kvo113

We caught several nice 16"+ smallmouth on Friday, a couple small fish on Saturday, and I had one bite all day on Sunday.. fishing partner had 2 bites, landed one.. was 13". Incredibly tough fishing.

Found this on google. Looks like the boundary line starts in front of 'wildcat hollow' but past the south piney fork.

Yes - - the area I am referencing is in the back of Piney. Last year there were no 'keep out' buoys in the area, with many boats fishing during tourneys and recreational fishing - I even saw a boat beached on the shore with a picnic campsite set up. There was a single, unmarked (faded?) buoy in the middle but it appeared to be a warning because there were submerged treetops right there. This year, there are 2 buoys well into the main "lake" area in the back of piney, not correlating to any markings or fencing on the shoreline. If they belong to the CoE and there is indeed a clear line that motorized boats are not to cross - so be it, and maybe they should add more than 2 buoys across a 150 yard wide cove, because a lot of boats are unaware what the buoys are for (that or everyone knows but doesn't care) If they belong to a private landowner or someone protecting a honey hole, they need to be removed or put on the actual property line.

Last weekend I found 2 'boats keep out' buoys in the back of one of my favorite creeks. I cannot figure out why this area would be off limits. Does anyone know who I could contact to find out more information about this?

I wanted to pass along the pattern that worked for us since the forum has been a great resource for me (we don't fish TR much and it's nice to keep up with the fishing reports) and we are not going to be back to Table Rock until spring. The fishing has been tough but it is getting better quickly, especially on the right days in the right areas. Thursday and Friday spent mostly locating schools of baitfish in creeks/coves and testing baits and presentations with bent hooks as we were practicing for a 2 day tournament. Could not get bit on bottom baits except one or two bites on a shaky head, but it was a grind. Had more hits on top water and spinnerbait. Saturday we had 2 keepers and 4 shorts by 9 am including a 3.5 lb LM on a topwater and unfortunately the sun came out and kinda killed the topwater bite, although I did throw it intermittently the rest of the day (medium to large profile baits, both walking and plopping variety) and I missed 4 fish so we only had 2 on Saturday. Many teams were fishing the white river or midlake area and mostly came in with smallies and spots. 1st place day 1 was 14 and 2nd was low 11, but lots of bags in the 7 to 10 lb range. Fishing was definitely better than the previous weekend, but our fish just didn't cooperate and I probably missed 1 or 2 keepers. Sunday was miserable conditions but fortunately our fish were really fired up from the rain and wind. We had 2 good LM in the boat by 8 and had 4 keepers by 9:15. All on topwater around baitfish in the back of creeks. Got our 5th keeper a couple hours later, same way. ended with 12.5+ lbs which was 4th biggest bag of day and ended up catching a check and making the BASS team championship at Norfork. We committed to the pattern and threw topwater for 7 hours with 11 total fish and probably 6-8 other blowups that missed the bait. Our pattern was find the bait fish near the surface (we could not get bit fishing around suspended balls of shad that you will see in the middle of creeks at 5-10 feet deep) we had to go way to the back and check every cove and creek to find the surface activity. We found them during practice and just ran cove to cove, and repeat, during tourney. We fished between aunts creek and cape fair. When the baitfish were 'active' on the surface or we saw active bass chasing shad, we just cast our topwater directly to the action, behind it, or to the side, and we would usually get a blow up or a bite if we were quick enough. If they were not actively feeding, we would cast to isolated wood, laydowns, or rock piles that were near the baitfish. It was a grind that way but we did get more of our big fish that way. The ones that would hit while they were chasing in the middle were usually shorts or squeakers. View full article

Yikes. Roughly 185 boats, 151 fish. Doesn't bode well for this weekend.

I'm fishing it as a co-angler

Where are the Toyota results? 3 lbs in the top 30 is insane!

When I don't catch something on a bait for 1 hour or more I tend to give up and switch baits. Sometimes the eventual tournament winner decides to stick with that bait all day long and they get 5 total bites and they happen to be good ones. Sometimes those bites come from 2-3pm after a 6 hour chuck and wind grind. I think that the rock is generally tough to catch 15 lbs on but this time of year and with this weather it can be brutal even lake of the ozarks is tough, I only caught one keeper today and I fish tournaments up here hopefully we get some cooler weather and get the fall topwater and schooling bite going soon, I'll be at table rock next week

Back it in or you can get a hand jack for the rest of th way / moving around in garage

Finally found some fish after a long hot day with few bites. Had 15-20 fish, 3 keepers. One was 17.5" and another 19.5-20". Shakey head with mag trick worm. Most of the numbers were on a drop shot dragged from 8 out to 20 foot of water but the keepers were on the shakey head. Caught the big one around midnight in 4-8 foot of water relating to a dock corner surprisingly. We were out out again this morning with few bites but hopefully will get on them again tonight. Side note, this lake is becoming more and more like lake of the ozarks. Saw a wake boat with two little kids on a tube make a full speed u turn in the middle of the channel near 13 bridge and they cut right in front of a bass boat, who had to steer hard to avoid the tube. Complete idiocy. Water patrol was in the cove nearby but didn't see it I guess. This post has been promoted to an article

I think we caught a total of 4 fish in 6 hours today. Drop shot and small swimbait on long points. Had a nice KY in a slip on a pbj jig but that's it. Storm seems to have affected the bite but hoping it gets better tomorrow.

Nice report. That's a conservative 3.5 I'd say!

Those tiny baitfish were everywhere up the river too. After the fact my dad mentioned maybe a 1/4 oz cast master spoon. Not sure if white or black bass chasing those little minnows though. I have resigned myself to taking July off from lake of the ozarks. Not dealing with the ocean yachts for a couple dinks. I'm ready for them to tuck under the docks this fall.

I heard the fishing was good Thursday night but I didn't know it was that good!! Went down Friday morning and it was terrible for me.

Not the one I was on but you should send me the coordinates cause I'm going back to fun fish tomorrow LOL

I couldn't believe how many ran all the way down. I fished Cole camp and had 15. There was current coming into cole camp and they were chasing crawdads at least for me.

Dobyns 703c 15 lb flouro 3/8 or 1/2 jig

We struggled. I think the rain negatively affected our area of the lake this morning. Not sure how/where those big fish were being caught. Tomorrow should be better with the sun all day

Had a similar bite going in that area on Thursday and Friday, couldn't get bit on the spinnerbait Saturday. Looks like it picked up again Sunday. Nice report.

other boaters welcome? Good luck this weekend.

Cut your line, add a split shot about the current water depth from the end of the line, and tie the end of the line to an empty water bottle or something that will float. Throw it in the water, and try to keep it way out of the way from your casting angle. After you're done fishing, pick up the water bottle / floatable and pull your line until you reach the hangup. The split shot will keep all the line down in the water column, except where it goes straight up to your floater. Helps avoid your next lure and possibly fish as you fight it to the boat. Not sure I'd mess with that over a Rock Crawler but to each their own - different story if it was a pre rap wiggle wart! PS Make sure you don't use a bobber or something small enough to be pulled down by the split shot!

Tournaments still being won on the A-Rig at Lake of the Ozarks, just wondering if anyone is still catching fish on it at Table Rock. Water temps were 53-57 at LOZ, I haven't been on TR in a while but sounds like it's pretty close to that. Not that I want to have to throw it, just wondering if I should even have it on the deck.