Crappie on Monday

[Ex-Iowegian]

I agree with a lot of what's been said here and thought I'd add my two cents worth. First off, I guess I'm part of the problem since I've only lived here about two years, but my kin have been in this area for over 70 years, so I'm claiming hereditary rights The older I get the less I like change. The native stone cabin my Dad, his Dad and brothers built on the Osage River back in the 1930's is now under Truman Lake. From what I read, the old timers around here lamented the loss of the Galena-Branson float trips and James River fishing when Table Rock came in. My first time on Table Rock was on my uncle's homemade tin houseboat in the 1960's. Things have changed a lot since then, but this is still a great place to live. I live half way between Bridgeport and the Cape Fair marina, and I have to chuckle on Friday evenings when I see a bunch of bass rockets roaring down lake from Bridgeport pass a bunch of bass rockets roaring up the lake from Cape Fair. They should exchange information and save gas! I get tired of these idiots rocking my dock or boat by coming so close, but no real harm is done, they're just fantasizing being KVD, Ike or whoever. I personally don't care for competitive, aggressive, contact sport fishing for pay and I think it sets a bad example, but I've only had two experiences on TR that really bothered me. The first was 15 years ago in a rental houseboat when two gray-haired couples in a big I/O decided to swerve in and rock us..knocked me off the helm seat and cokes and coffee off the table. The second was about 2 weeks ago when 2 boats of mutant young adults did the same thing to my pontoon...complete with giving us gang hand signals or whatever that is. Both events were DANGEROUS and both groups thought it was funny. We can't change the idiots, we can only change ourselves. Let's just try to be polite and enjoy this beautiful place.

[gonefishin]

I think rudeness has became the norm in our society. I think it all started with the psychologists and their "whats right for you" teachings; you know the ones who say don't spank a child for doing whats wrong, give the child a cookie and say "now don't do it again. Those people have instilled a 'me first before anybody else attitude' in the younger generations. I didn't see the cove you were talking about but you should try going to a handicapped fishing dock sometime; its like taking your life in your own hands.

[Phil Lilley]

It a problem of truth. Absolute truth -- IF there is such a thing and WHERE does it come from. What do you base your TRUTH from. Baseline. Foundation. That's the HEART of the matter.

[dwiebenga]

I totally agree with all the post. There just seems to be a lack of curteousy on the lakes in the last couple years. It seems that some people see Ike, Van Dam, Clunn, and Swindle flying down the lake on ESPN and we all want to be like that. Now I love to fish as much as the next guy, but some people need to realize that TR is a lake 1000s of acres big and there is plenty of water. The fish are all over and can be caught with the proper knowledge. I have fished the same area around Shell Knob for 20 years and I am only 28 mind you, and I always seem to haul a couple in. Some people need to slow down and just simply enjoy this beautiful reservoir. A little kindness goes a long way.

[TRGFish]

I have fished Table Rock since the early 70's and Lake O, since the ealy 60's and we have just about reached maximum satuartion point.

At one time Monday during a trip up Long Creek, I counted 42 boats in site, all fishing the same patterns I was. Somewhat.

If you are a Tracker Boat owner, God Bless, but you need to take a fishing ediquite course. I was cut off by 5 different rig, pulling, no more than a couple of boat lengths in front of me. All Bass Pro Junk.

No, One,that really knows anything, fish's anything that Bass Pro has to offer. The Johnny Morris moto is if I can make anything cheaper and more worthless than WalMart and sell it for less, I am the Top Dog. Cheap is better than Cheaper, and someone will buy it, No matter how worthless it is.

A really good friend has worked in the sales dept. of Bass Pro for years. and commented to me, for every one we sell, we get 100 complaints. Johnny said that's great as long as we sell em. If we can make any disclamier or void any warranty we will. Just sell boats. The quicker they deteriate the quicker we can sell them a new one.

Our last year with the resort, my mom bought 5 trackers, we had always used lunds. The dam things didn't last the year and if it had been up to me we would have taken them all to the dump. Had three sink due to suckie welding and cracks. A ten year old Lund with no warranty is so far superior to a new tracker that it should be 5 times the price. Don't mean to step on toes, but facts are facts, and I have been there, on the commerical level.

I have never had a problem with a person in a Lund, Alumacraft, or Crestliner. Wonder Why?

I am just venting, but junk is junk. And anyone fishing junk is almost always a problem. If you are trying to get on the water as cheap as possible, maby you should stay on the bank.

Even my dearest friends that guides for Big Cedar, and have to Fish JUNK, hate it. I mean, just physically hate it. It's all about money. It is just what they feel they have to do to make a living. One thing to think about is these guys are using Bass Pro junk for free. Are You??? Are You????

Crappie were harder to catch and I am mad that so many 35 year olds don't have to work during the week anymore. I am just venting.

The cove our marina and resort was in on Lake of the Ozarks had 9 boat dock with only 3 fishing boats in the docks, when I was a kid.

Mark Mauss my best High School buddie was up there last week and said the cove had over 100 docks and it was just filled with fisherman.

Everything has changed and I am telling you , it is not for the better.

I am very perplexed. Sorry.

Take what you can get, and be darn proud of it. I am wondering how much longer any fishing will last. How can any species sustain with everyone trying to catch them during procreation. and trying to completely eliminate a species.

Let Er Rip, I know I desereve it. I just could not be sadder than I am at what I am seeing in the boating public and the way things have become.

Well, being new to the forum it is amazing to see someone critizing not only my choice of boats but my knowledge of fishing, courtesy, and my finiancial status that gives me the chance to fish during the week.

I was not on Table Rock yet you lump me into your rant? I am going to drive up to Table Rock next week and see if I can catch a fish or two. I'll let you know how my 9 series runs and if I catch any fish with your name on them.

Having read many of your posts you seem like a helpful guy yet this judgement and post is not only an insult to us Nitro owners, it is simply wrong.

TRG

[Growler]

I tend to agree with what dwiebenga just said. Might be opening a can-o-worms here, but I think tournament fishing has a lot to do with the mindset of fishermen nowdays. Too many people approach a day of fishing with a tournament attitude. Get there quick, whip the water into a froth, move to the next spot. If someone is there already...make them move...it's MY spot.

Years ago I was casually fishing a bank in the James River arm on a day a tournament was taking place. Had a fisherman actually cast over the bow of my boat. I smoked then, and touched the tip of my lit cigarette to his line. While I don't recommend such measures, hopefully he got the message. I know he was mad...he told me. BUT, I reiterate, I don't recommend taking such measures, it made me no better than him.

As for crowding into areas already occupied, I just don't enjoy it myself. Be it standing in a group at Taneycomo, or boat fishing on any of the other area lakes. I like fishing alone or with my immediate companions, but don't like gathering in a group just because that's where the action is.

I will always remember what my grandfather told me once when I was a kid. I had suggested we move closer to where other people were grouped and catching fish, he simply said, "there's no challenge in that, we can catch the same fish where we're at".

My grandfather instilled in me a great respect for the outdoors and the people who enjoy them. And, while others may not, we would always obey all laws and treat others with the utmost courtesy and respect.

G

[skeeter]

"Might be opening a can-o-worms here, but I think tournament fishing has a lot to do with the mindset of fishermen nowdays. Too many people approach a day of fishing with a tournament attitude. "

Amen to that Brother !!!

[Sam]

This is an interesting thread, so many opinions coming out. I gots a few opinions myself.

First, Bass Pro junk. I know there's some truth in that - big-box retail stores tend to use their volume to buy the cheapest they can. Often, they put their suppliers in a real bind with their save-a-penny practices. Still, the quality varies and it's hard to make generalizations.

I've been running my Tracker "bass boat" for 17 years now, and I've had NO problems with it. None. Maybe they made them better in 1990 than now? I don't know. I DO know that Uncle Buck in-line spinners are better than Roostertails, they have bigger and better-turning blades and larger hooks. I don't buy crappie maribou jigs at WalMart because the hooks break, but the ones from Bass Pro are good. No store is best, or worst, in everything.

Second, overfishing. I lived the first part of my life in the Ozarks, then 30+ years in Southern California, then the last 17 years again in the Ozarks. From the 1950's through the 1970's, SoCal was a beautiful place - orange groves, vineyards, and I had dozens of fishing holes there. My Dad and I had many REAL good trips for bass, crappie, big bluegills, catfish, etc. - as well as good ocean fishing.

That's all gone now because of overfishing and overcrowding. The few public lakes that remain are miserable places, terribly overcrowded, and fished out. We were out there just a couple of weeks ago visiting our daughter, and we drove by one of my old fishing places. It's a small lake, a pond really, about 1/4 mile long, and you can see it all from the highway. We pulled over and I counted the boats - 87 on the water and 14 more launching, and that was on a weekday morning.

You can't even catch much offshore in the ocean there anymore, they just fished it out. I'm sorry to say I see that happening here now. THIS is the way it started in SoCal. So many people have moved into the Ozarks, fishing is nowhere near as good as it was even when we moved back here.

As far as I'm concerned, Conservation could put a 12" minimum length on crappie, a limit of 10 on white bass, outlaw trotlines, and make all black bass catch-and-release only. The fish stocks aren't surviving this onslaught, and maybe such measures would prolong decent fishing for a while. After seeing what happened during our time in California, I know once the good fishing's gone it's gone forever.

Third, rudeness. It's everywhere in our society now, and sometimes you see it on the lakes. I agree that the bass tournament competitive fish-for-pay mentality has made things worse. As someone here said, we need to slow down and enjoy this beautiful place and be decent to each other.

So far as rude drivers, though, I think the jacked-up Ford pickup trucks with big tires take the prize. When you see one of those, it's often driven by the same guy who cuts you off, tries to blow you off the lake with the wake from his bass boat - or spins his jet ski or party boat in circles right by where you're fishing.

My $.02 worth.

[Terry Beeson]

So, Bill... How do you REALLY feel about Tracker boats?

I have to say I agree with most everything posted here ("most" in that I did an "Evelyn Wood speed read" of the thread) and thought I would add one more to the list...

Is it just me or does anyone else see the saturation of competition and the desire to be number one as a problem? Our society has somehow elevated sports to an almost religious level. Every year, every game, every play is a "do or die" for the team, player, and especially the coach. And this has come down from the fans - "fanatics" - that support the team. For some reason we demand perfection and sportsmanship has become the "red-headed step-child"

Why are we are glued to the TV or radio to catch the game? Why is it we can't wait to get the morning paper and pull the sports section out? Can we really live our lives through Tiger, Shaq, Pujols, and TO?

The "Be like Mike" attitude has come to the angling community and, yes, I feel tournaments are much to blame. We watch the FLW boys rev their big fine Rangers up and throw rooster tails and speeding to their spot on the lake or river to catch a bass or number/weight of bass that will put them "in the money." Then you have the local guys competing at a much lower level, but acting like they are (insert favorite FLW pro name here.) Gotta have a boat like that... Gotta have a rod like that.... Gotta have that bait.... Gotta use that line... Gotta have that bell and whistle...

I mean, afterall... What we see on TV MUST be what fishing is all about, right?

NO!!!! What you see on TV is NOT what the fishing experience is all about. That is some big corporate board's idea of what THEY want you to perceive is the fishing experience so you will rush to your local store and fork over the bucks for their stuff...

This is the reason I got away from the bass world and even the cappie world and took up fly fishing. Now, some of the same types are invading that community as well.

I know I've unintentionally "boo-boo'd" and done something rude while fly fishing. But INTENTIONAL rudeness has no place in the fishing or hunting world. Forget that... It has NO PLACE IN THE WORLD! PERIOD!! EXCLAMATION POINT!!!

Maybe I just need to take up needlepoint...

Next?!

[Don]

I tried that needlepoint thing. But, during the last yarn sale at the local crafts supply store, a bunch of rabid grandmothers about knocked me to the floor trying to be the first person to the clearance bin. It was so crowded I could hardly walk down the aisle. A few of them were even shuffling. I had enough of that and had to go back to flyfishing.

Don