8-12-12 Upperend Report

[Bill Babler]

Met up with Rod and Will Sanders at Eagle Rock this morning just before the first Roster Crowded, and headed down stream. Handy place to meet these regular clients that come out of Bentonville.

Have been taking Will since he was about 2ft. tall and as you can see he has grown a might.

Really if you will put your thinking cap on the Upperend right now from Eagle Rock to Baxter is all fishing pretty much the same and that is OFF THE CHARTS!!!!!!

Yesterday Beck Launched at Baxter and fished to Campbell Point, putting over 50 spotted bass, 5 kittys and 5 walleye in the Phoenix 921. Said he used close to 150 crawlers. Who in the world carries that many. I wish I would have today.

Surface temp this morning was 83 with a pool of 909.6 and water clarity in the 12' to 15' range. My graph shows the thermocline at 32 to 36 ft. at Big M. Fished 3 locations on the White River today and caught and released close to 50 spotted bass, big crappie, 1/2 dozen white bass and put 3 walleye in the boat with 2 keepers. Had 2 real toad eye's cut the line at the boat. Boys got a bit excited and were a keeping them on to tight of a leash.

Again, with that spoon I managed to kill one of the nicer eyes and the crappie. We kept 1 other white bass for a total of 3 victims. If a fellow is good with that spoon right now, that is really all you need in the boat. The biggest walleye that I caught on the spoon and released had 3 baby Kentucky bass in its mouth that it spit on the deck. Most of the K's were just full of shad, fry. About 1 inch max. long. Also caught several K's that had 4 inch Kentucky young of the year down the hatch. Seems they are feeding on them about as much as the shad. If I were a bass fry I'd stay off the runouts and bluffends and move to the backs of the pockets. I believe the reason they are out there is that there is no longer any shoreline cover for them to hide. This could be a real bad thing for this years hatch.

Guys, I never suggest this but now is the time to do it. With the bass chasing such small fry on top they seem to have no use for a topwater bait. Couple of suggestions. First, pull into the school and drop that 1/2 spoon. You will see them all over the graph, and they will hit the spoon with relish. Second. They will also eat a float-n-fly right now. Put the 1/32nd. oz jig about 6' under the float and throw it into the school with the chasing fish and bang the float and see what happens. They will eat it. Jig is the same size as the dime size shad.

Also have you noticed the large ammount of Great Blue Herons on the shorelines. These predators are around the Rock in numbers that I cannnot ever remember seeing. I believe pickings are pretty easy for them with no shoreline cover and this low water. Tadpoles, crayfish and fry of the year are in real trouble with all the birds of prey.

Thats all for now from beautiful Eagle Rock, Missouri

Good Luck

[sholder02]

Thanks for the report Bill. I'm pretty sure I saw you this morning. I was pulling out of the cove about 7:30 this morning in a red Bass Cat. I also think I saw RPS...if he has a newer Lund w/ a 75 horse plus kicker...

I tried jigging a spoon but haven't had any luck. I did most of my damage today on a DD14 and DD22. Quite a few shorts...2 keepers.

[rps]

Good post Bill, as always.

Sholder, I found I had to be persistent with the spoon to catch the walleye.

I was not out Sunday. I spent the day working on back to school things. I was in that area Saturday. I fish from a Black and Silver Alumacraft (looks like a Lund but way less expensive) with a 75 hp Etec Evinrude tiller.

[Quillback]

Thanks for the report Bill, glad to see you put your clients into some great fishing!

I was on Cabelas yesterday looking at their spoons and the 1/2 oz white/char is out of stock - lots of folks must be reading your posts.

Janns Netcraft carries a painted spoon blank that looks just like the Cabelas, I think they're 3 for 4.69 but you've got to add your own split ring and hook. The colors aren't the same either, dunno if they are any good but may pick up a few to check them out.

[Quillback]

Here's the link, if anyone is interested:

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fishing-lure-spoons/351500.aspx#

[Bill Babler]

Mother of Pearl and Chartruse Shad are by far the best colors. I have tried them all. It shows them with a split ring in the catalog and also online, but most don't have one. I use the Owner feathered hook or the Gama. if there is a chance White bass are in the area. If just looking for K's and Walters, just the death trap, no feathers are necessary. Don't believe they hurt but it also adds two dollars to the cost of the spoon.

I did not have a bunch of keepers yesterday. I think maybe 8 K's that would have gone 15". Most were just healthy fat 13's and 14's plenty fun to catch and release.

[Quillback]

That's mainly what we've been catching, K's in the 12-15" range. Lots of fun on light tackle.

[sholder02]

It looks like the weather is going to be pretty nice this weekend. So much so, that my wife wants me to take her fishing. I figured to keep my blood pressure down as well as keeping from losing a bunch of lures, we'd drift crawlers.

I've got one arrow in my quiver for walleye and that's tying a palomar to a bottom bouncer leaving about 1.5' leader and tying on a floating jig head tipped with a crawler. It sounds like drop shotting is effective as well.

Also, I forgot to mention this in my previous post. When I walked down to the dock Saturday morning, there were (2) 3 pounders hanging out in about 3 feet of water next to the walk way. The docks and water behind them are holding a lot of fingerings...

[Bill Babler]

I saw 5 keepers up pretty shallow as well under a walkway the other day. One of the guys that is fishing the Field and Stream Sportsmans Challange said he has caught several on a Buzzbait up around the rearends of the docks in the James River. With the lack of shoreline cover, just bet you those shallow fish and there always are some are using the docks. Might be fun to have a dock day.

[Bill Babler]

It looks like the weather is going to be pretty nice this weekend. So much so, that my wife wants me to take her fishing. I figured to keep my blood pressure down as well as keeping from losing a bunch of lures, we'd drift crawlers.

I've got one arrow in my quiver for walleye and that's tying a palomar to a bottom bouncer leaving about 1.5' leader and tying on a floating jig head tipped with a crawler. It sounds like drop shotting is effective as well.

Also, I forgot to mention this in my previous post. When I walked down to the dock Saturday morning, there were (2) 3 pounders hanging out in about 3 feet of water next to the walk way. The docks and water behind them are holding a lot of fingerings...

Pretty sure way to nab any Kentucky in the area also. Last i heard they just love worms on a floating jighead worked just off the bottom.

Good Luck