September Weekend Report 9-21-14

[Quillback]

With the massive shad migration up the rivers and creeks well underway the bigger fish should follow and get shallow. I have been catching a lot more small mouth up shallow in the KC area of the lake.

I can't find a smallmouth to save my life.

[Champ188]

I caught one a couple of weeks ago in 70 feet of water chasing shad. Might explain a lot.

[fishingaddiction]

You bring up an interesting point QB. I know you fish the upper river arm of the Rock, but why are there not more smallies up there? It seems we always here reports or more and bigger SM in the middle to lower sections of the lake. Is it habitat, water depth, forage? Maybe some of the guys who have fished up river and down for a long time can answer this.

[abkeenan]

It is strange as when you think of Missouri rivers and streams you think smallmouth. So one would assume that up the river arms on Table Rock you would find the smallies but that is not the case. We have them all down here by the dam where it is somewhat rare to hook into a largemouth for the most part. They are here but I would say 75% or more of my fish are combination of smallies and spots. Maybe there is more current near the dam when they pull water hence the smallies like more current and prefer to stick around the general dam vicinity????? I really have no idea. Would like to know the reasons why the demographics of fish shift to one area of the lake. I know that during the Oakley Big Bass Tournament that the OVERWHELMING majority of fish weighed in for checks come from down in Long Creek and up the James River arm. Guys are looking for the bigger largies so they run up the river arms. Would like to hear why this is from a biologist or someone in the field that could explain this phenomenon.

[Quillback]

It's a mystery for sure. Smallies seem to prefer deep, clear water as opposed to the stained water in the river arms.

[balsabee]

I think smallmouth love to see their prey in clear open water and hunt it down and attack like a pack of wolves.

[Sac River Jim]

I was trying with the hooks to add a little longer shank and also a bit bigger gap. Not only to increase the bite of the hook but to add some extra weight to the bait. The fall with the added split rings and hooks has increased it some, and it still falls in a very correct manner. To tell you the truth, and now I have thrown it quite a bit, the bite is not on the fall it is on the retrieve. This is not a stickbait, it is a spinbait.

The whole idea of the bait is to catch them on this on the retrieve. My clients and I don't have a ton of hours in with it, but going by man hours, I'm going to say, maybe 300 man hours fishing the bait. Not a single fish on the fall, they all come on the retrieve.

I want a fast fall to get it to the desired depth as quickly as possible. Then the proper retrieve to keep it in the correct location in the water column. If your using this for schooling or chasing fish, there is a better mouse trap as fish even with all that I have done come loose quite a bit of the time, even with experienced fisherman behind the wheel.

This bait comes with a pretty short shank size 8 hook, with a very narrow gap. I am putting the wider bigger and heaver Death Traps in size 6 on it. If your putting any type of a triple grip or circle type hook, remember to just wind the bait. If you set the hook or pull back it will cost you fish. That triple grip is designed to hook the fish and then create a closed circle to keep them on. When you set the hook with a triple grip, you close the circle before the hook penetrates the fish.

Good Luck

They will bite this deal, but if you have to pay your dues with it.

thnx for the suggestions and i agree it took some time to get used to just letting the rod loadup and just reel because my first instint was to sweep the rod. im getting a bite on a very short pause and bout the time i start to reel again sometimes i have a fish on.

[Bill Babler]

I think smallmouth love to see their prey in clear open water and hunt it down and attack like a pack of wolves.

Exactly!!! They are the Cheetahs of Table Rock lake.

[Champ188]

Exactly!!! They are the Cheetahs of Table Rock lake.

And to resurrect one of your best lines ever ... everyone knows a cheetah doesn't belong in a briar patch!

[Jason Essary]

Yes. Smallies like clear water.