Shell Knob 7-18-22

[Champ188]

Very good thread. Tons of info in here that can be taken an applied to other areas. Thanks, guys. 

[top_dollar]

On 7/18/2022 at 1:43 PM, Bill Babler said:

That guy was set up wrong on it anyway.  That pocket is very unique. If the wind blows in there it’s great even right up on the bank. 

There is a cut that comes out there and the pile is in the middle of the cut further out the point on the flat side he was in to close to the back of the pocket it looked like it may have been behind  him but I didn’t get that close. 

At one time with the lake at 914 you could see it. I mean 15 years ago. It’s broken down a bunch since.   Still early in the season you can throw a jerk bait over it and get bit most anytime you go there. 

That flat is a wonderful place to stroll a big jig in the fall. It gets a lot of attention this time of year as it holds some eyes and a few early chasers in the morning. 

Back in the 80’s it had some pole timber on it clear around to the commercial docks, but it’s all flat gravel now with the exception of that pile in the cut. 

Over the years my clients have caught 1000’s of fish off that spot. 

One November Beck and I had 22 pounds in a derby out there on a Big Jig. 

Buster, Tim Sainato and I guided out there with crawlers it was October I think around 1998. We had 3 clients in each boat and in a single morning we had over 300 K’s there catch and release. 26’. They blacked out our graphs.   The entire flat was covered with K’s. Must have been 10’s of thousands. 

That was before anybody but the guides fished deep. Most fishermen didn’t fool with the K’s they hit the banks for LM. 

Now, we’re just happy to catch a fish of any kind. 







 

Back in the late 70's my uncle and grandad hired a guide (it may have been Stacey King).  He taught them to use split shot rigs and crawlers for deep suspended spots around kimberling city, and we have done that every summer ever since.  I still catch them great (by my standards...not 300 bass) using basically the same technique.  

[Bill Babler]

The techniques have changed over the years from that split shot or small bell sinker above the live or plastic worm to the drop shot, but the theory’s are the same. 

A couple of things that have went away however are using crawfish or shiners. With those baits that are hard to get or just way to expensive the night crawler has become the bait de’sure. 

Had a mature client tell me he fished out of Campbell Pt. In the 60’s and Charlie Campbell guided him fishing top water early then when the sun came up they dangled creek crawfish around pole timber and caught monster bass non stop. Said they cleaned limits after limits.  

He said knowing what we know now it was shameful, but they just did not know any better.  Said to tell you the truth we threw pounds and pounds of freezer burned Table Rock bass filets away. 

Said they also caught huge catfish on the crayfish  in the pole timber. Losing lots of them they just could not budge. 

This gentleman has passed away now, but I guided him till he was 98 years old.  

You all may remember the story of the guy I guided that put his wife in a nursing home for the week so he could come down and fish, that was him. The last few years Beck and I carried him to my boat in a wheel chair. He had fished TR from its heyday till his passing.   100’s of stories about the lake and guides. 

He paid me the best compliment I’ve ever gotten telling me, he had the money and time to fish all over the world and had never come close to fishing with a harder never give up worker with cleaner better organized plan and equipment than I had.  “You notice  he did not say caught more fish.”🤪🤪🤪

I guided Otto and he pals for over 20 years and learned way more from him than he ever did from me. 

Sorry about the ramble. 






 

[Bill Babler]

Just a footnote here. As you guys can remember from past threads I am always really careful this time of year with post spawn fish. Entire lake sections will converge on certain locations. It’s not one here and one there. They are either there in good numbers or not at all. Right now with crawlers or even a good drop shotter  or spoon man can just hammer them. 

You could pretty much harvest most every keeper in these groups.   I found a group the other day that probably had a couple of hundred in it. Only a few had hook prints and this location is very seldom looked at. They will disperse, soon but if you find a group like this please know that and be kind. 

Those groups represent huge lake sections of reproductive fish and are the future of the lake. 

 

[top_dollar]

On 7/21/2022 at 9:11 AM, Bill Babler said:

Just a footnote here. As you guys can remember from past threads I am always really careful this time of year with post spawn fish. Entire lake sections will converge on certain locations. It’s not one here and one there. They are either there in good numbers or not at all. Right now with crawlers or even a good drop shotter  or spoon man can just hammer them. 

You could pretty much harvest most every keeper in these groups.   I found a group the other day that probably had a couple of hundred in it. Only a few had hook prints and this location is very seldom looked at. They will disperse, soon but if you find a group like this please know that and be kind. 

Those groups represent huge lake sections of reproductive fish and are the future of the lake. 

 

      I won't be killing any bass, but I hope to hit on one of those mega schools when im down this week.  I'm not likely to catch tons though cuz I'm still using paper maps and a 5 inch 2d graph lol.  My top of the line fishfinders are trolled crankbaits and live bait. 🤣

        

[Quillback]

30 minutes ago, top_dollar said:

      I won't be killing any bass, but I hope to hit on one of those mega schools when im down this week.  I'm not likely to catch tons though cuz I'm still using paper maps and a 5 inch 2d graph lol.  My top of the line fishfinders are trolled crankbaits and live bait. 🤣

        

I'll sometimes use an RFJ (rearward facing jig) when I'm searching for fish this time of year.  Toss a 1/2 oz jig behind the boat, let it fall to the bottom and slowly kick along with the TM maintaining bottom contact with the jig, while watching the downward screen looking for fish.  A slowly trolled jig (whoops should've said dragged), is a very effective fish catcher this time of year.  

[SplitG2]

50 minutes ago, Quillback said:

I'll sometimes use an RFJ (rearward facing jig) when I'm searching for fish this time of year.  Toss a 1/2 oz jig behind the boat, let it fall to the bottom and slowly kick along with the TM maintaining bottom contact with the jig, while watching the downward screen looking for fish.  A slowly trolled jig (whoops should've said dragged), is a very effective fish catcher this time of year.  

I do something similar with the ned rig if I have to save from getting skunked.  I’ll go up wind on a flat or point and cast it out.  Get off the trolling motor and drift across it letting the bait tick rocks while watching the graph.  You’ll see the fish laying on the bottom as you go over them and many times, about a minute later when the bait gets there, feel the rod load up and catch one.  Singles are harder to catch.   When you see a couple in one screen, be ready.   It’s not for everyone but it can save the day when nothing else works.  

[Bill Babler]

TD, you don’t need all those fancy gadgets this time of year, but it’s fun to watch them. 

Here is the deal right now, just don’t go fishing. What I mean by that, is have a purpose, look for fish before you fish for fish. 

After reading all these posts if anyone doesn’t know how and where to get bit, you need to read more carefully as it’s all out there. 

You can get lucky and find them on the 1st. location, but have yourself check 5 or 6 spots prior to even casting. As we have all said, they’re not on every point but when you do find them they are stacked weather it be deep docks,  suspended in timber tops or on the gravel flats or bridge piling. 

Good luck out there and to tell the truth I can have just about as much fun even if I can’t figure it out. It’s all about the Easter egg hunt. 



 

[snagged in outlet 3]

We went out on an early boat ride yesterday morning from Clevenger to cricket creek at.   7 am and there were boats fishing every point and some had two boats on them.   Several on the 86 bridge.  We putted around for several hours but I never saw a fish get caught and I was watching.    Did see one guy buzzing a shadow bank down by cricket.  The rest were offshore looking at TV screens.  

[Bill Babler]

7 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

We went out on an early boat ride yesterday morning from Clevenger to cricket creek at.   7 am and there were boats fishing every point and some had two boats on them.   Several on the 86 bridge.  We putted around for several hours but I never saw a fish get caught and I was watching.    Did see one guy buzzing a shadow bank down by cricket.  The rest were offshore looking at TV screens.  

I heard it was just miserable at the dam. That area would be Long creek above the 86 bridge to point 7 near Kimberling City. 

Said it’s just been hammered by 100’s of guide trips, locals and tourist. 

Even when we lived there I didn’t fish that area this time of year as it pretty close to get ruined.  Without a doubt and without question just to much pressure on those fish.