According to Stone, the larger fish stage on or near the brush to feed and then make their way to the deeper water, where they spend the summer months. Fish these areas thoroughly with a 5/16-ounce brown and black jig.

"The bite is hot this time of year … you won't have any trouble catching 'em once you find 'em," he said.

Stone's third choice for larger smallies is the area along the mouth of Long's Creek. Again, he recommends fishing brush situated near gravel, with the best spots typically being in 15 to 25 feet of water. Fish these areas thoroughly with the same jig.

Brushpiles in any one of these areas aren't hard to find. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of these swatches of cover, most of which result from the work of guides and local anglers desiring to create their own cover.

A well-kept local secret at Table Rock is the fact that over the last several years many of the guides on the lake have been building rockpiles rather than brushpiles. These spots are typically hard to find, but once located, they can yield numbers of nice fish, especially if the cover is located along the fish's migration routes.

In addition to the jig, Stone also recommends that anglers keep one rod rigged with a jigging spoon and another rod rigged with a topwater popper. Big smallies are prone to school on the surface, corralling shad, this month.

As May turns to June, Stone begins fishing the thermocline. It's usually found in 25 to 35 feet of water. He typically drags a brown and purple football jig along any structure or cover that intersects with the thermocline.

It's realistic to expect to catch fish in the 3-pound range at Table Rock, though there's a good chance of catching a smallmouth of 5 pounds or better. And don't be surprised if the creature tugging on the end of the line is a spotted bass or a meanmouth instead of a smallmouth. The lake is full of both species and, like the smallies, they grow fast and big. In November 2004, the lake gave up a spot just shy of 7 pounds and a meanmouth over 5 pounds.

JAMES RIVER
Anglers who prefer to fish moving water, however, should give the James River a try. The stretch from the Highway 13 bridge upstream to Hootentown is the place to fish. In fact, it has to be one of the most picturesque places on the planet. With a mixture of deep running pools, gravel bars and lots of bluffs, it's hard not to get distracted by the beauty of it all -- at least until the fish start biting!

Anderson, himself an avid angler, reports that you can expect good catches on a wide variety of lures and baits. During May the water is typically clear, so smaller baits are preferred. Try 1/4-ounce buzzbaits, spider grubs fished on a jighead, small jigs and crankbaits to tempt these fish.

In the early morning or late evening or when the clouds are thick, a buzzbait can be lethal. Throw them along seams in the current, around sharp rocky points and over any gently running water you can find. These baits are especially effective in the deep, black shade found under the towering bluff walls.