edyer

I live up by GR. Cabelas has the ned Rig stuff, but I would order some jigs from Dave. I'm going down to TR Thursday-Sunday this week. I'll PM you my #. I've going down there almost every year since 1980. I have fished the whole lake.Things will be much better when you get down there.

Jeremy, what should those 2008 year class fish weigh this year?

The long drives home after a tournament are always better if you win:) We are driving down to TR from Michigan to fish a resort association derby and then we have to drive back Sunday after the tournament. It used to be easier when I was in my 30's than in my 60's. We still have 18 inches of ice on the lakes near my house. Heading out to ice fish in an hour. Anything to get the boat on the water a month earlier.

Where are the tournament results?

It was -14 below zero up here in Michigan this morning. Coldest February in History and the 4th coldest month ever. January has the other three. FIve pick up trucks were parked on the lake today. The ice was about 18 inches thick. Cant wait to to Table Rock the last weekend of March.

If you use the Luck-E-Strike, you might want to change the hooks first. One reason they are less expensive.

I still fish the Mags when we have a pretty good wind blowing, or in the fall when the water starts to cool down.

I have been been fishing with Wiggle Warts since 1980. First was introduced to them on a trip to Table Rock Lake. Used them up in my home state of Michigan successfully also. I recently started buying Wee warts. Do any of you use them here on Table Rock? They are smaller than the warts, so I thought they may be able to catch fish when the water is cold and clear. I will also be fishing on Bull Shoals the first week in April this spring. Any particular colors or patterns of warts work better on Bull Shoals, compared to Table Rock, or do the same colors work at both places? Thanks.

How big do they have to be?

Congrats on the beautiful bass Bill. As far as fishing the shad/gull areas, we did not catch fish in the deeper suspended schools that the gulls and loons were feeding on, but caught them on flats and drops that were a couple of casts away from the shad/gulls. We would usually mark smaller balls of bait in about 18-20 fow water that the birds were not feeding on, but the bass must have been eating because they were biting the A-Rig in these areas. It wasn't a deal were you see the fish schooling on the shad and you can catch a few or a lot before they move, but we did sometimes catch three or four in a 50 yard stretch.

My partner and I fished an Aunt's Creek Association Buddy team Tournament this past Saturday and Sunday. They used a new format where they had two weigh-ins on Saturday(noon and 4:00), and a noon weigh-in on Sunday. There were four cash prizes for each of the three weigh-ins, then four prizes for the overall weight. 1-3 places for team weight and a big bass prize. We were trying to decide the best strategy for the weigh-in. We settled on the strategy that if we had four fish or more we would weigh-in at the noon weigh-in. You could weigh in 6 fish per team, at each weigh in.Three or less, we would wait until the 4:00 pm weigh-in. We prefished Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, the weather was partly cloudy with some wind. We caught some decent keepers and some shorts throwing stickbaits on some bluff points and caught fish later in the afternoon throwing shakey head worms on 45 degree chunck rock banks. On Friday the weather was sunny with no wind. We only caught one keeper and a few shorts. We did have a few follow ups. We knew the next day was going to be windy, so everything we had done in practice, would be different. We decided to concentrate on Main Lake and secondary points and just go fishing. At first weigh in we weighed in 5 fish for 15.38 pounds, with a 7.89 kicker that my partner caught about 11:45 We took first place and big bass of the first weigh-in. We threw stickbaits, A-RIgs and shakey heads. We caught fish on all three baits(couldn't get bit on a wart or a jig). The big fish hit an A-Rig. During the second weigh in Saturday, we weighed in four fish for 10.9. First place in the second Session was over 16 pounds with a big bass just under 7 pounds. I think they caught the big one on a stick bait. Going into the Sunday competition, we had a 5.4 pound lead for the overall Championship, but with some very good anglers in the tournament, we knew we had to catch fish, because we are Michigan guys, and we don't have the experience on Table Rock that some of these guys have. Sunday was sunny with no wind. We could not get a bite during the first three hours. We felt like the Championship was slipping away. Finally a little bit of wind blew on the bank were were fishing, and I caught out first keeper, a nice fat Spot. The wind died again and we went another hour with no bites. About 11, the little breeze came up again. We caught two spots, a LM, and a smallmouth. FIgured we had about ten pounds, but kept casting until we had to run back for weigh-ins. I caught two 14.5 inch fish on my last two casts, leaving with the fish still biting. When we pulled up to the docks, we had a pretty good feeling about our chances for the overall championship, but figured someone would catch a decent bag. To our surprise and joy, we were the only ones to weigh in 5 fish for 10.19 pounds. We won the Sunday weigh-in and the overall Championship by more than 10 pounds. We were a couple of happy guys that felt luck had gone our way along with our persistence to fish hard every minute of the tournament. We fished the area from Aunts Creek, to the start of Joe Bald., fishing the main and secondary points. Most of the fish were in the 8-15 foot range. I would post pics, but I'm not sure how. There may be some posted on the Aunt Creeks Association website, or the Oak Hill Resort website. I have been coming down to Table Rock almost every spring break since 1980, but it is the first time I have placed in this tournament. Sometimes, it's just your time. I appreciate all the reports and posts by the anglers and guides on this site. A bunch of great guys.

Thanks guys! The weather looks pretty good. Looks like you could spend all week in the two Sugar Loaf creeks.

My first time on Bull Shoals will be April 1-3, staying at Lakewoods Resort near Protem, MO. Any areas close to the resort we could check out? We have experience fishing on Table Rock, but have never came down to Bull Shoals. We fish a lot in Michigan, where we live. With the cold weather forecast, we will plan on throwing jerk baits, wiggle warts, and A - Rigs. Probably try a jis as well. Only can do so much in three days.

Bill, I'm coming down next week Thursday and will be in the Aunt's Creek area. Sounds like next week is going to remain cold. Any suggestions to try up that way?

Awesome catch! I'm coming down from Michigan the first week of April.Going to Bull Shoals for three days and staying in the mid-lake area, then up to Little Aunts Creek and staying at Oak Hill Resort. I was wondering what brand of A-Rig and what weight of jigs are you using. There doesn't seem to be much information on the forum for Bull Shoals like there is here on the Table Rock forum The guys on this forum are awesome. Thanks for the report.

That is a great mess of crappies! I'm coming down from Michigan in a couple of weeks. Our limit is 25, with no length restriction, but most of the ones we keep are between 10-12 inches. What's the limit on Table Rock?

The Aunts Creek area is a great area to catch a big fish. A couple of springs ago I caught a 7-4 there and a few years back before LBV struck I caught an 8-2 in Big Aunts Creek. Have you tried any night fishing this time of year? All the 6, 7, and 8 pounders I have caught have been at night. I have never caught anything over 5.5 pounds during the day.

I bought four of the 10XD's and plan on bringing them to Bull Shoals and Table Rock when I come down there next month. I pan on throwing it up here in Michigan also. A five or six pound bass would have no trouble eating this bait. I think the bait weighs 1.9 ounces. I think my 7'9" Kistler Deep Crankbait rod says you can throw a 1.5 ounce bait.

I agree with Bill. Up here in Michigan, we have been lectured by the Marine Patrol about being responsible for our wake during some of the larger bass tournaments, but on some of the smaller inland lakes, the wakeboard boats send water over my boat all the time. I even had a wake from one of their boats push my boat so hard that my trolling motor shat was slammed up against the step board on the back of a Mastercraft. The owners ran down to the dock and wrote down my boat registration #'s and threatened to charge me for a small scratch that was made on the very weathered board that I was pushed into. I can only imagine what happens to the guys fishing out of a 12 or 14 foot flat-bottomed aluminum boat. It's to the point that if I'm not fishing a tournament, I just go out early on weekday mornings(I'm retired), but sometimes they are on the water at 7 in the morning:( I wish they would make it so these boats could only run on certain waters.

The first week of April we caught a 5.9 LM in Aunts Creek that had spawned out and a 4.8 LM in Fisher's Creek that had spawned out. Of course all fish don't spawn at the same time and there will be another wave of fish the next full moon or warm spell.

I reread the post. Three over 9 Pounds!

Two over 9 and six over 8 pounds? Incredible. Great bag guys! The Rock is as good as I've seen in many years. Anybody heard of a 10 pounder caught yet this year?

Thanks for the replies so far. WHat about size? I find up here in Michigan, that I have been throwing the larger six inch version to target bigger fish, and at times, have even used 7 inchers(they are a load!). This is when I'm targeting largemouths. For smallmouths, I'll use a 4 inch size quite a bit, sometimes with a Gamagatsu red wacky hook, or using a nail weight in one end and fishing what I think is called a neko rig. Anyone trying that?

Trying to figure out what to pack for our trip to your beautiful lake the first week of April. I'm thinking with the warm temps we are having this week and next, that the fish might be on a Senko bite. Anybody want to give up what colors you prefer to throw here?I guess it might differ if you are fishing up the James, or fishing in the clearer water of the white river. I know the weather could change, but it's always hard trying not to bring everything you own on a trip like this. Thanks.

Speaking of Babler,haven't heard from him lately except from the newspaper story. Want to here more.