focused fishing

Thanks Techo, Knew you'd be there. I will keep this thread going as I get more info. This has been a little tough for me, I've been taking a few returning vets fishing for the last couple of years, seems like the least I can do. David was a great kid and it was a shock when I found out about it. Thanks again, EP

Hey Guys, A friend of mine, Mike Beezley, lost his brother a couple of weeks ago, his brother was a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he had very little money and his parents had to pay for the funeral. Mike is putting together a benefit tournament to help pay his parents back for the funeral. The soldiers name was David Beezley, I got the opportunity to meet David and take him and his brother fishing shortly before David passed. David was a great kid; he was 26 and was a Sgt. in the Army. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I don't know the last time I fished with someone that enjoyed catching fish as much as David did. His brother Mike has been an avid angler his whole life and David really took to the sport since returning home. David told several stories about his experience in the Middle East while we were fishing and it really hit home with me just how lucky we all are to have young men like him that are willing to go to war to protect our freedom. Anyway... The tournament will be on Table Rock out of Ahoy's on September 27th, safe light to 3:00. They are working out the details as far as entry fee and payback; I will post the details as I have them. It would be great to see as many Ozark Anglers Forum there as possible. Thanks, EP

Hey anytime I can bring up BTO and the half a ton of rock n roll tour I'm gonna do it.

I like four colors for Table Rock: Brown Craw - usually best when the water has some color Phantom Green Craw - best in the clear water of the lower end Natural Green Craw - Good all over, particually in the mid lake Watermelon - Really good on brownies on cloudy windy days I own about ten other colors but these are the ones I throw the most. Oh, and they are are all "pre-Rapala" models.

I know what yo mean Moto. My fishing / radio show partner Kory thinks catching fish on a Wiggle Wart is close to a religous experience

Yep, I was thinking that when just before it struck yesterday. Just before we came in yesterday I raised my rod tip and it started to buzz. Then Bob & David did the same. Don't know if it's me or waht but there was a ton of static electricity in the air and around my boat yesterday. Figures a beautiful clear, cool day like today I get a cancellation. Hope you boys catch 'em this morning.

Hey Michael, Big Cedar Lodge is one of the best resorts on the lake, pricey but an awsome full service resort. Great activities for the whole family. Their lodging is first class and dining is four star. You won't be disapointed. I've only stayed there one time but it was an incredible stay.

Allot of things are better on the other side of the road..... Just ask the chicken trying to cross

Hey don't forget the bearded cl....... on second thought forget it..

If your draging it like a split shot or carolina rig the bite will be similar to a split shot / carolina rig bite. Usually either a bump or a pick up and swim off type of bite.

Depends on which action your talking about. The Wiggle Wart Bite (Oh I love thinking about the Wiggle Wart Bite..............) errr, sorry about that. The Wiggle Wart / spinnerbait bite tends to last for about 2 - 4 weeks depending on water temp and other factors. If the water temp fall slowly the bite will last a little longer, if it drops quick it will end the bite quick. When the water temps start dropping into the low 70's high 60's the spinnerbait begins to work in the cedar trees, as it drops into the 60's and 50's the wart starts to happen on rocky banks. The Football jig bite will last the longest of the true "Fall Paterns"; usually starting in early / mid Sept. and lasting through to Nov. but here again, if the water stays warm it will start later. The deep bite will usually start as a dropshot bite on points and in the trees in Sept. and last into Oct. then as the shad start to school in the middle of the creek arms it will transition into more of a spoon or grub bite. That bite will last though winter and into spring and it can be fantastic if conditions are right. There's a good dock bite as well in the fall, it usually starts around late September and lasts until early November. Eakins jig / craw combos on big docks on gravel points. Big smallmouth and Largemouth pattern on the mid and lower end. Kind of all over the map there. The short answer would be on average the fall bite starts in late Sept / early Oct. and lasts through mid Nov. on average. O.K. clear as mud......

Met Bob and David C. at 6:00 am at Majestic Condos and the storm started. They headed back to the condo and I opted to ride it out in the dock....oops... lightning hit the end of the dock and knocked the power out... should of went to the condo....bet they had hot coffee in the condo.... Anyway once the storm passed we headed out looking for the white bass that have been schooling in shallow flat pockets on the lower end. First stop picked up four or five little males right away on a 1/2 oz. white spoon, nothing big just fun little guys. Continued to see and catch small whites in 18' - 25' of water but not really what we were looking for. Moved over to a secondary point and more of the same until one about jerked the rod out of my hand. Knew almost immediately it wasn't a white, turned out to be a 3.5 smallmouth feeding with the whites. The action kept up a little longer with more small whites and then we moved on. Hit a main lake flat point, to give ya an idea we were in 32' of water and at least 1/4 mile off shore, it is a flat point. Drop shotted Chompers Plum and Brown / purple worms and Bab's "Mature" night crawlers for quite a while, saw fish on the graph, got bites but we weren't connecting. Fish seemed to be pulling the tail of the plastice and biting the end off of the crawlers. Managed 9 fish and two keepers including a nice 2.75 lb. smallmouth before they quit us when the sun peaked through the clouds. Ran into a large creek arm and began looking at tree tops along the main lake channel and longer secondary points. Managed to find several fish holding right on top of the trees 35' - 44' deep over 80'+, dropped Chompers' worms here as well but they prefered the "mature" night crawlers 3 to 1. Caught 12 -14 here including a couple of big KY's 3lb+ before it was time to go in. Made it back to the dock just before the rain started up again. As a side note if you are using the Majestic dock be careful pulling in, there are a few stumps just below the surface near the slip entrances and you will hit them if your not looking........ or if I'm not looking....dang it.

Hey Michael, Fall is tougher to predict than spring on the rock, if you hit it wrong you'll get here right after the turn over when the oxygen level is the same at 200' as it is at 2' making the fish scatter. All and I would say the later into October you get the better, even the first week of November can be awsome, it all depends on water temperature and when the turn over hits. This far out I would plan on late October / early November and keep an eye on this site for updates on water temps and fishing patterns. Not the answer you wanted but it's the best I've got. EP

Stragler, Both, in the mid James there are allot of bluffs / swings the end on a flat point, Campers point is a good example. Further up river you will have a bluff / swing on one side and a flat on the other. Usually the bluff will break down as the channel swiches sides of the lake / river and will eventually transition into a flat as well. Did that make sence or was it clear as mud???

Done fussin' Made my point, tried to have a little fun.... Some joined in some didn't... their loss. BTW... Tetris ....... errr ...... Tetric Just started raining here in SpringVegas See ya on the water

Mc Clothier, I've been having the most success from Camper's point to above Cape Fair. Camper's is the point just past the big island up stream from point 12 on the west side, the channel swings up against it but it is a very long tapered point. Sharp drop on the channel side pretty flat on the other. Out in 28' - 35' I've been catching drop shot, carolina rig and football jig fish on top of the point and on the drop side. The next point up stream on the east side is very similar and has been hit or miss lately but is usually good this time of year. Further up stream the points at the mouth of Buzzard have been producing some deep crank bait fish, there is a pretty good ledge at the end of the channel swing that has been working when shad are around, if there aren't any shad I've struggled there lately. Further still is Wooley creek on the west side, allot of good secondary points to throw a football jig and rig on, some good docks plus it will get you out of the mid morning / afternoon boat traffic. I haven't been in there for about ten days so I don't have any real fresh intel. If you continue on up the lake really starts to look like a river; swing / bluff on one side and flat point on the other. Most of these flat points have been producing on a football jig and carolina rig from 20' - 30' deep for the past three to four weeks. Look for ledges on the ends of all of the swings if you want to throw a deep crankbait, most of the swings will have a ledge within a few hundred feet of the end of the bluff. I'm not saying you can't catch 'em closer to Kimberling City, but if you want to head up the James this should get you started. Good Luck, EP

You're right the report does suck...... I completely understand why these folks are so upset.... it's all so clear now.... what did they drink?????? I didn't even ask. And I call myself a guide. Finding fish and helping people catch them isn't what it's about it's about the details; what was for breakfast, what did they drink, how high did the fish jump, etc...... Or maybe there is another way to handle this situation....... yea maybe these folks need something a little different...... yea that maybe the ticket... something that will help them to better understand.......yea maybe something like this: There, that should help get the point across..... "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." - Doctor Who

Haven't figured it out yet....still applying more tape... The best thing may be to leave your head outside for a week or three and let mother nature do her thing to the tape. Sure seems to work for all the bumpers on cars in Arkansas..... "Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.... " - Carl Zwanzig

Arrrgggggggg........... NATURE VALLEY OAT & RASIN!!!!!!! DON'T KNOW HOW IT EFFECTED THE STAMINA AS WE DIDN'T FISH, BUT HE WAS THE ONLY ONE TO SEE A FISH JUMP SO AN IMPROVEMENT IN EYE SIGHT CAN BE ASSUMED!!!! ARRRGGGGGGG.............. MUST RE - SECURE DUCT TAPE .......... BRAIN COMING OUT OF EARS........

Productive colors change quite a bit, my top four would be: Robo Worm MMIII and Aaron's Magic and Chompers' Plum and brown / purple. But I own about 20 more.... If the line goes slack the fish is usually coming up toward you with the bait, usually by the time you catch up with them (using the reel) you can set the hook, they've got it. If they are bumping the bait I will usually wait a second or two to feel a pull before setting. I rig the worm two ways; if I'm fishing open water I will use an open hook either nose hooked or wacky rigged, if I'm fishing around timber I will use a 1/0 Gamakatsu ewg and texas rig it. Hope it helps, EP

O.K. trip cancelled today because of weather: Heavy rain and t-storms with cloud to ground lightning. 73 degrees, cloudy, 96% relative humidity, south wind 3 MPH, Barometer 30.08", dewpoint 72 degrees, visability approximately 8 miles. Kimberling City. Ozark Mountain Resort Clients: John & Leslie Berba; 32 and 29 respectively, married no children. height and weight withheld by request... Breakfast: John: two granola bars and an apple. Leslie: one granola bar and a handful of grapes (white). Met at resort due to weather, waited out storm for exactly 45 minutes and decided to cancel trip. No fish were caught and released.........although one was observed jumping at the end of the marina dock.....could of been a carp....maybe a bass....don't know.....was observed by John at exactly 6:36 am...north side of dock... approximately 13' to the northeast of the last slip.....approximately 1/3 of the fish was out of water for less than 2 seconds....overall depth unknown... Now if I can only get that roll of Duct Tape back from motoman before my head explodes............. "Last year I went fishing with Salvador Dali. He was using a dotted line. He caught every other fish. " - Steven Wright

moto, Two words for ya: Duct Tape. head gonna explode... wrap it in duct tape. O.K. lack of sleep definately setting in......must finish this report......let's see.....fished on the right side of the boat for 12 minutes 32 seconds.......Steven was right handed..... Jamie was a lefty.......they had instant oatmeal....apple cinnamon......

darn it man, this is serious , your right, what did they have for breakfast?????????? I forgot to ask!!!!! I'm such a fool! no wonder people complained about the reports! Was it the continental breakfast at the hotel? Did they stop and eat somewhere? Oh my God!!!!!!! Did they have a BANANA?!?!?!?!?!?!?! How could I forget such an important detail? Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's see have we taken this far enough ????? Probably not...... "I think so Brain, but leather chafes me so" -Pinky

I've got his brother's number, he booked the trip, but tell your sister not to get her hopes up Rick was talking about buying a ring.... But the bigger question is: Does that report give enough information? I'm still not sure, I guess I could give a minute by minute account of every guide trip, that would only take up several additional hours of my free time between trips and other job...about eight hours to write the details of a four hour guide trip...... let me see.... I've been getting about 4.5 hours a sleep a night, if I change that to 2.5 and spend two hours every night writing a report that I'm not being compensated for...... yea, that might just work........ I mean really what's more important sleep or making sure that I give out every detail of how every fish was caught on a given day...... Oh boy Bill, you thought you were getting complaints before....... hope you've got plenty of space in your message box.... "B..ba..ba.baby you just ain't seen nothin' yet" -Randy Bachman EP

From a recent report: Kimberling City Area: The deep bite continues to be the most consistent pattern in the mid lake area; drop shot rigs with Chompers plum or brown / purple worms, Robo worms in Aaron’s magic, MMIII and oxblood / red are all working on pea gravel and gravel rock mixed points from 28’ – 40’ deep. Look for fish to be suspended off the bottom early and late and close to the bottom during the heat of the day. Smallmouth and a largemouth can be caught around boat docks through out the mid lake area. Eakins’ jigs and craw combos in PB&J and green pumpkin / green flash have been effective from 15’ – 25’ deep in shady areas of boat docks. Ya know now that I read this I can see what they're talking about...... not nearly enough information here should of read something like this: Kimberling City Area: I have been catching fish on the main lake point in front of the Mill Creek Camp ground GPS Coordinates 36 35.712 N 93 26.674 W on July 8th from 6:45 am until 8:22 AM using a drop shot rigged Robo Worm in Aaron's Magic 4" worm, nose hooked with a #2 Gamakatsu finesse hook, utilizing 6 pound Seaguar Invizx line on a 4 power Falcon low rider spinning rod and Shimano 4000 series Stradic reel. The fish are approximately 28' deep holding tight to the bottom near larger rocks and drops that are picked up by my Lowrance x-110c sonar. Early on that particular day the fish were suspending 2.4 feet off of the bottom and my clients David and Rick Anderson, of Omaha, NE were having a hard time detecting the light bite. David, 44, dark hair, brown eyes, approximately 5'10" 210 lbs. is a computer network engineer who is married and has three kids while his brother Rick, 41, dark hair, brown eyes, 6' 195 lbs. is a fire fighter who is unfortunately divorced with two kids, but is dating a nice girl that he hopes will make a wonderful step mother to his kids. Their difficulting in feeling the bite stems from a lack of deep fishing experience as Rick made clear when he stated "The deepest part of our lake is only 24 feet deep". At approximately 8:44 AM we noticed on the Lowrance X-110c that the fish moved closer to the bottom and slightly deeper into approximately 32' of water. After exactly 31 minutes of fishing we had managed to catch and release four fish weighing; 1.9 lbs (non keeper), 2.33 lbs (keeper) 2.43 lbs (keeper) and 3.12 lbs (keeper). At that point I decided to try fishing around some larger boat docks in the area as it seemed Rick and David might enjoy casting more than vertical fishing. We moved into Little Mill Creek and began fishing the larger community docks on the south side approximate GPS coordinates 36 35.684N 93 26.732 W. Utilizing a 5/16 oz. Jewel Bait Company Eakins Jig in Peanut Butter and Jelly (color code 724) with a green pumpkin Jewel Eakins Craw (Color code AC1) we made short casts and under hand pitches with Falcon Low Rider Eakins 5 power rods with Shimano Curado reels spooled with 10 pound Seaguar Invizx line to shady areas near walk ways and floats. From 9:03 AM until 10:32 we caught and release 4 largemouth ranging from .98 lbs to 3.22lbs and three smallmouth ranging from .77 lbs to 2.44lbs.. At 10:45 AM I returned David and Rick to the Dock at Ahoy's in Kimberling City, MO after an enjoyable and productive trip. See that's much better and has almost all the information needed to find and catch fish........ except the ability to make it happen. Let the Airing of Greivences begin...... "...happy, happy, joy, joy......." EP