Ham

Thanks for the info Dano. The ramps are staying open on BSL. And ppl may step in to keep the parks open. The economy probably puts the plan to move the lake level from 654 to 659 on hold as well.

Read this again. He's right. Havings waders with you is a good idea because you'll have to get out of the boat to drag it thru some shallow spots.

I can safely take other folks to fish the Norfork at 6000 CFS, but I can't fish. I just run the boat . No promises that you'll get your bait back when you hang up. Some places are just tough dangerous to put the boat into.

Zig Jigs. Bass Pro Shops Mini Dad crank. Rooster tails. Thomas Bouyant spoons. Rapalas. F-7 or CD-7.

I got a piece of vinyl coated chain intended to be attached to an anchor on close out. Most of the vinyl is gone from rubbing on bottom, but it has enough color for me to visually locate it. I'd guess it is about 4 feet long and fairly heavy guage. It needs a certain heft to stay down. I'm NOT trying to slow myself down that much. I AM trying to keep the boat straight as I drift down. Much easier to fish that way. Some guys tie to the middle of the chain so that it forms a V point downstream. That seems like it would increase the number of times it hangs. I am tied from one end of the chain, Some guys wrap their chain in duct tape. Maybe it hangs less that way. Not sure. It would be quieter when bouncing on boat bottom. Do take care not to leave a wet chain on the bottom of your boat. The chain will rust and stain your boat's interior. I could easily take pictures of my drag chain. I'm terrible at uploading them here. Shoot me an email and I can forward you a photo or two, but there isn't anything magic about my setup.

I'm not GM, but I use a section of chain tied to a rope that it loop to loop connected to a bicycle inner tube. I have a 18 inch section of noodle that I split open over 1/2 of the innertube length. I have a heavy duty spring clip to attach to my bow eye. The inner tube acts as a shock absorber WHEN the drag chain gets hung. Which it will do from time to time. The noodle keeps the rope up if it somehow comes off the bowtie. Which has hapened one time when I let a buddy attach it for me. Make sure the rope is short enough that the the chain can't reach for prop or intake. I leave the chain out all day until I make the run to put it on the trailer. No muss no fuss. I often fish the White with a drag chain out ALL day solo on the White. I feel like it can be done in a safe and effective manner. no problems yet and the boat doesn't spin all the way down the river. The boat stays at almost the same speed as the river. I CAN NOT safely or effectively fish the Norfork alone. It seems like the generation on the Norfork has been an all or none deal the last few months. I'd love to fish the Norfork from my boat on about 1000 cfs, but it always seems to be 6000 cfs. The Norfork on 6000 CFS is a dangerous river to try to fish by yourself. Drag chains are illegal on the Norfork and it is a much tighter deal. Your mileage my vary.

Bring it. I do not believe 22K would be enough fish to hurt anything and it would increase my chance at an accidental GIANT on a topwater.

1) NEVER anchor in current. 2) Make sure you know how long it takes to get the motor started IF you are going to turn it off at all. 3) Be considerate with your wake and mindful of other boats even if they wipe their feet on you all day long. 4) Consider other boats drift BEFORE starting your own drift. ie don't run up 100 feet below another boat that is drifting and start drifting yourself. 5) Always consider obstructions down current from you carefully. Currents and wind can and will really screw you if you let them. Also watch for current disturbances that hint at objects just below the surface. 6) don't tie up a ramp when launching or loading OR WHEN ENTERTAINING GUIDE TRIPS. 7) wear your kill switch and a PFD when underway if not all day. John Berry has written multiple columns about boat control and proper boater behavior. Read them twice. Great stuff.

The Alabama rig certainly seems to be RED HOT, but I think the fish will get wise to it in fairly short order. That doesn't mean it won't have a place in the arsenal, but I doubet it will stay as effective long term as it seems to be now.

Wouldn't the moutain lions be much more likely to attack a deer rather than an elk?

I'm glad you managed a good trip out of tough conditions. I love fishing football jigs this time of year. The colder water really helps me simplify my offerings. Try a Zoom Super Chunk Jr as a trailer sometime. I really like it as a cold water jig trailer. I do not agree with your blanket statement of that jigs catch bigger fish, but I'm not going to try to change your mind. Be extra careful fishing alone in these cold weather/water conditions. No fish is worth dying for.

I hope there isn't a 10 HP limit. I've used my 20 HP jet there a fair amount.

About how much do these chips retail for nowadays? Are they brand specific? What are the advantages of using an add on chip over the regular built in maps in my combo GPS depthfinder unit?

I'd rather not. I made the mistake of trying to save money buy becoming a fly tyer. I can't imagine that I'm really going to come out ahead building rods.

I'm looking for suggestions for a couple of crappie rods. I want a rod designed to handle 4-8 lb line. I will be using 6 pound line the majority of the time. Light action NOT UL and NOT ML, I have both of those. I think I am looking for 6' to 7' rods. They don't have to both be the same. I could get a 6 footer for ease of use going under docks and a 7 footer for deeper watwer or wide open casting. I want to throw down to 1/32 oz up to 1/4 oz maybe and be sensitive enopugh to feel that thump. Most of the time I am fishing a 1/32 oz jighead with a Bobby Garland Baby Shad with controlled slack and a minimum of imparted action. I have pllenty of jiggin poles from my Louisiana days and I have n embarrasment of riches when it comes to spinning rods already, but I'm always looking to upgrade my gear. I'm not looking to spend money just to spend money, but I would buy something better if I was sure it was better. I am currently using a couple of almost 6 1/2 foot Shimano Aero rods which have long been discontinued by the manufacturer. They are the closest to what I want that I have found, but they are just a tiny bit heavy an action. I consider them to be ML rods that lean to L. Anybody found the perfect rod for doing what I do that you'd like to bragg on?

I've got a Dave hughes book that helped me, but you need time on the water more than anything else.

I can tell you with great confidence that scented lures and applied scents can make a night and day difference on some members of the panfish family. Bass and crappie I haven't seen it, but bluegill and others in that side of the familly will absolutely prefer a jig with a chunk of power grub over a jig without. The first product of that type I used was Berkley Strike. This was decades ago, but you would get a bite immediately after applying the thick liquid to a jig and dropping the jig into cover. The effect quickly washed away, but over and over and over again I got immediate bites after application. The frequency of reapplication made it non viable for me. Soon after Power Bait for panfish came along, and it worked almost as well with infinitely better durability.

Scent works on some species of fish for sure, but maybe not all. Power bait is absolutely lethal on trout. I'm 95% certain that the Power Bait stuff also works on some panfish species and catfish. Scents and scent impregnated baits work on the inshore saltwater fish that I have fished for. Bass, I'm not sure about. I'll use it rarely, but I haven't ever been SURE that thescentmade a difference.

I've heard that the water chemistry on the Spring River is not conducive to natural reproduction of the trout on that river. Have there been any studies of reproductive success by the trout done on that river?

glad to hear the walleye are starting to show up again. I was concerned because of the fish kill in that area in early fall. I usally add a little 0.030 lead wire. If I have to add beefier split rings or hooks, I'll just use less lead, but I understand the concern. Red's in Lakeview has replacement hooks for the Megabass 110's. Since the RC STX is a direct copy, you could try those hooks.

I don't have an opinion.

I would rather he had stayed as a Cardinal, but you can't blame a free agent when he chooses to leave. Cards maybe should have signed him to a 10 year deal at full market value 4 years ago, but at this point a 10 year deal for that player is a mistake AND I don't think anyone on this planet is worth that much money a year to do any job in the world. Bascially, I blame neither.

Real nice fish. Glad to hear the STX's work well. I look forward to an 8 dollar option that works. I may have bought my last 110, but I'm trying my very best to hang onto the 110's I have. I know a 110 works. I hope a STX works at least almost as well.

Very nice. Thanks Gavin!

It is a WHOLE lot easier to control your boat when you are running upstream against a fast current than it is to run downstream with a fast current. the downstream stuff is a white knuckle one shot deal.