Table Rock Lake

[bonsaibp]

Can anyone give some general info about what to expect at Table Rock in late April? More detailed stuff would be appreciated as well. Thanks

[carolina-rig-01]

I don't know if you have ever been to Table Rock before of not but if not here is a little information about this lake: It is very deep and very clear with a lot of bluffs and a lot of timber. It is nothing to be in well over 100 foot of water on Table Rock and it is nothing to see the bottom in 15 to 20 feet of water. It is a very challenging lake and being good a finesse fishing is a plus for sure. As you go up the creeks and rivers the water starts getting color to it but on the main lake it is gin clear. Great largemouth lake but one of the best spotted bass lakes in the world.

Right now Table Rock as well as all the rest of our lakes have a lot of ice on them, which is pretty rare for around here (I think last time they froze was in the mid 90s). So it's anyones guess who fast the water will warm up this spring. They could be on beds, they could be pre-spawn, or they could be post spawn. If they are pre-spawn I would thrown a jerkbait on mainlake and secondary points (a lot of the best points have cedar trees on them, of course the lake is pretty much covered with cedar trees though lol), a spinnerbait will probably be your friend in this situation here. If the fish are on beds then I would stick to the White River part of the lake because the water gets a little dirtier up the rivers (not saying you won't catch fish up Kings River or James River though but if you are going to be bed fishing then the White River/Main lake would probably be your best bet). If they are post spawn I would hit a lot of mainlake and secondary points with carolina rigs, football jigs, and shakey heads. Also channel swings can produce a lot of good fish as can boat docks. Just remember the wind is your friend, this is true on all lakes but it makes a HUGE difference on the Rock.

Also when it gets closer to the time you will be here check out this website: www.ozarkanglers.com because there is a Table Rock forum that is packed with reports and tips from locals and guides.

Also when fishing jigs and softplastics you can't go wrong with PB&J, Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, and Watermelon Candy.

Here is a guide on Table Rock that our jig company sponsors, he is one of the best guides on this difficult lake and is good about keeping a report up to date on his website. http://www.bransonfishingguideservice.com/

[bonsaibp]

Thanks much thats the kind of info I'm looking for. This will be my first time there

[carolina-rig-01]

No problem. Holler at me closer to your trip and I may have some more information for you. Table Rock is one of the most beautiful lakes in the country but it can be one of the most frustrating as well so do all the research you can before you get here and be willing to stick to a pattern because somewhere on the lake you will find the fish.

[bonsaibp]

Thanks I'll do that.

[lilmule]

Frug will have fished I imagine,bonzaibp
James river arm will have the warmest water,and like here at that time expect it to be high.

[bonsaibp]

Anyone have any suggestion for rod/reel/baits setups for Table Rock in late April?
I'll be fishing out of someone else's boat so I want to limit it to 5 set ups.

[carolina-rig-01]

Pay a lot of attention to the lake conditions and fishing reports when you are getting closer to your trip because with the weather we are having right now it is anyones guess what will be going on come April. However I would use flourocarbon line whenever possible because of the clear water and when you are fishing deep water and have a lot of line out the lack of stretch is a big bonus when setting the hook and on spinning reels I would go with 8LB test or lighter. Bring a good jig rod for sure because as one of the local guides say, you can find a jig bite 365 days a year on Table Rock. Everthing else rod wise is up to you but keep in mind that things can and a lot of times will change hourly on Table Rock so what you are doing in the morning most likely won't be what you are doing in the afternoon so I would pack my rods with versatility in mind. For baits I hate to even take a guess at this point because like I said, it's really anyones guess as to what will be going on when you get here with this weather. But you can always count on a jig bite and in the spring a jerkbait and spinnerbait is hard to beat. My best advice is to start getting serious about making these plans a few weeks before your trip and that is when the sites I gave you earlier will be so valuable to you because they will be packed with reports.

[bonsaibp]

thanks again. I wish it were April already.

[BrianS]

Originally Posted by bonsaibp

Anyone have any suggestion for rod/reel/baits setups for Table Rock in late April?
I'll be fishing out of someone else's boat so I want to limit it to 5 set ups.

carolina rigs. Use a 6-7 ft leader if the water is really clear. I use a 3/4 oz egg sinker.
Experiment between small worms and lizards