Champ188

Times like this often remind us that the term "drama queen" isn't exclusive to women (Donna G definitely excluded). Actually, Donna has no fear of joining me for a flood-stage fishing trip. Of course, common sense and normal safety practices are a big part of the outing, but that's the case in any conditions. The water level is lower than Sunday, and even then it was no problem to launch at Cow Creek ramp and there was hardly a single piece of floating debris except for in the back of Big Cow. And for those wanting to learn current lake conditions straight from the horse's mouth (as opposed to the other end, as posted above), that information is readily available on both this site and by downloading the Little Rock District Army Corps of Engineers smartphone app. Come down, go fishing, have fun ... just use common sense and caution.

I'll sure flip it on 6-pound mono. Ain't skeered.

Looks like you guys had good fun and fellowship. That's what counts. Sorry it got cut short.

Who you calling a moron? That guy that sells Oxyclean on TV?

Cow Creek ramp (on the Boy Scout camp road off 86) is in great shape. Used it Sunday.

There is much dissent over whether that boy actually won the FLW at Beaver on a buzz bait or not. Supposedly, one of his co-anglers said he hardly picked it up and caught most of his fish on a tube instead. Guess we'll find out for sure when the TV show airs.

TR rarely gets muddy enough to throw a Colorado blade. Dave is spot-on with the Indiana and mag willow. Even in the upper Kings and James arms, when it gets brown muddy, you are going to struggle. These fish don't spend a lot of time in muddy water and they don't seem to like it when it happens. Best bet is to try and stay where you still have a couple of feet of visibility.

Nope, I've seen this guy post pics on Facebook of both LM and SM weighing 4 pounds and up inside his kitchen or out in his yard, right before he runs the old Mister Twister electric saw through them.

Agreed, Bill. Some of these "pros" need to realize that it's the fisheries first that pay their salaries, and then the sponsors. Without fruitful lakes, there would be no pro circuit to fish.

Good job, Ryan. Nice bag of fish. I do wish you guys would take those fish away from Prairie Creek Park and release them elsewhere. There are several guys, including one my wife works with, who catch quite a few bass from the banks around there and saw the sides off every one they catch.

Well, flat bill isn't MY look but hey, I don't care how the younger anglers want to dress. I'm sure some of what I wore in my 20s didn't please everyone either. Same goes for jerseys with make-believe sponsors, although I won't pledge silence on that one. All I ask is that you show respect and courtesy for others out on the water. Don't cut them off/crowd them because you're fishing a tournament or you've seen it done on TV. Let's go fishing.

Amen and amen.

Very little debris today anywhere from Cow Creek ramp down to Jake's Branch and up to Coney Island. Extra care always pays.

Safe travels, Macsimus. Always good to have you here for a season.

What happens if the switch on the foot pedal gets stuck in SL and you drop your remote overboard and your big engine won't start and your cellphone goes dead? Are you just stuck there from now on? Kinda like Ned rig Dave and his Hotel California fishing spots (You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave)?

Yep, I got bad info from one of the guys who was supposed to be fishing OMTT this weekend on TR. They probably told them everything on Beaver was cancelled, too, so as not to have a riot on their hands. Beaver is much closer to the top of the dam this morning (about 2.5 feet) than Table Rock and has at least as much floating trash. Doesn't really seem fair to let the big boys keep fishing and send everyone on TR home. And yes, I realize there's only 20 boats fishing today on Beaver but numbers don't change the matter of principle.

FLW on Beaver is cancelled

Just confirmed it with a buddy who was fishing the OMTT. Apologies for my skepticism. And yes, I am tickled that the fish are catching a break.

I would have to see this straight from the Corps before I took it for fact. I have never heard of such a thing.

For the most part, the brown and spotted fish will remain deeper in flood conditions ... often along the original shoreline. The green ones, meanwhile, will flock to the newly flooded shallows. The key to catching them is to find areas where you can get all the way to the bank. You won't catch many sitting out and casting to the new treeline or bushes.

You weren't alone.

Notropis, thank you for that informative and encouraging reply.

To quote Lee Corso ... not so fast! ?

And all of this pressure is on a lake that doesn't receive supplemental stockings of bass. Allowing that I'm no biologist, I do wonder what effect the sudden rise in water level will have on the spawn. A certain amount of light is required for the eggs to hatch, so if the beds built on the deeper limit of the light requirement now have 6 more feet of water over them, are they ruined? There were definitely a lot of fish on beds when that big rain hit last week.

Does this mean Mizzou people are smarter than Duke people?