I was there yesterday. It was colored up nice but not muddy at all. Only caught 2 whites and 1 short walleye in the creek. All on a-rigs. Had one keeper walleye and a Kentucky on the main lake on a three and a half inch swim bait.
I order drop shot weights from an outfit in AZ. (Southwest custom tackle). I placed an order a couple days ago and the owner asked if I had any info on TR cause he had a couple buddies coming up to fish this tourney. I told him about this forum since I don't fish TR much. Seems like people are coming from all over. I'm fine with them pouring money into the local economy and getting to experience the Ozarks.
I trolled for 6 hours into the current at 1.1 on Bull shoals 3 weeks ago before the batteries started feeling it. Terrova 24v 18' fiberglass bass boat.
Very nice mess of fish. We had a similar experience last Friday over that way. Our fish were a little deeper over brush in about 20 fow. That day they wouldn't hit a jig that wasn't black and chart, though minnows did work. The fish weren't chock full of eggs yet. Thanks for the report.
Water was 40° on Monday and 43° this afternoon. Today the fish (Crappie and a couple short walleye) were hugging the bottom and wanted the bait moving really slow.
We put in at beaver yesterday. All clear at the ramp and main Lake. There's still some ice up in the creaks. We caught crappie in 27' of water casting drop shot rigs to schools of fish. All artificial baits. Color of bait didn't really matter, but twitching your rod tip a bit then dead sticking it till you felt the super light tap did.