an amazing weekend of fishing in the shell knob area

[Josh]

Headed down the white river / kings river bend in the shell knob area (by lost hill) on Saturday and located some large mouth bass chasing shad into the coves… I along with my cousin ended the day catching six at 2.5-3.5lbs each fish. Caught every bass on a white & blue rattle trap

After all the fun on Saturday I decided to try my luck around 6:30am Sunday morning… went to the same cove (as I did the day before) and ran into yet again a group of bass chasing shad into that cove but this time (after one hour of fishing) I caught 11 large mouth bass… when the bass quit jumping I decided to try my luck in finding the white bass… after going up kings river I was able to locate the white bass on the flats just strait across from the big bluffs (in the shell knob area) they were just boiling everywhere only had enough time to land 5 before the wind ran me and the fish off hated to leave shell knob after a great weekend of fishing but I ended my morning with 11 large mouth and 5 white bass.

I have some pictures but don’t know how to post them I can email the pictures if someone wants to post them.

[chub minnow]

I had almost the same experience last Tuesday. I wonder if it was the same cove. Right behind the lost hill island? I was catching the largemouth on 5" and 3" swimbaits, (wild eye swim shad) and having a blast. I also caught some white bass in same area you are talking about (stillhouse bluff). Here are the pictures of the bigger fish.

[chub minnow]

OOPS!---"I had almost the same experience last Tuesday. I wonder if it was the same cove. Right behind the lost hill island? I was catching the largemouth on 5" and 3" swimbaits, (wild eye swim shad) and having a blast. I also caught some white bass in same area you are talking about (stillhouse bluff). Here are the pictures of the bigger fish."

[chub minnow]

Might as well include the actual keeper that I caught on a crawdad pattern wiggle wort up past Viola on a point. This fish absolutely hammered the crankbait. It was definitely the most exiting hookup of the trip. No, actually I think that first small fish in the cove that I cast to while chasing shad that hit the swimbait as soon as it touched the water was more exiting. Anyway, I know it's not saying much but this is my best largemouth on Table Rock in a while.

[chub minnow]

Might as well include the actual keeper that I caught on a crawdad pattern wiggle wort up past Viola on a point. This fish absolutely hammered the crankbait. It was definitely the most exiting hookup of the trip. No, actually I think that first small fish in the cove that I cast to while chasing shad that hit the swimbait as soon as it touched the water was more exiting. Anyway, I know it's not saying much but this is my best largemouth on Table Rock in a while.

[knobbass]

I found 63 degree water in the Kings between Viola and Deer Bluff this weekend. Lots of boats out. Had three quality fish Friday evening. Caught a lot of shorts on Saturday and Sunday. Most were right up on the bank. Went out today around Viola. The surface temps were about 59. Saw lots of bass nests formed and saw some males on the nests. Saw one pair of bass on a nest in the back of a cove. Lots of short fish- spots and LMs. The fish were still spooky and hesitant to take a bait. Lots of bumps and short hits. I had over 15 fish on a Slug-go. Lots of fun. Think I'll try night fishing this week when the fish are less pressured. This is the earliest I can recall the bass spawning. Hope it lats a while.

[Josh]

yeah thats the same area... i had a blast and i was the only one fishing the cove

[LWW]

Thought I'd share my fishing report also. Launched Saturday from the Shell Knob bridge and ran all the way up the white to the MO/AR border. Got 4 good bites on my second stop on some 45 degree chunck rock banks near channel swings. Ended up stopping at every 45 degree chunk rock bank I saw near a channel swing, and caught fish on my PB&J jig all the way back to Shell Knob. 16 fish - (6) keeper bass, the rest shorts, and to my suprise a 12 inch rainbow trout on a spinnerbait. That was cool, never thought I'd catch a trout on the main lake. He drilled my spinnerbait as I bounced it off a big boulder on a bluff just a few feet below the surface. Another species to add to the Table Rock log book: 1.) Largemouth 2.) Spotted Bass 3.) Smallmouth 4.)Walleye 5.) Crappie 6.) Catfish 7.) Blue Gill 8.)Mean Mouth. Guess I better go catch a white to add to my list. Gotta love this lake. Sometimes you can't buy a bite, other times you can have a trip of a lifetime.

Get on the water, the fish are biting.

LWW