Results 1 to 17 of 17
  1. #1
    Member luvdmymerc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Springfield, Missouri
    Posts
    4,158

    January fishin'.... gotta love it. 1/21/21

    My eyes popped open at 4:30am sharp yesterday. I hopped up and turned off the alarm that was set for 4:45 and started getting ready to head back down to Table Rock. I hadn't fished the Hideaway area for probably 35 years so I was anxious to see some of my old fishing spots from back in the day. I met Gary at his cabin at a quarter to 7 and to my surprise his wife was up too making a bacon and egg breakfast for us. After breakfast we ran down to the dock and lowered the Charger off the lift before loading my fishing stuff into the boat. As always the ol' Mariner Mag roared to life on the first crank and we took off up river. Just seeing the old banks up there gave me moments of de ja vu. We were hoping to start catching fish right off the bat of course but instead it was more than an hour before we got bit. At first we just caught one here and there then finally, we got 'em figured out. Bluff banks that flattened out pretty fast was key. The kentuckies were hanging out between 15 and 18 feet just out from the bluffs and they were ready to play....After that the bite was on and we had a ball....


    Just seeing these banks after so many years away was surreal. My grandparents had a cabin just a mile or so west of Gary's when I was a kid and fished the area several times with a buddy I fished with back in the early to mid 80's.

    We started out trying to find the deep bite. We found several schools of fish but could not get them to bite. I watched several come up out of the pack and look at my ice jig, my grub, and my spoon but they would lose interest and quickly return to the bottom. I saw them do this at least 3 times so I decided to try to take a picture of it on the graph but I guess they were camera shy too because I could never get them to do it again.

    Gary drew first blood on a little bluff end but we hadn't established a pattern yet so we didn't stay and pick it apart like we should have...

    We picked up one or two here and there before finally locking in on them....

    These little fat spots save so many Table Rock trips its just amazing. You can almost always count on at least a few of the Kentuckies to want to play.....and when you find them stacked tight and fighting over your bait it can be amazing...






    We picked up a handful of large mouth and even a couple of beautiful little brownies but by far our best bite was the little spotted fish that pound for pound will just tear you up.... Hope ya'll are getting to go too....
    Last edited by luvdmymerc; 01-22-2021 at 06:02 PM.

  2. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Hutchinson,KS
    Posts
    7,772
    #2
    Another fun trip !!!!!!!

  3. Member luvdmymerc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Springfield, Missouri
    Posts
    4,158
    #3
    yup...

  4. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Wichita
    Posts
    1,175
    #4
    I will be there this coming Tuesday plan on fishing Wednesday so hope the bite is still on. I will be fishing the Shell Knob and Campbell Point area. Weather looks good hope the fishing is.

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Wichita
    Posts
    1,175
    #5
    We managed to catch three keeper spots all came from 40 to 50 foot of water on spoon

  6. Member luvdmymerc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Springfield, Missouri
    Posts
    4,158
    #6
    A biter is a biter is a biter....

  7. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Wichita
    Posts
    1,175
    #7
    Amen to that!

  8. Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    875
    #8

  9. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Wichita
    Posts
    1,175
    #9
    headed to the Rock tomorrow plan on fishing 3/19-3/21. sounds like water temps and water lever going up. Will be in the Shell Knob area, White River and Kings. Hope I can post some pics of some fish......

  10. Member luvdmymerc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Springfield, Missouri
    Posts
    4,158
    #10
    I drove over the kings and white river on Monday. Kings was a mud hole for sure..... The white was a little better. The water on either side of the Shell Knob bridge looked beautiful. Good luck. Hope you catch a bunch.....Been 8 weeks now since I've wet a line..... I'm in pretty bad shape..

  11. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Wichita
    Posts
    1,175
    #11
    Grandson and I fished the White River area Friday and caught 7 in 3.5 hours of fishing. Caught 6 spots on red craw and brown/yellow craw crankbiat. All fish came from about 15-20 of water on the backside of wind blown main points. Water temps 50-52 with 5' clarity. Next full moon is 3/28 and 3/29 so plan on heading back to fish next Monday and Tuesday.

  12. Member luvdmymerc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Springfield, Missouri
    Posts
    4,158
    #12
    Gary and I went Saturday around Hideaway again...... It was a traffic jam all day. We caught a few, but nothing to brag about. There was a boat on every point and in every pocket from Buttermilk Springs to Little Aunts Creek all day long..... It was crazy.

  13. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Wichita
    Posts
    1,175
    #13
    Headed back to the Rock this Sunday our plan is to fish Monday and Tuesday. We will try the Campbell Point and Big Creek (Big Bay) areas. Will let you know how we do.

  14. Member luvdmymerc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Springfield, Missouri
    Posts
    4,158
    #14
    That would be awesome..... thanks

  15. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Wichita
    Posts
    1,175
    #15
    Well not much of a report but here goes it. Tuesday fished up the White and best luck was White spinnerbait on windy points. Caught 5 spots in 15' or less. Water temp 55-60 deg and 3' visibility. Went to the Kings and water very stained but 60 deg water. Wednesday fished Big Creak and Campbell point area down to point 21. we got skunked. Water temp in that area was 55 deg. I think with next week warmer days and nights we should really start seeing the bucks running the shallows. Talked to several fishermen at the ramps and they had good luck with jigs on points and secondary points of creeks. Plan is to go back next week and try again.

  16. Member luvdmymerc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Springfield, Missouri
    Posts
    4,158
    #16
    I got a buddy that wants me to fish Stockton with him the next couple weeks. Will get back down to Shell Knob...ASAP. Thanks for the report.

  17. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Wichita
    Posts
    1,175
    #17
    I will be back on the Rock this coming Tuesday and plan to fish the entire week. Got some reports today that temp 60 and lots of bass moving into the spawning coves. After this week warms temperatures the Rock will be HOT!