Friday In Shell Knob

[dwiebenga]

Started out the morning with Bill, and we had a great time learning from the "zin master" of stickbaits. I headed out again while Jim took a nap. He regretted it as I nailed a 18" LM on the first cast. Caught 4 more before I picked Jim up. We caught about 15 more in the afternoon on stickbaits. If we found wind we found fish. Most of the bass were males cruising around the staging areas. Warmest water was 50-51. Best baits were the McSticks in your favorite color. Caught them on three different colors.

[edyer]

Started out the morning with Bill, and we had a great time learning from the "zin master" of stickbaits. I headed out again while Jim took a nap. He regretted it as I nailed a 18" LM on the first cast. Caught 4 more before I picked Jim up. We caught about 15 more in the afternoon on stickbaits. If we found wind we found fish. Most of the bass were males cruising around the staging areas. Warmest water was 50-51. Best baits were the McSticks in your favorite color. Caught them on three different colors.

Sounds like you had a great time with and after Bill B. Was that a Norman Flake colored Spro? I ordered some from Tackle Warehouse when one of the gentlemen on here gave us the word that they were the deal of the day.Being from Michigan and always staying in the Aunt Creek area, I'm not sure where Shell Knob is. Is it the area near the Big M and Viney Creek Public Use areas? A few years ago we ran all the way to Eagle Rock and I thought I was going to run out of gas on the way back. Quite a ride!Would it be worth trailing there from Aunt's Creek.Just looking at my two Hotspots maps, it looks like I could get there by taking HW 13 south to HW 86. About how long of a ride and miles is that by truck and boat? I'm going to be down there the week of April 5. Are we better off fishing near Aunt's Creek then, even though I would hate to bother Techo's pet fish.Can't wait to get down there. The ice just melted off the lakes on Friday and then we got about four inches of snow yesterday.

[Bill Babler]

Dave, did you see that SMJ Pic? Go to my site and take a look at it.

It was just a magnificent fish. That is the way to start the year. You certainly have a thing with the"BIG SMALLMOUTH."

I bet that was the one that took that "Yellow Magic" away from you. It is also on my Ozark Anglers Report.

Always great to fish with you. You enjoy fishing as much as anyone I have ever taken. With your job, I am sure it is a magnificent getaway to piece and quiet.

Edyer, the Lower James from Point 9 to Point 12 is fishing every bit as good as Shell Knob. Very similar in topography. Shell Knob, may be a bit clearer, as it up until this last rain, was getting about a clear as Table Rock can get. We will see after all of this. It will not I don't think change much as the temps are suspose to be back to mid and upper 60's next week. The Lower James will warm faster, and I just got a feeling that wiggle wart and jig bite will just explode by the end of next week. You will not beat the James anywhere on this lake for that kind of a bite.

Good Luck

[edyer]

Dave, did you see that SMJ Pic? Go to my site and take a look at it.

It was just a magnificent fish. That is the way to start the year. You certainly have a thing with the"BIG SMALLMOUTH."

I bet that was the one that took that "Yellow Magic" away from you. It is also on my Ozark Anglers Report.

Always great to fish with you. You enjoy fishing as much as anyone I have ever taken. With your job, I am sure it is a magnificent getaway to piece and quiet.

Edyer, the Lower James from Point 9 to Point 12 is fishing every bit as good as Shell Knob. Very similar in topography. Shell Knob, may be a bit clearer, as it up until this last rain, was getting about a clear as Table Rock can get. We will see after all of this. It will not I don't think change much as the temps are suspose to be back to mid and upper 60's next week. The Lower James will warm faster, and I just got a feeling that wiggle wart and jig bite will just explode by the end of next week. You will not beat the James anywhere on this lake for that kind of a bite.

Good Luck

Thanks Bill. It's always best to spend more time fishing and less time driving. I'm getting my wiggle warts and stick baits Table Rock ready this weekend. Being from Michigan and loving to catch smallmoths, do you think the Indian Point area will be ready for smj's by April 5th, or should we look elsewhere at that time? We thought we would trailer that way from Aunt's Creek the first day, before we put our boats in at the resort if we had a better chance to catch some smallies. We are catching them all the way to Aunt's Creek the past few years, but I still think there are more towards the dam. What do you think?

[Bill Babler]

You know, it is always fun to look a different parts of the lake. One of my clients this past weekend, said Table Rock is like playing a different golf course everyday for a month straight. Great analogy.

As far as predicting out till April 5th. usually not a problem. This year is different. We may have a foot of snow on the ground and water temps in the high 30's. It has been very strange.

If I were looking for Jaw's, I would not hesitate to fish either way from Aunts Creek. Point 9 to Campbell Point, has as many "Big Jaw's as amywhere on the Lake.

Going the other way, Aunts Creek to Long Creek is the "Brood Ground" for numbers. It however is a much larger vast area of unfamiliar water, if you have not fished it. Our Jaws don't exactly act like other Smallmouth destinations. Our's like flat gravel, bluff pockets and transitions.

I ask alot of my clients, where if you were trying to catch a SM would you fish? Point out the bank and we will try it if you want. They always without fail point out Bluff Banks and Huge Chunk Rock locations. "YES, they can be there, but for the most part not so much on this lake.

I had a guy ask me last year, "Why in the World are we stopping here, this is not a SM bank. 3 quality keepers later he said,"I would have never looked twice at that location, I am glad I came out with you."

My client Thursday, had fished this lake lots of times, he told me at least 5 times he would have never thought about the locations we fished and we caught multiple's on every stop.

Table Rock is different and very diverse, that's why we locals love it.

Fish out of Aunts creek, either way and you will be on one of the best locations Table Rock Lake has to offer.

Good Luck

[techo]

If I were looking for Jaw's, I would not hesitate to fish either way from Aunts Creek. Point 9 to Campbell Point, has as many "Big Jaw's as amywhere on the Lake.

Going the other way, Aunts Creek to Long Creek is the "Brood Ground" for numbers. It however is a much larger vast area of unfamiliar water, if you have not fished it. Our Jaws don't exactly act like other Smallmouth destinations. Our's like flat gravel, bluff pockets and transitions.

Fish out of Aunts creek, either way and you will be on one of the best locations Table Rock Lake has to offer.

Good Luck

You are killing me!

Shell Knob guys....more fish per acre of water than anywhere else on the lake!

[Stragler]

Techo: I can't wait to get to the Rock from here in Colorado so I can go fish Aunts creek. Just a couple of more weeks and I will be there.

[Jason Essary]

IM with Techo, nothing to see here....dont even know where Aunts Creek is....not worth finding.

[edyer]

You know, it is always fun to look a different parts of the lake. One of my clients this past weekend, said Table Rock is like playing a different golf course everyday for a month straight. Great analogy.

As far as predicting out till April 5th. usually not a problem. This year is different. We may have a foot of snow on the ground and water temps in the high 30's. It has been very strange.

If I were looking for Jaw's, I would not hesitate to fish either way from Aunts Creek. Point 9 to Campbell Point, has as many "Big Jaw's as amywhere on the Lake.

Going the other way, Aunts Creek to Long Creek is the "Brood Ground" for numbers. It however is a much larger vast area of unfamiliar water, if you have not fished it. Our Jaws don't exactly act like other Smallmouth destinations. Our's like flat gravel, bluff pockets and transitions.

I ask alot of my clients, where if you were trying to catch a SM would you fish? Point out the bank and we will try it if you want. They always without fail point out Bluff Banks and Huge Chunk Rock locations. "YES, they can be there, but for the most part not so much on this lake.

I had a guy ask me last year, "Why in the World are we stopping here, this is not a SM bank. 3 quality keepers later he said,"I would have never looked twice at that location, I am glad I came out with you."

My client Thursday, had fished this lake lots of times, he told me at least 5 times he would have never thought about the locations we fished and we caught multiple's on every stop.

Table Rock is different and very diverse, that's why we locals love it.

Fish out of Aunts creek, either way and you will be on one of the best locations Table Rock Lake has to offer.

Good Luck

Thanks for your response Bill. Smallmouths are definitely a different character compared to largemouths. Even up here in Michigan, we can catch them some days in three foot of water, and the next day, they are suspended off some point in 50 feet of water. Pre-fishing for tournaments involving smallmouths only makes it more confusing. They move around so much! I have been surprised where I have caught some of my bigger Table Rock smallmouths. I agree that fishing any of the main lake points with with a slow taper and pea gravel could get you a big brown fish on the end of your line. Seems like those meanmouth bass like the same areas. I haven't heard much about them this year.

[Catchabiggen]

Been a while since we've had a new record meanmouth hasn't it?