J-Doc

I just got down imaging (structure scan for Lowrance) myself. Try adjusting your contrast settings as that's how they adjust sensitivity for that transducer vs. traditional sonar. At least that's what my manual states. Larger units that have both sonar and structure scan have chart speed, ping speed, and auto-sensitivity but I'm not sure if it affects the higher frequency down scan/structure scan transducers due to the crystal used in the electronics. Best thing to do is to find fish suspended (they tend to roam around on Beaver) and once you know for sure there are fish in the area or active fish (topwater activity, lines on the graph from fish swimming up and down, etc), that's whey you start trolling or casting. Beaver is not an easy lake to fish and the fish are very picky. Three guys can throw the same bait to the same area. One guy will flat kill em'. The other two will get mixed results. The one guy does something slightly different in his presentation, retrieve speed, etc. So be sure and experiment and when you get a bite, immediately stop and think "why" and try to repeat that. That's not an easy habit to get into and I admit, I don't but I'm trying.

He uses dynamite and don't let him tell you any different. When you throw a stick of dynamite on the end of a line with a long fuze and the rig up about 4 of them.....he looks like he's "trolling".......then you see explosions like he was trying to sink a U-boat and then fish appear in his boat! Lol! "Oh look.....300 whites!" Lol!!!!

Purist? Nah.........opportunist! I'll take my bass gear but the crappie gear is coming out as well. I may have to learn to throw that new cast net!

If it comes to that......I'll still be happy to be on the water.

I'm just flip-flopping on the bank like a tiny perch ready to get my gills wet......... I'll fish for whatever wants to meet me and the Cane Cutter this Saturday! LOL!

Show off........

Man....so many typos..... Oh well.....back to my boat repair. Lol! Hope some of you ate out catching ole "spot" cause I'm stuck on the trailer for a few more days.

Aren't we some bitter folk. :-) I think the best way to increase the growth rate for any species is better genetics. That's common practice in game management. Does that mean we are going to setup food plots for fish?? Lol!! No! The AGFC is doing good by asking public opinion, taking studies, samples, and most importantly...... THE RESTOCK PROGRAM.... It was mentioned in the initial post but its overlooked by the abused spotty. :-) Reatocking the lake with good brood stock is a good practice vs allowing thousands of short fish reproduce naturally. They will more than likely reproduce short fish with slow growth rates. Introduce fish with faster growth rates, increase forage stock and provide habitat foe growth development (to escape the boogie man aka stripers) and a few years from now you will have some signs of progress. In my opinion..... Not enough anglers will keep below 12" spotted bass to make a dent but I will do my part if I feel it will help and if the BIOLOGIST who know their respective field say it will help also. So...... Poor little "Spotty" will not be abused or picked on, called mean names, or tagged as a nuisance in my camp. Just dinner and hope for a brighter future for the lake overall for the spotted bass species........and for all species to live naturally and in balance. (This is the part where we all hold hands and get along). Lol!!

I'll keep every legal walleye I catch this year. Not because I want to catch them. But because the numbers are so string and yes, they eat a tin of forage. I think its going to offer mixed results but yes, no limit on spots up to 12" but tournaments are not allowed to keep below 12" on spots as it stands now. They also should focus on how to increase the forage. I thought there was a ton of forage myself from what iI've seen and heard. I do agree, stripers eat a ton of food for their size. So do the whites. I'll catch em all. :-) And enjoy it. Except for walleye......Dork fish! :-). Tasty but not what I'm after.

If I was available, I'd give you a shout. Unfortunately.......old CaneCutter is down for a temporary repair (hull this time) so I'll be working on the boat instead of fishing this weekend.

You and me both. It's a dream that we all live in. That's what makes fishing fantasies. LOL! Well..........that and Tiffany Lakosky is your fishing partner.......wait.......I'm digressing here. This is a good time to find other waters in my opinion. Try some new stuff.

Thanks for sharing. I personally think this is a good thing. I'm glad to see the AGFC actively engaging Beaver and giving it the attention it deserves. It's a very pressured lake with a lot of local tournaments, weekend anglers like myself and it's a great fishery. All the pros agree it's a great lake. Not many local anglers that I know of keep their catch but the ones that do, by all means........... Fry the little suckers! If it means bigger and better smallmouth/largemouth.......I'm all for it. I'm sure there are others here that will have reasons to object to this so I'm very interested in hearing their opinions. Maybe there is something I'm not considering or if others have had experience with things like this before on other lakes and seen bad results?? (let the debates ensue)

Uhh.......pictures?? :-). A good video would be cool too.

Ok, way off topic but yes, Gettysburg was a big deal with or without Lincoln. It was a huge defeat and embarrassment to Lee. Considering that my Great Great Grandfather fought during Picket's charge at Little Round Top at Gettysburg and was pinned down with the 3rd Arkansas Infantry and he survived that bloody horror, and the fact that Longstreet himself was quoted to say that in all his years had never seen such tenacious fighting and bravery as he had witnessed that day as the 3rd Arkansas Infantry held their position that day in open territory, hiding only on the ground around them and a few rocks.........I'm proud of that heritage (but that bravery and compliment only). Gettysburg was a complete failure for the South, an over-estimation on Lee's part of his ability and his men and not considering he had the low ground. So was many other battles such as Antietam, Shiloh, Cold Mountain, The Wilderness (all of which my Great, Great Grandfather somehow miraculously survived without a wound). I get what you all are saying though. Things are made more significant in history if terrible things occur. It makes them more easily memorable and they stand out. Sad, but that's how we as humans perceive things. Now............back on topic.... :-) Beaver was a planned act that has benefited the area tremendously and I'm glad it's here. It was not a tragedy and the old history that goes along with it to me is quite interesting. I have fished it for 10yrs and never knew what lies beneath and what once did exist. I knew about Monte Ne and others but not the old Prairie Creek school, and other things.

Well yeah. Nothing is historical until something happens! Lol! I agree. It does make things more fun to consider and think about.

Beaver Shores IS the Dead Sea because F&F had fished the gills out of that area over the last few weeks! Lol!! Him and every other striper guide on the lake. Darn place reloads though sometimes.

Ssshhhh.........don't tell everyone! :-) Cool trip. Did that with my little one a few years ago. The whites there are picky picky. They are either hot or cold as an ice cube.

You buy the lift so its your job to maintain it and fix it if you break it. I bet someone tried renting lifts many years ago and quickly gave up on that idea. Lifts are a maintenance prone contraption. Kinda like owning 3 boats instead of just one! :-)

Now these are cool photos. :-). Lots of forgotten history around this lake. Not many know the very first B.A.S.S. tournament was held at n Beaver Lake. Bill Dance got second place on a plastic work and had the largest out board motor at the time (around 70hp I think). Add in the lumber that was pulled out of Van Winkle Hollow to build "Old Main" at UofA, the old lumber mill that once existed out near Van Winkle also had a part in the Civil War I think. And the old Prarrie Creek School foundation that's now under water and out near the channel where many pass over it and never know it was once there. Lots of interesting facts around this lake from before it was a lake. Thanks for the photos!

Well sounds like Beaver has them. They have eluded me and my son over the years. All I caught were those dinky little 4" sun perch. You know....the little greenish gold ones with spots all over them? There's thousands of those little boogers. So......I see the "freaky weather" was actually great weather. Saw lots of posts this weekend reporting great catches. Local crappie guide had a big limit and said the worst weather the better. That's Beaver for you! :-)

Hey.....leave some for us junk fishermen! Lol! I actually bought a cast net this weekend and will be getting g a couple of rod holders soon. Save some for me! :-)

Thanks for the info. Glad to know they respected the graves by relocating them. I bet that was a tough job. I'll try and check out the museum stuff one day this summer. Sounds interesting. Anyone have any other photos they want to share?

So does anyone have a lake map of Beaver that shows the 1-2ft intervals? The one posted here previously from Lowrance is only showing the 10ft intervals. Either there is a setting on my unit that needs to be changed or it's not working on my graph. I have historical data showing up on the lake now (cemetarys, old Prarie Creek school site, etc) which is really cool to know the old historical data as you race across above on the water. Could shows some really cool downscan photos eventually. I want the 1-2ft interval contour map because that will help explain to me why I found fish where I do and help put patterns together and help me find fish and set destinations based on what I find. I guess I'm going to have to call Lowrance and see what it's not working on my unit.

Really sorry to hear about your Dad! That's scary! I wish I could help but I know nothing about cost of boat slips. I can definately see why you want one though.

Anyone have some old photos of Beaver Lake and it's history? This might be a fun thread to "thumbnail" at the top of the forum if we get enought photos. Here's a few I found over the years on the internet. Here is the old bridge and shows the old road bed that goes under the new Hwy12 bridge. My lake map shows an old cemetary just below the 12 bridge near the old river channel. I've not looked on my sonar for it but some guys with better downscan sonar might find it. It's probably too deep to get any photos showing gravestones and such. Plus the years of water exposure may have deteriorated the stones. Old Photo of the dam construction. If you look close, you can get a good idea of the scale and magnitude of concrete required to hold back about 30,000 acres of WATER! :-)