focused fishing

Yea it's a darn good boat .... seems to find the fish every once and a while.

Just got a call from one of the members of the new advisory staff of Central Pro Am, here are up to date changes made at todays meeting: Schedule: Pro- am on Saturday - Buddy on Sunday March 7 & 8 - Beaver Lake - Praire Creek April 4 & 5 - Lake of the Ozarks - PB2 May 2 & 3 - Table Rock - Ahoy's June 6 & 7 - Bull Shoals - Bull Shoals Boat Dock July 11 & 12 - Truman - Long Shoal August 1 & 2 - Table Rock - Ahoy's Championship will be announced by the 1st of the year All points from the kick off tournament this past fall will count toward the rest of the season. New Entry Fees: Pro-Am: Pro $200 + $20 Big Bass Am $100 + $10 Big Bass Pro 5 fish limit , Am 3 fish limit Buddy: $150 + $20 Big Bass All tournaments will be true 80% CASH payback, 1 paying spot for every 5 entries Will post more when I know more EP

nice.... I think I'll put you and Kory in a boat together, you seem to have a lot in common. Mostly giving me grief....

Hey Guys, Just talked with Pat Marriot (he's running the tournament) he has some concerns about the weather, high of 41 with 20 mph winds, and is going to make the call on Friday evening whether to have the tournament or not. I will post on here as soon as I hear anything from him. If you won't have access to the forum and plan on fishing feel free to call him Fri or Sat to make sure he is still have the event. his number is 417-527-0991. EP

MObass, Take 65 south to HWY86, head west approx 10 miles and you will see a sign for Old 86 Park on your right, I can't remember which road it's on but it is marked. OR, you can launch at State Park and run south west across the lake to the long gravel point that runs way out into the lake, on the south side of that point is Old 86 park. Almost directly across from Lakes branch and Emerald point. There, clear as mud........ EP

Donna, Here is the link: http://www.espn1400.com/pages/TournamentFishing.html

Thanks Don, I forgot how much it was and hadn't had time to call, should be a good time.

Techo, Still worried about Houdini??? Anyway, we had a small limit, 11.79, caught 2 on an Eakins jig, 2 on a wiggle wart and 1 on a blade. Had two better fish pull off on the wiggle wart close to the boat, they just weren't hitting it well, bearly hooked up on the back hook. Spinnerbait fish came off a cedar tree, first tree I threw at caught 3lb fish and never had another fish on it all day. If we would of had the wind as predicted, 10 - 20 mph, both the wiggle wart and spinnerbait would of shined. Had several fish slap at or follow both but I think the lack of wind let them get to good a look and wouldn't eat it. A ton of fish caught, we had several, Tetric and his partner had 18 keepers, Pete and Lane had 25 keepers, and so on. The average fish bit well but better didn't seem to. Water temp in the dam area was 58.5 - 60.4. Should only get better as the water cools. Good luck, EP

Hey Guys, As to enforcement the reg is not 100% clear but it appears the rule will be enforced like any other trespass law. The local Sheriff will be called and a report filed. Tickets (if any) would have to be issued by the Corps or that local authority. At this point it appears Phil is right, it will be up to the Marina owner / employee to make a call to the local authority. It is a Corps regulation, just like any other reg. on a Corps lake (dock placement, ramp usage, etc...). In the regulation it states that it is a "low enforcement priority". That would lead me to believe that the reg has been passed with little concern about enforcement. In other words it allows marina operators to legally post signs and "run people off" their docks but there will be little or no enforcement. It is much like having an alarm company sign on a home or business and not having an alarm; most people will stay away due to a sign. Most likely scenario is: an angler will "tempt fate" by fishing around a dock after seeing the signs, the Marina owner / staff will ask them to leave if it escalates then the authorities will be called. Sending in boat numbers is likely not a viable option for ticketing due to lack of evidence. The reg states a cast within 50' of a dock or satellite dock, so I assume that means if you cast within 50' you are in violation of the reg. As far as "kids fishing off grandpa's dock" or "momma floating on a raft behind the dock" that is an issue for each individual marina owner to address. If the marina feels he won't loose business by yelling at kids for fishing off the back of their boat then he has the right to tell them not to do it. How smart of business move this would be remains to be seen. Same goes for patronizing these business, the American consumer has the right to buy from whomever they chose, if a marina owner is disagreeable, don't shop there just like any other business. Off season and night fishing would be no different than any other time; the areas are still off limits to fishing. No one would be there to ask you to leave so fish at your own risk. Remember though, if you are fishing a tournament you are violating a federal law and therefore would be disqualified. Powerdive hit the nail on the head, use COMMON SENSE and don't interfere with the operation of the business and all will be fine. If you are asked to leave do so quietly and respectfully as you would want someone to treat you if you asked them to leave your business or property. (I know the marina owner doesn't own the lake, the water or bottom beneath their dock but they have paid for the right to do business there and the Corps have given them the right to ask you to leave.) The regulation has changed some (the addition of satellite docks and the no swimming, boating or recreation clauses) the rules for fishing have remained mostly unchanged since 1986. Marina operators have had this right since '86, expanded to include satellite docks, to ask you to leave if you are fishing within 50' of their docks. Sign should be posted to clarify which docks are included. The reg has been in place since May 13th of this year and I have yet to hear of anyone being ticketed, run off or harassed by marina operators. If anyone has please post and let us all know. I know I keep saying this is getting blown out of proportion but it is. Use common sense and courtesy and nothing should change. If there is a question on whether or not you should fish a dock don't fish it. If there is a no fishing sign on a dock respect it. If it's one of your favorite places to fish and it has a sign use the opportunity to learn more about why the fish were there and try to duplicate it somewhere else. Who knows you may find five more favorite spots. EP

All righty then, love it when I shank one into a hornets’ nest…… Techo, Love the friendly wave law; just imagine how many LOZ Crappie fishermen would get ticketed for that one. I don't agree with the way the rule was passed either but “it is what it is” and now we have to live with it. I agree that they should have had some sort of public forum but I can only image the fiasco that it could have become with the misinformation and overstatements I’ve heard in the past week or so. Much like a lot of rules and regs we have to live with this one was passed without the publics input. Ealy, Sorry to tell ya, for the most part there are already regulations restricting fishing around boat ramps and courtesy docks, they’re just not enforced. Good or bad the regulations are put in place to protect the general public, one of the main reasons this rule was changed was the number of electrocutions around commercial docks, three on Table Rock last year alone. Tapout, Not sure where they are writing tickets and where the 300 yards comes from. The rule for the Little Rock District is 50’ from a commercial dock or any of that dock’s satellite docks. The amount of hyperbole (triple word score!) that has come out over this rule should have been anticipated by the Corps and addressed prior to the rule coming out. I’ve had calls and e-mails to the show that claim everything behind every no wake buoy on every lake is now off limits, no fishing will be allowed around bridges, even that marina owners are allowed to right tickets. None of which is true, just the usual embellishments of anglers with a good story. When we talked to the Corps they stated the main reason for the "new" rule was to clear up the grey area around the existing laws. By law you couldn't legally fish around lease concessionaire docks since the mid 80's. The new rule simply allows for signs for clarification and eventually enforcement. I agree it sucks to loose any fishable water but if the rules had been followed from the 80’s we really haven’t. Dang it…. Think I duck hooked that one into a bee hive this time…. EP

Let me start by saying I do not agree with the way the decisions were made or the loss of water to be fished, but let's look at some facts before we decide that this is a slippery slope and the entire lake will soon be off limits. We received several phone calls and e-mails regarding this subject for the radio show. So Kory and I did some investigation and talked with Corps Representatives Greg Oller from Branson and PJ Spauls from Little Rock in preparation for this week's show. Here are the highlights of those conversations: 1.This effects not only fishing, but boating, swimming and scuba diving around commercial docks. Any activity that restricts the ability of these facilities to do business is prohibited. 2.This will effect 13 marinas on Table Rock 3.Signs will be put on the effected marina and docks 4.Water Patrol in Missouri will enforce 5.Arkansas Game and Fish will enforce 6.No tickets will be issued until everyone knows and understands the rules 7.This rule is not to prevent someone from using the lake 8.Community and private docks can still be fished as always 9.Special situations such as the state park marina and past those docks will be looked at on a case by case situation and handled accordingly. 10. Rules like this have been in effect since the 1980s but there was no way to enforce or inform. The new ruling is just going to clean up the gray area. 11. The rules that were in effect and the amended rules are in place to protect the ability of lease concessionaires (Marina management) to make a living. While I agree that we are losing some water to fish let's try to be realistic; 50' from a dock is less than the distance from the pitchers mound and home plate or a little longer than two bass boats end to end. It is only 13 marinas on all of Table Rock. This effects all water activities not just fishing. Enforcement will go into effect once the signs are in place and will be nothing more than a warning. The water behind the buoys is still fishable as long as you are not within 50' of a dock or satellite dock. The rules are in place to protect the right of business owners to make a living, similar to any other law restricting people from blocking the entrance to any other business. Yes, they should of invited anglers and professional fishing organizations to meeting when the decision was made but we cannot change that at this point. NO ONE is talking about restricting angler access to other areas of the lake except for anglers. As far as I can determine here are the 13 docks effected: 1. Cricket Creek Marina 2. Long Creek Marina 3. Indian Point Marina 4. State Park Marina 5. Port of Kimberling Marina 6. Baxter Marina 7. Campbell Point Marina 8. Kings River Marina (Viola) 9. Big M Marina 10. Eagle Rock Marina 11. Holiday Island Marina 12. Hide Away Marina 13. Cape Fair Marina For the most part all of these have been off limits in every tournament for several years and most anglers don't fish around these marinas anyway. I'm not in favor of the ruling but the sky isn't falling..... Just my two cents. EP PS. O.K., I've got my protective gear on, let me have it.

Lots of good advice here, the one thing I didn't notice were any comments on boat positioning when cranking. For the most part you will want to parallel whatever bank or point you are fishing to maximize the amount of time the bait is in the strike zone. For example; when throwing a wiggle wart on I will position the boat 8' deep parallel to the bank and cast directly infront of the boat. I will work the 8' range down a bank, around a point or whatever keeping the bait tight to the bottom throughout the retrieve. My fishing partner and I call it "chewing" the bottom. The same holds true for paralelling with a deeper crankbait. If you are trying to hit some form of off shore structure it is a different story; position the boat so at the "deepest" point of the retrieve makes contact with the structure. Cast beyond and retrieve into the cover / structure. Hope this helps, EP

Glad you guys like the show, we have a great time doing it. The whip it good bit was spur of the moment, our producer Jim came up with using the Devo track. As far as a forum I don't think the ESPN site has the capability to set up a forum or the man power to monitor it. We'd love to do something, if Phil could host it we could monitor it. Don't want to be a burden to Phil, he does such a great job with this site. Thanks for listening to the show! EP

Techo, Adoring fans????????? That's just the knuckleheads I hang out with. I agree, the lower entry fee buddy circuits are going to make a big impact this year. BTW: Kevin Bowling is going to make a big announcement next week on the show, don't know the details but he has agreed to do the show and announce something big for the '09 season.. EP

AiA had 28 boats, 14.5 won it the guys were using 1oz. Jewel FB jigs on bluff ends frm Campbell Point to Kim City. We wound up 5th (last check) with 11.17 lost a good one early that would of helped, caught all of ours on a Jewel Spider Jig, shaky head and a rig 6 '- 12' deep. AiA is a great circuit, we fished the TR division last year, had a great time, awsome payback for the number of boats and a good group of guys fishing it. We qualified for the championship this w/e and are fishing at Truman for a guaranteed $25,000 CASH first place. Deserves a look if you are thinking about fishing a T on TR this next year. Techo, Next time your there stop by and say hi, would like to meet ya. EP

I've caught relatively few drum on TR, but when I do they are usually dandies 8lbs.+, Trout seem to show up every year from Campbell point to the dam and back up Long Creek around the 86 bridge. The theories are that some are from Roaring River (the ones caught in the White River)and others are from Dog Wood Canyon (Long Creek). Seems when we start catching them they come in groups of 3 or 4, usually dropshotting or spooning over deep water. EP

Ranting & Raving? You should hear what happens during commercial breaks...... Techo your right Troy is one of the slowest and most deliberate fisherman in the world and that is one of many key's to his success. I use a wide variety of jigs anything from 3/16 to 1 oz. depending on the situation, it's like the Jewel tag line says "specific tools for specific fishing situations". I choose different weights, line size and trailers depending on depth, fall rate needed and forage base. It can be a little confusing at times which jig / line / trailer combo to use if you get too caught up in it. I think that's why the Eakins keep it simple; brown jig, 5/16, 3/8 or 7/16, 10# or 12# line, regardless of the situation. Someday this winter I will try to jot do some of my thoughts or reasons for the different jigs, lines and trailers. The best advice would be to keep it simple and use what you have confidence in. Don't know about the co-op idea, but the wife beater is always a good look........

Yea Techo, but the chicks really dig that redneck look......

KC, How far up? Above Bridge Port is where the "river" really starts, everything down stream is pretty lakey.... If you are heading up the river a few baits / techniques to try: On flats throw buzz baits and shallow crankbaits in the morning, as the sun comes up stick with the shallow crankbait as long as you see shad activity. Once the shad move out switch up to a shaky head or a 10" worm (yea I know big difference in baits but stuff in the middle doesn't seem to work as well) and flip all of the laydowns and bushes on the flats. If you prefer channel swing banks pitch Eakins jigs to bluff walls with a Paca chunk trailer, color isn't real critical anything brown / green will usually do. A big worm will work here as well whenever there is timber present. If you are a deep crankbait fan work the points with a deep crankbait, try to maintain contact with the bottom as long as possible. These same areas will work with a football jig or Carolina rig. Further down stream the patterns are pretty similar to those detailed in the fishing reports on this site. Pay attention up stream of Flat creek and in Flat creek, allot of dead heads in the water and a few channel swings that can be tricky. Good Luck EP

Dave, Traditionally the heavier the better in fall, I use a 1 ounce Jewel in fall for ripping of the bottom from 25' - 40' deep. This year who knows, I had a trip this morning and caught keeper smallmouth in 1' of water on the main lake near the dam on a 3/16 oz. Jewel Pro Spider Jig. If the water ever stabilizes a heavy jig is your best option, right now a 1/2 oz. is tuff to beat when the fish are 10'-15' deep. I would get a few 1/2 and a few 3/4, fish the 1/2 to about 20' deep and the 3/4 deeper. Hope this helps. EP

Glad ya caught a couple tapout. The drop shot bite is still hit or miss and i think this rain is going to move them shallow this w/e anyway. EP

Hey Steve, Most of the guides on the lake use a swivel, I have been using braid off and on this year, for myself it is fine but I find my clients tend to set the hook too soon and miss most of the fish. As far as hooks are concenered I'm with ya, I have been "Texas" rigging soft plastic worms over nose hooking for years and have no problems with lost fish, plus if the fish swims into a tree I can chase him down and not worry about hanging up.

Kimberling City Area: The fish have begun a move to deep water, drop shot rigs, spoons and tail spinners have all been producing fish from 35’ – 45’ deep. Most of the fish have been coming on drops and channel swings off the end of flats and flat points. Look for schools of shad suspended from the bottom to around 20’ deep to key into the fish locations. Many fish will not be actively feeding on bait, they will holding on or near the bottom and will react to a lure when dropped through the shad. A good secondary pattern is to work larger docks with a combination of Eakins jig and craws or spoons. Work the shallow ends of the docks with the jig paying close attention to shady areas as they will hold most of the fish. As you work out to the deep end switch up to a ½ oz. white spoon and pitch into the dock stalls and around the ends of the dock. Again, pay close attention to shady areas, watch your line as the bait falls as most of your bites will happen on the fall. James River: The James continues to produce, up river fish can be caught on shallow flats and the backs of creeks on a combination of buzz baits, jigs and shallow crankbaits. The buzz bait bite is most effective during lower light hours close to any flooded brush or laydowns in the water. As the sun comes out switch over to a shallow crankbait or jig, or the first hour or so of sunlight the fish will move tight to the shallow cover and can be caught by flipping or running the crankbait into the brush. As the day wears on move out to 20’ – 25’ of water and work a Jewel Football jig close any deep water. Closer to Kimberling the bite is deeper with most of the fish coming on drop shot rigs and spoons and a few being caught on Jewel Football or Spider jigs. Look for schools of bait to key you into fish locations. White River: The White River is still producing fish as well; Jewel Football, Pro Spider jigs and Carolina rigs are all producing on flat points and roll offs near flats from 20’ – 30’ deep from Baxter to Roaring River. Most of the fish are holding on isolated cover, multiple casts to each piece of cover is key. While some fish are shallower early and late in the day the bulk of the fish are holding in deeper water. Further up the White and into the Kings River there is a great shallow bite. In the Kings fish are being caught on buzz baits early and late around flooded brush and laydowns, as the day wears on switch up to a shallow crankbait and work these same areas. Laydowns will also produce fish on a jig or large worm when the sun is high and there is little wind. Dam / Branson Area: The shallow bite has really slowed this past week in the dam area, while fish can still be caught shallow most are smaller fish and seemed to have scattered with the falling water. The best bite has been 30’ – 40’ deep on flats and flat points with a drop shot, spoon or tail spinner, look for schools of shad to find the fish. While some fish will be actively feeding on the shad the bulk will be holding tight to the bottom and will only appear on your electronics when a bait is dropped to them. Much like the mid lake area, there is a decent dock bite taking shape down by the dam. A combination of Eakins jigs and craws and spoons are working well on bigger docks. Start shallow with an Eakins jig in PB&J or green pumpkin concentrating on shady areas around walkways and lifts, then work your way out to the deeper stalls using a spoon on heavy line and a stout rod. When spooning docks most of the bites will come on the initial fall so pay close attention as the bait is falling, I have been catching a few fish off the bottom under docks usually on the first or second hop off the bottom. Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield Mondays 5:30pm and Saturdays 5:00 am or on-line at www.espn1400.com www.focusedfishing.com

Don, Great report, I've been on the upper end most of the past two weeks and should have a report in a day or two, with all of the rain I might finally get caught up.... A note on spooning docks: USE HEAVY LINE, the fish don't seem to care and there is so much debris under the docks that you can go through spoons in a hurry if you are using light line. Personally I use #20 Seaguar on a heavy action rod. I noticed a few fish holding close to the bottom under docks in 25' - 30' of water, the fish would hit the spoon when it was hopped off the bottom. See ya, EP

Table Rock: The James has greater numbers of big fish but my biggest came from the Kings LOZ: Osage, from the Lodge through Hurricane Deck Truman: That Lake hates me, I've done best up the Osage Stockton: Big Sac / Turnback Creek Bull Shoals: Toss up between above Lead Hill and Theodosia, it's alot like TR, I've caught more big fish in the White but my best fish came from the Theodosia arm. Noone mentioned Pomme de Terre: Main Lake humps and roll offs in the summer, for a little pond it has some big fish Hawkeyes, tigers and hogs .... oh my. Sorry I'm a darn Yankee (from Ohio not N.Y. fan) and a Buckeye Fan