Missouri Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Table Rock 02/26/06:

Kimberling City Area: Deep fishing has been the most predictable bite again last week with drop shot rigs, spoons and single tail grubs in 40’ – 60’ being the best baits. Look for suspended schools of shad to have the most active fish around them, points, bluff ends and deep tree tops are all holding fish. The jig bite did improve over the past week, main lake and major creek arm ledge rock banks are holding both Kentuckies and Smallmouth, cast or pitch to the bank and slowly work a PB&J Eakins jig with a green pumpkin Eakins craw down to 25’ – 30’ deep.

James River: The stickbait bite is still the most productive pattern up the James River, both pointers and rouges are producing, throw chrome or clown colors when the sun is shining and chartreuse shad or Table Rock shad when it is cloudy. Look for isolated brush piles, trees, or rock piles on mixed rock flat banks. A back up pattern is to fish channel swing banks toward the back of major creek arms with an Eakins’ jig in Missouri Craw with a green pumpkin Chomper jig trailer. Look for the area where the channel first makes contact with the bank to be most productive.

White River: The White and Kings rivers both have a good stickbait bite as well. The bite is better above shell knob on the White and above Viola on the Kings. Much like in the James River look for isolated piece of wood on windy, flat mixed rock points and banks to hold most of the fish, make multiple casts to each piece of cover hitting as many angles as possible before leaving the cover. Pauses from 3 – 15 seconds is all that is required right now to draw a strike but make sure your bait suspends next to the piece of cover you are targeting.

Dam Area: With the exception of Long creek the best bite in this area continues to be on drops shot finesse worms, spoons and single tailed grubs fished in and around suspended schools of shad from 40’ – 60’ deep. Look for the shad on long main lake points, bluff ends and saddles. Further up Long creek there is a good stickbait and jig bite developing; look for the same types of cover and banks as up the James and White rivers to produce above the Arkansas line.