powerdive

BB28, the only way to win on those swing-and-miss hits is to immediately stop the harness movement (or at least slow it down) and hope he comes back for the rest of that tasty morsel. The problem is that the fish has hit aggressively, bitten the crawler in half, and is no longer attached to your bait. Since you're drifting and not hand-holding, you'll need to immediately put your TM in reverse. Sometimes, they'll come back and hit again, even picking the harness up off the bottom. Question: you are using a 2-hook rig, right? If you're not completely insane and fishing in gnarly timber like rps, you might try a 3-hook harness. Or, another trick Old John showed me for combatting short strikes: on a 2-hook harness, pin the crawler at its midpoint on the front hook, pin its head on the trailing hook, and let the tail run free. It shortens the profile without losing "meat" appeal, and actually simulates a crawdad to some extent. Works. One last thing to try on short strikers--rps does this. Separate the spinner blade from the hooks--move it an inch or two up the line. You can take the beads up with it, leaving about a 2" gap, or move just the blade, or simply add more beads to get the flashing blade further away from the business end. Hopefully, that will make the fish strike the worm higher.

BB28, the little machine gunners are usually bluegill, the thumpers walleye or catfish, sometimes bass. More often than not the eyes will suddenly just "be there," slowly sucking the crawler in, and your rod tip will bend slow and steady like you've picked up some debris. No need to set the hook. Let the tip continue to load (a soft, flexible, slower-action tip is best for harnesses), and when the rod tip starts pumping, he's hooked--just pick up the rod and start reeling. Some fish will be more aggressive (yank, yank, on!) while others might hang on and swim along with the bait in their mouths for 15-20 seconds without actually eating it. Seems like forever, but if you pick up the rod then the fish is likely to let go. Anyway, that's how I was taught. After awhile you'll get a better sense for it, and can nurse the bite a little faster and do the rps sweepset when the time is right.

My best from TR so far is only 8.4.......that could make a nice dinner for some of those fish.

All this talk of lake record bass...Missouri isn't exactly known for producing extra-large green fish. So let's talk about some real monsters! What's the biggest eye you know of from Table Rock? I've heard of multiple 19 pounders from up the White River in early spring........that's just hearsay, though.

Now I feel bad. In my own defense, I was consumed by jealousy.

Note: rps is only four-foot-two. That is one awesome fish.

15 eyes to 1 bass??? I gotta try Beaver.

Once in awhile. But it's true about the hot dog. I have some Gulp and Powerbait worms. They haven't worked for me yet, but in all fairness they only get a few minutes' trial before I get restless. I draw the line on Gulp Alive. Glad someone's making it work.

Meh. Just "beef" up your hook size and put a hot dog on there. It's been known to work, both for walleyes and bass.

Yup. I just put a couple inches of non-chlorinated ice in a bait cooler or coffee can, rinse the crawlers in the lake, and toss 'em into the ice. Keeps 'em lively, and they toughen up and get that nice leathery feel. Doesn't seem to hurt 'em--the leftovers can go right back into the dirt at the end of the day. But I'd still rather pull cranks.

Yup, that's my favorite way to catch 'em too. Love to jump in with ya again sometime. You wash your crawlers, right?

FnF, I just don't like messing with crawlers if I don't have to. And I like covering ground. And I hate paying for them, because where I come from, they're free for the pickin'. Also, as Bruce DeShano (Offshore Tackle prez/walleye pro) put it, "The difference between a trolled fish and a jigged [live bait] fish: three pounds." I really believe that, on average. Unfortunately, bouncing works really well. Gotta do it, just not my fave way of putting fish in the boat. Way to persevere, rps!

Even though it's a bit early, based on Babler's statement that he's been starting to catch a few walleyes lately, I went to Baxter the other day intending to troll cranks. Problem was, once I got out on the water, I found I'd forgotten to put my crankbait boxes in the boat. (Duh.) Bottom bouncing crawlers at 25-30 feet, I caught several legal bass, but no walleyes. I don't care much for bouncing, or for bass, so it was easy to get off the water early before life got too dangerous.

I'd guess the purpose of that is to be able to eliminate extraneous wording other than the gist of what you're responding to. With computers, though, not everybody is operating at the same level of proficiency.

Yes, mainlake points--jig/crawler, bouncers/slow death or harnesses, cranks. Also the midlake flats are starting to load up.

Nice going, R.

Champ, I bumped off my inner bass angler long ago. Don't miss him one bit, and the world's a better place for it.

Sounds like someone got surprised by a set of teeth somewhere along the line.

I meant it's 99% bass pics here. Quillback nailed it. Darn things are starting to overpopulate my nightmares in addition to the lake itself.

QB, you are correct, sir.

Nice going! Those fish are a whole lot prettier than what we usually see on this forum.

Too easy, rps. Back to the trees!

Boys, please take your tourney talk to another thread. This is about disfigured fish, a very serious issue, and it's lengthy enough without the side babble. Thanks.

If liver is all you have to eat growing up, then liver is what you'll eat later on. I'm just trying to save him some tackle.

How is Scott? Go back up the shoreline about a mile-n-a-half, and you're on the 2nd best early summer walleye spot on the upper lake. (First is the one you spoiled for our old friend.) Go straight across, and bouncing those flats and ditches will produce sometimes. But no, you've gotta make it hard on yourself.