mixermarkb

Smart phones. The Internet will be the downfall of western society. Devices designed to be addictive, because money isn't made when you set the phone down. Folks don't actually live in the real world anymore, but their carcasses are still here, driving, walking, boating, while their brains are somewhere out there in digital world.

As I type this, I'm at my job, backstage at the Keith Urban show. Prior to opening doors, we had a walk through with ATF agents and a large dog. We already had Aldean through, and his crew guys were quiet, and kept to themselves this year, unlike the jovial, friendly guys from last year. We can't keep cutting mental health programs, AND keep holding to strict constructionist 2nd amendment views, and expect our daily lives not to change in negative ways.

Now this is an interesting thread...

What's a "speed load head"?

Yep. Best just stay over on TR, or head up to LOZ. Nothing to see on Bull at all. Move along. 😎

Yep. Bull is too rough to fish out of anything less than a 30' wellcraft. Floods all the darn time, no food place around, can't even buy gas without driving into Branson. Terrible, horrible lake. Big posterior mosquitos, clouds of biting flies, strange sulphur odors everywhere. All the ski boats only tow fat gals with missing teeth... just the armpit of the universe it is.

Do the tourney rules require proper livewell chemicals? How about bagged ice in the wells at takeoff? A quick livewell pump check wouldn't take any time at all on a club or jackpot takeoff, and I've never seen it happen one time, nor have I ever seen any have an experienced angler in charge of fish care show folks how to fizz their deep caught bass at a summer weigh in, or even have a pre-tournament discussion about fish care on any level. Folks, I enjoy a derby every now and then, but all in the world Champ, Wrench and some of the others perceived as anti derby are saying is police yourselves before someone else does, because self policing will be much less painful than whatever law(s) this batch of bought and paid for idiots we have as lawmakers (on both sides of the aisle) would come up with. The crossfire and spillover from any derby legislation is liable to effect all of sport fishing on all levels!

Great to see that pic.

Champ, did Mr. Barker pass away? I never met him, but he was a college and fishing friend of my late uncle, and one heck of a bass fisherman.

Peace and comfort to you through the grieving process. Praying for you as well.

And there will be a fresh inflow of chocolate milk and crap in the water...

I have no idea. I drove through the storm yesterday on the way home. Little North Fork and Pond Fork were both rolling hard, and water was over the road in several spots. Limbs down around Thornfield. Had I been a few minutes later, I may not have gotten through, stuff was rising that fast. If I had to guess, I'd say 680 is possible, as the rain all went through to the south along the White river, so the corps can't release even if they didn't want to hold the water for power. Elevator will go up a little for sure, how much, I have no guess.

I think valet launching is a thing at LOZ, or at least kind of is. I think most of the boat dry storage places there will have your rig tied up at the dock waiting for you. Not sure if they stock the coolers or not... I'm sure that's coming to TR soon. Insert eye roll here.

Yeah Ham, I was determined to get out there. My troubles were mostly self inflicted, it's hard to keep a boat in fishing shape when you leave it 250 miles away in a storage unit without electricity. Combine that with work and family obligations and you end up with a whole crap load of little annoying details to take care of before time on the water! I'm hoping to bring the family down a few days next week. Im sure I'll have at least a morning or two to get up early and make new holes in the faces of some topwater fish. Btw, I lost an absolute tank of a spot, like 18" or better, at the boat on a megbass 110. As Babler said in the TR forum, those things aren't just for winter.

Best laid plans... Had hoped to leave STL by noon Thursday, fish Thurs eve and Friday early morning till midday. Life got in the way, and I didn't get into Theodosia until 1am. I still was going to try and fish early, but that 5am alarm just hurt too bad. After dealing with dead troller batteries and some other general boat nonsense, I put in at buck creek around 11am. Ramp is very FLAT! Not the launch if you must keep feet and or truck dry. Anyway, to further complicate the day, the opti must have picked up some crap in the water pump during the high water last trip, overheat alarm and very weak stream. So, plans changed to just fishing close. Main lake points were the deal, old lake line to maybe 20', boat in 30'ish. Topwater, jerkbait, 3.3 kietech, Ned, tube, more topwater all caught fish. Quit around 4:30pm when I started seeing weather building, as being out in a storm in a broken boat didn't sound like much fun. 20ish fish to the boat, best 5 were prolly 11 and change, which I didn't feel too bad about given the time of day that I fished and lack of mobility. water temps 80-81, wake boats and pontoons in full swing, at least as full as Bull gets. This post has been promoted to an article

Plus one on PBJ and green pumpkin. Really those two are all you need, PBJ might even be all you need. If I were you, I’d stay away from anything with metalflake in it. I’ve tried a couple flake colors that I have luck with in grubs and tubes, and for some reason they just don’t work as well on the Ned.

Just repeating what I’ve read here, not sure how many they have in stock, but Dave’s heads are available at Fin and Feather in Springfield. They may be able to help you out until Mrs. Dave is feeling better and he’s back on OAF in full form.

Wrench, as a follower of Jesus I can tell you God does appreciate your honesty. I don’t get the same idea about God when I read the Bible, but admittedly I’m reading the whole thing interpreting it through what the red letters say, and that can change some things. Idk. I think us Christians are way too thin skinned most of the time when people point out inconsistencies in their perception of the Bible, and especially in the actions of Christians and how we treat our fellow man. I disagree with your conclusions, but I see how you can come to them, and I will absolutely support your right to have them and say them.

Maybe Wrench. Could be that fishermen are just better humans than others, but if you take the water out of the equation, I’ve seen plenty of people completely ignore other humans in great need, including life or death situations to get to their job (that they most likely hate). Hell, I was almost rear ended a week ago because I slowed to pull off the road for an ambulance and fire truck. Idk, it seemed cool to me, and more rare than it should be, but maybe that’s because I live in an area of entitled rich folk.

https://www.bassmaster.com/blog/mcclelland-saves-day way to go Mike McC!

There isn't a lot of activity on the Mark Twain forum, and to be honest I didn't make it to Twain at all last year. I have had success there in the past in the summer months fishing main lake points with Crigs and crankbaits. If it was me I'd start near the dam on main lake points, and look for schools of bait, brushpiles, or ledge drop offs in say 15-20' of water. If the main lake points didn't produce anything, I'd go on in to secondary points and try the same sort of thing. If nothing there, I'd find the flattest spawning cove I could, move as shallow as I could, and see if there were still fish up shallow. good luck, and post a report over on the Twain forum, good or bad. That place needs a little more life!

Bump for stuff that still needs to find a home

Hunter, Cookie's up at Theodosia has a good prime rib on Friday evenings, may be worth the 30 minute run up the little north fork arm for supper and fish your way back. Now to those of you who are becoming enlightened, Myself, 24/7, Ham, Bullshoalscat and BluffBassin and the other Bull Shoals regulars make one request. Every fish pic posted on OaF, photoshop at least one or two boats into the background, then repeat after me, "I like Bull, but it's crazy crowded over there these days"

Spending a little of that hydroelectric money on high water lake access would surely help. I'd even be for a program that shares some of that revenue with the resort operators on the lake during flood years, maybe in the form of offsetting their lease payments. It's got to be hard to run a viable tourist biz during a flood...