Table Rock Lake In April

[Montanan]

Just wondering if I could get some tips on Bass fishing Table Rock Dam Area. I have caught one largemouth in my life (i'm a walleye guy) so any help/tips would be appreciated. I'll be there the 2-4th of April FYI. I'm more interested in just catching a few versus catching a trophy as I'll have my kids with me. Thanks in Advance. Montanan

[techo]

Depends on age of kids, weather, air and water temps and so on. I always take crawlers for the booger eaters as they don't care if it is a blue gill or a large mouth. A half-day guide trip would be a little insurance. House, Babbler the Erics and many other guys are good with kids. Babbler is still a kid himself! House is awesome with kids and makes me laugh whenever I am around him.

Watch the boards.....white grub tail works for me in the spring, some guys swear by the stick bait and hopefully the red fin and top water might even be going by then.

Smarter and better fishermen will hopefully chime in with more ideas.

[Bill Babler]

Don't know if anyone is smarter or a better fisherman than you T. But I am quite a bit better lookin.

For that period fishing the dam area of Table Rock Lake, you should be able to do very well with the following patterns,if the weather will cooporate and give you some cloudy, overcast days with a bit of wind. No mater the season, on the Rock clear bright and warm "Blue Bird Days," are better for Silver Dollar City or the Landing.

In the dam area, start on transitions banks, where you see the chunk rock turn to gravel. Look at the cove mouths and the secondary points with some pole timber and also at the mouths of some of the bigger spawning coves. Wind is always a factor. If you see a location that looks good, but one that is not quite to your liking but it has some breeze on it, pick the windy point everytime.

Usually at that time of the year, position your boat in 20' to 30' of water and throw to the shore. That, if you picked the correct location should be about a full cast from the bank, maybe a cast an a half.

Swimmming 4 inch grubs in salt and pepper, smoke, or green pumpkin, on a quarter oz. head is a very good bet. Toss the grub to the bank and slowly follow the couture of the lake bottom, back to the boat. Bites are usually not hard takes, but you will feel them swimming with the grub. I will either just reel faster to set the hook or lift the rod on the set. Lilley thinks I'm wrong and draws it pretty hard, but If I do that I miss to many. To each his own. Both methods work some of the time.

Fishing the same locations with Hula Grubs, or 3/8th. oz jigs is also good. Just pull the jig along very slowly, no need to hop or jerk it. Green Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Watermellon Candy, and Peanut Butter Jelly all are good enough.

The split-shot will also be in play at this time. Drag either a Fish Dr or Cenipede in the above mentioned colors in the same locations, and you will get snapped.

This should cover the single hooked presentations, and keep the triple hooks out of play. Big Hooky baits with many points are not necessary or a good idea, with the young stuff in the boat. Best Rule is keep it simple S-----. I know this is what I follow and it has treated me pretty well.

Good Luck

[Montanan]

Wow Thanks for the quick replies!! We are on a tight budget ( we have 5 kids ) so by looking at the price of hiring a guide its probably not going to happen. We plan on renting a boat. Any one out there want to rent me their boat for a couple of days??? Thanks and keep em coming.

[MstStudent10]

Take both of those ideas and combine them. Throw that split shot around and use nightcrawlers instead of soft plastics. If you have kids out fun fishing on the rock, night crawlers have always been the ticket for me in order to get them bit.

[dtrs5kprs]

Kids may be able to have a ball on crappie and small bass right around the dock, if the boat idea does not pan out. The berkley gulp minnows in the little sizes have been very versatile for my wife and the 6yo, while his sister and I are out in the early am. Can use on split shot rig, nose or back hooked on a down sized and simple drop shot (just tie any knot and leave a long tag to run back thru / add a split shot down below...not as pretty as the real deal, but works great around docks). Will catch gills, crappie, gogs, good numbers of K's at times.

Have yet to meet Tim, but have said hello to our very own Bill, and can vouch for him being a fine and handsome specimen. Comes from posing for all those fish pics I think.

[jwood]

Don't know if anyone is smarter or a better fisherman than you T. But I am quite a bit better lookin.

For that period fishing the dam area of Table Rock Lake, you should be able to do very well with the following patterns,if the weather will cooporate and give you some cloudy, overcast days with a bit of wind. No mater the season, on the Rock clear bright and warm "Blue Bird Days," are better for Silver Dollar City or the Landing.

In the dam area, start on transitions banks, where you see the chunk rock turn to gravel. Look at the cove mouths and the secondary points with some pole timber and also at the mouths of some of the bigger spawning coves. Wind is always a factor. If you see a location that looks good, but one that is not quite to your liking but it has some breeze on it, pick the windy point everytime.

Usually at that time of the year, position your boat in 20' to 30' of water and throw to the shore. That, if you picked the correct location should be about a full cast from the bank, maybe a cast an a half.

Swimmming 4 inch grubs in salt and pepper, smoke, or green pumpkin, on a quarter oz. head is a very good bet. Toss the grub to the bank and slowly follow the couture of the lake bottom, back to the boat. Bites are usually not hard takes, but you will feel them swimming with the grub. I will either just reel faster to set the hook or lift the rod on the set. Lilley thinks I'm wrong and draws it pretty hard, but If I do that I miss to many. To each his own. Both methods work some of the time.

Fishing the same locations with Hula Grubs, or 3/8th. oz jigs is also good. Just pull the jig along very slowly, no need to hop or jerk it. Green Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Watermellon Candy, and Peanut Butter Jelly all are good enough.

The split-shot will also be in play at this time. Drag either a Fish Dr or Cenipede in the above mentioned colors in the same locations, and you will get snapped.

This should cover the single hooked presentations, and keep the triple hooks out of play. Big Hooky baits with many points are not necessary or a good idea, with the young stuff in the boat. Best Rule is keep it simple S-----. I know this is what I follow and it has treated me pretty well.

Good Luck

Bill: old fisherman here not a very good one either!! you said pick the windy point everytime-- for an old fool like me- why windy points? Makes it harder to cast. Thanks. Joe

[techo]

Bill: old fisherman here not a very good one either!! you said pick the windy point everytime-- for an old fool like me- why windy points? Makes it harder to cast. Thanks. Joe

This thread should almost be a sticky note. Bill's advice workes year around. Hope Bill answers the wind question. I am not sure why BUT seems no matter where you fish you seem to catch more in the current or in the wind. I usually pick the side the wind is blowing toward. I don't know if it is blowing the feed the bait fish eat that way and in turn the fish follow the bait fish or what. It just seems to work that way. If the dam is pulling water hard then the fishing seems to turn on too.

[Bill Babler]

Wind and Current reflact light. They also create O2, move bait and zooplankten that bait fish feed on. Wind and Current also distort the image of your presentation, and make it appear to be much more natural. On clear water lakes it also covers up boat noise, and keeps the fish to some degree unaware of your presence. Wind and wave action also add a degree of sediment to the water again changing the visibility and preception of your presentation.

You fish TR, it is best to have it. I had two guide trips today, and I am pooped and I know there are a ton of spelling and grammer errors in this post, but I am to tired to fight it. Champ can clean it up for me.

Hope this helps.

[Champ188]

Your msg comes thru loud and clear, Bill. No editing required.