Mhyde

Alot guys still A- Rigging fish? I an gonna be down there for 4 days starting next Wednesday and was hoping to leave that thing at home!

and they will not be until the Missouri river is back to normal

Some... my kids are in the Willard district and they like most of the Springfield metro were on break two weeks ago, but my cousins kids are in the Bolivar district and they were out last week, so it just depends.

I believe also that the outdoor channel has gotten involved to I saw on the ARC Facebook page they were selling spots for 15 second ads on the outdoor channel for local businesses in the Springfield and Branson area.

Didn't get to fish it last year, but paid my entry fee about a month ago and really looking forward it!

how was your trip to the Classic ?

One of the guys I co-angler with caught 13.64 for second place and had a 3.8 for the big bass in the USA Bassin yesterday on Stockton. 14.22 won it. He was tight lipped on Info other than that. I do know he didn't throw the A-rig.

that has been my issue with this ever since they starting surveying anglers at the boat ramps. I don't think the general public can tell the differences. may be a record year for tickets handed out at the ramps when folks have 5 LM in the live well at the end of he day and they get checked.

https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/new-stockton-spotted-bass-regulation-increases-opportunity

Congratulations on retirement! Went to the Classic the last time it was at Grand. If you have never been it can be a bit overwhelming, but we had a great time!!

It's been fairly quiet on this board lately compared to the Table Rock board. Don"t know that's a reflection on the fishing or everyone has just become tight lipped. I'm leaning toward its due to the fishing or lack there of. Better days are ahead. Sooner or later it's going to get going and some of the ramps including the over flow lots will be full by 9 am. Don't know about the rest of you but I've really tried to take advantage of this cold weather since all the hunting wrapped up to clean and get gear ready for this new year of fishing that is soon approaching. Still need to service my lower unit, but with the cold weather its hard to go out in the garage and do anything for any length of time, its on the top of the list as soon as we get a warm Saturday morning and I am not in the back of someone else's boat. Hope everyone has many good days on the water in 2019 and look forward to continually sharing reports and stories throughout the year. Good luck, and remember we all live down stream!

I've got several bassmasters magazines that are in excellent condition that I've saved over the years I was hoping to have a few of the guys there autograph them for him and then get some framed and donate them for the Willard HS fishing team fundraiser auction.

I think I will take my son done there either Saturday or Sunday. He's shown a real interest in fishing in general the last 6 months I think he will enjoy seeing all the anglers rigs and stuff. He will be 6 in November and he can name KVD, Hank Parker, Timmy Horton, Zona and Al Linder and refers to Wally Marshall as "that Crappie Guy".

Here it is if you don't want to watch the full 22 minutes just forward to the video to the 3 minute 15 mark they catch one on an a-rig and he starts talking about it.

100% true the talks about it all the time in seminars and his show.. I thought the same thing the first time I heard him say it on tv...….but he really believes it.

Not that it makes a difference or makes it right, but Zona 100% believes (other Michigan and up north guys too) that especially smallmouth will some how alert the school of "danger" and it will turn the bite off. When he is on a big SM school pattern and filming he will put them in the live well until he feels that all the large aggressive fish have been caught and then releases them before they move on to film another spot. I am not saying its right or I agree that's just what he has come to believe.

and the fish are being released with in minutes of being caught.

MLF Bass Pro Tour coming to Table Rock May 17-22 for stop #6. https://majorleaguefishing.com/featured/mlf-bass-pro-tour-names-table-rock-lake-stage-six-stop/

Don't have much experience with the KVD jerkbaits but I do find the 2.5 and 1.5 square bills along with the XD series crankbaits do perform very well. From what I understand all the baits that bear the KVD name are the ones that he himself along with strike King engineers developed. I'm too young to remember Strike King square bills before they beared the KVD name but allegedly they're a complete rebuild due to KVD engineering, developing and testing on and off the water. Bill and some of the others might have more info but I think what I've seen on YouTube and read online is that the legend goes something like Strike King was falling behind other manufacturers, and as they were acquiring and merging with other manufacturers they were needing an edge and some fresh life and they found it in KVD when they signed him and turnedto him to help engineer most the hard baits that they put on the shelf today. Allegedly if KVD wasn't professional bass fisherman he could have been an engineer he has a very high IQ. I do know the new mega bass + 2 will get deeper than 12 foot on 12 lb fluorocarbon line, and even deeper if you play with it a little bit.

For what it's worth I also do this and I also use this style of rod for a walking style top water baits. I do this because I'm short and when I have to jerk or walk the bait I found myself hitting the rod on the side of the boat and since I mostly bass fish from the back of someone else's boat I don't want to b slapping the gel coat that I'm not paying for. Once I went to a 6' or 5'6" rod I found I could get on the fish much quicker especially when top water fishing and I wasn't hitting the boat with that shorter rod. it's all trail and error and if you find something that works for you and you catch fish then stick with it! just my 2 cents.

@Dutch what's your rod/reel setup for the A-rig?

😎😎👍🔥

My wife only last about 3 minutes, I believe I heard "this is ridiculousness" as she left the room! 😂 It's good thng they are clueless because in one on the shots/spots they where sitting right on top of one of my brush piles I sunk last February SMH 😂😂!!

Just a point of reference the Middle school is now in the old high school building right next to the football stadium . If your coming from Springfield take Hwy 160 to Jackson St. make a right on Jackson (second stop light) and when you get to the 4-way stop of Jackson & Miller turn right and you can't miss it.