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Have never done it at Table Rock, but here in KS and growing up in IA, we used to whack channel cats pretty hard just at ice out, or just as temps start inching up if no ice. Mostly drifting flats with cut shad, especially in areas that have lots of killed shad. Thinking of Ratbun in IA, and Perry Lake in KS. Both are flat, mid-size COE lakes, so obviously they are a different deal. But...I have caught "eating" channels around Baxter on a stickbait in March while fishing flat gravel with killed shad present. Makes me think it could work, if you could find the right area.

All in all, I'd much rather fish in the middle of a major organization tmt (FLW, BASS, Central...) than some of the charity and company deals. From my experiences the folks who pony up $300-$500 to enter have generally been pretty good to me on the lake. Think they understand there is too much at stake (besides catching fish) to ruin it with poor behavior.

This is the easiest I have found: http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Bends_Mender_Deflator_Needle/descpage-BMDNP.html http://www.basstackledepot.com/bendsmender.aspx Mouth method is much easier than counting scales, and faster. Cheap and it works, have even used it to fizz a couple of 17"-18" whites I did not want to see floating.

Any enlightened thoughts on how bad the spectator traffic might be, has been in the past? Have always managed to miss BASS before, but will be there smack in the middle this time.

Just make sure you ask Bill for his smallmouth shore lunch package...from a few miles away.

Interesting site, but all the natural light info sort of made me thirsty...

Had one of the Q's answered this morning at Cabelas KC. The Elites are one transducer units b/c they only shoot in imaging mode, no traditional sonar mode. Since they are small and the $$$ is nicer, I am thinking of adding one up front by the old X15, sort of making a two unit split screen set-up of imaging/mapping and traditional charting. Not 100% convinved on the leaks though, may wait a year to do anything.

Great info and follow up Bill, thanks much. One Q...were those the new Excelers or the old slow ones? My old ones probably have not done that b/c they likely don't have any grease left in them. Very similar features and performance to the higher end Daiwa's at treat them how you will pricing.

Believe for me, that would be as I idled up to the ramp way early of quitting time.

Maybe one of the B&B's if the Big Cedar amenities and luxury were your main goals. I stay at Schooner Creek in Kimberling and love it, but I fish more than I recline in luxury. www.whiteriverlodgebb.com That is the one that comes to my mind first.

Ditto the SG oldies. The Hot Spots maps are better for general navigation (as in, "Where am I?"), but the SG's are much more detailed. Hard to use them for getting around because the pages aren't exactly in order, at least on my old set.

Switched all my Shimanos out for Daiwa Excelers in the 3000 size around 2007. Big spools keep twist down with the light stuff, no drag troubles. The old ones were slow, have one of the new 5:1 ratios to try this year. The Shimanos were great except the small spools were killing me with twist. The Excelers have been serious die hards, hope the new models are as good. Price is much nicer than the Shimano reels as well.

Freeze up is my concern with anything smaller than Concepts, those are bad enough. Split grip rods really need to be custom built to each anglers specs and size. Most of the commercially available ones are way too big, although the higher end St Croix's are more like the custom jobs.

Does anyone know if the new Lowrance Elite 5 units require the 2 transducer arrangement? They look like they only shoot in image mode. Any info on the leak issues?

Spot on about dehydration in cold weather. I did it in early March 2000 at LOZ at about 45 deg air temp. Just fishing and not eating/drinking. Pushing fluids the night before, as in football/basketball/track, helps as well.

Awesome toothy fish! Almost a few too many of those things being caught for my tastes. Wart is purple tiger, I believe.

If the drop shot fishies don't work out try dragging a C-rig and fish doc/french fry on flat gravel, well off the bank, say 15' out to 35'. Might try flipping a white spoon in some of the big and deep docks also. Peel line off hard and fast so it falls on slack line back in the slips, over cables, up by pontoons, etc. It is a reaction deal. Worked well for me last week.

Wow. Thought that only happened up at LOZ.

Appreciate the night report. For a little storm that Sat eve blow took a while to get thru, was curious how the fish would react.

I hate it when you have to watch them come and get you.

I was actually surprised how little traffic was out last week, had expected the worst. Last Monday was actually the worst day I had around Kimberling. Friday was mostly bass boats and smaller, fairly well behaved pleasure stuff until around 10am. Ran from around Mill to Schooner Creek Resort with Wife and both kids (both under 10) and they didn't get "the grips" as much as I did worying about them. As for areas, I try to launch close to where I will fish, and look for places where you at least have enough room to run around the worst of it, and can try to cut the wakes at better angles. Kimberling is good that way, don't have to get too worked up about running up on something shallow and nasty while running around the cruisers. Some of the worst beatings I've had have come from Viola to Baxter, and sometimes in March/April.

Too bad. My crew did not catch any chasers, but it was definitely visually impressive.

RPS...appreciate you sharing your info on that little bait. Picked up a handful on the way thru Springfield last Sunday, caught most of my TW fish on it last week. Outfished a pop-r and yellow magic, absolutely skunked a spook. Throws better than I expected, but not to say well.

Honestly, we didn't even know there was a G&G going on. We are SC regulars and usually the G&G folks fill the place up. Had a couple with a silver champ staying next to us, hated to think I missed a chance to say howdy Friday night.

Curious if any of your 'gills were chased by bass? My kids had several that almost became bass snacks while they were fighting them, mostly up shallow in backs of little coves/cuts.