I will be in the Hot Springs area (Bismarck, by Lake Degray) from May 21st to the 31st.  I want to get out fishing, and my wife has offered to treat me to a guide for my birthday on the 27th.  We are only 10 minutes from Degray, but more like 45 min to an hour from Ouachita.  Most of the guides seem to prefer (or insist) on striper/hybrid fishing.  I would really like to go after largemouths.  Obviously Ouachita is a great largemouth lake, but I'm sure Degray has decent LM population as well.  Any personal preferences, and/or can you recommend a guide that knows fishing for LM bass pretty well?

As a side note, the other thing at play is that there is a FLW Pro event at Ouachita over Memorial Day weekend, and another event at Degray the same weekend.  I am wanting to get out say on Wednesday the 26th or Thursday the 27th, which should be less of an issue with regards to the tournaments (although I'm sure practice rounds will be going on).

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

Jim Whelan - Hurst, Texas

PM sent.

Razorbackbasser-

Got your note and thanks, albeit I am just now seeing it (June 28th).

I did find someone to take my wife and I out.  We did a night trip, the night before the full moon.  It wound up raining for part of the evening.  I caught a 4 1/2 and a smaller one.  My wife caught one.  The guide probably caught 6 or 7.  Turns out he is a neighbor right down the road from our place in Bismarck, and he's also the brother in law of a pro angler on the FLW that resides there in Bismarck.

We also went out to the FLW Tour weigh in at Ouachita on Friday of Memorial Day weekend.  My first time attending a pro weigh in.

Have a good one!

Jim