wdberkley

I'm not sure how many people know this exists.... Check out the Navionics Web Application - the maps are pretty solid for learning general layout and planning a trip. http://www.navionics.com/en/webapp

That right there pretty much sums it up! Don't forget to drag a tube in some pea gravel too. If you head south from Indian Point there are some good main lake points and pockets on the dam side that smalljaws may or may not live in.

We haven't done much night fishing in the past - typically we fish 12-14 hours a day and by the time we get back to the cabin, it takes an awful lot of effort to make dinner, crack a few beers to wind down. But I'd like to give it a go!

Watch this board leading up to your trip, there is a wealth of information shared here by the locals and numerous guides that should provide you with enough to put together a decent trip. If this is your first time, speaking as someone who's done it (and continues to do it) it would not be a bad idea to spend at least a half a day out with a guide. A lake this big offers so many options it can be overwhelming, especially for a first timer. A couple bucks spent with one of the local guides will not only give you some additional insight into what and where, but more importantly what NOT and where NOT to be fishing.

WOW. 10XD is over 6" from end to end - this thing breaks 7". That's a monster bait, a helluva lot bigger than a 1/2oz jib and a brush hog. Makes the Roman Made Mother Swimbait (which is 12" & 10oz) not look so big any more!

BB - If you're in the market, check out The Rod Glove. They put a 1-1/2" rubber plug at the end that helps protect your rod tips too. For $6 they're tough to beat - cheaper than havin a guide or a tip replaced.

Great choice! You won't break Sunline, especially 20#. Been using it for a couple years, it's fantastic line and worth every last penny. As far as rod guides go - I had an insert pop out on me 2 years ago while we were down there. It took me 4 consecutive casts breaking off a jig before I checked the guides. Now I keep all of my rods in Rod Gloves, and still check the guides every time I head out by pinching them between my thumb and middle finger. Your fingers will touch inside, and if there's a nick in 'em you'll feel it.

Very much agreed. While a angry pullin' K or smalljaw never disappoints, it's nice to have a big tug on the end of your line every now and again. Another observation - Table Rock holds some of the most acrobatic fish I've ever seen. Last year I don't know if there was but a handful of fish we caught that didn't break water 2 or 3 times before we got 'em to the boat.

In the 3 years we've been making the Spring Run, the quality of fish has improved every year. Year 1 we caught a lot of fish - but most were in the 2-3 lb range. Year 2 improved, with a 2 or 3 5lb fish. Last year there were 4 fish in our group of 6 guys that went over 5lbs, and a dozen or so over 4lbs. It sure seems the fishery is improving every year.

I know there are some big girls swimming in the waters of Table Rock. Just don't know how prevalent they are after the fish kill. I'm lookin for one of these - http://instagr.am/p/SpoA_Bjkqa/ That's a 9lb 4oz tank I caught up Bull Creek over on Tanecomo on April 1,1997. She was weighed on a certified scale at the gas station/mini mart down the road from JB's Dock.

The last few years we've stayed up Aunts and ran from Cape Fair to Kimberling City to Big Creek and did pretty well. There's defiantly fish to be caught over thata way. Gas got a little costly with 3 rigs running all that water though! Hoping we find a few new challenges and a couple bigger gals from Indian Point to Long Creek this year. In the last 3 years we have yet to break the 6lb barrier on the Rock. Plenty of 5's, lots of 4's. But that 8 pounder has been illusive.

Daiwa T3 & Ballistic both have the Twing System. I looked at them this winter, but was a little worried about the design. When you engage the thumb bar the "hood" in front pops up to alow the line to move up into the T. When you engage the handle, it pops back down to put the line in the bottom of the T and guide it onto the spool. Maybe it's the old timer in me, but I feel the fewer moving parts the better. Maybe it casts like a dream, but I wasn't willing to spend the money to find out. I've got a couple Zillions and I love them. Not a Plug - but I found 'em on Fishermans Warehouse for $269. Pretty tough price to beat when everyone else is selling them for $320. Talked to a Daiwa Rep that said a new model Zillion should be coming mid year, so I'd guess they're moving old stock?? I added a few Lexa 100/300's to the collection this winter. I'm interested to see how they perform. Daiwa has always made high quality reels, and with the Lexa they've hit a new demo - the 100 series is $139 and the 200 series is $199. I've gone from Quantums to Abu and now to Daiwa. For the money they're tough to beat. My tournament partner started fishing Daiwa JDM Reels late last year - they're even better but they cost an arm and a leg more.

Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon (7lb-16lb depending on the application) and Sunline Super Natural Monofilament 10lb for Topwaters. IMO its the best line on the market. While I'm only lucky enough to fish Table Rock once a year, I do fish some Wisconsin lakes that have similar charactoristics - Chunk Rock, Bluffs, Pea Gravel - and it holds up very well. Also fish a lot of docks in the summer months and it's held up just fine. It's pricey, but you can and will find it on sale once or twice a year. TW did a buy one get one this winter, pretty tough to beat.

I like it a lot, and I'm comparing it to the best of the best. It's an ounce lighter than the stella, has Paladin Gears and Propulsion Line System - same as the Stella. I dropshot with it and haven't had a problem once. It's hard to go wrong with a Shimano spinning reel. I've only got 1 Shimano Baitcaster - Core Mg7 - and I like it a lot. Just not enough to give up my Zillions...

Considering we fished mid lake the last 3 years, we felt it was time for a move. We'll figure it out - or we'll put 'em on the trailer and go find em. Either way, a week on the Rock beats a week in the office every time.

I do love the Stella, it's a fantastic reel. Paired it with a GLX BSR852 and it's a fantastic tubin' setup. Again, I got it a couple years back when Tackle Wareshouse had one of there 20% off deals, so I figured why not. It's a buttery smooth reel, and the drag is second to none - it never jumps just glides smoother than a babys butt off the spool. I will be honest though - I bought a Stradic CI4 2500 and that's almost as fine a reel. I can't come up with a single complaint, especially with a price tag about $500 less.

Oh, I'm sure we'll trailer over there at least once...

It's not the lightest setup by any means, but I flip with a GLoomis GLX BCR875 and a 7.1:1 Daiwa Lexa 300. The Lexa is pretty beefy at 10.5oz, but it packs 22lbs of drag power. Between that and the power the rod provides, it's a pretty solid rig for junk fishin'. And to my surprise, the rod (which is 7'-3" & Mag Heavy) is incredibly sensitive.

Well, against BB's suggestion to move west, we booked at Happy Hollow down near the 86 bridge. The boat thing is no longer an issue - a couple of fellas in our group couldn't resist the cabin fever and ended up with new boats in their garages this winter. We'll be there the second week of April, so if you see a gray & red Ranger 185vs or a bright red Champion 201 or a white Triton 175 (all with Illinois tags) runnin' around in the general dam area, stop and say hi. Bill, I know we're close to the Lodge, we'll try not to make too much noise down there, but I can't make any promises.

I have a pair of Blackfins and I love 'em!

Happy Birthday Bill! See you in a few months!

I've been running 7 & 8lb on my spinning gear and 12 - 16lb on my baitcasting gear for a while and I love it. I'm going to try and get a little more serious this year and scale down to 8 or 10 lb with a crankbait. It should help get to the true running depths, just worried that the sacrifice in strength will hurt when it counts. In the last 2 years I haven't broke a fish off with Sunline once. I've also gotten in the habit of leaving about 20 yards of old line on my baitcasters when I respool. It saves on line over time.

If you get a chance, read the article in this months' B.A.S.S. about Aaron Martins Dropshotting. He says he'll downsize to 2 or 3 pound test when the conditions warrant it. Granted, he's a fantastic finesse fisherman, but 2lb test in a tournament sounds INSANE. He also said he prefers to backreel instead of using his drag. It's a great read.

Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluoro for everything except Topwaters. It's a little expensive, but it's fantastic line.

Aint' that the truth! Spent more $$ at Tackle Warehouse last year between December and April stocking up on gear than I did on the entire trip. And at the end of the day I think I could have left all but 4 rods at home and brought some tubes, a lot of jigs, a couple spooks, and a handful of Warts.