James Area Today

[Tom Spence]

Fished the James from Cape Fair marina to Piney Creek. Didn't get on the water till about 1PM cause I had to take the truck to the shop. I hadn't been on Table Rock in a month and couldn't believe how much the water had cooled off. Started off points with FB jig and Carolina Rig. Had a couple bites but nothing was really happening. When I saw bait fish on the graph I dropped a spoon and caught some short spots. Also worked the spoon in deep (30+) dock stalls. More shorts but one keeper spot. About 3PM I finally made myself go to the bank and start flipping buck brush and laydowns around Carney Hollow. PB+J flipping jig with Paca Chunk. Caught three keeper LM in four to six feet and several shorts. There was some boat traffic and the waves were beating the bank making a really definate mud line. The ones I caught were on the edge of the mud line and out from the bushes a little. Tried a square bill when I had wind and they hit it now and then but weren't hooking up. Like Capt Don said, you really had to watch your line with the jig. I wasn't feeling the bite at all, they just picked it up and ran. Kind of wishing I'd ran up Flat Creek now but maybe next week. Not sure how much I'll get out till the Heartland kick off. I'm trying to sell my boat and am about afraid to take it out for fear of breaking something.

[Doug Weston]

what are the details on the boat? if you don't want to post it here, send a pm please?

[Guest kevinkirk]

Does anyone fish for anything other than bass on table rock. and if so, what and where. There has to be whites and stripers in there? School me?

[Tom Spence]

Does anyone fish for anything other than bass on table rock. and if so, what and where. There has to be whites and stripers in there? School me?

I've always been told the white bass fishing is good on Table Rock. Though I don't fish for them on purpose and dont know much about it. I know in the Spring I get into them from Kimberling to the dam on grubs and topwater. The James is supposed to be very good for whites. I saw people trolling for them yesterday

[Tom Spence]

what are the details on the boat? if you don't want to post it here, send a pm please?

Doug I sent u a message with details on the boat. I had posted it in the boat review section and I have it listed on boat trader.com. I have a flyer up and Center City Marine and Fin and Feather too, but I dropped the price thats on those to try to move it. I need to get it sold so I can get my new one ordered.

[techo]

I was up by Flat Creek today. Saw a guy lose his lower unit on the old bridge up there. I almost puked when I saw it. A motor is not supposed to look like that! He quit making waves with his big ski boat after that though. My little Skeeter got him back to the ramp. You are not going to believe this, but the fish were hitting top water. I spoke with another guy who said he throws spinner all year around up there. Go past the 173 bridge and past the trees.

We didn't fish much as we were at a lake barbecue for the Mrs. work.

[getfished]

I was up by Flat Creek today. Saw a guy lose his lower unit on the old bridge up there. I almost puked when I saw it. A motor is not supposed to look like that! He quit making waves with his big ski boat after that though. My little Skeeter got him back to the ramp. You are not going to believe this, but the fish were hitting top water. I spoke with another guy who said he throws spinner all year around up there. Go past the 173 bridge and past the trees.

We didn't fish much as we were at a lake barbecue for the Mrs. work.

techo is that old bridge just directly below the 173 bridge ? And is 173 bridge the first one you come to after you get up in Flat Creek? Seems like I remember something there.

GETFISHED !!!

[techo]

That is the bridge. You can see part of it now. I think there is a piling that stick out farther than the visible bridge. The lake seems to be almost back to normal levels.

[Troy Gregg]

Are there stripers in Table Rock. If so, where are they mostly ?

I don't think there is any high number of stripers in the lake, some may have washed over from beaver, but the numbers are not there... I would think their numbers to be about the same as the rainbow trout in the lake. The rainbows that are in there are chunks from what I have read/heard. I personally have yet to catch my first table rock rainbow.

Maybe some of the guides can elaborate a little better.

[rps]

Troy

Up here at Holiday Island they are not uncommon, especially in the Spring. They drift down and feed while the lake is cooler. I catch several every year, usually on jerk baits or slow moving cranks. Once they change from silver bullet stockers to highly colored real fish, they taste like salmon. Although I rarely go upriver to hunt for them (once every three years?) I always buy a trout stamp in case I am stopped with one in my ice box.

Any stripers in TR are refugees from Beaver. They all think they are in heaven and feed heavily on the silver bullets I was talking about.