Focused Fishing Web Log

Kimberling City Area: Spoons, drop shot finesse worms and grubs continue to be the most dominate pattern in the mid-lake. Look for bait to be successful, if you find a school of shad off of the bottom there will be fish in and around it just take the time to work the area until you find them. You can still catch a few quality smallmouth on the larger docks in the area as well; a PB&J Eakins’ jig with a green pumpkin Chomper jig trailer is your best bait.

James River: Best two patterns up the James have been a jerkbait and a jig. Look for fish to be suspended on mixed rock secondary points with timber and make multiple casts with a rogue or a pointer into the timber to be successful. Don’t be surprised if you catch a few large crappie as well. The jig bite is on channel swing banks toward the backs of the creeks, look for the spot on the swing where the channel makes contact with the bank to be most productive. Missouri craw Eakins jigs with green pumpkin jig trailers have been the best bait.

White River: Deep, spoons and drop shot finesse worms on secondary and main lake points, and grubs fished through trees topping out at around 30’ deep have been the best patterns from Baxter to Shell Knob. Just like in the Kimberling City area look for bait to be successful. A few fish are coming on jerkbaits in the Kings River, like the James look for mixed rock points with timber to be holding most of the fish.

Dam Area: The fishing pressure has dropped off over the past week with the lack of any tournaments on the lake. Look for most of the fish in the dam area to be deep on points, drops and saddles. Anytime there is bait in these areas the fish will become active and feed on spoons, drop shots and grubs. In addition, a few fish are being caught on Eakins’ jigs around boat docks, look for larger docks on pea gravel points to be holding the better fish.

Main Lake: Not allot has changed over the past week, the best bite continues to be on deep chunk rock or bluff points. Primarily catching fish on an Eakins’ jig in Missouri craw with a green pumpkin craw trailer, fish the bait slowly from the bank all the way out to 25’ deep to be effective. There have also been a few reports of guys catching a mixed bag of fish on a jerkbait; look at 45 degree banks and points with a mix of chunk rock and bigger rock to be the best areas.

Above the bridges: The best bite up the river has got to be a jig or tube; black / blue flash Eakins jigs with a flippin blue super chunk jr. has been the most effective bait, look for wood cover on channel swing banks in creek arms and on the main lake to be the most productive areas. Make multiple pitches to each piece of cover, the fish are not very aggressive and want the bait in their face before they will strike it.

Trolling is still the most reliable method for walleye, crawler harnesses and wiggle warts are both working on main lake flats and the face of the dam.

Crappie are on brush piles from 10’ – 35’ deep and will take live minnows and 2� tubes on 1/16 oz. heads.

White bass fishing continues to slow, look for them to be on windy flats and points.

Dam area to Lead Hill: It appears the shallow bite has disappeared unless the wind is blowing; most of the fish have moved out in to deeper water and are transitioning into their fall patterns. You can still catch quite a few Kentuckies on a spoon and drop shot rig around schools of shad. Jewel 5/16 oz. spider jigs in PB&J or green pumpkin / green flash have been very effective on deep points and bluff cuts. Match the jig up with a green pumpkin jig trailer and fish it very slowly.

Lead Hill to Power site: The shallow bite has slowed in the upper end of the lake as well. A jerkbait will produce a few fish on mixed rock points with wind; any wood cover is a plus. The most consistent bite has been an Eakins’ jig with an Eakins’ craw trailer, in brown or Missouri craw. Fish on steeper mixed rock banks and channel swing transition banks from 1’ – 20’ deep, just like with the jerkbait any wood cover will usually hold several fish.

The water is cold and the bite has slowed on Pomme, an Eakins’ jig is by far your best bet, brown, Missouri craw or black / blue flash have all been good choices based on water color. Most of the fish are coming out of the deeper brush piles on points and drops in creek arms and on the main lake. With the fish being as deep as 25’ deep allot of guys are switching to a Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig with a Chomper 4� jig trailer, the only concern is to watch you speed with the football jig, it is heavier so don’t speed up while keeping bottom contact.

Most of the crappie re being caught over brush with white 2� squirts, live minnows and tri-color grubs have all been effective.

Best fly patterns for the week: Midges, woolies and scuds continue to be good, olive; rust and zebras have been dominating colors.

Best spinning tackle: Gold buoyant spoons, little cleos and super duper are all effective, live night crawlers and pink power bait is working also.

Kimberling City Area: The best bite right now is the deep bite, once you locate the bait the fish will not be far away. White spoons, drop shot finesse worms and single tail grubs are all effective. Look for bait to be anywhere from main lake points to the guts of creeks, birds are your clue to bait location. There are still a few fish being caught on boat docks with Eakins’ jigs; look for larger docks on pea gravel points to hold most of the fish, pitch a PB&J with green pumpkin trailer to the center walkway of the dock in the first two or three stalls.

James River: The wiggle wart bite has slowed in the upper James; most of the fish are being taken on Rogues and other jerk baits fished around wood cover on transition banks. There are still a few fish being caught on an Eakins’ jig in brown with a green pumpkin trailer on channel swing banks in major creek arms and on the main lake. Look for any wood cover to hold a few more fish and make multiple pitches to the same piece of cover to be successful.

White River: Your best bet is still the deep bite from Baxter to Shell Knob. Look for schools of shad on main lake and secondary points, guts and mouths of creeks; look for gulls to show you where the bait is. White spoons, smoke grubs and drops shot finesse worms will all catch fish, if you don’t see active fish on your graph drop you bait to the bottom, reel up half a turn and shake it. Many times the fish are locked on the bottom and will come up when antagonized.

Dam Area: The dam area continues to have a lot of fishing pressure. Your best bet is still to find bait fish and fish deep, spoons, drop shot rigged finesse worms and grubs are accounting for both numbers and quality of fish. Much like the rest of the lake look for the fish to be related to shad on main lake and secondary points, guts of creeks and bluff ends. Bigger docks are also holding quality fish but they are receiving most of the fishing pressure. Pitch Eakins’ jigs in PB&J with a green pumpkin Eakins craw trailer to the main walkway in the first few stalls.

Main Lake: The bite getting a little better as smallmouth adjust to the colder water conditions. Deep rocky points and bluff ends have been the most consistent locations for quality fish. An Eakins’ jig in brown or Missouri craw with a green pumpkin Chomper twin tail has been catching several nice fish. Work the bait from the bank all the way out to 30’ deep, pay close attention to any rock or wood you come across that cover will hold most of the fish.

Above the bridges: The rivers are still very treacherous so be careful if you venture above the bridges. There is a pretty good jerk bait bite right now on channel swing banks and deeper mixed rock points. The fish that are feeding on a jerk bait are pretty aggressive so there is little need to pause the bait for long. These same areas are giving up a few fish on Eakins’ jigs and Ultra tubes, fish from the bank out to about 20’ deep and work the bait slowly on the bottom.

Trolling crawler harnesses, wiggle warts and other crankbaits near the face of the dam and major creek mouths has been your best bet.

Crappie are still holding on brush from 10’ – 35’ deep, live minnows, 2� tubes and grubs are all catching fish.

White bass fishing has slowed a bit but there are still days when you can catch a bunch on a rooster tail, windy flat points are key.

Dam area to Lead Hill: Not allot of changes over the past week; smallmouth are holding from 10’ – 35’ deep and can be caught on Jewel spider and football jigs in PB&J or brown purple flash, Kentuckies and following schools of shad and will eat spoons, drop shots and grubs and largemouth are relating to shallow cover and are eating jerkbaits, wiggle warts and Eakins’ jig and craw combos. There are also a few fish being taken on the bigger docks around the dam area as well, pitch to the center walkway to be successful.

Lead Hill to Power site: A wiggle wart is still the most productive bait in the upper end of the lake. Look for 45 degree mixed rock banks to be holding most of the fish and make parallel casts in 6’ – 10’ of water. There have been a few fish taken on rogues and Lucky Craft pointers this past week, deeper mixed rock points are producing strikes from bass, walleye and even some bigger whites.

The most consistent bait has been an Eakins’ jig in Missouri craw with a green pumpkin Chomper jig trailer. Fish it from the bank to 25’ deep on deeper points, bluff ends and channel swing banks, if you encounter brush or other cover fish it very thoroughly, most brush piles are holding fish right now. If it is a windy day move to mixed rock points near deep water and throw a rogue or Lucky Craft pointer, this time of year you can catch a mixed bag of good sized fish off of one point if the bait moves up.

Crappie fishing is still a little slow but you can catch a limit if you are patient, white 2� squirts, live minnows and tri-color grubs have all been effective.

Best fly patterns for the week: Midges, woolies and scuds have all been good, olive, rust and zebras have been dominating colors.

Best spinning tackle: Gold buoyant spoons, little cleos and super duper have all been effective, live night crawlers and yellow powerbait has been working as well.