Jeremy Rasnick

Im heading up next weekend to fish the BFL. I really hope things kick it in gear. I have a feeling that fishing will really pick up, and I also have a feeling that it would be good to draw R. Fitzpatrick as it usually is this time of year.

The biggest thing I like about the FLW is the fact that the pull a lot of LMs out of the James, Kings, and White and bring them down to the Dam area to be released. I seriously feel like this made a difference last year. Maybe the LM's are just comming back but it seemed as if you were catching them in the places that you would have never dreamed a few years ago. On a positive note. We only have to be hospitable for a week or so, this brings a lot of commerce to the area and I feel at this point in time, it is important for our area to get what it can. I agree with Techo, there is no need to slap a negative impression on the "FLW" when it is only a few schmucks that ack like idiots. I will have a water safety booth set up at the Family Fun Zone with the Corps of Engineers, we may even be selling Annual passes for those of you who need to purchase one. ....please come by and say hello, I love meeting OAF members.

Dad and i went out on Saturday and caught 1 small male walleye at Snap. I picked up my new ranger from R and H Marine and the sales manager pulled in there on friday with 5 walleye, smallest was 5 lbs largest was 9 lbs, all chalked full of egges. There were two guys fishing so, no, he didn't go over his limit. I have been hearing lots of walleye stories. I think that right now is the time to catch them if you know how. I wish i did. Bass were bitting really good on jigs and cranks.

A group of buddies decided to put together a little 3 boat tourney today....Winner take all. Out of the 3 boats, my partner and I managed to pull off 3rd place. Fishing for us started off very slow, 1 keeper by 11:00 am, caught out of little Indian, near Indian Point. I feel like we wasted a lot of time up there. As we got closer to main lake we began catching more fish. Ended up catching 6 keepers....best 5 went 13lbs. Heres' what the keepers came on. 1)Brown 3/4 oz fb Jig, 2) Green Pumpking w/orange an purple football Jig, 3) White War eagle Spoon, 4) Carolina Rig watml Candy centepede, 5) Smoke Grub. Not much of a patter. The other guys fishind did similar. Overall the grub was the bait of choice for numbers for the other guys, and some had a few good fish on the wart. It is my observation that it is more important to be on fish than what you throw at them right now. The bites very very light on whatever they bit on. You will fill only weight, and no thump what so ever. Secondary's on main lake were more effective than creek arms. Rumor has it that it took 27 lbs to win with 6 fish in the Winter Bass Series and 19lbs took 4th place. Bobby Sullivan and his partner won. Im glad I didn't fish that one, i'd have been the laughing stock of the lake with maybe 15lbs with our six keeps.

For what is is worth, and for the value I have been very impressed by the Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier reel for a bait caster. You can sometimes find it on sale on the internet for 69.99 and if you print it off the store will honor the price. I have done this several times. I prefer the pro qualifier over my older Curado's. As far as spinning reels, I prefer either the Plueger President or the Shimano Symetre, or Sahara. As far as rods the list goes on and on. If it were me and I was to re-vamp my rod selection I would look very seriously at the new Falcon Bukoo rods. But you can't go wrong with the Falcon Low Rider. I have heard a lot of good things about the Razer Rods as well.

Table Rock has Turned Over!!! Good news for the trout. The DO Levels are nearly 9 PPM ( parts per million ) comming out of the Generators. This happened aproximately 10 Days ago. For those who know what to do to catch those rascals "Post Turnover" go get'm and let us know how to do it.

X

I really appriciate the compliments. It was truely meant to be. I give the credit to my boaters that I was fortunate to draw. Day 1 was a total bomb with only 1 fish. My day 2 partner had only caught one keeper on day one and we told ourselves we were just there to have a good time on day to and "just fish" he was willing to take advise that I had and with that being said we stumbled onto a point that had some good fish on it. It was the only point on that lake that half way resembled Table Rock . I proudly walked across the stage with OZARKANGLERS.COM stitched across the back of my shirt. I'd recommend the BFL to anybody......If a blind hog like me can find a nut anybody can. Now to figure out how to pay for the Taxes on that dude. I'm heading to R&H Marine in the morning after I bow hunt to try and pick out my colors. I've never owned a glass boat, so this will be quite a treat. I'll be selling my 98 G3 if anybody is interested shoot me a PM, and i'll send pics and post on BUY SELL TRADE Thanks to all, PS: Fishing with Champ188 was a great learning experience, he is the best in the business when it comes to chucking a blade.....a pleasure to fish behind.

Watch for Gulls, I saw several surfacing on Wednesday in the pockets on the left side as you are heading into indian point, but to answer your question, they are still surfacing. I got a report from some folks that said around Baxter boat dock they have been going crazy as well.

Fished around indian point yesterday with the 3/4 oz Watermelon Jig. Had 6 Keepers, 2 of each species. Our best patten in the last week or so has been the secondary points that you would throw a fish doctor on in the spring. It doesn't even need to be near deep water. Work the jig back at a pretty fast pace, but slow enough to keep it close to the bottom. Speaking of White Bass!!!!!!! Just south of the Coombs Ferry Ramp, within sight of the ramp, an area about the size of a football field was boiling with whites yesterday at 3:00 PM. Dad and I caught our limits and released atleast the same amount within 30 minutes. After a bad case of hamburger thumbs we left them alone and called our buddies to come help control the white bass population. According to another boat fishing the same school, he said it was the same way around the Branson Belle!!!! Its out of control. I've never seen anything like it on the Rock, only below the dam at Grand Lake have i seen such whites.

Bill, I had the chance to meet Doug Weston, Now that I am a Ranger for the Corps I meet all kinds of great people. On Thurday evening he was cooking hot dogs with his family and was really looking forward to going out on friday with you. I hope he showed you some of his custom lures that he paints. He does a great job, and seemed very reasonably priced compared to others. Im glad you all had a great day, he was a great guy. He told me he wanted to figure out how to catch these deep numbers and you put him on numbers and a big'n. Nice work, Jeremy

Checked the line this morning. Nothing. All of the bait was left in tact, with only a couple baits stolen.

Dad and i set a couple of lines this eveing around the dam area. I'll keep you all posted as to how it all works out. I set them on a shallower bank than I usually like to give it a try. We'll see what happens. I do have to mention, we got in a little spot and caught several really nice bluegill, very shallow, I wonder if they are beginning to spawn? Also threw a spider jig and caught a 4lb LM.

Good conditions or bad conditions.......Im going with 46 Lbs after 2 Days.

Dad and I started off the morning at Cricket Creek launch ramp. The weather was beatiful, the water had good color, and the breeze was just bearly blowing. It was our goal today to pitch jigs shallow, and cover a lot of water, "Power Fishing" as they call it. With the forcast of 30 mile an hour gusts, the calm day didnt' last long, but it did last long enough. By 8:15 we had 5 keepers and equally as many short fish but very close, Including a Smallmouth of all things. Keep in mind, we were upstream on the steep banks above the marina, not a very likely place to catch a small mouth, as a matter of fact it was the first one that I have caught that hight up. The bottom line of this report is.........if you don't like to throw a jerk bait, such as myself, there are many other options. The fish we were catching were within 2-8ish feet of water. Im having trouble loading the pictures.......I'll have to try later. Water Temp 54 Water color- moderately stained Lure of Choice- 1/4 oz brown and purple Jig, Green pumpin Craw trailer

Fishinator, Glad to help, you ought to come up to the Nature Center tomorrow for Bills presentation, we can pick each others brain.

Smokey, There are probably better spots on the Rock for whites, but i'm not familiar with them. I am familiar with the Cricket Long Creek Area though. Make sure you have your boarder lakes permit. If you are around the Long Creek Area, I'd recommend going into Arkansas and fishing the flats past cricket creek marina. Historically, this time of the year can produce some nice whites. If it were me and I was lucky enough to go out the next few days, I'd go past the Cricket Creek Marina, take a hard right.....if you go straight you are in cricket creek. Fish "Wind Blown" Flats., and i can't emphasize the wind enough. Particularly Flat Points, you'll see what im talking about.....they are on both sides as you go upstream. If that does't produce, keep going up river..............the mud bank where Yocum and Long come together is typically pretty productive and the most consistant. I'd focus on the left side or the "Long Creek" side of that bank. Don't be supprised if you don't accidently catch a few slabs...wouldn't that be awful. Lure of Choice: White Swimming Minnow on 1/8 or 1/4 oz head, if you have chartruse heads that would be my first pic......drag slowly along the bottom, and I mean slow. Keep us posted.....we'd love to hear how you do.

Another great place to catch Cats is up Yocum and Long creek as far as you can go, after a muddy rain. I've only done it a couple of times but both times we loaded the boat, using crawlers.

Fished last sunday practicing for a Bass Tournament this Saturday and we caught a couple nice slabs on one dock, 1- 13 incher......several other that were missed on the jerkbait. We could see the crappie stacked under the flotation of one dock.....about 18" below the surface. Not much of a crappie report, but not bad considering we were chasing bass : )

Eric, Great report. You and Bill do a great job of reporting, not just one single area that is fishing good or bad but the entire lake. Also, I wanted to add, for those of you from around Springfield..........John at Fin and Feather has got some SPRO "McSticks" in stock. He anticipates that they will go pretty fast.

Im not sure of the price of his boat rentals but I do know that I have seen people do that in the past. Give them a call and they will get you the correct pricing.

http://ozarkanglers.com/taneycomo/tourname...masters_09.html Just a reminder, Trout Tournament this weekend @ Lilleys Landing. For those of you who like to trout fish, its a great time. Its worth the feed that Phil puts on afterwards. With all things considered, if you have one good fish, you will more than likely take home the bacon. Phil puts together a top notch event together, and it sounds like we will have a pretty nice weekend to work with.

I really prefer the yellow eagle claw. It makes a 6" Kentucky feel like a 6 Pounder. For those not familiar with them....see attachment. You can find them at WalMart, KMart, garage sales, or your grandpa's tool shed.......Just Kidding. My honest opinion on a drop shot rod is that what ever feels good to you is what I would use. To me there is no special science to a drop shot rod. There have been times that I left my "Drop Shot" rod at the house and made due with other spinners as well as bait casters with a small leader to get by. I thik drop shot hook selection is more important that the rod on the other end. I personally use a 6' medium light Falocon Low Rider or a 6'3" pro finesse from Bass Pro. The low rider feels better to me and has less of a tendency to loop up around the rod tip, don't ask me why. If you are wanting a loomis, save it for a rod that matters, like a jig rod.

They walleye came on a white Charlie Brewer's Slider, while fishing the flats. Keep in mind, it was windy and cloudy on the day we caugh those. I guess thats where they come up with the term "Wallye Chop". Luckly for us, about every weekend there has been the 20MPH "Walleye Chop". Rumor has it, the River Run Ramp is open, next time I go out im going to try to put in there and fish between Swan and Beaver. I bet a feller would be supprised what he catches on the flats below the bridge, then again its upper Bull Shoals and could be a humbling experience.

I know several of us have digital camera's Lets take advantage of showing off some of these Bull Shoals Beauties. You may not want to click on full size unless you have a zillion gigs of Bandwidth. Phil, you may want to edit this one for me.