Bittle

Well, my old college roommate and I took our annual pilgrimage to Table Rock Lake for a week of crappie fishing. We pulled into town on 4-6-18 and got things ready for the next morning. We drug my dad along with us and it was a slow and cold morning. Put in at Bridgeport and headed upstream. We spider rigged up front and he drug a minnow and made casts from the back of the boat. We fished from maybe 9am until about 5 or so. Long day with not a ton to show for it. We caught a few fish deep on bluffs and ended the day with 12 crappie and four white bass. Sunday 4-7, just two of us in the boat this day. We fished the same areas this day but began to find a pattern. In the afternoons, the fish were stacking on cover in 10-25 feet of water. You may find a fish on pole timber, but the brushy stuff held the large majority of our fish. We began to find the bigger females mixed in with the males. Ended the day with 11 keeper crappie. Monday, we began to run our pattern and look for new areas to fish. We stuck to the deeper brush spider rigging slow over the tops of it. We ended with 30 keepers but it took us most of the day. We found some new brush piles and loaded up on bigger fish. My father was out in his boat. He was doing the same but didn't find any good brush. He ended the day with four keepers. Tuesday was the same pattern. 10-25 feet deep, thick brush fishing about 12 feet down. Ended the day again, with two limits of fish. The neighbors were happy to get these fish as they are every year. Wednesday, the father in law made a huge mistake. He challenged us to a crappie fishing tournament between us and he and a friend. Most fish in three hours was the deal. He had no idea we had been on a pattern. We had 21 fish, and they ended with two. They were shocked when we pulled in with our fish. Not bad for fishing from 9-1230. After they left, we decided to finish our limits and did so by about 2:30. We had set some jug lines out as well and found one cold channel wanted to play. Thursday, we continued to run the pattern but found it had changed some. We weren't finding as many males out deep. We were finding mainly females. It took us most of the day to finish our limits and cleaned 30 fish. Only three were males. That night, we had the mother of all fish fries. Family and friends came and left with fish. It was a celebration for the week and we thanked god for it. I didn't fish Friday, helped dad around the house some. Saturday, before I left, dad wanted to hit the lake for awhile. We fished from 9-1230 and kept 10. Wind was terrible. Anyway, hope this helps someone. I know it won't for long because the fish will be moving quickly once it warms. I don't post much on here but figured I would throw in my two cents. This post has been promoted to an article

Color is good, temps today were 53 at 5:30pm

Just saw this and I'll give you what little I know. I fish this lake one a month since April. I'm in a small derby on the lake. This lake sure makes me humble that's for sure. So on Sunday 7-16 we launched at 6 and ran into South Fork. We started on points throwing, jigs, buzzbaits, cranks and worms. We started hot catching several fish and four keepers before 9am. We bounced and bounced the rest of the day without any real bites to show for it. We weighed four fish for just under 10 pounds. I was the fifth team to weigh out of 35 boats. I saw a 20 pound sack and a 19 in front of me. Big bass was 6.5. The guys with knowledge of the lake always fish well but that is with every lake. I just don't have the time to put in to scouting it like I should. Good Luck

That would be great Bo if you don't mind. I would like to keep with a local company and like their products, but need to know how long or id I'm going to receive my order.

Anybody know whats going on with them? I placed an order two weeks ago and haven't heard a peep.

Man I like the look of that bait. Who makes that one? I've always thrown the Zoom version.

I'm guessing the reels aren't included?

Sorry for the late reply. He was about 12 pounds I would say. We never weighed him.

My buddy and I hit Table Rock on the James River arm on 04-08-2017 for our annual crappie/ catfish trip. We started out rigging in staging areas looking for a deeper bite. We started out finding some really big females in deeper water. Hit one deep tree and produced 10 or so. We ended the day with 29 big fish. Sunday we hit the water trying to duplicate the same bite. The wind was terrible and kept us off the areas we really wanted to fish. We ended up shy of a limit with a nice kicker channel cat to boot. Had a big fish fry for the family and a great evening. Sunday Night we set some trot lines and checked them first thing on Monday. Ended up with 6 catfish in good eating size. We back to fishing crappie and again found the fish staging near spawning areas. Submerged brush and stumps produced the best fish. We continued to find the females but ended up finding out that the males were starting to get to the banks as well. Went and grabbed my dad and five year old. We caught several fish in the evening up in shallow water. Minnows, swimming minnows or paddle tail grubs were the ticket. We kept two limits and the catfish. Threw the rest back. Had a great day. Tuesday we continued the patterns, finding the bigger females off the banks close to spawning areas. Transition banks and wood seemed to be the ticket. Later in the afternoon the males really got fired up and hit the banks. Some flat coves you would catch several, others maybe one or two. We had limits by 2 and threw back plenty of big healthy females. Hit some mushroom areas hoping for another big fish fry, but i think it was too dry at this point. Wednesday we went fishing solely for the neighbor. She is in her eighties and we decided to give her some fish for the year. Ended up with our limits by 3 this day. Beautiful day again minnows and swimming minnows and grubs were the ticket. Thursday had two more friends head out with me. Ended with three limits but it took us most of the day. Started seeing more and more females creeping into the shallows in the evening. Not as shallow as the males but close. Friday my buddy left and I hit the lake at noon with my dad. Knowing the fish were going to get to the bank, we stayed away looking for some big females. Rigging the off bank structure around transition areas produced a few shy of two limits. We had some big females with some pushing 15 inches. We pulled trot lines from Monday thru Thursday. Found several cut by fisherman but overall very unsatisfied with our take. Only had maybe 12 fish all week. Bait was easy to find this year but other than that I don't know what the case was. We had a great trip and my family and friends are happy for the fish. I traded several people for mushrooms, which I was ecstatic with. Glad some years work out this way. Good Luck.

Anybody have one. I'm thinking about making the trip this weekend. It looks like they are running some water. I was wondering how the fishing is? Any help is appreciated, a three hour drive is a long one with no intel. Thanks

Sold! Thanks Riverrat

nobody?

Sorry I posted this reply from my phone and I suck at typing on it.

Sorry I've been busy lately. I wear a 32 inch waist on my pants with a 34 inseam. The are long enough and talk enough but I had to buy this size due to my foot size. I thought I would be ok but had to jump up a size because after wearing them for awhile my toes started hurting. Like bought the same pair but larger foot size and love them. I live in st Charles county if your interested in seeing them.

Bump still avaliable $90?

In the dam area of the lake I had mine to 115 feet diving. On the river arms who knows I haven't tried. But it wouldn't hurt to try it and find out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2dJAEULYjE Let me try again.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-2dJAEULYjE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Here is a video I shot a year ago I believe fly fishing for White Bass. These cameras are versatile but have no zoom. Don't worry about the underwater stuff. I dive with mine and have had it to 120 feet. I dropped it on a fishing rod to 140 feet in the Florida Keys to look at some structure a guide and I were fishing. You just have to know what they can do and you can get some good use of them. Building mounts is the cheapest way to go as they can get really expensive. I have found the Iphone app to be very good at controlling my Hero 3 silver. Good luck.

Are the crappie or anything below the dam eating.... Besides gar?

Thanks

With the increase in flow has the fishing been better below the dam?

Only the second time on the lake. We got to the lake early but had some boat trouble. Spoke to a few guys at the ramp and they claimed that the crappie were in three feet of water spawning. Once we finally got into the water the temp was in the mid 50's. That didn't seem like bedding fish temps to me. We started shallow and fished that stuff for about an hour with only one bass to show. We moved to some steeper banks and immediately started catching crappie. They seemed to be staged in deeper water ready to move up. We ended up both limiting out in about a two hour time span. We probably ended up catching about 40+ fish but tossed back the smaller fish. We were throwing some paddle tail grubs in purple and chartreuse on a 1/16oz jig head. Casting to the bank and letting it fall with the contour and they would smack it. Caught a few on minnows but not many. kept two limits of 9.5 to 12 inch fish. At the fish cleaning station it seemed everybody was having luck. Get out there and get some.

Here was my week in review. Friday 4-11 left St. Louis and headed to my parents near Table Rock for my yearly fishing pilgrimage. Unloaded the truck and my dad and I put in at Flat Creek to see if there was an afternoon bite. Started by fishing the flat just downstream of the bridge and caught a few small male white bass. Moved to the bluff and started catching the occasional crappie. They were probably ten feet deep and you needed to reel pretty slow to get them to bite. We threw swimming minnows on 1/8 oz heads. Ended at dark with 12 keeper crappie and three small male white bass. Saturday morning we put in again at Flat Creek and decided to try the same type of fishing. Caught fish again along the bluffs but they were scattered here and there. My dad claims that I front boated him because we ended after lunch with 19 crappie and one small white bass. 15 of the crappie were mine and he only caught 4 keepers. We did throw several small fish back. We also tried some minnow fishing over a few brush piles and caught fish, but mainly small ones. Saturday night we decided to head up the James River to attempt to catch some white bass. I had the hopes of catching two limits in one day. We fished along with tons of others. We didn't really start catching many fish until right at dark or just after. We threw purple swimming minnows on 1/8 oz heads. My dad returned the favor as he back boated me. He ended with his limit of nice big sows and I managed 10 before our stomachs told us to head home. Sunday came and so did the rain and cold temps. I should have still fished but decided it was a good day for some family time. Monday was cold and I sat around most of the day and tried to decide what to do. I finally decided to head back to the James River with my fly rod to see if the white bass were still there. I walked above Taylor Shoals and crossed the river. I started fishing clousers in chartreuse and white and grey and white. The fishing was not fast and furious by any means. I caught mostly males before dark. After dark I walked down stream and threw the purple swimming minnow for awhile. Only caught three on it before giving up. Ended the night with 11 total fish only one female. Tuesday I decided to head back in search of crappie. I put in a Bridgeport and fell into a pattern. I began fishing transition banks from bluffs to spawning flats. Ended with a limit of crappie by dinner time. Again the fish were not fast and furious or stacked in one spot. But they bit hard when they wanted it. I again fished the same 1/8 oz grey swimming minnow and occasionally threw a minnow under a bobber. I did throw quite a few short fish back. Wednesday was a bone head day of bad decisions. Started early with my brother who wanted to try white bass fishing. We ran up the James River where we had been catching them in the evenings. The water was gin clear. You could see shad, bass everything including the occasional white bass. However, so could they. My brother caught one small spotted bass before we gave up and left. He had some chores to do so I decided to try something else. I ran to Cape Fair and put in there. I ran downstream in gail force winds and fished a spawning pocket that has been good to me in the past. First thing i noticed was the algae bloom and then the water temp was about four to five degrees cooler. I fished for several hours in the wind before running back upstream. I didn't have so much as a nibble by anything. I ran into the back of the cove where Cape Fair boat dock is located. The wind was blocked and the water temp was 57. I found a MDC brush pile in the back and caught two crappie out of it. One small spotted bass fell to my swimming minnow before giving up and cursing the wind. I got home and my dad wanted to try the night bite for white bass again. We ran back upstream to where we had caught fish before the front moved in. We fished for a couple hours catching only two big females. Let them swim and headed home. I regret my decisions this day because looking back I know i could have caught crappie fishing like I had been. I was in search of bigger crappie and my greed bit me. But you never know unless you go. Thursday I wasn't so stupid. I put in at Bridgeport again and fished till about 1:30 before returning home with my limit of crappie. I ended up actually with 17 keepers in the livewell and a recount allowed me to flip a couple out before i headed to the take out. This day was a little different however. I started fishing right at the ramp as I have been catching some crappie on the rock wall all week. Caught one keeper there before wanting to move. There were so many fisherman on Thursday I couldn't fish the banks I wanted to. So i tried a new transition and immediately got into fish. On this bank i found a spot that I ended up catching ten or eleven keepers and several short fish. It was the first spot that I had found fish stacked up other than a few brushpiles that i know. The brush piles just weren't producing the keepers for me. Thursday afternoon I took my two year old fishing for the first time. We put in at Bridgeport and after the fuss of putting on his life jacket and getting him in the boat he was finally entertained enough to quit crying. I took him to a small cove and cast his pole with a worn near some brush. First cast he caught his first bluegill and said," I caught a big one dude!" After releasing the bluegill he found the minnow bucket and proceeded to release about 3 or 4 dozen minnows into the lake one at a time. He loved every minute of it and I couldn't have been happier. Friday, my dad and I hit the water for a few hours really early. Hit the ramp at daylight and fished the transition bank from the day before. In two hours we caught 10 keepers before returning home for some Silver Dollar City Fun. We did find fish early a bit deeper on this bank and actually dragging a minnow about 10 feet deep caught most of our fish. Saturday morning we put back in a Bridgeport and fought the crowds for 12 keepers before giving up. My dad did catch a small walleye on a minnow near Bridgeport. And we did start to see more females in our keepers towards the end of the week. I think this week they should hit the bank running and would like to be there for it. However work calls so back to the real world i go.

Anybody have any advice on my first boat loan. Where to look for the best rate etc. I'm looking at a used boat and haven't been able to find a very good Interest rate. Any help would be appreciated