Quillback

I'm pulling for you, looking forward to seeing you whip this and getting back out there and catching fish!

I didn't see any sign of turnover, but then again I don't know what to look for. Water is getting clearer by the day, that I can tell.

That's when they are the best!

Hopefully this is a turn of the corner and not a head fake. I talked to several experienced Table Rock fishermen over the last couple of weeks and they are all talking about how tough it has been the last couple of months.

Another cold and windy morning, talked to a guy that came down to his dock to check out his boat and he told me that it was 41 degrees at his house. It did warm up later in the AM, but is sure felt good at the end of the day to be in the truck with the heat on. Fishing started out pretty slow, tried a few places that held fish Monday, but they didn't pan out. I scratched out a half dozen by noon and stopped on one last chunk rock bank that always holds fish in November and it gave me another 9 or so in about 45 minutes. They were all Ned fish, and the earlier fish were split between Ned and a 1/2 oz Nutech Grass jig. The later fish were up pretty close to the bank, 5-10 FOW. Earlier fish were deeper in the 10-20 FOW range. So it turned out to be a decent day compared to what I have been catching, 15 total, 2 keeper smalls, and some spots that were chunky, but I doubt if any of them made the 15" mark. Only caught one largemouth. Definitely location specific, I fished a lot of marginal water with only a bite every once in a while. WT 60-61. Meanie? A different colored smallie. Ye olde TR 14" spot. This post has been promoted to an article

Battery Outfitters also has a location in Springfield. They may have Interstate and OEM them. I do know that they stand by their warranty, at least they have for me. I stopped by their HQ in Golden just the other day and they swapped out my TM batteries for me. 5245 S Campbell Springfield MO 65810

Saw one this summer on the bank when I was fishing at Table Rock. First and only time I have seen one in the wild. It was on a steep rocky bank with some brush around, matched right in to it's background, if it had remained motionless I probably never would have noticed it.

Cool, I'll drink Nescafe instant if I have to, but would rather have the good stuff.

Awesome, I have to have coffee in the AM.

Try going to the browse tab, then select gallery. You can create your own photo file in the gallery and can re-size your photos there and put them in your posts using the insert other media drop down and selecting your gallery. Of course that assumes they aren't too big to load into the gallery. Nice fish, congrats!

BTW, I can't remember if they had coffee filters at the lodges? They did have coffee makers didn't they?

I think we have 18 staying, don't know if any of the non-stayers would show for breakfast.

Went out yesterday in the cold, wind and drizzle. I was hoping for a crank bait bite, but in spite of trying pretty hard to get them to bite it, all I got was one 12" spot on a crank. Switched to my usual fall back when all else fails baits (jigs and Ned) and started to get a few fish. Nothing earth shaking, but got 10, mostly on the jig, a few on the Ned. One keeper smallie, one short largemouth, and the rest spots, a couple of those being right at the keeper mark. Mostly deep fish in the 10-20 FOW range, had one good thunk shallow in front of some buck brush, but couldn't keep it on. The bite was a little better than it was a few weeks ago, maybe because of the weather. Surface temp was around 62. Water is getting clearer, I would estimate maybe 4 feet of viz. This post has been promoted to an article

I forgot the Menace Grub, another one of their baits I like, especially early in the spring.

If they screw up the Rage Craws, I'll be pizzed.

Indeed, very nice, congrats!

Did you notice if the ramp and courtesy dock at Hickory is useable? I haven't been down there in a while.

Couple of things I did: Pretty much fish them on a long heavy jig rod so I can get a good hook set. I buy the cheap ones at Lureparts online, clip off the lousy hook, put a couple of split rings on the hook hanger, then add a good hook. I also put on one of those spring bait holder deals on the split ring, so I can screw the nose of the bait on, then Texas rig it. Doing all of the above has helped my hook up ratio with those things quite a bit.

Yeah, time to get back out on the Rock. Been a couple of weeks since I have been there. Maybe they will start looking at jerk baits? Caught a few on the jerker here in Bella Vista last week, so maybe they will get going on them. I guess I'll just have to get out and see.

You're talking suckers, right? And yes they were tasty. If that was carp Griz fed us, I am going to start keeping carp.

Duck diapers to stop the spread of invasive species...hmmmmm...could be a market out there.

I'd prefer the $25 "Carp Towel". When you're waiting 3 days for a named fish to bite, you can use it to swat away the flies.

Just saw on the news that the Bella Vista police talked a man down from the top of the water tower. Yep, it was Champ.