Dutch

I decided the wind might not be too bad so I went back and boy am I glad I did. I caught 62 white bass. Some above the bridge and some below just like yesterday only better.

I actually decided to go to day since it was so nice. My bud and I both had limits of whites with some blacks and keeper walleye. We caught some below the bridge and some above it. Most of the fish were in the grass. I may have to bank fish because of the wind but I think I might go back tomorrow.

I know some guys who are going tomorrow. I'll find out if they do any good.

By now means do I call myself a crappie fisherman but I do fish for them some in the late winter. What I do is go to river bends or the confluence of 2 streams and slowly cover the area with the boat looking for large schools of shad. Everytime I find one I mark it on a gps. When I have covered the area to my satisfaction, I drop the trolling motor and fish from one waypoint to the other casting a jig or swimming minnow. The depth of the water and wind determine the weight of the jig head. As the bait falls I keep tension on the line hoping for a suspended bite. If I get none, I hop the thing off the bottom back to the boat and repeat the process. When I catch a fish, I mark it on the gps, stop the boat and fan cast the area either catching more or deciding it was a fluke. Also, it never hurts to count the bait down so they you can repeat suspended bites if there is a school in the area. But like I said I don't consider myself to be a crappie fisherman. Other than that I vertical jig fish to 70 fow but that is a whole other topic.

Don't let the clear water bother you. They have to eat no matter what the water color. They do live a little deeper but that is not a big problem.

Have you fished Spring Creek below Hurley? It used to have some good trout in it.

What part of Crane Creek were you on?

So is this like a seminar for fly fishing for white bass?

Can you give a little more info on the seminar?

I talked to some of the very best upper Bull Shoals fishermen today. They haven't been down there yet but plan to go this week. I'll try to find out what they do and post any good news.

Call George at Marine Repair Center 417-833-9191 he will be able to answer all your questions and provide you with what you need.

Too bad it isn't for all service and free.

I ran across that last month, very very interesting indeed.

No where in MO that I have ever been. They have a bunch in AR if you really want to get into them. BTW: There are also a bunch of suckers in TCMO. A couple of my friends used to gig them there a lot.

That's a good thing. I know I pay through the nose when I hunt or fish out of state.

crappie That was my dad's nick name also. That is why I chose it. If there are any numbers, they should be to 39 by now. I am not in a position to get there just now so I was doing a little internet fishing. I plan to be there later this month but there is a lot of water to cover without any outside input. By the time I get there they could be at Fish Trap Shoal, Lake Creek Cove, or Barker's in the river or Slough Hollow, the Shoot or even the Rock Hole in BC. That is totally too much for one guy to cover in a reasonable amount of time. I used to see Buster L down there with guide parties. Does he still go or has he quit that.

Maybe Forsythian has been there and can shed a little light on the subject if he ever reads this.

I used to fish down there (30 years) from Jan 1 till the tourists drove me out in April. The whites disappeared a few years ago and I quit going to that pond. I am wondering if or not the population has returned to anything resembling normal.

Is anyone fishing upper Bull Shoals from say K Dock to Forsyth for whites?

A friend of mine pulls a 17' alum. with a 4 cyl and has no problems with the towing. However, I have been with him when stopping was a concern.

I have been messing around with it for a couple of years. It has never really paid off on bass but has been killer for crappie at times.

That sounds like a problem one of my friends had. Bruce Tangora at Tangora Marine in Nixa fixed him right up for about $50 which is only a fraction of what new hydraulic steering costs.

Bull Shoals has some good smallmouth but not like Table Rock. You can get them all over the lake but if I were picking an area it would be from Point 10 to the dam. The particular pattern can vary and it is a bit early to set it in stone.

Your end of the lake is very good. The last time I jerked that part we caught bass on chrome/black, chartruse, and gold/black suspending short billed.

Good to hear the good news. We got power back in a couple of days. I have friends and relatives who have been on generator power for many days and prolly will be for another week.