10-10-25. King’s River.

[Bill Babler]

Got out for 3 hours this morning and all the channel swing fish are GONE.  Looked like a waste land. 

Steven and I last weekend caught fish out of piles so after I wasted an hour on the deep fish, I started on the downed logs and piles  

 

It was surprisingly really good. Caught about 20 with 5 keepers.  Never lost a fish, but no monsters either.  

Everything was old school Texas Rig 7” worm with the hook buried. 

 

Surface temps at 75 this morning and still the same when I jerked out the tub. 

 

Quite a few fishermen out of both the SK ramp and Viola today. 

Here is the type of stuff I fished today. Lots of lay downs and some limbs that property owners toss in.  Fish on really every location, but only had a couple of hours to poke around. 

6’ to 15’ was ideal. 


Good Luck

 

[Quillback]

Very nice.  I might get out tomorrow.  Supposed to be some wind, which I like this time of year.  

[Champ188]

Early fall is the time of year for that Texas rig. And if the laydowns/piles don't work, you can always tie on a finesse jig and start hammering docks --- every crack and crevice that your skills will allow you to place that jig. Just like Bill's fish, the sweet spot will be 6-15 feet in the Kings --- maybe out to 20 feet in the White. Been a few years (about 15), but I got on a really strong dock bite in the Kings the week of the Champion owners derby. Probably could've weighed 18-19 lbs. on Thursday (the final practice day), then woke up Friday morning with 101 fever. Could barely walk for the dizziness but managed to get launched with much help from my capable wife Donna and made the run from Kimberling City up the Kings. The fish were still there and still biting --- Donna put a couple of 3.5-pounders in the boat and I somehow managed two 4-somethings between clanging my jig off every dock pole, boat lift and pontoon in a 5-mile stretch of the Kings. Ended up with 14-something and were in the top five but I was so spent that Donna and a friend had to carry them to the scales. We got back to the room, I went straight to bed and Donna packed us up, then woke me up and proceeded to tell me we were going home. We did and I ended up in the ER the next day (Sunday) with pneumonia. The things we put ourselves thru to catch a dadgum fish. :)

[Flysmallie]

On 10/12/2025 at 8:07 AM, Champ188 said:

and made the run from Kimberling City up the Kings.

I've made that run many times, including those Champion tournaments. Caught some good fish up there. 

[Champ188]

On 10/13/2025 at 4:59 PM, Flysmallie said:

I've made that run many times, including those Champion tournaments. Caught some good fish up there. 

If I knew for sure I'd have my own sweet spots to myself, I'd run up there in every derby. But as you certainly know, the Kings can fish very, very small some days, and you really don't know if it's gonna be on/off until you get up there and start fishing. 

If there's even a couple of other decent fishermen up there, you'll end up splitting up the fish and none of you will cash a check. 

Quick funny story: Donna and I were struggling one day just fun fishing. The weather was nice so I suggested a bit of a run up the Kings. Hardly any boats anywhere around, but when I made the last bend before the spot I was headed for, there sat one right where I wanted to go. The boat wrap had me thinkin it was another wanna-be pro. We idled past and I hardly even glanced their way, then ran on up a good 1/4-mile before starting down another good stretch of channel-swing bank.

Next thing I know, here comes this wrapped boat and they sit down and start idling right up to us. I'm thinking, "What the heck?! I idled past you, ran WAY out of your way and even went to the opposite bank. Told Donna, if he wants to start some crap, he's found the right guy.

As he gets close enough, I see that it's none other than Rick Clunn and his son, River. They were fishing a Winter Series derby that day and just wanted to tell us he sensed they were where I wanted to fish and that they were heading back toward Kim City. Said there were lots of fish on that stretch but none that would help them cull up. Found out later they placed high in the derby with 19 pounds. 

Of course, we thanked them profusely for the info and stopped at that spot on the way back downriver. Sure enough, we caught a dozen in the 100-yard stretch I had wanted to fish.

Just one more example of what usually happens when we ASSUME.

(OK, that story wasn't as short as I'd intended. Sue me.)  🤷‍♂️😁

 

[Flysmallie]

1 hour ago, Champ188 said:

another good stretch of channel-swing bank.

There are none of those up there.

He's lying everyone. Don't go.