Well darn it!

[Hunter53]

Well darn it anyhow. After us coming down in the spring for a lot of years we got tired of fighting all the big tournaments and traffic and have went north to SD for last couple years. 
 

We missed being down on Table Rock so we planned on coming down for a few days the end of this week. 
 

Then we saw the big bass tournament was this weekend and another tournament permitted for 80 boats out of where we were planning to launch and some other smaller tournaments. Wife can’t change her time off so the option of coming a different weekend doesn’t work. 
 

Sooooo we canceled our house we were going to rent, got our Dixie Stampede tickets refunded and are now heading back up North. 😔

Maybe one of these days we can plan another trip when the lake isn’t over ran with big tournaments. We really love the area but don’t like having to ‘take a number’ for fishing spots. 
 

We also used to buy fish flour from Flat Creek restaurant and have ran out and was going to buy some more. They don’t actually have containers for sale but we always talked to a manager and they would bag up a few pounds and sell it to us. 
If anyone is willing to buy some of their flour and ship it to us shoot me a message. 

[Quillback]

Can't say that I blame you.  Going to be a few boats on the lake this weekend.

[Bill Babler]

They’re already here. Both SK and Viola ramps were toast yesterday. Kind of funny. These guys out flipping every down log trying to sore mouth any fish they can find. 

You flip shallow cover now and go back and try to catch those same fish, your looking for fools gold. 
 

[snagged in outlet 3]

28 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

They’re already here. Both SK and Viola ramps were toast yesterday. Kind of funny. These guys out flipping every down log trying to sore mouth any fish they can find. 

You flip shallow cover now and go back and try to catch those same fish, your looking for fools gold. 
 

I watched em do that for the last one!!   

[Quillback]

2 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

They’re already here. Both SK and Viola ramps were toast yesterday. Kind of funny. These guys out flipping every down log trying to sore mouth any fish they can find. 

You flip shallow cover now and go back and try to catch those same fish, your looking for fools gold. 
 

Never understood why you would want to go out and sore mouth fish during "practice".  

[Hunter53]

Next time before the wife schedules her vacation I will definitely be checking the regatta permits first. 
Every spring we always hit when the chicken plucker(Tyson) tournament was going on for part of our trip. 
Honestly not sure which is worse the big bass deal or the chicken plucker. 
I guess at least I never saw big bass deal people knifing bass in the campground like I did a few of the chicken plucker people. 🤮

We are honestly disappointed as we do truly love the lake and area down there!!

[crazy4fishin]

Hunter - I am down during the Big Bass and the Yeti tourney....I never really noticed any more traffic than usual either on the roads or the water. I also stay down on Taney the week of Labor Day and it used to be very quiet but given all of the attractions etc. it has become just as busy as any other time even on the lake. 

C4F

[Hunter53]

I was talked into fishing a couple of the spring big bass tournaments and we have been there on vacation during a few of the tyson tournaments.  The boat traffic was horrendous compared to when those are not going on. 
 

[Lvn2Fish]

16 hours ago, Hunter53 said:

I was talked into fishing a couple of the spring big bass tournaments and we have been there on vacation during a few of the tyson tournaments.  The boat traffic was horrendous compared to when those are not going on. 
 

Try bull shoals 

[rps]

Way up lake, Big M and above all the way to Houseman, is never as bad. From the dam, you are talking 50 or 60 river miles. Trust me, the upper end holds good fish (perhaps not as many SM).  Stay in crazy Eureka, launch at Holiday Island (they sometimes have nightly slips with power), and enjoy.