Current Table Rock Lake Fishing Report

[Bill Babler]

Current Fishing Report 2-27-2011 White River Outfitters

Kind of what me and some of my Chronie's are up to and word on the water.

Fished out of Shell Knob today, launching at 6 AM. Was pretty much light enough to fish by the times I got to the White River/Kings River Split.

Surface temp on the White at the Mouth of the Kings was 45.7 Surface temp just above Viola was 48. Surface temp either way from the Kings on the White, both up and down stream, was cooler at about 43.

Water was calm when I started and I mostly used float and fly and a grub. Did very well on both with the fly, probably being the best bet.

Here is a tip. IF you don't like fishing a carolina rig and have trouble with it. If you have very little patients. If tangles or knots bother you. If slamming the lure into the top of your head is a problem. If power throwing a cast so hard the bale slams shut irritates you. If you are just a cranky person, and does not like having down time for re-tying. Not your deal. Don't even consider messing with the Float N Fly. It for the most part is a friggin "NIGHT MARE."

Yes, they will if in the right spot bite it. (See Video on www.whiteriveroutfitters.com ) Babler and Beck Catching fish on it. If you want to do it, be prepaired for grieFFFFFFFF! I don't mind tangles and Knots are my life, but this is a workout. If you are using it, use nothing shorter than a 10' Rod. I am using 10'6" and getting along pretty good with it. Lots of the Southern guys are using 14 footers. Switched to an 8 footer today ""MAJOR MISTAKE."" cause you cannot go over that in a derby. 8 ft. is maximum. Lord, I needed your help today with the 8 footer and I did NOT, use your name in vane a dozen times this morning. I said "Gosh Durn."

Both Beck and I are taking trips on educating folks on the float n fly, and if you are just fishin it using the longer rods, it is OK. The setup is very important. You have to have faith in location, and be able to see staging areas and places where fish transition from deep to shallow. There are at least a dozen videos on the web about how to cast and set the thing up, and for the most part you had just better get out there with the correct equipment and practice it. There is a learning curve. This is not a cheap deal. You got the Rod, and if you buy a Micro-Lite from Bass Pro, God Bless You. I just hate those pieces of CRUD. All the major companies make a specific rod for this. Make sure it is not parabolic, and is a tip/flex rod. You can tell my pulling down the tip. If the rod only bends to the 3/4 mark you are ok. If it buggy whips 1/2 to full, it won't work. Best reel is a 2000 series to 2500. Better be a Shimano or a Daiwa, as you throw with such force it will slam the bale down on most spinning reels with a lesser bale spring. I am using Fireline and Seagur Fluracarbon as the leader. Put this with an expensive fly-float-swivel, and you just spent yourself about $500 bucks for a goofy coldwater setup. And, if you don't have the intestinal fortitude to stay with it, this outfit is good for next to nothing. It is really to activity specific, for most folks. Or you could just try and throw the thing on a 7 foot spinning rod.

Had a fair day on it today with several nice keeper K's. Wind Started and I went to the stickbait and they bit good for me till about 11 AM.

Reports from Eagle Rock up were good also. Lots of fish, but just small limits on a jerkbait. Mainly transitions and and timbered pockets. Also reports of a wart bite in the Roaring River, Rock Creek and KIngs River Arms. Mostly on any wind you can find. Very slow retrieve and the bite feels like you are just pulling something.

Kimberling City area today was slower. Bill Said the bite was off on the totally flat water and when the wind started caught several nice fish on a stickbait, but not a bucketfull.

Believe T. Snotnose caught his winning bag yesterday in the dam area. Several of the top competitors fished that area, mostly swimming a grub, with the bigger fish on a stickbait suspended in timber.

Have heard reports of Whites in the Kings and also the White from Roaring River up, Sketchy but a few being taken.

Lots of crappie action in the James with the bigger crappie comming from dock patterns, but lots of fish on the mud and windy banks.

With the weather in the upper 50's and low 60's this week, that jerkbait bite will get where it should be. Good Luck

[rps]

First, thank you for your report. I hope you are as regular this year as last. I find the information very useful.

Second, I wish I could add additional locations or techniques to your report, but I can't. I was out both Saturday afternoon and this morning. I was in the "miss" half of the hit and miss. I fished grubs, finesse worms, and stick baits in locations I thought had potential for bass or walleye. In all honesty I've never really been very good at fishing water below 50 degrees, and I didn't change that this weekend.

On a positive note, I saw a few whites caught and a few crappie, and Robert Johnson (Fish of Excellence) put one of his clients on a 7.5 largemouth. Water temps ranged from 50 at the very back end of Butler to 44 in the channel above Beaver. When I came in today the channel in front of Holiday Island was showing 48.

[techo]

I like the carolina rig BUT doesn't sound like the float n fly is for me. Thanks for saving me the time, money and possibly an eye or two!

[Duck]

rps, how far back in Butler did you get? I went around the trestle and turned around. Caught 3, 14 inch whites at the mouth. Started in Roaring river and nada. Last Tuesday in the same area 55 nice whites the 30 tasted yummy. Nice to meet you. Duck.

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[denjac]

Bill, cool videoand nice fish. Wish you would have panned the banks a little better so I coulda figured out where you were ! I watched it backwards and forwards and think I know where it was , maybe not. Is that bobber a slip bobber, and do you have to reset it after catching a fish? That style might grow on a guy, but think I will stick with my sink a grub technique. Oh my location guess: The point at choo choo ? Aka CC

[Jason Essary]

Just to add. Went to James River yesterday. Ashers bottom. Boys wanted to catch some cats. River was muddy to dingy. Only caught two cats, nibbler channels. tried for whites with no takers.

But did find that on the steep rocky banks green backs were feeding. Caught 4 while tied up fishing for cats on texas rig crawfish. Wish I could have targeted them more but the boys would not give up on the cats. Fish were real shallow and hitting hard and feeding. temp 46.

[Phil Lilley]

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sQutH00U2XM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[dtrs5kprs]

Looks like the ideal rig for 1st time guide clients

Great video. Has to be a way to make a slip bobber work with that thing. Time to dig into the In-fisherman and walleye mags. Know those guys have some innovative float rigs.

[rps]

rps, how far back in Butler did you get? I went around the trestle and turned around. Caught 3, 14 inch whites at the mouth. Started in Roaring river and nada. Last Tuesday in the same area 55 nice whites the 30 tasted yummy. Nice to meet you. Duck.

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There was maybe two feet under my trolling motor blade, but I could still see the trestle.

Good to meet you too. That is the first time I have seen the OAF stickers on a boat other than my own.

[Bill Babler]

With all the research we have done on this, I have yet to see anyone make a slip float work. That jig is just to light at 1/32nd. to 1/16th. to pull the line thru the float to the depths you need. 10 to 16 ft. to the suspended fish. The jig just has to fall to far, pulling the leader. Works ok for crappie in 5 or 6 ft. But 14ft. with heaver line is a huge difference. The only way would be to attach some split shot to the line to help it pull thru, and then I don't know. You have to fish this bait abit away from you and putting all the belly in the line also effects the slip float, as you would have to have zero prussure on the main line to allow the leader with the small jig to pull the line thru the float.

These boys down south have been fishing this for years, and a long rod and long leader is what they have come up with. Just equipment specific and somewhat of a challange.

No Denny, that is not the location.

No one is really winning anything or going ape doing this. This is real finess fishing and is just something different on cold, flat water.

Boys that are doing good are swimming that grub deep ie 30' to 50' in the tree tops on 30 pound braid, and fishing a stickbait to isolated cedars for their kickers.

Tim called me on Friday and said he had nothing the last two days but a limit each day of Swimmer's.

Heard for Saturday same deal until he saw a fish on his electronics and dropped a grub on it. 4 plus pound jaw. Saw another and dropped again and 4 plus pound K.

Had 3 Swimmers and the two 4 pounders in the well and just as he was starting the big engine to head for the weighin, Redford said let me throw my stickbait by that cedar one time. It worked a 6 pounder, with no time left.

It always helps to be fortunate. Tim is both good and fortunate.