Travel time

[gman61]

Staying just west of Kimberling bridge at Hoot Owl Point.  Have always fished around this area.  Been pretty busy with speedboats, tubes and jet skis.  Always read reports about the river arms, Big M, Cape Fare, Roaring River etc... How long of a trip would it be   for example, to Roaring River area?  Using a Tracker Targa that cruises 30-35. Worth my time or should I just stay it, save gas and fish the area here that I know somewhat?  Are the fishing conditions that much different?  Opinions?

[JacobW]

The upper White around the big m area down to Campbell point is just crazy with big boats and boat traffic in general. The lake narrows up that way and besides it's a long run from kim city. Just my opinion.

[Quillback]

I don't know if trailering your boat is an option, but I would do that and launch at Big M or Eagle Rock, rather than make the long trip by boat.  If you fish the early morning, launching at daylight and fishing until 10 or 11 the boat traffic usually isn't too bad.  That's on a week day I should add.  Weekends it is worse I am sure.

[Devan S.]

That section from Big M on up to Shell Knob is brutal. Lake is narrow and that section really attracts the wake boats that are surfing or throwing the big waves just minutes after daylight on the weekend. 2 weeks ago I put in at owl creek at daylight on Saturday. The first bend going in was covered in 13-14" bass busting shad. I fished for 15 minutes someone came by skiing between the mouth and the boat docks after the first bend. back and forth 10-15 times.......once I got a clear opening I motored back to the ramp and went home....got all of 45 minutes of fishing. 

[Browning Guy]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 0:06 PM, Devan S. said:

That section from Big M on up to Shell Knob is brutal. Lake is narrow and that section really attracts the wake boats that are surfing or throwing the big waves just minutes after daylight on the weekend. 2 weeks ago I put in at owl creek at daylight on Saturday. The first bend going in was covered in 13-14" bass busting shad. I fished for 15 minutes someone came by skiing between the mouth and the boat docks after the first bend. back and forth 10-15 times.......once I got a clear opening I motored back to the ramp and went home....got all of 45 minutes of fishing. 

A lot of trees in that bend.  Good thing the lake is up a bit or you might have got to see a ski boat wreck. 

[Champ188]

Devan, do you mean Big M up to Eagle Rock? Shell Knob is several miles downstream from Big M.

[176champion]

Twin rivers area is the worst for wake boats and skiers......SK to Big M is about 6-7 miles one way

[Devan S.]

No I meant from Shell Knob to Big M(Coming from KC that would be the stretch he would travel). Honestly theres probably plenty of wakers between Big M and Eagle Rock too so one might as well stretch that all the way to Eagle Rock. I don't really notice less big boat traffice until past Eagle Rock and then you start to narrow even more and only one or 2 boats still has a pretty good impact. I rarely venture past Shell Knob this time of year, the 17' xpress just isn't suited for it.

Like QB said best bet would be to trailer over if at all possible.