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Table Rock Solid For Springtime Bass Fishing In some Missouri lakes bass seem to hibernate when the weather turns frigid, but the bass in Table Rock Lake never seem to retire for a winter's slumber. Even if the lake falls into a dormant stage in the winter, the reservoir usually rises earlier than most bodies of water in the state and delivers the best bass action in the early spring. Approximately 36 miles south of Springfield, Mo., Table Rock Lake is a thriving largemouth and spotted bass fishery that's also experiencing a smallmouth bass population explosion. Normal pool for this 43,100-acre lake is 915 feet above sea level. Main tributaries dumping into the lake include the White River and Kings River and Long Creek, all flowing north from Arkansas, and the James River flowing south from Springfield. The lake is large enough to offer three distinct sections to fish. Providing information on how to catch bass on the lower, mid and upper sections of the lake are tournament anglers Kevin Bowling of Branson, MO, Larry Herndon of Kimberling City, MO, and Bobby Sullivan of Cape Fair, MO. Let's see how these three anglers fish their home lake during the spring. Lower Lake "Cover is sparse on this end of the lake so the only cover available is wind and depth," says Bowling. During a strong wind the fish will move shallow most of the time and on calm days, except during spawning time, bass will seek the security of deep water. "In the early spring I think this is the best part of the lake," Bowling says. "You can catch more large fish here than you will anywhere else on the lake." He notes you can also catch more variety since this section contains largemouths, smallmouths and spotted bass. Bowling believes this area turns on
first since the lake is more open than the other sections and the warm south
winds tend to churn up the water and warm it quicker. He considers the upper end
more This section of the lake has about
the same characteristics as the other sections except for clearer water. The
lower end features pea gravel banks, rock ledges and bluffs. Visible cover
includes some In the early spring, Bowling targets
bass suspended 6 or 7 feet of the bottom in cedar trees 15 to 18 feet deep along
the flat banks with ledges. The most productive areas are on the main or
secondary Later in the spring, Bowling switches to a shallow-billed jerk bait until the fish move on the nest. When the fish start bedding, he favors soft-plastic jerk baits and 4-inch plastic lizards which he uses on a split-shot or Carolina rig. He notes that the bass spawn on practically any pea gravel bank on the lower end at depths ranging from 6 inches to 10 feet. Mid-Lake Larry Herndon prefers fishing the
mid-lake section in the spring because it offers the most stable conditions. "If
there has been a lot of runoff, the river's are too muddy to fish and the lower
lake Fish in the mid-lake section tend to be caught shallower than in the lower end due to the stained water. Herndon believes the fish are also larger overall in this section because it is fed by the fertile waters of the James River. In the early spring, Herndon looks for fish along spawning banks--flat, pea gravel banks on points or in pockets. An ideal spawning location is a rock ledge pocket that has pea gravel and cedar trees. During this time, bass tend to stage along main and secondary points 12 to 20 feet deep, as they wait for the right time to move to the spawning banks. The first action usually occurs on the north side pockets. Big largemouths move to the banks first, later followed by spotted bass. When the fish move in to spawn, Herndon finds them anywhere from 2 to 8 feet deep. A Carolina-rigged plastic lizard dragged along the points works best for Herndon in the early spring. He selects a lizard in pumpkin-pepper or cotton candy hues. When the fish move on the nest, Herndon prefers a tube bait for sight fishing. He chooses any bright color, such as chartreuse, yellow, red or white, that contrasts the bottom so he can see his lure when working it in the shallows. Upper Lake When fishing the upper lake section, Bobby Sullivan favors the James River. He has fished the other rivers, but he believes his home water is more productive. "We have so much influx of nutrients into the river that we have a different color water," Sullivan says. He believes added nutrients in the James makes it more fertile and produces more microorganisms, baitfish and bass than the other rivers. "The upper James River is just a natural hatchery," he says. "It just feeds the whole lake with an abundant supply of fish." Spring rains tend to dirty the water and warm it quicker than the other sections, but a cold rain or snow will shut down the river fishing in the early spring. Whereas the lower and mid-lake contains gravel bars, the upper end has more mud banks. "The largemouth especially seem to like those mud banks with stump fields," says Sullivan. The upper end also has a reputation for producing big fish. "It seems like you can't catch as many fish in the 3- to 5-pound category that you do down lake," says Sullivan, "but it seems like you can always catch a big fish, like a 7- or 8-pounder, in the river." This section of the lake contains mostly largemouths, but in recent years Sullivan has noticed an influx of spotted and smallmouth bass. Sulllivan's favorite early spring pattern is to throw a deep-diving jerkbait along bluff ends near channel swings. He looks for the break where the mud flat tails off into a chunk rock bank and channel swing. The fish will be stacked up on the break and are usually suspended 4 to 8 feet deep over 15 feet of water. His favorite color pattern for the jerk bait has a black back, gold sides and white belly. During spawning time, Sullivan targets gravel pockets and creek banks that have 45-degree slopes. If the lake level creeps up into the vegetation, bass build their nests at the base of the bushes. Sullivan says you can catch these bass on spinnerbaits and crankbaits or by flipping jigs and plastic chunks or 1/2-ounce Hula Grubs into the bushes. Table Rock Lake offers a multiple choice of places to try and fish to catch for anglers wanting an early jump in the spring. For information on shows, lodging and attractions in the Table Rock Lake or Lake Taneycomo area or to receive a free vacation guide, call the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-BRANSON or visit the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB web site at www.explorebranson.com .
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