Pour Dennis

My friend Charlie and I fished the season opener of USA Bassin Sunday out of Aunts Creek. We started out fishing close to the ramp in Aunts as we did not feel like making a run in the early morning cold. The temp in Charlie's Tahoe said 32. But with the wind it felt much colder. I started throwing the McStick in chrome shad and Charlie started with a 7/16 Jewel jig(not going to give away my partners color). After not managing anything and getting frustrated by someone pulling up on us about 50 yds down the bank, we decide to make our run. We next fished in Thompson where Charlie lost what might have been a keeper near the boat. After fishing there for a while we went to our next spot(because we are fishing this circuit I will not name any more of our spots). While at our next spot Charlie had to retie, so I took the troller and my second cast with the stick "fish on". A nice 4 pounder. On my next cast, bang a solid keeper. We managed to have a limit of almost 13 1/2 pounds before 10:00. Throught the rest of the morning we managed to catch alot of short fish, going to a few different spots. We were able to cull up twice during the day with two solid fish that took our limit to just over 14 pounds. We ended up in third. Second place was over 19 and fifrst was a nice sack weighing in at over 23 pounds with a nice kicker over 5 pounds.

Riverfish, I work at Lakeside, the convenience store just south of the bridge in Shell Knob, I will be working Monday night from 2-9. Drop in to say hello.

Had a club tournament out of the Shell Knob bridge. I went up the King's River and caught my first keeper on a pointer that just touched. Ten minutes later I lost one at the boat because I tried to swing it in the boat. I decided I would lip or net the rest of my fish from then on. I was fishing by myself as my partner had a funeral to go to. Around 12:00 I decided to run to Big Creek where the wind was blowing pretty good. I could only manage one short one on a crank bait. I threw a spinner bait but had no takers. Water temp at Big Creek was right at 50 degrees. I then ran back up the King's to the bank where I caught my only keeper and decided to change to a PB&J 1/2 oz jig, because I had just manage to catch short fish up until then, and caught a nice four pound largemouth and then a keeper. About 5 minutes before I ran back to the ramp. I felt a tick on the line, I set the hook but it felt like I set on a tree. I kept pressure on the line as I maneuvered to get the jig loose. I then noticed the line was pulling back. I knew then That I had a nice fish on. The nice fish was a 5 pound 12 oz largemouth that was big bass for the tourney. I ended up winning with 4 that weighed 12 pounds 10 oz. By the way the temps I found up the kings were in the low to mid 50's.

As I was only fishing by myself I only fished until 12:30 or so. I had just one bite and no catches. It was great to just get out there.

Have some time to get out tomorrow and I have an empty back seat. Going out from the Shell Knob bridge. If interested call me at 417-559-1273

Went out yesterday and launched at Viola. Threw the jerk bait and the crankbait most of the day. I kept the boat in 8-20 ft of water. We caught about 20 fish with only one keeper coming 15 minutes before we pulled out. That keeper was a 4 1/2 pound largemouth. Caught on a Table Rock Shad Real Skin pointer 100. Water temps were in the mid 40's, never saw 50 degrees.

You can download them if you have Easy gps. it is a free program and is compatible with alot of different units.

Here is a link of an interactive map that MDC has. There is a button that will give you a list of GPS coordinates of the fish habitat on the lake. Map Link

You might want to give Pla-Port a try. They are located in Shell Knob off of YY highway. Click here

When I lived in California and fished tournaments, I remember the department of fish and game only allowed 6 hour tournaments from June through August as these are normally the warmest months of the year. It looks as though most of these night tournaments are ran by small clubs or small tournament organizations. I am sending an email to MDC to suggest the six hour format. If we can get enough people to send the same type of email I think we can do something to help prevent these large fish kills at night.

This past Saturday night our club had a night tourney. It only took 2 fish to win it. I would like some help in trying to catch fish after a cold front moves in as I was not able to bring any fish to the scales. Thanks

I have talked to Dan and he said he is not certified to work on Opti's. I want to take it to a shop that has the computer for the motor and techs that are certified to work on it.

I live in Shell Knob and need to have my optimax 225 serviced. Does anyone know of a reputable certified mechanic in the local area?

In Missouri it is only premium that does not have ethanol unless the station has a waiver to sell regular unleaded without ethanol in it. So, Places like marinas and stations like Lakeside that work on alot of boats can carry the e-free gas. There is also legislation in the Missouri house to do away from ethanol based fuels all together, due to it costing more to produce the fuel.

I went to the Mercury site and did some checking up on the ethanol issue to see if it is ok to run in my 2003 Optimax, and Mercury states on their website that any fuel with 10% or less ethanol in the fuel is ok to run in all Mercury motors. I believe that Yamaha and Evinrude sites will say the same thing. If you have an older model motor please check the manufacturer's web site to make sure you can run ethanol based fuel in your motor, or talk to a certified mechanic for your motor. If you are looking for ethanol free gas, Lakeside Marine in Shell Knob, which is the gas station just south of the 39 bridge sells it. It is the 87 octane.

I talked to a couple of guys that fish the Friday nighters out of Campbell point, and they said that once the sun goes down forget it. The fish just won't seem to bite. I went out til' dark on Tuesday night in the Shell Knob area and only mamaged two keepers just before dark fishing a Texas rigged baby brush hog.

Went out yesterday morning from the SK bridge and fished from there to Campbell Point to try fishing a little deeper than what I have been. The first point I went to was a gravel point where I caught some short fish the day before. After chasing fish that were busting shad and catching one keeper kentucky on a small shad colored swim bait in the bushes, I decided to moveout to a little deeper water. As I moved through the bushes to deeper water (25-30 ft.) I noticed a definite weed or bush line. After I got to the desired depth I fired my first cast to within a half cast of the bush line. Whils working my texas rigged cut tail worm back to the boat I felt some pressure on the line and swung to set the hook. Fish on! After playing the fish to the boat I was able to get the 4 pound smallie to the boat. I quickly threw it in the livewell and called hte wife and had her meet me at the ramp to take pics and release the fish to be caught another day.

There were 130 boats in the BFL

I fished the BFL on Saturday and could not catch a cold. The boater I drew (Mark Martin) caught four and ended up in 26th. Then I go out today out of H highway across from Baxter and fished from there back to Big Creek. Not a keeper, but did manage four shorts on the blade. I don't know what is going on. I had a great pre-fish last week before the BFL, and then on tourney day I zeroed. i am hanging up tournaments for a while. I am getting tired of throwing my money in a bucket for someone else to pick up and spend. Just gonna spend some time fun fishing for a while and try to figure this lake out a bit better.

I can't believe they are even holding the night tournaments with all of the debris in the water right now.

Some guys in the tourney said they found stained to heavily stained down past Big M. I fished in Big Bay all ther way to the other side of Baxter and could not find anything that clean.

Had a club tournament out of Shell Knob Bridge. We had 5 boats and out of ten anglers only three managed to catch fish. I was not one of them (lol). All of the fish caught were Kentucky's. All fish were caught on jigs flipped or pitched in close to the trees. First place had three fish for over 9 pounds. Second place was one fish that weighed 6.2 pounds (see pic). Third place was one fish that weighed just over 2 pounds. I had 2 bites and only got one to the boat. It was a real short Kentucky. The weather conditions for the tournament were the worst I think I have ever fished.

Launched at Big Indian on Wednesday and noticed right away that the water looked dirtier than it was on Monday in Big Bay. Water temps were 50-53 degrees. Did not get anything to the boat but, Charlie and I got bit quite a bit more than Monday. Charlie did have one on that looked like it would keep but came unbuttoned right at the boat. I was throwing a big dead ringer and got bit twice on the same cast, when I pulled it out there was no tail left. Talked to a couple of other boats and they had not gotten bit. Looked like they were throwing spinner baits. Charlie was getting bit on a shakey head. We casted to the trees and bushes all day. Looks like the bite is starting to get better.

Launched from the road at Big Bay Monday morning. Water was not too dirty but it was pretty stained. We started throwing jigs in tight to the trees and bushes with no bites. Water temps never got to 50. Later in the day I decided to pull out to where I thought the water line should be this time of year. The boat was sitting in about 20 ft when a 3 1/2 lb kentucky took my 3/16 shakey head with a margarita mutilator roboworm. I was thinking that the fish would be in that range, but after reading the report by Phil, it seems that the fish are still roaming looking for food. I fished all day Sunday with SKMO and only had one bite flipping a jig in the brush. We went out of Big Indian then. With a club tournament coming up this Saturday I am beginning to believe that it might just take one fish to win the whole thing.

We were using red/yellow/yellow, all chartreuse and all white.