White or green lights for night fishing???

[J-Doc]

1 hour ago, Blll said:

Wow J-Doc. When I first move here 3 years ago you sent me my OAF sticker and were so proud of your restored boat and then your new ranger and then your electronics that you mastered. What happened? I was turned off last year when the high water kept me from my boat all summer but got the fever again when I killed the stripers all winter.  Just go out and have fun on the water. Catching fish is a bonus. Hope you find it again, miss your threads.  ( and golf will drive you crazy)

Yep, and I would still have that restored boat had it run on a consistent basis without me having to constantly tinker with it. LOL!  I miss it but only for sentimental reasons.  I love my current rig. It’s very nice and the best part is, you turn the key and it starts within 1.5 seconds every time.  It’s as dependable/reliable as my Smith & Wesson.  You pull the trigger and it does its job without hesitation.

 

The amount of traffic on the lake has impacted the fishery overall.  I can see it clearly.  It gets worse every year and there are now more boats per acre on that lake than ever before.  This year however, my most recent outings have been relatively quiet.  Which is very nice!

 

The lake is not mine alone.  I cannot expect to “own the lake” or blame all others for me not having a productive year.  That’s absurd.  I have caught some good fish this year but nothing like previous years.  It started around November when the high water hit.  I was busy with work and not able to stay on the fish like I wanted. 

 

To be honest, I’m simply tired of spending money on gear/baits thinking it will be a productive tool and getting little to zero results.

 

One might say “You can’t blame gear on your inability to catch fish”.  They are correct.  I’m not a newbie however and sometimes, you just need to take a step back and not let it burn you out.  I’m not burnt out either.  Simply not going every weekend anymore.  I need to slow down. I have about 170hrs on a 2yr old boat!  I want to slow down the hour usage a bit.  I also want to do more night fishing this summer and try other lakes to take my 6yr old fishing so she can enjoy it. 

I’m tired of spending all of my time “on me” vs. on my family.  Being constantly absorbed by fishing and all things fishing.  I’m spending more time with family, getting things done around the house, helping friends, etc on weekends now.  Feels good to walk away and take a little breather.

 

That’s all.

I’m not going anywhere.  Just a lot more silent these days.

There are still some that are way too vocal about “reports”.  Some of which you have to consider about half of it as inaccurate.

[J-Doc]

Sorry to totally de-rail the original thread.

 

Back to night fishing and the "human sane net" that catches all the whites at night. LOL

[Dan the fisherman]

6 hours ago, J-Doc said:

I'd say he does know how to catch them.

I've read here where not just 10-15 years ago, people would load them in the boat so high they couldn't walk in the boat during the white bass run.  I seriously think the fishery does not have that population anymore.  The "no limit" on whites could eventually be lifted but that's for the AGFC to decide after further testing and research.  Probably not there yet (just a guess)

I've never had much luck using threadfins as they don't live long at all and man are they a messy fish with tiny scales everywhere!

I've thought about going to the bridge and night fishing this year.  I had panned on it but I've lost about all interest in fishing this year.  It's to the point that when I'm on my way to the lake, I'm wishing I had stayed in bed or not even bothered.  That means it's time for me to take a very serious break from Beaver and fishing in general.  I just don't enjoy it like I used to thanks to some of the rude people on the lake, the lake itself being the constant mystery that it is, and I think I have just lived & breathed it so long that I need a break.

Hit me up. (Bella vista). Shhhhh lol 

[chi0082]

On 6/12/2016 at 0:35 PM, Vinsott said:

Tried again last night but didn't get out there till almost 12am. Didn't do very well again but the same guy that I see every time I go was out again. He has four green lights and uses the nets that you lower down to catch bait.  He and a women caught fish continuously all night till I couldn't take it anymore.  He caught some very large fish also that were not white bass. While he was bringing in one of the big ones I yelled over to ask what it was. No response. I took a couple of guys from work who speak spanish and they asked in spanish.  No response.  Then I yelled "Do you speak English?" Heard an indistinguishable mumble. I asked again if it was a catfish or striper? Ignored again. So I summed it up that either they didn't understand what we were asking or were just a couple of a$$$oles.  They had to catch 100 or more fish using the same shad we were. Pretty sure they kept them all except for one of the really big fish that took about 15 minutes to get in. Maybe a big gar???? Maybe he sells the fish because there is no way two people would ever need that many fish.

Not that many boats out so lots of empty spaces between bridge pilings and for the life of me why do some guys cross under the bridge right between two boats fishing when there is empty places all over. He was so close I might have been able to reach him with my pee stream, well maybe 10 years ago.  I'm sometimes tempted to throw a shad at them when they get that close.

I would find out what time they left and call the game warden/commissioner to pay them a visit at the ramp to check their livewells. Bet they have plenty of undersized stripers and/or several over the creel limit. I'm sure they keep everything they catch because nobody sees what they catch and nobody is out that late. 

And maybe next time bring a big arse spotlight and park your boat right next to them. Everytime they catch a fish light up the entire lake and see for yourself what they're catching. lol.

[Vinsott]

I thought about the light and parking right next to them thing,  but it usually ends up like it did for me with hunting.  After almost getting into a fight with three native Arkansans while deer hunting at my last home on the farm.  They were poaching, and I confronted them after they road shot a little buck and had it in the bed of the pickup.  Their response was that is what they have always done and to mind my own business.  Of course there were many cuss words thrown at me with a bunch of threatening. I became worried that they would start shooting my livestock so I left the scene with a bad taste for hunting in my mouth. I haven't picked up the bow since.  Did leave an anonymous tip with the game warden to keep an eye on the area.  Well it took until spring turkey season for the same guys to get ticketed for poaching turkeys. One of them was a felon that was not supposed to touch a firearm.  The  gossip was spreading that I was the guy who turned them in. Small town life.

Back to the fishing, I am trying not to let this stuff bother me too much or I will lose the thrill for fishing also.  Karma exists.

[Stump bumper]

I agree, give bad people a wide birth and let them hang themselves. I was born and raised in Arkansas and all my friends that thought they were the police and got in people's face to tell them when they are wrong are all planted on the same hill.

I cruised the docks at PC last night and talked to a lot of good people, man do those guys have some nice lights, but I don't think I want to mount a 110 generator on boat to run one. All the led lights on the bass boats made me feel invisible, got to add some lights now.

If anyone saw an old man launch without lights last night it was me, got past the first dock before I remembered, wow this short term memory loss sucks, and no I had not been drinking.

You have the right attitude Vinsott, enjoy your own fishing and the lake and let others do what ever they do, just don't expect a tear from me when they drown. Water temp was 88 degrees and made for a good bass kill at the weigh in last night, most were spots but did see one good 4lb largemouth floating.

[Stump bumper]

While we are talking about lights, has anyone found a good cheap green light. I got the 26 leds light from Academy for about $35 and it does seem to put out much light. I don't night fish much and really don't want to shell out $100 for a bigger light, I am open to any ideas.

 

[Stump bumper]

Ok, posted this in the wrong spot so here we go again. this a video on making your own lights. Wished I had seen this before spending $35 at Academy on one that does not put out very well.

 

[Vinsott]

went out at dusk to cast a bit since it was nice out and all the boats were disappearing fast. Lost a couple small whites and caught a small largemouth on a keitech. Kept casting till after dark and saw two boats tie up under the bridge. Slowly trolled over to the bridge and one boat was a family with a green light that I couldn't see until I got close. Of course you know who the other boat was. I got pretty close to listen to them talk.  Still couldn't make out what they were saying but maybe asian????? It's a small Lowe flat bottom aluminum maybe 14'. I didn't stay to fish just check them out. So that's a Thursday,Friday,Saturday, and now a Sunday that I have seen them at the bridge. I went to the ramp and only two trucks with trailers. One was a  bass boat, and the other was a small trailer being towed by a small GMC sonoma kinda brown looking. I'm thinking they use the fish at a restaurant.

[chi0082]

On 6/17/2016 at 9:22 PM, Vinsott said:

I thought about the light and parking right next to them thing,  but it usually ends up like it did for me with hunting.  After almost getting into a fight with three native Arkansans while deer hunting at my last home on the farm.  They were poaching, and I confronted them after they road shot a little buck and had it in the bed of the pickup.  Their response was that is what they have always done and to mind my own business.  Of course there were many cuss words thrown at me with a bunch of threatening. I became worried that they would start shooting my livestock so I left the scene with a bad taste for hunting in my mouth. I haven't picked up the bow since.  Did leave an anonymous tip with the game warden to keep an eye on the area.  Well it took until spring turkey season for the same guys to get ticketed for poaching turkeys. One of them was a felon that was not supposed to touch a firearm.  The  gossip was spreading that I was the guy who turned them in. Small town life.

Back to the fishing, I am trying not to let this stuff bother me too much or I will lose the thrill for fishing also.  Karma exists.

That's the attitude that encourages poaching and allows them to continue to do what they do. It is our responsibility as sportsmen to do everything in our power to stop those who ruin it for everyone else. We may not put an end to it, but we can sure as heck reduce it. I have turned in many idiots and poachers in my time. I sleep well at night because they never know it was me. Rule number 1 is to never confront them, you let the warden or sheriff do that.