Weekend Report

[abkeenan]

Had a great weekend on the Rock in the Dam area. Saturday didnt get out til late afternoon and caught mostly shorts with one keeper Jaw and one keeper Spot throwing a green pumpkin bass x jig with matching paca chunk trailer, chug bug and aarons magic roboworm on a shakey head. Fish really heated up for us on Sunday evening and REALLY hot on Monday morning-afternoon (Off water by 1PM to head back to STL). Had 17 keepers between Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon with shorts mixed in as well. Best was a 4lb LM. Was keeping boat in 35-28 feet of water throwing at the edge of the new brush line and sometimes up further in the trees/brush closer to the bank when it was allowable to do so without getting hung up on limbs. Most all of the fish were on pea gravel banks and even better if the wind is on them or had been on them throughtout the weekend (which was all weekend). Caught them from the points across from the Dam and Branson Belle to Jake Branch. Lots of quality fish with almost 1:1 ratio of shorts to keepers for us. Fish were in back 1/3 of Jakes with some really nice 17-20" Jaws and loaded with 14-15". Most fish were right in the trees and if there happened to be old hardwood nearby in the 30-40 feet even better and those tree were GUARANTEED to hold fish and most of them taking it on the drop. Really tore them up and was using a 1/4 painted (black, brown or green pumpkin didnt matter) Spot Remover Standup jighead with a 5" YUM Dinger in green pumpkin and ozark smoke. Fish were prefering the ozark smoke a little more as my brother boated more fish than I but hey I had to try to hold the boat in the strong winds! Had another half dozer keepers (most all solid 2-3lb Jaws) throw the baits when they came up for an aerial display. I had one that I admittedly missed and goofed on the netting and he jumped up like a NASA space shuttle straight up out of the water chest high and came unbuttoned. Pretty amazing and just love them Dam pea gravel fed Jaws. A few spit up crawdads but man they are just really on that worm/senko/dinger right now. Had 3-4 just swallow the entire 5" Dinger, even smallies only 12". The trick I learned from someone on here where you take the line threw their gill plate opening to get the shank of the hook to turn in their throat and just take pliers and pull it straight out of their mouth worked like a charm and saved several fish to be had another day. Also caught some nice goggle eyes on the same baits on accident. Great weekend! Hope this helps.

-Brett

[abkeenan]

Here is that link again that helps on gut hooked fish:

http://www.walleyesunlimitedusa.org/documents/hook_removal_technique.pdf

I myself have regular needle nose pliers and then a set of surgeon pliers just for the specific purpose of gut hooked fish. Instead of using my fat fingers to get the line threw the gill plate I use the really thin surgeon pliers to get the line and pulll it threw.

-Brett

[Bill Jr.]

Brett,

Thanks for posting the link. I learned something new today and will remember this next time this happens.

[Smalliebigs]

very nice report Brett....sounds like you guys had a blast. I can't wait to get down there!!!! must catch some Trock jaws soon.

[dtrs5kprs]

Hard to beat those jaws when they get done baking brownies and remember how to eat. Great report.