Fishin Hodge

Agree, there are some terrific anglers out there that nobody has heard of.... But the experience these tour guys have traveling all over the country and there vast knowledge of tons of bodies of water and the different types of venues they frequent is hard to duplicate without having a ton of money or being on tour. I think you would be hard pressed to find better all around bass fishermen than the top 20 guys in either tour.

If there is only one true statement in this entire thread, let it be know Champ just made it. I had Barker, Sullivan, and Campbell in mind. Tim Sainato and Tim Taylor were other names thought of. The Dodson's and the Davis's are tough. The Fann brothers are inevitably going to make us sick in the next couple months. There are just so many good ones.

This is spinoff of the top 5 bass anglers, but any of you have any thoughts as to who are some of the best sticks of all time on the Rock?

Top 5 tournament anglers barring KVD and Clunn, Roland Martin Denny Brauer Larry Nixon Gary Klein Ron Shuffield There are a bunch of guys up up and coming, but to put them in the top five at this point is premature.

So that is why there are at least 2 or 3 boats in there every time I've been there, granted its probably only been 2 or 3 times.

Where abouts is Bear's Den located? Is it way up the James? I am not extremely familiar with the James, only been to Cape Fair 3 times in my life. Tried to find it on a map, but failed.

6.87 is the biggest LM I have weighed from the Rock. My cousin caught a 4.5# KY with me once; we had 19 1/2 pounds in 5 and that KY was our biggest fish. I am jealous of the smallmouths you guys are talking about. I've never had one over 4 1/4 in my boat.

I owe him.

Spotted Bass is listed as 7 pounds 8 ounces and is the state record. Here is a blast from the past on this one that is interesting. I heard a rumor of a 12 pound fish being caught in the James River something like 8 or 10 years ago, but that was probably completely rumor. Anyone else hear that one?

I typically step onto the dock to retrieve a bait if I cant pull into the stall to get it. I'll be completely honest here too, and this is part of what causes issues for us fishermen, but I've hung a jig or two on a tie down for the boat cover, on ropes, and other stuff that you just can't free a bait from without doing it by hand. I never leave a bait that can be seen. If I had a boat cover on a boat in a dock and there was a jig hung in the strap, I'd be PO'd too. Cut the barb, do what you have to do to not damage the property, but you have to take care of that kind of crap when it happens. I can say I have never damaged any property so don't go suing me, but if you fish enough docks, and make enough flips into the tight/right places, it is inevitable going to happen.

That beats all if ever saw. Now that is a good idea on the bobber and braid. LOL

I fished upper Bull Saturday and ended up having a marginally good day. My trip to the ramp that morning was a scary one. Hwy 14 from Omaha all the way to Tucker Hollow was icey, and I was puckered for most of the trip. Water temps that I saw were 40-42 degrees and the breeze was blowing in the 10 to 15 range. An a-rig was the only bait that was needed as far as I could tell. I'm sure a stickbait in the hands of a more skilled angler could have caught them too, but I couldn't make it work. There were groups of fish on several points throughout the day and you could also get bit on some bluff banks. Don't know if it was just coincidence, but my better fish came on moderately flatter/gravel points, but I could catch more numbers on the bluff ends. I should point out my definition of better as well as I did not catch any fish over 2 1/2 pounds on the day. The majority of the bluff end/bluff fish were 12 to 14 inch blacks with an occasional 15 inch black or 13 inch KY; flatter banks were in the 2 - 2 1/2 range. 6 or 7 keepers on the day, but over 20 fish total. Supprisingly, I did not boat a walleye. Had mechanical issues (Optimax Compressor) which made for a long day when my boat sat down on me, way up the lake. I was able to get to K-Dock, and hitch a boat ride from a good buddy back to Tucker Hollow. Drove up to K-Dock in my truck, walked about a mile to the dock, trolled to my truck, and right when I got the boat most of the way on the trailer with my trolling motor, it too quit working. Now that was almost bad. But all in all it was a good day.

Yep, most of the tournament rules were modified after the COE implemented their new laws. Prior to the law, you could fish anywhere except within 50 feet of the gas dock on most of the tournaments I fished. Even fished some tournaments that the rule was 50' from the gas pump.... during hours of operation. If the dock was closed all was free game according to the tournament rules. Now that is how it should be in my book. But those days are long gone. The law is no fishing, swimming, etc within 50 feet of any part of a dock associated with the marina tournament or not. That includes satellite docks, not even connected to the marina itself. I will occasionally fish a dock when I'm fun fishing that I is off limits, typically in the winter or at night. If you get on the wrong one, typically you are just gonna take a chewing. Enforcement is very weak in my experiences, but the law is there and can be enforced if they can find a law enforcement officer bored enough to write a ticket for it... at least that is my understanding.

1. Try to go with someone that knows what they are doing. You can learn more in 1 day than you will in a month on your own most likely. 2. You need to spend as much time on the water as you can. Nothing beats time on the water, except for time on the water with someone that knows what they are doing; and more time on the water. 3. Research what the fish should be doing. Don't be afraid to try something off the wall, but start with looking were they should be with presentations that should be working. 4. Don't be satisfied to just beat the bank. Look around away from the bank. 5. Get a loan, your going to need it.

Alright, I have no problems telling anyone, I struggle with a jerkbait more than any other bait that I throw. I have been trying to address this issue for years, but to this point I can tell you I've had no luck. I usually have 1 good day a year throwing a jerkbait, but can basically never duplicate it. My mind and train of thought has been almost everywhere it could go on this subject, and it is usually in the wrong direction apparently, so feel free to line me in. I usally catch fish up to right about this time of year and then it turns south on me in a hurry. I realize that is likely due to the fish suspending a little higher in the water column than I am comfortable with, thus the need for a jerkbait. I continue to think location is my problem and end up spot jumping typically. Looking back through the years up to this time, my mainstay is a jig and a spoon in mainlake pockets and mid-creek honey holes with an occaisional main lake bluff coming into play. We all know there is a group of fish that migrate back into the creeks in the fall, often not as pronounced as it is preached in my opinion. After that it seems like a scattering of fish back throughout the lake. I can usually follow and catch them up to know with a decent deal of success..... But right now what are these fishing doing in terms of seasonal movement. Are they in the same areas they have been catching them, just suspended higher in the water, or are they made another seasonal movement that I am not adjusting too? Also, with a jerkbait, I know I need to move it slow and am probably guilty of speeding up in my pursuit of the magical solution/spot/pattern. Moving as slow as I know I need to, how do I cover enough water to locate fish from day to day. Lastly, in a quest for more information than I deserve, you expert stickbaiters, what is your number one go to pattern if you are looking for a stickbait bite. Mainlake points, bluffends, timber banks, steep, flat.... what do you consider a good all around starting spot in your quest? I could go on, but this is already a long read. Thanks for any tips.

All good info. I would be crushed if something happened and never thought about how simple videoing the stuff would be.

Labguy, I'm not calling you out in particular, I am however calling out my good Ozark neighbors as a whole. No doubt, some of the people that claim to have seen a big cat, did in fact see a big cat. However the other 95 of 100 people that make the claim, discredit them. I guess it does tend to make me doubt all of the stories in general, but I know there is a big cat around here somewhere.

No doubt, cats cross our area from time to time. With that being said, the percentage of people that claim to have seen one is astronomical and comical to me. I have a bad habit, when I am in a crowd, to ask all the people if they have ever seen a cougar. I've never had less than 20% respond with yes, and one time it was 7 of 10 for 70%. That to me is hillarious. They are around from time to time, but they are extremely ellusive and there is no way that everyone that claims to have seen them have. Sorry, this is just one of my pet peeves. I have spent a lot of time in the woods, and have a group of freinds that spend more time in the woods than we should. Of my true outdoorsmen friends none of us have saw a big cat. Now one of them did marry and older woman; that is as close as any of us has gotten to a cougar. I think a lot of folks let their eyes play tricks on them. I will say, I have a friend that is good as gold, his word is the truth, not an outdoorsman in anyway, that claims he saw a black panther. That one really gets to me and don't know what to make of it. Melanistic cougar maybe????? The only Jaguar's around here I've seen are of the BassCat variety. Anywho, I love me some big cat talk.

I've started several fishing trips in the low teens, but never fished a day that didn't get into the upper 20's myself, and that was really more than I wanted. Looks like we are all of the same opinion. I still wonder if there wasn't one idiot out there with the lake all to himself though. The thing about yesterday that I hadn't given much thought to until a buddy mentioned it was, if you fell in, you would have a decent chance to die.

Since it is a brutal one, and I am sitting thinking of fishing I'll post the only question I have about fishing on a day like today. Do you think anyone braved The Rock today (in a boat) for a fishing trip?

There were approximately 20 boats that launched out of Diamond City New Years Day, getting the New Year started off right. The weather was cool, but quite bearable. The bite was tough for most with somewhere around 6 limits being weighed. 1st place was mid 16's and second was mid 15's. 3rd place dropped off to the 11 pound range, and lots of folks, including myself struggled. I was fortunate enough to have my cousin catch his best bass ever on Bull Shoals Lake in the boat with me, a 5.39 fatty. As usual, I netted him. That fish bit a stickbait in a main lake pocket towards the back of the cove. The predominant baits were, as would be expected, stickbaits and a-rigs. I know that points were a big deal for the stickbait in particular according to several of the folks I talked to. Also seemed to be a fish here and it is probably time to move type of deal for the most part; not a pull up here and load the boat on a single stop.

I think I have the graph deal pretty well deciphered..... My thoughts on the graph are, Why in God's name am I sitting at work?

After a fog delay until 10:00 the day of fishing on Bull Shoals began. Eric and Dustin Blevins from Harrison, AR took first place with 15.39lbs. They also had big bass that weighed in at 4.57lbs. All in all I would say they had a great day fishing on Bull Shoals Lake. They caught 7 keepers early in the mid lake on a 45 degree bank at a depth of 15-25 feet. Lures of choice were jerk baits, jigs, and crank baits. Second place went to Tim Fleetwood of Forsyth, MO and Dustin Back from Cassville, MO. They caught 9 keepers on umbrella rigs with their best 5 weighing 12.08lbs. They fished all different kinds of areas and caught their fish at a depth of 12-30 feet. Third place was Clarence and Chance Snell from Gainsville, MO caught 15 keepers off bluffs in the Lead Hill area at 20 feet deep. Their best five weighed 11.77lbs. Fourth place: Roy Rigdon & Denver Gulley 9.69lbs. Now that is a tough day right there.

I don't like it, I showed up at the meetings and let the Corp of Engineers know about my concerns, but they are the governement and at the end of the day they do whatever they want. Some sympathize with the core for this reason or that reason, but from what I understand, the White River Lakes are basically the only lakes in the US with these rules. We are getting the shaft as far as I'm concerned. I wish we could fish wherever we wanted.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to give that a shot.