Kimberling City Area: With the falling water conventional wisdom says the fish should be pulling out into deep water. So far that is not holding true, every morning several fish are being caught on shallow points and flats though out the mid lake area from 8’ – 15’ deep. Jewel Pro spider and Football jigs with Chompers jig trailers have been the best bait in green pumpkin / green flash, green pumpkin candy flash and watermelon / purple flash with green pumpkin or melon twin tail trailers. Simply throw the bait to the bushes and work it slowly along the bottom back to the boat. Once the sun comes up a couple of patterns take shape; drop shot rigs with Robo Worm or Chompers drop shot worms in MM III , brown / purple or Aarons Magic have been taking fish suspended off the bottom from 15’ – 20’ over 25’ – 35’ feet of water, the second pattern is flipping the bushes. It sounds crazy for Table Rock but several fish are being caught flipping isolated bushes on flat points with an Eakins jig or tube.

James River: The James is hot right now; deep crankbaits, football jigs, Carolina rigs and even shallow crankbaits are taking both quality and numbers of fish. The typical summer patterns are dominate, look for fish to be on gravel roll offs through out the mid to upper river and work DD-22’s, DT-16’s and Strike King 600 Series crankbaits along and over the drop. Alternate Jewel Football jigs and Carolina rigs on these same locations working the bat from the flat into the channel to be effective. Most of the bites will come as the bait is falling off the roll off so pay close attention to any changes is direction or weight as you pull the bait off the drop. Further up the river and in the back of larger creeks several fish are being caught on shallow crankbaits; Bagley squarebills, Lucky Craft R.C 1 or R.C. 2 crankbaits worked around shallow cover have been catching numbers and quality as well, run the crankbait into the cover to draw reaction strikes.

White River: The White river continues to produce; Football Jigs, Carolina Rigs, Drop Shot Rigs, Deep Crankbaits, Spoons and Buzz Baits are all producing throughout the river. Much like the James the bite is concentrated on points with deep water close by and rolls offs on flats; concentrate your efforts on the drop to be effective. Any isolated brush or rock cover on these areas should be fish thoroughly with a variety of baits. The drop shot bite is similar to the mid lake area, most of the fish are suspended off the bottom from 12’ – 25’ deep over 25’ – 35’ of water, pay close attention to your electronics and the feel of your line, the fish are swimming up with the bait and knocking slack in the line, if you don’t pay attention you will miss most of the bites. Up the Kings and in the backs of bigger creeks there is a buzz bait bite early and late, work the bait in and around shad close to cover to be effective.

Dam / Branson Area: The bite on the lower end is as productive as the rest of the lake, spider and football jigs, drop shot rigs and deep crankbaits are all producing numbers and quality. Look for shallow points with deep water close by to be holding most of the fish. Fish Jewel football and spider jigs in green pumpkin / green flash or green pumpkin candy flash with Chompers trailers from the brush line out to 25’ deep. Deep crankbaits are working on roll offs and flats with isolated rock or brush piles, make long casts beyond the cover and run the bait into the cover from several angles to be effective. Much like the rest of the lake the majority fish being caught on a drop shot rig are suspended. Look for the level the majority of the shad are holding to key you into the depth holding the fish. Most of the fish have been around 15’ – 25’ range over 25’ – 40’ of water. Natural colors like Aaron’s Magic, MMIII and brown / purple have been the most effective.

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Kimberling City Area: What a great year on Table Rock, I can’t remember the last time we were able to catch fish all over the lake this shallow in July. The best bite early has been on a Jewel football or Pro Spider jig in green pumpkin / green flash with a green pumpkin Chompers jig trailer. Work the bait slowly along the bottom from 18’ – 25’ on gravel and mixed gravel / rock points. A shaky head is a great option on these points as well, green pumpkin or watermelon / candy 4” or 6” finesse worms on a ¼ oz. have been the ticket. Once the sun comes up it is time to move out to deeper water, these same points will produce fish 35’ – 45’ deep on a drop shot rig with either a Chompers brown / purple drop shot worm or a Robo Worm MMIII. Key on points that have a channel swing close by or right against the point most of the fish will hold tight to the point but if you loose the fish move out into the swing and most likely they are suspending over deep water.

James River: The James River is producing good catches of fish on a several different patterns right now; Football and Pro Spider Jigs, Carolina rigged lizards, brush hogs and trick worms, deep crankbaits and even a few fish being taken on shallow crankbaits. Much like the mid-lake area Jewel Football and Pro Spider jigs will produce on gravel and mixed gravel / rock points near deep water on both the main lake and in major creek arms. PB&J, brown / purple flash and Missouri craw jigs with green pumpkin Chompers jig trailers worked slowly along the bottom 15’ – 25’ deep will produce numbers and some surprising quality. Carolina rigs are working in these same areas; drag the bait on the bottom paying close attention whenever the sinker drops off a ledge or into a ditch. DD-22’s, DT-16’s and Junior D crankbaits are all working well on ledges, rock piles and humps throughout the James. In the back of major creek arms a number of fish are being taken on shallow crankbaits; square bills, R.C. 1.5 and 2.5, Fat Boys etc. are effective around flooded laydowns where shad are present; make multiple casts to the cover from a variety of angles to be effective.

White River: The White River is just plain fun right now; it is almost a “how do you want to fish today” scenario. Do you want to fish deep? Drop shot rigs are working on off shore humps, the ends of points and the deep side of points from Baxter to Shell Knob. You wanna fish a jig or a Carolina rig? PB&J or green pumpkin / green flash Jewel football and Pro Spider jigs or Carolina rigged lizards and brush hogs are working on gravel and mixed gravel / rock points from 18’ – 25’ deep from point 9 on up. You flip and pitch? The Kings River has some great flipping action on Eakins jigs and Ultra Tubes in flooded brush and debris on the ends of points and bluff ends. Shallow crankbait? Head to the back of major creek arms and throw a square bill around laydowns and flooded brush. Topwater? There is a short lived buzzbait bite early and late in the backs of creeks and shallow pockets in the Kings or above Big M. Pretty amazing fishery in the white river this past week.

Dam / Branson Area: The lower end of the lake is very productive right now as well. Much like the mid-lake are early and late the football and Pro Spider jig bite is hard to beat. A good mix of smallmouth and spots can be caught from 20’ – 35’ deep on pea gravel and mixed rock and gravel points from daybreak until around 9:30 and again from around 7:00 until dusk. Shaky heads will work these times as well it is just a little more difficult to fish a light head that deep. Once the sun gets high the deep bite really turns on with Chompers drop shot worms and Robo Worm MMIII worms taking center stage fished from 25’ – 50’ deep on the ends of points, drops on the deep sides of points and bluff ends or channel swings. A few fish have begun to be caught on spoons in and around the tree tops as well, they are not positioned in the trees, more on top of the trees so a vertical presentation is almost impossible without spooking the fish. Cast the spoon out, allow it to fall to about 20’ and start ripping and pausing it over the tree tops to get bit.

Don’t Miss Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield
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