Table Rock Crappie - Indian Point area

[likuid]

Hi Everyone,

A friend and I are making our first trip to Table Rock Lake staying on Indian Point. We usually go to Kentucky Lake for Crappie at this time, but have a almost free place to stay this year.

Is the crappie fishing worth it on Table Rock? We are used

to Kentucky lake and its quantity of Crappie. Should we trailer to another

lake for bigger slabs?

Any recommendations for decent catch's on Table Rock?

We will be coming down April 8-16th.

Thanks!!

Likuid

(tom)

[SKMO]

Is the crappie fishing worth it on Table Rock? We are used

to Kentucky lake and its quantity of Crappie. Should we trailer to another

lake for bigger slabs? Any recommendations for decent catch's on Table Rock?

Crappie is definitely "worth it" in my opinion. You are probably coming at the peak time to catch fish from both spawning banks and staging timber. Minnow dunkers and jig tossers do equally well. It's such a large and diverse lake that spawning and fishing activity can vary a lot from one end to the other, Indian Point area is one of the last parts of the lake to warm up. Right now the upper larger arms are best but by April crappie can be caught in just about any part of the lake.

Am puzzled how to answer the rest of your question about trailering to another lake. If you want bigger slabs than KY Lake you are probably out of luck. If you wants bigger slabs than TR you are obviously going to have to go elsewhere but I am not sure where you could go within commuting distance and have better fishing. Not sure what quality of fish you are looking for but with a 10" length limit we have plenty of fish over that size. Average bags I end up with have most or all over 11, with half over 12 and a few pushing 14. Good bags are better sized, fair bags you'll have to measure a few fish. 15-16" fish are seen fairly regularly but not usually in great numbers.

Recommendations would be to watch this board, and when you get here talk w/other crappie fishermen and watch what others are doing, should be able to get on em quick. Early April the fish are biting, turkeys gobbling, sun (usually) shining, dogwoods in bloom and the mushrooms popping up... if you find a better place to be within driving distance of Indian Point please let me know, I thought that this was as good as it got!

[Fishin' Freak]

Early April the fish are biting, turkeys gobbling, sun (usually) shining, dogwoods in bloom and the mushrooms popping up... if you find a better place to be within driving distance of Indian Point please let me know, I thought that this was as good as it got!

Amen SKMO--That is exactly why I moved to this area!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bill Babler]

Boys, I agree with you to some extent, but have fished both lake Barclay and Kentucky Lake during the same period and if he is looking for that kind of size and quality action on TR, it ANINT GONNA HAPPEN. We have had a tremendious resurgance in our crappie in the last 3yrs. but it is still not the type or kind of fishing that other bodies of water even in our region have. According to lake shocking studies up until about 3yrs. ago TR had the lowest number of crappie per acre of any of the major Mo. impoundments. Haven't talked to willie anderson in a while but I bet the numbers in the last couple of years have came up dramaticly. If he is staying at the point and wants to see water a little more similar to the southern lakes I would tralier to either viola or to cape fair. The virgin bluff area has just been outstanding the last couple of years at that time frame. Also in and around the mouth of flat creek. Another real good area is the Big and Little Indian in the Baxter area, This area is known for really nice crappie and the whites are usually in there around that time. There are a group of guys that stay at shell knob during the first week of april and fish that baxter area and the strings of crappie they bring out are fantastic. I have spoken to them over the years and most of their fish, even at that time of year come in the 15 to 20 ft. range around cedars. They are not bank fishermen. They say the clarity of the water is a real factor. They seem to think the crappie hang about 3 to 5 ft. under the visibility line in most instances. I'm not going to argue with them as they are the best i have seen on TR. I do know they catch most of their fish on maribou jigs in the 16th to 32nd. oz size. They use no tube jigs or soft plastics and for the most part fish up and down, even at that time of year. May or may not help.

[SKMO]

Boys, I agree with you to some extent, but have fished both lake Barclay and Kentucky Lake during the same period and if he is looking for that kind of size and quality action on TR, it ANINT GONNA HAPPEN.

I grew up fishing Barkley/KY lakes when I was growing up in Southern Illinois and know how good they are for crappie. Which is why I suggested if he was wanting to catch larger crappie than Ky Lake he was "probably out of luck'.

I guess I should have said "Definitely out of luck" or "SOL"

[petertherock]

Right On Bill,

Once again, good information. The way those guys fish Baxter Lampe is very similar to Harry Smith's method up on the James River Arm around Cape Fair! Harry has been one of the best crappie fisherman on the Rock I know, I just don't know if he is still living? It's been 5 years since I moved away.

petertherock

[Don House]

Hey, Guys.. Let's don't forget the long creek area around that time frame.. Last year in April we had many limits in the brushy creek area, and to boot they were much bigger fish then up the James..

Just go past the dam and under the 86 Hwy bridge and go straight past long creek marina to the right and you are in brushy creek. Start on the first point swim 1/8 ounce jigs in Blue and white, Yellow and White or Cotton Candy tubes you will get bit!!

Good Fishing

[Wayne SW/MO]

I don't believe you pass the marina Don.

Jakes creek can be decent early in the season, fish the wood. Jakes is on the East side of Indian Point.

[likuid]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for all the good information!! A little over 3 weeks and we will be down fishing. I cannot wait to get away from work and spend a week in the boat!

Thanks!

Likuid

(Tom)

[markg]

I will be down there in a week....keep the reports comng. We fish the long creek area.