rps

Bleeding fish has merit if you are talking about strong tasting, oily ocean fish like mackerel. For fresh water fish, with the possible exception of very large catfish, the best thing you can do is ice them immediately. With trout, the largest single factor in their flavor is how long they have been in the river or stream. "Silver bullets" will never taste like anything but Purina fish chow. However, once the fish have been in the river long enough for the flesh to turn pink/red, the flavor improves. While I don't bleed white bass, if I keep them to eat, I remove the the red blood line down the center of the skin side of the filet. I also remove the brown blood line from the center of the skin side of salmon and large trout. If I prepare trout or salmon with skin on I advise my guests to only eat the brown flesh if they like very strong fish flavor. Hope this helps you enjoy your fish.

Look at my avatar. It speaks for me. Well done. rps

For me, grubs work best when slowly scooted along the bottom by reeling just fast enough to keep them moving. I know others have mastered swimming the grub above the bottom and even swimming the grub over drowned tree tops. I confess I have not yet mastered that. I figure I need to lose another thousand baits first. I fish tubes more like jigs with trailers. Move 6 inches to a foot and pause. I'm not saying these are the right ways or the only ways. I'm only reporting the methods with which I've had some success.

Shimano came through. I have received a brand new Curado E and my only cost was the shipping to their warranty repair location. From the time I mailed to the day I received my replacement was 11 or 12 days. In this day and age, that is good customer service.

Thanks. It was good for me.

System works! Trouble is, almost every time I stick myself, it doesn't fit the system. I'm by myself, I'm stuck in a no see location, or I'm stuck in a tender situation. Shucky darn.

Good on you for taking the folks out.

You guys are killing me. I got to fish Saturday morning. On Monday morning and today I had 54 8th graders. Good kids, but not fish. Post pictures! Fish porn is better than nothing.

In a kinder and gentler time, my father took me fishing in Canada. I was so young I had hair on my head, but not elsewhere. A native guide by the name of Charlie Fisher ran the boat and took us to lake locations. We caught good fish. Years later we still fished with Charlie, but things changed. Now the boat had equipment we probably should have had the first time. Life preservers were a big thing. (This was before I wore a flotation device at all times.) There is a vast difference between that time and place and now on TR, Stockton, Bull, etc. The people who fish are different; the people who sue are different; and the ones who want to take money (not make money) are different. Here and now, the only rational choice is licensed, conscientious guides. Support your local licensed guides. (Is that a bumper sticker in the making?) BTW, the only response to a troll is to ignore them. Like all bullies, all they want is a reaction. Pathetic.

The ponds I fished in Tulsa as a boy are now surrounded by big houses. Southern Hills also has stopped allowing people to fish their golf course ponds. Try this, though: Go up to Claremore and fish their water supply lake. Old lake with timber flats in the top end. Good LM and catfish. Hardly anyone fishes it. Another choice is Bixhoma out near Bixby. Clearer water but also good. Good luck.

Welcome to the forum. Your questions are all good. I can't answer all, but I'll start. Jigging spoons - I use the Bass Pro 1/2 and 3/4 lazer jigging spoons on ten pound test Yozuri on a fast action medium rod. I tie the line directly to the spoon between the two stinger hooks. Some people add a treble at the other end. In trees I hang up less without the trebles and can almost always jiggle off any hang on the stingers. I have a fairly high hookup ratio even without the treble when vertical jigging. Be aware Bill Babler has been flutter spooning, and he has posted how to information to do that. There are a number of areas near the Knob where flutter spooning might work well. For example that long flat point where the Kings comes in - vertical jig the bluff end in the tree tops, then before you leave throw onto the flat point and flutter it to the roll off into the channel. The channel point at Campbell point is another example. When I used to trailer a boat and fished some down lake, I caught good fish at both locations. Carolina rig - I use lighter weights than most. Down to 20 I'll use 3/8. 20 to 25 I go up to 1/2. Good luck.

You are completely wrong. You have described a great day fishing.

No criminal defense. Mostly chased financial fraud - lots of bankruptcy work in that area - with an occasional plaintiff's case. I never advertised on tv or in the phone book. I took a sabbatical in 2000 and never went back. I make far less as a school teacher, but I am a much happier man. Besides, I live on Table Rock. Does life get better?

The entire White River chain? I would imagine the number of guides below Bull Shoals numbers in the hundreds. I have a hunch very few have that license. I can just see the headlines when the feds sting Gastons, Newlands, and the rest. Zhoyt, on the other hand, guides from his kayak and doesn't carry passengers. He's safe.

Techo: I do sometimes tend to lecture. Its just a left over tendency from the old days when I lawyered. I am trying to reinvent a kinder, gentler person. I figure another 40 years will wear away the stuffy and pompous tendencies.

Despite the trolling motor troubles I have described in writing on this board, the watch fob electronic control on my Minn Kota is really neat. I've put it on a dangle from my life vest, which I wear all the time, and use my right thumb to change on/off, direction and speed without looking by touch. That way I don't have to stand on anything, and I can be anywhere in the boat. Before you customize what you have or buy a new boat, check out the system. Motor Guide has remote digital control models as well.

Smallmouth, as other fish, are cold blooded. The warmer the water, the faster their metabolism. Therefore, they are their hungriest in the hot water of late summer. However, the thermocline separates the oxygenated water on top from the cool depths. As fish go deep to be out of the sun and away from boat traffic, they tend to stop at the thermocline because of oxygen issues. The baitfish and the predators bunch up at that level. Then as summer progresses and the surface becomes warmer, the thermocline settles lower. The end result is fish feed deeper and deeper or at night, even if they are feeding more often. As fall arrives, the sunlight is less direct, and there is less boat traffic. The water temperature does decrease, but slowly. The fish are still comparatively hungry but the other conditions allow them to feed shallower and in daytime. Thus an apparent feeding binge occurs.

"waking a spinnerbait and caught 3 big LM" Do I hear a gurgling sound that announces the beginning of the fall buzz bait season? Next time I'm out I guess I'll try one.

The minimum flow negotiations for Bull and Norfolk were the result of SWPA, the Corps, and Arkansas negotiations. Missouri must follow Arkansas' aggressive tactics or TR will not follow. BTW the electric company in Springfield is the primary SWPA customer and they initially opposed MDF because it threatened their cheap power acquisition. Hmmmm, politics and money. Always a wonderful combination.

Look and you will see no one has posted a new topic for several days. Could it be tough out there? It was for me today. No topwater fish. Several slapped. One was on long enough to change direction. Zero in the boat. No jig fish. Several picked up - lightly. None were there for the hook set. Probably small or perch. Trolling netted me one (ONE) spotted bass, two undersized walleyes and one keeper walleye ( boat and bait 24, water 25, speed (2 to 2.2 mph.) Wish I had a long report to give.

Other than the reports already posted, Board members rangerman and martin will know the current info on BS walleyes. Check the posts on TR as well. Good luck.

over an inch of rain here at Eureka. Kings will definitely come up. I would expect the water that fell in the Buffalo watershed to reach Tyler Bend by the weekend. Good luck.

Bought Okra and way too many ripe tomatoes at the farmers market on Tuesday. Did this: Ingredients one pound of walleye filet, cut in 1 inch cubes one pound raw peeled shrimp four or five large tomatoes diced in 1 inch cubes one pint of okra cut in 1 inch pieces one pint green beans cut in thirds one yellow onion diced one stalk celery diced two minced cloves of garlic 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon tomato paste one tablespoon wostershire sauce one tablespoon old bay spice two tablespoons olive oil three tablespoons flour 32 ounces chicken broth one three inch chunk of smoked ham hock salt pepper three shakes of Franks Hot Sauce three cups cooked rice Method In non reactive dutch oven saute ham hock piece in oil for five minutes reduce heat to low and add onion and celery; saute until softened add garlic and cook two more minutes add flour and old bay and cook a roue to golden add tomato paste and cook another full minute add white wine and make a paste; stirring, add the chicken stock add tomatoes, wostershire sauce, okra, green beans, hot sauce, salt and pepper cook thirty minutes to an hour while cooking rice (be sure okra and beans are done) 20 minutes before service add the fish when rice is done add the shrimp as soon as the shrimp turn pink, serve gumbo over the rice Let me know what you think

Thanks for the answers. I have read they are good walleye bait, but I've never seen them available around here. Oddly, I just bought a jug of Gulp leeches to try. If they work, I will sing out.

I don't flip so I will not comment on weight, taper, and such. I suggest you look at Falcon rods. The quality is very high for the price point. Their Original line is usually $90 to $110. Boat show specials and other promotional events will reduce that number. If the reel is only going to be used for flipping, strong gears and strong smooth drag are as critical as ball bearings and free spooling quality. The round Abu Garcia BCX for $60 to $65 will work. BTW, others will suggest Bass Pro brands. I admit I am biased against their reels because of poor experiences. The rods are better than the reels, but the Falcons are so superior as to be worth the extra money, IMO. My crankbait, topwater, etc. rod is a Falcon Cara Medium 6 footer with a Shimano Curado E. Others prefer a 6'6" but I am short and the longer rod interferes with my dog walking. To reduce cost and try to stay near the same quality, look at the Shimano Citica reel and go with the Original series rod. Good luck.