Champ188

Good report. Like you said, just gotta have that big bite right now to get paid.

Very nice boat, Jim. Your hard work is evident. Now with regular wipedowns and a little TLC, it will be a showboat.

This is a fishing forum where we talk mostly about bass fishing --- a darn expensive sport. Bill was marveling about folks dropping $50K on a hunt that was over in 10 days and saying you might spend that on a boat too but at least you get to enjoy it far beyond 10 days. Again, this is a fishing forum. That's what we talk about here. Bill or none of the rest of us are responsible for how anyone spends their money, young or old. If they are big enough to be on the forum, they're big enough to make their own decisions --- financial and otherwise.

Nice work, Jim. Thanks for the detailed report. Donna and I are about to go see what we can scare up down that way.

Outstanding.

If you are going to fish Table Rock in nasty weather, that usually means late fall thru early spring. You need good clothing. Start with a good quality base layer like UnderArmor or for those too tall/fat for anything in normal sizes, Cabela's makes a good big man's polar weight base layer. Finish your fashionable ensemble with GoreTex ... BPS 100MPH or Cabela's Guidewear are great choices. Yes, it's expensive. But being warm and dry is priceless on a 30-degree day with mixed rain, sleet and snow and north winds 10-20 mph.

Great fish, man. I'm heading down your way tomorrow to try and beat up on some of those big uns you've been keeping to yourself. Might end up going that direction in the BFL if the rivers are messed up.

Thanks, Fishrman. Good to know there's still a bite up there after all that rain. Also good to hear of some better fish starting to show up. Been nothing but bucks for us lately.

The prettier the weather, the more they sull up and hide (and wait for a nasty day).

Hey ssc, thanks for the report. Glad to have you aboard. Might be a pain, but sometimes you do right by yourself to keep yourself out there in that wind. It will really activate the fish. You still had a decent day. Thanks again for posting.

Glad you didn't take it as making light of your report. There was quite a bit of back and forth going on a couple of months ago about whether the Ned was actually something new or if some of the older fellows had fished it years ago. I fall on the side of if it's not new, it's very much modified and improved from any previous versions. Darn good trip, Macsimus. Take care of that pretty boat.

Jim is indeed a good fellow and a darn good fisherman. You did well to buy from him.

Fortunately, you recovered from poverty nicely ... or so says that new Duramax diesel truck and Phoenix/Yamaha SHO rig.

I'm with you, dude. Boats didn't cost $50K plus back when I was doing a lot of that same stuff on the Arkansas River. I'll leave the lumberjacking to Bo and his buddies.

You guys carry on like that "little rig" is the latest development in cyber technology. Heck, I started throwing it back in the spring of 1962 while still in diapers. Didn't have super glue back then so I had to use Elmer's paste. Just had to make sure there was an adult along so I didn't eat all my paste before the trip was over. Was also a pain in the butt having to reglue it every other cast with that water-soluble paste but hey, you work with what you've got. Also had to cut my Creme Scoundrel worms with blunt-nose scissors since mom wouldn't let me have any sharp-pointed ones. Caught about 50 head most trips, sometimes 100, with about 80% of them being keepers. Wasn't any such thing as catch-and-release back then and limits were pretty generous, so that stupid bait alone caused Dad to have to take a second job for awhile to buy a bigger deep freeze.

Could you guys be talking about different kinds of hubs ... prop hubs vs. trailer wheel hubs?

Yeah, you bunch of sissies. Get up there and get with it! State Farm/Geico/Allstate/Progressive will buy you a new lower unit. Man up!

I'm sure there's no boat parking at the lodge. Johnny can't make money if you don't rent a slip. ?

I only add a trailer in very murky water.

My opinion is that fish are a product of their environment. Fish in the mid to upper parts of the Kings and James live in stained water all their lives, so they aren't as freaked out when the water starts to move and turns brown. Yes, at some point it gets too muddy even for them. But that point is a lot greater in the rivers than in the main lake, where even a little stain is a drastic change in environment.

Looks like a natural LM/K hybrid to me. Darn nice fish.

Understood, kazoo, but here's some good news on the War Eagle spinnerbaits. They are named for the War Eagle River in Northwest Arkansas, not the battle cry of Auburn. Thank goodness for that because I, too, must cheer for Bama over Auburn when forced to pick. Of course, my true allegiance is to the Razorbacks. Wooooo, PIG Sooie!!!!

Oh, Alex. You must understand that to oppose the practice of stocking striped bass will result in you forever being labeled a narrow-minded, uneducated hater. Trust me on that. And that's my last word on this thread.

There are tons more folks who read this forum than post, and that's fine. It's one heckuva source of information and sometimes entertainment. Just be aware you are telling lots of folks a lot of stuff you've worked hard for.

River bite has got to bust loose any day now. At least you got out and enjoyed a pretty day. I had my head stuck in a computer screen all day.