AAD

We make it to Table Rock once a year for a week. We do keep some fish for a family fish fry at the end of the week. We do not keep and clean every legal fish we catch. Almost all of them are K's. Any fish well over the 15" range is tossed back, usually after a pic. I have even brought frozen bass from Texas on our trip just so we don't feel the need to keep as many. We do keep and clean whites and the occasional eye or cat we happen onto. While we do like to post our daily success or failure on the forum, I would not post a pic such as the one above. However, their smiling faces do show how much fun they had that day. Also, from the dock at the resort where we stay, we have seen guides stop and have their clients clean their fish. Which is also within their rights. Sometimes the guides drop the clients off there, other times they get back into their boat to go elsewhere. I think 5bites summed it up pretty well in post #31...

Real nice looking smallie. Love catching the brown fish. We will be there in 5 weeks and can't wait.

Let me start by saying I was not able to fish this weekend in the OBBT. But having fished the KYKX Big Bass Bonanza a couple weeks ago in Texas, I can assure you the rudeness happens everywhere. It's just a fact of life. Some people care,others don't. I even told my brother during it we must be fishing in an invisible boat, after seeing so many guys pull up right in front of us, often within casting distance. For those that complain about the crowds, go fish somewhere else that weekend. Mark is correct that it brings revenue into the area. I'm sure the event is well put on just like the one I fish in Texas. It is one weekend a year. For guides that work the lake, warn your clients it may/will be crowded, that way they are informed heading into the day, and will know what to expect. As for the suggestion to have multiple weigh in sites, it is probably more than a weigh in, I'm sure they have vendors, concessions, and other attractions on site. It took me about 35 min to drive to the weigh in at Lake O the Pines, but we knew that going into the weekend. Where we wanted to fish, that was going to be the length of travel. There were probably over 2000 boats, not including the pleasure boaters and other anglers not fishing the BBB. But that fishing format is fun and it gives me and my brother a chance to fish together, and if we get lucky maybe weigh in a fish for money. Hopefully In a couple years when my son if finished with high school lacrosse, we will get a chance to come to TRL and fish the OBBT, along with everyone else.

Just tuned in.... Looks like productivity may take a dip for a while now......

Thanks for bringing this to everyones attention. And unlike other raffles that outprice themselves for many people, a $20 chance is well worth the investment.

Oops, I realized I asked a question and didnt give my pick. I am going with Cliff Pace. He won the Classic on Grand when it was cold. Plus he was off all last year after his hunting injury. He's gotta be hungry and ready to get back at it.

The classic kicks off this weekend in Greenville, SC. Looks like takeoff temps Friday morning will be in the single digits (7F). Forecast has temps gradually getting warmer each day, but chance of rain/snow Saturday and rain Sunday. Can't wait to see what that ramp looks like Friday morning after 50+ rigs launch from it. Who is your favorite to take home the title this weekend?

We ran into Pete last June near Kimberling City during our week's stay at Table Rock. Very nice man to talk to. His report pretty much backed up what we were experiencing, and what we saw him putting his clients on as well. Love the amount of information he provides week in and week out.

When you sit back and this about the statement in red, it's pretty a smart acquisition. BPS will continue to sell Nitro/Trackers and make money, AND, quite possibly their biggest competetor, Cabelas, will sell Triton, Stratos, and Ranger, and BPS will get a cut off of those as well.

Allow me to clarify, in my original post I believe I indicated the WB was not fault free. F and F, you are probably spot on, maybe it was not the first and only time that boat passed that fisherman. I wonder if the other guys fishing the tournament slowed when they passed this guy? If the law stated when making a wake, that would apply to all boats, not just WBs. I imagine plenty of bass boats went by this guy on plane. And yes, I realize that a bass boat on plane would not create the same wake that a WB would while towing, but from what was stated, the law would apply to any boat creating a wake.

On a whim I went and searched for wakeboard forums, just for some personal knowledge. Basically wanting to know if they spoke about fisherman the same way we do about wakeboarders. Didn't take long to find the following thread. It's the type of things I have seen typed here in the forum several times. For the record, my boat is used for fishing as well as tubing/kneeboarding/sking/wakeboarding. So I understand both sides of the issue. It truly does come down to common sense and respect for others on the lake. In the story below, was the wakeboarder at fault for towing too close to another boat (according to Wi law)? Yes. But also some blame should be on the fisherman that was in a narrow neck of the lake. Knowing the traffic and rules should have clued him in to the fact that was maybe not the smartest place to be, and to expect traffic being close. But that does not give him the right to fling a lure and rip the guys hand open. What if he would have gotten him in the face and plucked out an eye? Would that be justified? HARDLY.... It all comes down to using that organ in between your ears. And being respectful of others on the lake. http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=802765 Hope that URL works as a link, if not you may need to copy and paste into your browser. Andy

Glaize are seemed pretty dingy last weekend. Could not see the bottom of the motor when it was trimmed all the way down.

Hmmm, Didn't know a SM was a rare species at LOZ. I normally don't take photos of short fish.

Went out fishing for the first time on LOZ Saturday morning, July 12th. Since was not sure what to expect, I started close to the condo, was out on the water by 5:15. Fished a little topwater (black buzz plug and a jointed red fin) with no luck. Saw a few fish hiting TW but I could not get them interested. After sunup, I moved up the Glaize to fish a few main lake points. Caught a short LM on a Tx rigged black lizzard. Made another move to MM 4 and tied on a NED* rig, using a green pumpkin/orange Zinker Z and caught a short K on my second cast. Couple casts later got a short smallmouth. Decided to go hit some docks close to the condo. Unfortunately my front graph locked up on me and would not move past the startup screen. Figured it may be tough locating fish and drop-shotting so I decided to work a few coves and points using a shad colored 6XD. I did catch a couple nice LM on it. Overall for the first time fishing LOZ, and having most of my large lake experience being on Table Rock, I guess I was OK with my results. It was fun. I was pleased to see the number of boats out fishing early. I didnt know what to expect. I do know that later in the day that my 18ft Tracker Targa did better than I would have expected with the traffic. I have to admit, it was neat to see all the large horsepower boats running about. And I was glad I was not the one paying their fuel bill. Something tells me had I been fishing, I would not have the same opinion. Andy *For those of you not familiar with the NED, go to the Table Rock forum and search it. You will have hours of reading time...

Momma always said, never bring a spook to a bow fight... Great wisdom bfishn

Nice article, and timely. We are headed down to LOZ this Friday for a long weekend. Will be the first time fishing it for me, early Saturday. Guess I will run up the Glaize and hope I can get back safely.....

Get-em....

Maybe the Zman grub will keep its tail, unlike the Yamo's that tend to get bit off.

OK, hear me out... I have no evidence to back up my thoughts, but I figured I would put this out there, fresh off of my week at the Rock. We all agree that the fishing this spring has been atypical. I only make it down there once a year, for a week, always near the last week of June. There have been many thoughts about why the fishing patterns most of us are use to are not happening, ranging from up and down temps, water levels, late shad spawn, and so on. Here is my question: Is it possible that having the Elite tournament in April during prime spawn time would affect the fishing later on in that same year. I looked at the tournament results, and on days 1 and 2, 98 and 96 anglers (out of 108) weighed in a limit. Day 3, 48 out of 50 weighed in 5. And on day 4, all 12 weighed in 5 fish. That adds up to about 1300 fish that were re-located during their spawn. That does not take into consideration the sheer numbers of bass that were caught and yanked off their beds/spawning areas during the week of practice and tournament. Not sure if there is any scientific backing that may suggest removing a fish from its reproduction area, either just by being caught, or being hauled to a weigh in would affect it ot not. I know that if you pressure a whitetail deer's home area, they will move on to other areas. I looked back at the posts from April and there were numerous mentions about catching so many small K's. Where have all of those gone? On our week of fishing, we did boat 60 fish with 15 being 15"+, for 3 guys from one boat. Did have several K's in the 14 inch range, and a lot of them seemed to be either full of eggs or craws, hard to tell. I am not sure of the date of the last spring Elite tourney before 2014 on TRL, maybe some of you can think back to the summer after it, and remember anything unique. And I also realize that there are tourneys most weekends, so maybe this is a moot point. Feel free to be as honest as you want in your reply. I have thick skin.... If nothing else, it will give us something to think about over this 4th of July weeknd. God Bless America!!!!

We are currently staying at Lazy Lees just off of point 7, down from the KC bridge. Real nice resort to stay at. Been coming this week for the past 5 years. Never had any theft issues. And the last 2 days have seen Pete Wenners clean fish at our dock. And Brian Snowden dropped a couple guys off here as well after guiding. Prob not as easy to get to as Schooner, but good fishing nearby.

That bass was caught from the bank, on a SW facing, sun baked shallow point, in about 3 FOW from underneath a dock walkway float. We have yet to catch one equal it so far this week. Maybe we need to save on gas and bank fish. Andy.

Here is the Sat evening LM with the dangling Ned Gotta love the flipped pics from the iPhone. Andy.

Our week on TRL is starting this Saturday. Normally we are on the water by 0500. We may have to adjust that a bit earlier if the end of our normal fishing time may be affected. Last year down by Cow Creek we had a ski boat buzz past us twice. It was early in the day, near 6 am and not another boat in site, yet he feels the need to act like that. Too bad people often have more money then sense. Sounds like a good year to fish a little rig back in some creeks. I wonder what we could use......

Sorry to hear that. My brother had same thing last fall. He missed a few days duck hunting but was back at it in a week or so. But he did refrain from blowing on his call too hard. Best of luck on the surgery. Maybe they can use a little 2lb fluoro to keep that mesh in place

X2 on that Danger. Cant wait to throw some of the Skunkwork jigs around some brushpiles too...