WHERE ARE THE COSTA GUYS?

[magicwormman]

139 boats and I've only seen 5 boats each day go past our house (near pt. 13) headed up the James. They must be afraid of the water color or lack of fish. Looking at the results of day one, almost everyone has a limit. The only problem is they are all the same size and it will be hard to make up ground, unless someone finds a honey hole!

[Quillback]

Just did some reading of what they were saying and I get the impression that a lot of them are sight fishing, or at least fishing in water where they see fish and beds.  Could be if the James is colored up no one wants to go up there and fish "blind" so to speak.  

Looks like they are experiencing what a lot of the folks reporting here are experiencing, you can catch a lot of fish, a lot of keepers, but it's hard to catch a lot of big keepers.

Also looks to be a lot of spawned out largemouth being weighed in.

[Browning Guy]

Targeting spawning fish is a sore subject for me. They are a quick easy way to fill a limit, but often times only a 10.5-11.5 pound sack. Those bags don't get you to fish Saturday, but it does take away from the future of the lake.

I've contacted both the Corp and Missouri Conservation asking them to consider a hold on tournaments for 2-4 weeks every other year during the spawn. Surely, as anglers, that wouldn't be much of a sacrifice to make for the future of TR.

The James is definitely dirty and not easy to fish. I suspect Long Creek and Kings are the same. Lack of Costa guys up the James........they may think the spawn is ahead of the lower end and not as productive????

[Royal Blue]

Wouldn't surprise me if someone bails on the spawners and has some success deep cranking the mouths of the creeks.

[likinmo]

Our club measures the fish and puts them right back. Last weekend while we were in our club tourney I caught a locked on 14 3/4 incher I measured it and I put it back and before we left it ....it was right back locked on that bed...it was kinda cool to know that you can actually catch one and put it right back on its bed! I love that format.....

[Quillback]

2 hours ago, BrowningCollector.com said:

Targeting spawning fish is a sore subject for me. They are a quick easy way to fill a limit, but often times only a 10.5-11.5 pound sack. Those bags don't get you to fish Saturday, but it does take away from the future of the lake.

I've contacted both the Corp and Missouri Conservation asking them to consider a hold on tournaments for 2-4 weeks every other year during the spawn. Surely, as anglers, that wouldn't be much of a sacrifice to make for the future of TR.

The James is definitely dirty and not easy to fish. I suspect Long Creek and Kings are the same. Lack of Costa guys up the James........they may think the spawn is ahead of the lower end and not as productive????

Yep, if I could make the rules I would put in place a weigh and release format during the spawn.  Some of those spawned out LM's that are being hoisted on the stage don't look too healthy, they are skinny and beat up.  Spawning puts a lot of stress on fish, then carting them around in a livewell all day and then waiting while 250 guys go through the weigh in process is not going to help those fish.

[Seth]

The only way the catch, weigh and release will ever work is if you have a dedicated boat marshal with a provided scale that was calibrated to match every one scale in use. A way to video yourself weighing fish in plain sight might work, but again, who is providing that gear or will it just be a requirement on the angler to provide that before they can fish? Let's face it, a lot of guys who fish are doing good to use their cell phone, much less keep a camera rolling, swap chips, make sure the batteries stay fresh, etc.

Only the big leagues have enough money and man power to make that happen. I'm not sure you'll ever be able to make it happen on the lower level tournaments. Relying on anglers to weigh and keep track of their own fish when there are thousands of $$$ will only lead to cheating.

 

[Bill Babler]

Tuesday thru Thursday we had some giant Jaws.  Biggest at 4.67.  Lots of them in the 3.5 up class, all weighed on an MLF scale so I know its correct.  Caught all the good ones on a topwater and a jig.

Good buddy just hammered them on a fluke in front of the bushes.

I saw a ton of Costa guys yesterday from CP up.  Saw a couple catch good fish on a blade out of the bushes.  I think that may e be a good pattern with the sun out in the dingy water up the rivers

Top bite is the best we have had in several years, if you know what and where.  Not where you would think and I'm keeping it quiet till after next week.

Good Luck

[Smithvillesteve]

139 boats x 5 fish taken off beds = 695 bass if my math is correct. Keep up the effort BrowningCollector and congrats to your club Likenmo!! Change is hard. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Seth said:

The only way the catch, weigh and release will ever work is if you have a dedicated boat marshal with a provided scale that was calibrated to match every one scale in use. A way to video yourself weighing fish in plain sight might work, but again, who is providing that gear or will it just be a requirement on the angler to provide that before they can fish? Let's face it, a lot of guys who fish are doing good to use their cell phone, much less keep a camera rolling, swap chips, make sure the batteries stay fresh, etc.

Only the big leagues have enough money and man power to make that happen. I'm not sure you'll ever be able to make it happen on the lower level tournaments. Relying on anglers to weigh and keep track of their own fish when there are thousands of $$$ will only lead to cheating.

 

sad dam day that there not enough honest people left that any and everything has to be cheated at.

bo