Focused Fishing Web Log

Kimberling City Area: The water temperatures have dropped over the past few days and it seems to have effected the location of both the fish and the bait. While the deep bite is still the most consistent pattern several fish have been caught on single tailed grubs and Smithwick Rogues and Lucky Craft Pointers over the past week. For the deep bite the usual white War Eagle Spoons, Chompers Drop Shot Worms and single tailed grubs have been effective in the guts of creeks and tree tops off secondary points, most fish are holding between 50’ – 65’ deep. On windy days a jerkbait or single tailed grub are your best option; fish either around isolated standing timber about mid way back in creek arms.

James River: The James was hot this past week several reports of good fish being caught on ledge rock banks and bluff ends with PB&J or Brown Eakins’ Jigs and Craw combos. Pitch the bait to the bank and work it down the ledges back to the boat, most of the bites are coming as the bait falls from one ledge to another so pay close attention to your bait as it falls. Smithwick Rogues and Lucky Craft Pointers have also been very effective around isolated trees and brush piles on windy mixed rock banks. Chrome / blue and chrome / black on sunny days and chartreuse shad on cloudy ones, still no need to pause the bait for a long time most of the bites will come once the bait settles for about four or five seconds.

White River: The deep bite still dominates the White River from Baxter to Shell Knob; War Eagle Spoons, Chompers Drop Shot Worms and Smoke colored tubes have all been effective in the tree tops in the major creek arms. Look for birds to show you where the bait is and in turn where the fish are. You will still need to “work” these fish to get them to bite but there have been some really big Kentuckies caught in this area recently so they are worth the effort. An Eakins’ jig and craw combo is your best bet up the Kings River. Channel swings, ledge banks and bluff ends are all holding fish from the bank out to 25’ deep. Slowly work the jig from one ledge down to the other paying close attention to your line as the jig falls.

Dam / Branson Area: The fish in the dam area are very shad related, if you find the bait you will find the fish. Let the birds show you where the bait is and in turn you will find the fish. Once you locate the fish your best bet is still a War Eagle Spoon, Chompers Drop Shot Worm or Smoke Tube dropped in front of the fish, much like the rest of the lake you will need to “work” these fish to get them to bite. Up Long Creek several fish are being caught on Smithwick Rogues and Lucky Craft Pointers around the isolated laydowns and standing timber on chunk rock or mixed rock banks in the bigger creeks and pockets.

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Best fly patterns for the week: The bite has been pretty good over the past week and the colder weather has scared away a lot of anglers leaving the lake to hard core fly fisherman only. Scuds, bit scuds, G-bugs and sow bugs have all been in tan, grey, ginger and black in sizes from #18 - #22. The Corps. have been running a lot of water so minnow and shad patterns have been effective this week as well, try to match the threadfin shad that are coming through the turbines from Table Rock.

Best spinning tackle: Allot of water run this past week and with all the rain this should continue. The usual baits that work well when the water is running; Rooster Tails, Mepps, and Panther Martin spinners, Buoyant and Little Cleo Spoons and Super Dupers have all been effective. Small white and white and silver jigs in 1/16 oz. and 1/8 oz. size have been very effective with the number of shad coming through the turbines. These small baits will produce well whenever the water is running over the next few weeks.

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Dam area to Lead Hill: The cooler temperatures plus all the additional water has kicked things in gear. The deep bite continues to be strong; white War Eagle Spoons, Chompers Drop Shot worms in sand or salt / pepper and single tailed grubs fished vertically have all been effective baits on channel swing and bluff ends banks around schools of bait. Let the birds show you where the bait is and then use your electronics to find the fish around the schools of bait. A few good fish have been showing up on Jewel Spider and Football jigs, PB&J or brown / purple flash with a green pumpkin Chompers Jig trailer fished on mixed rock and ledge rock banks have been catching Smallmouth and a few Largemouth toward the backs of creeks.

Lead Hill to Power site: Three good patterns are shaping up above Lead Hill; on windy days throw a brown craw or phantom green craw Wiggle Wart on mixed rock and chunk rock banks. Parallel the bank 6’ – 10’ deep running the crankbait into any cover you may run across. Throwing a jerkbait around isolated trees and rock cover has been producing some good fish over the past week or so, Lucky Craft pointers in American Shad, Nishiki and Chartreuse Shad have all been productive throw the bait past the cover and work it back around the cover allowing it to suspend next to the cover for 5 – 10 seconds. Finally, throwing an Eakins’ jig on ledge rock banks on the main river and in the bigger creeks has been very productive. Brown and PB&J have been your best colors both matched up with a green pumpkin Eakins’ craw, pitch the bait to the bank and work it back to the boat allowing it to fall from ledge to ledge.

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Kimberling City Area: Despite the colder weather water temperatures have remained relatively warm for the first week of January. Windy chunk rock and ledge rock banks continue to out produce other areas, wiggle warts, jerk baits and jigs are still the best options. On windy days work into the wind and parallel these banks using wiggle warts in brown craw, natural green craw and phantom green craw. Position the boat 8 – 10 feet deep and maintain bottom contact throughout the retrieve to be successful. The jerkbait bite has been very similar to the wiggle wart, American shad, chartreuse shad and aurora black have been top colors, unlike normal winter jerk bait fishing do not pause the bait long before jerks, work the bait back to the boat quickly to be effective. Jewel 1/ oz. and 5/8 football jigs in brown / purple flash and PB&J have been the most productive, work these same areas from 5’ – 25’ deep.

James River: The same patterns working in the Kimberling area will work in the James. Off the three the jig and jerkbait bite has been stronger than the wiggle wart. Cooler water temperatures have slowed the wart bite over the past couple of weeks. The jig bite has been a little shallower further up river and in the back of the major creeks. Most of the fish have been caught between 10’ – 15’ feet around any wood or rock cover you can find on chunk rock banks and points. In addition to these patterns a strong deep bite has taken shape over the past week or two. Look for schools of shad to be 1/3 to ¾ of the way back in major creek arms suspended around 40’ -60’ deep. Spoons and grubs have been the top baits for these fish.

White River: Much like the rest of the lake the White river has been producing good numbers and quality of fish on wiggle warts, jerkbaits and jigs. Look for the same windy chunk rock banks and points to out produce others. Colors and presentations are the same as the rest of the lake. The deep bite seems to be a little further along in the White river than the James. Schools of shad are suspending from 30’ – 60’ feet deep over the main creek channels of the major creek arms. Look for gulls to show you where the schools of bait are amassed. The gulls will hold over top of the schools awaiting them to move toward the surface. The best jerkbait bite has been up the Kings river, chunk rock and channel swing banks on the main lake and in the creeks have been producing fish. Move the bait quickly to draw strikes.

Dam / Branson Area: The lower end of the lake has had the best deep bite so far this winter. Larger creek arms like; Beardsley, Big and Little Indian and Jakes branch have been producing fish on spoons and grubs from 30’ – 70’ deep suspended in and under schools of threadfin shad. Look for gulls to key the areas holding shad and then utilize your electronics to work bait in front of the fish. Like the rest of the lake several fish have been taken on wiggle warts, jerkbaits and jigs on windy chunk rock and ledge rock banks from 10’ – 30’ deep. A few fish have been taken around dock on the lower end as well, look for larger community or condo docks to be the most productive, Eakins jig and craw combos in brown / purple flash, PB&J and watermelon candy flash have all been effective colors. Most of the fish are holding below the center walkway from 10’ – 25’ deep.

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Lower Lake: Four patterns have been producing on the lower lake; spoons or grub in deep water, wiggle warts, jerkbaits and football jigs. The spoon bite has been ½ to ¾ of the way back in the larger creek arms, in and around suspended schools of shad from 40’ – 60’ deep. Both ½ and ¾ oz. white spoons and 4” smoke grubs on 3/8 oz heads have been effective when worked in front of the fish. Wiggle warts and jerkbaits have been effective on windy chunk rock and ledge banks from 6’ – 15’ deep. Position the boat over 10’ of water and parallel these banks. Brown / purple flash and PB&J Jewel football jigs with green pumpkin Jewel 4” jig trailers have been effective on these banks from 10’ – 30’ deep. Work these baits slowly along the bottom to be productive.

Above Lead Hill: The bite tends to be a little shallower above Lead Hill, wiggle warts in brown craw, phantom green and natural green have been very effective on windy chunk rock and ledge banks. Work the bait parallel to the bank 6’ – 10’ deep and maintain bottom contact throughout the retrieve. Chartreuse shad, American shad and aurora black jerkbaits are also working well in these areas, work the bait quickly allowing it to sit for a couple of seconds between jerks. Finally, Jewel ½ oz and 5/8 oz football jigs in brown / purple flash and PB&J continue to catch fish from 10’ – 25’ deep on ledge rock and channel swing banks. On a side note there have been scattered reports of walleye catches around K dock on jerkbaits and crankbaits. Don’t believe the run has started yet but there are certainly fish moving up stream.

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

Best fly patterns: The fly fishing has been good since the water has cleared after last weekend’s rain. Scuds, Sculpins and midges have been the most productive patterns in natural colors; tan, gray and plum have been very effective.

Best spinning tackle: Jigs have been extremely productive; Zig Jigs and Micros have both been working with or without a float. As always live crawlers and Gulp eggs on drift rigs will produce when nothing else will.

Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield
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