Whack'emGood

Thats awful... they apparently aren't taking care of those fish at all. I fish the Friday night series out of Mill Creek. Joe Gettle runs the deal, and he does an outstanding job. He always reminds everyone, before blastoff, to use ice and make sure you aereate all night and use catch-n-release, rejuvenade or something similar. He always praises everyone for taking good care of their fish. They also have a great tank with medicated water that they use to revive the fish and also fizz fish that need it before returning them to the lake. There is rarely (only) a fish or two that is brought in dead. When this happens, they always set it aside and someone takes it home. There is a 1lb penalty for a dead fish. I wouldn't fish in the tourneys if I didn't think it was run top notch like Joe runs it. I am not a tourney first guy... I am a guy who's number one priority is not to harm the fish... I will only fish a tourney that makes it a priority as well. Whack'em

I know where to find them. Those little turds are packed into most of my favorite fishing holes!!! They usually aggravate the stuff out of us while we are trying to catch a few bass. Seriously though-- I don't fish for them but... Bill is right... I would try main lake points and pockets, and also bluff ends. I usually see big ones laying up under docks during mid-day when the sun is out. You might even accidentally run into some big goggle eyes. Those can get pretty big, and they put up a good fight for their size. They would be fun for the kids. Good luck! Whack'em

I don't know how we're attracting bugs. We don't leave our lights on or anything like that. I guess a guy just attracts mosquitoes just by having skin though. I don't mind the bats being around me, per se, its just that they attack your line while you are trying to fish. Now that is good reasoning Dutch!! I didn't think about that. Kill two birds (well, kind of-- birds ) with one stone!

That's true. They probably put away more than a few hundred mosquitos on a good night of fishing. Maybe a guy should just look at it that way and call it good. They are like your personal bug catcher. I don't like the blacklight thing-- don't use them. I just can't get used to it. Maybe I'm just too old fashioned... Fished without them for years, and I'm like an old dog. I don't learn new tricks easily. My dad (my regular fishing partner) is the one who is REALLY opposed to the blacklights the most though. If it were solely up to me, I guess I would fish with them until I got good and used to them. I like the concept anyway-- it makes sense to be able to see your line and detect more (theoretically) bites. Whack'em

Hey guys. I was thinking of this aggravating issue that we always just deal with and thought someone might have an effective repellant/solution. While night fishing, the bats always bother us a little, but sometimes are really bad and drive us crazy. For those who haven't experienced it... bats will circle around and attack your line, sometimes unmercifully. It can be especially aggravating when you don't see them and sometimes it feels like a fish bite. It seems like it got considerably worse when, a couple of years back, we switched to using flourocarbon line exclusively. Does anyone know of a solution? I have heard about those ultrasonic devices that are supposed to repel bats, but I have heard that they really don't work. Any help would be much appreciated. Whack'em

Shane-- My friend said the best bite was in the willows on main lake points and pockets. Welcome to Ozark- its a great place to live. You're welcome for the info. Good luck in the tourney!!

Techo, That sucks man, I have done similar things. When you get frustrated, you sometimes forget to take care when trying to fix something and end up just breaking something else. I am not a transducer tech expert... but I would imagine a deep cut in the line would affect the signal being transmitted from your transducer to your graph. Some of the other guys would probably know better than me and might say different. The rubber coating on mine got rubbed in one spot (fixed with electrical tape), but didn't affect any of the wires, and it still works great... but with cut wires??? Don't sound good to me. Depending on what graph you have, you should be able to just buy a new transducer (with new wire attached, of course). So, am I right to gather that you have your transducer mounted on your trolling motor head? If so, a new transducer (not real expensive... certainly less than a new graph) wouldn't be too hard to mount and run the wiring. That is, of course, unless you have been looking for an excuse to buy (and can afford) a new graph. Good luck! Whack'em

Shane, I haven't been up there but... a couple of weeks ago a guy I know who is a very credible source (and who fishes up there all of the time) told me that a couple of weeks back he was catching alot of fish (and nice ones) on jigs in the willows. You aren't Shane Long are you? Just asking because I went to high school with him, but haven't talked to him since high school. Good luck in the tourney! Whack'em

Yeah, the law says you have to have them on-- but nobody that night fishes much keeps them on for the following reasons: 1) Bugs, bugs, and more bugs. 2) You can't see a thing-- it throws your depth perception way off, if you can even see at all. 3) The white light in the back (especially), in my opinion, would definitely affect the fish-- if only to cast moving shadows-- letting them know that something isn't right and putting them on alert. 4) Bats attacking your line are bad enough as it is-- lights bringing in more bugs would just bring in more bats (man I hate those bats-- talk about aggravating). I have heard many times throughout the years that Water Patrol Officers allow fisherman to turn them off as a courtesy, probably because of all of these reasons and then some-- I have only had them tell me to turn them on a time or two (no tickets, I might add). For as many hours as I have spent on the lake at night, that is a pretty good record. You should definitely pay attention to other boaters (both drunk and non-drunk) and be ready to flip on your lights if anyone runs toward or gets close. I have a big and powerful spotlight that I have used many times to give extra alert to other boaters when (after turning the lights on) they keep coming. Whack'em

Top notch, rps!!! You are probably humbly thinking that everybody would have done the same... no big deal... It IS a big deal though. I bet you would be surprised how many people wouldn't have given the overturned boat a second look. Way to go!!

This is a tough one. I, too, enjoy when your line just goes "weightless". It is great when this happens and then you can see your line "swimming" off to one side. For me it is either this "weightless" feel when a big-un enhales your jig or soft plastic, or the one you get when it is just one big super thump and you know hes there for sure. You know the one I mean-- the one where your line jumps a foot and the vibration rattles up through your rod and arm and into your spine (so to speak). When you feel this one there is no need to doubt the source-- just reel down and rip him. These two kinds of bites are why I so much enjoy fishing jigs or texas rigged plastics, as opposed to cranking a crankbait or winding a spinnerbait, grub, or even drop shotting. I have heard guys say they would rather catch 1 spinnerbait or crankbait fish than catch 5 jig fish... not me, its just the opposite for me because of the feel of the bite and the skill it takes to detect the bite and set the hook. What a great topic. Aint fishin' great!!!???

Slippery, I very much appreciate the way you operate your ski rig. Please take note that when I speak of the skiing/tubing/ski doo moron or idiot, that you are not the kind of guy I am referencing. I do realize that most of the skiers/players out there are courteous-- I guess you just notice the bad apples more than the good guys. It just goes to show that even the good guy skiers and such have to deal with the bad apples as much as we fisherman do. The bottom line is-- I like to fish, but I understand that alot of folks like to ski and swim and such and thats okay too. My dream of a perfect lake is to have the two camps do their thing simultaneously with courtesy and regard all around. Wouldn't it be great if everyone could enjoy their respective fun times without all of these bad apples to ruin it for all of us? Whack'em

Nothing wrong with the upper end of the BPS Series at all. A couple of years ago, I figured I would give them a shot. I love the Johnny Morris Signature Series (rods and reels both). I also love the BPS Prolite Finesse. Great little reel that is durable and smooth and fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. The JM Sig Series rods and reels, the Rick Clunn Series, and the Prolite are great products for 1/3 to 1/4 of the price of comparable bigger brand name rigs. These BPS products have come a long way in the past 7 years or so. I have fished the heck out of them in the past couple of years with no problems at all. They still work like new. Also, the Browning Midas line of rods are the most sensitive rod I have ever fished and only run about $150. They are a boron/graphite modulus and are great for fishing styles where you need to feel the light bite. The bottom line is... I believe that you don't need to spend an arm and a leg to get good gear and be able to catch a ton of fish. A great fisherman can catch fish with a cane pole and a string (so to speak), but a poor fisherman still can't catch fish with a $1,000 outfit. ...my 2 cents. Whack'em P.S. I just realized I left something out... All of the rods and reels I talked about above are baitcasting outfits/rigs.

bc23champ, I feel your pain as well. You said that you have never had a problem with the skiers and players before... You must not fish much (or none) at all on TR. It is really awful how people (and keep in mind these are adult age people) act on the lake. We run into at least a couple (sometimes dozens and dozens) of these morons every time we go during the warmer months. We even run into them at night sometimes. We have had boats run between us and the bank at full throttle several times during night fishing outings-- and we had flashed and turned on our lights and even blasted them with my 2 million candle power spotlight and they just kept on coming (alot of times with their music blasting so loud you can't hear yourself yell at the guy). As far as the lifejacket thing-- there ought to be a law, but there isn't. As far as I'm concerned, if an adult is too stupid to figure out that he needs to wear a life jacket while running, then its his own life he is taking chances with. I DO worry about these drunken morons towing their kids in front of (or under) my boat. I would be sick, to say the least, if I ran over a kid-- and its not the kid's fault that his dad is a moron and isn't being safe. Every time we get into this topic, people say there isn't enough water patrol to enforce safety against these idiots... This is true, and it is the shame of the whole deal. Whack'em

Thanks for the report. It is much appreciated. I'm about ready to go and try it. When we do, I will report back as well.

Thats a bad idea soggyfeet. If people did this, they would be harrassing honest night fisherman. You are wrong to think that "honest" night fisherman would leave their running lights on while fishing. I always (sorry water patrol) turn my running lights off while I am fishing, as do most every other serious night fisherman I know. If you've night fished much at all, you will notice that most everybody turns their lights off while fishing. When you approach someone, they will turn their lights on (blink them on and off a couple of times usually) to let you know they are on or near the spot that you are passing thru or getting ready to fish. Some guys use those neon night fishing lights, so they can see their lines, but they will turn their running lights off. Of course, we all (I hope) use our running lights while running-- but not fishing. Sorry water patrol, but I have never had, heard of, or seen, a problem with this. You are correct that nobody needs to get within 5-10 feet of somebody's dock though. Nobody needs to get on anyones dock. If I were to accidentally cast a lure onto someones dock, and I can't drag it off of there or reach it with my rod tip when I get close to the dock, I just break it off and leave it. A lure is not worth giving someone the wrong idea about you-- if you're honest, the last thing you want is for someone to get the wrong idea and think you are a theif. Whack'em

S&M, I am sad to hear that, because of this, you are giving up night fishing. I love to night fish. I prefer night fishing to day fishing anytime. It is more relaxing and, to me, just plain more fun in general. I will never stop night fishing. I would like to know one thing... I would like to know where Skeeter's dock is located so I can steer clear. I guess what I'll do from now on at night when I move in the vacinity of a dock is speak out. To let someone who may be there know that I'm only fishing and not trying to vandalize or steal anything. Alarm to them, so to speak, so they don't think I'm a bad guy and trying to sneak up or something. Maybe say "Don't Shoot, I'm just fishing," or something like that. It is a shame that it has to come to that I guess, but I am sure not going to quit night fishing-- thats for sure. Whack'em

I don't really fish the docks themselves much. I guess its because I'm not very good at it, but I have never caught much directly off of a dock. However, there are alot of banks, points, and other structure and cover that we used to fish back in the day when it had no dock built over it. Then they build a dock over that spot. Then, as we did in the story in my previous post, we have no choice but to work around the dock. That night we weren't fishing the dock itself... That dock was built on a steep channel bank that we have caught fish on since I was barely old enough to fish. Then (and they have every right to, I guess) they come along and build a dock on it. When I know fish still use that spot, I sure aint giving up on fishing it just because someone built a dock over or next to it. Also, if a guy decided he flat-out wasn't going to fish near any docks, there wouldn't be too many places on TR that he could avoid them. They are everywhere now. The bottom line is... docks aren't the lazy mans way to fish... I don't really understand what you mean by that anyway, but... Docks are private structures that people built on public water. They are gonna be fished under and around, even if only by necessity. People own their docks and other people should stay off of them... people certainly shouldn't be messing with or stealing property off of them-- that's awful. But, I have had guys tell me I can't fish the public water near their dock... I would never mess with their dock or the property on it, but if I think there is fish under or near it-- I will fish for them. Whack'em P.S. Kevinkirk... I agree with most of the points on your post... but I, for one, am proud to be a "Hillbilly" and of my "Hillbilly" heritage. I know what you meant by calling someone a "hillbilly," but I don't use it as a derogatory term. My meaning for that word is much different.

I'm like Bill... I would take my boat out and put it in the garage. If you leave anything out and within reach of a thief... like my grandpa always used to say... "No matter what you do to deter them... (locks, lights, cameras, alarms, etc.) if they really want it, they will get it anyway." Its a bad deal, but its a fact.

Thanks Phil. I sure wanted to go over there and teach him not to accuse and yell at people he doesn't know... But I really did feel for him. It sucks to get violated like he did. I guess I handled that one pretty well... Like you were saying about yourself, I haven't always handled things that well either. I have definitely had my bad moments, especially when I was younger (not that I'm old, just older than when I was in my teens and 20s), when I didn't handle that kind of situation very well. I felt pretty good about how I handled it at the time too-- it makes a person feel pretty good to do the right thing. I appreciate the compliment. That feels pretty darn good too. Whack'em

Went night fishing last night again. Launched at Mill Creek. Ran up into the Lower James. Our plan was to fish only new spots (spots we had only fished maybe once or none at all) so we could possibly add a few good spots to our arsenal. Caught two nice keeper sized + KYs and one 14 1/2 incher before dark (grub -- can't quite get the hang of the drop shot yet) and had one more really nice one on for a while. After dark (we fished jigs and soft plastics) ... only one dinker KY. I know we were fishing only unfamiliar spots, but we were fishing spots that (according to the depth, structure, relation to creek channels, cover, etc.) should hold a few fish. It is just plain tough after dark right now. We fished until midnight. Oh yeah... dad did catch a fat and stocky 6 or 7lb (guessing) flathead cat on a jig. It put up a good fight and, for a few moments, we thought he had on a dandy bass until it came up and rolled on top of the water. He had fun fighting it anyway. Whack'em

Bob, I love to fish night tourneys. But... 6-pm to dark won't cut it for me. That's really an evening tourney, not a night tourney. I fish a tournament series at TR, and we fish from 7:30-1:30. It is the perfect slot for a night tournament, really. The real fun really starts after dark. I mean..... you could make it 6:30-12:30. But... it IS a weeknight tourney and alot of guys can't be out late on a weeknight, so... what do you do?? Also, Ruark Bluff is a good ramp to night fish out of... we do it all the time. Anyway, you said you wanted input. Thats my input. Good idea though for sure. Should be alot of fun. Thanks! Whack'em P.S. Its a buddy tournament right??? Where you and your partner enter together and fish together?? Thats the only way to go.

Geez... I totally agree with the frustration. Theives are the worst kind of people. They ought to be at leased caned or something... But... I night fish alot. I hope you don't shoot me while I'm just trying to catch a few bass and happen to get close to your dock. You have to be careful... Please make sure the guy you shoot at (shooting at people who steal gas is highly questionable and regrettable at best, by the way) is actually stealing and not fishing. Last summer I was fishing at night near the mouth of Roaring River and, as we slipped around a dock and started flinging our jigs toward the bank, some half-drunk guy starts yelling at us and accusing us of being there to try to steal something. We told him we were just fishing and would never steal anything. He said "yeah right, you're lying... you are probably the guys who have been stealing our stuff the last couple of weeks or so." He also was profanely threatening to TRY to give us a whoopin'. Let me tell you something... being accused of stealing almost made me as mad as having my stuff stolen. Also, I don't like being told someone is gonna whoop' me for something I didn't do. At first I wanted to troll over there and give him a little whoopin' of my own to shut him up... But then I thought of the reason why he was so defensive and paranoid. I felt bad for him-- getting his stuff stolen. I told him that I was sorry that somebody stole his stuff, but it wasn't us so please leave us alone so we can fish in peace. He continued his half-drunken rant... meanwhile his wife (I gathered) spoke up and told him to settle down and that he was drunk. I told her thank you and reassured her that it wasn't us who stole their stuff... I told her we were just fisherman trying to relax and catch a few bass. I told her I don't blame them for being defensive after having their stuff stolen, but please don't accuse us. Anyway the drunk man settled down and she made him apologize. I told him thank you for the apology, but it wasn't necessary, because I understand his frustration. He asked where we were from... one thing led to another, and it turned out that him and my dad had mutual friends. Seemed like a pretty nice guy, he was just frustrated with his situation and the beer didn't help things. Anyway, we told him we hoped he catches the theives and we fished on our way. The moral is... make sure the guy that you are accusing (and shooting at) is really the bad guy. He may not be the bad guy at all... he may be a friend. Whack'em

Dennis, We, too, had trouble night fishing this weekend. We fished a tourney Friday night out of Mill Creek and we left early when that massive T-Storm got close. We had one nice keeper KY in the livewell at the time -- we turned him back (in good shape I might add) and booked it out of there. I caught that keeper before dark, and I had one more nice KY (prob about 3 lbs) on before dark also and he spit my grub back at me. That was it. After dark we only caught 3 dinks (all KY). We couldn't get a LM or SJ to bite at all. We had been catching them pretty good for the couple of weeks prior, but that night... awful. Didn't hear how the rest of the guys did, but we suspect not very well. Seems like most nights there will be someone that catches them though, so we figured 1 or 2 fish wasn't worth enduring that storm. Whack'em

Oh no!!! We need to make sure and knock him down a notch the next chance we get!! Can't let this get out of hand!!