Finally got on the river !

[Big Sam]

Well Johnny {777} and myself hit the ol'e Arkansas river saturday evening and night. The best we could tell it has dropped about 5ft from what it was at. The current is still swift and you need to exercise caution on it. There was still a lot of debris floating down the river that can cause a fellow problems.:beat_brick: Johnny tried out his NEW power -pro well rope special edition line:smile2: It WILL bring in trees, stumps, and anything caught with the hook! We launched at Scranton about 6pm. Our first stop produced quite a few catfish, taking less than 3 minutes to begin biting. We started with 5 poles each and quicly dropped to 2 or 3.:wink: The 1st stop was mostly channels but johnny managed a nice blue right when we were moving. The 2nd spot was fast and furious action:tounge_out: and also mostly blues. if we caught 1 fish we bagged 40! About 6lbs was the biggest and a lot of 2-3lbers. The fish was starving and very skinny. Hardly any shad around at all. We used punch bait and punch bait only. See ya on Texoma this weekend johnny and good luck sir! It should be one of the best tournaments this year with 10 thousand going to 1st palce!!! I hope i get polygraphed, that means I'm in the dough!:cool2:

[teaysvalleyguy]

Sounds like yall had a nice trip, glad ya got out.

[777]

It was definately a fun trip. We couldn't keep up with more than 2 poles at the first spot. I got to try out the new 65 lb. power pro ( Well Rope as Sam calls it:smile2:) for the first time. I really think I will like it after I get used to the noise it makes when reeling it in. At the second spot we ducked behind a current break and the blues were stacked up. I had one pole that I must have thrown directly on a stump because when I pulled and reeled it in I brought in the stump & roots with about a 3 lb. cat still on it:smile2:. It was a blast but the fish in this stretch of the river are still feeling the effects of the winter shad kill. We seen a few small shad flip but these were some starving fish. Hopefully the shad reproduction will kick into high gear soon in this area. Good luck this weekend Sam. We'll see ya sometime Thursday.

[teaysvalleyguy]

LOL, glad that "rope" is working out for ya.

[Bait Boat]

Good luck this week end Im getting ready to do a little dam fishing..
if the river"s right.

[gonefishing]

Sounds like the two of you had a great time.

[VerotiK]

Haven't been around in a while, but thought i'd give a little update. We camped all weekend at Dardanelle and MAN was it hot. I did just a little fishing on Friday night and had a few bites but didn't stay out real long. Saturday night i took a friend who had never been REAL catfishing before. We went out around 9 when it finally started to cool off. Water temp was 88 and the flow was pretty high, probably around 80-85K. We fished for about 30 minutes before the first bite and i hooked on and it got off somehow. While i was retying my rig, my amateur buddy said "Uh...Jon". I looked over to see his rod double over and he had followed my instructions carefully about how to fish with circle hooks. He hooked his first real cat, and after about 2-3 minute fight, he reeled in a 28lb blue. Made another run with nothing at all, and we decided to do one last run and right about the time we drifted even with the ramp over on the dike side, he hooked another one that went 20lbs. We only ended up fishing about 2 hours, and even though i didn't catch any, it was definately worth it to see the excitement on his face after landing 2 of the biggest fish he had ever caught.

[Big Sam]

Bait boat i KNOW you are ready to run some corks in the hole:tounge_out: It shouldn't be long now.....Have they re-started the generators at 13 yet??

[BigB]

they've been on a couple of days running about 25 thousand thru them

[777]

they've been on a couple of days running about 25 thousand thru them

Brian, Are the gates closed yet or are they running generators and gates?

[BigB]

i just checked again they are running 41 thru gates and 21 thru gen. you can check online here http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/ click lower ark then click on barling

[boliver]

they are running both , 21 through gen. and 45 or so through gates.

[Big Sam]

Won't be long now men:wink:.I bet BaitBoat stay's a week solid when those gates go off!:tounge_out::smile2:

[Bait Boat]

Big Sam your right I think with these 103+ temps it will be at night
A friend of mine caught a 10 lb flathead, and an 9lb blue fri eve on
skip jack. I will be watching things close. :big_smile:

[catfisherman60]

Hey bait boat seen your photo at speed-e-mart the other day.you were at the dam @ 13. that was a nice fish.

[Bait Boat]

I caught 27 spoonbill this year I"M really not a snagger but the river
has"nt been good for remote control boat fishing. But it"s getting
closer . Got 70 bags of catalpa worms ready for war.
You been fishing lately?

[Big Sam]

Yes baitboat we been a little me and johnny went week fore last on the river. We caught at least 40. The biggest was 8lbs. I knew you had stash catalpa's. careful or you'll be snacking on them dudes:ooooh::smile2:

[Bait Boat]

I"ll share some. may have to wait 1 more week for cork fishing.
may have to try bottom fishing overthere this weekend.

[catfisherman60]

Bait boat,I have not gone fishing for a while. My DAD is real sick now and can,t go. someone has to stay with his all the time.He was my fishing buddy.maybe this fall I will be able to go.

[Bait Boat]

Mike hate to hear that about your dad. I havent fished the way I like to
at all . Hope all works out for your dad. By the time the river gets right
it will be deer season . see ya
Regan

[Big Sam]

Mike i hope your dad gets better. Bait-boat....is looking for a gun-fight at lock and dam 13:ooooh: There will be catalpa worms flying like nobody's buisness. Good luck my friend.:tounge_out:

[catfisherman60]

Thanks Bait Boat and Big Sam, DAD has cancer and he real weak. He has it in five places.Its sad to see him that way.:sad2: