kjackson

A-Mart intro-ed a new Gamakatsu treble at ICAST, so I suppose that could be what is on the bait. Hard to tell from the image. The hooks are in the G-Finesse line. In the talk he gave at the press conference, he said that KVD came to him when he wanted good hooks...dunno if that's true or not, but...

Good call! I've use that style of jig in the salt and wanted to use them in freshwater but the Shimano Butterfly jigs with which I am most familiar are all too large--at least to my way of thinking. However, these are smaller...that's a nice find.

I've had good success with 'eyes on a cast-to-the-bank, pull-and-drop retrieve--the same retrieve I'd use for a jig and grub. That was in a very clear reservoir outside the region, though. I recently fished the Venice area and caught, or hooked, a number of different species of fish on a Trap. The new Stealth Trap (silent) was suggested as the best version to use in clear water. I'll give it a work out in Beaver after my next trip.

I judge the upcoming winter by the size of my woodpile. Right now it is practically nil, but I'm nervous and buying a chainsaw when i get back from a trip. I've also been scouting for dead trees for the past three weeks or so...that's a sure sign that winter is going to be on the cold side.

I'm thinking you might need an extra-long, shaft--like 25-inch. I'm not familiar with the low side, though, so your mileage may vary.

If it's still here when I come back from a series of trips--the first part of November--I'd like to take a look. Until then, it's the W word.

You wouldn't think they would, Robert, but unless the company guy who was helping me select a new unit was incorrect, MK does. I told him that I needed a cable drive, and his response was that they could do it, but it was an upcharge for providing one--that the company had to splice one in. I'm a belt and suspenders kind of person when it comes to boats.

Had just that problem with a flasher running off the same battery being the culprit. Maybe isolation is the solution. Of course, my electrical knowledge is limited to, "Electricity runs down hill and payday is on Friday."

While I'd like a remote set-up, I won't have a remote-only unit because there is always the chance of battery failure, lost remote, and so on. The soft cable instead of the traditional cable steer versions is great. If I stuck to the front deck and didn't troll, I'd have the conventional motor.

I've fished it several times, but never from my own boat, so I can't speak for trolling. If you're after 'eyes--there are some islands (I want to say toward the eastern end but I'm not too sure of the location) that have saddles and extended points that will hold them. However, I've seen smaller walleyes caught on longer points as well. Bass were feeding on flats, mostly, on one of my fall trips. Crappies were on brush piles--be sure and look for "unofficial" brush placed there by the locals.

Quill-- You don't have any steelhead spoons left? They should work...

Here's a quick question for the bass guys: it's late January or early February: what kind of bite is going on? This could be for spots, largies or smallies. What is the hot bite at the time--not that we won't be fighting ice, snow and a frozen lake this year if the weather prognosticators are correct, but just in case. Thanks.

That is an inspirational report! Thx.

I use it a lot, and I think it is the strongest knot I tie.

Very good...

Since you're using a Mac, it won't be that difficult. It isn't quite as straightforward as one might like, but if I can do it without screaming for help, it is simple enough.

My mechanic back in the "old country"--the Northwest--a Yamaha dealer, uses a small torch (butane I think) to cure the bolt problem. Considering he is working on outboards used in the salt, he would know all the tricks.

Having said that, I didn't add the image...I picked it to make sure I had all the buttons in their right place.

I'm not sure, but you may have an image that is too large. That will stop any transfer. The way I post is to do a "save as" and then select size from that. And I place it on my desktop. Then it's simple: do your post and look for "More reply options" on the lower right. Then it asks you Choose File, which you should do. Then below that, Attach This File. Hit that button as well. FINALLY-- there is an "Add to Post" selection on the far right, parallel to the image you've chosen. Click on that, and you'll see an image tag in your post. That should be all you need to do. I do have problems, though, with the image posting inverted...don't know what's up with that, but it does happen to me. And, of course, you have to click on Add Reply or Add Post (not sure of the exact usage in an original message) at the bottom.

The first PWT was on Norfork; I was there as a press observer and got to fish with some of the guys. Pretty much fell in love with Arkansas then. I don't remember all the details, but the fishing wasn't as good as In-Fish hoped it would be. It was a struggle for some of the good sticks, and the final bags were not impressive.

Thanks; it seems there are more choices than I'd anticipated. Checked with the Yamaha website, and the nearest dealer to me is in Bull Shoals, so that is why I was asking. I'm just looking for some routine maintenance, so I don't need someone trained by the factory to do the work--I mean even I can change an impeller once I know where the zippers are.

Not to my knowledge...I've not used a mechanic since we moved. Bill Vance in Cassville may be the closest, but I don't know if he works on Yamahas...I am thinking maybe Cabela's service might be the answer.

Any suggestions for a Yamaha mechanic in the area? I need some minor preventive stuff done and don't want to miss time on the water by driving to fishinwrench. thx

Ah, The Ninja Fisherman strikes again! Nice report. May have to get one of the masks or whatever they are. I tried a sample of Columbia's Freeze Zero and it has a definite cooling effect.

Launched at the Highway 12 bridge just a tad before sunrise and tried the trolling bit following some advice on location. Saw a lot of fish on top in a "one-here, one over there" pattern except for some schooling activity. With three rods out, Number Two Son starts throwing a frog for a bit because it was on the rod, but...nothing. However, when he switched to a Rapala rattle bait, he catches a keeper LMB. Marked bunches of fish but no real concentrations or larger schools. Most were suspended, but I did see some bottom huggers near the bridge, and pods of bait here and there. But all the fish seemed to be hanging in specific areas--in or near the mouths of bays. Didn't really see much on points and fewer fish on the flats. Had one fish on for a bit on a crankbait--the chrome Mag Lip 3.5. (That little bait will hit 20 feet easily, and I'm thinking it will run down to at least 22 if not a bit deeper.) Since we were seeing fish holding in the 20-25-foot zone, I fished it quite a bit. Fished Flickers and Smash Shads with no success, so we switched over to crawler harnesses and backtrolled. First fish on a spinner was a drum, followed by a smallish channel, then another channel, then...you get the idea. One decent bluegill joined the party, then lost what I think was a smallish K. Caught a dink walleye that I'd like to see again in a couple of years. Hooked up with a decent fish that screamed, "Walleye" with a big pull, a few sluggish headshakes and then the long reel in. Turned out not to be a walleye but it did remind me of the time I hooked a piece of plywood in the center in a current seam in the Columbia River. Surprising what a little current or forward speed can do. It was a good morning to be on the water. Can't wait to head out again. Pulled the pin at 12:30 as it started to look like T-storms were heading our way. Water 83 degrees, visibility about three feet.