Focused Fishing Web Log

Kimberling City Area: The fish are beginning to move into summer positions, Carolina rigged centipedes, baby brush hogs and Chomper skirted grubs are all working on main lake and secondary points. Most of the fish are moving deeper so hold your boat out in 25’ – 35’ deep off the points and fan cast the point until you find the depth that the fish are holding in. A good back up pattern is fishing a PB&J Eakins’ jig with a green pumpkin Eakins’ craw in the shady pockets around boat docks.

James River: In the upper end of the river and in the backs of some of the major creeks a white or white / chartreuse Jewel Tandem Rush Keel spinnerbait fished around laydowns, flooded bushes and stump fields will catch several fish both keepers and shorts, as will a green copper shad or black / chartreuse Lucky Craft R.C. 1.5 or 2.5. Out on the main lake Carolina rigged lizards, French fries and brush hogs will work on flat points near deep water.

White River: The White river continues to produce some good fish; main lake and secondary points with either a Jewel 5/6 oz. spider jig in brown / purple flash with a green pumpkin Chomper 4� jig trailer or a mojo rigged finesse worm or french fry in green pumpkin from 20’ – 30’ deep has been the most consistent pattern. Make sure to fish the bait slowly and pay close attention to any rock or wood that the jig or sinker makes contact with.

Dam Area: There are still fish being caught on a shaky head / finesse worm but you will need to move out a little deeper on main lake and secondary points, most of the fish have moved out to 20’+. Some fish are starting to show up in the trees and on saddles as deep as 40’ deep. With the water warming into the 70’s it won’t be long until large groups of fish move off shore and start eating spoons and drop shot rigs.

Main Lake: The main lake has continued to be tough; short fish are plentiful on both Carolina rigs and shaky heads but keeper sized fish have been few and far between. Back in some of the bigger coves and creek arms have some better fish holding to channel swing banks and on secondary points toward the backs of creeks; a brown or PB&J Eakins’ jig with a green pumpkin Chomper jig trailer hopped on the bottom is your best bet.

Above the bridges: Look for areas of recently flooded grass and bushes to be holding several fish; a white Jewel Tandem Rush Keel spinnerbait or Keel Banger buzzbait fished in the grass will produce several bites, this pattern will not hold up much longer as the grass and weeds die off the fish will move out of it. Flipping a black / blue jig around laydowns continues to produce fish with better fish holding around 3’ deep.

Walleye continue to be caught on the face of the dam as well as on flat points on the main lake; trolling mid-depth crankbaits and crawler harnesses has been the best pattern.

Crappie fishing continues to be hit or miss, live minnows on 1/16 oz. jigs near marked brush piles has been the most productive pattern.

Dam area to Lead Hill: The bite continues to be strong on Bull Shoals; move out a little deeper with a shaky head, mojo or Carolina rig and you will be successful. Most of the fish are following main lake and secondary points to their deep water summer homes and can be caught from 20’ – 35’ deep holding close to the bottom. The top water bite has been off an on, on mornings and evenings that the shad move up to the surface it is awesome, if the don’t move up it is a waste of time.

Lead Hill to Power site: An Eakins’ jig in brown / purple flash or PB&J with a green pumpkin Eakins craw continues to catch fish on channel swing and bluff ends in the major creek arms and on the main lake. Look for the fish to be 6’ – 15’ deep around some type of cover. Much like the main lake the top water bite has been hit or miss at best. In the backs of some of the creeks you can find some off colored water and flooded brush, throw a Jewel Tandem Rush Keel spinnerbait through this brush and around any other cover you find.

Pomme continues to be a fun place to fish; the top water bite is still good early and late, there are fish eating a buzz bait or rattle trap on the flats up the river, you can flip and pitch an Eakins’ flippin jig with a super chunk jr. around laydowns all over the lake and the deep brush pile and Carolina rig bite is just starting to pick up. Colors are pretty simple; in the cleaner water from Light foot or the Nemo bridge to the dam anything in green pumpkin or watermelon red has been good from those places up the river or creek brown or black and blue have been best.

Best fly patterns for the week: Midges and scuds in tan, rust or grey have been the best flies, sizes 16 – 20.

Best spinning tackle: There has been a little more water this week and a few fish are coming on spinners, most of the time live night crawlers and power bait on drift rigs are your best bet.

Kimberling City Area: When the sun is out the dock pattern continues to be the strongest; a PB&J Eakins’ jig with a green pumpkin Eakins’ craw trailer has been the most effective bait. Look at the docks on pea gravel to out produce those on rock and larger ones to be better than small private docks, remember to always pitch into the shady areas starting shallow early in the day and working deeper as the sun comes up.

James River: Shallow crankbaits like a Lucky Craft R.C. 2.5 or 1.5, Bagley square bills or bomber square bills are all producing around the flooded brush. Fish flat banks and try to make multiple casts to each bush from different angles. A mojo or Carolina rig is also effective close to deep water on both main lake and secondary points, lizards, french fries and baby brush hogs on green pumpkin or watermelon have been the baits of choice.

White River: Still a good bite on the White and Kings Rivers; on the White look for the fish to be on main lake and secondary points near deep water the best baits have been a 1/2oz. Jewel Football jig in PB&J with a green pumpkin Chompers jig trailer or a Carolina rigged lizard or french fry in green pumpkin. Maintaining bottom contact is critical to being successful so fish slowly. Up the Kings either a square bill crankbait or Jewel Lavender Shad fished in and around the flooded bushes on flat banks will produce several fish.

Dam Area: The dam area continues to produce big smallmouth on a daily basis. Main lake and secondary pea gravel points fished with either a shaky head or a mojo rig and a finesse worm has been the best pattern. Up Long Creek there is a good jig bite in the stained water around flooded bushes and laydowns, An Eakins’ jig in Missouri Craw with a green pumpkin Paca chunk has been the most effective combination.

Main Lake: Stockton has been getting tough over the past week or so, main lake and secondary points will produce number of small fish on both Carolina rigs and shaky head worms but the larger fish are few and far between. A couple of decent fish have been coming on flats in the creek arms on square bills but the bite has been hit or miss, concentrate on both standing timber and laydowns in 4’ of water or less.

Above the bridges: Still a decent jig bite up the rivers, look for the fish to be holding tight to cover when the sun is shining and to be cruising the flats on cloudy and windy days. On those sunny days make pitches to the base of trees and on the shady sides of laydowns with a black / blue flash Eakins’ Flippin’ Jig and blue Paca chunk trailer. On the windy / cloudy days bang a square bill or R.C. 1.5 or 2.5 into the timber to draw reaction strikes from cruising fish.

Most of the Walleye action has been on the face of the dam trolling medium and deep diving crankbaits.

Crappie fishing has been spotty, you need to find the bait to be successful, try crappie jigs and / or live minnows around brush 15’ +.

Dam area to Lead Hill: Not allot of changes over the past week, mojo rigs, shaky heads and Carolina rigs are all still producing fish the only change seems to be the depth, fish are starting to move deeper on the main lake and secondary points and you will need to back out to 25’ – 35’ deep to be successful. The top water bite continues to be great early and late; sammys, spooks, spittin’ image and red fins are all still producing fish in low light hours.

Lead Hill to Power site: Most of the fish continue to be caught on an Eakins’ jig, PB&J or Missouri craw have been the best colors either one with a green pumpkin craw for the trailer. Look for the fish to be holding tight to cover on sunny days either rock or wood and then to be cruising on the flats on windy or cloudy days. On those windy / cloudy days a Jewel Tandem Rush or Lavender Shad spinner bait has been effective around brush piles, stumps and laydowns on flat wind swept banks.

The top water bite is still pretty strong in the low light hours with buzz baits starting to produce some good fish around wood up the river and in main lake pockets. During the day it seem the best bite is a deeper bite on main lake and secondary points; Jewel football or spider jigs, Carolina rigged lizards and brush hogs as well as shaky head worms are all producing bites. Green pumpkins, browns and watermelons have been the best colors and the fish seem to be holding from 6’ – 15’ deep on and around wood cover.

Best fly patterns for the week: Tan scuds, zebra midges and green holographic scuds have all been successful patterns this past week.

Best spinning tackle: Yellow and pink power bait, hatchery power bait and live night crawlers have been your best bet all on drift rigs.