Fishing This Weekend?

[pjn765]

Hey all,

The gf is considering a trip to the lake this weekend. I was curious if all the recent rain would disrupt the fishing. Ive heard that after storm systems go through, the fishing can just die. Given that i have actually yet to catch a legal-sized fish, that may not be such a big deal. Any thoughts on what i should expect tomorrow, or any advice. I will mostly be fishing top water in the morning, but am open to anything. Thanks!

peace

john nickle

[Phil Lilley]

Not sure if any of the guys will see this before you leave, I assume today, for Table Rock. I'd think the rain would help fishing. The outlets where rain water is entering the lake should be good for bass. I'd try a plastic worm or even a night crawler.

Check back and see if Don or one of the other guys replies. Babler is still in AK.

Good Luck and have a great weekend.

[Don House]

PIN, well this rain should not hurt at all. All of the fish are still pretty deep so it will not hurt those fish at all. I would still keep fishing the spoon, drop shot and football jig as much as I could, those are the easy fish to catch. Target the main lake points and deeper flats with trees, fish ares till at that 25 -45 foot range and holding chasing balls of shad. Some are right on the bottom on main lake points at 30 - 40 feet those are your football jig fish.

You can really find some good fish out in the open right under these shad groups, spoons are the ticket for these guys.. It really depends on what part of the lake you are going to fish? I will be fishing in the Kimberling City area myself on Saturday with clients, we will be doing the same as above.

Also you can catch alot of smaller fish first thing in the morning on topwater, the little bucks are running around chasing shad on top also. Can be fun.. Then go to the drop shot or spoon and just start searching, fish any trees that run up to the 30 foot range use night crawlers or small drop shot worms if they won't bite a spoon.

Now if you are fishing the rivers with all of the rain I would go to a deep diving crankbait in Chart bodies and blue or Black backs, bounce it off of everything sticking out of the water on the flats and channels bends..

Hope that helps some go just have some fun..

Good Fishing

Capt. Don

[pjn765]

Lilley, thanks for the response, and the boards themselves! ive been lurking awhile and just eating all this stuff up.

Don: I will be fishing, uhm, i think its called the long creek arm, south of the dam. Our place in on the little cove between jakes branch and clevinger cove. I have actually had two brand new spoons sitting there looking at me for the last three weeks, so i will finally be able to give them a try. 1/2 oz and 3/4 oz white. Im still getting used to the finder on the boat we use, so it will be a good exercise in finding trees etc.

I was also wondering if this technique would be good around the bridge (hwy 86 maybe?) that runs across the lake just north of gage's marina? There isnt any rip rap, but those pilings have to have something around them? Maybe?

As far as the football jig, my gf has, very wisely, suggested i follow a fishing budget, so i have yet to acquire one. However, as it is another payday, i am "allowed" to make another purchase if i want. This seems like a worthwhile one, as the lure is often mentioned on this board. What suggestions might you have?

Hope you have good fishing this weekend, and that we dont get rained on too much!

thanks again

john nickle

PIN, well this rain should not hurt at all. All of the fish are still pretty deep so it will not hurt those fish at all. I would still keep fishing the spoon, drop shot and football jig as much as I could, those are the easy fish to catch. Target the main lake points and deeper flats with trees, fish ares till at that 25 -45 foot range and holding chasing balls of shad. Some are right on the bottom on main lake points at 30 - 40 feet those are your football jig fish.

You can really find some good fish out in the open right under these shad groups, spoons are the ticket for these guys.. It really depends on what part of the lake you are going to fish? I will be fishing in the Kimberling City area myself on Saturday with clients, we will be doing the same as above.

Also you can catch alot of smaller fish first thing in the morning on topwater, the little bucks are running around chasing shad on top also. Can be fun.. Then go to the drop shot or spoon and just start searching, fish any trees that run up to the 30 foot range use night crawlers or small drop shot worms if they won't bite a spoon.

Now if you are fishing the rivers with all of the rain I would go to a deep diving crankbait in Chart bodies and blue or Black backs, bounce it off of everything sticking out of the water on the flats and channels bends..

Hope that helps some go just have some fun..

Good Fishing

Capt. Don

[Don House]

John, it might work, but if I was going to fish the bridge I would do it with spoon then a drop shot with crawlers, there are still fish on that bridge, just has been fished to death, but herein the last few week, it has slowed alot.

As far as football jigs, I would drive over to kimberling city to kimberling city bait and tackle see Jerry, in the kimberling city shopping mall right after the bridge. He has a nice choice of football jigs in stock and can help you with the trailers or twin tailed grubs to go with them.

As far as long creek goes, well that my back yard.. I live just across the lake were your place is at in Beardsley creek. Go past the bridge and fish in the back of brushy creek, stay on the secondary points look for fish to start to surface in that area. Then work your way out into the main lake on the long points, look for guide boats from Big cedar (There going to love me for this one!) to get an ideal of what they are fishing also, try the island in front of big cedar on the deeper side found some good spoon fish there last week. Keep your boat in the 40 - 45 foot range and cast toward the bank and drag that football jig back slow, really slow.. Just keep hoping points and use your electronics you can find the trees on these points..

Good Luck

Capt. Don

[techo]

Has the rain helped to drop the water temp yet? The nights aren't coolin quite as fast as I had hoped!