blacknoseddace

I started using 1/2 oz inline sinkers this year and I like them. I can use a variety of crankbaits that are smaller or don't dive deep enough without the help of added weight. The action of the crankbaits are not effected. I don't have to let out a lot of line either. If I slow it down, it goes deeper. I use my trolling motor and change speeds to experiment. I buy my sinkers from Netcraft. I think Bass Pro has them too.

You can troll Flicker Shad for Crappie and catch some decent fish. I usually troll 18 to 30 feet for suspended fish. Look for baitfish on your sonar. You can troll just about any part of the lake. You'll likely catch a variety of species. Trolling is a good way to relax and soak in the surroundings. Rodholders are nice to have too.

Fished 7-11 this morning on main lake. 3 walleye and a couple cats , no size, on bb with crawler at 20-25ft. Trolled cranks caught 1 drum, 1 nice bass, 1 Crappie and lost one. No wind and very hot. The lake was like a mirror for the most part. Water temp 85. Very little boat activity. Glad to be back in the AC.

http://teamfishco.com/catching-bottom-hugging-walleyes/

Another thing, don't have too much line out, it should be at about a 45 degree angle.

I've had the same problem with bottom bouncers hanging up in the past, but let it hit the bottom and reel up a couple cranks and let it ride just off the bottom. When the depth changes adjust accordingly. A baitcaster works great for making it quick and easy to adjust depth. There are great videos on YouTube for bottom bouncing techniques by the pros up north. As for twist, use a good quality swivel, it makes all the difference.

Those big bluegills are tasty! I like em' with cornmeal, cajon seasoning, and lemon pepper. Nice catch!

Great photos! Nice looking family!

Great report! Sorry you lost the big Walleye. Ouch!

Greats pics! I know, getting out early can tough.

Looks like you guys had a great day! Great eats! I know what you mean about going over schools of baitfish, I always tell my wife to get ready for another hit while we're trolling. Lots of fun when you can predict another bite.

Thanks for the reply.

...and she showed me how it's done. We fished the last two Saturdays and had a great time. The points were full of channel cats and big bluegills that we caught on night crawlers, but we caught the cats trolling Flickers too. Also caught Crappie trolling. The bass were tough but my wife caught this dandy on a craw (her go to bait). What color Flicker Shad do you guys like? We used purple with good results. The Stockton Lake forum is the best! Good people here shariing their knowledge.

Looks like a great day on the water for the family. Great pics!

If you don't mind, what was the name of the place you guys stayed at. I'm going to have to try that sometime. By the way, congrats to your son on a great catch. He's hooked for life!

I'll bet the BBQ sauce sealed the deal.

Great report! Looking forward to 'normal" time of year conditions to return. I sure don't like the North wind. Nice fish!

Thanks for the tips Dan.

Took my wife up for some late afternoon fishing and put in by the dam. Fishing was tough. Flipped craws in brush and only had one hit but missed him. Jigged points, al la Dan style and caught nothing, but didn't see many fish on the depth finder either. Trolled for a while with Flicker Shad and my wife caught one nice Crappie and I caught a small one. Went back to the point and saw lots of fish on the screen but they showed no interest in spoons or jigs. My wife picked up the Ned rod and caught a 17" Walleye. I caught a drum on the pink jig. She caught a nice Crappie on Ned and it was time to go. Beautiful evening. Water temperature 71 degrees.

I caught a couple Crappie on the bottom 46' down with a spoon on Wednesday. Crazy! Can't seem to get those suspended fish to hit though. Did catch some at 30 to 35 on the bottom as well. Thanks for all the great info Dan. It's a blast when you hammer the whites that way.

Ok, thanks!

How high's the water PaPa? Ten feet high and risin'

April and May are better if you can go then, but warm spells early on can trigger some good fishing activity, it's just a gamble and the wind can be a problem. The Tarpon migration really gets going May and June. I stayed at Grassy Key in mid May 2012 and there were Tarpon everywhere on the flats and around the bridges. I landed one around 70 lbs on a fly from a boat I rented at grassy key? It was a blast! I just got back from West Palm Beach where my daughter lives and Fished for bass in ponds around her neighborhood and caught plenty on flies. Spent one full day with Capt Mark Giacobba in Flamingo and landed a 60 lb tarpon on a fly. Plus we caught small bass and speckled trout. The snook didn't cooperate on this trip. The Everglades trip is a lot more remote and less crowded than the Keys, but I like the Keys too. If nothing much is biting you can still catch sharks, snapppers, or cudas. It seems backup plans are always available. Mark is a good guide and he is flexible on what's available at a given time. Just my 2 cents on my limited experience there. If you like sea food you must try the hogfish, they are awsome! The markets and restraunts have hogfish in the Keys. Conch fritters are a great appetizer with remoulade sauce. And of course Keylime pie.

Hope you get into some fish.

Went up today and it was dead. Fished jigs and jerkbait hoping to get into hybrids and walleyes. I know walleyes are about done but you can catch them all through April, just not in numbers. Not much water moving. Water temps ranging 55-57 degrees. A few Crappie were being caught on minnows, very small, and not many. I caught one 12" Crappie and a 16" hybrid on a chartreuse 1/4 oz craft hair jig and released them. Fished from 8am-12pm. It was cloudy most of the time with a good wind from the West. I noticed the road crossing the dam was closed. I was in my boat, but noticed the banks on both sides right below the dam were void of people. That is a definite sign fishing isn't too good.