roy_eros

Bass XL: we were in a red and black Nitro with a 150 Merc.

Just got home from several days on the Rock. The fishing sure did change over the course of the past 5 days. I went from shorts and flipflops on Wednesday and Thursday to layering up whatever i could find and not feeling my hands all day saturday and sunday. We came up to fish the KVD Big Bass this weekend out of big cedar. Me and Hog Caller paid our entry early to get the free rods so there was no turning back once the weather forcast got nasty. We located several groups of fish in different pockets and creeks from around Big Cedar back towards Cricket practicing on Thursday. All these fish came in the back 1/4 of the pocket or creek and seemed to have followed shad to the shallow water. Water temps reached 60 degrees in some areas but most averaged 56-58. We caught good numbers of short fish and small keepers up to 3 pounds.Many of the small fish were kentuckys. We noticed the productive areas were pockets that had a flatter contour towards the back and no defined channel. We didnt get any of the good bites we were looking for but this gave us an idea of what the fish were doing and where they were at. We felt there were quality fish near these concentrations of shad they just needed to be coaxed into biting. Went to register at BPS friday and got to meet KVD!! Got some advice and hoped some good luck rubbed off! HAHA Tournament morning saturday brought high winds, heavy rain, intense lightening, rough water, and sporatic hail showers. Not to mention the brisk lower 40s temperatures. Tournament start was delayed til 7:30. We backed the boat in at 8:10. We had no doubt our shallow fish were going to be moving out or have lock jaw in these conditions so we headed to the dam area to try some bluff/standing cedar banks. 50degree water at the start of the day. We started working our jerkbaits in a small pocket just off a bluffend and Hog Caller hooked up with a nice little keeper smallmouth in less than 5 minutes of fishing. While he was unhooking and getting the livewells operating I hook up with another chunky brownie but loose him at the side of the boat. After fishing the area a few more minutes heavy rain and lightening are back so we decided to pack up and seek shelter at Big Cedar. When we arrive at 8:56 we are surprised to see only one boat by the weigh in and get news that only 3 fish have crossed the scales. Hog Caller ran his fish to the scale just before the hour ended and wound up cashing a 4th place check with his 1.88lb brownie. Not a bad start to the morning!! The weather lihgtens up a bit and we work our way south tossing jerkbaits at anything that looks good. No luck with this other than a handful of short Blacks and KYs. We decide to try and work some of the pockets we had caught fish in on Thursday. We struck out on the first couple throwing a combination of Warts, Jigs, Grubs, Spinnerbaits, and Jerkbaits. Still nothing but a short fish here and there. At this point we are getting pretty wet from the off and on rain/hail showers and starting to ware down a bit from the runnning and gunning. I decided to slow down and drag a lizard on a c-rig along the deeper edge of a flat we had caught fish off of in the past. I started dragging and covering the pocket in 15 foot or so and worked my way shallower. After about 20 minutes with no bites i cast to some stumps sitting in 10 feet and about the time the rig hit the bottom it took off swimming. I set the hook and a big girl came up to the top and gave us a good look. We were both pumped when we got her in the net. Continued this technique for the rest of the day and Hog Caller caught another nice keeper that wasnt quite check worthy. The big fish weighed in at 5.38 and finished 2nd in the 12-1 hour. After a good nights sleep and the confidence from our 2 checks on day one we headed out to see what we could do on Day 2. Started with the jerkbaits again and threw in a grub here and there without much luck. We had a painfully slow morning with very few bites to be had. Hog Caller was able to scratch out a couple small ones on the c-rig again. Decided to pick up the Wart and give it another try. Picked up a solid chunk on a shallow rock bank about 11:30. We were a pretty good ways from big cedar and she looked happy and ready to spawn where she was so we left her swimming. Got a text a little after 12 and found out that fish probably would have got us a 3rd place check. Disappointing. Only hour it took less than a 4 to get a check on sunday i believe. Continued chunking and winding the wart and hooked up with a 4.56 in less than 5 FOW that finished 4th in the 1-2 hour. That was our last bite for the day. These were some tough conditions this weekend but the fish were still biting pretty well. Those who were sucessful had to brave the elements and stay focused on what they were doing. 8.70 was the winning fish and many very nice TR bass crossed the scales. Really shows how many nice fish live in the lake and how many good anglers we have in this area. Congratulations to everyone who did well and thank you to the staff, this tournament is a blast. The free food and beer at weigh in were a welcome site to cold and hungry anglers. HAHA Hope you have this tourny again next year. Thanks for being such an awesome partner Hog Caller and teaching me so much during our time on the water.

For you guys talking about the nighttime bite my brother brought a fatty to the boat last night. Only bite we got after dark and wouldn't you know it the scales I had were dead. 22 inches long 18 inch girth, i figured somewhere between 7 or 7.5. Caught her off a steep bluffend dragging a jig very slow. Took her by a dock with a light to get a picture then let her go about her business. Definately would have made someone very happy this weekend.

Nice Fish thanks for the report! Can't wait til im up later this week!

I'll say 8.48

http://www.nighthawkpublications.com/images/2009/14/03.jpg That is a link to the boat Menendez won the tournament on dardanelle in. I was at the final day weigh in and the boat was trashed!! He beat the heck out of it getting back into his fishing hole. I believe the third day of that tournament was canceled due to high winds. The other days werent much better so I feel for his camera man making that 40 mile run up to Spadra. But it certainly got the job done for him, and hey with his winnings he could buy about 6 more boats just like that haha

Have you reached 100 entries yet?

I can remember back about 2000 or 2001 catching numerous 3-5lb stripers in the diamond city area. I would assume these were stocked because there were so many of them and they were all the same size

Thanks for the update Bill...we are planning a trip back up on Nov 5th-7th. Hope to get in on some of those hungry gals!

Wow well let's see some of my first thoughts wouldn't really make sense because they wouldnt be effective year round, wouldn't be good to have to sit out a couple months. My choices would be: 1. Hand tied 1/2 ounce jig in Missouri Craw w/zoom critter craw (pumpkin): Set up on a Falcon Cara Mike Mclelland 7'4" jig rod with 15lb. p-line. Revo STX. 2. Green Craw Wiggle Wart set up on a 7' Medium Falcon Cara with 10lb. Floroclear P-line. Revo Stx. Nothing too crazy, just can't picture myself throwing something else more sucessfully than these two over the course of an entire year.

Lets hear some predictions guys... weight, lure, area of the lake? Species?? How awesome would it be to see a chunky spot or Brownie win this thing..(I know highly unlikely, but you have to admit possible lol) This thing is going to be different for me, going to try to slow down and really pick apart specific areas that have produced big fish for me in the past. Anybody heard how many anglers they are expecting?

Have there been 100 people register yet or are some of the early registration rods still available??

Nothing beats feeling that tap-tap on the jig and not knowing what it is til you get it in the boat!

Back on topic, I actually caught probably my fastest tournament limit (and one of my best) last night in the bull shoals boat dock tuesday nighter. Launch was at 7 and we had our first fish in the boat at 7:30. Put number 5 in the box at 8:05 for a 14 pound limit. Culled up once after dark for a 16-10 total good for the win! One of my best nights of fishing!

Our best luck has been on the overcast days we have had this week, although others have reported several other patterns producing..we havent had much luck on other stuff. I believe a couple of the fish we caught were still yet to spawn, including the one pictured, i could be wrong but i cant imagine them just being that fat.

Made it out this afternoon for a short trip. Got lucky and dodged the rain great afternoon to be out. Water from cricket marina on back was pretty colored, but it steadily got clearer as you worked up towards 86. Our best bight came on top throwing spooks, chug bugs, or wake style jointed baits. Didnt seem to matter for us got several on each. Threw spinner and wart here and there never got much going on that. Got on a couple schools of good sized whites just destroying anything in there path. Wound up catching several whites and probably 18-20 mixed ky's and largemouth. Most were in the 12-14 inch range but did have 4 keepers. This all happened from 6 til dark so even if you can just make it out for a little while the action is hot. This picture is of the hog i caught on my 5th cast of the evening, by far the biggest i have ever caught on topwater!b

Thanks for the input guys...im looking at getting one of these installed let you know how it goes.

I have had some issues with trolling batteries running weak towards the end of long days on the water. Been looking at the minn kota alternator chargers, but havent heard of anybody who had tried one. From what i understand they put some charge back in your trolling batteries from your motors alternator when you run between spots. I am running a 24volt system so im not sure if it would hook up alright? Here is a link to the minn kota sight.. http://www.minnkotamotors.com/products/battery_chargers/dc_alternator.aspx Let me know what some of you guys think, would like to hear some reviews before i drop over $100 on one of these bad boys..lol

Fished from bee creek down past tucker all morning...nothing firing only caught one short and one walleye..made a move up the lake fishing cuts off main lake bluffs wound up catching 4 keepers between me and my partner in about 2 hours..fish came shallower than we had been looking, one on a white 3/8 ounce spinnerbait, other 3 came on soft plastics. If i were putting in at K dock this weekend i wouldnt go far to look for fish..

Thanks for the updates Bill!! Great to hear a little of the inside scoop..interesting to hear that many boats running towards long creek, be interesting to see how some of these guys holes hold up over the next 3 days.

Those are some NICE fish...i'm sure its been talked about on other posts, but Bill if you dont mind me asking what color stickbaits have been the most productive for you under the current conditions??

Dont know how much truth there is to this, but i heard about 9 or so years ago AGFC had a truckload of Stripers heading over to Beaver and the pumps on the truck failed, so they ran down to Bull and dumped them in real quick before they all died, dont know how much truth there is to this, just some local talk at the time, maybe someone else knows more about it.

Hello!

We finally got out today too around the lead hill area, got out about 7p.m. and caught several nice smallies swimming grubs and spoons outside the brushline. We were about a good cast off the bank in about 15-18 foot. About 745 or 8 the whites really started schooling and we really put a hurt on them with smaller spoons and rooster tails. They were really mowing down on some smaller shad. We saw them spit up tons of them as we reeled them in from about 1/2 inch to 2 inches. Anyway if you can find a school like this we stayed on them for close to an hour and they didnt move but about 100 yards the whole time. Heres a picture of one of the nicer Brownies.

I have only used their square bill model because it is so similar to LC's RC 1.5's. I have had very good luck on them and considering the price difference i can buy 4 or 5 of these baits for the price of 1 RC. Doesnt hurt the wallet near as bad when you snag up or break off a big girl..haha..the hooks seem to be real good on them to, stay pretty sharp. For anyone who is interested these baits are only available at academy sports as far as i know.