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Way to go Dan! Stockton people: Do those fine walleye seem thin to you?

I am back to weekend fishing now that school has started. I went out early and was back at the marina by 11:00. I caught one topwater fish while the sun was covered up by clouds. It did not quite measure. After that I went looking for places where I might follow the reported pattern. Up here, that is difficult. The only place you have 30' of water is in the channel or well down on the channel edge. Nonetheless, I looked for bait balls. The only ones I found were, in fact, in the channel. Frustrated, I started fishing edges without seeing schools. I just fished where they should be. I caught one keeper on a jerk spoon retrieve, picture below. Once I grew tired of that I picked up my Ned rod. I caught 6 in the last 2 hours. Two were close to keepers. This being a bass fisherman in August is tough.

Glad you are getting bit!

On the Ulterra, during spot lock, the motor will wrap the power cord around the shaft up to 540 degrees (1 and 1/2 turns). Then it will stop running and unwind itself before proceeding. Without seeing more than the video shows I can't tell if there is enough slack in the elastic curly cord to deal with that. Probably, but I would check it out.

That is the best of the several I have seen. I fear the spot lock tendency to wrap itself would cause a problem.

I have the Ulterra. I like it but have two comments. You cannot run a cord to the end of the Ulterra and that means you must use the universal sonar built into the motor or come up with a Rube Goldberg sonar solution. The universal sonar supports only regular sonar and not down scan. If you lose electric power, you cannot raise the motor. That has become an issue for me twice - once when the fob battery died, and once when the splice to the plug burned up. The Ultrex deploy system avoids these issues, has an Ipilot fob, and is supposed to have a better spot lock. If I were buying now, I would go with the Ultrex. Something to think about.

The depth of the low DO water was exactly the depth from which I caught my limits on Aug 4 and Aug 6. All were caught between the Eagle Rock bridge and the first big bend uplake of there.

Much more simple tonight. Meat sauce over weird pasta with a salad.

All of you are intimidating me. I don't know if I should even post. Promise not to laugh. Top picture: Soft Shell Crab appetizer. Bottom picture: Lamb popsicle, roasted broccolini, and grilled tomato main course. Nancy made a baked ricotta dessert.

Last night I seared two turkey thighs until the skin was dark brown. I diced an onion, two stalks of celery, and a carrot and threw them in the slow cooker. I added mushrooms (lots) and 4 large cloves of cracked garlic. I put in a large bundle of Simon and Garfunkel herbs. Lots of cracked pepper and a large pinch of salt. The turkey thighs went on top of the veg and I added enough chicken broth to cover half of the thighs. The crock went in the refrigerator overnight. This morning around 6:00 I took the crock out of the refrigerator and set the slow cooker on low. When we got home from school, I removed the thighs carefully. They were fall apart done. I wrapped them in foil and set them aside. I strained the solids out of the jus, making sure I squeezed all the juices from the veg. The jus did not need grease removed, but if it had I would have done so. I diced another small onion, a small red sweet pepper, and two stalks of celery. I added that to the jus and reheated the juice. As it heated, I added a large squeeze of tomato paste, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and a generous splash of hot sauce. I made a roux and cooked it to pecan color. I added that to the liquid until the sauce thickened but did not become stiff. I had no file, but if I had, I would have added it at this point to season and to help the thickening. I diced the turkey from one thigh while discarding the skin and fat. That meat went into the gumbo. I reserved the other thigh meat for later use. Last I added the sweet corn. When I tasted, it needed salt, a bit more hot sauce, and something to brighten it. I used a bit of lemon juice for that. When the corn was hot I ladled to the bowl and served the rice on top. Is this authentic gumbo? No, of course not. I am not a Cajun grandmother cooking in cast iron over a wood fire on a high spot in the swamp. I did not add any fish, crawfish, alligator, or Andouille. I did not serve dirty rice. But it was quite tasty.

Slow cooker turkey sweet corn gumbo.

Old school resort, recently refurbished, upper end, slips, within 2 hours Branson: https://www.mapquest.com/us/missouri/fletchers-devils-dive-resort-353002535 Haven't been there but has a long reputation and I run by it when I am on the lake. Others may know more than I.

None up at this end.

I look for these features at the thermocline. Right now that means, on Tablerock, 28 - 30 feet. My most recent walleye trip, the bites came 28 to 35 feet deep. I don't know the Stockton thermocline point right now, but I am sure someone does.

As you know, Stockton is not my lake, but I can share what I have been finding successful. Inside bends where the flat humps up and then drops into the channel, especially if something (stumps, rocks, road beds) creates a break on a break. The bait fish are up on the hump and the game fish are just downhill where they can ambush. Outside bends right at the channel swing where it begins to break away from the bluff. Best if timber present. Check both the deep and the shallow side of the timber. In this type of location the bait fish are suspended out in the deeper water and the game fish come up from their hidey hole to ambush. I hope that helps.

My beautiful wife enjoyed last night so much, she asked for a variation tonight. Minutes steaks with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans.

Chicken Fried Chicken with gravy, spice roasted potato, and broccoli.

Sorry about that. I should have warned you.

The drink is straight V8. I am taking a vacation from spirits. The sauce is homemade bbq sauce. (Tomato paste, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha, boiled cider, apple cider vinegar, and water.) The bark comes from my secret rub - salt and pepper.

Went out early this morning to fish for bass. I have a possession limit of walleye in my freezer. I started with a top water. Fishermen catch turtles all the time. Cat fishers catch them on trot lines and on bottom bait with set rods and reels. Sometimes people fishing crank baits will snag one. Amateurs, one and all. I caught mine this morning when it slurped down a top water. Thought I had a heck of a fish until I brought it up near the boat. Has anyone else tried to take a treble hook out of the mouth of a turtle? It isn't easy. Once I got it out I had to reshape it. I did catch one bass on top water. I caught three others fishing a jig on a drop off into the channel. I caught 6 fishing a Ned on a 60 degree bank on a channel swing. Not one fish was a keeper, but I had fun.

I can hear the crickets.

Used a guide on the White River several times in the 1990's. I cannot remember his name for sure, but I think his first name might have been Eldon. He was a law enforcement officer in Gassville. He was known for trophy browns on crawfish in low water. He caught his own crawfish in the weeds on the river and looked especially for softshell. The last time I fished with my father, who was in his 70's, we used him. He helped my father land a brown that was 9 pounds +/- on a crawfish. My father's face was a picture. As we packed up to go, my father told me, "Brother, (that is what he called me) that was my last trip. It just hurts too much anymore."

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/world-record/10-largest-smallmouth-bass-world-records/

A 5 anywhere is impressive. Large lake fish are more common than large stream or flowing river fish. The habitat, forage food availability, and effort required to stay alive make the difference. Here in the Ozarks, anything approaching a canoe paddle size deserves a picture and a year long brag. If it says 6 on your hand scale, get it officially weighed if you can do so without killing her. Otherwise, a picture and length and girth measurements so you can have a replica made. I hope it happens for you. BTW, my PB came as a boy with my father in Canada. 20 inches +/-.

Often in the last several years, this fact has caused a pattern to develop that is difficult to fish but reliable. Find a deep channel in which timber still exists at depth and bang a lure through the trees at the thermocline depth and at a faster speed than you would think wise. The bite is based upon reaction to the speed and banging off the timber - something difficult to replicate with drop shot or spoon. I use this technique when I can graph the fish but they refuse spoon or ds. I use mag wiggle warts at 2.5 to 3 mph for this pattern as they can reach 32 feet and do not hang up as badly as many other baits that can hit that depth. Also, they are not as expensive as many. Bring lots of lures with you. You will lose some. But some of my largest walleye and my largest TR bass came from this technique. I just deleted a paragraph that included an upper end location and a midlake location where you can graph what I am talking about. It occurred to me that others might resent my giving away their hole. The plain fact, however, is that very few are willing to commit to the cost and trouble of this pattern.