Bluebasser86

Thought the same thing.

There's a free map for it on Navionics website.

I think it depends a lot on the region you're from. Our shallow, silt filled lakes are easily disturbed when carp root around the bottom. Combine that with the fact that carp thrive in our lakes and it creates an issue. They destroy shoreline habitats by eating all the vegetation that hold the fragile shorelines together and accelerate lakes silting in. Our lakes are not well suited for more popular sportfish (excluding catfish that thrive in similar conditions that the carp do), so little things can greatly upset the balance. For that reason, the state spends thousands of dollars in carp removal programs each year and highly encourages the removal of common and grass carp alike. We also have Silver and Bighead Asian carp in our rivers, which are illegal to release or possess alive. However, if you live in an area where carp do not adversely effect the local lakes, they are tremendous fighters and a mostly overlooked option to catch very large and mostly ignored fish. I've spent many days sight fishing for carp with very light tackle and small jigs, it's a blast and I'd highly suggest giving it a try, same goes for freshwater drum and gar. I personally remove them (usually because I'm bowfishing for them), and give them to people who like to eat them as they're a popular food fish in this region. They're so overpopulated in some of our lakes that it seems like whenever you remove one, 5 more take it's place. They're also terrific cutbait for catfish so I'll sometimes use them as bait myself or give them to people who want to use them for cutbait.

Bowfishing is by far the easiest way to get a grass carp. Small cherry tomatoes and pieces of cattail stalk are the best baits I've found for them. They can be taken fly fishing as well. I've caught one on a wooly bugger. If you can find a Mulberry tree dropping fruit then you have a very good chance at catching one under the naturally chummed area. They'll also eat cottonseed which is a good time to try to fly fish for them with small, white, puffy dry flies.

Are you looking for a spinning or casting setup? Also, welcome to the site!

Yes, the first 2 are 5/0 Trokars, but I normally use a 6/0 black platinum Eagle Claw, which are super sharp and strong in their own right.

Booyah and Spro are my favorites.

Doesn't sound like he'd still be with us if you hadn't found him, great job.

It is possible, although it's time consuming. I used to do it out of a 2 man without electronics using a deep crankbait that was in constant contact with the bottom, or a heavy jig/C-rig. Make sure you have marker buoys so when you find something you can toss a buoy on it or you'll constantly have to keep finding it again. Start in known fish holding areas like the end of points until you find a drop into a channel, rockpile, or something else that creates that "Spot on the spot".

Sounds like good conditions for a Ned rig and a swimbait.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Foxy momma and chartreuse foxy momma both I believe.

About the only thing I don't like on a shakyhead is a tube.

If they're feeding heavily on reflective baitfish would be a good example. Otherwise, it's a trial and error thing where sometimes they prefer one over the other and sometimes it doesn't matter.

Another PB fell on a public lake in KS, this time for 2003stratos, 6lb 15oz. Jared has been working hard and had a lot of frustrating days trying for that fish, glad he finally got a big one.

He was last online yesterday at 3:43PM so I'd say he's still around and probably still cantankerous as always

The Pit Boss Jr on a light jighead is a killer on those bass that you can see as well.

If they were stocked in the 70's they'd be nearing 40 years old, don't believe muskie live that long.

Best advice I can give you is to skip Big Hill and go straight to Bone Creek for 2 days. There's big fish in Big Hill, but they're hard to find. If you really want to fish 2 different lakes then fish Bone Creek and Lake Ft. Scott. They're only a few miles apart and both have big fish. Ft. Scott is a little easier to fish, a little smaller, and it has a good population of spotted bass. Cedar Creek Lake on the northwest side of Ft. Scott has some big fish too but it's a ton of standing timber, even more than Bone, which is going to be a pain unless your kids are really good at casting. I'm not sure about the electrical but there's cheap hotels you could stay at in Ft. Scott and charge your batteries.

Welcome!