Bimmer

If you get a cancellation for a one-bedroom in #1, #2, #10. #11, #12, #13. #14, #24 for the 24th, 25th, 26th of July, It's our anniversary.

Thanks Phil!! We didn't get on the water until about 7:30 - 8:00. The boat traffic was extremely light, as I think the fog may have had something to do with that. We had several issues with the 2nd fuel tank, so needing to just refill the main tank, we drifted down to your place and as always your folks too great care of us! For us fishing was tough! We drift some sculpin jigs and spent so much time getting hung up, we switch to crawlers on the jigs. The water was just too heavy to just use a 1/8 jig so we used a sliding bullet weight at 3/8oz. Next time we'll go lighter. After noon and getting skunked we switched to San Juan worms and a crawler and we managed out three very nice bows for tonight's dinner. On a side note, the fish between Lilley's and Copper Creek were incredible! They were every where. We just couldn't get them to bite. Nearly all of them were hugging the bottom at about 18ft, but there were school after school of them. We were just going to hang it up around 3:30 about 1/4 mile upstream of Copper Creek. When I got hit hard on the San Juan worm and a crawler. I knew when he fought it definitely wasn't a bow. Made my day though. Got this pic and released him. Guess he just wanted to say hello and Happy 4th!

Thanks Travis! We'll be there early for sure.

Wife and I are planning an early launch. Is the water still cluttered? We put in at Cooper Creek and head to the trophy area. But we've had so much rain, I don't know whether it's worth the trip from Springfield or not. Any ideas what the water is like and what colors are best? Thanks folks! Happy & Safe 4th to All! (hope to see a few fellow vets on the water tomorrow)

Thanks Phil! That helps me a lot! Much appreciate your feedback!

Two out of the last three Saturdays', we've been getting to the lake late and our success has been anything but stellar. Drifting jigs with heavier weight has produced one bow during a period where productivity has been very high. On those two days we didn't get on the lake until after 10:30, as opposed to 6:30am. So with that said, is the evening bite anything close to what the early morning bite has been?

So does this mean we should leave the rods at home tomorrow?

Thanks Phil for ther advice. Much appreciated! As I live 2 blocks from Fin n Feather here in Springfield, I thought I'd see if they have anything like what you mentioned. Having never used the method of a float and jig, I had to sort of guess. When you're not from the region it's disconcerting sometimes to hear terms and methods that are not something you grew up with. This is the best I could find. It is a bass jig. I'm guessing that by using 1/8oz jig, there is no need for addition lead on the line? Thank again Phil!

Phil, I think the forecast for the latter part of this week and the weekend calls for some precip.That being said, would you still go with the white/red combo. I'm imaging the water is going to be a tad bit murkier with the pending rain. Recommended weight on those jigs with the expected generation?

I like the Cole Slaw and the Natural Shad looks impressive as well. Thanks Bud!

They have War Eagle spoons at Fin & Feather and so I may have to go with those. Cabela's is no where near here and they take 6 days in shipping. I have friend a short distance from the one in N. AR. but they are away on an anniversary trip.

Wow fellas, major props to Mr. Babler, Champ and rps for really coming through with quality feedback. I'm majorly impressed and appreciative for all of the folks to chimed in with their experience on this topic. On a side note, should I be particular about getting on the lake really early? Thanks gentlemen!

Looks like the forecast is not too favorable tomorrow with at least 50% rain. Guess we're going to shoot for next weekend instead. Drats! Foiled again!

I'll be glad to provide an update. Thanks Wesley!

Hey rps! Good to hear from you buddy! Well that is semi good news. I say that because I have close to a dozen War Eagles. Too bad they're not spoons. They're spinner baits. Oh well, guess I'll hit the guys up at Fin & Feather tomorrow. I'm sure they'll be accomodating. The plan is to head near the dam, out of Moonshine Beach unless you can suggest something closer to Kimberling City. Thanks friend!

I guess I should have posted my contribution to the thread, instead of just making a comment. We live in Springfield and so roundtrip to the lake is about 60 miles each way. My Durango gets about 12mpg when towing the boat. That's about 10 gallons to go 120 miles or $40 at $3.40/gal. Add a tank of fuel to the 35hp motor at 6gal and that's another $20. I use the trolling motor as much as possible. So minimally $60 and that's not counting oil, parking or food and refreshments.

It is an interesting topic but it is one that is comparing apples to oranges unless you compare motor sizes. I have a little piddly 35hp outboard. There can be no comparison with those who are running 150hp inboard/outboards and up. Hate to split hairs with this but you really cannot ignore these differences when figuring costs.

Sorry I've not been on here much in the past year as with still being in school, my fishing excusions have been limited to trout on the Taney. I have just to weekends left and I think this coming Saturday we'd (the wife and I) like to drive down having heard that the walleye bite has been favorable. Can anyone recommend some appropriate spoons to use? I'm used to fishing them up in the Dakota's with a jig tipped with a minnow or a leech. I live a couple of blocks from Fin and Feather here in Springfield so I'm sure whatever you kinds folks recommend, they'll be sure to have it. I'm guessing with the weather the way it's been that they're deep in 30+ feet of water. Ideally, should I be looking at getting near the dam area? Hey thanks fellas for the guidance! I really appreciate it

The license doesn't necessarily reflect the limit. ALWAYS check for the limit regulations pertaining to the waters you're fishing. Those regulations with ALWAYS overrule whatever the state limit for the license is.

The wife and I got on the water around 9am. Traffic on the water was heavy. Looked like the generation was at about a quarter to a quarter unit. Most weren't catching anything and those that were saw small bows. We started about 1/4 mile before Fall Creek. Gave it about 90 mins anchored plunkin white Gulp eggs and injected crawlers. Decided to exit the high traffic and moved to about 1/2 past Copper Creek ramp and anchored in just a little after 11am. By noon the Brown bite was on. Landed a few average Brown's as they bit hard. But that was about it. After 1pm the bite was gone. We ventured up at Fall Creek and literaly saw no fish in the water although several tiny bows were being brought up around us. No where near legal size. Went to a pink magnet which drew zero interest. The last of the trip I troll/drifted the boat from Fall Creek down to about a mile while the wife floated a crawler on a 20" leader with 1/8oz lead and we called it a day at about 3:30. I think with all the traffic the fish were really spooked. Where they went is anyone's guess.

Right now I'm looking at a near new Berkley 556 reel, and a Berkley 8-foot New Dimension graphite rod at what I think is a very reasonable price. I DO have a set of waders I bought and they are feltless. I'm pretty good with words, but the term "mend" with regard to line and fly presentation is unfamiliar to me. If you wish not to specify exactly what line you're referring to, you can PM me. I'd appreciate it! I can break a tippet just by peeling off line? I'm a lefty and last Spring what felt natural to me was to uncoil a few yards of line off and just sort of cradle it in the middle and index fingers of my right hand while casting with my left. Maybe that's bad form. I don't know. All in all, excellent responses from everyone and I appreciate them very much! I should have learned this stuff long ago but I had my reasons for not investing time and money into the hobby. Now, things are very different and as they say, "It's never too late to learn." On another note, as I mentioned, I am a Creative Writing major. And I thought I'd share a piece of a story I'm currently working on as one of my last fictional works towards my degree. It's still in the editing phase. I hope you don't mind my sharing an excerpt. By early next morning, Skyler and his father stepped into the small boat with their fishing poles and tackle. The water on the lake was lending itself to a slight breeze as it sparkled in the sun as if someone had thrown jacks made of diamonds across the surface. Preston quietly rows the tiny boat to a cove some hundred and fifty yards to the east, behind an outcrop of giant firs. When they reached a spot about thirty feet from shore, his father quietly lowers the anchor into the sparkling lucid water, watching air bubbles surface at it found its resting place on the bottom. Skyler carefully manipulates the art of crafting a worm onto his hook, as the hapless creature writhes and flings its body in fits and twists desperately seeking a method of escape. Satisfied with his dexterity, he cast his rod in the direction of an outcrop of water lilies. As the line began to sing out of the reel, the bail suddenly closes on him. The line snaps and the line, hook and sinker most likely soars into the woods as he never did hear the plop of the lead disturbing the surface of the water. Skyler looks around at his father, hoping he wasn’t going to be mad about losing his father’s gear. “I hate it when that happens,” his father says with a smile. They both giggle and his father rigs up another line for him. Another worm on the hook, and he carefully cast in the same direction as before and this time the sinker went plop, in the water just at the precise edge of an outcrop of water lilies. As his father had once taught him, he waits until the line has stopped running along the surface of the water. The sinker hit bottom. He clicks the bail shut and as he starts to take in some of the slack line, it immediately became a tight-wire as the tip of his rod surrenders in a wide arc pointing far out to a spot where the line meets the water. “Set the hook, son!” his father exclaims. But before his father got the words out, Skyler already set the hook with a quick high jerk of the rod and was reeling while keeping the tip of the rod pointing up, another rule of thumb from his father. As Skyler plays the fish, his heart heaving in his chest, his father reaches for the net, to keep at the ready. The deep burgundy rod bends nearly in half, the place where the line met the water was now plowing the surface of the lake as if an invisible ice skater was carving circles and long crisp lines in all directions near the boat. After a few minutes of reeling and relenting line, from the drag of the reel, Skyler was making progress getting the fish closer to the boat. He saw momentary flashes of silver as the fish was exhausting everything in its bag of tricks to escape. A few more turns of the handle on the reel and the fish began breaking the surface. Its tail flapping, in desperation to elude the inevitable, it sent fantastic sparkling splashes of water into the air. Skyler, hardly able to control his excitement, manages to get the fish up close enough for his father to retrieve it from the water. In one quick swoop, the net came out of the water and into the boat. Once inside, his father held the net up exposing the glistening body as it gleams in the sunlight, still twisting and turning in the net, as if expecting freedom at any second. The long and yet thickly sleek body, mostly silver is peppered with an array of tiny black spots and the most beautiful thin purple line that runs from the gills to the tail. “That’s a fine trophy of a rainbow trout son!” his father exclaims in his own excitement, proud of his son. The rainbow displaying all the magnificence of its brilliant colors, its mouth gapes at the cool mountain air. The eyes are huge and appear as gold platters serving as a backdrop to Prussian blue orbs staring up into the sky in submission. “Let’s get a picture, son!” His father dislodges the hook with a pair of needle-nose pliers while Skyler struggles to hold the net. The fish is easily twenty inches long and all of seven or eight pounds, maybe more. While Skyler got the camera, his father takes the net and lowers the fish into the water to keep it wet and not exposed to the air for too long. He then took the fish out the net and placed it in Skyler’s arms. Several pictures later, his father asks, “He’s your fish, son. What would you like to do with him?” Skyler replies, “Let’s put him back Dad.” “You sure?” asks his father. “Yeah, Dad, he probably has a brother out there somewhere.”

Thanks exiled. I live 2 blocks from there as it is right next to Fin and Feather. Being orginally from Seattle, I've fished for salmon. Down-riggers, flashers and 20 ounces of lead. Love, love, love smokin' salmon!

First off, I'm well aware of how broad my question is and I know I'm going to get a ton of differing opinions. I've been wanting to get into fly fishing ever since I was a kid. I'm 58. My dad was a fly fisherman and I remember I was about 8 years old when I bought him his first complete real fly tying kit. Fishing has been in my blood forever and my wife is just as dedicated to it as I am. I think there are a lot of time when it's just simpler not to have to hook up the boat and just head down after school, and go fishing. I know that sounds weird being 58 and going to school, but I decided to go to MSU and get a degree in wildlife conservation and work in the fisheries. Unfortunately, 3 months into school I hurt my back and now I can't perform physical work so I changed my major to a Creative Writing degree so I can maybe learn to be a good grant writer. I am currently starting my senior year. Who knows? Maybe write grants for the fisheries department. Anyway, I'm getting off topic a little but that's one of the hazards of being a creative writing major. I'm wanting to find some affordable gear for my wife and I and I know it's going to take some time to put it all together but I obviously don't want to be looking at junk on Craigslist. I'm sure there is stuff on there of reasonable quality and that is what I'm looking for. Being disabled I don't have a ton of cash to fork out. I probably can't afford both a top of the line rod and reel, so one of the questions I have is, "If given a choice, where is the best place to put quality? In the rod selection or the reel selection?" Also I never thought of rod length as being a factor before, why is that significant to fly fishing and what factors play a part in choosing the right length of rod? As far as technique, I don't think I'm going to have a problem learning as last Spring the wife and I took a trip with the MSU recreation department up to Cassville and fly-fished the State Park up there and having watched my dad for so long, I kinda had some of the technique in my head and I did pretty well for my first time out. I apologize for this being so lengthy, but I seem to always have a lot to say or question and I strive always to make sure that I am understood. Maybe some of your folks would like to chime in and give some pointers and tips so I can make some good informed decisions when perusing for adequate gear. Thanks friends! ~Bimmer/David

This just breaks my heart! Proof positive, a fishing rod and reel doesn't a fisherman make.