powerdive

Champ, the walleye guys can tell you, the bass absolutely do love cranks on Table Rock in all parts of the lake--but you're right, we're running them deeper. 23-30 feet, typically, and deeper in the fall. So yes, you casters are limited to those areas where the fish are hanging higher in the column. Then again, watching sonar, you see fish shooting up from 30 feet to crash shad balls in 10 feet...

Well written. Touché!

Hmmm. Consider it a Carolina rig, then. Bass guys are throwing all sorts of ungainly contraptions these days. By the way, Pinnacle has some new Power Cranking rods from John Crews coming out this fall that might be worth a look for the local deep stuff. Super light, very strong, custom actions for extra distance and power...

You could troll a pipe wrench out there and catch bass on it. But we trollers are usually running our crankbaits quite a bit deeper than you chunkers-n-winders can. All else being equal, trolling uses significantly longer lines and consistent speed over time, so the lures get much deeper--as rps has noted many times, a DD22 can troll at 30+ feet. (Casting and retrieving a DD22 all day must absolutely kill your wrists.) But if you want more depth, you might a) use braid, cast longer and crank it farther down before starting your retrieve, or c) weight the lure by adding a rubbercore sinker or a couple splitshot about 15-18" above the crank (alternative: SuspenStrips on the belly or wire weights on the front treble). Weighting works quite well, and gives you a little extra vertical swim to help trigger bites.

On a tip from rangerman, a friend and I fished out of Diamond City yesterday, and we had both a great day and a horrible day. On the plus side, we caught about 20 eyes, with 6 legals (we kept 3 fat 20-21 inch toads). On the down side, between us we lost 6--count 'em, 6--large walleyes. Not kidding--we totally stunk up the place. Only one was on a crank--that was a boatside "release" which happens sometimes--the others were all on crawler rigs. They just straightened the hooks on us. Time to rethink the gear (we used re-purposed trolling sticks with braid and light-wire hooks), the drag settings, etc. Unbelievable. Never ever had that problem before. The eyes are super-aggressive right now. All our fish came from flooded points at 18-25 feet, with 23-24 being best. Could've been a really special day.......

Jay, TRL is a shad buffet, so I also tend to use whites and silvers. Primarily diving shad baits, Hot N Tots, Deep Rogues and Deep Husky Jerks on leadcore. Reef Runners and Deep Thundersticks longlined on braid. Small white stickbaits behind inline weights. Once you find a productive depth, say, 26 feet, stay with it on separate spots. Look for areas with lots of abrupt contour changes--not just dropoffs, but highly irregular runs. Flats cut by ditches, humps and long points are the key areas on the mid- and lower lake. You're going to catch bass. Get used to it. Good luck! (P.S. Tip: Check out the Bull Shoals reports for the lower lake. More often than not, Table Rock walleyes can be caught at the same depths.)

I like to troll crankbaits at 20-30 feet just above bottom on the edges of gravel flats flanking inside turns. Pay special attention to the points at the mouths of ditches/turns in the contour. Bouncers/crawlers are often a better option. Best to look around with sonar before fishing--look for lots of bait and hooks close to bottom.

Isn't that what clients are for?

Awesome report, QB. Thanks for the info.

Braid's not always the best choice with those extra-fast tip rods you bass guys favor. Not enough give... so inshore's advice should help.

Hoping to go to DC Monday with my daughters. Haven't had 'em both in a boat at the same time in years. You oglers stay away. Hey look! Over there! Some frisky 12-inch bass! Go git 'em!

Good job, lmt out! If I may ask: were you fishing points or flats?

I've not caught one on TR, but I did see a small one hooked on a shallow jugline up the White from the Kings last year.

Nice going! We had a day like that once, in August. Multiple limits of 20-24 inchers in one spot. Very unusual, very fun. Thanks for the info, 9LB.

Ssssssshhhhhh!!!

Good job, N2F! Nice when a plan comes together, and congrats to your pop. A 22 is a great way to start.

As rps implies, learn the concepts and you won't need the book. (Or app -- sorry, I didn't follow the link.) As F&F says, go with someone who knows what they're doing and it'll shorten the learning curve tremendously. Experiment on your own. Invest some brainpower. Too many people are so dependent on the numbers that they're lost when conditions deviate or they don't have the book handy. One day on a flat with pen and paper will give you all the info you need. Eventually, you'll be able to simply look at any lure and intuitively know how far back to run it.

I was kinda wondering the same thing. How exactly would "putting Kentuckies in their own category...hugely improve Bass fishing here in Missouri?"

I've heard of folks catching walleyes on hotdogs too. So.... Tipping your spoon with a piece of your lunch might not be a bad idea on a tough day!

Friend o' mine back in WI caught a 6-lb. largemouth (the equivalent of a 9 or 10 pounder down here) on a bobber and half a hotdog...

All lures work. Just not for everybody, or at all times. Sometimes we over-think it. I remember a trip up north, years ago. Fishing was tough, for all species. Everybody was struggling. Yet there in the local paper was the answer: A young angler hauled in a 45-lb. muskie on a nightcrawler at 12:30 a.m. while bottom fishing for bullheads. Then there was the wealthy businessman dabbling off his pier while reading the WSJ, soaking tiny minnows under a beach ball bobber for rock bass and perch. Funny, he caught the new lake record walleye. Sometimes the fish won't do what we think they should.

http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/DistrictLakes/StocktonLake/DailyLakeInformation.aspx

Never thought I'd see the day when a guy couldn't buy a bass on Table Rock but could catch 6 walleyes. Things are lookin' up!

Quillback for President.

Sounds like you need to set up video surveillance, Bill.