motoman

Nice pix rps! After a roadtrip like the one you went on, catching those boys had to be a nice reward to getting back home!

Good report rps, welcome back. Can't wait to see some pix.

- Not to hijack your thread, but I'm dying to know........ What do you think is the best on the white river chain Sam (and anyone else)? - I've only fished the Rock, so I can't say. But, I'll be hitting Bull Shoals in a few weeks.

- This is getting a bit off topic, but................. - I religiously use Gamakatsu finesse hook (BPS) for wacky rigging 4" senkos at The Rock. I use an o-ring on the worm, and put the hook through the o-ring, so the tips is exposed. (and saves many plastics) The weedguard is pretty flimsy, but it's rarely an issue when I throw these in deeper water, farther away from cover. - Or the Mustad or Matzuo Weedless Kahle hook for wacky rigging, closer to cover. It's got a stronger weedguard. BPS used to carry these, not sure if they do anymore? - I usually throw these on a split shot rig. And as for gut hooking the fish, a FANTASTIC tool I bought a couple years ago is the D-Barb pliers. It actually gets deep in there, and you can snip the hook just above the barb, leaving only a small piece in the fish. I've released many a nice smallies back into The Rock, that I feel woudl've otherwise been in trouble, If I tried to remove the hook. (I have no affiliation to the company, just a GREAT product for those serious about catch and release) - - http://www.dbarb.com/ - Now back to your regularly scheduled program!

I know family and friends have used this site before with good luck. VRBO-Vacation Rentals by Owners - http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/missouri - But I know a co-worker was looking for something a couple weeks ago at the rock, for the end of July, and a lot of places were already booked in their price range................but it's worth a shot. :-)

- I agree wrench, very well said. - Not to open another can of worms, but how (or who?) could be the one(s) to put a halt to all the development/try and reclaim the lakes natural beauty? - It seems like things down there are like a runaway freight train.............tough to stop.

- Jerry, When you get the maps, be sure and report back. I've only been fishing The Rock a few years, and when I got those maps.............WWWooooHHHHooo! It was really cool!

- Thanks for clearing that up Martin. I'm thinking of the Premium maps, are the ones with the more details.

My understanding of the Navionics maps, is when I upgraded to the HD (I think that's what they call it). Is that Navionics actually sent a flotilla of boats to conduct their own detailed surveys of the available lakes, vs. the Hotspots maps; which I think are based off old USGS data. - The Navionics HD shows contours in 1 foot increments, vs. the 10 foot increment of Hotspot maps. I'm not sure if they're available for the 520, but if they are; they're well worth the money. Far more detail than the Hotspots! - Here's a bit more info: - http://www.navionics.com/HMPremium09LakeList.asp?RegionID=2

Congratulations Ranger! I hope to be in your shoes someday. That's exciting stuff!

- rps/taxidermist, Jerkbaits were mentioned? I've never fished Bull Shoals, but'll be down in August, I do frequent Table Rock though, and throw the jerkbait when water temps are in the low 50's. (like this March/April when I was down) I don't hear much about throwing jerkbaits in the warmer water? (and I searched/read the archives too; but did find stuff via google) - Do you throw/work the jerkbait similarly in the warm water, just like in cold water?

I'm with yah fishinwrench. DNR must think we are a bunch of idots. I hate to be 'that guy' who cries conspiracy, or cover up; or whatever. But, those darn geese had NOTHING to do with the high levels of bacteria! - Plain and simple, poor LOZ is at 'POO Factor 5!'

I am very skeptical of the ole 'geese' comment that spokesperson made. - I remember as a kid, our pediatrician warning us not to swim in the lake (although he was a little nutty). And that was 30 years ago. But, we did anyway, as our grandparents had a place down there, and we spent every minute we could in the water. Maybe that explains why I grew a tail in my 20's?!!??

That's still a nice fish rps. Sounds like you had a blast. - The same darn thing happened to me this spring in the KC area. I was on a ton of smallies with the spinnerbait, taking a couple pix of good ones at the 3lb mark. Then I get one at 4lbs, the nicest yet. And he's almost an orangish brown, vs. the usual draker brown. I'm talking a very unsuual orange........really cool looking! I go to take a pic. Battery dead............sheesh! :-)

Thanks for the report roy. I was about to post in another night fishng report, to see what's been doin'! I would think with the warming temps, the night bite would be picking up? - Very nice fish too.

- Yikes, only 8 limits, that must've been a tough one. - I was guessing Bull Shoals would be similar to Table Rock, but 15 foot water clarity; now THAT'S clear water! - I'll be checking back here when the time gets closer for us to leave.

Those are some very cool pics den! - Not the kinda thing you see everyday..............at least I don't.

That's a tough go Tom, but like you said, the rest of the field had trouble, so you shouldn't feel too bad. - I've fished the Heartland event at Table Rock a couple times, and that's a tough bunch! - I think I've seen you post on the Table rock forums before? And I'll be heading down to the lower end of Bull Shoals in august, and was curious; it sounds like similar tactics are used at Bull Shoals, to those tactics used at The Rock?

- No problem Amp. I chuckle at it myself, I've always called them jigheads. But, I'm guessing some marketing team with the jighead manufacturing association decided they needed to move more jigheads, so they started pushing jigheads, fished with a worm; and gave them a new name.

The shakeyhead is any soft plastic worm worked on a jighead. Many companies came out with specific shakeyheads, but they really don't differ much from the jigheads my grandfather would throw back in the day. Just marketing I guess. - But it's a very effective way to catch 'em. Worked slowly on the bottom. My experience is the less you work it, the better. some people like to give the worm a shake or twitch occasionally on the slow drag back. I just slowly drag it back myself, with the occasional pause, to let the worm sit, and the tail stand up off the bottom. - Here's a link with a pic. (I can't get pix to post anymore for some reason?) - http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...26safe%3Dactive

I'm with Sam, those closed faces are pain. - Shimano makes their Sidestab spinning real, that's $29.99. I bought a couple of them and they'd go toe-to-toe with my $100+ dollar reels. - Or the Shimano Spirex, actually back reels to top-center, and it has a little trigger, so the line is right where she needs it on the cast. And that's not too pricey either. - I have no interest in Shimano, I've just grown bias to them over the years.

We have a wwwwwwwwwinnnerr! Thanks jay bird!

I got it RRV. And it does look GRRrreat! - But I can't get it to upload by either attaching it, or copying in the url from my shutterfly account!!?!?!?! - I've uploaded tons of pix here and on other sites with no problem, this has me stumped. Hey techo, I'm gonna have to send the ball in your court. HHHhhhmmmmmm??????

RRV, I got your message, but I couldn't reply to it? I kept getting a Mail system Error, undeliverable (or something like that?) - Check your PM's, I forwarded my e-mail address over.

Thanks again guys, I'm a P-Line fan, so that'll be the way I go. That stuff has yet to dissappoint. - And Sam, I like the idea of being able to step up in line size too. My night vision isn't getting any better, so the more visible it is too me, the better.