Missouri Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Table Rock 10/03/04 :

Kimberling City Area: It is beginning sound like a broken record but your best 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. Early in the morning there is a top water bite about mid way back in the larger coves, it is short lived but allot of fun while it lasts.

James River : Best bite is on an Eakins' jig in 15' - 20' of water around brush or wood cover on channel swing and bluff end banks. Best colors are brown / purple flash with a green pumpkin twin tail grub or Missouri craw with a twin tail. There shallow spinnerbait and crank bait bite is still working 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: A 5/8 oz. or 3/4 oz. Jewel football jig in green pumpkin / green flash with a green pumpkin twin tailed trailer fished on 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. Up the Kings and White rivers there is a crankbait and spinner bait bite on the windblown flats, 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: The best bite around the dam is a Jewel 3/4 oz. or 5/8 oz. football jigs on pea gravel points from 10' - 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 and shallow crankbait bite early in the backs of many of the flatter wood filled pockets, look for shad to be successful.