slab slinger

I have looped and tied in 20 or 30lb mono for weed guards on crappie jigs works good and cheap guard material. I pour and paint my heads usually drill 1/8" hole and apoxy in 4 or 5 strands of weed guard on my river jigs. But tying in bendable wire is a great idea. Prob try that on the next ones. Thanks

Good to know thanks for bait report.

Save your gas till they pull the lake and returns to normal pool. Then the crappie will be in the pole timber and brush piles. The interest thing about high water is everyone struggles finding fish and a reliable pattern. That means more fish for fall and fish that haven't been pressured. Just my opinion, someone's probably slayin them right now. Haha. Bluegill has always been good for me around the docks in the shade under the floats. Good luck Hope you and your grandkids get em.

Great report Dougie... Sounds like a great day on the river. Glad to see you got into the fish. Little jealous though I was planning on going today but couldnt free up the time from the family. Well done on the 18" small jaw. That's a good fish on the river in my book.

I haven't got to use them yet and that's a shame living 4 miles from the James. Ready for action though as soon as I can sneak away. Haha. Yes, will drill and add weed guard later. Makes them easier to tie without weed guard in the way. Yeah, there a little work to tie but not bad if you enjoy such things. Real special catching fish on something you made instead of store bought. But I fish store bought lures also. It stings a little more loosing your creation more than the other.

May I my best month for trolling cranks for crappie. Seems to slow down for me when water hits high 70s and 80s.

Found a couple hours to relax today and play around with a crawdad pattern jig I have been wanting to tie up for a while now. Think they turned out pretty good. I have a great buck tail and craft fur minnow pattern but didn't have a real good craw pattern. Just curious If anyone else ties jigs for the river and what patterns and colors work best. Thanks

I struggled in the lake finding shad with any size. Plenty of fry everywhere but no luck finding gizzards or nice size threadfins. I had to travel to a river to get my bait. You'll have a hard time getting any fisherman who nets his own bait to give up his hole. If you don't mind sacraficing a throw net per trip Truman tail waters full of shad most of the year.

Thanks bud. Great info as well.

Great report...Glad to hear you got into a few cats. Channels or blues? What's the biggest cat you've caught drifting? Might take the family up next weekend to try it out. Thanks for report bud.

Thanks for water levels and pics of the river. I'll be looking for your report. Have been wanting to float but been busy as normal in summer. Hope you tear em up Dougie.

Just curious. If so I gotta get a tag for my boat and hit the crappie and eyes.

Your motor looked alot bigger than a 40 hp. Are they letting bigger motors on the lake now?

Thanks guys. Might some how try to work a jug/how hunting trip up there this yr in October.

For the last 4 yrs I have planned a jug line trip for the weekend after the fourth of July and was thinking about changing to another month. What month do you think is the best for running lines on the lake? Thanks

High Point is the ramp name.

I'm not sure how many stick to the slot rule but I have the past 2yrs. I'm not one to take chances have learned the hard way it's not worth it. It kinda sucks, really sucks releasing the biggest fish of the trip due to slot limit but I tell my self maybe he'll get to make a biggen some day. Everyone that fish for cats wants to catch a monster someday or break their PB so maybe this slot limit will make that happen someday.

Mofloatjunkie is right. Below dam at Springfield lake is top notch carp fishin. As a kid we would carp fish alot below dam in summer for fun. I second Mofloatjunkie on bait choice. Best bait I've found is Wheaties one box strawberry hello and strawberry pop. Crunch Wheaties and add hello start adding pop and mashing/ mixing till it holds a ball shape. Let stand and start making grape size balls to fish with. I like #4 treble hooks best. You can also chum area with can corn. Top notch Gar fishing below dam also if looking for fun and good fight. Good luck.

Fished jugs in Talley Bend area Friday till today. Fished 30 lines From 30fow to 10fow. Set on main lake flats from inside channel and in coves. Best bite for us was in the coves in 10fow but some fish on flats also. Slot fish were on flats in 30 fow. Didn't really feel like we found the fish good or just not bitting well with water conditions? Had good bait all weekend and ran lines often and kept fresh bait on hooks. Fellow campers and ramp talk the fishing wasn't good due to water conditions. Kept busy with hung and dragged lines due to floating debris. Night bite was best as expected, in 10 to 15fow. FRESH cut shad was best bait. Not a bite on perch cut or live. Didn't catch any big fish but had several land in slot and released. Lots of dinks and gar during day runs but it was something to do to pass time. All in all had a great time camping and fishing with dad and a few close buds and had a great time on the lake. Ended up with 31 keepers with 2 to 4 lb being the average. Didn't catch a single flathead or channel. It stung to release so many nice fish due to slot rule but the law is the law unless your rich. I really hope the slot on blues pays off in the years to come.

Good info Waterpossum...I like Brush Piles on channel swings in 30fow but I have my own piles out just for night fishing. The marked MDC piles are good also at times. The old tire wall in state park cove is good as well. Good luck. Hope you get into um. Have fun with the family that's what it's all about my friend.

I just use Arkey Stand Up heads from Wal-Mart in 1/8th oz. They are 2.78 or close to 3 bucks for 5pk. Not true Ned head or anything fancy but river Fish don't seem to mind. Come with weed guard wire you can clip off if don't want it. I fish with it on usually. Get the Z Man baits at Sportsmans. Although not a true Ned rig. I have done just as well on regular senkos. I'm all about keeping my river box and baits as cheap as possible with baits that catch fish. On my Ned advice, Not saying it's the way to go for all just works for me. Good luck.

Not hugging. Ment jugging. Dark auto spell. Haha.

Hugging is usually good for me if I can get enough good bait. Don't know about this high water though. Haven't went with lake up this much. Gonna give it a go anyway I'll let y'all know how I do. I'll the Post trip next monday good or bad. Thanks.

I hope so. Thanks Oneshot.

Heading up the end of this week to do some juggin. Y'all think it'll be any good for running lines. I know the lake will prob be full of floating debris but do you think the cats will bite?