Advice Needed...help

[jovush]

Just recently got an old boat running and now ready to fish Stockton. New to lake fishing and know next to nothing. Took my wife and daughter out yesterday to the CC area and caught a few fish, no keepers. My daughter caught the most, her first. We had a great time in spite of the old tackle that I had around. Had good luck with old green Mister Twisters with black heads.........use to work in the farm ponds I fished. Had a few close calls ramping off all the debris from the recent rainfall.

My question - Can you guys recommend lures and gear for specific fish to increase our success? I don't know the lingo so be easy on me, what's a secondary point? A flat? I may have many ongoing question about rigging lures and such.

I appreciate any help....will make me look good with the ladies....well my wife and daughter. If I can keep them happy with fish on the line I may get to fish more often!!! Will keep you posted on our success.

Thanks

[zarraspook]

First... you need a map of the lake, to look up where the information on this board is talking about and know where you are on the lake .....

Second... with novice fisherpersons I.E. child and wife; you can't go wrong with live bait...

Night crawlers = catfish, bluegill, walleye....

MINNOWS = anything and everything !!!!;; mostly crappie & white bass...plus any other fish that is hungry .....

Third... as for gear.... a couple of $ 19.95 push button rod/reel sets will work great for live bait and are very easy for beginners ....

Fourth... read back thru this board for ideas ....

I.E. places, time of day, time of year, weather, depth ( MOST IMPORTANT !!!!! )......

Fifth..... Get on the water and fish.... keeping your map handy and a small note book to record the above information, when you catch fish .....

Sixth.... Make many sacrifices to MOTHER NATURE ...or what ever it takes to get on her good side !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sound like you already have a couple of good fishing pardners, just make sure they don't get discouraged the first few times out and you will have them for life.... ( my wife is my fishing pardner (30 years) and has fish bass tournaments with me )

Good luck and read back thru this board and the Pomme board for ideas......

[straw hat]

Zarraspook, well said. You nailed it on the head.

[svenski]

Great fun seeing the kids catch their first fish. Just thought I would pass along the Missouri DOC site has a certificate for your daughters first fish. Just get online at their site and print an application. Something they will never forget.

[jovush]

Thanks a bunch guys! I'll be better prepared next trip, this visit was just to see how well they did in the boat. I need to upgrade our tackle and I may have the family hooked. I'm surely gonna have a lot more questions. Thanks again

[Trav]

I think if you can catch fish one way in the Ozarks you can catch fish anywhere! These lakes have a niche. There is a big reason why Denny from our area ruled stuff for so long. You mix that up with the northern style of KVD there is a lot to learn.

Denny is a man of patience where Kev runs for the fast quick agrresive fish. Either way you look at it they have one thing in common. They have a style of fishing and they stick to it!!!

Pick your style and have confidence.

Work it like it is all there is.

I have always told this over the years. Mostly as advice for Lower Taney but it works all over the midwest. USE your Favorite lures!! Do what you are cool with. Don't change your style. If you know a way to catch fish don't think you have to change it just because you are on new water.

The rest of it fall in place......

[kre11]

If you are just getting started, live bait is great. I think everything that swims in Stockton will hit a 1/4 ounce jig head with half a night crawler fished along the bottom. I would try to find a good point and position your boat a good cast off the shore and cast along the point. You should fish the worm on the bottom. Keep your line tight so you can feel what is going on. Cast it, let it fall to the bottom, reel down the slack moving your rod to a 9 o'clock position (parallel with the water), let it sit for 2 or 3 seconds, lift your rod to 12 o'clock and repeat.

The trick is determining the difference between bumping into rocks on the bottom and feeling fish strikes. After a few casts, you should be able to understand what the rocks feel like. A bite will be similar, but will feel like a thump, and will usually occur while the bait is falling back down (while your rod is moving from 12 back to 9) hence the importance of keeping a tight line.

Another good method is to troll crankbaits of varying depth, depth is usually determined by the length of the bill of the crankbait. If you are fishing with your wife, let her use one that will run 5-10 feet deep while you use one that runs 10-15. Good colors include anything that looks like a shad or has some silver on it, and those in a chartreuse color. This method will also catch just about anything that swims in Stockton, even the occasional flathead catfish! Again, I would focus my efforts on points and significant underwater depth changes. This is where a good map will prove useful. The ones sold at Bass Pro, for around $10, are a great tool. Also look for the green signs nailed to the trees on the banks as these indicate areas where the MDC has placed fish structure in the lake.

This time of year also brings the opportunity to catch white bass schooling on top late in the evening. Look for surface disturbances or splashes as whites chase schools of shad to the surface, also look for sea gulls to be flying and diving into the water chasing the same shad that the whites are after. Try to avoid motoring in too close to the school as this will spook them. Instead try to intercept them as they "migrate" in pursuit of the bait, use your trolling motor to narrow the gap to within casting distance. As far as lures go, take your pick as long as it looks like a 1-2 in shad. Topwaters such as baby spooks and pop-rs work well, those mister twister grubs will work too. One option is to use a 1/2 ounce silver spoon, this will enable you to cast a long way to reach these fish. This can be easy and a lot of fun.

Good luck.

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

Just recently got an old boat running and now ready to fish Stockton. New to lake fishing and know next to nothing. Took my wife and daughter out yesterday to the CC area and caught a few fish, no keepers. My daughter caught the most, her first. We had a great time in spite of the old tackle that I had around. Had good luck with old green Mister Twisters with black heads.........use to work in the farm ponds I fished. Had a few close calls ramping off all the debris from the recent rainfall.

My question - Can you guys recommend lures and gear for specific fish to increase our success? I don't know the lingo so be easy on me, what's a secondary point? A flat? I may have many ongoing question about rigging lures and such.

I appreciate any help....will make me look good with the ladies....well my wife and daughter. If I can keep them happy with fish on the line I may get to fish more often!!! Will keep you posted on our success.

Thanks

Been pretty busy over the past 2 weeks, but I have some time free next week. If it stays like that can you come up for an evening and I can work with you on a few things and show you some stuff on the lake.

give me a call 4172089535 and let me know. Hopefully we can get some time together and get the fishing pardners on some fish!! We did have 56 crappie today, 4 short of our limits, but still a great day!!

[jovush]

Thanks a lot guys for all the tips. Gonna pick me up a map soon, been studying the online maps. Will have the gals using live baits next trip out. I just may be giving you a call Bob if I can get away. I do believe I have my wife hooked.....overheard her talking with my daughter at Walmart last night in the fishing dept., she said,"I want a pretty lure". I was a couple rows over and laughed out loud. They really enjoyed themselves and I couldn't hope for more as they are planning our next outting.

Thanks again!!

Joe

[rps]

I just read a post on another thread that said everyone here was part of an exclusive good ol boy group that would not share. Here we have several members volunteering solid advice and a guide saying he would be glad to show a new member a few things for free. Wow. Some people just don't have a clue.