ljd1971

If you come to Topeka, I promise to stop by your booth on my way to get a selfie with Shaw, er, Mr. Grigsby.

I've owned two different fish and skis over the years and fished in many other bass boats. Micah, Drew, KSadler and Cole covered the pros and cons really well. I wanted to echo that the windshield is really nice in cold weather and the lack of storage (rod storage particularly) really sucks. The only difference I have is that rear deck space has not been a problem in either of my boats. You can find models with a decent rear deck if that's important to you.

Nobody warned me when i drew him as partner in the fall classic. Thanks a lot, fellas.

Took the afternoon off and decided to try to catch one of those big Lake Shawnee smallmouths. First time fishing the lake. The water was clear and 45-47 degrees. I caught a couple dink larries and accidentally caught two beautiful rainbows that measured 20" about five minutes apart. All on the Ned. I didn't catch any on a jerkbait but noticed I was getting some followers. I tried every color I had and as well as different cadences but could not get them to take it. I wonder if I had some smaller jerkbaits I might have gotten them to commit. Is it just me or has the lipless crankbait been a non-factor this fall for everyone? It's been awhile since I've caught anything on a trap.

I've been chicken to try WC but I'm very susceptible to peer pressure. So if I try it, I'll be a part of the armada, right?

Spent about 4.5 hours on Shawnee State fishing lake this morning. Surface temp was 39 to 42. It was slow going. I ended up with three keepers and three dinks on the Ned. I think I'm done for the season unless there is a nice still day to try Wolf Creek. If today was my last day, this was a decent first year back to fishing after being away from it for ten years or so.

Took the day off and spent it at Melvern. The water was pretty clear and the surface temp was 45-47. The wind was calm when I first got there. The good news was that I found fish in 4-8 feet of water on my first two spots: a secondary point and a hump in Turkey Creek. The bad news was that they would only hit a tube or the Ned. I caught 8 smallies between 14 and 15.5 inches and two dink larries the first hour before the wind kicked up and forced me off the spots. I couldn't find fish anywhere where the wind was such that I could effectively fish the slow baits. With the water clarity, temperature and wind, I thought the jerkbait bite would be on. So I worked them pretty hard in the wind. Nada. All told, the rest of the day I only caught one 12" smallie in 10 feet of water on the points near the marina campground. I'm probably committed to yard work tomorrow but I may go out Sunday. Let me know how you guys do-- I'm tired of struggling with "Vern and am thinking about stepping out on her.

You make it down there today? What was the water color?

Went out to Shawnee SFL for a few hours this afternoon. Surface temperature ranged from 47 to 50. Caught several in a foot or two of water cranking a squarebill on windy rocky banks but only two were keepers. It was too windy to effectively flip the laydowns and brush piles that usually produce for me. I also wasted a bunch of time trying the dying weeds and the calm water along the dam. I should have just kept going back to the stretches of rocky bank that were producing.

Took the day off today and went back to the 'Vern. It was a little better than yesterday. I caught around 10 smallies, all on the Ned. 4 were over 14" and totaled six pounds and change anchored by this 17 incher: I know, I need to work on my fish selfies. Before I took off at 1:00, I fished the Eisenhower east creek arm. It was a couple degrees cooler than the rest of the lake. I fished jerkbaits along the bluff bank like Tinberg showed me and caught quite a few larries. No keepers, though. I talked to a KDWP guy as he was launching and I was putting my boat on the trailer. He seemed pleased to hear about the short largemouths. In all, not a great day by any stretch but it sure beat working.

Interesting article. I always assumed that silt removed from reservoirs was nutrient rich and would be beneficial to agricultural interests to replace lost topsoil. Glad to see that my new favorite Melvern is not too silted.

Who has two thumbs and countless DVR'd episodes of Dancing With the Stars and House Hunters International in his future? This guy. So I get it. All too well . . .

I may head down to there Thursday, but no need to worry about me sore lipping many fish. Except for drum, of course.

The legion of idiots, er, diehards grows. I didn't see the Al-doom-acraft out there, but my eyes were so watery I probably missed it.

I can confirm that it was indeed windy today. There was only me and one other idiot out on the 'Vern this morning- and they were smarter than me and put in at the marina boat ramp. The ride over to the south shore at dawn wasn't too bad but the ride back was an adventure. It would have been brutal going into the wind. Of course, when the wind is blowing like this, they won't touch a moving bait. The Ned was the only think working today and it wasn't working all that well. If it weren't for Brian's friends (drum), I would have had a boring day. Three smallies totaling around 4 pounds and four drum going 15+pounds were all I caught in about four hours.

I'm glad I decided to work on Veteran's day and take this afternoon off-- man it was pretty out. Fairly slow fishing at the 'Vern, though. I was encouraged by the surface temp-56.5- but only five fish came on fast moving lures-- a smallie each on a squarebill and a Rogue and three whites on a shad rap. Only one smallie came on a tube, as well. I wonder if the crayfish have gone dormant as nothing came on crayfish colors today. The rootbeer/green flake tube that has been a fairly steady producer for me this fall did not fetch even a bite. The Ned dominated today. I caught around 15 smallies (no real size, though), 3 spots, 4 nice whites and 5 drum (of course) on the Ned. "The Deal" was the best color Ned on the dam while PB & J and Junebug were better out in the lake. I think I'm starting to get a feel for the Ned. I need to get some lighter jig heads, though. It seemed like I was always getting caught in the rocks. For the most part, I was able to banjo them free. Thought I was going to be stranded up Turkey Creek but a guy in a pontoon boat came trolling up the creek and I was able to wave him down. Of course, once we got to talking, I turned the key to show him how the starter wouldn't engage and it started right up. I went back to the Eisenhower East creek arm and finished out the evening within sight of the boat ramp just in case. I caught two huge drum off that point to the north of the boat ramp at dusk. I probably won't get out tomorrow, but I may go back to Melvern Sunday morning.

Hmmmm, the sarcasm font they described in the Forum Rules and FAQs must not work on my laptop.

Anyone ever used any of the All Star technique-specific rods they sell at Academy? Are they any good for the price?

I had a days worth of work this weekend, so I decided to take care of it Saturday instead of Sunday because we were out late-ish Friday night in KC watching my son's football team lose a playoff game. I decided by 1:30 I had chosen the wrong day, so I took the wife out to Perry Saturday afternoon but only got about an hour of fishing between stalking eagles and osprey. What a nice afternoon, though. Got to Melvern Sunday morning at daybreak. Had a great spook bite going early-- for white bass. I only got one smallie to chase a moving bait which was a problem because by 8:30 or so the wind made it difficult to fish much of anything else. I managed a few hopping a rootbeer/green flake tube and dragging a PB&J Ned before the huge rollers chased me off the lake by 10:30. Back to the office by 12:30. Of course, as I worked Sunday afternoon, I noticed the wind settle down nicely. Oh well.

Thanks-- I was beginning to question everything. I'll be at Melvern tomorrow.

So tell me again why I am driving an hour to Melvern once or twice a week when smallies like that are probably 25 minutes away?

Nice!! Today? Where?

The smallie bite was slow but steady at the 'Vern today, for me anyway. They seemed to be scattered, as I didn't catch more than 2 in any one spot. So I did a lot of running and gunning. Most of my fish came on the main lake or the first secondary point off the main lake. With one exception, all my spots further up the creeks did not produce, which was kind of the opposite of last Sunday when the few smallies I caught were up the creeks. No dinks this morning; all fat, solid fish. Here's the biggest: Midmorning, I got into a bunch of stout whites off the Turkey Point campground. It was 20 minutes of chaos in the middle of an otherwise serene morning. The tube was the bait of choice today, with a couple coming on a squarebill and one on my jake-leg version of the Ned. Nothing on topwater, nothing on a spinnerbait, nothing on a paddletail, not even anything on the 4" Chompers grub that has been one of my most consistent baits this fall. My old BPS Extreme baitcaster started grinding bad today. Is there a reel repair shop in Kansas City anymore? Or would I be better off sending it off to that outfit affiliated with Bass Pro in Springfield?

I'll have to work at least part of one day, so I can't fish it both days. Sunday looks like the better weather, but do you think the fishing will be worse then because it's classic post front-- bluebird skies, north winds?