BBT - Table Rock - April 5-7th

[SplitG2]

I’m not ashamed to say we struggled. Only caught a few fish each day but had a great time.  We fished the lower end and had water temps from 54 to 59.  The slime got worse each day and made it difficult to fish bottom baits.  We tried fishing deeper  without any luck and then threw more of the swim bait, jerk bait and dreaded A-Rig.  Biggest fish was a 2lb LM just inside persimmon hollow on a 2.8 kietech.  The fish were busting shad but not like I’m used to seeing the Kentucky’s do.  They were being more strategic.  Sure enough it was a school of LM’s.  I caught the one and my partner broke off a better one and we thought it was on.  But it was over quickly.  The rest of our fish were Kentuckys here and there including a few in the back of the cove we don’t mention, but they were nothing like Brett’s fatties.   The sportsmanship from others was great.   No issues and a lot of respect.  By Sunday we saw lots of cruising fish shallow.  I agree with others who commented on the shad.   They were everywhere.  Hard to compete with the real thing. Congrats to everyone that cashed checks.  David

[Quillback]

Lower end must be just fishing tough, I know a good fishermen who also fished up there during the BBT and he said it was really tough.  Must be because of all those shad, those things are a blessing and a curse.

[CadeWompus]

Anyone know if they used a release boat for this tournament?  I sure hope they didn't all get released at Long Creek Marina.  I went to the BFL weigh in last month and every fish was dumped in one spot at State Park Marina.  SMH

[Devan S.]

14 minutes ago, CadeWompus said:

Anyone know if they used a release boat for this tournament?  I sure hope they didn't all get released at Long Creek Marina.  I went to the BFL weigh in last month and every fish was dumped in one spot at State Park Marina.  SMH

I believe they did. However even with release boats they usually just motor out a couple hundred yards and dump them out in the middle. 

[dtrs5kprs]

On 4/8/2019 at 3:32 PM, abkeenan said:

Was a great time as usual even though didn't cash this year. As others have mentioned just couldn't top that 2.5-3lb range. Mostly Kentuckies that were ready to pop. Fishing was a bit tough with a fish or two here and there but nothing stacked up. At least we didn't find any locations like that. We fished Long Creek Day 1 and it was a ghost town for fish. So day 2 and 3 we fished from the dam and up towards Spring Branch. The fish definitely aren't starving and have to work very little to fill their bellies as there are tons of shad balls and also dead shad from Beardsley to Spring Branch. Spring Branch specifically.  Just too much food for them right now for the fishing to be great.

I did have a 5 or 6lb'er break me off in the main lake pocket just east of Spring Branch. So if anyone finds a Norman Flake McStick floating around there or the big girl still attached to it go ahead and remove it and I'll send you my address. Tried to horse her out of a tree top, she breached the water spraying everywhere then had ideas of going down back into the next tree over and I leaned on her too hard plus had the drag too tight and pop......she gone!

Also nearly weighed in a Heron. Made a cast with a DD22 and the stupid thing took off just as I released and flew about 20 yards left directly into my line between myself and the lure. Thought for sure I was going to have a mess on my hands as the DD22 made it's way towards her as she flew. Thankfully, somehow, the trebles didn't get anything but a couple of the under feathers. NO IDEA how I didn't stick it with the Gammy size 2's that I had just put on there the night before but they didn't.

All in all a decent weekend with some stories to tell.

Saw lots of beds in the back of pockets. Sunday in the back of our cove in Beardsley there were probably 50 fish cruising and guarding beds. Wanted nothing to do with any baits.

Congrats to the winner. A 9.02 is a beast for TR.

Can we go ahead and ban the A-Rig already? Seems like 90% of the fish brought to the scales were caught on it.

Couple of said 16" 3lb football spots:

I'd have full on weighed in the bird. 😂🤣😂

[abkeenan]

3 hours ago, dtrs5kprs said:

I'd have full on weighed in the bird. 😂🤣😂

BBT Crew.....perhaps next year there will be a side pot for trash fish or other oddity catches?

[buddygr53]

Do you have a date for nexte year

[stealthycat]

"Can we go ahead and ban the A-Rig already? "

they really need to poll the anglers who fished this and get the % on who wants A-rigs in the future

if allowing them, night as well allow trolling and using multiple rods and even live bait .... all legal means of fishing, just like the A-right right? I'm for banning them in tournaments 

[Golf Pro]

If you poll the anglers they are always for it.  I've seen  tournament trails poll the anglers several times and it is never close.  Always for the A rig.  Wish you haters would give it a rest.   It's a tool the works 4 months a year maybe.  In a month no one will catch fish in it.

[SplitG2]

14 hours ago, Quillback said:

Lower end must be just fishing tough, I know a good fishermen who also fished up there during the BBT and he said it was really tough.  Must be because of all those shad, those things are a blessing and a curse.

Attached is a pic of a giant shade ball under the dock...a 4 stall dock with a swim platform.  The perimeter of the ball was larger than the footprint of the dock.   Crazy.  I hope the pic comes through well enough to see