Quillback

Good to hear there's a bunch of smallies in the dam area.

Ned floats?

Bass Pro is out of Zinkerz and Ochos??!!! This Ned craze is getting out of hand!

Courtesy of ODFW. Swimming under the surface of many western Oklahoma streams is a zebra-striped fish. It may not be black and white, but the dark side bars have led to the scientific name Fundulus zebrinus, more commonly known as the plains killifish. Plains killifish can be easily recognized. The most obvious characteristic is the dark vertical barring that contrasts with the light tan side of the fish. Males tend to have fewer but wider bars than females. During the breeding season, the fins of males (with exception of the back fin) turn bright orange. Killifish are a member of the topminnow family and are adapted to feeding on insects from the water's surface. Like other topminnows, the lower jaw of the killifish extends past the upper jaw, giving it an upturned mouth. Plains killifish seldom exceed three inches in length. They mature in their first year and rarely live longer than two years. Native to central North America, the plains killifish can be found in sandy-bottomed streams and rivers that are less than a foot deep in the western 2/3 of Oklahoma. These fish are known for their tolerance to high water temperatures and salinity conditions. While they can be found in fast running water, they typically live in quiet, shallow pools. Though topminnows often feed at the surface, plains killifish also forage in the water column and on the stream bottom. They have been observed "nipping and digging" debris on the bottom; averaging 30-40 nips and digs per minute during peak feeding activity. While insects, especially mayfly nymphs, are the primary target during the day, plains killifish often digest sand and insect eggs at night. Like many small fish, plains killifish have several predators - both in and out of the water. Fish-eating birds like the great blue heron or belted kingfisher pose the greatest threat from above the waters' surface. But below the surface, plains killifish must evade predatory fish like largemouth bass, green sunfish and channel catfish. One way killifish may avoid these predators is to burrow beneath the sand with only their mouth and eyes exposed. This behavior may also be used to escape the summer heat or parasites. Killifish spawning is strongly tied to water temperatures and varies across their geographic range. Research has shown this fish typically spawns when water temperatures exceed 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the fertilized eggs are deposited in the sandy substrate, they are left unattended. The next time you see a school of small fish in a western Oklahoma stream, take a closer look. You may just see a zebra-striped plains killifish!

"Just be prepared to do some chasing." Always was something to consider when fishing the NW rivers, having a chase route planned out in case of hooking something too big for your tackle. Fortunately, fishing in Washington state, I didn't have to factor in bears.

There's all kinds of people making money in the fishing business. Guides are just one group. I don't have a problem with it.

I read in the OBBT rules that a participant cannot fish closer than 25 yards to another boat unless they obtain the other boaters permission.

That little bench seat for 'Ned' cracks me up. Nice looking smallies!

And when the snow melts, the mosquitos and black flies emerge.

Grand is the worst during the summer, Beaver is Golden Pond compared to it.

Whatever it is, it is something I can't catch.

Those are some nice 'eyes!

And no goggle eye either.

Tough morning for me, 8 bass total, a 2.5 smallie and a 2.5 LM were my best fish. Just could not find them, deep, shallow and in between, I tried a lot of places. One top water fish, the rest on Ned and jig. Saw a school of small mouth fingerlings in the shallows by the Big M ramp, don't know that I've ever seen a school of them in a lake before. Surface temp 72.

Congrats to the winner, I'm sure it will be a day he will remember for the rest of his life.

Must have been another one of those fronts that dumped more down south than up here. Maybe an inch here. Lots of wind last night however, and the power got knocked out for about 2 hours.

I think I'll sign up for a basket weaving class this summer, or maybe learn Chinese. Come on November...

It seems to me that the lake is getting a lot more pressure this year.

Those are some really nice bows!

I haven't seen it this year, but have seen it in the past, but never more than on a fish or two.

I've caught more trout in TR than Goggles. I am baffled.

Man, you got me. Maybe they are more plentiful in the clear water of the lower lake?

Very nice!

Great fish, those 3 lbers might be money fish today. I have yet to catch a Goggle on the Ned.