Kimberling City Area: While the deep bite is still very strong in the mid lake using drop shots and spoons, the rising water has moved many fish shallow. Jewel Football and Pro Spider jigs in PB& J with J tail grubs have been the bait of choice to target smallmouth 8’ – 15’deep. Most of these fish have been on pea gravel / rock mixed points and have been sallower in the morning and deeper as the sun rises. Chompers and Robo Worm drop shot worms are still effective on spotted bass over deep trees, and around bridge pilings, look for these fish to be holding 30’ – 35’ deep over tree tops in as much as 120’ of water. Several largemouth have been caught in and around boat docks this past week, up shallow use an Eakins Jig and craw combo once you get deeper than 30’ a ¾ oz. White Spoon is the best choice. Much like the rest of the lake white bass have been schooling through the morning hours, you can’t miss them, throw spoons and grubs into the schooling fish and hang on.
James River: The James has been tougher than usual this past week, the cooler water has stalled the deep crankbait bite in the upper James but there is still a decent bite from Aunts to around Buzzard Branch. Fat Free shad and DD 22’s in citrus shad and lavender shad have been the best baits on roll offs and ledges on or near the main lake. Jewel football jigs in brown / purple flash and Carolina rigged lizards or baby brush hogs have been effective on pea gravel and mixed gravel and rock main lake points from campers point to above the Cape Fair Bridge. Most of the fish are coming from 12’ – 25’ deep close to deeper water.
White River: The White River has been awesome; the Corps has been lowering Beaver to work on the dam so there is current, cool water and high water from around Eagle Rock to Beaver town. Several good largemouths have been caught in this area over the past week, Eakins jigs, Chompers Ultra Tubes and Salty Sinkers have all been catching fish around flood brush and laydowns on the bank out to 10’ deep. As long as the Corps continues to lower Beaver this pattern will be good. Further down stream there has been a decent topwater bite early and on bluff ends and deep points with timber, look for surfacing fish and shad to locate fish. As the day wears on a Jewel Football jig has been hard to beat, PB&J and green pumpkin / green flash with green pumpkin J tail grubs have been productive from Big M to Campbell point. Pea gravel and mixed gravel and rock points have been the most productive from 12’ – 15’ deep. The Baxter area has had a good drop shot bite in around deep trees, Chompers and Robo Worms in plum and Aaron’s magic have been the best colors. There is also a good football jig bite around the Baxter area, just like upstream points with a mix of rock and gravel have been the best locations.
Dam Area: The deep bite continues to be the number one pattern on the lower end. Deep trees and drop shots have been the ticket, look for trees on points, bluff ends and swings. The trees should top out around 30’ – 45’ deep regardless of the overall depth. Look for fish to be holding above the trees and in the tops of trees and drop Chompers plum or brown / purple worms in front of fish to be productive. Much like the rest of the lake there have been white bass schooling throughout the lower end, spoons and grubs fished around the schooling fish will draw strikes. Further up Long Creek there is a good shallow bite developing on flats from the Arkansas line to above Cricket Creek. Lucky Craft RC 1.5 and 2.5 in chartreuse shad have worked around brush and laydowns, Texas rigged worms and brush hogs will also wrk in these areas.
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