Missouri Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Table Rock 11/20/04 :

Kimberling City Area: There are a couple of patterns working in the mid lake area; when the wind is blowing your best bet is a phantom green wiggle wart on windy chunk banks and points, parallel the bank in about 6' - 10' of water. Without wind your best option is to fish brush piles in and around boat docks with a brown / purple flash Eakins' Jig with a green pumpkin Eakins' craw for a trailer. Until the water cools a bit more the deep bite is going to be pretty tough, there are a few fish being caught on a Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig on deeper points but the bite is hit and miss at best right now.

James River : The James has a lot more color than the other arms of the lake right now and the fish tend to be a little shallower than any where else on the lake. The best bite up the river is a Jewel Rush Keel Tandem Spinnerbait in white with nickel blades fished on windy chunk rock points and banks, parallel the banks in about 2' - 8' of water keeping the bait about 1' under the waters surface. If the wind is calm your best bet is to fish bluff ends and bluff cuts with an Eakins' Flippin' Jig in black / blue flash with a blue Zoom Fat Albert Twin Tailed grub for a trailer. Key on any brush or wood cover in these areas.

White River: The white river has a little more current than the other arms of the lake, the Corp. is trying to lower the Beaver lake level before winter. The bite is a bit tougher on the White because of this, if you have some wind you can catch a few fish on a brown craw wiggle wart on 45 degree chunk rock. With out wind your best bet is a throw a Jewel 5/8 oz. football jig in brown / purple flash on deeper points, work the jig from 10' deep all the way down to 40' until you find where the fish are holding and an concentrate in that area.

Dam Area: The most consistent bite in the dam area is a Jewel 5/8oz. football jig in PB&J with a cinnamon purple twin tailed grub fished on long pea gravel points from 25' to 40' deep. IF you have some wind smallmouth are moving up on main lake chunk rock and bluff banks and can be caught on a phantom green wiggle wart fish parallel to the bank in 6' - 8' of water.