Feathers and Fins

I am not sure how much this is on Taney, but I had this talk with a friend of mine in California years ago. We had a trout stream that produced excellent results. We use to catch some very nice Browns and Bows out of it, then over the course of several years noticed a decline in larger fish. We searched for a reason such as food source not as plentiful, farming practice changes upstream, etc. The two things we overlooked were the Internet and Population of the area. First is the population it grew and with its growth so did the amount of people getting outdoors. The second was the Internet. When we started fishing the area very few anglers knew about it or fished it. Then the word got out on a few forums and we would start seeing more and more people and people keeping fish. It use to be anyone on the stream was releasing unless they kept a couple for a shore lunch. But now masses fishing and keeping fish and the ones that were not kept were not well handled and would float up shortly after. We started fishing higher upstream where it was a major hike to get to. Fish were there and still a few big ones. I talked to my old friend a few months back and I asked him about the stream. He said it’s mostly stockers now and a few holdovers but nothing like the fish we had been catching. Now it never had 20lbs+ fish but a 4 pound bow was not uncommon and on occasion 4 to 6 pnd Browns were possible. After reading the post above and seeing the last 5 years the crowds growing day and night on Taney and seeing more and more post on the internet about it combined with the regional growth I just have to wonder if it is seeing this very problem?

Academy is a Joke and always has been. I have one near me and go there because it has a few things, I do go to BPS Springfield when im up there and agreed the place is looking more like a anything for sports and BP Brand them a store for fishermen and hunters. I find myself buying more from Rogers or other online Shops then BP anymore! Use to be they were where to go. Im going to clear out my spinning and bait casting gear this winter and rebuild it all from scratch because I found out the gentleman who use to build Sabre Rods is making CALSTAR! Anyone who ever fished with a Sabre knows there is none better, even my custom rods couldnt compare. I will give Cabelas a Look when they build the new one in rogers, but i honestly wish Sportsmans Warehouse could have stayed.

They are also found at Mont ne due to the old theater. The strippers still like to show off for crowds. On a serious note I heard from one of the residents at Mont ne this week the Army Corps is going to shut down the ramp there and fence it all off. It appears there have been alot of problems there at night. Plans are to eventually have a park built there but they will be fencing it off for now apparently. I hope the report was wrong as lake access is getting harder and harder for people and its a good ramp and easy access.

Waterfowl Species: Duck;Coot, American;Merganser Opens: 11/19/2011 Ends: 11/27/2011 Shooting Hours: 30 Minutes Before Sunrise Until Sunset Limits: Duck daily bag limit - Six ducks. Limit may include no more than four mallards (no more than two of which may be hens), three wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, two scaup, two pintails, one canvasback and one mottled duck. Duck and teal species not listed have no extra restriction beyond the six-duck total bag limit. Duck possession limit - Twice the daily bag limit. Coot daily bag limit - 15. Coot possession limit - Twice the daily bag limit. Merganser daily bag limit - Five. Limit may include no more than two hooded mergansers. Merganser possession limit - Twice the daily bag limit. More: Species: Duck;Coot, American;Merganser Opens: 12/8/2011 Ends: 12/23/2011 Shooting Hours: 30 Minutes Before Sunrise Until Sunset Limits: Duck daily bag limit - Six ducks. Limit may include no more than four mallards (no more than two of which may be hens), three wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, two scaup, two pintails, one canvasback and one mottled duck. Duck and teal species not listed have no extra restriction beyond the six-duck total bag limit. Duck possession limit - Twice the daily bag limit. Coot daily bag limit - 15. Coot possession limit - Twice the daily bag limit. Merganser daily bag limit - Five. Limit may include no more than two hooded mergansers. Merganser possession limit - Twice the daily bag limit. More: Species: Duck;Coot, American;Merganser Opens: 12/26/2011 Ends: 1/29/2012 Shooting Hours: 30 Minutes Before Sunrise Until Sunset Limits: Duck daily bag limit - Six ducks. Limit may include no more than four mallards (no more than two of which may be hens), three wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, two scaup, two pintails, one canvasback and one mottled duck. Duck and teal species not listed have no extra restriction beyond the six-duck total bag limit. Duck possession limit - Twice the daily bag limit. Coot daily bag limit - 15. Coot possession limit - Twice the daily bag limit. Merganser daily bag limit - Five. Limit may include no more than two hooded mergansers. Merganser possession limit - Twice the daily bag limit. More: Species: Goose, Canada Opens: 11/19/2011 Ends: 1/29/2012 Shooting Hours: 30 Minutes Before Sunrise Until Sunset Limits: Daily limit is 2. Possession limit is 4. Species: Goose, White-fronted Opens: 11/19/2011 Ends: 1/29/2012 Shooting Hours: 30 Minutes Before Sunrise Until Sunset Limits: Daily limit is 2. Possession limit is 4. More: Species: Goose, Blue;Goose, Snow;Goose, Ross Opens: 11/5/2011 Ends: 1/29/2012 Shooting Hours: 30 Minutes Before Sunrise Until Sunset Limits: Bag limit is 20. No possession limit. More:

Prairie Creek right at dusk... Today was TOUGH, early morning fog made fishing hard, Managed 1 12 pound class this morning then dead till about 30 minutes before dark. Marked fish all day long and had perfect shad but they were not biting. 30 minutes before dark till dark we managed 2 hybrids and 3 undersize stripers on shad. I tried the fly pole but no dice the front really messed them up. I heard the Kentucky Derby was won with 6 bass for 8 pnds. On the good note did see alot of teal, woodies and a sprinkle of mallards and gaddies. And the best part of the day was watching a Juvi blad eagel who thought he could catch a coot, Gotta give him credit he tried for half an hour before he finally got himself a Small dead white bass that was floating.

about 3 hours WC and yes I took 3 stripers on the fly rod again. but mostly I needed a day to just be in nature and touring the lake in fall colors is a sure fire way to get sanity back and the good lord provided the best medicine ever.

Catching and using threadfin Shad for bait is sometimes a tricky prospect! You need to understand Shad just like you need to understand the game fish you are pursuing. Threadfin shad are more likely to be found in waters with a current and are usually in the upper five feet of water. They are temperature sensitive, with die-offs reported at temperatures below 45°F. Spawning begins in the spring when water temperatures reach approximately 70°F, and may continue into the summer. Shad are short lived only to about 2 to 3 years. Catching Shad has given more than one angler fits, Most people look for the schools on the surface of the water which can be productive at times, but by far the best method is getting them in backs of coves, over mud flats or best of all in small creek mouths where they have little running room to escape a cast net. Open Water netting posses a major issue, Shad are fast and moving, I have seen many guys throw at the school with their net and then look puzzled when they come up with just a couple shad. Remember refraction which is to say you see a target under water at what looks like 2 feet when in reality it is 3 feet. Also they are moving. When you see schools follow them for a few seconds and see where they are going. Cast your net in front of the school at least 3 feet and a 2 feet beyond them. This normally will put you center of the school and a full net. Backs of coves and mud flats are great areas to get them. You still have to use the same principles for casting a net as you do in open water but you have higher odds of catching them in these areas. Be careful though of underwater dangers to a net. Know your depth and only let the net sink to half the bottom depth will help keep nets out of danger. Creeks and especially creek mouths. Just the simple fact most are narrow make catching shad very easy in these area. I seldom pay attention to sigh casting them in these area. I use the sight to know where they are but beyond that it’s irrelevant! Cast beyond where you see the shad and let the net sink. Normally you will be where the true school is and will be pulling in a heavy load of shad for fishing. Keeping Shad alive is NOT easy!!! Shad do not do well in unclean water, low oxygenated water or takes that are square. The water in your bait tank may look clear but shad are like pigeons the poop everyplace and a lot as well as release a lot of ammonia from their urine. For the inventive angler a trash can be cut in half and used with bilge pump to fill it and a relief hole to allow water out. Or buy a circular or oval style bait tank. Some boats like mine have bait tanks that are oval or rounded corners. These will work fine for keeping shad from beating themselves up, but not from the water quality issues if the angler does not pay attention to it. Many anglers do not understand how fragile this bait is. If you have a bait tank onboard that is suitable for shad you will want to have the drain running drain plug out and fill on constantly or at very least on timer. Do NOT forget to clean the screen on the filter frequently. You will want to do this for the first hour after catching the shad. After that keep your aerator on timer and once an hour repeat the full procedure. Hooking Shad, There are three good ways to hook shad! First is nose hooking, take the hook and run it through the upper jaw through the nose {be sure not to hook the bottom jaw} you want them to breath and swim naturally. This type of hooking allows the shad to do what it wants and swim naturally. Next is Anus hooking them, You hook them just like it says directly above the butthole. This method will cause the shad to swim down and near the bottom. The problem is it puts a lot of stress on the shad and they are only good for about 5 minutes at most, so be ready to change them frequently. It is not a good option if you are limited in bait in the tank. Lastly is tail hooking them! You actually do not hook them in the tail but between the dorsal fin and the tail. A good rule of thumb is hooking them where the threadfin stops and just below the back bone. This will cause them to run away from the boat, you will need to play out line to allow them to keep running. When the shad stops running keep your reel in free spool and let the shad swim. I have had them live fine for 15 minutes no problem but as soon as you start reeling them in you stress them bad, So if you reel them in change them out. Hook size’s are where I see more anglers make mistakes then anyplace else. The smallest possible hook size the better, For shad under 3’’ the best hook size is a #4 and for shad from 3’’ to 6’’ a 1/0 hook is perfect for nose hooking and a 3/0 for Tail or Anus hooking. These give the shad the best movement and least amount of stress and are perfectly capable of handling a big fish. I have personally caught Tarpon over 150pnds on a 3/0 hook. Line is another factor. If you want natural looking bait then use the lightest line possible, I prefer Fluorocarbon line myself, 12lbs is perfect for most freshwater fish for fly lining (hook only to line no weight) and 20lbs Fluorocarbon for Bait that has a weight above it. In summer I suggest adding ice to the bait tank to keep the temperature down. This has a negative aspect to it as most bagged ice or made at home has additives in it that can harm shad, to counter this deadly problem simply purchase SHAD KEEPER at your local bait or sporting goods store, it removes these harmful additives and also controls ammonia from the shad. Finally do not discard dead shad! Put them in a bucket and if the fish start surface feeding toss out the dead bait to them and keep them feeding ( know your local laws on chumming before doing this though) This can also be deadly productive on getting deep fish to turn on and come up.

AMEN to that, I put inline fuses to all my electronics and pull them after each trip the 30 seconds it takes to put them back in is well worth the time to save on battery life. Dropping the motor at the ramp for 5 minutes then when you get back home is another must do and the plug as always. GREAT ADVISE and none of takes long to do. Only thing to add is be sure to was off transducers with soap and water on occasion.

I normally just do it myself, I would trust Bradford though with my boat.

Oh alright, Mallards at Lake Atlanta bright red footed ones also some near horsehoe bend, A few pintail scattered around and well noisy dam snows in a few groups. Big group OF DIVERS in front of Beaver Shores. Not going to comment on the honkers as they are just resssy's and still stupid enough to let me get within bow range. OH and did see a nice group of 25 cotton tops near 12 bridge but still in molt color but nice to see widgies none the less.

Work was slow so I got out to and did a tour on the lake, more to see what ducks showed up and to locate the fish after this front. I found really good marks in Rocky Branch and South of Prairie Creek Marina these were LARGE fish marks Condo Cove and Prairie Creek I locate large school marks The Island closest to Prairie Creek on the North Shore was Loaded with Schoolie marks ( 12 to 16 pound fish ) White Bass were on the prowl picking off smaller shad at Horsehoe Bend and Mont ne as well as the flats at beaver shores, Some of them looked to be very respectful in size Shad were up in the back of coves.

AWE THE SOUNDS OF SNOWS AND SPECS MIGRATING ITS A GOOD EVENING

Just finished going through my e-mails. Got a few interesting reports of Stripers in Montne chasing shad in the back of it 10 to 16 pnd class fish, Also reports of them in the back end of Bear creeks doing the same thing, Big stripers sitting just outside of Condo cove by 12 bridge 20 to 35pnd class. The 3 e-mails are reliable sources NO WAY am I going near Condo Cove this weekend with te Kentucky Derby going on though. Sounds like if a creek is feeding the lake the shad are up in the back of it and the stripers are hanging around. Looking over the Temp forecast for the weekend the Shad will stay there and come up on the mud flats to sun themselves and feed durring the day this weekend. The Bass anglers should do well near those areas for certain and im betting a few catfish are going to be in the area as well.

If you were at the Cave you were at the right place. when you get to the cave throw your net at the stick up directly in front of you and slightly to its right and you should have a few shad. If not motor out and then over to the main creek arm and throw it a few times in there. BEWARE TURTLES IN THE NET LOL. HDS10 not a bad unit. First thing is take some soap and water and gently clean off the transducer HDS units are fenicky about being clean. WATER DEPTH 20 FT TO 50 FT= Ping speed 19, Colorline 53, Sensitivity 64 for good id and 74 for drop shot, Set to archs and fish symbol. Under 20 ft turn on the flasher it has a instant return. Remember your cone is on the up and down 10 ft = 2.5 ft, 20 ft =5.25 ft, 30 ft = 9.75ft and 40 ft = 16ft I got those numbers from a buddy who dives and has a HDS7 AND HDS10 and dropping my 4oz rigs around the boat those numbers seem very accurate. I use the arch/fish function because fish in the center of an cone always appear big and ones barely on the edge of the cone small. The dual ID helps me better understand where in the cone the fish is to help me correct the rods. If im off Saturday Ill be out all day and Should be able to get on them all day if mother nature doesnt mess us up with this front. They are hanging in 50 foot right now and moving up in the PM so for me Ill be hitting them shallow in the moring and follow them deep in the midday and back in shallow pm. Probably going to need to go to Ye Old Flyshop in F-Ville and get more flies McLellans is going to love me more this year than normally with them being on the fly this early.

LOL you were not far enough up the creek, sorry had to say it before Quill can beat me to it he saw me stick my boat all the way up the creek When in that shallow DO NOT rely on depth finders your cone will be so small it will be of no use. What you are looking for is Shad flipping on surface, little splashes to water pushes... Never hurts to blind cast in the channel up by the flats you may not see them but they are there. I should be out there Saturday Morning i will know for sure later this week. If I am just come meet up with me ill show you how to use the electronics, rig for stripers and catch the shad. Which Lawrance system are you running exactly?

Been sitting in PC since early this AM no fishing as im sure my customers I have to see today wouldnt appreciate the smell, Seen a few striper boils and a few bass boils, Lots of wood ducks that i know have their calender set to leave the day before season. Shad are flipping nice as well. Man I hate it when work gets in the way of fishing time lol

Better a pricey one than a cheap one unless all you want to know is how deep the bottom is lol... Im still waiting for the Radar unit with Star Trek Magnify Screen on it so I can fish and watch sim beaches durring summer :) :)

Best and safest place to Launch IMO is the Holiday Island Ramp. From there as soon as you are exiting the area is a long point on the left I've taken a few decent Walleye off that point. As soon and you are past it hang a left and work the shore line on your left for bass and brim. A little further up river near Beaver town is the bridges both are good place to look for Walleye and Striper ( Yes I said Striper ) I have taken several 40 lbs fish in this area in Summer. Past the Golden gate Bridge is some very nice bars on the left that hold some decent bass as well as walleye off the drop off points. From the bars up to 62 Bridge is a day to day guess work. Bass and Walleye can be caught here depending on time of year. Now at the 62 bridge 200 yrds both sides of it I target stripers, the ones in the area are LARGE bring heavy tackle and think MUSKY because it's a fish of 10,000 cast but when you do connect its incredible. Also do not overlook the opportunity to bring a fly rod I've taken some nice browns in the area. Also the Walleye are present in this area and will take a Sculpin fly on sinking line. Wish I could give you some more info but when I go there I am targeting stripers or walleye. Unfortunately there is no set rule as to when they will be there. But here is a map with a few spots you can use if its helpful.

Im confused, The shad were all over the back of PC, I went up the creek arm a little threw the net and had 30 pcs of bait. Im betteing Quill did real good back up in there most the boat traffic was up by me near the dirt ramp. If your out Saturday look for the crazy SOB with the fly rods out the back of the boat in the Tracker. Just come on over and introduce yourself and I will try my best to get you on them. I dont mind company plenty of fish to go around and besides i get a kick out of seeing someone else hooked up.

Slow this afternoon till right at sunset then a few started biting, ALOT more boats in there tonight. Quill it was good to see you made it, how did you end up doing in the back? On the Fly A little 14 pounder. Had a few rats in the 6 pound range as well.

LMAO, How true that is, Dogs are well we all know what dogs are but a Wolf are a pure pack animal, If you do not understand BOND Trainning you will never understand the dedication it takes to live with a wolf. And you better be ready for the ride of a life from the pranks they play to the demand for affection.

Will do. Im in aTracker Pro Team 190 TX with a 90 optimax on the back.

I should have added this as an FYI: These fish are targetable for shore anglers. Take old Praire Creek Road to the dirt ramp and start walking back up toward the creek, I would suggest pencil Poppers and 1oz White Bucktails. They are right on shore. WC You can get shad at all times if you can find them flipping. Right now they are pinned up in the back of PC we actually had Stripers slashing them in the far back of the cove where it turns to mud as we were catching the shad. { i mean seriously I could have walked the area they were slashing them in and not got above my shin) These fish are very easy right now. Im simply using a 3/0 circle hook straight to 12lbs Flouro and casting the shad toward the bank. Keeping my boat 100 feet off the bank and using the side scan to look at the fish " should note the boils give them away" but watching the side scan i can see the cuts they are using to run the bait up. Just stick a bait over one of the cuts and your on. If all goes well today ill be sneaking out there this evening for a couple hours. No reason to miss wide open bites.

A few more

Well I got home from Branson at noon today so I thought I would call my best friend up and go try Beaver this afternoon. Launched at 12 bridge and ran into the back of Prairie Creek. Shad were there and thick along the south shore near the cave at the mouth of the creek. I Cast Net throw 60pcs of 4 to 5 inch shad. And then the Games Begun... Here is one picture my phone sucks my bro is going to e-mail me the ones he took later and ill get them posted asap.