Lloyd's Fishing Report/Fish Stories

About Lloyd. He is a resident of Roseville Minnesota for most of the year but lives at our resort for
1 month of each year in Oct/Nov and for 2 months in February and March of each year.

He is the most avid fisherman we have ever had or seen at the resort. He fishes when most of us
wouldn't even think about getting up and going. Cold and rain doesn't usually stop him.

If it looks like a fish story it probable is since most of the time there are no witnesses.
But his pictures don't.

Lloyd's 2006 Fishing Reports        Lloyd's 2007 Fishing Reports

Spring 2008 Reports

3/26

Well, it’s time to sign off for another season. I’ll be packing today, and leaving tomorrow morning
for Des Moines, to meet my wife. We’ll be there for a few days, before heading to snowy MN.  

It’s been great, even though this year’s weather and water conditions were less than favorable. I didn’t
fish near as much as I would like, but learned a bit about trout fishing the White River, and that was
fun, and offered an alternative to fishing the lake.  

And the catching, well that wasn’t so hot either. I ended with 41 keeper Crappies. Just when fishing
would seem to pick up, a new “system” would come through and slow things down. But, that’s the
way it goes, and why it’s called fishing, instead of catching. 

The sights and sounds of the Ozarks were great. Barb got to see a Roadrunner, a number of live
Armadillo’s, and then there’s the usual number of cardinals, bluebirds, geese, deer, and the flowers
and budding trees . This is really what it’s all about. 

And, our side-trip to Arizona was super, and we enjoyed the Tim Patava family visit, just sorry the
fishing was totally turned off at that time. And it’s always great to see our Red Arrow neighbors from
the north…. MN, IA, WI. A Big thanks to Teresa and Jeff for their friendship and hospitality. 

 Once again, it’s been a great two months! 

P.S. Bud Eggleston (childhood friend) and I are coming back to Red Arrow towards the end of April.
Hopefully the lake conditions will improve by then, and we can get in a few good days of fishing.
If we set any records, I’ll report them next Fall. 

3/25

Another weather report: 48 and clear at 5:30, with a LWA already in effect. The south wind is at
12 mph and gusting, forecast to increase to 15-25 mph during the day. The south winds will bring
in warmer weather….high of 66. 

Once again the water is coming over the walkway, but this morning I made it getting wet boots only. 

Don, Red and I are going trout fishing this morning. Yesterday at the Meeting-under-the- Canopy,
treats included smoked trout. They were excellent….good job Jeff.  

We started at 3-Shoots, and caught some, released some, and left at it became more crowded after
a couple of hours. Then we went to Shipp’s Landing, where the water was high and cloudy. We caught
a few just before leaving. A good time on a beautiful day, highs in the 70’s.   

3/24

Thirty degrees and calm at 5:30. The lake level continues to rise, covering one end of the walkway
to the dock. It’s probably up a foot since yesterday. My boots weren’t high enough and my long
jump not long enough…..so, a couple of wet feet on the way to and from feeding the trout. 

No fishing and a couple of wet feet certainly aren’t a big deal compared to the widespread flooding
reports and pictures from Arkansas, Missouri and other areas.

It’s hard to believe the amount of water and the devastation. How terrible!  

3/23  Happy Easter All!

The number of keeper Crappies caught, remains at 41, no change since 3/17 and the storms. 

At 6 this morning it was 38 degrees, clear, and windy. 50 is the high for the day, with NNW winds
between 10-20 mph. 

It was cold and breezy for the morning trout feeding. The northerly wind has put lots of stuff in
the boat stalls. It’s a mix of mud, grass, sticks, foam, and whatever, and looks thick enough to
walk on. Since I was there, I might as well drop a jig in the few openings in the muck. Nothing. 

I’m hearing more stories about the floating debris fouling the boat motors and damaging props,
including Jeff’s who has to take his in, and Don (cabin #7) had to blow out his water pump earlier.
Poor fishing conditions and the floating debris has definitely reduced boat traffic in the area. 

I may rethink/postpone my plans to go to the big part of the lake, with all the floating stuff
between here and there.  

I’ll probably pass on fishing for the day. I have an Easter dinner invite at Red and Eileen’s (Cabin #4).  
And, then there’s golf and lots of NCAA basketball action continuing today. 

3/22      

The Patava’s are leaving today, so Kyle, Cole, and I decided to give the dock one early morning try.
We left the cabin at 6 AM, and found the lake level had continued to rise overnight. The near end of
the walkway was under water. After a wet leg, Kyle did find the least wet way to reach the dock.
Cole and I followed, stepping from one rock to the next, and ending in slightly wet feet.  

We fished for maybe 45 minutes without a single nibble. So, we took our wet feet back to the cabin. 

My wife Barb is riding back to the Des Moines area with them, for a few days of R&R.

I’ll be leaving for Iowa next Saturday, March 29^th, then we’ll continue on to MN. April 1^st.  Depending
on water conditions of the lake improving, I may leave a day or so earlier.  

I do plan to try it on the big lake on a day when the wind is light. There the water is clearer, with
less floating debris. To get there however, one has to dodge a lot of floating stuff, including
branches/trees/logs. 

I talked with Jeff later this afternoon, after he had raised the dock again. The normal pool for Bull
Shoals Lake is 654 feet. Right now it is 17 feet above normal pool, and they’re saying it will increase
another 10 feet. If we’re currently at 671 feet above normal pool, I can’t imagine what it’ll look
like adding another 10 feet. My lake fishing may be done, because the water won’t begin to clear
until the lake level starts dropping.  

3/21

A sunny day, the high reached 74, a Lake Wind Advisory was issued from 10 AM to 7 PM. The young
guys were anxious to try some lake fishing, and since the wind wasn’t too bad yet, we gave it a try,
starting near Marker #2, near the big lake, working our way back towards the dock (which has
been raised several times in the past week). 

We tried several areas, marking a few fish, but not near as many as the pre-storm days.

We didn’t get a fish, not even a bite. This was very disappointing since I was hoping each of the
guys would get a large Crappie, or Bass, or….something. 

It was a beautiful day, so we went back to the White River in the afternoon. It was a busy place,
with boaters, waders, and shoreline fishing. We kept a couple of the larger trout, and released
around another 8. It is fun catching the trout, and offers a good alternative, when lake fishing
is at a standstill, and the outlook bleak for the short term, or maybe longer. 

3/20

It’s sunny today with a high forecast at 65. With the lake in such bad condition, we decided to
go for trout on the White River.  

In 2-3 hours, we had 8 trout for smoking, and released another 5-6. Kyle and Cole supplied most
of the fish.  

In the afternoon we took a boat ride surveying the area towards the dam. The water near the
big part of the lake, was less muddy, with less debris. It’s very deep water (we marked 180 ft in
places), and the fish we marked, were also very deep.  

3/19

The Tim Patava’s arrived last evening between 6-7. The rains continued all night and through the
entire day. The Flash Flood warnings are extended. 

Rain estimates for the range from 8 to 12 inches in the Mtn. Home area, and 6.75 at Red Arrow.
The lake is a mess, way out of it’s normal banks, very muddy water and major floating debris,
There are branches, logs, and all kinds of smaller items totally surrounding the dock, and all over
the Howard Creek end of the lake. It looks like you could walk on the stuff. The walkway to the
dock is totally submerged. The road circling the launch area is under water. 

No fishing today, not sure when we’ll get a chance to fish. 

3/18

A total washout, no fishing today. We had heavy rain, thunder, and lightning throughout the night,
and continuing all day!!! There’s a chance of severe weather, and the Flash Flood warning continues. 

I went to the dock this morning a little after 6 when there was a brief break in the rain.

I thought about trying a jig for a few minutes, but before I got to the locker, the lightning started,
and it began to downpour. I feed the trout, and returned to the cabin, quite wet. 

The amount of running water is unbelievable, and the lake is rising, and very muddy, and the White
River is the highest that I’ve seen. All generators are running at the dam, pumping lots of water
into the river. And, it’s still raining at 3 PM, with the forecast to continue through the evening and
into tomorrow morning. They talked about 5 inches yesterday, I think it’ll definitely make that. 

We’re hoping Tim and family don’t run into any flooded roads. We just heard from them,
they’re north of Springfield, doing well, plan to make a stop at the Bass Pro Shop, and then
continue to Red Arrow.  

3/17        

The car has a 7:30 appointment for an oil change and tire rotation this morning, so early fishing
will be brief. To the dock at 5:45, cloudy, temp 46, wind at 10 mph, and there’s a flash flood
warning for the area.  

I got a hit shortly after arriving, with the small white jig, and as I reached for the net, it flipped off.
I went right back, another hit, and caught a nice 12+ Crappie. I left for the cabin at 6:30, with one
keeper, one too small, and one miss. 

After the oil change, we have some errands to run, and the wind is forecast to pick up later, with
a chance of rain. So not sure about more fishing today (and tomorrow looks worse). 

Tomorrow, Barb’s son and family (Tim & Jill Patava, and sons Kyle & Cole) are coming for a few
days of fishing and fun. I sure hope the boys catch a nice Crappie, a 13, 14, or 15 inch, would
be great. Or, maybe a big bass. The weather doesn’t sound very encouraging for fishing the next
couple of days, but improving Thursday and Friday.   

3/16

I went to the dock at 5:45, with the temp at 40, cloudy, and wind NE @ 6. Again, the wind was
forecast to pick up to 10-15 during the day, increasing tonight to 10-20, and even higher tomorrow (20-25). 

I fished the dock for close to 2 hours, catching 2 keeper Crappies, and 1 BIG fish. The big fish!?! Well,
I was using an ultra-lite rod with the little (2 inch max) white jig, tossing out towards the lake.
Good hit….wasn’t sure what it was, but knew it was big. It pretty much did whatever it wanted. 

I’m thinking probably Carp, maybe Catfish, hopefully….Walleye!! I would just about get it up to where
I could see it, then it would dive, and take off, sometimes toward the lake, sometimes under
the dock. I’m trying to adjust the drag, then back reel, keep tension on the line, and keep the
fish out of the trees. I finally got “it” up enough to see it was a……Carp!  Darn!!! 

Knowing it was Carp took the pressure off, but now, should I break it off, or try to land it? I decided
to land it, and save…..the little white jig. It seems, every year, I catch a good size Carp on the little
white jig. I finally did land the Carp, which probably weighed 10-12 pounds, and pretty much
max’ed out the rubber net. That was fun!! 

After some coffee, and a warm up, I spent two more hours in the boat, catching no fish, but
losing two jigs. When the wind picked up, so did I. That was it for today. 

I heard today that the White Bass (WB) action has slowed, thanks to the thunderstorms and
colder temps.   

3/15

I went out later yesterday afternoon for about an hour, no action. Today’s weather was
mix of rain, sun, sprinkles, and then a repeat. The temp was okay later, high of 54, but the
wind also became active later. I fished on the dock for an hour and half early… no fish.  

I then spent two hours in the boat, with 1 small bass from the area straight across from
the dock. The wind picked up making it difficult fishing….so, that was it for the day.  

Lot’s of White Bass (WB) action. Talked to the Michigan guys from Ridge Crest Resort, and the
WB are hitting up in the shallow of the arms, especially the Howard Creek, but also in the
shallows of the other arm. A MO. fisherman told me he has done well with WB near the small
islands, across from the “ledges”. He got 8 the other day, and was going back out today. 

3/14          Total Crappies to date: 38

Last night, and during the night we received the thunderstorms, per the forecast. At times, there was
a pretty good light and sound show. Not sure how that’ll affect the fishing. We had just gotten in
to a nice, consistent weather pattern. The water is dropping, and warming. 

At 5:30, the rain has stopped, the temp is 47, cloudy, slight wind. There’s an 80% chance of more
thunderstorms this evening, and tomorrow, with winds ranging from 10-20 mph. 

I left for the dock at 5:40, and it took a half an hour to get a bite on a minnow. I felt a hit, it got
the minnow, I got nothing. Right back at the same spot, I got this one, but just under the minimum.
Another tree, another hit, and picked up a 11+ keeper. After nothing….switched to the small white
Stinger. The water was discolored from the rain/run-off, and I could see the white jig better. The
fish seemed to be hitting high, following the bait up, or coming up after it. 

I tipped the jig with a minnow to add a bit of weight, picked up another undersized Crappie.
Working the outside of the stall, something really zapped the small jig. I had it on for a few seconds,
but it got off. It felt real good, but we’ll never know. 

About daybreak, 4-5-6 boats took off up the arm where the ledge is located. Word is the White Bass
are hitting. The WB go to the shallower, warmer water. I’ve only caught a few, while fishing Crappie.
They are fun to catch. 

I went to the forest area, and after a time, caught another 11-12” Crappie on the white jig w/minnow.
Later, I moved just across from the dock, and immediately hooked in to a stubborn branch, who now
has added a small white jig to it’s collection. Couldn’t get a bite there, and returned to the cabin
at 9:45. At least the stormy weather didn’t completely turn off fishing. I’ll try again later the afternoon. 

3/13       

When I left for the dock at 5:50, the temp was 54 degrees, cloudy, slight wind at 4.  

As I tossed out the first minnow, I noticed a shadow right below me, hanging in one of the trees. It
could be a Crappie, or maybe a large leaf, similar to the one I caught the other day, or whatever. I
took my eyes off it while watching the line swing down. I brought it up along the tree, where the
shadow had now disappeared. I could barely see my minnow, when this silver streak shot out from
under the dock and grabbed the minnow. Remembering one of my Cardinal Rules, I didn’t set the
hook on sight, but gave it a little line, then brought in a nice 12 inch Crappie.  

After no further action I switch rods, and promptly snagged the FS jig. Crappies are very spooky, so
rather than shake up things completely, I laid that rod down, went back to the minnow. At 5 to 7, I
decided to give it 5 minutes, go back to the cabin, re-load with some coffee, and go out in the boat
before the winds come up (forecast 10-20 mph, with chance of thunderstorms). 

Back to the first tree, brought the minnow up along the tree, got a hit, and caught a 11 inch Crappie.
I didn’t see this one hit, but it wasn’t very deep. Back to cabin at 7:30. 

At 8 o’clock, I left for the forest area, where it remained very calm, great for holding the boat
over the trees/brush piles. A minnow produced nothing, same for a chartreuse Fuzzy Grub, so went
to the FS. I felt a bump, and thought I was hitting a branch, gave it couple of slight jiggles, and picked
up a 11+ Crappie. That was all. 

I wanted to go straight across from the dock while it was still fairly calm. On the very first pass, got a
real good hit (on a minnow), and pulled in a very nice Crappie. I didn’t check the length, but it’ll go 14+,
and I’ll get a better measurement at the Fish Cleaning Station later this afternoon. Back to the cabin
at 10, with two Crappies….from the boat.

The anticipated fishing-slow-down, hasn’t been too bad. The water surface temp is now 50+,
continuing to increase, and the water level is slowly dropping. 

I went out for another hour in the afternoon, caught one Crappie at 9 ½ inches, that didn’t quite
make the cut. The wind was picking up, probably not 20, but some pretty good gusts. This was a
good time to clean fish. The semi-official measuring showed the biggest of the day at 14 ¼ , the
one from the other day 13 ¾ , two 12’s, 1 just over 11, one just under, making for an impressive
bunch of fillets.   

3/12        

I left for the dock at 5:45, with a temp of 47, clear, and a slight SSW wind at 4. It actually seemed
colder by the lake, or maybe Arizona spoiled me. Looks like the lake dropped a few inches, and much
less debris floating around, although quite a mass between the dock and shoreline. 

I alternated rods, one with a minnow, the other with a Finn S jig. I thought I saw a shadow follow
up the Finn S, but it didn’t hit. After a while of no action, I moved to another boat stall, and with
the minnow, finally picked up a Crappie, 12+. Then nothing, so switched to the Finn S (FS), and
more nothing. Back to the minnow, and picked up another 12 inch Crappie.  

I was out of minnows, so back to the cabin at 7:15 (sunrise is now 7:23). Today’s high is forecast
at 73, a great day for a round of golf. We have a 11 AM tee time. Barb is really “pumped” following
a couple of good rounds in AZ. As for me….well, I didn’t lose a single ball in two outings, and I may
have had 1 par, which is about par for me. 

I did go back out in the boat for about an hour, marked fish, but no bites. 

It was a beautiful day for golfing, sunny, and we heard the high hit 79. Seventy-nine, that is
my approximate score, for 9 holes. But, no lost balls, and no 7 holes. No pars either, but that wasn’t
my fault, it’s the Pitching Wedge problem. Barb blames the course for her no par day. Not as
much nice green grass as AZ., she didn’t get the long roll, and the greens were a little rough.   

I returned to the dock, but it was very windy, so I cast off the platform. I started with a Slurpie
Ringworm, then a Centipede, and after an hour, returned to the cabin empty handed. 

3/11       

I was undecided whether to fish the dock this morning, since I’ll be going trout fishing later this
morning. But, I have to go down to the dock for trout feeding duties anyhow, so I  may as well
wet a line for a few minutes.  

I grabbed 1 rod, rigged with a Finn S, maybe  3 inches, dark olive top, silver underneath,
with a hint of yellow/gold along the side. There was still debris floating in the stalls, a little less
than yesterday.  

It was calm, but cold enough to develop ice balls at the end of the rod. After working 3-4 trees,
finally picked up a very nice Crappie (could push 14 inches) as I was bringing the lure up along side
the tree. It didn’t really hit, it just picked up the bait. At first I thought I had the tree, but as I
reached out to pull it away from the snag, I felt a tug, and it was a fish. That was it. I almost
forgot to feed the trout, I was excited to finally catch a fish. 

After Red gave me the hook, line and sinker, we left for the White River, maybe 10-12 miles
from Red Arrow, about 10:30. The water level was quite high and the current quite strong at
“3 Shoots” but we decided to give it a try. We went down a steep bank to the river. 

It wasn’t long before we each had a trout, and lost 1-2 more. This was fun! I caught a 14 inch
Rainbow, then one more smaller one, and Red picked up another. We were heading home
shortly after noon, with 5 trout. That was a fun experience!! And, will give me another option,
when things are slow on the lake. 

Later in the afternoon, I spent 1 ½ hours in the boat…..didn’t catch a fish, just a boat ride on
a beautiful day, sunny and a high temp of 62.    

3/10

I went to the dock at 5:30, not overly optimistic, but wanting to check out the boat, locker,
and all. It was 38 degrees, clear, with a slight breeze. 

If the lake level increases a few more inches, the walkway to the dock will have to be
raised again, or be underwater. There is a mass of debris in the boat stalls, all around the dock,
and even out in the lake. I tried fishing for a while, but the floating stuff…branches, stick,
leaves, made it difficult. I gave it about an hour, and returned to the cabin in the dark. 

The temp reached 60 in the afternoon, as I went out in the boat. I wanted to check out a
couple areas, see if I marked fish (I did), locate and check the depth of the brush piles.
There’s a whole lot more water now. This will make for a great spawn, but could be bad for
fishing in the short term (some estimating 1-3 weeks).  

With lake fishing in the down mode, I’m going trout fishing on the world famous White
River tomorrow. “Hackensack Red” is going to show me where to go, and how to fish trout.
This is my first time fishing trout in AR., and only my second time trout fishing. 

3/9

We arrived at Red Arrow at 6 PM, following two days of driving…700 miles on Sat. and 600 today.
I think it was 6, after changing time zones, then Springing forward, we weren’t really sure of time.

We had a super time in Arizona with the Nelson’s, seeing the Kosec’s, playing golf, etc.

And, the weather was perfect, with highs in the mid to upper 70’s. 

Before stopping at the cabin, we went down to the lake/dock to check out the high water.

It was HIGH, over the road at the turnaround for the launch. The walkway to the dock was now
resting on the very top step. I’m not sure, but the lake level must have risen 10 feet from
the time we left, thanks to some rain and 8-10 inches of snow. Snow!!!  

Red, from Hackensack, MN., and cabin #5, stopped over. He had been fishing on Lake Norfork,
which is also very high. The bait shop told him it could be 3 weeks before fishing returns
to normal. That doesn’t sound very encouraging.

2/27 - Total Crappies to date:  29

I left the cabin at 5:15, with a temp of 25, NW wind at 5, producing a wind chill of 21.

It was quite chizzly on the dock, and didn’t take long to question this morning’s WC calculation.

I started with a minnow, tossing it around the usual spots with no luck. I let it freefall to the bottom,
and cranked it up a few notches, waited, cranked a little more, waited and finally got a hit and an
11”Crappie. After repeating the process with no further action, tried the split-tail jig, then I tipped
it with a minnow, then jiggled the small white SP stinger around the trees, none of which worked.

It’s getting light early now, and I was getting cold, but I wanted to try casting a crankbait from
the platform, along the rocks/steep ledge, before returning to the cabin. After half dozen casts, with
ice forming at the end on the rod on each retrieve, I switched to a pearl Swimmin’ Minnow. Nothing.
I was back at the cabin at 6:50. I’ll probably go out in the boat once more before locking it up for
the next 10 days, as we leave tomorrow for AZ.  

I went out in the boat at 9:45, knowing it was pretty windy, with gusts to 21. You could see the
gusts coming across the water, and I couldn’t find any place out of the wind. I tried it for 45 minutes,
then gave up. I may check later, and give it one more chance before calling it a day.

The wind hasn’t let up at 2 o’clock, even though the temp isn’t bad…42 the last time I checked, so
I’m calling it a day. Time to lock up the boat/locker. The forecast calls for increasing temperatures
over the next 3-4 days, in the 50’s & 60’s, before another cold front enters on Monday. This could
trigger some action before the temps hit the skids, (highs in the 30’s) the first of next week. See
ya’ll when we return from AZ.    

2/26

The winds definitely picked up overnight. We could hear the wind going through the trees overhead,
and at 5:30 this morning, it was from the NW at 16, with gusts to 27 mph. This is in town (Mt. Home).
The temp was 36, not far from the predicted high of 38.

The LWA is still in effect, winds at 20-30 mph, gusts in the 40’s.

This doesn’t look like a good day for fishing, but it does look good for getting ready for our trip to Arizona. This is a good day for lining up clothes (incl. shorts, no Armour All), brushing off the golf clubs, and reviewing the directions to Chandler, AZ., where we’re visiting friends Jerry and Shari Nelson. They are snow birding from the north, at Sunbird Golf Resort. They have a place on the 16^th tee.

We’ll also see Bob and Tinka Kosec, who are now permanent snowbirds from MN. I can’t wait to hear (and collect) about Bob’s recent hole-in-one. And, unlike JN, Bob had a witness.

While there, we’ll do lunch with the Wassermann’s (WI) and also with a group of former Ecolab employees, now enjoying the sun, plus take in a Spring training game, and work in a few rounds of golf.

Tomorrow’s forecast shows an improvement… sunny, high of 45, winds diminishing to 10-15. Hopefully I’ll get in one more day of fishing before leaving for AZ. The Fishing Report will also be on vacation until we return…probably Mar. 8^th, 9^th, ?th.

2/25

Here comes another one…another front coming through. And, here comes another weather report. At 5 this morning it’s 32, cloudy, wind from the ESE at 6. There’s a high of 55 forecast, with winds switching to the west, and increasing to 20-30 by this afternoon. A Lake Wind Advisory has been issued from 3 PM today, to 6 PM tomorrow. Tomorrow winds are in the 25-35 range, with gusts in the 40’s.

There’s a chance of thunderstorms later today, with snow showers overnight, with snow flurries and a high of 38 degrees tomorrow. It doesn’t sound pretty.

There was dense fog when I left for the dock at 5:30. I caught one small Crappie, which looked close to the 10 inch cut-off, missed one, and returned to the cabin in a rain shower about 7. Had to cut fishing short this morning, I’m taking the car in to Mtn. Home for an 8:30 oil change appointment. 

The sun came out for a while, so I went out in the boat at 11:30. The wind was at 16, with gusts of 25. The dock offered a little protection, so trolling back and forth in front of the dock was no major problem, except for the gusts. Then the winds turned more to the west, dark clouds appeared, and it looked like rain any minute. So I decided to pull in and park the boat.  It was 1:30, and no fish. The sun returned, briefly, then more clouds.

Between 5-6 PM, looking out the window while eating, the lake looked quite calm. Maybe it’s in neutral, until completing the shift to the NW.  

2/24    

We had a shower later last night and they’re back off hitting the 50’s today, instead a high of 45, with a 50% chance of showers. And, instead of the 60’s tomorrow, maybe the 50’s. It had looked like we would be getting several days of steadily increasing temps

before a new front came through. Now it looks like we’re going to have a new front every other day until Wed/Thursday.  

When I left the cabin this at 5:30 AM, it was cloudy, 33 degrees, and a very slight ENE wind. I planned to give the dock about an hour, then head out in the boat about 6:30, and reach my spot prior to the start of today’s Bass Tournament. The dock produced nothing. I tried the split-tail jig, then a minnow, but didn’t get a single bite. The top water action of yesterday was missing, except for an occasional splash here and there.

It was still pretty dark at 6:30 when I left in the boat, and I was the only one in the area.

As I reached the first stop, a huge flock(s) of geese flew over, fairly low beneath the clouds.  I snagged up right away, but got out without losing anything. Yesterday I passed over two areas, one at 25 ft., one at 30, where I could see the tops of the trees/brush piles.

At the time, I was amazed that I moved all around the area the past few days and only ran into snags a couple of times. It was different today. I couldn’t see the snags at first in the dark, and I knew they were coming, but still hooked up two times in a row. Luckily, I could go back over them and get out without losing anything.

About 7, I heard the sound of engines in the distance, and expected the tournament boats to move in shortly. The first arrived at 7:15, going past where I was fishing. I think they turned in at the next arm, which has a nice point on each side, and the “ledge” a ways further in.

After no action at all, I left for the dock at 8, and so far, that was the only bass boat to come down Howard Creek (actually, I don’t know for sure whether they were part of the tournament). I was going to give the dock one more try before returning to the cabin, but a visit to the “Reading Room” seemed more important at the time….I wanted to finish the article on Winter Crappie Fishing Tips.

Not sure about more fishing today, maybe, maybe not. Later this afternoon, Barb and I are going over to Bull Shoals Dock, to check out the tournament/weigh in.

After dropping off some bills at the post office, we took the long way home, and drove by Bull Shoals dock. According to the number of trucks and trailers at the dock, this was a very small turnout for the tournament. I suppose canceling and re-scheduling produced a conflict for some. It also explains the low number of boats cruising our area, and we’ll probably pass on the weigh in.

I may not have any fish to show for today, but there were some other interesting sights. In addition to the many geese this morning, we saw a roadrunner on our tour. It started to cross the road in front of us, then changed it’s mind and ran back in to the ditch. And, we also saw a small flock of turkeys just inside a roadway fence. Neat!!

After watching some BB and golf, I decided to give the boat another try, and left for the dock around 2. I started straight across from the dock, using a minnow, then ran a white Road Runner next to the trees, and then went with a Bobby Garland Swimmin’ Minnow,

purple on top, silver on the bottom. It has great tail action, and one year I had very good luck with it. Not today.

Before tying the boat, I trolled in front of the dock several times…..nothing. It was quite cold, and the wind picked up. I did see several more, large strings of geese. They were all heading north. I don’t know if this is the start of a major flight north, but if they’re smart, they may want to put it in reverse. It was 4 o’clock as I drove back to the cabin.   

2/23

I left the cabin at 5:15, with temp of 29, partly cloudy, and wind at 3 from the ESE.

This is the first morning in at least a week, where there was some top water action. It was dark, but I could hear what sounded like shad working out from the dock, interrupted by an occasional big splash. This was encouraging, although it was probably 20 minutes before I got any action, and finally caught a <11” crappie.

I tossed the live minnow out towards the top water noise, letting it swing back to the dock, bringing up past the trees. This worked after a few tries, and I got a hit before it reached the trees…. Now I had a fish on, but had trouble reeling in the line. I checked for an icing of the rod tip, but that was okay. The line is hard to see in daylight, and next to impossible in lowlight conditions. Somehow the line got looped over the reel.

I laid down the pole, and after finally re-locating the line, started to wind it in by hand. Amazing, but the fish was still on, and seemed like a nice one. So I continued with the hand over hand retrieve, and scooped up a nice Crappie, could be 13”. Talk about luck!

About daybreak, a bass boat came flying by, and then another. I was thinking the increase in boat activity was due to being the weekend. So, even though I was getting chilled by then, and thinking hot coffee, I decided to take the boat over to “LB Bay”.

Good move. After I was there 5 minutes, here comes another boat. They did pull into the same area (the same two guys fished here yesterday, casting along the boat docks, then moving to where I had been, after I moved on).

I started with a minnow, same bait, different pole, and didn’t even get a nibble. I was getting increasingly cold, so decided on one more pass, and switched to a Bobby Garland Split-tail, light gray, with dark speckles.  I was trolling in from 40 feet, and stopped at 28-30 over a brush pile. Lightly jigging over the brush, got a hit and caught a bass (about 10”).

That made it a little warmer, meaning I could stay a little longer. And guess what?! Another hit, and my first keeper Crappie!!! From the boat!!! My first from the boat on this trip. Since it was the first, I measured it…. 12 ½ inches, caught around 8 o’clock.

The boat activity continued to pick up, and after no more bites, I returned to the dock.

As I walked to the car, I talked with a fellow who was launching his boat, and I had seen fishing in the area the past few days. I found out the reason for the large number of boats, there’s a one-day Bass tournament, originating out of Bull Shoals Dock.

Come to find out, this guy was pre-fishing for tomorrow’s tourney, a one-day event which had been postponed from last week.  He’s been experiencing the same problem I’ve had… marking fishing, but unable to get them to bite. He said he had a great December, catching fish (bass) regardless of the type, size, or color bait. Things have slowed down, except for brief periods in Jan. and the first part of Feb.

When I went back out at noon, there were less boats in the area, however the two guys in LB bay were still circling along the docks on one side, and back around where I had fished. And, before long, boat traffic picked up.

So, I trolled back and forth along the outer edge of the Red Arrow dock, then played leap-frog with a couple bass boats, moving to the ledges, along the point, down below the cabin, finishing back along the dock. Back to yesterday’s problem….marked fish, caught none. I came in after 2. The winds increased above the 5-10 range, and the temp stayed below the 45. I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I’ll be at the dock early, and on the lake before all the boat activity. 

2/22

We received more freezing rain overnight, and the 5 AM temp was 31, cloudy, wind NW at 3. The high for today is forecast at 35, with dense morning fog. There may be one more shot of freezing rain this morning, around 7, during commute time, although radar shows it may be heading  a bit north of us, in the southern MO. Area.

After peeking out at the deck, and seeing an icy coating, today I wisely decided to postpone my commute to the dock, at least until daylight.

At 7 no freezing rain, so off for the dock at 7:01. Got in the boat, went across the lake to Lost Bass Bay, and started fishing. The wind was ideal for working the brush piles, and there appeared to be fish all around the area. After an hour and fifteen minutes of dragging a nice lively minnow by and through all those fish, with nothing to show, I left for the Forest. Again, great conditions for working the area. And again, nothing.

On the way in, I’m thinking…the heck with skill, just give me some plain ol’ luck please. I was back at the cabin before 9:30.

Back out in the boat at 1:15, I repeated the same route as this morning, but added the ledge area, an underwater ledge that runs along the shoreline for a block, maybe a little longer. It drops off about 10-12 feet, from 25-30 on top, to 35-40 on the outside. There were fish at both depths, but many more on the deep side, in 40-45’, with some suspended as high as 10 feet.

It seems like there’s fish everywhere, but I can’t get them to bite. If they don’t bite on live bait, it makes for tough fishing. Not a fish, not even a bite all day. When I came in at 3:50, the temp was where it started this morning, at 31, and wind about the same too.

If the weather would warm some, and stay stable and consistent for a few days, maybe fishing would improve. Forecast looks better….high tomorrow of 45, low 50’s on Sunday, and 60’s Monday.

2/21

We received the freezing rain overnight, and the temp at 5 o’clock was 24, E wind at 6 mph. Knowing the weather wasn’t going to get any better today, I decided to give the dock a quick hit, to see if any Crappies had wandered in to the area. As the door to the cabin closed, and I stepped on to the ice coated deck, I began to question this decision.

But, I’m already dressed and ready to go, so off to the dock. Not quite so fast though, it took quite a while to de-ice, defrost the car windows. By now I’m wondering whether  this is a wise move, knowing the road down the steep hill to the dock area, and the hill to the walkway, and the walkway will be icy. Well, never being accused of being a wise man, I proceeded to the dock.

The road to the dock wasn’t too bad, plus the car was barely creeping down the hill. It’s a very steep hill, and I wouldn’t want to end up fishing from the car, or for the car, but didn’t have a problem. The bigger problem was getting down to the walkway. Those steps were very icy, so walked down the slippery rocks, to the slippery walkway.

After all of this, I was sure I would catch some Crappies. Wrong! Back to the cabin at

6:15. As for the return trip to the cabin, scaling the hill back to the car was the toughest, no problem from there.

This could be, I mean, this will it for today’s fishing if the forecast of more freezing rain  is correct. Not sure about tomorrow, the forecast doesn’t sound great, with the WSA extending to tomorrow morning. 

2/20

I couldn’t wait to try the dock this morning, at 5:30, it was clear, the temp was 46, with

WNW wind at 6 mph. At the dock, a whole lot of “stuff” had blown in overnight. This side of the lake was covered with floating debris from the run off and wind. The lake level has raised 2-3 feet in the past few days. Per Jeff, it’s about at normal pool. The sticks, branches, dead leaves, grass, Styrofoam, and whatever, covered the area. Probably as bad as I’ve seem, making it a little more difficult fishing from the dock. I caught one Crappie, probably keeper size, and called it quits before 7.

There’s a Winter Storm Advisory in effect from this evening, starting with freezing rain, and continuing into Friday. So, better get my fishing in today.

At 8:30, as I jumped into the boat, the temp has dropped to 38, and winds are picking up to the 10-15 forecast. My first stop this morning, yup, straight across from the dock. This time I brought little heavier gear, just in case that 24” Smallie (?) decides to give me another chance. I have my new rod rigged for minnow, another with one of the Berkley Powerbaits, and another with a Shad-type bait.

The wind was just right for working this area, and marked fish, but didn’t get any “takers”. When the wind did pick up, I went down along the point, which provided a bit of protection from the NW wind. Again, marked fish, but didn’t get a bite. Returned to the cabin at 10:30.

Back out at 1:30, and the wind was at least 15 mph and gusting. The temp actually went up a few degrees, to a high of 42 during the afternoon. I repeated the above locations, and added the area across from the dock, more to the west, along the deeper ledges. Same results as this AM, and arrived back at the cabin shortly after 3:30.

2/19

We woke up to a white landscape. The overnight freezing rain, turned to snow, covering the grassy areas, leaving the roads okay to run some morning errands. The dock had been cranked up, putting the walkway above water, so about 10:30 took the boat out.

The first stop was straight across from the dock, a little to the left/west. I had checked this spot several times, but hadn’t marked many fish….today was different. There are two brush areas, one marked by the blue sign, the other not, which is where I started. Marked lots of fish and the wind was just right for going back and forth over the piles. After about 5 minutes I changed from a Finn S jig to a minnow, and got a hit. I mean it was a real hit. It startled me, since I hadn’t fished in a couple of days, and had no luck out in the boat so far.

I knew it was big, and I didn’t want to rush things with my light rod and tackle….6 lb test line, and #6 crappie hook. It seemed like everything was going well, I would make a little headway, then it would take it back. The boat was drifting a bit, so the fish wasn’t staying right underneath it, instead remaining straight out.

My heart was really pumping by now, and it seemed like 5-10 minutes had gone by, when the fish finally started to come up, then it would dive back down. It started to rise again, and I thought I was doing okay. I’m thinking big bass or maybe a big walleye. Well, I’ll never know. It began to rise fairly fast, and appeared about ready to break water, when it got off. OFF!!! Now I’m shaking and about ready to cry.

I don’t know what I did wrong, I just know the fish won. And, the tackle held up okay, nothing broke. As for me, throughout the rest of the day, the evening and the night, I’ve replayed the scene from start to finish many times. I’m still not sure what I would change. 

I’m guessing it was a big bass, but I just wish I had seen what it was, and how big. Well…..maybe it’s best I don’t know.

I stayed in the area quite a while, and after no more action, headed towards the dam, pulling into each arm on the way, fishing some, passing on others. After fishing just beyond Marker #2, I crossed over to the south side, and tried 1 more spot. Nothing.

I returned to where I started (you know, where I lost the fish), this time catching a couple small bass, one 13”, the other 10. I went to the cabin at 3:30, to tell my wife my sob story. She was very understanding, and we decided it wasn’t my fault. 

2/18 – Total crappies to date:   25

With water over the walkway to the dock, if, and when the dock gets moved in (raising the
walkway) will determine if and when I go fishing.  And, with a WNW wind forecast of 15-25 mph
and gusty, moving the dock may be delayed. 

The temp is 32 now, going to a high of 41. Tonight there’s a chance of snow flurries. 

Since I had some spare time, I checked my notes, and following are some stats from previous
Feb/Mar trips to Red Arrow:

Total keeper (10” min.) Crappies:   2005*          2006**          2007***

                                                    140                74                  71

The above figures include catches of others staying/fishing with me.

* In ’05, John and Gloria Squires (MN. neighbors) were fishing guests, and Bud Eggleston (friend
since Jr. High days in Waterloo, IA)  also spent some time here ….but, can’t remember Bud catching
much, although he passed the bait and worked the net well.

** Spent several days in Kansas City; left a few days early to stop over in Des Moines.

*** We took an 11 day side trip to/from Florida to visit our Schaaf friends.  

The best of my non-Crappie catches (weight Not Available in some cases):

   27 ¾ inch Walleye in Feb. ’07.

   Several Largemouth bass between 20-22 inches. The 20” in “06, weighed 4.7 lbs.

   A 19 ½ Smallmouth bass in ’05, and a 19” -  3lb. 8oz., in 07.

   A 16 ¼ inch Kentucky/Spotted bass in ’06, weight not available.

   On 7/8/06 caught Barb….. weight N/A.

The above has been approved by the world renowned auditing firm of Fricke & Fracke.

2/17 

We heavy rains all last evening and over night. Must have at least received the inch they had
forecast. This morning the 5 o’clock readings were temp at 53 (which is higher than yesterday’s high),
WSW wind at 13, gusting to 18, a LWA had already been issued until 6PM. Another patch of green is
heading our way, with rain off and on through the day. 

When I reached the dock, there was 4-5 inches of water over one end of the walkway.

I’m glad it was warm, but it was very windy. Since I was there, I tried a couple different rigs….nothing.
A major gust of wind bounced the dock, and moved it, maybe 6 inches, or a foot. With that, I had visions
of the dock breaking loose, floating down the lake in the dark, with me as a passenger. So, back to the
cabin. Total elapsed time: 38 minutes. 

Looks like another day of TV, with basketball, golf and Nascar races.   

2/16   

I left the cabin at 5:30, 35 degrees, SE wind @ 4 mph, with light rain. It looks like rain all day, increasing
to thunderstorms later this evening, for a total of an inch.  On days like today, it’s nice to have the roof
over the dock (except the fishing platform). It’s also nice to have a full schedule of NCCA BB games on TV. 

It took a while, but I finally picked up a couple of Crappies, one at 12”, and one 11. I had another one on,
but it flipped off before I could reach for the net. I think it may have checked my scorecard, and found
that I already had my 2 fish limit for this morning. 

A little later, I saw another small shadow come up after the minnow just as I lifted it out of the water. I
let the minnow hang there, doing it’s thing for another 5 minutes, but that didn’t work. I switched to
the small white jig, dangling it around and over the tree, and caught a bass, maybe 8 inches long.  

The on and off rains were off now, and so was I, returning to the cabin at 7:15.  

I returned to the dock about 9:30, deciding whether to fish the dock, go out in the boat while the rains
are Off, or clean fish. Walleye Don was fishing the dock, so we complained to each other about the bad
weather and bad fishing. I mentioned that I hadn’t even seen the Carp Fleet the past 3-4-5 days. They
always cruise through the area during the early morning fish.  He had also noticed they were missing.
Not sure what all that means, but must relate to the changing weather and water conditions. 

There were a couple of bass boat fisherman in the area, one where I had thought about going, so,
cleaned the fish, and back to the cabin.  Bring on the basketball games.  

2/15

The weather forecast from yesterday called for a wintry mix to start the day today, with a high temp
of 32. So, I had decided to pass on the early morning fishing today, opting for a sleep in. When I first
checked the WC and saw we were at 39, NNW wind at 5, I changed my mind and went to the dock
about 6 o’clock. 

I caught 2 fish using minnows, the first one maybe 9 inches, the second 11+. Both fish were caught
quite deep, in about the same spot. After nothing, went with a 3/8 oz. split tail jig, smoke colored
with lighter speckles. I thought the heavier bait may go down after the deeper Crappies. That didn’t
work either, so went light, with the small white jig. That didn’t help either, so called it quits, and
returned to the cabin at 7:30. 

The Crappies must have me on a 2 fish limit, which would be okay, if they were 14 inches. The ever
changing weather patterns, sometimes from the south, sometimes from the north, sometimes warmer,
sometimes colder, must be keeping the fish in deeper waters. When we first dropped in the boat, the
water surface temp was 49, now in the 45’s. Yesterday’s high reached 61 degrees, today the 39 at 5:30
has dropped to 34 at 8:30, with the 3 PM high at 37. 

You can mark lot’s of fish straight out from the dock, deep, in 50-65 feet of water. Both Don and I tried
to fish the area yesterday, but the winds made it too difficult. I’ll probably try there again a little later
today, as long as wind stay in the forecast of 5-10 mph.     

At 9:30 I tried the deeper water out from the dock, most fish were in the 40-55 foot range.

I started with a jig head and largest of the Crappie minnows, followed by a gold, vertical spoon. Nothing
to show after 45 minutes, so I proceeded down below the cabin. Marked fish there too, some near the
bottom (35-40’), some suspended in 15-25. After a nother 45 minutes, still nothing for the livewell. And,
back to the cabin. 

I may call it a day for fishing. Depending on tomorrow’s rain, I may head towards the dam, and try some
of the areas up that way. 

2/14 – Happy Valentines Day.

I went to the dock at 5:45, knowing it would be a cold start. The temp was 26, clear, SE winds at 8, and
a wind chill of 18. But, I had the fishing gloves I had purchased at the BPS yesterday.

I reversed the order from yesterday, starting with a minnow, and caught 2 Crappies, maybe pushing 12
inches. After a while, and no more bites, switched to the small white jig. 

As I was admiring the action of the jig, using the “shiver jiggle” method (which was developed while
ice fishing in MN.), I saw a flash of silver come up after the bait, but then I committed one of the
Cardinal Mistakes….. setting the hook by sight, not feel.

Since I knew their was another fish in the area, I hung around, switching back and forth between jig
and minnow. No further action. 

As for the fishing gloves, maybe a C+ or B-. They weren’t super warm, which wasn’t surprising, but I
could handle the rod and reel while wearing them, which was good.

If they catch more fish, their grade will go up accordingly.

Not sure about fishing today. It’s forecast to warm up, to 56, about average, but the gusty winds from
the south will increase to 15-25 mph….not good.  

I went out in the boat two different times in during the afternoon, about an hour each time. They were
right about the winds, and the strong gusts make it too difficult to fish. On the second trip to the dock,
Walleye Don, of Cabin #7, was sweeping the road. Some debris from the other night’s rain, had washed
onto the road. It’s not a good sign, when Don’s sweeping the road rather than fishing. He had tried it
too, but too windy, got hooked up, and came in. 

Guess I’ll get ready for tonight, I’m taking my Valentine out to dinner at The 178 Club, one of our favorite
places. 

2/13

A frosty start this morning at 5:15, 28 degrees, going to 42. It is clear and fairly calm.

To keep dry hands as long as possible, I decided to start with a jig, a small swordtail with round white
jig head (1/16^{th oz}). After a few minutes, I picked up an 11+ Crappie, but that was it. So went with a
plain hook and minnow, and again caught another, same size Crappie, in a matter of minutes. I went
back and forth between stalls/trees, and bait, but that was it, 2 for the day.

We left for Springfield at 7:35 AM, arrived at the Bass Pro Shop about 10. That is a fun place to shop,
and I purchased a few necessities. From there, we went to one of Barb’s favorite places, Gordman’s,
and she bought some of her necessities, more candles, a small table for MN., and some weeds, or
flowers. We arrived back at the cabin at 4:45.

Springfield is still pretty much covered with ice. The streets were okay, and the sun was helping with
melting, but there’s a ways to go. Too bad the ice creates so many  terrible problems, because it is
offers some beautiful scenes, with the trees and landscape.    

2/12

Last night between 10 & 11, we received freezing rain, followed by heavy rain after mid- night.
Early this morning we received more freezing rain, along with some big boomers before 5, postponing
any early fishing.

To continue with the Weather Report, a good portion of northern AR. is ice covered. Looking out our
door, the deck is ice covered, along with the car, trees and wires. The wind isn’t too bad now (6 AM),
7 mph from the NNW, and the temp is 32 in Downtown Mtn. Home. The temp is forecast to drop to 30
at day break, and by 3 PM, rebound all the way to a high of…..32. Plus, the winds are to increase to 10-20.
Not a pleasant forecast.

We had planned a trip to Springfield and The Bass Pro Shop today, but will re-schedule for tomorrow. In
addition to icy problems here, the Springfield area is still recovering from yesterday’s ice (and more
overnight) with many school closings, business closings, along with a number of power outages.

According to the WC radar, the main storms are moving to the east and north.

As for fishing….., maybe later. Maybe not.

2/11

Today’s WC forecast for Mt. Home included a Winter Weather Advisory, and the radar showed freezing
rain/mix at our doorstep. And, it was hitting the windshield at 5:30, when I went to the dock. The temp
was 24 degrees, with ESE wind at 11 mph, with a 13 wind chill.

Just after I got to the dock, the freezing rain came down pretty good. All plans for early morning trolling
were scratched. After about 15 minutes, I had thoughts of the warm cabin and hot coffee. About then I
caught a 12” Crappie, so stayed a while longer. The rain/mix would be on and off. The cold and wind
stayed ON. Actually, it was quite brutal. There would be rumbles of thunder to the west, shortly thereafter,
more rain/mix.

I finally gave up. The ramp to/from the dock was very slippery, and the car was covered with ice,
requiring some defrost time which seemed to take forever. The total time of the trip….barely over an
hour.

For our area, it looks like freezing rain until noon, then showers, with some thunderstorms into the
evening. The Springfield, MO. news showed lots of schools in southern MO. and northern AR. closed.
Springfield is really getting zapped with sleet and freezing rain, closing their government offices and
many businesses.

For us, this could be another “TD” (togetherness day).

The freezing rain quit early, and by mid-morning the sun came out for awhile, but by noon the clouds
returned. About 2 PM, the temp was only 30, and the east wind holding at 11, but I knew Barb had enough
Td for a while, so down to the lake. I had re-rigged my new rod with different line (P-Line, moss green,
seems a favorite color down here), a crayfish colored Gitzit (another favorite of the area), and planned
to work it off the east end of the platform.

Of course, the wind was coming from the east, so it wasn’t exactly balmy. Along the rocky ledge, it’s
probably 20-30 feet deep close to shore, dropping to 40, 50 and 60 the further out you go. I worked the
30-40 area, letting the bait sink, with a slow retrieve, sometimes bouncing off the bottom. On the 3-4^th
retrieve, had a pretty good hit, which ended up being a small bass, about a foot long, which flipped off
as I lifted it over the railing.

The rain started to get more serious, blowing head on into the platform area, which, along with
increasing thunder, closed my day of fishing. So….back to the little woman.

2/10

When I left at 5AM, it was 32, clear and calm. The lake was like glass, totally different than yesterday
afternoon. Maybe it was too calm. I started with a plain hook & minnow combination, fishing the left
side, outside, and then right side at the end of the boat stall.

I repeated this quite a few times, and didn’t get a single bite.

I did manage to get a major knot in the line, so decided this might be a good time to try for a Walleye,
using jig and shiner. I heard one of Jeff’s neighbors caught a 27 inch walleye yesterday, or maybe the day
before. I don’t have all the details yet. After nothing for about 20 minutes, I tried a minnow on a floating
jig head, fishing in about 30 feet of water. This didn’t work either. Tomorrow I’ll have a couple different
colored, deep diving Rapala’s ready for trolling by the dock and along and over the point at the far end
of the dock.

Back to a small crappie jig….nothing. Around daybreak, there was some top water action at the other end
of the dock, near my boat. It looked like some shad may be moving into the area, with a bass, or white bass,
breaking water from time to time. Although I’ve never had much luck chasing the shad/jumping fish from one
end the dock to the other, it was a way to warm up, plus I was going in anyhow. Once again, it didn’t work,
and was back at the cabin shortly after 7.

The winds shouldn’t be a problem today, 10-15 mph, with a high of 60 (same as yesterday), so I’ll be
boating a little later, even though I haven’t had much success from the boat yet. 

We could hear the wind overhead at the cabin, so I back out before they get too bad. It’s not that they are
dangerous bad, just tougher to fish the trees and brush piles. I could have just as well stayed in, and did come
in at 9:40, after giving the dock one chance. Nothing.

We could see from the cabin, the “forest” looked fairly calm, so out in the boat. It was calm for quite a
while, but I couldn’t get a bite on several different size and colors. On the way in, I stopped down below
the cabin…nothing there either. Zero for the day.

2/09

I did get back out yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours. The wind picked up, maybe not to the
20 mph, although some of the gusts must’ve been close. Lucky I was the only one in the boat, or there
could have been some tangled lines. I tried 5 different spots, all  windy, and no fish.

Today the winds are forecast at 15-25, so left a little early this morning, 5:05, temp 35, clear skies and
wind W at 7 mph. Looks like Under Armour time again this morning.

It actually didn’t seem too cold (at first) as I went to my starting spot. With a plain hook and minnow combo didn’t get any action, so tried the lakeside of the boat stall. Finally picked up a 12” Crappie, then another
break in the action. So, I tried the other side of the same stall. I noticed the line wasn’t swinging down, so
took up the slack, and brought in a 13”. Cast to the same spot, this time it swung all the way down, waited
a bit, the line tightened, and had a 14” Crappie. Unfortunately, it swallowed the hook, which I broke off
while trying to remove it.

I didn’t have another plain hook rig ready, so tried the small white jig. I went back to the same spot, a
hit on the way down, and another 14” Crappie. These last three fish were all caught within 10 minutes.
Then another lull. Tried tipping the little jig with a minnow, but that didn’t help, although I did see a
dark shadow follow it up. Not big, but looked like it could be a Crappie.

I was getting cold, and it was still dark, but I finally talked myself into going back to the boat, and re-rig
the rod with a hook and split shot. When I returned fishing, picked up a 11+ fish, maybe the shadow I had
seem earlier. Then nothing for a while, so I moved to another stall, and picked up another 11+ after a while.

When you see the 11 inch, next to the 14”, they look like different species. I returned to the cabin at 7:15.

Back out at 10:40, after errands…..bank, groceries, post office, where everything seemed to take too long.
The winds were increasing, and each arm had it’s own wind system, like a wind tunnel. I couldn’t find a calm
area, so it didn’t take long to head back to the dock, where whitecaps were bouncing things around pretty
good.

Decided to clean out the boat, and re-organize the locker. Usually, the wife does this, but she was at the
cabin working on her list. This seemed like a good time to clean the fish.

Usually the wife does this, but she’s at the cabin, working on her “To Do” list.

This morning, the size of the Crappies was a bit over estimated. The 4 biggest, actually came in at 14,
one just above 13, one just under, and one just under 12. I’m not sure how that happened. Usually, I go
on the low side….right. Looking forward to tomorrow.

2/08

The temp was 29 when I left for the dock at 5:40, with clear skies, and with light and variable winds.
The light winds must be in town, and the variable ones at the lake. It was very frosty. The wind was
blowing the fog around, to make it seem even colder. 

I tried several different boat stalls, then slid across the frosty fishing platform, but couldn’t get any
bites anywhere. I had to de-ice the tip of the pole after each cast, and sometimes twice during a cast. 

I returned to my starting point, for one more cast before returning to the cabin. Okay, just one more
cast. Now this is definitely the last one, it’s getting colder by the minute. 

Finally, a hit, and I brought in a nice, 12+ inch Crappie. All of a sudden, it’s gotten much warmer, so
might as well fish a while longer. The cold weather returned in about 15 minutes, and I returned to
the cabin, with several poles that need re-rigging & line. 

Speaking of fishing poles: Steve and Penny Held of San Diego, CA., Barb’s brother and sister-in-law,
gave me a custom made rod for Christmas. It is absolutely beautiful!   

It starts with a 6’, fast action, light power Loomis GL3 blank. Add the custom handle, with rosewood
reel seat, and titanium carbide frame guides, ceramic Zirconia rings and you now have this fabulous
rod. The rod is the work of Jim Hall/Hallcraft Rods, of Iowa City, IA. Great job, Jim!! And, thanks
again Steve and Penny!! 

Have you ever had something that looks so nice, that you almost don’t want to use it? Almost.  And,
today I’m adding the reel my wife gave me, an Abu Garcia Cardinal, 10 ball bearing, spinning reel. I
received my first Garcia from my dad back in the 50’s, an Ambassador bait cast. And, it still works
great. Those Swedes do good work. So, my new rod/reel combo is going out with me in the boat
later this morning. And, I think Steve said it is guaranteed to catch fish.   

Me and my new stuff, left for the dock about 9, jumped in the boat (which fired right off), and we
headed towards the area right down hill from the cabin (which you can’t see). We’ve caught
smallmouth bass here, and what better way to break in the new rod and reel. The wind was just right,
pushing me in towards shore, then I trolled back out over some brush piles. On the second trip, I caught
my first fish with the new equipment, a small, largemouth bass….11 ½ inches. The time is 9:21, and
the rod has now been broken in. When I return to the cabin, I’ll check the fine print in Steve’s
guarantee, the part that talks about size. 

A little later, I had a real good hit, but it made several serious dives, and finally got back into the brush.
Probably a 20 inch Smallie. I lost the pearl Bobby Garland Swimmin’ Minnow, and replaced it with a silver,
speckled Split Tail, and hung around another 20 minutes. The  wind started to gain speed, so I decided to
introduce my new rod to the “Trees” area, better named the Forest area, before it got too strong. 

I couldn’t get a bite in the Forest. I marked fish all around the trees, some near the bottom, others
suspended around the trees. In one spot, there’s several big trees at 35-40 feet, with their tops rising to
within 15 feet of the surface. It’s easy to get hooked up, if you stay too deep, too long. And, these trees
have been known to reach out and grab your bait. I stayed too deep, too long, and they grabbed mine
three times in a row, but I got out twice…..score: Me 2, Trees 1. About 10:45, called it quits for now.  

The winds are forecast at 10-20 mph today. They’re maybe 10, or a little less right now, and hopefully
stay near that range for the afternoon. We’ll be back.   

2/07

I woke up early, so off to the dock a little before 5. The temp was 28, but only a slight breeze. Not
like yesterday, when the wind stayed at 20-30 mph all day. 

I took 2 poles to my favorite spot on the dock, and decided to start with a plain hook and minnow combo.
As I brought the minnow up along the tree, and let it do it’s thing, the line tightened a bit and I wasn’t sure
if I was in the tree, or if something grabbed and was holding the minnow. As I moved the line, I knew it
was a fish, and brought in a very nice Crappie. Pending an official measurement, my quick, cold, rough
look put it between 14-15”.  

It was cold enough for ice to form at the end of the rod as I reeled in the line. The nextCrappie was
about an inch short of the 10” minimum. I moved to another boat stall/tree, letting the minnow swing
in deep, and as I started to slowly raise the line, a hit, it was a 15 ½ inch Walleye. It was too small
(18” min.), but encouraging. Maybe the Walleyes have migrated back into our area, from the very deep,
big part of the lake by the dam. 

Thinking a big female may be in the area, I put on the largest Crappie minnow, and after 10-15 minutes,
tried the Shad looking jig from the other day. Nothing. I was getting colder, so came in at 6:30. Don,
the Walleye fisherman from WI. & cabin 7, will be interested in the first walleye of the season, which
may mean that the walleyes are moving in. That would be nice.  

After some hot coffee, and warm hands, I’ll return to the dock, then out in the boat. The temp is
forecast to reach 47 today, better tomorrow, but the 20 mph winds will be returning, so better fish
today. 

My fishing plans got delayed when I couldn’t get the motor started, and managed to flood it. An hour
later, the motor reluctantly started, still smelling of gas. Jeff came down for an official measure of the
Crappie…..14 ¾ inches. It weighed 1 lb. 11 oz., lighter than I would have guessed (later I found out it
was a male, as I cleaned it). 

I went out in the boat for 1 ½ hours over lunch hour…. no fish. The usually clear water, is very murky
from the rain and run off of the other night. It’s noticable around the dock area, and even more so as
you go up in to the shallower arms. You can get a good view of the brownish colored water in the arms,
looking straight across the lake from our cabin. I’m not sure whether the murky water helps, or hurts
fishing.  It might help during light, sunny time of the day, but I like the clear water in the dark, early morning dock fishing.  

Thanks Jeff for getting and installing new spark plugs in the boat motor. I went out in the later afternoon
for an hour or two. Marked a lot of fish in the area I call the ledge, but couldn’t get a bite.  

2/06

Late yesterday afternoon we received the severe thunderstorms that had been forecast, and about 6 PM,
a tornado hit Gassville, which is maybe 5 miles south of Red Arrow, as the crow flies. Late into the night,
the small town was shut down for emergency only vehicles. Sounds like a major mess, debris, etc., and
early reports show 1 fatality. 

There were numerous tornadoes reported throughout AR., and the south. Thirteen deaths have been
confirmed in AR., and early reports a total of 27 in the south, and expected to rise. Terrible! 

The temp dropped down to 37 degrees this AM., with very strong westerly winds. I went to the dock at
6 AM, to survey the area, and see if the dock and our boats survived the storms. All looked okay. The
entire dock was really bouncing in the wind. I added another mooring line to my boat, since someone
didn’t change a badly frayed line earlier. 

While there, decided to try 10 minutes of fishing. Felt a light tap, then finally caught 1 Crappie, from
the 11 ½ in. class. Then a fairly good size Carp took off with the small white jig. Luckily, it got off. So,
I returned the pole to the locker. 

Fishing just doesn’t seem very important this morning, after the night of severe weather throughout
the south…..back at the cabin by 6:30.

2/05

Update on yesterday: Launched the boat in mid-afternoon, between wind gusts. A Lake Wind
Advisory (LWA) had been issued, ending at 6 PM. The temp reached a high in the mid-70’s. 

And, I measured the Crappies during cleaning: the smallest, 2 @ 11-1/2 inches, the largest one at
13 1/4, 1 @ 12, the rest between 12 ½  & 13. 

We expected some thunderstorms overnight, but they didn’t develop (yet). Today we will get them,
and some could be severe this PM. I decided to fish early, beat the thunderstorms and the LWA issued
from 9 AM to this evening. 

It was 65 degrees when I left the cabin this morning at 5:15, and very calm. It was quite comfortable
fishing the dock, and apparently the fish were comfortable in whatever they were doing….not biting.
After an hour and a half, and  4-5 different rigs, I finally caught a small, largemouth bass, a very small one. 

I left in the boat at daybreak, trying to beat the rain and wind. It was very calm, but cloudy, dark clouds.
I spent too much time at 2 different locations, with nothing to show for it. I could hang right over
the brush piles, marked some fish, not lots, and could not get anything to bite. 

A rumble of thunder off to the west, convinced me it was time to go in. I arrived back at the cabin
at 8:45, just in time. The rain started about 20 minutes later. 

This could be one of those “togetherness days”. I know how much my wife likes those days.   

The rains quit, with some pockets of blue sky and sun showing through for a while. About noon, I
decided to check out the wind at lake level….not too bad, so out in the boat, even though the
clouds had returned. The wind was a bit deceiving from shore, as I found out. 

I tried down from the cabin, pretty windy and no bites. I moved across, down along the point, but
it was too windy there, didn’t wet a line. My final stop was at the brush piles, across from the cabin.
There is major structure, brush piles in this location. And, I was marking quite a few fish along the
outside, of two different piles. With the trolling motor on high, I back trolled across one brush pile,
and got a hit, picking up a 15 ½ largemouth bass. I was blown out of the area by the time I unhooked
the fish, plus the wind gusts were getting stronger, so after one more attempt, decided to head in
to the cabin. It was about 1:30, and the temp was 74 degrees. The water temp at the surface,
between 48-49.  

That’s it for today. Not only is there the LWA, now they’ve added a tornado watch until 8 PM. So,
back to the “togetherness”. And Barb really does like it. One time, on one of those days, she said
the time goes so very slow, and the day seems to last about twice as long as normal. How nice!?.

2/04

Yesterday’s high temp was 57, as I was leaving for the dock at 5:30 this morning, the temp was 58 degrees,
seemed almost balmy. Today’s high is forecast for 68, however the winds 15-25 mph, and a risk of severe
weather this afternoon, and increasing to 60% this evening. All the weather info reported here, comes
from The Weather Channel (TWC), and is for Mountain Home, located10-15 miles from here.

 I started out using the larger jig from yesterday, and after several tries, felt a light bump, and the vertical
jigging finally convinced the 11+ inch Crappie to bite. After a few more bumps produced nothing, switched
to the smaller jig, and caught 2 more 11-11 ½.  

After another lull, I tipped the smaller jig with a minnow, and finally caught a 4^th Crappie, from another
boat stall. Went to the fishing platform, using a plain hook and minnow rig, and after a while caught a 5^th
Crappie, the best of the bunch….between 12-13 inches. Back to the cabin at 7:15. Still warm, but the wind
is picking up. 

I’ll be cleaning fish today, so I’ll give an update, and of course, report any grossly exaggerated measurements. 

Will launch the boat this morning, but fishing will depend on the wind and weather conditions. At 9:30, 
69 degrees and mostly sunny. SW wind at 13 mph, gusting to 27. The snow is gone except for the larger
piles from plowing and shoveling.   

2/03

Finally, some fishing (and fish stories). The temp was 33 degrees at 5: 45 AM, when I left for the dock. It
was calm, a bit cool, but not too bad. 

I grabbed one rod out of the locker, with a small (1/32 oz.) jig, white with a charcoal colored tail. I went
to the end of my favorite boat stall, where I usually start the day.

Here comes the first fish story……after a less than textbook cast, I let the jig free fall,

maybe 15-20 feet deep, swing in right next to a tree. As I took out the slack, felt a “bump”, and brought in
a very nice Crappie. On The First “Cast”!  Wow, would I lie? What a great way to start the day/the trip.  

After a few much better looking casts, and no hits, I tried to cast further out towards the lake, where some
shad were working, and some White Bass, Kentucky’s, Large Mouth’s, or ??, were making some bigger
splashes. I didn’t have enough weight to get out far enough, so returned to the locker for another combo.  

I brought back one rod with a little heavier white jig, and another rigged with a 3 ½ - 4 inch minnow-looking
body…..dark on top, light bottom. Using the latter, I ran the heavier bait along a tree near one boat stall,
bringing it in fairly deep, to where I was standing. I felt something, nibbling at the tail, then a good hit,
brought in another nice Crappie.     

A repeat of the above, and another nice Crappie. All three Crappies are unofficially, 12-13 inches. After
more of the same produced nothing, I cast out, working the area where the shad action had slowed some,
moved on, but didn’t get any more bites. 

I tried the smaller jig for a while…..nothing. The wind was picking up by now, and I was getting cold,
especially my hands. Even the -35 wind chill in MN. didn’t get me fully prepared for this, so went back
to the cabin at 7:15. 

I will probably try the dock later, sometime before the Super Bowl game.
Go Viking’s!! (maybe next year). 

I did try the dock again, 3 times, about 45 minutes each……no action. Donnie brought the boat trailer
(and boat) back mid-afternoon. I spent the next hour putting in the batteries, etc., getting ready for
launching tomorrow. 

What an exciting Super Bowl game!! 

2/02

This is designated “get organized day”. Complete the unloading process, get groceries, get supplies,
go to the bank, and of course, go to Wal-Mart (these two go together).

Plus we had 6-8 storage containers that were stored in the basement from last Fall. 

It is a nice, bright, sunny day. Started out at 34, and peaked out at 57 degrees. The snow is melting.
A few more days and it should be history. Tomorrow’s forecast in the high 50’s, ad Monday in the 60’s. 

I checked out all the stuff I left last Fall, in the locker on the dock. I did untangle one rod, just to
check out the dock area, and locate the trees for tomorrow’s start in the dark. The little white jig
combo looked good to me, but nobody else. Returned to the cabin in about 15-20 minutes. 

My boat isn’t available right now. When I had the trailer was upgraded last year, the spare tire holder
had to be adjusted to hold the larger tire. Donnie’s doing that now, and will return in a day, or two. 

Such a nice evening…..decide to grill outside.  

2/01

We’re back at Red Arrow for another year. 

Barb and I left the Des Moines area at 8:30 AM, arrived at Red Arrow at 4:45 PM. Along the way we
had some cloudy skies, some bright sunny areas, and some hazy, low visibility areas, but no travel issues.
We were definitely glad we weren’t traveling yesterday. Conditions were not good. Around the
Truman Lakes area in MO., there was an inch of snow on the ground from yesterday. At Clinton,
MO. where we stopped for lunch, there was maybe 1-2 inches. By the time we reached Springfield,
there was 2-3 inches on the ground, 3-4 inches as we continued south in MO., and 4-5 inches at
the MO./AR. Border. 

And, when we reached the Red Arrow Resort……there was 6-7 inches of snow on the ground.  SNOW!!!
We came all the way from Minnesota, for 6-7 inches of snow.

The good news……this may be the one-time snow fall for the season!? We’ll see.

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Last modified: 11/07/07