buckcreekmike

That is definitely the theory for shooting docks for crappie.

I am headed down from Kansas City tomorrow with my dad and father in law. Will be in father in laws fishing pontoon. Not the swiftest vessel on the lake, so won't be able to run too far too quick. Staying near clevinger branch. Sounds like they may be just about anywhere- points, backs of pockets and creeks etc. father in law is not the greatest fisherman ( not that I am either), so any suggestions? I have most any of the staples as far as lures, Ned, spoons, plopper, spook, jig, etc. if I was to guess I may try some tapering points with spoon or Ned or jig. Would like to get some topwater. Maybe in the backs of pockets where shad are present? mainly just excited and wanted to get some fishing talk going. Good luck to everyone this weekend. By the way, I was at LOZ last Saturday and couldn't catch a cold. Feels like I'm cursed these days!

I am headed down from Kansas City tomorrow with my dad and father in law. Will be in father in laws fishing pontoon. Not the swiftest vessel on the lake, so won't be able to run too far too quick. Staying near clevinger branch. Sounds like they may be just about anywhere- points, backs of pockets and creeks etc. father in law is not the greatest fisherman ( not that I am either), so any suggestions? I have most any of the staples as far as lures, Ned, spoons, plopper, spook, jig, etc. if I was to guess I may try some tapering points with spoon or Ned or jig. Would like to get some topwater. Maybe in the backs of pockets where shad are present? mainly just excited and wanted to get some fishing talk going. Good luck to everyone this weekend. By the way, I was at LOZ last Saturday and couldn't catch a cold. Feels like I'm cursed these days!

3-4" Tube jigs skip great, but I really can only do it with spinning rod as well. I would imagine their shape lends to skipping wih baitcaster as well.

Connor, when I first read your post I thought you were talking about west of Kimberling city on table rock, but now looks like maybe you mean west of Kansas City for those small mouth. Is that Melbourne? I had one over 6 pounds there about 10 years ago. Just got back from Lake of the Ozarks and I noticed you had said we should hook up on another post, I would really enjoyed going fishing with you sometime down of the Ozarks. By the way I live in southern Overland Park about 159th and Nall

Well, I did pretty poorly this weekend. I think I had 3or 4 bass while bass fishing, one keeper. I tried crappie fishing and all I could catch was 6" and smaller bass. Was up in the back of buck creek surrounded by shad Friday evening and tried the old red eye shad that wrench talked about and not one fish on it for me. The only thing I caught any on Friday evening was a popper up in the front of docks (inside of the dock cables). Caught the keeper, 2 1/2lbs or so, on a spoon working around a breakwater like I had success doing on table rock a few weeks ago. All in all, pretty bad considering the amount of time I fished.

sounds good, the boat is near Laurie on O road, so we can trailer it wherever. It can be hard to find reliable people around the lake, or in Kansas City for that matter. Ive actually had an electrician down at the lake do the work and never bill me and I didn't have his contact info either. So I never could pay him. Then the last time we had the bass boat in to get worked on (I'll admit I can't do too much as far as fixing motors and electronics) we had electrical issues with the night time anchor and nav lights, and then I went to get the back light and it wasn't there. They must have used it to check the lights and the never put it back..... And now he's out of business. I wonder why?

Wrench, I hate to sound too desperate, but are you working that red eye super shallow at the very back of the back ends? I know those back ends really flatten out. Or is it just shallow water at any location? By the way, and I'm not just buttering you up, but how would I get a hold of you for wrenching on our boat?

I'm sure the 80 degree temps will bring out the queen Mary's. I have fished LOZ fairly regularly (6-10 times a year, evidently not regularly enough) and never had a time where I can say I caught a limit of keeper bass. Granted, I spent about 2-3 years going exclusively for crappie; on a side note, I can usually catch crappie pretty consistently now. But, I have always loved bass fishing. I know LOZ gets hammered pretty good by a lot of anglers that are evidently a lot better than me, but it is somewhat detecting to go out and get worked all the time. I may catch one keeper or so but never consistent catching. I guess if I could I would be a pro! Why am I not good?!! (Just kidding).

Thanks guys for the responses. I will have to break out he old rattle trap type lures. Can't remember the last time I used one, but when I was a youngster that was a mainstay. I will have the wife with me and any time I can get her to catch one it may make her frisky! If I need to I can usually get some crappie if I get "desparate". Maybe that could salvage my late night, if you know what I'm saying. Have the the big boats hung it up yet? I think I know the answer to this, but, is there a benefit to being out there before dawn right now? The reason I ask is because we won't have the kids and sleeping past 7:30am wouldn't hurt my feelings on Saturday morning!

I'm coming down this weekend and wondering if anyone has been out recently for bass. I read the BFL results and it sounds like the winner was using a creature bait around docks. I I wonde if there will be a buzzbait bite yet? Are they not in summer patterns anymore? Any help would be appreciated. Two weekends ago I was at table rock and caught some off a spoon around breakwaters. I wonder if that may work at LOZ. I will give it a try. I will report on how I do.

12" of rain in just under 3 days? That is pretty intense.

It is like meem

fished in the morning before sunup to about 10:00. Not much success. I am using father in laws boat which doesn't lend itself to long rides or spot hopping. Caught a decent spot off a spoon first thing off a main lake point but line broke right at the boat. Tried topwater, jig and crank with only a few shorts to show for it. Salvaged the the morning with a few short spots off some breakwaters on a spoon. Went back out at 4:00 or so and caught a few around the 86 bridge piers with spoons, one keeper spot. Overall pretty demoralizing because I felt I was just spinning my wheels. No real pattern to speak of. Heard people on here saying a crank bait bite shallow. Does that mean up near the bank or on gradual slopes. Would sure like the father in law into some fish. We will see what tomorrow brings.

I have honestly never even tried it on LOZ. typically I just throw a jig or something like that around the docks. I'm not sure why that wouldn't work at table rock (throwing a jig that is). I have some lie tech swing impact swim baits that I may throw on a 1/8oz jig head around the docks here on TR. I have done that at LOZ and had some decent success. Those swing impact baits seem to be only good for one fish before they are torn up and worthless though.

I bought war eagle spoons 1/2 oz size. Thanks for your input. I fish at LOZ almost exclusively except for the 2 or 3 times a year I get to come down to my favorite lake on earth. I mi had read some other threads about panfish being caught right now. I have a 4 and a 2 -3/4 year old (as she would say it) that I would love to get into a fish or two. Their attention span is super short, but if you know of a bite that might suit them I would love to know. I am not totally helpless, but any shortcuts would help.

If anyone would be gracious enough to enlighten me, I would ask how you work a spoon around docks. Do you mainly toss it up in there and expect a bite on the initial fall, like before it falls 10 feet deep or so? Do you let it sink all the way to the bottom (even in 25 feet of water or more), or do you start jigging it back in the middle of the water column? I tried to to get ahold of some flutter spoons, but I don't think the ones I got are in that category. Maybe try a different type of lure around the docks even? Thanks to anyone that responds.

When you say large red worms, are you saying live bait or plastics? I am headed down with my kids next weekend and that sounds like something I should try.

I was there in the 7mm last weekend and it was pretty tough for me. They were not holding on a dock pattern. We really caught them off of brush in 10 feet of water or less. We cleaned about 15 between three of us fishing all day Saturday, and the ones we cleaned hadn't spawned yet. I did see bass all over beds which I thought was strange because I always thought crappie spawned first. I basically think I did worse than usual because they were spread out and you couldn't pull up and catch 10 fish off of one spot or dock. We cAught them on jigs. Caught a couple under bobbers hanging the jig above visisble submerged brush piles. Long story short, if you know of a lot of brush piles in water 15 feet or less you will be a ble to catch a few off each one.

Any current water temps around the 7mm? I am coming next weekend and trying to determine of there is still a Buzzbait bite, or if it has started or ended for that matter. I had a little success with it mid October, but it surely wasn't gangbusters.

Sounds awesome, has to be good to know that the young men may take to fishing. What was water temp and clarity where you were on LOZ. I am going down on the 14th of November and am wondering what is happening with turnover. I'll be around the 7mm.

I have had good luck on stickbaits, more precisely a Table Rock shad colored pointer in Canada for better sized walleye. Pike may steal it from you though.

I don't set it either one main reason is because a lot of times you can't be 100% sure if they actually have it in their mouth or I they missed it. If they've missed it and you set the hell out of it you will likely launch it back towards you 10-15' and out of the strike zone so they might come back for it. I try to get enough tension on the line to feel if they are on it and then just lean to the side with the rod enough to bury the hooks. If they have missed it and the bait remained in the zone they may hit it again.

Whatever happens you will have fun, it is rare to get skunked, so have fun. I usually have a topwater handy and I have had good luck with a chompers football jig green pumpkin and a twin tail trailer watermelon flake attached to it. I'll tell you it is my favorite lake and you will have a great time.

I don't fish TR nearly as much as some of the guys on here, but I have never seen any kind of lily pads or weeds at all. I was there on memorial once it wasn't too bad considering I fish Lake of the Ozarks a lot. There may be a decent mount of boats but not the 30 to 40' cruisers and scarabs like there is at LOZ. I was down near the dam though, so I can't say how it is where you will be.