Feathers and Fins

LOL, you just want to add my striper nuggets to the menu, im still laughing about that. I stil lsay we need to sit down at the restraunt one night and make some stiper rolls.

It was nice sleeping in after being away from home for a few days, but I was missing my striper time as well. So at 9:00 I made it out to the Prairie Creek launch ramp and headed for the back of Avoca as rumor had it the shad were thick in there. Rumors were not wrong the shad balls are 100yards long and 50 yards wide, prime size bait 3 to 4 inch threadfins. After making a cast with my net and illing up the bait tank I shot over to the Old Road in Prairie creek and started catching stripers for then next few hours. The trick was to fly line them directly behind the boat about 50 feet any weight at all and you were not going to get bit. They were also tight to the bank no more then 30 ft off it in skinny 14 to 6 feet. Which also provoked me into throwing the fly rod on them. This was a mistake with two rods out the back of the boat with live bait. A chinese fire drill occured several times until i put away the fly rod. I figured a triple hook up though fun was not so much fun with multiple fish going diffrent directions. The fish slacked off about 12:30 which was perfect as I had my brother coming out to meet me so I was able to take a short nap then run over to the docks to pick him up at 3:00pm. After picking him up we shot back to Avoca for more bait and never left it. Stripers were very thinck back in there but not biting wide open for some reason. We talked to one guy who had been catching them the last four nights straight in there. We did manage to get a few fish and a couple kicker big black bass and a nice walleye. The totals for the day were 8 Walley, 7 shorts 1 at 24 inches, 9 black bass from 1lb to 7lb and 30 stripers from 10 to 25lbs. The weather was fantastic I could not have asked for nicer and the water was warming up nice. I beleive this was one of the 5lb class bass And the stripers for the table. If you want to catch fish now is deffinately the time to go.

Its storm season and I just wanted to take a few minutes of your time to try and give you some advise in case you are hit by one as to how to protect yourself and speed the insurance process along. This is more for wind and hail. If you do get hit by wind or hail, beware of storm chaser contractors they will be out in force and promising you the world. The first thing to know is Hail will not wear out a roof to the point its leaking the next week or month even. You have time to get it fixed and fixed right. So knowing you have time what you should do is simple. Call in a claim to your agent and get the process started. An adjuster will be sent out to your house. If you do not agree with his evaluation you have the right to call for a re-inspection. Let’s assume he totals out the roof and now you need a contractor, most insurance’s have a list of contractors they have verified to be licensed, insured and bonded. You can contact your agent or even ask the adjuster who those companies are. ( not all adjusters will know as during a large storm event they bring in adjusters from around the country ) The adjuster should be able to leave you a pricing breakdown of the work needed to be done, A.K.A. Scope. A contractor should do the job for the price of the work scope plus code upgrades. All you should have to pay the contractor is the amount of the claim plus you’re deductable. While I’m on the deductable subject YOU ARE RESPONCIBLE FOR THAT AMOUNT! Any contractor telling you they will save you the deductable is committing Fraud and so are you! Don’t fall for the sign in the front yard for a fee game insurance companies are using their fraud units and prosecuting. The only amount you should be out of pocket is that deductible UNLESS you upgrade to a different product or there are damages not storm created, a reputable contractor will be able to talk to the insurance company for you to get payment for code upgrades and unforeseen damages from the storm. That’s the basics and will get most people the damages repaired. If you have questions post them here and I will try to answer them. Just an FYI if you live in NW Arkansas there are still storm chasers out from last years storms canvassing the area. Don’t let them scare you into filing a claim. If one of these guys comes through make them get on your roof and take pictures of what they are calling hail and then make them show you in a HAAG ENGENEERING BOOK that it is hail. I will be blunt I’m getting tired of getting on roofs behind these salesmen and having to explain to home owners they do not have damage. I hate frauds and scare tactic salesmen and I am seeing it daily from these canvassing salesmen.

No clue amigo, I quit tourney fishing years ago, mostly because the competitor in me started to take the fun out of fishing but also a large part of the (ego's and attitudes of others in it) It just became very obvious to me the people were not fishing for love of sport and fun of fishing but to stroke their ego's and the money.

BF, If you really want to catch smallies walk the dam at Beaver Lake. Or get a kayak and float around the Beavertown bridge... TX I have permission to be on the alot of the properties around spav. I Chuckle alot catching 8pnd bows and browns from it but pure C@R as AGFC doesnt stock it because of the public access problems. Those are old trout in there.

Spavinaw Creek is one of my favorites but you have to be careful there are these annoy salmon looking fish that occasionaly eat your bait and if you are expecting a couple pound SMB and latch into a 2 to 6lb trout it gets interesting fast. Not saying there are alot of trout in there but I do get a few each year and they are large. There are just so many creeks around its hard not to want to try each one out.

Al, you made me chuckle evily when i read your post about price. My favorite reel of all times is a Penn Jigmaster 500 at a whopping 50 to 75 bucks it is without a doubt the most powerful and versatile reel in its class and can beat hands down or at least keep up with 1000 dollar reels. Ive caught everything from 1 pound surf pearch on it to a 500lb Black Marlin. If Penn made it smaller say the size of a Calcutta 400 series I would buy it in a heart beat and save a couple hundred bucks. When you talk serious day in day out fishing I do feel that price matters or more so the quality NOT so much in fish catching ability but for longevity of the the equiptment. Sure guys can catch fish on anything but 35 bucks here and there when rods or reels break adds up to those high dollar rods and reels and the price on them is associated more so about the longevity of the product. Kind of like fishing waders by the 50 dollar ones they work fine for a season but 4 season of replacement and you could have bought a pair of high dollar ones and still have a few more years in them. So in the long run the high dollar purchase may well be the cheapest in the long run.

Richy if you are wanting to target stripers, I would suggest Two specific lakes Beaver Lake and Lake Ouachita. Both are known for producing lots of stripers and would give you a far better chance to tie into one than Bull will. Beavers stripers are still on the chew and still in Prairie Creek. I just got back last night from doing storm damage assessment in Kansas and snuck out today for a little bit and managed to pop 2 decent high teen stripers from shore. My bait of choice today was a 6'' White Bucktail 2oz with a plastic shad tail in pearl. Saturday looks to be a decent day to try for them looks like a 30% chance of pm rain so the day should be overcast and one I would put on at a 8 out of 10 for getting one. If you have a boat follow the bird they will be marking the active fish.

Wal, I look at fishing as a constant improvement to try and catch an animal that has a brain so small it shouldn’t even be able to drink even if it does live in water but constantly outsmarts even the Einstein’s of the fishing community. Looking back at some of the artifacts of fishing we have gone from bone made into hooks to lures that look so real if they were packaged and put in a grocery store someone may very well buy and try and eat them. The goal is to try and catch a fish for most people others are just hoping for a bite. I have never seen a lure, rig or bait (including live) that is guaranteed to catch a fish on every cast. Many thought the A-rig was going to be that magic bait that would do it and now they are becoming frustrated and depressed that it is nothing more than another tool. We have gone from bone hooks and gut for line to all the tools we have available today and the wide array of lures and yet that stupid fish make us look like the most mentally handicap creature on the planet day in and day out. It is the challenge to improve our chances and the skill to learn how to use each lure and each new technological improvement that is part of the fun of fishing. I would probably stop fishing the day I could go out and catch fish every cast as then it wouldn’t be fun (probably boring) at that point. I see the phenomenon of people not liking the newest lure often and learned a long time ago to embrace it and learn its uses and limitation and just think of it as part of a new skill to learn, which for me is part of the fun of fishing. The skill comes in to the picture that you have to learn and improve your knowledge. Fun to me is the challenge and the learning curve and quest to defeat by capture those Einstein’s swimming in our waters and I do not think anyone will ever figure them out all the time. Heck I have spear fished and watched at the last second them turn and give me the fin as if to say HAHA made ya think I was stupid.

I have already done my part by no longer shooting lead shot which could not possibly be in the system still and could not possibly be what the loons are ingesting.

Define cheap? If you are wanting to locate and fish brush piles there are units for around 500 bucks that will do it for you. Below that dollar amount you are taking a gamble on the unit. Also in you have to understand the cone of most fish finders is about 9ft and the closer to center of the cone the better the image will appear. This is why it is currently impossible to tell the exact size of a fish on a sonar. That being said there are finders with larger cones patterns in the water but as you widen a beam it does degrade the image quality on the bounce back. If you are wanting to be able to pinpoint a brush pile on gps and fish finder I suggest getting a quality fish finder with lake insight. Yes its not what you asked but it is honestly the best way.

The Ghost, very few thinks on earth like catching one.

Ok now i know how Chief is catching fish, He is using the white rod with a concealed reel in the palm of his hand to look like a blind persons walking stick to access handicap areas. thats just low ( wish i would have thought of it )

I love how on fishing shows they have the clicker on bait casters for the sound effect for the show, seems every tom dick and harry starting out thinks you have to leave it on to fight a fish because they see it on TV. Now the one i love is guys lipping everything. I always enjoyed watching people try lipping sea trout and blue fish or walleye

NICE... saw it on yoru FB account but was waiting for you to answer if it was a taney or AK fish..

OTF, I at one time would have said the same of Cali fish and Game and other DFG's around the country. GREED and Special interest and worse OVER REACTION to things! These are the things that create regs and fee's that IMO are intrusive to sportsmen. You said it yourself " I don't see a problem, as long as there is a good reason for these regs, and there almost always is". Tell me though If MDC started charging for the use of more than 1 rod how would you feel? If MDC started telling you that you could not go to this lake or that lake because of possibly transporting a this alge or that mussle how woudl you feel? Or if MDC started charging to fish Lakes one price and a stream license another? It is a very real possibility its happened in other states and politicians pay attention as do the groups who would like to restrict our activities that is facts. So who is to say it cannot happen here? I do not want to see it here and the only way to insure that is to make our voices all so loud everyone listens, but first all of us have to stop thinking one sport is stupid or one sport is better or worse than another and band togeather for US to be the ones who enforce our will's and wants. For it is also a FACT thatsportsmen are the greatest champions of the outdoors. Our voices united can make certain those things do not happen here. Or live a dream it wont happen here until 1 by one it does.

This is one thing I know for certain. If the Sportsmen of this State do not put their petty differances aside and unite under 1 banner to protect their butts they will find like other sportsmen in other states they will be regulated and taxed out of their sport. When i was growing up in Cali, You bought a hunting license and a fishing license. Pretty simple to understand, Sure you needed a deer tag or a waterfowl stamp. But the powers that be have been allowed to take it to a new level. 2 Rodstamp, you gotta pay to have a second rod it use to be free Upland Game stamp, yup now what use to be covered in a hunting license is now another fee you have to pay to hunt upland game. Ocean enhancement, Yes another example of a tax use to be fish fresh or salt under a license not pay for each I can go on ans on. But unless anglers and hunters join forces and stop stupidity you will find regulations becomming more complicated and license fees through the roof.

Living in Arkansas right on the Border I have not heard anything about it accept on this site. So people who may be comming from other places would certainly not have heard about it via media resources. Heck I am a Lifetime License holder and didnt even get a mailer about it.

There are many things that were at one time " TRADITION " to sports such as Live baiting for waterfowl or Live decoys, Not all traditions are good for the resource.

Beaver cats are tricky without a boat as they like the rocks and flats. I would be trying areas around Prairie Creek, Montne, Horseshoe bend, Rocky branch " back ramp" and fishtrap. You will probably want to invest in a surf rod for the long cast needed from shore to get the bait to the fish on those flats. Bait wise Shad, Liver and the normal stink baits.

my thoughts and prayers to everyone. If you know anyone affected and they are ok and just damage have them get photo's of it for insurance claims and contact their insurance company immidiately. DO NOT sign a contract with any contractor untill the adjuster has been there. After that make sure the contractor is Licensed and Insured. I've seen to many storm chasers after storms come in and screw people over. If you are affected by this and have any questions on insurance damage and claims feel free to PM me or ask here and i will try to answer them for you. But get that claim called in TODAY.

So then it would be 1 lure with 5 hooks lol... bet the judge would have fun with that one and someone will see it and try it just because they can.

Quill that was just wrong... Now send it in to Larry the Cable Guy for him to do a show on it.

That would be a good day in my book...

Try latching into a 40lbs striper on one and you will change your mind fast.... I run it fast on top water and seeing prop-wash comming up behind it gives me the same thrill as all top water bites. When a big fish hits it there is a major jerk. Now one thing I have found about it is smaller fish seem to get multy-hooked and that takes away from the fight as it is like dragging in a stick. It is fun to learn how and when to use it just like learning a plastic worm for the first time or a big ole swim bait... I think i like the new lures most because i have to learn to use them. Some after i may never again throw others i love to throw to this day.. Not many people out here chuck a 4 to 6oz piece of iron and run it sub-surfact or surface but to this day I still get a blast out of using them.