Loving And Dishman, Blow Up The Rock

[Tfsh4bass]

Sonny and Jerry swam a grub in deep trees on channel swings.

On stage they said they caught all 5 smallmouth out of the same tree in like 10 cast with a grub...pretty good tree

There was an Easter Seals back around that time that had a huge bag of fish but they were 8 fish limits...think it was something like 42-43lbs may have been Taylor and Fann.

Sorry for the walk down memory lane

[dtrs5kprs]

These fish really started to big up last year. Both myself and Beck had fish over 9 pounds. I had my personal best at 9.6 pounds.

We had 70 fish over 5 pounds last year. The A-Rig is for sure catching bigger fish however. Last year the majority of our big fish came on a bit smaller bait.

As much trouble as they caused, this has to be the product of the high water springs, especially 2008. Gave the largemouth a chance to regroup in a big bad manner.

[Tfsh4bass]

As much trouble as they caused, this has to be the product of the high water springs, especially 2008. Gave the largemouth a chance to regroup in a big bad manner.

I had a really good day Saturday on a jerkbait with 10-12 keepers and probably around 19lb sack...BUT I probably caught 50 10-12in spots and smallmouth. And then probably caught 30 on Sunday. That class is good and you are right about the high water spawns. Bull Shoals is stupid good right now.

[Jason Essary]

First, awesome job. wonderful guys. Saw a 26.86lb 5fish last year on the millcreek tourney. Thought that was amazing.

Second, Have been watching for 3 years now the results of most of the tourneys. 3 years ago, saw a lot of 6lb fish with a few over that. Last year, saw a bunch of 7's, with a few over. Does this mean these are the same fish gaining each year? Figuring this is the first class after the fish kill, with the few that are larger being the ones that made it thou the virus?

Whats everyones opinion?

[Bill Babler]

Not Seeing any 400 fish schools of LMB swimming around Table Rock. I'll keep a lookout, should not be hard to miss.

Sounds more like Gizzard Shad to me. Gizzards grow in both Table Rock and Bull Shoals to lengths exceeding 12 inches and travel in large schools this time of the year. They are group spawners and will really congregate when the water gets into the 50's low 60's

Largemouth this time of the year more tend to seperate than congregate, as they leave their Winter patterns. Numererious fish can be seen patroling spawning pockets and on the top of the water column, but they are usually in 1's and 2's.

These Shad can even fool folks that look at bass all the time with their dark tails and heads and silver midsections.

Not saying its not possible to see a school of 400 PLus LM, BUT.

I know its getting good, But YIKES!!

[walker04]

Has it just been a great year for bass growth or is it the A-rig that is finding the big fish? If it is about the A-rig I wonder what a 5 bait A-rig could mean?

Any word on what part of the lake gave up all the 9 pounders?

he did say on a wiggle wart...screw a-rigs imo.

[Alex Heitman]

What an awesome day they had. I watched them catch a couple big ones right off my dock at my condo. I fished all last week down there and had good bites as well. My last day there Sunday was not as good, probablly my wrost day with only 5 or 6 keeps around the 3 pound range between the two of us. Looks like they caught all of them that day before I could get to them. Haha.

Here is a couple pics of so nice ones I caught during the week

[Bill Babler]

Thanks for the great post and pic's. Very nice fish. Were you getting that Blue Gill Spinnerbait around any Cedar or pole timber. Bet they thought it might have been a tasty Gill.

That far back in those ledgy pockets, they have to be thinking about making babies.

It is not as easy as everyone thinks. Each day is really different. It can also be very hard.

Great job.

[Bill Babler]

Hope they were. When you mention lakes, with those kinds of numbers that would not be plural. That would be only what you saw on Bull. Table Rock has nothing that would be even near that figure.

I just looked back a few years, looking at derby results on the Rock, and yes in the past couple of months we have seen some very big stringers of fish, but total fished weighed in and total weights are not dramatically larger than 3-4-5-6 yrs. past for the same time frame. Yes the top end catches and the extrodinarly big bag or two are larger, but not the total tournament weight.

90 percent of the Federal Captains that guide here on Table Rock are not catching more juvinile LM-K's or Jaw's than we were. Just about the same. Only difference if you can get on the right deal with the A-Rig you can get a big bag.

Floatin Fly last year produced some huge bags and huge fish. They just had not delt with it. Same I believe with the Rig. Hope we are onto something that would be great. Glad Bull is Producing like that, but that is far from the case here on Table Rock.

[ozarksfishin]

Bry, not tryin to step on toes or ruffle any feathers, but due to the recent warm weather, the fish you saw was more than likely a big school of gizzard shad. The sunny weather has created a plankton bloom and they were in the warmer coves feeding on the plankton. I have seen this several times on both Table Rock and Bull Shoals. I do believe that the recent floods has created habitat for the fry to survive and the Largemouth on both lakes are making a comeback. I guide full time on both lakes, and have seen an increase in the numbers of Largemouth being caught. Not saying you didn't see a big school of fish Bry, but standing on a stationary dock, it would be hard to get an accurate I.D. of type of fish in said cove. Just my 2 cents, again not tryin to stir the pot. But I do agree this should be a great year for fishin and catchin.