The Big M 7/25/2013

[Quillback]

The day started off with a really good Largemouth bite. They bit well until about 0930 on the jig. I was using War Eagle heavy finesse jigs in 3/8 oz. GP and orange, or what they call "Pond Scum Perch" were good colors. Chunk rock banks and docks were putting out fish. Got around a dozen LM's on the early bite with 9 or 10 being keepers, biggest 3 lbs. After 0930 things really slowed down, picked up 4 or 5 sublegal spots, and a couple of smallies with one being a decent keeper - again all on the jig.

I believe the relatively cool weather and the rain has gotten the LM's stirred up, I'm hoping with rain in the forecast for tomorrow and a few more cool days his bite will continue.

Surface temp was 82 early, warming to 84 when I left.

Lots of pleasure craft again today, maybe I don't remember last year too well, but it seems there's a lot more boats out there this year.

Did not fish off the points or try a drop shot, but saw several boats doing that so I'm assuming that bite is also working.

[flyman]

Excellent!

[rps]

Well done sir! Catch as many as you can for me.

[Champ188]

Table Rock has "pretty" fish. Their markings and color is always just perfect and they hardly have a blemish on them.

Nice job, Quillback. Might have to ease up there early Saturday morning and capture a few before the lake lice start buzzing around and the big wake boats start tearing up the water and playing their rap tunes at ear-busting levels.

Bring on fall.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

What is the visibility like up in that part of the Lake? Wanting to find some new places to dive away from the Dam area.

[Quillback]

Table Rock has "pretty" fish. Their markings and color is always just perfect and they hardly have a blemish on them.

Nice job, Quillback. Might have to ease up there early Saturday morning and capture a few before the lake lice start buzzing around and the big wake boats start tearing up the water and playing their rap tunes at ear-busting levels.

Bring on fall.

I hear you, come on October!

Speaking of loud music, a pontoon boat cruised by me about 10 AM, 200 or so yards away, playing some Stevie Ray Vaughan, it was loud and clear even at the distance I was from him. Good sound system apparently. I like Stevie Ray, but not at 10 AM when I'm trying to fish.

[Quillback]

What is the visibility like up in that part of the Lake? Wanting to find some new places to dive away from the Dam area.

This is just an approximation, but down lake from Big M a couple of miles it's 8 -10 feet, up lake (or up the White) it's less, maybe 6 feet. Haven't been up past Eagle Rock.

[Bill Babler]

Great report and fish. Must have murked up some as on the white plate test last week, I could see the plate at 15 ft. easy at owl creek.

Clarity is correctly judged on the plate test. Drop a 6" white plate down and when it goes out of site, that is the clarity.

This is and has been for years the method that the lake Biologist use to measure light penetration and clarity.

Good Luck

[Bill Babler]

Also and I may add, this is the visibility above the thermocline. Below the visibility should magnify many times fold.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Yeah, i was at Norfork last weekend and the Thermocline varied a depending on where we were in the lake some places it was at about 20 and others closer to 30. Didnt see any fish below it, most of the bass we saw were just above it a little bit. And the Walleye were in it. On Norfork it was a very distinct line that you could see and definitly feel. I did see a lot of little fry bass up shallow, so i guess to spawn went well. I was Kinda wanting to go up in to Arkansas so i could spearfish on Table Rock because im sure it doesnt get the pressure that Norfork gets. And with the great flat head population i have read about would make some good fixins. Those fish on Norfork here your bubbles and they are gone.