JWT

Thank you all for the replies! I have also had success in the spring and I think it just starts up all of a sudden. I'm thinking these upcoming warm dry days will really jump start things. Now we just need to get this system out of here.

Hey all, I was just wondering if anybody would chime in about whether or not a guy could catch bass at night right now. Water's in the 50's according to the reports, and the bite seems to be shallow. Would a big black spinnerbait or even a crankbait pay off? Dying to get out there in the dark. Thanks for any feedback!

Great upgrade ideas! You got it, although I have a hard enough time getting out for long enough. If I was warm, drinking, and watching tv, I could get into serious trouble with the Mrs. ? I would say on TR, but where do you find crappie?!?! I maintain that the best crappie fishing is under the big commercial docks, in someone else's hanging brush.... Shhh!

I always thought it would be cool to equip a pontoon for crappie fishing when it's cold out.. Enclosed and heated. Open in the bottom for parking over structure. I'm sure it's been done here, but have never seen it. Some folks would surely pay to do that..

I have a little fish traumatizer at home as well.

Thanks for that uplifting report! Awesome....

Awesome job! Went Sat for a couple hours at the mouth of Long creek. Only caught one short on a wiggle wart. Sounds like it's getting better though.

Shad balls in the coves you say? strange... Any shad attached to them?? Sorry, couldn't resist..

Thanks for the report, sir. Good keeper ratio.

Thanks for the report m&m. I think you've convinced me to get a plopper.

That sounds like a good day to me... I wonder how much longer the plopper is going to be hot. Just waiting for the ''crappie plopper'' to turn up. I think they should probably call it something else though

Glad to contribute! I hope you tear 'em up on the jerkbait! As for me, I'm afraid I won't put the spoon down for a while. I had a good fall season last year on it as well. It's kinda turned me into a one trick pony.

Thanks Mike! I've been reading yours already! Its nice to be in the company of so many knowledgable fishermen. I hope you have a great fall season. John

I was back out on my hot boat slip Tues afternoon.. Had only about a half hour to fish. They were there again. Had 2 nice Ks, a big white, and a bonus crappie on the spoon. Also a couple dinks. Had another nice fat K up to the boat and when I tried to boat swing him, the spoon came out and hit the roof of the dock. Sounded like a rifle! I saw tons of shad there in the cove, and noticed that there were some dying ones in there. Don't know if it was excessive, but probably a dozen or so in one of the big shad balls. Is this normal for this time of year? I will try to post some pics when I can figure it out.. I'm kinda low tech... Don't want anyone to think I'm full of it, lol! Good luck guys!

I second this. Have fished around the dam many, many hours on lunch breaks. On the west side of the auxiliary spillway, there's a concrete platform. It's treacherous getting down the rocks, but have caught some good fish there.

Wow! You're a mean mouth machine! congrats!

My dad and I have had success trolling with BBKs... Beer between knees. Careful though, might catch a buzzbait.. I apologize, I'm new here.

Hello m&m, Yes, good point. There were lots of bait fish there for sure. The bass would surface ocasionally in several places at once, but were so hard to catch on top. You'd just about have to hit them on the head with a bait. And I can't get over how many shorts are out there right now! I would guess fishing will be great in 5 or 6 years! i went out to the spot the next afternoon, and there was a boat smack in the same spot, lol! Oh well..

Thank you Quillback, and nice meanie!

Thank you champ!

Here's my first fishing report on Ozark anglers... Fished my home area 3 days ago, that would be big cedar lodge area, and found fish in the vicinity of larger docks. Mostly in 30 to 40 feet, and bites came from 10 to 20 ft deep. Actually, almost all the bites came out of one boat slip. Caught 10 out of it, almost all K's with one keeper. Three were LM between 12 and 14 inches. All on white 1/2 oz war eagle spoon. Motored over to a steeper bank dragging a senko out from the ledges which yielded 3 short SM, then headed in at dark. I thought it was an encouraging sign to see those little largemouths... They were all returned to the water with care. Good luck!

Hello all! I am a local fisherman, 40 years old, and have been lurking for a while on this site.. And I now feel that I should contribute something.. I want to thank everyone for the reports and info- I've become a better fisherman! Will report back soon with my own contributions, mostly from the Long Creek to the dam area. Hope I can help someone catch a fish. But for now, just wanted to say hi! tight lines John