chasescott

i am in conway. You are lucky...we have a lot of good fishing and several options. The arkansas river can be good when the water is right! You also have Beaverfork here in conway that is highly underated!! You might not catch a bunch of fish out there but you have a good chance at catching a couple 4lb+. I would stay off lake conway unless you have a flat bottom!! You need to check out Greers Ferry which is about 45 minutes away. Dardanelle is about 45 minutes away as well! Good luck!

they look sweet!! where did you get the mold?

i do not. i use just a VERY little amount and it seems to work good. never had one fall out either!!

Here is a poison tail i made in my infamous "bream Craw" color. I cant wait to use this in the spring when they are slamming bream around the beds!

i use gorilla glue and it works like a charm.

yes it is.

ben, any tips on how you modified your football head mold? I have an old do-it mold that i dont use anymore. i would like to convert it.

how do you pour those? do you have a modified mold?

yes, that is an arkie head! it has come to be my favorite head style around wood!

I have been making my own jigs for awhile and have also started making my own custom colors. This is what i call "Dardanelle Special." It works great in stained water around wood!!! Let me know what you think.

does anybody know of a company that makes a good punch jig mold? I would like one that at least makes a 1oz. jig. Any help would be appreciated!!! -chase

how are you guys making the hole for the weedguard? I pour my own jig heads and use a small nail to create a hole for the weedgaurd when pouring. However, in my process after pouring and powder coating i have to drill the hole back out to fit the weedgaurd in. When i do this it sometimes causes the paint to chip. Any suggestions?

I have been making my own jigs for sometime now and enjoy the hobby. However, the most difficult part of the process for me is the weedguard. The best way i have found to attach them is to use a drill and make the hole after i have powdercoated and baked the jigs. However, sometimes (especially black paint) the paint chips around where i drill. Any tips on getting around this problem. thanks, chase

Thanks for the info! I need to try drilling the holes out a little after the baking process. I think that will help alot.

i am somewhat new to pouring my own jigs. I am currently making a weedless football head jig and i am having mixed results. I know the powder painting takes practice and i am getting much better. My biggest problem though is the weedguard. If i mold the weedguard into the jig it looks good but once i put it in the oven to bake they tend to melt and spread out. If i use a nail to make a hole and glue them in later they really dont look good. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

What do yall suggest heating the hot plastic in if not in the pyrex?

Hey guys, i am really really new to making my own plastics. Basically the only reason i started was because i noticed how much plastic i was throwing away after each fishing trip. So i ordered a plastic mold and bought a warming plate and a pyrex container to melt the plastic in. I have made a couple batches of finesse worms. However, the color of the warms are always real faded and hazy. any ideas on how to fix this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. -chase

Hey guys, i am fishing a tournament at Dardanelle this weekend and have not had a chance to get up there and pre fish. Has anybody been up there this week to give me a report on the current conditions. Any help would be appreciated. thanks, chase

Yes, i am going to the wooten. Should be a fun time for a good cause. yes, i would love to be able to donate money back to the family, that is a great idea!

Hawg, those are some really nice Greers bass. What part of the lake are you fishing? I have been up there the past two weekends and have primarily stayed on the North part of the lake. I am going to the Classic this weekend but will be back up the next weekend for a tournament.

Thanks for the info Riz and Bassdude. I think i should be able to perform all the tasks you have listed. I have owned my own boat for a few years and great at backing up a trailer so that wont be an issue. I am really excited and ready to start learning the tournament "ropes". Hopefully i will get a good draw and get to learn some new techniques. -chase

L-train and I will be there Saturday and Sunday. It will be our first one so we are pumped. For those who have been before; Is it worth bringing your boat? We would like to see some on the water action but didnt know if it was worth the effort. -chase

This will be my first year fishing the Bassmasters Weekend Series and the BFL's. I will fish the majority of the tournaments as a co angler this year and my main question is regarding back of the boat etiquette. I am very familiar with the show Match fishing and just wondered if it is similar (to a certain extent) as the show. How much gas money do i need to offer the boat owner? I want to make this a very pleasurable experience for myself and the guy in the front of the boat. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. -chase

That is a good idea, however these shad are in 1-2 foot of water or less. So i doubt the bass are sitting underneath them.

Well after spending a month and a half chasing the elusive white tailed deer i have put my gun and bow up for the year. Back to fishing!!! I went out yesterday to a local lake (in Arkansas) to try my luck. This is a small 1200 acre lake with maximum depth of about 30ft, not really any cover except man made brushpiles, and weeds that surround the lakes edge. Water temp ranged from 44-47 with clear to stained water. I was in the back of a cove when i noticed a dead shad next to the bank. I went up to investigate and i noticed there where HUGE schools of shad right next to the bank. I threw my rattle trap in the middle of them and snagged a few. They ranged in size from 2 inches to 8 inches. I sat there for about an hour hoping to see a bass bust them up but nothing? My question is: Why were there not any bass around these shad? Where they there and just not feeding? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. -chase