It may not be enjoyable to fish when it’s raining, but here’s a few thoughts that just might brighten your trip.
Fish are no fans of rain, and they head deeper when the sky opens up pushing insects into the water, which means the obvious – you will find fish closer to the surface feeding off the insects.
Your best bet for bait when it rains just might be a top-water bait.
Fishing Report
Gibson County Lake
Water temperature: mid 80s. Water color: cloudy
Bass: “A lot of baitfish are starting to ball up, but the suspended bass following them are tough to catch,” Trenton’s Brent Smith said. “The smaller fish are hitting small top-water baits. Try square bill shallow running quiet cranks for bigger bass.”
Shellcracker: “Shellcrackers have been on fire … red worms fished on the bottom,” Brent said.
Catfish: Brent said catfish are in the shallows and recommends cut bait and red worms for bait.
Pickwick Lake
Water temperature: 82 degrees. Elevation: 413.5 feet
Bass: “Several different methods are working right now,” Clagett Talley said. “Top-water baits and spinner baits are productive in the morning. Most bass are in 12-feet to 20-feet throughout the day, and that is the depth I would fish right after the first hour of daylight.”
Clagett, a tour guide from Savannah, said Carolina rigging has been working well with plastic Strike King Rage Tail crawfish and lizards.
“Grubs on football head jigs are working well in the lake and the river with green and white being the main colors,” Clagett said. “Live bait accounts for several smallmouth in the river, but we were able to catch a few in the three-to-five-pound range on Strike King Series 3 crank baits and small grubs.”
Stripers: Clagett said rockfish are active at different times of the day.
“You can expect to catch several fish with a few of them weighing over 10 pounds, but you can also find yourself fishing during slow feeding periods in hot weather with no results for several hours,” Clagett said. “Like bass fishing, you will find the first hour of daylight exciting with top-water baits and jerk baits. As soon as you see the fish are deep, try fishing with a sassy shad or live bait.”
Clagett said he has been catching his share of fish with small bluegill, but that method has slowed.
“After they stop biting (bluegill), it is usually time to start trying to catch skipjack minnows,” Clagett said. “Use a three-ounce sinker to reach the bottom faster when drifting in swift current. Over the last two weeks, I have seen several fish over 10 pounds.”
Catfish: “Catfish are in deep water channels, and are also showing up in shallow water again,” Clagett said. “Nightcrawlers are picking up most of the fish we have caught.”
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: upper 70s, lower 80s. Water levels: slightly above summer pool at 359.2
Bass: “Most fish have the feed bag on, and it is a great time to rig for multiple species in case one slows down during your trip to the lake,” Darrell Van Vactor said. “Largemouth bass are being caught in good numbers on main lake points and on the ledges. Lots of anglers are after them right now, so switch baits often and try some of the deeper ledge areas in 15-to-25-feet of water, since these fish may not have seen as many lures buzzing by them.”
Darrell Van Vactor is the operations manager at CrappieUSA/Cabela’s King Kat Trail in Benton, Kentucky.
“Large crank baits in shad and chrome patterns are good on the points and Carolina rigged 10-feet,” Darrell said. “Big Bite Baits worms are doing great on the ledges. You may need to switch back and forth with worms and swim baits in areas holding several fish to keep them biting.”
White bass: “White Bass are going bonkers on submerged islands and ledges,” Darrell said. “These fish have completed their spawn and are feeding well on inline spinners in gray or white with a silver blade and slab spoons jigged off the bottom and allowed to fall back slowly.
“The bite will almost always come while the bait is falling. In case of murky water or cloud cover, switch to a black or gold blade.”
Crappie: “Slow, but some good numbers are still being taken pulling Jenko Crank Baits on main lake flats and along deeper creek channels,” Darrell said. “Bright colors have been the ticket on them. A few guys are still targeting the deeper crappie piles with live bait and catching a few good quality fish early and late.”
Bluegill and Redear: “They have slowed down with most of the fish moving off the beds completely now and schooling up in the mouths of the bays on submerged road beds and around old stumps on the edge of the secondary river channel,” Darrell said. “They are tough to find, but if you spend a little time looking for them, you can catch a few really big ‘gills, right now.”
Catfish: “Catfish are still biting well especially the two-to-four-pound blues along the edge of the main channel and deeper holes,” Darrell said. “Strawberry chicken and cut shad have done the best, but leeches are working on the smaller frying size fish.”
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 (731) 695-1654.
(PHOTO: Lake Graham, Jackson)
David Thomas, Twitter– @DavidThomasWNWS
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