Champ188

Thanks for carrying the torch, BearFisher10. Conservation-minded young folks like yourself will help keep our fisheries viable throughout your lifetimes and beyond.

I especially agree on cutting down on the number of them. Used to be there was one pro circuit, a couple of decent regional circuits and then your club tournaments. Then someone decided they didn't like the way Joe Blow was running things, so they broke off and started their own chain of derbies. Then someone else followed suit, and so on. Nowadays there are so many circuits that not only do the fish get hauled around practically every weekend of the year, the competitors are so split up between all of the circuits that none of them pay worth a tinker's dang anymore. It still costs just as much to fish (entry fee, room, gas, food, tackle, etc.) but the prize money is dilluted to the point that it's ridiculous. Oh for the days when Central Pro-Am was drawing 200 boats.

Wrench, I have to agree with you on the relocation issue. I've fished a lot of tournaments in my life and still fish a few, so I'm as guilty as anyone. But it just can't be good for these fish to be hauled around every weekend and released in a new environment. At least that's my opinion. And when you have nearly every tournament out of the same location ... PB2 on LOZ, Prairie Creek on Beaver, for two examples ... it makes things even worse for other areas of the lake. In a related matter, I would fully support a total ban on tournaments during the months of April and May. For every fish that gets plucked off a bed, thousands of eggs/fry are eliminated. And to claim that it's just 5-6 fish per boat or angler doesn't hold water. A single angler is liable to cull a dozen times or more during the day. So he catches a 2-pounder off a bed at 8:30 and puts it in the livewell for his fifth (limit) fish. Then at 8:45 he catches a 3-pounder and culls the 2-pounder. He certainly isn't going to take the 2-pounder back to its bed. And as this continues throughout the day among hundreds of anglers fishing multiple tournaments, think about how many bedding fish are displaced. It's mind-boggling.

Many of us here hold the opinion that because Table Rock does not receive supplemental stockings of bass, we need to do all we can to protect the ones we have. Therefore, we advocate absolute catch and release. Every time a bass is taken home and eaten, that fish is gone and so is every egg/fry it may have produced in the future. Table Rock is nationally renowned as a bass fishery and therefore receives a ton of pressure. Us C&R guys believe that in order for that continue, we need to practice and promote CPR --- catch, photograph, release. It's not a matter of right or wrong. It's our opinion/conviction. Obviously, others are welcome to do as they please within the law.

Good to hear they're back among the swimming. Photos of dead fish tend to get met with resistance on this site. It's not that those who catch and kill are outlaws, but some of us believe the law doesn't protect the resource as well as it should. Thanks much, Matt, for your trouble to find out and post the pattern. It's good to hear the jerkbait bite is coming around. It's certainly time.

Apparently this northerner has had his head stuck in the snow too long. The "Mendota Rig" is nothing more than a reverse Texas rig, also known as an Okeechobee Rig, that's been around for ages.

Looks like another green back 209, as we recently discussed in another thread.

Incredible. Awesome pic.

Actually, the best C&R plan would be to not lay them out on the carpet in the first place. Saying you might as well take them home now is like opening every beer in the six-pack and then saying I might as well drink them all now so they don't go to waste. With a little foresight, you'd have some beer --- or bass --- for later.

Rock Crawler will give you several feet more depth and catches em everywhere I've been.

I do recall that. Ralph was lucky he got outta town without getting lynched for not postponing that one. Pretty sure the weather folks predicted we were gonna get hammered. At least it went away almost as fast as it came.

I wondered what kept the straw from sliding up the line during the cast. Now I know!

Nice catch but there sure are better ways to take photos. It's hard for them to breathe out of water.

Now that's funny I don't care who you are.

Cool idea on the straw, gitnby.

Frankly, this looks like a Rock Crawler knockoff with cheap bronze hooks and overspray on the bill.

Yours are most likely on backorder, QB. I ordered two dozen of each color yesterday and pretty much wiped out the in-stock supply. PM for a sweet deal if you need some fast.

Nice article, as are all of Ned's writings. Lots of info.

Don't hold me to this but it could be a V-209 Naturistic Red Crawfish. Hughesy should be able to positively identify it.

They can still be caught. This one came from 41-degree water Friday, along with a dozen more, including four over 3 pounds. Not from Beaver. But a fishing report nonetheless.

War Eagle baits use a light piano wire, which certainly can be prone to break after lots of use. The advantage to the light wire is that it allows maximum vibration from the blades. The disadvantage is, the wire can break. Best not to swing fish on these baits, particularly the 1/4-ounce models, which use an even lighter wire than the bigger baits. Everything in life is a tradeoff. In this case, you give up strength for more vibration.

Absolutely not, wareaglecamo. Spot Remover is a very good color and can be fished in clear or stained water. It's available on both the nickel and gold frames, so my preference is to throw the nickel frame in clear water and the gold frame in stained water. Another stained water favorite that I failed to mention is Hot Blue Herring. I've caught a ton on that bait all the way from Lake of the Ozarks down to Dardanelle.

I'm not aware of any launch fee at any state-operated boat ramp in Missouri. Nor can I find any info on a $40 state annual launch pass. Could be wrong but everything I find online about any state-operated ramp says launching is free.

I've sure caught a bunch on them after the head has started wobbling a bit. It doesn't seem to hurt anything in my experience.

I'm really struggling to leave this alone. I mean REALLY struggling. But I'm succeeding so far.