Martin

Always good to hear a rps report.... I was ready to go all day in the lower lake....First this came up.... Then, that came up...Then I had to run an errand for the little woman...Then I had to care for the new dogs (ie: keep them from killing chickens)...then...well, you get the picture. All I really did in the way of fishing was put a few gallons of gas in the boat at the dock.....Maybe tomorrow early, before it gets cold and rainy.....? Thanks for keeping me in the lower lake rps.....lol

Happy Birthday Mr. Babler !!

915.00

Another 5 feet or so (down) would be just fine with me. But that's just me, a selfish fisherman. lol

Dutch....Roads are pretty much all open, but I can't verify ramp conditions. Sorry. Just haven't been out since just before the artic express came through.

Billfo, if your lift bunks are adjusted correctly, and your lift is set to the right depth, you shouldn't need any side guides. The lift bunks should bring you to center quite nicely. The first thing I had to do was set my lift depth (when it's down)... My bunks were adjusted by me. just take bunk measurements off of your boat trailer and re-create those settings. my lift was a little too deep when down, so I shortened the chain that holds it from going to the bottom. I just used the existing chain link that has a threaded side and a removable link. I shortened it one link and was ready to go. All I have to do is "get close" to the center of the lift when docking. The lift bunks do the rest. Maybe your deal is set up different then mine ??

Navionics makes the best high def lake maps on paper I have seen. Problem is, I don't think they have a Tablerock HD paper map yet. They do have a HD Beaver Lake map (actually two maps / a north and a south), that is, without a doubt, the finest paper lake topo map I've ever seen..Wish they would get a Tablerock set ready....and a Bull Shoals...

Fishing deep is a way of life on Tablerock. Not 100% of the time, but almost.

Ain't it great !!!

Back a few years, A.J. Pratt spoke more then once at our walleye groups meetings. If I remember correctly, they sometimes stock "fry" and sometimes "fingerlings". The fingerlings were quite a bit larger then then fry. I think what Dutch is referring to are fry. Basically just tiny minnows. Fingerlings have a better chance of survival, but they take longer and cost most to raise (obviously) then fry.... It came down to timing, money, what lake needed how many, etc..etc...

Ham....Please leave my walleyes alone.... lol (Just kidding HB)..

TrophyFishR....Those look great ! Especially the one on the right. Nicely done !

QUOTE: I've heard people even say they've seen "black panthers" in Missouri, but that animal isn't even native to North America, so I don't really believe those reports either. ------------------- Doesn't Florida have a native population of "Black Panthers" ?? I think they are endangered and most live in or near the Everglades.

Nicely done Champ !! Nice to get a report also.....

I'm with SamKam1..... A great time to break out the C4 or just plain dynamite ! lol And Rangerman hit the nail on the head. The really big gar, and there are plenty of those, will crush a Reef Runner enough to make it leak. What a bummer... Especially if it was my last Mooneye Minnow.

I think most of the guys I know personally, Mike Worley included, would love to release these big stripers, but most are too stressed to release. ie: Can't get them to swim away or dive, even after working with them for a long time. No sense in letting the Gar and catfish eat them.

LOL .... Question from an old he!! raiser. There is something that doesn't seem quite right with the words, "topsy-turvy, drug and alcohol fueled television fishing show industry"...... I mean, how bad could it have been.......lol... (we need a good laugh icon)... Virgil Ward was from Amsterdam, Missouri, not exactly the crime capitol of the USA.. and Harold Endsley was a preacher on the side. I think a Baptist preacher at that. Drug and alcohol fueled ?? I doubt it.

I believe, but could possibly be wrong, that the Indian Creeks we're talking about are technically named "North Indian Creek" and "Little North Indian Creek".... And Billfo...You may change your tune when you see the boat traffic, roadway traffic, etc. on and around the lake. The heck with more tourists !! lol

OK, let me try one a smidge bigger...

A few months ago, there was a thread going and we had dug up some old photo's of the Kimberling Bridge while the lake was filling. I, for the life of me, can't find that thread, but I found an old newspaper photo from Nov. 1956. The big concrete piers are there, but no steel yet above....This may be a photo already seen on the forum, but I'm not sure. I'll try an attach this old front page photo (not very good quality) since there is not tons of fishing going on recently....lol... I hope the quality is not so bad you can't see it...

Do they know you by your first name yet at the ER ?? Dang, that's not supposed to happen..(But I've been there for sure).. At least you got outdoors. I did to, but it wasn't fishing. Thanks for the report rps...

The walleye population may be getting better then it used to, but they are still WAY outnumbered by everything else. I have not caught all that many walleyes in the lower lake, but my catches have improved a huge amount in the last few years. 2010 being the best ever in the lower lake. I can catch crappie just some of the time. I used your jig trolling method and just killed em for a couple of springs, then we had the flood of 2008. Couldn't catch a crappie. Then, we had somewhat high water in 2009, and I could not catch a crappie. This year I didn't get to go much at the right time due to work. You're right. There are many species to be caught in this area, and I should have told billfo, "you'll catch about the same fish around Baxter as you will in Cow Creek"... There is a pretty good bunch of walleyes that reside around the Baxter area. Can't wait to retire. At least one more year.

A quick observation: The walleye pro's (PWT) that I was lucky enough to get to fish with at Bull Shoals called what we call a Drum, a sheephead. One in the same I guess....?

Anybody remember the Pedigo Spin-Rite ? Billy Westmoreland used to murder those big smallies with those.

Al, you're right about the short arm spinnerbaits. After Virgils went out of popularity (or business), Stan Sloan made a fantastic short arm spinnerbait. Can't remember if it had a name... I think the Small Okiebug was made in Oklahoma (as you stated) and it may have been owned by Don Butler (I think was the guys name)... Who won the very first BASS Classic ?? Might have been Don Butler, but boy, that was a long time ago...lol Back to Stan Sloan. He made a jig called the Booza Bug....not sure of the spelling. Do you remember the Fleck Weed Wader spinnerbait. I loved those things..lol