Champ188

If there's any good news to your concerns, we all know the big fish are still there. And they'll start showing up again sooner than later. But you're right, it's a head scratcher when they do this. I think it has more to do with the bait than anything, which we all know is very plentiful. There's bait shallow and there's bait deep, so wherever the fish want to be, there is food.

Last I heard he was trying to slay a deer. Hopefully he didn't revive last year's quest of bowhunting for bear. Too much potential for that to end badly.

Will do, gabe. We have a great friend down there who guides full time so we are hoping for a really good trip. We really love that lake. It's like a little Table Rock or Beaver tucked into some beautiful country.

I think Babler is starting to get the darn things trained to stay deep year-round from one end of the lake to the other.

Keep hammering on em, Sprint. Like you said, any second can bring the right decision that produces a winning/top 3 sack.

Very good report, abk. Glad you were able to salvage the trip despite the motor issues. Donna and I are headed for Broken Bow (OK) for 4 days starting early Friday morning. We're pumped.

Thanks for catching that spot for me, QB. I thought I felt a bite mid-morning while I was sitting at my computer.

That's a good idea QB ... just try one new spot every time out. All of us fight the urge to revisit our old tried-and-true spots. Jason Christie calls it "fishing the history book." I'm going to try your suggestion.

You nailed it, fishingaddiction. Moreso than other times of the year, you really have to fish "in the moment" in the fall. It's such a time of transition that they will sure throw you a curveball in mid-day and if you aren't ready for it, you may think they have quit biting. It's challenging but rewarding when you're able to stay with them.

Make sure you don't get lost, QB. Not sure you know your way around that neck of the woods quite yet.

Good luck, abk. May not be the greatest blade conditions after this front but a little wind can go a long way. Hope you have a great weekend. Donna and I are going somewhere Saturday or Sunday, just haven't decided between the Rock or Grand.

Gonna get better with these cold fronts rolling thru. Falling water temps = time to feed up for winter.

+1 ... When gadgets exceed the point of practicality, it's time to stop and reconsider our priorities, i.e. would our time be better spent fishing or playing with gadgets?

Nice whites. Lotsa fun there.

Good stuff, QB. Gotta love fall in the Ozarks.

Just across the street from Cedarwood is Harpers Valley Resort. The owners Basil and Nancy are as great a people as you will ever meet and will take excellent care of you at an excellent price. They have a dock and share a private ramp with Cedarwood

Yep, got to drink in the whole experience. That way you never come home empty-handed.

Here's a link to the free web version of the same Navionics map you can buy for your graph. Pretty nifty. http://www.navionics.com/en/webapp

Pretty stout display of dumbassery on my part. Oh well, it wasn't the first time and likely won't be the last.

Ah, the old fall dock-flipping bite is on. Love it! Funny story ... Donna and I were up there several years ago fishing the Champion owners tournament. We typically struggled in that deal but this particular year the dock bite kicked in just in time. Found the pattern Thursday and spent Friday searching out all the right docks, mostly in the Kings. Felt progressively worse Friday afternoon and by 6 p.m. I was in bed at Schooner Creek Resort with every blanket we had over me. Had come down with the flu. Being hardheaded, I insisted on fishing the next day. Still running 101-104 fever, I did my best but it took a real toll on my normal accuracy. I chipped the paint off a dozen jigs by clanging them off every boat lift and dock post in the Kings River and beyond. Ended up with three keepers that weighed over 11 pounds (yeah, the size was right) and lost another half dozen in that same size range. Should've had 16-17 pounds, which would have been right at the top of the leaderboard. Against my will (sort of), we were packed up and headed home before dark ... Donna having ruled that we were NOT fishing the second day of the derby. Probably a good thing since we ended up at the ER the next day to find out I already had pneumonia. Anyhoo, congrats on the win, Stone. Love that dock bite!

Aunts Creek is loaded with fish. Absolutely stacked. Like cordwood. Thick as fleas on a coon hound's back. Go get em.

Not to be blunt (any moreso than usual) but there's a lot of value in getting out in the yard and learning to cast. When you're fishing, you are thinking about catching fish more than casting. In the yard, you don't have that distraction. Get out there with some old baits sans hooks and do your homework. Then when you get on the water, it'll be second nature.

A good spoon fisherman will catch fish year-round under just about any weather condition. Former Bassmasters Classic champion and three-time BASS Angler of the Year Mark Davis likes to say, "A spoon isn't a lure, it's a weapon." Table Rock has its share of good spoon fishermen, too. Two of the best are our moderator Mr. Babler and his sidekick Mr. Beck.

I certainly believe there are activity periods and lulls but I don't believe they can be predicted by the times the sun and moon rise and set. JMO

Thanks for the kind words, fishingaddiction. You, too, are right on target with the info about the fish pulling out to the middle of those pockets. It can really try your patience but the drop-shotting technique will usually pay off sooner or later. If the first or second location doesn't pay off, keep moving and eventually you will find a school that will cooperate. Another idea is to drop a spoon to these fish. I like a War Eagle spoon in white (1/2 ounce first choice, 7/8 ounce second). You can also spoon in dock slips and catch lots of fish this time of year.