Lake Report

[Bill Babler]

Been on the Lake everyday since the WPT, and was on it for what seems like weeks before. I have been everywhere, except Cape Fair to point 11 on the upper james, but here is what I and some of my cronies are finding on the rest of the pond.

Cricket Creek to Point 5. Moss has really subsided on the entire lake, including this area. If you are in the right place, and early, there is a very good topwater bite early. 5:30 to 7 AM and even later if you get a little breeze and some sun cover. Topwater can either be in the large cove mouths, bluffends or against the bushes. The way I have been finding the bite, is to just look and see fish activity.

Most guides are reporting the drag bite to be decent from 5 to 15 ft. with mostly Jaw's and everyone is having a hard time winding in or finding the large K's.

I am catching way more LM and Jaw's than K's, fishing the main lake sections, and that for us guide types is a problem.

Some of the major coves and smaller pocket type flats are the best with either the grub, rig, or topwater in the above mentioned area. My 1/2 day trips in this area are averaging about a dozen fish.

Point 5 to point 11- Been on this stretch a bunch, and topwater has saved our bacon with fish on most of the flats chasing and also on the bluffends. Some really quality whites are mixed in for even better topwater action.

Rig bite and 3/8 football here are my down baits after the topwater maylay. I believe we are only a week or so away from the dropshot. Not to excited about that one.

No topwater bait is better than the other, as long as it is a mover and not a bubbler, like a chug-bug or yellow magic. They seem to want it moving. If you stop a spook, you will see fish pull off of it. Keep it coming and wham!.

Drag bite is a bit deeper here for me in the 16 to 22 ft. range, with mostly small LM and Jaws. Where are those K's???

15 to 20 fish in this area, seems to be pretty good for me.

Point 9 to 22 on the White, including Baxter, Shell KNob, and the mouth of the Kings river. Very good to outstanding top water bite located mostly in the cove mouths, and along shoreline bushes. Some K's, but way more Jaw's and some very nice LM. 5 fish this last week over 5 pounds came to clients, on the fin, with the best at 7.8.

Kind of a strange bite on top, with very nice LM and SM chasing in over 100 ft. of water in the cove mouths. Most of the K's seem to be 8 to 14 inch. All the LM we are catching have spawned and some of the Jaw's. IF we do catch a big Kantuck, she is full of eggs and has not done the deed. You never know, they may not. Only a percentage spawn. Hope it is a big bunch, but am just really confused about the kentuckies right now.

Grub swimming is perhaps the best best on the flats up the white with the boat in about 20, a full cast from the bank. Let it sink to the bottom and slow roll it back. Mostly Lm and SM.

20 to 30 fish here, if I have good fisherman willing to stand all day and fish hard for them. Be aggresive and keep the hook in them once you got-em. Have had lots of people slack off on these fish, and they will come unbuttoned in a New York Minute.

Point 22 to Holiday island includingViney Creek, Rock Creek, Owl, and Roaring River. Limited topwater bite at best, with just not a bunch of chasing.

The ones I am catching are very nice LM. Have litterly seen some huge fish and done a fair job of poking some of them. Still very slow on the K's in the Upper White river.

Jewell Football and Chomper 3/8 oz jigs are saving my days in this section, with not a ton of quanity, but really nice Lm quality. Flats with bushes and 45 degree type pockets with some chunk are the best for this approach. I am using PBJ and with either a Chomper or a yamato twin tail in watermellon candy.

20 fish seems to be all over me, but with some very quality bites.

Couple of tips on keeping your fish on. On the topwater, reel thru the bite and for cripes-sakes, don't jerk it. We lost at least 8 to 10 very nice stuck LM and Smallmouth this last week, by jerking the bait on an already hooked and bowed up fish. When you jerk that rod, after a fish is hooked you have just let it free.

Reel thru the grub bites and watch your rod tip as it bends toward the fish then, lift if heavy, keeping a tightline. Do not drop your tip and set a hook of a already hooked fish.

On the shaky head bite or the jig bite, do not go back and try and feel this fish once you have had a bite, just set the hook. If you go back and feel for it most times it will spit the bait.

Keep your rod in the proper attitude pointed at a 45 degree angle above where your bait has entered the water. A major mistake my clients make is to be dragging a bait sidway with the rod completely in front of them.

A bite is not always a bite. On the shaky head or jig right now, if I loose contact with the bait for even a split second, its a fish. Usually has picked it up and is moving toward you. Set the hook from the 45 degree angle, don't drop your rod tip to the water and them come up. It not only gives the fish time to spit the bait, but also results in lots of broken lines.

On a rig, the sweep set is always the best. Start with the rod in a dragging attitude only several inches off the water. Fish the rod from the mid-point of your body back toward the bait so you have room to sweep forward past your body. Common mistake is fishing the tip toward the front of the boat or forward, it should always be back at the best angle, usually at least a 45 degree to stearn. On the bite, sweep the rod forward maintaining a low rod tip until you have the fish established on the line, then go crazy.

Topwater line is 12 to 17 pound Maxi

Jig 12 to 15 pound Seugar

Shaky head either 8 pound Maxi or Seugar

Rig 8 pound Maxi both main and leader line

Grub swimming 6 pound Maxi, it will cast further than carbon and distance is more of a factor than feel.

[denjac]

Cool report. Am coming down in the morning.

[tapout]

Wow! You left no stone unturned. Thanks.

[bjovan]

Bill

Great report as always, We come down a week from tomorrow and I can not wait. Nine days on the rock!

[techo]

Great details as always. Hope to be out tomorrow. Thanks.

[Crappie5]

Bill, good to finally hear a report from you and really good to hear the top water bite report. Thanks for the detailed information as always.

Heard anything from SKMO he is usually tearing them up on the top right now.

[crazy4fishin]

Bill thanks for the fantastic report - I always enjoy reading what you ahve to say since I am only able to come down a couple of times a year.

Starting sunday I am going to spend a few days up on Lake Mozingo - outside Maryville Mo.....now I wish I could have talked the wife into driving a few more hours south. O well........

Thanks again

[Bill Babler]

Updated report for today out of Baxter.

Ran 10 guides on a William's Electric Corp. trip, out of Indian Hills resort at Baxter. This is one of the nicest resorts on the Rock, bar none.

Trip started late at 3 PM till a 7 PM cutoff. Over 100 fish to the guide boats, with probably 30 keepers, none over a very nice LM by Tim Paige at 4.5.

Even with High sky's Brian Snowden caught fish on a fin. Most of us however a rig or shaky head was the ticket in the under 12 ft. range.

My boat came in with 19 fish with 5 keeps, with big-em at 2.14. I believe Chris Tetrick had big bass by a client at 3 pounds with a very nice Jaw.

Hige blue skys and lots of wind made it a very tough afternoon.

Out there again tomorrow with the same group and a full day of cloudy weather and rain on the Rock. It might be a huge day.

Our 10 guides will blanket the point 9 to point 22 area and work it hard. Usually no more that 20 minutes per location and move and cream off the aggrestive fish. Lots of spots and lots of fish.

Right now for the most of us guiding everyday, it seems the first bites are the big bites and then it gets small. We are movers and shaker's right or wrong.

Good Luck out there.

[glennL]

Bill, thanks for the great information.. I'm new to TR and this site and you've done a great job promoting the lake and making us all better fisherman.

I've got a place in Emerald Beach and fish that area all the time. So if you see a blue and tan sylvan, say hello..

[rangerman]

Bill,

kentuckies on a split shot and centipede, watermelon with red flake. Has anyone noticed any kentuckies with large patches of fungus on them. A bunch were caught with this. These were caught around point 9. It wasn't damage/injuries from spawning neither. Hopefully not bad news for them.