Focused Fishing Web Log

– Taneycomo
3/29/10
All of the rain last week has pushed generation to four units all day everyday. Anglers using Little Cleo spoons, Panther Martin Spinners and Super Dupers have had success near shoals and other riffle areas below Fall Creek. Jigs are still top producers from Cooper Creek through Branson, ginger, olive and black have been top colors in sixteenth to eighth ounce models. As always drifting live night crawlers and power bait or gulp eggs will produce throughout the lake.

Lake - Table Rock
3/29/10:
Kimberling City Area: The bite on the entire lake is changing everyday. As the air temperatures finally rise the water temperatures are following. In the mid-lake area jerkbaits and grubs are still the best option with a wiggle wart or a jig close behind. SPRO McSticks and Mega Bass Vision 110 are still the most popular in Norman Flake and Pro Blue, Chompers salt and pepper or smoke 4” grubs on a ¼ oz. head are the best choice in grubs. Both presentations are working on steeper channel banks toward the back of larger creeks. Jewel Eakins and football jigs are effective on these same channel banks.

James River: The James has warmed a great deal over the past week with temps ranging from 49 to 52 degrees. On the mid and lower James a stickbait or grub has been the ticket, channel banks and isolated flooded timber has resulted in winning bags at recent tournaments. Further up the river a wiggle wart thrown on 45 degree chunk rock banks and channel banks has been the best option, look for long stretches of rock that lead to spawning areas to be the most productive areas. In the upper James Jewel Eakins Finesse Flippin jigs worked around laydowns and other wood trash will produce both numbers of fish as well as quality.

White River: The White river has been producing numbers and quality for the past week. In the lower White the best baits continue to be stickbaits and grubs, much like the rest of the lake target isolated wood on channel banks to be successful. In the mid White the bite has transitioned to a wiggle wart and jig bite with quality fish coming on channel and rock banks leading to spawning areas. Further up the river the jig bite has been very good; Jewel Eakins and Finesse Football jigs have been producing numbers and quality on rocky channel banks. The Kings is muddy and very warm compared to the rest of the lake, several fish have been caught on Chompers McCutchen spinnerbaits over the past week in and around wood trash on channel banks.

Dam Area: The lower end of the lake has made a dramatic improvement over the past week. Stickbaits and grubs are still top baits in the dam area, look for windy rocky points and channel banks then make cast toward the point and work baits over five to twenty feet of water. Further up Long Creek wiggle warts and Jewel Eakins jigs are producing numbers of smaller males and a few larger females on channel banks leading to spawning areas.

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Kimberling City Area: Despite the few days of warmer temperatures this past week the cold front that crashed into the Ozarks over the weekend kept water temperatures constant this week. The bite hasn’t changed much and fish are still being caught on three primary patterns; 3’ and 4” single tail Chompers grubs in smoke and dark melon fished on ¼ oz jig heads, SPRO McStick and Mega Bass Vision 110 stick baits and Jewel Eakins and Spider jigs are accounting for most of the fish right now. Both the single tail grub and the stickbaits have been effective on channel swing and other steep banks around isolated wood cover. With the grub allow it to fall for about 5 seconds and make a steady retrieve. Allow the stickbait to sit for 5 – 10 seconds between twitches to draw strikes. The Jewel jigs are working on the last channel swing in major creek arms, pitch or cast the bait to the bank and work it back to the boat through the creek channel.

James River: The best bite up the James has been the white bass run above Bridgeport. Schools of whites are making their spawning run and can be caught on rooster tails and swimming minnows in the deeper pools of the river. Further down stream stickbaits and grubs are working in the same locations as the mid lake area. Wiggle warts are beginning to draw strikes on the river and in the creek arms, 45 degree chunk rock banks and channel banks have been best, position your boat 6’ – 10’ deep and make cast parallel to the bank in front of the boat maintaining bottom contact through out the retrieve.

White River: Still a lot of traffic in the White River since the FLW Tour event a couple of weeks ago. Fish are being caught on single tail grubs, stickbaits and wiggle warts on channel swing and chunk rock banks on both the main lake and in the creek arms. Jewel Eakins and football jigs in PB&J or brown / purple flash with green pumpkin Eakins craw or J-tail trailers have been effective on channel banks toward the backs of creeks and around any wood “trash” on steeper banks in the river and creek arms.

Dam Area: The lower end has been the toughest portion of the lake of late, the clear water has allowed moss to grow on the bottom from 2’ – 10’ deep through out most of the area. SPRO blue bandit and Norman flake and Mega Bass Vision 110 in pro blue stickbaits have been effective on steeper banks with isolated flooded timber. Allow the bait to sit a little longer in the clear water 5 – 20 seconds between twitches. Chompers single tail grubs have been effective as well, fish these same areas with and allow the bait to fall about 10’ – 15’ before starting a steady moderate retrieve through the tree tops.

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Limited generation this past week hasn’t hurt the fishing at all. Jigs continue to be the mainstay with 1/16 oz and lighter baits in ginger, olive and black accounting for most of the fish. Live night crawlers and power bait or gulp eggs on a drift rig worked through the deeper holes from Cooper Creek through Branson have been putting both numbers and better fish in the boat. If there is any generation, gold Little Cleos and rooster tails have been good around the shoals.

Kimberling City Area: The entire lake is warming up and the bite has gotten better throughout. In the mid lake three patterns are producing most of the fish. The first is a 4” single tail grub fished on a ¼ oz. jig head, smoke, salt and pepper and green pumpkin have been the best colors, look for steeper banks with isolated wood cover to produce best. Cast toward the bank, allow the bait to sink to around 10’ and then make a steady retrieve back to the boat. The second pattern is a wiggle wart fished on chunk rock and channel banks, position the boat in 6’ – 10’ of water and make cast ahead of the boat parallel to the shore. Maintain bottom contact through out the retrieve. Finally the stickbait bite is hanging on and producing some better quality fish; look for steeper banks with isolated cover to be the best locations.

James River: The stained water of the James has warmed nicely with the recent weather, white bass have started their spawning run and can be caught from Bridge Port to Galena, swimming minnows and 4” grubs are both producing nice limits of fish. The bass fishing has improved as well; Jewel Eakins and Football jigs are producing in and around laydowns and other wood cover through out the river, stick baits continue to produce around isolated timber on channel and other steep banks and a single tail grub is catching both numbers and quality from the mid James down to Aunts creek.

White River: The White River has seen a ton of traffic since the FLW Tour event was in town, it’s no secret where the fish to win it were caught and the upper White is getting a ton of attention. The best bite has been on a couple of baits; 4” and 5” single tail grubs in smoke and avocado fished on a ¼ oz. head in and around timber of steeper banks and channel swings has been very productive. Secondly, a wiggle wart fished on 45 degree chunk rock banks both on the main lake and in the creek arms will produce.

Dam Area: Top two patterns on the lower end have been a grub and a jerkbait. Just like the rest of the lake a 4” single tail grub fished on ¼ oz. head on windy points and channel banks will produce both numbers and quality. SPRO McSticks and Mega Bass Vision 110’s continue to produce both largemouth and smallmouth on the lower end, feel free to work the bait faster now that the water has warmed and windy points close to spawning areas should be worked over thoroughly.

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Generation has been light to moderate over the past week but the fishing continues to be outstanding. On days of heavier generation 1/8 oz. jigs in black, ginger or olive have been hard to beat from Fall Creek to Cooper Creek, white jigs have been producing along with small spinners in this area as well. On days with little or no generation the best bite has been on night crawlers or minnows fished on a drift rig. Gulp and Power bait eggs are producing as well but the better fish seem to want live bait.

Kimberling City Area: The mid-lake area has gotten a little tougher over the past week, stickbaits are still an effective presentation but they have given way for more finesse approaches in recent days. Steeper channel swing banks are still holding the majority of the fish both on the main lake and in the creek arms, while rock is important a mix of chunk rock and ledge has been a better choice than sheer bluff walls. Mega Bass 110’s and SPRO McSticks continue to be the stickbaits of choice in the mid lake, with pro-blue and blue bandit out producing other colors. Allow the bait to rest from 5 – 15 seconds between jerks to draw strikes. Chompers single tail grubs and ultra tubes have been an effective finesse technique. Fish the same steep bank locations cast toward the bank and allow it to fall to between 8’ – 15’ then make a moderate retrieve back to boat.

James River: The stained water of the James has been warming faster on sunny days than the rest of the lake. Stickbaits and jigs have been the most productive choice through out the mid and upper James River. Look for steep banks and points with wood cover to out produce flat gravel right now, cast SPRO McSticks in Norman flake and Rogues in clown and gold beyond the cover and work them back to the boat. Jewel Eakins’ jig and craw combos in brown / purple flash and Missouri craw have been effective in wood cover on these banks as well.

White River: The White River continues to produce with a variety of patterns; Drop shot rigs and spoons are effective in and around deep tree tops in the larger creek arms, stickbaits and grubs are producing on steep banks throughout the river and creek arms and jigs have been producing on rocky banks toward the backs of bigger creeks. The deep bite has been best from Baxter to Campbell point, ½ oz and ¾ oz spoons or ROBO and Chompers drop shot worms have been working on main channel tree tops from 35’ – 55’ deep. Locating schools of shad has been the key, if shad are around the fish will be active. Vision 110’s and McSticks have been working on swing banks around isolated timber throughout, let the water clarity determine your bait colors and work the baits with a PB&J or brown / purpl flash have been the most productive, work the jig from the bank through the channel to be effective and pay close attention to any wood cover.

Dam Area: The deep bite is still the most effective on the lower end, ½ oz and ¾ white spoons, 4” Chompers single tail grubs and ROBO or Chompers drop shot worms fished from 35’ – 55’ deep have been the most productive methods. Look for birds to indicate bait location and in turn fish locations then fish vertically. The stained water of Long creek has gotten allot of attention over the weekend. Some of the warmest water on the lake is in Long Creek and it is producing on a variety of baits, stick baits and Eakins’ jigs fished on steeper banks are producing quality keeper largemouth. Look for ledge rock and chunk rock banks to out perform bluff walls and wood cover is almost a guaranteed bite.

Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield
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Still allot of generation over the past week; jigs remain a mainstay of most anglers, 1/32 oz. – 1/8oz in ginger, olive and black have been very productive from Cooper Creek through Branson. Let the current dictate the weight of you jig, do your best to keep the bait on or near the bottom to be effective. Little Cleo spoons have been producing as well when worked through the current. Power Bait and Gulp eggs continue to be popular with bank and drift anglers, mix two colors on your hook to draw more strikes.