Kimberling City

[MOBASSIN83]

Fished the Kimberling City area last week. Fishing for me was pretty good.  The quality was good but the numbers/day have been lower for me this year. The best pattern i have found is fish slower than slow! I caught most of my fish on a very popular  "little" bait. When i fish slow i catch way more fish vs bank beating. Most of the tournament guys would come rouring in and fish very close to me while moving on high with their trolling motors....it didnt pan out for most i saw.  I enjoyed catching some nice fish while they whizzed by and stared!  Here are some samples of my better ones. Caught many keepers from 4-8ft on gravel areas. I tried in 10-15 ft of water with reduced success. Fishing was better if i had some wind on the shore. It was interesting that the species would change with the depths each day.  Hope to get back down south soon!! I am new on the forum and have really enjoyed everyones tips so hopefully this helps!

[nomolites]

Some beautiful fish there; well done!

Mike

[dtrs5kprs]

Good meeting you and your dad last month. If the derby guys would just slow down...

[MOBASSIN83]

Yes we sure enjoyed learning from the master! I will get in touch soon as i need to place an order my friend! Your heads did very well. Have you ever noticed the wire guards causing a bit of a bad hook set? I feel like i had a couple flop off and wonder if just a bad hookset or did the wire get in the way? Curious to get your thoughts.

[dtrs5kprs]

I don't think it's that little wire. Mostly it just happens. Once in a while I find the tail balled up over the point. Especially if they pick it up after perch have been at it.

I really believe brown fish clamp down extremely hard on that bait. They will shred the elaztech faster than spots or blacks. Think a lot of the time, failures to hook up come from not being able to move the head enough.

They will also absolutely bite it right down to a hair's width from the hook. You swing, they pull, they come off. It happens more when you run the full stick on a shakey head, but will happen with the Ned if they are touchy. Pic shows that.

You can see the tear right at my thumb, behind the hook bend. That was from my first morning out. Fished one bank for an hour or more, had about 7-8 swings, pull, let go, deals before I figured it out. It was a bank that gets a lot of spots on it. 

You can always try snipping the wire off, but then it becomes a question of being able to put it where it needs to be.

[dtrs5kprs]

This might show it better. Tear at the hook is from swinging, and them pulling on it without hooking up. They were picking about an inch of it up, and I think moving it off beds. Not eating, just nipping at it.

[MOBASSIN83]

Wow thanks...def had that happen. I could see the line moving and then swing and miss! My partner and i both had that happen in our derby this weekend. I think they must have been biting that top part which would be an obvious cause for clear swing and a miss!  Fyi the 6 lb fluro worked great. I had a lot more issues with my 8 lb fluro (fc sniper) compared to my 6 lb setup!

[marcus]

that fishes gill plate is all jacked up 

[Fishin4Fun]

Thanks for sharing!  Some great looking fish there.  I have been finding the same issue.  They have been picking it up and moving it, but not taking the whole thing.  I have missed a lot over the last few weekends from my kayak.  Slow has also been the answer for me.  Thinking of hitting it again this Saturday and seeing if I can find some bigger ones.

That one with the messed up gill plate looks like the same one Dave has caught 2 or 3 times now.  I guess he's a hungry little guy. lol

[dtrs5kprs]

1 hour ago, marcus said:

that fishes gill plate is all jacked up 

Yes. That is the dumbest bass in the lake.