Champ188

That's a darn healthy largemouth.

So just be sure you've got it all set to go before you come for my piano ... Good to see you back, Mark. Hope you get some fishing in soon. It's getting good. And thanks for the enlightening info about show setup. Very interesting.

Saw lots of terns diving on shad between Big M and Big Creek the other day. No cormorants in that area. Hey Quillback, please find us some new holes up there. The ones you have now are fished out and that GPS tracker I hid in your boat wasn't cheap.

Meanmouth all the way. How classy to drop an F bomb that had to be scrambled out of the audio. I'm convinced that one reason these kids are soaking up scoping is that their brains aren't cluttered with needless vocabulary ... all you need to say is (1) Big one! GIANT!!! Big one!!!! MONSTER!!! (2) Stay on! Stay on! Stay on! Stay on! (Must be said while making three full and needless laps around the gunwale of the boat). (3) Dude, dude, dude, dude, dude, dude, dude, dude ...

OK, like Bill, this will be my last post on this topic. Just want to suggest one other line of thinking. Why won't MDC study the LM population in TR? I've spent a fair amount of time myself on TR over the last 25 years and have seen my LM catches steadily trend downward while little spots have been at darn near pest level. Yes, river spots tend to run smaller than lower-lake fish. And we are now seeing the results of strong spawns in recent years. However, spots under 12" rule the roost --- from shallow to deep water above Shell Knob in the White River arm. Granted, the Kings and James rivers can turn out good numbers and size of LM, primarily because the water is a bit dirtier, which LM like. Seems to me this is just another MDC decision made by out-of-touch officials who need to put money into proper research efforts before passing laws that will likely ruin a nationally renowned fishery. Do the creel surveys --- no one can tell you more than the anglers themselves. Reach out to the guides and invite them to coffee and discussion --- i.e., do something besides hand down rules that seem to be another concession to the meat eaters.

They're info poachers ... often tournament guys trying to find a way to beat the guys who can run their business off the front deck of a bass boat. Would I read this site if I was a visitor headed here? Of course I would! But I wouldn't show my appreciation by picking a fight with a guy who has spent more time on the water than most of us put together. That's the head-shaker for me.

There's one major difference in Beaver and Table Rock ... stripers. Say what you will but personally, I've never fished a striper lake that was worth squat for bass.

Ummmm, maybe coz they're visiting and don't have a boat here? Or maybe they're local but don't have access to a dock. There are no public fishing docks on any Corps of Engineers lake that I know of. Bill Babler guided on TR for decades and was among the most sought-after guides on the lake. And to my knowledge, he never ever kept a bass of any species. He made it clear up front that if they wanted to eat fish, it would be white bass, walleye or bluegill. My guide service info states the same --- no bass will be killed. My guide business, my boat, my choice. You must have some long arms coz you're really reaching at this point. Or just trolling. Either way, you aren't gonna get a lot of support for running a knife through bass on this forum.

So we should just accept that MDC has done their homework on this and are confident that it won't harm the fishery? Game and Fish departments across the nation are known to lean toward "the everyday angler" when it comes to keeping fish. The demographic for today's everyday bass angler has changed --- you can't cater to guys in flatbottoms anymore because they aren't the majority. The majority are fairly affluent guys with a lot of electronics to hunt the fish down. And don't think a lot of those guys aren't keeping fish. I see them putting them in the livewell quite often, and not talking about gathering up big fish for a hero pic. I can't see from any angle where this appears to be well researched on MDC's part --- if I'm wrong, they sure aren't being very forthcoming or transparent about it. In my career as a newspaper writer covering G&F meetings, the biologists love to present their findings when they've had proper funding and time to research something properly. Haven't heard any of that regarding this change.

Yes it does and you will spend day upon day looking for a 15-inch spot in Beaver. Same for the Arkansas portion of Bull Shoals for the most part.

That's darn sure been a factor. Sometime between 10 to 15 years ago, it got to where there were so many derbies that none of them pay worth a crap. But the fragile-ego boys get to go home and say I won even though there were only seven boats in their tournament LOL. Wasn't worth the money anymore for me. I know a lot of others felt the same because they quit when I did. And boy do I ever love being able to fish where I want, when I want these days.

We can watch them fish anywhere on TV. We don't need them in our backyard drawing more publicity pressure. Table Rock seems to handle it fine but I worry that Beaver is going to pay the price of increased pressure. Maybe the weights at Beaver will suck and no one will want to come here. LOL

Quit shakin' yer dern minner right out there in the middle of the lake for everyone to see. And get rid of the A-rig while you're at it. That end of the lake is either feast or famine for me. And as you well know, if you don't find the shad, you don't find the bass. That seems to go double in the winter. Glad to hear you got out, ol' friend. Spring will be here before we know it.

Back atcha, ol' buddy. I'm the same way about getting over to Bull ... but I need to make the time. I'm half-retired now anyway, so maybe we can make that happen this coming year.

Dewayne, everything from the 86 bridge on up to Houseman requires the angler to possess a special-use permit. Said permits are available only thru myself, Babler or Jeff Fletcher. 😂

Good lesson for us all. I fight the tendency to leave fish biting to go find others. My feeble mind tells me, "Hey, listen ... if the 2-pounders are biting here, I bet you could catch 15 or 20 pounds off so-and-so-spot." I think that's rooted in the fact that my satisfaction comes more from finding fish and figuring them out than actually catching them. Oh, I still love to stick a hook in every one that I can, but that's not the true source of my enjoyment.

I would have big-eyed that fish at close to 6. Of course, it helps to be "petite" in fish pix. Two things to say here ... When you've been called an all-caps HAMMER by one of the all-time Table Rock HAMMERS himself, you are grazing on elite ground. The second thing is, I've only fished against Eric a few times at BFL and maybe some Central Pro-Ams, but every word I've heard about the guy has been positive. Every guide client I've heard talk about him says they'll never hire anyone else in this area. High praise and just the type of reputation that is so very needed in today's bass fishing climate.

Ya think? He's worn ruts in the launch ramp! 😂 Instead of the mailman, all the old people along his route stand at the window and wait on QB.

Edwin! Good to see you. Been a long time!

Alright, you talked me into it. I'm going to Indian Creek today. Rain should be out of here for a while anyway.

Sounds like he got his info from Timmy Sainato or the late Buster Loving --- couple of grub fishermen if there ever was one. I can assure you he did not get that info from me ... stained water after heavy rains would have me up in flooded backyards. Literally. LOL

Nice one. May need that meat if you don't get your SNAP check soon. 🤣 Seen the same thing a couple times around Hickory Hollow. Our park ranger friend Jeremy can tell you about the 9-pounder I lost there on a buzz bait in Central Pro-Am spring tournament one year. And I weighed in a 6+ that day. Flooded bushes.

Great info and thank you much. As opposite as we are in fishing styles, we very much share one thing in common: We take our craft to another level when compared with the average angler. Anyone can spoon or swimbait up the occasional decent fish from the depths, but you consistently catch sacks that would walk away with many of the bigger derbies on TR. (Ain't it nice not to give a toot about that anymore? That crap ended a marriage, which in turn about ended me. God just wasn't ready for me yet.) But I digress. My point is that you catch these fish by paying close attention to detail. Water depth, fish depth, shad depth ... then there's fall rate, retrieve speed, retrieve cadence ... Truthfully, that style of fishing isn't my favorite, to say the least. But I like catching fish more than fishing, so I've become reluctantly adequate at it. 🫤 Likewise, shallow fishing takes a lot more knoggin work than it first appears. Like your deep fish, details are critical. Boat position is everything. Wind direction (never fish WITH the wind unless it's howling 20-30 and you just cannot cast into it.). Slope of bank, rock formation (gravel? chunk? bluff?), wood present? Hardwood or cedar? Sky conditions ... sun position. And on and on. Livescope totally aside, and I think you'll agree, there are times you need to be looking at your graph(s). But you also gotta make time to look around you and start noting/soaking in some of the details all around you.

Your ability to find and catch those quality deep fish is darn impressive. Appreciate you sharing as much info as you do. And if I'm not mistaken, you do this primarily with 2D sonar? No livescope?

You are most welcome ... and deserving.