Table Rock Lake Fishing Report October 9Th. 2011

[Bill Babler]

Probably my biggest September and October. I have been on the water, since coming back from Alaska everyday but two. Except for the stint that Beck and I made up to lake O.

Got a pretty good handle of whats going on and it is not real pretty. Yes you can catch some fish if you put your thinking caps on, and really bear down.

Longcreek area from 86 bridge up the Creek. Deep runouts and channel swing points are holding some K's. You can find these by working out the points with a dropshot or you may wish to use a crawler if the plastic is not working. Most all our fish are on the bottom. Really had very few out in the open suspenders this year. Start looking at 25 ft. and work out to 45. Good Sonar is a real asset.

Longcreek up past Cricket Creek Marina clear to Youkum Split. Topwater early your choice of splasher. Up tight and around some cover, square bill cranks and if you get a breeze a SB will get a bite or two. Your not going to find gold but there are some bites.

Big Cedar to Point 9 at the James White River Split. Sorry for this much water, but its all about the same. Early and I mean early there is still a pretty good Zara Spook bite off the bluffends and the main lake deep docks. Also the docks are a very good place to either dropshot or spoon a few. Look for deep docks with a open stall or so. Pitch your 1/2 spoon or your dropshot back in the stall and let it fall on a tightline and swim back to you. If your not worried about your boat you can ease into the stalls and fish the spoon or dropshot in the 30 ft. range. These are mainly for suspended under dock fish. Quite a bit of money won this last week in the Stren tournament doing this. I did not say lots of fish caught, I just said lots of money won.

Spinnerbait or crankbait the cedars in this area also. They have flat been hammered, but right now you are fishing for bites not so much fish. Very few fish in this area on a jig, but I always have one on and throw it anyway. Chunk rock banks with breeze have also been a place for the blade and series 5.

Point 9 to Shell Knob Bridge. Meaner than a Bride stood up on Wedding Day. You can catch fish in this area from 2ft. to 50 ft. and not but one or two on each spot. These fish are scattered and just picking up a couple chasing if your lucky is about as good as any. Shaky head on windy banks is something to try and I am catching some on it. Green Pumpkin is the culprit, of a 3/8th Chompers Head.

Shell Knob to Viola on the Kings and Point 21 to Big M on the White River sems to be all the same.

Decent bite here if you adapt. Good start is topwater junk off the main lake point and bluffends. Very Poor Quality of Fish, but bites. Dropshot the gravel in the 30 to 40 ft. range off the flats from the Knob to Big M for K's but very few keeps. You can also use a series 5 cranker or a fat free shad cranking the rock banks with a little wind for LM. Not very good quality, but one day last week, I had a couple of dozen of them. Only a keep here and there.

Yesterday, finally got a dose of the dropshot and had the guys start throwing jigs. They were long time clients of over 15 years and I usually fish with them some. Picked a windy chunk rock transition and started flinging. 1st. throw with the 3/8th. PigSticker and the green pumpkin craw. Nice and I mean NICE 3.5 pound Jaw. I put down my rod, just had a feeling the boys could get a good one or two here. Next throw by Mark very nice keeper K. Couple of casts later Ivan had a very weak hook set and the 4 Pound LM jumped up and simply spat the jig back to the boat. I thew back in and caught another 3 pound Jaw. 5 minutes later Ivan hooked another bass and it again with me screeming in his ear, Wind, Wind, Wind. Jumped on a slack line and threw the bait back at us.

We were on a spot. " Big Time. " Madgin one of the derby boys, would have paid big money for it, cause before we were done we had 5 keeps and lost 6 others on a location about 200 yrds. long. The 5 we got to the boat weighed 13.5 and if we would have caught two LM that jumped off we would have been at 17 pounds.

There was no reason to lose any of the fish that got off. We let them. Yes, they were hot and very jumpy, but by following a few principles, we could have put them in the boat.

On a tough day you got to bow your neck and don't let fish once you hook them,"Play You." You play them, and don't mess with them. Put them in the boat and get their picture. You let a Table Rock Lake bass jump on a slack line and I will tell you (YOU BAD) He will whip you everytime.

You fish behind yourself and don't get the trigger pulled, its on you. The fish didn't turn it loose, you screwed it up Always fish infront of yourself and don't get out of shape with the rod in a position of zero power. You get that bite get the rod tip over the line and be firm on a tight line. Once the fish is hooked fish the rod over the line and keep it tight. When you see that fish coming up, Wind in your string and as he clears the water pull him to you 4 ft.

Don't be jabbing the tip of the rod under water or trying to back reel a spinning rod. KVD may do it but I will tell you now, YOU CAN'T. On my spinning gear, I want that fish pulling drag. If he is pulling drag on that Stradic, I know he is on tight, and he is pretty much caught. That drag is smooth as silk. On my baitcasters I want it tight to the fish, but if he dives at the boat the drag will slip, not allowing the hook to cut out. I am using 12 pound Seaugar. Grab the line in front of the baitcaster and test it. It should pull off the spool even and smooth with good resistance. Not be locked completely down, or come off to easy.

There are a few bites out there. What you do when you get them determines what kind of a day your going to have. I love it even If I don't get bit. But, If I do, I want to get my paws on them and give them a smooch or two. Can't do that if they jump off.

Good Luck

[rps]

Right now I am fishing vicariously. Thanks for a report I can "see."

[timr0123]

I always learn something new from your post. And somethings are refreshed. I can't thank you enough. Tim

[Champ188]

Good info there, Bill. Not quite what we'd LIKE to hear but tons of good info. I'm betting this slowness is nothing a few good frosts won't fix. The fish could use a break from the pressure too but not gonna get that til after the BASS Central Open boys are gone at the end of the month.

[Bill Babler]

Yes its a very busy month. Heard from Pete Weeners today and the bite was still slow. I guided trout. Pete did say the fish were schooling most of the day, with the overcast. When they went down, it got tough.

It should be hard right now, but not this hard. Only one player in the Everstart derby had a limit for 3 consecutive days, unbelieveable.

[Bill Babler]

Mid-Week Report Thursday October 13th.

Boys that were out today, said it is just unbelieveable bad. 3 of Table Rocks best guides fished today with clients and from what I'm hearing, had 1 keeper for the 3 of them and all their clients. Fish schooled all day today off and on but they were midgets. Best fish reported was a skinny 15 LM that weighed about a pound.

In all my years here, even the fish kill years I have not seen it this tough.

Fish are scattered from 1 ft. to 70 ft. and I don't believe there is a handful of keepers in any one spot on the lake. If you get really lucky you will catch one here on one bait and another there on a completely different bait.

This has to break soon, It is very frustrating. Usually right now those big brown ones are starting to get on the jig. NaDa!!

Could be anyday now, hope its tomorrow.

Good Luck

[edwin]

Glad it's not just me and my folks that I hosted this past weekend. I was able scrap together 7-10 fish most days, but only 1 keeper per day. I can't say that the folks that drove up from San Antonio fared as well. Long way to drive for just a few fish for the weekend.

[Martin]

The walleyes are T O U G H also... rps has done educated them all....lol (Just kidding Randolph) !!