Champ188

I use 6-pound mono exclusively on my spinning rods. Shaky head and Ned are pretty much the only things I throw on them. Grub on occasion in the winter. Best mono I have found for this use is BPS Excel in the green tint. Tough stuff and isn't bad about coiling when stored. Pull it behind the boat once a trip to get the twists out and you're ready to go next time. I change it about every 3-4 trips. Not because it's worn but because at $9.99 for 1,500 yards, it's just easier to respool than mess with old line. Right now, it's $6.69 for that 1,500 yard spool . I won't argue that fluorocarbon might be a bit more sensitive and I wouldn't think of using anything but quality carbon (Sunline Sniper or Trilene 100% FC) on my baitcasting tackle for jigs and other "feel" lures. But I'm stuck on mono for spinning apps. I just don't trust myself not to rear back too hard and snap light-test FC. In the words of comedian Ron White … "I've seen me do it."

I remember a Central Pro-Am tournament a few years back on Beaver Lake being won just the way Plug is describing. Local guy named David Franks won it.

Regardless of how you go about it, the ultimate goal is to make the longest cast possible and get the bait down to maximum depth in as little retrieve distance as possible. That puts your bait in the strike zone for the longest amount of time possible.

V-209 but with dark olive green where the black is now ( as the old ones were).

I'm off to the driving range and then the golf course. Coz there's nothing complex about the golf swing at all. 🤣

Wouldn't want the guy to run short of options … spinnerbait bite isn't far off either. 😁

There's a LOT of knowledge in this thread, guys. And very little of it coming from me. When you can find out how Buster Loving fishes a jerk bait, you better hang on every word.

No apology required 1farmer. You know your business and I’m glad to hear your opinion. This place is great only because so many good fishermen are willing to exchange ideas.

I've given thought to that but haven't tried it. This would be a good year to give it a try.

Well, that's a good thing for a fishing partner or two I've had over the years coz their voice could be heard "constant and stable" ALL DARNED DAY LONG!

Could be that 12-pound fc line pulling the nose down. Mike McClelland advocates throwing jerk baits on 10-pound or 8-pound mono … I personally like the 8-pound PLine CXX. I believe Babler chooses 8-pound Maxima. Also, nothing wrong with using a small snap on the front but make sure it's very small and is ONLY a snap and not a swivel Not out to reignite a mono vs. FC war here … that topic has been covered more than thoroughly. Just stating my opinion as to why your lure may be sitting a little too far nose down.

Hard to go against arguably the best there's ever been on Table Rock. I've always felt the same where shallow fish are concerned. Come in quietly and make super-accurate casts with as little splashdown as possible. If possible, I will throw up on the bank and drag my lure back into the water Little things make a big difference with shallow fish.

Several reports on here. Should get you started in the right direction. Tournament season is starting up so anything more than general info is gonna be tough to come by. Good luck out there. Hope you catch a bunch.

That may be the funniest dadgum thing I've seen on OAF in a very, very long time 😆😂 😆😂 😆😂 😆😂 Perhaps you could run a jersey up the PowerPoles as a wind sock?

You could also use them for hanging bird feeders, making wind chimes … lots of ways to recoup your money without sending them back out on the water. 🤣

If you're looking for something really nice and want some darn good daily fishing advice, I'd strongly consider White River Lodge, which is the personal home of our own Mr. Babler. You would also do well to hire him to guide you a day or two.

Brush isn't a necessity on Table Rock … there's plenty of rock and other natural contours to hold fish. You might find a few LM around brushpiles but in my experience, they aren't much of an advantage.

Thank you, John, but trust me, the pleasure is all mine. This young man has helped restore in me a bit of confidence in today's youth. He's a wonderful kid and a pleasure to spend time with.

Helped a friend practice Saturday for his high school tournament on Sunday. They're starting to bite a little but you have to find the right places. Actually found some 47-degree water and that's where the bite was. Jig and jerk bait produced several bites in a short amount of time before we left the area to save it for my buddy for the next day.

A-rig is a fast-moving reaction lure. Ned is a slow-moving "feeding" lure. Mike, you fish on the lower end of the lake mostly in very clear water. Line size does matter in the number of bites you get, especially with slow-moving lures.

Donna and I slipped up to Big M and got in about 6 hours, starting at 11:30 AM and finishing at 5:30 PM. Bite was slow but not impossible --- we ended up with a dozen, all spots except one LM and probably not a keeper in the bunch. However, for 42-44 degree water and not having been on the Rock in no telling when, we weren't too disappointed. Couldn't buy a jig bite and only the single LM was caught on jerk bait. The rest were all caught on the Varmint … aka Ned Rig. Bite was on main lake transitions (mostly 45-degree chunk rock with timber) and ranged from 18 to 25 feet deep. Might have gotten bit as deep as 30 feet a time or two. As was discussed in an earlier thread, the fish are still pretty grouped up … they are where they are and they darn sure aren't where they aren't. Gonna get better soon. It's the middle of February .

Our teams may look similar, Falcon … Clunn and whoever the heck else is still fishing BASS that I've at least heard of.

Don't tell me those are the variety that also eat trolling motors, lower units and power poles and have been known to leap into the vessels of tournament anglers during the months of March thru June and instantly maim or kill the occupants of said vessel. In the interest of public safety, we should probably do everything in our power to get the word out on these piscatorial menaces and hopefully disperse the aforementioned competitive bassers to other nearby waters such as Grand, Beaver and Bull Shoals

I know a good spot in Beardsley. 😆😋

I think the checks will come a lot easier with the new "Elite" field for guys like Clunn, who actually know how to catch a fish and have history on some of the lakes they'll be fishing.