arsenal1477

5.8 LM on Ned Rig- Watermelon Red Zinker Z-Dusk 4.9 SM on Craw- Gene Larews Chart-Day 4.2 KY on Jig- Chompers Skirted Twin Tail Grub/ Football Head Jig-Day Numerous bass in those ranges down to just barely keeper size, but can never catch the big boys like you guys.

How right you are Stump. Best answer I have read yet. I wish more people fished like this, yet there are many that are still stuck in "whats mine is mine and whats yours is mine" mode even on a week-end away to catch some fish.

Fishing, my friends, was absolutely the best I have ever seen on TR. I have been coming down for 27 years and the sheer numbers of keeper bass were astounding, not to mention how healthy they are. Even the bass from 2008 that are in the 14"-16" range are fighting like 5lb fish. We hit TR as soon as we got to the lake from St. Louis at close to 7pm....we both easily had limits by 10pm. I lost two that broke my 14lb Berkley(yes, even the drag was set right). ALL were caught on salt craws up on the bank. The next day, however was rough, managing 4 keepers between the two of us, but easily had close to 30 bass in the 12"-14" range. Those bass were pretty must caught on Smoke/Pepper 5" Yamamoto grubs scrubbed off points. That night we were off to the races with a quick keeper around 730 on a Chart Chompers SB, but nothing the rest of the night, very strange. Sunday-Tues were a different story. I'll be honest, we stopped counting. Grubs and split shot rigs during the day, black spinner baits at night. Sunday and Monday nights were amazing for the spinner bait as many of the bass in post-spawn were sitting suspended all around docks. You know the routine, black SB with a size 5 colorado realed back as slow as you could take it, bouncing off the bottom. These nights we went out from 1am-8am. The craws these nights were horrible, but on Tues night it seemed like a new wave was moving in, if they hadn't already. All keepers Tues night were caught on salt craws 15 feet from the bank inside coves 100 yds from main/ secondary pts. Had one on that could of gone 7, but not strong enough of a hook set and that mama took off. You guys sure do have your hands full this coming weekend with the moon coming full and the warmer weather. Those big girls are going to be right up in the thick of things I think. ALL BASS were caught between Oswald Bluffs and Jackson Hollow and ALL BASS were released. Thank you for keeping TR in prestine condition. Gorgeous lake, amazing fishing and one hell of a time. Here are some pics to show off your beauties:

Techno- Its all in good natured fun, no worries my man.

Gone Fishing- Much appreciated. Its good to believe in things and debate about them, but there is a point to where too much is too much. Example: Terrorists LOL

spahog- Agreed completely. Just giving good 'ol Champ some trouble. Its just down right hilarious right about now. I have been fishing TR going on 30 years now and never in all of that time have I witnessed something like this. LOL.

awe, champ, don't pout.

3inonegod- Your last post absolutely had me rolling around on the floor. Well put point. Sam- the post about "the gadget" is right on the money...literally. I just wish I was a technical genius to work with you on that. Big money, happy anglers and healthier fish. Win, Win.

Was down at TR a few weeks ago and if your looking for little or no moss head up lake in the Cape Fair area. Its a drive, but if your wanting to drag we didnt have one issue up in that area.

magicwormman- Yea, that was written 3 days before this whole forum bit happened. I highly doubt that by me keeping 5 bass out of the thousands I have caught and released there in my 30 years of fishing on TR had to do with why I havent ever caught a bass over 7lbs. In fact, the two times I have kept bass from TR are the only bass I have ever kept from any pond/ lake that I have fished. It will happen when it happens, I just hope I can feel one that large on the other end of my pole sometime in this lifetime.

Id really like to know where and how you caught those crappie. I havent gotten into a good bag of those on TR in quite sometime. What would you say is the best crappie lake in MO?

I was more or less laughing in relief of you not judging my character, religous views or being disrespectful. I'm surprised that I'm actually going to have to say 'Thank You' for not doing all of the above in this forum. LOL. I read on here that someones friend was just diagnosed with a brain tumor. To whoever that was, your friend and their family will be in my thoughts. A situation like that makes this whole debate irrelevant and puts into perspective how outrageous our views on certain subject matter can really be when more serious issues are at hand in the world. I wish you, your family and your friend all the best. SKMO- Did I break up those paragraphs good enough for you?

SKMO...you had me rolling around. Thanks for the advice. Off to see if Lohse can get his first win of the season for the cardinals. Hope the fishing is still rocking down there.

Champ188- "Admitting that this thread has pretty much run its useful life, I gotta say this: Arsenal, you say you "harvested" these lunkers in the name of Christianity, yet your last post is littered with cursing and you seem to have quite an affection for alcoholic beverages. And you call US hypocrites?" "Your so wise. Your like a minature Buddha covered in hair"- Anchorman. Champ188 I mean really? You can do better than that. Who said that I harvested those fish in the name of Christianity or that I was even a religous person? I think you have selective hearing and if your hearing what im typing I can refer you to a few psychiatrists. My wife is a special ed teacher and there was a "Benefit fish fry at the local church". I am by no means a religous man, but I do believe in helping people. If I was religous, isnt wine suppose to symbolize Christ's blood? Last time I checked,that was an alcoholic beverage. In all seriousness, I understand I may have stirred up the hornets nest by my original post, but I have appologized quite a few times and have admitted fault in not knowing proper etiquette. Even the autistic kids knew when to let things be, just let it go. eric1978-"You act like he filleted your dog." Absolutely what I have been thinking this entire time.

not going to lie, that was an amazing post bill. i didnt know there was a 6 bass limit, i was always told 5. so there is no confusion, however, the limit caught was between my father and i(his limit and mine). a 50# limit was just a guestimate give or take a pound or two. is it really that far fetched that someone can catch a 25lb bag of fish on TR? it was a great night, to say that its a bogus story is unruley. no offense to you bill but to say i caught 5 keepers in under a minute, despite the rig, seems like more of a ball buster to me but dare i question it. had you even had 5 hooks on one rod, to have that many keepers on and to take them on and boat them in under 1 minute would be an amazing feat in itself. lets be real, that too may had been just a tad bit exagerated, give or take a minute or two. in all honesty, i was right there along side of you guys during the fish kills. i was there a few years back when they were dying off, the lake was about 20 feet under flood pool. i remember the smell of dead fish everywhere, who could forget. while i may not spend my life on that lake or rely on it for my bread and butter, im just as familar with TR as most locals. do i question, however, what you guys do on your guiding trips or during your tournements? no. in fact it pisses me off to no end when i work my butt off an entire year to pay for the only trip i look forward to, to get down there and be embeded amongst 300 tourney anglers with no respect and flying all over the darn lake. i understand completely the locals love for the bass and i was there through the same darn thing, but in no way would i impede on your way of life by judging you. the lake is back, its amazing(aside from the moss). you all should be very proud of that lake, but lets not forget that most of those guided trips you make are the people VISTING, your bread and butter. there are people from all over the country that make annual trips to that lake and call it home, such as myself. we helped get that lake back to where it should be just as much as any other fella in this forum. there have been many valid points made in this forum, but to jump ship and harass someone such as myself for taking my second bag of fish home in almost 30 years is absolutely ridiculous and you should be ashamed. i realize i mistakingly made a touchy comment, but nowhere did i say in my original post that i killed those fish or made some marxist comment. take a look back, read what i posted and then follow that with the ridiculous comments there after. fishing is suppose to be fun, relaxing, and for most of us non-locals, a break from the real world. our story from last year will always be told over a bottle of jamesons because i highly doubt a night like that will ever happen to me again. should i be sitting here saying thank you to all of you and your hard work for the amazing fishing TR was able to give my father and i that night? THAAT WOULD BE A NO. i should be thanking myself. i have practiced just as much catch and release as all of you(if not more), i helped support a great cause and god willing, was able to enjoy a few nights out of an absolutely horrible year. should i be sitting here divulging to you this information when all i did was make a comment about catching and keeping a few fish? hell no again, but i do it because i love the lake and i, unlike quite a few in here, respect all fishermen. we all share one thing in common, when we caught our first fish, our faces lit up, we got shaky and our hearts went crazy. i strive for that anytime i fish, where ever i am. furthermore, im respectful of the fishery and this 'board'. not once have i said anything threatening unlike a few in here. when i made my comment, not one person informed that it was a 'sin', i was immediately hung up to dry. there was no support. is that how you treat all of your customers? to have an opinion is one thing, but to verbally come at someone is a different area all together. WE have all helped make that fishery the fishery it is today and the one it will be tomorrow. It does not do your business, the fishery, or this board any good to shoot someone down for something they had no way of knowing was of offense. if you were gay and i made a homosexual remark in this forum you wouldnt try to kill me, you would try to provide knowledge of why what was said was wrong. after my comment was made, not one person tried to inform me of this. for the 90th darn time, i apologize for mentioning that i took the bass home for a fish fry. if it will all make you feel better i will write that on a chalk board 100 times and ground myself to my room. does that make everyone satisfied? great. wheres the darn jamesons?

agreed on completely...Chief Grey Bear "can be my wing man anytime"

denjac, after reviewing what i had originally posted about that limit, no where in that post did i mention the word kill and if you read it again, is a completely innocent post.

denjac, is it not possible that it maybe was a mistake on my part to use the wrong terminology such as 'kill'? i get on this forum to gather tips, hot spots and to prepare for my trip when i come to TR, not make this a social call out to my buddies i have never met. with that, how was i suppose to know there would be such an uproar in this forum? if i was telepathic i wouldnt had made that statement but instead adopted the name Cleo and started a hotline foretelling everyones future. i appologize for "ruffling" ones feathers, it was NEVER my intent, but like i said, if your that nieve to accuse me the way in which a murderer would be, then a lot of people in this forum have way more problems going on in there life and i would love to help out any way that i can. The person who wrote about the tournements hit it right on the head. There are guides and tournement anglers in this room judging me as if i killed there best friend, but are probably fishing in a tournement this week-end knowing that half of the fish they keep are going to end up dying anyways. While it was extremely presumptuous to judge me on an innocent statetment and noting that the outrageous remarks make agianst myself are commical at best, im glad this conversation came about. I had no idea fish mortality rates were as high as they were from tournements, certain guides that were against me taking home fish for a benefit admited using selective harvest to fillet bass every year(i thought killing any bass was bad?), and that i was surrounded by anglers that were radicals. the things we learn in these little forums. someone asked for popcorn and a coke, ill just take a jamesons on the rocks...make that 2.

listen to your selves. this is not a debatable topic. even a guide in this forum says he practices selective harvesting by filleting bass for his customers EVERY YEAR. not even i do that. i took bass for one night. the only other time i have ever kept a bass from that lake was when i was 8. i have caught MANY 5 lb bass out of that lake and on my last trip caught another SM over 5lbs. someone said that the reason i caught that limit is because they practice catch and release...well, if that was the second time i ever took fish from your beloved lake than that would mean i have practiced catch and release 28 out of the 30 years i have gone down there which is better than most of you are lying about. i would put money on the table that more than half of the people in this forum have a bass on their wall they took from TR. i however, have not one, nor do i plan on putting one up there. as stated previously, this is not a debateable topic and i completely agree that we are beating a dead horse on this. the lake is amazing. the fishing is the best its been in prob 20 years and regardless of what i said before im going to conitune to fish there. its a special lake between my father and i. im not here to try and change the mentalities of the locals. you, and only you are the reason the lake is doing so well, no one else.(being sarcastic) for those who have reacted so negatively abot this, im sorry but your being hypocritical. for those who have supported or kept an open outlook i applaud. its nice to know there are still realistic people out there. for those who caught these amazing limits, id really like to know some tips on what and how you fished.

duckdoty, i appreciate your stance on the topic. Gary, i too, am not one to take fish like that but when you have a church that is having financial issues because they tend to donate just a bit to much to charity and benefiting others i figured that i was down there so it wouldnt hurt to help others. tilapia may be cheap, but when your feeding 500 disabled children its a little different. in all honesty, not one person in this forum deserves a reason to know why i kept the fish. if i wanted to take them all home and put them over my fireplace its no ones business but my own. im not that type of angler, i respect whatever water i am on and those that are fishing it, unlike some in this forum. from my understanding, you all are having issues with people stealing boats, gear off docks and fish out of livewells during tournements, but your issue with me is i kept some bass to feed to another human being? not to mention disabled children? get a grip fellas. sounds like there are a lot more issues at hand in your own lives then something that i did that was good, was a great cause, did no harm to the environment and was COMPLETELY LEGAL.

Just so everyone understands, in my 28 years of fishing on Table Rock Lake I have taken bass home...TWICE. That was the second time. Now, what you didnt know, as you were jumping to conclusions, is there was a BENEFIT FISH FRY back here in STL for people with SPECIAL NEEDS at our local church. Every last one of those bass that we kept DID NOT HAVE EGGS IN THEM! Now, the only reason why we were comfortable taking those was because the last 2 years the lake has been up 20 feet and we knew TR was having the best spawn years of its history(hence, the amazing fishing now). Before you judge, how about you ask why. I understand this is a forum full of guides and you guys have helped me with fishing, but understand this, we kept those for a good cause and not to just slaughter. I truely didnt understand the fishermen that I emersed myself around down at TR as I have now found out. I didnt mean to 'stir' anything up, it was a simply reply to a message. There are thousands of amazing lakes in the U.S., ill save you all the 'worry and trouble' and just find a new one. If those 50lbs out of thousands of tons of fish in that lake cost you a tournement or lost you a customer then you may want to re-think your line of work. Absolutely amazing the way 'you people' have reacted to this. This is the last I will be visting this site as im sure you are all happy to read.

my father and i were not fishing a derby but the last sat night before we came home to stl on a trip last year we each caught 5 keepers in a 30 minute span. we were keeping those fish that year for a fish fry. when we got in to the dock we weighed them all and had about 50lbs of fish, 5lb avg. amazingly stupid thing was they were caught on the point in aunts creek where little aunts and big aunts meet, in the middle of a torrential down pour, at 11:30 at night and on salt craws no less. essentialy, we each made about 5-7 casts. my dad had a 6.5 LM and i had a 5.11 SM to boot.

thanks all. was just reading a post the other day and someone caught an 8.6, then they started talking about a few nines. i have never had anything break me off down there and the biggest i have caught was a little over 5. been fishing down there 25 years and cant manage to get a lunker of 7lb+...besides dynamite i have tried everything.

I know the largest Kentucky out of Table Rock is the 7lb 8oz. state record, but does anyone know what the lake records are of LM and SM? I hear every year of a few 8#ers and 9#ers being caught...

Thanks. If I can figure out how to upload these pics from my phone Ill post them on here along with a pic of the weapon of choice.