Ken Drish

Thanks M&M. I've just never seen one go out of Holiday Island and would love to have one there.

No interest?

I'm looking to see if there would be interest in a Holiday Island bass tournament. I've had a place on Holiday Island for the past two years and love it. My boat sits in the marina. However, I have never seen a tournament go off out of Holiday Island. Now, to be clear, I have never run a tournament, so I'd be looking for some pointers. But, I'm thinking nothing too intense. Interested participants would throw in some $$, maybe $25 per person. Run the tourney from 7am - 1pm - weigh in at 1:30pm and go from there. Depending on the # of participants, we could determine the # of places paid. Maybe even have a big bass bogey! I'd be happy to organize the tournament and research the best ways to run it. Obviously with input with folks who would be interested. Thoughts? Long term... maybe we start a club? Thanks!

Nice - if you don't mind me asking, what kind of crankbaits?

Thanks. The big one (photo on top) was weighed at about 8#, 23" long female. The smaller of the two wasn't weighed, but I would say about 3#.

Went after some big browns on jerk baits this past weekend. It worked! What a great way to spend the weekend!

Couldn't resist going way up into the White this weekend and trying for another big Brown Trout throwing jerk baits. Went out on Friday night and Saturday morning. What a trip! Ended up with about a 4 pounder and then Saturday morning got the trophy - 23" - just about 8 pounds! I love to bass fish, but man, catching these beauties was a real treat.

No - much further up. I say old bridge, but it may be newer - way up in the White

We are so privileged and blessed to live on such an incredible lake. Years ago, when my Dad and I took two trips from Chicago to Table Rock, I never thought I'd have a place there. I wish he were still alive to see it. Nothing quite like the bluff walls, soaring hills, wildlife, and oh... the incredible fishing. Started my weekend on Thursday night and threw a Snag Proof Frog around the mouth of Butler Creek. Within an hour I had 4 largemouth. All coming from the outside edge of the bushes. See pics attached. Once I got about half way back into the creek, the bite died. It was great to load up on so many keeper in a short time. Smallest was 2.5 - largest, looked like about a 4. Friday AM had me chasing some schoolers... didn't do so well, but got about 6 spots. Friday night, went back to the same frog pattern and got only one. Just goes to show things change quickly. Saturday I met a buddy and went up by Big M. Tough day... managed to get about 4, all coming on a jig. Today was interesting. Went out and tried my topwater pattern and caught only a few. Nothing on the jig either. Decided to practice my jerk bait fishing, only not on bass... but trout. Went way up into the White by the old bridge. Within a couple hours I had about 8 - two Brownies and 6 Rainbows. What a blast! So bummed, I hooked a really nice Brown, maybe 4-5lbs and he came off at the boat. What a weekend!

Thanks Bill. Are they too big for bass or are the bass under them as well? I tried throwing a swimbait into the - no luck.

Super hot this weekend! My beloved top water bite was scarce... Caught a bunch of small spots, and tried a giant spoon. I don't spoon fish often so I started pitching it into docks. Second pitch I let it flutter to the bottom and a really nice LM loaded up. Scale is busted but it looks close to 5. The next 3 pitches I lost both of the spoons. Bummed, but glad I got this fish! I also have a question for the forum. What are these massive schools of fish I am seeing in the backs of coves. They seem large, almost like small white bass. Maybe gizzard shad?

Looking for some historical perspective from the forum on how quickly the lake will be drawn down. I talked with someone at Eagle Rock marina on Saturday and they mentioned that there was a problem with the dam/Taneycomo that is causing them to not generate as much water and therefore, the lake level would not be coming down any time soon. Does that sound accurate? I'm curious to know how fast it has come down from previous high water periods like 2008 & 2011. Obviously this will have a lot to do with the amount of precipitation that we get. Thanks for the input!

Red/White Nitro Z7

Fished all of last weekend - early mornings and late afternoon/evening. I have personally never seen it so high. Thursday night I had nothing in Leatherwood - fished for just about an hour, but the water was like chocolate milk. Friday was the best day. Got about 6 - 3 on a frog - Spro Popping Frog and Snag Proof in brown/chartreuse. 3 on a 9' diving Spro Crankbait. Saturday morning I had to wade through about 3' of water just to get to my slip at Holiday Island! The water was still rising and fast. I only got two - one on the frog in the morning and then a smallie in the afternoon on a Boo Yah Spinnerbait. By the afternoon they closed the walkway and were ferrying people to their cars from the Marina. I thought I'd kill them on Sunday with a frog or topwater in the bushes... couldn't have been farther from the truth. Ended up with a tine white bass on a spook and a keep spot on a large spoon next to a dock. I would've had better luck trying to catch snakes, which are everywhere! Well, I think it finally crested at 928... looking forward to it coming back down and stabilizing a bit.

Does anyone have any insight into the amount of flooding at Leatherwood creek? Curious to know how it has effected the Holiday Island Marina area. Thanks!

How are conditions at HI up to Big M/Eagle Rock? I've been in Europe the last couple week. Thanks!

Yellow Magic Smoke Shad - Magnum

Got out on the water at about 3pm from Holiday Island. Leatherwood creek and the marina area is all chocolate milk again with all of the rain. Thank goodness I didn't have to go far to get some clear water. Went about 2 hours with a handful of bites on a Spro Frog - Yellow/Blue. Couldn't connect - darn frogs drive me crazy. Then the rain started... got soaked, but fished on. By about 4:30 the rain finally tapered and I started getting them on topwater - Yellow Magic Magnum in Black/Silver. Got about 20 fish including a couple of nice keepers - 2-3 lbs. Rain started again and I was done. Hope for cloudy skies again tomorrow, just not as much rain .

I agree... had a blast last weekend!

If you like to bass fish and missed this last weekend, you need to get out there while it lasts! Must have caught over 100 this weekend. Fish are EVERYWHERE in the shallows. We are blessed to have such a great lake! I fished Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Saturday during the day, with the clouds was the best. But Sunday night - what a night. I was throwing a silver Yellow Magic Pop-R, a Spook Jr. Baby Bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait, Bubble Gum Fluke - hit shallows - as far up as I could get it into the bushes and along the shore, to target bedding bass. Caught a ton of males - very few male keepers, but some. About 70% LM and the rest spots. Not a single SM. One Walleye to boot (crankbait). The Sunday night fish came out of Leatherwood Creek and of all places, by the boat launch at the marine - along the west coast shoreline. Every once in a while I'd get a female cruiser - must have gotten 6 last night including a 5lb! The majority of the hits came on the Yellow Magic... they beat the tar out of that thing as you can se in the pictures. I hope this lasts a few more week!

Days like today is why I love to fish! Incredible day... bass are on the beds and eating topwater, flukes, baffle heads. The most fun was top water. Probably caught 50+ today... majority of them were males, but every once in a while I'd get a nice female. With the clouds, topwater worked all day. Biggest was on bubble gum fluke way in the back of a creek - maybe a foot of water. Hope tomorrow is the same... wish I could be out here all week.

Awesome day to be out on the water! It's been two weeks and I'm glad to see the water color changing back from chocolate milk! Slow morning... from 9 - noon I only had 4 - Ned Rig, Bubble Gum Fluke, Biwa Divinator.... The fluke was fun... backs of the creeks....Spook Junior, Baby Bass color.... they nailed it... caught about 14 in 90 minutes... biggest one was 3.5-4 LM. Even picked-off a White. What a blast! I love topwater fishing and Pete Wenners mentioned in his report this week that he was getting a few on a Spook.... he was right.