Focused Fishing Web Log

Kimberling City Area: While the stickbait bite is still putting fish in the boat warmer air and water temperatures have changed the complexion of the bite this week. SPRO McSticks, Mega Bass 110’s and Rogues will still produce but fish are transitioning from bluff and channel swing banks to more gradual sloping rock banks. Look for isolated cover on these banks to be successful. Grubs and tubes are becoming a more dominate pattern; smoke or salt and pepper baits on ¼ oz. heads fished around isolated timber on deeper points and channel bank ends suspended from 6’ – 12’ deep over as much as 40’.

James River: Water temps are still coldest in the James River. On sunny days the additional water color will warm up fast but on cloudy days water temps remain in the low 40’s. Stickbaits are still working on channel swing and bluff banks but brighter colors, bleeding shad, clown, etc, have been more effective than natural ones. Look for isolated wood cover to hold the bulk of the fish. The jig bite is starting to pickup in the upper James, look for channel swing banks and work Jewel 3/8 oz. football jigs with Chompers jig trailers from the bank through the channel to be effective on the main river and the bigger creek arms. Missouri craw, black / blue flash and brown / purple flash have been effective colors.

White River: The White River has been the most diverse arm of the lake this past week; stickbaits, drop shot rigs, grubs and jigs are all working from Baxter to above Eagle Rock. The stickbait bite is similar to the rest of the lake; Mega Bass and SPRO baits have been the dominate baits in Pro Blue, Norman Flake and Blue Bandit, look for isolate timber on steeper banks in larger creek arms to be successful. Drop shotting Chompers and Robo Worm drop shot worms in and around standing timber from 35’ – 50’ deep in larger creek arms, look for birds and bait to be successful. 4” single tail grubs in smoke and salt and pepper fished on steeper banks in and around standing timber continues to be effective throughout the White River. Jewel 3/8 oz. football and Eakins jigs and craw combos fished in the last channel swing in the bigger creek arms has been producing numbers and a few better fish, brown / purple flash and PB&J have been the best colors. The rain over the weekend has dirtied the water in the Kings and water temperatures are rising quickly, wiggle warts and jigs have started to produce and this bite will only get better.

Dam Area: The Dam area is still producing fish on stickbaits, drop shots, spoons and jigs. Just like the rest of the lake steeper banks are producing most of the fish on a stickbait, look for isolated wood to improve your odds of getting bit. ½ oz and ¾ oz white spoons and drop shot rigs with Robo or Chompers worms are working well in the larger creek arms from 35’ – 65’ deep. Look for fish to be holding close to deep trees waiting on schools of shad to move through, when the shad are present the bite can be fast and furious. Jewel ½ oz football jigs with Chompers jig trailers have been very effective on the last couple of channel swings in the bigger creek arms, work the bait from the bank through the channel to be effective.

Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield
Mondays 5:30pm and Saturdays 5:00 am or on-line at www.espn1400.com
www.focusedfishing.com

The generation has been almost constant over the past week and the fishing has been very good. Brown, ginger, olive, and black 1/32oz – 1/8 oz jigs fished in deeper pools have been very effective over the past week. Rapalas and other small minnow baits continue to produce better fish from Cooper Creek through Branson, look for slack water areas behind docks or other current breaks to hold better fish. Drift fishing Gulp or Power bait eggs and inflated night crawlers continues to produce regardless of the conditions.

Kimberling City Area: The stick bait bite has become more inconsistent over the past week; fish are still being caught on Mega Bass Vision 110’s and SPRO McSticks but the bite is not as predictable as previous weeks. Look for fish to be suspended on main lake and secondary points and bluff ends, isolated timber on these points is a definite bonus. The best bite has been on a single tail grub, fish a 3” or 4” smoke, avocado or green pumpkin grub on a ¼ oz. head in and around timber on points and bluff ends. These fish are suspended from 5’ – 15’ deep over any overall depth. Cast the grub toward the bank and count it down to the desired depth, the bait will fall approximately 2’ per second, then use a moderate retrieve.

James River: The colder water of the James is still producing fish even though it is as much as 4 degrees colder than the main lake. The stick bait bite is a little stronger than the rest of lake up the James; Mega Bass and SPRO stickbaits have been the ticket on isolated wood cover on main lake and secondary points. The colder water means you will have to let the bait sit a while longer than on the lower end between twitches. Toward the back of the back of the bigger creek arms Jewel Eakins jig and craw combos are working very well on channel swing banks.

White River: The White River continues to produce; from Baxter to Shell Knob a good jerkbait and deep bite exists, the grub bite has been good throughout the White, above Shell Knob add an Eakins jig and craw combo to the mix and up the Kings mixed bags of bass and walleye are being caught on stick baits and wiggle warts. For the stick bait bite look for isolated wood cover on main lake and secondary points, the same areas are producing on a 3’ or 4” single tail grub, and channel swing and bluff banks will produce with an Eakins jig combo. The biggest news has been the emergence of walleye making their spawning run up the Kings River; stick baits and wiggle warts are producing fish on channel banks from Viola to the 86 bridge, it appears males are further up river now and females are not far behind.

Dam Area: Two distinct patterns are working on the lower end of the lake. Spoons, drop shot rigs and vertically fished single tail grubs have all been effective in and around deep channel trees in the major creek arms. Look for birds to indicate the location of shad and in turn fish in the channel of creeks. Once the bait is located fish will be close by holding in trees on the channel edge. The second pattern is a suspended grub bite; 3” – 4” single tail grubs on ¼ oz. heads cast beyond isolated trees on bluff ends and steep points, count the bait down to around 10’ and retrieve at a moderate speed by the tree.

Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield
Mondays 5:30pm and Saturdays 5:00 am or on-line at www.espn1400.com
www.focusedfishing.com

Consistent generation over the past week has made the bite very good. Small Rapalas and Luck Craft Pointer 78’s are producing better quality fish in slack water areas behind docks and laydowns. Rooster tails, Super Dupers and little Cleos are catching numbers and quality from Fall creek through Branson. The jig bite continues to be good with better fish coming from Monkey Island to below Branson. Black, ginger and olive jigs in 1/32 oz. to 1/8 oz. depending on depth and current, have been the most productive. When the bite gets tough try drifting Gulp and Power Bait eggs on a drift rig.

Kimberling City Area: Despite the colder air temperatures water temps have remained relatively constant. Spoons, drop shots and grubs fished 30’ – 60’ deep on main lake and secondary points have been very productive this past week. Look for schools of shad to be successful. The jerkbait bite continues to produce better quality fish on chunk rock secondary points, Mega Bass Vision 110’s, Spro McSticks and Lucky Craft Pointers in natural shad colors are all catching fish around isolated cover. Allow the bait to sit for 5 – 20 seconds between jerks to be successful.

James River: The James River is still producing fish. In the upper end stickbaits have been more productive than other presentations. Look for flatter main lake and secondary points that have a deep drop on one side, work from the deep side and bring baits from shallow to deep, pay close attention to any wood cover on these points. With the amount of snow and rain over the past few weeks there has been substantial run off coming into the larger creek arms. Fish the last channel swing in these creeks from the shallow side to the swing and through the channel with an Eakins jig and craw combo. Work the bait slowly through the channel to draw strikes, when a fish is caught work the area over carefully as multiple fish be in small areas along these swings.

White River: The most productive are of the lake continues to be the White River. From Shell Knob to the confluence with the James there is a very good deep bite on bluff ends and points, spoons, drop shot rigs and grubs have all been effective around schools of shad in these locations. Jerkbaits have been very effective as well on main lake and secondary points, look for isolated cover on flat rocky points to be the most effective, allow the bait to sit for 5 – 20 seconds close to the cover. Further up stream on both the White and Kings look for fish to be holding tight to rock and wood cover on steep banks, Eakins jig and craw combos and Jewel Football jigs are producing fish in these areas.

Dam Area: On the lower end the deep bite is still the most consistent and predictable bite. Schools of shad are holding in and around trees of the main channel in major creek arms and large schools of Kentuckies are following them. Use white ½ or ¾ oz. spoons, 4” single tail grubs and shad imitating soft plastics on drop shot rigs in and around the bait and the cover to be successful. Toward the backs of these same creeks largemouth can be caught on jerkbaits fished tight to cover on secondary points and channel banks. The clear water of the lower end may require longer pauses between jerks so allow the bait to sit as much as 30 seconds between jerks.

Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield
Mondays 5:30pm and Saturdays 5:00 am or on-line at www.espn1400.com
www.focusedfishing.com

Generation has been very consistant over the past week and the bite has been very good. Small Rapala minnows have been producing nice sized rainbows and a few browns around docks and wood cover. Super Dupers, Little Cleos and rooster tails will also work in these areas. 1/32 – 1/8 ounce marabou jigs in olive, black, ginger and grey have been work as well, choose the weight of jig based on current and keep the bait working close to the bottom to be effective. Finally power bait and Gulp eggs or inflated night crawlers will work when everything else shuts off, use a drift rig and maintain bottom contact to be successful.