fishingaddiction

Can't identify the yellow one with the side way bill, but agree with everyone's assessment of the others. My wife's grandfather gave me his collection of lures he used when he fished. He was 94 years old when he passed 8 years ago. I was able to make 6 shadow boxes of different sizes with the lures. I have several lucky 13, river runts, hoodlers, various paw paw bait company lures, pumpkinseed, crazy crawler and many more. They look great on the wall and make a great conversion piece.

I fished a 5" fluke with a 1/32 weighted hook a few days this past week in the Kimberling City area of the Rock. No takers, but I still feel like it is a good bait to fish when the bass are keying on shad. I worked it shallow with quick jerks, and deeper, letting it sink on slack line then working it back slowly. I went to the fluke when I started catching smallmouth hitting a square bill as it came out of the shallow rocks into deeper water of about 10 to 15'. My thought was that I could work the fluke deeper than the square bill, since the SM were coming up from deeper water to hit the shallow runner.

Good report from the lower end of the lake.

Scott, Glad you and Sam had a great fishing trip with Bill. It makes my day to see that a young person is getting to enjoy the great outdoors and fishing. As has been mentioned, she and you will remember that day for a long time. Bill, It must give you a great deal of pleasure to have great guide trips with fine people like Scott and Sam. Look forward to reading Sam's letter.

Good looking baits Jolicious.

The little varmit is aka for the Ned Rig. Junk fishing at it's finest Bill. Good reports from you and Neb. I fished the KC area for a few hours yesterday, the Ned Rig and a 3/8 oz FB jig were my best baits. Managed 2 keeps, a LM and a nice 17" smallie with 5 shorts. All were relating to docks. The keepers came from the shallow end of the dock, less than 10'deep. Both were on the jig. Tons of shallow bait fish close to the surface, with some chasers, but couldn't get bite on the TW. Caught most of the shorts on the 4" keitech on a 1/4 oz darter head. Like you guys I tried a blade, walking top water, flutter spoon and the above mentioned baits. Just good old fashioned junk fishing.

I second Champ's post. Hope you have a well deserved retirement and we appreciate all that you military guys do for us and our country!

The Mouse color War Eagle is hard to beat in the blade or buzzer. I have more success on the Mouse blade than any other color. Although lavender shad is good also in certain water colors. You may have just been around more chasers three weeks ago, or they were feeding more, instead of reaction bites.

Forget the Alabama Rig. Would be next to impossible to fish out of a Kayak. Might turn your boat over, trying to cast the thing! Just too heavy, special rod and reel, etc.......

Thanks for the report QB. Sounds like your hook up ratio was better on the buzzer this time. Were the fish just more committed to taking it, or did you change baits, trailer hook?

Culprit makes all sizes of snake tail worms. Don't see them in many retail locations anymore.

Good day on the water. Looking at the pic of the one rod on the deck made me ask myself several questions. Why do you always have 8 to 12 rods on the deck at all times? I have tons of rod storage below my deck, is it just too difficult to have to put one away and open the deck lid and get another one? Go figure.

20 fish ain't too shabby. Was the jig your best bait?

Sounds like a decent night Bo. I remember the Bill Norman snatrix from the 70's, but can't recall what they looked like. Weren't they a fairly long worm with a swimming tail that looked like a snake? Why do you think they would have been the bait to try?

Looks like a good day for you Abkeenan. Good to hear all the jig reports that are coming in. The last couple of times I have fished in the KC area, the small jaws have really moved up. Just happy to hear that some fish have left the suspended deep shad schools and are wanting to munch on jigs. That's a great SM your brother caught! Thanks for the report.

Good info guys. Nice to hear the fish are positioning to the bottom and looking to change their diet some from shad to craws. Nothing like a good jig bite.

I didn't pay much attention to it. Too much going on at work. Thanks riverfish!

Champ: Thanks for the info about Cabelas having Missile baits. I live about a mile from the store, really too close as I tend to go in there too often......$$$!

Nice outing Bill. What part of the pond were you fishing this trip?

Thanks for the input on Missile Baits. I haven't used any of their products, but may give them a try.

Appreciate the report, you had a good day. Welcome to the Forum.

Hunter, Thanks for the advise. Sounds like your describing a fluke style bait, which I like to fish. Will give it a go, and report any results.

Glad it warmed up quickly today since you forgot your long pants I don't understand why the TW bite is not better. I have not had a TW bite the last few times I have been out. Can't even get bit from fish chasing on the surface engulfing a mouth full of shad. Have tried walking, popping, and buzz baits with no action. What was your best depth on the jig fish? Good fishing, as 20 bass to the boat is a great day.

You bring up an interesting point QB. I know you fish the upper river arm of the Rock, but why are there not more smallies up there? It seems we always here reports or more and bigger SM in the middle to lower sections of the lake. Is it habitat, water depth, forage? Maybe some of the guys who have fished up river and down for a long time can answer this.

With the massive shad migration up the rivers and creeks well underway the bigger fish should follow and get shallow. I have been catching a lot more small mouth up shallow in the KC area of the lake.