Table Rock Lake Fishing Report For May 9Th. 2012

[Ultralance12]

I'm up on the deck looking at the lights from the camp on point 22 right now. I spent the whole day getting my new and first (2008 red/white nitro 591)bass boat registered. Hitting the water at 5:30 each of the next three days. I've been fishing off a pontoon in this area or needles eye dock for 8+ years and finally bit the bullet and got a boat to get out there and learn (grew up fishing a 6 acre stocked pond with a Zebco 33 so im clueless out here).

My tackle is still a work in progress but I've amassed all the rigs I'm gonna get this year. I'd appreciate some feedback on what I should spool on each setup and what I should rig each one up with for the morning trek.

5'2" Berkeley light action rod, superlight berkley spinner with 4 lb vanish line. I bought this for crappie fishing but have ended up putting a torpedo or jerk bait on it most of the time.

6' berkeley supershok medium action rod, Pfleuger Templar spinner with 6 lb vanish on it. This is my famous green and brown football jog with twin tailed grub setup.

6'6" Pfleuger medium action rod, Pflueger president spinning reel with 6 lb. vanish on it. I bought this Walmart special today and haven't figured out what to do with it. I thought crank bait or heddon top water.

7' Abu Garcia vendetta medium heavy action rod, Abu Garcia silver max bait caster with 12 lb vanish on it. I've had either a spinnerbaits or buzz bait on this but it's by first bait caster and I'm learning how to throw it right (Use your thumb!).

I'd love to know what line and lure you guys would use with this gear for morning fishing ( or afternoon or night) around point 22 this weekend. Would you go up kings, white, mill creek, or towards main lake. I have no ego when it comes to lake fishing so you won't hurt my feelings critiquing my gear, line, or lure choices. I'm the human sponge right now when it comes to table rock fishing.

Also, would any of you guides take me out on my boat in this area and teach me the ropes of not only TRL fishing but off bass boat ownership. Thanks for all the info you guys have given me so far and any wisdom you can impart to a new fisherman is appreciated.

[abkeenan]

I'm up on the deck looking at the lights from the camp on point 22 right now. I spent the whole day getting my new and first (2008 red/white nitro 591)bass boat registered. Hitting the water at 5:30 each of the next three days. I've been fishing off a pontoon in this area or needles eye dock for 8+ years and finally bit the bullet and got a boat to get out there and learn (grew up fishing a 6 acre stocked pond with a Zebco 33 so im clueless out here).

My tackle is still a work in progress but I've amassed all the rigs I'm gonna get this year. I'd appreciate some feedback on what I should spool on each setup and what I should rig each one up with for the morning trek.

5'2" Berkeley light action rod, superlight berkley spinner with 4 lb vanish line. I bought this for crappie fishing but have ended up putting a torpedo or jerk bait on it most of the time.

6' berkeley supershok medium action rod, Pfleuger Templar spinner with 6 lb vanish on it. This is my famous green and brown football jog with twin tailed grub setup.

6'6" Pfleuger medium action rod, Pflueger president spinning reel with 6 lb. vanish on it. I bought this Walmart special today and haven't figured out what to do with it. I thought crank bait or heddon top water.

7' Abu Garcia vendetta medium heavy action rod, Abu Garcia silver max bait caster with 12 lb vanish on it. I've had either a spinnerbaits or buzz bait on this but it's by first bait caster and I'm learning how to throw it right (Use your thumb!).

I'd love to know what line and lure you guys would use with this gear for morning fishing ( or afternoon or night) around point 22 this weekend. Would you go up kings, white, mill creek, or towards main lake. I have no ego when it comes to lake fishing so you won't hurt my feelings critiquing my gear, line, or lure choices. I'm the human sponge right now when it comes to table rock fishing.

Also, would any of you guides take me out on my boat in this area and teach me the ropes of not only TRL fishing but off bass boat ownership. Thanks for all the info you guys have given me so far and any wisdom you can impart to a new fisherman is appreciated.

You are super light on some of your rigs. That 5'2" w/ 4# test should just be a crappie/panfish pole. Using a torpedo/jerkbait on that will get it destroyed and you will lose a lot of fish on that setup. The 6' M for throwing football jigs is too short and too light in my opinion. I would throw the jerkbait and topwater on that rod myself but bump the line test up to 8 or 10 for jerkbaits and around 15+ for topwater. The 6'6" medium I would throw your spinnerbaits and cranks on 10# line. Can go heavier on the line for spinnerbaits, I throw 15# mono with mine. The 7" MH with 12# is fine and that is what I would throw my football jigs, texas rigs or spinnerbaits on if I were you. Just my opinion.

Here is my breakdown of rods and line types:

5" UL with 4# co-poly = panfish

6' M with 17# mono = topwater

6'2" M with 10# fluoro = jerkbaits

6'6" MH with 15# mono = spinnerbaits and squarebills

6'10" H with 12# fluoro = jigs and texas/jika rigs

7" MH with 15# mono = big topwater wake baits

7'4" M with 10# fluoro = Crankbaits

7'6" H with 65# braid = A-Rigs

7'M spinning with 8# yozuri hybrid = shakey heads, splitshot, carolina, finesse baits

Maybe that will give you more of an idea. This is just my own preference as I am sure others will be totally different. To each there own.

[Ultralance12]

Much appreciated. I realized after reading some of the posts that I was a little light on my spinners. Originally I was worried about putting line on that was heavier than my reel is rated for but I'm thinking I just won't be able to put as much on.

[mixermarkb]

My advice is spool that 6'6" spinning rod with some 10 pound mono, and tie a super spook jr, silver flitter shad on it.

Get some 1/2 to 3/8 oz green pumpkin football jigs with double tail trailers for the baitcaster. Set the cast control knob on the reel to where the bait falls very slowly from the rod tip and stops when it hits the water when you hit the free spool button.

Leave everything else at the dock.

Throw that spook early until the sun good and comes up, then keep it handy for throwing at blow-ups. Fish that jig on the baitcaster all day. Make yourself learn how to do it. When you backlash, pick it out till you get to where it won't pull anymore, tighten the drag down, then push your thumb hard on the spool and crank the handle 2 or 3 cranks. Pull some more, the backlash will pretty much be gone, with no hours of picking or cutting loops. Pick up a bottle of reel magic and give the line a puff of that 2-3 times a day

You will catch some fish, and you will increase your comfort level with baitcasters a ton. Don't give yourself too many options, those 2 baits will catch fish this time of year if you are near active fish.

Just my $.02,

Mark Burris

[buckcreekmike]

1. 
   

   
   My advice is spool that 6'6" spinning rod with some 10 pound mono, and tie a super spook jr, silver flitter shad on it.
   
   Get some 1/2 to 3/8 oz green pumpkin football jigs with double tail trailers for the baitcaster. Set the cast control knob on the reel to where the bait falls very slowly from the rod tip and stops when it hits the water when you hit the free spool button.
   
   Leave everything else at the dock.
   
   Throw that spook early until the sun good and comes up, then keep it handy for throwing at blow-ups. Fish that jig on the baitcaster all day. Make yourself learn how to do it. When you backlash, pick it out till you get to where it won't pull anymore, tighten the drag down, then push your thumb hard on the spool and crank the handle 2 or 3 cranks. Pull some more, the backlash will pretty much be gone, with no hours of picking or cutting loops. Pick up a bottle of reel magic and give the line a puff of that 2-3 times a day
   
   You will catch some fish, and you will increase your comfort level with baitcasters a ton. Don't give yourself too many options, those 2 baits will catch fish this time of year if you are near active fish.
   
   Just my $.02,
   Mark Burris
   

WOw, I have never heard of this technique for a backlash. I usually sit there picking at them like a dumbass for 10 minutes. Luckily I don't get them as much as when I was first learning to throw one.

[mixermarkb]

Look it up on YouTube. I've fished for 25 years and never knew about it, but it works amazingly well.

[bluebasser86]

Point 22 Area

Dave and I hit the pond at 5:45 this morning and ran right into a topwater swrae. Dave is particular about his gear and had wanted me to rig a fin on his 7' loomis spinner. He has a Shimano Stella and had it spooled with 8 pound trilene. I hesitated to put my modified high dollar Fin on such a light rig, but he told me he had caught and had no trouble with Northern Pike up to 28 pounds on it.

Like a fool, I put it on for him as the customer is always right."Right." First fish was a monster and it took the fin about the time it hit the water. Crazy deal. It pulled drag, and came unbuttened. The fin floated to the top and it or another monster slammed it again and it came off. Dave reeled it to just off the boat and the Big Blackie, I'm guessing at 7 pounds up, snapped the Fin and 8 inches off the Loomis rod and was gone, right at the boat.

The explosion was massive and the fish threw water into his face for spite while breaking the rod and stealing the fin. I told him that gear was no match for post spawn Table Rock Monsters, and he believes me now.

Topwater fish bite was over on the high blue by 8 AM but the fish suspended on the no breeze day and made it tough.

Right before we quit at Noon, they finally hit the bottom and we caught some jig fish.

Enlarge this pic, and tell me I am using the wrong jig. I have never seen anything so closely matched.

Pretty good day with 9 keeps and 30 fish to the boat. Biggest was a 30 pound carp that ate my 7" swimbait clear down.

Buster had one at least that big last week.

Good Luck

Sorry about losing the 'fin. I've never had much success with one but I know the potential is there. Thank you very much for the pictures of the craw. I'll be down there in a couple weeks and have a couple colors of homemade jigs that should match those craws really well. They were eathing this one really good last time I was down there, only on a football head.

[Bobby P.]

baitcaster thumb trick---cool.

Can't wait to try it.

[Bill Babler]

Thank you for posting this. This is what this forum is about.

[mixermarkb]

Yep, thanks for putting the link up- I didn't have time to sign in on a real PC and look for the link. I wish I could have back all the time I spent picking backlashes while a school of fish blew up all around when I was first learning to topwater fish. Seems like I'd always get excited and mess up my cast! Lol