Focused Fishing Web Log

Lake - Table Rock
5/28/07:

Kimberling City Area: The spring to summer transition is in full swing all over the lake as fish move from the shallow spawning areas to the comfort and safety of deeper water. Most of the fish in the mid lake area have been in the transition phase for a couple of weeks and are working out to deep water following pea gravel points near deep water. Bottom hugging baits have been the most effective presentations; Jewel Pro Spider Jigs, shaky head worms, split shot and Carolina rigs are all working well from 20’ – 35’ deep. Green pumpkin and watermelon have been the dominate colors. A few fish have been showing up in the deep trees off the ends of these points, a drop shot rig with a Chompers drop shot worm has been the best choice.

James River: Up the James River fish have already moved into a summer pattern; Carolina rigged lizards and brush hogs in green pumpkin, Jewel ½ oz. and 5/8 oz. football jigs in brown / purple flash with green pumpkin Chompers jig trailers and deep crankbaits have all been producing over the past week. Most of the fish have been on pea gravel and mixed rock points near deep water holding from 12’ – 20’ deep on the first ledge close to deep water. The shallow crankbait bite is just starting to happen in the upper reaches of the James and the major creek arms. Look for flat banks with wood cover to be holding most of the fish and make multiple casts with square bills and Lucky Craft RC 1.5 or 2.5 crankbaits to each piece of cover to be successful.

White River: The White River continues to produce good numbers of fish on Carolina rigged lizards and French fries, Jewel football jigs and shaky head worms from 20’ – 30’ deep. Most of the fish are holding tight to the bottom on points and flats near deep water. The drop shot bite from Baxter to Shell Knob is starting to heat up with more and more fish moving into the deep trees suspending around 25’ – 35’ deep. Most of the drop shot fish are coming on Chompers drops shot worms and Zoom finesse worms in green pumpkin, watermelon candy and plum. Up the Kings River there have been several fish caught this past week on an Eakins’ Flippin Finesse jig in Missouri Craw with a green pumpkin Paca chunk fished around laydowns and log jams 1’ – 6’ deep.

Dam / Branson Area: The dam area has turned tough over the past week with many fish suspending over pea gravel points and flats on their way to deeper water. Drop shot rigs and Carolina rigs have been the best options to target these fish 20’ – 40’ deep. Locate the fish with your electronics and fish a Chompers drop shot worm or Zoom finesse worm directly in front of the fish. Another option on windy days is to throw a 4� single tail grub on a ¼ oz. head to shallow flat windy banks and slow roll the grub back to the boat. Most of the fish will be in less than 15’ deep on windy / cloudy days so position your boat accordingly. Further up Long Creek the bite has never really turned on as in years past, a few fish are being caught daily on Lucky Craft R.C. and Bagley Square Bill crank baits on shallow flat banks but bites have been few and far between.

www.focusedfishing.com

Dam area to Lead Hill: With the lake level still a couple of feet high you can catch a few in the flooded brush particularly early and late in the day. Weightless Chompers Salty Sinkers and Eakins Jigs have been great presentations for these fish. As the day wears on you will need to move out deeper to be successful, Carolina rigs, Jewel Football and Pro Spider Jigs and shaky head worms are all effective presentations. Focus your efforts on mixed rock and pea gravel points near deep water, fishing from 20 – 35’ deep. Most of the fish are holding tight to wood and rock cover on the bottom so pay close attention whenever your bait bumps into something on the bottom. A few schools of Kentuckies have moved off shore following schools of bait, drops shot rigs and spoons have been effective for these fish around bluff ends and other steep points.

Lead Hill to Power site: The high water and current from Taneycomo has turned on a decent shallow bite on the upper end of Bull Shoals. Look for flooded wood cover and brush to be holding fish most of the day. Target these fish with brown or Missouri Craw Eakins jigs with green pumpkin Paca chunk trailers and be sure to make multiple pitches to each piece of cover. If the current goes slack many of the fish will move out deep over points, be ready with Carolina rigged lizards and Jewel Football jigs and fish up to 25’ deep to be successful. The topwater bite continues to produce fish during low light hours; Spooks, Sammys and Chug Bugs are all producing both black and white bass.

www.focusedfishing.com

Link to the Generation Schedule: http://www.swpa.gov/generation.htm

Best fly patterns: The Corps of Engineers continues to run one or two generators daily making wading difficult on some days. Best flies continue to be scuds, soft shell scuds, midges and tungsten head midges in tan, copper, ginger, olive and wine, in sizes from #14 - #20. Intermediate sink tip line is a must when multiple generators are running and with the amount of rain and the work they are trying to complete at the Landing the water will be running for a while.

Best spinning tackle: While the current lasts throw Little Cleos, Buoyant Spoons, Panther Martin, Rooster Tails and Mepps Spinners. White and white / red 1/16 and 1/32 oz. jigs have also been effective in the deeper pools on channel swings. Once the water has been shut off switch over to drift rigs with live night crawlers, wax worms or mixed colors of Berkley Power Nuggets.
www.focusedfishing.com

Kimberling City Area: The fish are definitely in a transition phase right now; there are still several fish holding in shallow water around flooded buck brush and docks but the bulk of the fish have started to migrate to their summer locations in deep water. The top water bite has been good for the first hour or two after sun up but the numbers and size of fish has certainly diminished; Heddon Spooks, Cotton Cordell Red Fins and Lucky Craft Sammys continue to produce fish in low light conditions. Swimming and scrubbing 3� and 4� grubs has taken off over the past week with most of the fish coming 20’ – 30’ deep over pea gravel points and flats around standing timber, position your boat around 40’ deep and cast toward the bank, allow the bait to fall to the bottom and make a continuous retrieve keeping the grub close to the bottom to be effective. Smoke, milky salt and pepper and smoke / red / copper 4� single tail grubs on ¼ oz. heads have been the best bet.

James River: Transition time up the James means Carolina rigs, football jigs and deep crankbaits. Look for fish to be suspended on pea gravel and mixed rock points or flats that drop or roll off into deep water. Most of the fish will be holding close to or right on the drop. Green pumpkin lizards, brush hogs and french fries have been the best selections for a Carolina rig and be sure to dip the tail of the bait in chartreuse dye. Brown / purple flash and PB&J Jewel football jigs with a green pumpkin Chompers jig trailer have been top choices for jig fisherman. Either one of these presentations is effective working the drop area off points and flats, fan cast the point and work from shallow to deep paying close attention whenever the bait drops off of a ledge. DD-22’s and DT-16’s have been bringing a few fish in the boat this past week as well; shad, bluegill and white patterns have been the most effective. Parallel the ledges and drops with either bait trying to run it into any isolated cover to be successful.

White River: The White River has some of the best fishing right now, in particular the area from Baxter to Shell Knob. Carolina rigged lizards, french fries and brush hogs are accounting for good numbers of fish from 20’ – 30’ deep on pea gravel points and flats. These same areas are producing fish on Jewel ½ oz. and 5/8 oz. football jigs and smaller Pro Spider Jigs, the usual colors have been effective; Green pumpkin / green flash, brown / purple flash and PB&J all matched up with a green pumpkin Chomper jig trailers. It is crucial to work either presentation slowly as the fish are still recovering from the spawn and are not willing to chase baits right now. Early and late the top water bite may be the best in this area of the lake; Spooks, Sammys and Red Fins are still producing a mixed bag of largemouth, smallmouth , Kentuckies and some really big white bass.

Dam / Branson Area: While you can still find bedding fish in the dam area in my mind it is a waste of time right now, they are few and far between and with all of the tournaments over the past month these fish are pretty beat up. Most of the fish on the lower end are about mid way through their transition to deep water right now, they can be found following pea gravel and mixed rock points into deep water and their summer locations. A wide variety of baits and presentations will work as long as you fish deep enough. Mojo rigs, Carolina rigs, split shot rigs and shaky heads are all producing fish from 20’ – 30’ deep on pea gravel and mixed rock points near deep water, it doesn’t seem top matter much which plastic you rig up as long as it is green pumpkin with a little chartreuse. A few fish have been showing up on drop shot rigs this week, Chompers drop shot worms and Kinami cut tails are working just off of the bottom from 25’- 40’ deep. This bite will improve as the fish move deeper.

www.focusedfishing.com

Dam area to Lead Hill: A few fish can be found in the backs of creeks and pockets in and around the flooded buck brush laydowns; Eakins’ jigs in brown / purple flash or PB&J with a green pumpkin Eakins’ craw has been effective as has a weightless Chompers salt sinker in green pumpkin with a chartreuse tail. Make sure to work every bush thoroughly. Out in the creeks and on the main lake the fish have started their transition into summer locations. Pea gravel and mixed rock and gravel points are being used by fish to travel from the shallows into deeper water. Fish these locations with Jewel Pro Spider and Football jigs in PB&J or Brown / purple / flash rigged with Chompers Jig trailers from 20’ – 35’ deep paying close attention to any drop offs you may come across. The Top water bite early and late continues to produce numbers and a few quality fish each day; Spooks, Sammys and Red Fins have been the best baits for the first town and last two hours of day light each day.

Lead Hill to Power site: The fish are pretty much in a summer pattern on the upper end of the lake; Carolina rigged lizards, brush hogs and french fries will produce around pea gravel and mixed gravel / rock points near deep water. Color doesn’t seem to be an issue as long as it is green pumpkin. Jewel Football and Pro Spider jigs are working as well in these areas, brown / purple flash and Missouri craw have been top colors both with a green pumpkin Chompers jig trailer. Look for these fish to be from 20’ – 30’ deep hanging close to drop offs. The backs of creeks are producing some fish as well on weightless Salty Sinkers flipped around flooded buck brush, wacky rig the bait and dip both ends in chartreuse dye to draw strikes. Much like the lower end, the top water bite has been good during low light hours, a mixed bag of black and white bass can be expected off the ends of points and around bluff ends.

www.focusedfishing.com

Link to the Generation Schedule: http://www.swpa.gov/generation.htm

Best fly patterns: The Corps has been running a unit or two everyday making wading impossible. Most of the fish are still coming on scuds, g-bugs and sow bugs in grey, olive, ginger and wine, sizes #16 - #20. Some pretty nice fish have been showing up from the dam to Fall Creek in the last week, several 16� – 18� rainbows and the occasional big brown, sink tip line and indicators are a must but the fishing has been good.

Best spinning tackle: All of the current has made for some pretty good fishing over the past week; Little Cleos, Buoyant Spoons, Panther Martins, Rooster Tails and Mepps spinners have been consistent producers, 1/16oz and 1/32 oz white and white / red hair jigs are working as well. Concentrate your efforts in pools and current breaks and you won’t be disappointed. As usual when all else fails drift rig night crawlers or Berkley Power Nuggets through the pools and you will catch a few.

www.focusedfishing.com

Kimberling City Area: While not completely over, sight fisherman are seeing fewer and fewer fish on beds as the month wears on. The most consistent bite has been targeting post spawn fish with a couple of methods; topwater baits like Spooks, Sammys and Red Fins have been very effective early and late around standing timber from 10’ – 40’ deep, when the sun gets up change over to bottom hugging baits like a shaky head with a Chompers worm, Jewel Spider jigs in PB&J and Zoom fish doctors on split shot rigs. All of these baits have been effective on pea gravel and mixed gravel / rock points from 10’ – 20’ deep.

James River: The spawn is completely over in the James River, most of the fish being caught are suspended post spawn fish holding in a couple of areas. Top water baits are working in the James early and late as well with Spooks and Red Fins accounting for some really big fish this past week. Carolina rigged lizards and french fries on pea gravel and mixed gravel / rock points will produce fish throughout the day, green pumpkin and watermelon candy have been top colors. Above Cape Fair shallow crankbaits like Lucky Craft RC 1.5 and 2.5 have started to produce fish around laydowns and other cover on flats and channel swings. A few big fish have stared showing up on bluff ends and steep points; the best bait has been a Jewel ½ oz. Heavy Cover Finesse Football jig in brown / purple flash with a green pumpkin Chompers jig trailer. Work the bait from the bank out to 20’ deep paying close attention when the bait falls from one ledge to another.

White River: Much like the rest of the lake the spawn is all but over in the White and Kings Rivers. Most of the fish are being caught have been either suspended on pea gravel or mixed gravel / rock points or on channel swing ledges. On the pea gravel points Carolina rigs, split shot rigs and shaky heads with finesse baits like small lizards, Eakins craws and french fries in green pumpkin or watermelon red have all been effective. Concentrate your efforts from 10’ – 25’ deep and maintain bottom contact throughout your retrieve. The fish on channel swing bite is changing everyday; try Jewel ½ oz. Heavy Cover Finesse Football jigs on cloudy or windy days and shaky heads with Chompers 6� worms on calm sunny days. The bite can be hard to detect as most of the fish are suspended between ledges and will hit the bait as it falls so watch your line.

Dam / Branson Area: The highest concentration of bedding fish is in the dam area, while there are still several fish on beds it seems everyday more and more have moved off to guard fry. With that in mind floating worms and weight less Chompers Salty Sinkers are effective presentations in spawning areas. Throw either bait toward wood cover or flooded brushes; allow it to sink to the bottom and then lift and let it fall again. Most of the strikes are hard to detect so watch your line at all times. Smallmouth are plentiful on pea gravel points and flats through out the dam area. Shaky head worms, split shot rigs and single tail grubs are all effective presentations, work all of the baits near the bottom from 10’ – 25’ deep.

www.focusedfishing.com

Dam area to Lead Hill: The spawn seems to be over on the lower end of Bull Shoals, most of the fish are coming in deeper water on a variety of bottom hugging baits from 10’ – 35’ deep. Jewel 5/16 oz. Pro Spider Jigs in PB&J or green pumpkin / green flash matched up with 3� Chompers jig trailers, shaky heads with Chompers finesse worms or Zoom centipedes and split shot or mojo rigged french fries and lizards have all been effective. The top water bite has also been very good on the lower end during low light hours; Cotton Cordell Red Fins, Heddon Spooks and Lucky Craft Sammys are all productive before the sun gets high and before it sets.

Lead Hill to Power site: The upper end of the lake is much further along than the rest of the lake; most of the fish are already in a summer pattern. Carolina rigged lizards, brush hogs and french fries have been effective on pea gravel and mixed pea gravel / rock points, DD-22’s and DT-16 crankbaits are working on channel swing banks and Jewel 5/8 and ¾ oz. Football jigs are effective on deep rock points as well. Just like the lower end the top water bite has been great early and late in the day with Red Fins, Spooks and Sammys all producing good fish around bluff ends and deep points.

www.focusedfishing.com

Link to the Generation Schedule: http://www.swpa.gov/generation.htm

Best fly patterns: Allot more generation this past week, with that in mind larger flies have been more effective than smaller ones. Scud, sow bugs, g-bugs and San Juan worms have all been producing fish in sizes #16 & #18 and in natural colors tan, wine, ginger and plum have been producing. With all of the current it is tough to fish without a boat so call before you go to be sure you can wade.

Best spinning tackle: The extra current this past week has really improved the fishing. Little Cleos, Buoyant spoons, Rooster Tails, Panther Martins and Mepps spinners have all been effective. Small white and white / red jigs have also been producing when the current starts to slack and a drift rig with live crawlers or mixed colors of power bait nuggets will work when all else fails.

www.focusedfishing.com

Kimberling City Area: A large number of fish have moved up onto beds this past week, just about every cove and creek arm has fish locked on and fairly easy to catch. The usual bed fishing lures have been effective; white or green pumpkin tubes, green pumpkin lizards and brown Eakins jig and craw combos are all working well. There are still fish in pre-spawn and post-spawn stages right now as well, most of these fish are being caught adjacent to spawning coves on split shot rigged french fries and lizards, Jewel Pro Spider Jigs with Chomper jig trailers and shaky head worms in green pumpkin and pumpkin seed. The top water bite has been strong each morning as well; Spooks, Spittin’ Image and Red Fins have all been producing.

James River: The James has had the highest concentration of bedding fish this week, the area from Aunts Creek up to Cape Fair has spawning fish locked on in just about every pea gravel pocket or cove. Brighter baits have been more effective in the stained water of the James; white tubes, lizards and salty sinkers have all been effective for fish locked on their beds. In addition a Zoom fluke or Chompers salty sinker has been working well on the first drop or ledge off of mixed rock banks, look for the area where you can no longer see the bottom to hold most of the fish work the bait from the bank out to that spot and allow the bait to sink to the bottom. Most of the strikes have been soft you will need to pay close attention to your bait as it falls.

White River: While the bed fishing is still very strong in the White River allot of the fish are already in the post-spawn phase. There are still plenty of beds and bedding fish to be caught, but above Shell Knob and in the Kings River you will see several schools of fry around docks and standing timber. With that in mind the top water bite has been incredible early and late in that area of the lake; Spooks, Sammys and Red Fins have all been productive baits. As the day wears on Carolina rigged lizards and French fries in green pumpkin or watermelon / candy or Jewel ½ oz. Heavy Cover Finesse Football jig in PB&J with green pumpkin jig trailers have become important presentations on points in the mouths of spawning pockets. On windy / cloudy days the Kings River is producing some fish on War Eagle spinnerbaits around wood cover on flat, windy banks.

Dam / Branson Area: The number of beds continues to increase in the dam area, it appears allot of the smallmouth have already spawned and moved back out but the back of every creek and cove has both largemouth and spotted bass beds and several fish are locked on and catch able. In the clearer water around the dam translucent colors have been more effective than solid ones for bed fishing; watermelon and watermelon / red tubes and lizards have been a top choice as have smoke twin tail Chompers grubs and peanut butter / smoke Eakins jigs with dark melon Chompers jig trailers. The top water bite here has been very good early and late as well; Spooks, Sammys and small Chug Bugs are all working on the ends of deep points for suspended post spawn fish.

www.focusedfishing.com