motoman

Great report as always bill..... Sorry about losing that fin though......definitly a heartbreaker.:-( - You mentioned throwing 7" and 9" swimbaits........myself, a couple years ago down there, I was able to get into a good swimbait bite......and always have one tied on now!:-) - Just out of curiosity; you care to share some of your favorite swimbaits?:-)

Great job there Dave!:-).......For anyone who has not yet tried this setup; you're really missing out. It's about as simple As it gets, and catches tons of keepers Too. Don't be fooled by the small size......this is one bad little bait!:-).......Dave was kind enough to turn me onto this rig a while back, and it really does a heckuva job down on the rock! - I agree that the zeros and zinkers seem to produce better than other senko style baits. I can't help but think the super soft plastic fools the fish to hang on just a pinch longer......typically, needed for me to catch 'em!.:-)

A bit off topic, but Brett brought up the details of his boat and to be on the lookout for him. This might be a good opportunity to remind everyone of the Ozark Anglers round, orange decals on Lilleys Landings site. They're small enough to be tastefully placed anywhere on he boat; but visible from a distance so we can identify each other easily! - http://lilleystacklestore.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16939&cat=0&page=1 - I've had the chance to meet some great OAF guys on the water because of the stickers! - Okay, get on back to the topic at hand!:-)

Don't be shy mike........let's hear some details!:-)......or anything you care to discuss.

I can't comment on the crappie end of things; but if fishing for bass; don't put all your eggs in the a-rig basket. Checkout a few of the other recent posts and there's lots of good info on the other tried and true bass fishing methods. - If you dont give up on the bass; get out before sunup, fish until mid-morning, head in, have a big lunch, take a good nap; get back out about 4'ish and fish well into the night. That's when I've always done my best and the tranquility on the lake those early and late hours is magical!:-)

I was wondering how the warm weather would effect the crappie too fulltilt..........any luck?

Glad to see you post rps......I was actually about to send you a message......I haven't seen any posts from you about a particular 'topwater' bite lately.:-).......those are always a great read!:-)

Close to Kimberling inn is Schooner Creek Resort where we have stayed for years. Nuttin fancy, but they have a nice gradual sloping boat ramp ( unlike Kimberling inn....yikes!), large lighted dock with power, plenty of parking and everyone there is always friendly and helpful. (owners and guests:-)........no damage either, I talked to them after the storms and they're fine!

Navionics was having some licensing issues with fugawi; and the LOZ map in HD has not been available for a while.....just something to keep in mind if you frequent LOZ like myself......I would love to have that HD map for my humminbird.....but I keep checking.......maybe one of these days? - The navionics table rock HD map is pretty great though.....but I have no experience with lakemaster.:-(

I agree with everything, everyone else said. I'll be down in a few weeks too, for a tourney I've fished for years. I'll bring the a-rig; but I'm gonna stick with the ole standbys for what could very well be the 'different' look at the time?......if that makes sense?:-)

You guys said it, always a wealth of information. But, you should really treat yourself and hire a guide too, next time you're down at The Rock. You'd ba AMAZED how much MORE you could learn. It'll save you a TON of time next time you're out on the water. Worth every penny!

I've used Curado 301e's for years on larger swimbaits; and it handles the a-rig wonderfully. - Great price for those 300's too Bill! If they were lefties, I'd have to grab one.:-)

Way to go snakem; you're puttin on a clinic with that thing!

I use hi-vis yellow/green super line, but with a leader. On other bodies of water, I've experimented with straight hi-vis line; and the fish won't have anything to do with it. Tie on a mono/fluoro leader......and it's back to the fun!

- That's exactly where I thought it was going to get people in trouble. Putting baits with hooks on every arm.:-(

I thought the same thing. This whole A-Rig craze should prove to be easy pickings for the authorities!

Has anybody been able to find the Chartreuse herring bone (Table Rock Shad) pattern in stock anywhere?.....The BPS in St. Charles never has them on the shelf, the website has a pic, and they're back ordered; and most online retailers don't even show a pic of it?

Sounds similar to a problem I had years ago. But, my old 1986 150 Evinrude is far more primitive than your VMax; although there may be a similar, common theme here. - I started by changing the primer bulb, then the inline filters (I've got 2). This helped a bit, but then I changed the fuel pump diapharms...this helped a pinch more; but the problem was still there. Ultimately, I started looking at the fuel lines from the tank to the engine. I have the factory service manual I got off Ebay; and referenced it, and determined the previous owner (many, many years prior) had the wrong sized diameter fuel lines on. They were a pinch too small. Problem solved! - All this to say; my thoughts lean towards fuel related. But, I always like to address anything that could be the culprit, that is cheap first; and also sound maintenance items. In my case, fuel primer bulb/filters had been in service for a while; so I went there first. - Just thinking out loud here; but I'm sure sharper minds will step in and offer better advice!

- Uh oh. Now to find stout enough split rings that won't throw off the buoyancy/action.

rps-good point about the daiichi death traps; those are some seriously sticky hooks I had forgotten about. - Gone Fishing-also a good point, I'm just going to fish them and see how it goes. Those split rings will probably be fine. I just have this worst case scenario rattling around in my head; like I hook into some monster bass, and the split rings open up. I just need to quit worrying and get out and throw 'em first.

- I'm well ahead of you ham, just haven't gotten around to it. But, I've not had good luck with keeping suspending baits....suspending, after swapping out hooks/split rings. Seems the fraction of an ounce difference is enough to send them sinking......but......only one way to find out. - On a side note too.....the trebles appear to be a lighter wire, but seem better quality than most stock hooks. But, you're right, toothy critters or even fatter fish will destroy most hooks. White bass fishing throughout the summer keeps me busy swapping out trebles on my cranks!

I picked up a couple of these today at our BPS. I will say, they look pretty darn nice for the price. But, how they perform will be the real test. I will say, one concern I have are the tiny, thin wire split rings on the hooks. They REALLY seem like a weak link. I understand with the 3 trebles, typically more than 1 hook will get caught on the fish, but from the looks of these flimsy split rings......lets hope so.

- Hey big country, how'd you guys do?

- My thoughts exactly James; I almost placed an order for one on their site while they still had them; but those big wire arms and swivels; not to mention throwing it on 80-100 pound braid (recommended on their site) would stand out like a sore thumb in the clear water. (I would think).....so I passed on it. - Also, the video I saw of Elias throwing that thing; it looked like he may have been in some current or at least some good wind/chop on the water; which lead me to believe there would be a good amount of color in the water where he was throwing it? - I don't know enough about Guntersville to say for sure though. :-)

I didn't have a prop issue; but an engine issue and Dyna Prop saved me. I was down at the Rock for a few days of fishing, get the boat in the water; minutes into the trip; I'm out of commission. - Trailer the boat to Dyna Prop; 30 minutes later, they tell me they can have the part later in the day and replace it for $300+ dollars; or they can do a temporary fix for $40; and showed me the issue; and I could fix it when I got home. Nothing detrimental. Always doing my own work; it was something I could've tackled in a weekend at home; so I gave them a $50 and thanked them for their honesty, and time! ;-)