KimberlingCity Area: Still several fish still in the process of spawning through out the mid lake area. If targeting spawning fish look for gravel pockets and coves on the north side of a creek or cove and use white Chompers Ultra Tubes, green pumpkin Jewel Eakins Craws or cotton candy lizards. Most of the fish on the beds are males and are guarding eggs so they can be caught fairly easily. If you are not interested in sight fishing several fish have finished spawning and are staged on main lake and secondary flat points. These fish can be caught on four inch Chompers smoke or green pumpkin grubs on quarter ounce jig heads, jerkbaits and flukes, windy points have been more productive than calm ones.
James River: The spawn is well on its way up the James as well; the largemouth population in the river means the spawn is still in full swing. Much like the mid lake area, tube, craws and lizards are top choices for sight fisherman. Post spawn fish are showing up on main lake and secondary points in the James River as well; early and late spooks, red fins and other top water baits have been productive, as the day wears on Jewel half ounce and three quarter ounce football jigs in PB&J or brown / purple flash with green pumpkin J tail trailers or Carolina rigged french fries or lizards have been producing. Further up river fish are being caught on Chompers McCutchen spinnerbaits around wood cover.
White River: The entire length of the White River has been fantastic over the past week; fish can be caught on a wide variety of baits from the confluence with the James to above Eagle Rock. In the Baxter area there are several fish still on spawning beds that can be caught with the same methods described in the mid lake area, post spawn fish are being caught on top water early and late, Chompers four inch grubs and jerkbaits are working on windy points and flukes are working on calm days. Up the river the fish are further along in the spawning process, early and late top water lures will put fish in the boat, as the sun comes up switch to a Jewel football jig or Carolina rigged lizard or french fry. In the Kings River there is a great flipping bite with either a Jewel Finesse Flippin’ jig or a Texas rigged Paca Craw, laydowns, stumps and flooded brush have been producing both numbers and quality.
Dam Area: The lower end continues to be a great area of the lake to fish; the clear water makes sight fishing very productive, smallmouth and spotted bass have moved to main lake and secondary points, and several fish have begun to move to and suspend under large docks. Sight fisherman are catching bedding fish on Jewel Eakins craws, Chompers tubes and lizards in most of the gravel pockets and coves. Flat gravel and mixed gravel / rock points are producing post spawn fish on top water early and late, Jewel football jigs and shaky heads are working once the sun comes up and on windy days a four inch Chompers grub fished on an eighth ounce head will produce fish from three to ten feet deep.
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Taneycomo is as good as it has ever been, the lake is producing numbers and quality regardless of current flow right now with several big fish being caught over the past couple of week and forty plus fish trips becoming common place. Jigs of all sizes have been the most productive option; sculpin and white jigs in eight to thirty-second ounce depending on current have been working from Short Creek to Fall Creek, below Short creek olive and black in heavier weights have been more effective. When the current is running sixth ounce Little Cleo spoons have been very productive around shoals and riffle areas. As usual a drift rig fished with either live night crawlers or Gulp and Power Eggs have been working from CooperCreek through Branson.