Big M Area Report

[Bill Babler]

My Man Cub and I hit the drink at about a quarter after 5 this AM to a bright Moon, flat water and very heavy air. The Boy loves that topwater bite, and I told him we wouldn't have it as it is just to flat. Wrong, as usual!!! About 20 minutes in, he had a nice K, get all over the chrome fin. and 1 cast later a 4 pound SJ nearly took my rod away hitting right smack dab at the boat. I caught that fish on 6 ft. of string, it was a miricle he didn't burst me off like a bubble.

Steve then caught another K and I picked up the jig, so I wouldn't spoil his thunder. I wanged one the first cast on the FB and then again on the next cast. He put down the topstuff and caught 2 more each on the FB.

Wanted to hit another potential Top Spot, so we motored away from the bottom feeders. Don't ask why, ignorance I guess.

Worked out well as he caught 2 nice LM on the Fin, one about 3.5, so my dumb hunch paid off. We each caught 4 more jig fish all keepers, 3 of which were LM, with Steve catching another 3 pounder.

Quality of the White River fish was very good, with all our fish being keepers you would not have had to measure except for 3 of the Jig fish and 1 on the fin.

Unlike Sk, the Big M area was full of boats with skiers and wake boarders going by at 6:30 on the calm flat water.

First time ever, we got a bit of harrasment from some wake boarders in a fancy tow boat, calling us names as they flashed by. I believe they were already drinking at 7AM.

Lots of fisherman out too, we kind of had to hunt a spot to fish.

Great day on the water with my boy that I would not trade for anything.

[techo]

Amen

[ryan]

Put in at Aunts around 1pm fished untill about 6pm (strange hours but thats all we could manage today) 14 fish during the heat of the day w/half of those being keepers. FB jigs and drop shots on the shady sides of docks, no mosters but a few 3lbs ers. Most fish would be suspended around 20 ft deep and hit the FB jig on the drop, in not on the drop they would smash it on the way back to the boat. Fun afternoon wish we could have been there this morning. Would like to have fished a few more spots but boat traffic made it impossible. Some of those boaters have no common sense at all there were several times we had to shut down while running to avoid hitting tubers who would just cut right in front of you, oh well thats TR for ya.

[Bill Babler]

Don't know what it is, but the Aunt's Creek area is heads and shoulders above the rest of the lake for extremely poor boat operation. Shell Knob is second, just due to the narrowness of the river up there, and the size of the boats they run at Shell Knob.

Shell Knob, is billed as the quiet side of the lake, and as you all know, I just love the area, however it is far from the quite side. The size of the boats and the numbers are by far the worst on the lake.

Lots of boats from point 9 to Long Creek and some big waves, but you can get away from them. Not so much at Shell Knob, or Aunt's Creek.

Get out at 5:30 and give her to the skiers later and you got her made.

[Martin]

I'll add a little to the Big M report. I launched early in that area also yesterday. That might have been Bill that pulled away from the courtesy dock just as I was arriving. I was going to troll for walleyes until the skiing crowd got too bad. Picked up a buddy that lives up that way and we ended up with 6 walleyes in the boat. 3 were keepers. Two of them were real nice fish.

A 24 incher and a 24 1/2 incher. Caught a couple of large whites and, amazingly, only one small kentucky. We trolled flats from Big M all the way up past Fletchers. Then it got H O T.

The pleasure boating crowd is sure getting bold, passing close enough for them to talk to you.

"Having any luck" ?? lol. "Well, we WERE until you came by" !

[rps]

Martin:

I've been out of town. Share with us the depth you found the walleye. Thanks in advance.

[Martin]

RPS, We were at 20 to 25 feet. Pretty shallow for this time of year and all the boat traffic. We were running two long lines (Fireline) with planer boards and two leadcore lines. Keeps you pretty busy but every rod caught a walleye I believe. We strayed into 25 to 28 feet a few times to go around people and such but the biters were a touch shallower.

Scattered is the main word.

Bill, sorry, didn't mean to hijack your thread.

[Gone Fishing]

Bill, fished the Big M area all day Sunday. Quite side! Maybe for lack of fishermen. Never saw a bass rig go by me on the main channel all day. Now for the big rigs, they never got that memo. I don't think they even know any better. They think as long as the spray from the side of there boat doesn't hit you, they are given you plenty of room. Makes it hard to jig a spoon off a dock with 3 foot wakes hitting the side of your rig.