Members Rob Wise Posted January 23, 2015 Members Posted January 23, 2015 I have been lurking around here learning from you guys in secret for a while now and figure it's about time i posted something. Last summer i decided to get back into bass fishing after being out of it since my teens. I have been out on the lake almost every weekend since and it's clear i have a lot to learn. This is the first time i have ever fished through winter and man is it tough! I have had some luck on jerkbaits, spoons, and a Ned rig but not very consistently. I guess i just haven't quite figured out the winter pattern on the rock yet. If you see a tall guy in a Bass Tracker on a Saturday morning around aunts, cape fair, or mill creek stop and say hello. And more importantly tell me where the bass are and how to catch them because I need all the help I can get! Champ188 and Bass Enforcer 2
rps Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 Welcome! Have you gone back and checked out the archives on TR? I joined in 2007 after thrashing the lake for four or five years. In that time there have been hundreds and hundreds of "teaching" threads covering more than several species and dozens of techniques. One thread a day will up your consistency in a hurry. Good luck.
dtrs5kprs Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 Welcome aboard. If I were down there now I would look hard at mixed rock banks, 10'-25', either just inside the big creeks, or around the corner of a bluff end. Might even check a little transition rock about halfway back in the deeper creeks. Something slow, or a stick/swimbait/grub if you get some wind. No doubt there are some better fish being caught in the creek guts and deep wood, but that is for the very few.
Champ188 Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 Welcome indeed, Rob. Table Rock has a lot of fish and for 9-10 months out of the year, you can find them a lot of places. We are in that other 2-3 months right now when literally 90% of the bass are in 10% of the lake, and even those numbers might be a little bit generous. Dave (dtrs5kprs) is on the money with his post above. Just don't expect it to happen on the first place or two you stop, no matter how closely they resemble what he's describing. Donna and I are finding most of our fish right now on 45-degree banks with a mixture of softball-to-basketball-sized chunk rock, maybe with some big slab (flat) rock mixed in. Ledge rock (even bigger flat rock) doesn't hurt either, and neither does some standing timber. With the water temp in the lower to mid 40s, I wouldn't bother throwing anything but a jerk bait, Ned rig or A-rig (if you're so inclined). But that's just me. Good luck out there and keep your chin up. Don't sit in one place too long if nothing is happening for you. Dewayne French 1
Members Rob Wise Posted January 24, 2015 Author Members Posted January 24, 2015 Thanks a lot for the input and encouragement guys. I'm planning on going out to Aunt's in the morning. I'll let you know how it goes. Champ188 1
Bluff-Bassin Posted January 24, 2015 Posted January 24, 2015 I fish mostly Bull Shoals but feel its applicable to post in this thread. I'm semi new to the white river chain as well. I think its easy to fall into the trap of reading posts and assuming everyone else is catching them and your not. I know alot of guys (i'm also guilty as charged) that won't post a report unless they had a decent day. We all go out and get skunked from time to time. Anyone who says they've never skunked on a public fishery ever is a liar in my opinion. Keep learning and it keeps getting easier(though rarely is a day truely "easy" to catch fish. If there is one thing I've learned, there is no substitute for time on the water. Champ188 and Dewayne French 2
Dock-in-it Posted January 24, 2015 Posted January 24, 2015 Recommendation: the spoon seems to be to aggressive in the aunts creek area, I would stick with a 4" grub -- one on a 3/8 head and one on a 1/4 head. Use the 1/4 for suspended fish and the 3/8 on the bottom in 40' to 55'. Find a channel swing area with some trees. Keep the boat moving slowly until you find them. Don,t waste time if your not seeing anything. Take advantage of the early morning bite. I fish from day light to 10:30 am so I do not get to try the warmer/windy conditions in the PM.
Donna G Posted January 25, 2015 Posted January 25, 2015 Referencing Champ188's post, a swim bait is an option, as well, if you don't want to go full-out with an A-rig. I like to parallel the bluffs out of the back of the boat (weedless rig) and run as close to any standing timber I see, regardless of the direction I'm casting. Bluff ends are usually the hot spot and I cast across them as we are approaching and make one or two more flings back across the ends as we are pulling away. The advantage of being a ,"co-angler." It's easy to experiment with depth, letting the swim bait fall on varying counts before beginning a slow, steady retrieve. My favorite swim bait on the Rock is the Keitech Fat Swim Impact 3.8". Donna Gilzow Bella Vista, Arkansas The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope. --John Buchan, 1915
Members Rob Wise Posted January 26, 2015 Author Members Posted January 26, 2015 Took a buddy out from daylight to around 2pm Saturday. Tried jerkbaits, ned rigs, and a-rigs in several areas that seemed like they would be prime locations but failed miserably. We found some shad out in the creek channel and jigged a spoon to catch a few before going home completely skunked. Bad day of fishing but it was sure a nice day to be out on the lake. Thank to everyone for the recommendations. Looking forward to getting back out there and trying again.
Sore Thumbs Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 Rob. I have been having same results on Beaver lately. Feel like I'm regressing. Took a break this week to regroup a bit.
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