There is also a very good smallmouth bass fishery on Table Rock Lake. It wasn’t always the case here, but smallmouth bass have become one of the more abundant fish in the lake. There are good numbers of them here and some big fish too.
Finesse It Up For Clear Water
Use light action rods and reels with lighter line in the 6 to 8 pound range to consistently get more bites. Fluorocarbon line is key to presenting your baits as natural as possible, especially when fishing slower moving baits.
Fish Deeper Water
Smallmouth bass can be found very deep here, especially in the summer. Don’t be surprised if you’re fishing from 15 to 35 feet of water on Table Rock Lake. They will often suspend over deeper water as well, so make sure to keep an eye on your electronics when fishing deeper water. It is not uncommon to find smallmouth bass out over 50 to 60 feet of over 15 to 25 feet down in the summer and early fall.
Fish the Docks
The docks can be a solid pattern here in the spring time and then again in the fall as water temperatures cool off here. The deeper docks will usually be the better docks for smallmouth bass. You are most likely going to catch a lot more largemouth bass and spotted bass too if you are fishing the docks.
Fish the Rocks
Smallmouth bass love rocks and there are plenty of rocks throughout Table Rock Lake. Mimic a crayfish bait in these rocky areas and you’ll find some smallmouth bass willing to eat.
Fish the Points
You have a lot of main lake and secondary points to fish throughout the lake here. Points will hold fish year-round, however, since smallmouth bass move quite a bit, you may have to put in some time targeting several different points before you find some active bass. The points that have some wood or rocks on them with a nice drop-off will usually be more productive.
Fish the Wood
This lake has a lot of wood in it and you can catch a lot of bass around these spots. In some areas, you will see the wood due to the clear water, but in many spots, you’re going to want to use your electronics to find and mark these areas. The wood is usually a better pattern to fish in the spring time, but don’t rule it out in the summer and fall.
Best Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass will eat a variety of different baits. Minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches are definitely the best live baits for smallmouth bass.
When it comes to artificial lures, you have lots of options. Soft plastic crayfish, twin tail grubs, worms and minnow baits are very effective. Hard baits such as crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinners also work great.
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Live Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Best Rigs for Smallmouth Bass
With so many different soft plastics to use, you have so many different rigs that work great for smallmouth bass. The drop shot rig, a simple jighead, standup jigheads and scrounger jigheads are some of the best rigs for smallmouth bass. To see our full list, take a look at our best rigs for smallmouth bass page.
Best Techniques for Smallmouth Bass
There are so many different techniques you can use for smallmouth bass since they can be found shallow, deep and anywhere in between. Anglers usually cast for them, but jigging, drop shotting and drifting are also some great techniques for smallmouth bass.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for smallmouth bass page.
Learn More About Smallmouth Bass
Our smallmouth bass fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our smallmouth bass fishing website to learn more.
