Cool water to Hideaway 6-23

[InPiney]

Fished yesterday morning with the kiddos around points 12 & 13. Water was muddy up to Buttermilk Springs then started to clear although still stained by Hideaway. Water temp was 83 and air temp was hot! Not much debris at all which was a surprise, hopefully it stays that way. Fished Ned, spinner bait, under spin with white swimming minnow and a top water. Ned was the only thing that produced any fish or bites. Boated 3 fish which came on secondary points. Any thoughts to get kids on fish in the James area?? Thanks for all the advice on this forum, it's a great resource.

[dtrs5kprs]

Fished yesterday morning with the kiddos around points 12 & 13. Water was muddy up to Buttermilk Springs then started to clear although still stained by Hideaway. Water temp was 83 and air temp was hot! Not much debris at all which was a surprise, hopefully it stays that way. Fished Ned, spinner bait, under spin with white swimming minnow and a top water. Ned was the only thing that produced any fish or bites. Boated 3 fish which came on secondary points. Any thoughts to get kids on fish in the James area?? Thanks for all the advice on this forum, it's a great resource.

Would look at Aunts to the mouth rather than up the river. Look for clearer and bigger water. With kids the Ned is a good bet, little main lake points, gravel places, or just inside from bluff ends. Deep dock fronts would be the other, drop shot or same with crawlers. All the water may have that bite put off a bit.

[Browning Guy]

That area, Piney, schoolhouse, cool water, wooley, buttermilk etc. has been difficult fishing for us the past two - three years. Not sure why. Numbers have been down and size down also. Water color prior to the flooding had been nasty bright green. Not sure if an algae bloom was taking place or not, but the color was just plain nasty looking. The upper river gets hammered. I've been taking my 9 year old down past Kimberling and doing much better on both numbers and size. Depending on the weather, shakey head, topwater and grubs. The nightcrawler/dropshot is an excellent recommendation, but bend the barbs down and/or cut the hooks off to help the fish out as the kids aren't always quick with a hook set. Keep taking those kids! A great way to grow and learn.

[dtrs5kprs]

Yep, the James is different than it once was. Half of Springfield is usually up pounding the banks from Cape Fair on up. Really think from Aunts up, maybe Jackson anyway, is some of the toughest water to fish on the lake.

Good point on the barbs too. Teach them to take care of the fish.

[Wart 57]

We have a place around point 15 and yes the upper James does get hammered and the fishing the past 2 to 3 years for LM has been way off. I have been catching a lot more SM in that area than I have in the past 20 years and the water has really cleared off in the past couple years when lake is stable. Going down this week end and will report. What does the water look like now ? Any reports. Thanks

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Sunday before last it took over 16 lbs (4 fish limit) to win the derby out of cape. There are some good ones up there

[magicwormman]

I don't know what has happened to the mid to upper James the past few years, but the size and numbers are way down compared to 4-5 years ago. Every tournament out of Cape Fair, all anglers head south, They fish from pt. 12 to Kimberling City. Once in a while, a boat will stop in Piney, but most continue south, EVERY WEEK. I can see them from my house, but I won't give exact locations, as I don't want to mess up someone fishing for $. I don't know if it's fishing pressure, bait fish, water color, or just a cycle that a lake goes through. It' just not the same fishery as it used to be.

Water color is a light brown color at the moment between pt. 12 and Cape Fair marina. I think for numbers and quality, the mid-lake and lower James has been much better.

[Codywskeeter1521]

I don't know what has happened to the mid to upper James the past few years, but the size and numbers are way down compared to 4-5 years ago. Every tournament out of Cape Fair, all anglers head south, They fish from pt. 12 to Kimberling City. Once in a while, a boat will stop in Piney, but most continue south, EVERY WEEK. I can see them from my house, but I won't give exact locations, as I don't want to mess up someone fishing for $. I don't know if it's fishing pressure, bait fish, water color, or just a cycle that a lake goes through. It' just not the same fishery as it used to be.

Water color is a light brown color at the moment between pt. 12 and Cape Fair marina. I think for numbers and quality, the mid-lake and lower James has been much better.

Yep couldn't agree more. That 16lb sack I would venture to say came from the kimberling area. Not saying that there's not big fish in the james I've seen some huge sacks come out of there over the years. But it just seems to really be fishing hard. I'm one those boats that you see running that way and I personally appreciate you not leaking info. I'm sure the rest of the boats fill the same way. So thank you.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Well I was the 2nd to last boat to leave and almost everybody went up towards point 15. I was the only one that went past piney. Hell I made it to mill creek. And I only ended up with 3. 2nd got I think a little over 14 lbs. and then the weights fell quick. Those guys that won. Seem to win about everytime I enter. They have that part of the lake dialed in. I think the big fish was 5 1/2.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

I think only 3 out of the 12 went south everyone else went the other way