Feathers and Fins

Duane met up with me at my house at 07:30 am and after shooting the breeze for a few and showing him the long line duck decoys set-ups we headed out to the lake. Water temp: 60.7 Water Clarity: Stained in the back of coves tea color and clear in the main lake 10ft visability Wind: 15 to 20 with higher gust Air temp high 70's Bait: Threadfin shad ( we tried th fly but to much wind ) We started of in Avoca, but with so many boats it wasnt looking well. Duane did manage a couple nice bass on the shad. The wind made drifts next to impossible today but it was fine a good friend and good company, so I took him on a tour of some of the duck hunting spots on the lake. I think he was convinced to come over for some goose hunting. We have a couple honkers needing to be harvested. After the tour we tried a few more drifts and in one Duane managed to connect with a striper but it pulled loose, we also had some hits come back with tooth marks so its obvioust the walleye are still present. On one of our final drift attemps I manage to snap a picture of one of my favorite birds a Heron who was busy fishing himself and in route to his next spot i caught him in flight. Its not always about catching fish some days its about great company and enjoying nature and today was one of those days. Cant wait to get Duane into some stripers and lord willing and the wind ever stops it will be a striper on fly day.

Blue, they might be there but I havent gone looking yet. With the sheer volume of shad in PC, Avoca and near the islands the stripers wont be far from it.

Threadfin and Gizzard, They are top water feeding but with the wind of late its been slower. If we could get a day without wind it would explode im sure.

This day started off a little Lonney But the water temp was 60.2 the wind was light at 5 to 10mph and the water was clear. The shad are getting a little harder to fins as the water is stained up where they are, but the day was beautiful and I did manage to get plenty of shad for the afternoon. It siined turned into another day of stripers, whites and Bass.

I would have picked it up, took a few pictures and released it later. Then again there isnt a snake on the planet i wouldnt pick up if it was dumb enough to get close to me lol..

Guide a good friend of mine is a Bait Shop owner in South Florida and he has told me his sales since the A-rig made news down there ( about Jan) has been up 300%. I can say from my end I didnt fish less than I normally would this time of year but I have spent more money because of the A-rig. I would normally spend about 60$ a month this time of year but because of the A-rig and really wanting to find out about it I have spent an additional 500.00 over the last 2 months.

Drew, You know dang well I use it and in many threads pointed out its just another tool in the box. Even pointing out it doesnt always work. I can pinpoint cast it and lob it and even have a way to slow work it on the bottom. I know how you feel about it and respect your view. But it is not unsporting no more than using electronics are or the hydro or so many other forms of technologial improvements. Now staged pictures always rub me wrong as they give the flase impressions. Has the A-rig been a boom for the economy of bait shops? WITHOUT A DOUBT YES! Does it make anglers equal? NO WAY! Does it catch alot of fish? It did this winter but its quickly becoming a bust See what not getting a day of striper chasing does sheeshhh

Psst staged picture... 5 smallies on that rig all hooked in the exact same place... Three other ods clearly visable..... Trolling motor not down... And he is even giving us all the bird. Ive thrown that thing enough to know you aint fitting 5 fish of that size on the A-rig first off one of the other hooks will snag the first fish on it and second the spread on the rig is to small the second fish would be impaled by multiple hooks as well. You " MAY" manage to get three, but 5 smallies that size I seriously doubt it combined with other elemints of the picture.

Without doubt Jeb, When you pre-fish an area with say 50 boats for 3 days before a tourney and you think you arnt hurting your own bite your nuts. They dont eve stop to think though " they " pulled off after locating a fish or two there is 50 other boats comming behind them pulling off after they catch a fish or two in the same spot. I dive and see things you wouldnt believe, I went in PC last year before a tourney and found about 30 bass in a area a good fishermen could get to and catch them. I watched 10 boats go in it pound the area and leave. I dove it after that the same day and found 38 bass still there. Just about every one of them had fresh hook marks in their mouth. But try and tell someone that they are their own worse enemy and they will find someone else to blame. When i ocean fished tourneys I specifically targeted areas you had to be some what insane to try for. Many times I had to beach my boat and hit the area from shore ( leagal for the tourneys) or I would drive the boat and my partner would cast to the rocks we were fishing It took very close communication and a constant eye to the rock and one to waves and a third on the depth finder. We didnt target easy to get to spots or areas with alot of fish. We target huge Calico Bass on Boil rocks that was dangerous to fish. Ill dig up a few of them if i can find the pics and post a few of the ocean monsters. We were not looking though for a limit we knew we could get 5, 2lb fish we wanted 3 8lb fish.

I wont be out tonight Its time to go visit the tax lady to see how bad Uncle Sam will hit me this year lol. Those fish are not going anyplace! I cant beleive it but I havent had to fill my gas tank on the boat in 20 trips and im still only at 1/2 tank. Now my Battery I have to charge daily though.

Larson here is my rebuttle to that, Why spend the money on breeding and raising a fish that naturally reproduces in the lakes? When a simple rule change would negate that need. What really bothers me is that a guy can catch fish after fish putting them in the live well and culling as he goes disrupting many fish from spawning. But an average angler gets caught doing the same thing and he will get cited. Then i hear from those same tourney fishermen how bad the fishing is or how few they are catching each year. They are their own worse enemy and the resources when you keep destroying nest and that is what they are doing. April, May, June no tournament fishing rule and I would bet in 5 years we would see far more bass.

Thanks Bill, Saturday Lord willing will be a special report the fly poles are comming out as a special friend is comming to give it a shot. I know you like the Fly reports so be looking for it.

There are some large whites in Avoca and Prairie Creek right now I watched several get taken home tonight by anglers. If I was going to target whites I would start looking for them at Beaver shores/12 bridge and then move up toward Prairie Creek and Avoca for the larger ones. I have had reports of males up river but seems like the big girls are still down lake. But that can change. A great resource is to stop in and talk to Mike McLellan's at is Fly shop in Fayetteville he normally knows where they are and a class A Guy.

Im not talking about accidental offenders here. I am talking about Habitual which simply means they KEEP DOING IT KNOWING ITS ILLEGAL. You keep one short that might be a mistake ( doubt it if you can read and there is no excuse for not reading the regs) but ok a person might make it. Tough Hard fines are a joke to judges that { i hate to say it but } " good ole boy club " and hit there buddies buddies buddy with a small fine. Make fines and penalties mandatory so no judge can give less than the mandatory fine. And again 3 times hit them with the jail do it to a few and the word will get out like a wild fire and possibly curtail some of it. Also after 3 its loose all hunting fish privledges for life and if caught after that again manadatory 5 years in jail. Its time to send a message wildlife crimes are not a joke.

Air Temp: 80 Water Temp: 59.7 Wind: from the south at 15mph Water clarity: 5 to 8 ft Bait: Threadfin Shad I managed to make a trip finally work out for myself and my wife. We got out to avoca at 5:18pm and went straight for the back to make bait. One throw with the net and we had plenty of bait to last us a few hours. Headed back out to the center of Avoca and dropped the lines. Not 2 minutes later my buddy George a 23inch striper with a clipped tail fin bit and Jammi brought him in to say hello. I have caught him 6 times now in the exact same spot and with the clipped fin its undoubtedly him. 30 minutes went by and the next hook up, Jammi again on the rod and connected to an 15lb class striper. Her personal best to date. 45 minutes later I was connected to what I thought was George again and then all heck broke loose and my reel started screaming off line, 20 minutes later we were looking at a 18+lb class striper. Not bad for a few hours with the wife enjoying the outdoors. Meet George. Hooked up to something bigger The something bigger Me hooked up to a washing machine, I guess this is one way to do laundry Washing machine motor.

Habitual Offender is showing no care, no respect and no regards for the law. That is not minor IMO that is no better than a poacher or for commercial reasons. Do you go out without a buying a license? I doubt it even if you forgot it the warden can verify you bought it. Do you keep undersize fish? I doubt it as you know the law and size limits. Size limits are real simple to understand the book is right at the same register you buy the license at and if not there its online and easy to find and read. Minor forgetfulness is one thing Intentionally doing it isnt, and there is the differance one is a honest mistake one is not. The ones who dont care will care when they are sitting with Bubba in the big woodshed.

Points violations are really outdated. I would like to see them dealt away with. We know there is the honest mistake and the intentional violation. Honest mistakes could be simply leaving a license at home or gigging a fish by mistake even having 1 lead shot in your waterfowl bag and 100 steel etc or even unknown mistakes like riding through a stream i know guys who didnt know its was illegal. Those types of mistakes should just be chaulked up to legitimate mistakes. But a habitual offender AKA same offense more than once should have their license yanked and yanked for first repeat offense 5 years second life AKA 3 strikes.. Strike one would be a possible honest mistake.. after that or multiple offense we know your a habitual violater. Also on the 3rd offense mandatory 5 years in jail as a felony conviction. Make the punishment fit the crime. There just is no excuse for habitual offenders to be allowed to keep doing it and the current penalties wont keep them from it but tougher penalties might.

You can but i dont know why you would its about 300 feet above the tailwater. There is access below it on the AGFC property and a fence that you cant go past ( i think the fence is about 100 yrds from the base of the dam. Thats pure trout area. Now if you want to fish Beaver Lake from the dam that is doable and pretty good for smallies and early morning summer bite for stripers.

I run my big boat up there all the time ( I dont suggest running wide open unless you really know the area, sand bars and fall downs will bite you ) Beavertown is on the white river below Beaver Dam between 62 bridge and Holiday Island. About the furthest i can run upriver is the 62 bridge area in my boat a canoe or yak no problem floating from the dam all the way into tablerock lake. Trout will be found from the dam to about 62 bridge. Walleye from Parker Bottoms to Table Rock and smallmouth from Houseman access to Tablerock.

Gas 180.00$ boat Gas 60.00$ truck Line 60.00$ Assorted baits for tourney 175.00$ Motel room 2 night 150.00$ Food 80.00$ Entry fee $100.00 Total 805.00 These are rough numbers from when I tourney fished a two day tournament with 2 days pre-fishing years ago, I do not know today’s prices but would thing near the same to double it depending on outside factors. So and angler would need to win 805.00 just to break even if they had no sponsorship and were doing it on their own. I did not factor in if these guys have a real world job and had to miss 2 to 4 days of work which I will simply add another 400.00 for so potentially right out the gate 1,200.00 just to break even potentially. I fished saltwater tourneys but would assume that freshwater are close in cost. Im curious to you guys who fish these tourneys what the actual cost has become to fish them?

Its a world where to be in the "real" money or "reel" money you have to say the right things to get the sponsor's. Example. I was using my Hummbingbird depthcharge supper 8000 on a shimano electro-shock bait caster with Kaiser steel line and using a Manns hydowave crank bait. Now that is how to plug for the "real" money who cares about winning 6 grand when you can make 500 grand in indorsements.

No secret other than when I find active fish i stay on them, I see too many people pass over fish and keep going. When I hook one or see them actively feeding be it on the sonar or on the surface I stay in the area and just move the boat 50 rds up and down in a figure 8 in the area. Yesterday I was watching them active on sonar, and watching the shad balled and nervous on the surface both signs pointed to a striper school in that area so i started my figure 8's. The key to multiple fish is to stay with the active feeding school and not get pulled off by other fish slapping surface. I saw plenty of that but when i see a couple hundred back out of water busting shad im staying on the big school and not chasing the single fish.

Stump, I have actually had a 160lbs tarpon in it and the one before it had a 200lbs bull shark in it. You never know what your going to get throwing it off the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart Florida for mullet. They are actually easy to throw after practice. I used mine for Mullet and Menhaden which tarpon, snook and redfish love.. Spinner sharks love them more though lol. Wild, PC has a camping site but i dont think its open yet and i wouldnt leave a boat beached overnight ever on Beaver near a camp ground. the sites at all the ACE Sites are big enough to pull the boat next to a camper or rv from what ive seen.

Water temp: 57.4 Air temp: 82 can you believe 82 in March Sky condition: Blue as it gets Bait: Live Shad and 5'' curly tail grubs in white Arrived on location at 2pm and quickly made bait, the first cast net throw pulled up over 400 4 inch shad. I started out by Ballooning from anchor to the point that has been so productive the last few days, but after about an hour of nothing I started thinking with a blue bird sky the fish may have moved deeper. Pulled up the anchor and headed up the arm toward the marina but was stopped quickly by surface activity and marks on the fish finder. Striper marks from 15 to 20 feet down in 25 feet of water. Dropped the first bait and instant hook up, managed to get 4 more in not time and then the bits shut off. I had to run up and get more bait anyway so this was not a bad thing. The afternoon remained slow untill 5pm and then it was on untill 8pm. Ended up the day with 11 stripers 4 largemouth and 1 smallmouth. I really am starting to think this small mouth likes me its the same one ive caUght 6 times now she has a notch in her tail and a scar on her right side. Fat little girl A triple hook up 1 on the grub 2 on shad, This convinced me to put the 3rd rod away it was interesting with three on at one time. Sorry about the lousy quality my phone sucks and I forgot the good camera. These fish are not going anyplace soon. They were surface feeding tonight in wide open fashion. It's real neat to see 15 to 30lbs stripers crashing baits backs and tails out of water.

Im just using a 6ft cast net from Academy works just fine. Im actually afraid if i threw my 16ft net what would happen lol