Current Fishing Report Shell Knob Table Rock Lake 12-27-13

[Bill Babler]

12-27-13 Table Rock Lake Current Fishing Report White River Outfitters

Shell Knob, Missouri

Launched this morning at Viola up the Kings River at 0700 to a very spectacular sunrise and a not so special water color. Water was murky to a lovely Horse Poop Brown at Viola 43.5 degree

Y'all know I'm not havin any of that and headed for the main lake. Just past Twin Rivers the water cleared even though they are pulling it for all their worth and I settled down and started watching for some activity. You may think it sounds strange this time of the year to look for surface activity, but not only am I looking for any possible swirls in the water, I'm also looking for predatory birds of any type, Gulls, Loons, and Eagles.

Didn't take me long to find them downhill from Shell Knob. Eagles in the trees, and Loons diving as I shut the Phoenix down in 85' of clear main lake 46 degree Table Rock water.

As soon as I flipped the trolling motor over the side, it lit up almost completely thru the water column. Most of the fish I was seeing were suspended today in the 35' to 50' range over 60' to 85'.

My screen pretty much filled up with scattered shad and fish and birds running thru them. The shad today were just incapable of schooling or bunching as the fish slashed and slashed keeping them scattered, completely to the surface.

At times I had fish chasing on the surface and caught at least a dozen swimming a 1/4 oz grub thru the swirls.

Most often I presented a 3/8th. oz slider with either a Yamamoto or Chompers C-tail. Salt and pepper or grey worked equally as well.

Most of my action today came suspended so I kept the spoon on the deck. Did drop it once to the bottom when they scampered down there and wacked one immediately.

Fishing was just spectacular and to tell you the truth, watching the Eagles and the Loons and seeing a sonar screen full of fish, I lost track of how many I caught, but after 2 hrs. of this I put the rod down and just idled around and enjoyed the morning with line after line streaking thru my graph.

I even had from time to time Loons dive thru the cone and got some great views of them chasing shad right under the boat.

Most shad were threadfin from 1.5 to 3.5 inches and the fish spit them all over the boat and the water surrounding me.

I hit two more identical like locations before I quit at 0100 and caught 10 on each location before I headed in.

Mostly K's but I did have a limit of LM with the best one about 3.50. Lots of the K's were just thumpers and completely full of shad. I'm thinking about 15 pounds and to many fish to count.

What a Day!! Good Luck

[dtrs5kprs]

Ok...I'll jump on it. Is that a swivel up above your grub, sort of drop shot style?

[Bill Babler]

Yep, that grub is a spinner. In cold weather that line has enough memory anyway, so I do everything I can to keep her straight.

Get down here. they are just tearing it up.

[dtrs5kprs]

Yep, that grub is a spinner. In cold weather that line has enough memory anyway, so I do everything I can to keep her straight.

Get down here. they are just tearing it up.

You're killing me. We are working v-cuts, L-cuts, on ball and one away defense, form shooting, etc., every day. They will be safe from me until March at the earliest. Take care.

[Bill Babler]

Apologize for the foggy pictures. There was a big sun and with the cold mist coming off the water it kept messing with my lens. I also shot some video of the deal, but it was just to wiggly to put on the forum, it would have made you all queezy.

Water was getting back up toward 49 degree by 1300 when I put her on the road hauler.

Good Luck

[hknfsh]

What an awesome day you had Bill. Wish I was there !!

[Champ188]

Heck of a day. And great images from the Lowrance. There's a lot to learn here, folks. And for free, no less.

[abkeenan]

Thanks for the report Bill. Wish I could get down there to get in on that. Congrats on the great day.

[Pepe]

Wow, that looks like fun. Thanks for the report, Bill.

[merc1997 Bo]

i would say you put a good old fashioned "cow killing" on them. those are the type of days that keeps you going back.

bo