Fishin Hodge

As always thanks for the honest answers Bill I apprecaite them. Going to push my luck for one more go and I'll try to leave you be. I have in my mind, in this very coldest end of winter schooling I am receiving right now, we are looking for main lake stuff or one of the 1st swing/s in a small or meduim size cove, and not much over halway back in the large coves/ river arms. Am I way off here. Thanks again. When I become the wealthy man I am on my way to becoming I may look you up for a learning experience. And also, am I looking for a sweet spot 50 yard , or likely much smaller, stretch of this swing, or simply a piece of wood, or is it going to be a larger area a couple hundred yards that the fish will pull up in. Realize there may not be a straight 100% of the time answer for this part of the question. Been fighting this every late winter since I have been old enough to fish, and I am no better off than when I started unfortunately.

Bill, on these swings are the fish just stacked in your opinion when it is right. Can you see it with electronics or is subtle and easy to miss with the electronics?

Whatever works I reckon.

Tend to agree RS. I have been idling around quite a bit lately and found a couple of little things that I didn't feel I could fish well with the breeze, but am definately going to be checking them soon. But in probably four hours of looking I only found one or two places that appeared really right, and I looked over some good water. Checked the best looking place later and the fish were flat gone. Another mark for timing I guess. I'm thinking electronics, location, and timing. That should be easy right......,

Good thoughts Sprint, Thanks. It hurts, but thanks. Obviously time on the water plays a role; if this is a spot/timing kind of deal it is simply amazing how well they have mastered their timing. Shy of time on the water, I just can't figure out how you would go about figuring it. Everytime I go and struggle with a stickbait, I come up with a new scheme/theory which I usually disprove the following weekend, LOL. Last theory I had: if I fish slow enough they have to bite. I had caught several fish on a Lucky Strike Clunn megabass knock off earlier in the week with this thinking. Didn't set the world on fire, but was conviced I had figured out how to catch a decent bag. I noticed on Saturday that when I let that LS stickbait sit, it sank way to fast. Why didn't I notice this earlier in the week I'll never know, but it didn't seem to matter then?? Switched to a smithwick and second guessed myself the rest of the day, but I did let it sit a lot more than I am comfortable with honestly. Oh well, on to the next theory; proper holding of the mouth.

I could be part of the team that put together a map of places where not to fish on our area lakes. Think about it, nobody minds to show you an area that stinks. Put them all together on a map, and I think its a million dollar idea. Joking aside, I too fished the Kimberling Area and struggled, but I have little doubt I was within sight of someone that probably smoked them. I am wondering to myself if I would realize it if I found the right stuff, or if I would just flat overlook it?? No doubt some great fishermen struggled, if you are a little off this time of year you just flat miss it. I hate this time of year for fishing, but am obsessed with it too.

No doubt. I am in awe.

Turn off the Fann, I am getting a little chill. Wow. 2 bags over 28 pounds and if you can't catch 20, then you apparently just can't fish very well; and yes that definately includes me. I am astounded trying to wrap my head around exactly what just happened. Anybody want to chime in as to your thoughts about exactly how this is done. I can tell you I don't believe that the just picked the right little streches and straight fished a stickbait or an Alabama rig and caught this kind of weight. What are they doing so different? Are they on a school of deep fish and they just pick them off through the day or do you think they are spot hopping. Do they have a map of every piece of magical standing timber in the lake? Are they finding a-rig schools holed up in the middle of pockets? Something else interesting and baffeling to me is several serious Table Rock winter guns with big sacks the week before struggled in the OMTT. Makes me reconsider that it is a big schools deal and points me toward the isolated wood/right spot right time kind of deal, which is even harder to wrap my mind around. I realize I couldn't catch this kind of weight in the Bass Pro aquarium, but I would like to be able to catch 10 or 12 pounds when someone goes out and sets the lake on fire like that.

Agree completely but it is so hard to do.

Sweet. It is on my wife's birthday this year, so just know you are causing me problems there though.

Depends on the spoon size and situation. If I am fishing a 1/4 or 1/2 ounce spoon in open water I would drop to 12 fluro, but if I am fishing cover, which I almost always am, I always use a 1/2 ounce plus spoon and I have found I can get away with 15 to 17 mono doing that.

CMAC is right, old group that fishing out of 86. Cost is $37 if you want in for all the pots. 7PM to 1AM. Big Bass, Big Brownie and $2 big googleye pot if you want in to make the total $37. It is laid back and a good time and a guy by the name of Graddy is the man in charge. It has been paying 3 places, and these figures are all just from what I can tell about the little good I have done. $10 from each boat to 1st. $5 from each going to big brownie and big bass. $2 big google eye, and to be honest I am not sure the exact scale that 2nd and 3rd pay by. They started holding back $5 from the entry to pay for the permit as I think the issue of needing one came up on night.

Yes sir.

The whole thing. I've got parts of it, and the whole green part, but I need the inards.

The whole deal was a mess from what I understand and the situation completely botched by the AGFC. Given the situation and the size of the fish, I believe the AGFC should have done everything possible to get a certified scale to the fish, or at least know the location of the certified scales capable of weighing this fish. The fish was loaded up and drove all over the place while Ply, the guy that fished with him, and a warden from what I understand drove around and looked for a scale large enough to weigh a 60+ pound fish. Apparently a lot of them do not have that capacity of weight or size. The fish was said to have weighed 68 pounds on an uncertified scale on the Peel Boat Dock. It was said the scale was verified by the boat dock owner after the fact and it was weighing accurate. The three people who were said to have verified 68 pounds on this scale were Ply, Whited, and the Peel boat dock owner. Are they lying? The fish undoubtably regurgitated some shad, but loosing 10 pounds over the matter of a few hours is a bit of a stretch to me, but that is what was said to have happened. It is my opinion the fish should not get the record. You have to go on the weight the fish registered with a certified scale with the appropriate officials present. It is also my opinion the AGFC botched this and should have done a much better job getting a possible world record weighed. There are some questions surrounding some previous Arkansas state records, the scales on which they were weighed, and the people that must be present to verify the weight. It really brings a lot of question to some past records to me and the blame squarely falls on the AGFC. They like us to follow the rules, but all to often don't follow the rules themselves.

Well needless to say it went and rained on our parade Saturday Night out of Cow Creek. With a lot of the guys bowing out early the weigh in was a little lackluster. I guess some of the guys were a little uneasy about swimming in the pool with the toaster. 8.5 pounds actually won the tournament. Big Bass and Big Brownie were the same fish at just shy of 2 3/4 pounds. The tournament has been running right around 15 boats the times I have been there and runs from 7PM to 1AM so come out and fish it some Saturday night if you are bored.

Thanks for that info.

Anyone have a side plate, not the handle side, for the old green Curado 201, left hander. The whole piece that comes of when you unscrew it from the reel. Would be interested also in the whole reel if someone has one that is rough might be interested in the whole for the right price. If you do let me know or know where I might be able to look, message, email aaron.hodge83@gmail.com, or give me a call at 870-704-9288. Thanks Aaron

They did a heck of a job. Went last night in the State Park area, just checking some spots to add to the lineup, and ended up only catching 1 keeper. 3 pounder (LM) on a ledge with a salt craw. Caught lots of short brownies on the single spin on bluffs and flat banks, but I couldn't get any size to speak of. They would bite a jig too, but more shorts KY's and brownies. Jason, I know you are likely really up on the information for nightfishing on the Rock. You care to divulge any of the predominant patterns that seem to be going on for you and the fellars from the Friday nighter. Are a lot of fish being caught on worms? Any general areas of the lake that seem to be producing best or to stay away from. Not wanting you to sell the farm, but would love to hear some general info. Thanks Aaron

Bill, Haven't had the chance to go to Bull in the day time in several weeks, but at night the best places to get bit are on the bluffs. The points may have a little higher consentration than the rest of the bluff, but they are scattered up and down the length of them best I can tell. The last couple times I posted to you I probably sound like a bluff man. Not really my style if I can figure something else going on, but that has been best for me at night. Fish in 5-15 foot for me. Hope you get em.

Wayne, That is very easy. As stated, Beaver. Another that comes to mind is Greer's Ferry, given they are hybrid stripers. You can blame a couple years of better fishing on Table Rock and Bull in comparison to Beaver on water level, but at some point I think you have to give that arguement up. Beaver is consistently the lesser of these lakes for all 3 Black Bass species and Beaver is consistently stocked with stripers. And let me tell you the lack(in comparison) of quality bass is not due to the lack of food at Beaver, the shad population I witnessed last week is unbelievable. My opinion, like it, love it, or hate it is that lakes with grass can handle the two species, but lakes with little to no shoreline structure, like Bull Shoals, it really takes a toll on the Black Bass population. I believe unique circumstances and environment greatly effect the habits of any given species of animal. Just look at us stupid humans. 4 inch black bass with no shore line structure + striper = fewer black bass, we can argue the exact % but how can you disagree with that statement??? You have the best arguement I have seen as for the economic arguement for Table Rock. The majority of Bull Shoals is an Arkansas lake and a lot of us Arkansans like it just the way it is. I will give you the vast majority of people on this site disagree with me and likely dislike me because of this one thing. I agree more business is needed for lots of the local business, but I believe the Elite Series event that just occurred will do just that.

The AGFC seems to botch a lot of stuff. You all know I am not striper in Bull Shoals fan, but for a new possible world record and there desire to stock this lake with stripers, the comissioner himself should have walked up here barefoot carrying the scale to weigh that fish. Amazing, but I for one am not suprised.

I can concur on the shallow bite while I was further down the lake. My partner and I caught 2 money fish in less than 5 FOW. Lots of short to 2 pound bass in between a decent bite, but we kept our heads down and grinded a couple of $ fish out. Caught my best fish, 5.78, suspended like you were thinking. He was in 25 FOW but probably 10 or 15 foot down. Had another over 3 suspended in the deeper water, but that bite only turned on for right at an hour on Saturday and then it was dead; tried it over and over and didn't work again. Definately a grind.