J-Doc

Saw this last night and I cannot stop laughing and replaying it. LOVE IT!

Man that sounds like a great time to me! Enjoy!!

(Eating popcorn and observing) I'd offer some advice but based on my performance this year, I cannot offer much. I look for underwater points.

Catching anything down there? I just came back from Florida. Didn't get a chance to surf fish. Water was dirty and stained and fish had moved way off the beaches. Did get a 65lb, 80lb, and 85lb tarpon though on a guide trip. Wish I was there again. Best scenery I've seen since Hawaii. Brightest sun, everything vibrant with color, clean air...........dang. Now I want to go back.

LOL!!!! A butt post! Nice! Best fishing report in months!!!!!!

Is this a new code? Do I need a Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder pin? ;-)

Actually I was being serious and see above post that confirms what I said. I'm not implying the lake is full of stripers that's silly. Not enough evidence to support that. More would be caught regularly if that were the case. I do believe there is a tiny population that escapes most anglers. That population is so small it cannot possibly impact a fishery as large as Table Rock and I've been told that stripers do not spawn successfully in freshwater. They are a fresh water and saltwater species. I did catch a male spawning earlier this year. I'm not trolling.....for a reaction. Just stating, they are not all chasing trout I'm the river. According to the resident biologist from over 20yrs experience (found on the Beaver forum) stripers like the cold water but they also like the deeper water due to oxygen levels. I could see both oxygen and water temp sustain them in the river but I would think....rather propose a theory that they live in the lake as well. But not I'm any concentration that would cause someone like yourself to lose sleep over. I was not provoking an answer or digging for an insult. I was simply stating what was again confirmed in a post above....stripers have been caught. I'm Table Rock. Arriving there from Beaver is pretty obvious. Do I think they should stick them I'm TR? No I don't. Although as deep as that lake is and as big as it is, they would thrive and also bring in money to local economy. But as stated above, there are other options and other lakes. Only biologists know if stocking TR with them is a good thing. # even then it's an educated guess. People thought it was a good biological idea to use kudzoo vines and look how that turned out.... Not trying to argue or provoke as you do. I'm simply stating a few opinions and let you be aware that they are in the lake. Just not enough for you to worry about. I'll be happy to come catch them out for you if you'll send me GPS coordinates. Lol! I'll be glad to help. :-) I'm in Florida and just had red snapper, grouper, mahi, etc. I still prefer striper. Its just good stuff!

There have been reports on this forum of stripers caught in the lake. Not up river. I can't recall the last report but it's been within the last year.

Might as well bring politics into the discussion. Would fire up the hatred super fast. And stripers are already in the lake anyway. Lol!

Bahahahahahahahaha!!!!! That's what I was about to say. Man.....talk about a freight train derailment. Passionate opinions always stir up a big ole mess of hornets. In the end, no one wins and bitter lines are drawn. Once this train finally stops (been going for days now) there will be bitterness on both sides. I will add this for thought. It won't change anyone's opinions. Especially some that are deeply rooted into catch and release. As they see it, it's the only way to go. Period. End of discussion. No other solution. Mind made up and locked tighter than Bruce Jenners new......well. So you that deer hunt, are you going to find a way to temporarily catch a deer, take a picture and then release it? Do you think releasing the deer will help the overall quality and population? Or do you argue with the scientific practices taught in college about game management and selective harvest? And how selective harvest produces better quality and health in the population by preventing over population and starvation due to struggling food sources and competition for food amount the deer population in a given area? One could easily apply the same practices and mindset to ANY fish species. Being pretty speckled unicorns or pretty bedazzled green fish. ;-) I'm a bass angler. I practice catch and release. Mainly because bass taste well.....not so good and because I want to practice game management. But the smaller spots below 12", I've been considering cooking because beaver has a regulation that allows it and science and sampling has proven they have stunted growth rates so they are engcouraging "mean old meat fisherman" to take some home. For scientific and purposeful practice to better the fishery. Selective game harvest. It's a balance between catch and release and slective management. It works for everyone's advantage and best for the fishery. It's why people are allowed a limit of fish per species. And how the numbers per angler were already determined by scientists and biologists. Chew on that. Now.... I'm a bass angler. I catch and release. I also keep crappie over 12" and never limit (not that good yet) I also target stripers (best tasting fish around) I will be releasing all walleye going forward and pound for pound, they are better fighters than bass any day of the week. I also keep every white bass I catch. Those suckers are the eating machines that stripers get accused of being. They eat far more than stripers and are found in massive schools. My right. My opinion. I feel I'm helping the game population. Selective harvest. And I'll be fishing Table Rock more often. To see what all the fuss is about. Lol!

I wish someone would have listed this in the Table Rock forum. Pitchforks and torches would ensue!! Lol!!!!

Depends on who you ask. Some bank beaters will tell you it sucks. Yet 15-22lb sacks show up as the winner of local tournaments pretty consistently depending on time of year. So I'd say it's better than most say. It's just a very tough lake to fish and it's a conditions lake. It changes multiple times daily sometimes.

I just wish someone had done this a long time ago. A few simple explanations go such a long way. You're very welcome. :-)

The eye population to bass population has to be like 300:1. I am simply amazed at how bass are thought of as an anglers "unicorn". And I'm first and foremost a bass fisherman. Always have been. But I do fish for crappie and striper. I used to fish for eyes but....I prefer crappie and striper over walleye for table fare. I caught a 3lb largemouth on Beaver earlier this spring. It had spots on it. So I kept it and filleted it. Because I didn't want it breeding any of those wierd spots into the population as a hereditary trait. I was doing the lake a favor. Some will pile up chordwood and call for me being burned at the stake I bet. Had it been a smallmouth or trout.....I am sure I would be banned from OAF. We all fish for what we want. That's fine. Kudos to us and thanks to our armed forces that we still have these freedoms. But anglers should come together and respect each other's quarry.......not bicker and quarrel with each other over opinion (not facts) and personal preferences on species and how we feel competing species interferes with out beloved target species. Fact is, I don't think any species except (includingflying Asian carp and gobies) is affecting other species within our highland reservoirs. Let's all respect each other and each other's preferred quarry vs griping about it like a bunch of girls. :-)

You forgot women and children...... And bass anglers.

I agree Phil. I thinks it has to become the popular practice by anglers encouraging and educating other anglers and it will take time. Back int he day, people used to keep bass and EAT THEM!!! (some guys on here just fainted). Lol!!

Bass are seen as sacred Crappie are seen as dinner Stripers are seen as invasive and eat bass Trout are seen as trophies Catfish has a mixed following and seen as table fare Gar....trash fish (which isn't true) More people should educate themselves based on facts and not myths. And fish management is essential but the catch and release of bass is overdone. Too many are released which can be counter productive. I don't care for the taste of bass so I don't keep them. Or else I would. I agree Phil. Management of crappie is needed. Beaver seems to do well with crappie but every angler should turn loose their biggest female with eggs every trip. take a photo and be proud. Then let her go to make more.

I think it's simply because the smaller fish are shallow and stay shallow. I caught a good eater trolling earlier this year. Bigger than my hand. I think the bigger ones are a little deeper and on underwater structure. Harder to find. Slip cork and bobbed with a worm would probably be a good option but requires a boat in most applications.

Truely a tragedy. I bet the guide feels bad. And fortunate. Wrench...... You're a nut. Lol!!

You were. Lol! Word is out now.

Same here at Beaver. Went from 73-73 to low 80's in 2 days. Stain in the water helped it warm faster and the heat really turned up quickly.

More than likely. Could be a big group of sunfish too (smaller sized) as they will give off a stronger sonar image on downscan than shad will. Unless the shad are larger variety (6"+). At this range, it could be either. A bait cast net would have solved the riddle. ;-)

Funny thing about Power Poles......... Only time I've ever seen one used was to beach a boat on highland impoundments. Funny that when you see them on a shallow lake, they are all fishing over ledges (I assume) or simply not using them. Overpriced status tools. They are great when you need them but I just don't need one often enough to justify the additional load, cost impact, and the wear on my transom from hanging those big suckers on the back! LOL! If money was not object, I "might" have one but.....I have an anchor that works pretty well and it works at any depth, not just the operating range of a Talon or Powerpole. :-) (I'm sure this just sparked someone's fire. What is awesome for some is fine and dandy......it doesn't have to be for everyone.)

Yes, floro sinks. Not made for topwater. Yes, it can be a pain but only if you're using a line that doesn't work for you. It's great for crankbaits and bottom contact lures because it sinks, gets cranks down a little deeper (about a foot) and you get better feel with floro due to not having stretch like mono. There is a plethora of infor on the web about floro vs. mono, opinions are endless on what line is better and what brand is better, what size to use, etc. As a budget minded guy, I use Pline CXX which is a copolymer and I use Seaguar InvisX for 100% pure floro. I've tried other brands & types, I didn't like them. The red label Seaguar floro is way too memory prone and a bit course. The InvisX is better and more subtle but not nearly as soft and subtle or abrasion resistant as the Pline. I'm probably going to start using Pline exclusively. I say all this as a budget minded angler and not trying to de-rail this thread into "I use this line and it works for me". Just offering some insight on your bad experience with floro. Hate to hear that. It can be a good product but you have to find what works best for you. It's a search and a journey only you can make. Or you can decline and be all Mono. Your call. Oh and I see ole Jolicious's topwater bait that sparked up a lot of stir has worked on Lake Fork as well. :-)

How's that Merc 4-stroke treating ya? Still quiet as a church mouse and humming along? :-)