Chad Morgenthaler: A Guide's Guide to Table Rock

For most of his two decades as a professional angler, Chad Morgenthaler’s bio indicated that he called Illinois home, but a few years ago his mailing address changed to Reeds Spring, Missouri. The veteran of six Bassmaster Classics and one Forrest Wood Cup has experienced several of his career highlights in Florida – a 2013 win on Okeechobee and a 2015 victory on Toho – but when it came time to move he selected the lush Ozarks over the palm trees of the sunshine state. A big part of that decision was Table Rock Lake, where he now guides in addition to fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series.

We’ve fished with Chad at Table Rock several times in recent years, and we’ve caught a lot of fish and learned a ton about offshore structure and electronics each time. He guides as his busy tournament fishing and sponsor event schedule allows.

The following provides his guide to visiting and fishing the Table Rock region:

HPFC: You’ve chased bass all over the country and you’re well-known for being a great grass flipper. How did you end up choosing to live on a lake with no grass?

Morgenthaler: It’s only 4 ½ hours from the area where I grew up, and I visited the Ozarks several times early in my career and I did really well here. I’ve got a lot of top ten finishes from Table Rock, which put it on my radar. I love this area, the scenery and I love the diversity, and it has what I need to make me a better angler. I picked this area so that I could fish a lot of different conditions.

HPFC: Whether someone lives just a few hours away, or across the country, why is it a good place to take a fishing vacation?

Morgenthaler: No matter what time of year it is, or how you like to fish, you can always catch something doing that. It has every species – largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. And the destination is great because we have so many things close by. You have Springfield, which houses the Bass Pro Shops mothership, as well as a lot of restaurants and activities. And then you have Branson, which has all of the entertainment, from restaurants, to any kind of show you want, to rides and water parks, it’s all there. And of course there are all of the lake activities for families, like jet skiing, pontoon boat rides, and water skiing.

HPFC: If someone wanted to come specifically to fish for largmouths, what’s the best time and your favorite way to fish for them there?

Morgenthaler: The best time to fish largemouths specifically is any time from February through June. My favorite month of all is probably May, because there are so many different things going on. Table Rock also offers a phenomenal offshore structure bite in the summertime, starting in late May and going on through the summer.

HPFC: What about a favorite time and technique to catch smallmouths?

Morgenthaler: I really group smallmouths and spots together and my favorite time to catch them in from November through about the end of March. That’s when they’re at their heaviest and they’ll be really deep. You can catch them on a spoon, you can catch them on an A-Rig, you can catch them on a dropshot. Of course, in the late summer and fall they just get ganged up, so they may not be as heavy, but you’ll catch more numbers.

HPFC: If someone wants to hire you as a guide on Table Rock, what are some techniques or strategies that the lake lends itself particularly well to teaching?

Morgenthaler: It has a little bit of everything to offer, but what it is typically known for is various types of offshore structure – so if you want to fish 15 to 45 feet deep, come and see me in the post-spawn. If you want to learn how to fish from 30 to 60 feet, come see me in that November to March timeframe. It might be a little chilly, but you’re liable to have some of the most fun days of your life. And of course, if you want to practice up on your mid-depth cranking, come visit me from about February to May, and we will catch more than you can shake a stick at. It has a lot of things to offer. Fishing with your electronics is something that I specialize in. It’s something that I had to learn to be good at and I do it a lot throughout the entire year.

HPFC: Do you run trips specifically tailored to learning to use electronics, as opposed to just catching fish?

Morgenthaler: I love to introduce people to that learning environment. I customize each and every trip. No matter what they say they want, I try to help them achieve that. So if they say they just want to go out and catch fish and then they start talking about electronics during the trip, then I can customize it that way. A person can be a novice, all the way up to the serious tournament angler or team partners, I can customize that trip according to their skill set and wants and needs.

HPFC: If someone is coming to the lake to fish, with or without a boat, what are some places you recommend that they stay?

Morgenthaler: Table Rock has a tremendous amount of resorts and lodging around it, anything from a five-star hotel in the Branson area or Springfield area to the fisherman’s lodge, there’s something for you. If you contact me ahead of time and tell me how many are in your party and what you’re looking for, I will help you find a good area with the right accommodations. If need be, I’ll even go and take a look at it.

HPFC: What are some of the best places to eat around the lake?

Morgenthaler: On Sunday mornings, Top of the Rock has a phenomenal brunch. It’s just unreal. You have a beautiful view of the lake while you’re eating. The Chateau has a great restaurant that serves an absolute knockout filet mignon. And here in Kimberling City you have several places that would qualify for “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” little hole-in-the-wall local stuff, including Castaways Pub and some floating dock restaurants.

HPFC: If someone is at the lake and they run out of some tackle they need, where can they go to get what they need, short of running back to Bass Pro Shops in Springfield?

Morgenthaler: There are a couple of places you can go. Just outside of Branson West, maybe 10 minutes from the lake, you have Extreme Outdoors, which is a very well-stocked tackle store. You also have Bass Pro Shops on The Landing, right at the dam on Table Rock, but it’s actually on Lake Taneycomo. The Branson Landing is another great place to walk along Lake Taneycomo and enjoy shopping and dining. Paula Deen has a restaurant there, Bass Pro Shops has a satellite shop there.

HPFC: If someone wants to contact you for a guide trip, what’s the best way to get in touch with you?

Morgenthaler: They can email me at chadmorgenthaler@gmail.com, or they can click on my website to learn more about rates and message me there. Or they can get on Instagram or Facebook and private message me there.