Devan S.

I've got a 2004 or 2005 optimax 115. I'm not partial to anything specific....I'm likely never going to buy new so any sort of brand loyalty significantly reduces my options and likely increases my purchase price. I'm not into buying and re-powering to get a specific boat/motor combo. The reality is I'm fishing for fun so I pick my launch and put the miles on my truck. I like to fish the dark and the cold(i.e. when the pleasure boats are gone) so less time running and more time fishing is more important. I don't often run wide open....try not to go from zero to mach 2 in zero seconds.....and just cruise at a comfortable speed.....no hot foot so minimal adjustments to engine RPM. I literally treat it like I treat my tractor....except I don't just let it sit and idle.

Yeah.

Guy has caught so many big trout over the last couple months its un-real. I looked back and it looks like it was caught back in July right?

I honestly don't know about making it to the dam under no generation in a boat(parker bottoms might be tight as its a pretty easy wade across the shoals there). I don't see a bunch of boats running the upper sections while wading so I'd say no. 1 unit I'm sure you can in a river boat or jet no problem. Several trees and lay downs on up though. In my Xpress bass boat under no generation I run on plane to the 62 bridge, idle from there to the island at spider creek and use the trolling motor to go through the shoal on the left side. From there its trolling motor to the shallows below Clayborn Creek. Under 1 unit my trolling motor wont get through the shoal at spider creek. The water is deeper though so I think I could run it on plane but I'm not "buy a new lower unit" sure.

I've always just assumed the whites ran later than other warmer tributaries and by that time I've moved onto something else.

West side single day jigfest?

I've never figured out the white bass deal down there. I waded in the restricted area Saturday morning and caught 2-16" walleye.

This guy actually caught this fish I think last month. Pretty sure its still there as I saw another post last week of a guy catching a fish almost identical, released it too. I think AGFC stocked a bunch of brood stock this year in the tailwaters. Bunches of bigger rainbows showing up on facebook. The water is low and clear so their pretty easy to spot. The good news is most of these guys on facebook are saying they are releasing these bigger fish several 3-5lb fish getting caught and released often. The downside is I have not run into any of the bigger browns.

The ones in the spring pool at roaring river look rough too and they have been in there for awhile now. IDK if fins ect ever re-grow.

Its a real shame because I was hopeful Arkansas could take a late season shot at #1 and get the upset. That SEC gauntlet this year is tough. @willyfish any concern with Kentucky or the Gators?

exactly why I switched to baitcasting on big jerkers......

Interesting.....I guess I was ignorant of the whole number of pipelines. All I associated with was the Keystone XL which Biden shut down on day one and was all over the news. Just never made sense to me why we were supposedly independent but actively building a pipeline to get Canada's oil. Back when I hired welders/fitters/millwrights, guy's would take massive pay cuts to get off the "road" and be in a job where they could see their kids/families everyday. The pay sounds good until you start missing events or hearing rumors of what your wife/gf is doing when your gone. I would assume OTR trucking is very much the same way.

Many of these pipelines are bringing oil from Canadian tar sand fields into the USA, No? Keystone certainly was. I guess I'm confused on the whole "energy independent claims" but still building pipelines importing from other countries.

My lord......I've been out and just got in a flipped on the game.....Only saw the first drive by Georgia and the onslaught of penalties on Arkansas first drive. I really hoped for more....kudos to @willyfish you knew what was coming. Hopefully Arkansas can regroup and still get some wins against the mid-tier SEC teams.

That's how it should be but all of us know darn good and well that it doesn't always work that way especially if your talking about the corporate world. Sometimes the best way to get that reward is to jump ship.....which is exactly what a lot of people are doing right now.

I think many people have resigned to Alabama-Georgia for SEC title but I'm not sold yet. I think Arkansas, A&M, Auburn, and Florida may have something to say about any given Saturday.

As an Arkansas fan, I'm pretty happy with how things are going. Honestly I expected nothing more than improvement over last year and we're 2 solid wins ahead of that at this point. That being said.....we're 1 month from Georgia slipping by a Clemson team that, at the time, we thought would be a playoff team. Hindsight being 20/20 that win looks a whole lot less impressive than it did but still that 1st game can be a trap when its week 1. The wins of UAB and Vandy are what they are...much like Arkansas win over Georgia Southern. I think Texas(Big 12) is vastly over rated but A&M isn't a joke maybe over ranked but I think their certainly top 25 material. I'm personally giving Georgia the edge based on it being in Athens and Arkansas coming off the high of running the Texas tables but I think Vegas is high on the 18pt. favorite. Would not surprise me to be very close ball game into the 4th quarter when the depth of Georgia finally wears down Arkansas. FWIW I'm already sick of Arkansas fans on facebook. I'm already seeing things like #1 in the country based on strength of schedule of games played and all that malarky. Right now Arkansas looks vastly improved but until they knock of Gerogia or Alabama their still at best a mid-tier SEC team that's better than most other power 5 conferences teams. We're going to know a whole lot more after Saturday assuming major injuries don't reek havoc.

Hahaha you may be onto something. I know a couple people doing it.....I don't know if they make any good money at it....but their still working at the gas station.

I really think were going to see many industries begin to trim things we once took for granted. Walmart use to be open 24 hours. Locally it no longer is, have to wonder how profitable it was to close for 6 or 7 hours multiple that by the number of stores. Certainly easy to claim "trouble finding employees" but still turn it into a net profit +. Probably very similar with closed lobbies at FF.

Wonder how much of it was COVID induced layoffs/stipulations pulling older workers out of the workforce and the younger ones moving up leaving gaps. Wonder how many of the younger women have decided their kids is more important that a $10/hr job(Safety and/or education) Wonder how many workers are getting the boot because they quarantine rules due to family or kids. Wonder how many people worked in food service and because they got the boot decided they wanted out of that industry and that was the push to get them out. Wonder how many people became sick of companies that constantly crap on them and looked and found work elsewhere. Wonder how many people in the work force have been removed due to death. Everywhere I turn I see companies talking about "record" years. Wonder how much the shortage is due to increased demand for employees. Will those people be kept once the demand surge is over? Have had 2 people tell me the problem is the longshoreman and truck drivers are all sitting at home on welfare and that's causing the port congestion/delays. Does the welfare system now cover a 50-100k/year job?

I think they eat them with skin on or char the skin enough the meat peels from the backside of the skin. I don't know or understand the process but I do know I wouldn't want to skin several hundred squirrels which is what your looking at. The derbies are the same way.

You are correct. In fact, had this happen in Minnesota.....got caught on stupid mistake of having too many lines in the water ice fishing(had un-attended lines in ice shack down) and fishing outside shack. Game warden was a super nice dude and highly advised our group of 3 that one of us should take the blame and the other 2 pay him the fine. Stepped away and let us sort out the details.

Several squirrel tournaments have members of the Hmong community standing at the weigh in taking them. As I understand it, if you have hundreds to clean you just burn the fur off vs. actually skinning them.

WT was 80 last Sunday AM.....glad its coming down. We saw very few little top water activity anywhere Sunday but wont be long.

Seems there is not much information out there....specifically about bullhead.