May 3 - 5th report

[BassMaster#1]

Stayed at sister creek resort and as everyone knows the lake went up about 8 feet when we got there on Thursday and ended up about 12 feet up when we left.  It looked like we were fishing in a flooded forest.  We found fish in the bushes and off the bushes, but be prepared to get hung up.  It seemed like the fish were confused on if they should be in the bushes or out on the original lake points.  We ended up holding our own with all the rain that came in and no sunshine till sunday.  I think if they would have had time for the high water to stabilize we would have seen more In the bushes.  Maybe by next week the and stable high water, the majority of fish wil be in the bushes.

The majority of our fish were over 2lbs with a few 3 and 4lbers mixed in.  Friday was windy, rainy and maybe the worst day of our trip but the most productive for us as we managed 16lbs of fish.  The majority were smallmouth but those smallies feel like double thier weight when you fight one.

We caught the bigger ones on tubes and jigs around little sisters creek, bull shoals boat dock and oakland area.  We were fishing brush on sides of points, and backing out off the brush which seemed to produce bigger bites.  Picked up a few on cranks, and dragging wurmbs and flukes along with a few walleye in the 17" range.  No top water bite for us.

On Sunday sun was shining and decided to get out of the bushes and fish secondary points all morning for those bigger smallies.  Landed better quality fish with.my buddy hooking what look to be close to a 5lber that got off at the boat.  He caught it right at high noon dragging a big jig and teased me by handing me the rod and asking if I want to reel it in.  Guess it back fired on him as he lost it at the boat.

A few of the smallmouth we caught were not totally spawned out like they should be but most of the ones we caught were.  A few of the largemouth had red tails as well.  All fish released...ran Into some meat eaters from up north at the resort and they had no Intention of release anything.  They ripped some big fillets off about a 5lb smallie and a few smaller ones. Said they were down passing time till the northern fishing kicked in full swing.  Was seeing down 20ft is some coves which amazed me after all the rain dumped on the lake.

[Ham]

Thanks for the report! I hate to hear ppl killing those big smallies, but we can’t all be winners. I would encourage those A holes to stay up north next year. 

 

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

I follow few resorts on Facebook and the pics they post off all the bass laid out to be fileted will about make you sick

[MoCarp]

Name n shame

[MoCarp]

44 minutes ago, Ham said:

Thanks for the report! I hate to hear ppl killing those big smallies, but we can’t all be winners. I would encourage those A holes to stay up north next year. 

 

Could be worse imagine plies tossed on the bank to rot

[Fish24/7]

Great report thank you! Despite the conditions you still caught them nice work.

 

On a side note Spearhunters abound after dark wearing headlamps and shooting at anything that moves.  Nobody cares evidently this happens Every spring. Big creek or Haskins ford  after 11pm is not a good idea.   I wanted to try for whites after dark but not with crazy bastards with guns spotlighting the water and goofing off.  Will just keep fishing there during the day when they  aren't  there.  somebody who spearfishes  there must be diabetic and dropped their insulin syringes  😡

I Don't blame the warden for not going there. He knows about  these places.  Besides  he has so much water to cover in the first place. Plus people on narcotics are extremely dangerous  and he would be outnumbered ..

I keep extra trash bags in my car to pick up the dirty diapers beer cans and whisky mini bottles they leave behind.

[Fish24/7]

5 hours ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

I follow few resorts on Facebook and the pics they post off all the bass laid out to be fileted will about make you sick

Thank goodness for high water years to grow more fishes😃

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

7 hours ago, Fish24/7 said:

Great report thank you! Despite the conditions you still caught them nice work.

 

On a side note Spearhunters abound after dark wearing headlamps and shooting at anything that moves.  Nobody cares evidently this happens Every spring. Big creek or Haskins ford  after 11pm is not a good idea.   I wanted to try for whites after dark but not with crazy bastards with guns spotlighting the water and goofing off.  Will just keep fishing there during the day when they  aren't  there.  somebody who spearfishes  there must be diabetic and dropped their insulin syringes  😡

I Don't blame the warden for not going there. He knows about  these places.  Besides  he has so much water to cover in the first place. Plus people on narcotics are extremely dangerous  and he would be outnumbered ..

I keep extra trash bags in my car to pick up the dirty diapers beer cans and whisky mini bottles they leave behind.

Man someone needs to call in those people spearing at night.  It illegal to spear after dark for 1.  Arkansas used to be pretty serious about checking divers. My brother and i have been check numerous times while spearfishing. We kept it legel so never had an issue

[Fish24/7]

7 hours ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

Man someone needs to call in those people spearing at night.  It illegal to spear after dark for 1.  Arkansas used to be pretty serious about checking divers. My brother and i have been check numerous times while spearfishing. We kept it legel so never had an issue

The law is aware of what goes on at night around the lake and streams.  This kind of activity  isn't  anything  new.  I called in some guys grabbing walleye a few years ago.These fools tried to tell me walleye were biting their grab hooks ......as they pulled them out of the water tail first. A kid was sitting on a log ripping the sides off them too. So  I waited an hour nobody came. Either didn't want to mess with it or was busy somewhere  else I guess. 

[mixermarkb]

I for one would gladly trade a few St. Louis County traffic cops for a few more game wardens and highway patrol water units in Ozark and Taney Counties.