Our contributors are using different bait, but it seems anything they are trying is working when it comes to catching bass at area lakes and rivers.
Fishing Report
Gibson County Lake
Water temperature: mid to low 60s. Water level up, slightly, but the water color is murky.
Bass: Bass are warming up.
“Friday (April 7) produced bass up to eight pounds in one-to-three-feet of water,” Trenton’s Brent Smith said. “Saturday, bass up to seven pounds were caught on an umbrella bait in 18-feet of water.”
Shellcrackers: “Shellcrackers have been on fire,” Brent said. “Fish shallow – beetle spins (bait).”
Pickwick Lake
Water temperature: 65 degrees. Elevation: 413 feet.
Bass: “Bass fishing is great in the lake right now,” Clagett Talley said. “You can catch a lot of fish by fishing shallow. (Tuesday) I caught most of my fish on a Strike King Red Eye Shad in the backs of main lake pockets and main lake flats.”
Clagett, a tour guide from Savannah, said he has been catching a number of fish on Strike King Series 3 Crankbaits along bluffs and rocky banks.
“I am catching a lot more largemouth bass in numbers above the Pickwick Dam,” Clagett said. “Below Pickwick Dam, you are more likely to catch a nice smallmouth right now on live bait.”
White bass: “You can catch a lot of white bass now below Pickwick Dam,” Clagett said. “I have caught most of them from the dam to the Shiloh area on small white grubs. You can also catch a large number on the Strike King Series 3 Crankbaits that you use for largemouth bass.”
Stripers: “Stripers are starting to show up around the dam now,” Clagett said. “I have caught a few on crankbaits and spoons. Most of the stripers we have caught so far have been on the smaller side, and we are still not catching a large number, yet.
“Over the next two weeks, I expect striper fishing to pick up a lot.”
Sauger: “Sauger fishing has slowed down jigging the bottom,” Clagett said. “But, you can still catch some by trolling a crankbait.”
Catfish: “Catfish are starting to move into shallow water areas like they do every year to spawn,” Clagett said. “I have caught them while fishing for other species. To catch these shallow catfish, I usually fish with a live worm and float in three-to-six-feet of water.”
Want more from the “Mayor of Pickwick Lake?” Give Clagett Talley a call (731) 607-5266 or visit www.pickwickareaguide.com
Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley
Water temperature: Water temperatures are running 62 degrees in the mornings warming to the surface to 65 degrees in the late afternoon. Water level: Lakes stand at 357.5, and rising gently.
Bass: “Spring is finally here and the fish are awesome right now,” Darrell Van Vactor said. “Largemouth bass are being caught on main lake points on medium crankbaits, shakey heads and jigs with a few hitting buzz baits in the early morning.”
Darrell Van Vactor is the Operations Manager for Crappie USA/Cabela’s King Kat Trail in Benton, Kentucky.
“A few spawning fish are showing up in the backs of the bays where cover is present and temperatures are a little warmer than other areas near by,” Darrell said. “Most spawners are still getting ready for the annual ritual.
“Smallmouth are showing up on rocky points inside the mouth of the bays hitting creature baits and jigs.”
Crappie: Darrell said crappie are in full spawning mode with the first wave of spawning fish on the banks right now taking advantage of the full moon this week to lay some eggs.
“Remember, all crappie do not spawn at the same time, so we will have fish in the shallows for the next couple of months,” Darrell said. “Best baits have been Big Bite jigs in red/chartreuse and Crappie magnet lemon color on Roadrunner heads cast to the shallows and retrieved slowly.”
Darrell said a few guys are spider rigging in two-to-five-feet of water using extra long Jenko poles to get the baits out away from the boat where they don’t spook the fish.
“As the fish complete their spawning, they will move back out along the same creeks used to move to the banks for spawning and will feed, but the bite will be light since they are going to be tired and weakened by the spawn,” Darrell said. “Redear (shellcracker) are beginning to show up in deeper rock bottom areas and several are being caught by crappie anglers casting the banks.”
Bass tournament
The Henderson County Bass Anglers Thursday Night Bass Tournament at Beech Lake will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., today. Visitors are welcome to participate. For more information, call ‘Easy‘ Edd Burke (731) 695-1654.
(PHOTO: Greenbriar Lake, Jackson)
David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
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