The highland lakes we have around here on the White River chain Beaver, Table Rock, Taynacomo, Bull Shoals, and Norfork. Are very beautiful and have very humbling fishing characteristics about them. Everyone always denotes fishing to putting those dang jig saw puzzles together as kid, Well I wasn't good at that and I like CATCHING better than fishing any day. With Spring around the corner we had temperatures from low 20's to the low 70's and from high skys to 40 mph wind gust.
I have been on Table Rock for about 9 days straight since the 23rd of Feb fishing Webb's Elite Solo Feb 25/26 and then the Bassmaster Central Open and I will be quite honest I struggled to put the winning pattern together in either one. I'm not a grub fishing dude I have never gotten that down (BUT I KNOW THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO) to catch them this time of year if the A-Rig isn't in play and love to fish a crankbait this time of year. After my solo tournament and finishing mid pack with the crankbait and Jerkbait I realized I needed to go to the clear water and try the Grub thing. After a couple of days of riding around all the boats from KC to Long Creek bridge and catching some quality I wasn't satisfied with my practice and ran back to my Crankbait & Jerkbait fish and started catching numbers with some quality mixed in & with out the boat pressure I was seeing down the lake. I made the decision to make a long run to above Eagle rock for the Open and knew I wouldn't have the pressure as I would down the lake and If I could get lucky I could end up with a good kicker up there on the crank/JB. Day 1 after arriving to my first spot and then second spot with out a keeper and very few shorts. I rotated back through and began catching quality on a Gizit, I was always told by my Dad to never leave fish to find fish. These fish where not going to be moving a along way (they can not go that far up there) so I had to adjust my bait and presentation and Boom a limit, but without a kicker. This was my short day and I had to leave early to make the run back and try some clear water spots (just shorts), ended up in 50th place after day 1. Day 2 dawned still cold and bundled up for that long run again, but this day was my long day and I could stay until 3:15 before I had to make the run back. I never finished out my limit even after resorting to the Ned I could only manage shorts, but I had the kicker a 4.5-5 lbr that helped boost me up to 36th and a nice check to help pay for my trip.
I found water temps during these 9 days from 48 to even 60 on one of those shorts and flip flop afternoons. I never caught anything from the green algea/snot in the clear water and never caught anything from the 60 degree stained water either. I caught fish where shad was to places I didn't even graph a bait ball much less see any. Lures ranged from a Crankbait (WW/RC), Jerkbait, Gizit, Shaky head, Swing head, and yes the NED. Practice was more running and gunning, but on one of my best days of catching before the Solo I did have 27 fish with 7 of those keepers mostly the swing head and 2 custom Rock crawlers did the damage. The shorts also where not those little dinks most where just shy of the 15 inch mark. A good number of just sub legal fish where caught. During the rest of practice I didn't do a lot of catching just looking. The clear water fish I did catch were of good quality I just couldn't duplicate those in areas I thought I should have. I'm never a fishing in a crowd type of guy so I opted to go to the river and I avoided the crowds and actual had fishing areas to my self up there and I learned more about those fish and what they do and where they go up there.
Thanks again to all you guys and gals I really enjoy these highland lakes and trying to figure them out. If you see me out there on the water please come by and say hey. I run a Basscat and it always has Purple in it.
I have been on Table Rock for about 9 days straight since the 23rd of Feb fishing Webb's Elite Solo Feb 25/26 and then the Bassmaster Central Open and I will be quite honest I struggled to put the winning pattern together in either one. I'm not a grub fishing dude I have never gotten that down (BUT I KNOW THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO) to catch them this time of year if the A-Rig isn't in play and love to fish a crankbait this time of year. After my solo tournament and finishing mid pack with the crankbait and Jerkbait I realized I needed to go to the clear water and try the Grub thing. After a couple of days of riding around all the boats from KC to Long Creek bridge and catching some quality I wasn't satisfied with my practice and ran back to my Crankbait & Jerkbait fish and started catching numbers with some quality mixed in & with out the boat pressure I was seeing down the lake. I made the decision to make a long run to above Eagle rock for the Open and knew I wouldn't have the pressure as I would down the lake and If I could get lucky I could end up with a good kicker up there on the crank/JB. Day 1 after arriving to my first spot and then second spot with out a keeper and very few shorts. I rotated back through and began catching quality on a Gizit, I was always told by my Dad to never leave fish to find fish. These fish where not going to be moving a along way (they can not go that far up there) so I had to adjust my bait and presentation and Boom a limit, but without a kicker. This was my short day and I had to leave early to make the run back and try some clear water spots (just shorts), ended up in 50th place after day 1. Day 2 dawned still cold and bundled up for that long run again, but this day was my long day and I could stay until 3:15 before I had to make the run back. I never finished out my limit even after resorting to the Ned I could only manage shorts, but I had the kicker a 4.5-5 lbr that helped boost me up to 36th and a nice check to help pay for my trip.
I found water temps during these 9 days from 48 to even 60 on one of those shorts and flip flop afternoons. I never caught anything from the green algea/snot in the clear water and never caught anything from the 60 degree stained water either. I caught fish where shad was to places I didn't even graph a bait ball much less see any. Lures ranged from a Crankbait (WW/RC), Jerkbait, Gizit, Shaky head, Swing head, and yes the NED. Practice was more running and gunning, but on one of my best days of catching before the Solo I did have 27 fish with 7 of those keepers mostly the swing head and 2 custom Rock crawlers did the damage. The shorts also where not those little dinks most where just shy of the 15 inch mark. A good number of just sub legal fish where caught. During the rest of practice I didn't do a lot of catching just looking. The clear water fish I did catch were of good quality I just couldn't duplicate those in areas I thought I should have. I'm never a fishing in a crowd type of guy so I opted to go to the river and I avoided the crowds and actual had fishing areas to my self up there and I learned more about those fish and what they do and where they go up there.
Thanks again to all you guys and gals I really enjoy these highland lakes and trying to figure them out. If you see me out there on the water please come by and say hey. I run a Basscat and it always has Purple in it.
RSS Feed
