FISHING REPORT

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Lake conditions: Surface temperatures have really fallen since the cold front descended. Last week temps were in the 79 to 80 degree range but have dropped some 15 degrees or more in some areas. Readings at midweek were in the 64 to 65 degree range and may cool another degree or two by this weekend. Actually anglers welcomed the decline in surface temperatures, which should set the stage for improved fall fishing conditions in the days and weeks ahead. Surface temps for mid to late October usually range around the low to mid 60’s. The water level is still on a slow drawdown. We are at 355.0 and dropping some each day. Be careful.

 

LARGEMOUTH BASS:  Bass anglers had been tossing topwater around gravel banks and finding a few scattered fish busting a jerk bait or buzzbait at times. Also popular have been Rattle Traps and Red-Eye Shad style baits toss on main lake flats and back in some large bays where anglers have been searching for a few schooling fish or just some isolated good ones chasing shad. Crankbaits on gravel have been producing as well with some fish occupying shallow roadbeds or rip-rap shorelines. Lower surface temps should help the shallow bass pattern in the days ahead. Watch for more opportunity for anglers tossing spinerbaits around stickups.

SMALLMOUTH BASS:  Smallmouth are being taken on rocky river channel points and banks on the main lake and rocky secondary points and channel banks in the front halves of the creeks and bays.  These fish are being taken on ned rigs, shaky heads, tube jigs and finesse jigs.

CRAPPIE: Crappies have been scattered this fall so far but this drastic weather change has them schooling up in the bays and around main lake points. We have had a whole bunch of good solid 14-inch fish and topped it off with a 16-inch fish this week. Plenty of shad to go around and the crappies are plumping up for winter. We have been pulling Jenko and Arkie crankbaits—no true color pattern has stuck out. Always pink is good but gray/chartreuse and white/orange and plain white have stood out of the bunch. Always experiment with colors and depths until a pattern emerges. Most fish have come from 12 to 18 feet of water about ten foot down.

BLUEGILL/RED EARS: Anglers have caught some nice gills while pulling cranks. Did see a group that had a pile of nice gills caught on crawler pieces.

CATFISH:  We have caught cats trolling cranks and it has not been uncommon for us to catch 6 to 8 on each trip. Mostly channels but some sweet blues in the six-pound range. Reeling in a cat on a 14-foot cranking rod can be a very nice battle. I would imagine that you could drift in the bays with a crawler and catch a whole bunch targeting them

WHITE & YELLOW BASS: We haven’t been fishing much lately for whites and yellows but we have caught a bunch while cranking. Seems they will eat just about any color combo we troll with. Every one that we have caught has been feasting on shad and had full stomachs….and are still eating!