7/10/08 Fishing Report

[focused fishing]

Kimberling City Area: What a great year on Table Rock, I can’t remember the last time we were able to catch fish all over the lake this shallow in July. The best bite early has been on a Jewel football or Pro Spider jig in green pumpkin / green flash with a green pumpkin Chompers jig trailer. Work the bait slowly along the bottom from 18’ – 25’ on gravel and mixed gravel / rock points. A shaky head is a great option on these points as well, green pumpkin or watermelon / candy 4” or 6” finesse worms on a ¼ oz. have been the ticket. Once the sun comes up it is time to move out to deeper water, these same points will produce fish 35’ – 45’ deep on a drop shot rig with either a Chompers brown / purple drop shot worm or a Robo Worm MMIII. Key on points that have a channel swing close by or right against the point most of the fish will hold tight to the point but if you loose the fish move out into the swing and most likely they are suspending over deep water.

James River: The James River is producing good catches of fish on a several different patterns right now; Football and Pro Spider Jigs, Carolina rigged lizards, brush hogs and trick worms, deep crankbaits and even a few fish being taken on shallow crankbaits. Much like the mid-lake area Jewel Football and Pro Spider jigs will produce on gravel and mixed gravel / rock points near deep water on both the main lake and in major creek arms. PB&J, brown / purple flash and Missouri craw jigs with green pumpkin Chompers jig trailers worked slowly along the bottom 15’ – 25’ deep will produce numbers and some surprising quality. Carolina rigs are working in these same areas; drag the bait on the bottom paying close attention whenever the sinker drops off a ledge or into a ditch. DD-22’s, DT-16’s and Junior D crankbaits are all working well on ledges, rock piles and humps throughout the James. In the back of major creek arms a number of fish are being taken on shallow crankbaits; square bills, R.C. 1.5 and 2.5, Fat Boys etc. are effective around flooded laydowns where shad are present; make multiple casts to the cover from a variety of angles to be effective.

White River: The White River is just plain fun right now; it is almost a “how do you want to fish today” scenario. Do you want to fish deep? Drop shot rigs are working on off shore humps, the ends of points and the deep side of points from Baxter to Shell Knob. You wanna fish a jig or a Carolina rig? PB&J or green pumpkin / green flash Jewel football and Pro Spider jigs or Carolina rigged lizards and brush hogs are working on gravel and mixed gravel / rock points from 18’ – 25’ deep from point 9 on up. You flip and pitch? The Kings River has some great flipping action on Eakins jigs and Ultra Tubes in flooded brush and debris on the ends of points and bluff ends. Shallow crankbait? Head to the back of major creek arms and throw a square bill around laydowns and flooded brush. Topwater? There is a short lived buzzbait bite early and late in the backs of creeks and shallow pockets in the Kings or above Big M. Pretty amazing fishery in the white river this past week.

Dam / Branson Area: The lower end of the lake is very productive right now as well. Much like the mid-lake are early and late the football and Pro Spider jig bite is hard to beat. A good mix of smallmouth and spots can be caught from 20’ – 35’ deep on pea gravel and mixed rock and gravel points from daybreak until around 9:30 and again from around 7:00 until dusk. Shaky heads will work these times as well it is just a little more difficult to fish a light head that deep. Once the sun gets high the deep bite really turns on with Chompers drop shot worms and Robo Worm MMIII worms taking center stage fished from 25’ – 50’ deep on the ends of points, drops on the deep sides of points and bluff ends or channel swings. A few fish have begun to be caught on spoons in and around the tree tops as well, they are not positioned in the trees, more on top of the trees so a vertical presentation is almost impossible without spooking the fish. Cast the spoon out, allow it to fall to about 20’ and start ripping and pausing it over the tree tops to get bit.

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[rps]

Thank you for the complete report. I respect and I am grateful for the time that you, Don, and Bill spend every week to make so much information public.

[Troy Gregg]

Thank you for the complete report. I respect and I am grateful for the time that you, Don, and Bill spend every week to make so much information public.

Thank all of you guys for what you do, now hopefully I can get out sometime this week and put all this information to use . I havn't been out on the water for a couple of weeks now, kinda getting a really really bad itch.