Don House

Bill, someday I will get to your level as a guide, and then over to the other guides level.. Someday.. But anyway, The report from some of the other guides is the James River From point 12 to Cape Fair, the fish are in the bushes big time, shakey jigs are the best bet right now. Jigs are also comming on strong, and also like you said spinnerbaits with the wind in the bushes.. Just my 2 cents worth.. Good Fishing

Yes, it is true, had my first dozen night crawler spots on Friday around the Islands in the Long Creek area using a drop shot rigs. The fish are on the deeper sides supended in the 25 - 30 feet range in the trees in 80 - 100 feet of water overall. . Use your graph to find the trees and the fish are there and bit really good.. Good Fishing

Nothing new, but if you get some wind try fishing main lake points with grubs (Smoke)or (Watermelon/Red) If no wind go back to a shakey jig or a drop shot rig with same colors in worms or french frys.. We are catching some nice fish up here by the dam... Good Luck

I was also out on Saturday on a trip.. Started out very slow till about 11:00am, started dragging french fry worms over points near deep water Had 6 nice fish and one over 5, customer and I lost three good ones over 3 pounds right at the boat, All happened in about a 1 hour span, and less than 100 yard chunk of bank, fishing in 15 feet with a drop off around 75 feet. Threw topwater all morning with no fish. Seems like after the rain the fish push down for a few days then come back up and feed.. So you did not have a bad day just slow, it is that time of year... Keep fishing Good Fishing everyone

Just a good old bic lighter, just be careful not to bend too much and break it.. Heat just alittle at a time.. It will bend easy.. Good Fishing

Here are the baits I was talking about.. First pic shows all three that I use.. Top one is the home made or the Rapala bait next is the Red Fin bait and last is the Cotton Cordell bait. The Top bait will swim on top of the water really easy, The bottom two baits will swim just below the water or on top if you reel it back just right. Next pic this the home made version notice the size and bill location. That bill location is what allows this bait to swim on top with ease. Color pattern really helped out. Looked more real. Tenn Shad color.. Give them a try and questions repost or email me.. Good Fishing

Well, you can also buy these little guys. Cotton cordell makes the same thing, also you can use a red fin to do the same thing.. I like to use the Rapala double jointed stick baits because of there size, much smaller in the water and better colors. I take this bait right out of the box and I bend the bill all the way down, where it is pointed down. this stops the bait from driving down and keeps it on top of the water.. Then when I toss it out there, I use a slow roll back to the boat, keep my rod tip high and this allows the bait to swim across the top of the water, looks like a snake or a wounded shad that can not go back down. You know it is right when it makes a wake behind it. The fish just can't take it and will blow up on it. I will swim this in open water but also in the poll timber. A little trick I learned is to swim this right up to the side of a tree and stop it, your bite will come right as the bait has stopped. Most of my bites come on the front hook, so that tells me they really want it. Remember to let the fish take the bait down just like any other topwater bait, I will count to 3 before I set the hook, or wait until I can not see the bait anymore. I have to uncover the boat today or monday to let it dry out from all of the rain on Saturday I will go dig out one of my home made ones out of my boxes and take a pic and post it for you so you can see the size and color I love the most.. Hope that helps any questions just ask Good Fishing

Talked with the guys at Cape Fair Marina, Reports are saying up the James in Bear Den Creek. That is the first major creek arm past bridgeport bridge on the right. Can't miss it just look for all of the boats. Fish are in the middle of the creek on the deep trees in about 15 - 20 feet of water. They are using everything from minnows to jigs, no color to report on the jigs. I would use the old stand by chart and black or red and white. Also put some crappie nibbles on the hook. Also they are taking crappie on the bluffs right at the marina on minnows. Sorry, for the spotty information, I have not been up there for a week or so, been playing with the bass. Hope this helps your friend.. Good Fishing

Just up there is morning, started at 6:30am and by the way the topwater bite is back, really good.. Ended by 8:30am.. Changed up and had a really good fluke bite all day, All spots and blacks.. Good Fishing Good Fishing

Eveyone is right go into the wind! Put your nose into it and fish, let the wind be your friend, use it to your advantage. You will catch more fish. If you go with the wind you will fish way to fast and miss alot of good fish. The only time I will go with the wind is when I'm fishing a spinnerbait or something moving very fast also. But not very many times at all. As far as the tmotor, I try to find a middle ground and use it when needed. I will find what speed will hold me where I need to be, but still have the power to move forward into the wind.. Give it a try Good Fishing

I went out of Baxter this morning myself, no big problems all the way to and past shell knob bridge.. There was some small floating branches but nothing really big.. Great day of fishing up there, really good bite going on.. Good Luck

Tom, look at your map, look at point 1 right by Big Indain creek, that would be just north of the Dam. That is a great main lake point.. that is what I'm talking about, fish all points just like that all the way to kimberling city bridge or go south past the dam towards 86 hwy bridge.. They are all loaded with fish right now.. Just keep looking.. Also don't forget the secondary points close to those primary points. Fish them very good as well.. same baits.. Good Luck

Tom, welcome down to table rock... First of all the license issues. Are you a Missouri resident? If you are you can purchase a white water boundaries license cost of $11.00. This will allow you to fish the lakes that boarder MO and Ark, such as table rock. But if not you will have to purchase a Ark License, which you can buy these by phone. Can't remember the phone number but you can call any Ark Conservation or marina in Ark and they will give the number to you.. Ok, now on to the good stuff. You are getting ready to fish in my back yard and my office, I live in Beardsley and spend alot of time in the Dam area every day. Fishing has been great down here all from Cow Creek to Indain point to just past 86 hwy bridge or Brushy Creek, so you really don't need that Ark license unless you want it.. All fish are still in that pre-spawn to spawn mode. Most that I have been catching are in the pre-spawn mode. Main Lake water temp is right at and around 63- 66 degrees. Don't get me wrong you can find fish on the beds, but Main lake points are really hot right now. Gental sloping small pea gravel points primary and secondary are loaded with fish. One day the fish will move up into less than 5 feet of water and feed, next day they will move out into 15 - 25 feet of water and chase shad, so you have to look for them but they are there! During the early moring before sunrise to 7:30 or so the top water bite is hot, I have been throwing a chug bug in all colors and also a red-fin or a wiggle diggle bait (Double jointed stickbait with the bill bent all the way down which keeps the bait on top of the water). Work these baits slow back to the boat around trees or on the plain points. Then I will go to a three different baits. 1) Split shot rig: use a small worm or french fry and drag it back to the boat, most bites are right as it hits the water or they will follow it all the way back to the boat. 2) Texas rigged worm or Lizard: same as the above 3)Swimming grubs: On windy days I will throw this to all of thoses primary and secondary points with wind beating on them. No mistake on the bite. Bounce the bait off the bottom and rocks, trees to get your bite. Colors for all of these baits are pretty close to the same. Base Watermelom colors with black, red and purple flakes on worms and grubs, but also on grubs don't forget to try the smoke and salt and pepper colors. That should get you started stay in these areas and you will get bit, alot! Good Fishing and if you fish these areas I'm sure I will see you on the water (Big Red Skeeter Boat) Good Luck

Martin, what a toad crappie!!! Nice fish!! I have a friend down the street that does the same thing and it works very well for him also.. Need to get off my rear end and give this a try.. Nice post thanks.. Don

Yes, it should work great and it is also working from the mouth of the James on up the white (Camel point area really well). My clients today had a really good day on topwater then grubs, but you must stay on the pea gravel main/secondary lake points with wind for the grubs, and for topwater just stay on the main lake points fish them hard, best bite today was on a white chugbug early.. Hope this helps Good Fishing

** (Early or Cloudy Days) ** Found a really great topwater and Tube bite going on in this area. TopWater was on a chug bug in White and a Baby spook in Clear and White and Blue and Clear. Right on the inside of points with trees. Just walk it to the trees tops and stop it, they will blast it once it is still. *** (Great Bite) *** Also had a great day Yesterday with swimming Storm swimming shad around flat main lake points with stumps started around Point 5 to just past State Park. All were good keeper smallies, biggest was around 4 pounds. Just slow swim these guys back to the boat bouncing off of the bottom. No mistake with the bite. **** (Best Bite) **** Tubes, throwing a large 4-5 inch tube in green pumpkin and all white. placing a 5/16 lead head inside with the hook just barely exposed. Here is the key, you must pop the bait off the bottom once or twice, then let it settle to the bottom and they hit it hard.. Mostly small mouths but the spots love them too.. Good Luck and Good Fishing

Yes, right at the flat creek area in the James.. Really from Bidgeport on up to flat creek.. But all of mine have come from right at the mouth of flat creek and just past in the bend.. Good Fishing

You can try in of Aunts creek first, fish the cuts past the Boat ramp. I had 7 there Yesterday not many but they where big, 14 - 15 inches each, it still alittle cool in there, you will need water temp in the low 60"s to really get bit. If nothing there then move up past cape fair to virgin bluff and start just past the island on the bluff side.. Move back and forth flats to the bluffs until you find them. They should be moving to the flats and small pockets in the river real soon. Good Fishing

I can tell you the water temp is right at 59 - 60 in Aunts creek as of today. I did find some bass on the beds in Aunts creek about half way back at the bend, just past that you will see on small cuts with pea gravel on the left, in thoses are the bedding bass I found.. Very shy, could not get them to eat a crappie jig, so you may have to work at them.. Everything else I marked right at the tree line just before these cuts.. So they are in there staging up for the spawn.. Good Luck

Reackasarus, yes been up there and will be up there everyday this week.. What are you fishing for? Crappie, Bass? Let me know and I tell you what I can.. I can tell you the water temp is right at 59 - 60 in Aunts creek as of today. In the upper James past Cape Fair we are right at 60 - 62 as of today.. I did find some bass on the beds in Aunts creek, and the crappie fishing is fair in there right now.. In the upper James it is real good and it should get better with the warm weather we are getting ready to have by the end of this week.. Let me know Good Fishing

campkng, welcome.. You will love Mill Creek resort!! Very nice place and great people who own it!! You will have a very good time there.. Yes, crappie should ne on real good by then.. Just keep looking at everyones post we will get you on some fish! Good Fishing

Chuck, I'm leaving to go up there right now.. I will post on how things are up there. I'm mainly looking for crappie, but I won't pass up the chance to bass fish also.. Good Fishing

In Missouri Yes, they must be 15 inches". Good Fishing

Chuck, First they are alittle smaller than the Black Bass, with a much smaller mouth, you can also see a more defined line of darker spots on there lat line, but the best way tell what the difference is to look at there jaw lines. Black Bass when you close there mouths there jaw lines goes back past there eyes. Spots the end of jaw lines is even with there eyes. Also on the spots there is a little brown patch of teeth on the end of there tongue. Good Fishing

To everyone on this site. If you have read the article that I posted on pre-spawn bass, well here is what I did, and of course it was very stupid on my part. Took parts of someone else article added and change it around to make it mine to save time instead of writing it in my own words, all just to save some time. What a very big mistake on my part! A very embarrassing and stupid thing to do on my part. And for this I'm here to apologize to everyone on this form and ask for you to forgive my stupid actions. I would like to keep writing for this form if the group will allow me to do so. If not I understand and will fade into the woodwork. Now I have rewritten my article in my own words and I hope you like it and hope you forgive my mistake. You really don't realize how bad something is until it is too late. My mistake and I do Apologize. Thanks for your time Don