Dropping a Line

A few years ago I had a guide trip with three boats that had to cancel the 3rd boat five days prior to fish day. He was not happy with me giving him just the $100 deposit. He wanted full pay.

Well, that did not end well and I thought the phone was hung up when I talked to a friend standing nearby. Then heard my phone say it’s not about friendship, it’s about business. Oops.

Fishing is my business but friendship and memories come first. Sometimes we lose ourselves in our sorrow. I am sure proof of that. I have shared all my losses here in this column for the last seven years, and it has helped me keep a line in the water and created some lifelong friendships.

Just being on the water you can find peace with yourself away from the world that surrounds you and enjoy the world. A fish on your line or an eagle flying over is a good comfort created for all to enjoy and forget about all your worries. 

I always say take a kid fishing, they need to see there is more to life then electronics and it makes you smile when they smile. That also holds true with adults. Pass it on and go fish or just buy that person behind you in line a cup of coffee.

As far as fishing this week, it is good. We are still catching more stripers around the Hwy. 12 bridge area to Rocky Branch, but hearing reports of more being caught up here near the dam off the points and in the creek arms. They seem to like hanging around that 20-foot water, so little or no weight is best now with shad, shiners or throwing top water plugs. Water temps are warming fast so they are laying their eggs and coming our way for the cooler water.

Here on Table Rock, creek arms are the warmest with most crappie and bass being caught in water less than 12 feet deep, so if not in a boat this is also a great time to walk that shoreline with anything that resembles a minnow, crawdad or worm if don’t have the real thing.

Which brings me too mention our city park, Lake Leatherwood just east of town on 62. It is spring fed and has been full of crappie, bass, perch and catfish way before any of these big lakes were created. At just 100 acres and a trail all around it, it makes for good bank fishing. They also have a dock with something you can rent cheap since it is a no wake lake.

It’s full of fish and history, and very peaceful for fishing or just a walk. We also have some good shoreline below the dam in the tailwaters if trout are what you prefer with Beaver Dam store and Riverview both out that way to sell you a license and help guide you to the best tackle and hotspots.

Till next week enjoy the peace of the Ozarks. Oh, this week’s pic is of Ellis Weller, Jr., better known as Pops, who just moved to Golden, Mo., from here at the Island and now has his own hotspot we created together by dropping some bamboo in the lake just a short walk from his new home. We had very little time to fish, but catching a 22-inch walleye and a 17-inch small mouth brought back some memories and a smile.

Till next week pass it on. Peace to all.