Quillback

Dutch and I hit the lake this morning. Slow for us, 10 bass total, 2 were keepers. We did very little deep fishing, mainly fishing banks with jigs and the c-rig. No hot spots, a bite here and there kind of thing. Lots of what looked to be gizzard shad flipping around on top, quite a few scattered small shad too. You'd think there might be a top water bite in places, but no evidence of that. Some gar on top, but never saw much of anything that resembled bass. Water is kind of a murky brown color and was already at 88 first thing in the morning. Very few bass fishermen out, a few boats stationary on the gravel points, I'm guessing walleye chasers.

Seattle's border on the east is Lake Washington. Lake Washington gets a sockeye run, and if that run exceeds a certain number (I think it used to be 250,000) then they open up a recreational sockeye fishery in the lake. The way just about everyone fished for them, including me, was to troll a couple of bare hooks behind a dollar bill sized piece of metal called a dodger. You'd tie the hooks about 18" behind the dodger, the dodger gives the hooks a sort of herky-jerky motion. The sockeye would eat the bare hook, it was an effective way to catch them. Would not surprise me at all that if you are hooking them in the mouth that they are "eating" whatever it is you guys throw at them in rivers. Sockeye are goofy fish, hard fighters and great to eat, but weird when it comes to fishing for them.

I know of an Arkansan or two that fish the RR catch and release season. I believe you need the annual trout stamp to fish it. I doubt a $40 fee will stop them. Probably will cause some grumbling however. 😀

None for me. There's a little banner ad in the White River subforum and general fishing subforum, but it is small in size.

$40 is pretty stiff. Especially for a day. Arkansas charges $20 for a NR trout stamp. Both AR and MO get the majority of their fish and game funding through the sales tax surcharge. Looks like that revenue stream ain't enough, so we're seeing fee increases. Give them more money, they'll spend it.

Feeling old?

Thanks for posting. Were there many other fishermen around?

Sweet - may have to tie on a spinner bait next time out.

Well they better get to work, flies all over the place this year.

From AGFC: Know Your Goggle-Eye For anglers who enjoy wading through the cool, clear streams of the Ozarks, there is a thrill of catching a unique "goggle-eye." But did you know that not all goggle-eye are the same? The Ozark Bass is a species found only in the upland streams of the White River system in Arkansas and Missouri. It shares the goggle-eye nickname with its relatives, the Shadow Bass and the Northern Rock Bass, which can make identification challenging. The key is to pay attention to the color pattern of the fish and your location. The Ozark Bass, found in the White River drainage in northern Arkansas, has a "freckled" appearance, with irregular dark spots scattered across its sides. The Shadow Bass occurs in the Red, Ouachita, Arkansas, Illinois, Little Red, Strawberry, Spring, Black, and St. Francis river drainages. It has dark vertical blotches, giving it a camouflaged look. The Northern Rock Bass, found in the Neosho River drainage in Northwest Arkansas, has spots arranged in neat, parallel rows that resemble horizontal stripes. All three species of goggle-eye are excellent sport fish, known for putting up a lively fight on light tackle. You will find them in their preferred habitat of deeper pools, hiding near cover such as large boulders, submerged logs, and root wads. They are aggressive predators with a diet mainly consisting of crayfish, aquatic insects, and small fish. To catch them, try bouncing small jigs, beetle-spins, or crayfish-imitating lures or flies along the bottom close to cover. Live bait, especially small crayfish and hellgrammites, are also very effective. In Arkansas, all goggle-eye species are managed together as "Rock Bass," with a daily limit of 10 and no minimum size limit. As a slow-growing species and with its schooling nature, the Ozark Bass can be vulnerable to overharvest, so by being selective with their harvest, anglers can play a key role in conserving this unique Ozark species for future generations. We hope you have time to get out on the river this summer and catch one of these feisty fish!

Way to go! Isn't that the group that changed the rules on you a few years ago?

Nice fish!

Kansas Alps - northwest corner of the state, best time to visit is in the fall when the maples are turning.

For sure. Bat coming out of nowhere and biting a person, that's winning a prize in the bad luck lottery.

It was a funny day. We had the bites, we just could not get them in the boat. They bit all morning, not a lot of bites, but one every once in a while. Was not a bad day for mid-July. Thanks for taking me buddy! Dutch once again with big fish of the day:

Maybe this one will work. The guy that got bit had to go to the ER and now is on some sort of shot regimen. Better safe than sorry (I think), Man bitten by bat at Beaver Lake

A bat assaulted a man sitting in a lawn chair by the lake. Hit and run attack, the bat flew off after delivering a bite. Beware if you plan on visiting Beaver Lake, that critter is still out there, somewhere... Northwest Arkansas man recounts surprise bat bite that led to rabies treatment | 5newsonline.com

I'm all ears myself.

Yep, or maybe a piece of appropriate length PVC pipe. Figure out a way to secure it with brackets or straps. Might have to get a little creative.

Here's one for JF @Johnsfolly Did you hear about the cowboy who wanted to adopt a weiner dog? He wanted to "Get a long, little doggy".

When I was a kid living in Massachusetts the local ponds were swarming with bullhead. People claimed they were good to eat, but I never kept one.