Quillback

Royals scored some runs last night, they were down 7-2 and I thought they were done as their offense has been anemic this season. Debut of Jac Caglione who hit the ball well but ended up 0-5.

Norfork Nursery Pond Back in Action with Redear Sunfish After a five-year hiatus, the Norfork Nursery Pond is once again poised to raise fish for Norfork Lake. This small, six-acre pond, established in 1963, has historically supplemented the natural reproduction of various game fish species for Norfork Lake. Operations were suspended in 2020 due to a collapsed pipe that drains the pond into Norfork Lake. With the collapsed section of pipe now repaired, biologists are cautiously optimistic that the nursery pond can resume its role in providing supplemental stockings for Norfork Lake. In early May, biologists and hatchery personnel took the first significant step, stocking 463 adult Redear Sunfish (broodstock) into the Norfork Nursery Pond. Over the next few weeks, these adult fish will spawn, producing the next generation of Redear Sunfish destined for Norfork Lake. In this protected environment, free from fish predators or anglers, these young-of-the-year Redear Sunfish will grow undisturbed until they are ready for stocking into Norfork Lake in early fall. The favorable conditions of the nursery pond provide an ideal setting for these young fish to thrive before their release into the larger body of water. Redear Sunfish are a popular panfish, also commonly called "Shellcrackers" due to their appetite for mussels and snails. Known for their delicious white meat and spirited fight, they're a favorite among anglers. Late spring is an excellent time to catch Redear Sunfish, often successfully reeled in using baits such as red wiggler worms, crickets, small jigs, or even fly-fishing gear. Beyond their appeal to anglers, Redear Sunfish are crucial for a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Their diet of snails and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates helps control snail populations, which can, in turn, mitigate the spread of parasites such as yellow grubs that might affect other fish species in the lake.

I bet it fought hard!

I saw some video just a couple of days ago of that place, lots of water moving.

Dutch and I hit the lake early this AM, we chased the smallies and had a few striper drive byes. A decent early bite, some top water action early, Dutch got a couple of early fish on a Keitech, then we pretty much fished jigs. We caught almost 20 smallmouth between the two of us, and a couple of small stripers. They shut the flood gates early this morning and that seemed to put the shad up top. Scattered stripers everywhere down by the dam, I had 4 or 5 striper sized blowups on my top water, but only 2 of them touched the plug, and they did not get hooked. Surface water temp had jumped to 75 by the time we left. Fish stopped biting about 10 AM.

I need something to take pics (birds, wildlife) when I'm out fishing. Trouble is you usually don't get much time to get a shot.

Gotta fight to keep the old man out. Keep fishing and hunting!

In the 20 years I have been here, I don't remember a spring like this one. A few nice days, then 3-4 days of rain, repeat and repeat and repeat... Eventually it will be summer and 95 degrees every day for 3 months. 😃

Looks to be zero water coming out of Bull today.

Here's some interesting reading on reels. It will give you some ideas on what's out there. Best BFS Reels for 2025 | Tackle Warehouse

What do you recommend for a lens for bird photos?

We have to hope they are wrong.

That trailer will make for good fish cover. 😃

Glad to hear you guys got into them. Is the Shell Knob bridge ramp useable?

Nice!

At least it's floating. 😃

When I lived in Washington I always wanted to go out on a tuna charter but never got around to it. It was 2 days on the boat as they had to go quite a ways out into the Pacific to find them. Those guys jerking them out of the water doesn't show their fighting ability, on conventional tackle those things are one of the hardest fighters out there. If you've never had fresh albacore, well it's the same taste as tuna in a can, a little different, but about the same. I used to take my boat out of the port of Everett in late summer for king salmon, pinks and coho and sometimes coming back in there would be a tuna boat parked at the commercial dock, you could get a frozen solid, 10 lb or so whole albacore for $5. That was 25 years ago, maybe it would be $10 today, or $20. Westport Charters - Salmon, Tuna, Bottomfishing in Washington

I checked out the payout, $6 per fish for the first 25, then $8 per fish until you hit 100, then $10 per fish after that.

Not bad. Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery WDFW recently posted a news release on the 2024 Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery program. As reported by WDFW, in 2024 "the top-twenty anglers caught an average of 4,677 fish per angler and averaged reward payments of $47,286 each for the 5 month season. The highest paid angler earned $164,260..." As we've reported in the past, this fishery continues to be significantly more economically viable than the non-tribal mainstem gillnet fishery in the lower Columbia River and it is even more conservation friendly! Fascinating that fisheries managers point to "economics" as the main (and really only) reason for keeping non-selective gillnets in the mainstem Columbia River!

Well they are saying more rain for several days starting Tuesday night.

Good going, glad to hear ya'll had a great time!

Wanted to live the urban lifestyle, but got seen, reported to the authorities and trapped, I assume to be relocated but the story does not elaborate. Cinnamon color. BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/FOX24) — Witness video shows a young black bear being captured in Bentonville around noon on May 28. Officers with the Bentonville Police Department and Bentonville animal control, with assistance from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), caught the bear after it was seen scaling a tree in Bentonville. “It’s probably a yearling,” Keith Stephens with AGFC said. “Momma pushes them out to be on their own this time of year.” COURTESY: Brandon Davis

They've renamed chum salmon to "silver bright" or something like that. Tuna cans now have a "wild caught" label.

Boating enthusiasts should be advised that boat access is currently limited on both Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes due to current high-water conditions. With Bull Shoals Lake currently at 690.0 ft, finding a place to launch and park can be challenging. However, the high-water ramps at Lead Hill Park and Fairview Access are usable. On Norfork Lake, at a level of 579.5 ft, the ramps at Panther Bay, Buzzard Roost, and Henderson South are available for launching. Other ramps on Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes may be accessible for launching from the road with limited parking. We strongly urge all boaters to exercise extreme caution while launching and navigating on both lakes. Elevated lake levels and recent flooding have resulted in a significant amount of debris floating in the water. Please prioritize safety by staying informed on current conditions and forecasts, remaining aware of your surroundings, and always wearing a life jacket.

You'd think the commercial fishermen would be hammering those blue cats. I don't know how they taste out of the bay, but the ones I have eaten from Grand Lake are the best eating fish I catch. I'd take them over walleye, crappie, white bass and stripers. Maybe it is tough to find a market for them.