Kimberling City 7/31-8/4

[top_dollar]

             Our family did our annual table rock trip.  It was hot.  WT was in the mid to upper 80s, and I saw 90 on Thursday afternoon.  The lake seems down a few feet, and I could see bottom in I'm guessing 6-8FOW or so.  I go out most mornings for a few hours with the family, and get 1 or 2 afternoons to fish by myself.  I generally fish with live crawlers, either on a modified split shot rig, which I have discussed before, or a drop shot.  Ill catch a fish here and there on a jigging spoon, swimbait or plastic worm, but I catch them 10 to 1 with live crawlers at my skill level (or lack of).  I wanted to troll crankbaits, and pull spinner rigs for walleye, but never really found the time for that because of the heat.  I almost always just fish at the bridge pilings,  and the points at schooner creek.  I used to go to the deep docks in Schooner, but the last 10 years or more, the points, and the bridge pilings have been good so I haven't even bothered to try the docks.  I also used to catch them pretty good on the steep side of point 7, but its been a few years since I have tried fishing there.  Most of the fish I caught were in the typical 20-30 feet down.  At the point they were hanging around the drop off, and at the bridge they just suspend there.  

           I have learned that fishing at the points generally tapers off throughout the morning, but the fishing at the bridge gets really good in the heat of the midday.  Thursday afternoon I sat at the bridge for about 3 hours and caught well over 30 bass just sitting in the shade and pitching a crawler out about 25-30 feet.  I didnt count bass, but I eventually got hot and tired and went back, but they were still biting about 3 or 4pm.  Most of the time they would grab it as it sank down about the 5-10 feet mark, but the fish I was sitting on top of were 20-30 feet down so I think they were swimming up and grabbing it.  I have noticed that in the late afternoon and early evening they will stop biting at the bridge pretty abruptly.  IDK if they just quit biting, or leave the area entirely.  They are quite often spitting up crawdad parts so unless crawfish suspend on the bridge, the bass must leave when the sun goes down.  At the bridge I catch 90% spotted bass from 12-17 inches, and the occasional bluegill LM or SM.  At the points there is quite a bit more variety, with bass, bluegill, catfish, and lately quite a few walleye. 

                    One last thing that I have learned is that 15-20 inch largemouth hang around the walkways of the docks in kimberling city and are really catchable on a lure.  Oddly enough the best time for me is during the middle of the day.  I catch several every year midday while the kids and family are swimming and doing jet skis.  I will see 2 or 3 in a small group herding bluegill.  Toss over basically any lure and one will grab it.  They really like the little area between the boat ramp and the dock.  Ill sneak down late in the evening or early morning with little or no luck, but in the middle of the day they will bite.  I don't get it, but fish don't read the same articles I do I suppose. 

  

 

 

[fshndoug]

Great to see the kids fishing.

[Champ188]

Lots of good info there. Thanks for sharing that.