DavidB

Thanks to all for your replies. Part of our group from Southwest Louisiana will be there this week, so we’ll get reports from them before our group arrives on the 24th. This is such a fine forum. I’ve followed it for years, and all of you provide such useful information. Table Rock is a treasure, and we’ve seen the fishery evolve in a positive way since we first came in 1982. Love the smallmouth!!!

Our annual group trip to Table Rock begins on April 24th. We make the trek every year around this time, and it's been something we look forward to since our first trip in 1982. We fish the Long Creek area, from the Arkansas line to around Point 1. I've read and heard about widespread issues with slime this year. Are the reports correct? If so, can you recommend areas where it's not so prevalent? Thanks in advance for any input. Table Rock is special!

My buddies and I have been coming to Table Rock for over 35 years, to spend a week in late April. Toledo Bend is our home lake. I agree with Bill that Table Rock fishes large. The main lake areas are relatively narrow, and it has a incredible amount of shoreline to cover. We've never felt crowded on your beautiful lake, unlike Toledo Bend where you often feel like you need entry passes to fish your favorite areas. Having said that, if you want to take a chance on a double-digit bass, come on down!

Thought y'all might be interested in this photo from the approach to Pendleton Bridge, on Toledo Bend. Brrr! We're not used to weather like this. Y'all didn't have to send it our way!

I've been a lurker on this forum for years, and have always found it informative. The discussion about K's is of interest to me. We spend a week on Table Rock every year, normally in April, and we've been coming since 1982. I've always enjoyed catching the K's, and have marveled at how healthy they are--footballs! In our experience, we catch far fewer K's than in the early years, and far more smallmouth. We've commented about it to one another, and have wondered why we catch fewer K's. We fish Long Creek, primarily, but go from the Arkansas line to Point 5, at times. It may be that we've learned to target smallmouth better, but there are no complaints from our crew when a fat K tugs on our line.

I've had a Skeeter 200TZX, with a Yamaha 200 HPDI, for 15 years. I've never regretted the purchase. The wide front deck is great, making for a good fishing platform, and the deep "V" hull performs very well in rough water on Table Rock, and the rougher water on Toledo Bend.

A group of us fished Lake Michigan, just out of Sturgeon Bay, around Labor Day in 2016. Our guide was Dale Stroschein, who owns Sand Bay Beach Resort and Suites, at Sturgeon Bay. It's a beautiful place overlooking Green Bay. We fished the same point on Lake Michigan, two days in a row--never left it. The smallmouth were incredible, heavy bodied with "shoulders." Attached are photos of just a few. We fished heavy boulders and rocks in shallow water, with square bill crankbaits, small BPS swimbaits and wacky-rigged BPS stickbaits. It's a great trip, if you can make it. We're going back this September, virus permitting, then back to our favorite, Table Rock, in October. Save some for us!

Thank you for your prompt response, Bill. I may wait a bit to see how the great trolling motor debate shakes out, before I lay out the $$$$. In the meantime, best of luck to all of you who contribute to the best fishing forum I've found. You're so fortunate to be able to enjoy such a beautiful and productive fishery!

Bill, I was looking at reviews on the new trolling motors, and turned to Ozark Anglers to see if there had been a discussion about them. I stumbled across your comparison of the MinnKota and Motorguide versions, posted in this thread. Have you had an opportunity to further evaluate them? And, have you had an opportunity to review any of the newer models, and/or to talk with any of your friends about them, speaking candidly? My buddies and I missed our Table Rock trip, the third week in April. While self-quarantining on Toledo Bend, it's just not the same as making our annual trip to beautiful Table Rock to chase smallmouth and those football Kentuckies! My first trip to Table Rock was in 1982, and I have not missed a year since, until this year. We're hoping to come the third week in October, and again next April. I'll be following along closely as we get closer to our October trip, since none of us have ever fished Table Rock in the fall. Another Cajun Basket may be in the works!

Thanks to everyone. A good conversation!

All great recommendations! Thank you all. I've tried fluoro and fireline on my Pfleuger 2500's, and really didn't like the way the line flowed through the guides. No comparison with mono, in my limited experience. I haven't tried braid on my spinning reels, but have on casting reels, and just couldn't get used to it. The only time I've used the braid/fluoro combo was at Sturgeon Bay, with Dale Stroschein (a great guide). I found it a little awkward, for me, and didn't like the way the knot hit the rod tip, if you weren't paying close attention. But oh, those Lake Michigan smallmouth! Shoulders!!!

Thank you for the recommendation. I'll be sure to check it out. I've stayed with mono on the spinning reels, but have to admit that I struggle with loops when I'm not paying attention, because I refuse to use the anti-reverse so that I can back-reel, when needed. Mine are Pfleuger Supremes, and they've been reliable, so far.

We finished our 37th annual trip to Table Rock, on April 29th. 16 of us made the trip from Louisiana, this year, and we thoroughly enjoyed it, as always. A shout out to Tommy and Melissa, at Happy Hollow, for being such gracious hosts! Everyone caught a lot of fish, which made the trip even more special. Some of us targeted smallmouth, which are a real treat for us "lowlanders", but others had luck chasing those "football-sized" spots and largemouth. It's just a beautiful lake, and we look forward to coming each year just as much as we did in 1982, our first year. The Ned was our top producer, but a lot of fish were caught on Texas and Carolina-rigged Speed Craws, on Z-Man jigs, wacky worms, jerkbaits, and a few on crankbaits. Catching smallmouth on the Ned is such a kick, since so many hit it on the initial fall. Using spinning rods with 6 and 8 lb. test is a big change for those of us who fish Toledo Bend throughout the rest of the year. Many of you recommend medium-light spinning rods, and I can see that they would be a lot of fun fishing the Ned. Do they have sufficient backbone for shaky head worms and other baits, that require more of a hookset? I may be interested in buying a couple before next year, and am interested in a 6 1/2-7 ft. rod that won't break the bank. Any suggestions? Thanks for any input on the rod. Best of luck to all of you more fortunate guys and gals that are able to fish beautiful Table Rock, the rest of the year!

Thanks to each of you. We had trouble fishing the Ned and a Carolina Rig with Speedcraw last year, in areas where we had caught smallmouth in the past. Still had a great trip. We just fished other areas, and caught mostly spots and largemouth.

Thank you for your reply. Can you comment on the area between the Branson Belle dock and Indian Point?

We're making our annual trip to beautiful Table Rock next week, and will be fishing from the 23rd to the 28th, primarily from the state line in Long Creek to Point 5. Last year, the spots we normally fish in the dam area were covered with snot grass. How is it so far this year?

Great stories!!! Keep them coming! Can't wait 'til we make our annual trip from Louisiana to The Rock, in April. Toledo Bend has been unusually slow for January and February, but is beginning to bust loose. All of our guys envy you for being on such a beautiful lake, with smallmouth and those football spots.

Take a look at the underwater footage on the D-Bomb. It seems to stay upright, although they move it pretty fast in the video.

Have any of you tried the Live Target Baitball, as an alternative to the A-rig?

LSU Tigers!!! Beat the undefeated pretenders!

What conditions are you looking for that'll tell you the jerkbait bite is on?

Our group from Louisiana (Toledo Bend) has come to Table Rock in April for 35 years. We primarily fish Long Creek, from the Arkansas line to the dam area. We love Table rock and look forward to coming back again this coming April. Several of us are avid readers of this forum which, in my opinion, is the best of its kind. The discussion about fishing pressure has caught my attention. We have never felt crowded on Table Rock, although the wakes from the pleasure boats are a major annoyance. In our view, the pressure on Toledo Bend far exceeds that which we've seen on Table Rock. Major thanks to Bill for moderating this forum, and to all of you who contribute to it.

Thanks for the suggestions. We enjoyed our trip as always, despite the rain and the snot grass. We caught plenty of fish, although a notch down from last year. We always look forward to chasing the brown bass, and caught quite a few this year, up to 19”. We had to adjust, however, to escape the snot grass, and spent most of our time up Long Creek, South of the 86 bridge. Our crew caught some on spinnerbaits, but most on Speedcraws, Sweet Beavers (C-rig and TX rig), and 1/8-3/8 oz. jigs tipped with small tubes or Speedcraws. The numbers were really good up Long Creek, but we missed catching more smallmouth. We caught some really nice largemouth and spots however, and despite seeing some on nests, most were extremely fat, still laden with eggs. Should be great around this full moon! Best of luck to all of you the rest of the year! We’ll continue to follow along on this excellent forum, and look forward to next April!!!

I broke the off-on switch on my Motorguide X-5 today, and thought our annual trip to Table Rock was over. Thank goodness for this forum! I searched for marine service centers, and read Bill Babler’s post recommending Ulrich Marine. Called them, they had the part in stock, and they had it installed within 30 minutes after we dropped it off this afternoon. Kudos to Bill for the recommendation, and most of all, to Kyle, Scott and the entire staff at Ulrich, who were so kind and helpful! If anyone on the lake has a boat/motor issue, I highly recommend them. Now, if we can just figure out the fish in the dam, Long Creek area. We’re staying at Happy Hollow, on Persimmon Hollow, and are struggling. Last year was one of our best ever, but with the slime and the colder water, we’re still plugging away without a lot of success. We have three more days, so suggestions are welcome. This forum is the best!

Thanks for the information about the Duckett. Have you tried lighter baits with the 7’6”? A Wiggle Wart, Deep Little N, etc.? If so, how did it handle them?