abkeenan

I think he means hazards like running at night with no lights, running to close to another vessel at speed, swamping another vessel/dock, etc. Just instances that are dangerous.

This is the best response yet. A jerk is a jerk is a jerk. I don't think boaters go out of their way to be rude to people in smaller vessels such as a kayak. The same idiot that swamps a kayak, is the same idiot that yells at someone for fishing his dock and who is the same idiot that takes up four parking spaces a launch ramp. They are just jerks and that is all there is to it. Plenty of inconsiderate people out there in kayaks, bass boats, bagging groceries, installing commercial refrigerators or calling shots as CEO's of fortune 500 companies. However, the majority of fisherman are good people. Just ignore the few who aren't.

It's hard for me to chime in since I fish the dam area 90% of the time which is dominated by smallies and to an extent kentuckies. When I do run down into long creek its about 80% largies and 20% kentuckies. Kinda rare to pick up a smallie once you pass Brushy Creek and especially when you cross into Arkansas in Long Creek.

Hahahahaha.

The way I figure is that water temps will be about 10 degree warmer than normal from all the surface water churning due to 4.1 million casts of Whopper Plopper's from 2 weeks ago til April. Which puts the water temps around 65-70 for that time of year......top water time.....more Plopping.

Have only caught 4 Walters ever in the dam area. All on accident while bass fishing. One on a spider jig, one on a red eye shad, one on a jerkbait (Long Creek) and one on a strike king square bill in open water. Weird....just like the guys that fish for them. No offense RPS.

?????

I am starting to think Alex is just better at photoshopping and practical jokes than he is wielding a rod and reel. Here is a pic he texted me saying that he has always caught "bigguns" since he was a young boy. The arm is believable but I don't see any "fish thumb" on that right hand.

Dude. You are the hog slayer. Where do you have all these big ones tied up at?

Like someone else said, It's a corndog with trebles.

Bass Pro really has a limited scope of lures. Not even close to what Tackle Warehouse carries so it's no surprise they didn't have it, especially at the St. Charles location. I will say that BPS is getting better though as they see the demand for higher end tackle and started carrying Megabass and those sort of brands. R2S makes pretty quality stuff IMO. I had one of their "Pro Tuned" Scott Martin Rovers dog bait but I sold it as I didn't like it. The line would ALWAYS foul in the front hook when walking it for whatever reason. I always stray from the Spit'n Image but always go back to it. Need to stop straying.

Those look just as good and I can't see why they wouldn't be just as effective as the Plopper. Since they are made for Musky they will probably hold up better also one would think?

I have never been a big lipless crank guy. I bought about a dozen of them last winter with the intent to learn the technique. Well I didn't throw them even once this year. That being said how are you working the Red Eye?

I don't think $17 bucks is too outrageous for a bait. If it works, it works. Call me lazy but I would rather just buy the darn thing for $17 bucks and call it a day vs making my own. Been there, done that. Most of the time I try to cut corners and make my own imitation I end up with a product that doesn't work as well as the production model from the manufacturer and I've spent more money (and certainly time) on materials and tools than had I just gone to the store and got one or two off the shelf. Like Alex said also, not often you lose a topwater so I don't mind forking over some dough for them. I bought about 8 spit'n images like 7+ years ago in case they went out of production or something.......I still have ALL OF THEM and throw them all the time.

Happens when ANY big tournament is won on a single bait or predominant few. Happens EVERY year. People were paying over $100 PER A-RIG after Elias won that big FLW tourney on Guntersville. This year you couldn't find a underspin anywhere on Tackle Warehouse the days following Casey Ashley's Classic win. It happens and it's a lure manufacturers (and retailers for that matter) DREAM when their bait is the "magic bait" that wins and gets notoriety basically overnight. Social media has only made it A THOUSAND times worse as word spreads like wildfire on who was were (BASStracker), what they weighed (live streamed weigh in) and what they caught it on (on the water photos or even GO PRO Hero's as during the Classic). All of this information can be had basically while the event is taking place or just after these guys weighed in via the internet. It is what it is and will continue forever.

Good read. Thanks for sharing.

Check the BASS Open thread. Lots of talk about that bait over there.

Nice report Champ. Buzzbait bite is fun.

Gotta leave a little to the imagination.

How many guys here have an order placed with Tacklewarehouse for a Whopper Plopper? If I was a betting man I would put my money on the first order in was Quillbacks.

Man, looks to be tough out there. Some really good names, both Elites and locals, in the bottom half or near the bottom. Biffle had one fish weighed today. Pete Wenners in 60th but had a above average bounce back today considering what the field did for the most part. Freddy Boom Boom Roumbanis, Russ Lane, Kevin Short, Alton Jones, Cliff Crochet, Gary Klein, Stephen Browning.....these guys are ELITES and still struggling to put up a decent bag. Makes me feel a little bit better about my success on the Rock at times. Out of all these top tier guys the heaviest bag in 2 days brought to the scale is 17lb 0oz and that was by Jacob Wheeler today. Yikes.

WOW. That cat has to be pushing 40+lbs. I am shocked he brought it to the boat without snapping the line especially with their sandpaper teeth. That must have been a 20+ minute battle with the drag screaming with that thing on 8-12lb line. Thanks for sharing.

Interesting. Had no idea walleye did that to one another. Learn something everyday. Thanks for filling me in.

Been A LOT of reports lately. Just read some of the recent posts.

Good news for RPS. Kind sucks they didn't put some more mature fish in as well. Gonna be awhile before about 12 of those 60,000 fingerlings make it to the 18" benchmark. Lol.