Focused Fishing Web Log

Kimberling City Area: There are still a few fish on beds in the Kimberling City Area; white tubes, lizards and White Eakins’ jig / craw combos have all been effective. Post spawners have moved out and can be caught on secondary and main lake points with a variety of baits; Carolina rigged lizards, centipedes and fish doctors have all been workings as have Jewel football and spider jigs, look for the fish to be shallow, 10’ or less, early and late and deeper in the middle of the day.

James River: There are allot fewer fish on beds up the James, most of the fish have moved on to a post spawn pattern and can be caught on mojo rigged lizards, centipedes and brush hogs or Jewel football jigs. Any of these baits in brown or green pumpkin will consistently produce. Early and late the topwater bite has been pretty good as well, spooks, sammys and red fins are all producing nice fish in the low light hours.

White River: The White River above Rock Creek has been producing some nice fish this last week; top waters early and late, flukes around boat docks and standing timber on bluff ends and even some fish on shallow crankbaits toward the back of the larger creek arms have all been effective patterns. On windy days a white or white and chartreuse Jewel tandem Rush spinner bait has been producing on mixed rock points and banks with isolated wood cover.

Dam Area: The highest concentration of bedding fish right now is in the dam area, look for pea gravel flats, flat ledge rock and gravel pockets to hold most of the spawning fish. White or pink tubes, lizards, white Eakins’ jig / craw combos and flukes are all producing fish. Most of the fish locked on right now are males but there is an occasional big female on the nest to make it interesting.

Main Lake: Your best bet to find spawning fish right now is in creeks and coves on the main lake; white tubes, lizards, Eakins’ jig / craw combos and flukes are all producing bedding fish when you find them. The early morning top water bite has been pretty impressive as well with a mixed bag of largemouth, kentuckies, smallmouth and even a few big white bass eating top waters before the sun gets above the tree line. Once the sun is up change over to a Jewel spider jig or Carolina rigged lizard and slowly fish main lake and secondary points near spawning coves.

Above the bridges: The best couple of patterns in the rivers have been; a black / blue flash Eakins’ flippin Finesse jig with a zoom Super chunk jr. trailer fished on channel swing banks or a Jewel white / chartreuse Tandem Rush sinnerbait fished on windy mixed rock points and flats. The top water bite is also pretty good up the rivers as well; spooks, sammys and pop-r’s are all producing fish in low light hours.

The walleye are starting to show up in pretty good numbers on flats and flat points; trolling medium diving crankbaits and crawler harnesses have been your best options.

The crappie are shallow and on spawning flats, just about any color of 18 oz. Jig will do the trick

Dam area to Lead Hill: There are still a few fish being caught on spawning beds in the dam area, white tubes, lizards, white Eakins’ jig / craw combos and flukes are all producing bites. Post spawn smallmouth and kentuckies have moved out to main lake and secondary points and can be caught on mojo rigged fish doctors or centipedes, shaky head worms and Jewel spider jigs with a chomper jig trailer. Most of these fish will be fairly shallow in the morning and move progressively deeper as the day rolls on.

Lead Hill to Power site: The fish up the river appear to be done with the spawn, you can still find a few stragglers on the nest but for the most part the bulk of the fish have moved to a post spawn pattern. Look for fish to be on main lake and secondary points and on channel swing transition banks. An Eakins’ jig in PB&J with a green pumpkin Eakins’ craw is a good bet for the fish holding to channel swings and ledges while a Jewel spider jig, a mojo rigged or a Carolina rigged finesse worm is better for those holding to points.

Pomme is pretty active right now; early and late several keeper size fish can be caught on pop-r’s and other top water baits, through out the day Carolina rigged lizards and brush hogs are working on points and ledges, in the dam area several fish are locked onto beds and can be caught with tubes and lizards and on windy days both shallow crankbaits and spinnerbaits are working on wind blown mixed rock banks and points.

Crappie are spawning as well and can be found in less than 10’ of water on flat gravel banks and pockets, 1/8 oz. Jigs in most colors will work fine.

Best fly patterns for the week: Fly Fishing continues to be the ticket; scuds, sow bugs midges and sculpins all continue to work well.
Best spinning tackle: Live night crawlers, pink, yellow and orange power nuggets all fished on a drift rig have been the most effective.

Grand Opening of Anglers Tackle Box 420 N. Main, Nixa, MO April 15th. Stop by for great deals all next week!!!

Kimberling City Area: It appears some of the coves have turned over in the Kimberling City area and that has hurt some of the more finesse techniques. Your best bet is to look for clearer water and fish secondary points near spawning cuts and coves with a shaky head worm, Jewel 3/16 oz. spider jig or a mojo rigged french fry. Best colors continue to be Table Rock Favorites; green pumpkin, watermelon / red, watermelon / purple or just straight watermelon. Jig colors tend more toward brown or PB&J with a green pumpkin 3� Chomper jig trailer.

James River: It’s not uncommon to find water temps in the 60 degree range in the James especially above Virgin Bluff. The warmer water really has the fish moving up onto secondary point s and flats near spawning areas, most of the fish are buck males but the occasional female will be caught. On windy days a Jewel Lavender shad spinnerbait is very tough to be in theses areas with most of the fish coming off of some sort of wood or rock cover.

White River: The White and Kings rivers have turned on as well this past week, a lot of warmer water in the Kings has turned the spinnerbait bite on up there as well with numerous fish coming on white and white / chartreuse Jewel Tandem Rush spinner baits fish on windy, flat mixed rock banks and points near spawning cuts. On calm days a couple of patterns will work on these banks; a Jewel 5/16 oz. spider jig in brown / purple flash or a shaky head worm either fished on the bottom from 5’ – 25’ deep will effectively catch several fish.

Dam Area: Two things you will need if you are fishing the dam area right now; on windy days 4� smoke or salt and pepper single tail grubs fished on ¼ oz. heads and on calm days a shaky head worm in your favorite shade of watermelon. For the grub hold the boat out about 1 ½ cast from windy pea gravel points, flats and cuts, cast and allow the bait to sink to the bottom, reel in with a constant retrieve and maintain bottom contact through out the retrieve. With the shaky head concentrate your efforts primarily on secondary points near the mouths of spawning cuts, hold the boat out 20’ deep, cast toward the bank and slowly work the bait back to the boat, shake the bait occasionally as you bring it in.

Main Lake: Most of the fish in the main lake area are coming on wiggle warts or other mid running crankbaits, limit are pretty common but bigger fish have not been eating crankbaits. The big fish pattern seems to be two fold right now; on windy days the better fish are moving up shallow on rock points in the mouths of spawning coves and can be caught on jerkbaits fished with a relatively quick retrieve in less than 6’ of water. On calm days these same areas need to be fished with an Eakins jig or Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig in brown / purple flash or Missouri craw. Both baits need to be worked down to 25’ deep and fished very slowly to be effective.

Above the bridges: The river bite has turned on as well with several fish being caught on wiggle warts, Jewel Tandem Rush spinner baits and even a few top water fish showing up early and late. Much like the main lake these fish tend to be buck males and the bigger females have been proving tougher to catch. If you are targeting the bigger fish the same Jewel football jigs and Eakins’ jigs will be effective in the river areas the only change will be the fish have been much shallower than on the main lake.

Walleye seem to be scattered and have been easier to catch at night than in the day light, jerkbaits and crankbaits have been very effective around the dam and main lake points.

Looks like the crappie are moving up so look for them to be shallow this week close to spawning areas holding to cover.

Dam area to Lead Hill: Fish are working their way back into the creeks and spawning coves. The bulk of the fish are still holding on secondary points but it is not uncommon to see fish cruising flats and pockets looking for spawning locations. Jewel 3/16 oz. and 5/16 oz. spider jigs in PB&J or brown / purple flash have been catching numbers of fish off of these points as have shaky head worms and Chompers spider grubs, hold your boat in 20’+ and work your bait of choice along the bottom .

Lead Hill to Power site: Above Lead Hill the fish seem to be a little further along, look in a couple of locations with a couple of baits and you should have a successful day. On windy days look at flats and mixed rock points near spawning areas and fish them with a Jewel Lavender Shad spinnerbait, fish will move up on these flats and chase bait through out the day, on calmer days head toward the backs of creek arms and larger coves and fish “the last rock� in the creek (In other words the last channel swing toward the back of the creek) with an Eakins jig and craw combination.

Much like the rest of the area the fish on Pomme are starting to stage up and prep for the spawn. Look for buck males to be in a couple of locations; on secondary points near spawning coves and actually cruising spawning coves and flats looking for bedding locations. Your best bet on the secondary points is to fish a Jewel 5/16 oz. spider or Eakins jig in brown / purple flash from about 4’ – 10’ deep. On the flats and in the coves a variety of baits has been working; when it is windy a wiggle wart, jerkbait or spinnerbait have all been effective choices and on calm days a fluke or senko will out fish just about any other bait.

Look for crappie to be moving into spawning cuts and coves over the next week or so as the water temperature gets into the 60’s.

Best fly patterns for the week: Fly fishing has been great with the small amount of generation; scuds, sow bugs and midges in tan, grey or zebra have a all been effective.

Best spinning tackle: Live night crawlers, pink, yellow and orange power nuggets all fished on a drift rig have been the most effective.