Don House

Oh Boy here we go again!!! Taneycomo will be a roaring river, but one good thing I bet that Fottball jig bite will come back on!! Start fishing the points again boy's Good Fishing Capt. Don

Jim, sorry to hear about your troubles, I know it was a mess down here.. I live over by the DAM and the Damage was unreal, we just got our power back late yesterday. I really good friend of mine owns a resort by point 7 and his place was trashed bad.. 80,000 dollars in damage two sunk boats, one customers car was totaled by a tree. So to answer your question, no never seen this before or aleast what you guys went through down here. Hope your stuff is ok.. Capt. Don

Flippin, you need to go over to the duey short vistors center at the dam, they sell them there Mon - Fri.... Go to the front desk and tell them want you want.. Good Fishing Capt. Don

EP, you know you are a jig stud! Would love to see those notes on jigs from you! Last few years I have learned more about Jigs then I can remember, on eof my best baits! 1/2 to 3/4 in open water and then 5/16 for docks. Love that Jig!! Come on EP get those notes together Good Fishing Everyone Don

Guy's I had a hard time finding surfacing fish around the DAM both ways West toward K/C and South towards Arkansas Line this year. There are some spots in the back of the main lake creeks that have fish surfacing on those same small bait fish 1 - 2 inch at best. Now the fish up here stopped spitting up crawfish, just bait fish now. When I find those fish breaking and they won't hit the normal topwater baits, there is one thing that I do, Down size your bait to a 3 inch baby chug bug in chrome with blue back, shad silver or Frog color. Put on Medium spinning rod and reel with 10 pound test and have fun! Alot of little fish but some nice ones mixed in.. One Problem if no clouds get out early on the water and get that window at first light or even last light besides that nothing. Cloudy days look for breaking fish cast to them small jerks and pops, another pattern on cloudy days when there is nothing breaking in the big water then move into creek arms looking for laydowns in the water run the same bait right by and hang on. It's just about time for these guys to really school up now and once we get them schooled I think the topwater everyone has been looking will come to life in the main lake creeks, don' t forget to try the flukes and other soft jerkbaits, you can get them smaller they work well in a large school of fish. Table Rock is getting ready to roll into fall and great Spinnerbait, Spoon, Drop Shot, Football Jig, it really gets me fired up, love this time of year. Good Fishing Everyone Don

RRV, My vote will still go to my American made XS-1000 reel by Ardent. Very smooth and the more you use them the better they get, unreal casting distance and all american made here in Missouri. Also take a look at the new Pfluger Reels. There newest is called a Patriarch. Very Very smooth reels. Also guess who makes the high end Johnnie Morris reels and Rick Clunn Reels for Bass Pro? Yup, Pfluger.. Take a look I was impressed, I use all Pfluger spinning reels and bang for the buck very impressive and take the daily grind of guiding. Good Fishing Don

Hey guy's this is really cool! I love reading your posts.. Please post more pictures when you can.. Have Fun.. Don

Mr. PB, glad to read you had such a great time on the Rock! It's been a good year for fishing down here for sure. Come on back down next year in the spring fishing gets good in March with Stick baits, April Small Jigs and Swimming Grubs, into May Grubs and Swim Baits!! Good Fishing Capt. Don

H/C, glad to hear your week ended out so great! I was wondering about you guys when: 1) Seen everything about that Helio crash, I guess it was pretty close to your campground. And I guess we just missed it by getting off at 3:00pm.. 2) The RAIN... I knew you guys were in a tent, oh boy!! Anyway you made it fine, I did see you guys a few times during the week, once when you went by the bridge.. So happy it all worked out and you got that young one up from his beauty nap.... Had a great time fishing with you guys, glad the weather held out for us during our day. Hope to see you guys back again next year.. Best Safe and Good Fishing Capt. D

Yes that was me, had a 5 person trip, had me running all morning.. Had 3 Boy's just given those spot's hell on the night crawlers out there, really alot of fun. Don

Ok, I call it the double trouble rig.. Now I go to Bass Pro and buy some med oval split rings and Number 4 or Larger Red Gami treble hooks. Now I attach the oval split ring to the treble hook. Now I take my 1/2 to 3/4 ounce all white spoon and run the main line through the eye of the spoon then tie the main line to the oval split ring with the treble hook. Now I have two hooks moving around in a school of fish, once I start jerking the spoon will move up the main line exposing the red treble hook, once one of the fish strike the white spoon other fish are seeking something to hit and there is that red treble hook and bam you have a double on!! Last year I had alot of fish that came on the red stinger hook unstead of the spoon. Works pretty cool, can be tricky in the tree tops.. Also you really have to use heavy floro line, I use 17 pound P-Line. Ok there you go give it a try, see what you think Good Fishing Don

Steve, thanks that really cuts out alot of water for me.. Have some really good spots up that way, My Area around the DAM just has not came to life yet.. But we had the 2 month FB Jig bite with 4 plus pound smallies so I can't complain... I use a 4" worm it is a ROBO worm in Purple with a brown stripe (MMIII), it was my best color as well. I have both types of days, some good for the crawlers and some better with the worm.. Just try both and go with the best for that day and what my client can use.. Thanks for the great report.. Good Fishing Capt. Don

Was back out again in the DAM to K/C area yesterday. Noticed that my fish have really moved down the water line from 15 - 20 to 20 - 30 with the better fish coming from 30 foot range. Started noticing all of the nicer keeper fish were moving up from 40 feet to 30 to take drop shot and spoon. Also Working alot of large shad schools and even starting to find some really nice large schools of Bass. Drop shot and spoons are producing some nice fish, but can be hard at times on Artifical bait. Noticed alot of the other guides on the lake moving to the Crawlers as well to get the clients bit at atleast around Long Creek, Dam, Indian Point, K/C areas. Starting to really use that spoon or at least try it a few times in each spot, fish should really get on them good.. (NOTE) I have also noticed that the fish are spitting up very small shad in the one to two inch range on these spots, make sure you match the hatch with your spoons, I went down to a 1/2 ounce all white with some small tricks to the spoon and the extra hook on the line. Have two or three rods rigged with spoons so so when you get in a school you can have fast responce to the school. Once they start it will be a feeding blitz and alot of fun!! Looks like the rain will slow down business here for a few days but will be back on Friday and the rest of the weekend.. Will keep posting new stuff when I can.. Good Fishing Everyone Capt. Don

Steve, what area of the lake were you fishing? What color of 4" worm were you using? Glad you did so well down here and on a Holiday weekend even better.. Let us know.. Good Fishing Capt. Don

Fishrman, take it in... I would say you have an issue with your gas strut on the power assist... Make sure you take in the whole unit, including the mount which is where your troubles are.. Also when you take it in ask them to do any new upgrades if still under warranty.. If not under warranty ask what the costs are. May be worth it.. Lets us know what the problem was when you get it fixed, there are alot of us that run the same unit or the bigger one as well.. Good Fishing Capt. Don

Whackem, welcome to Summer and only 2 months late... I'm still hearing guys are catching them but way up the rivers like the James up past Flat Creek.. But I have heard it has really slowed down. I know on the main lake just about all of the guides have had to move over to crawlers to get bit... So no they have not left just went down deep is my guess.. Just about spoon time they will show up again.. Good Fishing Don

Denjac, no whites at all, zero, none.. They Never showed up by the New Dam, really strange thing, bait fish there but no whites.. I think it may be toast for the year around the dam area atleast.. Don

Techo, no it is really no big deal, I flip the fronts and the first and second dock stalls on the deepest end side of each dock. This time of year with a high sun these fish love to move in and under these big docks, waiting for shad to swim by and usally suspened right on the dock cables. I target deep water docks or docks with deep water on the front end. This is really a good late morning or mid day pattern that should get fired up here really quick. I start out by using my graph and taking a look at what is suspended on the cables on the front, if fish then I use a all white 1/2 ounce spoon, nothing fancy made by Hawg Jaw Lures and I buy them at Ozark Bait and Tackle in K/C. Use my electonics to find the right depth and then drop down to them.. Small jerks from your wrist is all you need to get attention from these guys when they are on.. Now Flipping the spoon in the dock stall would be just like flipping a jig in the same stall, start at the back Left End allow to sink 15 - 20 sec then small jerks as you reel back to the boat. Repet as needed with the center, then Right End, then move up to the mid dock repet the same left middle right all the way back out the boat and then repet one last time for the front of the dock stall. Really good way to find a strong pattern by taking docks apart like this, you can really find where the fish are hanging and you can now go out and repet at just about every dock just like it, fish will be there. Also pay attention to long docks with mid winch cable systems, fish love those.. Now Just like a Jig these fish will hit the spoon on the fall about 90% of the time, so a good baitcasting rod and some good flourocarbon really helps alot. Just feel for the bite.. Keep movingfrom stall to stall and dock to dock, you will find one that will be a favorite for you for time to come.. Good Fishing Don

Been out everyday again this week, trying to get through this Holiday and make alittle money.. Friday was a wild day we were fishing the Long Creek area and I guess just missed the Helio crash we got off at 3:00 and I guess the crash happened about 3:15 right past Long Creek Marina in the woods.. I just turned on Hwy86 off of Long creek Marina road and was passed by a ton of fire trucks. Very Sad.. Anyway starting to see the FB jig bite really drop off in this area, still catching a few but the fish are really getting out on the flats and the mouths of the creek arms chasing groups of shad right at the 20 foot range.. Starting to see more and more fish suspending in 20 - 25 feet over much deeper water with structure. Night Crawlers is really going strong as all of the Islands are packed with boats just about everyday fishing those flats right next to the Islands. Most of the fish we are catching are really spitting up shad of all sizes, Yesterday after catching 5 or 6 fish on crawlers we noticed we had floating shad everywhere around us from the fish spitting them up.. Matched the size to a smaller 1/2 spoon and really started to have some fun out deep around the DAM to K/C by flipping docks in deeper water in the shaded areas. Also had a few fish by flipping small jigs in Brown and green pumpkin in the same areas, but really needed the sun as it left in the afternoon. Once it really got cloudy the bite died and my day was done.. So start looking deep for your fish, you pretty much have them to yourself once you find them, with everyone still fishing shallow.. Good Fishing, Got to go fishing now.. Be safe Capt. Don

Steve, as of Yesterday same old same.. 4 to 25 feet early then move out deeper to 25 to 35 feet after 10 or so.. Jigs and drop shot, some spoons as well... Good Luck and Good Fishing Capt. Don

Where to go?? Well start out early before 6:30am and fish the main lake pea gravel points shallow.. Then after I tried that I would move over to the flats next to the points, fish these really good, if nothing there then move back out deep and start looking for the suspended fish and go for them.. Bluff ends are starting to really come to life also for bigger fish, look for channel sweeping bluff walls and then follow to the end of the bluff, best with some trees close by or on the bluff end. Best bait for a large fish would be two things.. 1) 1/2 to 3/4 ounce football jig in PB&J trailered with a twin tailed grub in Watermelon Cotton Candy.. This little guy has produced more fish over 4 pound in the last month than I can think of... 2) Live Bait... There are alot of people down here or locals down here that fish live crawdads on a C-Rig on the main lake points and Islands. I spoke with a gentelman Yesterday and he had 7 fish over 3 pounds on the live bait.. Something to try, personnelly I have not, too much hassle for me.. Anyway that will get you a good fish so try these may not happen right off but it will soon... Good Fishing Capt. Don

Like Phil said no real Stripers in the Rock.... And thank god!! Any that are in there have to be from Beaver and way up the Kings or the White River.. It's Just like the Rainbows they are in there and mostly come from the trout streams from up the white, roaring river I think.. But when you do catch a few they are big really big!!! Whites, well I have only found them once this year at least on the main lake area, they just never really showed up this year... Still watching the Relief DAM area for them to show up, the shad are there but no fish... I guess the high water has moved them and they will be no shows this year.. Catfish, we do catch alot of them in the major creek arms around the main lake, really only in the spring but I don't really chase them.. A guy across the street from me on the lake uses trout lines and get alot during the summer on cut bait. Well Good Luck and just keep looking, I think once the water cools some more we can them find the whites.. Good Fishing Capt. Don

Fished out in the DAM area again today found fish very very shallow in the 4 - 8 foot range early and also in the mid afternoon for the smallies and alittle deeper for the spots. All fish today and yesterday came on a 1/2 ounce PB&J football jig and 1/2 ounce hulla grub crawled along the bottom slow. Fish were not bitting at all just swiming away with the bait, so be ready. Start fishing early right at or before sun up, fish are feeding best for the first hour or so. Start by fishing main lake points, but go up shallow on them, after fishing the point side really good then move over to the flat side of the point, fish are on both sides but more action on the flats up shallow. Look for flats that are close to main lake points fish are really feeding on them. Go have some fun, I'm taking a long awaited weekend off. Good Fishing Everyone. Capt. Don

Mr. B you guys go have a great trip and think of all of us.. Bring back some good pic's, we will keep them biting here.. Don

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