Tom Spence

No radio but I've always got a phone with me and I seem to always have sufficient coverage on Table Rock. I agree with Whackem that you're usually always close to shelter or help on TR. If I was on the Great Lakes or something like that I'd probably re think it though.

Anybody seen any flyers yet for the annual Take A Kid Fishing Tourney? It was cancelled last year due to high water but it has always been in early May. If I remember right the Lost Creek Bass Club ran it.

Scrubbing means to "scrub" the bottom with the grub. Maintain enough reel speed to keep the bait moving but keeping contact with the bottom. Like Eric said if you lose contact with the bottom let the grub sink and start again. Swiming the grub is just reeling it in. Vary retrieves and speeds like you would a crank bait. About the only time I move the rod is if I'm "yo-yoing" up and down as I bring it in.

I mentioned this in the Keep the Mouth Shut topic but don't know if many people saw it or not. Sunday in the Heartland I got into a good bunch of white bass in Flat Creek just past the split with the James. I was on the east bank where it transitions to chunk then bluff. They were slamming my wiggle wart but would probably hit something else even better. All kinds of them on the graph under the boat in 18-20 feet of water.

Good grief I hope not. I can't afford tungsten! Seriously though, since Corps lakes are a federal entity I could see it happening. Hard to say....the modern tree hugging world is a wacky place. Disclaimer: I meant no offense to anyone who hugs trees or members of their families or friends of said tree huggers or anyone they know who hugs said trees. Also, no offense to any trees in need of hugs including shrubbery and small bushes. My deepest apologies to any human, tree, mineral, or animal that took offense.

No problem Sam. I defend what I love and that being said, I would have torpedoed those cheaters you saw (not with a torpedo but a cell phone call-don't want you guys thinking I'm homicidal). And before the spoonbillers get on me let me say this. While I'm sure one or two of them were drinking out there Sunday, I know the majority were not and were out there enjoying something they love (hey, thats a resounding theme here isn't it). I grew up snagging every Spring on Lake of the Ozarks with dad so I had no problem picking my way through them Sunday to get to my spots and I tried to do it as courteously as I could. And I have no problem griping about jet skiers!

Sam I know you didn't want to be involved but I wish you would have got a hull number and called a Conservation Agent that day. I have patches on my shirt, a $40,000 bass boat and wear wrap around sunglasses, so I must be a real ahole in your eyes but....I know theres not a tourney director or fellow tourney angler out there who will tolerate cheating and though it would have made all tourney anglers look bad for a while (kind of like this topic has) it would have been good to get two cheaters what they disserved. Tell you what guys, I'm gonna throw this out there for thought and open up a new can of worms. Sunday when I fished the Heartland I had to pick my way through the gauntlet that was snaggers in Flat Creek. As I slowed down and went through them I wondered to myself, how many of these guys are drunk? Now, having grown up a recreational fisherman and knowing recreational fishermen (I know not all recreational fishermen drink) I am sure that more than a few of those boats had more than soda in the coolers, and I'm sure one or two of those guys were driving boats under the influence. I know there wasn't a beer in any tourney boat on Sunday. I have friends that fish recreationally who ask to go with me. They say, "I'll bring the beer." When I tell them booze ain't allowed on my rig they can't believe it. I'll say this too. Talk about those fast bass boats barreling down the lake all you want. Year after year its proven that tourney anglers (and fishermen in general before somebody has a cow) are the better and safer drivers out there and its the recreational folks-NOT FISHERMEN- that are smashing it up. Now before you start citing crashes you know about involving bass boats- I know it happens. But the majority of boat crashes don't involve bass boats. Why? Fishermen are on the water more and get more wheel time than the dude in board shorts and wrap around sunglasses (Hey! Other people wear them too!) pulling the knee board with the booze flowing and music blaring. Don't confuse speed with recklesness. Oh Soggyfeet. I love tourney fishing and have fun doing it. If I loved it for the money I would have stopped long ago. I have a full-time job I don't love that provides money.

I get the impression you dont like tourneys or the guys who fish them. The vast majority are great people, just like the rest of the fishing community. I love to fish... period. Like to go with my dad, my kids, my wife, my friends. But I like to fish tourneys too because they add another element. That being time constraints, competition, not being able to choose the weather you fish in etc. The majority of the tournament fishermen are "just simple country boys" too. They just have a diferent way of enjoying their sport.

I had 50-51 in Flat Creek Today with a good stain. But it was probably due in part to the heavy boat traffic from spoonbillers. Aunts was 47-48.

Phil I don't know if you're aware of this but there is some sort of scrawny, putrid looking bird like thing attached to your last post. Thought it might have been put there by mistake:)

Ok Bill heres some humility for ya. I fished the Heartland Pro Am today. I was way down in the standings because I fished like S--T! I had the bites and missed several, plain and simple. Don't know how big they were and don't care. They never made it to the livewell so it don't matter. On a good note, my non-boater had a limit of 3 for 7th place. Was very happy for him. For those who haven't been on the water the week heres the scoop. Water temps in the James were 2-3 degrees warmer than down lake. I had 51 in Flat Creek, 50 by Wooley, and 47-48 in Aunts. James has done some clearing in the cape Fair area the past two days, but still has a very mild stain. For you white bass guys, I got into a bunch today on a wiggle wart in Flat Creek just north of the split with the James on the east bank where it gets rocky and steep.

Anybody know how the Joe Bass went on Sunday?

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From Cape Fair go down lake. Past point 14 the lake bends to the left then back to the right about 3/4 mile later. In the back of that right hand turn in Buzzard. It goes back to the northeast.

Not flooded by any stretch of the imagination. But there are some bushes (without leaves) in the water

And the question wasn't nearly as stupid as the answer probably sounded.

You would ask that of a guy who has trouble describing everything. Its the small bushes or trees growing close to or in the water. No leaves, hardwood.

Got out Friday and today (Monday) and stayed in the James. Friday found several LM on jigs in the buck brush around Buzzard Branch. Water was really stained as compared to Kimberling and Aunts Creek areas, but...it was much warmer. In the afternoon we had 48-49 degree water in Buzzard. My partner caught about 12 LM in an hour with two small keepers. Today I went out from 9:30 to 2:30 and stayed right around point 14 in the James. Water was starting to clear up, but still had 46.5 to just under 47 degrees in the afternoon. Told myself I was not putting down the stick bait cause frankly, I need to work on it! I almost held myself to it too. Caught a couple fish pretty shallow on sun warmed and wind blown points with the McStick in chartruese shad and clown. Threw a pointer in aurora black and had some fish knock the fire out of it. However I was pulling it away from them when they hit. Finally figured out I needed to let them have it a little before setting the hook and managed to land a couple. Like I said, I need to work on my stick bait skills. Not a stellar day by any means but an improvement none the less. Pray for Spring, I'm tired of being cold. Ran into techo. Good to see him out and about after a long winter's hibernation.

Looked at the results on the Fishing Radio Show website. Those guys sacked em' up. My partner and I practiced Friday and based on our poor performance (more mine than my partner's) we opted not to fish it. Impressive weights though. The Rock is getting better and better.

Great finish by Snowden and McClelland. Nice to see local boys do so well! On a side note....anybody think President Obama will invite Skeet Reese to the White House like Bush did for Alton Jones last year? I don't picture him as much of an outdoorsman, but who knows.

As of about 20 min ago Ike was in first, less than a pound ahead of Skeet Reese. Snowden is in 12th about 10 pounds behind Ike with only 3 fish in the boat.

I was on the water today. Ahoys docks all looked ok. I didn't go past Fisher Creek but all the docks I saw from Aunts to Fisher looked good.

Put in at Aunts Creek this morning at 10. It was not fun. Good news is the truck stopped sliding down the ramp just short of the water. Bad news was the fishing stunk for me. Talked to some guys who had several keepers deep on spoons and drop shots. I had a hard time finding shad. Think they were catching theirs out of trees pretty far back in creek arms. By the afternoon Aunts Creek was completely melted off though so anybody going tomorrow shouldn't have a problem. A word of caution. The road going into the park to the south ramp is fine till just past the shack. Theres about 50-75 yards of road right before the road sweeps to the right to the south ramp that is in the shade all day and still iced over so take it slow and use 4 wheel drive. Once you're past that your fine. Saw Joe Bald from the water and it looked like the ramp and lot were completely melted off by afternoon. Mill Creek was still covered solid at 3PM. Ahoys didn't look much better.

Spoke to the folks at Ahoys a little while ago. They said the road to their ramp is BAD even after the melting today. I'll probably try Joe Bald or Aunts Creek tomorrow. If anybody was there today let me know.

If anybody was out today can you let us know how the roads to the ramps and the ramps were?