rps

Let's tell the truth. The best time of the day, in the summer and on Table Rock, is between the time you can crawl to the marina ramp and the time you can can tell if your spook or wake bait is performing. rps

The table rock recovery has been a slide over to spotted bass abd other substitutes. The largemouth are now beginning to come back. Personally, I can't believe how strong the fishery is. rps

Actually, that was a modest want list. Can't help you with any of it. As I said in the last post, I went topwater hunting this morning. I said I would report any success. A large mixed school of spotted and largemouth spent nearly an hour chopping shad off Point 25 this morning. They were after small shad and difficult to catch until I tried a fluke. Caught 7 including two keepers. Nice change from earlier this week. Later in the morning, while trolling for walleye, I had my first double in a long time.

I've fished three mornings in the last seven days. I've spooked, run the new wake bait, and popped with a Chug Bug. The longest fish on topwater might have measured 12 inches. And you are right. Most of those I have caught on top are spotted bass busy busting tiny baitfish. I am going out again in the morning. If I figure out how to change the pattern, I will let you know. rps

Buy a gallon jar of jalepenos. Use the juice to paint around where they enter your attic and where they gnaw. BTW, do this while wearing gloves and avoid you own eyes and nose. You have no idea how easy it is to casually dismiss the danger of playing in that much jalepeno juice. When you are finished with the juice, figure out who needs jalepeno jelly for Christmas. good luck. rps

I hope everyone out there did better on the bass this morning than I did. I fished near point 26 (Roaring River entrance) and saw many fish chasing shad on top but never near enough to me to make a difference. Only one dink on topwater then I switched to plastics. My sonar showed me many fish in the 26 to 34 foot range. All of them were obviously not hungry. I next tried to find deeper fish as Don House suggested. No joy. Changed species and went long lining. Hooked three keeper walleye, landed two - 19 and 26 inches. The one that pulled off was in between. All came off flat edges at 26 to 30 feet.

On the White River, assuming flood or drownings do not intervene, generation is driven by power demand. Friday, Saturday, Sunday on hot days, people turn on the AC and the power goes on. Usually in the afternoon/evening. Because the flow is the single largest change on a change, fish where the flow changes at any water level. Enjoy! Catch many fish, most of whom you return to the water soon. Come back soon! rps

Bravo! If we could all adapt so quickly, we might all catch fish! I did not adapt as quckly. rps

Went out again on Saturday for the same reasons I was out after noon before. Five spotted bass between 12 and 16 inches. No walleye. Maybe tomorrow? If I go, I will ler you iknow. rps

Your reports are helpful and instructive. Thank you. rps

Danoinark: Interesting. Many opinions, some very strongly stated in me versus them terms, all unsupported by scientific studies. It will be interesting to read the actual regs instead of the preconceived notions of those who speculate. rps

A separate note to Danoinark: I don't know what it is - well actually I suspect I do -, but I agree about the Eagle Claw Featherlight. They, and the Browning Silaflex rods, have a comfortable, efficient, and well designed action. Before my father passed, I rebuilt one of each for him with modern Fuji guides. I have those rods now, but I do not have the nerve to use them. Some things are too valuable. rps

Gentlemen: I have enjoyed the discussion. I believe we agree in more areas than we may disagree. Oddly, I do not see this as an us versus them discussion so much as an opportunity to expose how often others turn things into a me versus them. My best wishes to all of you and I hope to meet you in person some day. rps

cc: With respect, please identify scientific studies that compare the kill rate of single barbless hooks to barbless trebles. Flies versus bait, especially as practiced by the I want my hook back so I'll pull until it rips out crowd, that is a no brainer. I am careful when fishing bait, but I will acknowledge the risk to the fish is higher with bait. When I fish for trophy browns, I am ambivalent about the act. (I do not use powerbait or corn. I fish sculpin, crawfish, and crickets) I have not seen a study with control groups, post catch follow up, etc. that does what you state. All the studies I have seen compare bait fishing or include bait fishing in the comparison. Even those tend to be anecdotal as they lack control groups and post catch follow up. If anyone has funded a study such as I describe, it probably was TU ... and that leads to other problems. Your point about modifying baits is not entirely accurate. You can put a single hook on a spoon or a spinner and catch nearly as many. Of course, you can't buy them in Walmart where the majority of the fishing world shops. As far as modifying a suspending rogue - you can't do that very well - the single hook at the rear throws the suspend off. If you put two hooks on you break the law. If you try a single hook at the middle there is a substantial decrease in hook ups. river runner: I acknowledge all that you say, but if the debate is between meat hunters and catch and release types, the regulations I suggest will solve the problem. The regulations do not have to be drawn to exclude all but the fly fishermen. BTW, I characterize single barbless hook catch and release areas as fly fishing areas because I have tried to fish Rim Shoals and the catch and release areas of the Norfolk from my boat. Between the River Runs Through It wannabes that stand in the channel and the actively insulting ones who tell me I can't use spin gear in the catch and release area it is de facto fly fishermen only. Danoinark From all that you post, you are known as a gentleman and an example. I completely believe you when you say you fly fish because of the challenge. I suspect you haven't intentionally killed a fish in a long time. I am afraid I did not make myself clear enough in my original post. My point wasn't that allowing catch and release with barbless trebles makes things easier or harder for the individual fishermen. My point was that a much larger segment of the fishing public has equal access to a natural resource we all fund if my suggested regulations are implemented. I am sure you tell the truth about the fly rod costing less than $200. In fly rod circles that is a very modest rod. That is my point. In fly fishing circles a $200 dollar rod is considered modest. Consider the fact that the majority of fishermen buy Berkley Lightning rods or equivalents at $25 - $50. They spool with Trilene or Stren and carry lead to sink the line instead of a different line. They buy Mepps spinners or some such to use as artificials for trout. Most of these people are law abiding and buy licenses for the same price as you and I. A regulation that prohibits them from using their gear without any scientific basis is simply inappropriate. Lastly, the fish and game departments did not respond to scientific proof when they began to set aside single barbless hook areas. They responded to political pressure from activist fly fishermen who wanted trophies, who wanted spawning areas protected, and who told them the "only way" to do this was to set up catch and release areas with single barbless hook rules. Ultimately, anyone who believes fish and game bureaucracies are anything other than political is kidding themselves. Once again - with no intention of disrespecting those here - I assert that single barbless hook regulations as enacted now are not based upon scientific fact and that their creation is elitist and serves a small minority at public expense.

I do not mean to criticize any one posting here, but I want to make a point about "catch and release" areas. Who decided that catch and release areas for trout, especially those seasonal ones designed to protect fish while they go through the spawning motions, need to be single barbless hook? The answer is the trout activists - translate to the organized fly fishermen. TU. Men and women with the time and money to spend on expensive gear, join clubs, etc. Now I know that not all fly fishermen are wealthy. However, the demographics to prove my point here exist. Just look where the fly fishing equipment is advertised and you will see my point. Ask yourself how come so many doctors and dentists are among the group. I admire and support their desire to protect the fish. Catch and release areas with sane regulations make good sense. Minimum flow requirements to oxygenate and cool water in the summer makes good sense. I support them in these efforts. However to declare the area as single barbless hook only is elitist and turns the area into a playground for a wealthy few supported by all our tax and license dollars. A more rational solution that better serves the same purpose is to declare the area as catch and release, barbless hooks only, with no plastic baits, no san juan worms, and no artificial egg baits. This would reduce the number of gut hooked fish (and don't tell me that fishing egg bait imitations does not cause gut hooks), reduce the time out of water to free the fish, avoid the harvesting of the mature fish, and still allow someone with a Zebco 33 and a spinner or Rapala to fish. Again, my opinion is not aimed at anyone personally. It is instead merely an observation based on many years of watching the White River system.

Spent some time out yesterday (25th) afternoon. Did not do my usual early out because I have workmen coming to the house. The new floor and wall pianting projects for this summer are finally started. When I did go, I saw quite a bit of very brief and isolated shad chasing on top. Nothing large enough or lasting long enough for me to get there. Nor did it repeat in the same places like sometimes happens so you can wait on it. My intent in going out was to try a new pattern for walleye. I worked the inside bend and edge of the large flat point downstream from Fletchers, starting at the high lines and going on around the corner past the point where the creek comes in. At present water level, that flat breaks to the channel at 24 to 26 feet, near the present thermocline. Right at the break there are several isolated brush piles (not accidental, I think) as well as what looks like natural breakline debris. Saw lots of hooks on the graph and noted small scattered shad schools just out from the edge. Sounds like something the old Fishing Facts writers would describe as ideal, doesn't it? I trolled the break with deep divers running at 24, 26, and 28 feet, bumping along the edge as best you can trolling long line. Caught three 12 to 14 inch spotted bass. No walleye. No other bites. Seems to me someone skilled in drop shotting (not me) could do some good if he or she were to find those piles of brush and work around them. As it is, I may have to try some vertical jigging or spooning. I share the information in hopes anyone who works the edge with success will explain their methods. BTW - I am contemplating flying a Jolly Roger or a plaque flag to keep the recreational lake users away. I especially like the people who pull children in tubes while driving deep draft Mastercraft and Cobras at not quite plane speed. Some of those wakes could be surfed.

While fishing for legitimate species I have been surprised a number of times. One Spring on Tenkiller I caught a 16 pound flathead. I've hooked spoonbill while throwing striper flies below Keystone. I caught a gar on a top water earlier this year - not my first accidental gar but my first on a top water. Other surprises include carp, drum, buffalo, herring, and snakes. I hate snakes.

I was anxious to try out the wake baits I bought and modified so I went out even though it was Saturday. The weather gods sent in the clouds and wind around 6:30. This delayed and reduced the boaters and jetski maniacs. I stayed out until noon. From 8:00 on I was slow trolling for walleyes. I was graphing hooks in the 25 to 30 foot range so I used a large Cabelas Walleye Runner on 120 feet of superline. The trolling bible says that meant the baits were running at 26 feet. I caught three keeper walleye and one hammer handle. The fish came out of treetops on the bluffs I have described before. Two were ordinary keepers of 19' but the third was 27.5 inches and weighed 8 pounds. Best walleye this year for me. Just before I came in two things happened in short order. I hooked a fish that pulled harder than the 8 pound walleye. My drag was singing! It pulled off and left a small scale on the point of one treble. I would like to pretend it was a walleye or smallmouth and wasn't foul hooked. While I was still grumbling and getting ready to put the bait back out, a ski boat came by and the female skier did that cutback thing to throw water in my boat. She was so close I probably could have slapped her backside. I quit and went in. I won't ask you to speculate on what the boat driver and she were thinking. Obviously they weren't, as I was on the very edge of a drowned forrest that has stumps lurking two inches under water right now. What I don't get is the why. Where is the fun in throwing water on a grumpy old man you don't even know?

Tried out the silver black jointed Thunderstick Saturday morning. Per advice, I concentrated on bluff ends and rocky points with timber. It runs great, although less wind would have made the V wake more noticeable. Five bass hooked up - all small - and several others missed. I saw numerous followers. The fish did not seem very active on top so I assume it would have been a tough day with my Spook as well. Next time I am out I will try the actual red fin.

I'm headed out in the morning, probably down river toward Eagle Rock. I will keep an eye on the graph and report all I notice.

My mother couldn't cook except at top speed, blast furnace burn temps. I learned other ways. Try this: Make sure the fillets are cold. Buy Panko (Japanese bread crumbs. If I can get them in Eureka Springs, you can get them anywhere. Ask the grocery store guy to order them if you can't.). Season the Panko with garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay, salt, and white pepper. Put the seasoned Panko in a zip lock. Shake the fillets in the zip lock to coat with the dust from the seasoned Panko. Shake the fillets off and put aside. Put the Panko in a pie tin. In another pie tin, crack two eggs and one Tablespoon of water and whisk together. Dip the fish in the egg mixture to coat and shake off excess egg. (The Panko dust helps the egg adhere.) Roll the egg dipped fillets in the Panko tin to coat. Put the fillets on a cake rack while the oil heats. Heat good oil (low chloesterol, no trans fat oil)in a large, heavy cast iron skillet to 350 - 360 degrees. The oil needs to be 1/4 inch deep. Use a instant read thermometer instead of a match. Pan fry only until golden on both sides. The French call this method of coating the fish panne, pronounced panA. Enjoy it.

I scoped numerous small shad schools while trolling but no real balls of baitfish. Most of the balls of baitfish I have scoped in the last week have been in shallower locations such as 18' flats up in Roaring River and above Holiday Island near Beaver. As I have been trolling, especially on clean flats where you can "see," I have not seen the fish I have been catching. My impression is that they are roaming and not staying in one place to ambush the baitfish. I think the reason I have been able to catch a few is that I have a small but fairly good collection of spots I try and I am persistent.

Years ago there was a low water dam near Sand Springs, upstream from Tulsa. Eventually the cities demolished the dam because so many people drowned below the spillway, especially after Lake Keystone was built upstreaam and sudden water level changes became possible. James Inhoff was mayor when the city planners suggested building a low water dam at 31st street on Riverside. I was the one who suggested they needed to add a James Inhoff Memorial Cemetary for the people who would drown below that dam. They did not take my advice, but by now ten or twelve people have drowned. I guess Bixby can't stand to be a small town without a deathtrap of its own. Makes you wonder at the price of development sometimes.

Did my usual on the water before 5:30 this morning. Ran up to Roaring River where I caught a couple of nice Spook fish last week. Not today. Of the four fish I caught, the largest was about 12" and had one of those humpbacks you see from time to time. After the sun was up I decided to walleye hunt. Around 9:00 I hooked one on the flat at the entrance to Roaring River. The fish hit a Cabela knock off of the reef runner deep diver running at 26 feet in water between 28 and 30 feet deep. When I got the fish to the boat it looked around 20 to 22 inches. My idiot net man pulled a rookie move and knocked the fish off the bait with the net. I did mention I was fishing alone, right? I tried the flat across from the Roaring River entrance next - no joy. I also tried the timber bluff just upstream from Eagle Rock and the flat point opposite it. Nothing. Next I trolled the flat opposite Jolms Branch, the one near the high line downstream from Fletchers. I landed a 17' fish from an identical depth set up. Two more passes netted nothing so I moved to the other side of the channel and trolled the timber edge. I finally hooked and landed a legal walleye there - 23". By then I was tired of fighting the wind, fishing my hat out of the lake, and I was out of Diet Coke. Went in and found a BPro box in my mail box. Look at my new entry in the redfin thread.

After I came in from the lake today, I checked the mail and found my order of jointed minnows had arrived. 1 Jointed Redfin, 1 Storm Jointed Thunderstick (BPro sent the Thunderstick, Bobby P), and 1 Jointed Long A. Floated all three as is in the sink. The Long A barely floated the tip of its nose. It did come with the best hooks and the smallest O rings. I did not modify it. On the other two I removed the saltwater style hooks and striper size O rings. I substituted size 2 Gamakatsu round bends for the hooks and used much smaller stainless steel O rings that I use when I make my twin spins. I took all three to the lake bank and threw them in a calm spot (the wind is blowing today) using my 7 foot Falcon with a 6:1 reel and 10# Suffix. The Long A will not stay on the surface at any speed, although it only goes down 6" or less and has great action. Both the Storm and the Redfin are now officially wake baits. Oddly, the Redfin will not run true when reeled fast enough to pull it under. It is as if the lighter hooks and O rings have ruined its balance - maybe it just needs "tuning". After I throw it into several bluffs, we'll see how it runs. Have I ever mentioned how great a caster I am in the early mornings? I will now try these baits as alternative to my beloved Spook. Although the way morning topwater has been the last week, I may not be able to report further for some time. (See my new post about this mornings fantastic topwater fishing - NOT.)