Ham

Sharing information is great. I went, I had this weather, these patterns worked or I tried this and it didn't work, WATER TEMP, interesting odds and ends. I object to specific areas or locations. I feel those can bring to much pressure to bear on specific places. Theodosia Arm of Bull Shoals is vague enough. Those Big Rocks on the main lake point right outside of Pnotiac is too specific IMO. When I work something out by myself through trial and error , I HATE to see that information vomited up for everyone else's consumption. You get lots oof company on "your" fish.

I would dearly love to see a Hellbender in the wild. I have given up smallie fishing time to search for them in the past and will likely do so again. PLEASE keep information about Hellbenders in streams quiet. Illegal collectors could wipe out a population in a creek. Interesting to hear MDC is raising them. I really expect the Ozark Hellbender to slowly become extinct. The Hellbenders along the East Coast should hang on longer.

Phil has done a great job with his maps and articles on Taney. He almost always has VERY updated fishing reports and has all kinds of stuff in stock at the store. I like jerkbaits and jigs to select for fewer bites, but bigger fish. In line spinners and spoons will draw strikes (and lots of them) from the stocker brigade. Phil Lilley can and almost certainly will give you all the help you need.

http://www.agfc.com/wildlife-conservation/...-bass-fish.aspx Yellow Bass on the Sabine River in the spring are plentiful and large enough to bother with keeping.

10-12 POUND MONO OR CO-POLY, MODERATE SPEED GRAPHITE ROD 5:1 BAITCASTING REEL

Hey Bill, I think it is because the Yellow Bass are so small compared to White Bass that people throw all the yellows back and keep the Whites. In some places, the yellow run so small as to hardly be worth cleaning. But my Dad swears they are almost as good as crappie IF you eat them fresh NEVER frozen AND don't mix them with crappie. Eat one or the other, but they are stronger tasting if you try to eat a mixed bag. Beware : Yellows are awful pokey fins and SHARP gill plates. Your hands will be sore the next day.

http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=39 To Look at Yellow Perch http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=76 To Look at Yellow Bass

WOW, I'll have to change my opinions about the AGFC if they have Yellow Perch confused with Yellow Bass. I have been somewhat surprized we don't have Yellow Bass up here along with the White Bass. Yellow Bass look very much like White Bass except they are smaller and oddly enough have a lemony yellow tint to their silverish sides. Yellow Perch look more like a walleye than they do a White Bass. My Dad swears that Yellow Bass taste a LOT better than White Bass. I'll don't keep White Bass because they taste pretty strong to me. I'm with Wayne on this one that I think a handful of Yellow Perch came in with walleye some time ago and the prolific little buggers are established now.

Thank You for the tips. I think I better understand what you are talking about at this point. My electronics aren't great, but I think I can find what you talking about with them. As far as the Yellow Perch. If AGFC did noty stock them, then there is likely not any regulation on them as for as size or creel limits. I hear they are good eating. It's been 20 years since I have caught any of those (Ontario). Come on Springtime.

I'm not sure I know what you mean by channel swing rolloffs or maybe I'm sure I don't know what you mean. I think I could find them IF I knew what you mean. Also I wanted to make sure of what you meant by "yellow perch". Are you talking about a panfish that is hugely popular up north? It is NOT native so I guess they stocked it when they stocked walleye. Or is " yellow perch" a generic local term for some type of sunfish? Sounds like ya'll really caught em, and I hope to fish that area in March or April.

I've been expecting the real world economic issues to start impacting tournament fishing. I'm surprized it didn't hit sooner and harder.

Sounds like a reason for some civil disobedience. I wish I liked the way trout taste because I sure wouldn't feel bad about keeping a limit. I'm just too tender hearted to kill smallies and spots. Give me a 12 inch min on Largemouth bass and I'll keep a limit a trip. I need to learn how to catch crappie up here.

If Crooked Creek is not up and muddy, I would imagine you could coax a few bites even in the DEAD of winter. Personally, I've got better things to do like go catch 50 trout on the White River. I'm sure there are places to stay. Try contacting the Yelvillie C of C, but Yelville is only 30 minutes away from Mountain Home which would give you a lot more options.

I have a Glock 9 MM ( Model 17 I think). I really like it. The only Glocks that I have heard failing are the .40. Those failures are related to handloaded "HOT" rounds. I'm holding out for a 1911 style .45 ACP. At some point, I'll have a pretty Kimber too. There are so many guns I'd like to own, but I seem to always choose more fishing gear first.

They are a very nicely made marabou jig. He makes Micros as well, but my bread and butter has been the 1/8 oz thrown on 6 lb co-poly. They flat out produce on the Norfork and the White River below BSD. Good colors and a GOOD hook. Goggle Zig Jig. Not trying to pimp his product. I'll give it a shot on Taney here before too long.

Hey Lilley, You guys ever use Zig Jigs or do ya'll stick with the micro jigs?

No BWO? No emergers? No mention of Y2K? No trout crack? No BH GRHE? Ditto in Zebra midge. SJW in 12 and 18 Hoppers Soft Hackles

Find someone to go with you that has experience and can show you the ropes. I'm not sure where you're located, but take a look at the Rim Shoals website. There is a gentleman named Henry that goes out with folks for a MINIMAL fee that would help you a BUNCH. When conditions are half right at Rim, you'll catch a BUNCH of fish.

Hey John, have the new size regs gone into effect for Brown Trout? Trout ate jigs and jerkbaits for me this morning in the Cotter area.

I thow a 4 inch tube on a 1/4 oz weedless jighead. I am using mostly heavy bodied tubes like Bass Pro's 4 inch Mag Flipping Tube. If I throw a tube, I'm looking for a little bit better sized fish. I have lots of smaller plastics I fish on ML if I am looking for numbers. My favorite colors are almost always greens and browns with various glitters. I always look at water color and amount of available light. I don't like to t rig my tubes, but the old Shaw Grisby HP hook will let you t rig any size tube. Someone is most likely still offering a hook like that.

Sounds about right. I don't think you need fluro for tubes, but that's your call. You could use a MH for tubes especially if you are using the BIG multi-dip ones. A medium should do for most tubes. A ML woould for for exposed hook jigheads, but I prefer the Medium.

We fish for fun and Blue Herons fish to survive. It would be pretty crappy to whack a Blue Heron because you want to "help" the Browns. If you want to help the Brown Trout, give up trout fishing. That's the only way to make sure you don't kill any accidentily. There are thousands of trout in the Lake. Plenty to share with the birds and other wildlife. Truth be told, there are most likely too many fish in Taney and a certain level of predation and catch and kill fishing is NEEDED to keep things in balance.

Cajun Angler busted on me for not mentioning prices of the two rods I am using. Both of those rods retail for around $180. I would agree that less expensive stiks can get it done. The two rods I mentioned are definitely in that range where you are throwing more and more dollars for less and less difference in quality. I love the St Croix Premiers also and they are in the $100 range or so. I went with the Avids because of a better warranty and because they have an "extra fast" action. The Avids are also lighter and have a little better balance. Better gear IS NOT a substitute for time on the water. An experienced fisherman with crap for gear will outfish a total beginner with he best that could possibly be bought. HOWEVER if you are gonna fish and it matters to you, you owe it to yourself to get away from the lower end combos. I kind of think that price break point is around $150 for baitcaster combos and around $120 for spinning combos. Guys will go buy 3 baitcaster combos that were $60 each and still not have a decent functional outfit in the bunch. They could have taken the same money and gotten something really nice. Rods and reels with care are going to last you years. Add one good combo a year and soon you have more good stuff than you have time to fish with.

I've literally got a boatload and I'm sure they'll all catch fish. I feel most confident when throwing a jig with a Zoom Super Chunk Jr. I also use twin tail grubs, Zoom Swimming Chunks, and small craw imitations. I've played the pork gane in the past and I have certainly caught fish with jig and pig, but I don't feel pork is necessary.

I've got two I like a bunch. I just got an Falcon Cara T7 Eakins rod ( 6'10" MH). I also have a St Croix Avid 7' MH Extra Fast (AC70MHXF). I've been using 3/8 oz and 1/2 oz jigs with 15-17 pound line. Pretty good combos. I really can't blame my gear. I have also heard a lot of positives about the Johnny Morris Signature series, but I don't know the model number. It was the MH 6'10". 6'6" is a good length and I like it in a lot of rods, but for the application I prefer 6'8" to 7' 4" or so.