Whack'emGood Posted November 13, 2009 Posted November 13, 2009 Best times to stay OFF Tablerock: Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day weekends when the party boats are going nuts, AND anytime one of these big tournaments comes. At those times I figure they can have the lake, have their fun, then go home- and the day after, things are back to normal. In the meantime, there's always Bull Shoals. Agreed. "Success builds confidence, and you have to learn to trust your instincts and forget about fishing the way a tournament is supposed to be won. I'm going to fish my style and make it work for me." -KEVIN VANDAM "Confidence is the best lure in your tackle box." -GERALD SWINDLE "A-Rig? Thanks, but no thanks. If I can't catch them on the conventional tackle that I already use, then I guess I just can't catch them." -LK (WHACK'EM)
Champ188 Posted November 14, 2009 Posted November 14, 2009 Best times to stay OFF Tablerock: Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day weekends when the party boats are going nuts, AND anytime one of these big tournaments comes. At those times I figure they can have the lake, have their fun, then go home- and the day after, things are back to normal. In the meantime, there's always Bull Shoals. I'm sure the derby guys appreciate the extra space on the water, too.
Whack'emGood Posted November 16, 2009 Posted November 16, 2009 I'm sure the derby guys appreciate the extra space on the water, too. You can bet they do Champ. If you're like me, you don't like to see guys all over your spots when you need to catch fish in a tourney. It's not that they don't have the right to fish them (they have every right, obviously-- it's public water)... but it is sure aggravating when some of your best chances to catch fish to weigh get spoiled. Whack'em "Success builds confidence, and you have to learn to trust your instincts and forget about fishing the way a tournament is supposed to be won. I'm going to fish my style and make it work for me." -KEVIN VANDAM "Confidence is the best lure in your tackle box." -GERALD SWINDLE "A-Rig? Thanks, but no thanks. If I can't catch them on the conventional tackle that I already use, then I guess I just can't catch them." -LK (WHACK'EM)
Sam Posted November 16, 2009 Posted November 16, 2009 Fair enough, I'm glad to give 'em the room. The last thing those guys need is to motor to some particular spot only to find me and my aluminum Tracker sitting on it - trying to catch a crappie, a white bass, or even a goggleye. I'm just trying to stay out of their way, and it doesn't much matter to me where I'm fishing. I think the best way to do that when a big tournament is there is to just let 'em have the lake and go somewhere else. No problem. But boy, I can't believe the March 3-6 date they set for their Tablerock tourney. Why didn't they go to Alabama then and hit Tablerock later in the season? They're liable to be fishing in a blizzard or an ice storm in early March, and even if they get lucky with the weather it'll probably be real cold.
Champ188 Posted November 17, 2009 Posted November 17, 2009 Sam, I popped off a bit with my last comment and I apologize. Having been an outdoors writer all of my life, I have several close friends who are professional derby fishermen and I know from trying it myself for a brief while (less than 2 years) back in the early 1980s, it's a brutal way to try and make a living. TV and magazine coverage glorifies it, focusing only on the catching and the winning. And yes, unfortunately there are a few jerks out there, and they are the ones whose impressions on the general public tend to stick. But there are a few jerks in the crowd everywhere ... at our work places, at the mall, even at church Sunday mornings. Yes, it's irritating to have someone sitting on your spots anytime you go fishing. I get aggravated, too. But the FLW guys will be here and gone in a short while. If you're on the lake during that time, I hope you don't run across any of the jerks. And you certainly have it right about the timing of the visit ... weather conditions could be terrible. Someone wasn't thinking or just hasn't experienced the lovely conditions that March can bring on TR.
denjac Posted November 17, 2009 Author Posted November 17, 2009 . Someone wasn't thinking or just hasn't experienced the lovely conditions that March can bring on TR. Champ, I agree it could be bad weather, but on the other had it could be a bonaza! 40 degrees nice chop on the water watch out big numbers could come in! Dennis Boothe Joplin Mo. For a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." ~ Winston Churchill ~
Sam Posted November 17, 2009 Posted November 17, 2009 Sam, I popped off a bit with my last comment Naw, I didn't think so - not at all. There's no apology called for. My favorite thing is crappie fishing. Sometimes I leave the house thinking about a particular brushpile I've limited out on a couple of days before - and the purpose of the whole trip is pretty much to fish that one brushpile. I'll drive 30-some miles to the lake, run a couple of miles with the boat, and then maybe find another crappie fisherman sitting right on it! That's disappointing. For a bass fisherman in a big tourney, that's gotta be even more disappointing. Then if the guy sitting on a good spot is a weekend fisherman not in the tournament, or someone like me who's not even fishing for bass, that's gotta be even more frustrating. I've got no problem with giving the guys in big tournaments plenty of room - or better yet, just giving 'em the lake for a couple days. Their business right then is a lot more serious than mine, and I've got lots of other places to fish. So far as the guys in smaller local bass tournaments, they don't put that many boats on the lake and we can all be courteous and share the lake just fine. It's all good.
Forsythian Posted November 17, 2009 Posted November 17, 2009 I'm just thankful they won't be on TR while the fish are bedding. Come to think of it, a week later and those FLW boys who like to fish up the James would get to share the water with the paddlefish snaggers... now that would be interesting! Cenosillicaphobiac
Whack'emGood Posted November 17, 2009 Posted November 17, 2009 Naw, I didn't think so - not at all. There's no apology called for. My favorite thing is crappie fishing. Sometimes I leave the house thinking about a particular brushpile I've limited out on a couple of days before - and the purpose of the whole trip is pretty much to fish that specific brushpile. I'll drive 30-some miles to the lake, run a couple of miles with the boat, and then maybe find another crappie fisherman sitting right on it! That's disappointing. For a bass fisherman in a big tourney, that's gotta be even more disappointing. Then if the guy sitting on a good spot is a weekend fisherman not in the tournament, or someone like me who's not even fishing for bass, that's gotta be even more frustrating. I've got no problem with giving the guys in big tournaments plenty of room - or better yet, just giving 'em the lake for a couple days. Their business is a lot more serious than mine, and I've got lots of other places to fish. So far as the guys in smaller local bass tournaments, they don't put that many boats on the lake and we can all be courteous and share the lake just fine. It's all good. Acutally Sam, I would rather see a crappie or just fun fisherman sitting on a spot that I figure I need in a tourney than a fellow competitor... always irks me that my competitor could catch and weigh in the fish I was after. But, like I was saying... it is a public lake... and I never get aggravated at the fisherman-- he's just trying to catch some fish, like I am... just the situation. At any rate... I am steering clear of TR when those boys are here also. Whack'em "Success builds confidence, and you have to learn to trust your instincts and forget about fishing the way a tournament is supposed to be won. I'm going to fish my style and make it work for me." -KEVIN VANDAM "Confidence is the best lure in your tackle box." -GERALD SWINDLE "A-Rig? Thanks, but no thanks. If I can't catch them on the conventional tackle that I already use, then I guess I just can't catch them." -LK (WHACK'EM)
Guest csfishinfool Posted November 17, 2009 Posted November 17, 2009 I love the timing of the Table Rock Tourney. I hope the best in the world get to fish in the most adverse they have ever faced. I was always against going to these lakes at the peak time to catch fish. Make it tough for them, maybe those Florida guys will have some respect for early spring in the midwest. Also this time of year we should see some big pre-spawn smallies.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now