Anyone Fished Table Rock?

[RumRiverRat]

Taking the family to Table Rock for 7 days at the end of March.

Will be fishing with a guide for 2 full days and possibly a third. Renting a boat for the remainder of the trip.

Been doing lots of research.

Looking for first hand accounts.

[TR21HP]

Fished there for 2 full days about 6 years ago prefishing with a friend of mine for a tourney and mainly fished all docks. This was in May and there was so much recreational traffic on the lake it was unbelievable, twice as bad as Minnetonka in dead summer. Fished with plastics and jigs the whole time. Fished some shallow brush piles that he located and did well on those texas rigged worms and jigs on a trailer. March should find less traffic on the lake but there are a ton of tournaments on that lake all the time.

[st.crioxfishin]

I fished it two years ago in March and we ran into a nasty cold front for the two days we stopped to fish there. The first day we fished was during a snow/sleet storm – my buddy and I froze our rumps off but we caught quite a few fish on jerkbaits over brush/trees in 5-15 fow in small main lake coves. The second day was your typical post front conditions, sunny and high skies. We caught a few more that day on jerkbaits, but it was nothing like the day before. It’s a neat area down there.

[Cherokee Ref]

Good time for a number of patterns. Jig and trailer on transition banks (Boulders to gravel). Jerkbaits in the treetops over as much as 50' of water can be killer. Clown pattern best. They also use a lot of WiggleWarts in green crawdad patterns. Plain jighead and watermelon grub swimming can be good. Clear water, so natural colors. Post results, please.

[UofMBASS]

Wiggle Warts, Jerkbaits, and the Alabama Rig.

[RumRiverRat]

I have read about the jerkbait pattern over trees. I love throwing jerkbaits.

Have a rod an reel setup to throw Arigs.

[UofMBASS]

Just make sure you don't make the same mistake I made last March. Stock up on alabama rigs (or "Chicken Rigs" as I call them).

Those submerged cedar trees will eat them up just as quick as the bass will.

Good Luck!

[Saint Paul Dan]

I fished table rock a few years ago. My experience was not normal considering the water was so high that we literally saw houses, trailer homes, trees , etc floating away. However, I did travel there in March, so I had to prepare for that time period as well...

It sounds cliche, but I think hiring a guide will be extremely helpful. Table Rock was so foreign to me that I couldn't help but be completely overwhelmed. I seemed to forget everything I had read leading up to my trip and just shutdown when we didn't catch fish instantly.

The other thing I would do differently is not get too caught up in the local fishing tactics. For instance, they have a love affair with wiggle warts on Table Rock. I'm sure all the craze about wiggle warts on Table rock is warranted because they catch fish... But that doesn't mean bass in table rock won't hit other crankbaits. I figured, "when in rome" and spent way too much time (and money) trying to use the popular techniques used by locals. I loaded up on wiggle warts and other popular baits on Table Rock which caused me to learn new baits while on new water. In hindsight, I feel that I would have been more successful by fishing with baits I'm comfortable with and have experience using. Its always fun to buy some new lures and other equipment for a fishing trip, but I would also suggest sticking with what works.

[Hester]

Well put Dan, that is some good advice.

[RumRiverRat]

The Pre Rapala Wigglewart bite is well documented.

I have a bunch of pre Rapala Wigglewarts that I will be bringing.

I will be throwing Jerkbaits a lot I am sure. It is a bait that I am very comforatble using anyway.