waterpossum

The top ten. Winner 19 years old. Four were in their 20s. Five were in their 30s. For the most part none have been around long enough to accumulate a lot of tournaments, but all have been successful ending up in the money most of the time. No more than these tournaments pay its imperative to cash at minimum 50% of the time unless the sponsorship is outstanding. $43,000 to fish 9 tournaments. There is a possibility to pay only $19,500 depending on how well you do. Tenth place was only $15,000. Not a very good return for a $4,800 bet. Some of the younger contestants probably aren't saddled with as much pressure since their principal address is their parents basement.

That was my thinking too Wrench. I know very few bass fisherman that don't tournament fish at one time or another. Every once in awhile someone will post a bass their fixing to eat on some social media sites to create a big stir

Since a new era of deep water 3" minnow bait fishing has been unleashed will the manufacturers of power poles, crank baits, spinner baits, etc. etc. etc see sales plummet.? Let's just say I wouldn't be too keen on investing in their stock.

Growing up in NW Arkansas in the early 60s when GF was impounded I always heard of giant walleye in this lake. Were they original river fish incorporated into the population. Is the lake still productive?

Do you have a color selector or PH meter in your arsenal?

I wont be around to see if what I think will happen to the fishery after a few years of use. I think in the not too distant future the fish population will take a drastic down turn. Water quality and water quantity will be the biggest culprit but FF technology will also be a big part of the problem. Most people using it and justify using it rationalize that there is an unlimited amount of fish and that they can reproduce in numbers that will supply fishermen for eternity.

Yes. PLEASE

Somebody will easily come up with a device that will interrupt the signals sent out by the transducers. I pray I get to use one .

I am guilty of generalizing about the participants. I really should have directed it more to the people that are really profiting from the sport. When people like Kevin Vandam career earnings are far less than one tournament winner on the PGA tour there is a problem. You would think the producers of $130,000 bass boats and $200 lures could find it in their means to pay more than $1,000 BB pots. On the surface it looks like the angling participants are providing the majority of the money to be divided. Most PGA participants pay little to no entry fees.

The whole sport is a joke. These guys have the financial intelligence of a mature cucumber. I was looking at the results of a Bass tournament being held on Lake Ouachita. Get this. Out of the top ten for the first day the one with the most career earnings had amassed $24,000. Look at some of the entry fees involved. The expense involved. To break even I imagine unless there is some kind of super sponsor would take $100,000

Merry Christmas to all.

Luckily my two girls dont fall into that generalization. They both went to college, worked as RAs in the dorm. Left college pretty much debt free. Both make more money than I ever dreamed about. They also volunteer at food banks.

I personally knew a couple of old legends that didn't have a pot to pee in after their lifetime of chasing bass. Most of their winnings ended up with ex wives. When the cost of boats and and trinkets are factored in with travel expense and entry fees only a few will ever profit from the endeavor. I haven't watched a bass tournament for years and with the new technology take over hold no interest in watching someone else fish.

It's a life changing event to win $10,000 in a bass tournament. That will sustain a family of four for a year. 😆😆

There are a lot of Corp brushpiles scattered around that area, especially close to the boat ramp. The smallmouth like that area. Have caught several nice ones out by the island

I failed to mention yesterday that the white bass are surfacing throughout the lake. The best area is close to the dam. Their especially active the last hour of the day.

I live 2 miles from Ruark. I really shut the fishing down when the temps get too hot. I do regularly fish the Stockton Friday nighter bass tournaments. I have not done that well, but some of the better more consistent contestants regularly bring in five fish limits. The weights are really low this year with 10.5 lbs usually cashing. The lake is nearly 4' low. The most consistent bite night or day has been in off shore brushpiles 12-20' deep using 10" worms. There is an Otter problem lake wide. I was baffled why a couple of reliable fishing spots had gone dry until recently. In both spots I saw about a dozen otters roaming the bank. I wrote MDC about my concern, but they responded that they didn't think they posed a problem with bass. Walleye fishing from what I have read is really good dragging worms on gravel flats in 8-20' of water during the day. There are mixed reports about the crappie. The video fisherman have done pretty well checking corp brushpiles until they find one with fish. Most corp piles at normal lake level were set at 24'

2/10" at Ruark on Stockton

Years ago Lamar city lake in Lamar. Missouri stocked hybrid blue gill. There were plenty of large fish to be caught. I don't think they do it anymore, but it seems like that would be a great project to undertake even if only for city and county lakes. Fishing pressure has reached an all time high. Lakes that once fished big have now been reduced in size with the new technology. Bass especially have been hammered and been transported to weigh in sites by the thousands.

Mine has worked great. No problems

After seeing the past weekend tournaments results it seems apparent the spawn has concluded. Has anyone caught a fish over 4 lbs in the last week. I was hoping for a better report, especially since seeing the Truman and Mark Twsin results.

The dogwoods flowered in abundance this year. They were definitely flowering a little earlier though. There are just a few left with flowers. Most have leafed out. There was just a few flowers left on the big grove that leads into Stockton State park Marina yesterday.

I'm glad to see this topic about the spawn addressed. I was in a bass club, SW Missouri bass club for about 30 years. Once a year in the first week in May we sponsored the Kidney Foundation tournament out of Campbell Point. It was apparent every year the spawn had taken place. In the 20 something years the weights were nearly identical with maybe one or two fish that weighed 4 lbs. The 10" strawberry worm was the ticket. Last weekend a small 18 boat tournament was held on Stockton lake (where I live) It was a four fish limit. The winning boat had a little over 9 lbs and the BB of 3 lbs. That led me to believe that the spawn had ready occurred here. Then I look at the Joe Bass tournament on Truman and there was a ton of big fish. Like wise on Mark Twain that same weekend. Stockton has never been known for its abundance of Big Bass. Tournament pressure on Stockton is not on the level of TR or LO, but is is also just half the size of those two lakes. I think the tournament pressure has an impact on fish quality

I can't speak for Pomme, but a majority of Stockton crappie have spawned out or are absorbing their eggs. That's not to say you might find some late spawners. Last time out they had scattered out deeper in the same place I caught spawners about 10 days ago. Pomme might be in the same stage

It takes a few days for the spawned out fish to recoup and start feeding.