lookin4lunkers

OK guys here is my delima, everytime I walk through a bait store or fishing isle at wal-mart I see something that looks good to me so I buy one ( mainly plastics ). So now my tackle bag weights between 50 and 75 pounds. Its hard to fish when your back has been thrown out from carrying this bag. I know I need to get rid of some things but how do I choose without feeling like if I had only had one of those worms I threw away. My wife makes fun of me when I have to switch hands before I get to the truck with it. Thank for any Ideas Lookin for Lunkers.

welcome.

On lake Dardenelle, Ar. the lake is a river lake controled by a dam. The water is always rising or falling it seems we only get one or two days of constent water level. I think the Cor. of Eng. schedules thier water release by the tourny schedule. We catch a lot more fish in the lake part (coves, track and road riprap, creek mouths) of our water instead of the main river channel. I've always felt that the big ones were waiting somewhere out in the current. I can just never find them.

Glad to have you.

Russellville, Arkansas and I love fishing for those bucket mouths.

By the way my brother and I went back there yesterday morning and caught 26 fish in 3 hours. senko's, spinnerbaits, flukes and a small crome and blue crank were the baits of the day. Nothing big would bite only 1 to 1 1/2 pounders, still fun. Tight lines Lunker

Well the bite has finally picked up here in central Ar. We were fishing a large pond the last weekend it was a couple of hours before dark and I had my kids and one of thier friends with me. We hadn't been there 20 minutes and each of us had caught one or two in the 1 to 11/2 pound range. I knew it was going to be a good evening. It had been raining on and off all day but had quite for the time being and was starting to clear off, except for one dark cloud back in the west. I was paying attention to some stumps I was approaching and had made my first cast to them when all of a sudden the tornado sirens started going off.I looked back to the west and the cloud had grown. Needless to say we got out of there. Lunker

I'm a shallow water guy I've just not got the hang of fishing deeper just yet. I've got to learn to trust my depth finder a little more. Usually I throw to what I see. and I know I'm missing a lot of fish this way. Lunker

Reb is right, my first choice would be a jig and pig. I've never fished spoons so I can't advise on them. Try a black and blue with a red craw trailer. good luck

RW that is one of the best post I've read very well written. Boo as for your question, casting down the bank or to one structure then another until you find fish that is basically what everyone does. Use your depth/fish finder to learn what your fishing over and around. Seeing fish on the graph doesn't mean they are bass it could be a catfish. Smaller schools of fish and I'm talking small are something to pay atention to because a lot of time this is a school of bait fish, and where there are bait fish there are bass. Any time you see a ditch or stump, brushpile or just about any thing unusal throw to it try a crank then try a tube or worm. Good Luck and I hope this helps. Lunker.

Thanks guys. I'm in Arkansas around Russellville and I plan on making it appox 12 to 15 ft deep. From what I've read pads grow to about 3 ft so deeper than that I hope I'm OK. The dead pad do concern me because in Lake Dardanelle (where I do alot of fishing) There are pads in a few areas and I always notice floating pads or dead ones washed up. My pond won't have the current that this lake does (its a river lake) so i wonder if the dead pads will take oxygen away insted of adding it. I know the shade will help a lot because it gets some kinda hot here in the middle of summer.

Guys I'm thinking about building a 3 to 5 acre bass pond and when I get done I'm planning on putting lily pads in it, because I love fishing in and around lily pads. Anyone have any info on pads in ponds good or bad. I don't want to ruin my fishery by having lily pads take completely over. Thanks for any info. Lunker

Glad to have a convert, this time of year its hard to go wrong with a spinner bait (white, chartruse or black and blue) If the bite is slow texas rig you a creature bait or tube bait in a watermelon with pepper flake. That should get you started. Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Good to have you aboard 71.

Is the bite slow getting started this year or is it just me? I live in central Ar. and by this time last year the bite was strong . It seems this year they just don't want to get started. Anyone else haveing this problem?

Great job glen, love the site.

Buzzbait or a popper the bigger the better.

7.5 on a white spinner bait last year. never been small mouth fishing. 30 minutes after the 7.5 I hung one that might have went 9 on a camo colored brushhog she threw the hook three feet from the boat. I still shed a tear over that, I guess I weenie armed it.

You might try throwing a Rat-L-Trap parallel to the second drop off, count it down till it gets close to the bottom, then try different retreves until you find what they want. tight lines and good luck with what ever you try.

Tommy hit the nail on the head with his answer, everything I've ever read said what he said. The best tip I can give on high pressure days is fish very deep for some reason the high pressure does not affect the fish as bad when they are deep. That is a good topic. tight lines.

Hey guys I'm new to the forums but not to fishing. Just wanted to say I met Mike a couple of nights in a row when he was fishing the elite 50 on lake dardnelle last year. I'm a policeman and at about two in the morning I usually have coffee. Mike was at our local waffle House both nights. I talked with him for quite a while and he treated me like I was his long lost brother. I'm sure the fact that I was in uniform helped, but he seemed to be a real nice guy.And we know he can fish.