9LB

Went out last night. Got a late start, hit the road construction so I did not hit the water until 6pm. I was SO excited the conditions looked to be perfect and I had some real high expectations. Water temp was 74 degrees. The entire lake was covered in water bugs and when I would cast you would see them scatter across the water for 1000 yards. The shad balls seemed to be off the points and I could pull up all kinds of great stuff on the radar but nothing would bite. I thought my radar may have been on demo mode. I threw topwater, ratl trap, square bill, flickr shad, jig and maybe even my wife at them. We did manage 2 smallmouth off a point in about 20 ft of water on a white twin tail grub. I should of broe out the spoons but the sun was setting. I will be up this weekend with some new weapons and new tactiics. Wonder what the cold front is gonna do.

Keep that canoe in the right part of the Lake. The Stockton wind is know to KILL canoers, literally. Hawkers Cove is good but do no think that the lake will not go from calm to WICKED In 10 minutes thus my big Deep V. Life Jacket, Life Jacket, Life Jacket - Have fun that cove is one of my favorite fall spots.

Shiner - I think every year we say "with all these shorts next year is going to be great!" We need a walleye season close it down and open it on 3/15 or so. All these short walleyes have truly turned me into a bass fisherman. I might trade the deep V in for some Anchor sticks !

I have not done much with the bottom bouncers this season. I would tie on a pink jighead and a nightcrawler and fish the river channels and the flats close to them. 15-20 foot and keep the jig moving, try to keep the Catfish away or you will go through $36 wirth of crawlers. Since when did nightcrawlers start costing so much. I think they are like 40 cents each nowadays !

I caught a few right up on the bank but it seemed 10 - 20 feet off the points or inside was key. In the deep water you could throw it out and get bit before it dropped 4 foot. There was some divers up at the Dam (2 boats) and of course when I headed to the Dam the water was calm and when I got to the Dam the ole Stockton wind came cranking out of the south. It was hard to keep the tracker off the rip rap. The trolling motor was smokin. i only fished it for about 30 min. I was seeing a lot on the finder.

Got out Saturday morning and fished the points for bass. Caught a few on a jig and crankbait. Went walleye fishing and caught 3 shorts and 1 keeper on a jig and a worm fishing the flats by main river channel. I was fishing 18-22 feet. It seemed like everything stopped about 11 am. Sunday morning I hit a few points with a Purple Jig and Purple craw and a Thunderstick top water bait and had a lot of fun. Caught 6-7 bass off 3 different points. Once you think you are deep... go out another 20 feet. I was into them about 48 - 55 feet of water and caught fish in over 65 feet with the topwater. Nothing real big but a lot of fun. You would catch 6-7 and then they would just stop biting ? They were still there just could not get bit. The next 2 points the same happened so I was running a strike king 1.5 square bill after the topwater bite stopped and caught a few that way. The topwater caught most the fish but the purple jig and craw did it's share of the dirty work. I also found some fish wiith the jig just inside points as long as it had a steep bank. Again on Sunday after 11 am it was like they just shut off. Saturday I fished a brown and orange jig and Sunday I went purple, the Purple seemed to be a better choice. I also caught a few bass Drop Shotting. I have NEVER fished this technique before. I used a small purple finesse worm and would see 10 or more lil 6 inch bass following it on nearly every cast so it definately had their attention. Caught 2-3 small bass on it. Neat rig I think it just takes some getting used to. I usually fish a Spook but it seemed like they wanted more action but not a big splash like a popper. The blades on that topwater would start spinning and it was really firing them up. 3 TREBLE hooks on that topwater so HOLY hooks. My pliers got a workout. I tried fishing down the river and up at the Dam and had 0 luck, I mean not a bite. Fished mainly between twin bridges and Hawker. A week or two of these cool evenings and it should be game on.

Thank You

thanks for the post! I am heading up this weekend. I went out to table rock and got into a school of bass at 65 foot of water. Must of caught 20 or so. If you do some fishing at Table Rock it will CONVINCE you to fish deeper at Stockton.

Where is the best place to put in coming from Springfield ? It appears Viola is the only public access? i was down the other day w/out the boat and did not see anything on the North side of the bridge ?

Last year late october and early November was game on ! I had to pull myself out of the boat to go deer hunting. It is sitll warm right now but it is getting pretty cool in the evenings. I expect things to really start biting!

I sure did. That is an awesome boat you have !

I agree chestnut, I am pretty sure I have read your posts on the Rock forum as well. I was a little intimidated by Table Rock until I started reading the forum. My first trip I just did what the folks on the forum said to do and had a wonderful day of smallmouth fishing. Because of the forum I know fish both lakes and simply LOVE fishing the Rock. The guides on Table Rock pretty much keep you posted on key things. Lure, Depth and technique. If you tell me that I can catch em. I will post regularly as I already do. I am a new Basser. I am from northern Michigan so i fish smallies but new to the LM and kentucky thing. But I am addicted !

The Stockton Forum stays pretty quiet about everything. The Table Rock site is informative you can look through it and have a real good idea what your plan needs to be. I Bass Fish Stockton 12 months out of the year. When you post anyting about it all they want to hear is if your catching any crappie. This foum is like asking my grandpa how the fishing is "They are in the Lake and I was using a double breasted Flop jigger" It took til I was 11 to realze no lure existed called the Dble Breasted flop jigger. A few of you fellas have shared the wealth but this forum is full of lookers but no posters. I don't mind cuz I do not care when or where the little crappies are biting but it is always nice to hear about a hot pattern or bait.

i always put in at Roark. I most often Fish twin bridges to Hawkers Point on the main lake.

I was not pulling up a whole lot on the finder. More of assuming they woudl be there and going back at different times. I always forget about the sunken ponds and foundations but they did well for me this weekend.

Headed up for what I thought would be a tough weekend of fishing. It has been 3 weeks since I have set a hook so I was looking for whatever would bite. Sat morning tried doing some trolling. NO Good. 1 short eye on Blue Flickr Shad and one white bass. Tried fishing til about 11 am and then just went swimming. About 4pm went back at it with the Jig and a worm and really got into the fish. Caught 11 walleyes only 3 keepers with one nice 23" fat ole belly on this eye. WE went through 3 dozen nigthcrawlers in 1.5 hours. The cats are everywhere. Must of caught 15 and 5 real nice 4 plus lbers. Also had 1 nice LM about 4 lbs hit the worm and 3 drum. Saturday morning things started out real slow then about 8 am we caught 4 eyes with 2 keepers and another 5 or so cats. Went to the points and started throwing smoke split tail grubs and caught 4 nice crappies and 2 smallmouth. 10 am or so and the fish just seem to disappear. Jig and a crawler was the weapon of choice. Went to the jigs tipped with crawlers cuz i was going through them so fast. I am not big on jighead color although I always have a painted one but my wife was using hot pink and the eyes were just hammering hers. Good thing they were keepers they had inhaled the jig. I switched to pink Sunday morning after a bit and it was game on. I found fish jigging the old road beds on or near the flats and submerged ponds. Two spots produced most fo the fish Water temp 82 and it seemed like 19 feet was the ticket. Nobody seemed to be having much luck. If your into the catfish you should be able to have one heck of a day. I would use worms vs al that other stuff they sell in the freezer. The pic show the grub thatI ended up fishing with each day after I went through all my worms!

I would look for some deeper drop offs or banks close to long points or flats. My guess the good ole nightcralwer will be hard to beat.

Thanks fellas - I hope to luck into some. I will let you know how it goes.

Sounds like it is time to start throwing the baby bass crankbaits

Get a pole out and fish.

I have been off the lake for about 3 weeks. I was suprised to see literally nothing really posted. Any fish other then the cats biting ? Anything, anyone ? I will be up all weekend and will post my findings.

buddy of mine has had some luck trolling, I have been bass fishing myself. Fast retrieve on the crank baits, as fast as you can reel them. Depths should be right do not be afraid to go deeper.

My car broke down on the way to work this morning So I was able to make it back out for a few hours with similar success. The top water bite was really happening and I did find them again in the back to middle of the coves. I threw a redfin in between the swirls and really seemed to have better luck with it when the fish were not coming to the surface. When they were breakin I threw the spook and a chugger. Caught 10 - 12 in about 2 hours on the water. No real big one's but all these bass were keepers ! Plan to head back out Tuesday.

Back in coves with creeks in the am they are chasing shad if you do not see them breaking water go to the next cove throw topwated spinner or minnow baits at the swirls and hang on !

Been 2 weeks since I was able to fish Stockton. I was at Table Rock for a week. We really got into them today. Put in at Roark about 6 am fished til 11. Caught about 20. This was small compared to the huge one my fishin partner lost at the boat. Ahh... the one that got away. My radar was a Lil crazy but I believe temps were 78 to 80. Caught fish in 15 to 29 foot. Spook was the hot lure in frog and shad, jig with double tail trailer, pbj color purple flake trailer. Found them busting shad in the back of coves with creek channels and it was fish on every other cast then nothing for 5 min then game on again. Lots of fun! About anything that looked like a shad worked then. No luck on worm and crawdad but did not give them many casts. All fish over 2 lbs and caught some real fat keepers! Mixed bag of bass a cat and nearly all the fish were LM. It was all over at 10 am. Fished deeper with jig caught 1 keeper but it was slim pickins after the sun warmed up.