basket if you hadn't run off to Shell Knob😊
  7. This forum is such a great resource. Can you talk a bit about the versatility of the Keitech? Size of jig head? Hugging bottom or steady retrieve for suspended fish? It's not a method that we use very much on Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn, but I would like to give it a try if it's likely to be productive the last week of April.
  8. There are very few wake boats on Toledo Bend, thank goodness! There are a lot of pontoon boats that are used, primarily, for crappie (sac-a-lait) fishing. If any of you come to Toledo, you might want to book a crappie guide for a day. The lake is loaded with them, and there are numerous guides available. Having said that about Toledo Bend, our group from Louisiana began spending a week on Table Rock in 1982. We love the beauty of the lake, and always catch a lot of fish. The smallmouth and "football" spots are special. See you in April!
  9. You could come to Toledo Bend instead. Over 30 fish over 10 lbs. weighed at certified scales since January 1st, including one over 15 lbs. and another over 14 lbs. We're in the middle of the spawning cycle. Grass has returned to large parts of the lake, and the fishing is the best in several years.
  10. At the risk of exhausting a topic, allow me to add that many of the guides on Toledo Bend have shifted from bass fishing to crappie. There are numerous guides on the lake with pontoon boats, who have scattered hundreds of brush piles around Toledo's 186,000 acres. Locating and catching crappie from the brush piles, using GPS and FFS, is far easier for them than chasing largemouth and spots, and makes for a more reliable payday. This scenario has played out for several years now, and the crappie population seems to be holding up well. They're extremely prolific. We do have an issue with far too many bass fishermen keeping their catch, with too many keeping undersized (14" limit) fish. We have very little on the water enforcement, unfortunately. Toledo can be tough, but the 10 pounders show up in numbers every year, if you care to come and try your luck! See you on the water again this April. Can't wait!
  11. It's a great, relaxing trip. A group of us from Louisiana who spend a week on Table Rock every April, have made two September trips to Sturgeon Bay. As Champ stated, the fish will rip the rods out of your hands. They have "shoulders", and 4 and 5 pounders are common, with an occasional 6. It can be very rough on the Green Bay side or on Lake Michigan, but the guides take the wind into account and trailer to areas that are at least moderate. Our first trip, we spent a very rough day on a point on Lake Michigan, but it was our best day of fishing, over heavy rock 5-10 feet deep, with swim baits. The small villages are just a few miles apart on the peninsula, and are worth the visit. Nice shops and restaurants in each one. We found the people to be warm and friendly, much like all of you when we visit the Rock, each year. Hope some of you get a chance to go. We used Dale Stroschein's guide service both times we went, by the way, and hope to go and use them again.
  12. Keep that up, Bobby, and you can become an honorary Cajun!
  13. You're the man! I hate to even think about pushing that barb through. I backed one out years ago on Toledo Bend, and it was not easy. Had it happen again a few years later, and the Emergency Room seemed like a much better option.
  14. Wow! I can only dream of having the set-ups mentioned by your buddy! I would start with a unit that would be mounted at the console, but that I could later move to the bow when I make the jump to Active Target. I doubt that I will go larger than a 9" unit, although that plan could change. I'll continue to use a Gen 2 unit at the other location. I really appreciate your input, as well as input from other Ozark Anglers.
  15. Happy New Year to all of you hearty souls who will be out with a jerkbait this winter on my favorite fishing hole! I think I'll stay in Louisiana for now, although you sent some of your weather South for a 28 degree morning today in Southwest Louisiana. Brrr! Bill, I read your piece on Lowrance Electronics with interest. I have two Gen 2 HDS units that are OK, but at least one needs to be replaced since I sprang for a Lowrance Ghost last January. It's a great motor, by the way, easy to deploy and stow, and the spot lock (the reason for the purchase) makes it worth the money. It's extremely quiet, and easy on the batteries. Getting around to my question, have you had a chance to compare the new HDS units with the new Elite FS units? There's a considerable difference in cost, and I'm leaning toward an Elite FS 9" model. What are your thoughts?
  16. I have several Duckett rods, and really like their light weight. The actions are a little softer than their rating, but as long as you're aware of that, they're good rods with this exception: Champ's observation about the micro guides hit home with me. I've had to replace several with a rod builder on Toledo Bend. He told me that he replaces twice as many Duckett guides as for all other road brands combined.
  17. Georgia waited too late to bring pressure, and fell too far behind. They're not designed to play catch-up. They gave up more yardage in the first half than LSU or Auburn gave up the entire game. Bringing the house against Bama is high risk, with single coverage on their racehorse receivers, but it's the only way to play them.
  18. I've had a Ghost on my Skeeter 200TZX (19+ ft.) since January. It got a good work-out during our week on Table Rock in April this year, and on Toledo Bend since. It's set on 24 volts, and has more power than I need. I rarely run it at over 4 speed. It uses very little juice, and. is easy to deploy and stow. I replaced a Motorguide X-5 because of the Ghost's spot lock, which maintains the boat dead-on. Several buddies have mentioned how quiet the motor is. I have no complaints so far.
  19. I have no experience with the Garmin, but replaced my Motorguide X-5 (a fine motor) with a Ghost in January. I haven't used the remote, so I can't comment on that, but I love the motor. The foot pedal is very easy to use--very responsive. It requires much less effort than the Motorguide. My boat is a Skeeter 200TZX, and the Ghost is pulling 24 volts. The power is impressive, it's very quiet, and it's rarely necessary for me to go beyond 4th speed. One advantage of the Ghost, however, is that it's compatible with 24v or 36v if you require more power. Your choice, without having to change motors. My electronics are older generation Lowrance, so I'm unable to take advantage of many of the features. I hope to change that soon!
  20. What a great trip! Makes me even more eager for our next trip to beautiful Table Rock.
  21. Thanks to all for your replies. Part of our group from Southwest Louisiana will be there this week, so we’ll get reports from them before our group arrives on the 24th. This is such a fine forum. I’ve followed it for years, and all of you provide such useful information. Table Rock is a treasure, and we’ve seen the fishery evolve in a positive way since we first came in 1982. Love the smallmouth!!!
  22. Our annual group trip to Table Rock begins on April 24th. We make the trek every year around this time, and it's been something we look forward to since our first trip in 1982. We fish the Long Creek area, from the Arkansas line to around Point 1. I've read and heard about widespread issues with slime this year. Are the reports correct? If so, can you recommend areas where it's not so prevalent? Thanks in advance for any input. Table Rock is special!
  23. My buddies and I have been coming to Table Rock for over 35 years, to spend a week in late April. Toledo Bend is our home lake. I agree with Bill that Table Rock fishes large. The main lake areas are relatively narrow, and it has a incredible amount of shoreline to cover. We've never felt crowded on your beautiful lake, unlike Toledo Bend where you often feel like you need entry passes to fish your favorite areas. Having said that, if you want to take a chance on a double-digit bass, come on down!
  24. Thought y'all might be interested in this photo from the approach to Pendleton Bridge, on Toledo Bend. Brrr! We're not used to weather like this. Y'all didn't have to send it our way!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.