Friday the 13th Yikes!

[Bill Babler]

Table Rock Lake Current Fishing Report 5-13-16  White River Outfitters Guide Service

Surface temps have just jumped in the last 2 or 3 days and are running between 69 and 74 degree.  I'm sure there is some warmer and cooler water, but this is pretty much going to cover it.

Lake clarity is different by each mile you cover, but the White River although it looks somewhat green has 8 to 10 ft. of visibility.  Checked it yesterday with the white spoon test.  Other sections of the lake range from a tea color brown to a dark green almost red mix.  Not pretty for Table Rock and really not very becoming.  In sections you can see algae floating in very small particles when the sun shines on it.

Without a doubt the best fishing on the lake is currently from Point 9 to Eagle Rock.  For each mile you cover up the White the water gets better.  Surface activity especially on cloudy still morning has lasted up to 3 hrs.   From Kimberling City to Long Creek there just has been very little to zero surface fishing.  I'm thinking it is because of the off color of the water as the surface temps are the same.  Water is just flat dingy in that area.

I have been catching a very nice mix of all of our Black Bass species.  However I am mostly catching LM and Jaws.  K's are still backed out a bit and when I want to target them I have to fish much deeper.  I can with some luck tell my clients about 90% of the time what we are going to catch by where and how deep we are fishing.

This is May 13 and we are right square in the middle of the spawn.  The SM headed to the bank yesterday in huge numbers and are right in front of the bushes and under any over hanging willows.  We had at least 15 keepers yesterday up to 3.5 on the jaws right on the bank.  I had one girl spewing eggs in the net.  " I just hated that."  You catch one and it will most always have its mate running in with it.  The LM are up there also.  We had 2 yesterday pushing 5 pounds on the Ned, both were females and they were ready to spawn right now.

Top Water is a conglomeration of everything from post to pre to catfish to walleye.  Yes you read that right.  In the last week, we have caught a walleye and a channel cat on a Whopper Plopper.  Have also caught White bass in very good numbers as there are acres of them blowing from time to time.   Again, mostly up the White River.

My hands and fingers are sand blasted and have open wounds all over them, from taking off mostly SM.  "They Bite."

I have been using an array of baits, mostly the Keitech in 3.3 to 3.8 on either a 3/16 or a 1/4 oz. head with a 4/0 hook.  Sportsmans Outfitters in Spfg sells these in big bags and I'm a very good customer.  If you get wind and move the boat into the 30 ft. range you can catch some very nice K's on a jerkbait, they just hammer it. If you are using the small swimbait the bite is just a loading of the rod.  

Yesterday for most of us was the first day they have been on Ned in the past 2 weeks.  They were on the bottom up close and they just killed him.  A lot of times catching the Little Varmint on the drop.

Big and I mean Big Bluegill have moved onto the points up the White River, most are in 20' to 30'.  I have caught some just huge ones dropping a War Eagle spoon to them, thinking they were bass, while my clients catch top water fish.

Lake for the past week has really calmed down with only a few boats out.  Yesterday I think in a 6 hr. trip I saw 3 other fishermen.  There was only 5 trucks at the SK ramp that were not guides all day yesterday. 

Get out there and pester them a little

 

This last pic is of a 20 inch SM that weighed exactly 2.5 pounds.  It was as skinny as a rail, male that was just loading the boat with White Stuff.  It is very hard when the boys are chasing the girls for any formula to work when you are trying to judge weight by length. 

 

[trapshot25]

Thanks for the report mr. Babler

[dwiebenga]

Wow!  So jealous.  But that is truly blessed fishery.  Can not wait to get back down this summer.

[176champion]

Thanks for the report Bill!!

Was out yesterday aerating the water on Table Rock around point 20 and water was 76 degrees there at about 4 pm.

[Nitro 750]

Thanks for the report, great info!!!!

[Fishin4Fun]

Thanks for the great report!  Hopefully they will still be on next Saturday.  Will be back down there to try my luck.

[marcus]

wow very impressive 

[Quillback]

Excellent Bill, thanks for the tips!

[m&m]

Bill, thank you for the report. Great details that are truly appreciated. 

Mike

[magicwormman]

Great report Bill! This is what we've been waiting for, as topwater is a good as it gets. Put some of that ned rig glue to use on those hands. If that report doesn't fire you up, you probably need to find another pastime.