Pepe

I have heard Deer Bluff referenced for years but don't know where it is. Don't see it on the map.

There is a line by Lucky Craft called "Iron Athlete" that I am very pleased with for topwater use. It is yellow (only color I have found it in) and the line floats. It is great for Rio Rico or Yellow Magic poppers in particular. 2 years ago in the spring we got on a shallow fluke bite with M spinning Rod, but needed to stay back and cast a long way. I was using Nanofil but kept breaking it on hook set (I set hard) until I backed my drag WAY off. I agree that the braids are a PIA in a lot of ways. I got a bulk spool of 6# & 8# Maxima at a good price and mostly use that now, especially if the wind is blowing.

Champ, I hope it works as well for you as it has for me. I learned to be a bit careful in cinching and clipping the tags but the knot is smaller than the Uni-Uni and comes through normal size guides allowing a longer leader. I recently tested a new line, "Gliss" . I kept breaking it on hook set in heavy brush with the lighter test lines because it frays like Nanofil does when abraded. But the 40 lb line with FC leader worked very well and has quickly become my favorite line for pitching. I also tried the Stren Superline and liked it. I also discovered that a MH Rod with a Moderate Fast tip works better for me than a heavier & stiffer rod. Not only does it absorb the hook set shock better but seems to help prevent the moment of slack in the line I was getting on a hard set, pulling a fish out of a bush.

I have used this knot for years with great success

Airline rod carrier

I bought a Sig .380 last year, posted on this board by a police officer. It has been an excellent everyday carry weapon and shoots as expected. Lighter than my Glock 9mm and slimmer than my Ruger .357 it is, in my opinion, "the Goldilocks" piece for CC. Good luck with sale or trade. BTW: I'm thinking the only way to successfully rob a bank is to own one.

I apologize if my post is not clear. I was not posting about any specific dam, only the overall COE mission priorities. It's not my opinion it is statutory.

Anyone know if the ramp is open at the Shell Knob bridge

I have spent a good deal of my career working with the Corp as an industrial rehabilitation contractor working on dams including the Table Rock Tainter Gate rehab project well over a decade ago. As Phil said, the hoist motors are super expensive. The primary mission of the USACE related to dams is NAVIGATION, not flooding and certainly not power generation. The mission is defined by Congress and maintaining navigable waterways for national defense & economic purposes is top priority. Preventing disasters that endangers people (Voters) is next priority. Beyond that, the priorities may differ based on what they have agreed and contracted to do in that district. Remember the whole organization is part of the US Army and is run by Army Officers. All of us veterans are familiar with the right way, the wrong way and the Military way. Federal Environmental Regulation, Endangered or Threatened Species Acts, Wetland and Migratory Bird Habitat Preservation agreements, Agricultural & Industrial water contracts, etc, can all play into the water-flow equation. For example, in Kansas a certain volume of water is required on Redmond Reservoir as emergency coolant for the local nuclear power plant. On top of that, the State has contracted with the Corp and pays them to maintain extra water for use by agricultural industries. Based on their mission parameters, the needs of the Mississippi River barge traffic and navigable portions of the White River will far outweigh what all of us want. Each district has Hydrology Engineers and some pretty sophisticated predictive software, so they aren't really guessing. We just aren't important.

Not in a hurry but interested in buying an AR-15 or AK47 without spending an arm & a leg. I don't need pristine, just functional.

BPS wouldn't be attacking their Competitor at Sportsman would they? Jim must be stealing a lot of their business by out performing them. Watch out. "Some times you got to be an S.O.B. You want to make a dream reality The competition? Send them south; if they're gonna drown put a hose in their mouth" BOOM LIKE THAT by Mark Knopfler. Song about Ray Kroc, McDonalds franchise founder. He firmly believed in putting one of his stores very close to a competitor, undercutting the price until he ruined them. He was good at it. I'm thinking JM is too.

Ball head jig works great for letting your lure do the work without head interference. Completely agree on the Pony head jigs. Line tie needs to be ahead of the swivel to make it run horizontal. I also see some of these out there where the spinner blade has little or no clearance below the plastic bait. A bunch of the Underspin heads have that same design issue.

Trey Harpel in St. Louis has always done a great job for me. http://threeltuningandcleaning.com/Threeltuningandcleaning_LLC/Reel_Service.html

Hey, I get it. It was the realization of our dream when we got our place on the lake a few years ago. CONGRATULATIONS and welcome to the lake !

I don't know much about the Falcon Rods, so I looked some of them up and thought it might be helpful to share this information. It may not be the rods the OP has so you might want to ask Bill. FALCON CARA CCB-5-172SJ S Swim Jig Special CCB-5-172SJ S CARA REACTION SERIES CCB-5-172SJ S Swim Jig Designed to slow reel swim jigs by lily pads and lay downs. Rod Series Cara Rod Action MH Rod Name Description Swim Jig Special Rod Flex MF Fuji Guides 10 Line Weight 10-17 lb. Lure Weight 1/8 to 3/8 oz. Rod Length (feet) 7' 2"" Handle (inches) 9"" CARA ST - CCM 6-1610S Head Turner Exclusive to Cara ST- New Ultra-High Tensile Strength Carbon Fiber Material foa a Lighter, Stronger, Quicker Response-------- S “Head Turner” is the Micro version of the classic Cara 6’10” heavy action. Stock 3 Code CCM 6 -1610S CARA MICRO ST CCM 6-1610S The latest in guide technology,. Cara T-7 Microgiude rods use up to 13 Fuji micro guides for with low friction light weight Alconite rings for increased casting distance and lighter weight. Combined it with our Cara graphite blank it makes for the lightest, most sensitive rod possible. Rod Series Cara Rod Type Micro Rod Action H Rod Name Description Head Turner Rod Flex MF Fuji Guides 12 Line Weight 12-25 Lure Weight 1/4 to 3/4 oz Rod Length (feet) 6'10"" Handle (inches) Split I'm FINESSE JIG ROD This Cara features a split rear cork for even lighter weight. Use it for finesses jigs. This Cara has become the "go-to" rod for pitching light weight jigs and Texas rigged plasticsMH SERIES MODEL DESCRIPTION ACTION FLEX FUJI GUIDES LINE WEIGHT LURE WEIGHT LENGTH HANDLE Cara Split Grip CC-5-1610 S Finesse Jig Split Grip MH F 9 10-20lb. 3/16 to 5/8 oz 6' 10" 10"

It looks, to me, like a play for JM and Cabelas to roll up a deal with a much larger investor like Berkshire Hathaway. By pulling the diverse geographic areas and product lines under single management they have opportunity to increase overall profitability and limit the market. It appears that the retail marketplace for outdoor products requires strong online and physical presence. Inventory management has to be a challenge. Suddenly something is hugely popular and everyone wants a half dozen while the products that you bought an entire shipload of (from China) stays on the shelves. Consolidation makes market sense to me. But, as usual, I expect it will not benefit employees.

I am sorry to report poor results with WP. These high skies have changed the bite for us and we are finding the fish to be less aggressive. My only recommendation is to go slow and read Bill Bablers recent posts. Pete Wenners also has a good weekly report on video.

Lily & I plan to head to the lake on Tuesday. It sounds like we need to run down lake. Champ, if you don't mind, we would welcome advice in what to pitch in around docks for suspended fish. I'm still hoping the shallow bite picks up.

I go fishing to get away from my phone & computer. No thanks

I don't think your alone, Champ. I am hearing a lot of the blues except from tackle stores selling Whopper Ploppers, RK Crawlers , Ned's and Underspins. LOL. I'm wondering if most of the big ones have already been carted to the other end of the lake where all the tournaments are.

Thank you, again, to all of you who have helped. Next batch going out tomorrow. Still have a pile of 3/8 oz so will offer them at a discount For 3/8 oz only: $20 per dozen TYD 1/2 & 3/4 oz are running low but still have some: asking $30 a dozen or $50 for 2 dozen, TYD. Payment would be made to St. Jude's Children's Cancer Hospital (or some other charity). Best to contact me through gee mail MRKSTL82 note: I don't expect to be making anything new for awhile. have an old truck in my shop now

An equally important issue is getting in and out of the boat for your Dad. A trailer step system with a handhold may work for you.