Beardsley Branch Update

[Bill Babler]

Beardsley Branch Report for Brett 2-23-06

About 60 degrees today with a nice Southerly Breeze. Good fish chop on the water.

Brett, I hit Beardsley starting about 1pm today after the honeydews were completed. Don’t know what I’m saying, they are never done. Wanted to stir you up a couple of spots. I fished the main channel bank going in on the left thru the docks and standing pole timber. It had a great breeze on it. No Luck. Fished the left transition bank coming in No Luck. Fished the right side dock bank and interior point, these are my favorites a little later. No Luck. I was fishing a suspending rogue and a X-Rap. Fished about an hour and a half in the cove. Water temp 46.9 slightly overcast with sun peeking thru sometime. Should have been good.

Went to the main lake and fished the cedars on high dive bluff end and my first cast caught a short KY. Started on the bluff ends all the way up to Brushy just past the concrete fortress on the south side of the bridge. Caught fish on every bluff end with a nice KY on the X-Rap under the fortress. Don’t know why but I stopped again at high dive and for some reason caught a nice keeper KY from the same cedar that I caught the short earlier. There are so many places to fish, I rarely do that. A good friend had been fishing Lake O last week and he said If you find a location with fish, hit it time and time again. Seems to work right now on the rock also.

Went back up and to the east side and fished the bluff end before State Park marina. Caught several shorts on this bluff end, all out of trees. Stopped at the bluff end just before Clevenger, and caught another nice keeper KY. 13 fish with 3 nice keepers, all the fish were KY’s. Main lake was 44.9 degrees a couple of degrees cooler than Beardsley. This is completely different than fishing the White River, out of Shell Knob. The fish up there are on transition banks and are mainly Largemouth. Everything I caught, was a Spot on this end.

Used several stickbaits, the best being the white X bait and the next was a purple transparent Tim Hughes Spending rogue. Also caught fish on a modified Buster Loving suspending rogue in clown. Used 10 lb. Pline and moved the bait pretty slowly in the trees. Saw lots of dying shad and they kind of tell you how to move the bait. A couple or snaps and let it sit for a couple of seconds and wiggle it again.. The water is very clear and was able to see the bass take the bait several times. Also saw a couple of refusal flashes, at least it had their interest. Hope this helps.

Couple of Pictures of the KY’s included. Good Luck

Bill Babler, Whiteriver Outfitters Guide Service

www.whiteriverlodgebb.com

[Metalhead]

You mention that you noticed some dying shad. Do you know the reason the shad are dying. Ive also heard that the dying shad come through the generators at the dam and the trout in Taneycomo will start hiting white and silver baits. Know anything about that.

[Bobby M.]

I am pretty sure it is just the cold water temperatures that cause the shad to die.

[Bill Babler]

Bobby M. is right. Water temperature is the main factor this time of year in shad die off. Don't get your hopes up for any coming thru the turbines however as there dosen't even seem to be any water coming thru at this time. When surface temps hit the mid. to low 40's, It kills shad. We had a really cool weekend, but it's about 70 today and they are calling for 70's next week. COLD weather is probably over. It's getting pretty late for subzero weather and that is what it would take to cool the lake to the temp range that we would have a shad kill coming thru, at this time of year. We have had a very moderate winter and these windy days will really warm Table Rock. I'm guessing surface temp would have to be near or under 40 to get the kind or results that you would want on taney. However, it just takes a few coming thru the peek their interest. We can always hope. The few I saw 4, were all in the Big Cedar area of the lake and were on the main lake. The Coves seem to be a couple of degrees warmer than the main lake. When it's right, you can see them by the thousands. Haven't seen that yet. Good Luck.

[Metalhead]

Thanks for the reply. I went out on taneycomo anyway today and caught several nice keeper bows (12" to 14") dragging a black/silver Rapala, boy is my brother inlaw going to be jealous when I rub it in to him tomorrow.