Wellllll…………wish I had more to report on the fishing, but it was simply TOUGH. I really appreciate all of you that offered assistance. We fished about 3-4 hours each morning. Air temps were in the mid-90s, water temps were around 70. Heck, I thought I left that temp behind at home!!! UGGG. As I shared with many of you, I just simply don’t use live bait, so I know as always, that hurts me, but it’s just the way I like to go after em. So, we fished about 3 hours a day for smallies and one hour for pike over the cabbage.

Tried drop shotting quite a bit, no luck. Flipped a ned rig and tube quite a bit. Tried hard to stay on rocks, fished many reefs. Used LiveScope, although it’s new to me so not great with it. Only caught 6 smallmouth in total. Three toads………5 1/2, 4 3/4, and a 4 1/2. THAT was fun! Caught only 3 pike. Nothing big. Around 4-5 pounds was biggest. Tried like heck in Isle bay, but only caught one of them in there. Found a good spot in Wahkon bay in about 10 foot of water on the last morning and had more luck. Lost about a ten pounder trying to grab him.

Had great luck at the casino, so that was fun. Was a very nice place and everyone was very friendly to us. REALLY enjoyed the Isle pizza/bowling alley. Played Itazy’s twice. Tore it up on day one……….played terribly on day two and my wife took my money! Enjoyed a Mexican restaurant about 20 miles to the SE of Isle for lunch one day. Great food!

Again, really appreciate everyone’s help! Glad I made the trip. Grabbed some Iowa sweet corn on the way home. And, now back to fishing my home spot………lake of the ozarks next week…….where I actually KNOW what I’m doing!!! Hope everyone enjoys the fall, hunting season, and the holidays!

Welllll…….. threw the dropshot and Ned rig ALOT this morning all around and on top of several reefs and rocky areas and hazard marked areas. Tough tough tough. Gave it hell for 4 hours tho. Three smallies. One nice one about 4 3/4 lbs. can’t get a pike to even look at a spoon or spinner over the cabbage in 10 feet so pretty much giving up on that. Why can’t fishing be easy like it was 40 years ago???? Lol

Thanks all!!!

Yea, there’s NO doubt that I’ll be checking out the end of the VRBO house dock that we rented. IF it has decent fishy looking water and/or weeds in front of it, I’ll be picking up some suckers to put in my livewell or bait bucket and picking up some of those baseball sized bobbers. My dad always used to put shiners on for me as a kid up at Winnie, so I’m familiar with that approach. Haven’t drowned one in 25 years though I’d guess. Might be a good way to help my whiskey go down in the evenings as we hang out at the house. Love the suggestion!

What’s you all’s favorite or most interesting tackle and bait store in town??

Thank you sir!!! I appreciate that insight!

On the casino topic, can I ask…….why do you stay away? Is it not safe? I’ll be with my wife and we were going to go for something to do one evening. Is that a bad idea or do you just not like casinos?? I haven’t been to one in 20 years, but figured we’d do something different one night

Is it sad that I just sat in my 100 degree garage and rigged up 14 rods for my sept 1st pike and smallie trip to ML??

Hoping to find some pike around the weeds in the Isle Bay where we’re staying and then figure out how to find the boulders and shoals to throw 15 different baits at the smallies!!!

And if THAT doesn’t work, welllll then I guess I’ll take the wife to the casino, the golf course and try to find the most interesting places for good grub around the lake!!

Any local knowledge places of interest you’d recommend to eat at?? Cool atmosphere and/or great food and views??

Thanks gang. Toooo hot down here to fish now so just counting the days till September!!!

Thanks guys!!! And, thanks for the bay recommendations Craig! Save me some serious motoring and searching time if I know a bay or two to check out with some spinnerbaits or spoons tied on. Appreciate all the info!!!

Man I WISH they’d be hitting on whopper ploppers. Now THAT is something I can tie on my wife’s rod and tell her to cast and reel!! Thanks for all the advice guys. Gives me something to start with.

One last question for the group, do any of you occasionally chase pike to get your arms jerked hard every now and then? I also like to spend some time trying to catch a slimer when I’m up North. Any bays or specific grass lines where you think I could do well pulling a spinner for Pike? I know everyone up there hates em, so I’ll be doing you a favor by annoying em for ya!!! LOL

Yes, yes we are. Would LOVE your golf course recommendations!!! Especially if within 40 min or so of Isle!!

What’s the topwater fishing or spinnerbait fishing like if I get around these rocks?? I’m CERTAIN I’m not good enough to fish deep. I have good electronics, but stink at using them. I’m better if I can just know that I’m fishing a pile of rocks or a shoal and know where to work the area over with 2 zillion casts (I’m resilient!!).

Also, if I come out of that big pocket by Isle, how far will I have to run to fish a bunch of that stuff. Is it all generally within a mile or two of that corner? The good rocks?

Are the hazards typically marked? What are they typically? Rock piles? Shoals? If I’m paying attention to my mapping softwards should I be ok? Or, is there a bunch of “came out of nowhere” isolated goofy things that wreck lower units and pop up in water that was otherwise 15 feet deep?? Thanks for the info and any other tips I can get!!!