rangerman

They are definitely NOT made to be used from the bank. When pulling bouncers you can use a basic formula of 1 ounce for every 10 foot deep fished. But you also have to figure in speed at which your pulling them. .75 to 1.0 MPH is about standard speed. This is a BASIC formula. I have at times fished 1 1/2 bouncers down to 25 feet or so in light wind. I like the feel of lighter bouncers than heavier ones. I will go with letting more line out over using a heavier bouncer. You want to basically try to keep the bouncer at a 45 degree angle below the boat When you have two guys fishing in a boat it is generally best to have the front guy use a heavier bouncer than the rear guy. It keeps the line angles seperated enough to avoid tangles. As far as harnesses, generally all I fish is Northland crawler harnesses. I do have some home tied ones however, my confidence is in the Northlands. As far as fishing them below powersite I have not fished crawler harnesses but I fished chubs on a 4 or 5 foot lead behind the bouncers. It works very well.

Thanks Bob awesome report....

Vonreed, they seem to spawn about the same time as crappie....We have done the best on bottom bouncers and small minners...Crawlers work however, then you got to deal with the bluegill. There seems to be always a school around the mouth of Beaver Creek.

Clear water can cause the walleye to have good coloration like that.

No, no flak here, people pay for pictures like that. Pretty sweet. I have to keep going back and look at it. That eye has some of the best coloration I have seen in awhile. Freakin awesome!!!!

In twelve years, I have NEVER seen a vehicle or boat seized..... Large scale cases may result in seizures, not smaller scale violations that result in a mail in summons. And yes, judges can use their own discretion in issuing fines on guilty verdicts.

FW that is an absolute kick butt picture man. GOOD JOB!! Thats a frame worthy picture if I ever seen one.

The walleye on the Meremac are really trying their best to come back, I have seen more walleye catches on the Meremac the last couple of years by common anglers than I have since the late 80's. Same with smallmouth. This is even with a obvious dropping water table. However, the river like others have been low, not allowing giggers full run of the river like usual, or murky resulting in no gigging at all. Are the rising numbers of smallies and walleye the result of low gigger numbers, I dont know but it is a weird coincidence.

Ok ok, I am with the Sheriffs Office however, I constantly check ramps due to vehicle break in problems at our conservation areas. I run into alot of problem giggers however, getting an agent to come out late at night over gigging violations is next to impossible....Plus this is a LARGE busy county and I just dont have time to sit and babysit them while I await an agent. Dont have a solution...Maybe have established ramps where giggers have to put in, however there are alot of private ramps for guys that put in at. So the only other solution would be better WILDLIFE enforcement and heavier fines. 99 percent of summons issued by MDC are mailed to the FCC. Just like traffic summons. Ok you get a ticket, pay your fine, and back to fishing or hunting. The guys that end up going to court, get slapped on the hand by judges who are just not familiar or care about the fish and wildlife resources we have and how bad the situation really is. Why, because fines are paid through the mail, and the judges just do see the violations much.

Ok, ok, I have checked more than a couple of boats this past season that had walleye or sauger in the boat,,,,Thier explanantion for the violation; "Uhhhhhh, I thought it wa a sucker." Hmmmmm, never seen a suckers eyes glow when lights hits it. There are bad apples in every sport: I understand this, however, i have seen hidden piles of gigged gamefish on the Meremac that would make a person puke.

I believe ya Bry, I too, seen unbelievable schools of juvenile bass last year in Bull Shoals...Numbers like I have never seen in my 20+ years in the area. Thank god alot of the walleye i had caught were targeting them. Saves the poor, poor bass from my fish fryer. Our dock on Table Rock had 3 or 4 large seperate schools juvenile bass under it. Only problem with TR is to many bass in it for my blood. Rather catch fish with teeth, but to each is own. Although before the rain came in the crappie on the Kings were unreal. Limits with fish up to 2.5 pounds. Quite a few in the 1.5 pound range...... Wait they might have been gizzard shad......

I waylayed them late last week in the Niangua Arm. All 5 foot deep. Took me all of 1.5 hour to limit out. All in between 10 and 12 inches. They were packed tight with shad. water temp was 55 degrees. Also caught a couple of 17.5 hybrids and a pure strain striper throwing a flicker shad at a school of shad that were being pushed around. They wanted anything you threw at them as long as it was the right depth.

Uhhhhhhh, without fresh water water coming down the river Aka;rain, it likely wont be a very good run. In fact I believe the Kings river fish may have already moved back down. There were some eyes up there last week....Things could change with a good rainfall though.

Rob Caudel caught the state record you talk about, think it was like 34 pounds.

Thanks guys! Much appreciated!

Thanks for the report Mike!

whatcha guys been tossing, rapalas and such or just jiggin'. Its a long drive for me so any help in the right direction would be VERY much appreciated.

Hybrids are voracious eating machines as well...Doesn't seem like they ever slow down, used to catch quite a few up to 15 pounds below bagnell dam. Very cool fish to catch. I just haven't seen them grab anything over 7 or 8 inches, not to say they wouldn't try, just doesn't seem they have the mouth diameter. Used to target them exclusively before walleye made its way into my blood.

Hybrids target a little smaller baitfish, Stripers have the bucket mouth for eating large stuff.

I agrree with the stocking, the number of fish they are talking, and taking into account the number that actually survive the stocking process, is literally a drop in the ocean. All the small surviving number would do is provide a little extra excitement while fishing other species. I feel BS is about the only lake in this part of the state that has ALMOST as many walleye guys as bass guys. I caught a few eyes last year that had bass fry in them. Should we eradicate them because they are eating bass? There are alot of great bass lakes in the area, why not have a true multispecies lake to draw anglers of all sorts of breeds. It would be great to see bass anglers, walleye anglers, and striper anglers in the same picture on the same lake. Want to catch big stripers, I believe Mike Worley is about one of the best on BS, however, from the striper fishing I have done, I used baits that wear you out from throwing it all day, and big enough where the average bass would be frightened of it. Its a dog eat dog world underwater, everything eats everything. Part of life.

Increased take of keeper fish......huh?, I REALLLY doubt you'll have any problem.

I fished Thursday and ended a day with a limit. Fished out of PB2. Crappie were suspended over brushpiles anywhere from 13 foot down to 30 foot. Used 1/16 and 1/8 ounce pink and white marabou jigs. Also used 3/8 ounce jiggin spoons, and did suprisingly well on crappie, whites and hybrids. Used spoons when fish were found around shad schools.

That is freaking awesome!!!! Bob you have got to keep posting reports from your phone.

I had always done well on three way rigs with a firetiger thunderstick on the James River Arm. Fish the breaks and inside bends described above and pull them at about 1 to 1.2....Trolling wise pearl and pearl with blue back is hard to beat.

I always schedule vacay around the new moon. Works for me very well. I definitely hate east/northeast winds. And give me a falling barometer any day of the week.