focused fishing

O.K. you've got my attention too. Anything we can do to help?

Haven't fished it but I here it is a pretty big event. Out of Campbell Point and their regatta is for 100 boats (may not mean anything). I would suspect that spots from Baxter to Big M will be pretty covered up if they draw that many. Good Luck EP

Check with the Chamber of commerce in Kimberling City and Shell Knob, I believe they used to have them.

AiA is one of the best run circuits in the area and it is one of the best values for your buck. Low entry fee, high payback, you get to fish an entire season on your home water (no motel or eating out) and at the end of the year you compete for $25,000 cash on a neutral lake. If your not fishing AiA you need to take a realistic look. Whether your a begining tournament angler or a seasoned pro AiA has something to offer.

O.K. 2 stories: Several years back we had a club tournament the same week the BASS Open was in town. Our club was a bunch of retailers so we had our tournaments on Wednesday while the BASS boys were practicing. We went out of Aunts creek, I launched with my partner and tied up to the dock. Looked up on the ramp and my buddy was trying to launch with his partner, a young lady about 4'10". He asked if she could back him in and she said no problem. He climbed into the boat and she started the truck. She didn't realize he had a three speed and not an automatic, she managed to get the truck in neutral and it began rolling down the ramp, at 4' 10" she couldn't reach the brake and the whole rig went in to about the head lights. My buddy dove out of the boat swam to the truck and managed to get it back up the hill. He pulled into a parking spot and opened the door, it looked like a cartoon with water pouring out of the truck, I expected to see fish swimming on the parking lot. By now I had run up to him to see if I could help, he said he was o.k. but needed some dry clothes for him and his partner, I gave him my coveralls and her a pair of sweat pants and a sweat shirt. They changed and we had managed to retreive his rig and pull it to the dock. He gets to his boat and it is full of water..... forgot the drain plug. Wearing my coveralls he dives back in the water and inserts the plug, climbs out and starts the bilge, bilge doesn't run. We decide to put his boat on my trailer because his truck won't start. I back in my trailer, we manage to barely get his boat on and my 1 ton truck struggles to get the boat up the hill. We let it drain, he changes clothes yet again, now fishing in a rain suit only. The entire episode happened infront of about 30 BASS Open guys, I don't think they laughed that hard in their entire lives. Oh, he went out an hour late and managed to win the club derby. #2 I decided to improve my odds by setting some brush piles on a "local" lake a few winters ago. Air temp was about 40 and water temp was about 38. I had planted about four brush piles and noticed a real good looking sycamore that had blown down on the bank. I beached my boat to retreive the tree, I grabbed it and started back to the boat about the time a gust of wind blew my boat off the bank. I walked about 50 yards down the bank following my boat before I gave into the inevitable and waded out chest deep to retreive the boat. Freezing I stripped down to my birthday suit and put on a sweatshirt and sweatpants I had in the boat and decide it was time to head home, cold but relieved that no one had seen the fiasco. Pulled the trolling motor and went to fire up the big motor and heard clapping on the bank behind me, I looked up and three couples were on the deck of their house watching the whole thing. EP

I'm with you, hopefully the warm rain will jump start the spawn. The fish sure look like they want it. If we can weigh in a limit at each event we're happy, so far so good. I'd like to say we are gunning for the number one spot but I don't know that anyone will catch the Fann boys or for that matter Roger and Bobby in second. Just like every event we'll put our heads down and try to grind out a limit.... Maybe we'll get lucky or they'll stumble and we can move up a notch. Good Luck this W/E! EP

Kimberling City Area: If water temperatures were a little higher the fish would be spawning by the end of the week, but with surface temps in the low to mid 50’s the fish are stuck in a pre-spawn pattern on main lake and secondary points close to spawning pockets. A variety of baits are effective in these areas; Split shot rigged fries and lizards, shaky head worms, Jewel 3/16oz. & 5/16oz spider jigs in PB&J or green pumpkin / green flash tipped with Jewel Jig trailers and scrubbing 4” single tail grus will all produce numbers and quality fish. On windy days Lucky Craft Pointers and Spro McSticks are still producing fish on these areas as well. James River: The cooler weather has dropped water temperatures 3 – 8 degrees in the mid and upper James. The cooler water has helped the stick bait bite come back a little with numbers and quality being caught on Lucky Craft Pointers and Spro McSticks. The wiggle wart bite has been jumpstarted by the cooler water temps as well. Channel swing banks and rocky points near spawning pockets have been producing keeper bites on brown craw and phantom green wiggle warts. Eakins Jig and craw combos or Chompers Ultra Tubes have been effective in these same locations on calm days. Most of the fish have been 3’ – 8’ deep holding tight to rock transitions and any wood cover. White River: Lower to mid White River has been the best area of the lake this past week. Several presentations have been effective; scrubbing grubs, Jewel Spider jig and Jewel Trailer combos, shaky head worms, split shot rigs, and Chompers Ultra Tubes have all been catching fish from 3’ – 12’ deep on gravel and mixed rock and gravel points close to spawning pockets. On windy days the jerkbait bite continues to hang on, Pointers, Mc Sticks and Vision 110’s have all been effective with some wind. The wiggle wart bite has started to give way to a spinnerbait bite in the Kings and upper White, look for fish to be holding tight to cover on transition banks near spawning pockets, slow roll Chompers McCutchen spinnerbaits through the cover to draw strikes. Dam Area: Scrubbing a grub continues to be the most consistent pattern on the lower end of the lake. Smoke, salt and pepper, green pumpkin and pumpkin seed grubs have been the most effective colors thrown on ¼ oz heads. Look for main lake and secondary points near spawning areas, make long casts to the bank and work the bait slowly across the bottom allowing the bait to fall back to bottom anytime you loose contact. Back up patterns in these areas include; shaky heads, Jewel Spider jigs, Chompers Ultra Tubes and stickbaits. Look for the fish to be 8 – 15 feet deep in the morning and moving shallow as the water warms in the afternoon. Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield Mondays 5:30pm and Saturdays 5:00 am or on-line at www.espn1400.com www.focusedfishing.com

so far the donations haven't come my way. Hopefully this w/e See ya all there, gonna be a good derby EP

dtrs, Yep the moss we speak of is the "snot moss" on rocks, trees, ends of docks etc..... I don't think the stick bait bite will hold much longer, once water temps get up over 55 degrees we will see other presentations take over. Grubs, split shots, shaky heads, etc are all starting to turn on so it won't be long until the stick bait bite wanes entirely. EP

The second Bass Challenge by Anglers in Action will be this Saturday, April 11th out of Ahoy's. Take off 6:30 weigh in 3:00. Guaranteed $2500 first place total stringer weight PLUS Guaranteed $2500 first place Big Bass Full 80% payback schedule on both total stringer and big bass A chance to win $2500 on one cast. Fish one or two anglers per boat, entry fee $200.00, no membership fee to fish this event.

The second project graduation tournament for Blue Eye High School is this Saturday, out of Baxter. Contact Pat Marriot for details 417-527-0991

Kimberling City Area: Fish are on the move in the mid lake area, stickbaits and wiggle warts have been productive on windy points and transition areas, look or fish to be 3’ – 8’ deep. On calm days these same fish will eat a Jewel 5/16 oz. spider jig with a 4” Chomper jig trailer. Hold your boat 20’+ feet deep, make a long cast and drag the jig across the bottom, pay close attention to any rocks or wood you come in contact with as they will hold most of the fish. Swimming or Scrubbing a grub continues to be a good technique on windy pea gravel points, flats and pockets as does a shaky head worm on secondary points near spawning pockets. James River: With the warm rain the spinnerbait bite should be turning on any day now, but right now the wiggle wart bite is still strong up the James River; brown craw, phantom green craw and watermelon are all good colors. Parallel the bank in 6’ – 10’ of water and try to run your crankbait into any piece off wood or other cover on the bank. On calm days a green pumpkin finesse worms on a shaky head is tough to beat on secondary points. A few big fish have shown up this past week on transition banks near spawning pockets, the best bait has been a Jewel Eakins or J-Lock jig in PB&J or Orange craw with a Jewel Jig trailer in green pumpkin. White River: Jewel spider jigs and split shot rigs have come on strong over the past week look for the fish to be staging on chunk rock and mixed rock secondary points in the mouths of spawning coves. The fish seemed to be grouped up pretty good so if you catch one or two stay with it because the point will most likely hold several fish. As the water warms this pattern should become better with larger females moving in as well. The stickbait bite is still hanging on as well; work the bait a little faster than in the past few weeks. On windy days these fish have been very aggressive so detecting the bite is not a problem. Dam Area: The grub bite continues to be strong in the Kimberling City area as well, on windy days 4” smoke or salt and pepper grubs are tough to beat, fish pea gravel points and flats. Much like the rest of the lake several fish are being caught on shaky heads and split shot rigs on secondary points in the mouths of spawning coves. Watermelon, watermelon / red and green pumpkin are the best colors right now. Like up the White River, the jerkbait bit continues to hang on, look for the fish to be very aggressive on windy days. Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield Mondays 5:30pm and Saturdays 5:00 am or on-line at www.espn1400.com www.focusedfishing.com

dtrs, I am excited to see how the new hard swimbaits work this spring as weel. Puchased a couple of Tru-Tungsten swimbaits this winter and can't wait to throw 'em. I love to throw a fin but the tunning process can be a nightmare, took the new swimbaits out and they ran great right out of the box. The wobble isn't quite as wide as the Red Fin so that is my only concern. Like t1365 said, treat the dock just like you would with a jig, flip / pitch to every possible place you can put a spoon. Use heavy line, 20# fluoro, and plan on loosing a bunch of spoons. I will post how the Swimbaits work once the bite gets going. EP

Bill Babler, Bill Beck, Don House, Chris Tetrick, Capt. Joe or myself, any of us would be a good choice. Smallmouth the first week of June can be a little difficult, a lot will depend on water temp and level. Last year we were catching smallmouth all summer long, if the water is low and warm it may be difficult. Early June should still be o.k., any of us on this site would be happy to take you out. Thanks, EP

t1365 is correct, maintain bottom contact through out the retrieve and "scrub" the bottom, if you loose contact stop the retreive until you hit bottom again or you get bit. Allot of strikes come when the bait is falling off a ledge. KC, the jig trailer I am trowing is green pumpkin or a member of the green pumpkin family. EP

The next three days should still be good, the fronts have knocked the fish down quite a bit this spring but the active weather through Saturday should keep them active. Sunday will be a different story, all of the fronts will be through the area and the bite will get tough.

Kimberling City Area: Swimming or Scrubbing a grub is becoming a good technique on windy pea gravel points, flats and pockets. Use a ¼ oz. head with a 4” smoke, salt and pepper or white grub, make a long cast toward the bank and allow the bait to hit bottom, start retrieving the grub and maintain bottom contact, if you loose contact with the bottom allow the bait to fall back to the bottom and re-start your retrieve. On calm days these same fish will eat a Jewel 5/16 oz. spider jig or 3/8 oz. Jewel Football Jig with a 4” Chomper jig trailer. Hold your boat 20’+ feet deep, make a long cast and drag the jig across the bottom, pay close attention to any rocks or wood you come in contact with as they will hold most of the fish. James River: The wiggle wart bite is still strong up the James River; brown craw, phantom green craw and watermelon are all good colors right now. Look for fish to be on windy chunk rock or mixed rock banks and points near pea gravel coves, cuts and pockets. Parallel the bank in 6’ – 10’ of water and try to run your crankbait into any piece off wood or other cover on the bank. The fish are starting to transition to pea gravel in the James as well, split shot or Carolina rigs have begun to produce on mixed gravel / rock banks and points. Fish doctors, fries and finesse worms have been the most productive baits in green pumpkin. White River: Much like the James the wiggle wart bite is still strong on both the White and Kings Rivers; the same colors are working as on the James with the addition of fire tiger in the dirtier water of the Kings River. Just like in the James it is important to run the bait into the cover to get bit. On calm days these same pieces of cover are still holding fish you will need to change your tactics; make multiple pitches with an Eakins’ jig and craw combo into the cover from as many angles as possible to draw strikes. Hints of a spinnerbait bite beginning to start in warmer water in the upper Kings. Chompers McCutchen spinnerbaits in chartreuse shad have been the ticket, slow roll the bait around wood cover to be effective. Not a lot of bites but the quality is there. Dam Area: Just like the Kimberling City area your best bet around the dam is to swim or scrub a grub. Use the same technique on the same types of windy banks. IF you are looking for a big fish for a kicker or just for fun throw a Lucky Craft pointer or Mc Stick on these same banks, jerk it down with three or four jerks and allow it to sit still for 5 – 10 seconds. You will not get nearly as many bites as with the grub but they tend to be much larger fish. A Jewel 5/16 spider jig or 3/8 football jig in PB&J with a 4” Jewel or Chompers jig trailer is also producing much like the mid lake area. Finally, the split shot, Carolina rig and shaky head bite is just starting to show a little life on the lower end. Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield Mondays 5:30pm and Saturdays 5:00 am or on-line at www.espn1400.com www.focusedfishing.com

darn, ya go out of town for a couple of days and stay off the internet and ya miss allot. Bill, I agree with you, I try to post general pattern information to assist fellow anglers catch more fish, it is a rare occasion that anyone complains about the lack of detail but it does happen. I try to convince those anglers to hire me, you, Beck, Chris or Don for more spot specific info. As a rule most don't, these folk seem to want something (or everything) for nothing. I doubt it would be a fun trip anyway with the attitude they have. After all it's about having fun, no more no less. The more fish an angler catches the more he / she will fish, the more they fish, the more people they will bring to the sport, their kids, family members etc... Charlie Campbell once said it is more important to bring people to fishing than to win a tournament (paraphrasing). Just like most things Charlie says he is right. BTW, should have new report up today, allot of good general information but no exact locations........ EP

The first stop of the 2009 Missouri Skeeter Tour is at Lake of the Ozarks this weekend on Sunday March 29 out of PB2 7:00 am. $200 entry fee. Guaranteed $10,000 CASH to the first place team, 100% payback to the field. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO OWN A SKEETER TO COMPETE! This is an open team event sponsored by Skeeter boats with Skeeter Real Money available to Skeeter Owners. The tournament will be run by Central Pro Am, come meet the new owner and staff of Central Pro Am and fish for $10,000 CASH guaranteed. Contact the Central Pro Am office to enter @ www.central-proam.com or call 417-335-5075. Enter early for best draw, or enter at the ramp by 6:45am.

Bill, Dude, lay off the caffine, sounds like you have been hanging out with Techo at the coffee shop in Nixa. Seriously, we all get sick of it at every weigh in at every derby from a club tournament to the BASS Elite there is always some pinhead that "would of won it if I wouldn't of lost that XX pounder at the boat". It's the nature of fishing, everyone has a story to tell eventhough we've all heard it before. Lay down the Mochachino and remember how much fun you and Bill had (will have) taking our money on this pond.... EP

Yep, A guy from got busted last year: http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...ID=200990204019 Update: http://www.bransondailynews.com/story.php?storyID=10708 Apparently you can eat 'em just don't sell 'em.....

Nice Techo, Nope I have owned two boats for over a year now so I have gone back to my old one; 05 Ranger 520 with a Yamaha on it. Until this economy / boat industry gets sorted out I don't want to be on the hook for another memo boat. If my memo deal is still there great, if not I'll start working on another. EP

Capt. Don, Thanks again for helping me get my boat sold. The guy told me he saw it on your site over all the others that I had it on. Thanks Again! EP

Gabe, Sorry I don't remember which site I saw it on, tackletest.com maybe, they tested all of the major brands of fluorocarbon about a year or so ago. XPS was rated highest in inital strength but on the long term testing it was rated one of the lowest. If I remember correctly they tested 8 and 10 lb. test and after the long term test most lost approx 10% of their initial break strength while XPS and Stren lost as much as 40%. If I can find the article again I will post a link. EP

Dutch is right. The best remedy for the situation is to make my own, I like both Mustad and Gamakatsu hooks for my grub heads, depends on how much I am willing to spend or how important the fishing is. I use a ball head most of the time but I know a lot of the other guides opt for a darter. To each his own. EP