Champ188

Me too, Moon. He and I had a few whizzing contests over little of nothing but glad I learned to like the guy before he passed. He knew stuff.

Always great to run into a warden out on the water. And invariably, the Missouri wardens have been extremely professional but equally friendly. Donna and I got checked out in front of Big M one day and I had a Walter in the livewell. It measured beyond legal ... even in the low 20s ... but the older of the two wardens was training the younger one, so he wanted him to measure it. I invited the guy onto my boat so he could get the fish out of the livewell himself rather than me trying to hand it off in the wake boat waves, etc. Guy climbs in, fishes it out of the livewell and just as he stood up with it, the thing twisted real hard in his hands, escaped and hit the back deck flopping and went right over the side back into the water. I think that older warden may still be laughing. The younger one had this incredulous look on his face and was the only person between the four of us not laughing ... YET! We ended up giving both of them a bottle of ice-cold Gatorade and visited a few minutes, then went our respective ways. I ran into the young guy a couple years later at the Eagle Rock ramp and we had a good laugh about him throwing my walleye back. LOL

There won't be any co-anglers soon with Livescope, but that's not a bad thing to all involved. With guys paying $100K and up for boats these days, many of them don't want strangers stomping around in their boats and breaking stuff. Had a guy break the back off my passenger seat once and have had countless hook holes made in upholstery, and scratches/chips out of my motor cowl from lures yanked back outta trees and such. And yeah, it happens --- more than you'd think. And then there's the entitled attitude of "I have a right to fish just like you do" that often turns into "You're cutting me off!" And I don't need a sermon on how to treat my co-angler ... first, I'm done with tournament fishing other than pick-your-partner team stuff or solo pro events, so it's a moot point. And second, anyone on this site (there used to be several) who ever drew me in a Central Pro-Am or BFL will attest that I gave my co-anglers more than ample room to fish --- sometimes at my own expense. I'd venture to say that my co-anglers got a check in well over half of the pro-am's that I fished, and three times I had the co-angler winner in my boat on at least one day of the derbies. (Central Pro-Ams were two days back then, BFL's were one). And then there's the gas money thing ... guys who own $100K boats are fully entitled to expect co-anglers to pay for every drop of gas/oil burned during a day of fishing. Donna was giving $50 to her boaters back 10-15 years ago, and these days I'd call that a MINIMUM and that $100 would be more appropriate. Can't afford that? Then you can't afford to fish the tournament. The owner of that $100K boat is in NO WAY responsible for dragging you around in first-class style all day so that you can fish for money --- and at the end of the day, you can't afford to give him an appropriate amount of gas money? Pathetic ... NOT because someone doesn't have the money ... they probably can't help that. But it's pathetic that they'd get in someone else's mega-expensive boat, ride around all day, possibly cash and check, and then hand the angler a measly $10-$15. I even had a co-angler WIN a BFL and $1,500 on Table Rock, then slip off down to my boat during weigh-in, get all his stuff and freakin' STIFFED ME on gas money. Not a penny. And I even put my rod down and went into guide mode the last hour of the derby and helped the guy cull a couple of fish. Oh, I did hear from him again ... he had the gonads to call me before the next BFL and ask for some pointers on what to take to the next tournament. Not kidding. Lastly, to heck with the Livescope complaints from the co-anglers. Flowers? Some guy that I'm already allowing to ride around in MY boat all day wants to tell me I can't use Livescope (which I don't even have or want) because it unfairly handicaps him? LOL!!!!!! Kinda like walking in my house as a total stranger and changing the TV channel. You want to fish where you have a better chance to catch something? Easy! Get off at least $50K for a used boat and the $500-$1,000 a month for the monthly payment/insurance, pay DOUBLE the entry fee you are now paying, buy gas/oil for your rigs (tow vehicle, too) and fish you heart out. From your own boat, not mine.

War Eagle makes a 1/8-ounce buzzer that can easily be thrown on a baitcaster with 14-pound mono. Guess it depends on what rod/reel you use. Caught 5 for 19 lbs. on it in a derby a few years back to win a couple thousand reasons not to pooh-pooh small buzz baits. 🔨

Two things to say here: (1) A thorough search of your profile shows you've hardly posted in the Table Rock forum ... if at all ... until your Mount Everest comment; (2) you were grousing about Livescope back in 2022 during a Sturgeon Bay trip. Don't you fish out of a canoe or yak? Where you gonna put Livescope anyway? By the way, don't pat yourself on the back too much for running Bill away. It wasn't you alone. Not by a longshot. Bill just finally reached his limit of putting out the best free information the internet has ever seen only to be criticized by those who couldn't catch themselves in the butt if they sat on a Super Spook with Death Trap trebles. If the shoe fits ...

Two things to say here: (1) A thorough search of your profile shows you've hardly posted in the Table Rock forum ... if at all ... until your Mount Everest comment; (2) you were grousing about Livescope back in 2022. Don't you fish out of a canoe or yak? Where you gonna put Livescope anyway? By the way, don't pat yourself on the back too much for running Bill away. It wasn't you alone. Not by a longshot. Bill just finally reached his limit of putting out the best free information the internet has ever seen only to be criticized by those who couldn't catch themselves in the butt if they sat on a Super Spook with Death Trap trebles. If the shoe fits ...

Thanks for the kind words, Andy. My absolute only concern with Livescope is what long-term effects it may have on our crappie. I enjoy fishing for them in the cooler months, mostly on Beaver, and I'd hate to see their numbers beat down by technology that our MDC or AGFC folks weren't prepared to address. So, to those folks who are making decisions that will affect fish populations, Livescope is here to stay. And tournament fishermen probably aren't the biggest threat ... I see it being the meat-mongers who know they aren't likely to get caught over their limit of crappie (or bass, or walleye) because there aren't enough wardens out there to adequately patrol our lakes. At my age (early 60s), I'd be a total hypocrite to grouse about Livescope. I remember the first graphite rods ... they were HEAVY and hardly more sensitive than the fiberglass we were accustomed to in those days. I've watched electronics go from box flashers to in-dash flashers (like the Lowrance 1240A), then on to the liquid crystal displays. I've seen fluorocarbon line rise up from the dust, as well as one lure after another. We've even entered a day now where lures are custom made for certain techniques, including scoping. I've used all of that to my advantage, so I can't really draw the line and say all of that is OK but Livescope is over the line. If you like fishing deep, there's all kind of water out there that is good for that. If you're a bank beater like me, we just gained some additional fishing water. I still honestly believe that Livescope eventually will take some pressure off the shallow fish and I'll be just as happy as a scoper in a school of 5-pounders.

The continuing friendship that Bill and I have could not be a more perfect illustration of what you just said, Andy. There probably aren't two more polar opposite fishermen on the planet than us two. Bill has guided forever (Well, close to it. He's like Abraham old. 😆) and you can't take guide clients anywhere near most of the places I fish ... be that flooded bushes in 3 feet of water or dock slips with 100 feet under them. I joke with Bill about a gloriously new War Eagle spinnerbait (Bill's, of course) that one of his clients used to lasso a great big weather vane on top of a dock ... in Aunts Creek, as I recall. That was years ago and the darn thing may still be up there. 😅 Pardon the ramble but nice to have some activity going. Bill and I occasionally cross paths in flooded cedars post-spawn, throwing wakers, and then again in fall (same good Fin bite then is often overlooked) and winter throwing jerk baits. I always know I'm around fish when I look up and see Bill nearby. He's just usually out in the middle of the ocean and I'm back in a creek. Not to sound like a Gen X'r but I think Andy's sage comment means this, at least with fishing styles: You do you.

Now that's funny I don't care who you are.

Jealousy sure turns ugly sometimes. And no, I'm not a scoper. Likely won't ever be. Shoot, it's not often that my boat is sitting in more than 40 feet of water.

It never had to be this way. There probably aren't two more polar-opposite folks in the world when it comes to our ways of fishing, and I would never begin to argue against Bill's deep-water methods being more consistent than my shallow pursuits. Day in and day out, the deep-water bite is FAR more consistent than my shallow fish. Yet, we've been friends for many years now and there's not another angler in the world whom I respect more when it comes to Table Rock. Well, Dock-in-It comes close, as well as Quillback. Yes, two more deep-water experts. Like Bill, I've made friends on this site who have become more like family, and for that I will ever be grateful. And that goes double for my Mizzou-rooting, comedic, deep-fishing friend ... Mr. Bill (as my wife Donna calls him). Love ya, brother. Onward.

Sorry to hear this about Lefty. Donated plenty of money myself to him and Marty. Glad to hear he knew the Lord and was prepared for eternity.

Actually, it's not much of a mystery at all. Even a guy like Bill --- who redefines the phrase "great guy" --- gets enough of putting out his very best efforts at being all-inclusive and honest to a fault when giving fishing info, only to be criticized or questioned about his contributions. I can't speak for Bill and I won't try, but he has retired from guiding and is indulging himself in other interests --- namely pickleball and spending more time with family and friends. Sometimes, we all just need to step away and do something healthier for ourselves. Kudos to Mr. Bill for doing just that. Even collectively, we could never thank him sufficiently for all of the help he has volunteered here on this site.

37 is some darn cold water for June. 😆

Fish was probably swimming across the lake to MegaMillions Lodge to see if it could get a pic taken with someone important. LOL

What color KGB? Where near the dam? You're on a dock ... did you bring it in to eat it? Were you using Livecheat Livescope? Enquiring minds want to know! 😆🤣 Oh, by the way, nice one!

Heck yes, let's have some more tournaments. Bigger ones. Not enough boats on the water yet.

Nice report. Thanks for sharing that.

Very much so. He knows more about this lake than just about anyone still walking around.

You don't have to worry about Bill being on OA anymore. He's done. This site loses a lot of credibility with him gone.

If the Colin guy told you he's a pro, he's full of goose hockey. Just another wannabe. No shortage of those around. But glad he helped you out, even if he is just another bass club jersey jock. And it wouldn't surprise me if that club cleaned and ate those fish they are holding in the pic. Wife and I watched a club from somewhere in MO a few years back cleaning one good SM after another at the cleaning station at Schooner Creek Resort a few years back. All told, they probably sawed the sides off 50 bass that day.

Don't answer this, Andy. He's trying to poach your crappie spots! 😆

Hey Dock, at least yours are still swimming where they were caught, had their picture taken and were released alive and healthy rather than getting beat half to death on a ridiculous boat ride all the way to Johnny-palooza in Long Creek. At least have some consideration for the resource and stop killing big fish during the spawn.

This is a competitive arena in which FFS should certainly be banned. These kids need to be able to compete on ground that's as level as possible --- and not be disadvantaged because their boat captain didn't have FFS and others did. You learn a lot in high school competitions ... losing gracefully is one of the most important. When you get beat on level ground, the lesson you take away is (a) someone is usually going to be better than you and (b) to be top dog, you have to outwork the others. You shouldn't be able to "buy" first place at that stage in life. Those hard lessons --- that often in real life, money is the determining factor in who wins --- will come soon enough. Let the kids play on equal footing.

Hey Mark, so happy to hear this good news for you. Been thru a couple of divorces myself --- second was a classic rebound marriage that only last a few years. But the first one was my childhood sweetheart and the mother of my two kids, so yeah ... not a place you want to be. God specializes in bringing us out of those dark places ... sometimes even without us asking. Welcome back to the game of life, brother. Glad to see you making the most of it by being a dad first and foremost.