Bill Babler

6.37 and a 6.06 was on the web, but I don't know for sure. That guy is an A-rig machine.

Just got word in on some others locals just out flinging that did well yesterday. I guess from Shell Knob to Campbell Pt. was excellent on a jerk bait and A-rig One of the locals out of Joplin and yes that would be local as he fishes several times a week here had a nice 18 pound bag, with fish being up on the transitions. Said he had a great 6 lb. kicker on the jerker. More on the jerk bait than the rig, but it was also worth throwing. Would fish the transition with either the jerker or the rig and then redue with the other bait. On another note they don't want the jerk bait dead slow, you can hop it. bump, bump, bump let it sit for a second or two and then rewash. Also a good buddy out of Indian Point caught them using his Livescope. 25 keepers that he thought the best 5 would go a solid 15 lbs. Said they were deep 45' to 60' all on a grub. Said on one location, the entire bottom just lifted. Said he saw everyone he caught eat it and lots that didn't. He was using a 3/8th. head on a Keitech 3.2 and just fishing it vertical. Thought he was going to A-rig them but got on the deep bite and could not leave it. Said he weighed lots of 2.75 pound K's. Both guys said very few short fish, most were solid keeps. Good Luck

I guide out of there a bunch, nice place that caters to us fishermen types.

That is a Monster bag for sure. Had to be an A-Rig. Still hard to find that kind of a bite, which is plenty hard. I went out for about 3 hrs. here at the Lodge and only had two keeps both K's. Both fish on a Tim Hughes custom painted megabass. Congrats to the winners. and really 2nd. and 3rd. with close to 14 is a fine day of fishing.

Looks like to me your tore them up. Great trip

Got some yard work done and a nice breeze started to ripple the lake so I just could not resist. Hit the water at 2 pm and put her back on the trailer at 5 pm. Surface temp at Old 86 was 48.1 with the water color being super clear, I could see the stick bait down there 10' Wind out of the West so I headed across to Clevenger and hit a transition. Only fished a stick bait today one black head blue blend body custom megabass and a megabass plus 1 pearl Tim Hughes custom paint. Caught 4 keepers in the 3 hrs. with one good LM. He was long and not heavy, I'm thinking a male. 19" on my Phoenix board. 3 nice K's and they totally slammed it. Caught all the K's on one bank that did have a little color under the 86 bridge. If you find them this time of year don't leave them. They are for sure not on every bank. LM came out of the clear water in Clevenger and I had two others slap at it, one of them missed it twice, or I missed him twice, I'm trying to decide. I just kind of ran out of time on the K bank as on the first past I had the 3. I could see them. Boat in about 25' and there were fish under me at about 10 to 15'. When I pulled in I knew I would catch one and I did on my first cast. That's the first fish I have seen so far this Winter up in the water column on a transition bank, hopefully not the last. I only fished about 30 yrds. and I'm sure there were more there,I just was running out of light. Good Luck This post has been promoted to an article

Here is really something to keep in mind. These pro's have not only companies throwing merchandise, but also money at them. Sometimes the money is hard to believe if you hear the numbers for some of these mega companies that are sponsors. I really can't go there its not nascar money, but its scary. I'll go back to KVD. "Just because I use it doesn't mean you will get the same result." More of these Pro's BASS, Bass Pro tour, FLW and BFL don't have or may have this stuff on their boats but really don't use it all that much. Yes the Panoptics it a big deal for just about everywhere, but how many guys just go down the friggin bank and don't pay a whole lot of attention to it. More than do. Right now this is a massive arms race. If your buying a new boat really there is no price ceiling, you can keep on adding to pretty much infinity. Just have to be able to write the check. Good Luck

Just like I posted earlier in the thread, but would add 1 more 126 to the console.

7:30 AM Friday, February 7th. and the lake in front of the lodge is totally full of boats. Air temp is 25 degree and I have no idea what the surface temps are but boats are running up Long Creek and into Clevenger. I have probably seen a dozen coming from North to South so none of the same ones. No wind and partly cloudy. If you are one of the fishermen out this morning please be careful in these cold temps. and please give us a report. Must be some kind of a derby weekend with this many guys out chunking and winding. Have not seen a boat pull into Big Cedar so these are not guide trips. Good Luck

That is a fantastic setup for sure. If I can get it done my dream setup right now for the bass boat would be Garmin Force 50" Panoptics Livescope 2 Echo Ultra 126 SV . i"m going to use one on the console for scan, map and sonar The bow will have a 126 for panoptics 1 Echo Ultra 106SV Bow sonar and map 1 T15 TH UHD Oil bath transducer thru hull accurate bottom picture at any speed. 1GT34 UHD Side scanning transducer That my friends for February 5th. 2020 is probably as good as it gets and more than this old fishing guide should spend. Mike is running 4 126's plus a 93 with the other mentioned above goodies. On the console he has a 126 dedicated to side scan, a 126 to 2D sonar and a 93 dedicated to global map. On the bow he has a 126 dedicated to Panoptics and the other 126 split between sonar and map.

That's the deal. Thanks a bunch bobby.

Ultrex is not a problem in the least as the standard Panoptics shaft or head mount will fit it like a glove. It fits any hand raising or lowering motor. The Ulterra is a different animal as it has the self deploy and retract feature that slides the shaft into the control block so you can have no wires on the motor.

Bobby, as I said in another thread, I believe Percision Sonar is the only company currently making a mount for the Ulterra. I have called and left messages about a 1/2 dozen times and just cannot connect with them.

On another note, there are fishermen out this morning in the rain, sleet and Ice. First boat I saw this morning was headed up Long Creek, temp was 31 and it was rain/sleet mix. Second was a bit ago, headed the same way, really raining and Icing and 34 degree. Youth is a wonderful thing.

That set up makes total zero sense. First you are using a Minn Kota Ultrex that has a built in transducer for Humminbird so you would have to wire a Lowrance transducer for picture quality to the head making your Minn Kota transducer void. It will work with the Lowrance but poorly. Next Humminbird recommends 3 to 10 mph for side view and the Ulterx will not run that fast, 2.6 to 2.8 mph is max. Next, side view technology is not fishing tech, it is searching technology. It is designed to cover large amounts of water at a rapid pace and determine either structure or fish that can be marked and then with the use of sonar or livescope be more accurately defined and fished. Somebody has lots of money

Yes Bobby it does, that force trolling motor is at the present time unequaled. I just have had issues with my Ultrex and I knew I would. Nothing at all wrong with the motor in the least, I'm just fussy about noise and used to something quieter and better as far as GPS and position lock that does not weigh a ton. The Ulterra is so nice with the deploy and retract feature that for us mature fishermen, is not only a safety feature but a huge factor in just not having to work so hard. I just love mine on my trout boat. It however will not work without some serious modification with the panoptics as its lift feature gets in the way. There is a company Precision Sonar that does make a panoptics mount for the Ulterra and I have been trying to get in touch with them and see what it consists of. With Garmin the look ahead technology has been around for several years and keeps improving As far as side scan, their GT34 UHD transducer, side view is an industry changer. When this is paired on the console with the 126sv, that is state of the art and currently as good as it gets, for us fresh water bass or crappie fishing dudes.

Right now the Birds are falling behind in the arms race, and not by a little. It is something to watch this battle. We had 3 yrs. where Minn Kota had it all as far as trolling motors and now they are moving back. If it were a checker game they have been double jumped and just about to be triple jumped. The deal is all this stuff works great, there are just newer fish in the skillet to fry. If money is a factor and when is it not. the Birds will do a great job. It used to always be Hummingbird had the scan tech. down but Lowrance was by far the best 2 D sonar. I have spent a bunch of boat time this Winter looking at every ones stuff and by far the best forward view and side scan is now Garmin and it AIN"T close. 2D is pretty much a toss up with Garmin and Lowrance and I really think the Lowrance side scan has inched ahead on HB. You can however get into the Bird stuff for about 2/3rd. the price of the Garmin and the Lowrance. Garmin is going no where and will be a player from now into the future. I think Lowrance will also. I'm not for sure about Hummingbird. They have been symbiotic with Minn Kota in the Marine industry, and had the same great run that Minn Kota just enjoyed. I think there will be somewhat of a merger, there has to be. Right now however they don't have a huge bargaining chip as their R and D is at the back of the pack right now, somewhat in the same position as Motor Guide. You really cannot go wrong with any of these products and it is kind of do you want the best and the newest and can your pocketbook afford it. Or, are you happy with good that will do the job. I'm lucky as it is a tax situation for us as we work with the equipment. I'll hopefully be able to make an upgrade as soon as our 2019 taxes are completed and if it looks favorable for 2020, I will make a complete overhaul to Garmin. Good luck and really there is no bad decision, just a monetary one.

😅

Regardless of the make of your troller, and believe me they all can let you down, when you break that cord on any of them or if there is a deployment of reattachment problem your most often in a huge world of Doggy Do Doo. At least once a week, I will totally look mine over for loose nuts bolts or any fray or problems, and most often I will find I need a minor maintenance adjustment. I usually wipe it down and wax it and give it a careful lookie loo. Of course you all know now that we have discussed this we are all in for some type of nightmare. Good Luck

Thanks Fish, appreciate the report and it was sure fun watching the SB with you.

Ultrex comes with a steel cable and it works extremely well if your man enough to lift the motor. Which I barley am.

Really nice fish Randy, thanks for posting

Super job still keeping them going. Got a feeling that bite is about to break up quicker than a Cheerleader dating a Chemistry major.

Smallie like you I mix my own. I want ZERO milo as the song birds just rake it out. Of course the turkey's, dove and squirrel will eat it. I see you have one Squirrel Buster feeder out. They are my favorite by far. Your spread puts mine to shame. We have 5 Squirrel Buster's one Suet and one thistle feeder out. Consumption is about 6 pounds per day, unless a storm is coming and then it jumps up to 10 pounds. If its warm and sunny the feeders are not hit that hard. If its cloudy cool and damp they are all over them. Kind of reminds you of fishing don't it.