Champ188

The dam area is tough right now. So tough that the best guides are struggling down there. He'd be better off in one of the river arms throwing a jerk bait or A-rig. The wart bite has not started yet because the water temp remains in the mid-40s and even below that in some areas.

Yes, size of fish. I refuse to type the species name for fear of committing a typo.

Thanks much again, Phil and anyone else who had a hand in putting it together. It was a great time and I hope we can do it again soon under better weather conditions.

Thanks for the report, At this rate, we're still gonna be throwing a jerkbait in June.

Nice fish, Quill ... musta been nuts in BV today. I heard of a similar sack caught at Ann, also on jerk bait.

Welcome to the gang, Soda. I'm with magicwormman on hiring a guide ... it would be money very well spent. And your search for the right one should probably start with the moderator of this forum. He and his buddy Bill Beck are as good as guides come on The Rock.

I should say, too, that I appreciate the reports, Quill. Always plenty of information to help me get a grip on what's going on ... or not going on. By the way, I couldn't recognize that pocket on a bet and like Bill, that fish is probably a little too big for me to be acquainted with. That one is more Donna's size.

Hey, I know that pocket. In fact, I know that bass. Let him go! He's my friend!

Congrats on a great day. You'll carry that memory forever.

Yay, rps is bringing Walter! He's always a hit around hot grease. Seriously, Donna and I plan to be there. Like Bill, I will bring the Ranger and will have an assortment of tackle for anyone interested in discussing some of the tactics that I find effective on Table Rock and beyond. Look forward to putting some faces with some names and making some new friends.

Like dtrs5kprs said, no fish up there. No oxygen in the water. They swim up about a mile north of SK bridge and either stop or peel off up the Kings.

Ready for 5-6 inches of really warm rain, all in a 24-hour period. That would get em going.

Good point, Bill. Things can go south (no pun intended) in a big ol' hurry this time of year and it's best not to be alone if they do.

Good job, Cody. Putting your head down and getting that limit is nearly always the smart move, especially in a series with points on the line. Thanks for the report. Gonna be up at the Rock on Wednesday for the first time in weeks. What kind of places are you throwing that Senko? Thanks in advance.

Great info and certainly good for a chuckle. Twenty-three is cold anytime, much less with the north wind whipping up 3-footers. And you said I was tough for bucking the rollers on Grand on Saturday. LOL

Hope that 10-pounder was well cared for and released. I've seen my share of jackpots where it might have ended up on someone's wall. Just sayin.

Brett, I like the Mister Twister (green and yellow) electric myself. I've had one for several years now and it has done me proud. Just gotta be careful cleaning crappie with an electric and not go thru the backbone. They are pretty tender and require a delicate touch.

Pretty fish indeed. Congrats and welcome to the forum.

Again, thanks much guys. It's nice to get the year off to a good start.

Our old gal ... Table Rock, not Donna ... is really kicking out some big sacks. Good to see the fishery in such fine shape. I know not everyone is catching them but that is the nature of the beast this time of year. You either find or em or you don't. Derby results bear that out if you look down the line past the first few places. Congrats to all who caught em and cashed ind yesterday.

Thanks everyone. You're too kind. Had a good day of fishing and sure put the new Ranger and my aging back to the test. Rode honest-to-God six-footers and a few even taller coming back from the dam. No damage to anything but the screws in the base of my Ram mount on the front loosened up from the beating. Those fish over there have been stubborn ever since the Classic and have really taken a beating from derbies and recreational fishermen alike. Last weekend was a 300-boat Nichols Marine tournament. This weekend was BFL plus a 200-boat Skeeter XFL event. Every "pretty" place was covered with boats to the point they could often cast and hit each other, so I decided to go "ugly" and got on a little deal of throwing a RC Stix jerk bait in smaller, unimpressive main-lake cuts. I also made a point to stay in the wind, which made for some darn hard fishing in a 25-40 mph gale but gave me an added degree of privacy since most of the other boats were trying to avoid the big swells. That's when it pays to have a pole seat on the front. Again, thanks for the support. You're a great bunch of guys.

My theory might be that if they room's paid for, might want to make good use of it on such a day. And the TV. Just sayin.

This is a heckuva thread ... a guy would be wise to remember this one and go back to it year after year.

Caught one on the first cast? It's a wonder you got another bite all day! I always make a little short fake first cast to be sure I don't catch one. lol

Don't neglect to drag a PBJ-colored half-ounce fb jig with a green pumpkin twin-tail trailer on the gravel points in that area. It will catch all three species of bass and is tough to beat in early spring.