Shell Knob 9/28

[Donna G]

Put in at Shell Knob around 7:00 a.m. and went under the bridge. For more detail on where we fished, ask Champ188. I get lost on a stock pond. Fished in at first. Lots of bait, but nothing looking up. Couple of short K's, plus one giant turtle, on a 1/2 oz finesse jig with a twin tail. Really needed a lighter jig, but was too lazy to change. We're having turtle soup tonight. lol Mr. T was successfully released, although he had a hook in his maw from an earlier encounter. Stupid turtle.

Fished one of our favorite docks 10-12 slips. We each broke off what we thought were decent keepers. Cable and dock corner. Hard on light line. Finesse jig and shaky head. Deepest end of dock 30-35 feet. Most of the bites were a couple of slips in from the end. Decent wind at that time and dock is on a productive main lake point. Fished good ledge rock toward the back of the pocket and a few cedars. Normally a productive spot for us, but not today. Still nothing looking up. Champ wanted a blade fish bad. He said we were probably one more cold front away. I glanced at the water temp once. Think it was 77.3.

Went to some of our favorite bluff ends. Champ caught a nice white in the tail dragging a FB jig. Fish slammed it, swing and a miss. When Champ swung and the jig jumped, white apparently spun around and swatted with his tail. He also caught a keeper K somewhere along the line.

Pretty slow and we had a tee time to play golf. Headed back to the ramp and stopped on a favorite smallmouth spot. My guide was determined to catch me a keeper. Still 1/2 oz finesse jig, but with a green pumpkin Critter Craw this time. Caught a beautiful keeper brownie with my bait almost vertical barely moving it. Fish just started swimming with it.

Should have stayed on the lake as our golf was rained out. However, my guide insisted we didn't need our rain suits today, so they stayed in the garage. Think it was payback for our snow day to Lake Eucha (OK) last year and the bass caddie failed to get our GoreTex in the boat. I was in timeout all day that trip.

Anyone else go today?

[tbooks]

very slow in the indian point and dam area today.

[Quillback]

Thanks for the report!

I think you and Champ pushed the envelope a little too far today. Trying to get in fishing and golf in one day is just asking too much. No doubt you also planned to watch the Razorback football game this evening. It's tough to pull off a day of fishing/golf/and football watching without something going wrong somewhere. But I commend you for your effort.

Me and my buddy Jeb did get out on Beaver today, found a few fish, maybe 10 between us. We fished quite a few spots, just found fish in a few of them. Decent average size, no bigguns, but a couple of 2 lb. fish, mostly LM's. The pattern, if you want to call it that, was mid-cove, on the bottom with c-rigs, dragging Trick worms and UV Speed Craws. Likewise we had no luck on the moving baits such as spinner baits and topwaters. Seemed like the blade should have worked on the windy banks, but I agree with Champ, maybe just not quite cold enough.

[Donna G]

Thanks for the report!

I think you and Champ pushed the envelope a little too far today. Trying to get in fishing and golf in one day is just asking too much. No doubt you also planned to watch the Razorback football game this evening. It's tough to pull off a day of fishing/golf/and football watching without something going wrong somewhere. But I commend you for your effort.

lol - of course we're watching the game and I've had my 20 on the exercise bike. At our age, it is too much. However, we decided we'll rest when we're pushing up daisies. What suffers is the housekeeping and yard. I hate that.

[denjac]

Good seeing you two yesterday! I was ready to shoot myself by 10 am as I hadn't caught 1 bass, just 2 google eye. After 10 it picked up for me and ended the day with 14 or so with 3 keeps. The majority were smallmouth with a few spots, no blacks. All on a jig, a few top fish on the fin and 2 smallmouths on a blade when I swung in shallow and slung it at some shallow bushes. only 3 spots produced fish.

[timr0123]

Thanks for the report Donna. I'm with Champ on the water temp and the spinnerbait fish. I've got a boxes of War Eagle's and Mann's just screaming for attention!!!!!

[Champ188]

Better days are just around the corner, folks. The deep guys are having to move in closer all the time to catch their fish. I don't mind sitting out and dragging or even drop-shotting ... I do it every fall. Just frustrating when there are bait balls the size of a school bus by the hundreds just wandering around over 120 feet of water and half the bass in the lake are out there following them around. Can't drag for those and drop-shotting suspended fish is tough at best when they aren't positioned on cover.

Shad and fish both are starting to move into the creeks and cuts, though, which will only increase with another cold front or two. Get ready for some good fall fishing. It's almost here.

[fishingaddiction]

Good report Champ and Donna. Congrats on the good small jaw, looks to be about 20" or so. I can't wait for the cooler water temps. We had a slow couple of hours last Saturday in the KC area. We did catch one good smallie on a tube, and several non keeper K's with the finese jig, then decided to eat dinner early and get ready for the HOG game.

[Bill Babler]

Hmmmm, just wonder where she caught that. Looks a tad bit familiar to me. Nice fish guys.

[abkeenan]

Nice report Donna. I see that Duckett Micro Magic is serving you well. Thanks for the pics/report.