Gave The Stratos A Day On The Water

[Bill Babler]

Had not ran the Stratos much since the new Champion followed me home, so I thought I should get her out and give her a spin. Started first crank and all systems ran as good as good as before her makeover.

Such a beautiful day and really just wanted to run the boat, but made 6 stops, 1 with a jig and 5 deep spoon spots. I am embarrased to say the fishing yesterday even with the high prussure and high sky, was off the chart. Took two rods 2 jigs and trailers and 3 spoons.

The Stratos has a Lowrance 520 global map on the bow and a 320 in the dash. I though I would miss the 37 HD, but to tell you the truth, the 520 is fantastic. I had not even set it up since it is new and I had taken it off the Champion and put it on the bow of the Stratos. It took me 2 minutes to have it dialed into seeing an absolutely fantastic picture. My spoon, and swivel looked like a boulder dropping to the fish. You could see individule fish run at the spoon, just like the big boy lcg 37.

Caught fish in numbers at every stop. One stop up the White River I called Beck up to as he was guiding and it was completely loaded. Completely blacked me out with whites and K's from 28 to 42 ft.

Not going to mention the number I caught yesterday, but will tell you on Beck's full day trip, he netted 150 whites, 60 K's with about 40 keepers. Oh, I forgot, he also had a 25 pound flat head. I was sitting on a hump talking to him for just a few minutes and his clients caught 6 each while we were visiting.

Some of the whtes we are catching are just huge. 3 pounds up and the K's are mixed right in with them.

You could not even get the spoon to the bottom, it would be hit multiple times on the drop.

These fish are really ganged up. Did see some shad at 50 ft. and caught 2 K's on the bottom at 51 ft.

Heard yesterday from Kimberling to the dam the fish were 60ft. plus and also caught in insame numbers. The shallow guys did not do so well as us deep water graph watchers.

[Dutch]

Those whites and Ks seem to bunch up like that a lot in the fall. One year I got on them in the Buttermilk area and they were from 10'-40'. You could catch them till you were tired, rest then go at it again. They stayed in the same area for 7 weeks.

[champ187xr6]

Sounds like a good time Bill. I am sure it was nice to get the ol girl out.

[techo]

That is great news on the numbers. Thought someone would have snatched up the Stratos already.

We were marking a bunch of fish in the 45 foot area, but stayed with what was working for us. Thursday I saw three boats out in the middle of the lake and they must have been doing the same thing you described.

Saw a Stratos with one guy in it a ways from point nine, but obviously wasn't you.

[Bill Babler]

Dutch, that Buttermilk up to Campers area is always a great hangout this time of the year, sometimes extending till February. Now to find them, just go out on the flats we catch K's on all Summer and they are out there, in big numbers. Really does not matter if you see them, and sometime they will just look like a fuzzy blanket laying on the bottom. Drop that spoon and they come off the bottom and streak toward it like fireworks raisng in the night. Don't believe for a minute that you cannot catch good LM mixed in with the White's. I have caught some super LM mixed in. Not so much main lake Whte River, but up the James for sure.

Like I said, I made 6 stops, 5 with the spoon, and caught K's and Whites on each stop. There are several locations, that just are off the chart with numbers of huge Whites. On the Jig stop I caught 3 shorts, off one point, but they were really nice Jaw's. Sounds kind of like what T. was finding.

Good Luck