abkeenan

Fished Thursday afternoon to Saturday evening always from 5:30AM til around 9AM then back out from 7-9PM. Fish for me were mostly on the pea gravel main lake points in 20ish feet of water. Best thing going for me was 1/4 or 3/16oz spot remover jighead with a 5" YUM Dinger in ozark smoke or green pumpkin worked slow dragging and hopping it back. Seemed like the fish stayed in the deeper water (15-20ish) in the mornings and in the evenings moved up and were more in the tree line (8-12 feet). In the evenings caught several fish right in the brush/trees and were taking it on the drop or as soon as it hit bottom. Had a few on the big 10" worms in red shad and also electric purple but had more bites on the Dingers and fish quality was the same on each so stuck with the Dinger more often. Topwater was pretty weak for the most part with only a few fish when they came up to feed for a very short time. The one afternoon I did go out around 4PM on Thurs I only fished for about an hour or so and did hook up on a few with a DD22 and a few swimming a grub to suspended fish on Pt. 2 in 35ft of water and they were suspended right at 20-25ft. Looks like drop shotting would be the ticket in the afternoons but I just dont have the electronics to do it right. As far my 2 firsts in my life: 1- Caught a double on a spit'n image for the first time ever. Pics are from my phone as I didnt have my camera naturally. 2- I also caught someones entire rod and reel combo. Was dragging the Dinger and thought I had a large limb on my line by the way it felt coming up threw the water but reeled it up and had it on there. It is an ambassadeur one 5000 paired with airrus co matrix 457 6'2" M. Looks like it had only been in the water for a short time maybe a week or less. If its yours let me know and I will send it back to you if you just pay the shipping cost. -Brett

Thanks for the report, location and pics Phil. Especially the panoramic pic, awesome. -Brett

Bill very sorry to hear about yet another disrespectful and ignorant client of yours. Might have to start doing background checks, a 20 minute educational fishing video followed by a 25 question scantron test that must be passed and a triathalon of casting, hooksetting and safe fish handling in order to step into your boat on a guide trip. But like others have mentioned I get a good laugh from these types of post from you. I don't mean to rub it in by any means but I just get mental images of the nonsense that goes on in your beautiful boat with top notch gear and you tell the story so well its hard not to have a giggle. I still remember the post you had about the guys you had on Taney who had dog poo on the shoe and lost a dozen or so of your trout rigs. (didnt mean to remind you of that episode either sorry) Between your great fishing post and not so great menacing clients post I am always on the "edge of my seat" and entertained. Thanks for posting as usual and again sorry to hear about your rough day on the water. Maybe you will be rewarded tomorrow for your torture/patience today. -Brett

DTRS- Great Report and thanks for sharing. Is the rod float for the kids or wife? Just kidding ladies. Probably more Zebco 33 Classics on the bottom of the lake than rocks. Thinking about trying to get down there this weekend and these reports are making me drool. Again thanks for the report and pics.

Thanks as usual RPS for the lesson. I have never tried for walleye specifically only caught them on accident while bass fishing. I have a few questions if you dont mind (other opinions are also very welcome): 1- What is the diffence between your rig you have there and the premade lindy rig? http://www.basspro.com/Lindy®-Floating-Rig-XTreme-Crawler/product/78197/-1207980 2- Does the hook make a difference in the slow death rig so it has the "corkscrew" action? http://www.basspro.com/Fintech-Slow-Death-Rig/product/10213838/-1661088 3- I see you use a 3/8 bullet weight instead of the weight shown in the slow death or lindy rig...do you find it hangs up less with the bullet? 4- Do you find walleye bite better early, will they bite throughout the day or does it just depend like most fishing? 5- What sort of gear do you use to troll for the wallys? Spinning? Baitcaster? What # mainline are you using? Mono?Fluoro?Braid? Like I said I have never ever targeted walleyes so any info would be great. I am thinking about maybe coming down next weekend and reports on bass seem to be that they are biting well on jigs early until around 8-9ish AM. So I was thinking about giving the walleye thing a whirl if the bass shut off during the middle/hotter part of the day. I would also be trying this in the Dam Area and if anyone has any locations or types of locations to try I would appreciate it. Have heard that trying these rigs around the several islands in the Dam area can produce some "eyes". Thanks in advance. -Brett

Have caught them before on stickbaits in march, 0-5ft shallow running crankbaits in the summer and a jewel pro spider jig with a paca chunk trailer in the fall. All by accident. Wish I would catch them a little more often as they are the best tasting fish you will find in fresh water.

There are plenty of reports answering all of your questions. I was just down there last week in the Dam area which is right where you are staying at Big Cedar, so try using what I was doing. I gave a pretty detailed report on what was working for me and where so just browse for my topic "Weekend Report". Also, Babler has a few recent reports on whats going on down there that could be more current, so read those and you should get on the fish. I fish the Dam area 95% of the time I am down there so just locate pea gravel points and banks (all over in the Dam area), with a little wind on helps, and throw a carolina rigged fish doctor/centipede in green pumpkin, watermelon, etc. (browns and greens) and you will get bit. Just drag it slowly along the bottom and don't get in a hurry with it. I had great success on a 5" YUM Dinger on a 1/4oz standup jighead last week. I believe Babler is still hot with tubes so you might try those as well. -Brett

Here is that link again that helps on gut hooked fish: http://www.walleyesunlimitedusa.org/documents/hook_removal_technique.pdf I myself have regular needle nose pliers and then a set of surgeon pliers just for the specific purpose of gut hooked fish. Instead of using my fat fingers to get the line threw the gill plate I use the really thin surgeon pliers to get the line and pulll it threw. -Brett

Had a great weekend on the Rock in the Dam area. Saturday didnt get out til late afternoon and caught mostly shorts with one keeper Jaw and one keeper Spot throwing a green pumpkin bass x jig with matching paca chunk trailer, chug bug and aarons magic roboworm on a shakey head. Fish really heated up for us on Sunday evening and REALLY hot on Monday morning-afternoon (Off water by 1PM to head back to STL). Had 17 keepers between Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon with shorts mixed in as well. Best was a 4lb LM. Was keeping boat in 35-28 feet of water throwing at the edge of the new brush line and sometimes up further in the trees/brush closer to the bank when it was allowable to do so without getting hung up on limbs. Most all of the fish were on pea gravel banks and even better if the wind is on them or had been on them throughtout the weekend (which was all weekend). Caught them from the points across from the Dam and Branson Belle to Jake Branch. Lots of quality fish with almost 1:1 ratio of shorts to keepers for us. Fish were in back 1/3 of Jakes with some really nice 17-20" Jaws and loaded with 14-15". Most fish were right in the trees and if there happened to be old hardwood nearby in the 30-40 feet even better and those tree were GUARANTEED to hold fish and most of them taking it on the drop. Really tore them up and was using a 1/4 painted (black, brown or green pumpkin didnt matter) Spot Remover Standup jighead with a 5" YUM Dinger in green pumpkin and ozark smoke. Fish were prefering the ozark smoke a little more as my brother boated more fish than I but hey I had to try to hold the boat in the strong winds! Had another half dozer keepers (most all solid 2-3lb Jaws) throw the baits when they came up for an aerial display. I had one that I admittedly missed and goofed on the netting and he jumped up like a NASA space shuttle straight up out of the water chest high and came unbuttoned. Pretty amazing and just love them Dam pea gravel fed Jaws. A few spit up crawdads but man they are just really on that worm/senko/dinger right now. Had 3-4 just swallow the entire 5" Dinger, even smallies only 12". The trick I learned from someone on here where you take the line threw their gill plate opening to get the shank of the hook to turn in their throat and just take pliers and pull it straight out of their mouth worked like a charm and saved several fish to be had another day. Also caught some nice goggle eyes on the same baits on accident. Great weekend! Hope this helps. -Brett

Maybe someone who is in the know could maybe compile a list of what parks/launch sites are available to use and get the boat in the water. Thanks in advance. -Brett

Anyone know if 86 State Park is ok to launch from?

Glad we didnt plant any trees yet to replace the ones that are dead/dying from the '08 flood. Would have been a total waste.

Sam- I also remember a couple of years ago seeing quite a few of those floating bails of hay. Dangerous stuff for sure. Can't imagine how much that bail weighs wet and what it would do to the hull or motor. I also think Capt. Don had mentioned he had ran over a cement park picnic table when the water was this high. Just a lot of stuff you wouldnt think/expect to see out there floating or below the water.

4/8-4/10 2011 Fished Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. Friday evening was only able to get out around 4-dark. Fished Jakes Branch with little success on a blue bandit mcstick, just a few shorts on a pea gravel secondary point with some timber on it. Did see a pod of 8-10 bass some of which looked to be 3-5 lbs in a pocket in about 15 feet of water about 2-3 feet under the surface just kinda hovering there. Ive never seen that before, they were just sitting there all of them in about a 15 foot square of water. Threw the mcstick in the middle of them but they just all scattered and I had no takers. Disappointing as I thought for sure one would take the bait. Anyhow, threw the wart for a bit as the sun was setting and only managed 3 shorts all on bluff end transitions. Saturday fished brushy creek starting around 8AM and only could manage 2 shorts and 1 18"LM on a norman flake mcstick. After 2-3 hours switched over to crappie fishing and caught around 25 crappie 8 of which kept on the same locations I mentioned 3 weeks ago. Brush or laydowns extending from the bank into the water preferably on steeper rock banks using all chartreuse swimming minnows (from Lilleys Landing) and crystal swimming minnows. Sunday started fishing around 730AM further down long creek near Ark/Mo border but only had a few shorts on the norman flake and blue bandit mcstick. No takers on the wart at all. After about 2 hours of minimal success went back to brushy for more crappie action and they were hot. Again same locations, tying up to trees near the ideal locations and throwing repeatedly to them in the laydowns/brush piles. Used smoke swimming minnows on 1/32 or 1/16 unpainted jighead worked as slowly as possible, just to make that tail wiggle and this time we just hammered them. Caught around 40 crappie between my dad and I but only 10 keepers, a few real nice 13"ers. Caught what seemed to be a million 8 inchers. After hitting our 2 honey holes we just kinda let the wind blow us out towards the mouth of brushy hitting the bank with the smoke minnow. Caught some more crappie and around 15 bass mixed in, bass were anywhere from 6 inches,4 or 5 13-14 inchers to 2 of them 15-16" Kentuckys. Had a ball on the ultra light stuff with them. Bass were released swimming....crappie were not so fortunate. For you crappie guys get out there they are bitting good. can't get the pics to upload.........again Good Luck out there- Brett

Thanks Bill as always. Gonna give it a go this weekend in the Dam area and see if I can't stick a few. -Brett

What going on near the Dam and or Long Creek fellas?

That looks interesting Wayne and thanks for the input. But like I said the reason I use the hard kernal with the drilled hole is so the blue gills and turtles cant get it off. That way your bait is never blank, ever. I used to use the soft canned stuff but like I said before the little boogers are all over it before the carp get around to seeing it. Results in way more fish due to never having to reel in to check if the bait is gone. I also used to use a single hook but once I switched to trebles my hook up ratio more than tripled.

How do you think the running of the water affects the fishing on TR? Better when the gates are opened or closed or does it really not matter and depends more on the weather than anything else?

Take it easy pal. You have your way and I have mine. I didn't bash your approach, just said it would be near impossible. I bet you won't catch 1 carp on your rig by the time I have landed 100. Hell I bet you will NEVER catch a carp on TR with what you are trying to do unless you go to the State Park Marina, throw some food pellets in, then get your fly rod out and pitch it into the feeding frenzy. You don't want my advice fine, just leave it. No, need to get all pissy with attitude. Rewarding???? Seeing how young kids get super excited to catch even itty bitty bluegill, sunfish and black perch and then have them reel one of these 15-40lb monsters in....they go crazy and you can just see the pure joy, shock and awe of the size of what they have just caught. That will last forever, I know because at one time I was that kid. Now I am paying it back. Thats the "REWARD" as I see it. I was just trying to help but you know it all apparently so why even ask for info/help on this forum? You already have it figured out.

The reason you see them at docks/marinas feeding like that is because they have been trained to do so, so to speak. People at the docks sell the food pellets/dog food and the carp hang around for that reason. They don't feed like that in nature or in schools/packs like a bass or something. I would say they are more like cows of the lake just grazing around the bottom for algae/grass/etc.

I fish for carp every now and again during the summer just for fun because they are so powerful and fun to fight. Great to watch a kid real one of those suckers in. Takes just about all their power not to be drug in the water. Kids can fool around on the dock and boat while you have 2 or 3 poles out. Pretty easy, I chum them with cans of soft corn for a few days then have hard kernal corn that i drill out a small hole (tedious work but worth the effort) so they can fit on a size 6 or 4 treble hook somewhat snug, hole just big enough to make the turn on the bend of the treble. I put the 3 pieces on each treble and have a bullet sinker above that and cast out into the middle of where I have been chumming. I let that sit until I get a bite and they are usually hooked 99% of the time with the trebles (especially with the super sticky Daiichi Death Traps). I used to use soft corn for the trebles but the dang perch and turtles have that stuff off before it hits the bottom and you have had your poles sitting there blank for an hour...ugh. With the hard kernal the perch and stuff cant get it off the hook. If you do this make sure you have your rods tied down with a rope because they will take off like a bullet and your rig will be in the drink before you can blink at times. They are definately more active when the water gets warm, even bath water hot in August and they are cruising the banks and shallows. They are bottom feeders I believe and very rarely if ever go after a bait. When one is hooked on a lure its usually by accident and in the tail or something. I think it would be next to impossible to get one to hit that fly on the surface. You would be better off putting a weighted treble hook on your fly rod and sight fish for them and snag them paddlefish style. My 2 cents.

Jigs setup for me is Falcon BuCoo 6'10" Heavy (fishes more like a MH), Curado, 12# Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon, Eakins/Bass X/Chompers jigs with Paca Chunk trailers. Like guys have said you cant go wrong with green pumpkins, watermelon, PBJ and browns with purple mixed into those colors. I really like the Paca Chunks and Paca Chunk Sr, good action, good colors choices (i like PBJ, Green Pumpkin, Table Rock Red and Alabama Craw) and pretty fair prices on them. Good luck.

Thanks as usual fellas. Looks like I'll go with the Rapala.

Can anyone recommend a good, accurate yet inexpensive digital scale? Say around $30? Don't need all the culling features and stuff just one that will give me an accurate weight reading. -Brett

I would dare to say that is closer to 5 than 4. Its is an absolute butterball. Speaking of weight. Can anyone recommend a good, accurate yet inexpensive digital scale? Say around $30?