Champ188

Yup, you're in triple digits easily. Guar-on-teed.

There was one place in there where they kinda zoomed in on the lure. Should be able to see the hooks. They did the show in two 1-hour segments and he missed the cut for the final day, so that part would be in the first segment. They'll surely re-run it soon.

Me, too, 5bites. I think there's a good chance it could be ... maybe even before then, like now. I noticed on Sunday's TV show that Aaron Martens was using one at the Elite Series derby at Bay de Noc, Mich. He was catching some of those big brown fish on it. I still say if you swim it past the right dock corner on TR you are subject to get it crushed by a freaky-big spot who is then gonna try to trash your spinning gear. I'd hate that.

Care to rethink that reply, SOX?

That's pretty darn funny right there, Jan_Z.

Agreed, Jeb. By the way, I got a prorated deal on my Bella Vista boat stickers since the Ranger has never been registered, so you and QB may be noticing some hook holes in the lips of your pets.

Same here. I'm up to four of those flat Falcon boxes that hold a dozen or so each, then there's a "general population" box with another 25 or so. I'm still safely under 100 but probably not for much longer. Crap, forgot about the "reinforcements" of extra-good colors still in packages hanging on the pegboard wall in the garage. I think there's only about 10 of those, so still under triple digits --- for now.

Why, QB? Why do you do this? Away with thee!

Thanks for the alert.

According to REDSOXWSCHAMPS, who works at Bass Pro Shops, the fish went into 30-day quarantine at BPS in Springfield. He reported that here on this forum. So who's to be believed? Him or your unidentified source? Just sayin, we seem to have conflicting reports.

Off color makes a world of difference with that blade on a sunny day.

It's the guide's boat and therefore the guide's rules. But with any reputable guide, there's not going to be an issue because he'll make sure all that is understood before the trip is even booked. You want to keep bass, find a meat hog. There's a couple still working Table Rock. Fortunately, they are a dying breed and aren't very good, so they don't do a lot of harm. Any decent guide I've ever known will tell you that if you aren't going to respect his wishes, he doesn't need you as a client.

We used to troll big 15-inch Kona Heads, Bahamas and Marlin Magics for sailfish and marlin off the Pensacola coast. The key was getting them set to skip across the tops of the waves just right. Those oughta work just fine on Beaver. Heck, you could probably catch some 5-pound smallmouths and maybe even a tasty gar or two.

To catch that many on a jig answers why you did not catch them on the blade. It was just a looking-down day. I like those days coz they are the ones when Donna kicks my butt on her jig and I get to run the troller and feel smart for a little while.

Crappie, walleye, catfish, etc. aren't responsible for a billion-dollar industry that hinges on their very existence. Sure, lots of people fish for those species and generate revenue. But the bass is king when it comes to tournaments, guide trips and overall dollars spent in their pursuit, whether by tournament or purely recreational anglers. There was no transparency before the fact that the fish in question would be taken from Table Rock Lake and not returned, nor has there been any transparency since. It was just done with the apparent assumption that no one would have any problem with it. The CPA tournament rules themselves state that tournament anglers are under "extreme scrutiny" of the general public, conservation groups, etc., and are held to the highest standards of conservation, care and courtesy. Having 15 anglers haul their final day's catch to Springfield and not return those fish to Table Rock does not meet those standards, IN MY OPINION. It is standard protocol nationwide for tournament organizations to release their fish alive and healthy back into the waters from which they were caught. Has been since catch-and-release was introduced in the 1970s. So what entitles CPA to break ranks with every other tournament organization in the country and use these fish to stock Johnny's fish tanks? I'm done with this. I can't explain my position any clearer. Everyone who reads this is entitled to agree or disagree. I don't care either way. Thankfully, we still have that right here in the good ol' US of A.

Should make em bite better. Fall cool fronts tend to get the fish moving more than hurt the bite.

Yup, if you get in the right areas, things like this can happen.

I see the BFL Ozark Division opens March 7 on Grand and the Okie Division starts there a week later. If I could get on the same bite I was on two years ago, I might fish both.

That's some great action. Good job.

Were you trolling your topwaters? Not sure the concept of casting is widely understood on this forum.

Good job 5bites. Grand can certainly lend itself to junk fishing in the fall. I've had some crazy tough days over there when you'd think they'd be chomping like pirhanas.

+1 ... probably nowhere are they more suitable than around submergent vegetation like hydrilla, coontail, milfoil, etc.

Good job, Sprint, and you are right about covering water. Fall is the junk fisherman's time to shine. For you guys who want a little something to chew on ... it's especially important in the fall to keep your eyes wide open and take advantage of every little circumstance that presents itself. We have a lot of windless days in the fall, so if a little breeze kicks up, go get in an area where it's blowing and use it to your advantage. If it's sunny and you can find shade in the kind of area you're catching them, use that to your advantage, too. Be alert to the presence of baitfish, a specific type of cover that seems to hold more fish than anything else, the exact depth your bites are coming if you're flipping docks, etc. Each of these things may contribute one or two fish to your day during the fall, and next thing you know, you've cobbled together a decent sack of fish. This is not to say that solid patterns aren't available in the fall. Sometimes they are. But some of us are more inclined to employ the Sanford & Son pattern, and to be successful at it, we have to fish "eyes wide open" -- along with our ears and other senses -- so that we don't miss our opportunities when they come along.

In my experience, they seem to work better in stained water. That eliminates a very big portion of Table Rock.

Yeah, that Fin info is no help. None at all. You shouldn't have bothered typing it.