Summertime

Shallow Fishing on Table Rock

BY: ERIC PREY - TRL Fishing Guide

Many Table Rock anglers fish deep in the summer, targeting suspended fish in trees or around boat docks, on the ends of long points or bluffs and bluff ends. Who can blame them, schools of spotted bass gravitate to the deep water in the summer and finding the right school can lead to almost nonstop action. But there are a handful of anglers that will stay shallow and while they may not land on a school of hungry spotted bass, they opt for quality over quantity.

Where to Look:

Most of Table Rock Lake is extremely clear, the limestone bottom and clear streams running into the lake keep it that way. Unfortunately for bass anglers that usually means bass will go deep or find shade to hide from predators and daylight. The ex - ception to this rule is the rivers; The James, The Kings and Long Creek all have stained to dirty water in them. Bass like dirty water, it allows them to move shallow and ambush their forage without fear or bright sun. The other advantage rivers have is cover, all the rivers and large creeks in Table Rock have abundant shoreline cover that bass can use. The short answer to the question where to find shallow bass in the summer is the rivers.

Within the river it is important to find the right habitat that will hold fish; brush piles, laydowns shallow docks and stumps all provide bass with the shallow cover they are looking for. The amount of cover is an important factor to consider; a row of 10 to 15 docks on a shallow flat will provide cover but will also allow the fish to be scattered and harder to find. A single cont. on page 12 dock on that same flat will concentrate and hold more fish. The same holds true for brush piles or stumps; less is more when hunting for shallow fish.

What to Throw:

There are days when you can throw just about any lure to shallow fish around cover; spinnerbaits, crankbaits, swimbaits on cloudy windy days when the fish are aggressively feeding, they will bite almost anything you throw. But, day in and day out, slower presentations will get you the bites you’re looking for.

• Texas Rigged Worms: There is not another lure in the world that has caught more bass than a Texas rigged worm. To bass it is an easy meal and, in the summer, bigger is better; 10” to 14” worms worked slowly through brush, around docks and stumps will draw a bunch of strikes. Worms with a paddle tail or flat tail tend to be better around brush vs. sickle or curly tails as the tail won’t wrap around the brush.

• Jigs: Bass love crawdads and noth - ing mimics a crawdad better than a jig. Heavy cover jigs like a Jewel Pee Wee Spider Jig HD can be fished just about anywhere and a favorite for both fish and fisherman. If you are fishing more open banks with scattered stumps a Football Jig may be a better option. Designed to stay pinned to the bottom and worked through sparce cover you can cover water faster and put your bait in front of more fish.

• Shaky Heads: Much like a jig, a shaky head can be worked slowly and methodically through heavy cover where bass will hide in the summer. Look for shaky heads that have a head design that will come through brush well. Ball heads or pyramid style heads will work better than football style heads.

When to Fish:

For several reasons, the bite is almost always better early and late in the day. It’s generally cooler, fish are more active and there is less pleasure boat traffic to deal with during the low light hours. Fish will be more likely to leave the security of their shallow cover cont. on page 14 and follow or chase baits, as the sun rises, they will move back into the cover for shade and protection it provides.

Another option is fishing at night; Table Rock Lake is a night fishing hot spot. There are tournaments almost every night and the bite at night can be fantastic. A moonlit sky and cooler temperatures usually have bass active and easier to catch.

Summertime fishing on Table Rock can be tough especially if you’re an angler that doesn’t like to fish over deep trees using electronics. Success depends on your ability to change up and look where shallow fish live in the summer. Find a handful of brush piles and shallow docks in the stained water of a river or creek and work them over slowly, you may be surprised how many fish stay close to the bank all year round.

Eric Prey is the Owner / Operator of Focused Fishing Guide Service on Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals lakes.

To book a trip or contact: www.focusedfishing.com or call 417-860-4743