Dewayne French

Thanks Mr. Bill love to hear your reports they keep me updated on the bite and that Eagle rock is one of my favorite areas of the lake much appreciated.

I got away for my annual winter trip over to the big pond. It takes me all day for this trip as I have to leave by 3:30 to get over for the early bite and I almost missed it this time. Unloaded at old 86 about 6:30ish and had visions of big bass eating the ice jig and they did not disappoint me. Had a great day with a solid limit early and 15.50 for my best 5 at the end of the day, I was happy with that for me🤣. The deep fish seemed to bite in windows throughout the day, but for sure early was the best bite for the bigger fish. I had a 5.10 largemouth and a 3.09 smallmouth before I ever saw another boat. Best baits were Ice Jig, damiki, and a small paddle tail with a 3/8 oz slow rolled though the roaming spotted bass packs and the were out today. I tired the A-rig, spoon, jerkbait to no avail, they would react to my offerings, but not bite. Surface water temp was 52.5 when I started and 53.2 when I loaded up to head home. I tired around 9 different locations between the dam and the 86 bridge and caught fish on about every one. One spot middle of the day I lost 3 that I never got to see that I guess were biting short and not getting a good hook. The water was a different color between the dam to the bridge and I had to adjust at several of the locations from different color baits to tweaking the graph. Deep fish were anywhere from 30-70 and like normal a single was hard to get to commit to the bite, they would follow and act interested, but if you could get 2-10 in a group you could make that work. The big 5.10 largemouth had 2 others with him about the same size and they zoned in fast and if you could have got another bait down you could have had a double because they was ready. I never caught a fish that was high up in the water say 5-10 feet deep, they would streak the bait and hit it but it is almost like those fish where hitting the bait with their mouth closed, maybe slapping at it because even with a jerkbait I did not get a hook up. Just a good day on the big pond. Lots of boat trailers were at ever ramp I passed and most boats where out between 9-2pm looked like. Good fishing and enjoy the fishing deep or shallow. Only thing I did not try was a shallow crankbait on the rocks maybe next time? If believe the ramp talkers, I did talk with a couple different guys loading up after me and one had a good day shallow on a crankbait and one only had a few small fish for his efforts dang fishermen never can believe what they say

Healthy and good looking spots this time of year. Dang ned catching them again😉

Had plans change the night before so my Saturday was free. I hooked the boat up early and headed to Norfork for a few hours. Had not been on the lake since surface temps were 88 so I was either going to get lucky or skunked. Got to Redbank at 5:45 first boat to unload, but a couple right behind me. Headed south to my first stop and had a flock of turkeys fly out of their roast after I got setup, even gobble a few times. Lots of surface action in the middle of the channels, but never could pin point a cast. The whites/hybrid's were feeding on shad, I'm sure some bass were mixed in just way to random. I had lots of shad on the graph from surface to 15' deep with some bigger marks around them just could not connect. Finally after sun got up I began to catch a few on small bait fished near the surface fast!! Ended decent, but no pictures as it was to rainy. Best area was on the main lake channel with a deep flat . Also had 6 decent spots come up off the bottom and inhale a hair jig only just one little area. Could not reproduce it, but that was fun. Ended my day at 2pm headed home with a couple fish for supper, the wife likes to eat fish so that is my excuse to go 🤣😂. Not much to report but finally got out on the water water had some success. Water color had a tint of stain, surface temp was 62ish, small swimbaits/ hair jig, speed was your friend today (faster the better) good luck have a happy thanksgiving to all my OA crew

UDAMAN as they say Mr Bill😁

Congratulation's as a few have already said. The day of retirement is closer for me as well. Although the actual date is not written down it will more than likely be early next year. I still love my job, but changes in upper Mgt and retirement fundings make it a no brainer to leave with my head high and my health. Enjoy your extended fishing trips and your family. As they say this is a crazy world.

No rain in Mammoth Spring but it was 48 this am 😁

😉😉You got that right......

Managed to come up for a long weekend before the boys get out into the world. One to MSU and the other to the Navy. But I brought up the boat and fished a few hours sat morning before heading in about 9 due to idiot boater/tuber/skiers but I digress because I know how it is on any given weekend up there in the dam area. Not many toppers or chasers to find some here and there, that is what I was hoping for. I did scope a decent bass in 15' over 45 and caught some in a couple of brush piles on a plum worm (normal stuff I know). Biggest bass/fish broke me off in a pile never got him out. Could have been a real big-un but who knows. Did catch some other just keepers, but it didn't seem as good as normal in the piles at least for me anyway. Not a big report but hey it is what it is. Made it back to the farm Sunday afternoon in time to feed cows, goats and check the chickens. I'll be back just not as often I as would like. Did I mention there was to many people up there🤐. Stay safe night or day time you never know about people any more. Water temp at 5am was 88.9-----it felt like bath water unloading. Greenish colored tint to the water. Seemed to be a thermocline in the 18 foot range most of the shad bigger fish marks were suspend in the 15-18' range. I stayed with in site of the dam.

I for one love that area and fish it when I can break away and drive the 3 hours it takes to get there. I couldn't agree more with #18 that is a fish catching creek. You are spot on that is a great area of the lake hard to reach ie... long run for most and that's a-ok😉

Fish tacos now that's a good thing😁....The reason my wife says go fishing

I like the wrap on that hook Mr B😉

Good looking Large-Jaws

Nice but now I'm getting jealous 😁

Yes, I'm crazy and yes I went fishing Saturday. I only seen 2 or 3 other boats all day it's never like that on a Saturday even in the winter. I fished the lower end and caught some fish and never did get cold, but I was dressed for it. Had a blessed day stayed safe didn't tear up anything and didn't get wet. Got unloaded at the Old 86 ramp and stayed with 5 miles either side of it. My rig was the only one at ramp all day. When I got there at 7 the air temp was 28 degrees with a strong north wind and I fished until 4:30. It was 24 degrees when I loaded up. I don't know the speed of the wind, but as the big boys say it was gassing, all day. Water color was good and clean except for the wind blown stuff. The water temp was 46 degrees about everywhere I went. I should have tossed the old wart or crawler some, but my first fish of the day was a 3.90 spot on the damiki and that was kind of how I wanted to fish. I had some new heads and baits I have been wanting to try. They were busting through the shad balls around 30 feet. So I stayed with that most of the day except when I tossed a jerk bait and A rig. Caught fish on most everything I tossed, but the moving baits like Jerkbait, A rig and Ice jig got the better bites. After the first stop it was a hit or miss on the next 10 or so stops. You could see pretty quick if they where going to play? All in all it was a great day to be on the water. I was mad enough to go, so I did. Some of you will understand that 🎣🤣😂.

Class act for sure and a great report as always. I can't get fish to bite ice jig I always resort back to a plastic shad type bait, but I guess it just confidence.

🤣😂😉 That was a good day and by far the best I have heard since last winterish time. Glad to hear your reports I dream of that someday while I'm still working, but the day is getting closer to the "R" word.

😆😁🤣😂 Usually don't see that temp in my boat ever.......Sorry couldn't resist that one.. But I would hope it is getting there.

I have run it several times in a basscat with a 250 just pay attention as wrench has said. Just keep a check on your levels between know and then and adjust accordingly and report back. I have even went past the bridge

sent you a dm

Not a bad outing for Norfork and the weather was nice also. Caught fish from 5 to 40 feet deep and had 6 different species. Cranking fish were on wind blown banks in the 5-10 foot range, Rock crawler caught the most, but I'm sure a WW would have caught them also just didn't use it. Deep fish were on the spoon or damiki . The striped bass was here and there, shad had to be present. The crappie were hanging on the top side of brush piles ranging from 10-20 feet. I think I could have caught more, but just got enough for supper. Hope everybody has a great weekend and Christmas with the family, if you get a chance you need to go fishing. I have been on Table Rock and Norfork lately and caught them on both lakes. I know they are catch them on Bull also, so get out and enjoy the Ozark fishing we have. Water temp 53ish depended were and how the wind was hitting the area Color was clear with brown tint

I got out Friday though Sunday and had some luck on the deep fish. The damiki and spoon produced most of them. Lot of "Football" spots this place is known for. I did find a lot of brownish colored water in those areas, still clearer the close to the dam, but it still had the brown tint. Lots of boats out and about in that area. Not much to report other than at least I was fishin. Water temp 54-56 Water clarity just wasn't what I'm used to here (brownish) Suspended from 20 down to 75 and most were over 80-120 Shad was abundant also

Water Temp 89-91 Clearity 2'-15' (depended on your location) Dam to K-Dock fished from bank line to 60' depth range. Reaction baits was the ticket..... Shallow--Topwater (FAST).....Deep--Spoon, Scope spin, Damiki Caught several in all depths, but my only consistent bite was chasing shallow fish in the Big crk-Branes bay area. If you could fire up a bite there was usually some more with it. You just had to keep moving and not slow down, They are not everywhere and when you do find them, the "trigger" is different each day. I did not stick with the deep fish long enough to develop any type of confidence with them. But I hear it is the same way. Graph a ton of spots then boom you found them. But they are also tricky on the bite and each day/hour they will react to baits different. Wind didn't seem to help as much as it normally does over there, at least to me. Had a super hot day sat with out much wind and they bit the Topwater. On Sunday it was cloudy and windy, but they wanted a slower popping action to the topwater. So who knows just go and have fun. I don't listen to the fish as well I should. They say to do that and you will be better I still try to use reason, It don't work....😁

I have had Pro-Guides installed in 10+ basscat boats I have had since early 2000's. I have only had one problem and it was taken care of by them. Only why to go, I have not tried the lithiums, but have heard great things, just like Bill says.

Got out on the lower end of Norfork for the hopeful early bite and tried to find some of the top water action, but to no avail, at least for me. I did have a decent limit by 9 on a spoon and swimbait but noting to brag about just a decent day on the water. I was in the beautiful Colorado rocky mountain weather all of last week and got spoiled to the low humidity and 40 degree mornings, boy was that out the window here.🥵 . I did go shallow on a couple wind blown channel banks and tossed the plopper nothing, so went back out to deeper water. Surface water temp 85 at 4:45 am by noon it was 88 Water clarity was 8-10 feet probably, it had a good tinted color, I stayed deeper than 40' all day with the boat except the short run to the channel bank the wind had it choppy and colored so I could not get a feel for the clarity there. Have fun stay safe out there it gets hot quick