kjackson

This would have been part of my "personal best on one cast", but the second bass flopped off just before it hit the net. This fish was 8-10, and the second bass was "15 or 16 inches" according to the net man, who shall remain nameless because he's so slow. Caught in southern Alabama during last year's Classic (not on Guntersville...but on a small lake managed for bass).

Yep...that's the one. Got the tip from a superlative fisherman--the Berkley field services manager at the time--when he was touring Washington. We were fishing a lake with 25+ feet of visibility, and I was skeptical of this spinnerbait in such clear water. But you're right, the smallies hate it. Caught some really nice fish on it. We'll see how the Beaver Lake brownies feel about the combo. And thanks, guys, for the suggestions. That will help weed them out.

The only digital image I have of a personal best is the bass in my avatar--10-13 LMB out of way-south Alabama. Hmmm...can't rotate the image for some reason. The only other PB freshwater fish that fit the forum is a 5-15 smallie from below Wheeler Dam on the Tennessee, a 2-0 crappie from a small lake in Washington State and an 11-8 walleye from the Columbia.

The only digital image I have of a personal best is the bass in my avatar--10-13 LMB out of way-south Alabama.

Every day finds the arm a little better as far as range of motion goes. I doubt I'll be able to set the hook with the left arm until summer, but I should be able to function with a spinning rod (and be able to drive safely) when the weather warms. I'm also prepping my left-hand-crank baitcasters.

I have probably two dozen, at least, one-ounce baits, but again, they're not War Eagle. These were from trips to Mexico. As for the surplus--400+-- it's easy to do if you never lose one.

As I've said before, I want to be you when I grow up.

Surprisingly, I don't have any War Eagles. I'm not looking to buy any, either (although I might work a trade with someone). What I'm trying to do is thin the herd so that when I get the urge to fish a spinnerbait, I don't load all 400+ in my boat. I could see keeping maybe 30 or so in weights from 1/4 to 1-ounce. So I get the idea that white is good, but is that blade color, too? I'm thinking white/shad blend with silver blades for general use. Silver/gray/shad for clear, and white/chartreuse for stained water. The kicker is the Iowa smallmouth special: chartreuse skirt and chartreuse blades even in clear water. I'll also keep the Super Rooster Tails (RT spinnerbait) as they don't take much room.

I don't want to interrupt all the striper love going on, but I'm working on gear and could use some guidance. I'm trying to shrink what I have (I have a store full of tackle, I think), and one thing that is bothering me is the many spinnerbaits that I'm not using. In the past two years since I've been here, I think I've used a spinnerbait once, with the exception of throwing a Super Rooster Tail one time. So--what spinnerbaits do I need for Beaver? I'm looking for advice on size, colors and blades. I have a few that are off-the-wall that I know need to be there, but I'm looking for guidance on what I must have to cover the bases. The rest of the tribe will go on the block at some point so that I can reclaim my shop. Thanks.

That is what I would do...

I live in Eureka but haven't spent a night in a hotel...your biggest problem will be the boats and power. I'm thinking the Best Western near the convention center will be a good hit as it has a lot of parking, something most hotels here don't have. It is on a 90-degree corner on Highway 62, so that may be a concern. You won't find anything that isn't on Highway 62 or 23 that will work. I also think you'll probably have to unhook your boats--few of the hotels, if any, have room to leave your boat hooked up and give you access to power unless you have the heavy-duty cord. One other concern-- Eureka Springs seems to have some kind of convention or meeting on a weekly basis once the weather turns nice, so you need to take that into consideration as well.

Interesting... I would imagine that a weightless fly slowly trolled behind the boat might work as well, especially when the whites and bass are busting young shad on top. You might need a splitshot or two to get it below the surface (and help it run out), though.

Here's a West Coast perspective--commercial fishermen are allowed to keep salmon "fresh" for 10 days as long as the fish are gutted, gilled, packed with ice and packed in ice. Then they can be processed and sold...now, the larger boats are doing some onboard freezing I understand, but I've seen too much "fresh" where the meat is separating. I will not eat salmon unless I catch it. A friend who worked for the Washington Department of Fisheries did a lot of research on the table quality of salmon, and it echoes a lot of what has been said above: cut a gill raker and let the fish bleed, then ice it or cool it immediately. It can also be gutted after it has bled out. That gives the best "fresh" quality. However, in salmon, freezing the fish for two weeks provides fish with the best flavor as the freezing process breaks down the cell walls. This last was based on a taste test done with the WDF folks who know what really fresh salmon tastes like. As far as freezing goes, if you're not going to eat the fish within a short period of time, the vacuum packing is the way to do it. That process stops a lot of the degradation, especially with fish with a high fat content. This I know from personal experience. I was able to keep black rockfish (Sebastes spp.) in vacuum packed bags for up to a year without a loss in table quality. Even when frozen in water, rockfish fat turns rancid in a matter of a few months.

I would look hard at Berkley's E-Motion rod that is 6'6" in a light action. I haven't fished one yet, but did get to give it a shelf shake at the ICAST show. It reminds me a lot of the old Series One with the same specs, and it was perfect for what you want. The MSRP is less than $80.

And if you have a Golden Age pass, the fee is reduced to half.

It's always rewarding to see a plan come together, even if you make it on the fly.

My "hurt" is being stuck inside the next three weeks or so. I can't even work on gear yet... but soon!

Sweet.

Hmmm... I'll throw in my $.03, which may be all it's worth. On the Ugly Stiks-- 8.5' medium is all you need for flatline and downrigger use. However, if you're thinking of leadcore, Dipseys or similar divers, you will want medium heavy. Divers are a decent alternative to downriggers, but you will want and should run them off a sliding dropper for easier retrieval and better action. For linecounters, I run a pair of Abu Garcias in the 5500 size, and I have no complaints. I have one of the older Cabela's reels, and it is losing the metallic plating--however, it was used in the salt. Also. Okuma just introduced a low-profile linecounter that is available in both right and left retrieve. If you've got Flicker Shads, you have most of the bait choices covered. However, I've had good luck on Storm's Smash Shad in UV finishes and the Flat Shad. This season, I'll be playing with Hot'N'Tots as the have a hunting action and dive fairly well. I also use some of Strike King's new walleye lures. And don't forget bottom bouncers, snelled spinners and slow death rigs.

This hurts....

1/16-ounce jigs are a good match as well--especially around docks.

Got it, Zarra, thanks for the heads-up. Now if I can find some big waterdogs after the smallies spawn, I'll be set. Actually, I probably won't use live bait except as a last resort, but it is tempting.

My goal is to catch a seven, and I do believe it's possible in Beaver. I may have to go to livebait to do so, but since my current PB smallie (a six) was caught on a live shad below Wheeler Dam on the Tennessee, I'm fine with that. It will be fun regardless. Thanks for the replies, they support my thinking that there is strong potential for the lake.

QB-- Then don't look at this: http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Tour_Grade_Naked_Rage_Blade/descpage-SKTGNRB.html I fished it for the first time it on a trip with J- Doc before Christmas, and you wouldn't believe how this thing swims. Another plus is that it doesn't hang up as much as you might think. But definitely don't look at it

I've fished this a bit last year (in prototype) and last fall a bit. It's pretty versatile, but it doesn't hang horizontally--it's definitely a nose-down posture. Having said that, it's not a only vertical bait-- it vibrates like you wouldn't believe. The guy I was fishing with last year caught a really nice largemouth pitching it to a dock. You can cast it forever and just retrieve it.