Cindyjo

The flat creek area has been real slow. talked with many fisherman and their out all day to catch 10 keeper crappie. Bass fishing is better but hit and miss. Lots of spoonbillers. looks like they are doing well this year.

Its been a while but follow the instructions carefully. Your intuition may mislead you otherwise.

I fish this area all the time. Was out yesterday. No bite to speak of. Verrrrrrry slow crappie fishing.

Tough out there today. Fished 2 hrs. nada. Called it a day. Cape Fair area. water temp. 41

No science to back this up but I blame the ever expanding abundance of gar. There are very few walleye in the Cape Fair area yet is has been stocked. Very few walleye in the James river arm but State shocking in 2010 indicated a population capable of reproducing. Same story for crappie. The explosion of the gar fishery I have seen in the last 3 years is scary. They consume fry, I'm sure both walleye and crappie. I assume also bass. Or perhaps the explosion in the gar population is coincidental to the ever decreasing population of walleye and crappie. I remember reading years ago a muskie will consume 2500 pounds of walleye by the time it reaches 20lbs (plus other fish). There and many very big gar here. I caught one 2 years ago in the 40 - 50 lb range. Too big to try to get in the boat. I posted a picture on this site a couple of years ago of that one. By the way I have fished the flat creek/james river arm and have not caught a walleye, or seen a walleye in 3 years. Yet much of what I use would normally catch walleye! Anyway, the gar have become the Jihadist of Table Rock and I don't see any way to stop them. Years ago I lived and fished Castaic lake in CA (for 23 years). The strippers got in there through a broken screen in one of the major aqueducts feeding the lake. They completely took over the lake. There are no populations of crappie left in Castaic lake. There are good Large Mouth populations with some exceeding 20 lbs. And very good stripper fishing with many being caught in the 40-50lb range. I see the same future for Table Rock and gar pike. Gar are outstanding fighters and remind me of a muskie battle. Perhaps one day that will be a good thing.

Hey Jim, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Sounds like you had your priorities in order, but now is time to enjoy the fruits of you labor. Table rock is a great lake and many records are still waiting to be caught. I ran into two senior gentlemen at one of the old mills that offers trout fishing. Struck up a conversation and they have been going there for 40+ years. The great thing about fishing is we are never too old to fish! The memories are great, keep them coming. Regards

2014 has been a very bad year for crappie in the Cape Fair area. The previous 2 years were excellent. Small and not many of them is how I would characterize crappie fishing. Im beginning to believe the hugh gar population is beginning to have a very negative impact on crappie just as it has had on walleye. Im at a loss on how to explain this dramatic change if it is not the gar.

Generally I find the whites across the water column in 5'- 25' feet of water. The location is so specific I don't even know where to begin. I find that whites will hold very tightly in a location, perhaps 20' in diameter. They tend to be found frequenting the same area. They tend to be found in the same area as black bass. They tend to prefer a 3 turn, 3 drop retrieve. They almost always hit on the drop. That may be why I catch lots of whites. I do not use a steady retrieve. Cast, drop to the bottom, wind in 2 or 3 turns, stop, count to 2 or 3, repeat. Works wonderfully from sept to june. I do not summer fish much. I find whites the best eating fish on this lake, yes even better than walleye.

Went out for a couple of hours. Tough in the wind. Zero, nada. Decided to scout for other locations with potential. Saw fish on the graph but they were not interested. That is how it goes. The day before I couldn't keep them away, the largest at 18". 6 whites also. As we all know, the most successful fisherman are the ones who spend the most time on the water. Generally speaking if I don't locate fish in the 1st 30 minutes on the graph, fishing will be poor. If I locate them on the graph but do not catch any in the next 60 minutes it is time to go in. I have lake property so on and off the lake is convenient. Most days I'm out there. Conversely, the graph and side sonar are the best tools I have. The side sonar is immensely helpful in staying 20-30' away from underwater shelves and running parallel to them. Of course on this lake underwater shelves (old riverbed) are plentiful, and so are the fish. The other day I saw a posting regarding whites being open water fish. My experience suggests the white generally can be found in specific areas. These may often appear to be open water areas on the surface, but below it is a different story. I often find whites and blacks in the same area. Of course that is where the bait fish are. They lay in ambush waiting for the large schools to drift by. Keep in mind I rarely fish shoreline. This lake has an abundance of structure away from the shoreline. There are only 4-5 locations I generally fish. If the fish are not hitting I sometimes explore looking for other secondary turns and shelves in the riverbed. That is how I find fish on this lake. But it takes time and patience. One last note. These 4-5 locations produce fish year after year. So that confirms what most of us already know……fish relate to specific structure. Till next time...

Yes, was a 3/8oz Kastmaster. Dual color orange and silver, although I doubt it makes much difference. Those whites are so aggressive they will hit a piece of chewing gum if you spit it in the middle of them!

Very good white bass fishing right now. Caught 5 beauties, 1-18" LM, and several spotted in about 2 hours yesterday.

Muddy and lots of debris in the flat creek/james river area. Take it slowwwww. Working its way down the lake.

Starting to catch some really nice whites. The usual, spoons.

I see a lot of lines without identification. I don't touch other peoples stuff. If I see a line out there I don't cast in that direction, so I have never lost a lure to one. There are 46,000 acres on TR, I can always find water which holds fish and is clear of lines (well not always!). That does not mean I don't get frustrated when I see illegal stuff. Im out to have a good time and don't waste my energy on other peoples illegal activity. Fishing for me is a place of refuge and an opportunity to refresh my thoughts. I do understand those who feel they must cut the line, it is a natural reaction. I just choose to avoid the negative thoughts while fishing.

I have been to many a forum. From automobiles to medical and everything in between. For some reason this is the best self policing site out there. When someone perhaps goes a little far there always is a self recognition and a return to decency. My compliments to all the participants on this site for a job well done. Perhaps it is due to the fact that fisherman are a unique group of individuals who prefer to keep it simple and decent. Either way, nice work to all.

Fishing is very tough right now. You can see them on the graph, but they are in the summer doldrums. Best bet is to watch for surface feeding activity and swing away with a spoon. Another couple of weeks and the fall patterns will begin setting up.

Thanks for the update. There are those naysayers whom may be right or just might be wrong. My father would tell me smoking never hurt anyone. He died at 60 with lung cancer. No harm in bringing this aquatic problem to the public attention. Thanks again.

Great info. Thanks for taking the time.

Picking them up but it has been tough. They are on the graph but are not willing to really turn on. Web site is quiet so I thought I would add an update. Just wait until September.

It was a spoon, not a spook. It was a kastmaster 1/2oz.

If your not using spoons you may want to consider doing so. If you are using spoons ... then you know what Im talking about. Caught 30+ last night not including 5 whites. I was right in the middle of a hugh school of whites when they decide to go after the shad. It was savage. I have never seen such a large school of whites. Looked like something out of a science fiction movie. spoons,spoons,spoons Good luck out there.

Yes, they were boiling last night. Picked up 4. They never stayed long in any spot so I could only pick up 1 at a time. I have noticed the shad population is considerably less than last year. Educated guess would be the shad population is down at least 50%. I'm confident with these numbers since I watch the side sonar most of the time I'm out.

I would think an anchor is a much better alternative. Minn Kota makes a great electric anchor for considerably less expense.

Congratulations and welcome. We also moved here 2 years ago. We at one time lived in Oconomowoc, WI and enjoyed fishing Lake LaBelle. Caught many a walleye there. TR has over 800 miles of shoreline so you will never run out of challenges and discovery. You have chosen a very good website to communicate from. Lots of updated fishing experiences which will help you become accustomed to the lake quicker. Table Rock is a large lake and has its own personality which takes time to learn. You may have some initial frustrations with catching fish but once you discover a technique you will have a blast. Stay in your life jacket as much as possible, especially night fishing. This lake has an abundance of visitors who may not be familiar with the proper boating practices and just like in town driving a car they can be dangerous. So have a great time an enjoy all the pleasures Table Rock lake has to offer!

Decided I could not wait any longer so I went out Tuesday for about 1.5 hrs. I was interested to see if the crappie were beginning their annual movement into deeper water. Fished a 1/8oz jig and minnow. Caught 1 smb and 1 lmb and no crappie. Water temp was 41degrees. Fished the Cape Fair area. The sun was out and I had black clothing on so it was wonderful out there. Till next time.