Fishin Hodge

Evers was throwing a negotiator too, granted maybe 5% of the time on Sunday when I watched him. I looked it up and saw it was a bit on the pricey side for me. I too tried to be very respectful, but did speak with Edwin shortly about 3 times I felt were most opportune. I said man I'll probably just have to let you throw that negotiator, but are they awesome? He told me that a fish I saw him catch earlier in the day, was the only fish he'd ever caught on it and it was his first day to throw it. Not sure if Palinuk turned him on to it, or if Roman Made was making a big push at an event they thought their product may be a producer at, but that makes for at least two of the pros that threw that bait some during the event.

I was looking at it from my cell phone and never tried to search for KVD or Martens in particular so that makes sense. I think it is the device that the Marshalls enter the weights on that transmits the location. Any of you marshalls know for sure?

Vintage for the most part from what I heard. I'm not as sold as most, I can go buy one at Wal-Mart and for me it out performs most of the old ones I have. I'm not a crankbait expert by any stretch of the imagination, but that has been that way consistently for me. I think there is a definate mental aspect to both sides of this street. They are pretty darn similar.

I can tell you from being on the water with them, BassTrak was extremely accurate from my experience. It was down to the bank, not just the cove. For me anyways, Aaron Martens and KVD did not show. And the BassTrak on KJ's boat was likely accurate as he did not fish the last day. Guessing he was parked at the Landing.

I followed Evers yesterday. He fished from the Beardsley down to Big Cedar. In contrast to fishing slow, he was blazing most of the day. Threw a wart 95% of the day. He was chunking and winding, and I mean he put in a day of it. I could not have stayed as focused, as persistant, as anything really. It was a grind, as would be expected. He was relentless. He was not as discriminating about what bank he fished as I would have been. He pretty much did not make the same cast twice all day. At times he was really scooting and winding the ever loving heck outta that wart and doing it for hours on end. There was a time or two that I thought I noticed a pattern of where his bites were coming, that he seemed to completely overlook, or likely just disregard. But at least a couple times he fished a bank farther than I would have and was rewarded. The man had over 15 pounds with a wart in an area of the lake I know I wouldn't have caught that in, so second guessing anything he did is completely goofy on my part. You really can't put into words how meticulus he was in checking line and other stuff like tuning his bait. All the while he was a completely fluid maching. Beast mode. They are a different bread. Always dreamed of being a pro fisherman, but I'm not sure with the best of everything money could buy and 200+ days on the water a year, that I could do it. Very impressive.

^ most accurate post on the forum in quite some time.

Definately receives more pressure than our lakes on a consistant basis. The creeks down there were like cricket during the crappie/white bass runs, except noone was catching anything.

Lake Fork. Just East of Dallas, TX.

Fork is fishing tough from all that I gathered from the guides/dock talk and my trip as well. We arrived on Tuesday about 3 PM. We got out on the water and I headed for the flattest shallowest water I could find. Found 60 degree water that day in Glade, and we managed to snag 1 catfish on a rattle trap. That was it. Never saw another fish boated around us no bites, just brutal. Ran into Long Branch. Water was 50 degrees on the south side of this little creek and like 56 degrees maybe 400 yards to the north. Blew my mind. Still not bites though. Wednesday we woke up to 30 mph winds. I don't think anyone felt the need to get on the water that badly, noone except for me of course. We looked over some maps and decided to trailer over to Little Mustang for a little protection. Fished for a couple of hours without a bite. Fished traps, stickbaits, chatterbaits, pretty much you name it, without a nibble. Decided to brave the main lake and ran into Caney Creek. It was a little rough to say the least, but we made it. Tucked in behind the first little main creek point we could to hide from the wind and started throwing a stickbait through the timber. After a good bit of search I finally got bit. She was 6 pounds. That was the only fish we boated on Wednesday. I did get another bite, but she came undone. Thursday roled around and the weather was great for a change. We decided to give the points a shot. We fished a good long day for 4 fish - all on stickbaits all on main lake points. Tough, but this was an improvement over the previous day. 3 lb 13 oz was the biggest for our boat, but my buddy lost a big bass. She just pulled off after a 15 second fight. We spent some unproductive time in the back of a creek again. The water was warm, dirty, but we just couldn't get bit. A couple of other buddies down in another boat put a 7 lb 4 oz in the boat as well as a 5# 9 oz. I believe they had 6 fish that day. Stickbaits were king. I think they had 1 on a trap, 1 on a chatterbait, and 4 on a stickbait. Friday, we refined our search a little more and fished mainlake points exclusively. We boated 8 fish with the biggest being 4# 10 oz. All on stickbaits. We got bit on points with timber and points without. One point we caught 2 or 3 fish on including the big one for the day was a mud point. Our stickbaits would come up with mud on the bills. Sometimes with mud on the bills and fish on the hooks. I hooked a giant bass this day, she knocked so much slack in my line and when I caught up with her, she bowed up fast and ended up straightening my quick clip. Did catch a crappie that went 1# 13oz on a chatterbait. The other boat struggled in the morning but went in the evening and caught a 7# 9oz bass on a single spin. Wow, I am jealous. Saturday more points and more bass. 12 or 13 bass with a 5# 2oz being the largest. Never got the bite we were looking for but did hook up with a double. Not much of a report but wanted to share with whoever might be going to fork soon. It was tough. We heard talks of guides having zero and 1 fish day. Talked to one guide that had caught 3 the previous day, and refferred to another guide that had caught 8 the previous day and was bragging on him. In a local store heard an attendant say, someone had caught 3 fish that day, so it was picking up. Did talk to two on the lake that said they had caught fish over 8 pounds, and maybe they did, but maybe they didn't. All I can say is I saw very little catching anywhere I was at. And that may speak to just not being in the right areas. I can say we almost had these points to ourselves and the few that were on them were not throwing stickbaits. Thanks for the advice to try something different. Oh and last thing, a clown or purple clown rough made all the difference in the world. I was getting spanked with one and when I made the switch I began catching fish. I tried 20# fluro just because of the size and all the timber. This would cut the fish catch ratio in less than half. 12 # fluro = a lot more bites.

I really need your advice. I have suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me. The usual signs are phone rings, but if I answer, the caller hangs up. She has been going out a lot recently, she always says, "Just some friends from work, you don't know them.." I try to stay awake to look out for her coming home, but I fall asleep. Anyway, last night she went out again and I decided to really check on her. Around midnight, I decided to hide next to the garage behind my boat so I could get a good view of the whole street when she arrived home from a night out. When she got out of the car she was buttoning up her blouse. Around midnight, I decided to hide next to the garage behind my boat so I could get a good view of the whole street when she arrived home from a night out. When she got out of the car she was buttoning up her blouse. It was at that moment, crouching behind the boat, that I noticed some hairline cracks in my gelcoat, right were the hull meets the transom of my boat. Is this something I can fix myself or should I take the boat to the shop for repairs? Wanted to share so you could get your fishing buddies. Enjoy.

Headed to Fork next week. What do I need to know that you are willing to share? Obviously I will have red traps, and various soft plastics, but any info is appreciated. It is my first trip so I'm basically at scratch minus the general guide reports on the net. I ain't gonna be there when you are so hook a brother up if ya don't mind.

Sometimes I fish in ponds that I know have no fish in them.

I appreciate you sharing your trip with us. I would absolutely love to catch a fish that size, and if there were one in my bathtub, I'd be going after him. If catching big bass ain't your kinda thing, amen. More for me. I understand that catching some good fish in El Salto doesn't exactly make me a pro, but Big wasn't portraying himself as KVD, just as a guy having a good time with his dad, catching huge bass. I commend you sir. There are some rather large egos around here, but Hey aren't we all so much cooler on line..... Welcome to the internet, where 2 - 3 lbrs become 3 - 5 lbrs, a 6 and an 8, and the big one never gets away. and yes.... We all would have won that tournament....... if we'd entered it.

Anybody can get Pizza at Pizza Hut. I like to hit the Chinesse buffets because it is more difficult to find Pizzas. When I get a Pizza in Chinatown it just means more to me. Why would anybody wanna go to a lake full of big bass??? Congrats to your father on a fish of a lifetime and a memory that will be cherished as any double digit bass should be.

Prior to the snow storm, the skinny water areas I have been in were 42 - 44 degrees. That might have taken a hit with the sleet we took a beating with over the weekend and the melt of all that snow is probably gonna delay most of the warming that might have occurred this week otherwise. The fish I have been able to catch have already made a move toward staging. Barring another big cold snap, I'd say you'll get to see 50 degree water in places by the end of the month and the fishing should be pretty decent. I wouldn't leave my wiggle warts at home about that time if I were going to be fishing up in the creeks. I have been on the mid lake from Peel up to K-Dock, here and there/now and then, over the past month and have yet to see a real hard shad kill which is kind of suprising as cold as its been.

My grandfather (Chicken Hodge) brought me up in the boat. He isn't with us any longer, but I am forever greatful for the time I had with him. If there were contest for King of Bull Shoals he would be on the short list. Lots of my greatest memories were with him. It all started when I was 3 or 4, tied the rod to my wrist, although I still lost a few over the years. I really don't remember the earliest years that well. I do remember by 5 or 6 we would crawdad fish all summer long. I realed in my fair share of KY's. We spent a lot of time together on Bull Shoals and Table Rock Lakes over the next 20+ years. We chased just about everything you could in and around the lake. I saw some of the early stages of carolina rigged lizard fishing known to Bull Shoals Lake in his boat. I saw the rise of the Football jig in his boat, I would argue he tied possibly the first football jig with purple flashabu in it. I saw some of the biggest sycamores you could ever imagine, find new homes in the bottom of Bull Shoals Lake in his boat.I saw some dark nights and some blazing summer days in his boat, as well as 100 degree rides in an old Ford Bronco with no AC. I saw 34 degree rain all day in his boat, and never a word said about it being cold, the fish were already wet...... and biting. Double digit walleye, huge stripers, big gobblers, boat loads of crappie, more soft plastic baits than any one man should own. It might be easier to tell you what I haven't seen while sitting in his boat. He taught me a great deal about fishing, hunting, life, and God. I could talk about my memories of him for days. Miss him. I hope I am able to repay the gift he gave me to a grandchild of my own someday. His memory lives on with me.

I drove around a little on Saturday. The Cricket Dock had a lot of ice around. It wasn't a solid ice in or anything, but close to it. Drove up and across the 86 bridge and there was no ice in sight. I'm sure the backs of some coves will be frozen, but the main lake is clear.

Guys here is my prediction for your favorite fishing hole come the 50+ degree weather Saturday and Sunday afternoons. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tc6ywqoL6o It does kind of put into perspective when I get upset because I can see 3 other boats in close proximity. Fellas, we pretty much have it made.

I shot that link to Rodney and asked...

Sent an email to Rodney. I have never been to Viney, but by golly I may decide to one day. Blocking access to public property as well as most things the Corp is involved with makes my blood boil. Goverment shutdown closures came to my mind. I tried to be civil, but man is it hard to do with the Corp. We the people are being infringed upon. If we don't stand up for ourselves we are going to be trampled. Keep the cutting torch handy my friends.

My opinion is it is the line itself that is the issue. I have very poor luck with Vanish strength wise.

Is your Opti a 2000 - 2004 model? I had the lower unit go (very fortunately under warranty); Something about a top seal popping out because Merc basically didn't secure the seals in those years? Sounds like the blues are fairly sporadic for most of us, but boy they make a run when you hook one.

Just pulled the PM-1 from Sear's up online, since so many people have said its great, but holy crap for a 3 bill it oughta be. That is a little rich for my blood, I have decent luck with AutoZone Batteries, for a little more than a 1/3 of the price. Only 1000 CCA, but I'll just to have to deal with that for the price difference.

I'm no cat fishing expert but I've caught Lot more channels and flatheads. Im sure there is a fair population of blues, but i've not seen mamy off them. I can only think of one blue cat I've ever caught on Bull. It was over 20 pounds on a bluff across from Diamond City. When I hooked it it took off like a freight train. Awesome run. Wish you well in your search for them on the upper river.

Jo, Can you tell me what you look for in a good Striper pole? Sorry I am so easily entertained