Fished The Rock Memorial Day Weekend

[Smalliebigs]

I fished from Friday morning until Monday morning, It wouldn't be my choice of weekends to fish but, beggars can't be choosers. First let me say that Table rock is simply beautiful and my favorite lake to fish but, humbles me more often than not and is getting hit so hard it's nuts.At virtualy every spot that I was told to go to or that I thought would be productive there was someone already there by 5:00am.

I stayed up late Thursday talking with a friend in Lampe to make my game plan. He gave me his version of what was happening and it seems as though ever since the lake turned over there has been either an algae bloom or just stained water more than what people of the Rock are used to. I personally thought this was a good thing. I went out on a hunch about 9 miles up river to Big Creek and went to what's called Dodson Hollow I believe.The water temps at Baxter dock were 74 when I started fishing Friday and were 78 when I pulled out the trailer today and somewhat stained looking for Table Rock......but would be considered clear anywhere else...lol.

I started fishing the main creek point by a dock at 5:36am and proceeded to catch a few short Spots on topwater and one decent 16 inch smallie.I had a dude with me who had never really fished for bass out of a boat and was insisting on using his spinning reel combo he uses in trout parks.......dork!!! When we proceeded into the cove a bit I noticed fish just blasting shad from the back third of the cove to the end and I mean just destroying them. At first I thought they were White bass.When we trolled into them closer and started catching them or when I started catching them, the guy I was with could never hook up on any of these fish with his trout rod.....oh boy... these fish were all a mixed bag of Blacks....it was a trip!!!! they were all the same size, 14 to 15 inches and were equal amounts of Largemouth, Smallies and Kentucky's......really wild. The action was crazy and the guy I was with had never seen anything like it and didn't seem to know what to do. I caught them so fast and furiously from 5:45 to about 7:30 when the Ski Nautique started circling right near timber by are little haven......it was a joke. here are a few pics of the fish that were smacking,whacking and slurping what looked to be about three inch shad

It was weird all three species feeding like that and it was shallow water.I didn't fish the evening bite as the family obligations of the two year old daughter and the wife took over.I was told those shad wouldn't be there the next morning but, I had to see and they were there and like a junkie I had to get my fix.Some might not find catching bass in the 14 to 15 range that thrilling but I just used my medium weight rods and it was a figgin blast. I tried to let stuff drop thru them to get to some lazy, fat giants below picking off dead ones but the water was not that deep in that little cove.I never could get a kicker fish to hand.By Monday morning they were still there and I had to get my fix again. You could catch them on a variety of topwater baits and then pick off followers with a nice grub.I used a Redfin, LC Waketail and a DogX. It was lots of fun and clensed my soul for sure.By 6:45am today I told my self to quit beeing a puss and go fish some deep water structure somewhere that had something different. I went to a spot very close by at a main river channel point I had been running by every morning like a fiend. It was where the river turns to Big Creek going upstream at Kingsland Hollow on the right side. I was in 60 feet of water throwing to all kinds of chunk rock little ledges and cedar it looked like, I'm not sure what depth I was getting my jig to, I think about 25 to 35 ft. I worked the point pretty good, about 20 cast when I had a decent little hit and then my stupid brain let apathy set in. I set the hook and the fish came at the boat pretty good and I was thinking another 13 to 14 inch Kentucky.....when this dark brown,black monster flipped in the air and I saw it the biggest Smallmouth that has ever been on my line.She gave me a great jump and perfect look right in my face and did the typical Trock smallie thing and took off down like a bat out of hell, she ran about ten feet of drag and the jig just came out of her.........I blew it!!!!!!!!!! I Jonny nonchalanted it at first!!!!!!!!!!!! but.....it was so mind blowing for me and so awsome to see that big of a Smallmouth just punk my butt out. I'm not bummed.....I'm happy....I have never seen a Smallie like that before.This will deffinitely invigerate my hunger to land a giant smallie there.....what a fishery!!!! The next state record on a Smallmouth will come from Table Rock it's just a matter of when and wether it's reported.Oh, the smallie was enticed on a Hart Justice jig 1/2 ounce in Green Pumkin/Grn Flake/Chart with a Prowler Pro Craw Grn/Pumpkin trailer. I quit keeping count of how many bass I caught in Dodson Hollow....I have Bass thumb so bad on my right hand it burned in the shower just a minute ago.It didn't matter how many drivers from Illinois cut me off on the drive back to St.Louis on 44 or whether my daughter puked in my back seat of the truck from car sickness, I couldn't wipe the grin off my face.My wife even commented on that.During that drive home I kept thinking to myself on Mermorial Day weekend, a weekend warrior like me can do this at Table rock???? well sometimes a blind squirrel can find a nut......did I say I love Table rock????? and can't wait to get back....There are giant Smallies swiming around in that lake....... and I will be day dreaming about them in my office for a bit until I am lucky enought to get back.

on a side note I did jig a White Bass out of some deep water on a BPS Strata Spoon 3/4 ounce in 160 ft of water along Lookout point by the cliffs and they fight in the Rock like nowhere else I've fished.......I'm not used to White Bass that big

[rps]

Great report and an accurate description of what it's like when you find a bass ambush. I wish you could have taken a picture of the monster. Next time.

[moguy1973]

Any guesstimate on the size of that pig Scott? Similar thing happened to a buddy of mine down there last year with the biggest smallie he'd ever hooked. Guess one isn't ready for a fight that a bigg one of those will put up when they are used to bringing in a bunch of smaller, less hard fighting fish.

[Quillback]

Great report, that topwater bite is a hoot! I'm hoping I can get back out there next week.

[Smalliebigs]

Any guesstimate on the size of that pig Scott? Similar thing happened to a buddy of mine down there last year with the biggest smallie he'd ever hooked. Guess one isn't ready for a fight that a bigg one of those will put up when they are used to bringing in a bunch of smaller, less hard fighting fish.

Jim, in fear of offending anyone who fishes that lake way more than I could dream of....... the length of that smallie is what sent my heart racing. I have caught them up to 21 inches and those were on rivers. This fish was bigger than that for sure....no doubt and just Black and Brown and beautiful.The vision of that lady jumping right in front of my face will be burned into my brain until my soul gets some rest. I really have no idea on weight but my friend showed me a pic of a Smallie his daughter in law caught that would go up to 23 inches and she let her go.In looking at that pic of her fish and the person who was holding the fish and how she wasn't holding out in front of her at all it could have been pushing 7 lbs......there's no doubt in my mind or her Father in law's ......my friend. TRock didn't have much of a shad kill this winter and the population is crazy with all kinds of different size shad you don't normally see down there. This could make for a Lake Castaic effect where those bass get to start feeding on some big shad instead of trout????

[Wayne SW/MO]

and somewhat stained looking for Table Rock......but would be considered clear anywhere else...lol.

Sadly I have to say "You should have seen it 30 years ago". 8# line was questionable and #6 was the norm, you could literaly see 12' at times.

[eric1978]

Sounds like a great trip. The big one always gets away...

[abkeenan]

Awesome report. I won't be able to get down there for atleast a month at the earliest so posts like this have to fulfill my "fix" until then. Thanks for sharing.

[Tfsh4bass]

Great report SB and glad you had a great trip. The Rock is special and will have the smallie record soon. I wonder what the lake record smallmouth is.

[Smalliebigs]

rps,abkeenan,Tfsh.......I truly love reading your guys reports on the Rock and always enjoy any pics, it's gets me thru to my next visit. The Table Rock thread on here is my favorite and just wanted to contribute, I hope I wasn't to precise with the locales.....don't want to mess anyones spot up. Reading some of rps's reports about chasing eyes puts me right on the upper end from my office computer....can't thank you guys enough. You guys have a great open exchange of valuble info if someone were to pay attention to your reports.....keep it that way....it's very good stuff for me.