rps

I wrote 450 on purpose. I had my tongue wedged firmly over on one side next to my cheek. I am not about to take sides in a deep versus shallow debate. Actually, I had my boat in 20 to 45 feet of water all day, but I was throwing the bait to work cover on steep sided banks and bluffs on outside bends. The pattern is about a week old and holding up. No great big fish, but the action is good. BTW: Limit days are not common place to me. TR gives sometimes, but she always humbles me soon after.

It is a Bill Norman Top Dollar. Pluses: cheap (4.99), splashes as it walks erratically (reminds me of a gunfish), shad profile minuses: every so often the flat side causes it to sky or curve in unexpected directions, cheap hooks (if you look at the picture you notice I replace the front treble with a VMC Barbarian and the rear treble with a feathered Gamakatsu) This is not the first big number day I've had with the bait.

On Wednesday I went to Mecca to buy a stick to replace my handmade I broke. Bought a Falcon Cara T7 Reaction Jerk Bait Special. Love it for topwater too. Thursday I visited Mountain Home and had the little nit picks with the new boat fixed or adjusted. Today I was out before the rain and the fish were still biting when I came in at 3:00. Put between 35 and 40 in the boat, had another 10 or 12 come unbuttoned, and many missed strikes. 8 total keepers. All fish on top water - see the picture below. I was in 450 feet of water throwing shallow and the fish bit somewhere in between. Third photo was the smallest = barely measured. Fourth photo was largest = 19 inches and close to 4 pounds. Didn't take pictures of the last two but they were closer to 3 than 4. The fish preferred a quiet walk after a twitch and pause start.

Techo - If you need joint assistance, I guess some of the rest of us need to buy gurneys and hire people to push us and wipe the dribbles from our chins. ;-) Maybe we should have considered the abuse we inflicted on ourselves as youths? Perhaps I should not have played those last ten years of rugby. BTW dtrs5kprs, go with the 4 inch plastic on a split shot- drop or C rig. Flip it into boat slips and hang on.

Spent the first hour this morning, the best hour, fishing the long points between HI and Eagle Rock. Really was very little activity on the surface. Even the gar were missing. One brave 6" spot attacked the spook. I switched to target casting pockets and cover on 45 degree chunk rock bank. I caught 6 more, including 1 small keeper and a near keeper, before the top bite went away. The walleye are even tougher for me now than the bass. Nothing to report. I did find white bass 22 feet deep in 32 feet of water on the flat near the danger buoy near Eagle Rock. To end my day with good notes, the fishing gremlins decided to visit. First they blew the lid shut on my rod locker. Did it break my Bass Pro, bought on sale, trolling rod? No. Did it break my Falcon Cara, 8 years old now? No. It took the top 4 inches off the rod I made last winter. Anyone want a pool cue made from a St. Croix SCiv blank? Next, when I flipped the switch to lift my boat, the hoist began to bubble instead of rising. I found a rupture in the hose which required me to loosen the clamp, cut off the last 3 inches of the hose, stick the hose back on, and tighten the clamp. Did I mention this was all performed up to my neck in the lake? Alexander would call this a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I guess it was just my turn.

I have an idea for a tournament rule. Anyone who brings in a dead fish should be required to eat them - right there at the weigh in. That would put an end to livewell deaths. Good on you techo. I am glad you and your wife had a good time.

'luck, Terry.

The Top Dollar I was using is now in a tree. My depth perception stinks in low light. One of the reasons guides mutter is clients that throw baits in trees. You'll note a Spro Dawg in some of the pictures. I have already ordered replacements for the Top Dollar and an Excalibur walker I destroyed by throwing it into a rock. This morning's bite was not as good for me as Saturday. Seven top water fish and only two smallish keepers. Still, that beats nothing. Very little activity on top this morning. Walleye continue to elude me. Only caught one 15 incher.

Jlowe: You don't know this since you haven't posted here often. Most of the regulars here are catch and release for bass. Many are the same for trout. Most recognize the right of others to keep a legal fish for consumption, but some do not. You have unwittingly stirred a hornets nest. I think the only thing that might be worse is if you suggested eliminating all single barbless hook zones so you could harvest there.

Tight to the cover on the bank.

Last year I posted a report on my experience with Shimano and a warranty repair on a new 200E7. I said good things. Well, this morning, the same reel stripped it own gears, again. Of course, I am out of warranty. I went to Tackle Tour, read their reel reviews and just ordered a new reel. NOT a Shimano. If it lasts more than a few months, I'll post a review.

These would usually not win a tournament. But for a topwater morning on the first day after the last day of school, I will take it. These are 16 to 18.5 inches. I found no walleye after the morning bite was over.

You know I was surprised to find the fish where I found them. TR has forced me to learn to routinely throw baits from 40+ feet of water into a mere 20 feet of water - or, if I am in 20 feet of water, to turn and throw away from the bank. What happened last night: I was in 40+ feet of water throwing a jig head rigged plastic craw. I was throwing to minor points on a chunk rock bank transition. I threw too far and put the bait a couple of feet from the bank. I got hit on the initial fall. A bit later I again landed the bait tight to shore and was hit again. My pea brain said, "Hey, they are doing something odd! They are tight to shore cover." Anyone who has read my posts knows I use any excuse to start fishing on top. I put down the jig rod and pulled my topwater rod out. I put on the Top Dollar because it is a popper that walks. Do I expect the pattern to hold? On TR, home of the 40 FOW shallow fish? Nah. But it was fun, and reminded me of other lakes for a while.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, I struggled. I caught one keeper walleye on Saturday and two early bass, both small. Sunday I had an ok topwater morning - but they were small and included only one keeper. Monday was one of those swat and miss days on top. This evening I went out from 5:00 to dark. Shortly after 6:00 I found a topwater pattern.I was throwing a Norman Top Dollar and found the fish tight to chunk rock outside bend banks that were in the shade. Most strikes came on the first move after letting the rings flatten. I put 19 in the boat, had a dozen more on for varying lengths of time, and had more than a few blowups. Four of the boated fish were keepers up to 18 inches. 2 or 3 of the lost fish were definite keepers.

One suggestion: Had one of these installed as the front sonar on the new boat. Love it. Humminbird 778c - $499 for 640 X 640 resolution on a 5 inch display. Adding GPS costs another $200. Good luck. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_103531____SearchResults

Champ has it right. Many, some very large, at entrance to Holiday Island and several other locations down lake. HI has a free public ramp with large parking area.

The river boats on the lower White are 20 ft but narrower than your typical aluminum jon boat. The majority are fitted with 15 horse, but the rentals have 9 and 8 horse. I suggest you look at the 9.9 for the 14 jon as a minimum. If I remember right Trav had a semi v for sale at a price where you could still have a chunk left for a reliable motor.

Thought I'd add to this one for Sunday's report. The report does not deserve its own thread. Babler says there is an early morning top water bite over deep water trees. I believe him, but I have gone two mornings now with zero fish in the boat on top water. Spooks, Gunfish, wake baits - nada. Yesterday I had a little one swipe at a spook, but no hook up. Today I didn't get that. I decided to try and find some walleye. The freezer is empty and I have a yen. I bounced spinners for five hours. Several spotted bass, one a keeper, and one walleye that did not quite measure. I dragged water from 5 to 25 feet deep in locations that have paid off in the past. Only highlight of the day was meeting powerdive in person. It is nice to put a face with a name.

I was back on the water for the first time in a month today. I put the new boat in the water yesterday and today was the first fishing trip. I avoided a skunk, but the mess of fish I caught would not have filled a mason jar. The only decent fish I had on pulled off before I could get a look at it. I did run into Bullitt. He was bottom bouncing the Devil's Backbone and catching many small fish and some trees. He told me he had a 25 or 26 inch walleye in the box. Someone else's fish is the best report I can give. The new boat is really great, although I have discovered my first "fiddle with it." The location of the seat at the tiller is placed for people who buy the 40 or 50 horse motors with regular tiller handles. The longer handles that come on a 75 horse Etec hits your waist and the seat on turns to port, and the arm, wrist, tiller, shoulder leverage is all wrong. I removed the seat from the base and moved to the bench behind it. Now very comfortable and much better boat control. I will remove the base or move it. The state water patrol was on the job, too. I was pulled over for no numbers. He told me in Missouri you must display a temporary registration until you formally register your boat. Arkansas doesn't issue these. He was nice enough to only give me a warning and told me to carry it until I get the boat registered and numbered. I resisted the urge to ask him where I would display the temporary since I don't have a windshield. The orange dots were proudly displayed.

good story 4fishys

Good idea about the change of topic and tone. I wrote my embarrassing moment fish story a couple of years ago. It's posted in two forms on my blog. If you haven't read it, go to my blog and laugh at me.

I am glad you had some action, although I wish you had nailed a couple of really decent fish. Bill Babler gave the best description I ever read of how to "set the hook" fishing topwaters. He wrote I should never do it. He said to keep or start reeling until I felt the fish and then I should merely raise the rod and keep the pressure on. The fish will hook themselves or not and any attempt to set the hook risks yanking the bait away from them. Every time I go out I do a mantra - don't set the hook, reel; don't set the hook, reel.

Go to Cabelas and search Ranger Salmon Net - rubber netting on a 42 to 65 inch octagonal handle for under $50.

Great report and pictures. Thank you.

For crooked creek I have another vehicle. Native Watercraft Ultimate 12.