4/1/09 Fishing Report

[focused fishing]

Kimberling City Area: Fish are on the move in the mid lake area, stickbaits and wiggle warts have been productive on windy points and transition areas, look or fish to be 3’ – 8’ deep. On calm days these same fish will eat a Jewel 5/16 oz. spider jig with a 4” Chomper jig trailer. Hold your boat 20’+ feet deep, make a long cast and drag the jig across the bottom, pay close attention to any rocks or wood you come in contact with as they will hold most of the fish. Swimming or Scrubbing a grub continues to be a good technique on windy pea gravel points, flats and pockets as does a shaky head worm on secondary points near spawning pockets.

James River: With the warm rain the spinnerbait bite should be turning on any day now, but right now the wiggle wart bite is still strong up the James River; brown craw, phantom green craw and watermelon are all good colors. Parallel the bank in 6’ – 10’ of water and try to run your crankbait into any piece off wood or other cover on the bank. On calm days a green pumpkin finesse worms on a shaky head is tough to beat on secondary points. A few big fish have shown up this past week on transition banks near spawning pockets, the best bait has been a Jewel Eakins or J-Lock jig in PB&J or Orange craw with a Jewel Jig trailer in green pumpkin.

White River: Jewel spider jigs and split shot rigs have come on strong over the past week look for the fish to be staging on chunk rock and mixed rock secondary points in the mouths of spawning coves. The fish seemed to be grouped up pretty good so if you catch one or two stay with it because the point will most likely hold several fish. As the water warms this pattern should become better with larger females moving in as well. The stickbait bite is still hanging on as well; work the bait a little faster than in the past few weeks. On windy days these fish have been very aggressive so detecting the bite is not a problem.

Dam Area: The grub bite continues to be strong in the Kimberling City area as well, on windy days 4” smoke or salt and pepper grubs are tough to beat, fish pea gravel points and flats. Much like the rest of the lake several fish are being caught on shaky heads and split shot rigs on secondary points in the mouths of spawning coves. Watermelon, watermelon / red and green pumpkin are the best colors right now. Like up the White River, the jerkbait bit continues to hang on, look for the fish to be very aggressive on windy days.

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[Trolling For Walleye]

When you say the "White River" Area, what area are you referring to?

are you talking about past point 22 towards viney creek and eagle rock?

What area best describes the Shell Knob area to you?

[Bill Babler]

White River area is classified usually at point 9 to Beaver Dam.

Shell Knob, is Shell Knob. Point 19 to Cedar Creek would cover the Knob, pretty much.

Make the bend up past Cedar at Emerald Beach and you get into what the locals call the Big M area of the White, Probably up to Owl Creek, and then from there up to the State Line would be called Eagle Rock, and from there on up Deliverence. Just Kidding RPS.

Whole she-bang up there is called the White for the most part, Hope this helps.

[rps]

Bill exaggerates. Everyone knows you can't hear the banjo music until you are above the 62 bridge.