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Worst case, there are brackets that will adapt a transom mount to TM use. Used one for years on my first X15 until it had a bad moment with a rock. Thanks for the info on temps and sonar...had not considered the density of the water as an issue before.

Bill...not to hi-jack, but besides the good bite, what impact do you think the weekend weather will have? Did we lose much temp? Reminding me of 2 years ago, although the cold weather was a couple of weeks later then. Ended up being a pretty good spring.

Just looked at BPS on-line...X135 is about $30 more than the color 510 on clearance. Both should do fine on the deep fish, at least as well as my old X15 which will draw the swivel, worm, and weight on a drop shot. Know which one I would buy...my next graph will 100% be a color unit for the contrast when viewing the screen.

Very well said indeed. Like scooping water out of a jar with a dipper made of water.

Not an expert by any means, but I do use dots and strips, even on pointers. Also, a painted bait (vs factory) will usually fish a little deper due to the weight of the paint and the clearcoat. Seaguar will get a little more depth for you also. If they are really eating it (meaning I intend to throw it all day), I will keep the same bait rigged on mono and Seagaur to play with sink rate. I love to paint them, hate fishing them unless it is really on. Would much rather swim a grub or run a wart. There is something unpleasant for me, in the feeling of blowing around in the wind with less bait control than I like.

Cell phone with good local coverage. Transistor for storms (at least to listen to while hiding under a dock, weather reports being what they are).

Viola area...Foxwoods, Flagpole, Where He Fell In The Lake (from my club days). 13 Area...Tornado Cove. My favorite non-Rock places were on the Mississippi up in Iowa / Illinois...Dead Cow Cut (where most of a small bass club whacked 'em for 2 days around quite literally a dead cow), Shut Down Slough (where you had to shut down on the way in and listen for someone coming out...had 5-6' of water with a zig-zag to get in, but it was only wide enough for one boat, once past that point it opened up into a large backwater with deep water all the way back...If you didn't hear someone coming out, you pinned it and blew into the backwater on pad). Was fishing in Shut Down when another guy from my club who thought he was the only one who knew the way in, blew in and came off pad. He was beyond steamed when we told him we'd been in there for about 2 hours, absolutely priceless. Then I ran out of gas running upriver. Oh well.

Mmmm, Harter House steaks. Oh, there are fish in this lake too.

That is a super day! Looks like he thought you were blowing down the lake at about 90mph! Any time you can make a kid smile like that at something besides a tv, you have just won round one. Nice work.

Techo...I am from Des Moines originally, learned to fish with the DSM Bass Club. Steer clear of Saylorville in April, but right next to it is Big Creek...about 859-900 acres and a decent bass lake. Saylorville is actually better than it gets credit for, but fishes much better mid May thru July. Also some good lakes just South of DSM on I35...West Lake (has the casino on I35), Little River, Three Mile, and 12 Mile. All are within an hour or so of DSM. Good luck, hope it does not snow on you. I learned my lessons, and will be at Schooner Creek then.

Don, Did you have any wind today? Thanks.

That buzzbait can sneak up on you when it is nasty, although I've done better with it at LOZ than Table Rock. Still would have enjoyed seeing all the boats out deep dealing with high skies, spoons and drop shot. Of course that assumes no one would find shallow fish. How fortunate we are to be able to fish this lake, and have access to as many fish as it holds, given the not too distant history.

My favorite plug saver moment was the day I used mine to get a wart loose in a little pocket up by Bridgeport. Did the usual deal of running it down to the bait, which was way stuck, and was poking at it with some vigor and managed to get the tip stuck when the wind caught the boat, and blew me past the bait saver. At this point it was standing straight up out of the lake like a post, and I was blowing across the pocket with line peeling off my reel, bait and saver still stuck. Did get the bait and the saver back, and yes, the sprial tip was loose and hanging down around the bait. Learned a good tip is to either back way off your drag, or unlock the spool so you don't end up breaking or losing a rod on top of things.

Have been following the Stren results online with great interest, as I am leaving for Kimberling Thursday. Looks like they hit the windy day bite at the right time. To me, it would have been a much more interesting event with high skies and flat water, but probably not as much of a showcase for the blacks. From the articles, seems a lot of anglers are surprised by where the fish are located, crankbait bite, etc. Is that likely due to the lake being high most of the year? One description in particular struck me, about catching fish on ledge rock, spring banks...seems like that stuff is usually high and dry at 910' in the fall.

Do they have the dock in at H ramp? Seems like it is hit and miss in the fall, and it's kind of a plus when putting in alone in the wind, and Baxter area can be a sea with a north wind. Thanks in advance.

Great link, great old colors. Thank you.

Bill...if you mean what I take from the "several hooksets" you may in fact be causing enlargement or tearing of the original area of hook penetration. Usually one solid set should be plenty on things like Eakins jigs, as long as they have a quality hook and are not over an obstruction (boat lift, limb) that would deflect the force of the set. Football jigs are a different story, at least for me. Lot seems to depend on the rod, depth, length of line out, etc. That big leadhead seems to cause shake offs, open mouths.

Pull it out nightly or sleep in it.

A little different thought..Having fished tournaments at Smithville which has no wake restrictions on its tiny bridges, can you imagine the mess that rule would cause around the 13 bridge when all the boats blow out and turn right at take off, then have to shut immediately down? It would amount to the creation of a shotgun take off on the other side of the bridge, especially if there was a crowd headed for the White or the James. Even worse as boats would return for weigh-in, with the added afternoon pleasure traffic. Ick-O.

rps...thank you. I appreciate an honest "had a tough day but here's what I found" report just as much as any other kind. Can't kick too much on any day when you catch a few. I think you hit the main reason for increased traffic/pressure and success from 13 to the dam right on the head. Downlake you can find a few places to get at the shallow fish, up in the wilder sections you need a saw to do the same thing.

Fishrman...I'm heading for Kimberling tomorrow, not sure if I understand this bite, but I was thinking it was not necessarily deep points, just areas near spawn banks/coves that had some water on them. Sort of the usual grub/rig places, just out more. Are those the kinds of places you looked at?

Shrine website is updated. Heard sort of right, my cousin Don won the $5K big bass with one over 7#. Over 32# total to win per the site.

Looking around the forum today as I wait to leave for Table Rock in the am...I live in KS and we do have some viable smallmouth fisheries thanks to stocking. One big difference that jumps out at me though (besides the overall size of Truman) is the amount of fluctuation in the pools. Might be off, but I don't believe the KS lakes have anywhere near the history or potential for high water years, tending to be low. Might not hurt the Truman effort, but it does bear investigation.

Mostly usual suspects in the top 10.

I think the vulgar part would be the bank beater giving the one finger salute...but back to the fish...does the jig bite imply the suspended bite was off? Due to high skies/pressure/etc? Thanks now and for all the past info and updates.