Table Rock Fishing Report

[Don House]

Fishing report for 3/21/2006

By Captain Don House of Chauffeured Guide Service

WHITE BASS

James River Area:

White bass are really starting to bite right now. All fish are being caught on crankbaits and swimming minnows. Most of the fish I seen were in the main channels and on the flats in water from 5 to 20 feet. Crankbaits used are the Rapala Shad Raps the best seems to be the suspending models (SSR5 in Shad colors and Silver). Also slow roll a swimming minnow in colors of silver shad and smoke with silver flakes and let this bounce off the bottom for the best results.

CRAPPIE

Long Creek Area:

Crappies are moving in and out of the shallows on a daily basis. Most of my fish are coming from the 12 foot to 20 foot range. Try swimming twin jigs tipped with Berkley power nibblets (White, Chartreuse or Orange) or vertical jigging the big trees in the channels and along the channel swings and just past the Marina. The best color still seems to be yellow and white or all white with sliver tips with small 1/16 or 1/32 once jigs. State Line to Cricket creek marina and into Cricket Creek and Yokum Creek are where most of the fish have been caught.

James River Area:

Crappies are holding on the flats up past Flat Creek and also in the bluff from Bridgeport to the upper ends of the James River right on the banks of the bluffs and around the 10 to 16 feet range in the flats. Swimming jigs has produced the best in this area with small 1/16 once jigs or 1/8 ounce or heavier in the wind, but we found a double jig setup with Berkley power nibblets (White, Orange or Chartreuse) is working the best. Colors change everyday but yellow and white, blue and white, chrome and white still seemed to be the best. Good limits are coming out of this area but are still on a day to day basis.

White River Area:

Reports show that a very good crappie bite is going on down there past viola on the muddy flats and in the trees on the bluffs. Some are shallow and some are deep, just start on the flats and start searching. But once you find them it seems everyone has there limit with no problems. Colors I was told are White, White and Sliver, White and Yellow.

SPOONBILL

James River:

Spoonbill season is here and came in with a bang!! MCD told me that it was the largest harvest in history on opening day. We had fish everyday this week in the 30 to 80 pound range! Most of these fish came from the James River Arm from the Cape Fair to Virgin Bluff and from Bridgeport area to Flat Creek. My best luck came from Point 15 at Flat Creek on the flats points were the river channel meets and on the bluffs just before and after Flat Creek. Just look for all of the boats and you know you are in the right area. Trolling seems to work best with 3 hooks and a 4 – 8 ounce weight. Just remember when you get one of these guys on do not give them any slack in the line; they will roll off every time.

BASS

Long Creek Area:

Bass have been holding on the bluffs and channel swings through out the winter. While the water is still in the Mid 40"s there is a stick bait bite going on with some color's like blue back and chrome side with a orange belly worked the best with cloud's and black back chrome sides and a orange belly for clear day's. The fish I caught wanted a fast steady jerk the day I was up there last week, but most reports are a slow 30 second pause try both until you find what the fish want. Fish the stick baits in the deeper trees and bluff ends or channel swings midway back in the creeks or a try small brown / purple flash or green pumpkin and brown jig with a craw in the same areas or around brush piles. With all of the new rain these last few weeks hopefully fishing will pickup in this area. Also there are a lot of fish being caught on secondary points with crankbaits in shad and crawdad colors. Wiggle warts are really coming to life right now also in the same areas with the brown and green colors.

Kimberling City to DAM area:

Fishing in this area is slow and tuff at best. The best bite I have found is on windy days with a swimming grub on the bluff ends and midway back in the creek channel bends. Use a 3/8 ounce jig with a 3” smoke or sliver flash grub with a very slow retrieve. Reports show the crankbait fish are coming to life also in this area so give it a try, slow presentation seems to work the best. Also it’s a good time to start using the spilt shot rigs and drag them along the bottom, most fish I have been marking are on the bottom or right off of it. Use a Zoom trick worm in watermelon with red flakes, watermelon with cotton candy flakes or watermelon pepper. Slow dragging of these types of baits will produce in time. Also try using spoons ½ ounce and ¾ ounce when you find schools of shad with slow easy jerks just below the shad or drop shot the same areas with small 4” ROBO worms in bluegill green or oxblood brown color.

James River area:

The James is a little bit warmer (mid 50’s) than the rest of the river areas but is much shallower this water will warm up much faster. Look for windy flat banks with mixed small rock banks; also don’t forget the plain do nothing looking flat banks fish seems to be moving up on these to feeding on shad. In the Channel swings and Bluffs swings I would go back to the Storm WiggleWarts in Green and Brown or all good crawdad colors fish these slow and parallel to the banks and hard wood trees. Also try stickbaits in the color patterns of Silver and Black and Blue and Silver with a orange belly with easy jerks and long 30 second pauses. Also try small jigs in brown / purple flash or green pumpkin and brown with a craw around pole timber and brush piles with a very slow. This area the water is starting to rise but still be careful. The Cape Fair walk way was under water by about a foot or two until it was moved out of the water just a few days ago. There are still a lot of big trees just under the water in the creek arms and channels swings of the river, go slow and watch for trees just barely exposed.

** Baxter, Camel Point, Shell Knob Area:

Reports are that is area is really turning on for black and spotted bass. The hot bait right now is the Storm Wiggle Warts in crawdad colors fished in the channel pockets and creek arms in the range of 12 – 20 feet. One report from some tournament anglers talked about a 50 fish day on Saturday in the Center City Marine (Children’s Miracle Network Tournament.) It took 16 pounds to make 17th place!! Sound like the lake is turning on!

Good Fishing Everyone

[Phil Lilley]

Photoshop works wonders with fish pics... you can make them as big as you like.

Thanks for the report, Don!!!

[Don House]

I need to get that the trout pic's, just can't seem to get any big ones!!

[Phil Lilley]

You got to get over here more, Don. But you know, Babler hasn't caught one over 3 pounds in his life

[WebFreeman]

Fishing report for 3/21/2006

By Captain Don House of Chauffeured Guide Service

James River area:

The James is a little bit warmer (mid 50’s) than the rest of the river areas but is much shallower this water will warm up much faster. Look for windy flat banks with mixed small rock banks; also don’t forget the plain do nothing looking flat banks fish seems to be moving up on these to feeding on shad. In the Channel swings and Bluffs swings I would go back to the Storm WiggleWarts in Green and Brown or all good crawdad colors fish these slow and parallel to the banks and hard wood trees. Also try stickbaits in the color patterns of Silver and Black and Blue and Silver with a orange belly with easy jerks and long 30 second pauses. Also try small jigs in brown / purple flash or green pumpkin and brown with a craw around pole timber and brush piles with a very slow. This area the water is starting to rise but still be careful. The Cape Fair walk way was under water by about a foot or two until it was moved out of the water just a few days ago. There are still a lot of big trees just under the water in the creek arms and channels swings of the river, go slow and watch for trees just barely exposed.

What do you is different about the wiggle wart than other crankbaits? Seems like that's the only crankbait I ever read about on Table Rock. Is it that different than the other brands or is it just tradition?

[Don House]

WebFreeman, Yes it is different, they have a very wide wobble (A side to side wobble) to them and they are small in size (like the crawdads in the lake right now) and that really attracts these fish and allows them to zero in on it even in dirty water.

When you slow crank this guy back to the boat you will feel a throbbing feeling from your rod tip, that is the wart moving side to side in the water.

And really best thing is because the crawdad is one of there favortie foods this time of year it makes a easy choice for you to use. So just crank slow and hang on!!!

Hope that makes sense to you.. Good Fishing

Lilley, hopefully this year I will get over there a little more, Rick is working on a New G3 jet boat for us just for Taneycomo. These big wallie boats are, well let's just say it is a white knuckle ride up the river!!

Stay Warm and good fishing

[petertherock]

WebFreeman,

Listen to Don, stick with the Wiggle Wart in his suggested patterns. It's a great crankbait on the Rock. It's like fly fishing for trout: MATCH THE HATCH! Same goes here MATCH THE BAIT!. Don I appreciate your report; glad to here the whites are just now starting to rock'n'roll as I will be down the week after next. I'm bringing three native guys from out here in PA/WV, it will be there first time ever on the Rock. We will be primarily bass fishing but it's good to know what the options are. So keep the good reports coming! In fact after this reply I've got to go back and read a couple of things you said! Thanks, good fishing!

petertherock

P.S. lilley's right, think of the rumor one could start by using Photoshop to make the bass in one's pictures appear to be Peacock Bass. Peacock on the Rock! HA!