Ktchnbtch

Does anybody have any advice on lodging around the big m, viola area where we could store a boat and have a dec not room

Anybody have any recommendations on hotels and restaurants near big M.?

Well said

Champ, I with you. My 2011 z-520 With a 250 may not be the fastest boat on the lake, but I'm ok with crusing at 60, + or -, and being comfortable and dry. It will do 70+ on GPS but im ok with not being the first guy there.

I spent my first day on TR Saturday, had a good time with my son but I'm heading back this weekend without him and to a totally different area so I could use some advice. Saturday we fished Indian point area, this weekend I'm going to Big M or Eagle Rock. Any advice on that area ( eagle rock to kings river) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

spent my first day on TR Saturday with my son ( his second day ) , sorry for the late report but life got in the way. we put in at state park around 9:30, went up around Indian point, WT around 53/54... Zero. Ran down long creek below 86 bridge, caught one smallmouth. Stayed in long creek for quite a while, caught another near bridge a couple hours later. Needless to say, our first few hours , WE STRUGGLED! Had only two fish first few hours . Moved back to around Indian point and things started to pick up. Caught a couple here, a couple there, not bunches anywhere but figured out a " micro pattern " where we could pick up two or three at a time. Actually found 61+ WT in one area where we caught the two 4 pounders pictured within 50 yds of each other. Finished with 17, ( bout a 15 lb bag ) but after 9.5 hours, it kicked my rear end ! Hard to hang with a 21 year old full of P and V ! All fish on crank bait and jerk bait , biggest were on jerk bait . Attached are the pair of 4 pounders caught in warm water, 50 yards apart.

Ham, I appreciate your passion. My sons and I share the same reverence for smallmouth that you do. I'm a river/ creek dude first and we catch and release hundreds of smallmouth every year, so I get where you're coming from. Thanks for your comments, and our shared passion . Good fishing. Ktchnbtch

snagged and ham, they only kept them for pics, all fish were released unharmed. We never keep smallmouth, an occasional spot or two but not the brown ones. eyed, they caught most of them in the heavy wind.

DChance, I was not there, it was my son, he put in at the dam, ran down long creek first then back up past dam around Indian point area

I'm new to the site so sorry if the pics don't come out right or anything else I mess up. My son spent his first day on TR yesterday, started out pretty slow with only a couple of short fish in the first few hours . Later in the afternoon they finally figured them out and finished with over 30, all smallmouth and spots, the only largemouth ( estimated at 7lbs!) shook the hook right at the boat. The following pics are of my son ( smaller of the two ) and his buddy. Most were caught on crank baits and jerk baits with a few on Ned rig. Best 5 were 15lbs+. Fished a couple miles from dam in either direction.