Hammer time

Best price on unit with trolling motor transducer?

Great point, I used to be so caught up in catching fish I overlooked all the beauty and sirenity of simply being on the water and enjoying the outdoors. Catching fish is a bonus, spending time with family and friends or alone on the water is the real reward in my opinion!

Hang in there 176, you're not missing much, get your rig fixed and good luck on your next outing!

Nice! That's great for January, great job! With those water temperatures I'd say that's a good day on the lake!! Thanks for the report. Congrats!

No doubt, on top of that, your a guide for a living and own a resort! Talk about got it made! Most people are lucky to go fishing on Table Rock 5-15 times a year!

Wasn't gonna say anything, but why not, a-rig is killing it! Gosh!

Put in at 9:30 temp at ramp 44.8 Started Vigin bluff area with deep diving clown rogue on bluffs, caught 2 short spots and was hoping for a great day. Continued up James and tried 1/4 oz jig , no love. On channel swing before you hit Bears Den, bam, though ok nice one, 1.89 black crappie on the rouge. Wow and thanks! Went up towards point 15 and tons of crappie fishermen so decided to head down to Viney creek area and work back to ramp, concentrated on bluffs and swings on main lake. Ended up with a total of 6 spots, 2 keeps and 1 short brownie, no blacks. All but one on rogue, brownie ate the jig. Clouds moved out and shut down my bite, but had a great day. Got up to 64 air temperature and thought they might eat at dusk, but only managed 2 shorts. CPR and tight lines!

I get it now. Hopefully she rights herself every cast.

Interesting looking bait, has hooks out of the side of the bait.

Thanks, cheese.

Thanks magic, gonna give her a try Friday, will probably motor up to Thompson creek and work bluffs and swings with rogue and 1/4oz jig back to Cape.

Thinking of going Friday to Cape, anyone know what water temps have been of late in that area? Thanks in advance for any help and information! CPR and tight lines!

My personal favorite recipe for crappie is simply cut fillets in to 2" chunks. I take cornmeal add some Lawry's season salt and lemon pepper in big sandwich bag add fillets, shake to coat and fry in 1/2 inch of 50/50 olive and canola oil. Fry to golden brown turning once. If ever any leftover "vary rare" put in sandwich bag for nice snack cold or broil on low for couple minutes turning once.

Great report and thanks for sharing. It has always amazed me how bass try to eat prey that's way oversized. Thanks for saving that Kentucky bass, you sure made his day!

Your first paragraph is the main reason I don't like the a-rig plain and simple. I have buddies that I fish with that use it all the time in my boat. They start whacking them on it, and offer one of their other a-rig setups "I got another one you're welcome to use" I jokingly say no thanks I'll stick to my rogue or gitzit or grub. Just not the way I want to catch em. My choice and my opinion. I don't have anything against anyone using it, that's their choice. But like Champ and I pointed out, there is a lot of big bass no longer swimming for other anglers to enjoy! To each his own, I respect that!

The A-rig is not allowed in both FLW and BASS and most tournament curcits, including Ozarkanglers.com

Since the introduction of the a-rig, I personally know of 40 plus 6 pounders and larger that are hanging on walls all across SW Missouri. All taken from Table Rock. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Everyone is scratching their heads, " where is all the big blacks at" A-rig is the culprit! The fish kill was in 99 and the lake recovered well in 5-8 years and we where catching 7's and 8's again. A- rig hit mass market in in 09 and everybody started catching tons of huge blacks that are now on walls. Largest black I've caught since was in 2010 night fishing a 7.43 and a buddy had a 7.11 a week later. Since then have not boated any bass over 7 lbs. Anyone who can cast relatively good enough, regardless of age or gender can chunk and wind that thing and catch a fish of a lifetime, and guess where they go, yep you got it, on their wall! CPR and tight lines

Interesting that tournament series always a-rig or any multi lure presentation. Almost tournament series and clubs have outlawed any multi lure presentation. I personally would like to see a statewide or national band on all a-rigs. Congradulations Sprint, that awesome that you took second against all those a-riggers, think about it, if was not allowed in that tournament, you're the winner! The a-rig is not allowed in our own Ozark Anglers tournament. I despise the a-rig, my opinion.

Nice mix of black and white crappie! 1/16oz jig head I suspect? Or smaller? First week of the year I did well point 15 area on the Rock on 1/16oz bass assassin crystal shad. Haven't been fishing either Stockton or the Rock since for bass or crappie.?

Tons of coots in Texas, before the hydrilla at Fork went away or as the locals say was sprayed, thousands of coots! Spring last year and since around 2002 when all the hydrilla left, hardly any. Those birds love grass!

Big game is great line! Caught tons of fish on their 15lb on blades and I use their 10 lb on my c-rig tippet, floats and has always done a fine job! Bps fluorocarbon in 17 lb is on all my fb jig rods and main line on c-rig and has worked great even now under the Kvd name. Every other application, mostly cranking is 8lb Gamma copolymer, best line ever IMO for cranking! Finally, for all TW baits 15 lb big game. Thats what I use and trust and my opinion, years and years ago was completely using Magnathin and Maxima but since the introduction of fluorocarbon and Gamma I've changed.

Very nice writing, felt as if as was with you during your entire trip! You are a very great writer also a very accomplished fisherman! Thanks for the report and great read. Are you a writer? Lol, just kidding Champ, I know you are.

Rogue or 5" smoke grub on windy channel banks and swings with cedar trees.

Mutton creek has a North and south ramp. A great location, you can go up either the Big Sac or Sons creek arms for the river bite or down to mainlake areas like Googer, Mile long bridge or all the way to the dam. In March their can be either a great river or mainlake bite and from that location you hit both easily and find the better feeding fish.

#7#9 are balsa bees,#10 that's old humpback rebel really popular in the 70's, #8 model A Bombers, #14 also A Bombers#12 Big O another hot bait in 70's Some really cool old school baits!