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Fishing topwater Rebel lures from a kayak- Aunts Creek Access, Table Rock Lake

Fishing Table Rock Lake in the southern Missouri Ozarks has been interesting this year. It seems like the bass have been deeper in the day, and then have been coming out close to shore in the morning and evening.

 
I got a chance to hit the lake late June, and did not have a lot of success in the daytime.  Early morning before the sun comes up over the hills seems to be the best time to get any kind of action.  Shad are quite active, and you can see the activity in the shad balls in about 50' of water.  I was throwing quite a few lures, but it seems the topwater minnow poppers were working the best.  Check out the video and you can see how I was "chugging" them.

Fish ON!

Mike

Several days of Memorial Day kayak bass fishing- Early morning is the time!

Had an incredible opportunity to hit my favorite lake, Table Rock Lake in Southern Missouri.  I would consider this lake my home water.  We keep our camper popped up during the season, so it is water that is easy access for myself.
The water has been up (I was hitting it last year during all the rain) so the water is still a tad murky, especially up in the arms.  The two trips I took out were not very productive in regards to catching fish, but the third and final one was.  I finally figured out that to get up on fish, I needed to get out before the sun rose (this was based on the feedback I got from a couple of other anglers I spoke with in the campground)
On the last trip, I got out early, and went to the cove across the lake from the access point.  I was throwing a minnow popper.  Caught a nice smallmouth right off the git go!  The shad balls were pretty incredible as well, and I had several hits on the top water throwing right on top of the shad balls.

True to the coaching I received, as soon as the sun got up over the tree line, the fish cut off.  We shall be back!

Fish ON!

Mike

 

 Table Rock Lake, Aunts Creek Access- early morning bass fishing

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Missouri

 Table Rock Lake- Hot day of kayak bass fishing with limited action

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Missouri

Kayak fishing Aunts Creek

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Missouri

Kayak fishing Table Rock Lake, Aunts Creek Access May 15-16th: Fishing slow with rain, but still managed to get up on one!

Had a chance to hit Table Rock Lake at the Aunts Creek Access point (just north of Kimberling City, MO) on May 15th & 16th.  We have been receiving a lot of rain and storms, so the lake is not necessarily high, but is more murky than I am used to (at least at this section of the lake).  The first day got a chance to only fish for about an hour or so.  Got back to shore just in time (heavy thunderstorm).  Would have really thought the fishing would have been better with the impending

storm coming in.  Was throwing Senkos, Wiggle Warts, spinners, and kitchen sink LOL.

Day 2 I had a little more time, so I got down to the ramp around 2:00 p.m.....then I waited for the rain to stop....and waited....and waited.  Finally I went back to the camper and took a nap, and then came back out around 5:00 or so.  I call the fish in the photo "the fish of a thousand casts" (I know that moniker belongs to muskies)

I did a TON of casting and throwing things out to try and figure what they were getting up on.  Once again, the Wiggle Wart came through for us!  I am really starting to enjoy fishing crank baits, especially on Table Rock.  Made a short video for you viewing pleasure...enjoy!

Fish ON!

Mike

Day 2 of Kayak fishing Table Rock Lake- Success in day 2!

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Missouri

Kayak Fishing Table Rock Lake- Rain and slow fishing for our first day

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Missouri

Best of fishing and kayaking- 2012

What an incredible year 2012 was!  We suffered a drought across the Ozarks, but the fishing was outstanding!  I fell a little short on the smallmouth fishing and trout fishing this year, however, I think we will be able to make up for that in 2013.

Here is to an incredible 2013 in angling and kayaking to you and your family!  Enjoy the video :)

Fish ON!

Mike

Table Rock Lake, Aunts Creek area, Stone County, MO April 2012....nice bass on Wiggle Wart!

Late in posting this one.....crazy business stuff going on that has kept me from updating.  This video pretty much says it all.  They were deep and not biting on a lot of soft plastics so I switched over to a Wiggle Wart and BOOM!
Table Rock is an interesting lake due to the fact that the water is generally more clear than other lakes, and the fact that it is so deep (mid channel on this arm is about 80' deep)
Great day of kayak fishing on the lake!

Fish ON!

Mike

Table Rock Lake, Stone County, MO July 6th 2011: Very, Very light bite on Table Rock

Table Rock still is a little high, but it is much closer to normal pool than when I had kayaked it 4 weeks ago.  This weekend (the 4th) the boat traffic was incredible.  I am thinking it was good for the local economy, at least I am hoping it was.

I was using Zoom Pumpkin trick worms on a texas rig when I caught the bass in the video above.  I was getting a lot of taps, but it seemed eveytime I pulled back to set the hook....nothing.  I had debated going to a small set up on the spinning rod (maybe a small spinner) but decided to keep with what I had.  I also was throwing a Chomper Hula Grub on a stand up jig.  This time of the year, the smallmouths really seem to be prevalent when it gets warm, so I figured that would be a good strategy...not this time.

They are really deep so I was fishing 14' of the shore and points....sometimes it is just hard to figure them out.

Fish ON!

MLT

Table Rock Lake, Aunts Creek Access, Stone County, MO: Lake still real high, got a little action in the trees

I got a chance to get a nice kayak paddle in on Table Rock Lake, Aunts Creek area.  I did about 5.5 miles to end of the Aunts Creek arm and back.  The first half was all about getting to the mark with the kayak, the second half was about the fishing.  Was a little slow, but got a couple of hits and a small smallmouth on a zoom finesse worm, Texas rigged.  Was throwing right in the trees.
The second video below was from kayaking a couple of nights before, right as the sun was going down....no fish pictures in this video, but there are some really gorgeous shots, and if you have not been down here, it gives you a visual of how high the water is.  Good news is that Beaver Lake, Arkansas is down, so Table Rock Lake should be next...enjoy!

Fish ON!

Mike

Kayaking 5.5 miles on Table Rock Lake, Missouri

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Table Rock Lake, Stone County, Missouri March 25th 2011: Dogwood trees start to bloom, monster pig bass come out to play in the ozarks!

I got a chance to get the kayak out for a few hours and decided to paddle and fish Table Rock Lake.  This is the largest bass I have caught in a really long time (maybe ever).  I was fishing a cove with a white roadrunner with a small white mister twister grub attached, kind of bouncing off the bottom.  When she bit, I thought it was a snag, but then the line started moving the other direction.  It was a real challenge landing on a sea kayak.  She had me running around the cove for a little bit.

I was really concerned because I was using a spinning rod with 8# test. I was thinking "this water is so clear, I should have packed the rod that had 6# loaded"...glad I did not!  I did not have a measuring tool, however I got it laid up against my rod and it went past the Shakespeare ugly stik logo.  When I get back I will get it measured out.

I am almost thinking this is a spotted bass.  I know the second smaller one is.  The lateral line on the fish would leave me to believe that it is....

Fish ON!

MLT

Last September fishing trip at Table Rock Lake (Aunts Creek) Missouri- Peaceful!

Table Rock Lake, Aunts Creek, Stone County, MO August 28th, 2010.: Largemouth Bass in Summer Pattern

Table Rock Lake, MO.- Cape Fair June 19-21st

Camping was great at Cape Fair last week. Got a chance to fish from shore just a little (business has been incredible as of late!.

Caught a couple of nice bass off of the dock by the boat launch. Caught one on a Chomper crawdad texas rigged throwing a 6' rod, 14# test. Caught another bass later on a Bomber Crawdad crank bait. Some small Longear Sunfish on night crawlers and slip bobbers.

Fish On!

MLT