Quillback

Please allow me to intoduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste.. (Sorry, I could not resist)

Planted the Snow peas yesterday and set out a cherry tomato in a container. Doesn't look like any frost in the long range forecast, so what the heck. Anyone have any ideas on a good way to add calcium to the soil? Seems every year, beginning about late July, I have problems with tomatos splitting just before they get ripe, or sometimes get blossom end rot. I'm told adding calcium can help, but can't find any in the garden stores. Does adding lime add calcium?

Don't know how these guys do it, but some pretty impressive bags. Stacey King is in the hunt. BRANSON, Mo. – Professional bass anglers began their four-day bass fishing tournament for a top cash award of up to $125,000 on Thursday at Table Rock Lake. Just a few short weeks after an incredible event on Lake Hartwell, the pros were eyeing Table Rock and anticipating a sight-fishing event for bedding bass. So the fact that Blake Nick of Adger, Ala., who weighed a five bass limit for 21 pounds, 4 ounces, led the tournament after the first day of competition may have raised some eyebrows. Nick now holds a slim 3-ounce lead over OFF! Pro Terry Bolton of Paducah, Ky., who caught five bass weighing 21-1. “I’m horrible at sight fishing,” Nick said. “I saw them doing their thing during practice, and on the last day of practice I had just had enough of it and went and tried to find my own thing I could do. I’m not looking at them at all. “I fished a lot of stuff today,” Nick added, who said he focused on isolated structure as part of his plan of attack. “I started out this morning with a 4-pounder on my first cast.” Nick said he had a limit in the boat by 8:30 and covered a lot of water throughout the day to hit 15 to 20 places. He said his better fish came after noon when the wind picked up. “There are so many chunky 15-inchers in this lake it’s all about getting the good bites,” Nick said. “And who knows when they’re going to come? I’m expecting to catch fish, but I know how it goes. “My places are reloading every day,” Nick added. “These fish have not spawned yet. These are pre-spawn fish.” Nick said he was surprised he was leading the tournament. “I went and found some fish on beds,” Nick said. “If worse comes to worse, I’ll go do that. I really don’t want to because I’m awful at it. Somebody could come in tomorrow with 25 pounds by sight fishing. These guys are so good at it. We fish with the best sight fishermen in the world, and I’m sure one of them is going to load the boat tomorrow.” Rounding out the top 10 pros after day one on Table Rock Lake are: 3rd: Clint Brownlee, Tifton, Ga., five bass, 20-1 4th: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., five bass, 20-0 5th: Kyle Welcher, Opelika, Ala., five bass, 19-12 6th: Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla., five bass, 19-8 7th: Todd Hollowell, Fishers, Ind., five bass, 19-6 8th: David Wolak, Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 19-5 9th: Brent Long, Cornelius, N.C., five bass, 19-4 10th: Stacey King, Reeds Spring, Mo., five bass, 19-3 Welcher caught Thursday’s big bass weighing 7-6 on the pro side to win $500. Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup. The top 35 anglers in the point standings from the six FLW Tour Major tournaments will qualify. Brock Bertrand of Fayetteville, Ark., leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 19-2 followed by Derek Yamamoto of Boulder City, Nev., in second place with four bass weighing 13-9. Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are: 3rd: Steve Redwine, Blue Ash, Ohio, five bass, 13-8 4th: Mike Helton, Jeffersonville, Ind., five bass, 13-7 5th: Chad Pipkens, Holt, Mich., five bass, 12-13 6th: Tom Spangler, Corryton, Tenn., five bass, 12-8 7th: Leo Reiter, Greenup, Ill., five bass, 12-3 8th: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., five bass, 11-13 8th: Jeff Sprague, Forney, Texas, five bass, 11-13 10th: Greg Knick, Ansonia, Ohio, three bass, 11-3 Earl Campbell of Springfield, Mo., caught Thursday’s big bass weighing 7-14 in the co-angler division to win $250. Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $25,000 this week plus valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup. The top 35 co-anglers in the point standings from the six Walmart FLW Tour Major tournaments will qualify. Anglers will take off from Table Rock State Park Marina located at 380 State Park Marina Road in Branson at 7 a.m. each morning. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at Table Rock State Park Marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at the Walmart located at 1101 Branson Hills Pkwy. in Branson beginning at 4 p.m. Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the Walmart on Saturday and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.

Forgot to mention, that there is a lot of pressure on the BV lakes right now, weekend will probably be crazy. Bring your own brushpile!

I was out yesterday on Windsor, there was an early topwater bite, I caught some twitching an SR5 Shad Rap on top. That ended quickly, so I tried the jig (3/8 oz) black, that worked for me last week and could not get a bite on it. I did catch a few around beds fishing a whacky rigged Senko, and a few on a c-rig lizard. Nothing over 15". Lots of small males on beds, didn't see any big gals, but with this warm weather they should be up soon also. Water temp iwas 64 yesterday. Haven't tried the fin, but might be worth a shot early if this topwater bite continues. I'm not a dedicated bream fisherman, but I have caught them doing the split shot thing, what works for me is to use an Eagle Claw long shank, thin wire hook, and hook the redworm one time through the collar. Don't wad the worm up on the hook, throw it out and slowly hop it back to the boat once it hits bottom. The bream have moved shallow BTW, saw a couple of guys working a cove bank with crickets and they were hauling in the redears.

Fished one of the smaller community lakes today, bass are on the beds. And not just one or two, looks like peak spawn time already.

I'm annoyed with BPS because they're having this big online sale, but the stuff I want (usually lures in specific colors) are out of stock. So I end up moseying over to another online tackle seller to buy. I can't stand it when tackle companies have sales, but when you go to buy it's out of stock. But I do enjoy going to the Springfield store a couple of times a year and checking stuff out.

You should have caught it, put it in a rod tube, and shipped it to F&F! Tell him you're sending him a Loomis GLX that you didn't want anymore, LOL. Great photos BTW.

Yeah ab, lots of wrapped rigs in the parking lot, practicing for next weeks FLW I believe. Of course that means next weekend pressure again.

Thanks for the report, Champ. I know if it's tough for you and Donna then it is tough! But you can't beat the weather and the scenery. I was up by Baxter looking at a boat today, driving over on 86, some great views out there, air was really clear. Redbuds, Dogwoods starting to bloom, great time to be out in the Ozarks!

A service of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Angler lands new Oklahoma state record largemouth bass A new Oklahoma state record largemouth bass was caught Friday, March 23, at Cedar Lake in southeast Oklahoma. The fish weighed 14 lbs. 12.3 oz. and was caught by Poteau angler Benny Williams, Jr. while on a camping trip at the 78-acre LeFlore Co. lake. Williams caught the bass at 11 a.m. on a ¼ oz. Striker King jig. This fish measured 26 inches in length and 22 3/8 inches in girth. Williams' fish breaks a state record held since 1999 when William Cross caught a 14-lb. 11.52-oz. bass from Broken Bow Lake. "Catching the state record largemouth bass in Oklahoma is a big deal and catching a fish this large is a big deal," said Barry Bolton, chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "It speaks to the quality of fishing we have in Oklahoma and also to the anglers who get out there and fish for them. We congratulate him on his great catch." The last two state record largemouth bass as well as several from the state's Top 20 Largemouth Bass List have been caught in the southern and southeast regions of the state. Fish are cold-blooded, so their metabolisms work faster in warmer conditions and they grow more rapidly. Lakes in the southeast region of the state tend to warm up earlier and cool off later in the year than in other regions, which affords these fish a longer growing season. According to Gene Gilliland, assistant chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Department, Cedar Lake has been known to produce big largemouth bass for anglers in recent years - not only because of its southeastern location, but also because it has a history of receiving Florida strain largemouth bass through the state's stocking program. "They grow pretty fast down in that part of the state," Gilliland said. "Cedar Lake has produced several double-digit fish in the last five years." Anglers who believe they may have hooked a record fish must weigh the fish on an Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture certified scale, and a Wildlife Department employee must verify the weight. For a complete list of record fish and the procedures for certifying a state record, consult the current "Oklahoma Fishing Guide" or log on to wildlifedepartment.com.

Nope different people. Sorry about the small font, didn't copy over too well, I'll see if I can copy it again and increase the font size.

I stopped by Lake Ann yesterday and yes it is almost full, couple of rigs in the parking lot, so it will get fished. I'm going to wait a few days to let the fish adjust to the change in water level and give it a shot. Fished Windsor yesterday morning, found a decent jig bite, but luck was not with me as I lost 2 big fish, one that looked to be in the 5-6 lb. range that jumped and tossed the jig (I hate it when that happens) and another that I never saw that I could not get out from under the boat, it found some structure, hung me up and broke off. Very frustrating, slapped the water with my rod a few times after that one.

Let's hope it's legit... March 23, 2012 A service of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Angler lands new Oklahoma state record largemouth bass A new Oklahoma state record largemouth bass was caught Friday, March 23, at Cedar Lake in southeast Oklahoma. The fish weighed 14 lbs. 12.3 oz. and was caught by Poteau angler Benny Williams, Jr. while on a camping trip at the 78-acre LeFlore Co. lake. Williams caught the bass at 11 a.m. on a ¼ oz. Striker King jig. This fish measured 26 inches in length and 22 3/8 inches in girth. Williams' fish breaks a state record held since 1999 when William Cross caught a 14-lb. 11.52-oz. bass from Broken Bow Lake. "Catching the state record largemouth bass in Oklahoma is a big deal and catching a fish this large is a big deal," said Barry Bolton, chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "It speaks to the quality of fishing we have in Oklahoma and also to the anglers who get out there and fish for them. We congratulate him on his great catch." The last two state record largemouth bass as well as several from the state's Top 20 Largemouth Bass List have been caught in the southern and southeast regions of the state. Fish are cold-blooded, so their metabolisms work faster in warmer conditions and they grow more rapidly. Lakes in the southeast region of the state tend to warm up earlier and cool off later in the year than in other regions, which affords these fish a longer growing season. According to Gene Gilliland, assistant chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Department, Cedar Lake has been known to produce big largemouth bass for anglers in recent years - not only because of its southeastern location, but also because it has a history of receiving Florida strain largemouth bass through the state's stocking program. "They grow pretty fast down in that part of the state," Gilliland said. "Cedar Lake has produced several double-digit fish in the last five years." Anglers who believe they may have hooked a record fish must weigh the fish on an Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture certified scale, and a Wildlife Department employee must verify the weight. For a complete list of record fish and the procedures for certifying a state record, consult the current "Oklahoma Fishing Guide" or log on to wildlifedepartment.com.

I'd go with white for stained water and silver or gold for clear.

There are crappie in that lake, I was thnking that without the normal spring pressure it could be good crappie fishing this spring. But I got an email from the POA stating that they are letting Ann fill up with the latest rain and it is now almost full, so it will get fished. Never had much luck with cranks myself, I usually drag plastics or jigs. I caught a 17" crappie (released it) on Avalon this winter on a jerkbait. I think that if a good crappie fisherman worked the brushpiles hard he could catch a few, not saying a lot, but might get a few nice ones. As far as slime, yeah Windsor is not too bad, Avalon is not bad either. I fished Avalon yesterday morning for a few hours until the rain hit, caught about a dozen bass, but all small 10-14" fish. Using a Zoom lizard.

Water's up almost 4 feet - good thing we did not get as much rain as predicted.

Drove over to Ann this afternoon, it has come up about a foot or so, with some brown water coming in from the feeder stream, but the rest of the lake looks good. Windsor and Avalon have come up a bit, but water is still the same color it was before the rain and the streams feeding the lakes are high but running clear.

They used to stock rainbows in Bull Shoals lake, lots of folks used to fish for them at night during the summer and there were guides with pontoon boats that took people out to fish for them, don't know if they still have that fishery, but it was fairly popular in it's day.

The heck with seeing a school of hundreds of 6 inch bass, I want to hear of someone seeing hundreds of 6 POUND bass in a school.

I might get out today if the rain holds off and I'll let you know what I see, but we only got a little over 2 inches here so I don't expect any problems. Windsor and Avalon are a little murky because of algae bloom, but definitely fishable. Jerkbaits worked for me on Windsor last Friday, but it seems it's a different bait every day this time of year. They were also chasing bait on top Friday. Lake Ann is still drawn down for repairs, they are supposed to start filling it starting 3/31. But if you have a kayak and don't mind carrying it across the mud flats by the launch, or I guess you could drop it in by the dam, you might have the lake to yourself and some fine fishing. Might be worth bringing the crappie stuff if you like crappie, I doubt they've seen much pressure in Ann this spring. Bluegills and Redears are biting also, saw some guys catch a bucketfull fishing in about 20 ft of water on Windsor.

There's some monster browns in the White below Beaver dam. The AR bios do an electroshock survey every year and they shocked up a brown weighing 25 lbs. last year. They say they see that fish every year in the same hole.

Stopped raining here in Bella Vista, the weather guessers are saying it's supposed to start up again with more wind, but if not I might sneak down to the lake.

Yeah the rain seems stuck over in eastern OK, every once in a while some of it moves over here, but not to the extent the weather guessers keep saying we're going to get. Not that we need any more.

Maybe it takes a bit before the rise appears on that gauge. White river and War Eagle are definitely rising with increased flow. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/uv/?site_no=07048600&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060