Don House

Jim, we are just now starting to get that bite, was out today and had some success on it. I use a new bait made by JackAll Baits called a Mikey Jr, a small version of the red fin but better colors. These were Tennessee Shad color, and the fish really went after them. I also spoke with Eric Prey another great guide on Table Rock and he had a good spook bite was well. So it is turning on, you get back down here for Christmas shopping duty try some of table rock winter bass fishing!... Good Fishing Capt. Don

Webfreeman, if the water is flowing slow then use power bait, yellow chartreuse or Sunrise colors on a drift rig for them or a c-rig with a small barrel weight and swivel and a good long leader. If the water is up and running fast then go back into roark creek and use the same power bait, the water needs to be clear in these creeks so if a good rain wait a day or so.. That should get those little ones bit! Good Fishing Capt. Don

Had a really nice group from Texas today out for some bow fishing. Drifted from Dam with 3 generators running, still catching fish on the same old white jig, just smaller and lighter, these today were 1/80 jigs with 2 larger split shots and a swivel. We were getting 2 to 4 fish per drift. We really caught fish with all types of baits but these were the best, peach glow balls, larger san juan worms in red, small stickbaits in silver and black and gold and black and all colors of rooster tails, white was the best, then orange and chart, my clients were having fun throwing every color I had just to see if they would bite it. All in all good day on Taneycomo.. Also sizes were in the 14 - 18 inch range with no browns all bows. Went back down stream for some eating fish, past Lilleys Landing to Monkey Island was ok, slower and alot smaller fish. Until Next time good fishing everyone.. Capt. Don

Ok, I will try to answer everyones questions from this one post.. Are you leaving the bail open. When I count the bail is open so it will sink straight down. Once I get to 10 or 15 I close the bail and start to roll it back to the boat SLOW! Is anyone using Scent?? I'm not, I have some but it does not seem to matter.. I feel that is something of your own choice.. Now, Jigs, Tubes, bottom bouncing baits yes I do.. Well really all of these have scent now, salt, garlic ect.. Electronics, well it does help but not a major stopping point. You can use a basic graph to locate the depth of the fish, that is the key... Even drop shot fishing I don't really need a good graph, I just need to see where the bait or the fish are suspending that will get me close.. On other days it tell me if the fish are on the bottom or suspended, makes all of the difference in the world.. Also really good to see that tree under your boat and how far up does it come. So if you find what is fish suspended in 25 feet of water, then look for everything that is in that 25 feet range, tree tops, dock cables, brush piles, I think you get the point.. Denjac is right don't over look the front of these bigger dock in deeper water, these fish are hanging on the dock cables.. That is one if my favorite way to guide folks and that bite is coming really soon or just after the spawn or some of the first few waves.. Good Fishing Everyone.. Capt. Don

Try this place first. Lakeside Resort and General Store.. they are on DD Hwy by land and just past Point 7 by water. Very Clean and really nice folks.. www.lakesideresort.net Also try http://www.lighthouselodge.com they are right in Kimberling City area, very gentle sloping bank to dock.. Need more just ask.. Thanks and good fishing Capt. Don

Whacked'em Good job! Love days like that! Even better when you really figure out the puzzle for that day of fishing. Put that information in storage for another day. Good Fishing Capt. Don

Guy's I use the 5" Milky salt and pepper from BPS, also I big fan of Yamamoto 4 and 5 inch in blue pearl and silver flakes, Smoke grey, Smoke with red flakes and all white with and w/o silver flakes, also Zoom Fat Alberts in all colors, including green pepper in clear water. White S/P seems to be the best right now with the dirtier water. Rig them on a 3/8 dart head in the windy water and 1/4 on calm days. Just about all of the lake is on the grub in most parts, I have heard of the Football Jig bite up the white when these fish are on the bottom. But that changes everyday. Look for fish in the 25 - 40 feet range on the flats or gental sloping pea gravel points, anywhere there is access to a spawning area. Slow roll, you must feel the bottom if fish are on the bottom, if up suspended use a count down to get to the right water depth. Use your electronics to find these fish out in deeper water, once you find them hang on they are feeding.. Also don't leave out the new swimming baits out there on the market, some of these do really work, I really like the new Storm swimming baits, pre-rigged and read for use, 2", 4", 6" shad colored.. Give them a try.. Good Fishing Capt. Don

Ya, that J.E. guy is a really cool cookie, ties a mean jig and very good stick too.. Roland Thanks for the kind words.. Capt. Don

Eric is right just go out and have fun. Remember be the fish, be the fish! Good Fishing Capt. D

CrappieFisherman, your comments are why alot of really good guides and good fishermen don't post on sites like these! Why mess with type of BS comments! If that is the way a persons is I don't need a lesson or a fast friend! Got more than I need the night before a big tournament! What Bill did was very professional with his group. And what he said afterwards was right on the money don't think I would have handled it well at all. Tried of Road Rage Bass Fishing! Disappointed Capt. Don

Tom, I would think you will be good to go.. Next full moon is May 20th, so you are hitting it pretty close. In two weeks there will be some locked on the beds and still some moving in.. Should be a really good time for you.. Good Luck Capt. Don

S&M looks like today will be busy from KC to the DAM, you see a big blue G3 boat loaded with guys, stop by and say hello! Capt. Don

No I would say they are really getting started, remember these are pre-spawners we are catching getting ready to go in.. I sure there are some that have already done there thing, but there is a big group just waiting for a temp change, full moom something will trigger them. Everyone read Bill's post again that is information at it's best, you just can't get that type of information anywhere but here! Tell you how we do today Good Fishing Capt. Don

Bill had the same type day today, lots of K's and SJ 18 in 4 hours... All on the grub, slow rolled back to the boat. Had one pocket were I had 7 fish in 7 casts. Unreal they are bitting now and just like you said out in the middle over nowhere. Just kinda found mine, seen a fish roll out away from the bushes about 20 feet or more casted and a nice 3 pound SJ, started to repeat and the fish were on. Should be a fun day on Thursday for my group.. Good Fishing everyone.. Capt. Don

Yes, I agree with Phil. Warm temp is going to really fire these guys up, moon phases I think it is a trigger also because these fish will really start to eat at night or atleast the bigger fish are really caught here at night during the spawn. Not sure if it is light penetration's into the water or what? Fishing has always been good on a full moon! But I do know these fish will spawn in waves across all sections of the lake for some time to come, or atleast way into may we have a good population of bass. Right now we are catching those pre-spawners moving in right now to spawn, Points are hot right now as these fish follow these points into the spawning areas. Have heard reports of alot of fish on beds, I would bet there are alot more that we can not even see because they are in deeper water. Fishing is just going to get better as the water warms, even flooded these fish are really adapting to water color changes and there new hangouts in the shallows, the spawn will be very good! Good Fishing Everyone. Capt. Don

Hang in there Phil, no telling what is going to happen. Just keep telling us what you hear. Thanks Capt. Don

Spent the weekend fishing on Taneycomo with clients on Saturday AM and Sunday PM. Fishing was fast on Saturday morning with catches in the 6 - 10 fish per drift, but I also had 5 lines in the water. We were using a 1/4 once barrel weight with a small swivel then a 3 foot 6 pound test leader. On Saturday I just attached an all white 1/60 once jig to the end of the leader and off we go. Fish were coming from all areas from the cable to just past the last boat ramp. I was able to use my GPS and routes plotted on my unit to locate the fish every time we would catch a fish on a drift I would mark it on my GPS and after two or three drifts I was able to pick the perfect route to return everytime. Worked very well alot of fish and a happy client on Saturday. Sunday Afternoon was alittle different, same current but the fish were very scattered and biting very light. Went to a large glow egg in bright orange and then below that the white jig which seemed to attract some good bites. The White jig still produced the larger fish just not as many. We were getting two - three fish per drift with a few in there of no fish at all. Ran into Mr. Bill and his group they had found some fish little bit farther down stream from us so we drifted down farther and found some of those fish also. Still seemed the bigger fish came from up around the dam area, had one really nice brown and a few really nice rainbows in 16 - 19 inch size range, all in all really fun day on the water with both groups with some good fishing. Good Fishing Everyone Capt. Don

Lamar, glad see you made it through that night and hopefully through everything to come. We are all thinking of you folks down there on Taneycomo. Need anything just ask alot of us on this site will drop what we are doing to lend a helping hand. Be Safe Capt. Don

Eric, I'm glad to see fishing finally getting better now, been a roller coaster ride! One thing we found was certain points would produce better fish, we had to keep moving around once we found our pattern on these smaller main lake points. I will listen in to your show today to see if information will be given out about the lake and what going to happen to the up coming Summer. See you on the water Capt. Don

Doug, I think I'm one of the newest on the block so maybe I can tell you what it has been like for me and what you need in order... First of All get your USCG 6 pack License! This is a really big pain, you can do it yourself buy getting documentation to study from the Coast Guard or go to a class. Personally I went to the Class by a really good teacher here in Branson his name is Slim and works at the Table Rock Rock Quarries on Hwy 265. He is the same man that trains all of the Ride the Duck Captains every year. Well worth the time and money! Next big items for me to survive was not the learning how to fish I'm doing that everyday, but getting the clients and resorts, corporate companies and a good solid support group (Guides in the Business) to give me pointers and share good information on fishing and if all is well even some trips they may need help on. These guides down here are a very nice and professional group of guys, if you take care of them they will be more than happy to help you. Good Advertising is a MUST! A Professional Web Site is a MUST HAVE, a very large chunk of my business comes right off my web site. Next beating on doors, I went to just about every resort and major hotel I could find in the Branson Tri-Lake area, handing out business cards, flyer's anything that could get me business. Get ready for alot of NO GO AWAY! But a few YES come on in let's talk. I have pickup 6 smaller and large resorts around Table Rock Lake this year and a few Maybe for Taneycomo, if each will give me 15 half day trips per during the summer months which is very possible, 6 resorts = 15 trips x (250.00 H/D Rate) = 3,750.00 x 6 = 22,500.00 just for those resorts, that does not include web site traffic trips, trips from other guides, repeat clients, Gift certs, Sponsor trips, add maybe another 30k to that. You can make a living doing it, but don't go buy a Bentley! There is alot of expenses that come with that, gas, gas, did I say GAS at 3.39 per gallon for the boat and truck, boat insurance and commercial insurance, boat payments and up keep, tackle lots of tackle, gear, rain suites, electronics so on and so on... You gotta love to fish, or remember what is was like to work in a cube. I can do both.. Now the real hard part for me is trying to make it through the Winter Time when there is no business. I run a small computer repair company that kinda helps and I also travel all over the US to Sport and Boat Shows for Sponsors for pay and product which I hope here in the next year or so I can really cut down on those and kinda relax during the winter and work on finding trout trips on Taneycomo in the winter time. That is were you need some money set aside to live on for that 4 - 6 months of down time and then some first year or two just to keep things going. Believe me I did it the hard way... Went for over two years make very basic funds at times my gas and boat expenses were more than I was bring home by the month. On good weeks I would take anything I could, which means (3) 4 hour trips per day just to make up for what I missed from the days before. Long hard days in the Cold and Dead Heat with well the good old general public. When I first started I was working 10 - 15 days per month in the good season May - Aug. The rest was March - April and maybe some October and November maybe 5- 10 days per month. It was hard but worth every penny I did not make. Now I'm out on my own now and I'm on track to work 185 days which is my goal for this first year. May make it, may not, might just crush it, but you gotta have some goals set. That comes down to the last item that is a VERY BIG MUST! You must work well with all types of people or be a people person. You can really get challenged out there by some of these folks, you have to keep your cool and try to make it right for everyone or just take them back to the dock and cut the loss walk away. Only had one like that in the 4 years I have been doing it. Most of the groups that I take out our very nice people and just want to learn and catch fish, relax and enjoy the outdoors, just plan go out and have fun. . Then there are the hard ones, not too many but ones that get really drunk and then throw your new rod in the lake and not tell you until it is too late to try to get it back, and get even madder when you charge them for that new rod.. Or full time arm chair fisherman, who best 5 Bass came from a XBOX Game, questioning everything thing you do when on the water because if it was him he would do this..... You get to meet them all.. But if it is something you want go for it, there is room down here for more guides not too many but a few more.. Ha! Ha! It is all up to you, it's just like any other business the harder you work the more it will pay, in money and gratification of owning your own business.. If there is anything else I can explain please just let me know.. I not a Bill Babler or Bill Beck, Buster Loving, Pete Winners or Mike Webb just to name a few of the really top guides down here, but I'm working very hard to be up there someday. Good Luck, Hope I did not scare you away from a dream. Capt. Don House

Trav, best I can tell you is day to day.. I fished this morning and had a few shorts on a grub, one good keeper, but then had to leave.. Buster Loving told me he had some also with 3 keepers, so it just keeps changing.. All we can do is go out and beat it up everyday.. I would say the more it floods the farther back these fish can get in the woods.. Spawn may be fun, once that is over they will move back out to deeper water and then the fun really starts.. Good Fishing Capt. Don

(Quote Bill) I just happened to have lived at the Knob for 15 years. Everyone thinks its my hidey-hole. Ya, he has my vote!!! But really you want the DAM area, that is my home base, White River is Bill's stomping ground don't let the kind soft words of Mr. B fool ya, he is a tiger and one great guide. No butt kissing he is just that good! Good Fishing Capt. Don

Bill Babler he is your man! www.whiteriveroutfitters.com give him a call you will have a great time. Capt. Don

Well, went out today and really struggled the fishing has been hard to say the least since Saturday for me, few fish is your best bet per day! Today we pulled off 2 little smallies and 2 rock bass in 4 hours from KC to DAM. All of our fish and from what I hear from the other guides there fish also are coming on swimming grubs. Slow rolled from shallow back to the boat. But reports are on smaller fish (Non keepers) seem to be the thing right now from just about all of the guides also. Not sure if these fish are moving way back into the flooded timber and brush were we can't get to them (keep that in mind, might come in handy) or if the cold fronts keep pushing them back.. Going over to Taney for a few days then back on the rock, will let you know if anything changes and hopefully they will turn on again. Good Fishing Everyone Capt. Don

S&M great information, that really makes this site what it is! Good Fishing Capt. Don