It’s Getting Started

[Bill Babler]

Had 11 keepers yesterday with the best couple being at 3.10 pounds.  One LM and one SM at that weight.  Lots of other keeps in that 2.8 pound range.  Only had 4 shorts.  Everything on a 5/8th. GPO Pig Sticker with a Beaver trailer in GP.  KC area 15' to 22'  Bite was a solid jig bite unlike my earlier deal.

Buddy simply tore them up at Shell Knob past couple of days on a modified Ned Rig with a skirt and a slim senko trailer.  I'll try and get a pic.  Ned was 1/4 oz. custom built mushroom head.  Fish in 15' to 22'

[magicwormman]

On 9/15/2019 at 1:15 PM, Bill Babler said:

Had 11 keepers yesterday with the best couple being at 3.10 pounds.  One LM and one SM at that weight.  Lots of other keeps in that 2.8 pound range.  Only had 4 shorts.  Everything on a 5/8th. GPO Pig Sticker with a Beaver trailer in GP.  KC area 15' to 22'  Bite was a solid jig bite unlike my earlier deal.

Buddy simply tore them up at Shell Knob past couple of days on a modified Ned Rig with a skirt and a slim senko trailer.  I'll try and get a pic.  Ned was 1/4 oz. custom built mushroom head.  Fish in 15' to 22'

Bill, you continue to amaze me with your valuable info! I know that you will get your reward some day! Keep those reports coming. They motivate a lot of us who are struggling! Thank You!

[Bill Babler]

Let me unmotivate you.  Last 3 days I have had 13-11-3 fish with a total of 11 keepers.  That is in 16 hrs. of hard fishing.  Just to hot and slick.  Time of day seems to be no factor.  You can fish a location that you can see fish and they won't bite and then come back in a hour and catch a couple.  Early does not seem to matter, except to get you out of the extreme heat.  Yesterday when we quit at 11 AM the surface temps were pushing 87 degree in the lower James.  Today they were about 84-85

This is kind of like really early Spring in the aspect that if you catch one you better stay close and hang in there, cause they are not biting everywhere.

[magicwormman]

20 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Let me unmotivate you.  Last 3 days I have had 13-11-3 fish with a total of 11 keepers.  That is in 16 hrs. of hard fishing.  Just to hot and slick.  Time of day seems to be no factor.  You can fish a location that you can see fish and they won't bite and then come back in a hour and catch a couple.  Early does not seem to matter, except to get you out of the extreme heat.  Yesterday when we quit at 11 AM the surface temps were pushing 87 degree in the lower James.  Today they were about 84-85

This is kind of like really early Spring in the aspect that if you catch one you better stay close and hang in there, cause they are not biting everywhere.

Thank You Bill!, It's a bit refreshing to see the good sticks struggling as well! It was so tough for me that I pulled my boat to do some serious cleaning. I realize that better days are right around the corner. Vernon must be coming down, as I see we are finally going to get some rain!

[Bill Babler]

They were back at it this morning. See my graph shots on Bobby’s post.  Don’t know the difference in yesterday From today but the fish were totally eating 

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Fished today from Cape to KC.  Hit all my usual main lake stuff that i have been doing good on with a big spoon and didnt have a whole lot of luck. Went back into the creeks and caught 15 or so with 10 keeps. Nothing big but some solid fish. Ended up with 10lbs and some change for our best 4

[vernon]

23 hours ago, magicwormman said:

Thank You Bill!, It's a bit refreshing to see the good sticks struggling as well! It was so tough for me that I pulled my boat to do some serious cleaning. I realize that better days are right around the corner. Vernon must be coming down, as I see we are finally going to get some rain!

Actually, you just missed me!  We were there last week and I decided to "bring the heat" this time instead of rain and it seemed to work equally well insofar as making it some kind of miserable.

I didn't bother posting anything regarding fishing as I don't think I spent more than a couple of hours total even trying until Friday.  That's when the clouds rolled in and it rained off and on and was downright pleasant out there.  

Of course that didn't even remotely qualify as a Vernon type rain!

Caught three fish the entire time dragging jigs around in 15 - 20 foot of water kinda like Bill and everybody else has alluded to but with not nearly the level of success.  In fact on Friday when conditions seemed near perfect I jumped points and extended gravel for a good six hours and never got a sniff.  

I'm not very good.......

We did get in some quality boat riding though as that's what Kathy enjoys most this time of the year and I'm typically happy to oblige her since the fishing is usually so tuff even on the days that the heat index isn't 110.  Made the trip one day from Indian Point up the White toward Beaver Dam.  That was good for about six hours roundtrip and about 25 gallons of gas!  I dunno how close we actually were to the dam but the water was up enough that it was the farthest we've ever made it in the 'ol Ranger.  

Water temp was a brisk 44 degrees which felt even colder on the toes when compared to the bathwater that was the main lake.

I had hoped to spend some time experimenting with Bo's Big Wobbler but Tackle Warehouse kinda let me down.  Ordered a half dozen Wobblers and a couple of spools of line on Wednesday the 28th of August and as of Monday the 9th of September they had made it all the way to LOS ANGELES!!  

Finally arrived at the house on Wednesday the 11th!

Can't say as I ever remember it taking more than four or five days for an order from them to get here but, boy, not this time.

Hoping to get back down y'all's way later in October to see if I can make it SNOW!  🥶

[snagged in outlet 3]

29 minutes ago, vernon said:

Hoping to get back down y'all's way later in October to see if I can make it SNOW!  🥶

After the 13th please....

[vernon]

16 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

After the 13th please....

I promise.  😘

[LukeD]

anyone been in the Aunts creek or Kimberling area. Big jig and point bite happening there yet? cant wait to get down there that kind of fishing is one of my favorites