rps

IMO soft plastic colors that work on white river lakes: watermelon/red, watermelon candy, junebug, smoke and what was originally called motoroil - a semi translucent brown purple The guys at hook, line, and sinker enjoy a good reputation for knowing Beaver. I bet they will share information easily. The c rig suggestion is a good one. Good Luck.

The fish take a day or two to adjust. We need longer to figure out what they have done. That means we are smarter than they are, right? When I get stricken with smarter than the fish, I will share.

His name was Easley, wasn't it? He tried to teach a little, he tried to show places his audience probably hadn't been, and he was always a good, kind, and admirable man. I loved that show. Modern? In Fisherman tries to teach - in between the sponsor based goodies. Now days, I just watch Bill Dance bloopers on youtube.

First - The combination of an August Sunday with mild temperature and cool water from Beaver brought every wannabe boat driver and water sport addict to the lake. Oh me, oh my, what a show they put on. I was frightened, amused, in awe, and disgusted, all at the same time. Early, the fog was thick. The water temp, because of the Beaver release, was 73 in the channel in front of Holiday Island Marina. The bass were willing to hit a spook, although I didn't find a large one. In that fog, finding the bank was an accomplishment. I don't know about you, but in the early morning light and fog, my depth perception stinks, and I admit I spent some time pulling my spook from trees and off rocks. I caught 11 with three in the keeper class. None of the keepers were impressive. I didn't even try to use the recharged camera. Once the sun hit the water, the bite went away, and I decided to find the walleye. By that time the go fast and scream crowd was out, and it was getting tough to fish from a stationary boat. I didn't find the walleye. I tried good locations at 24, 26, and 28 feet. I saw one of the walleye regulars on the flat near Stubblefield Branch, and I hope he did better than I. Wouldn't be hard. I assume the colder water and current have discombobulated the fish. When I find them I will report, of course.

Today, to avoid the pleasure crowd, I went on a shopping expedition to Fayetteville with the wife. Of course, it rained up here (down here? up river but down map), and the pleasure crowd is saving up their stupid antics for tomorrow. I will go out in the morning for as long as I can stand, and I will report

Here is what I found out so far: Curados have a one year warranty. For warranty work or repair, you download a repair form from the Shimano web site, complete it, and send it with the reel to their center in Caifornia. They fix and rerturn. If a repair is not warranty, there is a fixed repair cost - depending on the kind of reel - plus a charge for parts. Looks like it will cost me shipping only. I will report turn around time and other details when I find out.

As I posted, I was happy with Friday also. However, I doubt my best 5 would have weighed over 11.5 unless I included the spot I caught trolling. For me, this time of year, it is just nice to deal with the concept of best five.

"nothing to brag about"? Many people fished TR Friday and didn't come close to a limit of any species. Good job.

Anyone have a dive curve on Cabelas Grave Diggers?

I wanted to bump this back to the top to add to what I wrote in early June. The reel now sounds like a low end Johnny Morris special and when under pressure during the reel (a fish on) it grinds. This is the first Shimano I've ever had that didn't last five or more years. I am headed to BP to see if I can get warranty relief.

I was out of the fat free in the size I needed to reach that depth. I used a bone Mag Wart until it hung itself, then a silver hot n tot, then a fire tiger Norman Deep Little N. The Fat Free series is excellent - if they were as cheap as warts I would carry more. A new order of the on sale Cabelas arrived yesterday evening. I lose so many baits trolling trees that I almost have to wait on sales. I need Bass Pro to have a Storm sale.

When I went down to the boat Friday morning, I wasn't really expecting a good day. The weather forecast for clear skies and lower temps had me convinced I would have to deal with difficult post front conditions. At daybreak the fog was fairly thick here so my first stop was a set of points in view of the marina. A couple of dinks caught my spook, but nothing of size seemed interested. I remembered one of Bill's posts and tried a short soft plastic up on the point, dragging from 12 or 15 feet into 25 feet. I professionally over ran the fourth or fifth cast. I picked it out, and when I reeled up my bait was swimming away. Solid keeper. A short time later I noticed the boat had drifted over what appeared to be a school of fish holding on the point side edge. I dropped the jig straight down. That yeilded an 18 inch large mouth. The school was not there when I got the fish loose and released so I cast onto the point in the general area and dragged the bait over the edge. Caught two more keepers. Both picked up the bait during a pause and were just there when I put tension on the line to move it. My second stop was up river at a location I call the graveyard because you can see a small one from the water. The river channel makes a short bend up against the bank, although if you looked at the water surface you would think the channel was on the other side. I tricked a squeeker keeper into taking the spook there, but nothing else. I went back to the jig and caught two more barely shorts. Both fish picked up non moving baits. By then the sun was burning through fog. The third stop yielded nothing. I started trolling. The fish I caught trolling came on light colored cranks (white, silver, chartreuse tiger) bouncing on the bottom or through tree tops at 26 to 28 feet. I fished areas from Stubblefield to Holiday Island and wound up with two keeper walleye as well as a dozen bass. Three of the bass would have been keepers and one of them was an chunky 18 inch spot. The bass were all on channel edges near little bumps and sticks. The first walleye was up on the flat and the second was a tree top fish. A day with an intentional bass limit by 7:30 and two keeper walleye is a good day. BTW, will someone remind me to charge the camera battery? I like adding pictures, but this morning I got the dreaded battery depleted signal when I tried.

Not fishing, but lightning related: In the 90's I coached a men's rugby team. At that time the players were mostly long haired and wore much facial hair. If you don't know rugby, think football with no pads, and imagine thirty some odd men running up and down the field. The players tend to be very large, loud, and without good sense. One August evening we were practicing when a black cloud front stormed in. We didn't stop because of rain - real men don't let storms scare them - and practice went on. Then I look out at the field and everyone's hair and beards are standing up or out. The wet ground began a high vibration. Someone yelled "drop" and we did. The lightning strike hit the oak overshadowing the clubhouse next to the field. It was close enough that it felt like it bounced me in the air. The funny part was watching 30 plus fearless men scramble to pick up their gear and run for their cars. The after practice beer was very loud and I left early because it was getting ugly.

Repaired troll motor went on Monday. I fished Tuesday from can't see until 2:00 pm. Early I took advantage of the cloud cover and fished a spook above Beaver town. Because of the evening generation the water temp there is around 79. If the corps ever follows through on its announcement they will generate 24/7 to drop Beaver, that temp will drop much lower. I caught eight bass with one squeeker and one 17 inch LM. After that I spent hours searching the 24 to 27 foot depth range for walleye. I caught 4 tiny spots. Bill had said a mite deeper, but I didn't find them. Today, Wednesday, I did not go out so early. I left at 8:00 am and only took walleye rods. I fished Bandit 400's and Bomber Fat Free Shad in light colors in the 26 to 32 foot range. One place I fished was new to me. It was an inside bend flat that dropped into a 50+ foot channel and had a hump with spotted brush along the edge. I wound up with four walleye (three 17's and a 22) and eight spots, four of which would have measured. In addition, I had two large fish on briefly. Trolling hard baits doesn't always lead to solid hook ups and fish pull off. Of course it's the big ones that do that. Water temp was 82 where I fished down river today. Good luck.

I am always interested when people arrive at the same destination at different times. I just sold a 169 (as you know) and I am very happy with my new kayak. Hope all works out for you.

What kind of canoe?

I have never fished the Elk. I have paddled upon it, once, about ten years ago. I thought I might give it a go Thursday. Please suggest a one fishing day section for me to kayak and advise who I should call to hire a shuttle. Also, am I right that wacky Senkos , tubes, and maybe a buzz bait are about all I'll need to take? Thanks in advance.

I do not know who owns that particular mansion, but it is not the only one between Holiday Island and Beaver dam. The wife and I kayaked down from the dam to Houseman on Sunday. We talked about all the new and fancy houses recently built. Eagle Rock bluff, off 86 in Missouri, is getting the same way. Wish I had their money. Jigs are not just for mid day. More than one night tournament has been won with jigs. Whack'em posted a picture last year of two monsters he and his dad caught at night. If my memory is correct they came on jigs.

Where? Good question. On new lakes I start by finding bluffs that end in a point. For example, I have done well where a creek breaks through a bluff to flow into a channel. I also look for places where a steep or 45 degree rocky bank flattens to a sandy or gravel bank. These transition banks usually mark where the channel is moving away from the shore. Last, I look for places where the channel brushes up against the side of large flats or points. I hope that isn't too general. Good luck.

old articles with Good information: http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=192 http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=188 http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5501 I say Jewel finess and football jigs - slow patient moves of 6 inches, drags with pauses, and once in a while hop that sucker one time. BTW, when the fish hit on the reel in, I think it's time to spoon or drop shot them.

"I have no idea how a person would mark a rod." Use permanent marker to write your name on the cork handle?

I think you are right about the name. Emily was just three the first time we were there and she was seven and Abby three the last time. Good memories from those trips. Modern Branson appears very successful, but I am afraid it has begun to look like every other tourist place. Two years ago I drove through Gatlinburg. The only differences were the pictures of used to be famous stars on the theaters. On the other hand, it seems the people want what they want and there is nothing wrong with making money from that.

Today was the first paddle. I wanted to see what it was like on a several hour trip before I took it on a serious trip. I will fish it within the next week. I bought the boat at dynamic earth in Springfield and I love it so far. It appears to be everything I wanted. As of now, I have not tried to stand up. I may have mentioned before how clumsy I have become as I have neared 60. Let me assure you as a former athlete who played competitive collision sport into my 40's, I am disgusted. Based on today I want/need: a paddle holder; a waterproof bag; more work out on my shoulders.

I can speak for Bill: "Keep those cards and letters coming in guys." I'm glad you had such a magazine trip.

Zander, you are on track. The new Branson landing development is all over where that place once was. Emily, the then very young daughter, ate her first oyster there. She is now thirty, soon to be thirty one.