Champ188

Fishing deep, fishing shallow, fishing in between ... the key to any of it is what Bill just said --- you gotta get good enough at it to be comfortable doing it. There cannot be an inkling of a doubt in your mind that what you are doing is exactly what YOU need to be doing to catch bass. Anyone who has fished 50 years or more --- myself, Bill and Bo, to name a few --- develops strengths. Among those strengths is one "zone" where we thrive. Provided fish can be caught on a particular day by that method, we are probably going to hammer them. For me, that's shallow on a spinnerbait or in the cedars on a Redfin. If either of those bites are on, you might beat me but you'll need to pack a lunch. Same goes for Bill out on the rolloff points with a football jig or wobblehead. Bo's gonna hurt you on a spoon or a heavy jig waaaaay down deep. Donna and I stayed shallow all day Sunday, ending up with five largemouth keepers for a conservative 14 pounds. Our two biggest fish were closer to the backs of creeks than the front and neither was in more than 3 feet of water. None of those five keepers were deeper than 8 feet. A good friend from Arkansas likes to say, "There are always fish shallow." Since he has three world titles (two Bassmaster Classics and a Forrest Wood Cup), I think it's safe to say he knows the territory. Likewise, there are always fish deep. Furthermore, there are always fish in between. Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs, AR, is as much a highland reservoir as you'll ever find. Its water was once rated by the EPA as the cleanest in the nation. She's bigger than Table Rock and often more clear. Nevertheless, of the several Forrest Wood Cup championships that have been held there, at least two have been won in the shallows on topwaters in AUGUST --- the dog days of summer. Same thing happened just downstream at Lake Hamilton one year. Bottom line here is Bill isn't wrong, Bo isn't wrong and I'm not wrong. We just have different strengths and specialties and all of them work at times. Biologists who specialize in largemouth bass have agreed in the past that some fish seem genetically predisposed to live deep, while others are prone to spend their lives shallow. Seems the same is true for fishermen. So my advice is to get in your comfort zone and become as good as you can possibly be at what you do best. That's NOT to say don't stretch yourself. I'm very capable of fishing out to 35 or 40 feet when I have to, while Bill and Bo no doubt can fish shallow. But no one is wrong to fish anywhere within reason.

Good job guys. Nothing tougher than cold, muddy water.

It's more than useful, Ben. As always, thank you for sharing this.

Look forward to seeing you again.

For me, the answer is to focus on what (the fish) and not so much where or how. I personally don't think fish are that hard to catch once you get around them, but they can sure be a booger to pin down sometimes. Understanding their seasonal movements and locations can go a long way toward simplifying that process. Because I fish Table Rock more than anywhere, I do rely on experience a lot when it comes to locating fish. As I said earlier, there are places where fish just seem to live year round. When I'm starting my day or if I'm struggling, I go to these places because I can be pretty confident that I'm putting myself around some fish. Once I start getting a few bites, I can take what those fish are telling me and hopefully go catch them elsewhere. Instinct alone can put you in high percentage areas. There are lots of places on Table Rock where bluff banks or gravel flats stretch for miles. Within them are irregular features like little bluff cuts, rock slides, jut-outs, etc. On flats, there will be little points, pockets or places where ditches run in. Focus on these features and not the mundane longer stretches. Within a couple hours of being on the water, you should be able to ride down the lake and identify places where bass are likely to be on that particular day. Again, thinking about the fish will often point you to where you should be fishing.

This is some good stuff folks. Anyone would be wise to squirrel it away for future reference because every word of it will hold true 50 years from now. I can't underscore enough what Bill said about not just getting on a bank and fishing aimlessly. If you're gonna be successful at fishing shallow on Table Rock, you have to pick your spots with an understanding of what the fish are doing at the time and where within that area they are likely to be lurking. Factors that can play into this equation include sky conditions, wind, water temperature, bottom composition (gravel, chunk rock, slab rock) and even whether they are feeding down or up that day. It also helps to know areas that just seem to hold fish consistently ... I call them "places where they just live." But even a newcomer can put together a pattern if he pays attention to what's going on around him and lets his instincts guide him. But again, fishing aimlessly is a recipe for failure. We have an abundance of food and cover, so TR fish don't have to just hang out along miles of unremarkable shoreline. Look for irregular features, including transition areas where chunk rock changes to gravel or slab rock changes to chunk rock. Use every bite to help you determine the most productive depth, type of cover, etc., and then go looking for similar areas. Some will produce, while others won't. Sometimes the reason won't be clear but don't let it discourage you. Keep looking and chunking, just make sure you're thinking at the same time. Hope this helps a bit.

His dad, JD Fletcher, was a true legend. Donna and I were proud to call him a good friend.

Amen and amen.

Finesse jig (GP/orange with a GP Lil Critter Craw trailer) and a Rock Crawler or Wiggle Wart in reddish/orangish/greenish colors should do you very well. I wouldn't be afraid to slow roll a spinnerbait too if you find water 48 degrees or up.

I throw their jerkbaits a lot. They are very close to a Megabass Vision 110 and at $9 each, I can buy 3 of the RC STX for what one Megabass costs. I've had some leakage problems with them but for the most part, they are well worth the $9.

Thanks for the report. It's gonna get good soon.

What did Luck-E-Strike pick up?

Good day! Especially for just a few hours. Glad you guys got in some quality time together.

The red craw Rock Crawler is a pretty good red/orange color if you ask me.

That show has always been pretty over the top with the cheese factor. But a lot of those types of shows have surfaced in recent years. They are more infomercials than actual fishing shows. Hey, as long as we still watch them, they are accomplishing their intended purpose.

Thanks, 96 CHAMP. Be sure and let us know when you're coming. Would be nice to see you again.

Donna and I splashed the Ranger at SK bridge at a bright-and-early 11 a.m. Went 2-3 hours without a nibble, then came across a pretty good group of fish and caught seven, including four keepers, in less than an hour. When these petered out, we went off to try and duplicate it in very similar locations but got no love. Such is winter fishing. It can often be a lot more about a specific location than a pattern. Stopped by our honey hole on the way back in about 4:00 and managed one more keeper to give us a five-fish limit for about 13 pounds. Stick bait, jig and Rock Crawler did the work. Speaking only for myself, my concerns last year about our largemouth population have been resolved over the past 2-3 weeks. Over the past 5-6 trips, I've had some of the best LM fishing I've seen in quite a while on this lake. Lots of quality 2.5 to 4-pound fish and they are just healthy as horses. Even the males have fat guts from feeding up for the upcoming spawn. We are truly blessed to have this wonderful fishery at our disposal.

Thank you Ben!

Mark Davis has made a lotta money on that Wally Diver over the years.

Bill is spot-on with his post about mobility. The more you learn the lake, the more you can figure out on your own where you need to be and when. It's rarely without reason that one area is better than another. It often has to do with water clarity or water temp. :Late winter/early spring, water temp is critical. Same goes throughout the spring season ... water temp governs which phase of the spawn fish are in. Generally speaking, the river fish spawn first because that's where the water warms first. As for clarity, I firmly believe that muddy water hurts worse in areas that are rarely see mud. James River and Kings River fish see it fairly often, so they seem to be less affected when the big rains come. If the dirty water gets down as far as Aunts Creek and on down to Kimberling City or below, those fish will flat shut down (as they are right now) because they aren't accustomed to dealing with these conditions. Hope this helps and go catch a big un.

Mixermarkb, there used to be a time every spring on Lake Ouachita where I grew up that guys would kick butt putting their boats up on points and fishing shaky heads deep-to-shallow. Like you, I was skeptical and ended up getting beat out of a lot of money because of it.

Good grief, that's a lot like giving compound bows to a band of Apaches.

I'm looking for some old Creme Scallywags. The color I want is olive green (avocado) --- just plain green with no flake. If anyone has some or knows where I might find a few, please PM me.

No, you just have some goofy friends down here who like to be smart butts.

I'd say if Johnny can charge $5 to launch at "his" Long Creek ramp, then it's possible that not all ramps have to be open to the public or by donation only.