Kimberling City Boat Ramps

[GREENTRITON]

Aunts creek is the best ramp, mill creek, Indian point, State park, all good ramps. Use to put in at Kimberling City, Whats up doc or whatever they call it now, but when they closed the west ramp took away to many parking spots and other side to steep,plus dealing with a gate bar that only works if you pay 5 bucks for and only works half the time, pain in the as.... Loved to go back to 1970 when ramps were free all over..

[dtrs5kprs]

Bimmer...the best wind is as much as you and your boat can safely stand. Anything from a little breeze kicking up on otherwise calm days, to 30mph+, especially for spinnerbaits/warts/grubs. This is a lake that will make you feel like you spent your Saturday re-enacting North Atlantic WWII naval battles at times. Usually, I bug out of a place when I don't think I can safely stand/lean and run the TM at the same time.

Some of the bad wind places you might want to watch for (at least as I have found) are the horseshoe at Baxter-on a north wind, right around 13HWY bridge-also big boat traffic here, dam area and the turn into Long Creek-same north wind problem. There are turns in the rivers that will also beat you up when you change from flatter water to chop coming around them.

There are plenty of places where you can escape the big waves, but still have good fishing chop coming in on good banks. Helps to trailer close to where you plan to fish on big wind days. Aunts is good for this, Baxter can be, Viola, Cape Fair. This might be one of the best nasty day lakes in the country (fronts, wind, etc).

[johnm]

If its windy throw gray colored (mouse) 3/8 spinnerbaits on windy banks. I love the war eagle! Very easy way to fish for the 3 different kinds of bass! Put in at Baxter $5 or less good luck and don't give up table rock is very tough at first but once you start laying into em you'll be hooked

[crazy4fishin]

Bimmer - I would check out everything that Bill Babler posts as he give locations, bait used etc. for us Table Rock novices it is a great advantage.

Fin/Feather is a great place I have left a benjamin there while getting the right gear and or advice but I wouldnt miss a chance to got to the BPS outlet....some great stuff you just ahve to watch the prices.

Good luck and God Bless

C4F

[Billfo]

I forgot to mention... I am new on Table Rock & my best success has been to SLOOOOW down...Often deadsticking..Good luck Let us know how you did.. Do you plan on fishing Table Rock again ?

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]

I forgot to mention... I am new on Table Rock & my best success has been to SLOOOOW down...Often deadsticking..Good luck Let us know how you did.. Do you plan on fishing Table Rock again ?

Absolutely! It's such a beautiful and seemingly diverse lake. Fellows will most likely see more action from us when time is short such as a "quickie" outing after the wife gets home from work during the summer but I am not attending any classes this summer at MSU so I will have time to myself to venture out and hit Table Rock early and learn as much as I can. I don't know a lot of people in the area so maybe the opportunity will come along to buddie up with some of you either in my boat or yours and get myself educated all proper like. I like to think I'm a pretty likable guy and pretty easy going with just about everyone.

I guess the thing to do is make a little announcement here on the board as to when I/We plan to head down just see who is hanging out where.

Tips UP and lines TIGHT!

~David

[Sam]

My information is a couple of years old, but here's what I know about the Kimberling City ramps. It used to be free right by "What's Up Dock" - not so much a ramp as a wide paved area between docks with parking just a few feet in front of where you launched and even an outdoor restroom right by the parking. That was nice. I used to put in there a lot, and more often than not I'd stop by the store on the dock and spend some money.

Then they put a new launch ramp on the north side of the same point and installed an automatic gate and a machine that takes credit cards. At the same time they CHAINED OFF the old launch spot so you'd have to pay $5 to launch at the new ramp. Since then I've crossed the bridge and launched at Mill Creek instead. They haven't made a nickel off me since they did that.

To be fair about it, a lady who runs that place posted here about how putting in the new ramp was expensive and they created lots more parking and made it a place to run big tournaments out of. I know that's right, and where I'd always put the boat in wouldn't have worked for any of that. Still, they CHAINED OFF that small launch spot that wasn't costing them anything and wasn't hurting anything, so the fishermen who'd been using it for years would have to start paying them. I don't think that was very friendly, so when I go to fish that area I get my gas, sodas, and snacks in Ozark then launch at Mill Creek.

[Bimmer]

My information is a couple of years old, but here's what I know about the Kimberling City ramps. It used to be free right by "What's Up Dock" - not so much a ramp as a wide paved area between docks with parking just a few feet in front of where you launched and even an outdoor restroom right by the parking. That was nice. I used to put in there a lot, and more often than not I'd stop by the store on the dock and spend some money.

Then they put a new launch ramp on the north side of the same point and installed an automatic gate and a machine that takes credit cards. At the same time they CHAINED OFF the old launch spot so you'd have to pay $5 to launch at the new ramp. Since then I've crossed the bridge and launched at Mill Creek instead. They haven't made a nickel off me since they did that.

To be fair about it, a lady who runs that place posted here about how putting in the new ramp was expensive and they created lots more parking and made it a place to run big tournaments out of. I know that's right, and where I'd always put the boat in wouldn't have worked for any of that. Still, they CHAINED OFF that small launch spot that wasn't costing them anything and wasn't hurting anything, so the fishermen who'd been using it for years would have to start paying them. I don't think that was very friendly, so when I go to fish that area I get my gas, sodas, and snacks in Ozark then launch at Mill Creek.

I hear your distaste about negating the use of the former ramp. I know it takes money to install better ramps equipped to service a higher volume of traffic. But to deliberately FORCE everyone to use a particular ramp just so they can make a few dollars seems, well, for lack of a better term GREEDY. But as we're all aware, this society has turned into just that. Greedy. We're the "it's all about me" society that worships the almighty dollar. Thanks for the tip about Mill Creek. I'll check that out next time I'm there. My Sunday for this coming weekend is full with church and family but Saturday looks like it may be a good prospect weather-wise, to head back out on the lake with what I've learned this week. Thanks everyone!

~David