Bobby P.

Thanks for the post. Stuck in the office here in Nebraska chomping at the bit to get back down in early November. Fun to read about it anyway

I really like my Bogs. I get them one size too big and wear a really thick wool sock. They are very easy to slip on and off and very comfortable to walk in. https://www.bogsfootwear.com/shop/style/51407-001.html?utm_source=Criteo&utm_medium=Retargeting&utm_content=1005x124&utm_campaign=LowerFunnel

Will a thermocline build in yet this summer? If so, any idea when?

Where do you order those jig heads? I know it has been on here before. Sorry.

I caught a decent Kentucky in the back of the old 86/campground cove yesterday on the redfin.

Buster Loving, Tim Sainato, Bill Beck, Bill Babler, Pete Wenners are all awesome guides and great fishermen. I have only been fishing in the dam area for about 38 years now. Finally about 20 years ago I got smart enough and had enough money to hire guides. I have fished with all of these guys and they have taught me a lot. I know all of the baits and I have been studying the forums and viewing the videos(especially Pete Wenners weekly video) for years now. But everytime I go with them I learn a new spot, bait and/or technique. For a number of years I have been calling Buster just because I have developed a good relationship/friendship with him. I only get to fish the lake about 10 days a year and I still hire Buster at least one time a year. I don't know much about the other lakes and where the fish are biting so I rely on Buster to take me off the Rock if the fishing is better somewhere else(Bull Shoals/Tanneycomo). Hiring a good guide is money well spent and any one of these guys are good. I love to sit here in the office in Nebraska and day dream about fishing by watching the videos and reading the forums(especially this one). Tight lines. Until retirement..........back to the salt mines.

Who makes the best umbrella rig for the money? Also what is the best grub/trailer and color to use on the rig? Is a white fluke jr. the best thing to use?

Aweosme forum. Great to read. Duck---thank you for the response. Bobby

Which style of WE spinner bait works best? i know mouse color but what style and blades? Thanks for all the help. I am coming down Wednesday and i will be fishing out of Beardsley, where my boat is on the dock, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I have an older Nitro, white red stripe. There will be 3 of us in the boat. My fishing buddy and my 14 year old son. Stop by and say hi. Plan to fish from Clevenger to the Indians. I only get down about 10 days a year and I love to sit here in the office and read the reports. Dad lives in Twin Island at point 2. I have my spoons, drop shots, wiggle warts, jig/pig, fluke jr's, red eye shad, shakey heads and tubes all ready to go. I hope we get some topwater action.

What is the bait? 1/4 ounce head? Thank you.

baitcaster thumb trick---cool. Can't wait to try it.

If you come by me in the fog on plane I will be more than happy to toss you a full can of pop. I will even lead you to make sure it hits you in the head.

Ok. For what it's worth here it is. I fish the lake 5 days in May, 10 days in July(when my family lets me) and 5 days in September. Boy do I need to get retired down there and figure out, or try to figure out, the bite. Anyway, this is not an impressive report but here we go. I tried my old crawler points(Clevenger, Moonshine, etc) at 35 FOW, no luck. I did find a few crawler fish over by the state park camp ground. They were just around the corner on the last point on the left right out a little north from the "for sale by broker" yellow sign by the new condos out 25-30 FOW. There are a ton of fish on the island west of Clevenger on all 3 points on that island. I hate to admit but we did really well trolling. We caught 17 whites on Tuesday mostly out on the flat in front of Emerald Point. I was using a fire tiger flicker shad(the deeper one that runs I think 11-15 feet). My buddy who lives down there and his 85 year old mom troll all the time with the Norman deep little N in the bumble bee color and do real well. They went out today and trolled from the pink condo on Emerald to the drop off to the south and got a smallie, a 21 1/2 LM and 3 whites in about 1 1/2 hours. If you dare to lower yourself to trolling the best spot for whites is out on the flat in front on Emerald Point. Keep the boat in about 30 FOW and they are out there suspended about 17 feet. Cut all of the red meat out and boil them for 3 minutes in Old Bay seasoning and the put a little butter on them and your favorite spice after you boil them. It is awesome on the fresh whites!!! Another good spot is the State Park campground cove and the point that runs out into the main lake. There are 2 other good points in that cove over on the left side by the new condos and the "no wake" buoy. The island out in front of Beardsley has a lot of fish on the saddle and around the point toward point 2 too. By far the best bite was trolling but I really didn't fish more that 3 hours a day with the family wanting to go skiing and jumping off that stupid cliff/rock. I only fished Moonshine to Clevenger. However, this morning, of course before I had to leave, I did find some good tube fish on the first point on the right side heading into Beardsley. I had the boat in 30 FOW and I was throwing into the bank. I did pretty well on the GP and WAT/RED chompers tube with a 3/8 oz head. I really like that BANG stuff and I squirted them pretty well with it. Trust me--I would take a GP or WAT/RED chompers tube and try that point. I am way more honest with my spots than most guys but what the heck. I won't be back until 9/14. Go get 'em. The trollers on the dock love the bumble bee and purple essence Normans. I think green bass are heading deeper and it may take a DD22 on 8 pound test to get them. The whites appear to be still suspended at about 17 FOW. Nice to see the whites coming back so good. I think the 2008 flood had and effect on that. I sure hope the 2011 flood helps too. Got a huge 22' black on the fire tiger flicker shad on Tuesday on the east end of the Clevenger Island. All but the whites are still swimming. No walleye. I was bummed. But the boys at the dock are getting the occasional 22'-28' inch walleye trolling. I am shocked but the trolling boys on the dock say you have to be going 3 mph to get bit. I never heard of walleyes hitting a 3 mph moving bait. But they have and they have fish t or prove it. I must be simply a reaction bite. See you 9/14. Back to work. I read the reports and daydream all the time from the office. I figured I better share a little. Good luck and tight lines. BYW--the 12 year old cranked in all our whites and he is addicted.

Thank you!!! I learn so much on this forum!!! I am headed to my Dad's for 10 days tomorrow. He lives over at Twin Island. I make it down 5 days every May. About 10-14 days every July and about 5 days in September. Been doing that for about 35 years now out of Beardsley. Dad retired there 17 years ago and I intend to do the same. I sure evny you guys who can fish everyday!! But here in Nebraska and with 15 year old and 12 year old boys eating me out of house and home and I am going to have to work a few more years. I have an older 19' Nitro with red gel coat/150 merc. I will be around the dam, clevenger, beardsley, jakes branch, moonshine and maybe big Indian the 12th-19th. If you see me and want to stop by I would love to say hello. I will be by myself, I am thinking, at 5:30 in the morning or later in the day one or both of my boys may be with me. I spend a lot of time on the point that goes into Clevenger right across from the condos and in the middle of the day I may troll the island out in front of Clevenger and the shelf that runs from the island toward Clevenger. Maybe in the pontoon with a cover on the back half in the afternoon if I can get out there. Hope to see some of you this week.

The guys in our boat dock over by the dam put their traps about 15-25 feet deep straight down from the front of their boat stall and use cut up blue gill or white bass carass'(after they have cleaned them) for bait. I have seen them haul up a lot of crawdads. Also I have seen them use any kind of meat on the bone. I have seen them use chicken carcass' too(like from a baked whole chicken after it is mostly eaten).