Going to be there first of Dec is it worth pulling my boat or getting a guide to fish in December to chase some Smallies? or anything that would bite? Have the fish turned off yet by then? whats the weather like? Thanks!

Going to be there first of Dec is it worth pulling my boat or getting a guide to fish in December to chase some Smallies? or anything that would bite? Have the fish turned off yet by then? whats the weather like? Thanks!

 

This is a worn out, inflated bait but toss the Ned Rig. It has always been my go to at Table Rock.

Going to be there first of Dec is it worth pulling my boat or getting a guide to fish in December to chase some Smallies? or anything that would bite? Have the fish turned off yet by then? whats the weather like? Thanks!

Absolutely! The winter months are some of my favorite months to be on the Rock! Jerkbaits, ned rigs, shakyheads, spoons, A rigs, dropshot, and grubs. 

Sweet! Looks like I'm going fishing in Dec!

 

Man i love fishing A-Rig, Jerkbaits, and Shakey. 

 

Next question is should i go the guide route so i know i'll catch fish or should i just pull my boat? I have very very little exp. on the Rock and if i gotta fish deep im not gonna know where to go. Mostly just fish shallow water around here 20' or less typical. Are they hard to find that time of year?

This is a worn out, inflated bait but toss the Ned Rig. It has always been my go to at Table Rock.

Nice reply kind of like seeing the uncle who talks to much once a year  

If you're going to hire a guide you better get on it and hire a reputable guide. I made the mistake of hiring a "discount" guide once, never again. Bill Babler, Bill Beck, Pete Wenners, all would be great choices. You'll be able to find fish without a guide, but if it's in your budget I would 100% suggest hiring one, even if it's only for a half day. 

i'll probably be doing good to get half a day. via this family trip

 

i looked at weather for Dec previous year, looking like it can be mid 50's for the high and mid 30s for the low. and if i go fishing the time i'll get to go will be in the morning time.

 

Thank you for the guide recommendations, still debating on rather i want to go with or with out a guide. we will be staying in the Tall Trees area which is close to the Big Cedar side.

With the extremely mild summer we had here in missouri, along with the fact that the tempurature is already starting to turn cooler faster than normal in missouri, i would bet anything youll get lucky if the temp hits 40 during the day in december this year. Also, as previously stated, the Z man Ned Rig is fantasic for table rock. The bass love them. Good luck to you!

dang i figured it would be cold. I dont mind if the bass are baiting though ha

They are predicting a cold winter, but really, the weather won't be much different than what you would expect in Muskogee. In other words, you never know what you are going to get. Could be mild; could be brutal. If the sun is out and the wind is down, it can be downright beautiful on the lake, and you'll catch you some fish. If it's unseasonably warm it's probably really windy, but TRL isn't a bad lake to be on in the wind. If it's really cold, you can still catch fish, but it depends on your tolerance. Usually that time of year, it's fine if you stay dry and don't plan on making any long morning runs. Table Rock gets fished quite a bit in the winter. Tournaments run year round there, and you better have a good limit if you expect to cash. To be fair, those are primarily locals who know the lake like the back of their hand. There are some great guides who work year round. You can research their reputations.

Cool i always want to learn and i sure dont want to show up with my boat, go out freeze, and be hunting for fish.

 

Bluebasser threw some names out feel free to add some more, i really want to learn as well as catching some fish too.

I live on Table Rock and if I were looking to hire a guide I would go with Bill Babler , Pete Wenners or Eric Olliverson. . Should be a good jerkbait and A-rig bite goin on..It's never a bad Idea to drag a football jig around here and swim a grub. Maybe some wiggle wart action also.

 The water temps will be a factor. What part of the lake are you wanting to fish ?  If you want to catch some brownies I would be looking in the dam area..

  I agree 100% with bluebasser, cold and nasty is Table Rock weather..