Don House

Jason, hope you do well... Also I did forget one thing that Mr. Prey brought to my attention last week as well.. He has found a good number of fish hanging around the big docks in deeper water around the DAM area.. He was using Flukes (All White) and was allowing these guys to sink about 3-4 feet then jerking them around those docks and doing well.. Need High Sunny sky's for this to work but it does.. All sizes of fish that we caught from it.. I think Eric talked about this in his post as well.. Thanks Eric!! Good Fishing Everyone.. Don

Yup I understand Bill!! Too many tournaments coming up with tons of emails and calls for help.. I feel your pain!! Don

Had a great trip out of Moonshine Beach on Sunday, cloudy, cool and windy day, too windy for topwater tried for a half of an hour but just too much wind. But that wind really turned on the grub and blade bite big time on the main lake! Found large groups of Small Mouth out feeding on the flat pea gravel main lake points around mid morning in the 5 to 15 foot range and you had to have your face in the wind and right on the point for the bite. We were using 3/8 ounce War Eagle ColeSlaw Blade(White and Chart) slow rolled just above the moss and the same with a 3/16 to 1/4 ounce dart heads with White Salt and Pepper colored 4" grubs was the ticket... We would get on one point and catch 10 - 15 fish in a row, once we got one to bite it seemed to start a feeding blitz.. Alot of smaller fish at first in the 13 - 15 inch range but the bigger guys really moved in fast.. Best 5 went around 18 pounds all small jaws.. It was just one of those really fun days and even better to find a great pattern with clients. Good Fishing Everyone! Don

We got hit over here in Ridgedale and in Blue Eye with over 70 MPH winds, with Damage in Blue Eye, took out a Morton Building and Kimberling City, alot of tree damage.. Had to be a Tornado alot of debris everywhere. Just made it in before this one hit. Seen two boats trying to get across the lake just as it hit, glad it was not me... Welcome to Spring!! Don

gwrightf150, no we have some really nice crappie on this lake, thing is no one talks about it.. Really it is time for those big females to move on up and they are all over the lake, some places better than others.. Last year I was out on a trip and after the trip I ran into Stacy King over by Big Cedar Lodge in Long Creek watched him boat over 15 crappie in the 16 -- 19 inch range, in less than 45 mins.. We do have a good population of all crappie sizes on this lake, but they really like it up the river arms like Long Creek, Kings or the James, although I have ran into some really nice ones on the main lake as well... Here are some from Spring 2005 I was holding all I could, caught around the DAM area... Last few years have been hard at best, floods, cold weather and just a small open window for when they move up to spawn.. All in all fun to catch and they are around... Good Fishing Don

Thanks Mark.. Don

OBBT Staff, do have some rules we can read? I would like to see how your rules reads the title of an Amateur. Some of these will not allow Guides, or people (Pro's) that have earned a certain $$$ on that lake in the same calendar year... Just curious... Thanks Don

So Techo, tell your friend that gave you that information, next time try to get a pattern of BIG fish!! Great Job glad you and the Mrs. Had a great time!! Talk to you later.. Capt. D

Well went out today on the rock, lost my fish, could not find them anywhere, well I found them... Not going to say where, but it is Main Lake in Long Creek, water temp was 61 degrees... Found a 50 Yard chunk of bank just littered with new beds, and with all of this moss they really stand out.. Fish cruising everywhere, BIG ones to boot.. Not locked on but in a day or so they will be.. Seen three groups of two doing the dirty dance already. Mr. Babler was right when it is time it is time!! Back to a basic report, fishing is tuff around the DAM area, still catching a few but still slow with very few keepers.. Stickbaits and the Turd Worm worked the best.. Still working on fish staging on the points in the creeks.. Slow is the Key!!! Good Fishing!! Don

Well spent the last few days running around Long Creek Upper ends to the DAM and over in Big and Little Cow Creek. Fish in the Long Creek area are really starting to eat good.. Wednesday morning before the front we had 9 keeper spots and 1 nice black on just one spot.. Three were bordering 5 pounds, rest were solid 3 pounder's unreal morning for sure. Best bait was a 4" White Salt and Pepper twin tailed grub on a 3/16 -- 3/8 dart head, Slow rolled back the the boat with small twitches as you were reeling it back in, fish just jumped on it! Hard winds really had them eating this grub everywhere points, flats, bluffs, Now even today with very little wind on the right spots they were still eating it good. Lets just say Points point to FISH!!! Wednesday everything came from 10 - 15 feet, Thursday Afternoon and Today 25 to 30 feet. This was one of the many over the last few days, look at this Very Fat Table Rock Spotted Bass, this guy was a toad!! In Cow Creek area we did pickup a few small to nice sized small mouth on the jerkbait this afternoon. We found a really strange stop and go retrieve, twitch as you reel 10 - 15 times then dead stick it wait 10 sec and start all over again.. Fish would follow it and after the second or third pause suck it in.. Same grubs as above worked ok, that bigger bite has not made it down that way as of yet, still a lot of fish stacking up on the points as well.. Few more days of nice warm weather this whole main lake should really take off. Off on Saturday finishing up fence project then Sunday back on the lake everyday until Next Sunday. Will do a little posting as we move through the week.. Good Fishing Everyone! Don

Ya they bit really good for us as well today right before the front came through.. Nice Black and 4 nice fat spots, rest were shorts, getting better for sure!! All on grubs, you find a spot with no moss fish it hard.. <>< Good Fishing Everyone Don

Joe, I ended up with 6 total three just on that bank I seen you at.. All on that grub.. Wind just flat kicked my rearend, but I found I had to be in it to get the bite.. Stayed out till noon then said the heck with this.. 35 MPH gusts really can slam you around.. Back out in the morning on a trip we will see if that bite holds good and will let you know.. Don

Timmy, Ok are you trying to add these waypoints by hand? Sounds like you have some file that you have placed on an SD card and trying to get the unit to read it, right? Or is it a Mapping card like a Nav chip? If you are loading these from another file here is the best way to do it.. Go to Humminbird.com/support download the Hummnbird PC program.. This program will allow you to add waypoints to your pc then it will compile these unit the right file so your unit will read them.. I use this to add and delete waypoints to my unit and it works very well. Once you save this file it add it to your SD card and then place in slot on your unit. Unit will find and load these for you in memory on the unit.. If you are having issues with a Nav chip, make sure you have the lastest firmware upgrade added to your unit, these can be found on the Humminbird website and are free.. You will have to create an account with Humminbird which wants your serial number off of your unit.. (Do this anyway, humminbird had alot of software upgrades and these are free for and worth the time.) If that does not help drop me an email and we can discuss this in more detail.. Good Fishing Don

Yep. 3" inch is all I use.. Have a few 4"'s but never use them.. Good Fishing Don

Was out today and did the same thing from Big Cedar to Just past the Ark sign.. 1/4 ounce dart heads with white salt and pepper worked the best.. Smoke caught a few as well.. This Pattern is just flat getting hammered.. Start to move up lake towards Indian Point hit all Bluff walls with Timber... Fish are in the trees.. Good Fishing Don

Ya Bill, this main lake is just too cold right now.. But give us a few good weeks of warm weather and a good south wind and away we will go.. Mr Prey and I went out last week up towards Baxter tough, tough fishing and cold water was the best we could find.. Did you by any chance see any fish deep? Have a few days off this week going to go back up into long creek again bass were eating jigs good last week, see if they are still there.. Thanks for the info on our area.. See you back on Taneycomo... Good Fishing Don

3" All White, All Chart, Smoke with Silver flakes, These are my main go to colors and size.. I'm sure there will be alot more colors added... Good Fishing Don

Your new Name!!! Capt. Phil "GrassCarp" Stone!! Heck Phil they would love you over in England!! Talk to you later.. Don

Top Water: ** Favorite** All White Baby Spook Or a Jackall Dragon (RedFin Type) Stickbait: Megabass 110......... Jig: Thunderstuck and Eakins Finesse and Home Made Flat Top Football Jigs..

Well had one of those just flat great days on the water. Had a crew of three in my boat and three in a follow boat for opening day of snagging season. Motored on up to the river bends right in flat creek.. Took a few hours to figure them out but we found them. Three in my boat with one that went over 60 pounds, another one went 40 and the last went in the Mid 30's... The follow boat had two more in the mid 30's as well.. Best Water Temp: 51 Degrees Best place: FLAT CREEK Best Location: Stay in the river channels and steeper rock walls of flat creek, fish are right on the bottom. Here are a few For some of you that wanted to see Side Imaging Pictures of some spoonbill here they are.. Look for all of the Long Bright White Lines those are your spoonbills.. Look at the shadows as well some you can make out the tail and nose. Enjoy everyone Good Fishing Don

RPS, let me know when you get that cut of the commission and who you get it from.. Would Like to apply myself.. Best for me was a Hat... Enjoy your new boat and unit.. Any questions just ask... Don

Steve, those shot were taking with the 1197 model.. But the 798 models have an even better screens, yes smaller screens but much better screen resolution on that smaller screen, seen a lot of unreal pictures from those units. Please stop by www.yahoo.com/groups/sideimaging and join.. Ton's of great reviews on shots for those models.. Personally after seeing some of the pictures from the 798C SI I would and probably will mount one on the console of my new boat, Keep the Bigger 1197 on the nose.. As far as maps go, I run the Hotmaps Premium chip. It is an add on was the same price as the NVB models from Humminbird about 100.00. I just liked these maps better more details for the lakes I wanted, instead of what they pre-loaded, good mapping just more than what I wanted. Also you keep talking about the 788 model.. Understand the 788 model is only 2-D 200/83 Mhz Dual Mode with GPS.. No Side Imaging at all. Great Unit for vertical fishing and very good GPS, just no side imaging need to go up to the next level 798c SI model. Good Fishing Don

Sure guys.. Here is one from last year.. Big sucker.. Look at the shadow of the fish you can see the nose and forked tail.. I want to find and get a picture of about 2 or 3 together this year.. Good Fishing Don

Had a Long Day yesterday on the Rock. Went up into Long Creek Cold and Windy.. Water Temps from 47 - 51 degrees.. Had 5 Bass 2 Keepers all on a finesse jig. And just when things really slowed these guys showed up... This picture is of all White Bass. You can look in all three screen shots regular 2-D (Bottom Left) Down Imaging (Top Right) and Side Imaging (Left)... They were everywhere.. Stickbaits, Swimming Minnows and Spoons... Going Spoonbill looking up the James in the Morning, should have some neat pictures.. Good Fishing Everyone.. Don

Adamarnold, all of the updates are free and very easy to install.. You can still purchase the 2009 1197 model and upgrade, should save you a few bucks or you can purchase the new 1198 with the software already install.. No big changes on the 1198 but the software upgrades installed.. I use the 1197 model and well I'm very happy with it.. Any ither questions or need some help just ask!! Good Fishing Don