vernon

Outstanding! Clearly meets or exceeds all protocols as established in a typical Force Protection Defcon Delta situation. And the Hercules gunship is certainly a nice touch. Well done!

Felt obligated to issue the normal "storm warning" alert prior to our arrival downrange tomorrow. However, I AM pleased to announce that it is my intent to spare the area yet again of any significant weather event. This will make two in a row for those of you who are counting and you're welcome. I dunno, maybe I'm just getting old but I'm also still feeling a little guilty about the devastation that I wrought this spring as well as several consecutive previous visits. After considerable review and reflection it was concluded that I just might have gotten just a little over the top and that's not something that I take lightly. I mean even most international terrorists have at least some sense of conscience and compassion. All that being said you can confidently anticipate another full week of pleasant fall temperatures, mostly sunny skies and crappy fishing. Hasta mañana mis amigos!

Do you still employ the two Black Hawks when not on site? Don't get me wrong - the Apaches were plenty cool but the Black Hawks were a considerable upgrade in my opinion.

Exactly. I haven't been in a boat other than my own in probably 35 years now as I just don't trust anybody but me. The last time I was with another guy he was running through lilies and stickups at at least 60 MPH with his eyes glued to the depth finder. That was it for me. Heck, other than my brother's I don't even like being in somebody else's vehicle. I never had kids so I can't empathize with what a parent must go through losing a child but I've witnessed it too many times from afar and I can't even imagine. It's just not that hard to do it safer and better and I'm bettin' the results of slowing down won't be any less fun or satisfying. And it just might save a kid's life.

Man, that's bad stuff. Most would say I operate my boat like a scared old man (which I am) but after reading through this I feel a bit vindicated for doing so and a little less like a paranoid schizo. I've never been a speed freak and these days seldom run over 50 and spend most of my time maxing out in the 35 - 45 MPH range. Not only does it seem more dangerous to exceed those speeds it's just flat out uncomfortable and a little too intense for my liking. And I just ain't in that big a hurry these days. I watch some of these guys in boats similar to mine running all out in heavy traffic, jumping wakes as if they were on a jet ski and it just gives me chills. And for what? To maybe make a couple hundred bucks in a tournament? Heck, most of the time it's not even tournament related - they just run like that all the time because it's manly or something. As crowded and crazy as Table Rock has gotten in recent years I'm good with underperforming in my high performance boat and just trying to stay out of everybody else's way. My sympathies to those involved in this accident and all other boating related tragedies. It's my opinion that most of the time it didn't have to end that way.

At first I thought it was an April Fool’s joke when Bill said buzz baits and Plopper’s on the bank but I’m a loyal disciple and nothing else was working worth spit so...... We didn’t get started until afternoon but hit a couple pockets across from Stillwater’s resort and tried the Plopper. While it wasn’t fast and furious it was fun and that’s more than I can say about the previous days. Only got two fish to the boat and they were lil’ thirteen inchers but had five others on briefly - one of which was a really nice largemouth that was easily three pounds or more and one other certain keeper. The other three were of the thirteen to fourteen inch variety. Why they came undone is one of life’s little mysteries as all were pulling pretty good for three to five seconds and then they weren’t. Unfortunately, a couple wake boats and pontoons pulling tubes ran us off one of them yelling to his buddies, “Watch me put this F’er (us) on the bank!” and he almost did. We hit a few more of the bigger coves on the north side between there and point 5 but only had one more swirl. Nonetheless, if we weren’t heading back today I know what I’d be doing. Thanks as always for the tip Bill although I wanna know who the guy was that decided it was time to shift gears from dropshots thirty five feet deep to buzzer’s on the bank and why? Heckuva transition if you ask me! See y’all again in three weeks. AND you’re welcome for the weather!😎

Only made it back out for about forty five minutes last night but that was enough to confirm my suspicion that I was just lucky the evening prior. Went back to the same two spots and tossed Ned and a jig and didn’t get a sniff. Man I hate trying to catch fish on this lake in September. Heck, I’m usually beat before I even get started cause I just expect to get waxed every time and typically do. I was pretty surprised to catch what I did on Sunday but now I know it was just a setup....... At least the weather is dang nice but don’t get used to it! 🧟‍♂️

Dang. I musta got lucky cause you’re better at this stuff than I am. Five came off of the exact same spot and the lone keeper was another similar gravel point about a hundred yards farther west.

I caught a half dozen smallies last evening which was pretty good considering the effort I put into it - or lack there of. Man I’m gettin’ old and lazy. Tossed a PBJ Ned on the gravel across from Big Indian. 30 - 35 foot deep. One barely keeper and five almost identical fourteen and a half inchers. We’re gonna play golf this afternoon but hope to be back in time to get out for a bit afterwards. Unless I get all lazy again that is. I’ll keep an eye out for the Skeeter!

Hey Chris! Yep, that was us. Just out kinda cruisin’ as Kathy likes her boat rides and I figure I’m not missing out on many fish driving her around. In fact haven’t so much as made a cast yet. Idling around up by Kimberling drinking a beer and looking for shad on the graph.

Heading that way in a couple hours for the week. 🧟‍♂️ remember? However, I'm thinking I might take a week off from wreaking death, destruction and mayhem in general and save the really good stuff for October or maybe even next spring. In fact, this one kind of went off in my hand as the past week here at home has been cold and miserable to the point of feeling like a fishing trip without the lake. Highs in the low 50's and lows in the low 40's with wind and rain and just all around nasty. A taste of November during the first week of September actually. Nonetheless, what you describe is pretty much what I had in mind other than I'm really looking forward to FINALLY getting a chance to try out Bo's Big Wobbler! See y'all soon.......

That had to suck!

I couldn't agree more about the quality and performance of Bo's Nu-Tech jigs and heads. I tried them about three or four years ago for the first time and it's all I've used since. I also really like the crappie jig head for smaller plastics and even Ned. Good stuff.

They say it ain't braggin' if you can back it up. And I think my well documented past performances speak for themselves! I rest my case.......

Wow! MAGA! Like fools, my brother, his wife, daughter and son-in-law left yesterday to camp somewhere around Branson Hills (I think) and are renting a pontoon today out of State Park. I wouldn't be caught dead in that mess but I hope he gets some good photos/video. And that nobody gets hurt!

Like any good golfer, I've got all the shots! Kansas City forecast for Tuesday is a high of 56 and Wednesday is 60. And they're sayin' snow in Colorado and western Kansas. Like that great American Wyatt Earp said, "You tell 'em I comin'! You tell 'em I'm comin' and hell's comin' with me!" Just sayin'.......... 🧟‍♂️

MAGA

🤔 Not that I can remember.....🤥

I promise to try to be gentle this time! 🥰

You're welcome. I figure the least I can do is provide fair warning. At this point of life I don't like to sneak up on anyone.....🧟‍♂️

Yeah, well, we're headed back down on the 12th and until you can put our weeklong visit in that rearview mirror it won't be safe to go outside! How's everyone feel about snow in mid September this year?

Wowzer!

No sight seeing here. Heck, we'd already seen every place that we wanted to get to a hundred times. We just wanted to get from one fishing spot to another and then back without getting beat to death. When we went we almost always stayed at a resort down by the dam (cause I could get a great deal thru my military affiliation) and kept the boat in one of their slips. We never ran more than five or six miles at the most up the channel and usually more like two or three. If a guy lived nearby or had a place to keep his boat and trailer reasonably accessible then what you describe would certainly be the way to go. And we did just that quite a few times back in the day. But now when it's just me and Kathy with nowhere close or safe to park the boat and trailer, loading unloading launching and repeating just ain't practical or worth the trouble. It was fun for a time and we had some great days of fishing but it just got to where it wasn't fun anymore and that was the end of it for us. Unfortunately, Table Rock is rapidly approaching the same point. I don't expect anybody else to give up what they enjoy just because of me. When it's no longer a good time I'll just go somewhere else or find something different to do. Just too old and lazy now to deal with what it takes and to be honest, whether I catch 'em or not isn't really all that important anymore either. I guess as Mr. Babler likes to say, we "just ain't that mad at 'em". Gettin' old kinda sucks.......

My rule of thumb used to be to never set foot in a boat on that lake from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Then it was modified to between May 1st and October 1st. Now I just don't go near the place at all. Ever. That Ranger Z521 is like a peanut in a blender on that lake. Too old and cranky to deal with it and Table Rock is on the chopping block now too. Too many other people out there having "fun" for me to be able to too.

Yeah, I got a couple buddies that "win" thousands at the casinos three or four nights a week too. Can barely pay their rent or put gas in the car but they've got this gambling thing all figured out. To hear them tell it they make Rainman look like a hack. Same sorta deal.