Something to ponder

[fishinwrench]

I did a little experiment yesterday, I spent 2 hours fishing deeper stuff and 2 hours fishing shallow stuff.  In that time I caught 3 keepers and 2 shorts deep,  and 3 keepers and 5 shorts shallow.  The 3 deep keepers outweighed the 3 shallow ones by just over a pound but the shallow fish looked healthier.  2 of the deep keepers and both of the deep short fish had sores on them and just really didn't look that good.  All of the shallow fish were fat and clean and colored up nice.  
Do you think that means anything?  I found it interesting.   Water temps were 82-84°

[snagged in outlet 3]

Maybe sunlight on the shallow fish?

[MOPanfisher]

Could just be coincidence, could be that the shallow fish have recovered from spawning and are actively feeding and thus doing well.  Could be the deeper ones are hanging in the cooler water recovering or maybe they just liked it there after having been caught, dropped, carried around and released.  Or could mean nothing.  I definitely think you should continue the "research", spending as much time as possible out there catching more fish to compare.  If it get to be too much, holler and I will come net them for you.

[Krazo]

Yup I agree with MOpanfisher. More research needed.

[fishinwrench]

Did it again today with a partner.  4 keepers and 5 shorts on or around deeper brush, 3 keepers and 3 shorts up on the shallow flats.  Once again several of the deeper fish had sores and were not all that handsome looking.  One of the shallow fish was near 4# which made the shallow keepers outweigh the deep fish this time (barely).  The shallow fish were scrappier too, bit more aggressively, fought harder, and looked healthier by far. 

Water was cooling down today.  79-81° in the same areas as yesterday.

Spoke to a guy that has been out pulling little Arkie cranks for crappie, and he is catching some nice size bass, some up to 5#, and numerous 13-14" crappie out in the middle of nowhere at a depth of 5-7'. He says his bass are "pretty beat up looking and skinny, and the crappie are pretty thin and full of dissolving white eggs".

Saw 2 dead gar in one area and we were thinking "oh wow....a GAR KILL IS GOING ON".  But then we rounded a bend and there was a bowfishing rig.   Explained that right away.  Bowfishing is a cool sport but I still can't warm up to killing fish and just throwing them back in the lake.  I'm sure the turtles appreciate it.

[Walleye13]

Interesting observation Wrench. Ive seen similar mixed results, but all from deeper main lake points (haven't fished shallow). Some lean, rough looking fish and some real healthy feeding up fish. Night and day difference in fish from the same school. I attributed it to the wide variance in spawning times, but that doesn't explain the sores and bad condition of some of these fish. I did note that several of the bad looking fish appeared to have been caught before. Good question for Greg Stoner.....

[snagged in outlet 3]

8 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Bowfishing is a cool sport but I still can't warm up to killing fish and just throwing them back in the lake

I didn't think this was legal???

[moguy1973]

12 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

I didn't think this was legal???

I didn't think so either.  I'm not seeing the wanton regulation in the Fishing regulation handbook though, only in the hunting regs.  Even then it's only for wildlife that is typically used for human consumption.  Gar typically aren't for human consumption I guess.

[shrapnel]

I caught a lot of big fish this week, 5 over 5lbs, 5 over 4 and several more 3.5+.  The bigger fish are beat up pretty good, caught a 5 yesterday on a main lake point with sores on it's back and it's tail was shredded into individual strands.  We won big bass in the Friday nighter out of PB2.

[fishinwrench]

7 minutes ago, shrapnel said:

I caught a lot of big fish this week, 5 over 5lbs, 5 over 4 and several more 3.5+.  The bigger fish are beat up pretty good, caught a 5 yesterday on a main lake point with sores on it's back and it's tail was shredded into individual strands.  We won big bass in the Friday nighter out of PB2.

Hey, Good Job!    The bigger bass (over 4#) get really scarce up this way after Spring.   I assume that is because by then most of the catchable toads have been hauled away.    The bigger fish in the upper Gravois pretty much have to be born and grow up here. There are only a few tournaments out of Gravois access. When they do have one it is small and pretty much everyone fishes close.