Quillback

Traffic BTW, is pretty much a problem in the entire region, you won't have any traffic jams in downtown Pea Ridge, but you'll hit traffic if you need to go into Bentonville or Rogers, anywhere on the I-49 corridor for that matter.

Well you didn't win, but you got some nice fish on the Ned. Makes it a great day I think.

I don't know of any negatives, but I don't know a lot about either area as far as what it is like to live there.

For your ensemble to be complete you must have matching shoes. May I humbly suggest you pick up a pair of these:

I live in Bella Vista on the east side and it's 40 minutes to Prairie Creek and about the same to Indian Creek (COE parks on Beaver). Living in Pea Ridge would put you about 15-20 minutes closer to the lake. And if you lived in Prairie Creek you're 5 minutes away. If being close to Beaver is a big priority then I would probably not choose Bella Vista.

I used to be anti-braid, dig in issues, nasty birds nests, etc., but I have started using it again and I am really starting to like it. Better braids out there now, I don't have dig in issues, no snarls, and the stuff casts unbelievably well and is super sensitive. No more line twisting on a spinning reel either. Here's a link to the brand I've been using, only thing I don't like about this Sunline is the high viz dye runs out fairly quickly and you're left with line that is almost white. Functionally however it is great stuff. Don't know how it would work on a spincast. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_SX1_Braided_Line_Hi-Vis_Yellow/descpage-SXHV.html

No haven't been out to The Rock lately, between the weather and having stuff to do I just haven't had time to make the trip. I have pestered the largemouth in the local lakes a bit but that's been it. Sounds like the fishing has been great, good to hear you are getting into them!

Picked one of these up a couple of weeks ago, lightweight, fits snugly but doesn't feel too tight, fairly cool (temperature). Much more comfortable that any Buff I have worn and I've gone through a few. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Buff_Cool_Net_UV_Buffs/descpage-BCN.html

After seeing another goggle eye pic, I also think warmouth now.

Vernon sure did leave behind a mess. 😄

Caught a couple of these today fishing for bass here in Bella Vista. I believe it is a goggleye, but I have never seen one so darkly colored. What does the panel of experts say?

I was stationed in Germany back in the late 70's, never did do any fishing. I'd say the heck with the fishing and spend your free time sampling the local beer.

Sorry to hear it was so tough, I can imagine with a 500 boat tourney plus the regular weekend traffic it must have been pretty busy.

Way to go, some very nice fish. Every once in a while I make the run to Clifty, nice area to fish. Ought to be some stripers showing up there soon.

Caught a 12" redear in one of the Bella Vista lakes on a shakey head while bass fishing. Not a big one by Havasu standards but the biggest one I've ever caught. Fat fish, looked to be full of eggs, I bet it went at least 1.25 lbs. Didn't have my camera with me unfortunately.

I'm partial to a chartreuse jig head for walleye. I like a 1/4 oz with a 3.3 Keitech and I like a short shank hook on the jighead. Dirty Jigs with a 1/0 is my preferred brand. A couple of weeks ago I caught 3 keeper walleye on the Keitech and they were all on points of some kind, and fairly shallow, less than 10 feet. Smaller secondary points back in the coves can hold them too. I like to slow roll them, Keitcehs will swim up as you retrieve them so I'll periodically let them drop to keep them down, and you'll get bites on the drop too. Fun baits to fish, they'll catch just about everything.

It seems when you get these really big rain dumps I don't know that there's much the Corps can do to keep the level down, whether it's at 910 or 915 to begin with I don't know that it matters much.

Up she goes! I was happy with it around 915, oh well...

Owned a 17' Montauk that I salmon fished and crabbed out of in Puget Sound. Never ralphed in it, didn't get swells in the sound, wind chop could get pretty bad, but I tried not to go out on the windy/stormy days.

Yep I think the good old days of filling the freezer on a charter trip are over. You could go on day trips out of Westport WA for bottom fish back in the late 80's early 90's. They'd target black sea bass which run 3-5 lbs (and are very similar in appearance to largemouth) and your limit was 10 and you'd get some bonus lingcod and a few other species. They'd fillet your fish on the run in, so you'd step off the boat with 20+ lbs. of fillets. $80 plus a tip. I remember my grandad doing one of those Gloucester trips back in the 70's. He came back with a lot of fish. Mostly cod and haddock. Haddock used to be so available and cheap to buy, but they got severely over fished, as far as I know they still haven't recovered.

We may be fishing picnic tables soon, man the rain is coming down.

I've been seasick ONE TIME and that was enough for me. Went out on a salmon charter out of Westport WA, 8 foot swells plus wind chop on top of that. One hour out to the spot and once we got there I started to get sick along with everybody else except for the boat crew. (I am sure they get a good laugh out of these situations). I'd barf and feel good for about 10 minutes, long enough to do a bit of fishing, and caught my limit of 2 coho. Looked at the guy beside me once and his face was green, literally green, I've heard of people being green when seasick but that is the first and I hope last time I ever see that. Anyway that is the about the most miserable I have ever been in my life.

People do, but not me, LOL.

I was wondering the same thing, lake is down and water is clear to boot.

I second that, a great report with good info.