Kimberling City Boat Ramps

[Bimmer]

We're taking the boat out for the first time out of Kimberling City tomorrow morning. what can I expect to find as far as ramp go? Do you pay? Or are they free? How do you tell which ones are private? I saw one location on a point that is due west right across from a place called "What's Up Dock Marina" Any suggetions and tips are graciously appreciated!

~David

[Bimmer]

72 views and not one reply.....Hmmmmm... wasn't like I was asking for someones' secret hole. It's all godd though. A learning process. It'll take awhile but we'll learn the terrain, the water, the conditions and maybe a little of the fish. We found a few launching places. Now, it's time to learn the gear needed. I have NO clue. I'm used to fishing for salmon in the PUget Sound region of Seattle or lake trout in the Pacific Northwest lakes.

[Billfo]

Sorry no one is answering... & I cant either. We have a pt time place closer to Baxter Marina- but I have a slip & we were able to put in at Nauvoo Road ( but thats on the other side and west of Kimberling City)... If no one answers before you get ready to leave- just ask someone at a gas station or ask someone at the boat shop on the south side of the bridge.. One thing about Table Rock Lake- there is no shortage of nice people.. * im a sissy so I wouldnt put in on the main lake anyway...however- I THINK you can put in on the south side of the bridge.. At least it looks like it as ya drive past.. Good luck.. darn it I hope someone helps ya out soon...

72 views and not one reply.....Hmmmmm... wasn't like I was asking for someones' secret hole. It's all godd though. A learning process. It'll take awhile but we'll learn the terrain, the water, the conditions and maybe a little of the fish. We found a few launching places. Now, it's time to learn the gear needed. I have NO clue. I'm used to fishing for salmon in the PUget Sound region of Seattle or lake trout in the Pacific Northwest lakes.

[Bimmer]

It's all good friend. We found a ramp that collected $5 for the day and asking $50 for a year. It was located on the north shore in Kimberling kind of tucked behond the Harter House and just east of "What's Up Dock Marina".

As far as baits to use, I've compiled a list from a previous thread here:

Never used any of these or know what they look like but I'm sure I could find out as I only live about 5 minutes from Fin and Feather here in Springfield.

Wiggle Warts

PBJ Flash Football jigs w/green craw trailers

Smithwick & BPS rouge baits - no clue what this is.

Grubs - Ok, I've used grubs on jigs fishing for Wallies.

I ran a few different Rapala's today but the water we were in was consistently very deep.

Defintely going to wait until this wind we've been getting lately tapers off though.

~David

[nobutt56]

use the wiggle warts! buy a few in phantom green crawfish(regular size not mag warts) find you a bank this time of year with pea size gravel or small chunk rock with a shallow slope(45 degree or less) throw the warts close to the shoreline and use a stop go retrieve. you will catch fish. the bank is a lot better if you are at the mouth of a shallow cove. fish the banks back into these coves. they are there. forget the other stuff for awhile. they are harder to fish. if you use the grubs same type of bank, steady retrieve. good luck

[dtrs5kprs]

You found the private ramp/area that used to be 13HWY public area. Good ramp. Other options around Kimberling include Aunts (COE puts in on the middle James River-about 3 miles by road from Kimberling, about 6-7 by boat), and Mill Creek (south across the 13 bridge, then a right turn on RB and about a mile or so in to a good COE ramp/area on the White, just under the 13HWY bridge). Most other ramps in KC are resort ramps.

Previous selection is fine. Rogues, Pointers, McSticks, etc. are all suspending stickbaits. Throw on windy transition rock banks (change in size of rocks), windy points, around cedars with wind on them. Pull them down and let them sit, counting up to 30 seconds or so until the fish show a preference. Grubs are a little bigger than walleye grubs, Chompers single tails 4" or 5", smoke pepper, milky salt & pepper, etc. Throw those in same places as sticks, plus flat gravel areas. Swim them or scrub them along the bottom. PBJ is just a jig skirt color that is awfully good. Think boat in 20'-30' throwing up into 10' or so, staying back off the bank unless cranking warts.

Wind is your friend. As much as possible you need to be fishing places that have the wind blowing into them on this lake.

[Lunker Lane]

The boat ramp you put in today is a great ramp. Well worth the $5 dollars, across the hwy 13 right behind Kimberling City Inn is free. As far as fishing and what you need. http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21079h, some really great info there. The maps on here are useful and will help out with spots to fish. I recommend going to fin & feather and buying a "structure graphics" map of the lake. Most the anglers on this forum are willing to help and wind is your friend.

[johnboy2bfishin]

are you talking about ahoa's as the other ramp lunker lane

[Bimmer]

use the wiggle warts! buy a few in phantom green crawfish(regular size not mag warts) find you a bank this time of year with pea size gravel or small chunk rock with a shallow slope(45 degree or less) throw the warts close to the shoreline and use a stop go retrieve. you will catch fish. the bank is a lot better if you are at the mouth of a shallow cove. fish the banks back into these coves. they are there. forget the other stuff for awhile. they are harder to fish. if you use the grubs same type of bank, steady retrieve. good luck

Excellent nobutt56! This will help me immensely. The confirming tackle and execution tactics for the different types of rock structures is big plus. Very much appreciated friend!

You found the private ramp/area that used to be 13HWY public area. Good ramp. Other options around Kimberling include Aunts (COE puts in on the middle James River-about 3 miles by road from Kimberling, about 6-7 by boat), and Mill Creek (south across the 13 bridge, then a right turn on RB and about a mile or so in to a good COE ramp/area on the White, just under the 13HWY bridge). Most other ramps in KC are resort ramps.

Previous selection is fine. Rogues, Pointers, McSticks, etc. are all suspending stickbaits. Throw on windy transition rock banks (change in size of rocks), windy points, around cedars with wind on them. Pull them down and let them sit, counting up to 30 seconds or so until the fish show a preference. Grubs are a little bigger than walleye grubs, Chompers single tails 4" or 5", smoke pepper, milky salt & pepper, etc. Throw those in same places as sticks, plus flat gravel areas. Swim them or scrub them along the bottom. PBJ is just a jig skirt color that is awfully good. Think boat in 20'-30' throwing up into 10' or so, staying back off the bank unless cranking warts.

Wind is your friend. As much as possible you need to be fishing places that have the wind blowing into them on this lake.

More excellent tactics. Thank you dtrs5kprs! I know wind can be good when the option is there for bugs to be blown out of the trees and into the water. I don't know what the wind speed was yesterday in the late morning but it was clipping pretty doggone good. A lot of spray was coming up and over the bow so that leads me to believe that's not quite the velocity of wind you were deeming as good fishing wind.

The boat ramp you put in today is a great ramp. Well worth the $5 dollars, across the hwy 13 right behind Kimberling City Inn is free. As far as fishing and what you need. http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21079h, some really great info there. The maps on here are useful and will help out with spots to fish. I recommend going to fin & feather and buying a "structure graphics" map of the lake. Most the anglers on this forum are willing to help and wind is your friend.

Thanks Lunker Lane! I plan on going to Fin & Feather tomorrow as they're only a few minutes away. I've had some experience with map reading after taking a pretty extensive course in geology a could of semesters ago. I may be in my mid-50's, but I'm just finishing my third straight year at Missouri State. By the end of May I'll have enough credits to qualify as a junior. I was majoring to be an icthyologist and work for the state or federal government in the hatcheries but a back injury two years ago nipped that in the bud.

Last year we put in for the first time a boat that was actually our first boat but we never took it out on the water again. It had floor rot we didn't know about and later we found a small hole in the hull. We launched there at the KC Inn and the ramp was ridiculously steep. Too much for my little Ford Ranger, even with a 4.0L engine and that boat was only a 14'. We also found that the dock there is private. At least the place we went to yesterday had a reasonable grade down to the water and free and easy courtesy dock there.

Thanks for all the great tips guys! Hope I get the opportunity to run into some of you either at the tackle store or on the lakes!

[techo]

Sorry I missed your post. Many of us buy a tag (good for a year) to hang from your mirror and put in at the COE ramps. I think the tag is $30.00 but haven't updated mine yet this year. Mill Creek is a good spot and they updated it recently. Just drive across the bridge and take a right ob RB road. It is at the end. Aunt's Creek is back before Kimberling City and another COE ramp. I think you turn on OO by the Shell station. It is my favorite as you could actually put six boats in at a time if the right guys were backing up the boats. There are two seperate ramps there.

Those are the main two COE ramps in the area you are talking about.