Champ188

So many ways to catch them that time of year. For sheer action, hard to beat a watermelon candy pr watermelon-red finesse worm on a 3/16-ounce head. You can also drag a 1/2-ounce football jig (PBJ with a green pumpkin twin-tail trailer) around off main-lake and secondary points. Zara Spook Jr. or Storm Chug Bug topwaters are also to be considered. The list goes on. Have fun during your visit and be sure to eat at Danna's BBQ place in West Branson.

McStick blue bandit anytime, along with RC Stix in pro blue or secret grape. Only change I'll make on dark days is to try a RC Stix in blue herringbone, which is a lot like pro blue but with a chartreuse belly. There are also times when an old suspending Rogue in the clown color will work well. But like Sore Thumbs accurately said, it's mostly about throwing it in the right places with the right cadence. Stay warm and be safe out there, boys and girls.

24-pound winning sack definitely sounds like an A-rig.

Being a Florida State fan from back in the 80s when I spent 3 years in Pensacola, I have to say that I hope Fisher learned something from Mizzou's failure to stop the Auburn running game. The Noles definitely have some great athletes. It's just going to come down to coaching and execution, especially on defense. Should be a good game. So should tonight's MIzzou-Okla. St. and Clemson-Ohio St. clashes. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeze let Clemson beat Ohio St. so we don't have to hear any more Big 10 boo-hooing about how they're under-rated and disrespected until next September. There are very few people in whom I take greater pleasure seeing LOSE than Urban Meyer.

Golf analogy: "What's the course record around here?"

Love it, Fins. Thank the good Lord we do at least get smarter with age because no other body parts seem to improve. Just poking the bear. He must be preoccupied with hoping his football team doesn't go the way of Alabama last night. Frankly, I'm hoping so, too. Enough with the upsets already. Go Mizzou!

It's possible that some of our members are becoming a bit soft in regards to their ability to weather the elements, so to speak. As some of us can attest, Wednesday's high was in the mid-40s and even with overcast, breezy conditions, it was very tolerable. The same is forecast for Saturday. Sunday, on the other hand, figures to be a bit too chilly for even us tough folks.

I'd say it was just tough all over. Only took 14 lbs to win the Polar Bear derby on Beaver, and 9 pounds got a check. That was with 78 boats.

Well done indeed, sir. I thought several times about rigging up a tube for Donna and never did. Looks like I should have.

Shoulda stopped and said hello, Fishrman. It's not like you would've been interrupting a feeding frenzy. It was tough for us. We only had three, but at least two were good keepers. I looked for the deep bite for the first couple of hours then pulled out the jerker and stayed with it and on for the rest of the day. I did go back to my deep efforts a few times but to no avail. Missed a few others but all in all, very tough. No squirrels or deer moving. Never saw a single eagle either. Just a dead day for us. Stop and say hi next time. You won't bother us.

Amen, guys. Those who don't take time to enjoy all of God's great creations are missing out on a big part of fishing. I don't catch enough fish to keep me occupied. Gotta have the eagles, deer, foxes, ducks, etc. to fill in the times between bites!

Well said, CHAMP. We are blessed to have this forum and each other's friendship. Happy 2014 to all.

Yes they are, huntest. Yes they are.

We'll likely be somewhere between the bridge and Campbell Point downstream. Might get as far up as Emerald Beach but I doubt it, although rumor has it there's a helluva spoon bite up there. White Ranger with silver/gunmetal stripes and a Mercury. Tall, fat, ugly guy on the troller. Good lookin' mature woman on the back bowed up on a fish. Stop and say howdy. Anyone.

Welcome to the new age of BASS. If you think the staff is lacking in professionalism, wait til you meet some of the anglers. Remember that wild ride the poor marshal lady took down the tailrace below the dam in Alabama last year? And the same (or lots worse) could've happened to others. So much for the rule that says safe-boating practices much be observed at all times. Not a one of those jerks up there in that tailrace were penalized 1 ounce for endangering the lives of their marshals. To each his own but I'd get awfully bored sitting there watching a guy pitch a (insert your favorite soft-plastic sight fishing lure here) at bedding fish all day. You'll learn a lot more (a lot cheaper) right here on this forum. Just my 2 cents' worth. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Nice meanmouth, QB. Donna and I are going tomorrow. Think we'll launch at SK bridge.

LOL, bluebasser, one of the good things about advancing years is that eventually you start forgetting a lot of the crazy things you did trying to catch a silly fish. Hey, it's how we learn. And you did catch a giant crawfish. Thanks for lettin' me poke at ya.

OK, I'll bite. Assuming you caught the aforementioned crustacean on the bottom, why were you spooning 82 feet deep?

I gotta start reading more articles. I haven't caught a 17-pound sack in months.

And in keeping with the theories at work here, last year was a pretty good jerkbait year. Of course, if the jerk bait bite doesn't materialize at TR, I'm close enough to Grand to go over there and catch 'em on it. It's shallow enough that the shad never go real deep. Besides, there are so darn many shad that there are always some shallow. You just don't have a chance to enjoy the big spots and brown fish that TR has.

Knowledge like that the last few posts is why Bill and Bo catch so many deep fish. My resolution for 2014 is to learn a LOT more about such things, plus learn how to better use the dadgum electronics on my boat. I could've bought a good used truck for what those things cost.

You might be surprised what I'd do for a steak dinner.

That's a well-said explanation, Bo, and one that even an old skinny-water guy like me can understand. Sure makes sense and I've been thinking it should finally get cold enough one day for the shad to break up and come shallower, like you said. I don't mind catching them deep but don't want winter to go by without getting to catch them on the jerk bait. Thanks for the wise words.

Can't see myself falling for this one. Famous last words.

What I can't figure is why the shad are so darned deep. They've been that way for weeks. Sure is making for some strange fishing. If they don't come up soon, we are not going to have any decent jerk bait fishing. Donna and I are going Wednesday. We're each gonna have one rod with a spoon and another with a grub. That's all. At least for starters. My first goal is to find and catch those deep rascals. My second one is to last until noon before pulling out a jerk bait. So if anyone sees us sitting out in the middle of the lake, we are not broke down. I just hope my head doesn't explode trying to catch fish out of 60-80 feet of water.