TOADSTOADSONLY Turns Country in Arkansas and joins the 50lb club X 2

[ToadsToadsOnly]

Imagine casting your 10+" swimbaits into the current 4 cranks into your first cast you feel a THUD, next crank THUMP, next crank WHAM!!!!! Fish ON!! A rat pack of 25-50+ lb stripers are fighting over your bait. Your buddy makes a cast 5 cranks into his cast DOUBLE HOOKUP!!!!!!!

What an amazing trip, ever since Mike Bennett’s post years ago fishing Arkansas chasing monster stripers in Arkansas have been a dream of mine. After seeing a few recent post on FB about the epic fishing that have been going on this past month I could not resist the urge to book a trip with the striper legend Ron Waymak in Hot Springs Arkansas. I sent Gerald Liem last minute invitation to join the trip and he was on board and booking his flight in a moment’s notice.

A few weeks ago the Cali Boys as they call us were putting the hurt on the stripers at Lake Ouachita on the swimbaits. The week prior to our trip the swimbait bite slowed down however Captain Ron Waymack was still sticking the pigs on live Gizzard Shad. Lucky us the stripers decided to cooperate on my trip and were destroying the swimbaits.

We spent 2 ½ days pounding the bank with the plugs and it sure did pay off, Gerald and I knew this trip was not about the number of fish we land. We were sticking to the MOTTO ToadsToadsOnly –Go Big Or Go Home-.
This is not going to be a long winded report I am going to let the pictures do the talking.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg264/toadstoadsonly/Delaware%20fishing/IMG_20150427_005241.jpg (http://s250.photobucket.com/user/toadstoadsonly/media/Delaware%20fishing/IMG_20150427_005241.jpg.html)

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http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg264/toadstoadsonly/Delaware%20fishing/th_VID_42181015_125913.mp4 (http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg264/toadstoadsonly/Delaware%20fishing/VID_42181015_125913.mp4)

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All of our fish were released except 1 52 lb er which I sent to the taxidermist to do a skin mount.


Tackle:
Okuma Shadow Stocker 8’6’ Swimbait Rod paired with a Lexa 400
Same Shadow Stocker paired up with a Shimano Tranx
40lb Trilene Big Game Clear Fishing Line with Suffix 832 65lb backing

This was definitely one of my best fishing trips in my books, this even blows my striper mission to Delaware out of the water.

Until Next Time

Go Big Or Go Home

ToadsToadsOnly

Go Get Em Boys

Follow my FaceBook Hunt For Big Fish (ToadsToadsOnly) https://www.facebook.com/groups/114189495339212/


IG Grindmentality007

[flyhigh123]

wowsa! man i guess i need to book an arkansas trip some time!

[DEVOREFLYER]

Legends are made and lifetime dreams right there. Outstanding job indeed. My grandson is in his last semester at the University of Arkansas at Ft. Smith and it looks like I need to make another trip to visit him. He told me last year when I visited I should have brought my fishing gear. Wow was he right about the big fish to catch in Arkansas.

[M@M]

All I can say is WOW!!!:EyePop: Those fish look Healthy!!

[seal]

Ron W. has got to love the press he's been getting lately. Congratulations on the trip and the fish!

[DarkShadow]

Toads only!

Time to move to Arkansas!

[muskyman]

Damn dude, I am not worthy, that is a pig of a fish. My hat is off to you. Nice job man.

[TroutOnly]

do they allow using the live trout there john,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,nice seeing Gerald,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[hamneggs]

Bob - move to Arkansas... we will follow.

ham

[ToadsToadsOnly]

wowsa! man i guess i need to book an arkansas trip some time!

Captain Ron Waymack is your guy if you do ever decide to go out there.


Legends are made and lifetime dreams right there. Outstanding job indeed. My grandson is in his last semester at the University of Arkansas at Ft. Smith and it looks like I need to make another trip to visit him. He told me last year when I visited I should have brought my fishing gear. Wow was he right about the big fish to catch in Arkansas.

It was a DREAM trip for me I would of been happy if I caught just one of those pigs, but to get them on all three days it was quite surreal to see these monsters shoot out of structure to hammer your baits. You should definitely get out there and fish this time of year the fish are in the shallows spawning once summer hits they move to the deeper water in the middle of the lakes where the waters cooler.


All I can say is WOW!!!:EyePop: Those fish look Healthy!!

Arkansas Fishery Management Program does a phenomenal job maintaining their fishery and I have to thank them for catching a fish of a lifetime. California's DFW could learn a lot from their fishery a state that supports fishing and actually put their fishing license money to help the fishery instead of implementing strict rules and regulations against anglers.

Like our fishery they stock trout part of the year and in the warmer months the game fish have huge gizzard shad to eat some of these shad are a few pounds of pure protein. Another great thing about this fishery is the promote striped bass they have a hatchery program similar to our salmon program up north where they artificially spawn stripers and stock them in the lakes yearly.


Damn dude, I am not worthy, that is a pig of a fish. My hat is off to you. Nice job man.

Thank you for your kind words.


do they allow using the live trout there john,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,nice seeing Gerald,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I do not think they allow live trout Bob however they have huge gizzard shad which makes a great substitution to fishing live trout.

[Stray Cat]

We need gizzard shad! Monster fish ! New bucket list destination for me.

[HawgZWylde]

Great post and awesome trip for you guys! Good to know you're still slaying the Stripey Gerald! It's been awhile since I've seen you at DVL.

Congrats on the Toad slayage guys!

[Stormcrow]

Daaaaayyyyuuuummmmmmmmmm!!!!! So thats where my man has been! Way to go big j!!!!

[ghost2uu]

Jonathan welcome to the promise land. Here are a couple more over 50 from two weeks before you were there. I have gone there a week at a time twice a year for four years now and can't get enough. Nothing like sticking three fish over 42 pounds on three casts. Bob I think the live trout are a Georgia and maybe Tennessee thing.
46195
46194
46193

[ToadsToadsOnly]

Daaaaayyyyuuuummmmmmmmmm!!!!! So thats where my man has been! Way to go big j!!!!

I have Stripers and Yellowtail on my mind all season LMB have been on the back burner lately. We need to get out there and fish soon bud.


Jonathan welcome to the promise land. Here are a couple more over 50 from two weeks before you were there. I have gone there a week at a time twice a year for four years now and can't get enough. Nothing like sticking three fish over 42 pounds on three casts. Bob I think the live trout are a Georgia and maybe Tennessee thing.
46195
46194
46193

You definitely led the way to the striper promise land Mike, thanks to you swimbaiting is never going to be the same again... In a good way, I cant wait until I get my mount is done so I could stair at that Pig every day lol. I am already trying to see when I could get back out there, catching ocean run 20-30 lbers in Delaware was a blast but I have never experienced a better swimbaiting in my life. Now I know why you spend so much time in Arkansas chasing these Toads.

[HuskerRod]

Wow...amazing

[BassinPLS]

Tacos anyone?

[trail blazer]

WOW!!!!!


Im drooling all over my self!

Looks like the striper trip of a lifetime right there I love DD stripers
THANK YOU for sharing

TRAIL BLAZER

[murrieta angler]

Dammmmm Jonathan!!! :EyePop:
Those are some monster stripers Bro.
Good to see a report from you Bro.
God Bless,
Robert
<><

[trollmiester]

Thanx for a great report-never saw that quality and detailed report anywhere.thanx again great pictures