9-30-11 Table Rock Lake Fishing Report

[Bill Babler]

Man, things cooled down this morning. Had to put on my Hoody. Surface temps at Mill Creek at 6:30 AM were at 68. Just threw down the troller and had the folks flinging the spook and the fin up close. 3 youngsters before I thought I could do bigger and better elsewhere.

Kind of had a SMJ theme that Ken was wanting to work and I tried, but my gosh it was bright and blue and those jaws just ain't havin that kind of weather on falling surface temps.

Big Mouth Bass was a playin a little as on our next stop, Margerat got her fin molested by a very nice 4 pounder. The bass hit the bait about 15 ft. off the side of the boat and just about made my coffee come back up. She said she didn't know weather to jerk, keep reeling or throw the rod down and run to the far side of the boat. I just about screamed like a school girl. I mean it was a Hammer Job. She did get it caught, but the fish played a major role.

Checked out a couple of more SM locations and connected with a big zip and then started in on the bluffends. First stop, Ken on back to back to back tosses with the War Eagle 3/8th. mouse caught 3 nice keeper Blacks. Not big, but 16's and one 17. Kind of went like that most of the morning, with really lots of fish on a multitude of baits, including the head I've been throwing. Tossing it on 8 pound Maxi. using the 1/4 oz Chompers with a 4 inch green pumpkin pepper senko.

Up late in the moring things got to slowing down and all of a sudden we had a pretty good blowup all around us. Caught 6 on a series 5, 4 on the blade, 1 on the fin, and about a 1/2 dozen jerking the War Eagle 1/2 white spoon. Most were absolutely 1st. graders but I did catch the Superintendent she was a very nice 4.5 pound LM. I was jerking the spoon, and tried to hand her off, but my folks said for me to wind her in so I did.

7 Keeps by every method in the Sun. All LM. About 30 fish but most were still suckling. Only 3 SMJ's and they to were very inexperenced.

Wonderful folks and a bout as pretty a Fall morning as you will see.

Great to be a fishing guide on Table Rock Lake

Good Luck

[Guest Buck Creek Mike]

Most were absolutely 1st. graders but I did catch the Superintendent she was a very nice 4.5 pound LM

I thought that was a great line.

[Bimmer]

Thanks for the report Bill. Much appreciated. I've half a mind to head down there tomorrow morning. On some previos advice from you awhile back I picked up 8 of the 1/2oz War Eagles. 2ea in Firecracker, Mouse, Blue Shad and Purple Shad. Haven't had the opportunity yet to get them wet. You think tomorrow might offer some interest? If so, would you recommend the mouse over the others? Most likely we'd put in at KC and make our way to Aunts Creek unless you'd care to redirect. Thanks friend!

~David

[Bill Babler]

Dave, we are throwing the Mouse and the Silver Shiner, I don't belive it makes a flip, but C188 might tell me I'm wrong. Look at the ends of stuff in those areas and the transitions. Seems they are holding where structures of different sizes and configurations meet. Gravel to rock or Rock to Ledge, reguardless of the steepness of the bank.

There seems to be multiple fish in a location if you get one to nip, keep chunkin as they seem to be running in pairs and tripplets.

I don't belive you will get rich tomorrow as it is going to be as high blue as can be. Look for the wind if you came, you pretty much have to have it.

As far as area. You will pretty much have way more help than you want. Several derby's out. As you know KC to Aunts is pretty hot, and you will work pretty hard to get bit. Look for places that you can only work a very small section of the bank.. Maybe only 50 feet or so. Someplace that a lot of people don't want to stop at for two or three throws. Might be the best tosses of the day. Bigger longer stretches of bank are getting farmed pretty hard.

I'm on Taney, for the next 4 days, so I'm out if it. If you can catch 10 fish with 2 or 3 keeps, that is a good day. Keep that in mind. September and early October are the complete hardest times on Table Rock.

Good Luck

[Ozark Outdoorsman]

Bill I am glad you had a good morning because man was I humbled. After my nice outing on the 28th I thought I'd hit the water again this morning. I put in at Baxter this time which was a first for me and the whole area being a first as well. I started fishing around point 16, and scoped a road bed with a few fish on it and threw a War Eagle 1/2 and a Sammy across it to nothing. Then picked up the TM and buzzed around towards point 17, fished it with a jig and a blade.. nothing. Then I headed towards Big Bay and hit a few bluff ends with cedars on the way which produced 3 blacks on a shot, 1 keeper. Then I headed into the big bay area and fished a cedar covered flat/cove mouth with a blade and a jig and didn't do worth a darn. So I headed back towards Baxter and tucked into Cedar Hollow and found my next 3 fish dragging the Pigsticker. All LMB's 2 keeps on the day right at that 15" mark.. rough day.

[Bill Babler]

Be interesting to see what it takes today in the Homer Sloan Derby out of the Knob. Probably going to take 17 plus pounds, so they are out there. This is a really fun derby for a good cause and I hate to miss it, but I'm just covered up with guide work.

If the Fann boys are in it, my money is on them. Since the jig bite is somewhat off, you never know. Couple of big topwater spook bites and you got your trophy.

If I were fishing today I would fish for 5 or 6 good bites in the 8 hours.

[Flippin]

I fished out of Cape Fair yesterday and caught 8 shorts on the shaky head. It was a slow finesse bite. I threw most everything else with no luck. There was a lot of fog early in the a.m. and I thought the topwater would be going but the fish thought otherwise.

[Champ188]

Guys, for what it's worth, I wouldn't suggest anything different than the Mouse and Silver Shiner that Bill is throwing. There are oddball days when slight color changes seem to make a big difference but for the most part, I find the following colors are pretty much interchangeable: Mouse, Blue Shad, Lavender Shad, Green Shad, Firecracker and probably a few others that my feeble mind isn't recalling right now.

For the most part, with clear-water spinnerbaiting, a guy needs to tie on the one he has the most confidence in (long as it's close to natural shad color), pray for some wind and possibly even some cloud cover, and sling the thing til Da Boss sez get your butt home. Or better yet, do like me and take Da Boss with ya.

[Bill Babler]

Guys, for what it's worth, I wouldn't suggest anything different than the Mouse and Silver Shiner that Bill is throwing. There are oddball days when slight color changes seem to make a big difference but for the most part, I find the following colors are pretty much interchangeable: Mouse, Blue Shad, Lavender Shad, Green Shad, Firecracker and probably a few others that my feeble mind isn't recalling right now.

For the most part, with clear-water spinnerbaiting, a guy needs to tie on the one he has the most confidence in (long as it's close to natural shad color), pray for some wind and possibly even some cloud cover, and sling the thing til Da Boss sez get your butt home. Or better yet, do like me and take Da Boss with ya.

Amen!!!

[crackleback]

From a novice blader, I'd like to say thanks especially to Bill and C188 for the online seminars your info provides to those who cannot get out very often . . . it helps to keep us in touch with current techniques and conditions and is much appreciated . . . . . in general, when fishing transition areas with the blade, do you use a plastic trailer, or just a trailer hook, or both or just the naked blade right out of the package? . . . . and, regardless of depth, do you burn just under the surface more often than not or slow-roll it? . . . . thanks again . . . . I envy your wealth of knowledge and success :-)