Champ188

Thumbs, Donna sez she'll be culling 18-inchers by 9 a.m. in those Everett derbies. You may have to step up your game a little. LOL

F&F, didn't grow up there but spent four years in Pensacola in the late 1980s. I actually learned the tactic from my grandfather in Arkansas but you are right, lots of folks follow it in Florida. Works really good on triggerfish, red snaps and small grouper.

Well said, Dave. Very well said.

I bury mine in ice overnight and clean em the next day. So much easier to do a near-perfect job of filleting when they are already dead and the meat is cold and firm.

I'd pretty much rather chase a little white ball around than throw that silly A-rig. So that is my plan this weekend. After that, time to get after 'em on Beaver.

At this point, with the discussion of reproducing Warts on 3D printers and all such as that, I'm declaring this to have reached Frankenthread status. And that's some rare air.

She makes me proud. She gets after it when a lot of men have already said "uncle." And I'd put her up against any back-seater I've ever had in pro-am tournaments when it comes to jig fishing.

I believe you're right about them trying to emulate Major League Fishing. Those of us like me and you who've been around long enough to know what BASS once was have to be sad to see what it's become. Started its death spiral when Ray Scott sold it to ESPN and it has only gotten worse under McKinnis. Sad, sad, sad.

Wrench, it's sure headed that direction. I've seen summer boat traffic increase dramatically in just the 12 years that Donna and I have been here. And I'm +1 with Hunter on the leeches ... that flippin Obama and his other liberal Dem buddies are not stupid ... they bought the votes of people who had never been to the polls before. At the expense of us working stiffs, of course.

There's a guy down here in Rogers named Joe Dickey who replaces the bills in Vision 110s. FLW pro Greg Bohannan told me he likes the action better after Joe does his thing to one. You could probably get his contact info by calling Hook Line & Sinker at (479) 631-8118.

Sprint, to my great surprise, we did not see one fluttering, dying or dead shad anywhere. I did see some pretty good baitballs on the graph at 20-40 feet. Like everyone, I'm ready for some of those rascals to die, die, die. Too many of em.

Addiction, your post made me think ... you guys think twice about backing your trailers into icy water. I know they'll break the ice and get you going, but many a fellow has busted both of his taillights out backing into hard water.

Good stuff, QB. Thanks for posting.

LOL, bet you will catch some, Thumbs. Red is standard early-spring fare from Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs down to Toledo Bend and over across Texas. Should work up here. Might be good in the slightly stained waters of the river on Beaver or the Kings on TR. One of the best Beaver fishermen that you and I know throws a red one some.

Thanks to all for the encouraging words about the Beaver derbies. We're gonna go at it with renewed minds and a resolve to approach the lake like we've never seen it. "Fish the moment" so to speak and not the history book.

LOL, nope but she was dressed a little better than me. Someone has gotten too dadgum fat for his GoreTex jacket.

Upper White River is clear ... Eagle Rock to the Arkansas line. Can't imagine there's any main-lake ice below there.

Wise words, J-Doc. Needed to hear em. Thanks. And thanks for the compliment on the Ranger. We shopped long and hard before deciding and have not regretted our choice one bit.

Couple of pics from yesterday's foray ....

It'll be here one of these days. I think. Guess me and Donna are gonna fish the Everett derbies this year on Beaver. I will try my best not to get on the Beaver channel and vent my spleen. No promises, though. Me and that pond have a storied history of mutual contempt.

As pledged, Donna and I ventured out for an afternoon fling yesterday. Tried Beaver first but Indian Creek ramp was too dicey so we headed up to Eagle Rock. Ramp clear, water soft. Surface temp 37 at the ramp and 38 upstream at state line. Fished several channel swing bluffs and bluff ends in that 3-mile stretch to no avail. In fact, not a single bite. For the record, I threw a Jackall DD Squirrel (my favorite deep-diving jerk bait) and Donna threw a hair jig, tiny brown jig and even tried dead-sticking one of the new Keitech Salt Sticks (think ramped-up Senko). Only fished 2.5 hours but might have done no better if we'd been there all day. Slick roads from overnight freezing fog kept me at home til noon. We did meet Missouri Conservation Agent (game warden) Dan Vanderhoef while loading up to leave. He checked our licenses and even climbed up in the Ranger and checked the livewell for illegal captives. Super nice guy. Told him we were glad to see him out and about and to stop and say hi anytime. Sorry to have nothing better to report but hey, it's tough out there. I'm sure someone will come along with an inspiring report of whacking a 20-pound sack. Always do.

Picked up one of the root beer-chartreuse craws at Hook Line & Sinker in Rogers. Anxious to give it a whirl. The color should work pretty good in the Kings and maybe some river spots on Beaver. If not, I know where to get it painted.

Hey buzzbaitr, Thumbs and the rest of us down here have been buried in snow too long to be held accountable for our opinions about lure choice. It is also entirely possible that he mail-ordered some of that now-legal leafy green stuff from Colorado and smoked it before pulling the trigger on that Razorback red Vision 110. He could be having all kinds of visions. Don't pay him any mind. Or me. LOL

Hey addiction, glad to hear we won't be the only souls on the lake. We're planning to launch at Eagle Rock. Think I'll start right around there and throw a jerk bait (smaller deep-diver, like a Jackall Squirrell). Will concentrate on outside channel bends that touch bluff banks, and also bluff ends. Timber is a bonus. Donna will no doubt throw a jig behind me. She picked up some really nice-looking green/orange hair jigs today at our local tackle shop. I will also throw a green pumpkin Yamamoto 5-inch grub a bit. There's usually a decent grub bite starting about now but you gotta drag it slow.

Wasn't fully aware of the regs. I do know they were said to be deadly on Ouachita, where I grew up.