Table Rock Lake Current Fishing Report 4-27 20

[Bill Babler]

White River Outfitters Guide Service Report 4-27-2020  Kimberling City to Cow Creek

All I can say is it was the right kind of a day.  Last couple of times I've been out the Rock has been "Very, very good to me."  Could not have asked for a more perfect day with surface temps in the low 60's, slight chop and overcast with a bit of spitting rain.  Kind of sounds like a Sm. Jaw day to me and boy was it.

Kind of started slow the first hour till I figgered something out.  Not really, I saw some chasing, and that always helps those that can't help themselves.  It did get me going and really put me in the right location and on the right stuff.

KC to Cow is pretty mossy, with probalby 8' visibility.  If you put much on the bottom, its going to get slime and get it bad, out to about 15'  Some pockets are worse and really the main lake is worse than the coves.

 

I had been fighting it with the jig I caught them on early last week and it was just an effort in futility as it came back a green sock every cast.  I had two options, a jerkbait and a swimmer.  Once I saw a feed and tossed the swimmer and got munched my decision was as clear as bath water.

Fished from 6:30 till 2:30 and had about 25 keeps and half that many shorts to the boat.  I said to the boat as I jumped at least 8 to 10 off.  They are angry and as soon as they feel steel they come up to see who did it;

Of course I jumped off the two biggest fish of the day, one LM probably 4.5 and a solid 4 pound Jaw.   Lots and lots of 3 plus pounders made it to the lock up however to be measured and fin printed.  They all had good bondsman and were sent on their way with a promise to not do that again.

Everything I caught was on flat and I mean FLAT GRAVEL and swimming in 12' exactly, pretty tight to the bottom.  Saw the chasers on a do nothing flat gravel bank in that 10' to 12' range and that got me going.  I had been fishing some spawning stuff and every boat that I saw fishing today was doing the same thing.  Did not see a single boat on gravel and as I said I would not have been there except for the clue.

Fish wanted the 2.8 Keitech on a 1/4 inch tungston head swam just above the bottom slow.  If it dropped to far it was messed up in moss.  If you swam/pulled it slowly over the top you got hammered and there was no doubt that someone was knocking.

 

 

Lots of guide boats out today and saw Stacy King.  As we met head on I caught one in front of him and then behind him.  He was fishing with two buddies and they were throwing a ned.  I saw them cleaning after every cast and he said they had done fair on the ned except for the moss.

All the SM keepers I caught were solid if measured properly between 18" and 19" and those are nice Jaw's for just about anywhere.  The color range was from almost black to a tan brown and some of them being striped like a tiger, really a mixed bag of colors.  I had 1 nice LM and 1 K to go with all the brown fish.

 

 

Good Luck

[Carl W]

Sure looks like fun!  

[Alex Heitman]

Going to try the swimmer more this weekend. Got kind of tired of throwing the ned but they were eating it. All the smallmouth we caught were just flat mean. I could tell a difference in their attitude form the week before. They would jut dig dig dig and some even jumped crazy. Moss was bad in some spots but others not bad at all. 

[Bill Babler]

Stacy said they were catching them, a lot of K's but the moss was just terrible.  I saw them slapping neds on the water after every cast and that just gets old.  Fishing the ned gets old.  I'm to the point I just can't do it.

Becky planted some new herbs here on the porch and I'm going to watch them grow this evening to help me with patients fishing the ned.  Just kidding, I'll do it if I have to but when they are eating that swim bait like they are there is really no choice, especially with the moss.

I'm pretty sure with the cloud cover and the wind they would have eaten a jerker, just was to lazy to get it out  of the rod box.

[dtrs5kprs]

They were eating today. Quit with the lightning.

[Bill Babler]

I agree, it sounds like the sky is exploding here.  The Kitty crawled under the coach.  Man what a lightning storm.  Not much rain or wind with it but God is going to have a big electric bill this month.

[dtrs5kprs]

4 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

I agree, it sounds like the sky is exploding here.  The Kitty crawled under the coach.  Man what a lightning storm.  Not much rain or wind with it but God is going to have a big electric bill this month.

Yep. I'd much rather it blew hard, and got on through. 

These storms remind me too much of 2011 and 2017...

[Bill Babler]

Table Rock fish hate thunder boomers, nothing will ruin a bite on the Rock like Lightning and Thunder.  Hopefully  its gone and they will be ready to get with it again in the morning.

[KistlerLews85]

Thanks for the report Bill. Man I’m excited to come up next week! Will you be doing any more reports before Sunday? 

[gitnby]

Had similar results up here on the James. 
Fished gravel flats between docks.