Ozark_Basser

^^^^^Then that's probably where I'd go if distance was of no concern. Florida has been on fire for huge bass this past season. I'd get a guide.

I checked out the map on http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#@36.554441,-92.260065,14zWhat I would do first is try to find some areas with gravel in Bridge's Creek or anywhere for that matter. Bass will use these areas to spawn and will stage in these areas before they spawn. Id start fishing where the bank changes from rock to gravel trying lots of different baits making sure i stay in contact with the bottom. On your first pass, take that square bill, lipless cranks, or spinnerbait and work it back to the boat making sure it grinds the bottom, bottom contact is very important. Cast whichever one you decide to use toward the bank and as soon as it hits the water start a steady retrieve. Don't be scared to reel any of those baits pretty fast. Mix up your retrieves and see what works, but more times than not they will want it pretty fast. It will be easier to keep the square bill on the bottom, but with lipless cranks, I would try more of a yo yo retrieve by ripping the bait up off the bottom and letting it fall back down doing this all the way back to the boat. I'd make a second pass with a jig with a twin tail trailer or Texas rigged soft plastic after that. The spinnerbait is something I would prefer around shallow wood cover, especially if that cover is found in one of those gravel areas. I like to cast spinnerbaits past the cover, if possible, then as it goes through the cover I like to deflect off of it. The deflection is what will get you bit. It will take a little while to get the hang of this before you can do it without losing a lot of spinnerbaits. It helps to keep the spinnerbait high in the water column or close to the surface. The best looking spot is that submerged bridge with the road bed located around the mouth of Lick Creek. Use the link I gave you to check it out. That spot will hold fish all year long. I'd say it gets fished a lot though. Either way, you could spend all day there. I'd use some bottom contact baits like jigs etc. Learn to feel the bottom. It will be harder to do this in deeper water. All in all, you don't have a huge area to fish so I'd be hitting up every point, cove, or anything that looks different or "fishy." I know this is a lot of information, but feel free to ask questions about something if you don't understand. Good Luck!!

I assume the twenty foot deep upper creek channel you are referring to is on Norfork? As far as that section of the lake goes, you should be able to find a good deal of fish there as the water starts to warm. I would just fish that whole area starting shallow then work my way deeper toward the channel if i wasn't catching fish. The water isn't as clear back there as the rest of the lake, so I'd pick up some wiggle warts for sure. Finesse jigs with a twin tail trailer and a worm on a shakey head up in the buck brush will get you a lot of bites as well.

Swim jigs through the thickest stuff you can get them through. Topwater. Soft plastics/jigs in the super thick stuff.http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#@47.991671,11.839022,3zIf you want to see a topo of the lake.

Casting gear. Rod depends on cover. I don't fish it around tons of mats or anywhere where I would need a a heavy or exheavy. I usually just throw it on a 7MH with a high gear ratio reel. The MH makes it easier to skip the frog as well. Braid is a necessity if it is a hard body frog. You can't walk it without braid.

Probably my favorite soft plastic. My first few PB's were caught on hula grubs.

#13 I thought I invented that!!!!

I own the 7MH signature series which is the cheaper model and I love it. The tip on both the signature and tactical series are really soft, but they don't lack in backbone one bit. They are light for the price point as well. I think you'll like it.

Points are good regardless of whether it's a lake or river.

Lots of credit!

Nice!!!!

Nice!

Depends on how clean that pond is. I eat bass out of streams all the time, but rarely ever out of lakes or ponds.

You'll like it until you lose a real big one in that stuff. Best to stick with braid.

Yep

Weights are gonna jump up. I can't see anyone doing much better than Rojas did on the first day though.

Trailers: bigger profile = Yamamoto swimbait, smaller profile = single tail grub

Just bought a new curado I and dropped about 750 to start rod building.

http://www.livingrubber.com/ If you forget www it won't work.

Livingrubber.com, but take it from me, the fine grade is really hard to work with. I've never used the medium. The heavy is all right to work with.

For anything 10ft + its a lot easier to work a crankbait with like a 5.4:1. I've yet to fish with anything with a higher gear ratio that felt comfortable fishing deep divers.

Welcome to the forum. I thought they were always $50? That was the first baitcaster I ever owned. It's a good one to learn on, but don't expect it to be extremely reliable if you fish a whole lot. I had a pro max given to me once. That really wasn't a bad reel.

This is absolutely the fastest way to get a bad backlash out.

Once you catch one decent fish on a 6" you will want to throw an 8". Trust me. I'd go 7'11" xheavy okuma guide series.

You can put as much effort as you want into fishing structure, but its not nearly as important as understanding the forage or, in your case, the fact there are pike in your lake. I would consider the main forage and how they relate to structure or cover along with the population of pike in your lake, then I would start considering if structure or cover is more important.