rps

I have been known to go out on holiday weekends, but I have a couple of guidelines. 1. I fish very early on the second or third day, especially if it is Sunday. Between the church goers and the hungovers, the numbers are down. 2. I go out after 4:00 or 5:00, especially if it is very hot. By then, many will be fried by the sun or the beverages they consume to stay hydrated. Either way they leave the lake. 3. I purposely change my outlook. I spend as much time looking for things to laugh at as I do fishing. There is just no point being serious when hordes over run.

If I can arrange to be on the lake fishing just before the front rolls through, I do it. The trick is to be someplace where you can get out of the lightning. I also have had good luck if I can get out just after (the first hour or two) a shower/front passes. If the front is a cold front rather than a summer afternoon build up, then the blue bird sky day after is one I don't particularly expect to do well.

I am a Table Rock type, so I can't give you info on CC and the "flats." However I can point you at members by the name of Tablerock, Powerdive, Rangerman, Walleyed Mike, and Walleyerich. All fish Stockton fairly frequently. All good guys. You might PM them, introduce yourself, and ask a question or two. They have been very helpful as I have tried to learn more about catching eyes. BTW, welcome to the forum.

I ordered them and they work. However, I must admit the chunk of rubber band would work too. Trouble is, I can't see well enough or keep my balance well enough to cut rubber band that fine while bobing in a wake boats wake.

Whalers are good boats. Always kinda wanted one. What model and year? Many consider Kings River the best walleye fishing area on the lake. When I still trailered my old boat, I put in there often. The way that river winds, there are inside bend flats with sand/gravel in abundance. By now, at 922.5, the brush/tree line should be 8 feet deep or so. Brush is common down to 915 or so. Trees start around 918, +/-. Today I was fishing a shelf maybe 25 yards wide that dropped into the river channel and my boat was 10 to 30 feet from the submerged trees and brush. As you probably noticed I have been aggressively fishing walleye the last week. If I were out on the main lake, like day before yesterday, I would have aimed at 13 to 18 feet deep. With the lake dropping and the water getting hotter, the walleye are moving deeper daily. The theromocline is forming/has formed in the 20-22 foot range. We are days away from suspended fish at the thermocline. I don't report it, but once I switch to walleye fishing, I don't really "count" the bass and bream. I actually figure, if I am catching bream and bass I am near the right depth for walleye. Today I only caught four walleye, but the bream and bass total was more than three times that. Speed is a variable, but my baseline is this: Lindy rig-> .4 to .6 MPH; slow death rig -> .8 to 1.0 MPH; harness -> 1.0 to 1.4 MPH; trolling cranks -> 1.8 to 2.4 MPH. I hope that answers your questions and I hope you have a great trip and come back soon.

In other posts I have related how someone showed me a Texas rig method for fishing crawlers on a harness for walleye. One of the tricks I learned was to use a bobber stop to keep the floats or beads from pushing the worm back down and off the hook. Even with that trick, those slick worms ooze down the hook way too often, especially if they bump obstructions or get pecked by blue gill. Tried something today that really helps solve that problem. A product called bait buttons. You put the rubber button on the hook after you nose hook the worm, slide it to the bend, and then imbed the point in the worm. The button almost completely stops the worm from sliding down. It would work just as well for plastic worms. Tackle Warehouse carries them. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Bait_Buttons/catpage-BAITBUT.html

This morning I headed up river rather than down. I fished two locations early for bass on top. Only put five in the boat - 4 dinks and a 19.5 inch largemouth. It was a heavy 4 rather than a light 5. My manservant forgot to charge my camera battery, so I cannot post pictures. Shortly after the good fish, I had another explode on the bait and kept it on for two jumps before it freed itself. It was close to the same size. So not much in numbers but long on entertainment. By 7:30 I was fishing for walleye. I wound up with four, two of which were keepers. Bear in mind the water temp up there is 80-81 not 86-87 like on the main lake today. The fish were on shelf flats that adjoined the river channel and were cruising in 12 to 15 feet of water. They took a pink and white harness crawler skimmed over bottom at 1.2 MPH. I doubt I'll be on the lake again until next Wednesday. Everyone be careful out there!

I WISH I had knowledge of what you seek. Post pictures when you return.

The way this year has gone I expect we will have to rent those special purpose super deep submarines to reach the fish by the end of July.

I recently voiced the opinion in another post that this year, for me, has only been mediocre for top water fishing. I know it takes gall to say that when I have posted a picture of a 6+ fish I took on top. However, the number of fish 2 to 6 pounds last year was more than three times this year.

As always, thanks. TR seems to follow BS trends by a week or so.

The last ten days, I have caught many large ones while fishing for walleye. Best depth has been 11 to 15 feet here on Table Rock. I would suggest you drift a split shot rig slowly over flat points for the kid trip. You also might get a "surprise" fish. As far as targeting them on a fly, while fishing the bush edges on flat points during morning top water time I have had numerous blue gill strikes on the first move after the rings subside.

I figured to update the previous day's report rather than start a new thread. On the 28th, waited for the morning lightning show to stop before going out. Despite the overcast, it was a nothing morning for top water. Exactly two fish, both small. Despite a couple of good days, I have to rate this year's top water fishing as only mediocre, so far. I guess the fact that during the prime time of late May to early June the largemouth were way up in the bushes may have something to do with it. I fished for walleye after I gave up on top water. Sadly, the four I caught did not measure. I did hook one very large fish, type unknown, that pulled off after taking ten feet of line against my drag. If you want a fun trip with kids, drift a split shot or C rig crawler over 13 to 14 foot humps and points. I caught dozens of spots, yes dozens, and big bream yesterday while trying to find the walleye. I burned through more than five boxes of crawlers.

You will be fishing in Techo's favorite part of the lake. He may try to tell you there are no fish in Aunt's Creek, but ignore him. Top water bite early has not been good the last ten days. You have to really work. On the other hand, Bill Babler, one of this board's premier guide posters, says the jig bite on long, flat points that roll off into channels is excellent. Last weeks tournament winners pitched into the flooded stuff (remember, the corps is dropping the lake 3 to 4 inches a day and 4 days makes a big difference) and also fished large soft plastics just outside the brush. Read some posts and good luck.

During the winter of 2009-2010 I built a new rod based on a St. Croix blank with micro guides. I posted pictures here. It was 6'3" and strong medium power, fast action. I intended it to be my top water rod and double as a jerk bait rod. I think I would have liked it, but I slammed the rod box lid on it during the second trip with it. In a fit of self disgust, I bought a Falcon Cara React jerk bait rod. 6'5", split grips, MF action, 8-17 pound line. I fished it all last summer and this spring and summer until a week ago. It is an excellent rod and versatile enough to use for more than jerkbaits and top waters. I have thrown warts and small spinner baits with it. I have also fished small grub heads with it. Last week, I changed things around. I do that from time to time. I put my top water back on the rod I retired when I built the new rod. It is a 2002 Falcon Cara 6' medium power, medium fast action rated 8-17 pound line. Sounds a lot like the new rod doesn't it? There is no comparison. The old rod is easier to throw, easier to walk the dog, and seems lighter in my hand. I will keep the new rod (I rarely sell, give away, or trash fishing equipment) but I am back using an old school ten year old rod for my favorite bait. The point of this review? Newer isn't necessarily better when purpose is the criteria.

Did not go out in the howling wind early this morning. I waited until 8:30, then ran up to Roaring River to prospect for new walleye holes. I found bass (mostly spots), bream, and channel catfish by the dozens. Two of the spots would have measured. All were in 11 to 15 feet of water and willing to eat crawlers fished either on a harness or Lindy rig style. Look for humps or depressions in flat banks or points with deep water near by. I did find six walleye and one measured.

One of the advantages of living on the upper end is that tournaments rarely impact this area. The most you usually see are small, local events. I know some pros run many miles to find the water they want, but it seems they all head to Aunts Creek or other James River or Kings River locations. I had the lake to myself this morning early. The top water bite was lackluster. 9 fish and none worth a picture. I started trolling cranks for walleyes and tried various depths from 13 feet to 26 feet. Marked lots of fish but no success. Around 9:30 I started to fish a worm harness. I picked up bream at 13 feet, some quite large. At the second location, a flat near Eagle Rock, I caught numerous spots and bream as well as 6 walleye. 3 were keepers. After noon the jetskis and tube pullers had sobered enough to hit the water and I quit.

You gotta love tournament days.

Both walleye and sauger were "native" to the White and it tributaries before the dams were built. I caught a 3+ pound sauger from Table Rock last year. Known as jack salmon in the old days, these fish have survived in the rivers by not being easily caught during the day, When you catch one, post the picture for us, please.

"Lets compare a tarpon 14 to a vagabond. The Tarpon is 14' long, 28" wide and weighs 68 lbs, the Vagabond is 14'6" long, 29.75" wide and weighs 45 lbs. So the Vagabond is longer, wider and 23 lbs lighter. Physics dictate that the Vagabond will displace less water, and will float in shallower water. Your Tarpon weighs one pound less than my 17 foot long, 36" wide Spirit II. I bet it is a bear to car top by yourself. Also doesn't loading up a SOT with a lot of gear on the deck make it top heavy and therefore tippy? When I load up my canoe with ice chests, dry bags, camping gear, and my chair, it actually gets more stable because I can load everything down on the hull and give it a lower center of gravity." Only if hull shape is identical. A deeper v or a pronounced rocker can alter the depth displaced in the water. Given an identical hull shape, the wider, lighter boat will displace less depth. But if one is wider and longer, then the hull shape is not identical by definition. The only accurate way, without using math that is way, way beyond me (and most people) is to load both boats with identical weights, tune the load arrangement, and then measure by having the boats clear the same depth obstacles. Until that is done, we have opinions, not facts. Opinions are good.

Have a great trip and POST PICTURES!

I always love the solo/fishing/canoe/yak threads. Lots of valid opinions and a wealth of information. They also spur me to get out and use mine more often.

I am glad you released them, and I am glad you have a picture with the boy and the fish and the smiles.

Your reports consistently provide solid information, even if you are "just" bank fishing. Thank you.