Table Rock Bait Fish

[fvbaron]

What are the primary Bait Fish for LM Bass in TRL? What are the best colors for jerkbaits, cranks and top waters for early spring? It seems drop shotting is hard to work on such a deep lake, any one have any experience with drop shot on TRL? Please pass on your stories...

Fish it Hard!! 8-)

[RandySBreth]

For all the Bass in the 'Rock (remember there are Spots, Smallies, and Largemouths), primary forage is shad.

Colors? Everything. Depends on water clarity. I like bright day-bright lure cloudy day more subtle color.

For early spring drop-shot isn't the hot item. Cranks, Shaky Head, Suspending jerk baits, split shot rigs, and swimming grubs or small swimbaits.

[cart7t]

Besides the threadfin.

Tablerock is well known for it's healthy population of these fella's

this is the long pincered crawfish. These guys can get quite big, some up to 12" long tip of tail to tip of claws. These guys are on the diet as well as other crawfish species.

[Fishes in trees]

My first choice for jerkbaits on table rock is the table rock shad color.  Day in and day out Table rock is really clear, so I tend to use shad colored baits.  A few years ago Jewel Bait Co. (the company that markets Eakins jigs, another great Table Rock option) marketed a spinner bait in a color they called Lavender Shad.  It was white with a kind of purple tinge and one silver and one gold willow blade.  One spring I wore out three of those paralleling bluff walls.  I was down there 3 days - mid april - 60 or 70 shorts and 15 serious keepers, 18 and 19 inch fish.  Next year, same time, same pattern, that color was nothing special.

There are several bait shops in the Kimberling City area.  Ozark Bait & Tackle is the one that comes to mind - next to the bowling alley.  They are nice people, helpful, and won't steer you wrong when it comes to colors.

[SlingandWind]

Clown Rogue on sunny days and a purple backed bait on cloudy days. Wrap wire around the front treble and drop in the sink until it completely suspends. This is especially important when the water is below 45F. Then you will want to let it pause between small twitches.