mixermarkb

Bet that was fun on spinning tackle..

Ain’t it just about perfect! Man, I’m jealous of you guys who are getting out! I’m about a week away from being able to get a boat wet!

Gaston’s and the dam area in general would be the spot for folks who get too nervous if they are isolated. Not only is Gastons a nice place, but the roads over to Mountain Home are as good as you are going to find around Bull. Mountain Home is a decent sized town with just about anything anyone could need.

My Dad used to say that there are curves on that stretch where you have to dodge yourself to keep it on the road-

https://www.amazon.com/Lews-Fishing-MHC-Throat-Release/dp/B075NN27K8/ref=asc_df_B075NN27K8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312031058067&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11228209594666269880&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9022814&hvtargid=pla-570329640200&psc=1 This thing cuts through even heavy jig hooks like butter. Well worth keeping in the glove box.

In all seriousness, Bull Shoals is beautiful, most of the shore is natural, way less in the way of lakefront homes, and condos are basically non-existent. Pressure is up over the past few years, but still nowhere near The Rock or LOZ. The big issues with Bull Shoals are crap road access, and nothing but the lake to do for family. EDIT- I forgot the other big issue on Bull is that there is a 40 foot swing from normal to full flood pool. The Corps and Mother Nature have sure been using every bit of it in recent years, so at times expect launching (and fishing) to be a royal pain the buttocks! There are some good mom and pop restaurants, Cookie's up at Theodosia the best IMHO, (friday night cajun style prime rib=yum). The accommodations everywhere on the lake tend to be on the rustic side, and folks (especially of the picky female persuasion) who are used to staying in higher end hotels or casino style resorts will find them somewhat dated and maybe a bit more "roughing it" than they would choose. The women ain't gonna be going for a spa day while you fish on Bull Shoals. Shopping is limited to a few towns with a Dollar General, or 45 minute to an hour drive over those crappy roads to Mt. Home or Branson. I'm not a golfer, but I think there is a course down by the dam, and maybe still one at Theodosia. All in all, its a great place to get away from people. You can go all day during the week without sharing a cove, let alone a bank, with another boat. Even on busy weekends, there are spots to fish without taking a number. Just be aware that if you think you are gonna need it, you better bring it, and if you have kids or wives who want any sort of entertainment or shopping like Branson and Osage Beach offer, it's not around without a long ride and probably some Dramamine.

There are no fish in Bull Shoals. Plus the roads to it make you carsick. And it’s ugly. No harter house meat near it. Terrible darn lake. Just stay over yonder on TR.

Lews is selling their refurbished reels? One of my favorite things about the Lews outlet was snagging the occasional factory return refurb reel for next to nothing. Anyone know if they have a new outlet for that stuff? or have the skinny on why they closed the outlet store? hope everyone is staying warm- Mark Burris

Yep. Hopefully the vaccine distribution goes well, and people continue to mask up and we get this thing under control. I’m hearing rumblings of concert touring starting back up mid-summer of this year- hopefully that timeline is accurate and I can get back to work!

I may be able to get down for a day or two soon- but still being out of work due to COVID has my fishing budget severely depleted.. smh

Sorry, you got caught in an inside joke. The “bearded hillbilly bank fishermen” spoke of are to keep folks out of that particular cove. The REAL TRUTH, Is that there are NO scary bearded hillbilly bank fishermen on all of Table Rock. They are EVERYWHERE on Bull Shoals though. Stay on TR where it’s safe!!!!

One small thing, that really doesn’t amount to all that much- but I think that dealers that sell high performance bass boats should all be required to spend some seat time with the buyer on the water at delivery. I can stop my Champ from 70mph plus inside of a few boat lengths, because I was shown how to by a dealer 25 years ago. There aren’t brakes, but there are ways to stop quick, as long as you do it within the limits of your hull design. Lots of folks just don’t spend enough time learning to drive their new toy, at all speeds, and learning how to stop is a key part of driving a boat. I guess it’s a Macho thing, but not many boat owners are willing to ask for help, and there are learning curves ranging from how deep to put in the trailer to launch and retrieve all the way to how far you need to trim out to get the very most top end out of a given rig, as well as how to trim for turns at various speeds. These are all specific to hull designs, and a good dealer should take the time to educate his clients so they will be around to buy the next boat, and not smeared on a bluff somewhere. plus- we need skills based boating licenses in Missouri. The regulations just haven’t kept up with the boats as far as power and speed goes. Hell, we have Tri-toons with multiple V8 four strokes running around these days- we need skills based testing and more on the water enforcement, badly.

Ok. Bringing this one back from the dead, but is the Osage fishable in a glass boat, or do you need a jet? Mari-osa access is where I was thinking about dropping in-

A few, and I’ve also been that guy who got towed when life got too busy to use a boat enough...lol

Not related to the inboard question, but as far as outboards, I don’t let hours bother me on a used boat. I’ve seen just as many brand new motors getting powerheads as I have old ones. I’m looking for a well kept package by an owner who used it a lot. In my humble opinion, running a boat enough that the gas stays fresh, as well as letting it warm up enough before you go WOT, are the two things that make a motor last the longest. no matter how creampuff, a boat that is used one weekend a year is gonna have issues, in my opinion.

Happy Birthday, and sorry for your loss, Champ. Dad died in 06, and some days I still catch myself wantIng to give him a call and tell him about something. It’s a process getting used to them being up there and us being here for sure.

I quit it back in June. Once water temps get to 80ish, Bull becomes a nocturnal thing for me, and with it high, that’s just not a game I want to play.

I have no idea why skills based boating licenses aren’t a thing.

I fished the Joe Bass Bull Shoals series a couple years before we had our youngest, and enjoyed it. I don’t really have any of the answers to your questions though-

If my son or wife is going with me, I’ll add rods for them, and another Plano box of jig heads and terminal tackle for them to keep on the back deck-

It depends on the time of year and the lake, but I try to cull as much as I can. It’s still a lot, but I’m a better fisherman if I keep the tackle options at a minimum and concentrate on finding fish. that said- here is what’s in the boat now for summer fishing 2x 7’10” deep cranking rods 2x 7’5” big swimbait rods 2x 7’3” Carolina rig rods 2x 7’ Texas rig/jig rods 2x 7’ top water rods 1x 6’10” shaky head spinning rod 1x deep crank box 1x topwater box 1x Jig and Trailer box 1x Jighead box 1x terminal tackle box for C and T rigs 1x bulk box of soft plastics 1x bulk box of big swimbaits 1x lews shopping bag of accessories, line, spare trebles, reel lube, split ring pliers, etc 1x weigh in bag with Golden Rule, balance beam, cull tags, and a net looped thru the handles 1x boat bag with fire extinguisher, whistle, first aid kit, life jackets and throwable, and small first aid kit. 1x boat bag with rain gear, extra rain gear for guest, toilet paper, sunscreen and bug off, spare hats and a couple of fishing towels 1x tool bag with spare trolling motor prop, prop wrench, voltmeter, adjustable wrenches, 10 in 1 screwdriver, zip ties, jumper cables, and some misc hardware crap spare prop and lock washer 50’ of braided rope with a snap hook 4x braided dock lines

I agree with Gary, it’s their lake too. I wish everyone would be more considerate of their fellow citizens, and operate their toys to that end, but honestly, If I choose to fish main lake points in the summer at LOZ, I know what I’m getting into. that’s why I go on Tuesdays.

“Me first and only Me first” is THE systemic problem we as a nation must fix. That attitude hurts us in every way.

$40K would buy one heck of a nice used boat. If it was me, I’d be looking for a cream puff BassCat with that kind of budget. Would be easy to find a loaded up Pantera/200Hp combo for that, could probably even get into one of the 20’ boats. honestly, I can’t think of any reason at all to buy a brand new boat. That depreciation hit is just too hard. A used rig a couple of years old is the way to go.

I’m using the St. Croix legend tournament bass Mag Cranker, which is a 7’10” heavy moderate action, but I think it’s discontinued. I’d look at the Lews ledge lineup, or maybe their new KVD line. I like the rods I use, but to be honest, I think there are probably options that do the job just as well for less money.