WebFreeman

I'm fishing my company tournament on Pomme de Terre this weekend. If anyone has any tips or patterns, that would be great. Otherwise, I'll report in on Monday.

This will seem like a stupid question since you were talking about "top water," but how were you fishing it? I've read a lot of articles on "wake baits" like the redfin fished real slow on top making a wake, but I've always done better fishing them 1-2' down w/ a stop and go.

I have a co-worker who lives near the confluence of the Finley and James and he has had 3 spottings on his property. 2 he believes were the same cat and the third seemed like a juvenile to him. I think it was a year or 2 ago in Cal. that a mountain lion killed a mountain biker who was fixing his bike and then attacked another woman a couple days later, who was able to get away w/ the help of a companion. That's when they found the body of the first biker just a few yards off the trail. It wasn't too long ago that bald eagle sightings were rare around here. No they're pretty common. I would think attacks would be rare, but to go off in the woods, especially in our more remote areas, without having some kind of awareness of the possibilities and what to do if you saw one, could be dangerous. It's like the cotton mouth discussion at Crane Creek. Some have had encounters, some haven't, but to be unprepared if you go fishing there is risky. I know I almost stepped on a cottom mouth there once and have since read up on what not to do. Anyway, I'm rambling....

A few months ago I think Bill Babler posted a couple pictures for me. You might to a search. It was the finished product, not the recipe.

Hey guys, I'm fishing my company bass tournament this year on April 30. We're based out of Nemo Landing. Any tips, especially on local soft plactics/jig/crankbait colors? I see that the surface temp is 54 today and I imagine it will only go up in the next couple weeks. The MDC report suggests the same type of tactics everyone is suggesting on TRL: "54 degrees, clear; black bass fair on plastic crankbaits and stickbaits." I've read the Lindley arm is a little shallower and dirtier than the Pomme arm, so I imagine it would be a little warmer. I'd also guess that by April 30, a lot of fish would be on the beds, but maybe still some fish in pre-spawn mode. I've got the MDC map of fish attractors and thought I'd focus on flats/points adjacent to the channel and near attractors. Thanks in advance.

Hey Don, great report. I had a question on the shakey jig. Do you use a regular jig head when you rig it or do you use a specialized head? And do you rig it texas style or just as you would a grub? And finally, do you trim your trick worm down to 4 inches? It seems like I'd only seen them in the 6 3/4 inch model. Thanks in advance, and like Phil and others have said, I really appreciate that you and other guides have been so forthcoming and open with your reports. Web

I've always stuck a pencil through the spool and put quite a bit of tension w/ my thumb and index finger, even though I think Phils method is they way the line companies tell you to do it. I think the biggest problem is people over-filling their reals. I think the rule of thumb is 1/8 inch to the edge if the spool, but I usually lean towards a 1/4 inch on my spinning reels. That way, even if there is some twist, the line doesn't seem to be as jumpy. (and I'm talking about spinning reels. I've haven't respooled a spincast in a long time.)

What do you is different about the wiggle wart than other crankbaits? Seems like that's the only crankbait I ever read about on Table Rock. Is it that different than the other brands or is it just tradition?

I park near the park with the tennis courts (don't remember the name and I think it was when they were still under construction, so it's been a few years) and wade up past the bridge/overpass. It was the middle of summer, but I caught a 17 in smallmouth. It was my personal best at the time . It sure was skinny. I always wanted to fish it more, but never had the time.

Illegal. The worst are the guys with 4 1/2 ultralight spinning rods and bobbers. They never even use the reels. They might as well be using cane polls. Making it illegal and posting signs may be enough to curtail some of it, especially being so close to the hatchery and easily accessible to covservation agents. It's far from a remote area.

No problem, Phil. They all work different. Babler mention "shrink wrapping" the body. I'm not familiar w/ how to do that. Also, do the eyes make a difference?

Sorry WebFreeman... I edited your post instead of answering it! I'm looking for a pic of a micro jig- will have it shortly. Phil