flyman

I just got a Humminbird 597ci with down scan. The down scan is nice to see structure on the bottom. Extremely clear picture of trees, humps, etc. It doesn't do a very good job at showing arches. I like the standard sonar for that. Much clearer to see fish. I love the GPS feature. Not only speed but you can mark a quick way point for later. You can also load all the MDC fish attractors for the lake if that's your thing. I got mine on Amazon for about 50 dollars cheaper than Bass Pro. I chose it over the elite 7 because reviews mentioned better resolution with Humminbird and you could use both types (sonar, DI) simultaneously. I love it!

Josh, thanks for the tips. I appreciate! I wonder how many cities claim to be the bass capital.

Can we talk about fishing now? lol! I'm saving my shooting for deer season.

Thanks, Bill. You're right about the work Pete does. The reports are detailed and up-to-date. It's generous for him to dedicate the time to do it. And for you to share your reports as well.

That's rough knowing they are gnawing on it but few hookups. It sounds a bit like the past couple days bass fishing on Table Rock for me. The bite is so light and they spit it so quick that it's hard to detect and when you do often times it's too late. It's almost like they are just biting the tails of my worms. That's frustrating. If I caught everyone that hit and spit it out or short stuck my fishing would move from fair to fantastic! Thanks for the report.

Thanks again, Champ! You really nailed it on the head. I went and looked and there is one from today relating to exactly what I'm after. My strategy is to try and beat the 'dog days' heat by going up around the rivers for some stained water. That is exactly what he is talking about this week. He goes farther up than what I would have thought. I can keep drop-shotting and doing what I have been down in the clear water. It's working for me. I'm just to diversify and keep learning new tactics and areas. The other thing I was curious about... I heard that area really got torn up with the floods last spring and fishing was not as good. I guess it must have recovered since he is doing OK up there.

That's right! I have seen those but forgot about them. I will check that out. Thank you, sir!

Anyone have any tips or suggestions for the Cape Fair area? I mostly fish between Indian Point and Kimberling City and just branching out to explore a bit more of the lake. I went last night to scout. Had to cut it short due to weather. (Dumb me, should have checked the weather before I left. ) Seemed like there were lots of good spots with potential (bluffs, submerged road, foundations, flats, etc) so I'm definitely going back to scout those areas again. Does anyone know if the area fishing suffered from the spring flood at all or if it has since recovered? There used to be a girl from Cape Fair Marina that would post excellent reports here. Don't know what happened to her. She hasn't posted in a year. I would love to see more reports from her!

Welcome back. As always, thank you for the excellent report.

Thanks for the report, Quill. Sorry to here about your early morning bite.

I hate theives! Sorry to here it.

Nicely done, sir! Sounds like a great time. Thanks for the report.

Good report as always. Sounds like a fun day. Thanks!

Nice!

Good report and nice brown!

Eric's elite guide service does night trips. I have used him for a daytime trip and had a great time.

Glad you are happy with your finder. Nice catch too!

It wasn't bad at all. No monsters or non-stop action but still a great time.

Put in at Kimberling Inn around 4:45. Went to nearby points.Zero wind. Water was glass. Top water was minimal at best. I saw only a few surface. Not really worth bending over to get the the other rod for topwater. I simply cast the lure I was fishing to the area where they surfaced and caught two that way. Fished a c-rig with a 7 inch roboworm for first hour or so. Switched to drop shot fairly early. Most of the fish were smallmouth the first part of the morning. The bite was soft all day. Really had to work for the fish. Despite the clear sky, zero wind and pleasure boaters we did catch some fish. Probably 20-25 total. Nothing of any real size.

Good info. Thanks!

Great! I'll take a look. I need a few things. Thanks!

Sorry to hear it, Quillback. Thank you for the report. Are you going elsewhere or giving all the area fish a rest? Boy, bluegill on the Ol' Monster, huh? I bet those were some good keepers. Did you slip any into the well? I love getting into a nice school of them. I was actually hoping to find some this weekend. Have a great holiday weekend!

That's what I assumed. I think he mentioned that in another post but I was just double checking in case it was new or one of the other 'impacts'.

Was just curious what sudden impact is? I can't seem to find it. I see live impact, shad impact, sexy impact... I must be overlooking it. I would love to give it a try. Thanks!

Sorry for the typos - on phone. To answer the second part, you don't need the downscan imaging. It's a little easier to read the bottom if your not used to traditional sonar but not necessary. If you have a phone with GPS or a GPS unit then you can probably get by without that too. (It is handy though). I downloaded all the coordinates for fish attractors from MDC and just this past weekend located them with my new finder and had a great time. That's a good place to start. You will also find structure to mark on your own too.