Champ188

Thinking about fishing a veterans benefit tournament the last weekend of May. Are you gonna be here wreaking havoc then? 😆😂

They're raiding your private stash, Jeff! Did you check to see if they have permits to be above the Shell Knob bridge? By the way, those permits can only be issued by Babler.

Preach it, brother! Gimme Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon and BPS Excel mono, and I am set. If tournament fishing, I MIGHT change my fluorocarbon to Trilene 100% carbon because it's the most sensitive line I've ever used. But it's expensive. Those three are all I need.

Tanks. lol

That's great news. Why in the world do organizers continue to hold big-bass events during the spawn? It doesn't take a biologist to figure out that when you take hundreds of fish off their spawning beds, you are hurting the fishery. It's not even an argument. One bass taken from a bed potentially kills hundreds of fry. Multiply that out and we wouldn't NEED supplemental stocking (which we aren't getting) if we would just let nature take care of itself without interrupting the spawn of the fish that at least some of us love dearly. Annual spawning season tournament rant over. We now return you to normally scheduled programming.

Vern, I'm with ya for sure on the traveling, palming and 3-second calls. All nonexistent these days.

Really nice afternoon and a great report. Congrats and thanks! Hard to beat the old species trifecta on Table Rock ... you were only a meanmouth away from the Table Rock Slam. You needed Quillback in the boat. That guy catches meanmouth like no one's business.

Great-looking boat. Welcome to the pre-Johnny Ranger family! Lots of other guys will poo-poo your boat, but ya know what? When all of that is said and done and it's time to go fishing, you have a big ol' safe and comfortable Ranger under you. There's a lot to be said for that kind of peace of mind.

That's why you NEVER catch one on your first cast. NEVER. It's my only superstition in the entire world. Oh, and always hole out on #18 when playing golf ... don't even take a 2-inch gimme. Again, hole out. BTW, there was a shiny new penny facing heads-up when I arrived at the golf course yesterday. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. Dang thing wasn't worth a crap. Played terrible. Maybe I'm more superstitious than I think. Or just O/C. Or both.

Fifty-six of 64 teams have gone home already and Arkansas is still playing. I'll take it.

Don't let that thing even dangle above the water in Beardsley. Good way to lose a rod-and-reel and maybe even a boat! 😂

Great to hear, Tim. Hang in there. Let's also lift some prayers for Capt. Don. I won't use his last name for privacy purposes, but those of you who know him may know that he had a health issue last week and is probably out of guiding for the month of April. Praying that God heals both Tim and Don fast and fully.

Really sad when people die doing something they love. On the other hand, what better way to go? I had a golf pro buddy who went out one Sunday morning, shot a 68, came home and sat down in his recliner to watch football, and died.

And, as usual, the rest of us will pay in terms of increased premiums.

Great to hear the old pond is kicking out sacks like this again. And lots of em. Reminds me of a Nichols Team Series weigh-in on Grand Lake.

In my opinion, for the Hogs to go to the Final 4, they would have to play perfectly every game of the tournament and, of course, that won't happen. I'd be happy with an Elite 8 appearance. If the big Williams kid (freshman from Fort Smith) plays well in his return from Covid, that could happen.

Well said, bo. Total lack of concern for anyone's life, including his own.

Mark, I've ridden with a bunch of those over my years as an outdoors writer. It's just stupid how some of them never back off the throttle for any reason, while others drive like they at least have some common sense. Most of them are in the latter category, which definitely includes Mike McClelland, James Watson (yes, he actually drives a boat safely) and other Table Rock-area anglers.

Great that you guys got together. I've made so many very good friends on this site ... both virtual and real life friends.

Ultimately, it's because God made them that way. When you look at all of the intricacies of wildlife behavior, it's hard to deny the truth of a divine Creator.

Good on you for letting the line burner go. Not worth getting busted by the warden for a short fish. And it helps the fishery. I'm not about to say I don't eat a lot of the keeper walleye I catch while bass fishing, but I measure them religiously and I let the big ones go during spawning season. Obviously others do the same for this fishery to continue growing as it is.

OA site owner Phil Lilley used to sell a brand called Leadmaster in his marina store. This is also what the entire crew at War Eagle Lures uses to build spinnerbaits. Very, very good pliers. Around $20.

Dave is so far past his nightlife days that he'd be fine in the Canadian wilderness. Groceries might be another story. 😁

Good to hear. It's not everyone for sure. But there's just enough of them to make things dangerous and miserable out there some days.

Think I'll stay down here and fish Bella Vista lakes or Beaver for awhile. TR sounds like a tough proposition right now.