M_Taylor

Wow, I knew I had missed some things and would learn a ton. I will be trying to absorb this all and then implement it soon. I really appreciate it. Seems to me that from the reports, to be looking between 20-30ft of water. Any suggestions as to mainlake vs inside coves?

Let me start by saying I have went through previous posts and tried to answer some of the questions I had on my own. I wanted to get a little more in depth knowledge from you smart guys out there. Combing other websites is good but I want to know how locals are doing it. I have heard the success stories and I'm convinced I need to learn how to walleye fish with harnesses. Here's my questions and I hope people can add anything that helps that I didn't ask. Hooks: I've seen one hook and two hook set ups. Preferences? Octupus vs straight long shank or twisting type Weights: cheapest lead weight vs. fancy bottom bouncer weights? Line: I know floro is hard to beat, anyone have experience with braid leaders? Knot: I saw F&Fs loop type knot where the dropper is, any more details to the exact knot and if you tie your piece of line to the weight, straight to that loop? Rods: If I use my medium action bass rods instead of longer softer action rods, how badly do I hurt my odds. Amount of line out: is there a rule of thumb on how much to start out with? Finally, are you letting them have it on the hook set or just a little pull? Probably novice questions but that's because I am at this type of fishing. I want to get out one morning before work soon and will share any successes or failures.

I'll second that. Circle hooks are a must in my opinion, they work great and will greatly reduce killing whatever bites.

Went out with the wife and we thought we'd miss the boat traffic by starting out at 8pm. We launched at Prairie Creek which I know doesn't help but it was scary the way the pleasure craft were driving. Water temp said 81. Hit a point and immediately found a mix of black bass, whites, and small stripers. A medium sized Zara spook did the trick but it was short lived. Got our spot thrashed by boats cutting the corner. Not one to start something but I'd lie if I didn't think about a spoon across their bow. I tried some crank baits and a swimming minnow with the bites coming on a white and silver swimming minnow. Nothing once dark. I brought along some crawlers and circle hooks to ensure we could catch something and we did after dark. Managed a keeper walleye, a very fat Kentucky and some panfish. All fish were caught on mainlake points and shoreline in less than 25 feet of water. Walleye was in 12. Hope this helps someone. Taking home a walleye and a nice white was enough to make it worth while.

Thanks for sharing. Great information. Now if I could only get back out there! You must also have a system for getting the weight off while bringing in a fish.

Thanks for report. Couple questions. Is that weight placed 20 feet or 20 inches from lure? What colors were you using, and how fast of a trolling speed? Thanks!

Haha. Love the optimism! Maybe that's my problem lately, need more positive thinking in my boat.

Is that a fish clicker on that lanyard?

Went out for a boat ride with some family before the rain came through. Saw two patrol boats, two different times. Never stopped anyone I saw. Both were traveling together the whole time.

White Zara spook jr.

Went out of 12 bridge tonight after the rain. Trolled up a small striper and walleye and missed a few others on Flickr Shad. Went and did more exploring than fishing, lookin for topwater action but didn't find much more than little tiny guys. Killed too much time doing that. Dropped a spoon on a brush pile I saw on the graph and pulled up a nice Kentucky. Nothing else from there. Right before dark a few fish started coming up. Had a few hits on a spook, nothing on a popper. Landed one nice keeper size largemouth on the spook within eyesight of bridge. I was hoping for the hybrids I have been hearing about but either I was in wrong the spot, fishing wrong, or they just weren't up tonight. Water temp was 78 and clarity was probably around 6ft.

Thanks. And spoon?

Hope no one has asked, but what weight of jig and line combo do you prefer?

I'd come. Sounds fun.

I'll second that report. I have also been successful in the PC area and Coose area on shakey head and grubs. Mostly within first ten feet of bank but pulled some nicer fish off in the 15-20ft range as well which kind of surprised me. Spooks have caught me a few small stripers and decent bass at sunset. Any one have a pic of a mean mouth? I think I caught one but would like to be sure.

Thinking about it more myself, I realized that's how my home waters were for trout. I grew up with the perfect wild rainbow trout stream in my back yard, but not an easy stream at all. Even after 25 years, it can still make you wonder. I watched people come in every weekend and think it was going to be like A River Runs Through It. They'd get frustrated and never come back(which was fine with me). Taking a slow methodical approach to Beaver won't be as big of a shock to me since I'm use to it for trout and I don't have a list of bass lakes I've fished on.

I appreciate the insight. It's always good hearing from the guys on the front lines so to speak. I'll continue to enjoy and learn the fishery!

So I am fairly new to the forum and I have only fished Beaver Lake for a year now, but something I have seen a lot of talk on here is the bass fishing, or to some, the lack thereof. My first question or more of an observation is that I have caught a lot of bass since I started fishing it seriously this year. None over 4.5lbs, but some very good(maybe I am easily pleased) largemouth, Kentucky and Smallies. I don't have a lot to compare it to, but if I can go out of an evening with the wife and land over a dozen fish and not know the lake well, I am happy. So what gives that people bash it? Secondly, in the last week I have gotten into some stripers. It seemed that the size I caught on each individual night was fairly unifrom. For instance, the wife and I caught 7-8 last night all under four pounds. Last week we went out and the size was all five to ten, and then on one night it was only one fish but went 35lbs. To the people that have experience fishing stripers, if you are catching a bunch of dinks, do you move because that's all there probably is? Or was my experience just a coincidence? Thanks for any insight.

Nice day F&F. I had every intention to having a day half as good as yours, but a mechanical issue that was supposed to have been fixed had me cranking up the boat by hand at 8am. Sigh. My wife was happy with the chores I got done around the house though.

Thanks! I grew up guiding on the North Fork of the White but then went to Alaska and guided in the Bristol Bay region.

Hello everyone, I'm new to Ozark Anglers. I'm located in NWA and enjoy fishing for anything that swims. I was a fly fishing trout and salmon guide before going and getting a real job, but I love what I do and wouldn't change it for anything now. I'm particularly intrigued by hybrids and stripers on a fly, but not so snobbish I won't try other methods when it's tough, which is most of them time for me. I look forward to being a part of the forums and always willing to help where I can as well as learn a lot more from others.