Missouri Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Table Rock 9/25/04 :

Kimberling City Area: The most consistent bite continues to be a 3/4 oz. or 5/8 oz. Jewel football jig or a carolina rigged french fry on pea gravel points and flats. Best color in the jig continues to be brown / purple flash with a cinnamon purple twin tailed grub as a trailer, in the french fry any of the watermelon family will work. There are a few fish starting to move into the docks and se them as cover to move up shallow, an Eakins' jig with an Eakins' craw in brown or brown / purple flash is your best bet.

James River : Concentrate on channel swings and bluff ends with brush on them, fish the new Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig in 15' - 20' of water. Best colors are brown / purple flash with a green pumpkin twin tail grub or Missouri craw with a twin tail. There is also a shallow spinnerbait and crank bait bite on windblown flats, look for shad in the shallows of the windy flats and throw a Manns 1 minus or a bandit 100 either one in a shad pattern or a white & chartreuse double willow spinnerbait.

White River: Just like most of the lake there is a good deeper jig bite, fish either the 5/8 oz. or 3/4 oz. Jewel football jig in green pumpkin / green flash with a green pumpkin twin tailed trailer. Pea gravel points that drop into deep water are the most productive areas, if there is brush or rock pile present it is a plus. The crankbait and spinner bait bite on the windblown flats up both the White and Kings continues, look for shad being pushed up on the bank and fish from 6" to 4' with a shallow running crankbait or spinnerbait in any shad color.

Dam Area: Jewel 3/4 oz. football jigs continue to be the best bait around the dam area, fish the pea gravel points from 15' - 30' deep with a twin tailed grub for a trailer. Up Long creek an Eakins' jig in Missouri Craw with a green pumpkin Eakins' craw as a trailer fished around any of the visible cover is tough to beat. In addition there is a buzz bait bite early in the backs of many of the flatter wood filled pockets, look for shad to be successful.