Smallmouth Bass In The Dam Area

[Zeke Kuehn]

Well I broke down and got myself my first boat and fishfinder! I am wanting to catch smallmouth bass in the dam area of the lake. If any of you would be so kind to tell me a successful way to catch these fish, and if you are feeling really generous some key areas! Thank you in advance. I am a long time canoe fisherman born in the Ozarks, If any of you need river fishing advice let me know. ?

[abkeenan]

I wrote this a week or two ago. Still should apply:

"Haven't been down there in nearly a month but just based on basic seasonal patterns for Table Rock I would say work your way north of the 86 bridge towards the dam hitting long run out gravel points. Those types of locations are ALL OVER near the dam and towards KC. You will mostly be picking up smallmouth at nearly a 75% clip if I had to guess with the remainder being KY's. A random largemouth is caught here and there but for me it's a rarity on the gravel stuff. Put the boat in roughly 30ft of water and fan cast and you should pick them up anywhere from 5-35 feet (depending on how early you are out there as they move deeper as the sun gets up). If you can find gravel adjacent to a bluff end or shelf rock hit that too and should pick some there. Not sure what kind baits you are throwing but I'd have a jig, creature bait, topwater and finesse rig (ned, shakey, etc.) on the ready. They are probably getting on the dropshot and/or spoon at this point so if you have electronics and locate a pod on the graph try dropping something on their head and see if you don't get nipped. The vertical stuff you are probably looking anywhere from 30-60 feet of water with them suspended anywhere in that range. This time of year the in my experience the early bird truly gets the worm....be out there by around 5AM and fish til the water gnats run you off or it gets too hot. Good luck."

[Zeke Kuehn]

Thank you so much for what I believe to be invaluable information.