Wednesday, Big M

[Quillback]

Based on the reports I read today, you guys whipped my butt.

I started the morning a little late, had to wait for the rain to move out of Bella Vista, but it followed me to the Rock and I also spent about a half hour in a dock stall waiting for it to move on. I spent most of the morning fishing back in coves, dragging a Nutech jig and the Ned. I picked up a few on the jig, keeper sized large mouth, but it was just a bite here and there. Fishing spawning fish is just doesn't work for me, can't seem to make them see reason.

In the afternoon, finally ran across a group of fish off the main channel sitting in 20 FOW, caught a few dragging the Menace Grub on a wobble head, several were solid keeper spots that just hammered the grub. After they stopped biting the grub, went back over them and picked up a couple more on the Ned.

Found a few more off a rocky point that liked the Ned, and then it was time to go home, on the trailer at 4 PM.

Caught about 20 fish total, half Ned fish, the other half on the Menace Grub and Nutech 3/8 oz jig. Surface temps were 60-61.

Those fish in the backs of coves are getting hammered, seems every cove had a boat or two in it, and you see lots of boats going in and out of coves heading right to the back. I tip my hat to those of you that can catch those cove fish because they are seeing a lot of stuff, seven days a week.

Spotted bass seem to be about half spawned out, caught some with flat bellies, but others were as fat as they can be.

[Phil Lilley]

Funny.... Fred Funk (PGA golfer) went out with a BP guide yesterday bass fishing and got skunked. I thought reading these good bass fishing reports he'd do pretty good.

I bet they went out of BP - lower lake. Is the dam area fishing that much slower than the upper lake?

He didn't catch anything last June either during the tournament. But he did catch a lot of trout!

[Champ188]

Heck no, the dam area seems to be producing more keepers than the river arms. Big C is brand new to the lake and had a great day yesterday down there, and so did Hammer Time and denjac.

Hate that for Fred ... he seems like a really nice guy and a class act. Might do better to read OAF and rent a boat next time.

[Phil Lilley]

BP treats the pros to either fishing or shooting during their stay. I was surprised to hear he didn't do well. I actually encouraged him to go if he had a chance because of the reports.

We should have time to go tonight and chase some trout when he's done with the Pro/Am.

[Champ188]

Always been really impressed with Fred. Just seems to be a happy kind of guy.

[vernon]

Always been really impressed with Fred. Just seems to be a happy kind of guy.

You know I always thought that same thing but I know a guy that played for him when he was the golf coach at Maryland and he says he was the biggest jerk he ever knew. Said everybody on the team hated him and hated playing for him. Apparently, he didn't like the job at all - didn't want to coach and hated giving lessons and took it out on everybody he came in contact with. That was a long time ago though and certainly before he was wealthy, successful and well known.

Crazy how some of those guys seem to have multiple personalities though. Always thought Trevino seemed like the greatest guy ever until I met him. Vulgar, rude and downright mean spirited. One of the most unpleasant people I've ever been around. Oh well, looking forward to watching those guys at Branson Ridge and Top of The Rock on TV today.

Now back to fish talk!

[dtrs5kprs]

If the Ned is not kicking out crazy numbers you might be a touch shallow, and a touch fast. River might be suffering more from all the weather.

We fished places Wed and Thurs that looked like March places, and deep.

[Ham]

I'm slowly learning not to beat myself up when I don't really whack em. You can only catch the ones that bite and more and more I believe that a lot of times you are on the fish, they just are not active. I've seen it multiple times now where I was grinding in an area with nothing to show for it, and a weather change happens and I catch a pile of them in a hurry.

I would guess that the weather has that part of the lake fishing a little slower.

[Ham]

And catching 20 AIN'T a BAD day. Years of fishing the spillway in Louisiana makes me appreciate catching more than a handful of fish and I always WANT to catch more than I am.

[Phil Lilley]

You know I always thought that same thing but I know a guy that played for him when he was the golf coach at Maryland and he says he was the biggest jerk he ever knew. Said everybody on the team hated him and hated playing for him. Apparently, he didn't like the job at all - didn't want to coach and hated giving lessons and took it out on everybody he came in contact with. That was a long time ago though and certainly before he was wealthy, successful and well known.

Crazy how some of those guys seem to have multiple personalities though. Always thought Trevino seemed like the greatest guy ever until I met him. Vulgar, rude and downright mean spirited. One of the most unpleasant people I've ever been around. Oh well, looking forward to watching those guys at Branson Ridge and Top of The Rock on TV today.

Now back to fish talk!

I spent a week with Fred last year but have not been able to this week because I've been down with a bad chest cold. But I can say Fred has changed. He saw the need for a Savior in his life and excepted Jesus as his Lord. He's a different man, a new man. He's happy not because of his fame and wealth but because he knows his name is written in the Book of Life. And that's an option for everyone.