Cajunangler

I was able to get out and fish this past weekend. On Saturday I launched out of Buck Creek and on Sunday out of Spring Creek. As Mike Worley has already said there appears to be a few fish wanting to look for warmer water. I was able to boat around 20 each day with several keepers both days. Great to be on the water and not be shivering all day. My fish came on several different lures, jigs, jerk baits, crank baits, and grubs. Again, like Worley was saying you can find water in the upper 40's and lower 50's if you look far enough up the creek arms or at the backs of southern facing coves. While I caught fish during most of the day I did seem to catch more after lunch time. This was the largest I was able to get to the boat. Don't worry about the lure in her mouth I just put it there so I would have an easy reference to see how long she was. She was caught in 50 fow on a jigging spoon!!! I didn't take the time to weigh her but I'm guessing right at 5 lbs. Things should only be getting better but it looks like mother nature may not be completely through with winter just yet. Oh well, it was fun while it was happening.

Well, I can't say I've been yet but I do plan on going somehwere this weekend. I'll probably migrate 30-40 miles east and hit the little larger pond in that direction. What I can say is the large stringer that was caught at the Winter Series Tourny probably cam off a much deeper bite than jerkbaits. I fished as a partner in the previous outing and while we caught a few small fish on jerkbaits the one's that won the tournament had to of come from deeper water because it looked like they were administering cpr and vaccinations to them in an effort to get them to go back down. Lots of good sized bass were helpless, swimming on their sides without a clue of how to regain their wits. I know I am too much of a southern angler to start looking in the 50+ depth of water for fish just yet but I may have to start if I want to catch anything during the sure enough winter months up here. Also, what water temps were you seeing?

Thanks, I don't think water levels have changed that much (and may have even gone up) so I'm sure I'll be good to go.

Can anyone tell me if the ramp at the Buck Creek COE park is still easily accesible at this water level? I am mainly concerened about the courtesy dock and if there is any chance of backing off the end of the ramp when launching? I hope to head that way later in the week but since I'll be fishing alone I definitely need the courtesy dock to be usable. I know sometimes the COE doesn't react too quickly to rising and falling water and the docks aren't always in good places. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

So I guess myself, along with others, are trying to read between the lines and determine if your report is fact or fiction? If it is fact, great, but if this was a dream you were having until your wife nudged you just let us know. I wouldn't have figured the lake was even accessible just yet but I am sure there are several of us that would like to know. I might get to come down this weekend and if fish are actually biting, that is even better.

Too bad about the hook in the finger thing but having a pair of sidecutters on board would probably helped a great deal. Techo, sounds like your day didn't go ery well either. I can't reccomend any dealer or shop for your issue but I can offer my personal assistance. Wiring a trailer is not hard and I've done several over the years. Looks like we both live in the Nixa area, send me a PM if you need help getting things back in order. I will be out of pocket the next couple of days fishing but I'm sure we could get you fixed up before the next time we get warmer weather.

Thanks for the offers from those that responded to my post. It looks like Cyclone Bass and myself and going to try our luck tomorrow at Table Rock. Hopefully we'll find a few takers during the course of the day. At least the weather should be good for getting on the water.

Sorethumbs I already have plans on Sunday. The only other option I could make happen would be a trip on Friday but I figured most guys would prefer the weekend option. If that would work let me know otherwise we'll try and get a trip planned a little later this winter/early spring.

Looks like several of us are getting cabin fever. I plan to go somewhere this Saturday and as of now haven't found a partner for the day. If anyone would like to join up with me send me a PM. I am sure some of you out there have winterized your boat and we are still a little early for thinking old man winter has given up just yet. I don't worry with that since mine is used a little every month of the year. I'm in Nixa but could also meet at any of the ramps at the lake. I can't promise we'll load the boat but we'll have a good time trying.

Techo, there is nothing worse than having to plan a vacation well in advance and find out your lake of silitude will be over run with other professional fishermen BUT don't forget that slightly larger pond just to the east, Bull Shoals. Just saying that toward the end of the week leaving the crowds and heading east might provide for a more enjoyable outing. Either way a week of fishing any lake is no camparison to a week of working. Late April up here should have plenty of green fish hitting lots of different lures.

Rsbreth, I'm with you on physical appearance. The only real question mark is it mentions they are floaters. So you would have to add suspend dots or some other weighting to get them to suspend. But for the money it would probably be worth a few bucks to try out some.

I'm disappointed that Cajunangler didn't clarify his earlier comment about me being full of crap. If I bother to comment, I'm going to be completely truthful. If I want to keep something quiet, I don't comment. It looks like I need to make amends for an "off color" comment that was taken wrong. I wasn't trying to imply anything serious. I simply know that when it comes to purchasing lures Ham probably spends $2 to my $1 and I just give him a hard time over it. But as the old saying goes "to each his own." And since the current migration for lure manufactures has them pricing lures higher and higher it hurts my feelings since my personal philosophy is to find good substitutes at lower prices. Unfortunately, there is a simple business model they are all following which is "price your product as high as you can until your sales begin to decline." Just like fuel prices there is no incentive for lower pricing when they sell all they want at higher ones. Sorry Sorethumbs if I appear to be too negative in these last comments.

I'm not a megabass expert but looking at the color options at Tackle Warehouse it is almost identical to M Shad. ie silver sides, darker back and a dash of purple on the rear. It appears they have several different options with only minute differences in each. If bass are that selective I guess I am just out of luck. I would have to imagine it is the lures action more so than a specific color combination. At least that is my 2 cents worth.

First of all, Ham is just full of crap. And I can easily say that since the two of us fish together a lot. I can honestly say that I just bought my first, a TNG color, and while it has caught several fish its durability seems to be lacking. After only a few fish I noticed the bait sinking like a rock when I stopped my retrieve and upon closer inspection I found a nice crack around the enire tail section and the bait was full of water. I hate to be cheap but I like any hard bait I purchase to provide a good amount of fishing time without a breakdown in its structure. I am sure others will have comments regarding their durability but if any of you have had similar expereinces I'd like to know. I was going to purchase several more this year but I've put that idea on hold pending more research. And I do catch fish pretty well on McSticks, rapalas and other brands of jerk baits that cost far less. I have attempted to repair the crack using plastic epoxy. I'll find out soon enough if the repair holds and whether or not I've killed the bait's action.

Sam, I believe you picked up on my intent, which was to inform others to be careful when launching there. Yes, I also added that the problem was created by folks that probably did not think they were doing anything wrong BUT they were causing an issue when the water level drops. I do go on a lot of trips by myself and the damage I encurred happened when putting the boat back on the trailer. My Bass Cat PII requires me to use the motor to run it up in place (a design by Bass Cat). I keep the motor tilted up when I am putting the boat in the water and when I am taking out, but the adittional thrust used to put it back on the trailer caused a vacuum efect I did not count on. I had seen the rocks all over the ramp and tried to use a section with less rocks but it didn't work for me. Most of the rocks I was seeing were anywhere from golf ball to softball sized and I am sure the golf ball sized ones bit me in the as_! At this level I am currently making a very concious effort to look into the water before putting my boat back on the trailer. No matter which ramp I am using. So far the State Park has been the worse by far.

Well, Sore Thumbs, I really doubt if you would be overly excited about sucking up rocks into your prop at the end of the day. And since I can't believe the rocks were deposited there by mother nature I have to assume that someone helped them get there. As to complaining about taxes if I won the lottery, that would be hard to achieve since I never buy tickets for it. I know someone has to win but the odds are a little too great for me to waste money in hopes of that lucky day. But I am assuming (and we all know what that means) you feel like my comments lately have been more negative than positive, and to that I can only say that most of my complaints deal with people who don't care enough to have both common courtesy and respect when their actions directly affect others. Two things a lot of people don't feel necessary any more.

I mentioned the following comment in another topic BUT be sure and take care when using the State Park ramp. There is an abundant amount of rocks on the ramp and the lower the water level gets the more they become an issue for getting sucked into a prop. I had that happen on my motor when I was driving it on the trailer. Unfortunately, I have to believe that kids have caused this issue by throwing rocks from the ramp when the level was much higher. I can't believe there were rocks left on the ramp when it was constructed, and I doubt there is ever enough current to move rocks onto the ramp. Parents and the State Park officials need to discourage rock throwing since there are plenty of "non ramp" rocky areas that throwing rocks would not affect.

I sent you a PM if you still have it.

Sounds like the fishing was a lot better than my effort on Saturday. But running your but on a large boulder definitely sucks. I meant to add a note from one of my recent trips down at the dam. I had launched at the State Park and noticed a large amount of small rocks on the ramp. Even though I remebered they were there I still kicked up several that put scratches and a few gouges on my previously clean prop. Unfortunately, since I don't believe current is ever an issue in that area I can only attribute the excessive rocks on the ramp to kids throwing them there. It is a shame that with all of the rocky shorelines all over the lake that parents would allow their kids to use the ramp as a rock target. It would be nice if the State Park would clean that off and then post signs encouraging NO ROCK THROWING. I know for me that is the last time I will launch there until the water gets close to normal levels.

I won't say I am glad you had very similar results to me but it is a little easier to swallow since someone else had the exact same experience. Another thing that made my day so bad is that the last 4 I caught came on four consecutive casts without ever moving the boat. I really thought I had something going until I couldn't get another bite.

Took advantage of the warmer than average temps and tried my luck at the rock Saturday. I fished a pretty full day, starting at 8am and taking off the water at 5pm. There were several others at the Indian Creek launch that also had the same idea. I had hoped some of them might have posted and I would have added my two cents worth to theirs BUT here it goes: I was seeing water temps from 44-46 depedning on location in the creeks or main lake channel. Water clarity is very good but I did see a little murkier water up Little Indian. I was convinced that they would eat a jerk bait and made that my main bait of the day. I did catch 6 on a McStick before lunch time with two that would have been keeper sized. Unfortunately, a switch must have been turned off after that because I couldn't get a bite after lunch. I had a couple others follow the bait to the boat and then turn away. I also tried warts, jigs, and jigging spoons when I would be at locations that would allow. Again, NOTHING after lunch. Very frustrating when I thought I had things kinda figured out prior to then, and even though I tried to duplicate the spots that produced fish I had absolutely no success. If anyone has any ideas on what I should have done different (besides a stick of Dynamite)I'm all ears.

Dscott, I don't think anyone is trying to be disrespectful but I can honestly say from past experieince that not all graphs read the same. And not all of them read accurately. I used to have a built in Zercom flasher with temp that read at least 4 degrees off the actual temp and only discovered that after comparing with a swimming pool temp gauge that I felt confident was accurate. I would recommend checking it against another gauge and see if you are on the mark. I don't know anything about Humminbird Series 7 graphs but I think some of them have a calibration tool. If you are 6-8 degrees off it would at least provide a mental boost since the bite would probably be pretty slow in the low 40's and upper 30's. I fished today out of the state park area and my graphs were showing 50-51 depending on location. I was able to put 10 to my hand and had several others follow the bait to the boat. Probably had 5 that would have been keeper sized. I caught mine on jigs, warts, and asst jerk baits. Looks like weather is changing again so who knows what after Christmas will bring. Happy Holidays!!

I have no problem with anyone stating their opion, that is the great pleasure we all enjoy in this country. And yes, I do like fishing Bull Shoals a lot more than I do TR but it is double the road miles to the areas I like. I also try to avoid TR from mid May thru October 1st to eliminate frustration with pleasure boaters. With that said, the only things I had hoped to convey with my comments were 1) I don't see the need for all the "no wake" buoys when mother nature often creates more havoc than any boats can 2) I think the landscape of a lake is far more appealing without all of the metal, styrofoam, and hanging boats all over the lake and 3) it is frustrating to try and run up some creek arms on the lake (ie: Aunts Creek, Indian Creek and others) and be required to idle the last quater mile due to no wake signs. As to lowering the speed we can run, I can only say that most boats traveling at 30mph throw more wake than the same boat does at higher speeds. That doesn't answer the issue of safety and I do agree that a lot of boats are running faster than they probably should, but I doubt any speed limits are going to be placed on lakes. I almost forgot, I do try and launch close to where I want to fish, not only to save fuel but to reduce time running the boat and maximize fishing time. As I stated above, my complaint is the reduced speed up the creek arms causing significant delays in getting to the backs of them. We accept that in lakes like Toledo Bend and Lake Fork because running far up their creek arms usually means you will need a new lower unit, not the case up here.

I was on the water the day the Belle ran aground. I had seen it from the Indian Point area making a turn very close to shallow water where the lake makes the hard bend at the north end of the dam area. Even then I thought it was playing with fire by getting very close to a bouy marking shallow water. But as for the waves, I would easily say there were 3-5' rollers at the north end. This was between 12noon and 2:30pm when the winds were mostly coming out of the west and southwest. My 19' Bass Cat had all it wanted when I would change sides of the lake. As for wave action around docks, I have to believe there couldn't be any. I mean there are "no wake" bouys everywhere there are docks so surely Mother Nature respects those. I guess I have an issue with these as more and more of the lake gets lined with docks and everyone that owns/uses them expects no waves to hit them. That makes it very difficult to run up some of the fingers in a timely manner if you are trying to make the most out of a fishing day, especially this time of year. Sorry, but I think lakes should be governed by the folks that ride in boats and not those wanting to use them as parking lots.

I got out Wednesday and was able to find a few fish biting but I will start with my small complaint first. I wish fisherman could launch their boats using a little common courtesy. That is DON'T PUT YOUR BOAT ON THE RAMP UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO BACK IT IN THE WATER!!! Maybe I am the only one that has encountered this and maybe not everyone knows this to be an unwritten rule but you don't block the ramp and then start loading gear out of your truck, take straps of the rear, put the plug in, etc WHILE ON THE RAMP!!! This should all be done at a distance from the ramp that doesn't block someone else from using it if they are ready before you are. I sort of expect this during the dog days of summer when there are plenty of pleasure boaters on the lake but when fall & winter hits I would hope that fishermen know this simple rule. I am sure the person I am referring to thought no one else would show up before he loaded his boat BUT I did, which is why you follow this simple unwritten rule. If anyone doesn't believe this is a rule why do they have places at the State Park launching area for loading and prepping your boat? Also, go south to Louisiana and try this and after you pick yourself up off the ground you probably won't forget the rule anytime soon. On to a better topic. I was able to catch a total of 11 bass on Wednesday. I wish I could say I knew exactly what they wanted but it was kind of a trash fishing day for me. I caught them on jerk baits, spinnerbaits, jigs, and warts. I had several others hooked up on the jerk bait that pulled off and several looks at the spinnerbait that turned away at the last second. And I caught them in water from 2 feet to 25 feet. I was seeing water temps from 54-56 depending on location and time of day. The largest I had to hand was probably around 4lbs and I had several other nice keeper sized fish including a 17 inch smallie. I almost forgot, I launched out of Aunts Creek and if the owner of a White Nitro 901 that was launching there around 9am reads this, I am referring to you when I wish everyone knew the "unwritten rule."