KimberlingCity Area: The shallow bite remains but has slowed in the mid lake area. Early and late in the day smallmouth are moving up on gravel points and flats near deep water. Jewel Spider and football jigs and Carolina rigged brush hogs will catch these fish until the sun get above the tree line. Once the sun is up the move out to twenty five to thirty feet deep and use a Jewelfootball jig on brush or rock piles. The deep bite is shaping up nicely with good size schools of spotted bass on deep edges of flats from thirty to forty feet deep and holding in deep trees at the same depth. Chompers or Robo worms fished on a drop shot rig in these areas will produce.
James River: It is definitely summer in the James River; Jewel football jigs, deep crankbaits and Carolina rigged brush hogs and lizards are all producing from Aunts creek to above CapeFair. Look for fish to be holding shallow on flooded brush early and late, pitch Eakins Jigs and Champers Ultra Tubes in and around the bushes concentrating on shady areas. In the heat of the day move out to thirty feet deep on gravel and mixed gravel points, throw Jewel football jigs and Carolina rigs to any brush or rock cover available. Roll off points through out the James will produce with a DD 22 or DT 16 crankbait in shad hues. Work the point from a variety of angles until you find the sweet spot holding fish.
White River: The White River continues to produce mixed bags of fish; from the confluence with the James to Campbell Point smallmouth are being caught shallow on Jewel Spider Jigs and Squirrel heads on gravel points and roll offs. In the deeper trees in and around Big Creek schools of spotted bass can be found holding in the tree tops waiting to ambush shad as the cruise through. Further up the White and into the Kings a solid flipping bite has shaped up in flooded bushes and debris, use an Eakins jig and craw combo, Ultra Tube or big worm to catch these fish.
Dam Area: The deep bite is still the dominate pattern on the lower end with most of the fish coming on long gravel points in twenty five to thirty feet of water. Most of the fish will be holding tight to the bottom and electronics must be used to find them. Once a fish is located a drop shot rig with a Chomper or Robo drop shot worm has been the most productive pattern. Further up Long Creek there is a very good flipping bite on Jewel J-Lock jigs in the heavy cover of log jams and debris, a deep crankbait and Carolina rig bite has started to shape up on roll off points and edges, work areas over thoroughly to find the rock or brush cover that will be holding fish.
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With predicable current the fishing on Taneycomo has been great over the past week. Jigs continue to be the best artificial bait for spinning rod anglers; olive, tan, ginger and sculpin have been the hot colors with weights changing depending on current. Drift rigs with live night crawlers, power bait or gulp eggs will also produce on flat banks with current and deeper once when the water is slack.
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