mrcold

When we've thrown fins the last couple years, the average size seems quite a bit larger, but the bite is only on for an hour, and our hookup percentage is horrible. It sure is fun though. I'm gonna have to find some photos somewhere to determine exactly what you are referring to with bluff ends and swing ends. Is it just where the bluffs come down and transition to gravel or chunk rock?

I guess there's no need for my yearly "We'll be there x through x, what do I do" post now. Thanks Bill, and to the OP for saving me some typing! Who am I kidding, I have to at least mention it. We'll be down there from 5/7-5/11. I know what to do to catch fish finally, after being down there every year since 2005 now. Though I still haven't even managed a 4+ lb. fish. Can anyone tell me how to catch a guaranteed 5+ fish? Seriously, though, last year was the most productive year we've had since I've been coming down there. My big fish is waiting, I can feel it.

Removed because I somehow posted under the wrong thread.

Thanks to everyone who gave us some input for the trip...especially you, Don! Sorry I didn't get a chance to call you, but I was standing next to Rich on Tuesday night when you talked to him. It went pretty well, with a good number of fish being caught (42 fish over 15", with the biggest being a 20" smallie). I'd say about 90-95% of the fish we caught were smallies, with the rest being spots...oh, and I managed to fool one largemouth so I could say I caught all three types. The water was pretty muddy where we stayed (over on the west side of DD, southeast of Kimberling). We went around to Indian Point a couple times, since this is our "home" water down there. The water was much more clear, and almost everything caught on that side was a spot, almost no smallies. I've got thousands of dollars in gear in my tackle boxes and dozens of rod/reel combos. If I had gone down with a dozen hooks, a dozen splitshot, two bags of centipedes, and one rod/reel combo, I would've had the same success. NOTHING on topwater (spooks, fins, poppers, etc.), NOTHING on crankbaits, NOTHING on my super-secret Nebraska plastics or special-order California swimbaits... A decade of trying to figure this lake out, and all I had to do was sit in 20 feet of water, drop my line, and walleye fish just like Dad taught me. Thanks again for all of the help, and good luck to all of you down there. I hope the mess cleans up soon! Brian

Capt. Don, Thanks for the quick response! I just brought this up to the other guys right after I posted, and we were already almost to the physical violence stage of the "Well, what are we gonna do?" discussion. Much appreciated! Brian

First of all, I want to say good luck to anyone affected by the mess down there. Hopefully everyone stays safe! That being said, I really haven't seen ANYTHING about this until right now. Unfortunately, I've been buried in work over the last few weeks leading up to our annual trip down there (from Omaha). Currently, we're supposed to drive down on Tuesday the 3rd, then fish on the 4th through 6th. We're staying down on DD (Fish Hook if I'm allowed to say on here), and have people flying in to Kansas City to pick up on the way. I've got a few questions on what to do at this point. Will we even be able to get out on the lake? If so, would it be rational to do so or is it not a good idea? Assuming it is ok to get out on the boat: Is there any point in going out fishing, or will the bite be shut off for a long time now? We're not usually there for anything other than 3 days of 10+ hours of fishing per day, so it's not really like we would come down anyway and take in a show. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you for any help, and good luck all. Brian

Thanks for the info. I'm about 3 weeks out from my yearly trip, and last year was my first year throwing the redfin. I'm glad I won't have to head down there 100% clueless!

I've been reading on here about the topwater. The majority of what I've seen discussed is the fin and the grub. Since it looks like Wednesday will be warm but rainy, and Thursday and Friday appear to cool off 15 degrees or more, how bad will that be? I know cold fronts are pretty rough on fishing for the most part. Does it rule out topwater completely? Cloudy with a bit of chop for topwater is good, but windy and rainy with thunderstorms? Does that change your approach significantly or just stick with what you know? Thanks guys, and thanks for putting up with me yet again this year. If any of you see Mr. Clean in a blue Lund near Indian Point, stop by and say hi. (Bill, I was pushing my boat partner to head down early so we could get a day in with a pro, but no luck...maybe next year) Brian

Will that hold true through the cold front that looks to be coming in Thursday/Friday? Every year without fail...my apologize to everyone who's fishing there this week, I guess the weather's following me.

Ok, I'm thinking 4-5 setups are coming with me, let me know what you think (other than telling me I have way too much time on my hands): 1) Light spinning setup: 8 lb. floro, set up for wacky worming and possibly grubbin'. 2) Medium spinning setup: 8 lb. floro, set up for either split shot or dropshot. 3) Medium spinning setup: 8 lb. floro, set up for rogues/pointers, possibly smaller shallow cranks. 4) Medium-Heavy baitcaster: 15 lb. braid, set up for fins/spooks/cranks. Is it a mistake to fish the topwater on braid? I like that it floats, I like that I don't have to worry about breaking a fish off, and I don't have to worry about fishing timber as long as I bring extra trebles. But at the same time, braid probably stands out like a sore thumb in that water. What do you think?

Good stuff, and I guess I'm probably going to be closer to Bill's neck of the woods, so I'm gonna have to move out even more than I thought... Keep in mind, the channels in my 100-300 acre lakes are more like 15-25 feet deep. Thanks for the input. It makes me laugh to think of all the times we were bouncing baits off the rocks saying "what the hell are those guys doing in the middle of the lake?" Thanks, a lot to all of ya! I'm hoping that line will be the most helpful tip I've ever learned about the lake.

Weird...something subtle about your interests and avatar made me think you may like the topwater, though I'm not sure what type of lure you prefer. I'm used to fishing frogs (which never work for me on TR) within 2 feet of the bank (which never works for me on TR), so I've got no confidence throwing a topwater over 15 or 20 feet of water. I guess what I'm getting at is are you usually bank-banging or walking over somewhat open water in those low-light times? Thanks for the response!

What do you guys find to be the most productive depth when fishing...oh, I don't know...around the May 12th or 15th-ish time of year? I'm sure time of day has a huge effect, but do you ever fish into the 0-5' depth range, even early or late? Or are the fish you catch out in 10'+ regardless? Do you catch a lot of fish out in the 25'-40' range this time of year? Does the fish size seem to vary with depth? I guess the bigger fish are probably a bit more conditioned to stay out deeper, but just looking for advice since I can't quit thinking about the trip. I guess watching the FLW tourney this morning didn't help matters... Anyway, thanks!

First of all, please forgive me if I don't feel TOO bad for you when my eight(twelve) hours of work everyday are spent in a cube and not a boat. But second of all, I do have to say that you(lots of you) are extremely accommodating when it comes to sharing information on this board. I come on here for a few weeks once a year leading up to my trip. I end up asking dozens of annoying questions, yet I get nothing but friendly and helpful responses. I've taken numerous trips to numerous states and always try to find a good forum with good and helpful people. So far, I've only found one for NE and one for MO. Thanks!

As long as you don't talk to any of the other 4 guys besides my partner and I, you bet! The shaved head in the blue Lund is me, feel free to share and we'll do the same. Stay away from the jokers in the resort rental boats. We were over the shop last year, we'll be in the house this year. See ya down there!