Champ188

So it's like cobblestone now?

Pretty forward thinking for a small place like Kimberling City. They must have used some of their traffic ticket revenue to fund part of the cost. Lord knows they have enough cops pulling people over.

I'll ask around some of my Stockton contacts and see if they've caught any or are aware of the situation.

Agreed, the fluorocarbon is far more sensitive.

I'm opting out of this discussion because in one breath it's OK for me to have my own opinion but in the next I'm coming off rough in presenting it. I have no ax to grind with anyone here. If someone is indeed mutilating fish, I hope to the heavens they are caught and punished extensively.

Someone sounds happy, happy, happy that the deep bite is finally getting going.

Thank you, 5bites. I'm no jean-yus, but I was pretty sure I added 40 + 30 correctly. Just for the fun of it, let's say there are a total of 1,000,000 LM bass in Stockton. That's reasonable, figuring on a rate of 40 pounds per acre. Now let's say that the disfigured fish exist only in an area that covers one-fourth of the lake, where 250,000 fish live. And let's be generous and say whoever is maiming these fish managed to catch and mutilate 1,000 fish, which is highly unlikely, Even then, for every bass caught, the odds would be 250-to-1 against it being one of the mangled fish. Just sayin' ...

Best spinning rig line I have found is Bass Pro Shops Excel in 6-pound test. Strong, limp and cheap enough to change often.

Used to stay at Schooner but now prefer Harper's Valley, also in Kimberling. Basil and Nancy are incredibly great hosts and they have great rates on everything up to 2-3 bedrooms. Tell 'em James and Donna sent ya.

He speaks the truth. Scattered bait = scattered bass.

Not all of us are married to Type A women. Donna is every bit as fond of the boat and all of our fishing equipment as I am, and she owns no more pairs of shoes than me, which at last count was 3 or 4. Doesn't drive a mini-van either. And catches as many or more fish than I do. Fishes when it's 20 degrees or 100 degrees and everything in between, rain or shine. Can back a boat trailer better than most men.

Donna says put a barrel of shovels instead of free life jackets at the ramps.

Frankly, and it's just my opinion, Biffle hasn't done as much to endear himself to the fishing public as Davis. While both of them tend to focus more on fishing than hamming it up for the media, Davis does have more charisma.

Glad you clarified that Old Plug coz I have a glitter boat with not two but THREE graphs and I use white rods. The big thing to me is color coordination, thus my silver truck to match the white/silver/gunmetal boat. I also fish in white shirts quite often so I can be in harmony with my rods. Being the social butterfly that I am, I couldn't imagine life without any of the above. Perish the thought.

Well said indeed, powerdive. You're alright for a darned ol' walleye fisherman.

It just boggles the mind that one guy could catch and disfigure enough bass that two others (dprice and Dirtracer35) could catch 70-plus of them. How many hundreds of thousands ... if not millions ... of bass are swimming in that 25,000-acre lake? The odds are astro-freakin-nomical. How many of these disfigured fish are swimming around down there for TWO guys to catch 70-plus between them?

Those things will knock the urine out of jerk bait at Grand, especially in February-March. Donna and I have had days when we caught 20 or more. Of course, the bass are in the same areas and usually biting, too, on the days the drum are biting.

In Arkansas, you still pay sales tax on used cars unless the purchase price is below $2,500.

Interesting indeed, mojorig. Thanks for the effort to share that.

Leave Donna's drummers alone.

Pretty fish. Thanks for posting the report and pix.

Very nice. Thanks for providing that, Jeremy.

One in every crowd. Always.

Replicas are hands-down the way to go. I just hope that 50-pound striper isn't still swimming somewhere. Only place those things belong is the ocean, where God put 'em.

Hope you have a great trip, Dan. Don't try to force-feed em that topwater too long. There's a pretty good fb jig and hula grub bite starting, along with the usual early summer dock bite (shaky head and finesse jig).