Newbie Fishing At Beaver Lake

[Feathers and Fins]

I just read Baileys Report. If its accurate Prairie Creek is wide open it sounds. I would verify this if possible. By verify I mean Launch at PC and see if the Striper Guides are in the area. They are easy to spot. If they are then alter the Map and work PC hard. When they are there they become easy pickings.

[wc1063]

Well, let's just say building my own shad tank didn't worked out too well. I end up breaking more parts than I know what do with them.

I guess I could still return the bilge pump and some parts to Academy and Lowe, when I was there earlier to pick up the parts, I noticed Academy has a 5 gallon round bucket with some kind of air pump($70). Would that work? Anyways, I'm trying to say I'm not very handy at all, so if something like that would suffice, I think I would get it instead of building one.

Will try to go out Sat or Sun morning, I guess we'll put the boat in at PC to see any guide boat are around and try to get some shad around the cove first, and go from there.

[wc1063]

Couple of questions for F & F: Why use a sinker that weight 4 oz when you are just going stright down from you boat to about 35 ft or 40 ft?

Are we trying to present the bait asap when we see fish on the graph, so that the heavier weight will get there faster? I don't think I have use a sinker that weight more than 1 oz yet! And also 4 oz egg sinkers are hard to find.

And the 1/0 circle hook, is this the size that you caught most of the fish on? I thought maybe 2/0 or 3/0 hooks are better for the fish you are targeting(over 5 lbs). It seems like all my bass worming hooks are 3/0 or 4/0 hooks.

Thank you for any comment!

[Feathers and Fins]

4oz is to be sure on a drift it stays in the target zone, also to get to the depth fast, also at 2.3 mph troll speed 73 feet of line off the real = 35 ft of depth so no need for a down rigger.

1/0 hooks allows the bait more freedom of movement which keeps them alive longer and gives a more natural look. One of the biggest mistakes I see people making and I was guilty of it myself was using hooks way to big, When i started fishing I was guilty as sin of it. It took learning on the Sport Boats out of Cali to learn that lesson. The more natural your bait looks the better always for example 30lbs or bigger Yellowtail and seabass I used a 3/0 hook and would watch guys all around me hook up. One of the skippers Ruzz Izor took the time to come and said " Boy your not fishing for jaws" He took off my monster hook and put on a # 2 hook pinned the anchoive through the anus and said try that... BAM I was on, one after another. He said the skill isnt in the size of the hook its in the baits movement after that its up to you!

Yes The bait tanks at Academy should work fine, I forgot they even had them. But dont forget the Shad Keeper.

[wc1063]

I went to the very back of PC(old 12) and try to catch some bait in the creek, I didn't catch any shad or golden shiners, Most of what I caught look like minnow but brown in color, baby bass and sunfish(threw everything back). Maybe PC is not a good creek to catch bait. Someone passed by told me I should try to net my bait at Lake Atlanta, I didn't even know there are shads in that lake. I thought just minnows.

And also is there a law against catching baits with a cast net at creeks or lake for that matter? I got some dirty looks and shoutings from the road while I was at the creek casting the net. May be some thought I was netting gamefish, I don't like that feeling, maybe wouldn't get bait from that creek again.

Anyways, things you do for fishing!!!

[rps]

Several different striper guides put in at Holiday Island on Table Rock to do their shad netting. They throw in Leatherwood Creek and up river where the cold Beaver discharge stuns the shad. They then pull out and run the few miles to put in at Beaver.

[jeb]

I went to the very back of PC(old 12) and try to catch some bait in the creek, I didn't catch any shad or golden shiners, Most of what I caught look like minnow but brown in color, baby bass and sunfish(threw everything back). Maybe PC is not a good creek to catch bait. Someone passed by told me I should try to net my bait at Lake Atlanta, I didn't even know there are shads in that lake. I thought just minnows.

And also is there a law against catching baits with a cast net at creeks or lake for that matter? I got some dirty looks and shoutings from the road while I was at the creek casting the net. May be some thought I was netting gamefish, I don't like that feeling, maybe wouldn't get bait from that creek again.

Anyways, things you do for fishing!!!

My drive home takes me along PC cove. I was driving along there about 4pm yesterday and saw someone with a dip net in the very back of the cove apparently trying to catch bait. Never seen anyone do that before. But I have seen a fair number of folks back there with a casting net, including guides, with mixed success. Hard to understand why anyone would be mad at anyone for doing that. Beaver is thick with shad/bait.

[Quillback]

Nothing illegal about throwing a cast net for bait, ignore the yelling yahoos on the road, or if you're feeling feisty, flip them the bird

You can use sunfish for bait, not as good as shad I'm told, but useable.

[Feathers and Fins]

Probably the same jerks that somehow got al of old PC rd posted for no parking on the shoulder. When i first saw those signs i was flaming mad. I know alot of parents took the family there to fish and now they cant.

I had the same experiance with people when i was sticking geese early season this year. When I started heading toward them in the boat to ask them what was up, I had a few f-bombs thrown at me. I just smiles and told them I was legal and God Bless them and have a nice day and promptly turned the boat and stuck my final goose.

Lake Atlanta does have some shad and chumbs. Putting in at Holiday and working back up toward the dam is a very good option.

If the shad are doing there what they were at Taney yesterday morning they should be very easy to find. I had my best day ever yesterday. I found a few dead shad below the dam near outlit 1 and worked a white bead head wolly inches from the dead shad and had one trout after another. I was suprised at the number of Bass in the area and even managed 2 of them.

[Feathers and Fins]

Well I got home from Branson at noon today so I thought I would call my best friend up and go try Beaver this afternoon. Launched at 12 bridge and ran into the back of Prairie Creek. Shad were there and thick along the south shore near the cave at the mouth of the creek. I Cast Net throw 60pcs of 4 to 5 inch shad.

And then the Games Begun... Here is one picture my phone sucks my bro is going to e-mail me the ones he took later and ill get them posted asap.