Advice Is Greatly Appreciated...

[northern'r]

Been reading some of the posts on this forum, lots of great info and fun to follow some of the topics! We (brother-in-law, father-in-law, me) are planning a trip to Table Rock next week to get a jump start on our season. Where we are from even now you still have to drill a big hole in the ice, freeze your butt off, and sit and wait if you want to catch anything. We are staying up in the James River in Aunt's at Crest Lodge and would greatly appreciate any helpful advice or info anyone could provide. Every year we pick a different lake, hop in the truck and head south, this year it's Table Rock. Primarily looking for bass, but my father-in-law won't pass up the crappie if they are on. Any help on what to use, good spots to hit, creeks, cuts, points, areas with good structure, where to get a good map with all of the above, where to get a good meal, etc... Thanks!!

[Bill Babler]

Welcome, Can't beat Ma's right on down 13 from your turnoff. Just look for the locals there at breakfast and lunch. They open real early. Dana's BBQ is for sure a local hangout just back the other way, along with the 13-76 split past Country Mart is the best Chinese Buffet around. Harter House has the best meat in the Ozarks and it is just past Ma's on the other side of hwy 13.

You are in a short toss of Country Mart, Summer Fresh, and Harter House, along with Wal-Mart and Table Rock Bait and Tackle.

Can't help much on the crappie without a boat ride, up the James. I'm sure there are some hiding in Aunts. Bass fishing is just now starting to unlock and if you keep your eye on the fourm, you will pick up some great tidbits.

Check out Don House at Kimberling day before yesterday and my post from yesterday. Kimberling is just a good cast from your lodge. Aunts, the lower James and the main lake to Baxter is just days away form a major turn on and even now on the right day, Big fish will get all over your junk.

Stickbaits with long pauses, jigs in natural colors, warts up the James and we are reading about slow presentations with soft-plastics doing well in that area.

Table Rock Bait and Tackle is a full service tackle dealer in that area, you will drive past it on your right coming down 13. Only a couple of blocks from where you turn down to your resort. If they don't have it, you don't need it.

Good luck and keep a look out here for everyday lake info.

[techo]

There are lots of great fishing spots around Aunt's Creek. Look for the transition banks, humps and saddles. If you come out of Aunt's Creek and take a right.....you will end up by an island. Great fishing around that island right now.

A half day guide trip from one of the fellers would well be worth the money. Table Rock is a different kind of lake. The two Bill's or Don House would be good choices. Eric is on here and has a great reputation too. Well for fishing anyhow.

[northern'r]

Thanks Bill and Techo, appreciate the advice! Bill, will definately hit some of the spots you mentioned both on and off the lake, thanks for the info. Techo, yes we have found every year, every lake we end up on is quite different. They are different from each other and very different from the lakes up north. Presentations are different, techniques, patterns, all change. We have always ran into the most friendly people though, it's different down by you guys, lakes don't get hit so hard with short seasons, people are more open and friendly. However we did have a bad experience a couple years back on a different lake trying exactly what you said, following a local guide around for a morning. But I'll talk it over with the guys, we may want to try that again.

I am not sure who the second Bill is, but the Bill that replied on this topic, or Don? if you are on, feel free to email details on what would be involved in going out with you for a half day. We are coming down this Wednesday night and plan to be on the water all day Thursday thru Sunday. nlepak3@wi.rr.com

The topics on this forum are great, sounds like the lake is really starting to pick up! Sounds like there is some good fishing not far from where we're docking which is awesome! I am reading a lot about the section from Kimberling City to the Dam as Bill recommended. Are the conditions over towards Baxter relatively the same or is that section still slow? We'll probably run up the James River further from Aunt's too, I thought I read a few reports on the Cape Fair area, water pretty stained in that area?

Bill, you mentioned soft plastics, what specifically seems to be working well, finesse worms, lizards, brush hogs?

Thanks again guys...

[mclothier1]

Big fish will get all over your junk.

Thats signature material right there!

But to stay on topic... The guides on Table Rock are priceless. We come down every year for vacation and always had a hard time catching anything, until we hooked up with a guide for a couple half days to show us the proper methods and techniques. And I cant vouch for all of them, but the ones mentioned above will go above and beyond to help you find fish. This year I am hiring Don House for a couple more half days and cant wait!!

[techo]

Bill Beck is the other Bill.

[Bill Babler]

Norther'r by solf-plastics, here for the most part we use cendpides, fish dr's, or finess worms. Yes for sure baby bushhogs, and 4 to 6 inch lizards will work, usually later in the year when the fish are bedding or getting noisy about makin-babies, and establishing a home turf.

I fished Aunt's area yesterday, and the drag bite is starting to turn on if you have some wind. They are also on a shaky head and jig. Natural colors of cendpides and Dr's are going to be your best bet.

Best bets are wallermellon candy, green pumpkin, watermellon red for the James River arm and peanut butter and jelly is always good, and a lot of companies are coming out with this brown and purple flex pattern that works so well here. Chompers baits hula grubs are also always in vogue. Rootbeer, or watermellon Candy are fantastic, along with the pbandj.

Fish will still be on a suspending stickbait when you get here, and we catch big ole mama's on the stickbaits. Pointer 100's, Spro McSticks, and of course the custom painted rogues that we are famious for. Check out all these baits at Table Rock Bait and Tackle just up the hill from your digs.

Check out my guide trip from yesterday. Everything we did was is either rock throw distance from Aunts Creek, or a short flight in your bass getter.

Good Luck

[northern'r]

Thanks again to you guys and all the advice provided by everyone on this post. Great stuff, and can't wait to hit the road and come down for a few days. I won't have access to this site after 11am tomorrow. Any last words of advice, tips, conditions? Hope to maybe get a chance to say hello to some of you, look for the green Triton TR-21 up in Aunt's with a short guy, old guy, and the guy catching fish (hopefully me)...

[techo]

Wear a cap! Going to chill a bit. Hope to see you out there. Putting in at Aunt's Creek tomorrow and Mill on Friday and Saturday.

[WeekendWarrior]

You will not be disappointed with getting one of these guides. I took my father out with Bill Beck 2 years ago and we had 18 keepers that day. Another guy in our bass club has been out with Babler and said he was great as well. A group of the guides all talk with each other on the lake to keep up with the changes for the day if they start to struggle. Good luck with the fishing, this is a great fishing lake with all 3 species of bass to find.