ollie

Did you see the other post with the smaller Big Head that was around 75#? Guy caught that one while trying to snag paddle fish. I'm guessing from this pic that is how this one was caught. They are invasive and can eat a LOT! I know if I ever catch one it won't survive another day.

I guess that will happen when you don't delete old messages! lol The inbox was completely full. Try again

Went back down last night after work and didn't do very well at all. It appears the big push is all gone from everything I saw. I caught 2 dinks on a pink rooster tail and that was it. Only 2 boats at the launch and 4 people total on banks fishing. I didn't see any of them catch anything as well. Were the white bass still out there? More than likely so, but not anything in numbers like we have seen. Doesn't help the water has gone down a LOT. As in the drop from the shoreline is like 8 feet from where it was last week. Pond water out there now and not much flow. I could have literally, probably waded to the other side if I picked the right spots. It is getting that low. Oh well, now is the time to get over to Elk and check out the run there. It always gets going after the Spring river run.

Outstanding Work!!

Ok, and you guys probably thought I was done with the reports, wrong! lol So on Tuesday I had to go to the chiropractor for some work on my back. I took a hard fall a couple of weeks back after I got back from my trip on the Neosho. Which btw I got skunked that trip on top of hurting my back. Anyways, I figured after my regular doctor's appointment on Wednesday I would head down to 10c and give it a try. I was really stoked since the weather was nice and warm and I got off work early. I headed home and loaded up the car with high hopes of catching fish. That never happened on Wednesday though. After I got out of the doctor's office I was just feeling like crap. That adjustment from previous day really did a number on me. That and the gale force wind was turning me off by then. So, I headed back home and unloaded the car and actually went to bed really early. Fast forward to yesterday now and when I got off work, I decided to try it again. Being stoked again, but this time I was feeling better and the wind wasn't as bad. I pulled up in the lot about 4:30 and started to get my stuff together for the walk to the gravel bar. I had thought about bring the yak, but I also knew I wouldn't have much time to fish before it started to get dark. I wanted to be off the water before dark. When I got the to the lot there wasn't many cars or trailers. I think I counted 5. At that rate I started to think the run was over and I would be just casting for nothing. When the locals aren't down there in full force it makes you wonder. I guess I am somewhat local though since it only takes me a half hour to get down there. One other car pulled in after me and it was a man with his 2 daughters. I let them go first down the trail and then I followed shortly behind. When I got down the to water there was only like 2 other people there. Got to pick out my spot so I headed over the fallen tree in the middle of the river where I was last time. It was just me and that osprey that I saw last time I was there. This time he didn't dive into the water though. Must have learned his lesson. Lol Within 5 minutes I stuck the first one. The pic is of it and I estimated that fish to be around 14". I was fishing top water again and this time it paid off for me! I ended up catching an even dozen in two hours with that one being the smallest. I think the biggest would have gone 17-18". The bass were everywhere and boiling the top for shad. It was perfect! I would throw out the plopper and start twitching it to make it look injured and they would absolutely just smack the crap out of it! I fished a solid two hours and then the sun started to go down behind the bluff so I decided to get back home and ready for bed so I could wake up for work this morning. To be honest, it was one of the best fishing trips I have had in a long time. Everything just came together like it should and fish were on fire! After the last couple of days of things not working out it was definitely a better day. It also feels good to be the only one out there killing it when others aren't. Although I told a couple of people what I was catching them on. I don't think many people thought of bringing top water though.

Come over to this side of the state. I can show you turkey after turkey if you want! Nice job on the turky shot BTW.

That is freaking too cool!! Congrats

I bet it was that same Osprey then. Afterwards it went back high up into the tree overlooking the area. I wish now I had something in pink to throw. Hindsight you know is always better! lol Looks like you guys did a number on them as well. My biggest was the one pictured and it went around 15". I should have brought my yak and then I could have made it up to the next gravel bar where all the action was. I mean as soon as that wind picked up the shad stopped flipping and I didn't see anyone else catch anything. They probably did, but I don't know. It will probably still be hot and heavy down there this week, but it has to be tailing off by now I would think. Although I heard the crappie bite is going on stronger right now than last week even. I might chase those whites up Elk river next week. Elk always is about a week or two after Spring for the good fishing.

Dang dude, just now saw this. Car wrecks suck! I did a roll over a couple years back now, but I was lucky and escaped with only a broken rib and some cuts. Prayers sent your way.

Looks like I called it this time around! First time for everything I suppose. I went out Saturday morning before the cold front came through and did alright. You might have been tearing them up on a pink clouser, but I got you beat on that! I caught three like this one on the trout colored whopper plopper! So I was fishing just down from the tree in the middle of the river just above the gravel bar. I got there around 8 and the parking lot was pretty full by then even. A lot of fisherman and kids on that gravel bar Saturday. Most of the kids were swimming and that looked to be just too cold for me! lol I didn't see anyone lighting it up with fish so I wasn't really sure what to expect. My first one came on a crawdad colored jig. Not a very big either, maybe 7-8" long, but a scrapper. Then came another and I thought I had unlocked the color. Not so, I casted and casted and nothing so I switched it up again. Kept doing that until I had reached a not so great number of 4 total caught. I was about to give up until I saw something I have never seen before in my life. In between me and the guys fishing up by the tree we saw a bird start to circle around a wounded shad that was fipping all over the place. He kept circling until he was right over it and then, BAM!, he dove in head first for that shad from about 30 feet up in the air. When he tried to get out of the water he couldn't. I couldn't tell if he had just caught a fish too big or what. After a while the bird kept struggling in the water. I think the dummy hit his head and was stunned is what I think. That water wasn't any deeper than my waist. After sometime, he made his way back to the shoreline where he could stand and then he just flew away. Very bizarre it was, but entertaining nonetheless. While all of this was going on I saw a white bass come up in from of me and sip a wound shad off the top of the water. Got me to think then. What if for giggles I just try on something big and noisy that makes the water churn? Now mind you I am out there with just an ultralight rod and 4# test from trout fishing. I sure could chunk that lure a country mile though! lol I couldn't get it to come up and churn like it supposed to, but it didn't matter, I started to twitch it and make it sputter and I caught three like this in the pic. If I had been using this lure earlier I would have had several more to brag about. The wind came up cooler by then and the clouds started to move in so I called it a day. It was a great weekend to be out on Grand.

If you want a mess of crappie or white bass, NOW is the time to get to Grand. I am hearing of people catching crappie in less than 10 fow. With the weather this week they should make the move into even shallower water. White bass are on fire as I type and the crappie bite should get really good this week and the next. With the crappie, you can catch them just about anywhere on Grand. Anywhere you can find structure you should be able to find them. Off the banks around the bridges always produce as well as docks of course. I am going to get out there this weekend if I can.

I have been out all of last week or I would have made a report. I went down last week to Connor Bridge and put the yak in to go upstream. Fished the bluff, but never even got a bite. Saw the GRDA making rounds checking on the spoonbill, but you always see them this time of the year. Can't miss that big ol barge! lol I'll tell you one thing though, don't step off from the ramp at Connor, the mud will eat you alive! I ended up leaving a couple of hours later when the wind started to whip up. That being said if you haven't been able to get down here, you should this week. I didn't fish on Saturday, but went down to 10C and there boats everywhere along with bank fisherman. The whites are in full mode going up now. Lots of cleaned fish by the ramp as well. I have a feeling Billethead was down there on Saturday? I talked with one local who told me a couple of fly fisherman were tearing it up at the second shoal upstream. Thought it might have been you from the description given. Either way it is on right now! Probably won't last much longer either.

My facebook feeds were blowing up yesterday on the white bass bite! One guy had went upstream and was targeting the feeder creeks and hammering them. Another person went way up on the Neosho to almost Chetopa and he was slaying them as well. Apparently they have made it upstream farther than we thought! I'm going to go down on Sunday and take the yak. Think I may go up from Conner bridge around the bluffs and see what I can do. Mind you both reports seemed to indicate that they may still be pretty scattered and you just have to find them.

Went back down last night and didn't do well at all. Didn't really see anyone catching anything. That and the lot was still pretty empty. That in itself tells me a lot. If the locals aren't down there in droves then the fish aren't up the river in full force yet! Talked with one guy who told me they did fairly well a couple days before further upstream at the devil's promenade, but even then he said they didn't slay them. Just caught a few. Don't remember if he said male or females either. Either way, right now it isn't full on yet from what I can tell. They are there I know, but just not like we want to see! lol

Not sure why anyone would want to put one of those back into the water. I know around here if you catch a bighead carp, they want you to kill it immediately. Well, at least around Grand Lake they do.

Been wanting to go, but where I work I can't take off during the end of November or the complete month of December. I have over a month's worth of vacation I can take any other time of the year though. Hence the trips I have taken in January in February for trout fishing. I am probably going to go back down to 10C tomorrow after work so I will give an update then.

I just read the pair pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. CLEVELAND (WJW) — Two men accused of cheating in a walleye fishing tournament on Lake Erie pleaded guilty on Monday. Jacob Runyan, 43, of Ashtabula, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 36, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, were each indicted in October on felony charges of cheating, attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools, and a misdemeanor count of illegal animal ownership. They initially pleaded not guilty. Man accused in fishing scandal faces new charge after bowling alley incident But on Monday, each pleaded guilty to a felony count of cheating and a misdemeanor animal ownership violation. The remaining charges were dismissed. The pair is due for sentencing on May 11.

I went down on Wednesday after work and didn't do that great. Of course I was just wading though so I couldn't get to where they really were. I did manage to land 4 though and those seemed to take forever to catch. Of course then on Thursday and Friday the deluge began and the creek came up mighty high and muddy. I went back down again on Sunday and the water was rolling. The level was just up to the parking lot, but it was relly getting it on. I did see five rigs in the parking lot so some were giving it a go. Also saw probably one of the most unsafe things in a while. Two small jons loaded up heading upstream. Problem was the first one had two big ol boys and it was just plowing upstream with maybe 4 inches of the sides above the water line. Neither one wearing a life jacket of course. The other boat was small as well, but it headed upstream with one of the guys sitting upfront on the pedestal. No life jackets as well. With the water rolling like it was it just looked like a disaster waiting to happen.

Yep, saw this the other day and thought how? Although I know how things can turn south really quickly. Hopefully the families will get some closure for sure.

Glad you found them and got into some! I seriously thought about going down there after work on Tuesday but decided against it. Kind of glad I did now since I would have been upstream from the bridge just getting my line wet for nothing! lol You are right though, in a couple more weeks it should be pretty good.

I have not personally had any problems down there, but I could see where there could be with the location of it and such. Only once did I have a problem and it was fairly tame. Had a guy on meth try to pimp his girlfriend/ wife out to just about anyone who would listen to him. I just kept walking away and he left me alone and went on to the next guy. Other than that episode I haven't encountered anything about sugar in gas or slashed tires. Of course maybe they just target the trucks with trailers?

The old red wagon does bring back some memories. Living here in SWMO we saw it quite often. I remember my uncle telling me a story about old Harold and fishing for crappie as well. He said they were on the lake and saw him filming for one of his shows. Couldn't catch a crappie that day to save his life. Hollered at my uncle to come over to their boat and talk. Said when he got over there they asked him if he had caught any and he said yes. At that point they either paid him or something like that to get one of his crappie. Uncle claims they kept hooking the same fish over and over just to get some film footage for the day. Whether or not that was true I don't know, but it made for a good story and as I got older and wiser I figured old Harold did pay him for his fish. I mean, many people were gullible enough back then to never know the difference. I always enjoyed McKinnis as well along with his dog.

I guess I don't really know at what level you guys have launched in the past. Just looked awful low to me and I didn't see any bigger boats putting in. I do know for sure that it isn't even close to be full blown yet. One good indicator is there were no fish cleaned by the ramp!!

Went by there on Saturday and the water was still pretty low. Didn't look like a fun time launching a boat! I think I could have waded out to the first pillar and probably only get wet up to my waist.

I know last time I waded up from Ackerman I went to the first island as was slaying them. Then the water started to come up. By the time I made it back down to the access the water was up to my waist. It does come up pretty fast and I know that was only two generators going then. It always seems the trout know when that water is going up and they gorge out or something. Good looking fish BTW.