Martin

Bill, were any of your walleyes close to being keepers ? I know a guy that's catching some but he can't seem to get one over 14 1/2 inches. That's not even a Stockton keeper. lol

Do you mean Campbell Point ?

There has been alot of information about importing leeches from other states, alot of it was mis-information. As far as I can tell. it is illegal to buy leeches and take them or ship them into Arkansas. Not sure about Missouri, and to tell you the truth, I don't want to post up some info that is wrong. It has to do with the hemmoragic (spelling?) fish disease they have had problems with in the more northern states. I'm pretty sure none of the bait shops around Bull Shoals or Norfork can legally get them. Maybe Powerdive or some of the other walleye nuts will chime in here. At this time, they may still be available and / or legal in Missouri, but again, I haven't done any homework recently to back that up. I caught a few eyes at BS with leeches and a couple at Norfork, but that was a few years ago, before the ban. Sorry if it seems I'm beating around the bush rps, but you asked a question I cannot answer totally with confidence. lol. Powerdive, help !

This may be of little interest to many, but I know at least a few guys have been asking about crawler harness's. You can buy them in some tackle stores but you can tie your own and save some bucks, plus, catching a walleye on a rig you tied yourself is pretty neat. A few years ago, our old friend Powerdive sent me this article on a website. It is really easy to follow and Lord knows, if I can do it, anybody can. lol. I usually tie two hook rigs for crawlers and one hook rigs for minnows or leeches, although I think leeches are going to be a thing of the past soon, if not already. So, click the link if yall are interested. http://www.walleyesinc.com/walleyeinc3/howtotie.html Good luck !

Well, lightning did not strike twice. (lol). Hope to have another try at them mid-week after they recover from all the boat traffic. Speaking of Stockton, I don't fish there alot, but it always seems that the walleye bite is shallower then TR or BS. Different terrain and water color I guess ???

rps.... Scott got one 20" keeper walleye and 2 shorts in the upper lake yesterday morning. He was trolling and had the keeper and a short right off the bat at about 6:40 a.m. Heck, I didn't even go out until almost 8:00. Lazy I guess. lol

Thank you. Rangerman, no, they didn't have anything in them, kind of like those Bull Shoals walleyes from 2 weeks ago. Their heads and bodies were actually pretty normal. Somehow the camera angle makes them look different. I'm going out this morning to see if lightning can strike twice. lol.

Finally caught a couple of keeper walleyes in the lower lake this morning. A 22 incher and a 22 1/2 incher. All the fish showing on the sonar were at 28 feet and deeper, but all I could catch out there was giant bluegills and a couple of whites and short Kentucky's. I got washed into shallower water by the cruiser waves and whacked the first eye in about 24 feet of water. The second one was in 22 to 23 feet of water. Somebody opened the corral at 11:30 and I came in due to the heavy traffic. Oh yeah, I was using a crawler harness with a spinner behind a big chunk of lead. (Bottom Bouncer). Attempting to go about .9 mph to maybe 1.1 mph. I felt like I was riding a mechanical bull when the traffic got heavy. lol..... The fish are alot prettier then me. I need to remember never to be in the photo's. lol......

Guys, my only great (or even good) days for walleye this year have all been at Bull Shoals. Our friend that lives up in the Big M area is one of the best at catching TR walleyes, and I don't think he'd say he'd had a good year. Not like previous years anyway. Techo, I'd love to see that photo of your big walleye. I know lots are caught by accident. That's how I got the bug. lol.

As it was mentioned in another thread by Mr. Babler, the White Bass are biting really good now. Something else I thought I'd throw in is that yesterday, (Thursday), I was pulling / dragging nightcrawlers around the lower lake trying to catch a walleye, the really huge bluegill are biting. Not the "big" bluegills. I'm talking about those "huge" bluegills. Plenty big enough to keep and clean. Another bonus was that the White Bass were eating crawlers yesterday too. I was fishing the flats from point 7 to point 5 and trying to stay in about 27 feet of water, which seemed to be the best depth. I tried trolling but never got much going, so I changed to a crawler and spinner. If I'd have had a fairly heavy Road Runner jig head with me, I'd have tried that with a piece of crawler. Caught a few bass also which all went back into the lake. Never did catch a walleye. Maybe next time !

Sounds like the number one main tip there is extremely light line.

I'm hoping to go Thursday, but, being self-employed I never know what might come up. Hope to hear a report from Rangerman and Powerdive tomorrow evening. I think they are both going to be in the vicinity of LH tomorrow. I have some new artificial baits to try. They are called "Slimers". lol. I got the 3 inch black leeches and they look and feel real. The website is johnnydarter.net They say they are made of mostly water and won't hurt the enviroment. I'm still struggling with the Gulp stuff. I have friends who swear by it, but so far, I just swear at it. (can't catch a fish). lol So, if the eyes are still biting good, it would be a good time to try some new stuff.

Looks like they are getting close to normal pool. The lake was 1'-8" above normal pool at 9:00 a.m. this morning. Click link....... http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/WCDS/Repo...Data/Beaver.htm

Lead Hill Marina also has a nightcrawler vending machine......( lol ). It accepts quarters, one dollar bills, and 5 dollar bills. Keep in mind all your change will come back to you in quarters. I think the crawlers were $2.50 a container and they weren't too bad. About like what you'd get anywhere else. The day we were there, the lady said the machine wasn't accepting the 5 dollar bills, but a repair man was on the way. The vending machine is outside, so I guess that would be 24 hour a day nightcrawlers.

Here is a couple of Rangerman's walleye photo's. Now if this doesn't get your fever up, I don't know what will. lol. Nicely done there Rangerman !

I talked to Rangerman Wed evening and he had a fairly rough (slow) day in the same part of the lake you hit Thursday Sam. So yesterday he put in at Tucker Hollow and worked towards Lead Hill and he got into some real nice, quality walleyes. I should let him report on how and where but it sounds like the fishing is a little better down around Tucker and Horseshoe Bend / Lead Hill. He also got at least some of those keepers on a Walleye Runner or similar bait. I'm stuck at work like Forsythian. wahhhh.......

Just throw your buoy off to the side of the brushpile. If you find a BP that's fairly close to shore, just make a mental note where it is in relation to a tree or big rock on shore. No buoy required. And yes, a deep diving crankbait is usually best. Just about any brand will work. Good luck !! (again).

If you can idle around and find a brushpile or two with your depthfinder, just float nearby or anchor. Throw out a live nightcrawler on a plain # 4 or #2 hook with a #5 split-shot about 8 to 10 inches above the hook. You should be able to catch several species doing that. Bass, walleye, lots of panfish. Use light line, like about 6 lb test. 8 lb test might fly OK. Or you can troll with a crankbait about a 100 feet back, maybe 100 to 150 feet back, but I'm guessing your boat will probably idle too fast for productive trolling. If you can keep your speed to 3 mph or less, you'll be fine. Use 10 lb test line for trolling if you try it. Keep in mind, the minimum length for walleye is 18 inches. You might catch alot of 17 1/2 inchers but "the man" does check livewells if they are around, and they usually are. Good luck !!

The Fishing Hot Spots is way more basic then the new high def Navionics. There are anomilies (spelling?) on the lake bottom that can easily be seen with the new HD Navionics that do not show up on the older chips.

Here's a link to the Bass Pro internet store. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...mp;x=20&y=9

Yep, the Navionics premium "South" region chip is really great. I haven't actually looked at Cabelas or BPS recently, but a couple of months ago you get get the 2008 Navionics south chip for around $100.00 but the new 2009 chip was around $150.00. The ad's say the new 2009 chip is improved and has more lakes or more lakes with high definition. I'm not positive that deal still goes, but mine was the 2008 chip and it's real nice for Tablerock, Bull Shoals, and Beaver. I've heard they are one foot increments, but I think it's more like 3 foot increments. But they are the real deal. I troll alot and now I can troll some of the flats at TR that used to throw me for a loop. Now I know why. lol. I even lost a really heavy fish early Saturday morning that I'm pretty sure was a walleye way out there where a flat drops off steep into very deep water. And that was between Kim City and the Dam. These cool chips and GPS rigs are almost like cheating. lol

The "Fishing Hot Spots" maps are from Lowrance. The Hot maps premium are Navionics. I do think the Navionics is more detailed especially on the lakes they did thier own soundings. Tablerock and Bull Shoals and Beaver are all great on the Navionics chip. None of the chips are real good once you get up the river very far, but otherwise are super. I still use my old Lowrance chip also. Sometimes one chip will have names on it the other one doesn't.

Near the backs of coves are good as gunner mentioned. I usually run my line parallel to shore rather then across the cove, but everybody has their own preference. Check this older thread for info as well as the thread titled "Sunday in the rain" from a couple of weeks ago I think. Some pretty good info there also. http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17299 And good luck !! Don't forget. Keep a knife close by in case you have an accident and get impalled on a trotline hook. At least you can get the line cut quicker IF you have what you need close by.

Focused Fishing, I can't hardly imagine how big of a wake it would take to turn a 32 foot Sea Ray on it's side !! Man o man.