Table Rock in Branson, MO Fishing Report
Capt. Eric Prey
September 18, 2011
Table Rock - Freshwater Fishing Report
Lake - Table Rock
9/18/11:
Kimberling City Area: Water temperatures through out the lake have dropped into the mid 70's and fish are on the move. Smallmouth have begun to hold on shallow gravel and mixed gravel banks for several hours each day. Low light hours are certainly best but cloudy or windy will hold fish less than ten feet deep all day long. Jewel football jigs and squirrel heads are producing best with Chompers tubes a viable option as well. Keep the bait on the bottom throughout the retrieve to draw strikes.
James River: Boom goes the dynamite! The shallow crankbait and spinnerbait bite blew up last week. Flat banks and points with shallow cover in the upper end of the James and Flat Creek have been the best areas; an RC crankbait in chartreuse black back or Chompers McCutchen spinnerbait in white are chartreuse have been the best options. Look for laydowns, shallow brush or standing timber and stumps to be holding most of the fish and run the bait(s) into the cover to draw strikes. Once the sun comes up or on calm sunny days a weightless Chompers Salty Sinker fished around the same cover will produce.
White River: Just like the mid lake area smallmouth have moved shallow in the White River, Jewel jigs, squirrel heads and Chompers tubes are all very effective right now on gravel and mixed gravel flats and points. The cedar tree spinnerbait bite has come on strong in the past week, while not producing numbers the quality has been fantastic, a Chompers McCutchen blade in chartreuse or War Eagle double willow in mouse will produce. Cast either beyond an isolated cedar tree and run it just below the surface, as the bait comes to the cedar tree pause it for a second and restart the retrieve, make sure to make multiple casts from different angles to each tree keeping your boat at least twenty feet away.
Dam Area: Cooler water and less boat traffic has moved fish into the shallows this past week, add some rain over the weekend and the smallmouth on the lower end have been in a feeding mood. Jewel football jigs, squirrel heads and Chompers tubes are all producing on gravel and mixed rock points on the main lake and in the larger creek arms. Further up stream in Long Creek the shallow crankbait and spinner bait bite has started, shallow wood cover will produce numbers and quality on either a Chompers McCutchen spinnerbait or an RC crankbait.
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