mjk86

That looks like a giant white btw!

Treble hooks will screw you bad when the whites are going imo, especially a bait with 2 sets of trebles. You'll spend more time digging hooks out of fish then fishing. A single hook bait like a spoon (nunguesser spoon is perfect if you can find them) is more efficient when the catching is good. Just grab and shake the spoon over the water, the fish wil fall off and your back to casting in 2 seconds. Your knuckles will get all cut up from the scales/spines. Totally worth it.

People are so uptight about their spots. I can understand on a small creek or stream, but on table rock? I dont get it. Angling cameras in such a way so as to not show the back ground, scratching the trees/docks out of the back ground. Makes no sense to me on a 50 thousand acre reservoir. Maybe its improper forum etiquette or something to give up your fishing spot, but i happily tell folks exactly where i can catch em. Its def nice to help someone out who is struggling to catch em. Also....if your on big walleyes at table rock...id say your skills are good enough to find bass. Stay on em!! Post some pics!! But, for heavens sake, dont let us see the spot your fishing in the back ground.

What a chunky spot. Those things are like footballs. Nice report.

Photos are a easy to take without even putting the fish down. I turn my phone camera on and have it ready. Catch a decent one, fish in 1 hand, phone in the other. Snap a pic. Toss the fish back. Believe me I think efficiency is the name of the game with fishing and I hate wasting time not fishing when I'm fishing, but if it's a decent one I'll snap a pic. Takes 10 seconds. Best way though is just to lay em all out on a tail gate at the end of the day and take pics then. No wasted time then. Do this for crappie, bluegill, and walleye only of course though.

5/28/2016 is when the season opens for black bass in ozark streams. Great fish....I can't believe that pole didn't break. Holy cow.

Cool! Nice crappie! Did you get a length on either? When it comes to crappie...if they don't over run the lake, there will be a small population of bigger fish. There is another little lake in fenton where it's hard to catch a mess of fish from there, but if you manage a couple they will be 12 inchers or better. Odd cuz in other little ponds your typically wading through dinks for a few eaters. Lb for lb bluegills fight as hard as any fish..and they eat as good. it's like the perfect fish, if only they consistently ran 1-2 pounds.

Sounds like it takes some serious skill. Good info though, im too nervous to get my boat on the river....its junk, but im sure id tear up the prop as im a river boating noob. I believe that proper boat control, and boat placement, are as important as anything else when fishing from one. Totally agree about a powerful trolling motor...I upgraded from a 46lb to a 72lb thrust and it makes life a whole lot easier.

This is a fun thread...love those giants. Check out this hog.

Are you saying they were introduced? I mean...they Def get past dams somehow.

Good info thanks. Ya it's Def nicer to have a boat like you said you can get behind ur snag and right on top of it. I can get my boat on the meremec but I only below Fenton. I've never tried that spot....im gonna though! You gave away a few lower meremec spots that have worked for me. Speaking of boat advantages though...im curious, how does one maintain boat position in heavy current? Anchor for a short time? Fancy GPS trolling motors? I'd have a hell of a time with my trolling motor. Maybe it's possible to position the boat out of current. I've only ever canoed or wade fished smaller rivers where current wasn't bad, but on the lower river there is pretty stiff current. Seems like it would be difficult to pull up below a riffle and stay there while casting to it.

You surely dont read enough of my fishing reports.... Ha!

Hahahahaha i just noticed thats him! I pass "the entrance to the hill" every day on my way to work. That is a freaking giant for a spotted bass. I wonder how long it was? I caught a 21" spot once on a chrome spoon, that one looks bigger. Swing impact is my favorite lure i think. Those things are just amazing. Texas rigged weightless..that tail just goes crazy falling at sloooowww speeds, can also buzz it right under the surface nicely. 2.8-3.3 inch SI fat on a no collar ned rig head..will catch anything that swims. The 2-2.5 inch swing impacts and easy shiners on a 1/64th oz jig head is the best crappie lure ive ever used...by far. I just wish they made the easy shiner in a fat version. If they had a 5.8inch easy shiner fat...id be one happy camper.

Well...i have to agree with you on flicker shads. Those things are incredible for 5 bucks. I also dont have much point of reference as i dont think ive fished with nearly as many lures as most folks on here. I stick to the stuff that works for me....its hard for a company to ruin a 1 oz white hunk of lead. Ive def had good luck on rapala lures though. One of my "go to" topwater baits is a rapala jointed floater. size 11. I melt/bend the lip nearly vertical and on a steady retrieve it gets bit when walking lures strike out for me, and on a quick snap the back end comes out of the water and smacks back down. This brings me to another problem though with rapala lures....i like to paint up lures at work. Every lure ive painted can withstand a 180 F bake temperature for 30-45 minutes except rapalas (shad raps and tail dancers)...they melt over 120 F. Dont leave them on your dash board in july all day long....

"That is the toughest fish Ive ever fought daddy!" Thats just priceless right there. THank you for posting this!! Im going to show it to my son when I get home. Your boy did a great job of fighting that fish and getting it in. Its obvious he has had some practice.

Awesome.

Reports like this give me just enough motivation to hit the river....then after a few drum and 10 lost lures I'm rethinking my plan. Great fish!

Hey thanks for the info, I always wondered about that. I have similar lures but they are on 1/8th oz jig heads and I wanna put eyes on em. Nice to know they work!

Thanks for the report btw. Nice fish, and best wishes.

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Those look awesome btw.

How do you get those eyes to stick to hair? Sorry if that's a dumb question.

Those are awesome!! Def gonna work for you. The nutech jigs are good too. I did the same thing with hair from some squirrels I shot. Those have caught a few, so I'm sure yours will as they look even better! What kind of hair is that?

It's my favorite walking bait for sure. Hooks are junk, get good ones, also a feathered treble helps. Those baits are just great, cast a mile, 5 bucks. I throw that spit n image more than any other topwatwr, it flat gets hammered.