rps

You would be welcome in my boat if you would like.

Excellent question with a complicated multiple part answer. First, the main channel in front of Holiday Island is only 40+/- feet deep right now. Most years it would be only 35 feet. That fact alone means the fish are more accessible and the deep lake large, suspended schools really don't happen up here. At the same time, there is less water and that means fewer fish. Next, the primary reason fish do not congregate in the shallows is not temperature. Instead it is sunlight penetration. In Canada, the water temperature rarely reaches what we already see in Table Rock right now. And they still have the deeper water move by the fish after the spawn. But even that answer is not 100% as I can think of two "cold water inflow" patterns we see up here from time to time that puts the fish shallow. Both happen when there has not been much flow and a sudden output from Beaver dramatically changes the water. One pattern is the shocked school of shad that sometimes creates a feeding frenzy. The other is the side cuts and creeks suddenly hold fish that sit on the edge of the suddenly increased flow. Another odd factor for up here: Our bass population up here is not the bass population you find at and below Shell Knob. We have far fewer small mouth and way more large mouth than the rest of the lake. I do not know or understand the reasons, but it is true. I fish Big M and up stream 95% of the time and I catch maybe 5 to 10 small mouth in a year. Finally, I must admit that my fishing preferences make a difference in my experience. I love to fish top water baits so most of my fishing is very early morning. Most days, after that bite is over, I simply do not fish for bass. Instead I start hunting walleye. Now I do like wart fishing so during the right part of the year I will fish bass all day. But the number of days that I spend looking only for bass after the wart goes away are few. I do not know if that is the kind of answer you wanted, but I hope it helps.

Yes, but for very good reasons that mean I have not been fishing much. I have had several days of teacher school, Nancy and I spent eight days with her mother in New Hampshire, and then we brought her here for a visit that included Nancy's brother and wife. Four scattered fishing days since June 2 does not equal much time to figure a pattern. Especially when complicated by a late in the year lake rise. The other lake rise years in the last 13 years have been March/April rises. I remain confident I will figure things out and start to be more consistent.

Dinner time!

Veering hard to the Southwest tonight. Roasted corn and bean salad, guacamole, and seared southwestern steaks. Actually easy if you first make a pico de gallo. Part goes in the avocados and part goes in the corn and beans. The meat is seasoned and resting before its time.

I fished six hours this morning. I marked bait fish suspended at 12 to 20 feet of water on inside bend flats. I fished those flats with a night crawler harness and caught 4 or 5 hand size bluegill, a tiny pumpkinseed, a sub legal walleye, and two nearly legal bass. Water conditions reported separately.

Water temp at Holiday Island, 79. At Point 23, 82. Water color at Holiday Island, greenish clear with six feet visibility. At Point 23, brownish water with a foot or two of visibility. Strong SW wind had the debris pushed up against the N and NE banks.

I grew to love ciders while I was in England. Go for it Ness!

Nancy and I are recovering from company. Leftovers are holding our refrigerator hostage. Therefore, tonight we are eating leftovers. However, not everything should be reheated leftovers. I made a panzanella style salad with tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, radish, capers, arugula, and toasted seasoned cubes of bread. A simple vinaigrette to finish.

If you are going to do loin, a salt water and sugar brine for 12 hours is mandatory. Then, after you rub it, wrap it in bacon. Leave on the smoke for long enough to get the ring - 3 to 5 hours - then finish it in the oven at 200 degrees until the internal hits 125 to 130. The bacon will look nasty so pull it off and figure out a way to use it or send it to me. The loin that's left will be moist, tender, and tasty.

If you search "ned rig" or "varmint rig" on this forum you will find many threads. The finesse system discussed is one of the easiest and most successful methods for catching bass on a new to you lake or under difficult conditions. dtrs5kprs has written extensively about the topic and will be able to point you at places to find and buy the inexpensive components. If all else fails, Bass Pro at Branson should carry these: http://www.basspro.com/ZMan-Finesse-TRD/product/1406110826553/ http://www.basspro.com/Z-Man-Finesse-ShroomZ-JigheadZ/product/1406110826564/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT The keys are light line and patience.

The two walleye articles I wrote that Phil published on his site will probably help you get started. http://www.ozarkanglers.com/table-rock/trolling-for-walleye/ http://www.ozarkanglers.com/white-river-walleye-on-worm-harness/ Another good source will be Scott Bice's posts in Beaver Lake - his board name is Feathers and Fins. I hope that helps.

I love pot stickers! In London, Nancy and I once went to a restaurant called "Dumplings." We ordered the "one of everything" item on the menu. It was great!

I have learned to build rods where you can use a real reel - a bait casting reel - all the way down to 1/8 ounce. If I ever go back to crappie fishing, I might try to use the Stradic I kept from the old days.

Outstanding Gentlemen! Ness, on a kettle, ribs do better than shoulders. They do not mind 225 to 260 degrees as long as they are not over the heat. Shoulder does better if you coax it very slowly at 180 to 225. CGB, that looks like an outstanding knock off. I approve of knock offs. I fish the Cabelas knock offs of reef runners and several items I use in my classes are imitations of the name brands. BH, you and your peppers. Good heavens, those do look good. We are having hash tonight. I have bits and pieces of meat left overs - a tiny bit of rib meat, a small stub of meat loaf, and a lonely grilled pork chop - that need using. Not really very glamorous. However, I did have some local blueberries I needed to use so I built a free form summer tarts and just now I put it in the oven.

I fished Sunday morning. I found small balls of bait fish at 15 to 22 feet deep in water from 18 to 35 feet deep. They did not sit on bottom but suspended. Because of the wind and boat traffic I trolled crankbaits below those bait fish. I caught three small walleye, three small bass, and a white bass. Hope ypu did better.

I put out of Holiday Island this morning. Water color was cludy nd visibility ws 1 to 4 feet depending on where you were.Holidy Island itself was clear of debris, but not too far down stream I found this:

You remember those ads in Sports Afield about the lures that were illegal in 33 states? You just went there.

Silly, use braid so it won't sink.

This is a quick and dirty spreadsheet log. Just filling in the information will force you to consider the variables and begin to build a pattern finder approach in your head. Anyone that wishes to comment or suggest on the log, volunteer. Fishing Log.xlsx

At 923 Eagle Rock can be used but there isn't much room to maneuver. Holiday Island is good to go up to 934, but above 929 you use the point at the mouth and park about 100 yards away in the designated overflow parking area. If a North wind piles debris into the marina and ramp area, use the point then, as well.

I will miss this member.

My sister in law asked for my rub recipe. I had to hem and haw and tell her i did not really have one. So I wrote this down: Magic Dust – A Template for Barbeque Rub Some people have a master barbeque rub recipe locked away and measure spices with calibrated gram scales. Others use rubs sold at grocery stores and add one or two items to make it their own. I do neither. I have a rough template that I vary each time. This recipe is the template with some suggestions for the tweaks that may suit you. Notes: I mix the rub and place it in a shaker so I do not have to actually rub. The amount should be sufficient to “rub” two pork shoulders. Base Ingredients: 1 Tbs. Chili Powder 1 Tbs. Paprika or Smoked Paprika 1.5 Tbs. Brown Sugar or Sweetener 1 Tbs. salt 2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon oregano Tweaks Ingredients: (add at least one, or all, as taste dictates) Cavenders Greek seasoning Penzy’s Northwoods seasoning Penzy’s Bangkok Blend Garam Masala Chinese Five Spice Creole Seasoning

A facebook friend posted this: James River bridge, Hwy 160 looking North near Nixa