nxs

Run down again on Thursday didn't graph as much as the trip before. Water temp was about 46* I think. Ralph caught a few black bass on minnows with the biggest going a little over 15". I had a couple of nice crappie on a s/m and that was it. The bass were in 14' to 18' of water and the crappie came out of 8'. Bites were light and hard to come by.

WE never got down as far as Mays Bend mostly up around Cedar. I just don't get down there enough to know the lake. Know I've seen Snap Hollow on a map somewhere but can't find it this morning. Wife and I drove down to K dock ramp one time a few years ago and it looked pretty short on parking at that time and there was no dock like I understand they have now. It's on the list of places to go hopefully this winter. One thing I noticed on some of those surfacing crappie that when they went down they just barley had the shad by the tail, (we were pretty close to some of them). We caught a couple of perch too so sure they were picking at the tails. Most of what we caught were in less than 14' of water and for the most part wanted the s/m just barely moving just off the bottom.

Our first trip down this year. Water was low. Temp was running about 49* Not many out, only 2 at the ramp and they left just before us. Graphed lots of fish but was hard to get them to bite. We only had 4 keeper crappie, 2 just over 13" and the other 2 were just legal. several shorts. Ralph did catch a really nice white late in the day. Between us we probably had a dozen black bass most around the 12" range. Sure chunky. The swimming minnow worked best for us but they wanted to short hit it so we missed alot of fish. Should have had a lot more in the livewell. What we thought were whites chasing shad on the surface turned out to be big crappie, probably should have tried something top water but just wasn't thinking about it at the time. Anway we had a super day for this time of year. Merry Christmas and a better New Year to everyone!!!!!

You had a better day than we did. Ours were short biters for the most part chewed the tails up on the s/m. Sure couldn't complain about the weather for this time of year.

Got the boat hooked up and going to head that way in the morning. Try and get in between the rush traffic into Springfield and the construction projects so won't be too early. Always like fishing down there just don't get there enough and it's always like new water too us. Everyone have a Merry Christmas and save a little of that New Year cheer for the morning after!

Any Crappie or Walleye being caught in that area. Wanting to head down there maybe tuesday if I can pry Ralph away from the coffee pot and the stove. Marty, Mike if you can get away give me a holler. Doubt if Billy will make it, with it being a fly day.

anyone fighting the wind yesterday deserved a big limit! Were there many boats out?

I've a friend that has been doing well on the walleye last couple of weeks and he's been fishing a lot shallower than we have but later in the day. That's the main reason we were going to stay later than usual. He says they're still coming up to feed. I imagine this cold weather will change things. Know it will keep me home.

The wally's have been real scarce for us and that was why we were going to stay a little later. Seems really unusual to not pick up one now and then around the crappie. Atleast everyone was scattered out a little and not bunched up one on top of the other.

We didn't get in too big a hurry to get there yesterday as we were planning on fishing some after dark. Several there by the time we hit the ramp at Ruark. Most of the places we fish had 1 or more boats sitting on them. Run on up into Sons Creek and found a brushpile that was deserted. Graphing lots of fish but not biting then found a little 20' strip where they'd hit a minnow when we drifted over it. We had 4 keepers and 7 shorts when we realized the start battery was dead. Apparently the tilt switch on the 9.9 was stuck in the up position and being hard of hearing I didn't realize it. Didn't take long to drain the battery. got the jumpers out and the supposedly copper ends were so corroded we couldn't get a jump thru them so had to pull a t/m battery out. By this time we decided to just head for the house. Water was running 46* and the bite was lite so you had to be ready or you missed it. 20' to 25' of water seemed to be where they were holding, about 2' to 4' off the bottom. Was good to get back out even for a short trip.

PD I hear you all have been a bad boy

I don't like fishing deep water (more than 20') but it's getting to be that time of year. We tried jigging spoons at a couple of places but didn't do us any good. Heads up for Monday. I've got 2 Dr. appt.s that day so the weather should be really nice.

Again we found it tough to put fish in the livewell. Only had 4 keeper crappie. Probably twice that many shorts, 2-14" walleye, 2-14" blk bass and several smaller blks. Graphed fish right on the bottom at 12' to 20' depending on where you were at. Places we had been catching keepers were still bare. About half and half on minnows or jigs. Both walleye were caught on a jig. We went up into the Big Sac arm farther than we usually go but any place we found fish on the graph we'd catch 1 or maybe 2 and that would pretty much be it. Water temp was 58* when we got there and about 61* when we left.

PM sent

We're planning on doing some trips down your way this winter maybe we can all meet some where one morning when you're not quite so busy, and wet a hook or two. Ralph retired last winter and fishes way more than me. I just can't go as much as I want. I hear you about the not catching. We fought a losing battle last year at Stockton for some reason but have changed things a little and it's a bunch better this year. Is Jonesey still out fish'n??

Hey Marty. You ever get off the Rock?? Stockton has been making us work this year.

Hunter did you all have your seat belt on?? it must have been a rough ride yesterday

Put in at Ruark again. Went to where we had been finding crappie in past. Still showing plenty of fish on graph. We had 9 keepers before noon with about that many shorts. More shorts to keepers than in the past. Still on minnows about 14 1/2'. Did catch a couple of short blacks on jigs. About noon someone thru the switch and the bite was gone. Stayed with it for an hour and no more so moved to another cove. Found several short blacks and in the next cove found a few crappie, these were in about 19' of water. I don't think we had a keeper crappie on jigs all day. Ended up the day with 12 keepers and 1 large perch. Probably had that many or more short crappie. Seem to be more people on the water yesterday and most weren't staying in one spot long. Sometimes we stay too long. Water temp 69*

Put in at Ruark again. Crappie still holding about same place and depth. Mostly around 14 & 1/2', still on minnows drifted around. Brought 25 home. Not many shorts. We did have one 12" walleye but no keepers. Bite was not as aggressive today as in the past.

We got a late start but not many out and around maybe a doz or so at the Ruark Ramp. For the most part they still wanted minnows drifted around but did pick up a couple on jigs this trip. They shut off on us early in the afternoon so we decided to go check out some other places and we're for the most part still not finding Crappie where we usually do. Went back later and picked up a few more at the first spot. Brought home 22 most running around 11"+, then smaller ones later in the day. A gentleman at the ramp said they had caught a doz or so walleye but all running around 14" Planning on heading back up Friday

We went Thursday out of Ruark. Late getting started about 10am or so. Hit a couple of places that did well for us in the past but nothing. Lots of boats heading up into Sons Creek so we went back up into the Big Sac Arm. Second cove we checked we found crappie out in 14-1/2' to 15-1/2' of water. Close or right on the bottom. They'd only hit minnows about 2' off the bottom. Didn't want any kind of jigs or plastics. They stayed in the general area but you had to follow them on the graph. They just shut off about 4pm so we left. Had 21 keepers and probably caught about that many shorts. For whatever reason the shad were staying down, we had a couple puke up shad in the boat. Nice green fish clf989s

Usually been feast or famine for us with the walleye. Seems to be more shorts this year than in the past so looks like the population is doing well. The Conservation agent said they had released walleye this year when he checked us a couple of weeks ago. Nice young feller kinda surprised us when he got in the boat and checked lunch boxes, just glanced in the livewell. Not sure what he was looking for but guess he didn't find it.

We fished some roadrunners earlier this year but didn't do much with them. Seems for us anyway that they want the jig on the bottom and fished really slow. Usually not much paint left on the head if we don't get hung up and lose it and this was one of those days. Think I retied more than I usually do in 2 trips. We went around to some trees and cover while waiting for the wind to lay down and caught a couple of the shorts, but they both come on minnows. Nitro did you all catch any walleye on the roadrunners??

Put in at the south ramp at Cedar and went up towards Maze Creek. Really nice out with a lite breeze and cloud cover. Found Crappie on a rocky point in about 13 fow. As the wind got up later in the day the t/m battery's went south on us. We had to leave and go where the wind wasn't as strong. Did not do well elsewhere so when the wind laid some we went back. Caught a couple more and then they just quit on us. Ended up with 14 keepers. Only had 4 or 5 shorts and 2 short wally's.

Nice trip Hunter. Weather isn't so hard to handle if you're catching fish. We're planning on heading up Wed.