If You Had To Pack Just One Tacklebox......

[edyer]

I'm going to be bringing down a first time visitor to Table Rock the week after Easter. We will be staying in the Aunt's Creek area, but can run if need be(or trailer the boat). He asks me what kind of tackle should he bring and I tell him it's hard to say, because it seems like every year(we have to come down during spring break because most of us are school teachers), the fish seem to be doing something different. It seems I always bring too much. What would you folks tell him if he had to pack one bag with about five plano 3700's? What about rod/reel combo's and line? Is the James area the best at this time usually or would the areas closer to the dam be better? I know it's a lot of questions, but it's supposed to get down close to zero degrees the next few days and it would be a good time to go shopping.Thanks.

[techo]

I think you are going to get a run of different answers depending on the particular strengths of who is fishing. For example...I would say an Eakins jig, Babbler will probably lean toward a jerkbait still about then, and another guy I know will be scrubbing a grub. Some early red fin or spook action might even be going on! Hard to say this far out as conditions are different every year.

As far as area....it will be preference again. If you look back at previous years....Bill says the Shell Knob area is best year round, I know another guy who never leaves the dam, Kelly Powers loves power fishing the James and so on. I know the Aunt's Creek area is really poor and no one should even consider going to that area.

People are probably weary of me saying this BUT if you are going to spend the time and effort to make a trip and fish, then a half day guide trip might not be a bad idea and help insure a more successful week of fishing.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Everytime I don't bring all of mine I regret it. I would tell him to bring anything he might remotely need, he can then buy what else he needs. That's a little tongue in cheek, but not far from the truth.

[Dutch]

Everytime I don't bring all of mine I regret it. I would tell him to bring anything he might remotely need, he can then buy what else he needs. That's a little tongue in cheek, but not far from the truth.

That is so true. I never have the right stuff when I fish with another guy.

[Bill Babler]

AH, what a week to be commin to the Rock. I believe this year, if you are a week after Easter, you are thinking the weekend of the 10th. and 11th.

You know you can do a lot of stuff then, but alot better to concentrate on a few simple things. Yes the Aunts creek area is very good that time of the year. It is really mid-lake. You can easily access the lower James River, the Clear Water of the Kimberling Area, and not a big drive at all to the White River and the Campbell Point area.

As T. said, you can bet I will still have a jerkbait tied on and be ready to use it. Perhaps the two best technique that time of year, are swimming that rascule 4 in Ctail grub on either a 1/4 or 3/8th oz head, or dragging a Fish Dr. or a turd worm of some kind. A shakeyhead is also always in vogue to hungry pre-spawn fishies.

With the right situation, a wart is still in play and as T. said, a fin is just starting to make noise. For my efforts, I would only need a couple of boxes with the terminal tackle, and the soft plastics, and the stickbait box.

Don't overcrowd your thinking, location is the key.

[techo]

AH, what a week to be commin to the Rock. I believe this year, if you are a week after Easter, you are thinking the weekend of the 10th. and 11th.

You know you can do a lot of stuff then, but alot better to concentrate on a few simple things. Yes the Aunts creek area is very good that time of the year. It is really mid-lake. You can easily access the lower James River, the Clear Water of the Kimberling Area, and not a big drive at all to the White River and the Campbell Point area.

As T. said, you can bet I will still have a jerkbait tied on and be ready to use it. Perhaps the two best technique that time of year, are swimming that rascule 4 in Ctail grub on either a 1/4 or 3/8th oz head, or dragging a Fish Dr. or a turd worm of some kind. A shakeyhead is also always in vogue to hungry pre-spawn fishies.

With the right situation, a wart is still in play and as T. said, a fin is just starting to make noise. For my efforts, I would only need a couple of boxes with the terminal tackle, and the soft plastics, and the stickbait box.

Don't overcrowd your thinking, location is the key.

This is the guy I learned all of that from!

Thanks Bill

[flipper]

I think you are going to get a run of different answers depending on the particular strengths of who is fishing. For example...I would say an Eakins jig, Babbler will probably lean toward a jerkbait still about then, and another guy I know will be scrubbing a grub. Some early red fin or spook action might even be going on! Hard to say this far out as conditions are different every year.

As far as area....it will be preference again. If you look back at previous years....Bill says the Shell Knob area is best year round, I know another guy who never leaves the dam, Kelly Powers loves power fishing the James and so on. I know the Aunt's Creek area is really poor and no one should even consider going to that area.

People are probably weary of me saying this BUT if you are going to spend the time and effort to make a trip and fish, then a half day guide trip might not be a bad idea and help insure a more successful week of fishing.

aunts creek poor??? .........oh... yeh, thats right ,not good at all. lol

[redbud]

dont forget your spinnerbaits. 1/2 oz war eagle tandem willow in blue herring is a good place to start. you can get into em pretty good if the conditions are right.Lunker time.

[Flippin]

Yea you probably would not have to look very hard in Aunts Creek to find a jig with Techo fingerprints on it.

[techo]

I was sort of hoping you guys wouldn't catch on to that sentence, but since you did.... a little support would be nice!