Focused Fishing Web Log

Kimberling City Area: An Eakins’ jig in PB&J or Brown / Purple flash with a green pumpkin Eakins’ craw is your best bet around the larger docks in the Kimberling City area. Fish deeper as the day progresses, most of the fish are suspending under the walk way in the center of the dock so you will need to cast into the stall to be successful. Any brush or rock cover you find under the dock should be fished hard.

James River: When the wind is blowing there is a decent spinnerbait toward the backs of the creeks in the James. A white Jewel Rush tandem with gold willows has been the color combination. Throw the bait close to any wood cover you see especially if there are shad near it. This bite will get better over the next couple of weeks as the water begins to cool.

White River: Still catching several fish on a Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig on main lake and major creek flats and roll offs. PB&J or Missouri craw have been the best colors match either one with a Chomper 5� jig trailer in green pumpkin and drag it on and around the drop off. A few fish have started to migrate back in to the major creek arms and the upper Kings rive following shad, a green copper shad RC 1.5 has been effective around wood cover in the backs of these creeks.

Dam Area: Drop shots, spoons and grubs are still effective deep, look for schools of shad in 45’ – 120’ of water and work your bait under the school to be effective. In addition the football jig bite seems to be picking up on big smallmouth and kentukies, look for main lake flats and roll offs and fish from 25’ – 45’ deep on the bottom.

Main Lake: The top water bite is still strong early and late, though you’re likely to catch more whites than blacks right now, watch for surfacing fish and cast sammys, pop-rs, spooks and spittin’ images toward the activity. Texas rigged worms and salty sinkers have been working once the sun comes up on bluff ends and deep points, green pumpkin and red shad have been your best colors, when you find some brush fish it thoroughly.

Above the bridges: Up the rivers is still a challenge with the low water so be careful. Pitching an Eakins’ flippin jig in black / blue flash with a blue Zoom super chunk has been the best bait, a Jewel Rush Tandem spinnerbait in wht / chart. with willow leaf blades will also produce toward the backs of creeks when it is windy and there are shad present.

The Walleye fishing is still strong as long as you stay close to schools of shad. Medium running crank baits trolled near the bait are hard to beat.

Live bait over wood is still your best bet for crappie.

Dam area to Lead Hill: Jewel spider jigs, football jigs and small tubes from 10’ – 35’ deep on main lake and major creek flats his still a productive pattern, most of the fish will be holding tight to any cover that is on the flat. Watch for any gull activity as well, schools of Kentuckies have been “herding� shad near the surface and can be caught on spoons and by swimming a grub, look for the gulls to so the location of the fish.

Lead Hill to Power site: There is still a good topwater bite in the morning and evening; try a sammy, spook or pop-r. During the day most of the fish are being caught on Eakins’ jigs and tubes fished around wood cover, either brush, lay downs or standing timber. Green pumpkin, PB&J or brown / purple have all been good colors, the key seems to be fishing as slowly as possible and concentrating on the shady areas around the wood.

Most of the action has been on the main lake this past week, the better bite has been around the dam area on deep main lake points and bluff ends in about 12’ – 20’ of water. An Eakins’ jig in brown / purple flash or Missouri craw tipped with a Chomper 4� jig trailer in green pumpkin have been the best baits. Fish the jig slowly from about 6’ all the way down to 20’, the bite has been subtle so be sure to pay close attention to your line.

Still a live bait deal on crappie; fish over wood cove in 15’ – 25’ of water.

Best fly patterns for the week: Scuds, wooly buggers, sculpins have been effective, early in the day a few nice fish have been rising to hoppers as well.

Best spinning tackle: As usual check the water to see when they are turning it on and you will catch fish on spoons, drift rigs and Rapalas.

Kimberling City Area: Still a pretty good jig bite around larger docks in the Kimberling City area; an Eakins’ jig in PB&J or Brown / Purple flash with a green pumpkin Eakins’ craw is your best bet. Work the shallow end of the dock in the morning and fish deeper as the day progresses, most of the fish are suspending under the walk way in the center of the dock so you will need to cast into the stall to be successful.

James River: The recent rain turned the James on with a bunch of fish moving back into the creeks following shad and the fresh water. The best bite has been a Lucky Craft R.C. 2.5 in green copper shad fished on lay downs and standing timber toward the back of creeks with fresh water running in them. Look for these fish to move to channel swing banks back toward the main lake as the flow of water slows.

White River: The most reliable pattern on has been deep fishing from around Baxter to Shell Knob, white spoons, drop shot worms and grubs are all working in the tree tops, while a Jewel 5/8oz. football jig in PB&J with a Chomper 5� green pumpkin jig trailer will work on pea gravel points and flats that “roll off� into deep water.

Dam Area: Still allot of fish coming deep up at the dam, most are being caught drop shotting a finesse or needle worm in standing timber about 40’ deep over 60’+, look for schools of shad to be successful. Have been catching a few on a Jewel 7/16 oz. spider jig as well, green pumpkin / green flash with a 4� Chomper jig trailer in green pumpkin has been the best bait. Drag the jig around from 10’ – 25’ on pea gravel points and flats.

Main Lake: Early and late the top water action continues to improve, a Sammy, pop-r or spook will produce a mixed bag of Kentucky’s, small mouth and a few big white bass. Just look for active fish working the surface near points and saddles between the islands and make casts close to the blow ups. Later in the day the fish are still relating to off shore structure more than any thing else, a Jewel spider or football in brown / purple flash or a green pumpkin lizard or salty sinker on a Carolina rig fished near deep points and drops will produce fish all day.

Above the bridges: Even with the rain Stockton is still down so be careful running up the rivers. There is a good jig bite on lay downs and log jams though out the day, a black / blue flash Eakins’ flippin’ jig with a blue Zoom super chunk will produce several bites. Early in the day you will also catch several decent fish in the backs of creeks with a square bill or spinner bait in and around schools of shad.

The Walleye fishing is still strong, trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses on main lake flats continues to produce.

Crappie fishing has improved with most of the fish being caught on live minnows over wood.

Dam area to Lead Hill: The top water bite on Bull remains strong early and late, fish are cruising pea gravel / chunk rock flats looking for schools of shad, watch for blow ups. As the day progresses switch over to dragging Jewel spider jigs, football jigs and small tubes from 10’ – 35’ deep over these same flats, most of the fish will be holding tight to any cover that is on the flat.

Lead Hill to Power site: Just like around the dam the top water bite early and late is hard to beat, when the sun comes up thought you will need to look at a couple of different patterns. The first is to drag either a Jewel football or spider jig or a Carolina rigged lizard on pea gravel flats and points near deep water. The fish seem to be grouped up so if you catch one make a couple of additional casts to that spot to make sure you catch all the fish there.

The recent rains have moved some of the fish back into the creeks and up on shallow flats to feed. Early and late you can catch large numbers of fish on a spook or a Sammy, if it is windy switch over to a rattle trap or Norman deep baby “N� and concentrate on chunk rock flats with wind blowing on them. If there is little or no wind move out deeper points and areas where flats roll off into a channel and fish a Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig in Missouri craw with a green pumpkin 5� Chomper jig trailer off of the drop.

Crappie fishing is getting better, look for most of them to be 15’+ deep over wood; live minnows have been your best bet.

Best fly patterns for the week: Larger patterns of scuds, midges and San Juan worms 12’s and 14’s have been working; tan, olive and rust have been productive.

Best spinning tackle: When the water is running throw the usual little Cleos and buoyant spoons, Rapalas should start producing very soon.