LWW

It was a great weekend! My 4yr loves fishing, maybe even more than me and that's scary! He makes me read the BassPro Shop spring catalog for his bedtime story! Good times!

Best trip I've had in a long while, it was a hot bite on the 1/2oz Ftbl Hd (Pb&J & Wtrmln Candy) in 5-15 fow. Caught 60 and probably a dozen more that almost made it in the boat. Managed a few on some of the flooded gravel points targeting the tree line on either side of the points, but really found my groove on the bluffs. Coming out of Campbell's Pt marina, I decided to buzz straight across to the bluff and work my way back towards Shell Knob. The high water was a perfect mix of flooded brush and rock ledges. I'd pitch to the walls and or any brush close to it, work the 5-15ft water and they clobbered it! When the jig slowed a bit, I would pick up the 4in Fat Keitech and had plenty of takers on it too. I wasn't looking for just straight bluff walls, it always got hot when there was a small pocket to explore. They really congregated right out in front of some of the bigger brush/trees in about 10ft, and could often get a quick flurry. Had a solid mix of LM, Spots, and Smallies every day. Caught more brownies than I ever had, but they were mostly smaller. Got the boys out for a few hours w/ me too, but they're not quite ready to work the bottom and didn't have any takers on their spinner bait or Keitech. They took some great short movies I'll enjoy for a long time though! Here's some pics of the best keepers..

Thanks fishinwrench, I'll keep that in mind as I experiment a little bit! It's hard for me to put the jig stick down, but always love a good top water bite!

I've been experimenting with the plopper, was wondering if anyone has better luck popping it or a steady retrieve? I'm 50/50 w/ my home waters here in OK, but wondered how Table Rock bass prefer it? Will be back up after Memorial Day, looking forward to trying it!

Thanks everyone, it was a great weekend! That little man is eaten up w/ fishing. I knew I had an angler a year ago when he kept asking to watch fishing shows instead of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Saturdays! He's got big shoes to fill, his big brother boated his 1st double at 4 1/2 so now they both have some bragging rights! This is such a great lake, we're all so blessed to have this beautiful place to enjoy so many experiences!

Beautiful weekend. My main goal was to help my 3yr old son catch his 1st bass from "daddy's boat", and we did! Sat. morn he boated his 1st KY on the plopper. Followed it up with another KY on the drop shot today. Well worth all the tangles and snags we had to go through! We fished the Shell Knob area and we're able to put together a few on the jig, plopper, keitech, and drop shot. Best bite was the drop shot on the gravel flats in 20-30 fow.

Thanks Bill, I was hoping so! I'm itching to hit the water after being cooped up all winter with Mama and the (3) cubs! Hope everyone enjoys this coming spell of nice weather for a change!

We're hoping to spend the weekend at the lake, does anyone know if the Shell Knob bridge ramp is open or do you think it will be by Saturday morning? Might save the gas money and go next weekend if the ramps aren't open. I appreciate the heads up!

troutgnat, you're exactly right.. I can't tell you how many times that list has changed, but it is slowly helping me zero in on all my favorite techniques and how to rig them. I used to have it on a spreadsheet (and never had it available on the water), but I got smart one day and copied it to the "Notes" app on my iPhone. Now I can see it, and change it as needed!

I keep this list on my phone so I can remember how to rig different techniques for the equipment I have. Of course things change occasionally, but here's where I'm at currently... Helps me track techniques to rod action, line type, and reel gear ratios. All the rods are Falcons, either Cara's, BuCoo's, or Lowriders. T-Rock baits... Rod / Rigging 7'4" (H) MMC Heavy Cvr Jig (7.2:1)(Floro) - 1/2oz Ftbl Hd Jigs / 10in Worms / Carolina Rig 7'3" (H) CC Cara Amistad (7.2:1)(Braid) - A-Rig / Frog 7'2" (MH) BMC Swim Jig Spc (7.2:1)(Braid or Floro) - Keitech Swimbait / Chatterbait / Swim Jig 7' (H) BMC Liz Dragr (7.2:1)(Floro) - 1/2oz Wobble Head, SK Rage Menace Grub / Babbler Spc, 7/16oz Chompers Wobblehead, Yum Twin Tail, Biffle Bug, Brush-Hog 7' (MH) BCC Trap Caster ( 6.3:1)(Mono) - Lipless Crankbait / Normans DD22 / SK6XD / Buzzbait 7' (M) BCC Cranker (5.5:1)(Floro) - Wiggle Wart / Poe's Cedars / Berkley Flicker Shad / Bandit 300s 6'10" (MH) CC Cara Finesse Jig (7.2:1)(Mono) - Spook / H2O Express / SK Sexy Dawg 6'10" (M)(Spinning) Shky Hd Jig Spc (5.2:1)(Floro) - 1/8 - 1/4oz Shky Hd / 3/8oz Tube Jig / Ball Hd Jig Wacky Rigged 6'9" (M)(Spinning) CS Cara DS (5.2:1)(Lt Braid Backing, Floro Leader) - Drop Shot, Robo Worm, Zoom Finesse, Chompers / Spoon, Jigging Style - White or Chrome 6'8" (MH) CC AOY (6.3:1)(Mono) - 1/2oz War Eagle / SK KVD Square bill / KVD Popper / Excalibur - Spit-n-Image 6'7" (MH) CC Cara Wtls Wrm (6.3:1)(FLoro) - Senko / Fluke / Wacky Rig / Jerk Bait, Spro McStick, Rouge, Rapala Xrap, MegaBass, LC Pointer, SK KVD 300 JB 6'6" (M)(Spinning) LFS Open Hk Spc (5.2:1)(Floro) - 1/8 - 1/4oz ball head w/ 4-5in Grub / Ned Rig / Mojo Rig w/ Fish Dr or Centipede / Split Shot

No, it's actually the TWS. It runs a little tighter and retrieves smoother than the spook. My buddy had been using it at Grand, and after a couple years with it at the Rock I'm convinced. For $3.99 it's easy on the pocket book too! http://m.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_22353_-1__true?color=Sexy+Shad&N=97009336+4294966997

To my surprise, my dad and I found some whites up the white river half way btwn point 22 and point 23. We caught them like Bill said with wakers, my new favorite the Academy Sports H2O Xpress topwater plug out caught the super spook 5:1. Caught about 40 between Sat/Sun morning. Caught them on the points on the east side and back in one of the spawning cuts I like to check out this time of year on the west side of the lake. We also caught about 18 spots, 6 LM, and even 1 smallie all topwater in the same area. Even had some decent luck with the blade running it out of the buck brush and then over some cedars while my 4yr old son captained at the helm. Of course my biggest lm came off a watermelon candy fb head jig in about 20 fow in front off the bluff wall before Carter's Hollow. Had a blast, especially when my not so experienced dad puts them in the boat and being able to spend some quality time with my future bass partner!

In regards to hand warming, it's tough to beat a good pair of football gloves. The tacky palms provide excellent grip for rod handling, and their pretty moisture resistant when handling fish. I can usually tie most knots and more importantly still feel my line while fishing. Under most conditions they'll still keep me warm on the boat ride, but if it's super frosty I'm not opposed to good pair of thermal gloves for a few minutes. Probably a lot like the golf gloves Gitnby mentioned, just a bit more durable.

I've been reading lately about finding fish suspended in trees or relating to specific structure in the lake. I've been fishing the Rock for about 10yrs now, and haven't studied my Hotspot maps or updated my navionics chip since about then. Lately, I've found myself running the same water over and over. Eager to explore new water, I realized I need to do a little research. In regards to searching out submerged wood, are these old maps reliable? In other words, has anyone noticed any significant difference in new maps/chips vs the old?

Bill, you should write a book! I'd buy that kind of information by the season! Great stuff, just wish it was more about S.K. so I'd have a clue! Thx, Wes

Well, I've read the posts for years and finally got out with Mr. Babler. What an awesome trip! Didn't think it was possible, but he exceded my expectations which were quite lofty to begin with. Last weekend my best friend and I launched with Bill out of Shell Knob. The pressure was on, the Rock hadn't given up a positive day fishing in months and we were dead set to buck that trend! We did, like Bill posted we caught 40+ fish on the trip and ended with 50+ before the day was over. The pattern has been well reported at this point, but thanks to Bill hasn't. THANKS FOR THE GREAT DAY OF FISHING AND KNOWLEDGE YOU SHARED WITH US! We'll be able to take this trip and grow on it for years. This was the 1st of 4 trips we want to take with Bill, one in each season. The 1st trip out sealed the deal, we will definately be contacting Bill again for the follow up trips. Thanks Bill! Wes Wadkins

Bassmaster#1, Don't get frustrated, we've all been there! Sometimes this lake is as stingy as you can imagine, then other times you can't keep em out of your boat. I wish I could help you with some fishing spots around your area, but I don't know any.. I mainly fish out of Shell Knob and almost always head west down the white. But anyhow I was out last weekend, caught 42 by the end of the trip while finishing up each day by 10am to spend some time with the wife and son. Pretty quickly I felt like I learned a thing or two. I had plans on throwing my super spook early like I always do, and ended up just getting worn out hauling water. For the most part they weren't even coming up to hit it, then when they did they would just lazily roll on it and never hook up. I got lucky the first morning and had a top water frenzy blow up on a point behind me which lasted for about 30 mins or so. Made my way over with the spook tied on thinking it was on, to no avail. Frustrated with watching the fish go crazy all around and not catching anything, I picked up my crankin stick and caught 6 spots before it was over. After watching the spook get laughed at, I knew something had to change. I cut the spook and looked in my box for a smaller profiled bait. I ended up with a bait my buddy gave me one day which happened to be a BassPro XPS I believe. The point was it was slimmer, shorter, and worked just a little different than the spook. The next morning, I headed right back to the point the frenzy happened (point 23), pulled up caught 3 right away and said I'd seen that show and wasn't too interested in catching the little 12 inch spots I caught yesterday and started to find again. So after watching that entire point going crazy, I decided to just hop points. I stayed on the channel swing side so I was seeing more chunck rock and 45 deg banks behind the points, but by the end of the weekend I was having almost as much luck on the long gravel points and flats also. What was really fun was how I would pull up to a quiet point toss out that XPS, get hammered right away, and then it was on. After the first fish would hit, it turned them all on and eventually could last for quite a while. It almost seemed as when I would start the trolling motor that would get them going again. The craziest part of it all was on one point I caught 15 and I swear 85% of em were LM. By the end of the weekend I felt my point hoping pattern was pretty strong, so on Sunday morning I told my dad he needed to come out with me and I'll put him on some fish. We pulled up to the same point I just mentioned and boated 6 fish on my first 6 casts and he had 4 pretty quick. We continued to run the white going no further than Big M stopping on points and hitting some gravel flats with boat docks on em that had surfacing around them and had some pretty good luck. The bite was strange though, early it was easy but later we would see them surface everywhere but couldn't for the life of us get them to hook up. At times I would cast out the spoon and cranker and still wouldn't get bit. When the topwater bite slowed by 8-9ish, I would go to my ol' faithful the football head jig (1/2oz) and boated my best fish of the weekend.. I ended finding some nice LM on wood laydowns off the bank in a few feet of water. Caught this nice 4lb'r and respectable 2lb'r. Not a bad trip for someone who hasn't been able to fish like I used to due to the fact I have a 2yr old son now and the weekends aren't like they used to be. Now I've got a trip with Babler scheduled for November so I can really learn a thing or two! Anyhow, not sure if that helps your trip but maybe it might key you into a fish or two... Good luck, tight lines! -Wes Wadkins

7.39lbs is my guess.!

Cheers to the Panic post! Some of those tough bite days on the rock would almost be too much if I couldn't blend in some panic in the background. "Havin a good time, here today!" Keep it reel! LWW

Thought I'd share my fishing report also. Launched Saturday from the Shell Knob bridge and ran all the way up the white to the MO/AR border. Got 4 good bites on my second stop on some 45 degree chunck rock banks near channel swings. Ended up stopping at every 45 degree chunk rock bank I saw near a channel swing, and caught fish on my PB&J jig all the way back to Shell Knob. 16 fish - (6) keeper bass, the rest shorts, and to my suprise a 12 inch rainbow trout on a spinnerbait. That was cool, never thought I'd catch a trout on the main lake. He drilled my spinnerbait as I bounced it off a big boulder on a bluff just a few feet below the surface. Another species to add to the Table Rock log book: 1.) Largemouth 2.) Spotted Bass 3.) Smallmouth 4.)Walleye 5.) Crappie 6.) Catfish 7.) Blue Gill 8.)Mean Mouth. Guess I better go catch a white to add to my list. Gotta love this lake. Sometimes you can't buy a bite, other times you can have a trip of a lifetime. Get on the water, the fish are biting. LWW

The Eakin's trailers are good, but I like the Yum Craw Pappie and the Yum Double Tail Hula Grub the best. They're both covered in Yumm's scent and I can't see how that hurts. To me they make a bigger profile and look much more like a crawfish. Also, I've got some good bites with a Zoom Baby Brush Hog. Really, anything works. Whatever makes you happy. My fishing partner this weekend put a 5" Zoom finesse worm on his jig and stung (2) 3's to my (1) 4.5 lb'r. I thought it kinda looked like a bird, but hey it worked. LWW

Thanks for the pointers guys. I believe I will play with the finder for awhile, but it's gonna be awful hard to leave the jig stick down, especially with the reports SKMO has been giving. I'll posp my report next week. Enjoy the great weather! LWW

I'm gonna hit the water this saturday, and was wondering if anyone might fill me in on what's the right pattern to run. I really planned on studying and learning my electronics, but wonder if I'm wasting my time since it sounds like the shallow stick bait/spinnerbait bite may be the thing to try. 1.) What are the bait fish doing, and where should I look to find them? 2.) What's this warm weather going to do to the bite this weekend? Any help's appreciated! LWW

Hello all, I wanted to share something that may help alot of anglers like me who are struggling at times, but eager to get the most out of their sonars. A good friend of mine recently directed me to a website that has changed everything I thought I ever knew about how to use electronics. At http://www.bassfishinghomepage.com/, in the "Fishing Tactics" forum, there is an individual named LTBama who has posted countless screen shots of his sonar at work and has documented his best interpretaition of what he is experiencing at the time. I have found much of the information extremley informative and thought many of you could benefit from this information as well. Check it out, I'm sure you will enjoy it! Like I said, there are many dialogues to follow, but here are a few links to get you started: http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/bassboard/fish...tics/T48189.htm http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/bassboard/fish...tics/T48261.htm http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/bassboard/fish...tics/T47788.htm http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/bassboard/fish...tics/T48188.htm FYI.. The search feature rarley works on that website, so if you want to find more posts by LTBama, you can scroll through the many posts quickly and stop only to look at the posts with a "camera/photo" icon in the subject line. All of LTBama's posts have images attatched to them so there pretty easy to pick out amongst the other posts. Take care all, LWW

My first Bass Boat. It was a big upgrade from my previous 14ft aluminum duck/fishing rig. It's a 2002 Triton TR19 w/ a 200hp Optimax. Luckily for me, I bought this from the Dealer last April with one year left on the motor warranty, and the 2nd trip out a reed valve blew out on the powerhead and Mercury replaced a brand new powerhead for free. Now it's basically a new motor and I love it! Oh and of course I had to custom install a Pioneer deck for the slow times! One of the most nerveracking things I've ever done, cutting 6" holes in the fiberglass to mount the speakers when I've never done anything like that!!!