Missouri Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Table Rock 03/05/06:

Kimberling City Area: The bite has definitely slowed over the past week: deep fishing has gotten less productive as the schools of shad have locked tight to the bottom with the colder weather, as the week progresses the water will warm and the bait should begin to migrate toward the backs of creeks following zooplankton. Most of the fish being caught in the mid lake area are coming on Eakins’ jigs in PB&J with a cinnamon / purple Eakins craw. The fish are coming on channel swing banks about mid way back in the creek arms in 15’ – 30’ of water.

James River: The James has really become the best area on the lake over the past week; the water there did not crash as hard as the rest of the lake and has warmed a little faster as well. Stickbaits are still your best bet, chrome / black or American shad have been productive on sunny days while clown or chartreuse shad have been better on cloudy ones. Look for windy, flat, mixed rock banks to be the most productive and isolated pieces of wood will hold most of the fish.

White River: The White and Kings are slowly recovering from the temperature crash caused by the ice and snow last week. These is one of the least productive areas of the lake right now but if you are going to fish it try; stickbaits on flat mixed rock banks similar to the James or an Eakins jig and Craw combo fished on channel swing banks. Either pattern needs to be fished painfully slow to be effective; 10 – 30 second pauses with the jerkbait and slow retrieves with the Eakins’ jig.

Dam Area: Tough, no doubt about it, from Big Cedar cove up Long creek has gotten tough, there is a stickbait bite if you are willing to pause the bait for 30 + seconds, fish deeper trees and bluff ends, or a try an brown / purple flash Eakins’ jig with a craw around deeper boat docks. Until the weather stabilizes in this area the bite will continue to be tough.