Table Rock Crappie Report

[Phil Lilley]

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-451" title="Babler and Babler" src="http://www.ozarkanglers.com.php5-24.dfw1-2.websitetestlink.com/table-rock/files/2011/11/Babler-and-Babler-500.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" />

Bill Babler, his son Stephen and I headed out from Aunt's Creek this morning about 10:30 a.m. in search of pan fish - white bass or crappie.  Bill said some of his comrades had been catching some white on flats in 30-40 feet of water on the bottom.

Heading up in the creek arm, we boated about 4 miles and stopped in an area Bill called School House.  We thought we found some whites on the depth finder and they may have been whites but they weren't interested in our spoons.  Big needle nose gar were popping on the surface all around us and I snagged one with my spoon.  Bill hooked and landed one largemouth but that was it.  We moved.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-450" title="Babler Table Rock Bass" src="http://www.ozarkanglers.com.php5-24.dfw1-2.websitetestlink.com/table-rock/files/2011/11/Babler-Table-Rock-Bass.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="241" />

We hit a few more flats and again saw big schools of shad and what looked to be game fish but no bites.  Then we turned our attention to crappies and the docks.

I knew of one dock I'd caught crappie on last winter so we went over and tried it.  It was on the bluff bank and the dock had 60 feet of water under it.  We tossed our white/chartreuse grubs in the stall and dropping no more than 6 feet we got bit.  Crappie!  Didn't have to measure these beauties, they were slabs!  We landed a half dozen and moved on down the bluff bank thinking we'd find more around some trees but didn't.

We headed back towards Aunts to try a few more docks we'd eyed on the way there.  We hit 2 more docks and caught crappie in both.  Again, they were less than 10 feet deep--some were as shallow as 3 feet.  Bill actually saw one crappie take his jig.  We'd switched to white 1/8th oz chrome dome jigs- they dropped slower in the water then the larger jig heads and grubs.

We ended up with 20 keepers, back at the ramp by 12:45 p.m. and on the road to the lodge to catch the start of the Arkansas/LSU football game.  But had to take time to filet, fry and eat some fresh crappies for lunch -- good start to the crappie winter season!!

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-454" title="Table Rock Crappie" src="http://www.ozarkanglers.com.php5-24.dfw1-2.websitetestlink.com/table-rock/files/2011/11/Table-Rock-Crappie.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="295" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-453" title="Table Rock Crappie Frying" src="http://www.ozarkanglers.com.php5-24.dfw1-2.websitetestlink.com/table-rock/files/2011/11/Table-Rock-Crappie-Frying.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="255" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-452" title="Table Rock Crappie Fryer" src="http://www.ozarkanglers.com.php5-24.dfw1-2.websitetestlink.com/table-rock/files/2011/11/Table-Rock-Crappie-Fryer.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="246" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-455" title="Table Rock Fried Crappie" src="http://www.ozarkanglers.com.php5-24.dfw1-2.websitetestlink.com/table-rock/files/2011/11/Table-Rock-Fried-Crappie.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="237" />

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[Ham]

Wow, I never throw anything larger than 1/16 oz jigs at crappie on docks and usually stick with 1/32 oz.

Great job catching them. Good eats.

[FullTiltAngler]

Nice catch. Have never fished the rock for crappies. Are there any good places a guy without a boat could go to do some dock fishing for crappies down there. I always fish lake of the ozarks for crappie and have had an incredible year up there but am looking for possible new spots to try a little closer to home. Any info appreciated and good luck to all and be safe out there.

[Phil Lilley]

Boy- can't help you with accessing docks by land since all are private.

Even if you had a canoe, you could catch crappie by accessing the lake at Bridgeport and fish the bank up there.

May someone else can help.

[fishinSWMO]

Nice catch! Good looking platter of fish, you can't beat a

freshly caught meal like that.

[abkeenan]

Nice report. Hope you guys used Andy's Cajun Fish Breading on those slabs. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.