Wiggle Warts

[Jason Essary]

Got a question for all the experienced fisherman on tablerock. Ive fish the rock my whole life and have fished a wart a little, with some success. Ive always heard of the wonderful wart bite in the spring and have never run into it. was wondering if yall would like to let out some of the specifics that make the bite come on. Water temps, depth, what area on the water, time of day, water clarity, and anything else someone might find useful. Past fishing trips are even great. ok, let the replys rip. Maybe it will warm me up and keep me thinking bout fishing instead of freezing this week.

Looking forward to 50 degree water like everyone else.....

[Trav]

I only fish Table Rock an accumlitive of maybe a few weeks a year so my thoughts of the lake are constrained in experiance but over a few decades it can show as an example.

I have had modest results with the wiggle wart and personally have found certain patterns in wich a wart is most productive.

They tend to be best used when it is windy on sunny days on the shady parts of the shoreline.

Timber, gravel,docks, or rock doesnt seem to be particularly a factor. They all equally produce.

The color of the wart doesnt seem to be important either. Craw colors are the predominant selection but I have caught them off shad colors just as well. And with the red tiger color (do they even make them anymore?) I have done really well when there is a little stain in the water.

[JoeSki]

I found this video when I was doing some research for my upcoming trip. Hope it helps.

[focused fishing]

Water temps 45 - 55 degrees, open (no docks blocking your path) 45 degree chunk rock or channel swing banks. Put your boat in 6' - 10' of water and parallel the bank. You want the wart to be "chewing up" the bottom throughout the retreive. Dirty / stained water is usually more productive and wind helps. the best areas tend to be in the bigger creek arms and up the rivers. Color of the bait is pretty simple; brown crawdad and firetiger in the dirtiest water, green crawdad, phantom green and phantom brown in the clear or stained water.

Hope this helps,

EP

[Jason Essary]

That helps alot. thanks focused. thought id get alot more response then i have. I live at the back end of Little Indian Creek, between dd and talking rocks rd. is Little indian and big indian a good choice in the bigger creek arms u advised??

[jim m]

focused hit the nail on the head, and remember. crank it slow, real slow and when the rod loads up holler get the net.

[focused fishing]

Coyote,

That wouldn't be my first choice but I have caught a few on the swings toward the back of big indian, the water is usually a little too clear to be really effective. The best locations on the lower end of the lake would be up Long Creek around Cricket Creek. Don't get me wrong, you can catch a few in the creeks on the lower end; big & little indian, big cedar, jakes branch, beardsley, spring branch, etc.., but your not going to experience the best wiggle wart action the lake has to offer. If your limited to the clear water of the lower end your best bet is to fish on banks being "crushed" by the wind. Once the water warms a little I will be seeking out the wiggle wart bite and will post the best areas on my reports. Good Luck.

EP

[DeadHead]

Coyote,

That wouldn't be my first choice but I have caught a few on the swings toward the back of big indian, the water is usually a little too clear to be really effective. The best locations on the lower end of the lake would be up Long Creek around Cricket Creek. Don't get me wrong, you can catch a few in the creeks on the lower end; big & little indian, big cedar, jakes branch, beardsley, spring branch, etc.., but your not going to experience the best wiggle wart action the lake has to offer. If your limited to the clear water of the lower end your best bet is to fish on banks being "crushed" by the wind. Once the water warms a little I will be seeking out the wiggle wart bite and will post the best areas on my reports. Good Luck.

EP

Thanks Focused...

[lakrat]

here's a little secret tip. throw the wart on a 7' med. action spining rod, 8 # line . you get really long casts and a whole lot of fun when you hook one on those windy banks. dont tell anyone tho.LOL

[Bill Babler]

The wart bite, always seems to fall between the stickbait and the soft-plastic bite. If I can catch them on anything other than a wart, I'm going to do it.

Just like Eric mentioned you are not in the wart mecca, however with some wind, a good wart bite can be found in the coves between your location and point 5 if a healthy wind is zipping in on them. I have caught some good SJaws there on a wart. Also try the coves around point 1, there is a possible maybe there, under the right conditions.

There is a much better bite up the White River, Kings River, Long Creek and the James in wart season. Even though the White can be as clear as it is at the dam, for some reason, they will munch it a whole lot better up there. Lots of chunk rock shady banks.

My problem with the wart is I would rather catch 1 fish on a stickbait than a 1/2 dozen on a wart. Throwing and winding, give me a backache. Usually if you can catch them on the wart, a jig, shaky head or splitshot rig will do the same with 1/2 the effort.

Boy I'm Lazy. Good Luck