CaptainJoe

Buddy, I don't have the 113, but I did have the 25C and now the HDS-8 and 10. Here are my initial settings: Ping: 50% (You only need 75% or higher on the dash unit). Sensitivity: 90% in manual mode Chart Speed: 50% Surface Clutter: Off Noise: Off Fish ID: Off Depth: Manual. If I am fishing 80' and I am graphing fish from 20 to 40' feet, I will set my upper limit to 10' and the lower limit to 50'. That way, I eliminate almost 40' of unproductive water (0-10' and 50-80'). Now, put the boat in 20' feet of water. Tie on a senko, spoon, brushhog, or any other large bait. Drop the bait near the trolling motor and see the results. Adjust the sensitivity to watch the bait go down without filling the screen with return echos. Turn the surface clutter on low and watch the result and then turn it back off. Turn on the noise filter to low and watch the result and then turn it back off. Now, move into deeper water and repeat the procedure. Keep doing this until you are in 50 or 60' of water and repeat, only this time, start using the depth procedure and set your lower and upper units. Once mastered, you can then deploy the zoom feature. Don't forget that you can zoom in and then hit your up arrow button and move the screen up to the surface to cover the upper limits of the water column. It is a process of learning what each feature does and does not do. The Lowrance simulators are a big help, because you can practice on a computer vs. sitting in your boat in the garage or in your driveway or worst yet, on the water, when you should be fishing. Let me know if this works for you or what problems you continue to experience. The other contributors were right regarding your transducer. It must be pointing straight down towards the bottom. Plus, if you have been in alot of shallow water and have hit the transducer alot, it may be bad. I have replaced several. With that unit, you should be able to see the bait and sinker on a dropshot rig. You will also be able to see the trees and fish in them and between them. It will not take you long to master "video fishing." I can see the rig go down and I can see the fish approach the bait, look at it, and swim away; eat it; or just hang around with the bait watching and waiting. Good luck,

Beautiful.....thanks, Larry.

Thanks for all of the help.....I guess it is still a work in progress. But, I know they will work here, it will just take time to figure out just how they want them, when, and where.

Alltel said everything would remain the same......BS. My monthly bill went up $20 a month for the same service and minutes. I lost one My Circle number. We had Verizon in CA and we were glad to get away from them. Alltel was the best service and rates I ever had. I guess that is why Verizon bought them, so they could take a good system, raise the rates, and screw the people that live here like they do in CA and other places. I am not on the BIG bite, either. Been experimenting with new techniques to find something (like the Swimbait thread I started) the fish have not seen. Still a work in progress. Good luck!

Bill, A little off topic. You may want to make sure that Verizon sets up your phones to work off of the Alltel antennas vs. Verizon antennas. Contrary to popular belief, the antennas are not integrated. I changed over and had no service just about everywhere I needed service, like my house! I called and they had to reprogram my phones over the air to receive the Alltel antennas. Or, you can have the phones "flashed" at the Verizon store (not a franchise store) on the 248. Good luck,

OK, Guys and Gals, For the past nine months and everytime that I am out on the water without clients, I have been experimenting with swimbaits through flooded timber. Scott Suggs from AR in last year's FLW Stren Series Championship reportedly used this presentation to boat nearly all of his fish. Since then, I have been trying to perfect the presentation on Table Rock. I have used many swimbaits in many styles and shapes during my time on Southern CA waters, but these were mostly trout imitators in open water since the waters out there are stocked with trout to provide forage for the bass. I have tried the hollow bellies, hard baits, and weighted flukes with no success. I can catch mostly small fish swimming a grub through the trees, but not the bigger fish using a swimbait. Has anyone (willing to share) perfected the swimbait presentation on Table Rock? Scott Suggs, if your out there, please share the love to your northern neighbors. Thanks in advance.....

My drop shot fish have been suspended in 28-35 feet of water over deeper water up to 110 feet. The fish on the bottom in 23-28 feet of water are usually bluegill and rock bass. Nine out of ten times, the bait fish are locating on some type of structure or cover, be it dock cables, bridge pilings, steep dropoff, brushpile, flooded timber, humps, points, etc. Find these, find the bait fish, and you will find the bass. Good electronics are essential, too. Even though some fish follow some bait fish into the pockets and other shallower areas in the Fall, there are still good drop shot fish to be had from early June through mid-January. There are some really good posts regarding drop shotting. Do a search and read them. They will help you dial everything in. Good luck,

I have asked Phil to post two articles which appeared in Bass Times earlier this year. For some reason, the board will not let me upload the articles. I think the articles are very self-explanatory and summarize this topic very well. In addition to all of the applications, application fees, documentation, fingerprinting in St. Louis, and later testing in St. Louis (Rules of the Road and General Deck), after being licensed, you must maintain your Red Cross certification in CPR and First Aid, possess a Transportation Workers Indentification Card issued by Homeland Security and paid for by the guide, be enrolled in a random drug testing program, and it is a good idea to be commercially insured. Captain Joe U. S. Merchant Marine Officer License # 1510831 issued by the U. S. Coast Guard

I agree with Eric. Yesterday was one of the most beautiful days on Table Rock Lake. My clients and I spent the day in the Dam area soaking nighcrawlers (dropshotting) in about 28 to 35 feet of water over 80 to 110 feet of water. My clients managed two dozen nice (not huge) fish with the keepers being in the 16" range. We stayed between Indian Point and the 86 Bridge. We did not find any schooling/boiling White Bass. The water was lightly stained and 80 degrees. The wind was out of the SW about 5-10 mph. We started at 6:30 a.m and were off the water by 12:30 p.m. I also use the ice water with the nightcrawlers. I put them in the water and ice the night before and store them in the refrigerator. In the morning, I put a frozen cold pack in the insulated (lunch size) container. Late in the day, depending on how hot it is, I may need to add ice. When you buy your nightcrawlers, cut a small 2" by 2" piece of paper towel and add it to the crawler container. The worms will eat the paper towel and they will last up to a month.

John (Ness), Thanks for the comments and fishing story...... Joe

RRV, I am sorry you did not connect with the fish.....but remember the last line in my above post..... "It takes time, but practice and time on the water will start producing better catches." It will not happen overnight. It takes practice. Three things could have happened: 1. The fish were not active enough to feed. 2. The colors you were using were not attractive to the fish. 3. At the depth you reported, the fish may have been whites and they do no feed readily on soft plastics as do the other species.....too bad electronics cannot identify the fish species. Notice that I did not blame you......it is always the fishes fault, right? Good luck and don't give up!

Don, Don't let a few forum bashers get your goat. You know that 99% of the members on this site appreciate you and what you bring to this forum. Don't leave the Ozark Anglers forum. Your friendship, fishing expertise, and sense of humor are enjoyed by all. We joined this site just two days apart. We joined because we love fishing and the forum brought fisher men and women together. Don't let this silly thread end your membership. Semper Fidelis Good Friend, Joe

I meant no disrespect, either. I was just responding to your comment that apparently guides do not fish for fun and asked if you have fun, too. Chill out....and thanks for sharing your involvement with kids and the critically ill. I am a dad of Downs Syndome son, so I can kind of relate..... Take care, S&M......it's not me. I said that my mouse was having "hard" time scrolling over your video. I posted on your Public Apology thread that I needed to double check my mouse to see if it is a Minnie Mouse or Micky Mouse....it just might be the guys.....I will keep you posted.

S&M, I don't know for sure....maybe I need to check to see if my mouse is a Minnie Mouse or Micky Mouse.

Well said, Techno..... Bill and Phil......thanks for everything you do on this forum. Ness and ColdWaterFshr....we also fish for fun and most of us became guides so we could share that fun with others, especially kids! Most non-guides do not get to work with kids, the developmentally challenged, or veterans like we do. Do you? We respect what you and what our clients do for a living. We show this respect to our clients during our day-on-the-lake. Please respect what we do, as well. This is a fishing forum.....this is where we hang out. We do not go to a forum that caters to your profession and bash you and your job. Phil, I'm done, pull the plug.

Thanks, Eric! Totally agree with the countdown method. But, because I am using braid and it does not sink as fast as florocarbon, I do it a little different. I have my clients use 7' rods. I have them point their rod tip to the water, open the bail, and then raise the rod tip to about 11 o'clock (approximately 7'). Now, all we do is a little math (for example, to get to 42' - 42/7 = 6 raisings of the rod tip) and we can get to the desired depth. I stess to them to watch the line as it is falling to look for the bite on the drop. See ya on the water,

Eric, Did you come up with a name, yet. Here are a few that I have seen during my 35 years in the working world. And, there were plenty of them. Main Entry: freeloader Part of Speech: noun Definition: someone who takes advantage Synonyms: barnacle, leech, moocher, parasite, sponge Main Entry: hanger-on Part of Speech: noun Definition: person who attends the powerful for status or benefit Synonyms: dependent, flunky, follower, freeloader, lackey, leech, nuisance, parasite, sponger, sycophant, truckler Main Entry: leech Part of Speech: noun Definition: parasite Synonyms: barnacle, bloodsucker, bum*, freeloader, scrounger, sponge, sycophant Notes: leach means to remove the soluble constituents from by subjecting to the action of percolating water or other liquid; a leech is a carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic worms typically having a sucker at each end - or a follower who hangs around a host in hope of gain I really like the "follower who hangs around a host in hope of gain." We are not guides, we are hosts. I want plenty of salt on my popcorn....

I use a Size 2 Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap hook. I use these hooks for nightcrawlers and soft plactic baits. I either nose hook or wacky hook soft plastics. If the bite slows down using one presentation, I will switch to the other presentation. I edited my post above to also reflect the hook information.

S&M, Again, like I said, great post.....but could you lose the beach video. My mouse gets "hard" to move everytime I scroll over your posts. Joe

My thoughts! Yes, I am a guide. But, I do not guide for a living. I am retired and want to stay that way. I only take 8-9 trips per month. All other trip requests above this amount are passed on to my other guide friends that guide for a living. Why do I guide: 1. It was a challenge to become a Coast Guard, U. S. Merchant Marine Officer, 2. It is a challenge to put clients on fish every trip, 3. It is rewarding to see clients catch fish, especially kids, 4. It is rewarding to share my fishing knowledge and experience with others, again, especially kids. I worked hard to become a guide, but not as hard as the guides that do it almost every day. I have the utmost respect for them and what they have accomplished. Do I get upset if someone follows me or comes up on one of my spots. Yes, I do. It is starting to get so bad, that I am considering removing my guide service logos from my boat so I will not be so conspicious. But, if I was guiding or just out fishing, it would bother me the same way. It is unprofessional for anybody to follow another fisherman or ride up on another fisherman's spot, guide or not. It is just a matter of respecting another fisherman, which respect for others is slowly waning everywhere in today's society. Cold Water is a perfect example. Phil.....keep those videos coming......makes this thread more interesting.

RRV, I will try to cover the various bait actions and bites that I have experienced and work for me. First, bait actions: 1. Nightcrawlers - do not move the rod at all. Keep the rod and bait perfectly still. Let the nighcrawler provide the bait action. 2. Soft plastics - a. make the bait quiver. b. shake the bait. c. move the bait slow and/or fast up and down a few inches. 3. Spoons, Ice Jigs, Fish Heads - a short jerk of the rod upwards about 1 to 2 feet and then let the lure drop on slack line. If you do not get bit after one minute, move the bait up or down two feet and wait another minute. No takers, move the bait up or down four feet. Six feet, eight feet, and so on....... It helps if your friend keeps calling out depths to you as the fish move on his graph and try to "stay with the fish" on those occasions. If your friend is graphing fish at two depths, drop to the deepest of the two depths. The bigger fish hang in the deeper of the two depths to catch the leftovers from the fish above. However, if you want to just catch fish, drop to the shallower fish. These maybe small fish, but are usually more agressive and active. These are great fish to practice your techniques. Second, various bites. First of all, hold the rod at 9 o'clock or perpendicular to the water. This will give you the best feel for the bite since the line will be 90 degrees to the rod tip and will easily move the rod tip more than any other angle. This is very important!!!! Watch the rod tip....it will give you the first indication for most bites. 1. Hitting bait on way down. If the fish are active, they will hit the bait on the fall. To detect these bites, make sure the line falls on slack line and watch the line as it falls. If the line stops falling, close the bail and set the hook! On one of my guide trips, a client caught 9 keepers in one hour watching the fish hit his bait on the fall. If bluegills or sunfish are ambushing your bait on the way down, try increasing the weight of the sinker to fall faster through the little fish. 2. Rod tip slowly or violently moves towards the water. This is the easiest bite to detect. However, you must be watching your rod tip to detect this bite, because if you wait until you feel the bite, your bait is usually gone, especially with nightcrawlers. To me, a slow pull occurs when fish are inactive and/or other fish are not in the direct vicinity. A violent pull occurs when fish are active and/or other fish are competing for the bait. Set the hook! 3. Bait feels heavy or you lose the feel of the sinker. This usually happens most while using soft plastics or hard baits, because you are giving action to the soft plastic/hard bait and while providing that action, you can feel the soft plastic/hard bait get heavier or mushy. Set the hook! 4. Reel In Fish. This bite occurs when reeling in to check your bait. Most people just reel in fast so they can check their bait, re-bait if necessary, and get the line back into the water. Pay attention to your rod and line as you reel in. Keep the rod at 9 o'clock and reel in slowly the first couple of times. Try reeling in a little faster the next few times. In other words, do not lose concentration and just reel in. Reeling in is a "presentation" and does produce fish. 5. Fish Chum. This is the bite that you never see or feel. This usually occurs with nightcrawlers because you do not move the bait. The rod tip does not move or feel heavy. You reel up your line and the nightcrawler is gone. I am convinced that these are the biggest fish in the school. They suspend right in front of your bait, slowly suck it in, eat the worm, and spit out the hook without you feeling a thing. If this happens a few times, I will thread the worm onto the hook instead of the normal one thread through the worm's collar. This usually works because it is more difficult for the fish to take the worm off of the hook and after eating a couple of my worms, they are usually a little more aggressive on second or third worms. Setting the hook. I do not set the hook the traditional way. First of all, I use Size 2 Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap hooks. They are very sharp and the wide gap ensures a top-of-the-mouth stick almost every time. To set the hook, just raise your rod tip quickly from the 9 o'clock starting position to 12 o'clock. Don't jerk the rod up, just raise it quickly. As your raise the rod tip up, start reeling. Keep a tight line. If you lower the rod tip to fight the fish, make sure that your are reeling in as you lower the rod tip to ensure a tight line. I concur with denjac on searching this forum for stuff on the drop shot. Look for the various posts I have made about using braid (Fireline Crystal or Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-braid translucent with a hybrid florocarbon leader) while drop shotting. I believe that this line combination will yield the best advantage while watching a line drop and detecting bites on the fall and feeling all of the bites, above. My clients all use braid and I am convinced that they would not have felt the bites that they did without the braid. It takes time, but practice and time on the water will start producing better catches. Good luck,

S&M, Thanks for the great, very detailed post.

Don, Great report and diddo. I am finding the same. Phil Stone and I were out yesterday and the patterns that you posted are still working. All of our fish came at the magic 30' depth. The crawlers were the best. My 9-year old granddaughter (the little one in the picture) was with me and we landed some nice, not big, fish. We were off the water at 11 a.m. before all the crazies got out there. Take care.....

I understand what the MO State Water Patrol is "advising"; however, Table Rock Lake is under the jurisdication of the U. S. Coast Guard. Therefore, the "Federal" Rules of the Road are applicable on Table Rock Lake. All Table Rock Lake fishing guides had to memorize these Rules of the Road and take an extensive test on these Rules in order to receive our U. S. Merchant Marine Officer license. Those rules only authorize certain lights, light intensities, colors, and placement. There are no provisions for a light as suggested. Our all-around stern light is the only white light that can be used on our boats. It provides enough light for traveling at slow speeds at night, does not blind other boaters, and is located to our rear so the driver is not blinded or loses all night vision. I would think twice before putting these lights on your boat. Dick's accident was an accident, but I believe that if we start putting spot lights on our boats, we will violate the Rules of the Road and cause even more accidents.

Tom, We have a person within the Branson Bass Club working with the Army Corps and I do not know the latest update. I am sure that any calls to the Corps would help move any action forward. Dick was a very experienced angler and boater and if it happened to him, others may follow. We need to do something before someone else gets killed. Thanks, Tom, in advance, for any assistance.