Cpt_DJ

Started at 8am Sunday morning and fished a long stretch of bank across from the Ruark west camp area, right where i sent Andrew.....fished til the front hit about 9:45 and hat 23 between us.....when the front hit, the bite left.....went to a bank just outside of Mutton creek and seen a white Skeeter with 3 guys in it trolling, not sure if was Andrew or not....tried to get there attention, but everyone was wrapped up pretty good so may not have seen my waving.....was close enough to holler but was really windy....anyhow, just wonder if it was and how ya did.....Jonesy

Andrew - Here ya go.....put in at Ruark Bluff and go to the North side of the lake from there (cause the wind should be hitting that side of the lake)....all those banks, mostly points, from the bridge towards the power lines (do not go under the bridge) will all work great. Just as Dutch as stated, these fish are really shallow....So trolling will not work, you must cast for them and you must have the patience and trolling power to stay close to the bank....stay 1 cast from the bank.....you cant fish too fast.....flat gravel banks the more wind the better....good luck!

Thanks for that water temp/report Dutch...I was afraid it was under 50 already so I hadnt planned any trips.....this Saturday will be next chance I can go, and it looks like it might be a classic white bass catching day on Stockton if it holds.....are you catching them on the spinnerbait or rooster tails, both? I know the answer to the rest.....folks, I am not at all surprised at the numbers Dutch talks of here, you can see my reports from about a month ago and it was just starting then....it is PRIME right now so get out there and get after it......it wont get any easier.

I am fishing the Ruark Bluff area for the most part, but the wind direction and shad location dictate what stretch of bank I will fish. Those 2 combinations can be found in any number of places in this area and when found, can be productive enough for a limit in a short time.

The key was the wind and shad. I threw a 1/4oz chartruese rooster tail on windy gravel banks. The bite seemed to get better as the wind got up, around 9am. I think this bite is an all day bite as long as you have the wind and shad. Most people dont fish for them properly to catch the numbers. If you were trolling, you were likley way too deep. These fish are in less than 5' of water and will fight a ton when they hit. I seen some folks trolling and they were way too far from the bank. It takes patience, nerves, and practice to catch them on banks where there are white caps hitting the banks. Find a gravel bank with wind, if there is shad, I promise you there are whites there, just fish all depths from 1' out to 10'. I will be there Saturday hammering them again. Hope this helps.

Went up Saturday 10-20 hoping for some white bass action and there was certainly enough wind for it. Got on the 64 degree water about 7:30 and started working the windy points and had 5 in the box by 8:30. I moved to another bank and finished out my limit by 11:00 and headed home. I took my son back on Sunday hoping to do just as good and we duplicated it with 2 limits by 12:00. We certainly had more company Sunday as others were out for the same action. Had a great time each day and a super fish fry that evening with friends. Most of the fish were in the 12"-14" class with a few larger ones mixed in. This cold front should really put the bigger ones in closer by the weekend. It's a great time to get the younger ones in on some action, have fun if ya get to go!

Some of us have to fish the weekend and deal the weather, as apposed to some who fish when they want weather permitting...so, with this weekend being Saturday partly cloudy, and Sunday possibly a bluebird day, which of the 2 would be most favorable for bass fishing? I thought I seen a post somewhere earlier where the sun put the fish where they wanted them, but not sure if the poster was refering to crappie or bass. I dont care so much about the temps, just want a favorable day. Thanks!

Went to Stockton Saturday in hopes to find the whites to be active, however we lacked the much needed wind. We had some wind early on but it didnt last long. We managed just 5 whites in 1 hour on our 1st bank and the wind absolutely died. It wasnt until later in the afternoon when the wind shifted to the WNW and picked up a bit and we landed on my favorite bank and landed 11 more whites in 1 hours time and the wind left us again, as did the fish. Find the windy banks and you will find the whites. They will hit any shad imitating bait, ours came on spinners. You had better get to them soon, the water temp is now 59 and this wont last long. Have fun!

That was me that mentioned the "structure graphics maps" and I hope I am correct in the name on that...however, I do know that Fin and Feather in Springfield MO has them. The biggest difference in the 2 is the detail which is very evident when compared. They are a bit pricey in comparison though. They are like $8 each and Table Rock is so large it is done in sections and I think there are 3 or 4 sections. Hope this helps. Dale

Looking back at my trip Saturday and comparing it to the success Bill and the others had, I think I was fishing too shallow. I think I had the right area's, at least I think I did LOL, i just didnt move out to where the active fish were. I have a small (15 boats) club tourney this Sunday out of the Knob and certainly hope this pattern will be the ticket. I certainly hope Bill can posts some new info later in the week that I can put to good use Sunday. Thanks in advance for any/all info I can use! Dale

Got out late due to watching BASS on ESPN and was waiting to see just what the weather might do. Started at the Knob about noon and ran towards Baxter to fish my way back. Stopped off at one of my favorite spots (sadly it is everyones favorite it seems) and right off the bat I mark fish and for the 1st time ever, I dropped the shakey head right down, watched a fish eat it on the graph. It was really cool. I cought 2 more shorts there before it shut down, then I went to pt 16 and found a couple humps and spent most of the day graphing some area's. I found a hump in Red Barn, not sure if it is the one Ike was on because I show there could be 2-3 in there, but I marked it and went on. No fish showed on a lot of the humps. My last spot I marked a lot of spots, near Campbell Pt but could not get any takers. That's pretty much how it went for me, just got back in the door. Later. Dale

Seems everytime I can go (mostly weekends) there is something that comes up, and this weekend it is the stinking weather. Why is that I wonder? Oh well, gonna hit the water tomorrow in hopes to get my line pulled, but if the fish wont bite, I will certainly put my time to good use graphing some new area's. I seen Bill's report that 4-12 fish a day with 1-2 keepers would be a good day and that would certainly work for me. I plan to fish from the Knob to pt 16 trying some new stuff. It may be bad timing to try to learn some things, but I can at least graph some area's, GPS structure, and have a game plan for future trips. Any idea's or suggestions is appreciated. I prefer the football jig for deep water if that helps for tips. Thanks-Dale

SKMO - Thanks so much for the info....Coincidentally, I got out my structure graphics maps last nite and looked at certain detailed info and found the circles you mentioned above....it is amazing how different this map is compared to Hot Spots....there are also a couple different versions of the structure graphic maps that show slightly different detail...I enjoy studying maps when I cant get out and fish....Thanks again for the info, now to just find the time to get out there and GPS the sweet spots. Dale

This is kinda what I had figured. I need to get out there and graph it, and will notice the "irregular" features around pt 16 and other area's. I guess I was correct in that the humps are not necessarily related to long gravel points, they can be just about anyplace in the lake unrelated to things and I certainly never realized there were so many in just that 1 area. WOW! So just running over an area, graphing it thoroughly, one can find these humps and wal-lah! I prefer to fish the area's between Shell Knob and Baxter and I cant wait to get on the water and put this info to use. Thanks for your informative reply! Dale

Bill, I have been following your info (and the info of others) on this board all summer and I must say, it has been an education to say the least. I have not had the time to get out on the water, but I have been working on the mapping aspect of things and having some trouble determining humps. In one of your maps, point 16, you show "H" for hump, yet to me this looks more like a long gravel point. To me, a hump is not related to anything such as a gravel point, saddle, etc, it would be kinda out in the middle of the lake with deep water all around it, such as an underwater island, rather than attached to a point? In my reading of posts I understand there are numerous humps from KimCity to Baxter yet I am not finding them on the maps, unless I am not clear on just what they would look like. So, can you further define what a hump might look like? Thanks for the superb job of daily reports and coverage the past few weeks. That info is priceless! Dale

John - I just seen this thread and am curious about the picture you have as a signature. I "think " I know 2 of them. Can you tell me if Charley Campbell and Gary Wilkerson are in that picture? Thanks, DJ

Filets!.......That is why the slabs are the better ones, because they are much easier to filet......get a 6" filet knife with as thin a blade as you can find....much easier this way and more enjoyable. Typically for my family, 25-30 fish will feed a family of 4 with some leftovers. I think they are just as good if not better than Walleye, certainly better than Crappie. DJ

I enjoy fishing for Bluegills also, especially those slabs. I have fished Table Rock and Stockton for these with my daughter since she was 4. She is 19 now and each year has asked when we are going bluegilling. I am not an expert on them, but will share what info I have. Bluegills, like largemouth, are of the same family. If you know this, you know that they both are ambush feeders and like shade. A bright sunny day seems to work best for me, and from June through late August they can be found around bridge pilings, shady bluffs, or docks. I use nightcrawlers, or worms, on a fairly small hook. The larger fish will be under the smaller ones and you may have to get the bait through the group of smaller fish to the bigger fish by using another split shot. The little guys are fast! It is neat when they run in circles bringing them up from 10-15'. I have had my best luck on Table Rock around docks. I have a friend who owns 3 large docks that run way out away from the bank, but usually the 1st 3-4 stalls will hold the better fish just under the floats. If you can get permission to get on the dock, like I do, you can walk around from stall to stall and have a mess of good-uns pretty fast! Hope this helps.DJ

Thanks Bill for the info.....I am new to this type of fishing, still working with it and trying to learn it....I have the X85 and am told it will work fine....can't wait to get out there and better learn this method. Once I get that warm feeling about it, I plan to upgrade graphs....thanks again! DJ

Just wondering if a person knew what the thermocline was (say 35') and if a person could take a 3/4oz football jig and fish a long gravel point such as point 19 in the 35' range and catch fish? Is this a typical pattern on Table Rock? It sure sounds like a simple approach, surely it is not this easy . Just trying to better understand these Table Rock bass and look forward to some discussion. Thanks! DJ

Man I never get tired of reading these reports and I cant wait to get on the water!....Bill - just to clarify on the adjustments of the graph, doesn't the chart speed need to be set at the highest level? Please keep the reports coming! DJ

Goat Island? I can't seem to locate this on the map....at least nothing that is marked as such....is this a local name or what?....trying to locate it on this topo and study the area a bit. Thanks!

Thanks for the info Don, and I look forward to Bill's info as well. Is there any chance Don and Bill can drop a few hints as to what I should do this weekend while fishing a small club tourney in the Big M and Shell Knob area? I ususally struggle badly on Table Rock and would certainly like to make a good showing this weekend. I know it is a great fishery, it just hasnt been very kind to me. Thanks again for the info! Take care!

Just curious if the recent rains has caused any boating hazards in the White River area, between Big M and Campbell pt area's. Has anyone been in these area's and know if there are floating logs, debris, etc that is hazardous? Thanks! Cpt_DJ