Champ188

Great that you helped out the guy and his kids, Bob. And I wouldn't worry about offending a certain someone by sending the info in a PM. He likes to bounce around from forum to forum making noise.

Thanks, J.E. Looks like Donna and I aren't gonna make it to Norfork for the team championship. I'm just not up to it yet. Good luck to you and Troy. I'm saving up my strength for the pro-am championship at Grand. Been looking forward to that one ever since they announced the site.

The Navy pretty much cuts operations by half immediately after Labor Day, then continues to scale back as the weather cools.

Those are sweet words indeed, Techo. Seems every summer gets longer and the lake more jammed with the party crowd. Told Donna during a recent August tournament day that I wished it was 16 degrees and snowing. On second thought, let's enjoy some good fall fishing first. I'm ready for those magnum spots to start getting on the dock corners where you risk having a rod/reel knocked out of your hands by running a spinnerbait just under the corner on the dock.

Watch it, J.E. I don't know who you're calling an "old man" anyway. Yesterday, a week to the day after having part of a kidney carved out, I stumbled out onto the dock at one of our Bella Vista lakes and promptly caught myself a bass. So there. Ain't many "old men" can do that!

Doc pretty much released me to fish if I feel like it. Haven't reached the point yet to where I've felt strong enough, but might try a few hours tomorrow on one of our local lakes here in Bella Vista. Again guys, thanks so much for the thoughts, prayers and advice.

Guys, A few weeks back, several of you wished me well and offered your thoughts and prayers for my Aug. 25 surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from my left kidney. The surgery was a complete success and the doc was able to save 75-90 percent of the kidney. Just wanted to say thank you so much for your cares and concern. Great fishing to each and every one of you as the much-anticipated fall season approaches.

Wow, so many thoughts, prayers, well wishes, offers of help ... I don't know how to begin to express my gratitude, so maybe simplest is best ... THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH! I'm not much of an internet socialite, but I seriously doubt that many group sites have the reality behind them that ours does. Actually, I'd go so far to say that OA folks are real-life friends first and internet chat pals second. Anyway, I'm up and around. Started out stumbling around the halls of the hospital in Tulsa on Thursday and have progressed to pretty much getting up and down whenever I want here at the house since Friday evening. Biggest issue has been shaking off the side effects of anesthesia ... low to mid-grade fever, chills, dizziness, nausea. That's getting better daily, too. Anyway, ready to start thinkin about fishing again. Donna and I have the CPA team championship (if I'm up to it) the weekend after Labor Day on Norfork. Not figuring on making any long boat rides and bouncing things around but from where we take off at Henderson, looks like there are several good creek arms nearby. Then the CPA pro-am championship is Oct. 2-3 at Grand (sorry Denny about that being on top of the Homer Sloan - really wanted to fish that one with you). So I have plenty of incentive to be getting in the best fishing shape possible as soon as possible. Again, thank you so much for the outpouring of kindness and concern during this time. I'm not amazed because of that's the kind of folks you are, but I'm very humbled and grateful.

That Friday morning bite was something else but it sure wasn't there Saturday and Sunday. Actually, caught a ton of nonkeepers swimming a grub in the same areas Saturday morning but by Sunday there wasn't even a grub bite remaining. Just a sign of things to come, though, soon as the weather and water temps cool down a bit.

Guido and Dion might have been here looking for some fish for the big Professional Anglers Association derby coming up first week of October. I think the lake goes off limits to them around Sept. 15.

I can do a 7:15 mile in my truck.

In my opinion, can't beat Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. You can get by with 15-pound. Shouldn't have any breakoff issues but just remember, with practically no line stretch, you don't have to set the hook as hard as with mono.

Combat fishing. Gotta love it.

Apparently Saturday was the day for trolling motor issues. Planned to spend the wkd in the James but snapped a steering cable around 2 p.m. Saturday. Up to then, caught one keeper LM and several short K's on shaky head and dropshot.

Supposedly Boyd Duckett helped start Carrot Stix then left them (E-21) to start his own company, saying they fudged on quality once the rods became popular. His company is now making those Micro Magic white rods that you see a lot of the tour guys using.

So you can still launch at the old H Highway ramp, right?

That's a hoot, Stump Bumper. Glad the people making their Trilene line are more competent.

I've heard good things about Big Creek Resort but the fishing in that part of the lake is terrible. If you do happen to catch a bass, it's one of those "girly man river fish." To borrow a line from our buddy Techo, "Nothing to see here. Move along, please."

Hey guys, thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers. And yes, Straw Hat, it means the world to have Donna by my side. Incredibly, she went through this same thing less than 2 years ago except that they removed her entire left kidney because her tumor was too centrally located in the kidney to allow for a partial procedure. We will get through this and be back on the lake in no time. Glad to hear you're going strong Gilly and Gobbler couldn't be more right about fishin' and huntin' being the best medicine.

Hey Bob, thanks much for the post but we didn't make it either Thursday night. Struggled MIGHTILY all week. In hindsight, shoulda put a lot more effort into locating the "public" brushpiles and hammered away at them. Had one keeper for 4.29 Saturday in the CPA pro-am, and Donna and I had two keepers in the team derby on Sunday. Had one decent area near the dam with a ledge drop and bled it dry off and on for two days. You'd pull up there and get a couple or three quick bites, then they'd quit and you'd have to go off and fish elsewhere for an hour or so. Come back, get a couple of bites and they'd quit. Like I said, I beat it up pretty good. Predator1, appreciate the kind words but any secret weapons misfired this week. Biggest misfire of all was my feeble brain. Just couldn't get around any keeper fish. Anytime you see me drop-shotting darn near all day, you know I'm struggling to the max. Appreciate the kind words about Donna and I fishing together. As always, the highlight of my week was getting to spend 4 out of 5 days fishing with my best bud. No matter how hot the weather, maddening the boat traffic or slow the bite, there's a lot to be said for being together, doing what we love. You guys have a great lake up there. I gotta have half of a kidney carved out the end of this month to get rid of some cancer, but I told Donna on the way home yesterday that we need to get back up there this fall/early winter and do some fun fishing.

Hey rps, great that you guys had such a good time. I know for me, it's tough this time of year not to get all worked up about the boat traffic, lack of fishing action and the heat. But truth is, we're FISHING — sometimes with friends, other times alone in nature. Those are pretty special times.

Dutch, something wasn't right there. As denjac said, the $30 annual Corps pass is good nationwide, including Texas.

Donna and I are definitely in for the HOOT-IN-NANNY. Hopefully I won't be down long from my surgery, which is Aug. 25. In fact, I have every intention of fishing the Central Pro-Am team championship Sept. 11-12 on Norfork. Might be relegated to fishing fairly close to takeoff, but it'll beat sittin' on the bank. I have scouts patroling from KC bridge up both rivers and so far Denny hasn't breached conditions of his probation. I'm not soon forgettin' that "girly man river fish" comment. Perhaps we can get things straight if I can lure him up to Stockton with me for a day or two this coming week.

A brute indeed Tapout. Congrats and hats off to you for not divulging Beck's info. A guy has to draw the line on what he tells every now and then.

I guess I'm "dumb" but I'll be fishing Central Pro-Am there next weekend and I'll bet my fish are alive and well at weigh-in both days. It's all about taking proper care of them ... running the aerator constantly, adding ice occasionally to cool the water and using additives. The Thursday night derbies are only 3 hours. Shouldn't be hard at all to keep fish happy and healthy for that short time.