Struggling On The Rock

[ryan]

Having a really hard time putting together a solid pattern on Tablerock right now. Jerkbaits, a-rig, jig, and a spoon have been catching a few but none with consistency. Last two trips I have had a 6 and an 8lber but very few fish to follow up. Just cannot find consistent schools of fish. Lots of bait but its in 60-80 fow. The 8 I caught on Saturday had a big gizzard shad in its throat so I know there are a few fish feeding. Don't know if its because water generation has been lacking or what the deal is. Water temp is consistent at 45-47deg. Fished mid lake to the dam, may try the rivers this next weekend. I have been fishing hard the last couple days out on the water but I am missing something. Any tips or help would be appreciated before I beat the water to a froth again with the same results. Someone is catching them somewhere it's just not me!!! Thanks guys and God bless!!

[Bill Babler]

Anyone that says they are catching huge numbers of fish now, might be embelishing their totals a bit. There are some very nice stringers coming to the scales in the tourmaments, but if you talk to most of these guys they have not had 10 or 12 keepers, they have had usually 6 or 8. Maybe had the chance to cull a fish or two.

As you stated you are catching some nice size but no numbers. That for the most part is how its been.

I will tell you the bite is a two phase deal. Right at daylight there has been a pretty good wart bite on the flatter stuff with some chunk mixed in. This goes away really quickly, uisually no later than about 8 AM on a bright day and 9 AM on a cloudy day. Same is true for the early A-Rig on the bluffends over the tree tops.

Then there has been a very bad lull. Usually till about Noon. Then there has been a really good either jerkbait or A-Rig bite till the temps start to cool again. The Noon bite has been on secondaries with timber and a channel swing up against them. The bite I have had, if that channel is not on the side of the structure you are fishing, you are wasting your time.

As far as the deep bite, for me this bite had dispersed. I'm seeing lots of shad on the flats and in the wind blown pockets and not so many in the deep cuts where the majority of the deep fish hang. Got a feeling the deep fish for the most part are gone.

Did hear of one of the local guides finding a big school of K's in 35 ft. off a long runnout. I'm just not catching many K's, the majority of fish for me have been very quality LM with a Jaw here and there.

I think a lot of guys are just beating themselves up right now when the fish are not biting and then as the bite turns on, they are so either tired or discusted they don't fish well.

Either get on the water at 6:30 and fish till 8:30 or better yet, get on around 11:30 and fish till 5. Right now, 8:30 to 11:30 has been a major waste of time. It is only getting folks frustrated .

Good Luck

[ryan]

Bill as always thanks so much. I appreciate the information greatly! Hope everyone else can use this to put a few more in the boat as well. Can't wait to get back on the water!

[Josh Holt]

Try fishing the deep creeks with a single tail drub fished vertically I have a few friends doing pretty good on that right now. The wart bite is strong in some places right now also just depends on the area, All I can say is keep trying you get a good pattern.

[mixermarkb]

It's not table rock, but I had a good day on bull, 8am-12pm, with 11 total, 5 keeper LMB, and 2 keeper K's. Nothing over 17" though. Fished the Little North Fork arm from Theodosia to Spring Creek, with the best bite being a Wart in the back 1/3 of creeks on channel banks.

[Champ188]

Bill nailed it ... you are experiencing a typical late-winter/early-spring bite on our White River chain of lakes. Keep throwing what's working and expanding your waters but most of all, enjoy it. You're catching some darn good fish. The numbers will rise with the water temps as spring arrives, but you'll see fewer big ones.

[ryan]

It has definitely been a grind out there for me lately. One thing for certain is that I love trying to piece that puzzle together every time I'm out on the water. One decent pattern that I have been on is a smallmouth bite, main lake pea gravel pockets in 8-15fow on a jig and a jerkbait. I haven't ran that pattern too much because I'm looking for some tournament fish and just don't think I can get the job done with brown fish (although it would be awesome if I could). 1/2-3/8 oz football jig with Yamamoto craw trailer in PBJ and green pumpkin have caught a few nice ones (2-4lbs). Surprised that I can't get on a deep bite with a spoon and a grub. I did catch a few on a spoon a couple weekends ago but just haven't found any good concentrations of fish deep. I know there out there but I'm not on em by any means. I haven't caught any kentuckys what so ever, all blacks and smallmouth that puzzles me. Good thing about fishing with a jerkbait and an A-rig is that you can get right in a hurry if you find a school of them. Well I'm gonna go Saturday all the same and run some different stuff, maybe Sunday after church. Thanks for all the help guys. I'll try and post some POSITIVE results!!! God bless and tight lines!