Beginner Advice

[flyman]

I am new to fishing Table Rock and looking for advice. I have been fishing Ozarks rivers and streams for years. I just recently (finally) bought a bass boat. Been going to TR pretty frequently since I live fairly close. Lots of lake to explore. A bit intimidating for this canoe fly fisher . I was doing pretty fair during the early/mid spring using grubs, swimbaits and tubes on lake points. The last couple weeks though the water has warmed and the fish are going deeper and has totally shut off for me.

I have been trying a few things that I have read about (mostly here but also reports from local guides). 1. Drop shot rig with a 1/4 oz weight, 24" leader; tried purple 4" roboworms, yamamoto finesse minnow pumpkin seed and even live night crawlers. 2. Carolina rig with 3/4 oz weight. 24" leader with UV beaver different colors. 3. Early morning top water pop r and spooks.

Locations have been lake points at about 20' of water. I troll at about 40' to 60' and cast toward the point. With the c-rig I cast out and slowly drag back. Lifting the rod tip a little to drag on the bottom drop the rod tip back down and reel slack. I take little pauses and if I feel a large rock or stump I shake a little bit. I do a similar retrieve with the drop shot only much slower to keep it on the bottom.

I don't have very good electronics right now. Hope to upgrade later. Because of the quality, I don't use it much besides depth, structure and temp. It's also mounted on the console so I can't really see it from the front.

One thing I have noticed on my recent trips is the lake clarity is completely different near the aunts creek than Indian point areas. Do these techniques work on all parts of the lake? Am I using the wrong techniques for the area?

I have been reading everything I can, studying maps, etc. It's definetly fun learning a new fishing style, technique and exploring new waters. Zero fish days hurt a little(OK a lot) but I still have fun. I would love to hear advice to make the experience a bit a more enjoyable. If there are other recommendations of things to try or materials to learn from I would appreciate it. It's clear I have lots to learn.

[ozarkgunner]

Hire a guide for a few trips. It will more than pay for itself in fuel and frustration in the long run. Babler

Is the go to guy.

[ozarkgunner]

You are fishing too shallow and too fast if you are not catching anything. Slow down and move out deeper. Even on the hard day you should be catching a few. I would stick with the grub in smoke really slow across the bottom in 20-35 feet. Yamamoto grubs (4in) will do the best for catching numbers.

[flyman]

Thanks, ozarkgunner. That is what I was doing since mid spring. I have been throwing those since April and having great success but fewer fish with each trip. I was using 3/16 oz jig head with white or smoke yamamoto grubs. This technique really slowed down for me as the water warmed. I assumed it was just a springtime pattern. Like you said, I may just not be deep enough now. I really enjoy that style of fishing as a beginner. Just cast out and reel in slow with some pauses. What can be simpler? I'll move out a little and keep trying that. Should I wait before I begin the retreive since they are getting deeper? All I hear is drop shot and c-rig so that's why I started trying it. I thought it was the go to summer technique. I have a guide scheduled but it will be a couple weeks. I don't know how many times I can afford that without getting some words with the wife. Thanks again, bud.

[Quillback]

What has been working for me lately is first to go very early. I like to be on my favorite point by 0530. I've been throwing the Zoom Ol' Monster worm right up on the shallow water, 2 feet deep, on a c-rig, I use 1/2 oz weight. Boat is sitting in maybe 8 feet. The fish have been very aggressive on the Monster, but it only lasts for about half an hour. Then I switch to top water. If there's fish in the places you're fishing you should see topwater activity early in the AM and you should see shad flicking around. If not, I'd find another spot. Later in the morning, I've been picking up a few fish by c-rigging a small craw like a Zoom Ultravibe Speed Craw or a Strike King rage craw, or Baby Rage Craw in water 15-20 feet deep. I'll usually go a little lighter, 3/8 oz on the c-rig weight while doing this. Bites are usually pretty light so hopefully you've got a set up that is somewhat sensitive.

I haven't done the drop shot this year, but I'll probably start trying it next week. It does really help to have electronics that will show you fish suspended off the bottom out in the deep 20-35 foot depths. If you see them, drop it on them, no fish, move on. Zoom finesse worms, Old Purple is a great color, Plum is good. Roboworms work, Morning Dawn is a good color.

Visibility in the White river arm is about 6 feet, dunno if you're fishing the clear water, if so things may be a little different.

[Skeeter ZX190]

I'm no expert, but good electronics is a must. The sooner you can get one mounted on the bow, the better. I don't fish the Rock much, (I live in the KC area and $3.50 a gallon gas is a killer to get down there) but when I have in the summer, my eyes are always on my graph. The way the bass like to suspend in tree tops and in the channels, it lets me know I am fishing where there are fish. I use to have a PinPoint 7820 mounted on the bow and that thing was amazing. I don't want to hijack this thread, but am curious if anyone has recommendations on a good graph. With the PinPoint I could easy drop a spoon or drop shot down and watch it fall. The cone seemed to be pretty big and I didn't have to be precise where I dropped it, it just needed to be close to the trolling motor. I've had both a Humminbird and Lowrance on the front of my new boat, but neither come close to that PinPoint.

[ozarkgunner]

I Fish from 5-9:30 am in the summer. After that you might as well hang it up. A small drop shot worm such as a yamamoto cut tail will also work very well. If you are not night fishing with large black spinnerbaits and black jigs you have not lived. Night fishing is great on table rock. Sometimes I fish 2 am- 9am.

[flyman]

I MUST try night fishing down there. That sounds so exciting. I do a lot of night fishing on Taney in fall and rivers all summer for smallies. Great fun. I could only imagine the excitement on the rock. I will definitely be giving that a go once I have some more knowledge of the lake. So black spinners and black jigs? I'll need to remember that. I'm told large 10" motor oil or black worms work well too. I'm sure I'll try that soon. Daytime, I'm quickly learning, is a parade of tubers and jet skies. Nothing wrong with that. They are allowed too. But that mixed with hot summer sun makes for miserable fishing.

[ozarkgunner]

Big black and blue or black and red worms work well also. The spinnerbait and jig give off a little bit more vibration for me. When night fish I have all three tied on along with a black spook or black buzzbait

[ozarkgunner]

What area of the lake ate you on? The James has some of the better night fishing.