Well, we had a cold, wet week. The floodgates have been open at the dam most the week and spoonbill are being caught below.
Striped bass are being caught on top as they move out of the river closer to the mid-lake area. A few are being caught here closer to the dam but the best places to look through the month of May is mid-lake, so here’s some hot spots that have put fish in the boat for me.
Prairie Creek and the Hwy. 12 bridge area near Rogers would be a good place to start. By the time June rolls around putting in right here at the dam and running the boat to Rocky Branch should be turning on better. Live shiners and shad with no weight and throwing big topwater baits are the way to catch them now.
Table Rock and Beaver Lakes will really pick up good this next week with this warm front we have coming starting today. Look for the white bass to be moving out of the back of the creeks and be holding in big schools closer to the mouth of the creeks and off the edge of the flats. Look for walleye to be on the edge if the flats with them.
Minnows or any lure that resembles one will catch both. Walleye are also wanting worms in their diet now, so working one slow on a worm harness or a bottom bouncer might also catch you a few.
Crappie will be moving back into the shoreline brush to spawn and the bass are also moving closer to the shoreline to spawn in the pea gravel. Both can be caught from a boat or the shoreline now.
For those who just want to get out for some bank fishing, a day fishing tailwaters below the dam for trout can be fun for the whole family. If the water’s moving, small lures, jigs and flies will work best. If you find a spot without so much current, give them kids a pole with a worm tipped with power bait and see if they can leave it just sitting on the bottom long enough to catch one.
Summer will be here before we know it so get out and enjoy the social distancing these Ozarks give us.