Table Rock Lake in Branson, MO Fishing Report
Capt. Eric Prey
February 2, 2011
Table Rock - Freshwater Fishing Report
Lake - Table Rock
2/2/11:
Kimberling City Area: The warmer weather toward the end of last week didn't warm water temperatures much but it did move shad shallower. Fish followed the bait into the shallows and fed aggressively. SPRO McStick and Lucky Craft Pointers were very effective on the ends of channel swing banks on the main lake and in the larger creek arms. Allow the bait to pause for five to ten seconds between jerks to draw strikes. Jewel football jigs with J tail trailers have also been very effective in these areas. Throw the jig to the banks and work it slowly along the bottom to twenty five feet.
James River: The stained water of the James River warmed late in the day almost every day this past week, warmer air temperatures and sunshine drove temperatures up as much as two or three degrees every afternoon. The warmer water drew shad and in turn fish to the shallows as the day wore on. Much like the mid lake jerkbaits and Jewel jigs were very effective on the ends of channel swing banks where large rock changed over to gravel. In addition lipless crankbaits fished around wood cover produced some nice fish on shallow flats near channel drops above flat creek.
White River: The White River has been a great area to fish over the past week; Jerkbaits on the ends of channel banks, Jewel Football and Eakins jigs on swings and in around deeper docks and War Eagle spoons in deep tree tops have all been effective patterns over the past week. Much like the mid lake look for the ends of channel swings to be the most productive area to throw a stickbait. Large rocks and wood cover improve your odds of getting bit. Jewel jigs worked on these same banks will produce less active fish holding tight to cover. Larger docks are producing with a Jewel Eakins jig and craw combo; look for docks on points close to deeper water to be the most productive. The deep bite is still going strong, look for schools of shad near the "gut" of creeks close to tree tops at thirty to fifty feet deep, most of the fish will be holding in the tree tops waiting for injured fish to fall from the schools of shad.
Dam Area: With the end of the week warming trend a very nice jerkbait bite showed up toward the end of the week on the lower end as well. Channel swing transitions to chunk rock and gravel have been the best areas especially if there is wood cover present. SPRO McSticks and Mega Bass Vision 110's have been the top baits on the lower end and allowing the bait to pause for as long as fifteen seconds has been key in the very clear water of the lower end. The deep bite is still the dominate pattern on the lower end; deep trees in the gut of major creeks have been the most productive areas, look for schools of bait suspended above trees to find active fish.
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