Champ188

Bo did not say Table Rock would ever become Lake Fork with supplemental stocking. What he said is that even with all of the intense pressure that Fork gets, it churns out lunker after lunker IN PART because Texas Parks & Wildlife stocks it. I believe his point was that if stocking can keep Fork's bass population in prime condition, it could also help at Table Rock. And there's also the little matter that your opinion is diminished in my eyes by the fact that you said not too long ago right here on this forum that you've killed every keeper bass you've ever caught out of Table Rock for the last umpteen years. And that's just MY opinion.

For all the years that I worked for the statewide newspaper in Arkansas and covered AGFC meetings, I'd like to have a dollar for every time I heard "We have to do what the general fishing/hunting public wants." The only definition I was ever able to come up with for "general fishing/hunting public" was any user group other than the one I was identifying with at the moment. Game and Fish directors in most states seem to love to hide behind that line of poop. I'll give Texas credit where credit is due ... they sure seem to have the best interest of their fisheries at heart and they had one heckuva fisheries director in old Durocher for a lot of years. He nor none of his people were afraid to make decisions that might not please everyone. As we all know, when multiple user groups are involved, you're never gonna please everyone. But it seems to me that bass --- and certainly the state's bellcowt bass fishery, Table Rock --- has gotten very little attention for a number of years. All things laid on the Table, my No. 1 interest isn't more revenue for the area, it's catching more bass every time I go fishing! But Bo does make a great point about the revenue. If trout produce more revenue than bass statewide, I'd sure like to see some figures to prove it. Yet a TON more taxpayer/license buyer money is spent on trout than bass. The things we're talking about in this thread --- other than supplemental stocking --- would cost absolutely nothing to implement. Arkansas bass fishermen organized in the Hot Springs area and managed to get the ear of the AGFC and see some changes made in striper stocking, bass stocking, regulations and other things. The group was/is called the Arkansas Black Bass Coalition. There's no reason that something similar couldn't be organized here.

I like the way you think.

Interesting and rather obvious once you take a close look at the fish. I caught a similar natural cross from TR a few years back. MDC verified it from a photo I sent them.

Heck, Johnny owns everything else in that part of the lake ... he's probably negotiating a deal for the fish, too.

I'd guess 4.5 to 5 pounds. Darn sure a nice fish.

I believe both abkeenan and bo have solid suggestions for additional protection of our spawning bass. Frankly, anything would be an improvement over letting tournament and recreational fishermen alike have the run of the lake during the spawn. And with tournament anglers, the argument that they are only catching five is invalid because those who are successfully targeting beds will continue to cull all day long, so they are relocating no telling how many fish during the course of a day away from their beds. I keep hearing that the TR bass fishery is doing fine and that we're seeking problems to fit a solution, but how do we what it COULD be if we never attempt to rise aboefore bve the status quo? Why not TRY some protective measures for our spawning fish? Why not TRY some supplemental stocking, especially for the less-aggressive LM species (as opposed to brown and spotted bass)? It certainly would seem to the layman's eye that the forage base is adequate to support a greater population of bass. And Dan, take heart ... I dearly love to eat walleye but I do release them during their spawning season. I know it's not a common practice but it would be nice if it was. For that matter, they could be given the same sort of seasonal "immediate release" protection as we're discussing for bass. Considering how much Arkansas and Missouri fish and game departments have spent stocking them, I'm a bit surprised they don't protect them more.

Seems to be a popular practice to temporarily put fish in the livewell and take group photos of them at the end of the trip. That's not the best thing to be doing this time of year ... if ever. For every fish we see on nests, there are at least that many more bedded a bit deeper that we never know were caught from a bed. To put them in the livewell and cart them around the lake for a few hours disrupts the spawning process. If it happens to be a male that was guarding, that nest and anything it might have produced is history. Not criticizing or calling anyone out ... just saying that OA members are on the lake as much as anyone and there is nothing better we can do to give ourselves a good name than to set the bar high in terms of fish care.

The slam is one thing. A keeper slam is quite another! Well done, my friend.

Great song except I read somewhere long ago that the intent was to poke fun at country music.

It's painful to think how many fish will be yanked off their nests and taken for a boat ride this weekend.

I can't imagine any good reason to go farther east than Lead Hill. There's a heckuva lot good fishing from there westward to K Dock.

Good day. Started to pick up a C-rigged lizard a time or two myself Wednesday but never did.

Guilt by association, maybe? LOL

Aw man, I was hoping for another hootenanny. We don't really care how you cook your steak. Just gotta have something to rib you about.

I went fishing. They bit good. I was somewhere in the White River. We caught 32 and had 22 keepers with 20 keeper spots. We used mostly swim baits. It was fun. The end. Editor's note: The author declined to share any more info due to the fact that there will be close to 400 tournament boats on the lake this weekend, not to mention a gazillion noncompetitive fishermen.

Corps passes have gotten to be a joke. I have to buy a launching pass that reportedly has gone up $10 so I can use fewer ramps around the lakes because they keep closing them down but now they are turning ramps over to private entities who may (love ya, Johnny) or may not charge to use them. Oh yeah, I'm required to have my pass 12 months out of the year but the facilities (restrooms) are only open about 6 months, if that much.

Looking forward to it, Dave. But we might have to do something besides steaks for dinner. Not sure I can watch the finesse fishing guru incinerate another fine piece of Harter House beef.

You folks are too kind, unless you're talking about Donna, of course. She's worth meeting up with anytime, anywhere. Definitely some of God's best work.

It's on every public ramp I've been to recently on TR.

Just awesome info, Ben. Thanks so much. I don't know of another lake in the country that has this info so readily available.

Donna makes a hand lotion with Vaseline, vitamin E cream, baby lotion and triple antibiotic ointment that will work wonders overnight. We gave it the very scientific moniker Pink Stuff.

Good grief, Dave. Throwing a hard bait with trebles? Have you lost your marbles? Next thing we know you'll be wandering off the reservation all the way down to Coney Island!

Bryce would take a beating before being dishonest about anything. He carries quality digital scales in his boat and uses them.

Gorgeous fish. Agreed, those boys will be hooked. And that's a good thing.