Focused Fishing Web Log

Kimberling City Area: Spoons, drop shot finesse worms and Rapala ice jigs continue to produce on main lake points and drops. Locate shad on your graph as they migrate towards the backs of the creeks. Once you find the shad you will likely have to work the area for a while before finding the fish, pay close attention to your graph as most of the fish are near the bottom and can be hard to see.

James River: The cooler weather is finally starting to cool the water temp in the James River. Fish are slowly moving a little shallower with every drop in temperature, look for shad to be moving towards the backs of creeks as the water cools, locate the shad you will locate the fish. On windy days a Jewel rush tandem spinner bait in white with two willows has been productive, while on calm days an Eakins jig in brown / purple flash with a green pumpkin Eakins craw fished around boat docks 8’ – 15’ deep.

White River: Still a pretty good spinnerbait bite up the Kings River in deeper pockets on the main lake. Make repeated casts to whatever cover may be present (rocks, laydowns, and brush). Fish deeper transition and pea gravel points as the day wears on with a Jewel 7/16oz. spider jig in green pumpkin / green flash matched up with a green pumpkin 4� Chomper jig trailer, most of the bites will be when you pull the bait over a piece of cover.

Dam Area: Before the sun gets above the tree line throw a 1/4 oz. ball head jig with a white or smoke 4� single tail grub on main lake pea gravel flats and points. If there is any wind this bite will continue through out the day with most of the fish roaming in 6’ – 12’ of water. If there is no wind back off and throw a Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig with a Chompers 5� jig trailer and hop and drag it back to the boat.

Main Lake: The top water bite remains good; sammys, pop-r’s, spittin’ image and just about any bait you can walk will work well. As the day progresses look for transition points on both the main lake and in major creek arms and drag a Jewel 5/8oz. football jig in Missouri craw with a green pumpkin 5� Chomper jig trailer from 6’- 20’ deep. Most of the bites will be soft and spongy so pay close attention to your bait at all times.

Above the bridges: The river continues to collect boat pieces and parts, if you head up above the bridges slow down and be extremely careful. Once up there look for shad to be moved toward the backs of the creeks and fish around them with a Jewel tandem rush spinnerbait or a Lucky Craft R.C. 1.5. Any wood cover deserves multiple casts from different angles.

Keep trolling for those walleye around the dam, Norman deep little N and a Rapala glass shad have both been good baits as well a crawler harnesses.

Fish the brush piles for crappie, live minnows, 2� yellow grubs and white / red squirts have all been effective.

Dam area to Lead Hill: Your best bite continues to be a Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig or a 5/16 oz. spider jig in PB&J with a green pumpkin jig trailer. Look for pea gravel points and roll offs near deep water to hold most fish. Make long casts into 6’ – 8’ of water and drag the bait all the way out to 20’+ deep. Most of the fish will be holding on what little cover exists on the bottom so pay close attention to anything you drag up against.

Lead Hill to Power site: Still catching a few fish on top water and buzz baits early in the morning look for surface activity to key you into where the fish are at. As the day wears on look toward transition points and fish an Eakins’ jig and craw combination in brown / green pumpkin from the bank to 15’ deep.

The river bite is still pretty strong; buzz baits, spinner baits and rattle traps have all been producing several fish. Look for schools of shad near deeper pools and / or wood cover and fish tight to school to be successful. On the main lake you will do well with a spinnerbait also, though you are likely to catch a toothy critter or two. There are still a few fish holding in shallow brush near points and drops.

Live minnows and 2� grubs and tubes 10’ – 20’ deep around any wood cover is your best bet for crappie.

Best fly patterns for the week: There are a few more browns showing up every week, midges, scuds and egg patterns have all been productive.

Best spinning tackle: The biggest problem lately has been boat traffic, allot of fish are being caught on little Cleos, super dupers and Rapalas.

Kimberling City Area: The deep bite is starting to become hit and miss as the shad begin their migration towards the backs of the creeks. Look for shad in the mouths off creeks and off secondary points in major creeks, once you find the shad you will likely have to work the area for a while before finding the fish, pay close attention to your graph as most of the fish are on the bottom and are hard to see. Spoons, drop shot finesse worms and Rapala ice jigs will produce when the fish start feeding.

James River: While a little cooler than the main lake the James is still in more of a summer pattern than a fall one. Look for fish to be on deeper points and roll offs; effective baits include both Jewel 5/8 oz. and ¾ oz. football jigs in brown / purple flash and PB&J. Most of the fish are still holding tight to the break during the day. Early and late there are a few fish being caught on buzz baits and waked spinnerbaits in main lake cuts and pockets near deep water.

White River: Early and late there is a pretty good spinnerbait bite up the Kings River in deeper pockets on the main lake. Look for areas holding shad and make repeated casts to whatever cover may be present (rocks, laydowns, and brush). Later in the day you will find better luck on deep drops and roll offs fished with a jewel 7/16oz. spider jig in green pumpkin / green flash matched up with a green pumpkin 4� Chomper jig trailer.

Dam Area: In the morning in the dam area fish a 3� single tail grub in smoke / pepper on a ¼ oz, ball head in 6’ – 15’ of water. Smallmouth have been moving up on the pea gravel flats and busting shad from before sun up until it comes over the tree line. The key is to maintain bottom contact during the retrieve, make a long cast allow the bait to fall to the bottom and then retrieve it just fast enough to tick the bottom as it swims back to the boat. After the sun comes out move to deeper water and drag a 5/16 oz. Jewel spider jig in PB&J with a cinnamon / purple / jelly jig trailer along these same flats.

Dam area to Lead Hill: The better fish weighed in at the Heartland Buddy championship were caught in this area of the lake fishing a Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig in PB&J or green pumpkin / green flash, either one with a 5� green pumpkin jig trailer. Most of these fish came on deep pea gravel flats and roll offs in 15’ – 25’ of water and they would hit the bait as it was falling either after it had been hopped or as it was falling down a drop.

Lead Hill to Power site: Early and late there is a good top water bite off main lake and secondary points, watch for surfacing fish and make long casts with a Sammy, spook or spittin’ image. Later in the day a Jewel 5/16 oz. spider jig or a small tube fished on points mixed with pea gravel and chunk rock will produce several bites. Drag the baits on the bottom paying close attention to any areas with wood or larger rock cover; these spots will hold most of the fish.

Main Lake: Still catching a few fish early and late on a Sammy, spook or g-splash though most of them are short fish. The better fish are still holding on main lake and secondary points in major creek arms and can be caught on an Eakins ‘ jig in brown or Missouri craw either one with a green pumpkin Eakins’ caw trailer. Look for the fish to be close to the bank in the morning and moving deeper into brush and other cover as the sun comes up.

Above the bridges: Simply put be careful up the rivers, an angler who has been “fishing Stockton his whole life� did some serious damage to his boat last week running where “he’s always run ‘ up the river. Anyway, the better bite has been on an Eakins’ flippin jig in Black / Blue flash with a flippin’ blue Zoom super chunk jr. fished around laydowns and log jams. A few fish have been eating a buzz bait early in the backs of pockets as well but it has been a hit or miss pattern.

Keep trolling for those walleye around the dam and on mid lake flats, Norman deep little N and a Rapala glass shad have both been good baits.

Fish the brush piles for crappie, live minnows, 2� yellow grubs and white / red squirts have all been effective.

The bite continues to improve on Pomme. Up the river there is a pretty good buzz bait, top water, rattle trap bite on most of the channel swing banks. Look for schools of shad being harassed by fish and cast into and around them with your favorite reaction lure. As the day wears on switch to an Eakins’ jig in black / blue flash or a blue fleck power worm and make repeated casts to stick ups and log jams.

Wood cover 15’ – 25’ deep is still holding most of the crappie, live minnows, 2� grubs and squirts are all working.

Best fly patterns for the week: Have heard tell of some bigger browns being caught this past week, if you are after a big brown start fishing after dark with large woolly buggers and zonkers in black. Rainbows are still taking scuds, midges and smaller woollies in tan, rust and olive.

Best spinning tackle: The bigger browns have been showing up on Rapalas and bigger buoyant spoons, while rainbows will still take 1/16 oz. super dupers, little Cleos and roster tails.