Fish Report

[Chris Tetrick]

July 1, 2009

Lake Level: 916.7

Normal Pool:915.0|

Water Temp:75-82 degrees

Kimberling City-Dam Area-

Been a great top water bite going on early, very early. Fish are here and there surfacing on top chasing shad. If you're on the lucky spot in the mornings you get to on them. Seems like I always get to be about a few yards too away. Look for the surfacing fish on bluff ends or the back ends of pockets. The bottom bite has been great though early in the mornings. 3/8 to 1/2 ounce football jigs in P.B.&Jelly tipped with a green pumpkin twin tail. A carolina rigged centepeide, doctor or baby brush hog drug along the main lakes gravel can pick up quit a few K.Y.'s and Smallmouth in the mornings before the sun shines out. Look for fish moving out later in the day out to depths s of 30-40'. Surface Temps has been heating up lately pushing fish deeper later in the day. Try shop-dropping them little 4'' worms in plum, brown/puple, or watermelon/red above them to get a bite. Fish are also suspending the same depths out of deep trees on bluff ends and some deep boat docks.

White River-

Look for a top water bite going early like on the main lake on the same places of the mid White or James. Deep fish in the day are going strong in the White from Baxter to Eagle Rock in the daylight hours. Fish are 25-40' deep on some of the long gravel points on bottom or suspending out over deeper water on some points and bluff ends with deep trees along channel swings. Use drop shots in worms 4" 5" in plum colors, green pumpkin and watermelon/candy.

James River-

Fish are still coming up on top water early. Zara spooks, Sammy's and Red-Fins are working well. Deep diving crainkbaits wound down and paused. Later back out and look for fish on some long gravel roll offs and bluff ends where the channel swings to rock to a bit of gravel. Jigs of Brown/puprle, or some darker colors work them over. Also a carolina rig is hard to beat right now. Use a 3/8-1/2 ounce weight above the rig tipped off with a Zoom ringer or french fry. Water Clarity been very clear in the Mid-Upper river in the green tint making the fish bite.

[Bill Babler]

Where are you finding 75 degree water? Man the surface in the Dam area has been warm. Sat. it was 84 when I started and 87.9 when I quit about 1 Pm.

Beck said it was pushing 90 near Kimberling the other day in the late afternoon. I would think on that 75 degree stuff, there would be a very good bite.

[FRENZEL]

35 feet down maybe its 75

[Chris Tetrick]

type o error. You and Tracy don't have to yell at me!

[Sam]

I'm no bass fisherman, and I'm not qualified to give you bass guys tips - but I figured something out a long time ago.

When there's a topwater bite that's fun - but more often than not it's the 14-inchers bustin' the surface. The big old lazy bass lay down below and scoop up the shad killed by the young 'uns getting rowdy on top.

I keep a medium weight spinning rod rigged with a Senko worm, green pumpkin color, wacky-rigged with a Kahle circle hook. When I see a topwater boil, I throw right where it was, keep a semi-slack line, and make the worm twitch as it sinks naturally. When you see that line jump give it a 3-count then set the hook with a big sweeping sidearm pull. The Kahle hook will hook 'em clean in the lip every time, even though the bass may have swallowed the worm.

Just sayin'.

[Bill Babler]

type o error. You and Tracy don't have to yell at me! You should be used to that by now!

Mind your manners or we'll get you down and give ya a Weggie. "Ya Little Varmint". Ya had me all Hypped up about 75 degree water, I was a lookin for it.

Had to go to lower Taney back in some of the slews to find it. That was probably what you ment, we just didn't read between the lines. It's like I used to tell my son Steven, "Do what I mean, not what I say".

Great Report, However

[techo]

I always wondered about those circle hooks. The guides use them in Alaska on the halibut trips. It keeps the tourists (and me) from getting snagged as much. It is also a great deal easier to get them out of the fish. I haven't heard of many people using them here. I haven't even seen them on the shelves.

[Sam]

I always wondered about those circle hooks. The guides use them in Alaska on the halibut trips. It keeps the tourists (and me) from getting snagged as much. It is also a great deal easier to get them out of the fish. I haven't heard of many people using them here. I haven't even seen them on the shelves.

Bass Pro has them. I use the Kahle circle hooks in #2 and #4 size.

I haven't figured out how to use them any way except for "wacky" rigging a worm. That is, running a hook right through the middle of the worm then burying the hook point back in the worm making it completely weedless. The hooks aren't shaped right for Texas or Carolina rigging worms, dropshotting, etc.

The way I fish a Senko worm, letting it drop on a semi-slack line without a weight, a bass will get gut-hooked or gill-hooked most every time because they'll swallow it. I wouldn't do that - but a circle hook gives you a good solid hookset through the lip every time in that situation. You just gotta remember to set the hook with a long sweeping motion instead of the usual "crossing their eyes" kind.

[FRENZEL]

The circle hooks work great night fishing with the crappie lights. IF you are using live bait. Net some shad crack open a beverage and let them hook themselves pulling the line taught.

[motoman]

I always wondered about those circle hooks. The guides use them in Alaska on the halibut trips. It keeps the tourists (and me) from getting snagged as much. It is also a great deal easier to get them out of the fish. I haven't heard of many people using them here. I haven't even seen them on the shelves.

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This is getting a bit off topic, but.................

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I religiously use Gamakatsu finesse hook (BPS) for wacky rigging 4" senkos at The Rock. I use an o-ring on the worm, and put the hook through the o-ring, so the tips is exposed. (and saves many plastics) The weedguard is pretty flimsy, but it's rarely an issue when I throw these in deeper water, farther away from cover.

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Or the Mustad or Matzuo Weedless Kahle hook for wacky rigging, closer to cover. It's got a stronger weedguard. BPS used to carry these, not sure if they do anymore?

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I usually throw these on a split shot rig. And as for gut hooking the fish, a FANTASTIC tool I bought a couple years ago is the D-Barb pliers. It actually gets deep in there, and you can snip the hook just above the barb, leaving only a small piece in the fish. I've released many a nice smallies back into The Rock, that I feel woudl've otherwise been in trouble, If I tried to remove the hook. (I have no affiliation to the company, just a GREAT product for those serious about catch and release)

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http://www.dbarb.com/

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Now back to your regularly scheduled program!