Chief Grey Bear

It is amazing just how tough fish can be. Earlier this summer, I caught a bass that had a ripped gill. At some time in its life someone, I would assume, caught the fish and must have hooked it under one of the gills as can happen. I would also assume that in trying to remove the hook, they must have ripped the gill. It was ripped from the bottom end. The end that was ripped looked to be completly healed over and looked very healthy. If I would have done this to this fish, which I haven't done since I was very young, I would have guaranteed that this would have been a death sentence. I was amazed at how healthy the gill looked. And I guess still doing its job for the fish. So don't fret over this too much. I'm sure she'll be ok.

There is also one in Columbia. But I am pretty sure you will get the same results also. How much was that shipping charge???

Very nicely played! All are quality fish.

Thanks buddy. I hope you are having fun too. But on a serious note, I am not personally into timeshares but, I could see there being a market for a log cabin timeshare. Wouldn't you agree???

A log cabin timeshare????

Very nice my friend! Very nice indeed!

Sorry about the way this thead is getting hijacked Al. I guess I shouldn't have commeded you on using some old school tackle and spoke fondly of it myself. I had no idea that it would anger some.

No trolling here. I ain't the one that dissed old plugs then in the same breath spoke of the great old style flys. But I commend you on the nice spin.

Looks like you had a heck of a good day! Ultra lite spinnng rod????

The HW still works. But, on the other hand, I guess some people need all the help they can get. The fish aren't any smarter, just the manufactures and the salesmen.

As crazy as it sounds, Heddon calls that "Crappie"! I don't know about you but, that looks nothing like a crappie! But it can be a deadly color to use!

That is the way I like to fish too. The old baits work just as well now as they did then. I like it when people ask "What is that you're using?" And I'll tell them. "Where did you get that?" You can't get them anymore! There has been a big shift in the retail plug market. River style plugs are all but gone. It is all lake style now. The only holdovers are ones like Jitterbugs because they work so well on lakes too. As for your trip...I had one like that, that I reported here a couple of springs ago. Only I wasn't getting mine in. I would get to fight them for about a minute, maybe, more like about 30 seconds most likely, and they would be gone. But I guess I was at peace with my self and just laughed it off. Strange ain't it?

Thanks for noticing Scott. Pretty neat to have 3 generations out there keeping it alive. You are correct. It is a Tadpolly with a skirt on the front hook. We always put them on the front. Now the $100 question. What is the name of the pait scheme on that tadpolly???

Here is the photo's I wanted to use last week but, couldn't find them. This has just a bit more of the autumn feel to it with the leaves on the water. This is a trip that Corndawg, my dad and I took in October of '08. We are on one of my dad's favorite stretches of Spring River in Jasper County. Can't wait to do it again! I happen to have my scales with me this day and this fish was one ounce shy of being a bonified 5lb'er.

Very good point! Agreed on all counts! On a possitive thought, it looks like an older lake and now would be a good opportunity to do some clean up work and dredging.

Nice work there Grasshoppa!

Well be don't be stingy!! Post us up some pics of those beauties!

It is funny how the same species can differ from one watershed to the next. Even from one hole to the next on the same creek, river, what have you. I need a little pocket sized DNA kit!

You might want to reread that. Or you can ask Al for confirmation. Which ever you prefer. But you are right about one thing, you won't go wrong just calling them goggle eye.

You won't find a Shadow bass in the James. It does look very similar though. It took me a little while to get this all figured out myself. But the more I caught and studied them, I finally think I figured it out. The Shadow bass has dark blotches in a vertical pattern running down the side. It will have "freckles" dark spots on each scale, in parallel rows along the sides running from head to tail. The Ozark bass will have it's freckles in a scattered pattern. Much like the scatter pattern of a shotgun if you will. The freckles is really the best way to tell the difference. And knowing what watershed you caught it in. You will only catch Ozark Bass in White River, Pomme, and Sac drainages. I kinda quit studying these critters a couple of years ago and need to resume. I had looked around on the net, like Google Images, but, found that it wasn't very accurate. It just picked images from differents sites that individuals said was one species or the other without any real validity. I need to target them again and take plenty of pictures and notations.

I knew somebody was gonna hit on that. No, I actually checked that while I was out there. Both hooks had very sharp points. Although it is not the quality steel hooks used today.

Super job Yaknar!!!! You got some really nice fish there!! That is one beautiful Ozark bass too!!!!! Kuddos to you for picking up the trash too. Also, I meant to tell you this the other day, but, you can also recycle that MDC bag. When you get home, just dump it out and use it again. I don't always do that but, I have a lot of times.

That particular HW has a trailer hook on it. I was fishing with Corndawg last weekend at an MDC CA. This fish came from a different pond from the one he caught his 7lb'er. I had 5-6 on before I finally got this one in. I don't know what the deal was but, I just couldn't get one to the bank. I had one pretty nice one on too. It would probably gone 3lbs or so anyway. I have never had any trouble bringing in a fish before on any type of spinnerbait. But this day was not the case and I really can't put my finger on what it was. Anyone else ever experience this???

Nawww, not til 7 bells. I just wake early. Usually asleep by 10 and up by 4 or 5. Even on weekends. I haven't set an alarm for a couple of decades. Can you imagine what its gonna be like when I get old!!!

Quite a story there Al. Sounds like that guy already had a plan! You wouldn't happen to have any pics of those fish would you?? I would just like to see your work. I'll bet it is as outstanding as your art. Because it is art!