Fishing Report

[713lefty]

AMEN Bill! Let's get some more goggleye tips a going! I've eatin some out of the Gasconade, they're good!

[SplitShot]

At least 50 carcases? That's unbelievable.Truly unbelievable.I haven't caught 50 bass all year let alone in one day.

[gonefishin]

I'm a going after some Bluegill. I do my best to keep as many of those pesky gills from eating bass fry as I can.

[713lefty]

Heck, Gills taste good also and are fun on ultralight tackle.

[Joe G]

Any tips on catching those bass fry eating gills. Love to catch them, and am looking for a meal or 2. Would never keep any fish in the spawn, unless overpopulated. Cannot believe anyone would. This is like deer hunting and killing a doe accompanied by her fawns. I seriously think the 50+ carcass guy should be arrested and have his boat and gear confiscated pending the court process.

Also, how do you catch those goggle eye. Have never seen or caught one, unless I thought they were bluegills/////

[Sam]

Gee, Bill B. - I may have to put a grill right on the back deck of my boat.

That way, I can get out there in my TRACKER - frying Smallmouth filets and Smallmouth eggs, cutting people off, smoking cigars, drinking beer, leering at the ladies, and scratchin' myself immodestly. I'll be just a general, all-around pain in the butt.

Naw, I don't keep bass. I wouldn't kill a smallmouth for anything, and the only time I keep any legal black bass is if I (very) rarely mess up and gut-hook one bad with a Carolina or Texas-rigged worm. That doesn't happen often because I don't fish that way often.

I have scooped a limit of big bass off the lake after "catch and release" bass tournaments, the ones that are still a little alive. That's probably illegal, but I hate waste - and I've seen 200 lbs. of bass floating belly up. They shouldn't have those tournaments when the water temp's in the 80's - they kill more bass than a whole bunch of guys like me.

Bass aren't very good eating anyway, they're important to the economy around the lakes, and a lot of people are obsessed with them. That's fine with me - I prefer other kinds of fishing.

I've had a lot of fun with bass, but I'd rather catch crappie, walleyes, white bass, goggleyes, big perch - even catfish. Believe me, I'm just as serious about my fishing as the bass guys are about their sport. My enthusiasm just doesn't show as much - no aviator sunglasses, no patches all over my shirt, no glitter boat so I can blow past folks at 70 mph on a narrow lake. I know a lot of bass fishermen aren't that way, but a lot of them are.

Anyway, you've got those 14 1/2" Spots on Tablerock trained to get caught and released over and over again. Every time I catch one that's dumb enough to bite on a crappie jig, the poor thing's lips look like a teenager's ears with all the piercings. According to all the hook-holes, I think you've got your clients catching the same fish every day - no wonder you don't want anybody keeping any.

BTW, I caught a 22 1/2" Smallmouth the other day on a grub, near the island by State Park. That's the best SM I've caught for years, a beautiful fish, and I'm sure she was full of eggs. Don't worry, she's alive and healthy and probably on the nest by now.

Fish on!

[skeeter]

WOW !! 22 1/2 inch Smallie ! Congrats. Any pictures by chance that you could post ? I'll bet that was a beeyootiful fish !

[Sam]

WOW !! 22 1/2 inch Smallie ! Congrats. Any pictures by chance that you could post ? I'll bet that was a beeyootiful fish !

Naw, I'd taken my camera along 3 trips in a row but didn't have it that day. My partner saw the fish though, we carefully measured it together.

That's the second largest smallmouth I've caught out of Tablerock. The biggest one was 23 1/4" six years ago in the same general area but more up toward Indian Point. That one was post-spawn and the tail was worn 'way down, so it could have measured a full 24" before nesting. There's some big ones in there.

You're right - they're beeyootiful fish!