Table Rock Lake Fishing Report Current Report April 13Th. 2011 White River Outfitters Guide Service

[Bill Babler]

April 13th. Table Rock Lake Fishing Report

White River Outfitters Guide Service

White River Arm of Table Rock Lake, Viney Creek to Long Creek on the main Channel White River. Surface temps ranging from 51 to 62 degrees, depending on wind and locations. Water Clarity to 22 ft. in some locations on the white spoon test. Most locations a solid 15 feet of visibility.

Kings River, Long Creek, James River Arms. Surface temps ranging from 55 to 62 degrees, with clarity from 4 to 15 feet depending on location.

Largemouth Bass Report.

LM are being caught in all lake sections this year in far larger numbers and larger size than in the past several years. The usual culprits are doing well, namly the jig. 3/8th. oz football jigs in natural patterns are producing LM around the docks and bluffend staging areas in very good numbers and size.

Stickbaits are producing in tree lines ajacent to spawning coves and staging areas. It has also been reported that some topwater success has been reported in limited ammounts, but this is comming on every day. Slow movers are best right now, using either a spook or a chugbug.

On the wind 1/4 to 1/2 oz Spinner baits have been a fish taker as have warts in the river arms.

Lots of us have recorded their own personal best size LM this year. Fish close to 10 pounds have been weighed and lots of 6's, 7's and 8's, are comming to the scales in the weekend derby's.

Spotted bass.

Are staging and starting to move into spawing positions as the thread fish shad die-off disapates. K's can be taken all transitions ie major rock changes over the entire lake. Small pockets off major lake sections or even large coves are holding mostly buck K's as they also ready for the spawn. Shaky head, splitshot rigs and stickbaits are interesting these fish. Best baits are natural colors on the soft plastics in green pumpkin, candy, pumpkin seed. or watermellon seed. Fish are in 8 to 16 ft of water, some suspended and others on the bottom. Females are mostly suspended on major creek or cove bluffends and are readying for the move back. They are also pushing shad off the bluffs and the transitions. They are getting very close to spawn

Smallmouth Bass.

Finally the Jaw's are starting to move. We caught several very nice fish this week on the wind blown flats near the mouth of spawing pockets. Stickbait and splitshot rigs with a watermellon candy lizzard presented in to these windy locations are starting to be well recieved. I personally or my flock have not had a very good grub bite as yet, but you would think it would be day to day.

Keep in mind that these fish are not everywhere. Pick a bait and start fishing locations you feel are holding fish. Before changing baits fish at least 1/2 dozen similar locations with the same bait. vary the presentations at each location to try and fish th bait to the specification that the fish want. If that does not work change the bait and keep presenting it on your top locations, until you find the right pattern.

Leave your tackle box at the dock. Bring 5 or 6 rods rigged with what you want to fish today and stay with that. Running thru the box is a method for disaster. It waste your precious time and you accomplish nothing.

If you could only pick 5 baits for April, What would you pick? Stay with those and you will catch fish. Helter skelter fishing and running lures is a waste of your valuable fishing time

Time after time and Client after client will tell me, " We went thru our entire tacklebox in for two days, with nothing to show for it, and you show up here with two or three simple soft plastics and we catch the heck out of them." "What's the deal."

FISH WHERE THE FISH ARE. Give them something as close to natural as possible and for CRIPES SAKES SLOW DOWN. This is not a RACE, it is fishing.

Both Beck and I in the last two weeks have pulled out the last of our 8 remaining head hairs advising our fishermen to SLOW DOWN.

DATELINE TABLE ROCK LAKE. Fish will hit a slow/moving or stationary bait........ As a matter of fact, this time of the year, they prefer it that a way.

See how long you can make a cast last. Here is a question, If you like the locations you are throwing to well enough to throw there, would it not be a good idea to keep the bait in that location as long as possible? Just Thinkin!

Think slow. Think positive. Use natural. Have fun.

Good Luck

[troutgnat]

Very nice report Sir. Bill, you hit it right on the money. I have been fishing the Long Creek Arm and doing very well. I have taken 2 5+ and a 6lbr within the last week. Here's a couple of additions from my field tests. The night bite can be had, however, it is slow. I fished all night last night and was rewarded 1 keeper kentucky on a jig/craw. But, last Thurs. I fished from 3am on and had two bites before sun-up on the jig and landed them both and each were over 5lbs. Both came from the same little spawning pocket next to a bluff-end. Also, topwater is funny right now. Sitting out over my little spawning pocket at twilight this morning I see fishing beginning to ball up shad all around me so I go to work throwing the kitchen arsenal of topwater at them and notta, not one bite. The sky begins turning bluer and fish and shad migrate out to the open flat break and all of the sudden they start biting with aggression on a Sammy. Go figure. Could it have been too early??? BTW......the grub bite is to be found but again slow, there are only a limited amount of outside shady dock corners to be found LOL, but my experience has proven that every one holds a fat kentucky who can't pass up a 4" smoke grub

[dtrs5kprs]

Thanks for taking the time to post Bill. Looks like things are about ready to get entertaining. Grub deal is kind of odd though.

[dwiebenga]

Great report Bill. I am really looking forward to my trip in three weeks!

[duckydoty]

Nice report Bill. Even though I dont fish Table Rock, I enjoy reading your reports.

[nobutt56]

i just want to say thanks like everyone else. you go beyond the obvious in your reports. you're attention to detail is appreciated. thank you for your time, its certainly beyond the "call of duty".

[Bill Babler]

I was on Taney the last two days, but Beck reports lots of cusiers and bedders, in the Kimberling Area. I am a full day out of Viola tomorrow and will keep you posted on the goings on up on th Fishy part of the lake.

[Smalliebigs]

Killer report and post Bill!!!! I always enjoy your post immensely and they provide very valuable info.OAF is very lucky you take the time to post reports......Thank You and I will be hammering the Baxter area this week.