J-Doc

Funny, I heard there were tons of dead bass floating around PC a few weeks ago after a tournament. I also know first hand that someone will not be fishing the Everett series anymore because of fishing handling. No rejuvenation tank to put the bass into before releasing. Just dump them in the lake after weigh in. I know, I've done it myself at an Everett event. Not knowing better. I think this issue is bigger than some may think. We ALL need to baby the fish a bit better and preserve the idea of catch and release so that they are there later. Obviously you fish tournaments and I do not but I've heard lots of stories of dead bass floating. I have personally witnesses several 4+lb bass floating on Beaver ......dead. Been dead for a couple days.

That makes sense.

Totally agree with that. Can't explain it but I have some theories.

I'd put money on wind over heat being the reason they turned on. Seems the winder the better on this lake.

Easily an all time high. Most I've seen since I moved here in 2002. I could probably make myself a better angler and learn to fish in that madness but why should I? It's not fun to me and it's not safe either. People do not respect each other or take others into consideration on the lake. Rarely anyway. I went out Saturday morning and was ready to leave by 10am. First trip out in months and I don't care to go back for a while.

That's the key. Good decisions. Beaver is healthier than its been in years. Just too much traffic and water activity.

Mike you amaze me. I could go and catch nothing but water. Some folks just have a gift.

I replaced my marker lights with Blazer I believe. I have not had a problem at all. The tail lights were replaced with LEDs within the first few weeks I received the boat. I've had it 2yrs now this July and no issues so far.

You trying to precook them before catching them?

Cool. Thanks Phil!

This is awesome. Where in Branson is it located?

Considering the large dead bass I have seen this summer alone......some people need to have this stapled to their foreheads. Saw one that must have been 5lbs before it was bleached in the sun and started decaying.

Welcome. I've been fishing it for about 10 years now. Some days I feel like I know nothing at all.

You should check Cabelas shop too. John Wolfe (one of the Wolfe sons) is the manager there. He has ALWAYS treated me extra well. They work on all boats. It's a full service shop.

Pete is the real deal that is for sure. Dude probably has sold as many Rangers from his Youtube channel Ranger should be paying him for the publicity. I considered going up there myself but got a good deal at Cabelas here locally. And my sales guy was AMAZINGLY nice. Ended up making a few friends at Cabelas through the entire process too. Current sales guy there is an OAF member and will give you a good deal also. Pete....... He's worth the drive and I've not even bought one from him but know many that have and I have spoke with him as well on other forums. Super nice guy.

I think he was simply continuing the conversation and amazement that someone can catch them like that everyday........all day. Which is in itself quite amazing. And in my opinion, quite damaging to the lake if done for months at a time. If it is all white bass, he is within the law. If selling, he is not. That's for the officials to determine. Of which, I rarely see and that is a problem also. I TOTALLY support them. I would be happy to have them check my vessel.

Wow. That is some possible savings. Too bad I don't need anything. I may have to stop in and grab a few things regardless. I always wondered how they stayed open. Never see anyone there.

You had me drooling. Bass anglers would HATE those things. They would probably make a hugh impact on bass fishing here.

Sorry to totally de-rail the original thread. Back to night fishing and the "human sane net" that catches all the whites at night. LOL

Yep, and I would still have that restored boat had it run on a consistent basis without me having to constantly tinker with it. LOL! I miss it but only for sentimental reasons. I love my current rig. It’s very nice and the best part is, you turn the key and it starts within 1.5 seconds every time. It’s as dependable/reliable as my Smith & Wesson. You pull the trigger and it does its job without hesitation. The amount of traffic on the lake has impacted the fishery overall. I can see it clearly. It gets worse every year and there are now more boats per acre on that lake than ever before. This year however, my most recent outings have been relatively quiet. Which is very nice! The lake is not mine alone. I cannot expect to “own the lake” or blame all others for me not having a productive year. That’s absurd. I have caught some good fish this year but nothing like previous years. It started around November when the high water hit. I was busy with work and not able to stay on the fish like I wanted. To be honest, I’m simply tired of spending money on gear/baits thinking it will be a productive tool and getting little to zero results. One might say “You can’t blame gear on your inability to catch fish”. They are correct. I’m not a newbie however and sometimes, you just need to take a step back and not let it burn you out. I’m not burnt out either. Simply not going every weekend anymore. I need to slow down. I have about 170hrs on a 2yr old boat! I want to slow down the hour usage a bit. I also want to do more night fishing this summer and try other lakes to take my 6yr old fishing so she can enjoy it. I’m tired of spending all of my time “on me” vs. on my family. Being constantly absorbed by fishing and all things fishing. I’m spending more time with family, getting things done around the house, helping friends, etc on weekends now. Feels good to walk away and take a little breather. That’s all. I’m not going anywhere. Just a lot more silent these days. There are still some that are way too vocal about “reports”. Some of which you have to consider about half of it as inaccurate.

I'd say he does know how to catch them. I've read here where not just 10-15 years ago, people would load them in the boat so high they couldn't walk in the boat during the white bass run. I seriously think the fishery does not have that population anymore. The "no limit" on whites could eventually be lifted but that's for the AGFC to decide after further testing and research. Probably not there yet (just a guess) I've never had much luck using threadfins as they don't live long at all and man are they a messy fish with tiny scales everywhere! I've thought about going to the bridge and night fishing this year. I had panned on it but I've lost about all interest in fishing this year. It's to the point that when I'm on my way to the lake, I'm wishing I had stayed in bed or not even bothered. That means it's time for me to take a very serious break from Beaver and fishing in general. I just don't enjoy it like I used to thanks to some of the rude people on the lake, the lake itself being the constant mystery that it is, and I think I have just lived & breathed it so long that I need a break.

Sorry that was me. I just hate to see someone keep 100+ fish on a consistent basis in such a short time span. ANd yes, my last trip I saw a 4lb large mouth floating dead down the main lake. He had been dead for a few days. He did not die of old age either.

People that catch 100 plus and keep them every trip they go........are LITERALLY part of the problem on this lake. If they think they do not put a dent in the population, they are fooling themselves. If they had banner days and caught 100+ fish in 6 trips, that's over 600 fish. Yes, there are thousands of fish in the lake of all species. When you take out 600-1,000 by yourself, that's a dent. Not many if ANY bass angler keeps a bass on this lake. Heaven forbid someone actually kept a bass. Especially a spotted bass of which the AGFC encourages to help increase the length and size of the spotted bass population through game management. I'm no biologist by any means but someone keeping 100+ fish in multiple trips seems like a bad thing to me.

I think most of those people will eat them regardless. And it is an ego thing. Granted I do not go as much as I used to but I have not seen a school of whites busting on top in I cannot remember when. I think the population of whites has been depleted quite a bit from previous years. And what I have caught has not been very large at all.