I have an MLF tournament on Table Rock the 9th and I have no idea where to start. Different people are telling me different things and I don't know anything about this body of water. Any tips and spots would be greatly appreciated!

My partner and I are Leaving for Table rock tomorrow from Michigan. We are fishing a resort tournament this weekend and the Big Bass tournament the next weekend. I have never fished the lake but my partner has been going the last 40 years. The lake is huge as you probably know so pin pointing one spot is very hard. What I have done is look up Table Rock videos on you tube. There are local guides giving advice on where to start and what they are biting on. Best of luck to you I hope you get your limit everyday.

When tournaments come around, especially those bringing folks in from out of town it's going to be kinda tough to get much info, On the internet in particular and on a specific spot pretty much impossible.

 I will say that right now Table Rock is fishing really well. There's 2 BFL's and the big bass deal over the next few weeks so it's going to get absolutely hammered.

 There will be some fish on the beds I'm sure the first week in April.

 

It is a pretty big lake like 50,000 acres and 1000 miles of shoreline.  Usually there is more than one pattern and it differs from area to area.  10 days ago they were on points and bluff cuts way up the James River.  Now I don’t know because I’m not fishing down there.

On 3/24/2022 at 9:05 PM, grantn_fishing said:

I have an MLF tournament on Table Rock the 9th and I have no idea where to start. Different people are telling me different things and I don't know anything about this body of water. Any tips and spots would be greatly appreciated!

By the way, What MLF derby is on the 9th ? The back to back BFL's are this weekend the 2nd and 3rd.

Might want double check your schedule.

Here are a couple sources for reports that might help, the most recent report for each:

 

Eric Prey (Focused Fishing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3ArtfMxzsQ

 

Pete Wenners 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6an-Jh2ckE

 

Good luck!

I fished a tournament there first week of April a few years back and won it with an underspin with a 3.8 Fat Impact and a 110 bone colored jerkbait fishing small pockets off the mainlake where the channel swung in near shore around KC area. It had been kind of a drawn out winter like this year and fish were still prespawn so I think I was getting fish just moving up into those pocket getting ready to spawn. 

@rangerjockey The tournament is on April 9th and it is a Highschool Open.

Thank you all for your intel!

Good Luck. The pressure on Table Rock  this weekend was unbelievable.  This coming weekend will be as bad or worse. Creeks full of boats and a couple on every point .  

You hate to pull in on anyone so I went back to the marina and put it on the lift.

I'm a half mile from Table Rock but If I were fishing this coming weekend I'd go to Bull Shoals.

I'm at Table Rock right now , waiting the storm out . 

 

l'll tell you what , this place is full of bass along the walkways and flooded bushes . They are constantly following my lures and knocking  top waters out of the water . Getting them to commit  and in the boat is another thing . I had a huge one follow a spook all the way to the boat . I marked that spot and will try for her again  tomorrow .  Been catching some , hopefully I'll have it  figured out better before heading back home . Spots are spawning , I have boated a few of them .

 

 

Man , you should see the wall cloud heading this way and sirens are going off .

I caught that huge bass today . Pitched a worm in there and it weighed a whopping 2.5 lbs . It sure looked bigger yesterday , if it was the same fish . 

They always look bigger in the water. 

19 hours ago, scaleface said:

I caught that huge bass today . Pitched a worm in there and it weighed a whopping 2.5 lbs . It sure looked bigger yesterday , if it was the same fish . 

For how many 2s are in that lake a 2.5 can be huge! 

 

2 hours ago, KCFinesse said:

For how many 2s are in that lake a 2.5 can be huge! 

 

Caught a limit yesterday. Three more keepers this morning with 2 over three lbs . With the lake dropping the bass have to move out . Looking for that big one .

Well that was a year ago and going back next week. Last year we did alright in the resort tournament we took 3rd and got our entry back. The next week for Big bass we didn't do very well. We had tough weather conditions both weeks between freezing cold then warm then cold again. Strong wind every day. This year we are going a week later and the ten day looks so much better. Thanks everyone for your advice and tips.

On 4/3/2023 at 7:11 PM, slolane said:

Well that was a year ago and going back next week. Last year we did alright in the resort tournament we took 3rd and got our entry back. The next week for Big bass we didn't do very well. We had tough weather conditions both weeks between freezing cold then warm then cold again. Strong wind every day. This year we are going a week later and the ten day looks so much better. Thanks everyone for your advice and tips.

 

The weather for us a year ago was brutal.  Colder than it's ever been for us on our annual trip to TRL.  In fact, we had snow flurries on the water one day, came in just before noon and never went back out! We're heading down tomorrow morning, staying until Sunday.  Weather reports appear to be way better for this week!!