Champ188

Problem with staying in Prairie Creek is that unless numbers are way down, there will be a bunch of others with the same idea and you'll end up playing bumper boats. There's a good winter bite setting up from PC to the dam and I expect that's where the winning sack will be caught. I've fished the lake several times in the past few weeks and I'm impressed with how it has improved in recent years. High water in spring and summer has obviously helped with recruitment of the bass species and also with the shad spawns. Nice to see the old pond producing so well.

Good trip my friend. Merry Christmas!

Falcon Cara McClelland jerkbait special, Cabelas Arachnid 6.3:1 baitcaster spooled with 8-lb PLine CXX mono. I use mono because fluorocarbon sinks and will pull your jerkbait down with it. It will also cause the bait to sit too much nose down, almost vertical.

He may have relocated.

Pretty, PRETTY boat! Hope you and Michele enjoy it greatly.

That looks like my Baxter buddy!!!

Awesome guys but where’s the pic?!!! 😄

Funny funny stuff!!!

He’s fine. Had a little round with some respiratory illness but was getting better last I talked to him.

Nice trip. Thanks for another good report.

Great looking young un. Who’s his dad? 😂 Just joking of course. Glad you guys had some lake time together.

Really good job, CM. Catching them on that stickbait is just about as much fun as one can have and not get arrested. 😄

Thanks for letting us know. And consider yourself one of the gang now. All we ever ask in return for our input is to know how things worked out. Hope you’re feeling better.

Yep, talk about total meltdown 😆

You mean we didn’t get a report back after giving out all that info? Say it ain’t so! That NEVER happens. 😆

No, the brownie was on a 1/4-ounce War Eagle purple shad spinnerbait. In fact, I only caught the striper and a short walleye on the jerker.

Bo, you said a mouthful about fishing in foul weather and it seems that holds doubly true in the winter. You and I are definitely on the same page where that is concerned. I'm also thankful that my fishing partner is equally willing to take on the elements in order to enjoy some great fishing. I spent a few hours at Beaver yesterday by myself and was able to use a cold north wind and cloud cover to my advantage. Caught a mixed dozen spots/smallmouth in 3 hours' time throwing a spinnerbait and jerk bait on 45-degree banks in a major creek arm on the lower end. Also had a bonus striper that is destined for the grill and a healthy coating of blackening seasoning. Spent the morning at Swepco wasting my time and didn't get to Beaver until 1:30 or I likely would've had a much better day. I wish I knew what reasoning MDC has for not stocking bass in Table Rock. I'm not a biologist but I've been fishing a lot of years in a lot of places and it's hard to think the lake is anywhere near its carrying capacity for bass when you can idle around just about anywhere and see giant balls of shad just begging to be eaten.

It’s always good to know the bass are still there. Restores my faith that someday I’ll stumble onto a few myself.

Coat your rod guides and reel level wind guide with vaseline. Just don’t glob it on there. Staying home doesn’t work for all of us and Alex is a crank bait machine.

Sprint, go to your room. You’re the first one to say A-rig this winter. 😬

Incredible. MUST get up there someday.

Anyone who would handle a maggot --- as chum or actual bait --- is a lot madder at those trout than I am. As for meathead guides, they aren't exclusive to Arkansas. I personally know of one Missouri hillbilly guide on Table Rock who frequently fillets smallmouth and post photos of them laying on a cleaning table on Facebook.

These frigid nights are likely gonna kill any topwater bite so I'd probably forgo the buzz bait. If it's bright and sunny, I'd look at targeting docks with a green pumpkin/orange finesse jig dressed with a green pumpkin Zoom Lil Critter Craw or something similar. Pay special attention to those slips with 12-18 feet off water under them.

Bo, surface temps were as low as 49 early and 55 in the afternoon and yes, it just screams crank bait and shallow jig bite.