Quillback

Thanks for the reports!

you guys have a point, but if we start using genetics as a part of the record process, anytime a record breaking fish is caught you'll have to weigh it and then send in a DNA sample. And what about cases like Texas where they have that large fish breeding program crossing big bass with one another? What if the next WR bass comes from offspring produced by that program, does it count? Just food for thought..

Maybe they should start stocking triploids in the local tailwater fisheries.

I was out near point 3 yesterday, several striper boats were in the area, but I did not see them catch anything and after a couple of hours they left for parts unknown. I tossed some jigs and spoons myself, nothing doing for me either. I did not see very many shad on the fish finder which may explain the poor striper fishing in that area. I think you are wise to bring your own shad, but keep your eye out and you may see some to net.

That's awesome, your boys are going to be fishing addicts (which is a good thing) if you keep getting them on to fish like you have been doing.

Wow, what a fish! It's healthy looking too, probably could have gotten even bigger, makes you wonder if their are some out there that are truly huge. I'm surprised one has never turned up in Table Rock from the browns stocked below Beaver dam. Some nice bows have been caught in TR, you would think then that there could be some huge browns swimming around.

Thanks for the report, I would think with this cool weather and rain the trout will be going bonkers.

The blues are biting, I've been catching them by drifting shad on main lake flats in 25-35 feet of water. These Grand Lake blue cats are exellent fish for the frying pan.

Nice bunch of fish! Glad to hear you guys got into them.

I think I will suggest to them that they put this kind of stuff in the news section of the AFG website. I imagine they do they surveys on all the big lakes in AR, and it would be cool to see the results on their website.

Sorry guys, I'm not a subscriber either, I picked up a copy at the news stand. Maybe someone who is a subscriber will see this and post the article. It's really annoying they went to a subscriber view only on their website.

If you have not read the Outdoor's section in today's NWA Arkansas Gazette you might want to give it a read. In brief the AFG did their annual survey of fish populations, it confirmed what many of us are seeing, lots of small walleye, spotted bass, and healthy shad populations, so many Kentucks that they are thinking of taking the size limit off them to encourage people to keep them and thin out the population. Anyway, things are looking good for the future!

Good luck Mitch, let us know how you do.

There's some Stocktonlakeguide reports for that time of year for last year if you go to page 3 I believe in this forum. Lots of good info about what worked last year, it would at least give you a good starting point.

I have some Gulp leeches - they look good, I just need to try them out.

I would just as soon catch Whites as Largemouth, especially on light tackle.

I hear ya, the lakes have been crazy around hear on the weekends.

I've heard some internet chatter lately that the Eyes were hitting crawlers on harnesses on Beaver, so I gave it a shot Saturday morning. I did pick up 4 Eyes but they were all small 10 - 14 inches. I only had about 8 crawlers so I did not fish for them that long. Hearing a lot of folks saying they are catching short Eyes in Beaver so maybe in a year or two we'll have some relatively good fishing for keeper sized Eyes. I also saw some whites engaging is surface feeding frenzies on Shad, pretty cool to see, I got lucky a couple of times when they were close to the boat and was able to toss a Road Runner into the action, instant hookups both times, fun on light tackle. Unfortunately both times, by the time I got the fish in and off the hook the feeding frenzy was over and the fish had moved somewhere else. About 11 AM the wind really picked up and the fiberglass toys were starting to appear, so I decided to leave. Heck of a colorful sunrise by the way. Not a bad morning of fishing.

Thanks for the report. I did not know hybrids would do that. I'm thinking about heading to Grand this Saturday to try for whites.

Thanks Bill, that does help. I haven't done much spoon fishing and I appreciate advice from those such as yourself who have "walked the walk".

Nice wallies from a lake where they don't come easy.

Yes thanks Mr. Babler for the info, I especially like hearing what lures you like and when. So how do you all work the spoons? Do you drop them straight down and jig them, or cast out and let them fall, then jig them back?

Thanks for the report!

I read some stuff a while back about stripers and warm water, it was claimed that there was about a 50% survival rate for stripers released in warm water, they are a cold water fish and the combination of warm water and the stress from being caught are a lethal combination. AFG recommends that you should keep any stripers you catch in warm water.

I have seen Mobile marine on my way to Hickory creek, just never have stopped in. Has anyone been there, just curious if they have a good selection of stuff. It would be nice to have a Basspro/Cabelas locally, but the only drawback is if they put a store in Arkansas I would have to start paying sales tax when I order stuff from the catalog.