Stein

Sounds like a darn good outing!

Could be. Hopefully this will get me going for a while. I just asked Richard to put together a starter package.

That's where I was planning to buy my retirement place before we decided on Arkansas. I truly love it up there. For me it's only a 13 hour drive, figure must me 18-19 for you. In the end my wife convinced me that it was kind of silly to spend that much on a place that I could only use 4-5 months out of the year, she would only use one week a year and reminded me how much I hate cold. I couldn't be happier with getting a place down there. Year round fishing, lots of options and species to target, relatively mild winters. And, $250K would have bought me a boat-to only cabin, no road, no electricity other than solar and no plumbing or sewer. It's kind of expensive. That money was better spent in Arkansas and that much bought a great place. The one thing they DO have is low taxes. While Arkansas is one of the lowest, up there a $250K place would only be $300-350 a year in taxes.

Since my new place is on 178 the golf course ramp is my closest - maybe 2 miles - so that is good news and good to hear the shoal is decent. Since it is three minutes from home it will be nice to be able to stop out on very short notice if no or low generation if even only for an hour. I don't know where I read it but somewhere people were saying "yes felt is legal but you shouldn't" kinds of things, maybe people that don't have didymo in their streams yet and want to keep it out. Makes sense if it's already there that the concern is unfounded. I'll plan on the waders. Got to pick up some seam sealer. Had a leaky one or two in the neoprene socks. Thanks for the help.

Ooohh, pretty!

I've been looking. They aren't that expensive. $12K will get a nice year or two old Shawnee with a 25HP. Even saw an 08 for $7500 on CL. Would keep me from having to drag my bass boat back and forth. Just leave it down there. I just don't think I will have one by July unless I have someone down there that I can trust to check one out for me before I buy it. If I buy that new of one it SHOULD be in pretty good shape.

That's where we have gone for the last 22 years around Minaki, 20 miles north of Kenora.

I think this is going to help me, not only here but Canada. We normally fish a lot of tube jigs for smallies up there but you don't dare let it touch the bottom for fear of instantly losing it. The area we fish is actually a huge river system so there is at least some current most places. If it touches bottom it drifts and rolls and hangs up. That makes it tough to get it down where it is needed. I think I historically have always used too much weight with them. Generally 1/4 oz. With some smaller weight I may be able to flirt with the bottom better.

How much of the C&R area is wade-able with one generator running? How about with two generators? How deep is the bulk of that area in the channel? Can you cross from bank to bank with one or two running? Just trying to get some bearings on this. I'm concerned that I won't see a lot of "low generation" in July since it is peak electrical consumption period. Also, is Dew Eddy Shoal a good place to target during low generation? I'll be jig fishing in either case. Is a pinched down barb considered barbless? Finally, are waders needed in July? I have them if needed. I also understand felt soled boots are legal but will I get cross-eye looked at all day for wearing them? It's what my wife and I have and will likely go with for now. Not worried about diddymo. They haven't been wet for years and this will be the only place I use them.

Looking around a bit today the Fairview ramp is the closest to my new place, followed by Bull Shoals Boat Dock ramp. One map showed BSBD as public, the other didn't show anything. Is it a free public ramp? Given the two choices which would you use? Fairview seems a bit more remote which could be both good and bad for a truck/trailer with Nebraska plates. Any issues with people messing with vehicles, especially out-of-staters? I'd also suspect Fairview would be less busy so quicker to drop in and pull out and it is closer. The first trip down I don't see any reason to race all over the lake, especially since it will be a first week of July trip and things will be tough. Reading all of the fishing reports here for July back to 2008 (it helped) it looks like I'm pretty much planning on topwater from 5:30 to 9:00, sliding out to 20-30 feet after that for a couple hours with Ned, tube and jigs, then going to the river for the afternoon for trout then back to the lake for the evening/night fishing. Planning on sticking around Jimmie, Sieter and Cunnie creeks mostly. Sound like a plan?

Nah, when I said "up here" that meant Nebraska.

Seriously they do that up here as rentals. Makes it safer to float and enjoy adult beverages when compared to canoes, especially for novices.

No issues with BPS, just swapped it for another. I was going to go to a 7' but they didn't have any. They had 6'6" or 7'6" and those started getting a little whippy.

This. Just sent you some jiggy monies.

Makin' it rain.

Well, I COULD do that but then I don't have anything to do tonight! Heading to BPS to return the broken rod and pick up some additional panfish gear. Also, with limited time down there I want to spend it fishing, not shopping if possible.

Well, seeing as I only ordered "non-weedguard" heads I might as well order some weedguard heads from Dave. PM sent.

LOL, yeah, I know, but since I can't be down there to fish for two more months all I can do is buy gear right now. The learning curve is going to be LONG for this muddy water flatlander. The only thing that might help me is that I smallie fish Canada a couple times a year so getting used to rocks and clearer water.

Got a chance to try out the new Air Stream rods last night doing a little crappie fishing at my cabin. Second fish - maybe 10-11" er - swung it into the boat and right before I set it in the bottom of the boat the rod snapped off about 2 1/2 feet from the end. Very surprised at this as it was a little fish. Grabbed the other identical rod and finished the evening with no other issues. Hopefully BPS won't give me any grief on an exchange tonight. Had to be a manufacturing defect - it just let go with no warning with around half a pound on it.

Yeah, I did think $4.99 for an 8 pack was a bit stiff.

I've not fly fished for carp but if you have mulberry trees there I've heard of people tying larger "mulberry" shaped flies. Carp will slurp up floating mulberries.

Thanks for the info. That's what I get for not asking first! I'm out of my element on these things.

NIce article. I haven't fished these yet and they weren't available in my local BassPro so I just ordered half a dozen packs of Z Mann TRDs and 1/15, 1/10 and 1/6 oz ShroomZ jigheads yesterday.

The first time it was truly a last minute deal. Guy that was going with me bailed one week before the trip. She was able to get off on short notice so I still got to go. She's pretty hard core and has the respect of the guys. The next year it was by choice. Last time was about 12 years ago. Gotta give it to a girl that can handle their own without gloves and wear gill raker rash as a badge of honor, never complained about fishing in rain or wind the last week of September in Canada. But yes, I do get the party foul.

It's generally good and it's sometimes "less good". She has no problem with gear purchases, I get to buy "two of everything", it's easy to get away to fish. Heck, if it wasn't for her liking to fish I don't think I would have a second home in AR right now as she wouldn't have seen the value in it. The only real "less good" thing is that it's tougher to get away with "just the guys" because she often wants to go. She has gone on two of our Canada trips; her, me and six other guys. that said she doesn't do those anymore. Something about "a week is too long to spend with your friends". That's understandable. They have known her for 20 years and they don't change the way they behave at fish camp whether a female is there or not and I don't blame them. For several of them the one Canada trip a year is their only real fishing outing and they can get a bit rough around the edges.