Be Careful!

[rps]

I went out this morning, early. I ran down lake to top water fish several good spots near Rock Creek. In 1 hour and 20 minutes of the best time of the day, I had one strike. It jumped and I could tell it was an iffy keeper largemouth. Of course on that jump, he also disengaged himself. That was it. One bite and no fish.

I crank trolled the backbone at 18, 22, and 25 feet. Nada.

I dragged a nightcrawler harness through the same 18 to 25 foot range. Three small blluegill, two small bass, and one 19 inch walleye.

I made myself drink water throughout the morning. Despite that, by 11:30 I could tell I was becoming dehydrated and decided to motor back to Holiday Island.

I have a deep, safe boat, an Alumacraft Navigator. I am glad I do. On the way back I was twice boxed in by converging bozos in wake boats making big S turns and pulling children at that perfect tube speed. You know the speed. The speed that makes the absolute largest wake.

Now down lake there is more traffic but you can get away from these bozos. Up here where the lake gets skinny you sometimes have to just stop and let them cut across or whatever. It creates some of the most impressive waves as well. At any rate, I had no choice but to take a rogue wave broadside rather than head on. I didn't take in any water but it dumped my ice chest over so I had water in the floor anyway.

May I suggest that safety first means you need to be off the lake by 11:00 unless you are part of the bozo crowd. If you are a part of the bozo crowd, go ahead and play in the traffic.

[Bill Babler]

I sense a mild irratation in your hand this AM, RPS. At least you could dangle your Feetsies in the Ice Water said BoZo provided.

On your end of the pond if the biggins are out, there is just not the ammount of room for those wakes to disapate much before you get the full monty.

School starts in 4 weeks and vacations are over in 6 weeks. Time then for us to reclaim what is (Rightfully Ours.) Maybe not.

Right now I'm finding 5:30 to 9:30 in the early morn, to be the safe period. Seems the big boys stay out till dark.

Good Luck

[mosouthpaw]

ive always held the belief that the bozo hatch starts just after 10am. Its best to be off the water at 10am, as there is no cure or bozo repellant available.

[fly2fish]

Don't know if this holds true all over the lake or just in deep water but the D.O and temp chart for July 14 showed that between 20 and 40 feet the D.0. was less than 1.0 in that range.

F2F

[Quillback]

And you're out on a Friday, imagine the bozo factor on weekends! Can't wait for the hot weather to end, cooler temps for fishing and fewer bozos.

[Ozark Outdoorsman]

The boat traffic on the Rock is rediculous anywhere where you go anymore. I love fishing the lake, but my god the people who are out pleasure boating are just idiots. The weekends are especially bad, and god forbid you are in a tournament on the weekend and you want to make a little run over to the rivers... its like hell and really beats the hell out of our boats.

[rps]

Don't know if this holds true all over the lake or just in deep water but the D.O and temp chart for July 14 showed that between 20 and 40 feet the D.0. was less than 1.0 in that range.

F2F

I was seeing fish at 15 to 18. Caught fish at that depth three days ago. May be a clue. However I was also marking fish at 24 -26 about two feet off bottom and caught one there. I may never get this all figured out.

[techo]

The traffic seems to get heavier and heavier every year. Maybe i am getting crankier as I age. I try to NOT fish on the weekends now as in the past you couldn't keep me off the lake.

[Bill Babler]

You are Crankier. Best you just fish Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Bring the Wife to keep your BP in Check and catch the fish. Hope you got your item and I have a load of very good jigs for you. Come and get them.

Lake this year does seem very busy. Anytime during the week there is traffic, not only on the weekends. As far as the fisherman, I have never had so many people come in on me. Was fishing a point in the dam area last week and had a guy and two kids pull within 30 ft. of me and drop a trolling motor and drop crawlers.

Had folks trolling between me and the bank in 10 ft. of water. Just what are they thinking? Had a guy a month ago up at Viney see us catching fish and pull completely around us then back between us and the bank.

That did undue me. I asked him what in the Frig did he think he was doing. He asked me if I owned the Lake. I said yes for sure this 20 ft. stretch, and if he didn't believe me we would mark it on his nose. Just flat riduculas.

May have to have some classes on proper lake ediqute.

[Flysmallie]

May have to have some classes on proper lake ediqute.

I think you handled it perfectly. There sure be more people out there telling them what they are doing is wrong.