Personal
Windshield broke on the F-250 (rocks on the roads); recording from the dealer. Nasty cold front; some reports of thermal-shock shad — severity unclear. Pulling the Champion home; western Oklahoma this weekend, hoping to fish early next week.
Plan — Twin Bridges / Neosho
Clear water — pitch swimming minnows and Lucky Bugs, two at a time. Tie2 (loops top and bottom, no loop knots) and cable-guard jig heads (single strand — less hang-up than a full brush guard without as many missed fish if you fish slow). Look flats a few miles above Twin Bridges for shallow Sand Bass, or channel edges. Crappie should be showing more at Twin Bridges now (earlier winter clearer for whites than Crappie).
Haydn / Paddlefish
Lots of happy clients; fish in mid-channel with Dipsy Divers and controlled drift. New enclosure on the front of the boat for cold days — pops still nervous but he's licensed and insured. Colder/clearer packs fish in big schools.
South end Crappie
Dam toward Goat Island, old Jerry Croft spots — cast into suspended schools. Fickle south end: 2" swimming minnow + 2" Lucky Bug, or 2½" swimming minnow + 2" Lucky Bug. Upper lake murkier/more aggressive: 2½" + 2½". Casting/retrieving: cable guard on bottom, Tie2 above. Favorite colors: chartreuse-and-white, chartreuse-and-brown pumpkin; Jerry liked black-and-chartreuse.
Catfish
May be slow with thermal-shock shad giving free food.
Dealers
Fish Lucke Amazon, fishlucke.com, area dealers, Grove Walmart. Toby Keith launched the company with Jeff in 2023.