Boats on The Water

[Bill Babler]

Looks like at least 15 baits on there. I’m like you I’ve had trouble with 5. Doing better now that I canned the braid and just throw it on Big Game. 

Still 1 or 2 casts out of 10 and Houston we have a problem. 
 

[Dock-in-it]

11 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Dock, are they dispersed much yet at KC?  Friend fished the bank down there yesterday and had just a stupid bag of LM. Said they caught nothing over 15’ deep. 

The deep fish that I see are not grouped up and are constantly on the move. Also, finding shad means nothing.  I can find abundant shad from 10ft to 60ft  and there are no fish to be found. Seems like the fish would rather chase a very small group of shad vs sitting around a train load. Based on reports, the quality bites are shallow (especially when using FFS).

Based on what I am seeing on FFS, there are plenty of fish using cedars in 15-25ft and plenty of fish using shallow water (5-15ft). I no longer throw the A-Rig just so I can save my shoulders. I see fish running away from a 3" swimbait, so it would be interesting to watch them react to an over sized A-Rig.

I caught several yesterday on an ice jig in 30 FOW on the bottom and caught some on a swimbait suspended at 10' in 50 FOW.

The guys that are good with FFS and aggressively on the move are running circles around me with their catch rates. But March will bring new opportunities for the offshore swimbait bite.

[Dock-in-it]

12 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Sounds like it’s getting close to time for the ole Floater.

Bill, the suspended fish in January were really postured for a float-n-fly. There would be multiple opportunities within casting distance.

Currently, they are scattered but with FFS you can routinely see an individual opportunity, then you have to move around to find the next. From 7 to 8am seems to provide the most opportunities. If you could make a long 60-80 cast for fish suspended at 10ft then you might be able to entice quite a few.

[bobby b.]

22 minutes ago, Dock-in-it said:

then you have to move around to find the next. 

I am seeing the same at the dam area.  I have been going most mornings but not seeing much bait but rather go to the places where they should be or have been in the past and drop down and can get a fish or two to come off the bottom, maybe take the my bait and then off to a different spot.  The fish that are caught are all in the 3 lb range and in the last two days more SM than Spots.  I haven't caught a LM in a week. always in 50 fow plus.

[Champ188]

14 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

If you’re fishing the BFL and run up the Kings to or past the 86 bridge or up the White to Holiday Island or past from KC, you’re really really mad at em. 

I've made that voyage many times and had it pay off for me in CPA and BFL events, but the thing is, the productive spots in the Kings are numbered. It doesn't take many boats to get the same idea and then you're just splitting up the fish among you and no one has enough to win. 

[Champ188]

14 hours ago, Ketchup said:

I must be the only one that likes seeing the ramps active. It’s nice seeing people get out that have probably been cooped up 4 months on those nice  warm sunny days. There were probably 20 rigs at Cedar Ridge on Stockton yesterday at 1pm. I was one of them. 

I'm just not that social anymore. Too many Richard Craniums out there with no respect for anyone else's space. Not everyone, but enough to make me treasure my solitude when I can find it. 

[Champ188]

13 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Good Lord,  enough Big Bite baits on there to buy me gas for a week

Someone was REALLY mad at em to hurl that friggin' contraption

for more than 5 minutes. 

[Bill Babler]

Agree with you on that James.  The Kings for the length of the river system that it is can really fish small, especially in the coming weeks with all the white bass guys moving in. I only trusted it a few times in derby’s. 

Sainato and I won one up there on a jerk bait in a Heartland, and that’s really the only time I did well on the Kings Run. 

Beck and I got a 3rd. One time out of Owl and RR early on a jig. 

Justin McClelland has simply won a boat load of cash up there. RR and up. 

Kelly and quite a few others have caught them in derby’s good in Owl and Viney. 

I also believe Brent Ehliar won a BASS in Owl and Mark Davis won one in Rock Creek

There have been several good sight fishermen win lots of money way up above Holiday during the spawn. 

BFL pays big dollars so it’s not above the realm of possibility to make that haul. To far for this mature dude anymore.  
To many A-rig fish closer, if I’m casting for cash. 



 

 

[Champ188]

54 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

BFL pays big dollars so it’s not above the realm of possibility to make that haul. To far for this mature dude anymore.  
To many A-rig fish closer, if I’m casting for cash. 

It would take flood conditions and the ability to into the clearing water behind whatever logjam might be coming down to get me back up there in a derby. And a blade bite. Then I MIGHT make the trip.  Only thing is, it's a commitment. Once you're there, might as well stay and make the best of whatever is or isn't working for ya coz there's just not time to punt ... i.e., go somewhere else. 

[Bill Babler]

Yep. Beck never like to go up there during a derby. Mid lake you can go any direction. Up the river there is just not time to recalibrate. 

He also didn’t like to go way up the James above point 15. Been 100’s of derby’s won  up there but 1000’s lost.