MO_LMB

Do you have a push cart for your kayak? You can make one pretty cheaply if not. I find it comes in rather handy. I would say part of the challenge is learning the lake. Pick one or two lakes and just focus on those instead of hopping all around. You'll learn where the bass are relating to much easier after several trips to the same lake and get some milk run spots you can mark. If you want a quick trip, close to STL, I'd say River's Edge Park if you have a cart to pull your yak. Can also try Creve Ceour lake or Mallard. For river, I'd say the Meramec is a good spot. The farther you go the better... Sand Ford, Red Horse. There's also the lakes on the IL side as well: Baldwin, Coffeen, Rend, Carlyle. Bottom line is it's fishing. You can't expect to go to some lake you've never been and just tear it up unless you stumble upon some great day where they are happily munchin. When you get to new water everything looks good and like it will hold fish, but you have to fish it several times to know where the fish actually stay in that body of water. Gotta put in some work and find areas and baits that work for that lake. That's why I'd recommend picking one or two and just focus on those. I've got lakes where I've caught multiple 7lbs + fish, but there's been days when all I get are dinks. Just part of the process.

Table Rock was great. Saturday was a good numbers day. Fished the flattest main lake stuff I could find. Best bait was a tube, Watermelon Red, dragged on the bottom. Also caught some on the ned, underspin and ball head with a keitech, and a Tackle HD hidef craw. Tube caught the numbers HiDef craw caught the bigger fish. Bigger fish came off submerged trees... not the brush or bushy trees, but solid tree trunks. Sunday wasn't as good on numbers, but caught the bigger fish. Also figured out a night bite. They wanted a black colorado spinnerbait burned below the surface.

When the fish don't seem to be biting moving lures well, I always try to slow down and fish some main lake structure with bottom baits. Jig, Tube, Shakey Head worm. Try to feel whats going on on the bottom with the lure. Each cast should take you a minute or two to reel in. I just move the bait with my rod and pull it along, maybe hopping every once in a while. Find a point or hump or something, with a little wind moving over it, and fish slowly on the bottom. Should be able to pick up a couple that way on any lake. Just glancing at Navionics, I'd try these spots.

How's that old bank line pattern holding up? Any topwater to speak of?

When's the tourney? You'll have tons of flooded cover to flip an pitch, but you'll run into the issue of what to throw at... it will be everywhere and it will all look good. I'd probably be flipping bushes that are on points or throwing a spinnerbait around the cover.

Yeah, I'll be interested to see how the high water effects traffic this weekend. Once your on the lake I don't see many issues, but the weekenders might have some trouble finding places to park at ramps. Any deep bite yet that you've found, or have you just been flipping shallow?

Up - Up the river to the north Down - Down lake by the dam Also, keep in mind most tourneys launch out of Taylor's Ferry, and fish are typically released there, so you can always probably find a few transplants there around the takeoff.

Traditionally they say Ft. Gibson fishes shallow, and when the water is UP fish DOWN lake. If it's really 24 ft. above normal pool, you're going to have a ton of flooded bushes to flip if you want. If they are pulling water and the lake is dropping I'd be fishing a topwater. Ranger creek is a popular area, as well as Toppers. I'd probably have a buzzbait, spinnerbait, and a jig to flip bushes on. Maybe a shakeyhead/senko too.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll check back in next week to see if there's any updated reports.

Heading to Tablerock with my Dad to do some fishing at the end of June and Early May. Never had much luck at the lake. Not use to fishing that deep clear water. Any hints on what types of structure or what depths to be targeting for that time of the year. We'll be staying in the Kimberling City area. Spoons in play yet? Keitechs on a jig head or on a fish head spin? Topwater? Jig/Tube/Ned? Not looking for any specific spots (unless you're feeling generous in a pm... C&R angler here) just a sort of crash course on what spots to find while looking at a depth chart.

I'm signed up to fish the 2017 BBWC.

I scarred a pack of Manatees about 5 feet away from me in Florida once while I was in my Kayak before first light came. My kayak was rocking from the waves they caused. Pretty sure I could hear my heart thumping against my chest.

Big, Meramec, Mineral Fork, Huzzah, James, lots of options

From what I can see, they are cool, but I think you could find something else for much cheaper for what you want to do. NuCanoe, Pond Powler, Kayak, Sqaure Stern Canoe. All seem like they be a bit more wallet friendly and do the same thing.