Table Rock Dam Area 5-15-16

[Bill Babler]

Just a quick note on the dam, Long Creek area that has been giving so much of us grief.  From reading Bo's and Alex's report combining it with speaking with the Big Cedar Guides and Buster yesterday, it looks to me that these fish are off the bank, some staging and some spawning where they are.  Even with the tea color water these guys are telling me the fish are both spawning and staging deep.

Buster said his best depth has been in the 20' to 30' range catching both pre and post spawn fish.  Some he believes are spawning in that 20' area as we speak.  He is a expert dragging a tube and the majority of his bites are coming in the above depth.  Center of some of the timbered pockets are producing for LM with some of the steeper ledge banks also doing very well.  You will lose some baits fishing like this as there is risk and big reward.

Smallmouth of quality are on flat gravel pockets in 15' plus. I was also told by a very reliable guide yesterday that  most guys we are seeing are setting their boats on them. " They are not that deep up the White, they are right in front of the bushes."  If I were guiding the dam I would set in that 25' mark and give it a try if it were slow.  I know that is a hard pill to swallow, but folks that are making a living putting clients on fish are fishing like this currently.

K's are deeper yet with a lot of them suspended off the bluffends and in front of the big spawning coves or relating to the long points.  There is both a jig bite and a tube bite with the boat in 35' on the fist size rock points form point 10 to Long Creek.

The BC guides are also catching SM mostly on Tubes in under 15' but most a young, and the numbers are not nearly what they are from the James river either up the James or up the White.

This information, is second hand, but it is fresh as the cold air is out there this morning, and I believe it to be extremely accurate.

Good Luck

[big c]

Thank you sir. Thats what we found when there, you explain it much better than i tried to!!

[eyedabassman]

Good to know Bill, I will give that a try this week. I had been fishing that bank to 15 ft. and I had not what you would call good days! I would think dark tubes???

[Nitro 750]

Thanks Bill, very good info!!!!

[Bass Enforcer]

Thank you Mr. Babler. Very good info. Even though I won't be down until June I'm constantly reading.  Thanks again i can't wait to get down.  Good luck to everyone that's getting to enjoy. As always be safe and have fun!

[moguy1973]

That's what I found yesterday.  The short spots I caught were in 15-25' of water out in the middle of the cove with no discernible cover catching them on a 1.5 shad squarebill.

[BassBlind]

Awesome 2nd hand report there, appreciate the info Bill!