Bird Watcher

Bill, Ha! yeah those were the two that I was talking to about it. Actually, to be honest, I was talking to an intern about it while Ashley was standing right next him. She wasn't talking much, she had a dip in her mouth (say whatever you want about it, she was still hot ) The intern was the one that made the comment about controlling the shad population, she just kind of nodded her head. Great folks, both herself and Brent Gordon. Fascinating just to shoot the bull with them while they were cleaning the spoonbill. Thanks for all the information. You are now my foremost authority on Hybrids in Grand. Yeah, I lived most of my life in Joplin and now I live in Goodman. Either way you slice it, I've always been 25 minutes from the lake. I am going to try it again tonight if this storm will just slide a little to the North. I actually have a different creek in mind than the one I fished last night. I kind of want to rest those fish and scout some new water. I'll report back on what I find if I go. Oh, I did go get a couple Zara puppies at lunch too. Thanks again for the info.

Bill, That's some good information. Sounds like you spent some time learning about these fish. I have also heard the "due to angler request" reason for stocking, but the funny thing was the biologist working the spoonbill station this spring told me "we stock the hybrids to control the shad population, period." Go figure, huh? The downsize bait and fluke were actually already in my plans for next time (maybe tonight if it doesn't rain) The full sized spook worked well last time I fished for them (10 years ago) but the fish were bigger then. Thanks again for the info. Quillback, I have to stress that I don't think it is all the fish that congregrate up there. I think most of them stay in the main lake hanging on mid lake humps and roll offs on the flats, but some of them do move up in the creeks when it gets hot. FWIW, I have been catching quite a few white bass on main lake points between Elm Creek and SB bridge. I can never resist dropping a spoon on them a few times when I see them on the graph, even if we are fishing for largemouths. It drives all of my buddies who only want to fish for LMs crazy.

Gawd, I wish I would have had that info! I spent 5 hrs Fri. night and 6 hrs Saturday morning fishing the magical 20-24' off the flats by Mutton Creek and ended up with those occasional shorts you mentioned. Those Stockton walleye sure do frustrate me.

I was sitting around the house with my tail between my legs after giving Stockton a hard try for the walleye Fri. night and Sat. morning with little to show for it. I decided spur of the moment to go to Grand for a few hours and try to catch some hybrids. I am not a hybrid genius by any means, but I do know when the surface temps warm up in the summertime some of the fish will go way up in the cool water creeks for relief from the heat. We used to fish for them a lot back 10 years or so ago, but I haven't been in probably that long. I've been hearing more and more about this latest batch that GRDA stocked 4 or 5 years ago and thought that maybe it would be worth fishing for them. I worked my way back up in the creek. You have to get WAY up in there. You want to be where the water clears up and you see the big mat of scum where the cool water meets the warm lake water. Threw a chrome lipless crank, a big inline spinner and a spook. They wanted the spook. In 1 hour of fishing I had 4 fish and missed a dozen others. The fish I caught ran from 4-7lbs. It was a lot of fun. Only one of the fish hooked up on the first blowup. Most of them would come back 4 or 5 times before they took it. It takes a lot of self control to keep from yanking it away from them while they are bombing it like that. You have to sneak up on these fish. The ones I caught tonight were in about 3 FOW. No banging around in the boat, long casts, and just ease the boat back in there. Don't run in there with the TM on high hitting stumps and getting caught on gravel. you'll blow them out before you ever see them. I know some people don't like it that GRDA stocks them. I even had an agent tell me they try to keep it under wraps because of the backlash (no pun intended) from the largemouth anglers, but I personally love to catch them and think these are beautiful fish. Next time I go, I'll make sure I take a camera to get some pictures.

way to stay after them.

I use the Strike king mini buzzbaits from Wal Mart. They come in 1/8 oz. I usually buy them 6 at a time, although I only have to buy them every two to three years. Funny though, I tried to look them up online for a picture and couldn't find them listed in SKs catalog.

I will sign up for it. $20 a year isn't too bad.

I get "crappie world" at the store when I am there, but I think you get more information, epsecially local, over at CDC. I think you are a member on that site too?

FWIW, there is a place down here by me in SE Kansas that I have caught tons of carp and buffalo on a fly rod. It is an old spillway on a shallow muddy impoundment. The spillway is covered in hair like green moss and algae. We started by using ultralight spinning rods and wrapping a wad of moss on our hook. When dead drifted in below the spillway, carp and buffalo nail it. No kidding, explosive strikes. So I started tying some flies to look like big balls of moss. Nothing real complicated, just a big wad of dark green chenelle and maribou. It worked, I could go down there any night after work and catch 2-6 fish. I think it was a bit of a unique situation though. The spillway, the moss, I think made the fish look for drifting balls of moss to feed on.

That's a smoker Marty. I think I will have to haul to Stockton and fish this weekend. It's my favorite lake, I just can't always talk myself into driving the extra hour to fish. I need a change of scenery anyway

PM sent

Redbird, We were at Rockaway two weekends ago. The guys I was with all stayed below Bull Creek for a lot of the trip. They were catching plenty on both powerbait and crappie jigs. I think I could see a temperature band on my HDS unit, down about 10-12 ft. although the surface temp was in the upper seventies, the guys were catching plenty of fish on the bottom , or at least deeper in the water column. I was kind of theorizing that there must be cooler water settled out below the warm surface layer. I think they were fishing on the bottom and catching fish down by the darn in 25+ FOW the second day. They caught limits for 5 guys two days in a row. I know it's not an up to date report, but maybe it will help.

Fished last night from 6:30-midnight. It was slow until dark then it really picked up. Caught a couple really nice fish on primary point adjacent to a channel bend bit a DD22. Caught a couple more squeaker keeps on a pea gravel seconday point on a middle N. My fishing bud caught the pig of the night, 6#2oz. on a brush hog behind a dock in about 7 FOW on a primary point adjacent to a channel swing. I tell you, these fish are fat and lazy. There are so many shad, they probably haven't chased dinner in months. It's almost uncanny how many of these we catch on the 3rd or 4th identical presentation (same cast, same spot...etc.) You gotta really slow the TM down and fish methodical. Couldn't buy a bite on the jig, and only caught knotheads on the shakey head.

Where do you live?

shockley, I have a couple of the 9' Sam Heaton BnM jigging poles that I really like. It took a couple trips to get a feel for the long rods, but now I can't imagine hitting the lake without them. I usually keep them rigged opposite ie..one with a 1/8" bright orange head black and char. slab slayer, one with 1/16" red head and pearl bobby garland. That way I have two different looks for the fish when I pull up to some structure.

I did say it and I stand by it. Clean up the garbage and keep it a clean place for everyone to share information. End of the day though, I don't care. I don't fish TR and won't use the information these people are giving up. In a way it would it would be funny for all the pot stirrers to lose their free line on info. Kind of a make your bed now lay in it kind of deal. but then those same pot stirrers will be on here complaining that no one answers their "anyone catching fish in the _____ area" posts. Whatever...as previously stated I don't have an interest in fishing Table Rock, so therefore, I don't care if the reports dry up...personaly. It does suck for the other guys though. I have no dog this fight and I am done too.

this Saturday is kid's fishing day at Roaring River. I dunno, maybe they could use some? My company hosts a kid's fishing derby at the park in Monett every year. They would probably use a little. Noble thought, whatever you end up doing with it.

I agree Techo. I don't even fish Table Rock. I don't have a personal stake in anything related to fishing on that lake. I do frequent a lot of other internet forums, mostly for waterfowl hunting. There are plenty of places out there on the net where you can troll with inflamatory posts and then passively poke fun at people when they get riled up and reply. This is a good forum, a lot of people share a lot of good information without all of the BS clouding the waters. These guides do provide a lot of information that they don't have to. I know on the waterfowl sites, it would be a cold day in East St. Louis before someone would offer up the detailed report that they provide. Like I said, if the people that provide information on this site were to shut up becuase of some moron who has nothing else to do except troll for arguments, that would be sad for the guys who do use the information. I don't really even believe Cold water fisher is the legendary Paul Dallas. He is probably a no name wanting to ride the coat tails of a true legends legacy. If he really was Paul Dallas, he wouldn't have offered his name up so quickly. Besides that, this is preschool stuff compared to true internet troll. this was a good discussion before the knukleheads became involved. ban the knuckleheads and it is still a good discussion. My .02

+1

36.546423,-93.689754 Sssshhhh! Everytime I have been to this spot, there are schools of fish (50-100!!!) that are in the neighboorhood of 20-30lbs. EASY!!! sometimes it looks as though you could walk across their backs they are so thick.

topics along this line make me happy that I fish only for fun. The only money that ever comes on to my fishing radar is the money I spend on gas, tackle and snacks. I don't have to worry about the money I might win in the derby, I don't have to worry about the money my clients are paying and I don't have to worry about the money my sponsors are giving me. That being said, I do like the way Eric handles himself. He's not hiding behind a screen name and he's calling it like he sees it. I can respect that a lot more than someone taking shots out of the dark behind a forum nickname, even if they did make some valid points. I think Wrench's points about "don't complain about the publicity if you are advertising and promoting yourself" are valid. If you go to the lake with decals all over your boat and trailer, wearing your pro staff shirts, don't be surprised if someone follows you around to find out what the hype is about.

Elk River....you gotta experience it. those girls look like a couple of nuts with that thing in their canoe.

That's a beautiful fish. Congratulations.

Sounds like a great boat rps. Have had a 1760 Lowe Roghneck for 12 years. It's been the best boat a guy could ask for and I will always hold it more dear than my Xpress H51. It's not as "fat bottomed" as yours, but it's chunky enough to be fun. Just remember, fat boats need lovin' too.

Got some junk in the trunk, eh? J/k. I think it was probably a typo, it just made me chuckle.