Quillback

Well I just watrched Pete Wenner's video report and he's reporting tough fishing also. I might get out on TR Saturday and see if I can get skunked, I'm going to use reverse psychology, instead of hoping to catch fish, I'm going to see if I can get skunked, I'll fish hard, but my goal will be to not catch a fish. Especially big ones. If I get one over 3 lbs. I'm gonna get really PO'd. If you see me in my silver and black Phoenix around the Big M area, feel free to stop by and tell me where the fish aren't and what they're not biting on.

Big M is still usable, but the end of the ramp is now in about 4 feet or so of water. If the lake drops another foot or two, Big M might be problematic. There's a couple of HUGE concrete blocks on the side of the ramp opposite the dock, the tops are about 1 foot under the water, when approaching the ramp in your boat, stay on the marina side of the cove and then make a 90 to the dock.

Very nice, did you see many other boats out on the lake?

After reading all the good jerkbait reports, I was fired up to fish the jbaits. Well I stunk it up, one 12" LM was it for me, and that was my only bite. Not a lot of wind out there today, so I'm blaming it on the flat water. Did a little deep water graphing, saw a few shad balls, dropped a spoon on them, but no takers on that either. Talked briefly to a guy coming into the ramp same time as me, said he did well, caught 40 or so, but was mum on what or where. I'm guessing he found some deep fish and spooned them up. Probably what I should have spent more time doing, graphing for shad and then breaking out the deep stuff when I find them. Maybe next time. Water temp was 41 in the morning, warmed to 45-46 by the time I left. Lots of bass fishers out there today.

As I said, it was at least 4 years ago I was up there.

Went up the Spring river from Twin Bridges one Saturday in March about 4 years ago, did OK, caught maybe 20 whites on a Shad Rap SR5. No big ones, mainly one lb. fish. Only negative aspect is that there are a lot of other fishermen, not only white bass fishing, but quite a few spoonbill snaggers also. Not my kind of fishing, so I haven't been back, but if you can put up with the crowds you'll catch fish if you time it right. It definitely helps if you can get out there during the week.

Thanks for the report, glad to hear ya found them!

I've never tried the Brad's Wigglers, but have not heard good things about them. I'm pretty confident with the "new" WW's, they seem to work. Sometimes they need tuning, and I'm also going to start experimenting with adding suspend dots. I also change out the trebs. When Basspro has the Spring Classic sale they always have bins filled with hundreds of WW's for sale, I forget what the price was last year, but I think it was $2.99. Just leave me a few of the Green Phantom craw please. I always have to dig around in the bin to find a few.

Wow, $200 for 6 of the originals, that is insane. I know they're good, but are they that good? I think sometimes people biidng on Ebay get caught up in a "I gotta win" bidding frenzy and pay way too much sometimes. It's more about "winning" that getting something they want. I remembered the other night that I had a WW in my old high school tacklebox, dug it out and it is one of the orginals. Kind of a green craw color with orange. Now that I see people paying close to $35 for one, I'm afraid to throw it in case I snag it in a brush pile where even the lure retriever can't get it out. I think I'll get it gold plated and hang it over my fireplace.

Obama is a firearms and ammo manufacturers best friend. I wish I had bought a couple of dozen AR-15's a few months ago, could've doubled my money. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/18/16570552-gun-stores-running-low-on-weapons-as-sales-surge-owners-say?lite

Tough call, I haven't been over to Swepco in a few weeks so don't know how the fishing is over there, but in general I'd say you probably will catch more fish in Swepco than Beaver. But Swepco may have a dozen or more boats on it, whereas on Beaver you'll have more water to yourself.

No one is making that argument. And I am going to presume that "assinine' statement was not directed at me.

They were minors and as such,it was illegal for them to purchase firearms, but they found a friend that was of age to buy the weapons. Again, requiring background checks to purchase shotguns would not have stopped or even slowed these guys down.

Yeah but you're a rational person. The nuts that commit these mass shootings don't use shotguns. I think the whole purpose of these legaslative proposals is to decrease the number and frequency of mass shootings. I don't see how purchasing a shotgun should require a background check. Or what it will do to reduce mass shootings. And for the record I don't have anything to hide from a background check. I don't own an assault rifle either, got to shoot an M-16 all I wanted on Uncle Sam's dime, it got boring after a while, I don't get a thrill out of shooting firearms, but I like to hunt and if I need to go to the range to zero in a rifle then I do it, but it's just a process to go through, I don't find it to be fun.

How does it solve any problems? That kid in the Newtown shootings used his mom's weapons, she could have had a hundred background checks and it would not have stopped him. But maybe a background check should include interviewing your family and include a mental health check. Anyone in the household fails the mental health check and no guns for you.

Looks like the assualt rifle issue and magazine capacity are being dumped in the lap of Congress. Also Obama is proposing that to purchase ANY firearm that there's a background check. It's ridiculous to impose this process on someone purchasing a shotgun or hunting rifle.

Yep all around a good deal.

I'm assuming you mean split ring pliers? Texas Tackle has an excellent set of pliers that works well with small split rings. You can do a search on Texas Tackle pliers and find a list of retailers.

Thnaks for the update, I don't have any of those KVD's but may have to give them a look. I'm hoping later this week I can get out and give the Rock a shot.

No RPS, I don't know where the money is coming from, would have been a good question to ask the construction workers I talked to, but did not think of it. I'm hoping the Bassmaster folks are part of the funding.

Yeah it's a good ramp to use if you're going to fish Clifty. If the lake level keeps falling it's probably going to become a popular ramp also. I haven't been over to LB North in a while, should've stopped by and checked it out while I was in the area the other day.

I'm thinking t-rigged or c-rigged the tail should not get hung up.

Thanks Thumbs for the tip, I haven't been fishing docks much lately, but probably should at least try the ones on Bluff ends or channel swings as you said.

Keitech swimbaits have been popular the last couple of years and they do work. Check out this new bait - it's 7" long so fairly big, looks like a bass catcher to me. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Keitech_Mad_Wag/descpage-KEIMDWG.html

Today's AR Dem Gazette has an article on this, but in a nuthsell, Swepco is required by the EPA (as part of the EPA's war on coal) to install scrubbers to meet the latest EPA emissions requirements. The Arkansas utilities bureau is at this point saying that the installation of scrubbers is insufficient and is asking Swepco to convert the plant to natural gas. Swepco is stating that it would be more effecient to build a new Gas facility rather than convert Swepco. This issue hasn't been decided yet, but final hearings are soon. Swepco is threatening that if they can't install scrubbers they will shut down the Flint Creek plant in 2015. Flint Creek supplies NW Arkansas with 50% of its power. If the option is to build a new gas plant it could be located anywhere in the region, potentially costing local jobs. No matter what option is chosen, if you live in NW AR your electricity rates are going up, just a question of how much.