bferg

No A-rig for the FLW this year...

You have a better chance of catching them in muddy water than you do at the office! Just go!!

Any sign of whites up in the tail water yet? Fly rod needs some love!

Will you post about how you did at Blue Springs? I promised my girls I would take them fishing on Spring break....thought the white run would be full on by now!? Reports saying that there is a decent white bite around Lost Bridge North- I havent fished up that way much but I assume they mean they are running up Indian Creek?

That grey and white will NEVER work....anyone else thinking of making that shouldn't waste their time.

If you use some liquid fusion (in the fly section @ Cabela's) it is a glue that works a lot like an epoxy...and you can layer it. Much easier to use than epoxy and gets you very close to the same kinda deal. Dries very clear and is water soluble. Love that stuff. Also, maybe some vapor blue crystal flash added to it would be awesome. I use a very similar white/vapor blue clouser minnow and some years it kills it. Would reccomend you add a chartruse version to your arsenal.

Kai Tech!!!

Surprised there are not more invasive species regulations here. In CO they started seeing Zebra Mussels in a couple of reserviors and regulations got crazy. Your boat/trailer had to be inspected and washed down on the ramp before launching at the lakes they were concerned about. If you launched in those lakes they would put a plastic tab on your boat/trailer connection that broke when you luanched it. If you came back with the tab still in they knew you had not launched anywhere else and you could launch right away. If you didn't have the tab you went for inspection and washing. The regulations were well intended but obviously were a pain and there are 1,000 other ways for invasive species such as ZMs to enter a lake. If this is about carp and not ZM then it probably does make more sense...but I am no biologist.

Make your first stop into Dally's fly shop and get the down low from them. Your options are obviously limited based on whatever the water is doing at that point so make sure you are up to speed on the flow. To check the flow I like to use the App with real time numbers. Calling the number mentioned above is good but it only tells you how many units are turned on....when the real information you need is the CFS (how much flow are they generating). To get the app Search for USACE Little Rock in the app store. We lived by it this weekend. I am partial to Rim Shoals- especially the hike down to the power lines. But as a general rule for me: when in doubt nymph with a red San Juan worm. For streamers: I start with a white wooly bugger and start changing from there.

I have a 17ft Coleman Canoe and a 35hp trolling motor I want to sell if you are interested....

Finally got back on the water with a new little fishing/duck rig. Pretty excited about it. My 5 yr old HAS to get out on that thing this weekend- or else I am in big trouble. The girl is obsessed! (makes me proud) Anyway: I want to her catch fish so she stays interested. Any advice on the set up and where to go? I am thinking of going to the back of Monte Ne in the flooded area with some crickets under a bober. Would that be a good plan? My bream/sunfishing experience is pretty limited but I am thinking around flooded timber and docks we should be able to get bit a few times... Any other advice would be helpful.

"...dozens of our own viewers sent it to us asking if is was legit." Really?

No one is condoning anyone cheating...simply saying the tournament is what it is. And just because the prize is a boat doesn't make the format/spirit of the tournament something else. By the way: everyone knows or at least SHOULD know that there are not livewell check/ect before hand. So it isn't like anyone should be surprised at the format. The chamber obviously doesn't have or doesn't want to expend the resources necessary to put more rules in place- they don't need to. If it is too loose for people (and I can totally see where it could be) then they can fish another tournament. Its not like there aren't plenty of other choices. The disturbing thing about the thread is the guilty until proven innocent mindset that seems to be running through it. You do a google search on these guys and this is one of the top results now. Seems to be a lotta hearsay and rumor with ZERO facts and dragging the names of two people through the mud. If I ever need a jury remind me not to invite you guys;) Just sayin....

My .02: First: I would hope that someone would have some type of evidence before they accused me of cheating in a public format- something beyond just "they sure win a lot." I mean, I have no clue who these dudes are- they might be dirtballs- but I wouldn't call them that unless I had some proof of some sort. Secondly: maybe I am missing something but because the format of the chamber buddy bass tournament DOES leave a lot of "margins" for someone with unsavory character- I think people need to see it for what it is: a primarily "fun" competition...it obviously is not The Classic, the FLW, or even a regional tournament trail. It is a chamber of commerce event made to promote the area and draw a crowd. Nothing more.

FF- I didn't see any spotter boats. They don't check live wells because you can launch from anywhere on the lake- at any time. You just can't start fishing until your flight time starts.

Impressive...guys in front if me weighed 18 lbs and I thought that was pretty salty. 22 is solid.

Fished the Chamber tournament today as well. My first tourney ever and had a blast- although we only weighed two fish. We put in at Monte Ne at the 6 AM flight. Found a good top water bite and caught a nice fat 15 inch spot and a 19 inch black that was over 4 lbs....along with some shorts, a crappie, and a small striper. The top water bite slowed a bit and we tried some other stuff and only caught a couplelre shorts. The other boat in our team stuck with the top water all day and got a limit.... Fun experience,I think I learned a little about the different mindset you need to fish a tournament. It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun. Can't wait to do it again. Lotta big fish at the weigh in. Was fun to see. Weighed in behind some guys who had an impressive 18 lb sack. 22 is even more impressive....

What was the water clarity like?

Realize this is a long shot but desperate times: my brother and I parked at the new access between Bertrand and Parker on Tues 4/23. It appears we left a large rod tube (containing multiple rods) in the parking area. If you have any information about it please contact me. Thanks

Well we were crazy enough to go out in the cold/rain last night. I have fished in much much colder temperatures but I don't think I have ever felt as cold on the water as I did last night at about 8:00. That being said: got on some whites just below Parker. Lots of males with a few decent females mixed it. Natural colored clousers (white, white/red) seemed to do much better than anything too crazy bright. I wouldn't say they were eager to eat- had to fee it to them a little bit.

Thanks Jim- appreciate it. If it isn't dumping rain we are gonna try to get on em tonight...

Hey Fly- thanks for the report. Probably going to head out there Tuesday. Mind if I ask where Whitebass cove is?

I hear you there Quill- was thinking of hitting it tomorrow afternoon maybe... How blown out and muddy do you think Twin will be on Saturday? Had plans for Saturday afternoon down there. Wouldn't you know the one day I get a free pass from the wife to finally put all the flys I have tied for White Bass to use Mother Nature screws me!

So I have avoided Twin due to the large crowds...let me ask you this: if I put my canoe in at twin would you recommend going up stream or down stream to get away from the mob?

Love it Duck...mind if i ask hoe far up you are running? Thinking of ta kingmy daughter out tomorrow but we are going to be shore bound... trying to see if they are all the way up to spider creek? Any other shore friendly areas dow.n below that