RSBreth

Updated my blog, all about finesse jigs. Check it out. http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?a...;blogid=16& Couldn't upload pictures from Photobucket, so had to do the attachment inserted in text editor thing. Fun. Are we not allowed to use photo hosting sites anymore?

A jig is simply a hook with some weight added and hair, feathers, or some synthetic material tied to it. It's one of the oldest lures in the world, for all species of fish, freshwater or salt. As far as modern bass fishing goes, the "jig and pig" was just some rubber stranded skirt material on a weedless leadhead jig, and preserved pork skin trailer. Flipped into heavy cover, crawled along drop offs or even retrieved steadily to "swim" it, it remains a staple of every bass fisherman to this day. When I was a wee bass caster in my early teens, the jig'n'pig craze was in full swing, and I vividly remember one of my brothers catching some nice bass on it back in the day. When I was old enough to buy my own tackle, I was caught up in one tackle fad or another, and was either throwing a finesse worm or tube to cover where others were throwing jigs. Or maybe fishing a Slug-O, floating worm, or even using a fly rod. I was really into finesse fishing, and except for spinnerbaits, rarely picked up a baitcaster. At any rate, I never really got into regular old bass jigs. I tied and fished hair jigs a bit, but that's about it. This changed when I moved to the Ozarks. It wasn't a short time after I was here that I was fishing with someone on the James River. I was really into fly gear at the time, and was using my 8 weight and a Clouser minnow. The water was still warmish, a little off color from some much needed rain, and I think it was early October. I couldn't get a bite to save my life. My host was creaming me by casting a funny looking little jig into pockets just off the current and letting that lure just sit. The bass would come over and pick it up. I asked to see it after a bit, it had cut collar skirt, small craw trailer, on a small ball head. It really did look like a crawfish. "Eakins Jig", he said. I had seen the Strike King "Bitsy Bug" and some other compact or small jigs, but this one really had it all tied together. The Eakins clan is still a force on regional tournaments, largely propelled by the use of their namesake jig. Because of that day and many other experiences over the years, I've come to realize that when bass are foraging on crawfish in the Ozarks, you better have a finesse jig. Two Eakins 3/16 ounce jigs, one with Berkley PowerBait Craw(top) and Smallie Beaver(bottom). The finesse jig is a result of clear water conditions in our Ozark lakes, combined with the almost constant fishing pressure from weekend guys to guides to national pro tours. When fish get pressured, sometimes you have to out fish the other fishermen. Something a little more compact, a little more natural looking, has it all over a traditional sized bass jig. What makes the finesse of a finesse jig? I think it's the combination of compact size (not necessarily weight), and a small matching trailer. There are different head shapes for different uses, as we will see. Pitched under docks, drug across pea gravel, or swam along rip-rap, if you don't use them, you are missing fish. So let's at the makeup of finesse jigs, and see what qualities it needs for different uses. First, the skirt. The cut collar popular on pitching jigs does three things: It thins the skirt by half, making the trailer more visible, helps slow the fall rate of the jig, like a small parachute, and lastly, it just looks "right". There are several jigs on the market that I like to cut the skirt, "converting" them. Both the Strike King Bitsy Bug and Booyah Baby Boo jig have standard skirts, but "make the cut" well. The 1/8 ounce Bitsy Bug is really great paired up with a small craw for stream smallmouth (and has scored my biggest Goggle-Eye), but does have only a small 8 fiber weed guard not suitable for heavy cover. The 3/16 Baby Boo is my favorite finesse jig, used for stream smallmouth and dock skipping, but I think the hook could be one size smaller. That's just me, on the 5/16 version it's just right. Strike King Bitsy Bug and Booyah Baby Boo, after trimming the skirts. Finesse jigs now come in many weights and sizes. Not every jig has the cut collar, and not all of them should. The Tom Monsoor swim jig available at Bas Pro comes in some good colors, has an awesome Owner hook, and is compact with a thin but nice skirt in many colors. Just because it says "Swim jig" doesn't mean you can't pitch it. I haven't used this one yet, but will this summer. Another famous father - son duo from the Ozarks, Guido and Dion Hibdon, have racked up numerous tournament wins, one of the most recent was the elder Hibdons' win on Lake Champlain event of the FLW series. After doing well for the first days of the event on a bigger football jig, he cinched the win by skipping his namesake Luck "E" Strike finesse jig backed with a Guido Bug trailer under docks. The light single wire weed guard on the Eakins Spider Jig and the double wire on the Terminator Finesse jig help keep light cover at bay, like when pitched to a specific spot, then retrieved. They aren't for heavy timber, or skipping where a forceful skip could knock the wires off center, making it easy to snag around dock hardware. I have twice skipped a Terminator Finesse into a dock float and had it stick like a dart! I've never had that happen with either the Eakins or Baby Boo. The Booyah Baby Boo comes in 3/16 and 5/16 of an ounce, has a weed guard that can be trimmed down, and a slightly upturned pointed head that come though cover well. You can probably tell I like these a lot. The Bitsy Bug has a similar head, but a much thinner weed guard. I only use it around thin cover, or it hangs up easily. The wildly popular Eakins has a ball head with 60 degree cross eye. According to the Eakins, the design is made mostly to pitch in a spot, jiggle it a little and reel it back. I have found this to be true, it comes over pea gravel and small rock well, but falls over and gets hung a little more than other designs in timber. A few more compact jigs have a Football head, which is great for dragging on a rocky bottom, but not so good in timber. Last but not least, the trailer is not just a part of the jig, but probably the most important part. I think the skirt is really just dressing for the trailer. A small plastic craw is traditional, and there are a lot of them out there. Yamamoto, Eakins, Berkley, on and on. Usually it's recommended to pinch off enough of the tail of the trailer so that the hook comes out just between or behind the eyes on your craw. I sometime let it dangle just a touch more, but either way find what looks right to you. You have to pinch off a little of your trailer sometimes, don't be afraid to experiment. Some other trailers are also good. I like the small beaver baits for a trailer in cases where you just need a little more bulk. One case is if current or wind cause you to not be in touch with the lure at all times. Fish tend to hold on longer to these bulked up jigs. Another is if you want more of a spiraling glide, instead of a straight fall. Some good trailers, from the traditional craws to chunks and beaver baits. Don't forget a simple grub, either. The 3" PowerBait Beast from Berkley is the widest of the smaller sized beavers, and matched with a 3/16 Baby Boo is a real killer when that spiraling fall is the trigger fish want. Conversely, if fish have been hitting the jigs right on the bottom, a heavier head and small bodied trailer will get you back down to the strike zone in a hurry. Sometimes a different silhouette from the normal craw trailers is the ticket, so other small creature baits, like the popular Brush Hogs from Zoom, or even just a tiny chunk can be better if everyone is using the same type trailer where you fish. For swimming a jig, a double tail grub can be the most snag proof since it tends to keep the jig upright, but even a plain single tail grub can be a great trailer. The Baby Boo 5/16 in white with a pearl 5" Kalins grub has been my favorite swim jig for the past three years, but the whole topic of swimming jigs will be another story. Just experiment with size and keep colors mostly natural, adding contrasting highlights for off color water. I like orange or purple, but even chartreuse tips work. O.K., tackle comes down to mostly older tech versus new tech. Most tournament guys use baitcasters in the 6' 6" to 7' range in medium to med/heavy power range, fast action. Usually spooled with fluorocarbon from 10 to 14 pounds. Most stream smallmouth fanatics use spinning rods of similar power and action, but spool 6 to 10 pound line, flouro or mono. I kind of split the difference with two favorite setups of mine, for small 1/8 or 3/16 ounce jigs I have a new Team Diawa 6' 6" medium heavy, fast action spinning rod spooled with 6/14 Fireline. I use 10 or 12 lb. fluorocarbon leaders about 7 or 8 foot long, tied together with back to back uni knots. This rod has a softer more "medium" tip, and is a new favorite for dock skipping. My heavier rod is a BPS Extreme 7 foot medium heavy spinning stick spooled with the same 6/14 Fireline, but almost always use 14 pound or heavier Flouro leaders. This is a fast action rod with lots of backbone, just like a 7' baitcaster pitching stick. I mostly use it for around heavy cover, or for the more weighty compact jigs in deep water. Why the spinning rods? Because of hand injuries and tendonitis I can only palm a baitcaster for so long, and I can only carry so many rods, and they are a little more versatile for me than a baitcaster, especially when it comes to casting light lures in the wind. The Diawa combo also works to pitch a Texas rigged plastic with a 1/16 ounce bullet weight, or skip a 1/8 ounce shaky head rig. I know there are guys who can really skip with casting gear, but I'm not one of them! The heavier 7' combo is also great for light Carolina rigs with 1/4 to 1/2 ounce weights, which is a killer for pre spawn smallies on the flat pea gravel banks on Table Rock or Beaver. If you haven't tried finesse jigs yet, get a couple this year. If you fish stream smallmouth, try the 1/8 or 3/16 ounce versions around boulders and root balls, and you Table Rock guys will love the slightly bigger 5/16 ounce size for fishing around bluff banks and pitching to docks or brush piles. Like any lure, they aren't magic, but some times they can seem like it! Just try them, pick colors you like, experiment, and fish with confidence.

Great shots, I usually don't get over to any of the place except the James, I usually fish main lake, Kimberling to the dam. Now I see what's coming!

Folks here don't know that I'm a big reloader/shooter, especially revolvers. I broke out my old molds and little Lee melting pot about a year ago due to the costs of bulk bullets from a couple of local sources. It's way up, you finally are getting hit with it. Now I'm scrounging lead anywhere I can find it.

Yeah, if anyone knows how the water looks, I'd be interested, too. May be too busy to get the big boat out, and obviously the Finley or James are a little blown out.

I like either the back to back uni or blood knot. The blood knot doesn't work as well with slicker braids like Spiderwire Stealth, but is easy with FireLine http://www.animatedknots.com/bloodknot/ind...imatedknots.com

No, I haven't got hold of one of them yet. I think they are almost oversaturating the market, but choices are good. $10.00 seems too much for these, I bought two of each color pictured of the X-Rap Shad for under $7.00 each at wally world here in Ozark.

Heritage Jeep, the park, and the chinese takeout place is getting close to being totally under. It's about time to get the scrap lumber pile assembled into a large boat, and pairing up some critters. They just opened the park this weekend after the ice storm, too.

I think it's a pretty good idea. We will see if MDC thinks so. And for those who don't know Mr. Kehde, he is a long time contributor to In-Fisherman magazine, and we would be fortunate to have him continue to post on this board.

Updated my blog with the first look at the new X-Rap Shad. Being a big Rapala fan, you can guess my opinion, but check it out anyway.

It won’t be a shock to anyone who reads my articles that I'm a big fan of Rapala lures, I've used the plain minnow for bass and trout for as long as I've fished. I remember reading an In-Fisherman article in the early 90's about people in the Ozarks doctoring up their Rapala minnows with weight to get them to suspend, and catching winter bass like dynamite on these customized lures. I doctored a few, and it worked just as they said. When Rapala came out with the Husky Jerk, I was a happy camper. They usually suspend right out of the box, and bass eat them right up. Trout, especially big browns, do too. The Shad Rap and I go back almost as far, and I have used the smallest shallow Shap Rap as a go-to bait for trout for years. Here you see the whole Rapala family that lead to the X-Rap Shad, at bottom. It starts with the Husky Jerk and Long Cast minnow, which gets you the X-Rap. Cross with the Shad Rap RS, and there it is. The only problem with these lures is that they are light, the Husky Jerk is plastic, the original Minnow and Shad Rap are balsa. The bigger Husky Jerks cast O.K., but the balsa lures are frustrating in the wind, even with fairly light spinning tackle. Rapala answered the problem with the Long Cast Minnow. A patented weight transfer system inside the lure consisting of a metal ball that rolls inside a track allows long casts, but normal action when the lures is retrieved as the ball locks in place until it is cast again. These lures must be a pain to construct out of balsa, and they don't seem to be selling well for freshwater anglers, which is a shame. The smaller size is my favorite Brown Trout lure when fish are aggressive, and has scored my two biggest at TaneyComo. The larger size is a great warm water bass jerkbait. I guess most bass anglers don't use floating jerkbaits enough, or maybe don't know about this one. Whichever, it is available only in the saltwater line as I write this. Here you see the Long Cast Minnow in two sizes. A great overlooked bait. The weight transfer system was a great idea, and too good to stay only in one lure. Rapalas answer to high priced suspending jerkbaits, the X-Rap, was an instant success. It is plastic, but borrows the diving bill placement (further forward) and long cast weight system from the balsa Long Cast Minnow. The first one I tried caught a bass on one of the first few casts. A good omen indeed. Now the X-Rap is available in different sizes, deep water long billed versions, saltwater, etc. But the Shad Rap kind of stayed where it was at. The plastic Shap Rap RS (Rattling, Suspending) was a mild success, but even made out of plastic still was hard to cast. The Husky Jerk(Left) and Long Cast Minnow(Right), which combined make the X-Rap(Bottom). Now the Rapala family tree brings the long casting, suspending nature of the X-Rap to the shad family with the X-Rap Shad. It even has the same color-coordinated "dressed" rear treble hook like the X-Rap. X-Rap Shads in Silver/Black and Purpledescent. I had tried to doctor some lures up to be more of a suspending shad imitation, but nothing worked quite right. The "Swimmin' Image" Shad weighted to suspend. I had tried the Shad Rap RS, but again it didn't cast well in wind, so it was out, except for a trolling bait. I think the new version of the Shad Rap will prove to be a great success both as a standard crankbait, and as a stop and suspending bait for coldwater bass. The new X-Rap Shad has the same deadly nose down then slowly right itself on the pause action that the original X-Rap does, and can be twitched like it's jerkbait kin to good effect. It retains the tight action of its Shad Rap forefather on a straight retrieve, although it's bill is slightly different than either the Shad Rap or Shad Rap RS. Diving bill shapes are slightly different for all three shads: Shap Rap RS (Left) X-Rap Shad (Center) Shap Rap (Right) Rapala has demonstrations on their webpage showing the swimming action of all their lures. http://www.rapala.com/products/luresdetail...eshorsalt=Fresh The new bait comes in 5/16 and 1/2 ounce sizes, the smaller version running 8 to 10 feet (depending on line diameter), perfect for cold water or finesse type situations, and the larger size is going to go deeper, sure to compete with some of the much more expensive deep diving lures for summer structure cranking. I really like the colors on the new lures, one of the colors that I like is the "Purpledescent." Sort of a purple back that fades into faint chartreuse sides, with a pearl white belly. I need a regular X-Rap in this color, and now am on a campaign to email Rapala every time I think about it until they get one out there. It really looks good in the water, and I decided to use this color of X-Rap Shad in the smaller 5/16 size to try out. I don't think it will ever replace the standard jerkbait, but in a few situations, I think this lure will stand out. Anytime you want to get down quickly to 8-10 feet, then let the lure sit, like around isolated tree, this lure gets the call. Most of the time I just cast a standard jerkbait past the cover and retrieve it back, but when fishing this past weekend I found a perfect spot for the lure. A large tree down on a bluff, the only cover on this stretch of bluff for 50 yards, and no way to cast beyond it to work a regular jerkbait down very deep. I cast the lure tight to the bluff, just slightly past the tree, reeled down a few cranks and twitched the bait, followed by a long pause. Twitch a couple of more times, followed by a faint "tick" on the line, which was this nice red-eyed Spotted Bass. I think anytime you want a more subtle crank (which is almost every time you fish Table Rock) the new lure will work great as well. Oh, and for colors, Rapala really needs to get a crawfish color going on with the new lure, too. Are you hearing me, Rapala guys? Oh, it retails under 7 bucks, too. My only dig at this lure is the way the line attachment fits in the bill. The Shad Rap RS had the same problem, and that I like to take the split rings off my lures and use a snap. A standard small snap is really hard to get onto the lure, although you could just leave the split ring on and clip to that. The Norman Speed clip that is popular around the Ozarks isn't a problem at all to get on there, so really it's just my pet peeve. Really only the lack of a crawfish color and the snap thing stop me from giving it a 10. So solid 9 out of 10 for the new X-Rap Shad.

One of the first lures I learned to catch bass on was a spinnerbait. I don't know the make or model, but it was a small one, easy to throw on what was my only rod at the time, I think it was a 6'6" medium action Fenwick, with a Cardinal reel. Pretty nice set up for the era. Both were given to me by one my brothers, and I don't remember exactly how old I was, but that little 1/8th ounce bait caught a lot of bass. These days I use a spinnerbait for river Smallmouth a lot, I can't think of a better barometer to see if the fish are really active and chasing. I usually use a two pronged approach when first on the water, spinnerbaits over and around timber, and crankbaits bouncing off rocks or the bottom in deeper water. The crankbaits are a story for another day, but when it comes to spinnerbaits for river or stream Smallmouth, I prefer a compact model. The only problem was until recently, compact spinnerbaits were either too small, not balanced well, too light, or not available except from custom tackle makers. I think the ultimate compact spinnerbait these days is the Terminator Custom Tungsten. With it's compact "snap back" titanium wire frame, tungsten 7/16 ounce weighted head, it casts far, runs true, and stands up to abuse like no other I've used. The tandem willow is my favorite for river Smallmouth, and loaded up with lead until it weighs 3/4 ounce (outlined below) is my go-to Table Rock spinner. I have heard that the blades on the Terminator baits tend to vibrate so much they can work the split ring on the swivel apart resulting in the blade coming off in mid retrieve. I had never had this happen until this past year, but according to those in the know, it has only happened on the "Oklahoma" blade, not the willow that I normally use. Top: Strike King "Little Mr. Money". Bottom: Terminator, Custom Tungsten. Change out the regular round split rings for the oblong shaped ones,, and no more lost blades. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...010000_100-10-5 So, any other downsides to the Terminator? It usually retails just under $10.00 a piece. Yeah, ouch. S.O.B Lures http://soblures.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=73_23 has some awesome models, almost too many choices in colors, truly a custom bait, but you have to pay shipping, and there is something to be said about actually looking at something before you buy. So are there some good, more reasonably priced (say $5.00), compact models out there you can pick up at Bass Pro or "Wally World"? Yes, and that brings me to the current pair I'll talk about today. As soon as I saw the online advertising for the War Eagle "Finesse" Spinnerbait, I was, well, hooked. It's supposedly designed by Pro Mike McClelland. Is it? Who knows. I liked the looks, it comes in both 3/16 and 5/16 of an ounce, and the standard War Eagles are really popular around the Ozarks with a good fish catching reputation. It has the "Tux and Tails" type skirt as a different company calls it, with long strands flowing back beyond the hook shank. It has some good basic color choices, so I ordered the first one I could get hold of, which was the 3/16th ounce version. When it arrived I was amazed at exactly how compact it really was. It has a tandem blade setup, with the front being a small Colorado, and the main blade kind of a modified Oklahoma, like on Terminators. These are now available at my (Ozark) Wal-Mart as I write this, and to tell the truth, they are just a little smaller than I like for general use. We'll see how it fishes, as I will give them a real field testing as the water warms over the next month or so. The other model I'll talk about here is the Strike King "Little Mr. Money" which I actually kind of laughed at when I saw it on the "Strike King Pro Team Journal" Television program. The story was that Pro George Cochran wanted a finesse bait for tournaments, etc., and we are to believe that this is his "baby" and everything. They really talked it up, kind of infomercial style, and I am always skeptical of marketing anyhow, but then I saw it at Wal-Mart, and well, now I have 6 of them in my river tackle bag, and a couple in my big boat to throw around docks and shallow stuff at Table Rock and Beaver when the bigger baits aren't working. It weighs 3/16 of an ounce, has a Tandem Colorado/Indiana blade setup, and the main blade probably looks a little small to most people, but it allows you to really use it well in current without to much drag. It has a similar type skirt to the War Eagle, I think that some folks would skip a trailer on both of these baits, but I use a matching Kalin grub for almost 100% of my spinnerbaits, and they work well even under these skirts. Left: War Eagle. Right: Strike King Both baits are light, and for someone using spin cast or spinning gear they would work fine, but I like to use flytying lead or solder to add weight to the shank of the hook, and use superglue to hold it in place. You can really load up the Strike King model, and it'll cast a mile, but run true when you "burn" it back at high speed, which can trigger both Smallmouths or Spots, river or lake. The Strike King is said to be available only at Wal-Mart, but the exact same thing is available at Bass Pro with all the other Strike King spinnerbaits, just not labeled as the same bait. Lead wire wrapped on hook shank of War Eagle to add weight. So, 1-10 scale, I will have to give the War Eagle a tentative 6. Looks good, good hook, great blade, just a tad small. The Strike King? 8. It could have a longer arm, I have noticed it's not as snag resistant as the Terminator or S.O.B., and that's a function of how long the arm come back over the top of the bait. They look the same, but when retrieved the titanium flexes more. But it does has a wicked good hook, nice paint and detail on the head, cheap, catches fish. I've been changing the small Indiana blade out with a #4 Terminator willow, and having a lot of success with that version. It will have a place in my tackle box until I find another, cheaper, better bait. If that ever happens. Two more Views of the Strike King baits. Oh, if I overlooked some other lure, please tell me, and I'll check it out. I can't be everywhere, all the time. I take more stock in a personal tip than all the marketing hype in the world anyway.

Besides being up and muddy ,the Park in Ozark has been closed for tree limb clean up. I can't hardly wait for things to settle down, Feb-March is my favorite on both the Finley and James.

I cruise the bargain bins often, but rarely buy anything, but recently made what may be a great find. I went by the local WalMart and found a Diawa "Team Diawa" 6'6" MH spinning rod marked down to $19.00. I thought, well, I can let the in-laws use it when they come down, etc., etc., but it turned out to be really good for the money. Then, I also happened to frequent the Bass Pro outlet store, where I found one of the newer "Extreme" reels, with the wide spool for the sum of $30.00. Spooled it up with 6/14Fireline, and a 12 lb. Fluoro leader. It will work for skipping small baits up under docks, and if you break it, well, so what. Total cost, 49 bucks. Caught a couple of fish on it already. Anyway, lets have a look. I think the gold color of the reel matches the rod really well.

Fished yesterday from the ramp near 65 up. Water is cold, there was some current due to the recent rains, and it was not the funnest trip I've had. Some gentleman was parked idling his car by the ramp, so when I pull around to drop the canoe there he pulls up like he's been waiting all morning to gab at someone. "Need help?" "Yeah, I drive down here with the canoe just hoping someone will help me launch, because I can't do it alone, then also have to wait 'til someone shows up to help me load." He says "Sorry" and meekly drives away. Yeah, I know, he was probably trying to be friendly, but Springfield Lake park is a known cruising spot for "alternative lifestyle" types, and I hate people who just hang around boat ramps in general anyway. Best to shut them down early. Caught a couple in the rain I didn't bother to take pictures of, just little guys anyway. All on either the soft jerkbait or wacky rigged stickbait. Oh, and check my blog later today, I'll post about "bargain bin" rods and reels.

I use the 14" and 24" Estwing models. My 14" has many miles on it, and with the all metal construction, I assume I'll never need another.

I'm commited to adding a new entry every week, it will be hard, but the first one will be a double post, my comments on bargain rods and reels, and a tackle test review of two easy to find compact spinnerbaits. I will try to post them tomorrow, with pictures and everything.

You don't have to limit yourself to the lakes, if you aren't afraid of getting damp, severel local streams offer great wading for smallmouth and goggle-eyes, during the summer all you need is an old pair of hikers and maybe a small tackle bag.

I love the forum, belong to others but rarely post on them. And having to register to view just sucks when all you have access to is a public computer. I need to post more here but have limited time. Do not change a thing. Oh, if I'm also still a member, how could anyone claim Phil discriminates? Someone is blowing smoke.

Yeah, you have to watch that riffle. The remains of the old dam right above 160 can give you trouble if you go left instead of right around the island, too. Good report.

I live here in Ozark and fish the park quite a bit. Many have seen my posts and I do O.K. The park has some decent bass, some crappie, some good bluegills too. But I have not caught many bass in the past month or so. Yesterday the wind died down enough for me to really get a good look into the clear waters. Seems folks have decided to gig and leave dead at least a couple of bass and some dozen suckers, which makes me think they are the ones who got off the gig, but died. Who knows how many were poached. I talked to one of the lucky folks who have a house and dock there on the lake, and the said they had seen a couple of boats with lights recently, but couldn't remember when. I'm about purple with rage, but not much can be done. There are a dozen or so folks I know that enjoy the park, catch and release a couple bass on the weekends, take their kids, and I think they just got screwed. I will have to start driving the couple of blocks down there every calm night and checking for boat trailers. I'm sure there are ethical giggers, however, I have never met any. Any thoughts?

Went to Beaver Lake and saw my in-laws. No fishing, but did see my wifes step-dads 1975 Cobalt he just bought, or bought back. See, it seems he bought this boat back in his 20's, sold it to his brother who stored it well but rarely used it, now three decades later he got it back. Really clean old boat, not a fishing boat, but still neat to see something someone has cared for. Powered by a OMC 175, which happens to be a Ford 302 w/2 barrel Holley. Cool. I may go down to Taney in the A.M. but I'll see what the temps are in the morning. No go if it's below 30 degrees or so.

I have done well this year on both hard and soft jerkbaits. Usually catch the biggest fish of the year in winter on suspending jerks or float and fly. Always love your reports.

I wasn't going to mention it because I get accussed of pushing the superline too much, but I use 2/10 Spiderwire Stealth or 4/10 Fireline, small swivel, then Orvis Mirage (Fly Tippet) in 2x or 3X, depending on cover. Never have had to respool my main dropshot rig in years.

I have, just been way too busy to post. Water is clear, low, and it's time to be stealthy.