Saturday, 4-11-14

[Champ188]

Donna and I fished a small derby Saturday out of Big M. Lost a 4-pound LM in the first 5 minutes on a blade that I knew was gonna cost us. Dang fish just pulled off at the boat. Very unusual for a spinnerbait. I wasn't using a trailer hook because I was fishing some pretty gnarly brush/wood in dirty water and had I thrown deeply enough into it to get the bite, I'd have undoubtedly hung up and never got a chance to hook the fish. Trailer hooks are great in some situations, but they can also hurt more than help in others.

Caught a dozen shorts in 45 minutes out of that area and I had another good fish roll on my bait but miss it. Finally left there after an hour with one 3 pounder. That was our biggest mistake of the day, and it was on me. Forum member denjac and I had located some fish in the Big Creek area the day before that I was sure would bite --- and they probably did but there was a boat on every dang main lake and secondary point all the way from Emerald Beach darn near to Baxter. It was as crowded as I've ever seen it in nearly 15 years of fishing Table Rock. When I did find a place to fish, I had to protect it like a dog guards a fresh hambone. Several times we'd be halfway down in a pocket and have a boat start in like he was gonna idle around us to the back. Being too old and courteous myself to do that to others, I'd just kick the 36-volt Fortrex up on high and slide out in the middle of the pocket to block them off. Miraculously, they got the message every time. Didn't like it, but they got it.

We got on a darn good Varmint bite on gravel while fishing our way back upriver toward Big M but couldn't catch a keeper to save our lives. Finally pulled the trolling motor at 2 p.m. and went back to the place we started and immediately caught two more good 17-inch keepers on the blade --- both fat females --- then lost yet another right before weigh-in time. Ended tournament hours with three keepers for about 8 pounds (maybe 9 -- not sure since we just let them go) and the two other lost keepers (4 and 3 pounds, respectively). Long story short, should've caught 14-15 pounds which is what it took to win the derby. Might have had an even bigger sack if I hadn't decided to leave that area for greener pastures. Just didn't feel it had the potential to produce a winning sack. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Decided to fish a while after weigh-in and started throwing the Ned on gravel. Man, was it on. Ended the day at 7 p.m. with 70 fish and --- wait for it --- only those three keepers we turned loose at 3 p.m. But it was a blast.

Surface temps got as high as 63 by late afternoon. Ned bites came as deep as 20 feet, but most were 6-15.

[Quillback]

Thanks for the report, in spite of the crowds it sounds like ya'll had a great day.

There's a lot of people out there during the week, not as many as the weekends, but more than I can recall seeing. Don't know if it is because of cheap gas, warm weather (compared to the last 2 years), or whatever.

[willyfish]

Thanks, now I know where I'm not going. I keep telling myself it's time to go back to Bull Shoals.

[Macsimus]

Don't beat yourself up too bad James. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say and it's amazing how clear the picture can become at the end of the day. Don't ask me how I know...

[Guest]

try this:

take a #4 round bend treble hook & cut off 2 of the hooks so that the welded side is remaining.

Slide a rubber hook keeper over the eye & put on all your spinnerbaits & buzzbaits.

Its helped me tremendously over the years, especially for smallmouth & kentuckies that have trouble with a big trailer hook.

they will come thru the brush

[OldMillRoad]

Guess a lot of folks don't know how great the fishing is on LOZ and Truman right now. And a lot less boats than Table Rock. A lot less,,,,,

My son and I were fishing a derby two weekends ago James and Big Creek was the same way...Take a number....I don't like it when people cut in front of me, so I will never jump in front of someone. We just found different water.

[merc1997 Bo]

champ

that is how fishing goes. sometimes you get all of them into the boat. your experience with all the boats is why i do not like to daytime fish anymore. back when i fished the tournaments, i just had to put up with it.

the lower gas prices have got many fisherman back on the lake. only god knows what a zoo it might be this summer, yikes!!!

i bet the critter bite was a lot of fun.

bo

[JacobW]

I fished out of big m Sunday and even though I got there early and the bite was good, people still beat me out on the water. But I find it satisfying to come in behind a boat after watching them not catch anything and catch the h$ll out of em!

[Champ188]

Thanks for the kind words, guys. Been at this tournament game for over three decades now and I should --- and do --- know better than to leave fish biting to go find others. Sometimes we just overthink things and that usually ends up in thinking ourselves right out of the winner's circle.

Oh well, got a couple more derbies coming up to redeem myself.

Trophy, thanks for the tip on the modified treble trailer hook. Will certainly give that a try.

[jay bird]

I am thinking of making a fish traction system( u know like the ones they use on the back) and take some of the four or five 14 7/8 th inch fish I catch during every tournament, Give them some gentle traction for any strain in the back they may have sustained during the fight to the boat. Help them gain an 1/8 of an inch and then release them healthier than before they where caught.