breeves2245

I'm trying to get acquainted more with Beaver. Fished the islands yesterday at Hwy 12 and had a good time with some small bass, a smallmouth and it got real exciting when I hooked up with an eight pound striper in my ned rig. Spinning rod with six pound test. I want to explore around the Indian Creek area. Where is the best place to launch? It's about the same distance to Prairie Creek or Indian Creek from my house in Bella Vista, so I want to start splitting the two locations.

I appreciate your Indian Creek reports. I'm heading that way next Saturday if the weather allows. I got a new rig this year with the idea of hitting small lakes at state parks and other areas within a few hours drive of Bella Vista. I need one more trial run with the camper so I made a reservation at Indian Creek Campground next Saturday around. I think it would be cool to just get up in the morning, down some coffee and cereal and hit the lake. We'll see how this adventure pans out over the spring/summer.

No, just two other boats. Looked like they were bass fishing.

Figured I'd better get some fishing in while I can before the rain comes. Hit Lake Ann about 7:30 and tried some off shore stuff. No soap. Went back to my way of fishing, beating the bank. Chunked a spinner and caught four in about an hour. They were real tight to the bank. One the usual dink, two solid 2 pounders and the fourth required a net. Had to go close to 4 lbs. Felt good catching something with some size for a change. Rain on the horizon, so I bugged out. So nice to have a decent fishing trip eight minutes from the house.

I usually only fish BV lakes. I admit I'm a bank beater, so that probably contributes to the size of bass I catch. But I'm intrigued about what it would feel like catching something over 2lbs. Heck, most outings if I catch a two pound bass instead of the usual dinks, I feel like it was a good day. What is the learning curve on stripers or hybrids? Hard to even remember the feeling of a fish hooked up and stripping line. Last time I had that feeling it was 30 yrs ago when I lived in Houston and wade fished the Galveston bay fishing for reds and speckled trout. May need a bigger boat too.

Took a vacation day Friday, decided to give Windsor a shot. Caught the usual dink bass on top water and my favorite crankbait, at DT-6 crawfish color. What I didn't expect to happen was to get a good strike on the crankbait and feel like I had a two pound bass on fighting hard only to boat this 1lb 6oz redear. Biggest I ever caught by a wide margin. Using www.postimage,com, so not sure if the pic is going to show or not.

Tried some early morning top water at Brittany and Ann over the weekend. Just a few small bass at each lake. Maybe it's still too warm for larger bass but it's discouraging to work hard for four or so hours and only come up with dink bass. Don't care for night fishing, that I expect would be a better outcome. I think I'll re-direct my efforts to the tail waters below the dam for the next few times out. Never camped out there but may give it a go this weekend now that Labor Day is past.

Six kayaks out today. One pair had a score of 30 to 4 at one point. Casting what looked like Flicker Shad or similar along the bank. I finally tried out my record mode on my I-Pilot Terrova. Recorded a path from the launch to the back end and then replayed it back. Very relaxing fishing my way back with no effort to maintain boat position. I will be using this going forward, it's absolutely the best way to fish for me. Put four shorts in the live well. Trying to carry out the lake biologists' request to harvest the dinks to help the population grow.

I bought a new boat last fall with a couple of HB Helix 9's to help me start fishing off the bank. So should I just cruise the lake looking for structure and use a drop shot or similar rig? I have only been on Windsor so far and there is not much structure to find, a few here and there.

Short trip, but hooked up with three slot bass running a crawdad color crank off the bank in about 12ft. Beautiful day and the lake was fairly busy with seven or so boats. Looked like a few other boats were throwing a jerk bait.

Beat the banks with the usual Tiny T. Put four dinks in the livewell for lunch. Back to Windsor next time, just had to get it out of my system.

Got the new boat motor broke in Saturday at Loch Lomond. So this morning I did my usual, beat the bank with a tiny t. Caught a couple of dinks but one real nice spotted bass, about 2 1/2 lbs. Reports from other fisherman did not sound encouraging as of 9 am or so. Fishing from a stick steer Crestliner. New experience getting up on plane and sitting up front. So far so good. I'm thinking it will make a good river boat, so I may explore the white river next weekend going north from Houseman Access.

Driving up to White's Marine in Pittsburg, Mo this Saturday to pick up my Outlook 1657 Stick Steering boat. So I'll be chiming in here in the next few weeks with some reports. Figured that rig is about right for the BV Lakes and surrounding smaller lakes.

Appreciate the offer, but that 8-5 go to work deal may get in the way.

Thanks for the updates. I'm boatless right but hope to remedy that soon and post some reports.

The usual routine was not working Sat morning. Beating the bank with a top water yielded on one 13" bass. I don't care for fishing boat docks, but was proud of my self for yanking one out flipping the Ned. New tactic next week. I'm rigging up with as jig, spoon and drop shot and fishing offshore. Force myself to stay off the bank. Got just the basic fish finder, but it will at least let me locate structure. Something tells me this is not going to go as planned.

Went after the early top water bite with my trusty Tiny Torpedo this morning. Caught four, three just below 13 inches and one at 17", add in a couple of bluegill and it was a good trip. They were not hitting aggressive, just kinda swallowing the lure. Nice watching a couple of raccoons working the bank and then a fox came trotting by as well.

Good day on the lake. Beat the banks from 5:45 am to 9:30 am. Caught several nice chunky slot bass. Mostly on a Tiny T, one on a shallow running crank. Starting to figure out which sections of shoreline produce for me. Wanted to boat a couple 12 inchers or two for the skillet, but all slots.

Chunked a topwater slush bait and a chugger for about 45 min before sunrise, no takers. That always lower my confidence going forward. I'll be concentrating on learning Windsor for the balance of the summer.

For some reason when I was pulling out of the driveway this morning I decided to go to Lake Ann instead of my planned Lake Windsor. Wish I had stuck to the original plan. Only two 13 inch bass, one on a crank and one a drop shot. But it was my first bass on a drop shot, so I got that going for me. Back to Windsor on the next trip.

Forgot to mention. I was motoring over to a new spot and as I approach a cove I see a guy swimming. Out for his morning exercise but if he did not have that blue noodle float in tow I would not have seen him and would have come way to close to him. He was in a black swim suit. Great exercise, but a bit risky.

I launched at the south end, was done by 10:00 am. Give me a holler is you see a red Crestliner VT-17 on the water. Not many of them around this area.

After Brittany almost threw me a shutout Saturday, I high tailed it over to Windsor this morning. Four bass, three were nice slot bass and several bluegill with eyes bigger than their stomach. Only two of the six or seven would have been worth keeping. Beat the banks with a Baby Torpedo, Rapala X-Rap Prop and a small spinner with gold/silver blades. At the last minute out the door I picked up a light jacket, glad I did. It was a bit cool but the jacket made it a perfect morning. No boats in sight until well after sunrise. I may be done with Brittany, it's just tough on me. Good looking lake, but the chance for larger bass is not worth coming up empty. I have to put some electronics on the boat before summer, I want to fish offshore once the heat gets here.

I was in the red Crestliner. I was at the dock when you were dropping off one of the guys from your boat. Going to hitting it this afternoon when the rain finally quits and tomorrow morning, not sure which lakes yet.

Took advantage of a weather forecast with no rain in the immediate future to beat the banks with a Tiny Torpedo. I was hoping to raise a bass at least one pound but nothing doing. Put 10 or so dinks in the live well for a fish fry. Caught most on the topwater and a few on the Ned but they didn't want anything to do with the Wiggly Wart. Water of course a little high and off color, but not too bad. I really enjoy fishing Norwood, very peaceful, pretty lake with natural banks. Only a few bulkheads and docks. Just wish it wasn't so stunted with small bass. If I ever get some decent electronics on the new boat, I want to fish offshore and see if my quality of fish increases. Just finished pan frying them up with some of Cabela's fish seasoning. Not bad, but bass ain't Rainbow Trout. Guess I have a beer and wait for the next thunderstorm to roll in.