Today Fishing Report

[Bill Babler]

Well I believe that yellow/white spot in the sky, might be the sun, however it has been so long since I saw it last I'm not for sure.

Table Rock was still on the rise yesterday and seems to have crested from our last rain, at 927.97 about a 4 in. rise yesterday.

Beaver lake is just flat pumping and dumping water to try and keep things in order down there.

Fishing reports starting at Holiday Island Arkansas on the White River section of the rock are, extremely clear moving water, with very tough fishing conditions, due to the shoreline being so far from reach. Identifiable shoreline is not to be found much of anywhere. Water temps in the 49 to 51 degree range. Try throwing natural color stickbaits in cuts, vertical bluffs and bluff ends.

Kings River 86 Hwy bridge to James River. Extremely muddy. Jigs and spinnerbaits in the flooded bushes. If you can find clear water in the back of the pockets, try shakey head presentations, along with stickbaits.

James River is from what I am hearing still extremely muddy. Have heard of some fish being caught in the bushes on spinnerbaits. Temps 52 to 54

Kimberling area, extremely muddy, clearing in the back of some of the pockets. Use dirty water presentations.

Dam area, maybe a bright spot. Major creek arms and coves with some limited clearing. Football Jigs in PBJ are catching nice keepers in 22 to 26 ft. of water. Suspending stickbaits in chartruse are also working in these clearing situations. Caution, on the stickbait, and jigs, move them extremely slowly, with as much as a 20 second still period in the stickbait. If your bait will slowly sink, all the better. 52 to 54 degree water temps.

Tim Paige was catchin them pretty good on the bait but his clients tended to want to move it to quickly. He told them time and time again to let it sit. They just cound not.

Cast the bait out, jerk it in rapid succession, about 6 jerks, and let it alone. Twitch it about 3 twitches without moving it to the boat, and let it alone. Twitch it again, turing its head from side to side and let it alone. I just described a two minute secquence.

Long range forcast is 5 to 7 inches of rain for the area starting on Wednesday, seems max. drop in lake level is about 4 to 7 inches per day if the water is not rising or Beaver is not unloading. Probably will remain above 925 as long as Beaver is dumping.

Fishing is going to start getting better on warmer water reguardless. Grub swimming may be the key, plan to start in soon, a good search bait. Good Luck

[captmac]

Bill, Thanks for the heads up. I am fishing the Heaartland team derby next Saturday and again later in the month and rely a lot on info gathered here as a place to begin, keep up the excellent information you and the other posters provide

capt mac