Champ188

I've caught quite a few skinny LM's up the river this fall and other years. They always seem to fatten up by winter, though. Of course, the ones in Aunt's Creek stay fat year-round. I'm guessing there's gonna be a bunch of boats in there Sunday for the AIA derby. I hear they've really been biting in there.

Good ones. Always fun when they smash that blade up shallow.

Sounds like a great day, particularly given that you got to share your boat with some special company.

Quillback, this is not the slow, winter jerkbait bite. Working a jerkbait fast is a killer tactic from late spring through fall. Wind is the key and clouds help too.

That's awfully nice of you to say Bill. Didn't know we'd been so much help. As I said in my report, the rascals were scattered from a foot of water to the deep blue sea. Guess Donna and I will fish the Anglers In Action derby next Saturday. We'll see how smart I am then.

Donna and I fished from 8:30 a.m. to dark Saturday. Launched at H Highway (Baxter) ramp and stayed between there and SK bridge. Ended the day with 9 keepers and a bunch of shorts. Not to be intentionally vague, but we caught fish from 1 foot to 45 feet deep. Deepest keeper was our best fish, a 4-pound largemouth that bit a spoon at 37 feet in a dock slip. Productive baits included the spoon (War Eagle 7/8-ounce white), drop shot (watermelon seed Zoom Finesse worm), finesse jig (War Eagle pond scum perch), swim jig (Bass-X 5/16-ounce white with white twin-tail trailer), spinner bait (War Eagle 1/4-ounce green shad) and finally a Red Fin. Best advice for right now is fish what the conditions give you. We started out fishing deep docks because there were no clouds and no wind. Moved a bit shallower as the wind picked up and were finally able to throw a spinner bait mid-afternoon. It's fall and there are fish at every depth. Surface temp was 64-67 every time I thought to check it.

Techo, you are a bad man.

I would add to these suggestions the Sweetwater ramp in the Kings River. Plenty of good stuff to fish nearby.

Guess I need a lesson. A buddy and I fished hard yesterday 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. from KC to Indian Point and barely managed to beat out a limit between us, fishing from our own boats. I hurled a spinnerbait nearly all day. Ran into several others who said they struggled too.

I'm with Bill on this one. Although I am not a smallmouth expert like he is, when I do go looking for the brown fish, it's always on slick pea gravel points or banks. Glad they're building habitat but wish they'd do it elsewhere.

Hmmm, the water patrol soliciting info on this forum? Sounds fishy to me.

I want to emphasize that I'm not advocating keeping fish every time out. Far from it. But with harvest-based management plans, you can't have results if there is zero harvest.

I think Sam is right on. I'm both a tournament and recreational fisherman who spends 100-plus days a year on the water. For the most part, all of my fish are released. However, a couple of times a year, Donna and I will keep a mess of spots (Kentucky) bass to eat, usually from Beaver Lake, where they are more than plentiful and there is a 12-inch minimum length limit. I've brought this up before but will say again, we pay the MDC and AGFC biologists darn good money to formulate management plans for bass and other species in Missouri and Arkansas. Without fail, those plans are centered around length and creel limits. If EVERYONE releases every bass they catch, then those limits are meaningless and the management plans may as well have never been formulated. Personally, and I'm no biologist, I believe all trophy bass should be released in the interest of advancing the gene pool. Otherwise, I believe there has to be SOME harvest in order to balance the bass population with the forage base.

Thanks for the update indeed, Bill. Gave some thought to trying those SM last Saturday during a team derby but decided against because of no wind and no clouds. Struggled upriver, too. In my opinion, the shallow bite just isn't going to happen until we break out of this high pressure cycle of cloudless skies and flat water. Wouldn't hurt for the surface temp to dip into the mid-60s as well.

I'd have cut the darn thing, but then I'm still in my younger days compared to denjac.

Bill, couldn't agree more on the Yum double-tail grub trailers over Yamamoto. The legs don't stick together either. Also, if any of you guys use double tails on the back of finesse (Eakins style) jigs, you might also consider Zoom's Creepy Crawler double tail. It has a slimmer profile than other double tails and does a great job on that smaller jig.

BillP, Yes, nearly all tournaments delay takeoff for fog. But on Table Rock, seems the area around Kim City bridge typically clears earlier than much of the rest of the lake, particularly in the river arms.

Good to have you back from the Great North, Mr. Bill. You were missed.

20 hours straight? Heck, congrats are in order just on completing that marathon. You're a lot tougher than me, pal.

Bill, might try a Baby Chug Bug. Gotta throw em on a spinning rod though coz they're so small and light.

BassAssasin, most definitely yes on the time of year. Fall fishing is some of the absolute best. Also agree with Capt. Don on seeking out the websites and picking the guide that best appeals to you. I'm familiar with most of them and friends with quite a few also, so I won't single one out. But pick one, get in the boat, listen to everything they say because it's the gospel and have a great time.

Big Cow or Little Cow?

Hey Ealy, here's a tip for ya ... go to basspro.com, locate their mop jigs, select color and quantity and proceed to checkout.

Popular weekend already ... Central Pro-Am is on Lake of the Ozarks, and Anglers in Action is on Table Rock that Saturday and on LOZ that Sunday.

3inonegod, you've been a member since May 2009 and have a total of 19 posts. Doesn't sound like you're sharing much info yourself.