Kimberling City to Aunts Creek 2-27-20

[Bill Babler]

Table Rock Lake Current Fishing Report 2-27-20

Took a BFL client yesterday in the KC to Aunts Creek Zone.  Water clarity is kind of a greenish and frothy color if that is a color.  Surface temps at 46.6 and a pretty stiff wind that really made no difference to the Big Phoenix.  Did restrict our fishing locations somewhat but still got them figured out early. 

BFL is a Ranger tournament somewhat, not like OMTT but still lots of Rangers.  When we got back to the resort 2 of his other buddies that were also prefishing and both with new 21 ft. Rangers were at the dock, both soaked.  They had tried to go from Mill Creek Ramp up the James and from Mill Creek to point 9 there were 3 foot cross blow waves.  We never got a drop of water on us and they were totally miserable.  Both said it was a nightmare.  Just Sayin. 

We had 12 keepers with my client and good buddy catching 10 from the back of the boat and me hoisting the 2 smallest out of the front.  Not a real guide trip cause we are searching for derby fish and I get to fish pretty hard.  In other words he laid the wood to me.  Good for him.

Fish were positioned really similar to where they are up the White and every year I am learning.  With the cloud cover and the water staying pretty much the same temps all day and not rising at all with the lack of sunshine and churning water they are staying deeper than in the past.  They are on channel swings and major cover channel banks, but they are not up in the water column, and that is why its hard to catch them on a jerk bait, they are just staying deep.  ie swimbait and A-rig.

Every fish we caught yesterday had a big crayfish in its gullet, even if we were around shad, they all had shrimp cocktails sticking out of their throat.  I was positing the boat deep, in the 40 plus foot range throwing into 15 plus and slow swimming the bottom with the rig, most fish coming on the bottom out of 18' to 30' on very vertical channel banks.  You can see them hovering and rising up at times in that depth range.  Very seldom did we see one up in jerb bait range, almost all were bottom dwellers.

We could have caught more per location, but since we were prefishing we would catch one or two and move on.  Biggest fish was a 3.8 K and had 3 Jaws that were 3.75 and and 3 more jaws that were 3.60. 

 These fish are by no means everywhere and for me between point 5 and Long Creek with the exception of the float-n-fly it is totally dead water.  I'm kind of sick of pounding it to death with poor results.  Get away from Branson/Indian Point and the dam area and its a totally different lake that has fish in it.  Most years the dam area is the last to turn on and the same is happening this year.  Another factor is just the sheer traffic in that area and the numbers of baits the fish are exposed to on a every day basis, it just seems like a never ending amount of constant fishing pressure.

If you want to catch fish on Table Rock, you have to be willing to go look for them or figure out a method or location that no one else knows of.  Then please let me know what or where that  is and I'll keep your secret 

Good Luck

I had the two smallest with a 1.80 K and a 2.10 LM.  We had 9 Smallmouth keeps 2 K keeps and the one LM.
 

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[Macsimus]

Bill, you're running a Phoenix, right? Which model? 

[Bill Babler]

21 PHX length  21'6",  96" beam, Diamond V Hull. 250 Merc 4 stroke, it simply eats big rough water.  Have never once been sprayed with a cross wind.

 You can see one at the BFL weigh-in at the Phoenix tent.  Completely set up with Garmin Panoptics and 4 12" 126 SV graphs.  Phoenix Regional Field Sales Manager Greg Wood will be at the booth, go by say you saw this on OA Forum and tell him you want a gift. 

Good Luck on the gift.

[Macsimus]

12 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

21 PHX length  21'6",  96" beam, Diamond V Hull. 250 Merc 4 stroke, it simply eats big rough water.  Have never once been sprayed with a cross wind.

 You can see one at the BFL weigh-in at the Phoenix tent.  Completely set up with Garmin Panoptics and 4 12" 126 SV graphs.  Phoenix Regional Field Sales Manager Greg Wood will be at the booth, go by say you saw this on OA Forum and tell him you want a gift. 

Good Luck on the gift.

Thanks for the info. Driving down today and will have to miss my gift opportunity. But I will be more than content with a little sunshine and low-60s temps. 

[Champ188]

Bill, that Phoenix is as fine a boat as there is on the water. If I was to buy a new boat right now, it would be either a Vexus or a Phoenix. No interest in Ranger now that Johnny has cheapened them.

But in all fairness, a lot of those boys get wet because they can't freakin' drive a boat. You know the kind of weather that me and your gal pal like to fish in --- the nastier, the better. And in our 2013 Ranger Z119, which is 19-8, I have NEVER gotten us more than a smidge damp in the roughest water Table Rock, Beaver or even Grand Lake has thrown at us.

Not all boat drivers are created equal.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Champ188 said:

Bill, that Phoenix is as fine a boat as there is on the water. If I was to buy a new boat right now, it would be either a Vexus or a Phoenix. No interest in Ranger now that Johnny has cheapened them.

But in all fairness, a lot of those boys get wet because they can't freakin' drive a boat. You know the kind of weather that me and your gal pal like to fish in --- the nastier, the better. And in our 2013 Ranger Z119, which is 19-8, I have NEVER gotten us more than a smidge damp in the roughest water Table Rock, Beaver or even Grand Lake has thrown at us.

Not all boat drivers are created equal.

you said it right there champ, and another factor is many boats are not set right meaning motor height and having the right prop.  the right prop for a particular rig cam make the difference between night and day.

bo

[Bill Babler]

I was going to say, I also know "How To Drive," but thought it sounded like bragging.  Not really against that cause I fish, but wanted someone else to mention it first.

Thanks James 😄

[Lvn2Fish]

I feel like I was lucky to have made it back last year in the OMTT! I have seen huge water on KY Lake, Pickwick , Texoma to name a few . But Table Rock was as big as any that day . No one was dry that day. It was completely insane. The 188 champ handled them as best it could lol . None speared and nothing broken! Someone’s rig got bashed up against the bank by Mill Creek that day too 

[Mitch f]

Nice to see those decent smallmouth being caught. 

[Champ188]

13 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

I was going to say, I also know "How To Drive," but thought it sounded like bragging.  Not really against that cause I fish, but wanted someone else to mention it first.

Thanks James 😄

Doubt there's a better boat driver in these parts, Mr. Bill. I'd ride with you in any water.